Jomei

Jomei and Nari began to work on some of the traps, snagging bunches of some of the smaller, yet still thick branches that had been sharpened to a point. Should be simple enough. Shove the stakes into the ground at an angle with the point sticking outwards. Almost like a fence, but tilted outwards rather than straight up and down. There were probably plenty of ways to set up this trap, tying the stakes together at point, creating a base to easily support them.. they could have even tied them to higher up points on the wall. 

Nari and Jomei attempted none of those, and instead struggled. 

Shoving one of the stakes into the ground at an angle, Jomei watched as, with even the slightest bit of pressure, the stake would slide and fall to the ground flat. "You'll hear no words from me." Jomei said, with just as much luck as her. "We had better luck digging.. come on, maybe we can make some pitfall traps." 

ID 210246 | CD 2 | Failed

Luckily the party had not started yet. It was because of the silence that Jomei was able to hear the light knocking on the wooden door downstairs. "Probably should have let people know to just come in." he said with a chuckle to Adere in the corner of the room. Leaving the living room and moving down the stairs, he would open the door to see Nari, dressed for the occasion with a wrapped gift in her hands. "Hey, early or not its still Christmas. Please come in." he said with a smile, stepping out of the way so she could enter. "As long as Hirru doesn't floor my kitchen like he did Koga's, everything should go well." With an outstretched hand, he gestured up the stairs to the open entryway to the left. "We'll be upstairs, you're the first one here so please, get comfortable, make yourself at home." 

Before Jomei could even make it up half of the stairs, there was another knocking on the door. "Right." he snapped his fingers, before turning back and heading to open the door once again. Coincidentally, it was another woman with purple hair, though it was cut much shorter than Nari's. The face wasn't very familiar to him, but he did offer the party up to any players interested. What better way to make a few new friends. Smiling warmly, he introduced himself. "Hey, welcome! I'm Jomei, its a pleasure to meet you." Gesturing in a similar way he had for Nari, he allows the woman to head up the stairs. Jomei would follow, but only after tapping on the door to create an automated message for any future party goers.

@Nari-Lanreth @Faerie

Jomei looked over the message reply from Lessa with a warm smile. A wave of his hand and the screen was deposited into the void, allowing him to bring his attention back to Hikoru behind the counter. ".. and you can add a caramel apple cider to that. Hot." With the two drinks in hand, the ginger took one of the quiet tables within the coffee shop, close enough that he could still converse with his old friend while waiting for Lessa to arrive. It was nice to catch up with Hikoru, even though he had put his adventuring days behind him. 

The two had spoken until the ring of the bell above the entry way greeted a new customer, drawing both of their attention. "Hey Lessa, glad you could make it." the ginger greeted her with a smile, passing the steaming cup across the table as she sat down to join him. "Hopefully some trouble. Maybe some danger. Definitely some adventure." Raising the coffee to his lips, he took a moment, sipping his drink before he continued. 

"As I was saying in my message, turns out there's a new group of quests on Floor Twenty Seven. Something about the lore behind the different nations and why they divided amongst themselves. Some of the Info Brokers also think that completing the quest could actually help the raid team, but nothing confirmed that yet. Apparently there are four parts to the quest.. one for each divided nation."

"There's a library in the central city of Ronbaru, where we can meet with a man who can give us all of the juicy details about the history of the floor and all that...." As he took a moment between thoughts, Jomei moved his hand through the air in front of him, sending both a party request and a pinpoint marker for the start of the Mysterious Divide quest.. "Or, we can just follow the marker to the first leg of the journey and meet with the first quest giver in Dagan..."

Sipping his coffee again, he lean back in his chair, looking at Lessa over the porcelain rim of his mug. "So, which would you rather, jump right into it, or start the quest the proper way?" 

Jomei's lips pursed as Nari began to laugh at his misfortune. He would only let out a small growl as he grabbed a shovel and made his way to the outside of the partially build barrier. Digging a deep enough hole should be simple enough, in comparison to setting up 10 foot tall stakes in the ground while under pressure. Planting his feet in the snow, he would drive the nose of the shovel into the snow and dirt. Taking purchase, he would press the shovel deeper into the Earth with his boot, before scooping it out of the ground and to the side.

"Yeah, like you were such a big help with putting up that wall." Jomei said, his olive eyes peering up at Nari before cracking a smirk. The two continued to dig, piling the loose dirt and snow along the sides of the trench to make it even deeper. Lucky enough for them, the townsfolk were able to put up a frame of a wall without their help.. though how much it would actually do to defend the town, he wasn't sure. After some time, a trench had been dug along the city's outskirts. "Alright.. I think we're good here. I think maybe we'd do well to set up some traps, possibly take out a few of their ranks without having to lift a sword." 

Seeing that some of the town's citizens were finishing up their work, he would call out to them all again. "Set up some traps around the perimeter. Dig some pitfalls behind snowbanks, try your best to keep them hidden. Throw some spiked stakes at the bottom for good measure. Might as well set up some on the weaker spots in the wall as well. Anything to keep them back!"

ID 210244 | CD 9 +2 EVA to Town on first attack.

Team A

The ball of snow left his gloved hand, hurling towards his target. He could not help but beam a smile in their direction, whether it hit her or not, he was still having fun. Retreating back behind the trunk of the tree, he carefully situated himself, securing a bit more snow from the branches around him. There wasn't much to work with.. he could maybe make one or two more, he assumed. A bit smaller than the last, but just as round and packed, Jomei gently held onto the projectile, waiting for his next target.

A very familiar voice called out, and Jomei immediately swung out from around the tree. He held onto a branch just above him with a free hand, looking like a pirate hanging from the roped ladder of a ship. "Lessa!" Jomei called back with a bright smile of his own. Though the cheery greeting quickly turned to one of suspicion as she slowed to a stop, asking him what team he had been assigned. 

That smile he wore slowly turned upwards into a mischievous smirk, before pulling back his arm and tossing a snowball at Lessa. 

"Team A. What about you?"

@Lessa

Jomei smriks, "You really think I'm gonna just tell them what to do and not get my hands dirty?" Jomei looked at the piles of wood and logs, "Yeah.. lets start with making a wall. I think leaving an opening for them to funnel through might be a good idea for us to handle them." Squatting down, Jomei attempted to help lift one of the logs Nari needed help with. Heavy, but the two of them were able to move it without much issue. "Alright uh.. lets stand it upright here." Jomei gestured, and the two were able to stand the log up straight. "Now.. how do we keep it in place?" Jomei questioned, looking at Nari.. looking at the other townsfolk. "Maybe if we put another one up next to it, we can use the smaller pieces to wood and nail them together. Let me go just..." as Jomei went to go back to the loose logs, the one they had been working on began to tilt, before crashing into the snow. 

"Shit.." Jomei cursed under his breath, rubbing the side of his head. "You know what? Lets let the lumber experts take care of building the wall.. why don't we grab some shovels and help with digging the trench, yeah?" 

ID 210150 | CD 4

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 67 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 900/900 HP | 128/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Fragarach  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory Antidote (3/3)  skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

The idea of some sort of social activity really excited Jomei, though he might not have admitted it out loud. He had been stuck inside and alone for so long, he just needed to scratch that social itch. So when the message from Cardinal went out about a little snowball fight, he immediately went to the coordinates. So when other players slowly started showing up.. Jomei was already there, waiting. 

He had chosen a tree close enough to the wide open battlefield, with branches thick and low enough that he could easily climb up to and sit comfortably and wait for the others to arrive. There wasn't a lot of snow that he could gather to create snowball ammunition.. but enough that he could maybe get one or two tosses in before needing to retreat to lower ground. 

Finally, some players arrived, an unfamiliar face, Astreya, and Nari. From where she was standing, it looked like Nari would be on his team.. while Astreya and the other player were two of their opponents. Perfect. Gathering a handful of snow, Jomei began to mold it into a ball. Nari had taken a throw at Astreya, so Jomei figured it was only fair that he took a shot at the new face.

"Think fast!" The voice came from the tree, as a baseball sized ball of snow went hurling towards the short bob of purple hair. 

// TEAM A //

Throwing parties was never his forte, usually he was more of a patron that a host. The last time he had put together something like this was small scale, just for members of the guild that once was. Now, all of them had gone their separate ways, and Jomei was left on his own. However, that all seemed to go well.. so how hard would it be to open the invitation to anyone interested. Koga had done it this time last year, and the party was.. well, as one would expect any gathering in Aincrad to go- filled with joy, and fun but with enough chaos to balance that out. It was thanks to Koga's party that he was able to pull himself out of his own, lonely funk and meet with friends -and new faces. As this year came to an end, he hated that he found himself back at square one, others seemingly as well. What harm would come from trying to recreate that, and throw another holiday party. 

A combination of postings on boards in main settlements and direct messages to those on his friends list, he hoped that word would get around. The party was scheduled for the night before Christmas Eve... just out of habit from expecting others to be busy on Christmas Eve and day proper. With the message out to the digital world, he knew he needed to get ready, for if he was going to host a party all on his own, he would need to get started early. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

December 23rd Christmas Eve-Eve. Eleventh Floor - Taft

The night of the party had finally arrived, and Jomei had felt he had done enough to prepare. Leaving the party to just the two top floors of his townhouse, rather than implementing the music room on the first floor, he had decorated accordingly for the occasion. Entering the front door would lead to an open hallway, with a set of stairs leading to the second floor. The stairs continue upwards into a slight curve to a third floor, or there is an open doorway leading to the main living space. The living room is set up with a couch and loveseat, as well as a dining room set with chairs. A tree stands tall in the corner to the right, just after entering. Across the living room, a connected kitchen can be seen past a half wall, two stools set up along it. Along the kitchen island, trays of food ranging from meats, breads, and other holiday dishes sit steaming, their aromas intertwining into a delightful menagerie that escapes out the slightly cracked window. Within the kitchen itself, bottles line one counter containing various alcohols, eggnog, and a bowl of punch. The curving stairs continue upwards to a small third floor, Jomei's bedroom, office, and bathroom, with a balcony that overlooks the street below. 

"Do you mind?" Jomei asked with a smirk, holding the tiny bushel of green leaves and red berries out towards his owl familiar, Adere. Without much of a fuss, the owl shimmies closer to the ginger, allowing him to tie the batch of mistletoe around her neck. "Perfect, not only do you look festive.. but you hanging that over peoples heads should be pretty funny." he added with a chuckle, "Who knows, maybe you'll get to play matchmaker for some lucky lovers." With a tiny coo, the owl leaps from the back of the chair and gets comfortable upon her perch in the corner of the room. 

"Alright, I think thats everything." Jomei said with a pleased smile, looking over his work. Letting his hair down that he had tied into a short, spiky ponytail, he dressed himself in an olive green, hooded shirt with a charcoal grey, open cardigan over it. "Now to see if all this work pays off." 

(Open to all players) 

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 67 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 900/900 HP | 128/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Fragarach  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory Antidote (3/3)  skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

Jomei and Nari followed along with the NPCs as they suggested building up the town's defenses against the looming threat of the Night King's army. "Do you have a strong guard presence? Or anyone able to fight?" The elderly man shook his head, "The few guards we have stationed at the pathways out of the city are trained to keep the peace. They are not soldiers meant for battle. They will assist in guiding the townsfolk to shelters. This is why we are so desperate for your assistance." Jomei simply nodded in response, looking over to Nari to see her feelings on the situation. In that same moment, Nari had asked Jomei's opinion on the same thing.. more specifically, the defenses. "Lets see what we're working with first.. then we can come up with some ideas." 

The two were guided to piles of lumber and tools to use at their disposal. "Should have figured, being a lumber town and all. No shortage of trees." the ginger said with a small chuckle. As he stared at the wood piles, and at the surrounding city, he only heard murmurs from the townsfolk.. and the very distant shouting and boasting from the Night King's army. What he was really hoping to hear were suggestions.. someone barking out orders. Of course, it seemed, that was up to them. However, even Nari seemed a bit clueless where to go from here. 

The pressure and anxiety that came with stepping in to lead began to creep in. All of those times he felt he failed those who looked up to him. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath in through his nostrils. He spoke in a louder tone so that all those around could hear, sounding much more determined than he felt inside, "Defense of the city is top priority! We need to make sure that none of their soldiers can push past our line!" Gesturing outwards with a pointed finger, causing his cloak to flare outwards, "We need to build a wall around the city. Focus on the open areas first.. then fortify houses if need be." Walking over to the pile of tools, he picked up two shovels and handed them to two, able bodied citizens, "Dig a trench around the city as well.. create difficult terrain for them to climb through before they can even put a finger on the walls you built! We can focus on forming some sort of offense after we've created a solid defense."

Picking up a hammer, Jomei stepped over to Nari and held it out for her. "Ready to defend a city against an army?" 

"Hah, was wondering when something like this would come around. A little bit of non-life threatening action could be just what I need." 

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 67 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 900/900 HP | 128/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Fragarach  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory Antidote (3/3)  skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

"Hah..hah.." The closer the two made it to Snowfrost, the clearer the paths were. The steps they needed to take sunk less into the snow and met solid ground more often, allowing for faster travel. Of course, by then, they were already out of breath from starting their race in almost ankle deep snow. Heavy breaths pushed out from his lungs as he slowed to a stop just inside of the settlement's safe zone. "Phew." Back pressed to the wall of a nearby building, his chest rose and fell as he caught his breath. "Racing through the snow.. probably didn't.. help you either." He said to his shorter, purple haired companion as she finally caught up to Jomei moments later. 

Both still breathing heavy, their own personal clouds of fog obscuring their faces, the duo was approached by a pair of unfamiliar faces.. one older and one younger. Jomei's head fell to look in Nari's direction, and then towards the two individuals. Nari had responded to their calling out to them, so it seemed the NPC's decided to hit her with their pre generated speeches, leaving Jomei in the passenger seat listening. 

Aside from glances revealing her impatient nature from Nari, Jomei could sense the slightly growing frustration from inside the small form of the woman. As she looked in his direction, he responded with a small chuckle and smile. They had wanted to find out more about this Night King questline.. they couldn't exactly be annoyed that their query came searching for them, rather than the other way around. 

At the end of the NPC's pleas for help from the two players, a blaring horn made itself known from outside of the town. An army of soldiers akin to the one they had slain in the forest stood there, most likely awaiting orders to assault the peaceful town. "Huh" Jomei exclaimed as he stood up to his full height, right hand instinctually resting on the pommel of his rapier. 
"Would you believe me if I said it wasn't the first time?" his eyes serious, brow furrowed as he looked out at the impending assault, though turned kind again when turned to Nari, smirk included, "Life of a frontliner, eh? What do you need from us?" Jomei turned his attention towards the two NPC's.

"Hah" Jomei barked a laugh at Nari's humorous 'threat', if it could be called that. "You say that like you know where I live." He playfully points a finger in Nari's direction, teasing her. "You, on the other hand, had a little event at your house. So if you go into hiding again, I'll know where to go." With a grin that matched the brightness of Nari's, he shone one right back at her. Returning to a regular posture, he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "Though, I suppose its only fair I let you know where I live. Or else you'll be knocking down a lot of random doors trying to find me. Its not a large, lavish mansion like yours. Eastern part of Taft, on the Eleventh Floor. The last main road leading out of the East gate.. just look for the house with the sign for 'Bardic Inspiration' hanging out front."

"Were it so easy." Jomei said through a sigh, "Last time I took on the Night King... when it was just a single quest, I had to fight off a few of those guys-" he gestures back towards the camp, where the frostbitten soldier of the Night King attacked them, "-before taking on the big bad himself. As Aincrad builds on itself and evolves, I feel like all of those old quests are becoming much more intricate. Gives you more to do, so that's exciting.. just takes a bit longer." Shoulders rose and fell with a shrug, "Perhaps if we go talk to those who pointed you in Darian's direction.. let them know of his fate.. maybe they can tell us where he was headed next." 

Jomei simply nodded in response to Nari's answer, not really having much else to pursue or question about what she had said. The scythe was visualized as the tool of the Grim Reaper.. so it only made sense. The silence that fell over both of them as they seemed to ponder over Nari's response ended when Nari proposed a race back to Snowfrost. Running through the snow was not as easy task.. and Jomei's height would most likely put him at an advantage for that. Stopping in his tracks, he simply turned his head towards Nari, a single eyebrow raised as he looked at her curiously... for just a mere moment before he breaks out into a dash, retracing their footsteps back towards the town proper. 

"I'm sure its nothing we can't handle." Jomei spoke confidently as he folded his arms, looking down at Nari with a smirk that matched his tone of voice. "Only as you don't go vanishing on me as well. We can keep each other in check, pull the other one out when we start falling back into that dark hole. What do you say?" Most of Jomei's closest friends had gone and done just that, set themselves up somewhere safe - hopefully - and cut themselves off from the world. Of course, he had done the same.. so he couldn't put much blame on the others. 

A wind colder than normal swept across the floor, seeming to pierce through his thick layers - and even his Survival skill - sending a chill throughout Jomei's body. Pulling his arms tighter against his chest and lowering his head deeper into the collar of his cloak, he shivered. "Maybe someone back in town knows where we can start looking. I'd rather not stay out here too long, or else we'll end up freezing to death." Reaching his hands out from his cloak, he would pull his hood over his head before making the trek back towards Snowfrost, hoping to find answers and maybe even some respite from the freezing weather. 

"So, I've gotta ask." Jomei began, breaking the moment of silence that had fallen over them. "What you yelled out when you took down that monster of a man.. what was that all about?" He looked over his shoulder in Nari's direction after the question left his lips, "Not judging or anything.. just curious." 

The scythe bisected the man like a hot knife through butter. Gasps for breath were the only sounds that could be made from the soldier's mouth as his eyes went dark, and their entire form ceasing to exist an an eruption of glass like pieces of data. Jomei's shoulders slowly lowered as he let out an exhale of breath, the danger having now passed. The blade in his right hand was returned to the scabbard on his left hip before he turned in the woman's direction, being met with a couple of pokes to the chest. 

Jomei responded with a smile, "I'm perfectly fine. He didn't manage to hit me once. Looks like you avoided taking any hits as well. Good." the smile brightened. "No, I don't think it was." he started, before noticing the mass of a man being covered by the continuing snowfall. Moving past Nari, he walked over to the mound and brushed some of the snow away, revealing a body; cold, lifeless. Rolling the corpse over, he looked at the armored individual.. not recognizable.. but the fact that there even was a body meant it wasn't a player. "I'm assuming this was who we were looking for." he said back to Nari as he looked over the freezing body of Darian once more. 

Placing his hands on his knees, he pushed himself up to a standing position once more. "Looks like its just going to be the two of us taking on the Night King.. still down?" he couldn't stifle a smirk, excited at the prospect of adventure. 

Fighting on icy terrain added an extra level of caution to the battle. Not only did they need to focus on avoiding the soldier's attacks, and make sure their own strikes landed, but they needed to watch their footing. One simple slip up could be the cause of a missed attack, or worse. It was only a matter of time that one of them made that mistake, and Jomei's olive eyes widened when he saw Nari had been the one to put herself in that situation. One missed second, the the frostbitten soldier was able to get the better of Nari, placing his blade in the way of her own.

"Nari!" Jomei shouted in response as she called out to him for help. Using the Charge action to close the distance quickly, he placed himself just beside Nari, and in front of their opponent. With one, swift motion, he placed a hand on Nari's shoulder to push her out of harms way, while his knee drove up and into the soldier's abdomen. 

With the soldier's guard broken for just that moment, Jomei followed up with three piercing strikes to the chest. From the tree cover above, Adere the owl swooped in to finish the combo, raking her talons along the shoulder of their enemy, before she retreated to the skies above once again. 

Now placing himself between Nari and the soldier, he brought his sword up into a defensive stance across his body. "I'll try and keep his attention, you finish him off. I've got this." The soldier gripped their sword, and let out a scream of desperation as crazy as the look in their eyes. They rushed at Jomei, swinging wildly. However, the ginger was able to block, parry, or dodge all the strikes with ease. "Alright, you're up. Switch!" 

Combat Round Two

[2] Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 39 | HP: 780/780 | EN: 102/117 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+42] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 3 | Bld: 48

[4] Jomei | Lv. 32 | P. 60 | 900/900 HP | 96/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 5 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. (-20 EN)

<<King's Soldier>> | HP: 80/1000 | DMG: 200(+50) | MIT: 100 80 | Shatter [-20 MIT; 1/3] | REND 2/2 (-336) (-28 Rend)

Soldier's Insight | Howl does not produce hate against the King's Scout. Instead it focuses his attack on the howler for one post. Afterwards he continues to attack those with the highest hate. If players hate values are equal, he targets the player with the least mitigation and lowest total health, in that order.
Battle Fury | When his health reaches 500 or lower, every other post, his attacks deal 50 additional damage. On the turns he does not receive this bonus damage, he holds his shield up to mitigate 50 additional damage against him until his next turn.
Frozen Soldier | If the freeze enhancement is activated on him, he will not receive the frozen affect, but instead receive -1 EVA and -1 ACC for one post.

ID 210122 | BD 4+5 (-1) | Charge Activated |  Tech-C  16 x 23(+3) = 416 (-80) = 336 DMG
MD 3(-3) Miss

It wasn't until his ears picked up the sound of scraping metal.. a sword being pulled from its scabbard, did Jomei begin to piece together what was happening. In almost an instant, as Nari seemed to pick it up as well, she had placed herself in front of Jomei with a scythe at the ready. A scythe? He took a quick look at the woman, taking in that this build of hers was completely different from the one she sported the last they had fought together. Rather than placing herself in harm's way as a heavily armored tank, she had opted for lighter armor. 

A lot faster than he had expected Nari to move, her scythe cut through the air, and their combatant all the same. "Alright, time to do this." Jomei said with a confident smirk, as he pulled his own rapier from his hip. Quickly weaving around Nari, Jomei went in for a quick strike. His the blade of his rapier piercing through the soldier's armor and into their shoulder, causing the man's muscles to all tense up and freeze. The features of their attacked become all too apparent as Jomei closes the distance, noticing the splotches of pale, sometimes frostbitten skin, and frost clinging to their hair and clothing. 

Ripping his rapier from the once frozen soldier, Jomei returned to Nari's side, "I have a feeling this guy may be one of the Night King's lackeys.. his body looks like he is too frozen to even be alive right now. It would be best we finish him quick.."

Combat Round One

[2] Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 39 | HP: 780/780 | EN: 104/117 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+42] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 3 | Bld: 48

[2] Jomei | Lv. 32 | P. 60 | 900/900 HP | 115/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 5 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. (-13 EN)

<<King's Soldier>> | HP: 444/1000 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 100 80 | Shatter [-20 MIT; 0/3] | STUN | REND 1/2 (-288) (-28 Rend)

Soldier's Insight | Howl does not produce hate against the King's Scout. Instead it focuses his attack on the howler for one post. Afterwards he continues to attack those with the highest hate. If players hate values are equal, he targets the player with the least mitigation and lowest total health, in that order.
Battle Fury | When his health reaches 500 or lower, every other post, his attacks deal 50 additional damage. On the turns he does not receive this bonus damage, he holds his shield up to mitigate 50 additional damage against him until his next turn.
Frozen Soldier | If the freeze enhancement is activated on him, he will not receive the frozen affect, but instead receive -1 EVA and -1 ACC for one post.

ID | BD 2+5 = 7 | TECH-A 16 x 23 = 368-80 = 288 | Stun Applied | Rend Applied
MD 10 | Stunned

The ginger let out a sigh, the hot breath hitting the air and becoming a cold cloud that vanished with a light breeze. "Aye. A whole-lotta nothing lately. For a bit, I thought I had found inspiration.. Some muse that just made composing easy again." the hint of joy that he wore on his face faded, as did the cloud of breath not moments earlier, "But not anymore." He hummed to himself at the mention of changing professions and visiting the gods of Olympus once again to be granted their boon. "I never saw being a performer as a 'profession' for a time I crafted songs to sell, sure.. But I really only did it for the fun of it. To hold onto a bit of my real world self, I suppose." 

Both of their attentions were drawn to a nearby camp, placed perfectly beside a lake. A single tent with, what seemed like, a very light dusting of frost and snow covering the canvas flaps of the shelter. And though he needed to squint his eyes to focus a bit more, he could have sworn that he saw the shape of a figure sitting within the camp. "Maybe. It could be our guy. Lets go check it out. If its not, maybe they'll be kind enough to let us warm up by their fire for a few minutes."

The duo began to push through the snow towards the camp, the small fire in the center promising even a small moment of warmth as they investigated and asked about this NPC's whereabouts. "Excuse me?" Jomei asked as he got within earshot of the individual, their back to the two players. "We're looking for someone.. supposedly set up camp outside of the town somewhere. Does the name Darian ring any bells?" The NPC, without words at the moment, simply grunts and slowly turns their head to look over their shoulder towards the player.. their features obscured by the fur cloak on their shoulders. "S-Sorry, I hope we're not interrupting your meal. We just heard he could help us out.." All the while the ginger spoke to the figure, he was unaware of the tattered mass of cloth, armor, and possibly more just off to the side that lay motionless in the snow. 

Lonely. That definitely described how Aincrad felt lately. It wasn't like anyone had died, or any major falling out. It seemed everyone wanted to be left to their own devices. The word hit the ginger like an sharp, cold breeze, biting not only at his skin, but chilling his very soul. "Well" the man started with a breathy chuckle, not one that held much real humor behind it, "Just with that, you've been up to more than I have. Staring at blank music sheets and listening to single tones drone on.. that's been my past couple.. however long its been." 

With the mention of the monument, Jomei let out a heavy sigh. He hadn't checked it either.. whether to see if any new names popped up, or to pay his respects to friends passed. "Neither have I.. but" he swipes a hand upwards, quickly bringing his friends list to life. "I don't see any names missing from my friends list, so that has to be a good sign, right?" His gaze lingered on a name or two for a moment longer than the rest, his smile fading. As his eyes drift off, he closes the menu and turns his attention back to Nari. "Enough of that. We're out here now. So lets make the best of it." 

Jomei looked around at his surroundings, taking in a deep breath as he looked off into the distance. Most of the floor looked the same. Snow. Trees. Mountains. But he could never forget the memories of this place.. both good and bad. "I don't know what it is about this floor that makes it so.. iconic? Maybe that's not the right word. Perhaps.. its because it was the first 'different' floor that was unlocked. Rather than a typical medieval style town, or forest.." He holds out his hand, palm turned upwards. A stray snowflake lands on his glove before slowly disappearing, "Or maybe its just the snow. It could be romantic, it could be mysterious, or dangerous. This floor been the backdrop to plenty of scenes of my life here."

The ginger's smile was warm, in contrast to the slowly falling flakes of white snow that left a cold bite on any skin they happened to land upon. The ground beneath his boots crunched with each step as he closed the distance between himself and Nari-Lanreth. "Hey Nari, it has been some time, hasn't it." the sound of his voice, although sprinkled with that usual cheeriness, was softer, lower. The mental exhaustion blanketed in a thin lattice of positivity. "No need for thanks," he added with a smile as he adjusts the enclosure of his cloak, "It's always a pleasure seeing friends. And truth be told, I needed an excuse to get out of the house. I've been.. cooped up in there a bit longer than I would like to admit." 

He listened attentively to Nari go over some of the specifics of this quest, which at first glance, seemed to have a lot more to it than simply 'hunt down this boss and defeat them.' Aincrad truly was evolving each day, leaving him behind in the dust. Bringing a hand up to summon his menus, he took a quick look at his equipment, studying his weapon and the attributes it held. Jomei wasn't one for having multiple swords to switch to depending on the situation, but at least his current load out shouldn't cause them to run into any issues. "No fire or burn effects no." he noted, placing a gloved hand on his chin, "But no ice either. So level playing field I suppose." Pulling his hand away from his face, he let his fingers rake through the floating box, dismissing it in a small flash. "I'm not worried though, I'm sure the two of us together should be able to handle this quest without issue."

"The quest does sound a tad familiar.." he thought on it for a moment, before snapping his fingers, attempting to at least.. the sound muffled because of his gloves. "The Night King, right? If I remember.. the quest used to be a lot less.. involved. Just the simple run of the mill boss and minion fight." Crossing his arms at his chest, he smirked, a bit proud. "If the difficulty is anything like it once was, we should be there any back with no problems. I took on the Night King on my own before it was updated." 

With the two on the same page now, Jomei readied himself to find this NPC that could help them take down this King once again. "So, shall we?" he gestured with a hand outwards in the direction Nari had originally pointed. "How have you been? Up to anything lately?" 

With eyes closed, the back of his head pressed into the seat of the bench with a weight that almost seemed like it could push right through the wood and into the floor. A heavy sigh pushes from his lungs, piercing the silence like a hot knife.

It was that same silence that made the soft, chiming of a notification seem even louder than normal. Olive orbs opened once again with a inquisitive hum. A single hand moved slowly to check the message, the speed of which had had been taking things day by day lately. A well formatted message spread open, short, sweet, and to the point. It was from Nari, probably one of the last people he had seen before everything went quiet. Glad to see that she still considered him a friend, despite his radio silence. His eyes scanned the contents of the message, his lips slightly turning into a smile.

Jomei had literally just said that he needed to get out of his house to break him from this funk, so reconnect with Aincrad and his friends. Why was he now hesitating to respond? A quick tug of war within his mind between the boring comfort of solitude, and perilous adventure with an old friend waged on. Tightening the muscles in his stomach, he forced himself up to a sitting position -faster than he had moved in awhile- as if to send a jolt of energy into his body and coax him to respons.

 There was that fire in his heart that he needed to ignite, that longing for adventure. He huffed another breath, but this one filled with determination. Pushing himself up from the piano bench, he moved into the townhouse proper to collect his gear and clothing more suitable for the winter weather.

---

The ginger's body materialized onto the Fourth Floor, adorned in a long charcoal coat with green accents, and a cloak reminiscent of his usual one with fur lining the inside of the collar and shoulders. Resting on his shoulder, the trusty owl Adere with her own green scarf wrapped around her neck. "Alright, now to find Nari." he would say to himself as he stepped off into Snowfrost, keeping an eye open for the familiar face and purple hair. 

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 66 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 900/900 HP | 128/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Fragarach  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory Antidote (3/3)  skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

A slow, steady exhale escapes past rounded lips, parting the tiny cloud of steam that rose from the hot cup of tea grasped within his hand. Thin steams of the suns light poured in through breaks in the curtains, illuminating the wooden floors and white walls of the studio space. 

Tap

The tip of a pencil held loosely between his thumb and index finger hits the closed lid of the piano as he loosens his grip, only to take hold once again, lift up an inch or two and...

Tap

Eyes were lingering on the blank sheet of paper before him for far too long.. Without looking at any sort of a clock, he began to get used to what time it was by the amount of light that came through the windows. The concept of the sundial became much more apparent to him the longer he spent trapped in this hall, which was too often nowadays.

Tap

There was not much to Jomei's life anymore. The silence of the studio space reflected his current life.. not much action or word from the frontlines, his comrades, friends. That number seemed to dwindle day by day, for no other reason than lack of contact. It was a sad life, but at the same time safe.. comforting. Though, part of him -- more than one, if he was being honest -- longed for the old days of adventuring with friends, with a guild, with someone he loved. That danger, that excitement, it was why he had dove head first into Sword Art Online in the first place, not to sit alone in an empty hall trying to write music. 

Tak

Setting the pencil down with force - and gently placing his cup of tea beside it - he would rub the palms of his hands up and down his face with a slight groan. "I can't keep doing this." his voice muffled as it tried to pass through the virtual skin, muscle, and bone of his hands. Peeking through parted fingers at the brown owl that sat perched atop the piano, her head tilted, looking back at Jomei curiously. 

Pulling his hands away from his face, he would turn on the small bench, swinging one leg over to straddle the seat, before laying flat on his back. A swipe of his hand would summon the slightly transparent menus from thin air, where he began aimlessly scrolling through the list of friends he had. Though, his thoughts did not settle on a single one.. he already knew. He would plan on getting out of here, look for a friend to contact, do the opposite, and then just go back to sitting in seclusion. 

Who knew the quiet life could be so... boring.

ID 209849 | LD 17+1 = 18

"Im sure there's plenty of mines on this floor." Jomei said as he looked at the far off surroundings. Being a floor enclosed completely in craggy stone, raw materials must be one of their exports. "Maybe if we start making our way towards one of the outer mountain ranges we can find a pathway in."

Following along with the group, Jomei kept a keen eye for anything that could resemble the entrance to a labyrinth.. or any entrance for that manner. A mine, a tunnel, even maybe a door that just seemed a bit different then the others. Once they had exited Ronbaru proper, however, there really was not much. Tall trees, spaced just enough apart as to now impede their movement, took up much of the surrounding area. Staring up at the coniferous trees that made even him feel small, their longest of pine filled branches stretching out towards the branch of another, like two hands just out of reach. It brought with it a peace of mind that calmed Jomei, pulling a smile to his lips. 

As he returned his focus to the path before them, he caught a glimpse of a rocky structure that seemed to descend into the earth. "There!" he shouted, before picking up the pace to move towards the supposed mine. The front was roped off, but he figured that could just be a way to throw players off the scent of the floor's labyrinth. Peeking down into the depths of the mine, he could see a single lantern swaying above the entrance, hardly illuminating what was within, but just enough to see that the entire ground of the mine was under water. "Hm.." he hummed with pursed lips, "Don't suppose anyone wants to try for a swim?"

Before the group could respond, the water began to ripple outwards, as if something underneath the surface was coming to the surface. Two forms rose from the water, before taking form into slightly humanoid shapes. The hulking elementals slipped from the entrance to the mine to engage the party of players, their muscles constantly flowing and turning like rushing rapids. 

Vigilon:
Zandra:
Zajcica:
Jomei: 900/900HP | 128/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 5 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt.
Water Elemental 1: 1200 / 1200 HP | 280 DMG | 120 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA | Phase
Water Elemental 2: 1200 / 1200 HP | 280 DMG | 120 MIT | 2 ACC | 1 EVA | Phase
On an LD15+, a Sentinel ignores hate and attacks a random party member. Determine this party member by CD.
 

"Oh?" Jomei's attention turned to Nari as she approached, inquiring about his choice of skills in combat. The ginger responded with a bright smile as he lay the blade of his rapier across the palm of his hand, as if studying the weapon. "No need to apologize, I don't really see it as a personal question." He recalled all of the boss raids he had taken part in, and any other tougher enemy he had taken down along side his friends. 

"I've never been much of a heavy hitter. My damage output has always been subpar compared to some of the other frontliners. When it comes to the common monster, sure, I can handle them.. But floor bosses, I never made enough of a dent to really make a difference." The man chuckles, looking down at the weapon as the light catches the metal, "Probably just a downside of being a rapier user. I make up for that in speed and accuracy, however. So I figured.. if I can guarantee a hit, but maybe not the hardest hit, might as well make them count somehow."

The prospect of putting together a dinner based on something Koga caught, or maybe something they gathered, was new to him. Never had Jomei really thought about using their gathering skills to forage for food.. rather than just crafting materials. The man could not help but let out a small laugh at the thought, "Well, that's saying we actually catch something. I think at this point, we'd probably have to pick something up from the store." As Nari moved off to search through some flowers, Jomei did his own searching within a bush near where Koga was set up. Keeping his eyes on the bush as he pushed through it, he spoke, "Though.. it still seems like you and Nari have some personal business to talk about, so I'd hate to intervene. If you two need that privacy, I wouldn't be offended." 

ID 209791 | LD 9 (+2) | Failure

It would not have been his first encounter with the player known as Vigilon, but at least now he could place a face to the name. The ginger's lips pulled into a confident smile as he greeted the man with a nod, "Good to see you again, at least now I know what to call you." he added with a small laugh, "I'm Jomei." The girl had also introduced herself as Yuki, contrary to her username that showed up from time to time. Though, taking a quick glance at it.. he was glad she preferred a much shorter and easy to pronounce name. 

With introductions out of the way, Jomei took a quick look at the party that had assembled; Zandra, Yuki, Vigilon, and himself. Definitely an interesting group.. being made up almost entirely or new faces, or ones he had not fought alongside in some time. However, they all seemed capable for the task at hand. 

"First time on this floor for me as well." Jomei chimed in, taking in another gander at the city around them. "But Yuki's right, should be no problem for us... Though, I've gotta say.. I've never actually scouted for a boss room before, only fought in the raids."  he admitted sheepishly, rubbing at the nape of his neck with a raised arm. "So I'll have to follow your guys' lead on this one. Just don't let me hold you back." 

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 66 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 900/900 HP | 128/128 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 49 | HLY BLS 19 | FLN 16 | HLY 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Fragarach  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory Antidote (3/3)  skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

It was a bit odd at first, seeing a message within his inbox from Zandra after so long. The two had not spoken in some time.. casual greetings, and small talk here and there.. but nothing much of substance. Aside from the usual boss fights, they had not made any strong attempts to rekindle the friendship they once had. A usual thing for ex-lovers, he supposed. However, staring at the message before him, inviting him to join her and a few other players on a scouting mission to gain insight on the next floor boss, the ginger assumed now maybe was the time to start. Shake off that awkwardness that may have lingered between them. Besides, Jomei had never been on a scouting missing before, so accepting her invitation would cross that off of his SAO bucket list. 

The Twenty Seventh floor was a sight to behold. At first glance, one would simply think that the floor was left in perpetual night, the ever gently pulsing crystalline structures growing from the stone caverns easily mistaken for the starry night sky. Jomei found himself gazing with his chin turned upward as he continued to walk, nearly bumping into an NPC that was passing by. "S-sorry." he said to them, before clearing his throat and continuing towards the meeting place.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting this party invite." the ginger said as he approached with a smile on his face, hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers. "Its good to see you again." he would say to Zandra before looking to the other figure, whom he did not recognize. "I'm Jomei, pleasure to meet you."