Jomei

Acanthus seemed in disbelief that a crystal that allows instant teleportation existed. He had known about them for long, all the way from the first time logging in, it just seemed like basic knowledge. Perhaps that wasn’t the case, or it was an item that Acanthus never really paid much mind to. His intent to respond was interrupted by an unknown player, commenting on the holes that Acanthus and the other lad had been putting their hearts into. Jomei would raise his palms to the sides of his head and chuckle, “As much as I love me a good hole, I had no part in this. I was here first.”

He offered a friendly wave as Acanthus did the honors of introducing himself to the newcomer whom he had, in fact, never met before. “Pleasure.” he would chime in, before sitting and listening to whatever the pink haired woman had to say. Though, his attention was eventually drawn to one of the holes Collette had pointed out.. a fairly larger one than the shovel-full ones Acanthus had been digging up. Peering over the edge, he would look down at the culprit. "Lad, I think there's an easier way to get down to Floor 23. But I give you props for ingenuity. You lookin' to find anything down there or just.. dig?" Poking from the falling grains of sand, Jomei caught the shimmer of something cerulean. Obviously a crystal that mole-man ignored. Pocketing the crystal for himself, Jomei pulled himself back from the edge of the hole, brushing sand off of himself.

ID 239352 | BD 7 | CD 8 | LD 5 -> Blue Crystal Found

Crystals left:
Red: 9
Blue: 6
Transparent: 3

-> Claiming Bear Trap and Maddening Hex

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 33 | Paragon: 74 | Tier: 4(11)  Jomei | HP: 960/960 | EN: 134/134 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 44 | ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:53 | HB: 42 | VAMP-D: 106 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:1        Equipment: Vicious Mockery : ACC II | Taunt | Blight  Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation: Vamp D II | HB | MIT  Token of Serenity: HB| EVA III   equipped Vicious Mockery Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation Token of Serenity battle-ready inventory Bizarre Antidote Smores EVA II Bingsu MIT III Teleportation Crystal Creme Brule ACC II skills Spoiler Skills Rapier R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist MA R2 Howl Fighting Spirit Quick Change Extra: Concentration Survival   Parry Forgotten King's Authority Assault Mode  Lady Luck Meditation Mods Athletics Emergency Recovery Vengeful Riposte Justified Riposte Addons Stamina  Focus Precision Nimble Focused Howl data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat     Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)     Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.  Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Item Stash: +1 BRI slot Advanced Training: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

The wave of swirling blue energy washed over Jomei’s form, filling in the tiny recess in his health bar that seemed to escape his recovery abilities. While unneccessary, it was appreciated. However, while he could have shared his thanks with their party’s healer, his gaze and attention were fixated on Callisto’s form. The once, proud beast taking in its final breath, ceased to exist. Another floor boss felled, another notch on his belt. But it was not only their victory that left Jomei speechless, it was his own accomplishment of keeping his comrades alive. Turning over his shoulder he looked to each of them; Cordelia, Pinball, Arabelle, Bahr, Lessa. They were all lucky to have made it out of this. One wrong move and he could have easily ended up in the place Freyd was nearly banished to.

The realization of how close to death he could have been hit him. Callisto’s toxin seemed like a tummy ache compared to the weight he felt sloshing in his gut. All those times the boss tossed him about. It could have been his own last moments.

Olive eyes watched from behind as one after another crossed the threshold that they had to rightfully earned, another floor to explore. More adventures to be had. Jomei’s boots remained planted in the muck and finally, after a number of the frontliners had either gone home or traveled up that grand staircase, he would finally move. Slowly lowering into a crouching position, he would wrap his arms around his knees, locks of orange hair - wet with toxins, sweat, and dirt - cascaded over his face. Long slow breaths in and out, an attempt to quell the adrenaline that caused his heart to beat like a drum. That, and the anxiety that came with his first time tanking a raid boss. He could vomit, if he hadn’t already lost most of his lunch at the beginning of the battle.

He did not look up to see if anyone remained in the ruined grove, and did not want to linger much longer. Finally picking up his feet, he would traverse up the stairs.

Maybe he should have stayed in the grove, or went home even.

Rain carried by the wind pelted him in the cheeks, even the hood of his cloak did little to keep him from eventually being saturated. Abandoned buildings lined the road they stood upon, barely illuminated by the flickering light of nearby lamp post. No other bodies could be seen, save for the monstrosities in the distance that the others pointed out. “Guess we can’t always expect sunshine and rainbows..” Jomei would add in, bringing the open ends of his cloak together to fight off the rain. 

(♫)

The pounding thrum of his heart, beating so hard it could perhaps burst from his chest, matched the quake of Callisto's foot falls. Closer and closer the best drew towards Jomei, that primal, animalistic rage burned with an invisible inferno that was destroying what remained of the long rotted grove. With every movement made by the bear, the dry earth beneath their feet cracked and splintered as if it were a thin veil of ice.

The vile cloud of otherworldly energy continued to seep into their realm, allowing Callisto once more to make use of the ethereal threads that bound him to both the living and the dead. A last ditch effort to gain the upper hand, in the face of certain demise. 

No, they've come this far, overthrew everything Callisto tossed at them, and they would still go home with the scars of a fierce battle. It was time to end this. 

A twirly of Vicious Mockery within his palm, and Jomei would adjust his grip so he held the sword backwards. With a downwards jerk, he would plant the sharp edge of the blade into the ground. He knew he could rely on the others to get the job done, he just needed to do his job of keeping the boss at bay and off their backs. 

Launching themselves from the ghostly mist, Callisto's toothy maw opened wide enough that it could grab hold of him like some dog's chew toy. The size of this bear was truly massive, and it only seemed more apparent now as he could almost stare directly down its throat. 

No, not again.

Taking hold of both the lower jaw and upper lip, Jomei wrestled against the bear's strength. He fought against the clamping force that could snap a tree like a tiny twig, rows of jagged teeth digging into his hand and fingers. His boots tore through the dirt and muck as the bear overpowered Jomei, but the ginger was persistent. Catching a crack in the ground, Jomei was able to plant himself firmly against the advancing beast. All of his muscles tensed, veins protruding as Jomei fought back. Growling as he summoned every ounce of his strength to gain the upper hand. 

The desire to see this through. The trust his comrades put in him to keep them safe during this battle. The want to see a certain someone safe, and their warm smile, after they came out victorious.

He had heard that in moments of absolute desperation, a parent could summon the strength to lift a car to save their child. This moment seemed rather similar. Using Callisto's momentum against him, Jomei would turn his back foot and flip the massive bear over, before slamming them onto their back.

"You've only got a second!" Jomei shouted, "Yank him out and hit him with everything you've got!"

"What the hell is going on?" Jomei would mumble to himself under his breath as he dodged and weaved to avoid Callisto's assault. Just as quickly as he had perished, nothing left but shattered fragments to the stale wind, he was back to the land of the living. Now was definitely not the time to be pondering reality, and questioning how such a thing could happen.

But the threat of death, in a world made to kill them, kept them living a dangerous life of caution for what felt like years. Was it all an empty threat? 

Would their real lives actually end when their digital forms died? Was the key to releasing themselves from this prison the lie that was fed to them from the start? 

No, he quickly shook away the thought as a plume of viscous, blue smoke rose from under him. He had friends that had died, he's watched players die. If they were able to come back, like Freyd apparently had, at least one of them would have. This had to have been some fluke, some bug, something. The pad of his thumb pressed into the soft spot of his temple. 

It was giving him a headache thinking about it. 

As Callisto phased back to their physical form, the grip on Viscous Mockery would tighten, and the ginger would stride forth. No matter what had happened, they still had to finish this fight. Their foe clung to a little more than a single health bar, not low enough to say this battle's conclusion was obvious, but enough to instill them with just a tidbit of confidence.

No musical accompaniment, no bard-like flair, just Callisto and Jomei. The Emerald Duelist felt the confidence surge within him, the desire to keep the ones he cared about safe. With the tip of his blade pointed towards the muck at his feet, he stood as a shield between his comrades, and Callisto. "Come on you fucker. You couldn't kill Freyd, you sure as hell can't kill me." Tilting his chin up in a taunting manner, his lips would curl into a smirk. "Take your best shot."

The floating message that held the space before his person, before swiping it away with a lackadaisical flick of his wrist, stung more than he had expected it too. Especially since it was his own lack of preparation that caused this defeat. It seemed that even their combined combat prowess - while enough to deal with the platoon of reptilian knights - was not a factor that would ensure them success. 

Freyd was the first to break the silence, Jomei a bit longer. Thankfully, neither of them were hurt. However, he needed all his brain power to steer clear from thinking about the fate of Charko once the Dragon Knights finally crossed their borders. Its just a game, its just a game.. he thought to himself over and over. Walking over to where Jomei tried to hide, he would pick up what remained of his cloak. Shredded into tatters, hardly usable in this state. Pulling on a loose thread, he allowed the durability of the item to hit zero before it shattered in his arms. "Look's like I'm going to need a new one.."

A long sigh drew out from his lips, "Yeah.. that's a right mess.." he would scoff. Palm pressed into his brow, forefinger and thumb pressing into the temples before brushing back over his scalp. "I've been workin' on swappin' my build.. so i respeced my points in vanish maybe.. a week or so ago?" He questioned his memory on it. "Didn't really find myself needin' to sneak around much anyway, but.." His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Would've been real handy back there."

The fall of heavy boot falls continued to get louder, as the advancing force of knights drew ever closer. "We should probably get out of here.. maybe split up so we're harder to track. Nothing we can really do now.." His eyes peered back towards the path towards Charko for just a moment, before returning to Freyd. "I suppose I'll see you at the raid meeting, I'm making a switch to tank. Taking a page out of you and Rai's book. So I'll be watching you during the fight to get some pointers." With a quick goodbye, Jomei would retreat down a path away from Charko and the approaching knights. Hopefully one much more illuminated than before.

Thread Complete
Total Words: 7499

Jomei | [Word Count: 7499/10 = 749.9] * [True Tier: 11] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 5774 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 866 col
Freyd | [Word Count: 7499/10 = 749.9] * [True Tier: 17] * [Group Factor: 0.7] = 8924 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 1338 col

"Take my advice." the cheery voice dropping, as did his smile. Not of disdain, or loathing.. but warning. "Don't rush. Take your time." 

A small sigh would ease the tension from his shoulders, and the demeanor he wore. "I'm sure anyone you've told that to has said the same thing. We've just seen so much shit in the raids, and so many making it their dream to join us." Head shook gently side to side, "I just don't want to see anyone dyin' before their time, is all." The smile finally returned to his lips, "I'm positive you'd make a great addition to the team.. I just don't want to see you there until you're damned sure you're ready. And even then, you won't be." 

"The levels are easy. Keeping sane after watching one of your friends die.. that's the hard part."

Hands rose to hook behind his head in a relaxed position, "Ah, but enough tryin' to scare ya straight. If I'm bein' honest, its been a long time since we lost someone. So you'll probably be fine when the time comes." 

"I've done this before, just some time ago. There was some weird.. update after the boss on floor twenty-five. A lot of Aincrad had changed when we came to. I try not to think too hard on it." he scoffed. "However, looks like they didn't bother to move the camp." Just as he had remembered, back with Lessa during his first few months, but it seemed as if there were at least a dozen or so more bandits than the last time. "Going in quiet might be best.." he whispered, "No skills on my end to help either, but I'm sure if we're careful enou-" If he was quick enough, he could get out of the sight of the bandit Siren had unknowingly walked into. If he was distracted just enough, he could slink off behind a nearby tent. 

"Oi, there's another one over here!" a bandit shouted to the one Siren berated for being less than chivalrous. "You really have to go and blow my cover like that, mate?" Jomei would say with pleading hands and a charming expression on his face. Quick, experienced hands drew his rapier from his hip faster than the bandit could process. While he did no damage with his swift sword play, he had managed to create enough distance to prepare an actual attack.

"I'm assumin' its too late to try and be sneaky here."

Post Action:
ID 238586 | LD 8 | Stealth Rating

He gave it all, but his all wasn't enough.

Knuckles white as he tried to grip tight at the tufts of the bear's fur, slick and matted with all kinds of putrid muck. He felt no release from the pressure atop his leather chest plate. Jomei was at the mercy of Callisto, and it didn't seem that he was going to be shown much of it. 

And suddenly, a small reprieve in the crushing weight. 

Coming to his rescue was Bahr, who had managed to use the beast's distracted state - and a better angle of leverage - to give Jomei but a moment to slip free from under the massive paw. The escape was successful, definitely not graceful. Jomei struggled to push himself up to his feet, while a stumbling Bah would trip over the Irishman's ankles - it was a mess, but they were alive.

"Hoo." Jomei exhaled, finally able to take a deep breath once more. "I owe ya one." his voice exasperated, but he still managed a smirk. He rose a quick thumbs up in Cord's direction to confirm that they were, in fact, okay. "All good.. Fucker's heavy." he would ass with a small laugh and pat of his chest. "Still alive, so guess I'm doin' somethin' right." 

Just before he was able to retrieve his blade and rejoin the fray Lessa had rushed before them, her pale complexion almost matching his own. She held on tight to each of their arms, the emotion of watching the two go through that daring escape obviously washed over her. With that same smile that always seemed to creep up whenever she was around, he would bring a hand across his chest and place it atop hers with a gentle pat. "Thanks to Bahr." he nodded. "Yeah." he snickered, "I would not suggest goin' on that ride. It sucks." 

A wave of healing energy washed over Jomei, placing his health bar into a much more comfortable range. "Ah. Appreciate you, lass." he'd say with a small bow of his head. When he looked back up at her, however, everything seemed.. different. The trees were swaying, and turning purple? For a moment, everything felt like he was looking through a fish eye lens.. with this some other weird effect of the forest's corruption. His head buzzed, a loud ringing with the backdrop of.. what sounded like screaming?

He tried to blink away the confusion, but to no avail. 

The booming voice of his friend and comrade, a message to all of those gathered to fight this foe to the very end.

To fight for their fallen ally, Freyd.

"W-what?" Jomei was barely able to get out, as everything around him came back into focus within an instant. Freyd was dead? It didn't seem possible, one of the strongest players in Aincrad, an immovable force of a tank in battle.

And he was dead just like that. What did that mean for Jomei, who barely had gotten his feet wet with the task?

No, now was not the time to doubt himself. Now was the time to do exactly what Mac said. Fight.

Olive eyes with a lust for revenge rose to glare at Callisto. "No one else dies, you hear me?" his voice deadly serious as he spoke back to his comrades. "We do this, we fight and we win. For Freyd, and everyone else who died to get us here." 

Hooking his violin onto his hip, he would activate his Charge skill to propel him forward. Quickly picking up his rapier that had been knocked out of his hands, Jomei launched himself at Calliso, bringing his sword arm back and allowing the sharp tip to come crashing down, ripping into Callisto's side. It wasn't much damage, but he didn't care. They needed to end this now. 

Kicking off of the massive bear, he would pull his rapier free and take a defensive position, ready to combat anything Callisto would throw at him. 

Original Housing Evaluation
Upgrading | 
Bedroom -> Master Bedroom | 15k Col
Bathroom -> Master Bathroom | 15k Col

Adding |
Storage Closet | 10k Col
Basement | 10k Col
Mega Slime Farm | 25k Col
__________________________
75k Col Sent to Banker

The knights readied their weapons, aiming the sharp edges right at the bundle of green who still held onto the tiniest shred of hope that if he was quiet enough, they'd think he was some out of place shrub. 

Too much to ask for? 

A trident would pierce through the cloth, with not as much resistance as one would think, before yanking it back. Its owner, nowhere to be seen. In the last moment before getting kebabbed, he had undone the clasp keeping the cloak on his shoulders and dove out of the way as the weapon tore through the fabric. He still couldn't see everything, but the Knights' sources of light that still burned on the ground provided just enough for him to strike back. With the help of a stalagmite beside them, Jomei would spin around the corner and drop a kick into the armored side of the trident wielding warrior. The staggering blow would throw them into an adjacent knight, causing both to tumble to the ground with the sound of metal plates crashing against stone. 

A third knight charged at Jomei, an elegant looking longsword pointing forth. Retrieving his own blade from his hip, Jomei met the attacking weapon with a sideways swipe and riposte to knock the sword out of harms way. Without any time for the knight to retrieve their weapon, the sharp point of Jomei's blade had already found the space between the breastplate and the chin of the helmet. The slight illumination from the form of the knight bursting into data was enough to show him where Freyd was setting up a pry bar to send most of the platoon plummetting over the edge. "Got it!" Jomei called over as he carefully, but quickly, rushed over to his comrade's side and grip the polearm in an attempt to help. "Alright, ready." 

With dead eyes filled with a burning rage, Callisto charge at the group. Dark ichor poured from its open maw like saliva as its growl quickly rose into a menacing roar. Following patterns similar to the last time the beast had struck the entire group with a single blow, Jomei felt a pit form in his stomach. They had recovered from the last, devastating blow, but only just barely. Another like that could spell a lot of trouble for them. There was no dodging this strike - no, that would put the others in even more danger - he would need to take the full front and block it. Stepping further out in front of his teammates, he would quickly holster the violin once more, to brace all of his weight behind the thin body of his rapier. 

Coming from a blur of a body, a something shimmered in the air is it cut through the air like a dart. A blade, more easily seen once it lodged into the hide of Callisto, thrown by a member of his party. The attack had just enough force behind it to knock Callisto off of his track, and abandon that area swipe again. Jomei felt some peace of mind, but only for a brief moment. That fire still burned behind Callisto's eyes, but were focused solely on the ginger now. With no time to react, Callisto charged Jomei and threw all of their body weight against him. All of the wind left Jomei's lungs as he was violently tossed onto the ground, followed by the crushing power of Callisto's massive paw on top of him. 

He gripped at whatever fur he could, trying to pry himself free from the beast's grasp. "Grrr SHIT!" he cursed as he strained and pushed to no avail. "I-I think I can-" Jomei would try to fight against the bear, grunting and growling as he used whatever grip he could get a hold of to lift the bear off of him just enough to slip out. Just when he felt as though he was making progress, Callisto shifted and all of his weight came down on top of Jomei again. He didn't feel any pain, but the numbness in his chest probably meant he was dealing with some broken ribs.. if that was a thing. Out of breath, he called to his teammates, "he..help.." 

The ginger cried out as Callisto's claws ripped through the ginger like a hot knife through butter. Once again, the bear had tainted its attacks with its rancid disease, and Jomei was feeling the effects of it. "Guh.." he'd groan as he pushed himself from the dirt to his hands and knees, "Dammit.." 

Everything was fine, he was still alive, and his comrades were - for the most part - unscathed. At least Callisto didn't hit them, he thought to himself. This was his job to take the hits he just... After dodging and ducking out of harm's way, quickly striking and retreating for so long, well, he just wasn't necessarily used to being tossed around is all. "Everyone okay?" the man shouted back, his very voice sounding like a groan as he strained to get the words out, "I-I'm okay" Was he letting the others know he was alright, or reminding himself?

The ground beneath their feet began to quake and split, spiked roots and vines like serpents spewed from the cracks. They all seemed to come to life, blindly whipping in every which direction until their thorns took hold on anything -- or anyone. 

"Not this again.." Jomei sighed, recalling the agonizing quest attempt on Floor Twenty Seven. "'least we're not tryin' to collect fucking flowers too." 

Watching out for vines on the left, he left his right open. Like a grasping whip, the vines curled around the wrist of his sword arm, and slowly attempted to drag him back to the depths. 

The silent serenity of the beach, small waves crashing against the shore, the excited shouts of other party-goers behind them.. it was all broken as Acanthus suddenly shouted. Jomei turned in his place, completely taken off guard but wanting to make sure the girl is alright. It wasn't often someone felt that much pain in SAO. 

As Acanthus nursed her foot, she would dig the culprit out of the sand with her free hand - one of Zandra's crystals. Jomei would wince at the thought of stepping on one of those things.. so sharp. "Probably wasn't the best idea to hide what are basically caltrops where people are walking barefoot." he would say with a chuckle, "You alright?" The concern in his voice was genuine as he asked her, the bangs that fell onto his face shifted as his head gently tilted. He would turn his body once more to face the ocean, though his attention, and gaze, remained on Acanthus. 

"Ah, good question." Jomei smiled as Acanthus asked about his frontline experience. His eyes turned up to the blue sky for a moment. The more he thought about how long he had been fighting, the more the smile faded. "My first boss fight may have been floor twelve? Maybe thirteen? They all start to blend together." A hand rose to rub at the back of his neck. A heavy sigh caused his shoulders to drop, "There aren't as many 'veterans' left on the raid team. Still alive, most of them anyway, just retired. The constant fight takes a lot out of you." He laughed to try and make light of the situation.. but was there anything light about it? 

"My only advice is to always have a teleport crystal. There's no shame in backing out if things look dicey. We fight so everyone makes it out of this.. Alive. There's plenty of crafters on the frontlines who would be willing to help you out.. so don't be afraid to reach out. As for my build, I was DPS.. but I've actually started making the transition to a tank. I have a feeling it'll better suit me." 

"Well, if these quests just told us exactly where to go, wouldn't be as exciting would it?" 

"Oh. Alright." Jomei would respond with a shrug as Wulfrin took the lead. Probably was the smarter option, since he seemed to have been here before. Although the treant leader was their destination, a conversation between two individuals caught their ear. Jomei looked to Wulfrin for a moment, almost in disbelief at their luck. Looked like they would not have to do much asking around after all. Jomei took a back seat as Wulfrin entered himself into the conversation to try and ascertain more information about this ' giant bear.'

Standing just off to the side, still in earshot, Jomei listened and waited with arms crossed. It was not long before Wulfrin rejoined the ginger. It wasn't much to go on, but they had a general direction of where to begin looking. 

"I doubt there's a lot of giant bears attacking people on this floor. So its probably our best lead. No point in asking around much anymore when we can just head out of town and look around ourselves. Who knows, maybe you'll recognize something and it'll jog your memory of where its cave it."

With their business in Baobad finished, the pairing made their way Eastward, closer to the floor's edge. The woods seemed denser the farther they traveled, the large trees growing closer together. Perhaps, in a way, they formed a wall around Aincrad's edge - for whatever reason. While he was interested to find out, he was aware that the two would most likely run into Kumatetsu first. 

The ground was mostly flat, a handful of hills like rolling waves of green, but nothing jutted out of the ground aside from the trees. No signs of any large mountains, or even anything large enough to house a bear's den. A number of downed trees, all destroyed to some degree and bunched together, created the unwelcome sight of jagged, splintered wood. In the center, where pieces of root and branch had been broken away, a large opening. "Guess this is it.." Jomei would say to Wulfrin in a whisper. "You ready?" 

Taking his rapier and the accompanying violin from his waist, he would slowly approach the darkened interior of the man bear-made structure. Maybe he was nervous, but he caught himself gnawing on his lower lip enough to cost him a point of damage (Thank God for battle healing). Once he was in position, he would look to Wulfrin with a nod. Howl at the ready, Jomei would turn the corner into the cave.

"Oi" he shouted, before lowering his guard. The cave was empty. "Wait.. he's not here?"

ID 237764 | LD 13 Threshold Reached

-♫-

Raising an arm to shield his face was hardly enough to block any of the sludge from coating his person. He thought Callisto's lair smelt bad enough as is, but now he was getting an up close and personal sniff. Fighting to hold off a gag, he dismissed his disgust. Now wasn't the time to worry about stench or appearances. They had a battle to win. "Could be." Jomei would respond to Bahr as he brushed a splash of grey mud from his cheek and hair. "I think we've faired far too lucky so far.. Im worried if he's got another phase up his sleeve, we'll be in for a world of hurt." Best they be ready for anything.

Every muscle within his body shuddered, as if he could feel his heart pound throughout his entire body. The poison wasn't going to make fighting easy, and it did not seem like a simple potion would be the cure. Although, his natural regeneration should be enough to keep the ever draining health bar from being a true concern. He would simply need to wait it out and do what he can to ignore the ice cold feeling in his veins. Or was it heat. Raking a hand from his forehead and through the bangs that fell in front of his face, he inhaled deeply through his mouth. The stale, putrid air littered with dirt kicking up from the battle around them tickled his throat and spawned a cough.. but he was over it.

Turning to check over his teammates, his gaze stopped on Lessa for a moment. He waited to catch her gaze, the worry in her deep, cerulean eyes apparent even from the distance apart they stood. The smirk he wore was confident, contrary to the weariness in his eyes - though caring, as always. Without a sound leaving him, he would mouth 'We've got this.' to her. Taking a stance beside Bahr, he would offer his thanks while placing his violin back onto his shoulder. "Thanks for that, I'm good to switch back out." A single finger would pluck at a string, setting the opening pace for his next song. The dull note would resonate in the air around him, peeking out from over the sounds of battle. "I'll catch his attention again, so hit him hard for me." With a pull of the bow across the strings, he would play out a stark, high chord that contrasted the chain of single, plucked notes. He shouted to his party behind him, "This fight has not been easy. We are far from finished, and don't know what else is in store for us. But have hope, he is almost at half health. Hit him with everything you've got, and we'll all make it out of this one with no scars, but stories to tell!" 

The speed of his song would pick up, cloak of brilliant green dancing behind his back as the energy from his Howl skill activating boomed out from where he stood. Though Callisto's eyes and focused were drawn to the other players for the time being, he saw the bear's ears perk up in response to his music. 

A sickly, purple bile seeped from the corners of Callisto's maw as its tongue lapped at its oversized claws. Jomei's head cocked to the side curiously, though his defense never dropped, watching what appeared to be a wounded animal tending to its paw. When he finally noticed that the sizzling, discolored saliva had been coating the rotten claws, it was already too late. The bear rushed forth at Jomei, ignoring the rest of his squad. The ginger attempted to dodge out of the way, but Callisto anticipated the player's movements. Jomei was left ravaged by the attack, bright red gash marks on one side of his jaw traveling across to his hip. He could almost feel the hot, putrid breath of the beast on the back of his neck as he was thrown to the ground. 

The attack attempts from their comrades partied up in other groups was enough to get Callisto's attention off of the struggling Jomei as he pushed himself up onto his knees. His entire body felt numb, though the attack did not do as much damage as it could have. Slowly, his battle healing did the work to push the bar back up into a safer zone.. until his stomach lurched. Raising a hand to his face, he felt almost all the contents he had consumed before the fight regurgitate, and vomit spewed from his mouth. "Ugh thats.." he managed to get out as he shakily managed to get to his feet.. barely. "That's not good.." 

Everything felt a bit fuzzy, his head spinning. Whatever disease Callisto was infected with, it had managed to infect Jomei with it.. hopefully for a short time. "Im fine.. Urk-" he swallowed back another upchuck. "I'm fine." Trembling hands would pull another antidote from his pockets, this one mundane in comparison to the first he had consumed before the fight, the one that was probably in the pile at his feet. "Bahr" Jomei called out to the ashen haired man, "You got my back?" He turned to look over his shoulder in his direction.. heavy bags under his eyes, wiping a bit of bile from his lip. "I'll grab his attention back in a few just.." he eyed the antidote bottle, "Need to take a minute..." 

Bottoms up, hope it stays down, he thought to himself as he chugged the bottle. It was no pepto bismol, but it would do.

The beast's overgrown, rotten claws tore through the lot of them. Like an oncoming train, Jomei watched as Callisto's attack barreled towards him, after leaving the rest of his party in the monstrosity's wake. Barely a moment to react. The quickly falling health bars of his comrades in the corner of his eye dropped a pit into his stomach. How could it do so much damage to them, a single attack that hit all of them. His anxiety spiked with the severity of Callisto's bane, but he could not allow himself to falter. The second before the bear's claws made mincemeat of him, a blade rose to intercept. 

The defensive duelist struggled against the power of the massive beast of prey. Digging his boots into the dirt, he held his ground against Callisto, his rapier held straight up and down and other hand applying force towards the center of the blade. The razor claws of the bear still managed to pierce Jomei's side, but his quick parry had managed to avoid a much more possibly fatal hit. He winced as a rush of heat rushed into his body from the point of impact. His vision began to blur while a vortex of venomous thoughts filtered through his mind. But in an instant, it had vanished, all thanks to the antidote he had consumed earlier. Glancing over at his comrades, all recovering from that last strike, he only hoped they prepared in a similar fashion.

The claw dug deeper into his hip, and Jomei knew he needed to act or else he would lose his ground. Turning his back foot, the ginger would plant himself into the ground, the dirt and stone around his soles cracking in a web-like fashion. Using Callisto's own weight against him, Jomei would twist his blade and riposte the initial attack. A quick slash and he was free from under the might of the beast. It retreated and glared across at him and the others, planning its next strike.

A small exhale escaped him, as the panicked state died down and his health slowly recovered. The others were not nearly as lucky as he was, dropping  to under half their total health - if not, close to it. Was it Jomei's doing that caused this, or just their shite luck? Couldn't let that get to him, they were still depending on him to defend them all. He did not plan on letting them down.

Pulling a quick crystal from his pockets, he would raise it over his head and crush the object within his grasp. The green and blue energy that was released, gravitated towards each of the players to recover some of that lost health. "Safety is our top priority!" Jomei shouted to his group "We won't be taking this thing down if it takes us down first."

"Antidotes, refresh them if you need to. Looks like they're saving us from something extra from each hit."

"Less, Bahr. Use your healing crystals if you can! He hasn't been paying you two much attention, should be able to pop them off."

"I'm going to try and hit it with a sword art.. see if I can latch a debuff onto 'im. Anyone else attacking, follow my lead!" 

Raising his rapier, he would quickly close the distance between himself and Callisto. Thrusting forth with his momentum propelling the blade, the tip of the rapier plunged into the bear's rear thigh. Not as much damage as he was used to, but still helpful nonetheless. As the others followed suit and landed their own strikes, Jomei fell back into his position on the battlefield, serving as their ever dodging shield. Olive eyes looked at each of his party members, mostly strangers and his closest friend, checking to see how they were doing. Physically, of course, but mostly mentally. 
 

Not a word had left Jomei's lips - hardly even a gesture of his hand, offering the stranger a seat next to him - before this Acanthus began opening up to him. He had recognized her from the raid meeting not just a couple days prior, a new face on the frontlines. She was very quiet and to herself, a usual result of the anxiety and fear of the impending raid battle. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Jomei did not even have a chance to introduce himself, he allowed her to speak. 

He listened, as he was always taught. 

She spoke of her family, and their trips to the beach. Her worrisome mother and straight-faced father, who took those opportunities to unwind. And a sibling, what he would give to have that relationship with a brother, or sister. Especially now, someone he could trust to take care of his mother and even his father. He was sure this situation wasn't easy on either of them. 

Though they may have been the babbling words of one stranger to another, it would tug at his heartstrings. 

Homesick wasn't a feeling he had felt for a long time.

"H-Hey" he shrugged it off with a chuckle, gesturing a gentle hand in Acanthus' direction as she quickly stood and apologized. "No need to apologize. I wasn't over here burying myself in my woes or anything like that. I just enjoy watching the waves, feeling the sun on my skin. There weren't too many beach trips in my youth, if any at all. Not really a thing where I'm from. So getting to enjoy this here.. its just nice." Whether she had decided to sit back down or not, he continued to speak until she inevitably decided which path to take. "Thank you for sharing. It's been awhile since I've heard someone talk about their home, and their family. A nice reminder of what we're fighting to get back to." 

"And I'm Jomei, by the way. Its nice to meet you as well. You're one of our newcomers on the frontlines, yeah?" 

@Acanthus

As he depart from the elven city, a traveling party of players crossing his path warned him of taking the main road through the valley. They didn't say much other than "Not a good time." Since Jomei was pressed for time to meet with Wulfrin, and did not want to have anything lurking in the valley to delay him, he figured not to press the warning any further and went on his way. Seeing as he had quite the path ahead of him, Jomei would unlatch the violin that hung from his hip and rested it on his shoulder. Diving into a melody that he had been composing in the back of his mind, a bow grasped in his hand would gently glide along the strings. The mix of the image of serenity -- lush green trees and a gentle summer breeze -- and the gentle notes that rose from his violin made for quite the pleasant journey. 

Where Ellesmera was a city of elves surrounded by trees, Baobab was a city of trees surrounded by even bigger trees. The treants were such monstrous creatures, but with so much beauty to them. Each hulking step sounded like a tree collapsing, but its body movements more like branches, leaves rusting in the wind. Each stood at a towering height, Jomei even needing to tilt his chin upward to look at even the smallest. Sunken eye holes atop their expressionless, wooden face filled with a vibrant green energy, looking both cautious and curious. Hopefully there were no hard feelings between him and the treants after their last encounter..

Having received a reply from Wulfrin, Jomei decided to hang in wait at the city's entrance. It was not long before the familiar face showed up. "Nah, not yet." he would shake his head. "Tried asking the elves, but they were having some kind of funeral.. didn't want to interrupt. Just got here and decided to wait for you." His gaze shifted to look at the passing treants, just going about their day as any other NPC would. "I suppose we could have gone to Florenthia but this was closer." Leaning a bit closer as he spoke in a hushed tone, "Hopefully they'll be willing to talk to us, I had to fight off a couple of them to help some elves some time ago. But that was..." he would scratch his head as he struggled to place the thought, "a long time ago. Before the Shadow, before everything.. uh.. 'updated'?" possibly the best word to describe the feeling. 

"Anyway, figured we could start by asking the locals? Or we could head into the center of town and ask the Great Deku Tree himself." his reference would cause a chuckle.

The voice of a man clearly tired and out of options addressed them, the quest giver that was patiently standing around as the three - now two - conversed revealed the details of his plight. The prior foreman of the Yōgan mines had taken up arms, building a band of thugs and ruffians to terrorize the village, most likely out of revenge for his 'forced early retirement.' The ginger simply nodded along, allowing Siren to speak for the two of them. In the meantime, Jomei took care of officially accepting the quest as the prompt appeared before him and creating a party consisting of himself and his pink haired companion. "Alright, sounds like we are good to go-" the arm of the woman hooking around his own took him by surprise. A rather forward approach for a duo who had just met. 

With a soft clearing of his throat, he rose the arm that Siren had taken to point towards the outskirts of the city. "I-Its been a long time since I've done this quest, but judging by where Kirk is telling us to go, their camp didn't move much." Yōgan Village was not the largest of settlements, and it was not a long walk before the two found themselves passing through the invisible barrier of safety. A casual elbow rested on the pommel of his rapier, keeping a vigilant eye for any unexpected dangers. If what Siren said was true, and she did not have much experience with combat, then the same went for her defenses as well. "So, what made you decide to go out looking for quest partners on this floor?" he asked curiously, "I know there are a bunch of quests that don't require combat, or are a bit simpler for those without many levels under their belt." His shoulders rose and fell with a shrug, "Not that I have a problem taking this one with you, I was hoping to get this one done myself anyway, just curious." 

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 33 | Paragon: 74 | Tier: 4(11)  Jomei | HP: 960/960 | EN: 134/134 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 44 | ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:53 | HB: 42 | VAMP-D: 106 | BLI: 32/-20  | LD:1        Equipment: Vicious Mockery : ACC II | Taunt | Blight  Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation: Vamp D II | HB | MIT  Token of Serenity: HB| EVA III   equipped Vicious Mockery Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation Token of Serenity battle-ready inventory   Smores EVA II Bingsu MIT III Teleportation Crystal Creme Brule ACC II skills Spoiler Skills Rapier R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist MA R2 Howl Fighting Spirit Quick Change Extra: Concentration Survival   Parry Forgotten King's Authority Assault Mode  Lady Luck Meditation Mods Athletics Emergency Recovery Vengeful Riposte Justified Riposte Addons Stamina  Focus Precision Nimble Focused Howl 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. Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.  data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

Consumables Used: 
>Smores - FILLED EVA 2(+1)
Jomei | HP: 960/960 | EN: 134/134 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 44 | ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:7 | BH:53 | HB: 42 | VAMP-D: 106 | BLI: 32/-20 | LD:1  

So the quest wasn't going to make it simple for them. 

Tapping his chin with an inkling of curiosity, olive eyes looked over the menu screen. Very little details about the quest listing were given to them, aside from the objective to find Kumatetsu - and ultimately defeat them. No clues on their whereabouts, nor any sort of destination marker that would normally appear in the center of his HUD. 

"Hm.." he would hum to himself, before swiping a hand through the illuminated screen, distorting it for a moment before it dismissed into the ether. "Guess I have to do this the old fashioned way." 

The main settlement of Ellesmera seemed like the best place to start, since it was the default location on Floor Eight that players would teleport to. The elves of Ellesmera held themselves in high regard, and that sophistication and elegance was reflected in their architecture. The amount of detail that went into every building that Jomei walked past was extraordinary. One could get lost following the vine-like curves that must have been painstakingly carved into the woodwork around every door and window, or the beams of bridged that seemed to twist and bend in ways no mere man could recreate with some magical ability.  

With hundreds of years behind many of the still living men and women, and an understanding of the life that flows through the forest, Jomei could easily assume that they would know the whereabouts of his quarry... If he could actually locate anyone to speak with. Ellesmera was strikingly quiet, even the falls that cascaded over the cliffs and fell to the valley below seemed to give off almost no sound until he concentrated on it. A bit of exploring and the Irishman would eventually stumble upon a gathering of what seemed like the entire settlement in the center of town. A single voice speaking over the bowed heads of the masses, who each wore black outfits that contrast starkly from the earthy colors that decorated their town. 

It didn't take a genius to realize that he was interrupting some prayer service - or memorial for the fallen. 

He could wait around for this ceremony to end.. but he was not knowledgeable enough in the elven culture to know how long that would take. 

Opening a message to Wulfrin, he would send his comrade an update on his search.

Quote

To: Wulfrin
Subject: Kumatetsu

Hey Wulfrin,
Im heading to Baobab to ask if they know where to find the first Keeper of Nature. 
If you're free, meet me there.
-Jomei

// Quest Details

The greeting from his friend seemed rushed, as if he was trying to juggle ten other things at once. Maybe it was unwise to try and spark up a conversation with someone who was being spoken at by a number of other people. With pursed lips, his hands gently slid into the pockets of his jacket while he stepped back away from the ground. Perhaps another time then, he thought to himself as he turned from Morningstar and the others.

Now came the awkward part of any gathering - finding somewhere to fit in. The blonde haired woman had invited him to join them, but they had since left their blanket to go on the scavenger hunt Zandra put together. Already a larger group, filled with players he was unfamiliar with. A small sigh escaped his lips as he turned once more, this time with a drink on the mind. 

The bottle was unmarked, aside from a simple label pasted onto the darkened glass, leaving him to wonder if it was supposed to be alcoholic or not. With a crack, the ginger removed the bottle cap by popping it on the side of the table. The taste was pleasant, reminiscent of a beer but with a sweet hint of honey to make up for the lack of the effects of the alcohol. It'll do, he thought to himself as he took another sip. 

Jomei found a spot on the beach close to the water, not enough for the crashing waves to engulf him, but just so the occasional wave would wash over his feet as he sat staring out at the seemingly endless blue. 

The sour note that shrieked from his violin as Callisto suddenly turned its eyes on Jomei and lunged forth may be in the running for the worst sound he had ever heard. His breath caught in his throat, the sudden reminder that HE WAS THE TANK. The days of being the quick moving DPS poking his rapier out from behind the safety of a heavily armored tank were gone. He was the first line of defense. The pit of fear suddenly burned away, as he was filled with purpose; Protect your comrades. 

The instant after Jomei's musical mishap, he fell back into step. The epic medley of strung notes that provided a back track to their battle suddenly became a waltz as Callisto raised its claws at Jomei. With steps like dance moves, Jomei's swift feet would keep him out of harms way. Ducking and bobbing, all while keeping the bear's attention with his music. As the boss exhausted its final attacks on the ginger, to no avail, Jomei found his opportunity. An opening in Callisto's defenses, as it retracted its massive, decaying claw back to the ground. Gliding his weapon across the surface of the violin, he would hold his fingers down on the strings to allow the chord to ring out. The rapier would continue forth and barely pierce the muscle of Callisto's shoulder. Not enough to deal any lasting damage, but that wasn't his goal.

After pulling his rapier back, he would raise a leg and deliver a quick kick into the diseased face of the bear to create some distance between it and his group. "What's wrong?" Jomei questioned, "Can't keep up?" Jomei's song would continue once more, waiting for the bear's next move. 

Cordelia. Finally a name to put to the face. A name that, thinking on it, he did not remember in the slightest. In one ear, out the other, when he first heard it. Maybe it was because the two hadn't even said two words to each other, except for maybe a noodle order. He wouldn't admit it, but he probably lumped her in with NPCs based off of that brief shopkeeper-customer meeting. 

"Yes! Right! I remember now. It was on the tip of my tongue." he awkwardly laughed. "Yeah, it has been awhile then. Probably would have seen you more often if Baldur, Mac and I held through on our dinner meeting plans." 

A bummer, really. He would have enjoyed making better friends with Baldur and Macradon.

"Like I said.. a cave spider on its own might send a chill down my spine.. but its doable. This was a dozen, maybe more. Some bigger and hairier..." he shuddered at the mere mention of the hairy ones. Disgusting. "But I'm going to be honest with you.." his eyes looked off past Cordelia, staring at nothing in particular. A gloved hand scratched at the hair on the back of his head, knocking a couple leftover webs loose. "With that whole.. debacle, I don't even remember." It was embarrassing to admit, but the fear that the spiders instilled in him - followed by almost falling into, what could have been, the endless abyss - really short circuited his short term memory. Tapping the side of his temple with an index finger, as if that would jog his memory, he took it upon himself to open up his menus to see if past Jomei left future Jomei any clues. 

Simply enough, he saw the contents of a job listing copied into a message sent to himself. A quest, perhaps. Good enough reason as any to visit a floor like this. "Ah, here we go. Looks like I was coming here to response to a posting I saw on the job board. Someone in Kalanaes reaching out for help from 'surface dwellers' .. guess they mean players like us." Swiping a hand to dismiss his menu, he looked over at Cord. "There aren't many quest listings up on this floor, as far as I know. You wouldn't happen to be heading in the same direction, would you?"

It was easy to forget that they were within a towering labyrinth spanning between the Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Ninth floors. The mangled corpses of thick barked trees seemed ever consuming, and what the naked eye could perceive past that was just ominous clouds of fog in the darkness. It was not until the gathering stumbled upon a set of doors made for a giant. Silence fell upon the frontliners, tension so thick it could barely be cut with their blades. Broken abruptly by the ominous creaking of hinges, the large doors - that last moment of safety and security - opened to reveal the theater of battle within. 

The forest before was dead -- this was putrid, decaying. 

Their foe revealed themselves, heavy foot falls crunching long, overdried roots of fallen trees in its wake. Its fur matted with blood, unknown whether it was its own or its previous victims', and all sorts of weaponry jammed into its back like some demented porcupine. All to no avail, made obvious by the still living bear - if it was at that. Looking closer, it was infected. With what, he had no clue, but some of its flesh was rotten to the bone. The usual, piercing red eyes of previous floor bosses was absent, and even within this darkness, he could see the corrupt eyes glazed over. Gray and blind. But that did not seem to hinder it at all in being able to sense exactly where the players stood. Exactly where he stood.

It was time. And God only knew whether he was truly ready or not, but there was no turning back. Calisto approached with slow, predatory steps, darkened drool oozing from a growling snarl through whatever was left of its lips. Jomei slowly inhaled through parted lips, the air tasting of rot and decay. Lowering his rapier hand to the side, his free hand would slowly unlatch the violin from his hip. Raising the instrument to his shoulders, he would slowly breathe out an exhale. The thin strings that followed along the length of his blade would glide along the face of the violin. Wait. He stopped for a moment, moving the violin from his shoulder to tune the a string. A small pluck with his finger tip. Perfect. 

A smirk spawned from the sudden instilling of confidence within himself. Suddenly, he felt as though this is the role he was meant to play. Combining his musical talent with his combat prowess. Starting with a string of sustained notes to get the feel for the weapon-instrument combination, Jomei slowly worked up the tempo. The ballad he played was powerful, loud. Distracting. "Oi, Pooh Bear!" The ginger would shout at the beast, his voice booming as he activated his Focused Howl "I thought we were supposed to be fighting some big fella, not Yogi Bear's, dryshite cousin!" He could feel those dead eyes shift in his direction, his mockery catching the bear's attention. "That's right, come get me." Jomei would say to himself as he fought to keep the beast's attention with his music. 

"There's an old Irish saying. Translates to about.. 'May you be in Heaven a full half hour before the devil knows your dead.'" He looked at each of his comrades once more, "We're all from different walks of life, so not sure if my heaven is the same as yours, but, if this thing goes sideways and we all end up there--meet me at the bar. I'm buying." His smirk would ignite into a grin as he turned once more to face Callisto. "Watch out for each other, we'll talk again on Floor Twenty Nine!" 

>> Focused Howl | +4 Hate (+1 FS) | -4 EN