Joanne

Joanne turned to answer Dederick's question when suddenly another boar pup leaped out from the brush and charged towards her. "Oh. Give me one second," she replied as she re-equipped her helmet and readied her sword and shield. She braced herself as the small beast rushed towards her. Her shield in front of her, she felt only a slight tap as the boar pup hit her shield, bouncing harmlessly off. The thorn enchantment activated once more, skewering the little pup with green thorns. 

Quickly, she knelt down where the beast had fallen, checking for any loot. But to her disappointment, the boar had dropped none. She stood back up and turned towards Dederick. "It seems like we're both having a harder time at this than usual," she said, smiling warmly. She watched Dederick face the other boar pups as she waited for another to spawn. Hopefully these next few boar pups would drop useful tusks. 

@Dederick

Joanne: 140 - 1 = 139/140 HP | 7 + 1 - 2 = 6/14 EN | 4 DMG | 9-10 BLD | 26 MIT | 2 REGEN (10 TOTAL) | 2 THORN (18 DMG total)
Thorn dmg: 18

vs. 

Boar pup 5: 5 - 18 = 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
DMG: 3 - 27 = 1

Joanne heard a knock at her door. She jumped from her bed, stretching as she walked over and turned the nob on the door. She opened it, revealing herself in some purple pajama pants and an oversized white t-shirt. "Hey, James. What's going on?" she asked, alert, but still a little groggy from waking up only a couple of minutes before James had knocked. 

To James' request to join him on his quest, she happily replied, "Of course. Just give me a few moments to equip my armor and then we can head out." She quickly shut the door and opened her menus, equipping her armor, shield, and sword with a few taps on the display. Once she had finished putting her hair up as well in a low ponytail, she opened her door and stepped forward. "Alright, all ready to go. Where to first?" she asked, standing at the ready. 

Stats: 

Under her helmet, Joanne grinned playfully. "Let's hope so!" she threw back towards Dederick as he asked if the boar would put her into the lead. She turned back to face the small, brown boar, which was now charging towards her with its small tusks thrust forward.

Joanne heard Dederick's voice faintly in the background as she focused in on her target. Her breathing slowed as she slowly brought her arm up and back into a lunging position. She waited, letting the small beast grow ever closer to her, staying perfectly still the whole time. Slash! Slash! Slash! In three quick moves, she sliced through the beast, moving quicker than the lightening that threatened to make its appearance out of the clouds above them. She let the breath she had been holding out and walked over to where the boar had just been. 

Bending down, she saw the usual glint hinting at a dropped item. She picked up a small, white tusk and put it into her inventory. Turning around towards her partner, she removed her helmet briefly to get some fresh air. "Just one left for me!" she called happily.

@Dederick 

Quote

snake bite vs. boar pup 3
Roll ID#: 134848
BD: 9 (+1 crit)
DMG total: (4+1) * 2 = 10 DMG + 12 BLD = 22 DMG

loot of boar pup 3
Roll ID#: 134849
LD: 13 (success)

Joanne: 140/140 HP | 9 + 1 - 3 = 7/14 EN | 4 DMG | 9-10 BLD (1/2)| 26 MIT | 2 REGEN (10 TOTAL) | 2 THORN (18 DMG total)

vs.

Boar Pup 2: 5 - (4 + 2) * 2  - 12 = 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boar Pup 3: 5 - 22 = 0/5 HP | 3 DMG

2/3 boar pup tusks found

"Upgraded your armor a bit, I see!" Joanne nodded and smiled, glad that he had noticed. She realized that she had needed a bit more damage-dealing enhancements to make things easier. 

She watched as Dederick faced three boars, taking out two of them instantly. She clapped excitedly. "Good job, love," she called as she saw the two enemies burst into pixels. The third one managed to just bounce off of the man's armor. "Wow. They really are harmless, aren't they?" Dederick said. Joanne laughed and agreed. "Yes, it seems like it will be an easy quest today." 

She watched as he picked up one of the boar pup tusks that he needed. "Ah, good!" Then a small grin came to her lips. "How about we make a deal? Whoever collects all of the boar pup tusks last has to pay for dessert?" 

As she waited for his response, two more boar pups burst out of the bushes and raced towards her. Her blade glowed a light blue hue as she slashed twice against the second boar pup, her blade shattering into pixels. She turned to face the third boar pup, but it had run too far away for her to hit it. She then turned to check the ground to see if the second boar pup had dropped anything. Nothing. She gave a light sigh and stood up, turning back to Dederick and smiling. "Seems we're still even." 

@Dederick

Joanne: 139 + 10 = 140/140 HP | 12 - (2 + 2) + 1 = 9/14 EN | 4 DMG | 9-10 BLD (1/2)| 26 MIT | 2 REGEN (10 TOTAL) (1/3) | 2 THORN (18 DMG total)

vs.

Boar Pup 2: 5 - (4 + 2) * 2  - 12 = 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boar Pup 3: 5/5 HP | 3 DMG

1/3 boar pup tusks found

The squeeze of her hand helped bring Joanne back to reality. She realized her breathing had quickened as she had revisited the past memory. She focused on slowing her breathing down for now. "As long as we're together, nothing bad is going to happen. I've got you," she heard Dederick say as she regained her focus. Joanne smiled weakly and squeezed his hand back. "Thank you, Dederick. I just had a bad memory with lightning is all." She sighed and took a deep breath in. "I'll tell you about it when we get back into town, okay?" she said, her eyes focused on the man beside her. I'm lucky to have found him, she thought to herself, her heart warm with gratitude and... another emotion. Was this love? She had never felt this type of love before (besides the love you have for your mum or da), so she was unsure. 

"Hey, did the quest give you any location data on where exactly to go? It could take us forever to search a forest this big."

Joanne quickly brought up her map (one of the few things she had figured out to do quickly in the game) and saw that the whole area around them was highlighted. "Um, well I suppose we just walk around until we find one-" she began to explain. All of a sudden, a tiny boar pup burst from out of the bushes and ran in circles in front of the pair. "I see," Joanne said, a bit surprised, as she brought out her blade and raised her shield. 

As soon as the boar pup noticed the pair, it charged towards Joanne. She lowered her shield, the boar pup bouncing off of it. Then the enhancement on the shield activated, sending thorns into the small animal. The pup burst into pixels and left a tusk in its place. Joanne walked over and picked the item up. "One down and two more to go," she said, smiling over at Dederick. 

@Dederick

Joanne: 140 - (3 - 26) = 139/140 HP | 14 - 2 = 12/14 EN | 4 DMG | 9-10 BLD | 26 MIT | 2 REGEN (10 TOTAL) (1/3) | 2 THORN (18 DMG total)

vs. 

Boar pup 1: 5 - 18 = 0/5 HP | 3 DMG

1/3 boar pup tusks found

Joanne looked up at the sky as Dederick mentioned, "Guess we might get some rain today." Her gray-blue eyes matched the color of the clouds above them. She looked over at Dederick and smiled. "Then we better get this quest taken care of so we can head back and dry ourselves by a warm fire with a hot cup of cocoa." 

"I actually really like the rain, especially on a hot day like today. I just hope our armor doesn't attract lightning," he continued on. Her eyes widened at the lightening comment, and she shifted in her armor nervously. "I like the rain as well, but not so much the lightening." She felt a nudge by Dederick and looked down, smiling. Ah, he had been joking. She laughed lightly with him. Hopefully there wouldn't be any lightening either way. Joanne was scared of it as well as thunder due to a lightening storm one year when she was younger. A chance lightening strike had hit one of their barns and set it ablaze, killing several of their horses in the process. Joanne shivered at the memory, remembering the chaos and panic as she followed her da, trying to get the barn doors open in time... She closed her eyes and let the memory fade away. 

@Dederick

 "Fancy meeting you here," Dederick greeted Joanne as she practically ran into him while leaving the blacksmith's shop.

A warm smile played across her lips. "Hello, Dederick. I was hoping you'd come along soon." As she listened to him explain the party system, she nodded her head. He knows everything about this game already, she thought to herself, amazed. She herself was not one for technology or figuring out how the systems in games even really worked. She was glad she at least knew how to attack and block. 

 "That means we'll have some time for beef stew after, right?" Joanne laughed lightly and reached out to hold Dederick's hand. "Of course. I'll always have time to go get beef stew with you no matter what." She squeezed his hand affectionately. "How about we head out to the fields North of town once more?" she asked as she led the way towards the gate leading out of town. She was excited that she was able to spend a day with him once more. Her heart was light with glee. 

@Dederick

Joanne made her way through the center of town, searching for Lyle Tealeaf's shop. She had a package to deliver to him from the alchemist NPC. As she walked, she sent a message to Dederick, a small smile on her lips as she did so. 

Quote

Dear Dederick,

Would you care to join me at Lyle Tealeaf's shop to continue our quest together?

-Knight Joanne Hawke

She hit send just as she approached the steps of the brick shop of the old NPC blacksmith. She quietly stepped into the shop, the noise of hammer against steel ringing through the air. "Excuse me, Master Tealeaf, I have a package for you," she said as she approached the NPC, package in hand. 

Lyle quickly turned around and set his hammer and the piece of steel he was working on down. "Ah, hello young woman. How may I help you today?" he asked. Then his eyes rested on the package. "Oh! You brought me the package I've been waiting on! Thank you so much. Now, if you aren't too busy, I have another request to ask of you." He explained to Joanne that he needed three boar pup tusks to complete a craft.

Joanne smiled and agreed to help him. "Of course, Master Tealeaf. I'll go fetch the tusks for you right away." She bowed and turned to go, planning to wait by the steps of the shop for Dederick. 

@Dederick

Stats:
 

Joanne smiled back at Dederick, glad that he wasn't upset at her and what she had said. She watched as he enjoyed the stew, her heart warm with joy that he liked her favorite food. 

"I didn't know what I was missing out on. Hot dogs don't even come close," he continued. Her expression was one of pure joy. "I'm glad, Dederick. I was scared that you wouldn't like the food," she said, laughing lightly. It felt like someone had bestowed a great honor on her as he said those words. Wow, this place even beat Oscar's, she thought to herself. And she knew how much Dederick loved those hot dogs. She was kind of glad that he liked this food more, though. It was a bit of a healthier option than the "meat cylinders" that Oscar provided. She shuddered to herself as she thought about what Oscar could have possibly put into the delicious sausages. She stopped herself from thinking too hard a few moments after. 

Joanne grew concerned as she heard the tone of Dederick's voice and saw his expression twist into one of worry and despair. "Dederick? Is everything alright?" She paused for a moment and bit her lip out of nervousness as she thought. "If I said anything too soon or too forward, I apologize. I didn't mean to cause you any worry or concern." She smiled gently and squeezed his hand. "I suppose we should focus on getting to front lines and getting out of this game before we think about the real world, right?" she said, thinking that this is what he was worried about. It didn't cross her mind that he could be worrying about how to meet her. In fact, she had so much money saved up that she could easily pay for a plane ticket and train ride to see her.

Years of responsible spending and lack of personal vacation time had allowed her to create a decently sized savings account. It didn't help that she never took a break from helping others either. She always sacrificed her free time to help those in need at soup kitchens and through her local church's food program. She volunteered long hours to help care for the poor, sick, and needy. 

@Dederick

"This... is so good..."

Joanne's eyes lit up with pure happiness. She was glad that he enjoyed the food here. She had been concerned that he might not like it since it was a unique type of food. "I'm so glad you like the food. When we're back in the real world, you'll have to taste my mum's. It's ten times as good!" she exclaimed. She blushed and covered her mouth. Had she really just invited him over to dinner after just realizing she had feelings for him? She hoped he wouldn't mind. "I mean, if you would like to of course," she continued. To distract herself, she dipped a piece of buttered bread into the stew and brought it to her lips, gently biting off a small piece. She smiled and closed her eyes, sighing happily. "This food always helps remind me of the real world and what I'm fighting for." She reached over and held his hand in hers. "Now I have two reasons to keep fighting," she said, looking deeply into his eyes. 

@Dederick

When Dederick offered for her to pick the place to eat, she became excited. She knew just the place. Taking him by the hand, she led him through the winding streets of the Town of Beginnings until they reached an old English style restaurant. The sign in front of the establishment read "Ye Olde Restaurant". She looked down at Dederick, still holding his hand, a smile across her lips. "This is one of the few places in game that reminds me of back home. Their cooking is nearly as good as mum's." Once she had finished speaking, she led him inside and quickly sat down at a booth near one of the windows -- her usual spot. A kind waitress came over and asked for their orders. Right away, Joanne said, "Beef stew with fresh bread and butter on the side. And a glass of lemonade to go with it."

The waitress smiled and then turned to Dederick. "And for you, young sir?" she asked. 

@Dederick

Joanne looked up and greeted her new customer. "Ah, hello ma'am, how can I help you?" she asked. The woman then quickly pointed up to the pheromone salve that she had just made. "Ah, yes. I'll get that down for you real quick." She picked the salve off of the shelf and wrapped it in some wrapping paper. She then put the wrapped product in a small bag with the emblem of the shop on it. "Have a wonderful day!" she yelled to Violet as the woman ran out of the shop. Seems like she's in a hurry, Joanne thought to herself. 

Joanne came down from her loft early in the morning, rising with the sun as usual. She figured that she'd get some crafts out of the way before she went for an early morning training. On her first attempt, she was lucky enough to create a toxic venom salve. She smiled, happy that she had created such a powerful item on her first attempt. However, the next two crafts that she attempted failed horribly. Both turned into black, toxic goo. She immediately threw the goo into the hearth in the middle of the shop, letting the fire burn it to nothing. 

-3 T1 materials
+10 EXP

While James was helping out a customer, Joanne decided to make some potions at her own crafting station. She took out a few materials and set to work grinding them down into fine powders. Then she used some fresh spring water to mix the a few of the powders together, creating a thick paste. 

For her first salve, she created one using antidote ingredients. On her second potion, she ended up having enough paste to create two salves in one batch. She hummed happily to herself while working, putting the slaves into nice glass jars and putting them on display once they were ready. 

+13 EXP

-2 T1 materials

Joanne was impressed by the skill that Dederick had with crafting potions. Then he remembered. He was an alchemist. Of course he had experience crafting potions. "Good job, Dederick," she congratulated him.

She greeted Zachariah as he turned to her. "Hello, sir. Would you be able to show me how to craft a potion?" she asked the old NPC. 

"Why of course!" Zachariah replied. He sat down with her for a few minutes, showing her what to do. After studying Zachariah's movements carefully, Joanne knew she was ready. 

"Alright, here goes nothing," she said as she mixed some ingredients together. Immediately, her mixture turned a deep red color, the perfect color for a health potion. 

"Ah, congratulations, young woman!" Zachariah exclaimed. "It seems that you succeeded on your very first try. Well done!" He then handed her a package. "Now, would you be able to run another errand for me? I need this delivered to Lyle Tealeaf, a local blacksmith." 

Joanne took the package carefully in her hands. "Of course, sir," she said as she put the package in her inventory. Then she turned to Dederick. "Are you ready to go now?" Her stomach then growled. A red hue came to her cheeks. "Um, and if so, would you like to go get something to eat?" 

@Dederick

Later that day, Joanne came down from her loft to create a few potions. She got out her mortar and pestle and began to mix together ingredients to make a few salves. 

On her first attempt with crafting healing salves, the first one turned into a black, thick goop. It was definitely not safe to be used by another player. She immediately threw it out and tried again. Her second attempt was a bit more promising, but it still failed to mix properly. She sighed and packed up her materials once more. It appeared that she wouldn't craft anything useful today. 

-2 T1 materials
+2 EXP

Joanne jumped up from her desk and immediately ran over to James when she saw the sword in his hand. She gingerly took it and gave it a few swings. "It feels and looks amazing. Thank you brother. And always know that the potions in my shop are 100% free for you to use -- within reason of course." She then took the weapon and put it in a leather holster. "That'll make fighting mobs much easier." 

As her brother left her loft, she sat back down at her desk and kept reading, humming to herself an old lullaby as she did so. 

Joanne came back after a day of adventuring to the shop that she worked at and called home. Before heading upstairs for a nap in her bed, she stopped by James' work station. "Hey, brother. I have two items to turn in for junk sell and another item to identify." From out of her inventory, she pulled the three items. She places the rare weapon and consumable that she wished to sell on on the counter and began to unwrap the perfect, one-handed straight sword. The sword was of a classic old English design. It was a heavy blade indeed. She carefully handed the item to him. "You can give me the col for the junk sell now and then come get me from upstairs once you finish identifying," she told him. 

Items for junk sale: 
1 T1 Rare Weapon [ID: 129545A]
1 T1 Uncommon Consumable [ID: 129545B]
 

Name: Deliverance
Your Profession: Merchant
Your Rank: 2
ID: [Leave Blank]
Roll: [Leave Blank]
Item Type: 1H Straight Sword
Tier: T1
ID of Item: 129360
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: [Blank]
Description: This is a one-handed sword made in the old English style. It is quite hefty. The handle is made of polished silver. 
Post Link: [Leave Blank]

"What's your favorite food?" he had asked. She had to think for a moment as she had so many meals to choose from. Back home, her mother had shelves of cook books that she would use when making home made meals for the family. Finally, she answered. "I believe home made beef stew is my favorite food. My mum always made it with french bread and home made butter." She sighed happily as she thought back to her childhood. When she had a rough day at school or when her younger brother had gotten roughed up, her mum would always make them feel better with the warm, savory beef stew she made. She looked down at Dederick once more and asked, "What about you? Do you have any other favorite foods besides Oscar's 'meat cylinders'?" She giggled at the name he had called the hot dogs. Maybe they could go out and get lunch or dinner together after this quest. 

@Dederick

"You have no reason to apologize. It makes me happy to see you happy. I'd hope you never hold anything back around me," he said to her. She wasn't crying anymore, but a great smile still warmed her face. "I won't hold anything back from you, Dederick. I promise," she said while squeezing his hands gently in her own. "And I hope you don't hold anything back from me either. I'll always be here for you." 

Her heart was light in her chest, a calm coming over her. She felt at peace and she felt safe with Dederick. "Hey, Dederick, is there anything you'd like to know about me? You may ask me anything you'd like." She was opening herself up to him. This is the first time she had let someone into her life like this, but she knew she could trust him. Besides, there weren't too many things that she had to hide anyways. She hadn't lived that much of a risque life. 

@Dederick

Name: Greater HP Recovery Potion
Your Profession: Alchemist
Your Rank: 1
Roll ID: 129546
Roll Result: CD: 11, LD: 9
Item Type: Salve
Tier: T1
Quality: Rare
Enhancements: 2 HP Recovery
Description: This is a more powerful version of the basic HP Recovery potion. It is light pink in color. 
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/18360-f01-pp-new-alchemist-in-town/?do=findComment&comment=587260

Quest Complete!

Quest Summary:
Joanne Earned: 
<<Alchemy Shop>>
560 col
12 T1 Materials
1 T1 Rare Weapon [ID: 129545A]
1 T1 Uncommon Consumable [ID: 129545B]
T1 Perfect 1H Straight Sword [ID: 129360]
T1 Rare Potion <<Greater Pheromone Potion>>
3 SP

James Earned: 
160 col
4 T1 Materials
T1 Rare Trinket [ID: 129344]
2 SP