DSEC9 | Final Map Section | Road to the Reveal

[Hally]

Sometimes when a momma shub and a daddy cultist love each other very much.....

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

Sahel was right again about what was missing ... the church ... he seems to be rather tuned in to Monrian lore.

Over time, information was recorded about Cthulhu creating a great historical document. It was kept throughout the ages and had passed through many hands, but was continuously updated by the Priests who were in charge of maintaining its accuracy.

However, over the centuries, there had been many races and cultures who attempted to obtain this manuscript both for good and for evil. It was rumored that some of the information within its pages would enable a person who could interpret its ancient secrets to gain mastery upon the world of man. The recovered accounts revealed by the Priests of the Church of Cthulhu and its followers give insight into their experiences, and a glimpse into their calling.

This manuscript was sealed in a box in the wall of a church revealing hundreds of years of information. The manuscript was written in a language unknown to current archivists who predicted that it would take a great deal of time to translate.

And so the doors of the church slowly creep open. Not so inviting, but intriguing, and draws upon our sense of wonderment. Perhaps even a sense of twisted curiosity in the face of what surely appears to be dark and ominous. We may have to walk through a village in fear, where possibilities present themselves that could alter time and space. We have already experienced the depths of evil in our struggles to survive, but I sense that real challenges have yet to be faced.

Again I refer you to the Necronomicon that is a highly dangerous manuscript ... especially in the hands of Decca and her evil Cultists.

(click on the photos to see a larger size)​

. . . . . . . . . . . . .Beware of Alters offering opportunities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Shrine of The Elder Gods?

DISCLAIMER
All content is in development and subject to change. Specifically, photos shared may end up looking differently due to movement of assets and tweaking of lore. Oh, and ... we absolve ourselves of any deaths occurring from introduced or perceived horrors.

 

[Littlestar b-k]

He/she who can draw the exclamation mark out of the stone shall be king of DSEC.

 

[Hally]

Notised the shrine has a HP bar, maybe we shoot it to get effect, or keep it from getting destroyed ? maybe killing it starts something ? dunno, but i like the implications of more terrain that can be effected

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

Monday Write-Up #11 -- Pinthas Response



I remember an entry in the historical documents:

7 March 2348

Global leaders have met with Decca and have coordinated a cease-fire by agreeing to return all related churches to the Decca family. Decca has insisted that official documents be created and archived in order to keep the historical ongoing line of descendancy intact. If the churches are leased to other religious organizations, then this argument of ownership will never have to be read live again in the future. Official documents have been created and agreements have been signed.

While the original church was on Earth, it now appears that it is somehow being recreated here in the expanded dimension of Monria in the yet to be named final map section of DSEC9. It's an interesting twist to history since the original church spawned a near-global catastrophe so many years ago. Is the line of church ownership now continuing here to attest to Decca’s claim on the church? Has this church been constructed so that Decca does not have to go through the ownership fight all over again? What is really happening here that the church is now being revealed at this time?

In addition, what about the Shrine of The Elder Gods? I feel compelled to inspect its inner workings, as well as enter the church to look for markings that may yield more clues. I know not what I will find, but my instincts are telling me to be cautious as to what areas I wander into and what items I inspect. The temptation at the alter and the shrine makes me feel reminiscent of a temporal displacement, but I must plan my approach carefully, otherwise opening a portal by accident can lead to unforeseen consequences. Perhaps I should just enter the church and meditate to see if something comes to me, or if I am guided in some way to elsewhere.

It's time to evaluate and inspect both of these areas. I know one thing is certain though, we need to be ready for anything. Also, rest assured that there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the Necronomicon is written all over this.

 

[sahel]

So in this new section of DSEC9 the Drone Cam found this Cultists town called Larches Green. It seems to be lacking water at this moment, although it's close to the river that gets it's water from an unknown source out of the mountain.

About the town's name.
Larches, I see a few dead looking trees that could have been larch trees.
Green could relate to foliage larches can have when they are living, although they are deciduous turning yellow in the autumn. It might point to the green liquids and hues connected to the cultists rituals and powers. I can't stop thinking about that beautiful green terrarium... Or maybe it's just a climate-neutral town .

The town seems a copy of the old Teaksbury with as most noticeable buildings:
- a pub (needs drinks?)
- a fountain (why dry?)
- an outside bath (why empty?)
- stonehenge like structures (rituals / interdimensional travel?)
- a sort of shed with a big door, for mindcontrol testing on unknown subjects?
- a gazebo
- the church (a lot of history on this)
- the Shrine of The Elder Gods with it's HP bar

We can see that we can start a dialogue with:
- the Shub Cultist NPC
- possibly the same NPC as above, visible in an earlier town oversight pic
- the altar in the church

It's being said we must beware of opportunities being offered.
What would those be and what will be asked from us?
Rewards to indulge in rituals? Interdimensional travel with the risk of mind control? Strange tasting beer and something more than a hangover afterwards?

We surely must do something with the Shrine especially since it has an HP bar, but what? As Hally summed up the options, my guess would be that we somehow have to protect it or repair it, a task that might take a group effort. Just because straight up attacking a building like a mob would be an bit of an awkward action to do ingame. Not impossible though.

We know that Pinthas is an Elder God, and the Shrine and the Church got his attention. Since his cooperation to the ritual of waking Cthulhu is one of Decca's main goals, and she is said to be capable of anything to accomplish this, I suggest Pinthas treads very carefully investigating the church and shrine as it might all be a trap.


Now another thing, when I try to scale Larches Green on the now still black map, it must take some space but not too much. What is all the rest? That huge looming mountainrange in the background? Where does this waterfall originate from?

Only a few more writeups and we can explore this wicked place for ourselves. I can't wait to get rid of all of these question marks above, and I'll be as ready as I can for whatever comes on our path!

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

What a brilliant write-up Sahel, I absolutely love it.

While I can't answer any questions, I appreciate your well thought out assessment.

I'll just say this ... we have 2 more Monday Write-Ups, and this next write-up will also raise an eyebrow or two.

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

Over the course of history, expeditions, even disastrous ones, have discovered ancient ruins and civilizations older than the human race. History either repeats itself, or rises to meet us when we least expect it.

The past 11 weeks have revealed the presumed reconstruction of the old town of Teaksbury where the great battle of the citizens against Decca and her Cultists took place at the St Edwards Church. We now know that it was a travesty, and hundreds lost their sanity, while others lost their lives. It was during a very strange ordeal at the outside pulpit where Decca levitated and emanated a green cloud across the masses that ended up being a conduit to madness and even death prior to her and her Cultists making an exodus to Monria. She also knew that the City of R'lyeh where Cthulhu lies dreaming in a death-like sleep was rebuilt at the core of Monria.

For years, Decca and her Cultists have given us challenges that have forced us to build and embrace a greater strength to continue winning our victories. The fact that we have Toulan warriors and allies joining our efforts hasn't fazed Decca one bit. She is more determined than ever to retake control of Monria one way or another, and as warned many times, she will stop at nothing. It seems she is taking the fight to Monria's extension at DSEC-9 where I am sure we will ultimately face her and her Cultists.

We have entered the 12th week of receiving images from the DEC-CAM 9 surveillance of the final map section at DSEC9 where we have no access to explore what's happening ... yet. It's very clear from all we have seen so far that there are nefarious things under foot, and I wouldn't discount an all-out assault on our continuing efforts to defeat Decca.

And just as a reminder, she thinks nothing of using the other Monria creatures to do her bidding and run interference. We have also learned that she connected with a couple of the extremist rogue scientists from the original DSEC exploration team who were conducting artificial intelligence experiments on the DSEC creatures before DEC stopped them, so I would say be prepared for anything.

The focus now is on what dangerous secrets within the mountain range will be discovered as we walk through the very defined entrance into an unknown environment. This mountain range is huge, so for sure "Expect the Unexpected" ... and

Welcome to the ... "Mountain of Madness"

(click on the photos to see a larger size)​

DISCLAIMER
All content is in development and subject to change. Specifically, photos shared may end up looking differently due to movement of assets and tweaking of lore. Oh, and ... we absolve ourselves of any deaths occurring from introduced or perceived horrors.

 

[Hally]

Ok ill try and contain myself here, i have such hopes and dreams, and it looks like some if not all could come to fruition, now what is this gateway ? Is it the space and time bridge, is it a way down to/in to R'lyeh, is it one of Toulans lost citys? Nahar, or even the fabled Sabad city ? will it contain the legions rumored to be hidden away for the last battle, ancient archeotech or even a magic resoir, what what what !
What will will be uncovered ? Narians, Cthulhu denizens, new monsters, undead, man im exited

 

[Hally]

Ill add, i hope we get 6 foot tall blind penguin mobs may we even see elder things or Mi-Go´s ? my brain is racing and trying to remember lore thats meltet in one big puddle of Hally brain

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

Ok ill try and contain myself here, i have such hopes and dreams, and it looks like some if not all could come to fruition, now what is this gateway ? Is it the space and time bridge, is it a way down to/in to R'lyeh, is it one of Toulans lost citys? Nahar, or even the fabled Sabad city ? will it contain the legions rumored to be hidden away for the last battle, ancient archeotech or even a magic resoir, what what what !
What will will be uncovered ? Narians, Cthulhu denizens, new monsters, undead, man im exited

Your speculating is truly on steroids Hally, LOL ... I love it, and while I can't answer to anything specific, I just wanted to make sure that something is clear so that you (or anyone else) don't go off the deep end with hopes, dreams and anticipation.

While we have a lot of plans for both DSEC9 and Toulan (we're far from done), this particular VU is primarily focused on the 3rd map section at DSEC9. This entire DSEC9 location has been a build-out from the ground up and it has taken a lot of work. We needed to get at least the foundational work done to be able to build on it, and there are variables that include complex systems.

While all 3 of our locations are connected in lore, their environments are unique unto themselves. What's important to understand I think, is that we do not have full development control on Monria, and anything that is done has to be done working with MA's team. This is why we wanted to be able to expand Monria into another dimension where we would have full control of development and be able to continue with the Cthulhu-themed lore and environment that basically hasn't been touched for the better part of two years or longer after adding Toulan to our virtual family.

In those years, we spent a lot of time with development on Toulan because we wanted to jump-start the economy and make use of all of Toulan's resources, but also added items and missions, and we aren't done by any means. In between, we've been doing the build-out of the DSEC9 map sections, while still adding something to Toulan. This past 6 months, it's been a heavy focus on the final map section at DSEC9 because we added sections 3 and 4 into one larger map section. We've waited a very long time to be able to bring Monria and its well-entrenched Cthulhu-themed storyline to the forefront again, and we will continue to do this.

I don't want to quell your excitement, because there's plenty to be excited about with this next VU, but there's nothing Toulan-related in this final map section at DSEC9. This is a pure continuation of Monria and building on Monrian lore, which we are very excited about. Ant is inspired by our official lore for all 3 locations, and development will continue to reflect that. We have plenty in store for Toulan too based on lore, but this is Monria's moment to once again shine, so I'm hoping the community will embrace that.

It doesn't mean that there isn't anything for Toulan, but it's only a few things and nothing of grandeur this time. Keep in mind too please that the VS Team who do the development don't do this full-time, but do their best toward providing a more engaging experience. Also, while we have new mob creations on the agenda, it just isn't this time, sorry.

Just have a bit more patience and hang in there with us because there's plenty of exciting stuff to come, you just won't get it all at once. We have done our best to implement suggestions and ideas from community members, and ask that you continue to post them because they inspire and get us excited to want to implement them ... those that fit our vision, and that we get approval for, so don't slack in that respect because we've already implemented plenty over the years.

Toulan will have more moments to shine, and elements of its own lore will show through. The official Toulan storyline book will be written, and it will be easier to follow its history, as well as its evolution.

We have a well-planned out road map.

 

[Littlestar b-k]

I do hope it's not a lost Toulan city. That belongs on Toulan, not DSEC imo.
I'm sure you'll be among the first to find out. ;)
I'll be checking if Toulan got a bit of love too.

 

[Hally]

Ya i know, im racing, and imho thers plenty of possible overlap, and just to also make sure its not percieved wrong, this is just my tangents

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

Ill add, i hope we get 6 foot tall blind penguin mobs may we even see elder things or Mi-Go´s ? my brain is racing and trying to remember lore thats meltet in one big puddle of Hally brain

Looks like Hally has been reading or at least skimming "At the Mountains of Madness" ... our "Mountain of Madness" has quite the different terrain than Lovecraft's, but then it was Lovecraft who encouraged writers to expand upon his work and create their own stories, which is what we've done. What's inside the vast interior of our "Mountain of Madness" is something for everyone to explore. Next week when I do my final Monday Write-Up, it's of something inside the mountain and there will be 6 photos with a bit of a teaser if you spot it.

I'm on the excitement train too Hally, and can't wait to jump in myself, but more excited for you guys to get in there.

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

I do hope it's not a lost Toulan city. That belongs on Toulan, not DSEC imo.
I'm sure you'll be among the first to find out. ;)
I'll be checking if Toulan got a bit of love too.

Hey LittleStar ... read my post above because there's nothing Toulan in this final map section at DSEC9.

 

[Littlestar b-k]

Yes, i saw it when i finished my post.

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

- an outside bath (why empty?)

Wait, an outside bath? ... have another look my friend, it's a grave ... although if you'd like to take a public bath, that's your call.

 

[Coilshot]

I miss being able to repair the walls on the Caly forts when robots would attack. They removed that option (boo for them!). Maybe the Shrine of the Elder Gods is that wall we repair to contain something terrible that is trying to escape and unleash all hell in our world. And while we our trying to repair the shrine, cultist are attacking trying to prevent us from containing the beast.
Well it's a good thought, and if it's not true then may hap they'll use this idea....

 

[Coilshot]

Wait, an outside bath? ... have another look my friend, it's a grave ... although if you'd like to take a public bath, that's your call.

I bet it's the grave the Necronomicon was found in, which is why they are rebuilding the town here.

 

[DarkMoonEnigma]

I bet it's the grave the Necronomicon was found in, which is why they are rebuilding the town here.

It makes me happy when I see that some are actually picking up on things from lore.