★ Prompt

To participate this prompt you must first complete the part 1 prompt AND complete ONE of the following prerequisites:

 

Option 1:  Complete the  Dress for the Weather side quest
Option 2:  Own one of the following items and use it on your focus character in your entry

Note: Do not attach the item to your entry!

Draw or write about your character's experience on the journey across Aldebast

✦✦✦

What area will they explore? How are they faring in the cold? What do they find? What did they bring with them? Do they help others? Do they have any encounters with ice creatures?

Prompt Info

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✦ This is intended to be an open ended prompt where you choose how your character progresses in the story! Just pick an area you like and depict your character exploring it, investigating, helping others, or battling ice monsters.

✦ The goal is to head on a path towards the core while stopping in each to disable the four core defense system beacons on the way.
✦ Your character can split off from the group and explore on their own and meet up with everyone else later, it is up to you what they decide to do! Just know that going on your own is dangerous...
✦ This prompt can be done TWICE per user. You only need to do it ONCE to progress. If you decide to do it twice, be sure both submissions feature a different location or task!

Locations

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Going off Vinta's explanation it seems there are FOUR possible locations to explore on the path to the core. Pick one location to focus on for your entry.

Aurora Park surrounds the outer edge of Snowstar Village and the Aldebast college, it's a place frequented by townspeople, students, and tourists alike. Old ruins dot the lovely landscapes and are just waiting to be explored by those looking for a lower risk adventure. The plants here are covered with ice and snow and yet still find a way to flourish in the cold with  the most notable flora being the vibrant tree covered in glowing leaves. A river of dark, starry water borders the park and serves as indication of where the barrier around the town ends, and normally this barrier keeps everyone within safe but there has been reports of creatures slipping through in the past...

The further you are from the town, the more frozen and weighted down with snow the trees become. The black bark of the trees is said to be as such due to their roots reaching deep into the ground to absorb traces of energy from the core of the moon, this bark is also where the forest gets its name. The Blackpine Forest is incredibly dense and dark, only allowing trickles of moonlight through its frozen canopy. In the distance stands a dark castle made of ice that loops atop the jagged cliffs, it's rare that anyone can approach it as the forest itself is teeming with terrifying monsters. There is an air of uneasiness in this forest, a feeling of always being watched. It's difficult for thoughts not to wander of stories that tell of those who went missing in this place.

While difficult to find, there are a few surface entrances that will allow easy passage into the Veins of Aldebast if you head far enough from the village. There are large tunnels that run deep beneath the surface of this moon that pulse with ancient energy almost as old as time itself. These caverns are entirely made of sparkling jagged crystals and glowing gemstone shining in bright blue and purple hues that surround a massive underground lake. There are also the occasional large holes that look out towards the stars in Aldebast's eternal night sky. It's actually much warmer down here than on the surface, but that's just about the only hospitable thing about this place.

The coldest and most unforgiving place on Aldebast. The Dark Side is so far from the village that it sits as only a small shimmer of light in the distance on a clear night. Blizzards tear through this place often and monsters lurk behind every pillar of ice. Large frozen branching slowly spines grow in formations that reach towards the sky as if the ice itself has a mind of its own. Rather than water, there are only large frozen pools that reflect their surroundings like a perfect mirror. Nothing in this place has thawed in likely hundreds of thousands of years, and as such there may be strange secrets locked deep beneath the ice.

Tasks

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At each location there is an ancient Pylon Tower you can explore. They're riddled with tricks, traps, and icy monsters that challenge any who get near. These towers are rather large and have glowing runic bands covering some of the stone. These runes show up in pink, blue, green, or yellow depending on the location.

 

Inside the tower is a glowing beacon. The source of the tower's power.

Shutting this beacon down after handling whatever obstacles you encounter should shut down the entire tower too.

Threats

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Watch out! While you explore, as there are giant  ice monsters that could attack without warning and easily take out someone unprepared. They appear similar to the fauna naturally seen on the surface of Aldebast and couldeasily be mistaken as such, but it's that very misunderstanding that would be a deadly mistake to make if you were to encounter one. Three in particular have been spotted lurking along the path Vinta planned out. They seem attracted by the excited sounds of adventurers.  Be careful if you go off on your own as there are many stories of people disappearing in the Aldebast wilds.

You can optionally include an ice beast in your entry, it must be one of these three. It is up to you how your character defeats them! Do they fight? What's their strategy? Do they trap it somehow? Maybe they befriend it? They could also simply run away and leave it for others to deal with!

	It resembles a creature known as a Serblint, but a closer look reveals it is made of some kind of frozen red fluid with armor of extremely hard packed ice. It seems to sense others by heat rather than sight. It is very aggressive, but still cautious as it keeps its distance for a while before launching an attack with its claws and teeth.
	This large beast vaguely resembles the slow-moving, gentle giants called Torrdra, but this creature is nothing of the sort. It hides beneath huge piles of snow and ice while  sensing vibrations of adventurers above who get too close. You could be walking on the back of one of these without even knowing! Once you're within range it bursts forth from where it was buried and attacks by shooting cold air and ice spikes from the hole in its head.
	It could be easily mistaken for the elegant Starspek which are common in the wilds of Aldebast. But mistaking them could land you in a lot of trouble. It stands completely still like a statue, blending in to the blizzards while it listens for sounds of life. When it hears something it will begin its pursuit, walking atop the snow on its razor sharp feet. When you are confronted with this creature do not take its delicate appearance lightly, it is capable of casting powerful frost spells and the ice on its body can easily cut an unprepared attacker.

Oddly enough, when the group comes across any kind of challenge Aventus hangs back and simply observes the course of events. Vinta would do everything they can to help if they're nearby however!