by cforquer
In the year 2038, “Artificial Reality Pods” (AR Pods) have become the next evolution of VR—full‑sensory immersion linked to neural feedback loops. When SOE releases a remastered, AI‑driven, procedurally adaptive version of EverQuest (“EverQuest: Realms Unbound”), former players flock to it. Dana Thompson—44 years old, ex‑raider, former guild officer, and nostalgic for her glory days as a Cleric in the original EverQuest—is one of them. Her 16‑year‑old daughter, Riley, is not. But when a promotional contest offers a pair of AR Pods to local residents to test pre‑release hardware, Dana convinces Riley to join her. When they log in, a system malfunction—or something more sinister—locks them inside the world of Norrath in new bodies, with a new rule set: Death is not permanent—but each death takes a memory.Lose enough memories, and the game becomes your new reality. Now they must survive, level, and uncover why the AI running the world has deviated from its intended design.
