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[F06- PP] Snake Charmer <<Feeding the Enemy>> w/Shield


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Log Entry 17?

I must have mis-numbered these entries because I can't remember which number I'm on and the numbering doesn't make sense. Oh well, I've got to keep writing. Today I met back up with Shield to go find my familiar. It was awesome. It took a while to prepare for but that was all worth it...

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On his way from the Tacet Cibum, Cosi double checked then triple checked that he had every item and consumable he would need for the quest. A perfect trinket with looting bonus, Cosi pulled out Opulence and put it on his left hand index finger. Shield's expertise trinket to boost my searching skill, Cosi located the bracelet in his inventory and equipped it. Now for the song and Neo's bread, Cosi pulled out both of those items and held them in his hands. Then he remembered he still needed to message Shield. Cosi switched the consumables to one hand, brought up his messages, and shot the tank a quick message telling Shield where to meet him. The message sent with a little jingle. Cosi wondered if he should take the consumables now or wait. The blonde shrugged and decided to wait for Shield. Cosi headed to floor six. Once there he was welcomed with a blast of warm and humid air and the sound of birds chirping. All he could see was lush jungle trees and foliage, and bright colored flora. Now to wait. 

@Shield

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It had been a long time since Shield had assisted another player in finding their familiar. Matter of fact, the last time he had been out looking, it was for Lilith, to replace his well meaning but sluggish snapping turtle, Norbert. The latter now lived in a large tank that took up the entire front window of his shop. The former poked her head out from the collar of Shield's canvas traveling tunic. "It's been a while since I've been out hunting to catch mobs, Lilith," he said, tapping her on the tip of her nose. She flicked her tongue indignantly and dove back into his shirt in a huff, or rather a hiss.

Shield caught sight of Cosi and extended a gauntleted hand to him. It was not the same as the heavy armor that he wore into combat. This was a basic set of light leather padding that was more for form than it was for function. "Good to see you again," he said, giving a slight incline of his head. "Do you have a route plotted out for us, or are we winging it today?" He recognized the trinket on Cosi's wrist as Finder's Keeper, as well as the new trinket adorning his hand. That was a good sign. It seemed that he was taking preparations, which meant he took what he was doing seriously.

May be another potential for the front lines if he keeps on track...

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Cosi shook Shield's outstretched hand some what vigorously, "Good to see you as well Shield. I'm glad you were willing to accompany me on this quest." Cosi moved his hand to finger the draconian ring on his finger which glinted in the light, "And while I don't have a specific route in mind I was planning on heading out to the area behind the Waterfall of the Sage. Its an...interesting place that I feel attracts everyone and everything so with luck we may find a familiar in the surrounding area. And should that fail we can just scour the the jungle." Cosi started to make his way out of the main city Krycim and out into the massive jungle that was floor six. The air was humid but it was sprinkling already, threatening a full on rain storm. I'll have to look someplace warm or else it'll be practically impossible to find one. 

@Shield

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Buying from stock: One Spyglass

-800 Col

Shield nodded, releasing Cosi's hand and glancing off in the direction of the waterfall that he had mentioned. "I know that spot well. Can't say my memories there are pleasant ones," he said with a wry twist at the corner of his lips. "It's a vital quest for anyone wishing to master offense in combat, but it can take its toll if unprepared."

He swiped his fingers through the air, dragging down his menu and selecting a few icons. A brass cylinder appeared in his hand, which he extended out into a spyglass. "This should help you in the search. It's not my place to find your familiar for you, but this should make it so we can spot from further off to make a more cautious approach." He handed the item over to Cosi and turned his head out towards the jungle. "Well, have you researched the specific spots your quarry is likely to frequent? Tree tops? River banks? Anything like that? You mentioned it was a snake. That means it will likely want to sun itself somewhere."

He strode out towards the trees, glancing around with mild interest at the scenery around them. It might be a pleasant day if Shield were the type to take notice of such things. For now, he was on a mission, and such observations would have to wait. Likely indefinitely.

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Post Action:

Consumed Garlic Bread

+ 3 LD

Used Familiar’s Call

+ 2 LD

Cosi nodded at Shield’s statement. Cosi remembered the quest he did at the waterfall on this floor. It was... enlightening. Cosi turned towards the front line tank, “I would agree with you there. Not the most pleasant of quests but a vital one.” Cosi nodded to himself. That quest had revealed his inner self and how he would do antthing to get back to the real world and back to his family. And Cosi would to anything. The blonde tank started slightly as Shield held out a spy glass to him. Cosi took it and thanked Shield. Shield is always prepared for everything. He is very methodical and focused when it comes to any task he undertakes. At the dark haired merchant’s next question Cosi nodded his head, “If the snake is anything like the real world variety it will not be on the ground. Ever. It will be hanging from tree branches. Not too high off the ground but still we should be ready to go climbing.” Cosi grinned. Then he took out the other two items Shield had had him get: a piece of toast and a song. Cosi started the song letting it act as background music just softly playing- Just barely noticeable- as he started munching on the piece of buttered and seasoned bread. 

@Shield

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"A tree dwelling snake, huh?" Shield thought aloud. "If we find a shady tree that doesn't have a super dense canopy, we might get to spot one sunning on a branch. Couldn't hurt to look at least. What colors and size ranges can we expect for the species you're looking for?"

Absent-mindedly, he began wandering into the tree line, eager to put some distance behind them, but without the specific information of the type of snake they would be hunting for, he figured it was best not to go crashing into the brush Still, he scanned the nearby limbs for signs of life. There were a few colorful birds here and there among the canopies, but for the most part it seemed as if the wildlife was keeping to itself. "Hard to look when I don't really know what I'm looking for," he half-chuckled around. He was not hurried, taking slow deliberate steps towards the waterfall as he waited for Cosi to fill him in properly. There was still some distance yet to walk.

"Cosi, why did you choose to tank?" he asked thoughtfully. "It's definitely not the most profitable role to play. Killing monsters for loot is much more efficient when you're a pure DPS, but before we discussed your bruiser build, you seemed more interested in defense than offense."

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“It’s size isn’t as big as some boas but it is still fairly long and large. It’s color will range from an emerald green to a more yellow green. It may also have white diamond markings along it.” Cosi said as he walked alongside Shield. They moved through the underbrush and beneath trees, trying not disturb the plants, as they headed towards the waterfall. Cosi looked upwards just incase he spotted the sought after familiar just by happenstance. The jungle canopy was pretty thick, foliage and branches interweaving and interlocking. It shaded the forest floor. We will need to find a more sunny area. The snake will want more warmth. Cosi was still looking around when Shield asked him a question. Cosi opened his mouth to respond then thought on the question for a second. Why did I choose tank? Cosi gave his answer, “It’s a lot more simple then you might think. Before I- we all-got stuck in this game I was a gamer. I had a channel and everything. I was quite good. And in most games a character or build with high defense is better than your normal dps. I mean lots of damage is good but if you can’t take a hit you’ll come up against an enemy that can survive your onslaught and then hit you back. I guess I just personally prefer a build that focuses on self preservation. Defense and attrition rather than damage and speed because hey in a fight between those two: the tank is probably going to win.” Cosi shrugged and kept walking. The answer had been long winded but simple: personal preference and self preservation. That’s what it came down to. 

@Shield

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Shield listened, his features impassive, but his mind taking in everything quite carefully.

Self preservation... yeah, I can understand that. We all want to live long enough to get back... for one reason or another.

The walk was not an unpleasant one, though it was also not an eventful one. Noises came from all sides, from bird calls to the chatter of unusual rodents and other tropical fauna. After a minute of walking though, there was another sound that slowly came to the forefront of Shield's awareness.

"I think that's running water," he said, glancing in the general direction of the sound. "That means we might find a break in the trees. Might give snakes somewhere to sun." He changed course slightly. They were still headed in the general direction of the waterfall, but as long as the river did not bend away from them, they would eventually intersect with it. "It's probably the river feeding out of the waterfall's base." As their footfalls and the dull snap of not so dry twigs under their feet emerged in the absence of words, Shield continued to mull over the response to his question.

It seems like the more I learn about Cosi the more he and I agree on things, both on builds and professions and our reasons for our choices in the game. If he's really as dedicated and skilled of a gamer as he claims to have once been, we may have found a great potential off-tank for the front lines.

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As the pair of tanks moved, Cosi heard Shield’s statement and nodded, “Yep. With luck we’ll spot my snake.” The forest was alive with a cacophony of sounds: birds’ calling, the pitter patter of paws, the rustle of leaves but Cosi could distinguish the dull roar of the river among it all.

 As Cosi turned to follow Sheild’s new path he pulled out the simple spyglass and looked through it, staring up amdists the vine covered branches and tree tops. It would be hard to spot this snake because it would blend in so completely with the foliage and vegetation. Still the blonde player was willing to climb the tall jungle trees to find his familiar if that’s what it took. Cosi put down the spyglass and turned to Shield. The dark haired tank was scouring the jungle with his eyes, so focused. Cosi opened his mouth then closed it. Why did he ask that? Though in a death game like this I guess the build you go for is a lot more vital and important. Cosi shrugged his shoulders slightly and kept moving, his eyes moving over every inch of the jungle. Cosi then looked back to Shield, this time actually asking a quest, “So Shield. What are the front lines like?”

@Shield

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Shield exhaled a half-laugh through his nose. "The front lines aren't all that different from other games, which to my mind is a problem," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a wry little smile. "It's petty, with people bickering and squabbling among each other, ignoring battle plans to pursue their own desires. I will admit to making a few decisions at the end of a fight to help a friend land a last hit bonus, but never at critical moments or before the end of a fight was basically already decided." He shook his head slightly, his impassive barrier dropping slightly in his annoyance. "We're talking about much bigger issues. Players completely ignoring battle plans in pursuit of glory or bragging rights."

He sighed, giving Cosi a sidelong glance. "There's a growing need for order and cohesion." Turning back to the path, be began scanning the trees overhead, though with his bare eyes he knew that he was not the duo's best bet to spot anything. He slowed his gait, squinting up into the canopy, trying his best to make out an actual animal from the sea of vines that swing loosely in the breeze that drifted through the upper reaches of the jungle, though was completely choked by trees on the forest floor. "It's a disorganized mess, but a necessary one."

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At Shield's explanation and description of the front lines the platinum blonde player simply nodded. The squabbling and egos sounded just like human nature. Most people were in it for them self or their friends, even in a life or death situation like a floor boss battle. Though it is under the guise of a video game so maybe that's why people don't care to follow orders. The fight seems a lot more trivial as a game. But I would hope that the front liners of all people would realize the need to be serious and ordered. "I guess that's just why we need new people to push has farther and faster..." Cosi said his last thought out loud but quietly. The aspiring tank didn't seem to notice and kept heading towards the sound of the rushing river. He pushed through vines and ferns all the while keeping his eyes out for a snake. His familiar. 

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The sound of the river grew nearer as did the glimpses of the waterfall. It was almost certain now that the two were connected to one another. Up ahead, Shield began catching snatches of blue light through the dense undergrowth. He picked up his pace, and the further they walked, the more he caught signs of the river. "We're close," he said, looking upward, again beginning to spot more and more splotches of light through the canopy above. "Even the trees are beginning to thin. That's promising."

He felt considerably more prepared for this trip than many other trips to go and find familiars. Even his own first familiar had been more luck than anything else. He had prepared, sure, but he only knew so much about where or how to catch such a creature. His choice in and of itself demonstrated a lack of good judgment on his part. He had ended up needing to haul around the blasted turtle on his back because the grumpy creature neither could nor wished to keep up or follow directions. "I think we're on the right track to find your familiar quickly. It's impossible to say for sure, but we're much better outfitted than most who manage to find theirs."

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Searching for familiar: ID# 108059- LD: 1+10= 11- result: Familiar Found!

Cosi nodded at Shield's statement just as the sea of trees cleared and the duo found themselves at the bank of a river. Compared to the relatively shade inside the jungle stepping back into the light was almost blinding. Cosi could hear the sound of the cascading waterfall not too far away and decided to pull out the spy glass. Maybe I'll be lucky and spot one right away. Cosi peered at the nearby trees for anything resembling a snake that wasn't a vine. He had looked for a good ten seconds when he did a double take. Did that vine just move? Cosi collapsed the spy glass, put it back in his inventory, and began to make his way over to the tree in question. Cosi looked over his shoulder to the dark haired tank, "I think we're in luck, Shield. Just give me a second to climb a tree." Cosi gave a wide grin and began his ascent.

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Shield nodded, feeling some amount of relief as he watched Cosi head towards the tree. He had done his fair share of scouring floors to find the right critter. Both for his own reptiles and for Beat's falcon. He had been asked to help with other searches, but one had fallen through and others seemed... less than serious, so he turned them down. If the quarry was really so easy to find this time around, it would mean a huge relief on his part.

"I'll keep my fingers crossed," he said, his voice somewhat hopeful. After all, they had prepared. In theory, there should be no reason not to get a stroke of luck this early into the venture. However, he was not yet convinced. Granted, he could not recall an instance of finding the correct animal and having it not be the right specs to serve as a proper aid in combat or questing, but he knew such familiars did exist. There were a number of animals that others had for purely aesthetic purposes, or because they failed to find anything better. Shield was too stubborn to settle for such results. Fortunately, he also had enough foresight to avoid that situation altogether.

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Cosi came to the base of the large jungle tree and looked up among the branches. He could just make out the light green sinuous body of a serpent nestled among some of the higher branches. Cosi grinned, grabbed a low hanging branch, and then hoisted himself upwards onto it. And so the blonde haired tank began scaling the tree, heading towards the green snake. "Yo Shield I'm counting on you to catch me if I fall. Not that I'm planning on falling." Cosi shouted down to his companion, "Also, besides the front lines being an almost rabble what's it like? How are raids organized? Who would you say is the strongest player?" Cosi had no idea why he was trying to talk to Shield while he was climbing. Its like he wanted to distract himself so that he would fall except Cosi sincerely did not want that to happen. 

@Shield

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  • 2 weeks later...

Shield watched as Cosi began to shuffle up the trunk. He turned the other player's question over in his mind. "The organization is... loose," he replied, giving a brief, forceful scratch to the back of his neck. He shifted uncomfortably. It was hard to find words that wouldn't throw his fellow frontliners under the bus. "There's a meeting each time players discover the location of the next floor boss, and we banter back and forth about the information on the table. Then we agree on a time to raid, and divide up into teams... but the loyalties are so divided. People have loyalties to their friends. To their guilds. To their ideals. Even the meetings have become more about wanting to be heard than about helping one another."

His jaw had hardened as he spoke, and he cast his eyes down at the edge of the river. The longer he had spent on the front lines, the more he had become disenchanted by them. There was far too much work for him to tackle alone. With a sigh, he turned his eyes back to the canopy, squinting up at the vine that Cosi claimed was in fact a serpent. Shield could not tell with his naked eye. The spyglass might have helped, but Cosi still had it. He wasn't terribly worried though. They had time. Their quest was still young. 

"As far as the strongest player... there is no one answer to that," he said thoughtfully, ridding his voice of the bitterness it had carried a moment ago. "If you want to know who the highest level player is, it's probably Calrex. If you want to know who has the strongest defenses, it would probably be me. If you want to know who hits the hardest, that depends on whether you want single target or AoE. Beat wins at single target most days, and Zandra wins at AoE, at least at the moment. If you want to know who the best all-rounder is, that's probably Calrex. He's built to be a DPS, but he managed to get a hold of a unique skill that puts him on par with most of the other front line tanks as far as defense goes. It's one of the most coveted skills out there, too."

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Cosi nodded, mostly to himself since he was high up in the tree now, at Shield's comments. It seemed that the blonde had hit a touchy subject because the front lines sounded hectic and selfish in a way. Cosi put that out of his head for a moment as he reached the target branch where the snake was. The tank player squirmed his way on to the top of the branch and got into a crouched position. A foot away was a fairly large yellow-green serpent coiled and draped over the branch. Cosi took a shuffle step forward but stopped right away as the snake opened its lidded eyes and stared down the blonde. Cosi gave a weak smile at the serpent and tentatively held out a hand. "Hi there snake.. Ummm I'm just going to held out my hand and.. uuuh pet you cause I want to make you my familiar..." Cosi slowly reached out his unarmored  hand towards the snake, pausing slightly whenever the snake hissed or shifted. Cosi got within inches when the snake struck out, its fangs sinking into his hand. Cosi grimaced as he felt a his health bar ticked down but alas Cosi's thorns damage killed his possible pet and the serpent shattered into pixels. Darn, I guess I have to find another one. Cosi looked down. And I need to climb back down.

@Shield 

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Although the snake was not visible clearly from the ground, the burst of light shards was. As a player who relied so heavily on thorns for defense and offense, it was easy for Shield to put two and two together. "Tough break," he called up the tree. "Best not to take home pets that don't have the right temperament and are prone to bite." He then mumbled under his breath, "believe me."

Shield turned his eyes back to the surrounding jungle. With their first attempt behind them, it was time to start looking for a new quarry. Inside of his sleeve, Shield felt his own snake familiar stir, twining around his arm and out around his hand. Lilith twisted her colorful body so that she was looking out into the jungle, tasting the air with her forked tongue. "Smell something, girl?" he said, using his finger to pet gently along the jagged texture of her scales. She turned and stared blankly back into his eyes, flicking her tongue again. "I'll take that as a no."

Turning his eyes skyward, he waited for Cosi to return to the ground, prepared to act as a spotter in case the other player started losing his balance. Most likely, his defenses would keep him from sustaining any major damage, but it only seemed right to at least try to have Cosi's back.

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After losing his possible familiar, Cosi had nothing to do but begin to shimmy down the large jungle tree. Thankfully, the climb down wasn't too hard, thank goodness, because there were plenty of branches to use as foot and hand holds. Cosi made it quickly down and dropped down the last couple feet, landing in a crouched position. He bounced up with a hop and turned towards his companion, "Well guess we'll just have to keep searching. But now we at least know that the type of snake I'm looking for is in this area. So hopefully finding another won't be too hard." Cosi gave Shield a lopsided grin and continued walking with Shield. "So about the front lines that seems.. hectic. If everyone is in it for themselves it seems like it would be nearly impossible to defeat the floor bosses, or at least harder then it would be if you all were united." Cosi's face darkened somewhat as he continued talking, "Do you think that is why progress has been so slow?" Cosi would wait for Shield to answer that question and then continue with another, "Could you tell me more about Clarex? What's he like? Also what skill does he have that makes him such a good tank because if he's on par with you while being built like a DPS that's an amazing skill?" Cosi didn't know too much about unique skills but he knew that all games had hidden easter eggs and unlockable secrets so it was expected that a game like SAO would have stuff like that. I wonder what other secrets this game has...

@Shield

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Searching for chest: ID# 108588 results: Loot: 13+8=21 - Chest Found!

"The chaos and attitude accounts for some of the slow progress," Shield replied, thinking over the scope of the question. "A lot of it comes down to lack of cohesion in planning, getting resources together for the fights, scouting efficiently... I've had to do a lot of our scouting for us, and I am not a scout. My treasure hunting skills help, but that's not my build. And yet I was still the first to find the last boss room."

The undergrowth thinned as they wandered closer to the river, using the easier passage as a better path to travel. The other question was one that Shield had plenty of information on. "Calrex is an interesting specimen. He is motivated, and in combat he's focused, but outside of the big fights, he's actually a little bit of a clutz. He is a kind person though. He let me tank for him and put himself at risk when I was still only mid-level. He almost died on that outing due to my incompetence." It was a story Shield had not shared with many, but to a fellow tank, it made sense to impress upon him the need for care and focused attention.

"His skill is called 'Achilles,'" he continued, pulling up a series of notes that he had kept track of from his various encounters. "It's a phenomenal skill that reduces damage by a certain percentage before other skills and armor enhancements even factor in. For all intents and purposes, as long as an attack can be mitigated, it makes you practically invulnerable." His eyes were intense as they traced over his meticulous figures. It was a skill that he coveted, but at the same time, he knew his worth and knew that when it came down to it, he likely would never need it. Still, if it helped him get out of the game alive...

"Unique skills are very rare," he added, closing out of the notes and returning his attention to Cosi and the jungle around them. "It has been years since a new one has surfaced. I've been keeping my ears to the ground, but nothing new has come to light, or at least not anything the info brokers know of."

As Shield spoke, he suddenly realized that his earring was glowing. He hadn't noticed at first because they were in daylight, but he noticed the tell-tale golden glow on his shoulder and stopped. He glanced around, laying his eyes on the mangroves near the water's edge, looking among the roots. "Looks like there's a chest back here!" he called out, glancing back at Cosi. "Keep your eyes out for snakes, but I'm gonna pop this open and see what's inside."

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