Xanatos

I could hear a tune coming from the crystals now, without provocation they began to play their own songs to me. I had never heard any of it before. The song was joyful yet firm in its sound. I felt happiness but at the same time caution. I took Garanzia in arm and tried my best to play along. Stroking the bow across the strings gave me a sense of brotherhood with these...lost ones...their tune inspiring every movement and note I initiated.

14060

LD:17 (Success!)

Upon completion of their song, another crystal fell from one of the nearby walls. "I see that it's a sing-along kind of day isn't it? We take turns leading then?" I asked. The crystals pulsed in response. "I'll assume that means yes!"

+1 Material

Total Collected: 3 

The master crystal glowed brightly but still bore no inscriptions. I changed my tone to a more somber note, something to motivate thought rather than motivate movement. I could hear whispers from the orbs, something I had never heard before. Random words and names I had yet to encounter anywhere in Aincrad. The crystals turned purple and low hum could be heard, harmonizing with my music. Just like before they began to respond to my flows. "It seems we are coming to understanding my friends!"

14059 

LD 12 +4=16 Success!

Yet another crystal fell from the ceiling. A blueish hue, it seemed to respond directly to my statement. "Haha, well don't you all feel generous today? Your power has already gone to good use to brighten the spirits of those trapped in this world!"

+1 Material

Total Collected: 2

Walking into the Cave of Harmonies again felt like returning to solitude for me. The feelings of calm and serenity keep me ever aware of my sanity. The master crystal sat quietly in the center of the main chamber. It bore no words for emotion. "Are you just not wanting to be performed for today?" I asked. No sound or glow came from the crystal. "Well, I guess that I'll just have to convince you otherwise!" I began to play Garanzia. The tune flowed and bounced off the walls of the cavern, giving the illusion that a chorus of violins played behind me. It was simply elegant. I felt the hairs on my arm stand up. Small orbs began flock to the main chamber. Inhabiting the crystals one by one. I played harder and faster, beckoning the orbs closer. After a few more moments, the largest orb I had seen entered the master crystal. 

14058

LD 18

A large crystal fell from the cavern. Freshly imbued by one of the orbs. "Well I guess that answers that!"

+1 Material

Total Collected: 1

(OOC:Woot! This is gonna be fun :3 So Noc has claimed Skele 1 as his target I will take number 2 :))

I watched Noctis engage the first skeleton. He dashed across and missed. I decided to head for the closest skeleton to me. I flashed Immortal Fang, swiping from side to side to build some momentum. I twisted and swung hard towards the skeleton. 

14057

BD:5 +3 = 8 HIT!

The blow landed right in the skeletons chest. Immortal Fang delved deep into its ribcage, effectively breaking a few of its ribs. I knocked it down on its back, but it just got straight back up as if nothing even happened to it. Hard to hurt something that seems to not be able to feel pain. 

Skeleton 1 15/15

Skeleton 2 11/15 (-4)

Skeleton 3 15/15

Skeleton 4 15/15

Skeleton 5 15/15

Brother of Minos 35/35

Xanatos 24/24 HP

Azide 47/47 HP

Calrex 32/32 HP

Hikoru 1313 HP

Noctis 22/22 HP

Cave Stability 2/10 ( 8 remaining)

(Gonna go ahead and skip Noctis per his permission. Come back soon buddy :D)

With Hikoru breaking down I began to play Garanzia. I chose something grand. The Firebird Suite! Every movement ebbed and flowed. The orbs moved about the room in succession, possessing crystals along the walls. Suddenly the thrones began to glow. "Azide! Get off the throne!" I yelled out. The cave began to shake (2/10) and every throne glowed a bright yellow. The skeleton on the center throne rose and began to speak. "Pitiful humans...You are but flies compared to me...the TRUE King Minos...my ignorant brother could not see that I was the true heir and banished me here...doomed to the darkness...with nothing but the souls of our fallen brethren to give company...You will take my place you weak hearted fools!" A light emanated from the largest floating crystal. "Die!!!!" The orbs came to form a skeleton structure on each of the smaller thrones. They were armed with swords made of the crystals. The Brother of Minos stood from his large throne and brandished a flail made of pure darkness. A total of 6 enemies were before us. They jeered at us, threatening us with their glowing eyes and weapons.

(Quick Fight explanation: Each of these "minor" skeletons deal 2 DMG a hit and have 15 HP (Total of 5 Minors) The Brother of Minos deals 3 DMG per hit and has 35 HP Each critical failby any of the skeletons (or anyone else) will cause a point against the cave stability. Short story, the brother will be the only one to drop loot and will drop an aesthetic item needed for the quest to progress. The fight order will be as follows: Xanatos, Azide, Calrex, Hikoru, Noctis (Noc your spot is here because of your recent request to skip), Skele's 1-5, then Brother of Minos. If no one objects, I will have two separate posts. One for my combat. Then I will post the attacks of ALL skeletons when they come up in order. There is 1 skeleton per person, you can help each other with their skeletons. once their paired skele is killed, they will not be engaged by another. Any questions please PM me. I'll allow one more post per participant before combat starts.

The monster fell with a thud with the gaping hole in its chest. "Nice move! Whew that was a bit tedious but we got a good workout!" X picked up the alchemy potion <<Snowfrost>> Well that was eventful! That was probably easier than the wasp in terms of how much damage I took. X was really the only one to take anything harsh. Glad he wasn't injured seriously. We walked out of the clearing, our quest completed. Good to know I've got guys like X to back me up!

RP Complete!

Rewards: <<Snowfrost>>- X

250 Col+200 Col = 450 Col ,+2 Mats-X

4 total (3 for quest, 1 for topic completed) SP-X

4 total (3 for quest, 1 for topic completed) SP-Xanatos

200 Col-Xanatos

The creature watched X sit down and take out a water bottle. It rolled into a ball and sped towards X at breakneck speed. "Yo X! I would aim for the heels but they seem to be occupied!" I yelled at X warning him of the rolling ice ball.

13989

MD:6-3=3 (miss)

The ball veered off course and slammed into the tree to his right. Well that was awkward, this Elemental is seriously the most awkwardly failing mini-boss I've ever seen. Like seriously 0.0

I slid on the ice of its wake created by the rolling on the snow. Following X's example I used Fang to guide me while I slid. Heading straight for your back Frosty.

13989

BD:5+3=8 (Hit!)

I leaped up and drove Fang into its back. It flailed its arms trying to knock me off. I ran up its back and hopped into a nearby tree.

Xanatos 21/24

X 13/17

Ice Elemental 3/50 (-4)

Walking around the starting city has always been fun for me. The sights, the smells, even the interesting players I've met since being trapped here. I walked for a few meters and spotted a cafe I had not yet visited. The Starlight Cafe? Sounds like my cup of tea! kekekeke I crack myself up sometimes. I wonder if there's anything good in there. I walked inside to find none other than Azide sitting at a table on the far wall. I decided to greet him in the best possible way I could. I grabbed his shoulder firmly. "I was hoping there was something good in here!" (OOC: Consider this bromance beginning to boil XD)

The creature turned to me and decided to combo his moves! He rolled into a ball and tossed a snow-cannonball right before he began to slide. Whoa whoa! Is it starting learn? It's trying to overwhelm us with many different attacks!

13984

MD:7-2=5 (Miss)

It took me a moment to decide which direction to jump. I got lucky as the ball nearly missed my face as i dodged the rolling ice ball. I reposed myself and knew exactly when to strike.

I took Fang in my hand and leaped straight for the back of the creatures head.

BD:3 +3=6 (hit!)

I landed on it's head and stabbed straight down. Fang peirced deep as the Elemental tried to flail me off. I stayed stable and hopped off onto a nearby tree.

Xanatos 21/24

X 13/17

Ice Elemental 7/50 (-4)

After following the green crystals for a while we spot a clearing a few yards ahead. "Hey guys! The next "challenge" might be there. Ready yourselves!" The clearing was much much larger than the last one. A throne sat in the center with a skeleton sitting inside. A crown sat on it's head. Jewels of all shapes and sizes adorned it. Smaller thrones sat positioned in a circle around the center throne. A large crystal sat above it, hovering in the air. Small orbs of light emanated from it, the orbs moved about the room aimlessly. We could hear whispers, perfectly audible to each of us. Weak...Kaito...Murderer...Traitor...Hikoru...Calnus...Can you really lead? All of these different whispers seemed to come from different voices. The single crystal lit the room while the other smaller ones lining the walls laid barren and colorless.

"Agreed! I hope we both walk away with a better understanding Cal. You're my friend now and with that comes my loyalty and my trust. You will be one of the best. I hope that we can change this world together like we said. We are the beginning to an end. I hope that regardless of whether or not you choose to join the Brigade when the time comes, cause let's face it they will want you, our mutual vision can begin to reach fruition." I reached my hand out to him. "I promise to always fight for you when the time comes."

"Amen to that! I know that everyone has their darkness Cal, but the great thing about being who we are is that we always have a choice. Making the decision to shun our darkness is what makes our hearts true! I never learned that until I came here. I had to ask myself what I fight for in this world. I swore to fight for those who could not fight for themselves. For those that had no hope. These are the days worth living for, the days when strong hearted people come together and decide to change the world for the better."

"But does that mean we must not draw the line anyway? I mean sure we have examples, and not all the situations. But there are clear cut signs and instances no one can ignore, especially with this incident with Mari. It only exposed the issues with everyone involved...I'm not saying we meaning you and I have to be the ones to draw this line. That should be left to stronger players, but at ;east we can begin these conversations. Together we can bring a new life to the struggle against this world. We can help change the chaos Cal! We may be small right now compared to the others, but we have something that a lot of other players do not. True Hearts."

Exactly! Tolerating chaos only grows it. It does nothing for those who suffer under it. The next problem is how exactly we go about exposing it. What can we do at our level to expose this problem? Having our levels the way they are does not really allow us to start going around demanding change, let alone instigate it. If it were to get violent, it would be a slaughter. We would need the support of almost all those that are not part of the initial problem. Who would that all be exactly?

"The simple fact is: we need a new front line. A front line built on players with an active interest of freedom. Not an active hobby of murdering innocents. We need to start strengthening guilds like S1, guilds that stand for more than just the glory of battle. One that grows the community of the front line. Teaching players and grooming them for a healthy existence in the world. Then they can fight. Azure cares nothing for teaching, only throwing players like Alcor into the fire. No one healed him in the last boss fight...they just wanted the kill...so he died..because of their greed...So when we think of the baby steps. The first step is to make the problem public. Make sure everyone knows there is a problem..."

"There are players we can trust, I just don't know for how long we can keep acting like this will blow over. A player has died needlessly and no one seems to care. She probably had a family! She was a human being and she just...murdered her...Where is her justice? These players just seem so concerned for their own feelings to the point of just not caring. Cal, I know you've got a good heart. But even that won't be enough to stop the hell-fire of chaos that will ensue if peace is not restored to the front lines. Azure cares nothing for those outside it's ranks...they sit in their shops and homes and shun those that they do not deem worthy. Their leaders squabble and complain while people are dying. Their so-called Maverick Hunters, do nothing to maintain the murders. All they do is protect their own. Azure should have ended Mari right then and there...they are just as responsible as Mari...Evil wins when good men do nothing. We must be the good men. We must push on...Mari will get her second chance because she needs it, not because she deserves it...."

"People are nuts. The fact that Daeron is willing to kill himself for some delusion of eternal sorrow baffles me. How can one be so selfish? Kosan is a mad man that needs to be disposed of. All that aside, I personally don't like the idea of the front lines being so divided and inconsistent. Would anyone? Mari was supposed to be heading up at the boss fight and I was under the impression that It was to have already happened at this point...I am not yet powerful enough to challenge them, but if I was....there would be changes. Pkers shouldn't just get a free pass morally from us just because they are influential...That's how crime families and organizations operate. I would know... A house divided unto itself cannot stand, this house is crumbling, and along with it, hope. Azure doesn't seem to even care anymore...they bowed out on a crucial boss fight. Left us to scrape together what we can and hope it works. More will die because of them, count on it. We are at war Cal...and we are losing horribly. Morale is disintegrating and no one seems to be able to stop the fighting among the higher levels....

"I honestly think Mari is a criminal...a murderer...regardless of how annoyed she got, she shouldn't have killed that player. She let her emotions get the best of her. She snapped. But, I was once a criminal too, I killed scores of people for profit..sometimes just for the hell of it... I found redemption in the care of one who would not give up on me, quite the contrary...he gave me a second chance. That's what we have to do with Mari. She must pay for her crimes, but she will not be executed if I have anything to say about it." I slammed my fist on the viewpoint rail. "No one deserves to be forsaken if they wish redemption."

"Well, the incident began with a young girl named Aubrey approaching Mari. This girl I guess was annoying to Mari. Meaning just to scare her Mari ended up stabbing Aubrey in the head. Killing her instantly. All of a sudden, the screams of Aubrey brought many people, including myself to the tree Mari killed Aubrey on. Players like Daeron, Kiru, Kosan, Hikoru, Azide, we started appearing one by one. Mari drank a potion in her angst and began wildly attacking random players. Daeron made his feelings for her aware and pinned her to the tree, taking some damage from Mari's blade. Kosan appeared and only angered everyone else by threatening us. He wanted a slaughter. Eventually Daeron had to deal some damage to Mari, and Kiru went ballistic, attacking Daeron full force. Mari broke free and stabbed me in the shoulder. Hurt like a Bitch! Hikoru took Mari's blade she left i my shoulder and ran into the woods. That's all I remember from the Incident, I left with Azide and Ariel I think...."

I watched Calrex do his new armor. It was a sight to behold. A sleek blue armor seemed to radiate the brilliance of the sea. He readied himself to pursue Oikawa with all the fervor he could muster. "We have to find Oikawa! He's not himself! Azide, where did he go? He told you right? He said that you knew where to find him!" I was frantic and pumped with adrenaline but I didn't care. We all cared for our fellow guild mates and did not want to see either of them hurt. We wouldn't let them!

"Haha yes my friend! This is Porthos! And I thought the same to be honest. I had heard some tales of the 3rd floor so I thought I would give it a look. Diversity is key to a healthy mind! How are you feeling? I know the Mari incident has really rattled a lot of people to the core. Kosan tipping over the edge, Daeron losing himself in his sorrow...almost seems like too much sometimes..." My face grew solemn as I took a place next to him and sent Porthos on a fly-around. I stared off the viewpoint to the waters below.

Walking further and further away from the pitiful scene that was Daeron's suicide, I found Mari and Azide, conversing under a tree. I cautiously walked to side of Azide. "Everything all right here?" I asked him. I turned my head to Mari. "Are you alright in the head now?" I calmly asked. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened. I know that people snap, I know that people have feelings deep down that just can't be simply washed away in a day...I hope you can find some peace in solace. I won't bother you any longer..."

The party moved farther into the caverns. The tunnel seemed longer this time, we keep walking and walking but cannot seem to find the way. Every turn we took seemed to take just let us in circles. "Lord, feel like we've been at this for hours now!" I groaned. The crystals ebbed and flowed in the tunnel, constantly changing colors. "I guess I'll just play to pass the time..." I took out Garanzia and began to play an old French folk song. The crystals changed into two seperate colors. Red and Green. "Huh, they usually only turn one color or a rainbow when stimulated. I wonder if it's a path! Let's follow the green crystals!" I shouted as I kept playing the song. (OOC: Here comes dah whipsers 0.0)

(And it is Hikoru!)

In Hikoru's ear, a faint whisper grows. "Hahaha you are a funny one, you seek adventure and power. But yet, you have nothing to build on...I can feel it...your fear..your frustration. All building into a chaotic mess of a player. You are weak...How do you ever expect to achieve greatness without being able to do what is necessary? Take a look ahead of you Hikoru...Would you kill any of these players to get out of this world right now? Would you stab them in the back to achieve the ultimate prize? Freedom...If you choose to stay here, it is only out of weakness and cowardice....I can give you the power you desire...the power to end them all..if you just...LET ME OUT!!!!"

"High and mighty Xanatos" I laughed loudly at the sound of this insult. "Kiru, I am not high and mighty. I am simply loud. What I said towards Mari was true, I don't think anyone could dispute that. I just express it differently than others. Also, I did not ask you to leave, I simply asked you to treat us as we treat you. We did not come here to disturb you in your thinking, rather the opposite. I came here to reflect on the Mari incident, one you were pretty active in if I remember correctly. Now, I do not wish to make you angry. Anger leads to hate, hate leads to violence and chaos. All I ask is that you at least talk to us before treating us like vagrants." By this time the silver haired player had begun walking away. "Hey! There's no need to leave!" But the player just kept walking further and further towards the sea caves. "Hello there, I was wondering if any of you knew where the town on this floor was?" a young player piped up. "Its farther to the East! Towards the eastern boundary of the the forest!"

I felt like exploring some of the floors I had yet to visit in my time here in Aincrad. The NPCs and players alike told stories of the wondrous architecture of the 8th floor. I decided to take a leap of faith and check it out. I walked towards the teleport pad in starting city. "Floor 8" The pad buzzed and shot me off to the floor. Within seconds I found myself in a woodland village in the trees. Kinda reminded me of a science fiction movie...what was it called again? Solar Wars? Eh, I'll figure it out. I walked off the pad and starting looking around. Porthos stood on my shoulder and squawked as I looked over the edge of the canopy. "Yeah, that's a long way down isn't it my friend? Don't worry, we won't be there anytime soon." As we wandered farther into the village, a familiar sight caught my eye. Calrex was watching over the waters below, clad in what seemed to be some new duds. "Hey Calrex!" I greeted him. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be out gathering?"