[F01-PP] <<Earning a Living>> New Alchemist in Town

[Joanne 0]

Joanne was originally going to be a blacksmith when she was deciding on a career path in the game. However, as she looked at the public forums more often, she realized that the community was in greater need of an active alchemist than a blacksmith. So she decided to visit Evangeline Calora, the Master Alchemist NPC, to learn more about alchemy. As she entered the older woman's tent, she was hit by the smells of several strong alchemical mixtures. She was greeted by Evangeline, who (of course) requested the Joanne find some materials to help craft a potion. "Of course," Joanne responded and left the shop with a final wave goodbye. 

Outside, she met her brother, James Hawke, who she had dragged along with her to help with today's quest. "Hey, brother. Turns out that the NPC wants me to fetch five materials. It seems that that's the normal and most common quest around here." 

[James_Hawke 0]

James was leaning against a tree next to the alchemist's tent when his sister stepped out and walked up to him. "Ugh, the creators of this game really must have wanted to create a true hell for us with all these gathering quests. They've become quite tiresome and boring." He stretched and sighed. "But it can't be helped." He looked towards the gates leading North out of the Town of Beginnings. "Let's head out to the fields and see if we can gather any materials along the paths outside of town." 

He led the way down the path, his new assault spear in hand. "Look at this new weapon I got! Isn't it the most awesome thing?" He swung it around a few times after they had left the town. There was less chance of injuring others this way. He performed a few tossing and catching tricks with the weapon to demonstrate its superb balance. 

[Joanne 0]

Joanne nodded her head in agreement. Yes, the gathering quests were quite high in number in this game, but at least she wasn't fighting bosses all the time. She followed her brother out of town, impressed by his weapon. "Just be careful, brother. It's best that you be careful to keep from damaging the tip or edges of the blade." 

As they walked along the shaded path leading North from the town, Joanne attempted to find any honey or flowers to harvest. Unfortunately, her search resulted in nothing being found. She expected as much, she having only started searching. "So, brother. How were you enjoying London before. . . well before all this happened? Mum, da, and I never heard much from you except when you came to visit." She began rubbing her right arm. It was a nervous habit she had always had. One of the rare ways that she gave away her emotions. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 127879
LD: 6, fail

0/5 materials found

Edited November 3, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

James stopped spinning his weapon around and suddenly became more serious and solemn in manner. "I . . . well. . . " What could he say to explain? He wasn't satisfied with his life. He had moved away from the family, was still shy and hadn't moved up where he wanted to. He had been too shy to ever ask the woman he had loved until it was too late and she was engaged to the company manager's son. And here he was. Trying to make it in the competitive workforce as a software engineer. He was silent for a while as he thought of how to answer. Finally, he spoke. 

"I... I don't know how to tell you this Joanne. I kept my dissatisfaction hidden from you guys because I wanted you all to think I was happy." He took a moment and sat down on a log, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I've never had a serious girlfriend. I'm alone and lonely in London. I mean, when I moved over there, I thought it would be amazing. I was brilliant. I mean -- I still am, but I'm a small shrimp in a big ocean of better programmers. I don't know... My life just isn't turning out the way I wanted it to."

[Joanne 0]

Joanne was a bit taken by surprise from her brother's answer. She took a deep breath in and walked over to him. He needed her now. While going to sit next to him on the log, she noticed a red and white mushroom. She plucked it and put it in her bag. One material found. 

She put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "It's okay, James. You're still young. You have a lot of time ahead of you." She smiled and thought about herself. "I mean, look at me. I'm still unmarried and haven't had much experience in the way of dating either. I mean mum and da have been bugging me while you were gone. You'd think I was nearing the end of my childbearing years!" she joked, laughing lightly. 

"But, brother," she continued, "don't let such things get you down. Mum, da, and I are proud of you. I mean you're the first of the family to go to the big city and make it big. You might not be at the top yet, but you have many years ahead of you." She nudged him with her arm. "I mean, you computer people get paid even more than mum and da make in a quarter year from selling produce and horses. And who cares about one girl," she said, becoming more enthusiastic and energized. "You are an amazing man, and I'm sure you will find a woman one day who appreciates you for who you are." 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 127884
LD: 15
material found!

1/5 materials found

Edited November 3, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

James laughed along with his sister. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I am still young. Though I never realized that mum and da would be more onto you about having kids since you're the eldest... you still have plenty of time as well." He smiled at his sister's support. He felt lucky to have his sibling in game with him. They were both a good support team and a good reminder of home. When his sister mentioned a woman appreciating him, he blushed and looked down. 

"Well, sis. That's something I haven't told you or ma or da. I..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "I think I may be bisexual or something." He was blushing from embarrassment, hiding his face behind his hair. "I hope you aren't mad..." he said quietly. He had been thinking about his sexuality for a while. It wasn't that he found girls unattractive, but he also felt a bit of a heart throb and attraction when looking at some men. It had confused him at first, but after a few months of mulling over his feelings he had realized that he was bisexual. It was a big change in his life. No one else in his close family was anything besides heterosexual. He had been afraid to tell his parents in case they cast him out; he had seen such things happen around him too often when he was growing up. 

[Joanne 0]

Joanne's eyes widened in surprise at the news. True, she had not been expecting it, but that didn't mean she was mad or disappointed in her brother. No matter what happened, she would always support him. And that support shone in her eyes as she smiled and drew her brother in for a big hug. "I'm happy for you brother. And proud that you felt that close to me to tell me." She pulled away and held his hands in her own. "I have seen how hard it is for some people to come out at first. I have had a few friends and customers who are out and who have explained the process to me. I support your decision one hundred percent! And I'm sure mum and da will as well." She hugged him once more. 

Then a devilish grin came to her face. "Now, have you had any boyfriends yet?" she teased lightly. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 127978
LD: 4 (fail)

1/5 materials found

Edited November 4, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

James was eternally grateful that his sister was so accepting. It felt as if a weight was taken off his shoulders. He could finally breathe again. When his sister asked if he had had any boyfriends, he blushed and said, "Of-of course not!" He sighed and laughed. "Jesus, no. Even my luck with men seems to be about the same with women," he joked. "It seems I've struck out with both ends of the stick. But you're right: I still have many years ahead of me. I need to start making them count." He smiled and looked up the sky. 

"Hey, Joanne. When do you think we'll see mum and da again?" he asked, staring blankly up at the clouds above them. His tone had changed to an empty one. For once, he felt a pain in his heart. He realized that he missed his family. Even when he was thousands of miles away across the ocean, he hadn't felt this homesick. 

Edited November 5, 2019 by James_Hawke

[Joanne 0]

Joanne looked over at her brother, pausing for a moment to think. She looked up at the sky with him. When will we see mum and da? she thought to herself. When she had been alone, it had been surprisingly easy to forget about things like that. But now that her brother was with her, she had a reminder of what home felt like. "That, I don't know, brother," she said softly. "But I promise that I'll do everything I can to make sure that we see them again. I miss them too..." her voice trailed off as she gazed up at the clouds, thinking back on her childhood. She missed mum's cooking the most at this moment. She could remember the lamb stew and fresh eggs in the morning. She remembered riding her horse and collecting eggs from the chickens. It was strange, but she missed those ordinary chores the most. It was odd how something so trivial could make up so much of a person's life -- so much of their being and existence. 

 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128034
LD: 6 fail

1/5 materials found

Edited November 5, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

The two siblings sat in silence for a while, thinking back to the times when they were younger. He remembered how much he used to hate that farm. He felt trapped on it everyday. As most children are, he hated chores. Sometimes he would try to hide behind the barn or with the pigs in their hut just to get out of doing chores. He would sit back there with the pigs or in the hay and play on his Nintendo DS, spending his ours playing Super Mario and Pokemon games. Those were the games of his childhood. The memories that he created with them stuck with him forever. 

Those games were also what drove him to pursue studying computers and operating systems. They were what led to him becoming a software developer. In fact, he had even created a few indie games off to the side for fun over the years. 

Edited November 8, 2019 by James_Hawke

[Joanne 0]

After a few more moments, Joanne broke the silence. "You know, when this is all over, I think I'm going to write a book about what took place in this world. People need to know what happened here: who died, the psychological effects, how we coped... the list could go on forever." She sighed and closed her eyes, focusing on the gentle breeze blowing against her face. It was strange that she could feel something that wasn't real. 

Next, she brought her fingers up to her cheek. She could feel it as if it was her own physical body. She breathed, felt, smell just like she could in the real world. How had technology gone this far? And the even better question: why had someone used this technology for evil instead of good? These questions befuddled and perplexed her. 

Looking back up at the sky, she wondered if the creator of this game was watching them, an invisible eye in the sky. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128321
LD: 3 (fail)

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

"A book?" James responded, half in disbelief, half in wonder. "No offense, sis, but you never seemed like the person who would end up writing a book." He thought about it. "Though, you are right. People will need to know what it was like in here once we get out. They need to know how twisted this all was so that the world can take measures so it will never happen again." He sighed. "That makes me wonder: what type of sick person would make a game like this? Just to toy with people's lives. I mean, it makes you feel like a puppet, doesn't it?" He looked over to his sister, waiting for her answer.

That was what had bothered him the most while his sister had been in the hospital. As he sat by her side for hours on end, just waiting for her to wake up, he couldn't help but wonder why. Why would someone make a game like this just to trap innocent people in it? What had they to gain from all this? They must be quite a sadistic person. 

[Joanne 0]

 "No offense, sis, but you never seemed like the person who would end up writing a book." 

Joanne smiled, saying, "I know how outlandish it sounds brother, but stranger things have happened." She gestured around her at the world which surrounded them. "Including this." 

"That makes me wonder: what type of sick person would make a game like this? Just to toy with people's lives. I mean, it makes you feel like a puppet, doesn't it?"

With this thought, Joanne leaned over and hugged her brother, holding him close. "I don't know what type of person created this game. All I want to know is how to get out of here so we can get back to reality. Back to safety." She sighed heavily and sat back in her original position. 

She looked around, trying to find some sort of bug or bark or root to gather, but to no avail. "Speaking of creations, it seems that there are no items spawning in this area anymore." Standing up, she offered her hand to her younger sibling. "Come on, we can continue to speak while walking further down the trail." 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128386
LD: 4 (fail)

Edited November 9, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

James took hold of his sisters hand, and with her help rose quickly back to his feet. He stretched, his muscles tense from sitting for so long. "Hm, I suppose while you're searching for items, I should do some searching of my own," he thought aloud, looking around for anything of value. Off to the side of the trail they were walking on, he noticed a small white and brown mushroom. He wandered over and picked it, gently placing it in his inventory. "Ah, seems like I'm having a bit more luck than you over here sis," he teased gently. 

"Don't worry, we should find you some more materials around her sooner or later," he said as he walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder in support. "I have my bad days as well when it comes to gathering, too. Hey, at least we don't have to take out a thousand beasts to find materials." 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128387
LD: 16 found 1 material!

+1 T1 material

Edited November 9, 2019 by James_Hawke

[Joanne 0]

Joanne sighed dramatically, joking around. "Oh, there you go taking all the materials. You must be the material god or something," she giggled. "Or are you hiding them all from me?" This was all in jest as she laughed and searching around the area. After a few minutes of searching, she came across some odd glowing moss on the side of a tree. "This is odd," she said as she carefully plucked the moss off and put it inside of her inventory. She quickly checked her stats after she had touched it. Luckily, it didn't seem to have had any ill effects on her. Maybe when mixed with other ingredients, the strange properties of the moss would become evident. 

"Well, at least that's one more down," she said happily. "Just three more to go, and then I can go back and craft my very first official alchemist potion." Her voice rang with glee. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128388
LD: 17, found a material!

2/5 materials found

Edited November 9, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

"Good job," James cheered for his sister as she found another material. At this rate, they should be able to finish the quest by the early afternoon. He glanced around the area, trying to find anything useful. However, after a few minutes, he gave up his attempt. It appeared that this small area had been looted dry. 

"Come on, Joanne. Let's keep walking. It appears that there are no more materials to be found. I also thought I heard running water up ahead, so maybe there will be a lot to loot around it." He motioned for his sister to follow them as he led the way down the path. After about 10 to 15 minutes of walking, they came upon a small river that had flooded the rest of the path. "Ah, it looks like we'll have to cross once we loot this side," he said, smiling. The water looked nice and cool during a warm spring day on the first floor. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128605
LD: 4 fail

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by James_Hawke

[Joanne 0]

Joanne walked with her brother further down the trail, enjoying the nice shade from the trees lining the path. It was a lovely day outside made even lovelier when they found the nice cool stream. 

"Ah, it looks like we'll have to cross once we loot this side,"

Joanne smiled and had an idea. "Let's loot around this side as quick as we can. That water looks so refreshing!" The armor that lined her body was beginning to warm up under the noon-day sun. A nice dip in the shallow river would be a nice refresher. 

She took a few minutes to look around and finally came across some more glowing moss on a tree nearby. However, when she tried to take it off the tree, it shattered into thousands of minute pixels. "Ah, maybe I'll have more luck with the next material I find..." she thought aloud. She looked over to see how her brother was fairing. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128606
LD: 9 (fail)

2/5 materials found

Edited November 10, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

While Joanne went back towards the treeline to find some materials, James kept close to the edge of the water where a few white flowers were just blooming. He took a deep breath, the sweet aroma of the flowers filling his nostrils. As he reached down and touched one of the blossoms, it disintegrated just like Joanne's item had. He quickly drew his hand away and watched the pixels blow away in the wind. Odd. But okay, he thought to himself. 

He looked back, checking on his sister. It seemed like she did not have any better luck than him at the moment. "Maybe we should wear items with enchantments that help us find things next time. I heard they make those. Usually an artisan or something sells them. Could be worth a shot," he suggested. If they had worn something like that, then maybe this all would have taken about half of the time. 

Spoiler

searching for T1 materials
Roll ID#: 128607
LD: 8

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by James_Hawke

[Joanne 0]

Joanne looked back and listened to her brother as he suggested that they buy items next time that would help them with their search. She nodded her head. "That's a great idea, brother. When we get back to town, we should check around and see if anyone is selling a trinket with a looting or searching enchantment." She placed her hand on her chin and thought. "Hm, I wonder if I could make any potions that could help us search as well." She couldn't wait to experiment and find out. 

Just after she had spoken, Joanne heard a rustle in the bushes right in front of her. Instinctively, she leaped back as two large brown bears emerged from the bushes. The one on the left roared fiercely and reared up on its hind legs, slashing out in front of it with its razor sharp claws. 

"It seems like we have company! Be careful, brother!" she shouted as she readied her weapon to attack. Her blade began to glow with a sword art as she charged forward towards the animals. Her rage rose as her blade glowed brighter, driving her forward. She lashed out blindly, none of her hits landing. However, the bears did not just run from her attacks. The second brown bear decided to attack, charging towards Joanne at full speed. 

At the last second, she brought her shield up, negating most of the damage from the bear. The beast bounced off her shield as the item glowed blue and sent thorns crashing down on the bear. 

Joanne turned and spoke to her brother. "You take the first one and I'll take the second," she said, effectively making a plan of action. 

Spoiler

rage spike vs. brown bear 1 and brown bear 2
Roll ID#: 128608
BD: 1 (-2 energy)

brown bear 1 attack
Roll ID#: 128609
MD: 2 + 1 = 3 fail

brown bear 2 attack 
Roll ID#: 128610
MD: 9 (+1 crit) <- attacks Joanne

[H: 0 | 0] Joanne: 80 - (13 - 18 = 1) 79/80 HP | 8 - 2 = 6/8 EN | 3 DMG | 9-10 BLD | 18 MIT | 2 REGEN (10 TOTAL) | 2 THORN (18 DMG total) (active)
[H: 0 | 0] James: 60/60 HP | 6/6 EN | 3 DMG | 32 MIT | BLEED | 2 LIGHT MOMENTUM | 1 EVA

vs. 

Brown Bear 1: 40/40 HP | 12 DMG | +1 ACC | -1 EVA
Brown Bear 2: 40 - 18 = 22/40 HP | 12 DMG | +1 ACC | -1 EVA

Spoiler

sword art

Rank 1

• [x2 AoE] Rage Spike (2 Energy +2 per target hit) - Strike each target in the vicinity twice in a blinding fit of uncontrolled rage.
• [x3] Snake Bite (3 Energy) - The user quickly strikes the target with three brisk angled slashes.

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by Joanne

[James_Hawke 0]

James nodded his head in acknowledgment of and agreement with Joanne's plan of attack. He readied his own battle spear and charged towards the first brown bear as the second one recoiled from its own attack on Joanne's thick shield. He charged forward, thrusting his blade into the chest of the large beast and then pulling it out and leaping back out of the way of its attack. The brown bear roared in pain and reared once more, letting out an even louder roar than before. 

"Be careful of its claws as well, Joanne," he called over to her. As her brother, he hated to see her get hurt -- even a little. He leaned against his spear as he waited for the bear to attack him. He was now going on the defensive until he got a critical, then it would be game over for that beast. While waiting for the attack, he looked over and watched Joanne. 

Spoiler

basic attack vs. brown bear 1
Roll ID#: 128613
BD: 6 = success

[H: 0 | 0] Joanne: 80 - (13 - 18 = 1) 79/80 HP | 8 - 2 = 6/8 EN | 3 DMG | 9-10 BLD | 18 MIT | 2 REGEN (10 TOTAL) | 2 THORN (18 DMG total) (active)
[H: 1 | 0] James: 60/60 HP | 6 - 1 = 5/6 EN | 3 DMG | 32 MIT | BLEED | 2 LIGHT MOMENTUM | 1 EVA

vs. 

Brown Bear 1: 40 - 3 = 37/40 HP | 12 DMG | +1 ACC | -1 EVA
Brown Bear 2: 40 - 18 = 22/40 HP | 12 DMG | +1 ACC | -1 EVA

Edited November 10, 2019 by James_Hawke