A shooting star streaked by overhead. In its wake, a violet sky filled to the brim with glittering stars bled into existence like watercolors bleeding across wet paper. Shelby squinted. Even though there were stars overhead, it was clearly daytime. She stood next to a small campfire at the edge of a dense pine forest where birds sang back and forth to eachother. In the distance, jagged, snow-capped, mountains raked against the sky. The horizon beyond them was royal blue, but again, the stars were out, somehow. As she thought about them, the shooting star slowed to a crawl and the words "Starchaser" appeared in a blocky font, taking up much of the scene. Ah, Shelby thought, title screen. She could distantly hear a gentle melody.

She put her hands on her hips and waited for something to happen. Don't these usually say something like 'Press Start'? she wondered. As if on command, a tiny ember spiraled up off the campfire and grew into a small, polished orb. "Welcome to Starchaser, user Shelby Baker," it said in a flat but soothing voice.

"Aha! Thanks so much, and who might you be?" she asked as she crouched down to, well, orb-level.

"I am AIDAN. I am a personal assistant who will guide you through the world of Aare and help you with any questions you might have as you play," AIDAN said, each word accompanied by faint flecks of fire stirring just beyond his dark exterior.

Shelby clapped her hands together, "AIDAN, my savior! You don’t know how happy I am to have your help! What should I be doing here?"

A streak of fire pulsed and traced a ring just under AIDAN's surface. It was thinking. After a second, it said, "You have not yet made a character, doing so is a required first step before you can enter the world. Please bring up the menu and select 'Create a new character'."

She looked up at the floating title in the sky, clearing her throat and clearly annunciating, "Create a new character!"

Nothing happened. AIDAN vibrated slightly, "You need to think the command, Ms. Baker."

Shelby swished her hand through the air in mock embarrassment, "Please, just ‘Shelby’," but she took the suggestion. Create a new character, um, please. She was starting to get a grasp on mental commands. This technology really is something, she mused.

A shoulder width blue circle swirled slowly as it popped out from the ground a few feet to the left of the fire pit. A semi-opaque white figure with no identifying features stepped into existence and stood in the ring. Its chest rose and fell as if it were breathing, and it shifted its balance side to side. Shelby waved her hand in front of its eyeless face, but it didn't seem to notice. AIDAN floated up to take its place to the left of the mannequin's head, then spoke "You can get a reminder of your available commands at any time by thinking 'commands'".

She did. Commands. Be commanded.

A cascade of options came into existence next to the white figure. Everything from “Race”, to “Hair”, and “Voice”. This list was so long that it threatened to extend right through the ground. She tapped her finger to her chin. This is a lot. She asked AIDAN, "Is there, you know, a dice option?"

AIDAN's core flickered, "Do you mean a randomizer, Master Shelby?"

"Yes, I need something to work from. A foundation! And please, 'Shelby', plain and simply Shelby."

"Not officially, but I can choose some options on your behalf, Shelby."

"Make it so, AIDAN. Hit me with the AIDAN special." She gave the orb a friendly smile. It didn’t reciprocate.

The white figure nearly doubled in height. Its shoulders, back, and neck filled until they looked like gnarled pumpkins and its skin bloomed with a deep grey. Powerful muscles flexed beneath every inch of its, apparently fat-less, frame. Two sharp fangs, no, tusks, jutted up from behind a thick lip, and a pair of deep red eyes glared down at Shelby. She took an involuntary step backwards, "AIDAN, this is terrifying..."

"This is a member of the Toil race. They are distant descendants of the gods."

"Which god is this one descended from?"

"Tayne, the Void Treader."

"I see, ol' Tayne. How would you rate him as a father?"

AIDAN seemed to mull that over for a while, a storm of embers dancing within him. Eventually, he settled on, "I would rate him in the top 30th percentile."

Shelby nodded approvingly, "Wow. Good for him. Well, dad perks aside, I don't think this is quite my style. I was thinking more along the lines of small... furry... adorable."

"Perhaps you would like to see a member of the Daizi race?"

"Yes, perfect! I'm already half-crazy for this one! Let me have it!"

The figure shrunk, and shrunk some more, until it was standing about half as tall as Shelby, who was already on the short side. The figure had large round floppy ears that lay over shaggy grey fur. It was hunched slightly, and its short arms were folded together in front of its chest. It was a lot more animated than the Toil man from before, looking side to side every few seconds and bouncing on the balls of its long feet.

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Shelby crouched down beside it, smiling, and she said, "he looks like Fievel!"

"The Myini variant of the Daizi is similar to a mouse, yes.” AIDAN agreed.

"Variant? Are there other variants?" Shelby asked.

"There are over a dozen variants of the Daizi race."

"Is there... a bunny variant? Show me that."

The mouse stood up a little straighter, its ears narrowed and sprung up from its scalp. Its feet elongated further, and it performed a little hop. The figure’s fur fluffed out and turned titanium white. It was, in fact, a bunny. Just like the one Tara had shown her! She clapped again, "Yes! This one!"

"There are many more options you may examine if you wish to personalize your character," AIDAN advised.

"No need, they're perfect as is. I could never infringe on the work of a maestro such as yourself, AIDAN." Shelby said with a bow towards the orb.

"This is the default configuration for the Mero variant."

"Pish posh, what else do we need to do? Let’s get this bunny set on the path of adventure!”

"You are required to name the character and select a class before you can finalize your choices."

"Name... bunny name... how about 'Carrot Cake'!" Shelby rattled off. Perfect. Bunnies love carrots.

"Carrot Cake. I would like to remind you that you are not required to communicate your choices with me. These choices can be registered through deliberate thought."

"I need your guidance! How can I get guided if I don't tell you what I'm thinking?" Shelby whined, and she definitely hadn't forgotten about the thought menu, again.

"As you wish. The character is named Carrot Cake. Would you like to see the class selection menu?"

"Yes, class is in session!"

The character split into 4 identical copies and drifted apart, eventually standing in a semi-circle around the fire. Each one quickly popped into a different outfit. The far left one had a frilly shirt and a bandolier of tiny bells that chimed as it shifted in place. In its hand it twirled a short, sharp-looking sword. Is this a little pirate?

A small menu window floating above the rabbit's head revealed the details of the class.

A Carillop, the Daizi form of the Adherent base class. It has musical powers that quicken movements and lend grace to its allies.

The next rabbit in line wore a loose green hood that was pinned to its neck and chest by a short bow's string, which was slung over its back. It carried various scraps of material, small bags, and twigs tucked into a belt.

A Brushcourser, the Diazi form of the Scapegrace base class. They stalk the wilds hunting for rare plants and animals. They defend themselves with bonded companions and a bow.

After them, the next rabbit, er, Daizi, wore a patchy, wide-brimmed hat that ended in a creased point. It held a copper scepter with a large red glass bead adorning the end, and wore a short robe and cape embroidered with stars and moons. A-HA!

A Fantasian, the Daizi form of the Scholar base class. They twist the laws of nature in strange ways to misdirect or damage their foes and can borrow power from the elements.

Shelby's hands gripped down on nothing. Bunny wizard...

The final rabbit wore a fine silk tabard with an elaborate image of a tree climbing length of it. It held a pair of oversized black scissors in one hand and glass vessel in the other. A sheer veil held by a crown of vines rested on its head, which let its ears pass through.

A Seedsage, the Daizi form of the Oracle base class. They concoct potions, perfumes, and salves from various plants, and they can call on the miracle of growth to produce powerful medicine mid-battle.

Shelby looked back and forth over the rabbits, her eyes catching on the little rabbit mage each time, before she returned her attention to AIDAN, "I only get to pick one?" She asked, her tone strongly suggesting that she wanted, needed, to pick them all.

"You may only have one core class per character. As your characters progress, they may learn secondary classes and professions, but their base class choice will always be restricted by your initial choice."

The gears in Shelby's mind churned, "and… how many characters can I have?"

"During the preview event you may have up to 20 characters, but after the full release of Starchaser you will be restricted to 5."

"FIVE?!" Shelby exclaimed, staggering back as if AIDAN had shot her through the heart, "that's only enough for one each and a second helping!"

"There are two more base classes available to the Daizi through other variants and game world progression, as well," AIDAN added, unhelpfully.

"I can't even have all the classes?" Shelby kicked a clod of dirt out of the loose soil around the campfire and it passed through the bell-wearing rabbit without affecting it.

"You may potentially experience all six Daizi classes during the preview event. If you wish to make another character you may log out to return to this sanctuary, but only after materializing in Aare."

Shelby huffed; it wasn't as if she was planning to keep playing the game after Tara got tired of it, or Ted was done studying, but it wasn't fair that she couldn't collect all the rabbits. She sighed, "Okay, I guess we'll have to do that. Let's start with the bunny wizard."

"The Fantasian," AIDAN corrected, "very well. Starting a new character, Carrot Cake, as a Daizi Fantasian."

And with that, the screen faded out again.