The Sweets Emporium

​

Famous for its irresistible delicacies, the Sweets Emporium of Stockbon ranks highly when compared against other confectioners across the continent. The structure itself is a large dome like facility that holds a multitude of floors dedicated to various types of candies, baked goods and all other desserts possibly imaginable (and some that aren't)! Though constantly busy throughout the year, it appears that this week they're especially packed to due their annual exhibition show. This year's theme? "It's A Small World After All" - emphasizing the largest creations known to man and exceeding the limits of both physics and diabetes! Countless candy making legends have been invited from various lands to display their most gargantuan works to the public.

Upon entering, your field of view is immediately overtaken by a life like, and modeled to scale, green dragon. Fashioned out of citrus flavored hard candy, each scale has been shaped delicately using the most precise control over pyromancy and hydromancy in a beautiful unison of perfection. A long line can be seen near the base of the statue by the dragon's tail. There appears to be a special event going on to supplement the entertainment factor for the more youthful visitors. Near the base of the tail, a small sign can be seen with the following words.

"At the apex of the emporium lies a treasure containing untold goods! Should any lucky adventurers reach the top, they shall be lauded with accolades and praised as a true confectionary hero! Seek out the Literally Everlasting Gobstopper and claim your birthright!"​

In even smaller text that's hardly visible to the naked eye, a brief disclaimer appears.

"Sweets Emporium is not liable for any bodily harm or losses caused by this event."​

After ascending the dragon's tail and reaching the head, two paths lay before you, each branching steadily up towards the higher floors and assuredly the facility's peak.

Hidden: The Jungle

The path to the left has little for foot holds. In fact, upon leaving your perch atop the dragon's head, there's not a single place to rest your foot within sight. All that resides before you is an endless jungle of vine sized taffy, licorice and other string shaped sweets that slowly cascades upwards to the higher levels. Perhaps one is meant to swing from strand to strand in order to ascend. Be careful however, some desserts are certainly more malleable than others. To properly navigate this obstacle, a thorough knowledge of candy consistency will be needed. Although an endless swath of cotton candy lies beneath you, do try to avoid a fall. There's no guarantee it'll save you...

Hidden: The Rocky Road (Ice cream not included)

To the right lies a path littered with various gargantuan sized baked goods and marbled hard candy. From the looks of it, one must properly leap across the cobbled path of fruit cobblers and other desserts in order to go higher. Do be careful however, as not all sweets were created equally. Some appear to be glazed with a treacherously slippery coating of sugared candy while others are topped off with an unfathomable amount of icing sure to hinder mobility and to cause mishaps by the baker's dozen! Although there is an endless swath of cotton candy, forming a giant blanket beneath you, do try to avoid falling. There's no guarantee you'll survive the fall...

The Chest: A series of small chests that appear to be gem-like and fashioned out of some form of hard candy rest atop the humongous gobstopper. They shimmers brilliantly in the sun's glorious beams. The prize boxes appears to be unlocked, however upon further interaction, the lids seem to be welded shut. Having congealed and re-solidified due to the noon's focused rays, the tops have actually been molded and become one with their respective boxes! Should someone attempt to access the prize within... they'd best have one hell of a sweet tooth. Upon claiming their prize, magic quickly engulfs the person, teleporting them back to the base of the dragon statue. Reentry appears to be barred by an invisible wall.

Note: This is an event for people who have yet to open a treasure chest this week (timer reset's on Sunday).
Last reset - 7/9.

Briefly tell a story about what were you doing up until this point, then describe how you would retrieve this chest. (300 words minimum, 500 words maximum)

6/6 Reward Claimed​

 

Having heard word abut some big fancy event going on off at some Sweets place he'd figured what better way than to explore every inch of the game than to appear at one of the events. Yet unsure of where it was he'd begin his search; exploring the city of Stokbon. Eyes venturing about until he realizes just where it was, thanks to some passing players with candy upon their mugs.

A faint smile passed as the male made his way into the building. "Well, would you look at that; the jade dragon hiding his precious treasure. Pretty legit, although I'm not sure if this counts as a dragon. Wait what's the line for?" He'd say as the male ventured forth to investigate. Reading the signage he'd make his way forth and climb the beast; making his way towards its head. Each step a bit stickier than the last, he saw others pushing and shoving, Catching someone from falling with one hand he'd give them a chance to grab the dragon, "Be careful you'd hate to die and tell those you died on a candy dragon." he'd laugh and continue on his way.

Arriving at the top he saw two paths; one of vine like candy, the other of a slippery slope. A faint smile passed as he pats his arms and acknowledged the guns he worked so hard to train. Grabbing the first vine he'd get a running start grasping and swinging, making it from one to another then slipping; fuck.. The last thought to run through his mind as he seemed to grab the vine at the last minute swinging back to the start. Sighing he was glad he didn't fall. Trying again he seemed to make it across; this time almost reaching the end of the task before falling and landing upon some marshmallow beds. "Really...?" Rushing back up once more avoiding any player he could and trying not to be knocked off, he'd finally leading him to the peak of the area.

A bit hyped up on the adrenaline he'd look before him and note the chests. Pulling out his sword he'd hack away at the chocolate chests grabbing some and eating in hopes of enjoying himself. It wasn't long before suddenly he was engulfed by magic. Eyes widening he'd appear outside. Attempting to walk back in to see what happened he'd appear unable to. However in his hands laid his prize. But what was it?

@Hecatus

 

Shopping about in Stockbon was a boring enough task. Gwyn didn't care overmuch for cities or towns, even villages got her skin crawling after too long. She was made for the open road, the dark woods, and the sheer cliffs of the wilds. In the game and out. The chatter of people had the human sighing and pushing further through the rush of the midday clutter. She'd yet to find a bow she thought of as suitable for her... in the right price range. The short bows so many favored were garbage in her eyes. She needed a weapon as long as the night with a draw weight that could make a giant sweat. In her bleary-eyed daydreaming she nearly met the ground in a rather pathetic faceplant, catching herself at the last moment with a pinwheel of her arms.

There was something odd going on up ahead. An event of some sort? At a candy store of some kind? Gwyn adjusted her path to wind through the throngs, fighting her way closer. When she saw it, she could have sworn she heard an angel's chorus. It was made for her. The path up the winding dragon and high above the candy jungle and clever courses were like any bouldering studio she'd ever been to in the waking world, with a bit more flavor. She chuckled at her own little joke and was quick to join in the challenge. Up she went, only giving half a care that there was a treasure at the end. The climb was its own gift!

The ranger tore her way up the dragon, already short of breath from excitement and her teeth bared in anticipation. As she crested the head the path split in two ways. The jumping puzzle seemed fun, but her strength was in her arms and so the vines were what called. When she leaped and grabbed hold, the candy flexed beneath her hand in an unsettlingly fleshy way, but she carried on. The momentum lead her from vine to vine, uncaring of the fall that awaited her below. This was nothing compared to that one bluff she'd free-climbed for two hours and Gwyn was made in her player's image. Surely she could surmount any challenge if she tried? The licorice strands she favored as holds held out. Finally she found herself at the top and snatched up one of the chests, tossing it between her hands loosely as she glanced behind at the cotton candy cloud she didn't have to deal with. Victory was sweet. Or sour, incredibly sour! Gwyn's treasure chest, it seemed, was made of a sour, chalky candy.

She barely paid mind to the teleportation magic that brought her down, too busy recoiling from the shock.

 

@Aaron Steele
You quickly swipe at the object in the chest before being magically warped away. Your in-game interface indicates the following item now rests in your palm:

Loot

Medium Coin Pouch: 100 g

@Gwyn ap Herne
You quickly swipe at the object in the chest before being magically warped away. Your in-game interface indicates the following item now rests in your palm:

Loot

Recipe: [Head - Light] (Tradeable/Consumable) Requires 30 mats

 

It didn’t take a world-class entertainer and hero to discover when something big was happening in this town. And that was good, because the Admiral happened to be precisely neither of those things, according to everyone else in the world but him. Though he tended to avoid events where there was more attention focused on others than on him, this one seemed to be full of particularly pleasant promise. He accepted a sample of toffee from off of a tray passing him by while he waited in line, ignoring the age-old adage of not taking candy from strangers, and reflected on the events that had led him here:

He had been drinking across the street, and stepped outside to see everyone running around excited. Someone had told him there was candy, and he had said “sweet!”

There were prizes, but not many had the skills to reach them. Or were drunks from the tavern across the street, wanting to “ride on the taffy vines” until security removed them. One large fellow was nice enough to catch people that slipped on their way up, and the Admiral scoffed at his chances of making it across due to his… size. And then was dumbstruck when he watched the man go sailing across with, if not grace or ease, victory. A woman who followed him was much more adept, as though she had been Tarzan-ing all her life. When it came time for him to choose, he glanced once at the drop from the vines and simply noped the fuck out of that mess.

"You all go ahead and take the low road," he called behind him, waving at the vines everyone seemed to favor. "I'll take the pie road... And I'll meet you 'ere by morning."

Jumping forwards, he began to skip from pie to pie, pausing to catch himself when any proved slippery, or he wanted a taste of it. Not to mention at one point when he landed in a very large one that four and twenty black birds flew out of. Odd, until he remembered an old nursery rhyme about it and let out a laugh. From there it was a slippery pie-covered matter of reaching a chest and pulling it up, finding himself teleported below moments later. Shrugging, he sat down on a bench and began to chew his way into the box while humming “does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight.” Surely he looked like a madman, covered in everything from cherry to boysenberry, to what he highly suspected might be ilex vomitoria. Chewing on a caramel and butterscotch box and licking vigorously at it rather than, say, opening it carefully like a normal person.

“WHO WILL HELP ME LICK THIS?” he called into the crowding city street, holding the box up in hopes someone would come assist.

 

Candy. One of the last things Beatle expected to see in a fantasy world of magic and monsters, yet here it was, tasty and colorful as ever. Virtual reality had come a long way, but to think it could stimulate ones very taste buds... it was beyond comprehension.

This confusion didn’t stop Beatle’s sweet tooth. Like a child in a candy store (get it?) Beatle’s eyes darted back and forth, unsure of where to start, or even if he COULD start. “Would it be bad if I started eating everything in sight? Are these things even edible? Why is this thing purple but smells like it should be blue? Are digital cavities a thing? Why am I even...”

Beatle stopped, his words caught in the back of his throat. In front of him lay the most beautiful candy dragon that Beatle had ever seen. It was a majestic creature, shimmering in the digital light, enticing Beatle with it’s succulent sheen. It took Beatle a solid few minutes of staring at the creature to learn of it’s significance.

“Pr-pr-pr-prizes?!” Beatle thought, unable to comprehend what kind of sugary goodness awaited at the top. Unable to hold in his excitement, he raced to the top of the dragon, quickly looking over both paths in front of him before diving into the Jungle. Through a strange combination of climbing and eating, Beatle’s small frame made for an easy climb in the beginning. As he ascended, he noticed the thickness of the ‘vines’ shrinking, leading to weaker strands less likely to hold him.

“Hmmm... how did my sister used to do that? Was it like this??” Beatle had found a solid strand to hang on with one hand, and began gathering as many strands as he could and twirling them into one thick strand. He then Chomped the tip off, gluing the remaining strands together with his saliva. Though tedious, this method brought him safely to the ‘end of the rainbow,’ so to speak.

Beatle approached the candy-encrusted chest of his choosing, trying to open it manually. Once that failed, he gave in to the obvious choice: EAT THE CANDY!!!

~10 minutes later

Beatle groaned, holding his stomach in pain as he lifted the opening of the chest for his prize, though at this point he was hoping for anything that wasn’t candy. Beatle had seriously underestimated how much candy his small character could handle.

 

@The Admiral
You quickly swipe at the object in the chest before being magically warped away. Your in-game interface indicates the following item now rests in your palm:

Loot

Small Coin Pouch: 66 g

@Beatle
You quickly swipe at the object in the chest before being magically warped away. Your in-game interface indicates the following item now rests in your palm:

Loot

Chocolate Buccaneer’s Hat (Light) Literally made of chocolate. Dark chocolate.

 

Amane wished she didn't have so great a sweet tooth. Honestly, the first time she bought from the Sweets Emporium was a complete accident. Why, a quest brought her right by its doorsteps, and buying a couple of candy to tide her through the rest of the mission was only reasonable. Since then, she hadn't been able to stop. So when news travelled around the city of an annual exhibition, Amane couldn't resist at least popping in to check it out, even if she didn't quite have the money to spend on overpriced virtual food.

Thankfully, in the game indulging herself once in a while with sweets caused no harm to anything but her wallet, and she was always careful to set aside more than enough gold to fund the upkeep of her gear. Despite that though, the stuff sold in the Emporium have always been particularly expensive — if she wanted to be able to afford the new uncommon tier equipment that had been recently released, she'll admit that coming here and opening herself up to temptation was not the brightest idea.

Entering the building, taking centerstage was an enormous, jade-coloured dragon, and upon closer inspection it looked to be made entirely out of candy. At the base of its tail sat a small sign, and reading it, Amane gathered that it was for an event of some sort, probably some kind of puzzle that would yield rewards. At the thought of treasure, Amane figured that going would probably do her some good. As exciting as a sweets exhibition sounded, part of the fun had been taken out of it when she self-imposed a ban on buying any. On the other hand, who knew? There could be anything waiting at the top of the Emporium, from money to the very sweets she sought. The most desired option, of course, would be gear.

Ascending the dragon's tail, two paths split in front of her, one characterised by tangled sugared vines that must be serving as some kind of path, and the other a landslide's worth of confectionary. Neither was ideal — Amane was never physically strong, either in real life or the game. And even though she knew she couldn't possibly die in a safe zone like Stokbon, she still didn't fancy her grip slipping, nothing between her and a plummet straight to the ground. The rock formation seemed marginally better — jumping, at least, was a simpler task than swinging on vines.

Tapping on her Astramancy, she used the spiritual power to mimic Aeromancy to assist herself in propelling through the air. Each landing was tumultuous and messy, but eventually, with her energy bar almost depleted, she reached the summit of the Emporium not worse for wear. Giving a last burst of power, Amane quickly reached the chest and — upon finding it unopenable, ate the candied exterior — grabbing the item inside and subsequently depositing it in her inventory.

 

The chest does not open due to being sealed shut by melted candy. Please edit accordingly before the last two prizes are claimed! @Amane Hirota

 

Sorry! Edited~
@Hecatus

 

@Amane Hirota
You quickly swipe at the object in the chest before being magically warped away. Your in-game interface indicates the following item now rests in your palm:

Loot

Small Coin Pouch: 50 g

 

She hadn't been doing plenty this day, in the real world it had been another series of tests. Contrast dye had been injected into her again for an angiogram and those often left her feeling drained for the remainder of the day. Naturally she retreated from the waking world into the game to escape the pain and decided to spend the rest of her time in-game. Unfortunately for her, the party she was going to join wasn't online yet. Most of them were students, some were on an eight to five shift, meaning she wasn't going to see them for another few hours.

Amalia could leave, do some solo leveling, but a bard was ill suited for carving out on their own. Best she just be patient and take the time exploring new corners of Stockbon that she'd yet to see.

The attraction that had caught her eye this time was one that was meant to do so from the start. A saccharine delight molded into the form of a jade dragon, one that would have looked menacing by sheer virtue of it's size... but being made of hardened sugar certainly took out some of the intimidation factor off that.

As she admired the sculpture, she saw the text written, a curious little challenge and decided there was really nothing better to do for the next hour and a half. Braving the creature's spine, she slowly made her way up the creature and upon reaching it's crown, she found herself facing two different paths. One required strength of body she didn't feel like she had.

The other however, was a little more dangerous, but could be routed through coordination and good balance. As a musician, she believed in her dexterity and so, she took the path to the right. Leaping from one cobbled path to the other was dangerous, as some proved more slippery that they seemed and it was only by clinging on desperately to the delectable sweets that she hung on, but she persevered.

One by one, she made her ascent, ever higher until the final landing left her in front of a gem-like chest. Using a trusty starter pocket knife, she carefully broke the lid, tracing the line where the sugar had congealed and popped the cover open, reaching out to grab what lay within.

 

@Amalia Leblanc
You quickly swipe at the object in the chest before being magically warped away. Your in-game interface indicates the following item now rests in your palm:

Loot

Candy Cane Striped Leggings (Light) They smell sorta minty...