Tenyclus

“The screen suddenly flashes to life, almost blinding you with its incandescent glow. In the center of the screen, you see the word 'Tenyclus' bolded with a unique font. A copyright in smaller text is seen below. '1982, Lüsterngrad'”

"Tenyclus", otherwise known as the "strange cabinet" event or "cursed arcade" event, is a hidden quest within Degrees of Lewdity.

Synopsis

A strange cabinet is tucked away in the corner of the arcade. It is a seemingly standard cabinet, with a jet-black tint to it - and is strangely pristine, despite it's age.

No one else seems to be playing on this cabinet. Why not play it yourself?

Prerequisities

To trigger the event, the player must have first entered the Arcade at some point. Additionally, they must also be under the influence of hallucinations, as the cabinet will not appear to the player otherwise.

Walkthrough

The player is drawn to a seemingly standard cabinet that is jet-black and although not new, strangely pristine.

The player has the option to "Play?" the game or leave. When choosing to play:

First time: "The screen suddenly flashes to life, almost blinding you with its incandescent glow. In the center of the screen, you see the word 'Tenyclus' bolded with a unique font. A copyright in smaller text is seen below.

"1982, Lüsterngrad"

"You start to play the game. It's pretty fun for the most part, if not a bit basic. You wonder why you haven’t seen anyone else play on this cabinet.

The graphics are so primitive, you’re not really sure who or what you’re playing as. All you can make out is that it looks like you’re fighting off something. Your best guess is aliens, but it could really be anything."

Random Outcomes:

• One alien narrowly misses your shot. | + Stress
• You shoot at a pair of aliens. Direct hits! | + Control | - Stress | - Trauma
• You feel like someone is watching you. | + Stress
• You just can't stop winning. | + Control | - Stress | - Trauma
• You feel like the game is getting easier as you play. | - Stress
• You feel like the game is getting increasingly more difficult as you play. | - Control | + Stress
• You have a headache. | + Stress | + Trauma
• You feel words creeping into your mind. | - Control | + Arousal
• You can’t stop playing. It’s so addicting! | - Control | - Stress | - Trauma
• There's a large amount of aliens to deal with, but you manage to clear the wave. | + Control | - Stress | - Trauma

At the end of each session, the following text appears unless an event is happening:

"You wipe out the last alien on screen. You've won! | + Control

You swear you can hear voices creeping into your mind. It's oddly soothing, telling you all sorts of things that seem pleasing to you. You look around for the source of the voice, but the moment you look away, the cabinet shuts off without warning.

Strangely enough, there seems to have been no power cut. Others in the arcade play happily on their own cabinets. You feel the urge to play again tomorrow."

Timed Events

In 5 days in a row of playing "Tenyclus", the player will be put in neck deep water on the beach.

"You smell something strange, but you choose to ignore it and continue playing. You feel as if the game is sucking you in, and just before you’re about to reach a new high score, a splash of water hits you in the face.

You look around for the culprit, but notice you're standing in neck deep water on the beach. Your head feels fuzzy."

After 6 days of playing, pink mist will spew from the machine increasing arousal, followed by tentacles coming out of the arcade cabinet and initiating a non-consensual tentacle sex scene.

After 7 days of playing you will be kidnapped and wake up in a van with the "Tenyclus" machine next to you, when you get to your destination there is a non-consensual sex scene with your arms and legs bound, regardless of the outcome of this encounter, afterwards you wake up in your bed and the "Tenyclus" machine is no longer available. You also take a major hit to awareness (around 200).

Rewards

• Massive Awareness decreases (-200, doubled up to -400 if wearing the dark pendant)
• Crippling addiction to strange arcade cabinets.

Trivia

• This quest is one of the more reliable ways to decrease Awareness, a common issue many players may have.
• "Tenyclus" is a direct reference and intentional parody to the long since debunked urban legend "Polybius".
  • This is exemplified by many details present in both the urban legend and the event:
    • The jet-black tint of both cabinets.
    • The intentionally faux-German name of the developer.
    • The 1980s, more specifically the copyright date. Polybius emerged in 1981, Tenyclus was developed in 1982.
    • The strange graphics, unlike any other cabinet of its time period.
    • Its many (unpleasant) mind-altering side-effects on the player such as addiction, and hallucinations to name a few examples.
    • The overall mystery surrounding the cabinet itself, "men in black" coming to visit the area where both cabinets are located and both cabinets' subsequent quick disappearances.