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[F21 - PP] <<Trouble in the Mines>>


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Two more Drakelings felled.

"I understand your point of view. If we can both agree that buffs are no substitute for skill, surely it's not a leap to suggest that relying on buffs too regularly can dull whatever skills you've accumulated." He dug the tip of Dawn's Demise into the earth and leaned against its pommel once more, ruminating over his choice of words. He still felt like he wasn't quite capturing the essence of what he'd meant. 

"Sometimes, when I buff up, I'll start a quest and be blown away by just how easy it is. Like I don't need to put any skin in the game. And I suppose that that is, perhaps, what others find so illuminating about it. An opportunity to gain strength for a fraction of the price." His eyes narrowed. "Call me old fashioned, but I just don't like that approach. Sure, I've outfitted myself with powerful gear and an arsenal of skills to match. But learning how to use them creatively and effectively is what's bolstered my survivability. When I buff up and don't feel compelled to use that approach, I wonder if I had made that the norm if I would have developed the skills I have now - or managed to maintain them."

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 4/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 27/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Calamity Disaster

Drakeling 33: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158512 | BD: 2, Drakeling 33 defeated
Drakeling 35: HP: 350/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158513 | BD: 1, Miss
Drakeling 36: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158514 | BD: 6, Drakeling 36 defeated

Looting
Drakeling 33
ID: 158515

CD: 3+1=4

Drakeling 36
ID: 158516

CD: 3+1=4

 

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"But even when you put skin in the game, you don't really put much skin in the game. I distinctly remember you going non-buffed up against a certain lich." Oscar punctuated his sentence by slicing through a some drakelings that had approached his general vicinity. "That certainly went well, didn't it?" A bit of a low blow, but it was mostly tongue-in-cheek. Mostly. Oscar would have hoped that - by now - they would have gotten over their near brush with death. It couldn't have possibly been the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last. True, it was more an issue of bad tactics than no buffs, but Oscar wanted to snake in a little jab. "But I can understand not wanting to cheese your way through stuff. But buffs or no buffs, there ain't much in this game that's a one versus one challenge short of like a handful of enemies."

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 4/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 13/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Explode Catapult

Drakeling 35: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158517 | BD: 6, 322 DMG | MD:4 Miss
Drakeling 36: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158518 | BD: 10, Drakeling is Defeated
Drakeling 37: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158519 | BD: 1, 322 DMG | MD4: Miss

Looting
ID: 158520 CD8 Drakeling Skin obtained [Total: 13]

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Unfortunately, Bahr's energy reserves were beginning to run a tad dry. While he would have loved to have continued slicing and dicing the Drakelings in their path, he simply no longer had the energy to do so. He let loose a pitiful Blast to render one of the Drakelings to dust, leaving one behind for Oscar to mop up. At any rate, it seemed that their volume was beginning to wane - even if only temporarily.

"I suppose you're right. But because of that adversity, I learned a thing or two about my limits at the time. What to do and what not to do. Though, it would have been nice to learn those lessons in a slightly less 'oh-fuck-I'm-going-to-die' capacity." He smirked a bit before taking a seat on a nearby rock. "You've got this last one. I need to get more gas in the tank." It probably seemed lazy of him, but there wasn't much he could do to fight the programming of the machine they were trapped in.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 2/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 13/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Blast

Drakeling 35: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158521 | BD: 6, Drakeling 35 defeated
Drakeling 37: HP: 12/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158522 | BD: 3, Deal 46-15=31 DMG

Looting
Drakeling 35
ID: 158523

CD: 10+1=11
(1) Drakeling Skin
Drakeling Skin total: 14

 

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Oscar Smash! Or so thought the tall besuited man as he brought his axe down upon the skull of the remaining drakeling. The juvenile reptile was brought to heel, reduced to dust under Oscar's onslaught. For his troubles, Oscar was rewarded with yet another Drake Skin. He tossed the object to Bahr - who was keeping up with their total - and started to find himself a nice place to sit. It was rather fortuitous timing that Bahr and Oscar had thinned out the Drakelings so that they might have some breathing room while they recovered their energy. Given that they were in a mine, there was no shortage of stones tall enough for Oscar to use as a servicable chair. It wasn't until Oscar stretched out on it and allowed himself to relax that he responded to Bahr's statement. "There's no other way to learn in this game though, is there?"

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 2/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 19/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Smash

Drakeling 37: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 158522 | BD: 1, Drakeling is Defeated | CD7 Recovery +6 EN

Looting
ID: 158525 CD12 Drakeling Skin obtained [Total: 15]

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A snicker, and then, "No, I suppose not."

Unsettling silence permeated the cave upon this revelation, as though fate itself had conspired to give them this "moment of silence" amid reptilian genocide, careless banter, and the showing off of new gear and tricks. It wasn't lost on Bahr how strange it was that the seemingly never ending onslaught of the lizards had halted just as they needed it to. Either they were insanely lucky, or this cave had something else up its sleeve.

"Someone has to, though," Bahr started again, cutting through the silence. "If the mistakes are never made, nobody will ever learn from them. Pioneers, you might call us. The discoverers of many mistakes. We can only hope that people learn from them. It's essentially all I'm trying to do in teaching her not to lean too heavily on buffs. My greatest lessons have been learned when I've been pushed to the edge of my physical limits."
 

Spoiler

Turn 1/2 to full EN replenishment.
Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 3/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5

 

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  • 3 months later...
Spoiler

Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 20/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH
Turn 1/2 for Energy Restoration

"You say 'Pioneers,' I say 'Fucking Idiots That Got Trapped Inside Tron," Oscar quipped. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Two schools of thought, both equally valid. Ultimately, whatever helps people see another day is probably a good idea. I can see the appeal to learning the ropes with ankle weights on, though. As far as physical limits go, I'm really not convinced we have them here. Have you seen the crazy bullshit you can pull off?" Sure, they couldn't fly and they certainly weren't surviving a fifty-thousand foot drop, but beyond that the sky was the limit. "But I get the sentiment. I think my 'git gud' point was against the Night's King. Something about seeing over half your health bar get shaved in a single blow and knowing that if they connect again you're dead really forces you into that spot where you learn how to play. Of course now I would smear him across his throne room with the force of a thousand suns. Crazy how the power spikes are in this game."
 

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He wasn't wrong. Even without buffs, the physical feats allowed by their stats and skills alone was enough to make anyone's head spin. Bahr wondered for a moment if, upon returning to the real world (if they ever would), if he and other might find it difficult to return to the tedium of everyday living without the support of the things they'd grown accustomed to in Aincrad. They'd no longer be able to carry about copious quantities of food to consume whenever the mood struck, or teleport back to their home with the use of a translucent azure block, or race across the fields at the pace of a cheetah overdosing on coffee and crack cocaine.

"Hrm," Bahr nodded in agreement as he let these thoughts get the better of him. He'd have to actually wait for coffee. He'd have to wait for it. Even the real world's best iterations of "instant coffee" took as long as minutes to prepare. Had he really become so spoiled by the instant gratification of Aincrad that he dreaded having to burn a tenth of an hour waiting for his energy juice?
 

Spoiler

Turn 2/2 to full EN replenishment.
Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 144/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 2 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5

 

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Spoiler

Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 21/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH
Turn 2/2 for Energy Restoration

Bahr's reponse hadn't really given him much to push the conversation forward with. It wasn't the end of the world though. Oscar wasn't going to complain about getting some peace and quiet for a few minutes before the Drakelings start nipping at their ankles. On the subject of the Drakelings, Bahr and Oscar had really thinned them out. In the process of attempting to maximize rewards from the quest, they'd almost completely decimated their numbers. Certainly, there were more lurking deeper in the mines but at least they weren't flowing freely out of the tunnel entrances anymore. "So you feel like doing a dungeon after we wrap up here? I've got a map and I'm pretty sure we can two-man that shit. It's a little extra SP for the both of us." Oscar hadn't been too incredibly impressed with dungeon rewards. But he didn't often have someone else to shoulder some of the burden. "Won't be much, but it'd be a nice challenge, I think."

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"Dungeon?"

Bahr blinked. For a moment, he'd forgotten what it was they'd been doing.

"Ah, right. A dungeon sounds good. I could use the experience points anyways. I've heard they're planning to advance the Frontlines to the boss room soon." The words were largely idly, sparse of the enthusiasm Bahr had had for the Frontlines in his prior endeavors. As more Drakelings materialized before them, Bahr stood upright and prepared his blade. After a brief moment of preparation, he ripped through the lot of them.

"I'd hate to be too far behind when the time comes. I'm certain we're ready for it, but that's a fight I don't think you can be too ready for." He kicked the one Drakeling that had avoided his attack toward Oscar, shifting the bulk of his weight onto one foot. "I'm thinking that's the sort of situation where a massive supply of buffs is probably necessary. More Frontliners have died in boss fights than any other scenario."
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 133/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 130/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster-9 EN

Drakeling 38: HP: 350/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177576 | BD: 1, Miss
Drakeling 39: HP: 89/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177577 | BD: 2, Hit for 276-15=261 DMG | -2 EN
-11 EN TOTAL

 

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Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1370/1470 | EN: 129/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1130/1330 | EN: 111/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Oscar used [x14 AoE] Explode Catapult-11 EN 

Drakeling 38: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177925 | BD: 1+7, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 39: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177926 | BD: 10, Deal 335 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 40: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177927 | BD: 3+7, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 41: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177928 | BD: 4+7, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
-19 EN Total

Drakeling 38 Breath of Fire vs Bahr - 
ID: 177933 | MD: 6+2-4, Miss
Drakeling 38 Breath of Fire vs Oscar - ID: 177934 | MD: 8+2-2, Deal 100 DMG
Drakeling 40 Breath of Fire vs Bahr - ID: 177935 | MD: 8+2-4, Deal 100 DMG
Drakeling 40 Breath of Fire vs Oscar - ID: 177936 | MD: 1, Miss
Drakeling 41 Breath of Fire vs Bahr - ID: 177937 | MD: 5+2-4, Miss
Drakeling 41 Breath of Fire vs Oscar - ID: 177938 | MD: 7+2-2, Deal 100 DMG

Looting
ID: 177929 CD1 No Loot

Rolls for Drakeling 40 & 41 will read in the roller as 41 & 42 respectively. Given how long this thread has been active, Bahr and I forgot about the caveat of Drakelings only spawning in at a rate equal to the number of party members. 

Following hot on Bahr's heels, Oscar tore through the Drakelings - catching another pair as they came in to reinforce their brethren. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to kill them all. And since one of Bahr's group was left alive, it spat white hot flame all over the pair as they came down off of their system-generated Art cooloffs. Following the lead of the first, the two from Oscar's group added their flames to the mix. Bahr fared better than Oscar had - a given since he was stocked with more Evasion. Though his health bar had taken a pummeling, Oscar was still ready to go. After all, Battle Healing would take care of all of the issues and soothe his ouchies. "Yeah," Oscar began, not even the slightest bit perturbed over the sear he'd just received. "I'd rather be as high of a level as possible before he get into all of that. Might as well burn some of these maps I have."

Edited by Oscar
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As the flames washed over Bahr, he took note of the burn - or, rather, the lack thereof. His health bar ticked downward, but was almost immediately replenished in the blink of an eye. It appeared that, even with four of them attacking at once, there was no threat that the overgrown lizards would pose to either of them. Oscar had taken a larger lashing than Bahr, but his health pool was similarly barely scathed. This quest had more or less become a war of attrition against the tedium of the task at hand, rather than a real test of their abilities as swordsmen.

It both put him at ease and grinded his gears.

"Yeah," he agreed, "And it'd be nice to feel like I actually did something with my day after all of this. A dungeon crawl sounds a lot more engaging than.. whatever the hell this quest is supposed to be. I'd thought it would have been a little harder."
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1467/1470 | EN: 117/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1130/1330 | EN: 111/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster-9 EN

Drakeling 38: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177942 | BD: 6, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 40: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177943 | BD: 8, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 41: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177944 | BD: 10, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 42: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 177945 | BD: 7, Kill -2 EN
-17 ENERGY TOTAL

Looting

Drakeling 38
ID: 177947
CD: 12
(1) Drakeling Skin

Drakeling 40
ID: 177949
CD: 2
No loot

Drakeling 41
ID: 177950
CD: 2
No loot

Drakeling 42
ID: 177951
CD: 2
No loot

Drakeling Skin total: 16

 

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Oscar grunted in response. Bahr had felled the group that had just lightly toasted the duo, freeing Oscar up to take on another pair of drakes. Money Shot sang as it sliced through the air, a metallic hum ringing out. Their health bars plummeted and Oscar ceded the field to Bahr. "An extermination coupled with some nonsense item hunt? Seems like if the quest wants us to kill 50 of these things for full rewards, it would respect us enough to just say that," Oscar said. He hated, more than anything, fake goals. Quests that initially seem simple, but then you realize that it wants you to collect a drop that might take you dozens or hundreds of kills to obtain. The very first quest one undertook demonstrated this vexing paradigm. "I'm with you though. Something with some challenge to it would be a great palette cleanser after this bullshit."

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1467/1470 | EN: 117/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1197/1330 | EN: 97/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Oscar used [x14 AoE] Explode Catapult-11 EN

Drakeling 43: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178401 | BD: 3+7-1, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 44: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178402 | BD: 2+7-1, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
-15 EN Total

Edited by Oscar
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As Oscar gave the floor back to Bahr, he took a single step forward and cleaved his mighty blade through the two that Oscar had struck, as well as another two that had joined the fray in an untimely manner. Though three fell, only one dropped a skin. Bahr sighed.

"You know what really chaps my ass about the whole thing, too?" he started, placing the heel of his boot squarely between the eyes of the single surviving Drakeling and shoving it back. "I drank a potion before we got here that supposedly improves one's chances of getting the skin drop when killing one of these things. Apparently the drop rate is a little low normally, but the potion gets the drop rate to somewhere around fifty percent. Allegedly. We must have killed close to fifty by now, and we still don't have the twenty skins the quest demands for full completion. What a rip off."
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 101/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1197/1330 | EN: 97/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster-9 EN

Drakeling 43: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178405 | BD: 8, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 44: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178406 | BD: 5, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 45: HP: 89/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178407 | BD: 3, Hit for 276-15=261 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 46: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178408 | BD: 6, Kill -2 EN
-17 ENERGY TOTAL

Looting

Drakeling 43
ID: 178409
CD: 8
(1) Drakeling Skin

Drakeling 44
ID: 178410
CD: 5
No loot

Drakeling 46
ID: 178411
CD: 6
No loot

Drakeling Skin total: 17

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

"Yeah it's kinda shitty," Oscar admitted. "I couldn't imagine doing this solo either. These Drakelings are just sticky enough that my base damage isn't enough to put me over the top. If I'm good at judging health bars, which I'm not, even if I came in with the maximum possible damage buffs available to me, they would still survive by a sliver of health." Oscar swung into a trio of Drakelings - one softened from Bahr's AoE and two fresh. The first exploded as his axe came into contact with its model, its skin flying free of its corpse and landing like a hot towel over Bahr's face. It was as if Aincrad were trying to hide the Crimson Marauder's visage. Perhaps it frightened and disturbed these juvenile drakes? Either way, one more Drakeling had died and yet another had been added to the pile. "Hey, maybe we'll get lucky and you'll get two in one go from these guys?"

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 101/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1330/1330 | EN: 85/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Oscar used [x14 AOE] Explode Catapult -13 EN

Drakeling 45: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 179587 | BD: 8, Kill -2 EN | CD: 12, +67 HP, +6 EN
Drakeling 47: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178406 | BD: 3, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 48: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 178407 | BD: 4, Deal 307 DMG -2 EN
13 EN Total

Looting
ID: 179590 | CD: 12, Skin obtained
18 Total

Edited by Oscar
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  • 3 months later...

As Bahr's slab of steel sang its whistle while cleaving through the air, it managed to hit only two of the Drakelings, leaving all four still standing. "No, I don't think so," he hummed lowly, more a murmur than any sort of actual declaration. "I'm about done dealing with this stupid ass quest. Not gonna lie to you. The math seems all wrong."

Though he may have bellyached about it, those complaints wouldn't stop the lizards from striking back. He sidestepped a pair of fireballs, the heat from the glowing orbs a welcome distraction from the cool dampness of the cavern. "I get that it's not supposed to be easy. But I don't think it was supposed to be this hard either."

Maybe it was supposed to be that hard, and he was just blowing steam out of his ass. He didn't know for sure. All he could surmise was that he was done with this cave, and done with this quest. Before them stood four Drakelings, and he would honestly be surprised if they managed to glean a single skin from the lot.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 89/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1197/1330 | EN: 97/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster-9 EN

Drakeling 47: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186944 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 2, Miss
Drakeling 48: HP: 43/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186945 | BD: 1, MIss | MD: 2, Miss
Drakeling 49: HP: 89/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186946 | BD: 5, Hit for 276-15=261 DMG -2 EN
Drakeling 50: HP: 89/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186947 | BD: 5, Hit for 276-15=261 DMG -2 EN
-13 ENERGY TOTAL

 

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Though, much to his pleasant surprise, Bahr had thought wrong. He wasn't quite sure what it was that Oscar was fiddling with that had awarded Bahr with the time he needed to swing that slab of metal a second time in a row, but as it cut through the lot of mobs, a skin was revealed for each and every one it fell. A proverbial Christmas miracle - if by 'Christmas' you meant 'an inexplicable refusal by Cardinal to meet Bahr's expectations.' Or something like that. Realistically, he knew that there was a word count certain measure of participation he needed to have, and he was more or less buying time for Oscar to ready his axe and swing again.

But when he didn't Bahr was forced to dodge yet another fireball. "You alright over there?" Bahr called out. But his companion paid him no mind. No matter - Bahr was no stranger to conflict, and welcomed it this time with open arms.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 75/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1197/1330 | EN: 97/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x12 AoE] Calamity Disaster-9 EN

Drakeling 47: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186948 | BD: 8, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 48: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186949 | BD: 7, Kill -2 EN
Drakeling 49: HP: 89/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186950 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 1, Miss
Drakeling 50: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186951 | BD: 5, Kill -2 EN

Looting
Drakeling 47
ID: 186952
CD: 12
(1) Drakeling Skin

Drakeling 48
ID: 186953
CD: 8
(1) Drakeling Skin

Drakeling 50
ID: 186954
CD: 11
(1) Drakeling Skin

Drakeling Skin total: 21

 

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Not that there was much of it left, anyways. There was just the one mob. One, singular mob that separated them from relinquishing the shackles of this quest's control over them and their time. One, measly lizard that stood between them and salvation. Freedom. And escape from the dankness of this proverbial anal canal of a cave. Lord knew, it smelled like one. And Bahr was willing to put in whatever effort was required of him to destroy this final mob before it dealt any irreparable damage to either himself or his companion. Though, truthfully, he wasn't worried about that. What could it actually do to them? Singe their hair a little bit? They'd killed dozens of its brethren. Why did it even stand against them? Was it motivated by vengeance, or was it really stupid enough to think that it alone had the strength to stop them? Talk about anime protagonist syndrome. 

Anyways, Bahr missed it again.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 74/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1197/1330 | EN: 97/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer-2 EN FOR MISS

Drakeling 49: HP: 89/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186955 | BD: 1, Miss | MD: 7, Miss

 

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He was starting to get a bit annoyed again, but not nearly as annoyed as he had been earlier. After all, this was the sort of aggravation that stemmed from the inexplicable inability to strike a single, barely mobile target. That was far more elusive than it really had any right to be. What with its stubby legs, and those stupid cumbersome wings which really didn't do anything for the creature in a claustrophobia inducing space such as this. It wasn't quite the same now that he'd gotten all of the skins that they had needed to get. Their experience points were waiting for them. Bahr just needed to finish this thing off.

Which he finally managed to do with one final stroke of his blade.

"Nice. Did you see-"

But nobody was there. Where had Oscar gone?

"... that."

He wasn't sure what had happened, but he knew that Oscar wouldn't just up and leave without explanation unless he had a good reason to do so.
 

Spoiler

Bahr: HP: 1470/1470 | EN: 65/144 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 79 | ACC: 5 | EVA: 4 | FLN: 12 | HLY: 6 | PHASE | BH: 73 | HB: 24 | CD: 1 | LD: 5
Oscar: HP: 1197/1330 | EN: 97/130 | 23 DMG | 7 ACC | 2 EVA | 25 MIT | Absolute Accuracy | VampDef | ParaImm | 2 REC | 67 BH

Bahr used [x13] Galaxy Destroyer-10 EN

Drakeling 49: HP: 0/350 | MIT: 15 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 | ID: 186956 | BD: 4, Kill

Looting
Drakeling 49

ID: 186957
CD: 11
(1) Drakeling Skin

Drakeling Skin total: 
22

 

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At any rate, Bahr understood that if he turned in the quest, they would still get all of the experience point evenly. While what was happening with Oscar was unclear, what Bahr did know was that he, at the very least, could hand in the quest and get them the experience. It was a little bit of a bummer that they wouldn't get to go dungeon crawling like they had originally hoped, however.

On his way back out of the cave, Bahr's mind began to wander. Usually, if something serious was going on, Oscar would enlist his help. In this instance, the man has simply disappeared without a trace. Bahr had already summoned his menu and taken a look at Oscar's data, concluding the man hadn't spontaneously died. So that wasn't it. Was something even more sinister afoot?

Unlikely. It was probably just the sort of thing that was of the more personal variety. Bahr knew that not everything needed to include him. It appeared that this was just one of those instances.

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None of that really mattered at present time, though. As Bahr turned in the quest and reaped the rewards, he came to the conclusion that, if it were something that Bahr needed to be made aware of, then he would be made aware of it when the time was right. In the meantime, he had other things to attend to.

He'd been meaning to take some time recently to pay a visit to the Monument of Life and pay his respects to the people he'd lost. Every time he'd gone there, something had happened. Or there had been people around. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. But now that he was alone, it seemed like the perfect time. He'd really have all of the time he needed to sit alone with his thoughts, digest them, and grieve properly.

At least, that's what he'd thought he would be able to do. But, as usual, things changed once he actually got the Monument. This time, as he stared at the various names that decorated its plaque with Oscar's name written beside them as the cause of death, something roiled within him. This was the same man he'd just been fighting mobs with?

No wonder they hadn't seen eye to eye.

----------------------------------------------

Quest Completed

Thread net gains:
Bahr
7 SP (2


+ 2 [quest] + 2 [skins] + 1 [2.6 bonus])
6400 col

Oscar
7 SP (2


+ 2 [quest] + 2 [skins] + 1 [2.6 bonus])
6400 col

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