Ariel - The Crowned Lion

With a quick glance over wares, Ariel nods, satisfied with the quality. "Umu!" she adds, making a mental note of the location and the names for the next time she needs a merchant's services. She'll make sure to send out someone in her stead for these more menial tasks as she would soon find herself busy. "Thank you. I'll see that we'll be doing more business from now on." A small wave accompanying her departure, the blonde takes a large breath as she is faced with the slightly chill but pleasant evening wind. "Let's see, where onto now..."

It was pretty convenient now that Ariel knew Firm Anima's guildhall was literally in her backyard. It gave her easy access to one of the best mercantile guild, thanks to Raidou. As an event was full ongoing, Ariel decided to stick with her new red flower themed kimono as she took a break from the festivities to do some light shopping. She stood in front of a japanese themed shop for a second, admiring the aesthetics, before entering. A couple of NPC helpers greeting her remind the blonde of of another pair of assistants from a certain alchemist shop, evoking a short giggle from the blonde as she waved at them. With a clear goal in mind her gaze momentarily wanders as she goes to the desk and orders 45 Tier 1 Materials.

Item Name: Textile Squares
Profession: Weaver
Quantity: 7
Craft IDs: 159974, 159976, 159977, 159978, 159980, 159981, 159983
Post Links: 

Item Name: Textile Squares
Profession: Weaver
Quantity: 8
Craft IDs: 159743, 159744, 159745, 159746, 159747, 159748, 159752, 159753
Post Links: 

Watching him slip, the blonde was about to reach out and ask if her fellow tank was ok but she never got a chance as two of the long legged mobs went for the lioness, catching her off guard. She received the full eight combo hit from from the first one then calmly sidestepped the next attack, evading it completely. "That was close.." she affirmed as she prepared for another attack. A quick check of her health bar showed that she took some damage but she also saw a significant chunk of her health getting restored as her newly aquired max battle healing rank kicked in. She just scuffed and went in for another round, attacking first the pair of mobs that dared to target her, making sure to aim so that she could remove at least a couple of legs. She the backed off as soon as she could move, her breathing steady but with fire in her eyes, similar to Raidou's. Seems they were on the same wavelengths about receiving the attacks.

Ariel activates Weeping Moon!

• (2,2,3,2) Ariel | HP:1435/1590 | EN:104/156 (-13) | DMG:24(+4) | MIT:0 | ACC:4(5) | AA | LD:11 | BH:79
• (3,1,1,3) Raidou | HP:1170/1170 | EN:68/114 | DMG:21 | MIT:144 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | TAUNT | BH:58 | VENGEFUL
• Spider 1 | HP: 321/1050 (-216) | DMG: 234
• Spider 2 | HP: 537/1050 (-216) | DMG: 234
• Spider 3 | HP: 555/1050 (-216) | DMG: 234
• Spider 4 | HP: 321/1050 (-216) | DMG: 234

As they finished off 'their majesty', the blonde let her tall weapon return to her inventory, freeing her hands. She could see that Assassin felt a little under the weather so she got close and gave her a big bear hug: "It's ok, I just got a scared when the system assist didn't let me interrupt the sword art." she said while gently caressing her hair, her hand landing on her scarred cheek which the blonde brushed against with her thumb. The blonde glanced towards Raidou who was accepting the rewards from the fisherman NPC, her eyebrows slightly raised as she remember something, getting visibly excited as she adressed the party:

"OH! Since we're here I want to show you guys something too!" she chimed as she started leading the way through the Forest of Memories. It was a short walk from the lake and the players could hear, alongside the wildlife, the sound of a waterfall in the distance. Once they've reached the intended place, the players could see a small valley extending in front of them with a small river arching along the clearing. Sakura trees covering the left area next to a small shrine, an odd looking abandoned building near the opposite end to where they stood. 

To the right, they could see the framework for a couple of new japanese style buildings, one near one of the banks of the river that looked like a player housing and another, smaller one, near the middle of the valley next to the crossroads. The blonde took a few steps ahead then turned around and opened her arms: "Welcome to the Shirajishi Valley! Home to the soon to be finished Shirajishi-ryu Estate." she grinned at Raidou: "I put the money we gathered to good use!"

Scuffed Map for reference:

Item Name: Textile Squares
Profession: Weaver
Quantity: 6
Craft IDs: 159361, 159355, 159350, 159360, 159353, 159352
Post Links: 

She would've hoped that everyone would understand where she was going for without Mari having to clarify what removal meant. Nonetheless, while she continued listening to the rest, the blonde noted that someone she wasn't familiar with seemed to ask more details about the scouts' encounter. She was happy to provide answers for @NIGHT to the best of her abilities when prompted: "Empty.. so to speak, except for Orgoth and Shadow... yes. Last thing I saw was Orgoth engaging the shadow and aiding our escape." They shouldn't need to fear the orbs since no more NPCs would be present when  the raid happens, the shadow minions didn't drop any when she personally killed a couple.

She nodded at the question asked to her and added: "We only saw the minotaurs fighting the dragon drop it, that's all. Also I'd like to mention that he never attempted to possess any of the scouts, at any time." As Mac and Morgestern chimed in, she had to agree with the latter which provided on point boss abilities they had witnessed, so she would nod in agreement with her eyes closed.

As the list was being passed on, she took a moment before signing in her place. It felt a little weird for her to put her name in the tanks slot but it was a necessity she would adapt to now that her DPS was maxed out.

The blonde slightly tilted her head at the name that Crow mentioned then half smiled. She thought that the katana was more versatile than a scythe or a spear but any weapon's effectiveness depended on the wielder so she would shrug off his remark. She instead took interest on Arabelle's planning for their future fight and watched her as she gathered one more quest item. "I never fought with debuffs... Feel free to do what you feel it's best." she said with a prideful smile, thinking that she could handle the phoenix alone if needed. She also admitted the first part halfheartedly, knowing about their existence but never actively seeking to use them. Coining the fact that the pinkette was a performer for another time, maybe she'll start using them more after this fight.

"I can handle its aggro." she boldly claimed, raising her hands and spinning the shiny golden ring around her index with her thumb. It redirected the little light around them straight in Crowzeph's eyes to get his attention and proving the item's effectiveness.(item description) "I brought this expecting to tank for this quest." She then nodded to Arabelle's last question. While music wasn't her hobby she found the generic fantasy tunes in this worlds a bit dull and was curious as to what a performer would play. 

The blonde would then peer around then and pick a item that her search skill prompted. The blonde slightly grinned as after a few brushed it was revealed to be another gem they needed. "I found another one!" she chimed.

ID# 159310  LD: 13 +5 Material found!

5/5 Quest Materials

The blonde returned the nod with a wink: "Yep!" was her curt reply to his question as she'd sprint by his side, catching up in a heartbeat. She found it easy to keep the pace with him thanks to the physical improvements resulted from the various mods she possessed. She once again appreciated his cautiousness, despite being a low level quest where they faced no real danger. Unlike her, he didn't seem to get lost in the bloodlust that overcomes some who start fighting and see how easy is to slay monsters. This was one of her own faults and where others would see see running away as cowardice, she'd see it as a cautious virtue.

It didn't take long for them to return to the quest NPC to give them the item. While the blonde would get little to no rewards, she was happy with the thought that ChaseR would've gotten a taste of how combat felt, knowing herself how important that first time was for her. "So, you had fun?" she asked with a grin.

"Very much so!" she answered with a grin as she added the map to the slowly increasing pile in her inventory. "We'll put them to good use when we get some students." she continued, entering her teacher mode: "These dungeons will prove challenging enough but not impossible to do with someone of a higher level around." her grin turned a little sadistic as she continued: "Not that I'll let them have it all on a silver plate without earning the spoils, everyone has to pull their weight." she then let out a couple of chuckles.

Reverting the conversation back to his initial answer, she continued with a more normal tone and expression: "I did the same when I started farming with area attacks, two handed weapons really are energy taxing aren't they? I barely had any worry for energy when I was wielding a rapier." she added, relieving a little more of her past experiences before engaging another party of mobs with no warning.

Ariel uses Charge, activates Weeping Moon!

• (1,1,2,1) Ariel | HP:1590/1590 | EN:1117/156 | DMG:24(+4) | MIT:79 | ACC:4(5) | AA | LD:11 | BH:79
• (0,0,0,0) Raidou | HP:1120/1170 | EN:80/114 | DMG:21 | MIT:144 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | TAUNT | BH:58 | VENGEFUL
• Spider 1 | HP: 789/1050 (-261) | DMG: 234
• Spider 2 | HP: 753/1050 (-297) | DMG: 234
• Spider 3 | HP: 771/1050 (-279) | DMG: 234
• Spider 4 | HP: 789/1050 (-261) | DMG: 234

As they slowly but surely made their way through the cave, the blonde kept a keen eye on their surrounding while lending an ear to Mari's words. "Despite all that, you didn't say no to wanting to be a leader... a pillar, right?" she pointed out, remembering how Crow said she was one of the four with the executive decisions right within the guild. The blonde then slightly raised her eyebrow at Shield's supposed reaction, that part not clicking with her vision of him. But then again, she didn't know him personally outside meetings and event fights/raids, only having meet him once when he was an aspiring tank alongside Beat, a long time ago.

With Baldur however, it was another story. Considering him one of the few remaining friends she could count on he fingers from one hand, she would nod in agreement with her statement; albeit for a different reason than what Mari meant. "He has that serene air around him, doesn't he? I'll need to find him a new title... now that he has found a purpose, I can't call him a ronin anymore." she said with a hearty laugh, remembering the obi she gifted him alongside that name... it was time to make a new piece now that he found himself a purpose. "Overall it seems like a good guild, I can't wait to see if it passes the test of time." she added, with half of a smile. The blonde had a memento which she would use once in a while in form of a cloak branded with all her previous guild logos on the back. Five of them, all crossed off in red; disbanded due to various circumstances, she honestly hoped this one wouldn't... the frontlines needed stable pilons to gravitate around.

leaving here the order for @Vigilon , for 15 Materials or 6750 Col (whatever tier you have, I used t2)

Quote

Name:	Silver Night
Profession:	Tailor
Rank:	9
Roll ID:	157441
Roll Result:	12
Item Type:	Light Armor
Tier:	2
Quality:	Perfect
Enhancements:	Mitigation | Mitigation | Evasion
Post Link:	Hyperlink
Description:	A set of pliable leather armor, dyed silver in color with red accents. The armor itself consists of pliable leather “plates”, four on the front, four on the back, of the torso, along with pliable leather armguards, hardened leather pauldrons, leg guards made with both hard and soft leather, and attached to the torso is a hood made from cloth. In layman’s terms, it’s basically a hoodie and pants with leather armor stitched onto it.

Name:	Leather Strikers
Profession:	Tailor
Rank:	9
Roll ID:	157433
Roll Result:	11
Item Type:	Weapon
Tier:	2
Quality:	Perfect
Enhancements:	Accuracy | Bleed | Paralyze
Post Link:	Hyperlink
Description:	A pair of leather gloves with spiked metal studs on the knuckles, the spikes being short and small, but durable, not to mention sharp enough to penetrate foes.

"You must be joking." she replied with a grin. Slashing the runed blade to her right, as if cleaning it of residual blood then looking at him over her shoulder. "At this rate, I can go on for days." she added proudly as her energy bar barely ticked down. Before she could activate her Tracking mod to spy on potential new mobs, she heard the nearby bush rustle once more. Entering a defensive stance by bringing both her weapon and its saya in front of her, she engaged the new mob with little effort. Using the one single target skill from the total two skill available for the one handed straight sword, it proved more than enough to once again delete the variant mob from existence. 

And once again, she looked around for the quest mdrop they needed from this specific mob. Failing to see it initially, her eyes flashed green as she activated her Detect mod. "There!" she signaled, pointing next to ChaseR's right. She had no idea how it appeared there but she was happy she had discovered it; not wanting to fight more time than necessary.

Ariel activates Snake Bite!

• Ariel | HP:1590/1590 | EN:141/156 | DMG:19 | MIT:79 | ACC:3 | VAMP OFF:238 | HB:48 | TAUNT | REC:1 | LD:5 | BH:79
• ChaseR | HP: 200/200 | EN: 10/20 (+1, -1) | DMG: 8 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 3 | REC: 2
• Nepent Variant | HP: 15/15 | DMG: 10 | MIT: 5
  Nepent Variant ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 10
  Spoiler

  ID# 157176  LD: 10 +5  <Nepent's Ovule> Found!

The blonde listened and nodded to her initial question and the following insight. It was, in the blonde's opinion, their only option to stay alive and everybody had different methods of coping and adapting with this new reality they were trapped in. Some chose to take permanent refuge in safe zones while others went the extra mile and started clearing floors. She couldn't judge either as she found herself at both ends of the specter since the beginning of this.. 'game'. 

She continued to listen, learning about a series of quests with a level cap that she was unaware existed. Her raised eyebrows and overall expression gave that fact away before she started talking: "Sounds like a drag, I think I passed over most tutorial quest at the beginning and went straight for the monster hunting ones." she added, watching the girl as she went and collected a material. It was at that point that she was reminded that they still had to fetch some items before going after the phoenix. Curious, she drew closer to the vein that Arabelle just harvested and peered inside the cracks. She was happy to notice another material nearby and picked it up with little effort.

She watched Crozeph join their party and offered a wave alongside her greeting: "Hey karasu-kun, just in time to help us look around for these!" pretty much leaving him with no other options, in contrast with Arabelle's words. She threw the small gem she just found in his direction for him to catch.

ID# 157172  LD: 13 +5 Material found!

3/5 Quest Materials

The blonde would take full advantage of the set up provided by Raidou and like a shrine priestess, she made her blade dance. Cleanly cutting off all the legs of the upturned monsters with little effort and just a little bit of energy, the blonde watched as the rest of their bodies pixelated brightly and left behind the loot they were here for. With a light humming of an old song she knew, the blonde started picking up the small pouches left behind. She didn't even need to verify by doing a count as she claimed: "We're already off to a good start." Secredly, she wanted to see if there were more dungeon maps. It became kind of her hobby to collect them until the time comes that she'll put them to good use. Her expression momentarily lit up when she discovered one.

After cleaning up, she looked at their energy bars and raised her brows slightly in surprise. "Did you get Finesse?" she asked, hoping he would know about the weapon mod and not the literal meaning of the word.

Ariel activates Weeping Moon!

• (3,4,3,3) Ariel | HP:1590/1590 | EN:129/156 | DMG:24(+4) | MIT:79 | ACC:4(5) | AA | LD:11 | BH:79
• (6,6,4,6) Raidou | HP:1090/1170 | EN:84/114 | DMG:21 | MIT:144 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | TAUNT | BH:58
• Spider 1 | HP: 126/1050 | DMG: 234
• Spider 2 | HP: 147/1050 | DMG: 234
• Spider 3 | HP: 216/1050 | DMG: 234
• Spider 4 | HP: 165/1050 | DMG: 234
  Spoiler

  Loot:
  ID: 157088 | LD: 22 (11 + 11) | CD: 5
  11,550col, Tier 3 Materials (5), [T3E3] Unidentified Perfect Armor (1), [T3E3] Unidentified Perfect Consumable (2)
   
  ID: 157090 | LD: 26 (15 + 11) | CD: 5
  18,900col, Tier 3 Materials (5), [T3E3] Unidentified Perfect Weapon (3)
   
  ID: 157090 | LD: 26 (15 + 11) | CD: 5
  18,900col, Tier 3 Materials (5), [T3E3] Unidentified Perfect Weapon (3)
   
  ID: 157091 | LD: 31 (20 + 11) | CD: 9
  13,650col, Tier 3 Materials (3), Intermediate Dungeon Map: Floor 21 (#157091)

   

She eyed the orange haired player, learning a little more of the detriments and frustrations of an orange player, thing that she never really put too much thought into. She found her confession a little enlightening but decided to simply nod in acknowledgement, her arms still crossed. When prompted about their course of action, Ariel opened her wide and surveyed the area. With a confident smirk, she made use of her newly aquired 'tracking' mod, her eyes gaining a soft hue as she scanned the place around for any kind of signs that she wouldn't notice without the mod. After scouting the 24th labyrinth, she deemed this as a essential mod to have in her kit for future expeditions of that nature.

"There." she muttered after a few second, pointing at a nearby downhill towards an inconspicuous cave, like the rest of them on this floor. "There are different sized footprints leading that way. Looks like a good place to start as any." Wanting to keep the conversation flowing, she settled to broach something she picked up earlier. "When Crow first mentioned you when talking about Jacob's Ladder, I was a little surprised to hear it. Even so, all the people I meet at Baldur's place during my visit seem like a pleasant company to have around. I'm kind of jealous of what he achieved." she said with a smile, adding. "He always had a good eye for people since I first meet him."