Coral, Daniel, and their friends have their heads in the game. But what happens when the game gets in their heads? Strange things are afoot in Travail Online. People like Coral who couldn’t find jobs offline joined Travail so they could grind away at the virtual reality video game and sell in-game items for a bit of real world cash. Travail, however, has just launched new content that turns that premise on its head. The game resurrected a dead god and is using it to brainwash players into pouring their life savings into the game, ruining their livelihoods and threatening to destroy the game’s economy worldwide. Coral can’t stand by while the game mind-hacks players and siphons away their gold, but will getting involved cause more harm than good? Meanwhile, Daniel has his own concerns. The head of the Assassins’ Guild is still trying to recruit him, the Regent of Travail’s human city wants him to start a war with the dwarves, and the elves seem to be hunting him and his friends. The game just keeps throwing roadblocks in their way, not to mention the mess it’s making of their minds… Welcome to Travail, where hard play makes fun work!
