Juzt

He hadn’t heard the footsteps, but he was surprised when the door handle twisted on its own, slowly creaking open to reveal the interior of the shop. It was rustic and the wood flooring looked untrustworthy in its stability, “Hello?†Nobody stood in front of the door and he wasn’t sure if he was imagining things or if somebody was messing with him, “HELLO?†Raising his voice, he could hear a soft spoken curse from another room, “Damn kids these days… HOLD ON!†He was surprised that the voice flowing outside to him was that of an old, raspy woman’s, but the variety of NPCs in this world was completely astounding. After a few seconds of impatiently waiting, the old hag would cross her arms as she occupied the space of the doorway, “What do you want… Juzt?†It was kind of creepy knowing that the NPCs knew players’ names prior to being told, but Justin kind of expected it, “Oh, I was just wanting to clear up some of the rumor’s that had be-“

Justin was a little more hopeful, it was a lead if nothing else, “Thanks for the tip, see ya.†He hurried outside, leaving no time for the shopkeeper to catch Justin’s attention, “Wait, don’t you want to buy someth-“ The door silently closed, removing the loud and audible sound of the shopkeeper’s voice from outside the shop. He began to jog, not wanting to waste any further time on figuring the situation at hand out, “Well, might not amount to anything more than another NPC claiming it’s not real, but at least it’s better than these useless rumors I’ve been hearing.†Avoiding players that were lounging about on such a seemingly lazy afternoon, he would eventually make it to the inn. It looked pretty rough, showing signs of wear and tear with a certain lack of care for the structure’s appearance, “I wonder if the man was just trying to get me out of his shop…†He tried to open the door, but he would find out it was locked from the inside, “Anyone in there?†He knocked three times, hoping someone would answer, but it was absolutely quiet.

Almost as if out of a comedy drama, the NPC laughed and scratched the back of his head while speaking loud enough for everyone in the store to hear, “I’m afraid that what you’re looking for isn’t real, lad!†A few of the players looked over their shoulders at the suddenly loud dialogue, but dismissed it with little care soon after, “Look, I’ve heard players talking about how they’ve witnessed, and some have fought, this particular NPC that walks on this floor. While I might not believe one or two players that could be in cahoots, I have to say that such a multitude of players saying the same thing must have at least some merit to it.†Justin wasn’t upset, but he was a little surprised with how blunt it came off, but the shopkeeper didn’t mind it, “Well, I personally have no clue about it and telling me your situation will not make me come up with any bright ideas. If you really insist on such an NPC existing, perhaps you could check in with the Innkeeper down the road. She’s more knowledgeable about these trivial matters.â€

After exiting the last alley, he’d finally decided to change the pace of things and ask some of the NPCs that wandered this floor endlessly. They were generally set up to say a variety of miscellaneous or helpful dialogue, which meant it could bring about a leading tip of where this NPC could possibly be. Making his way into an artisan shop, a warm and friendly welcome would be thrown out for the world to hear, “Welcome, young traveler! How may I be of service to you?†Closing the door shut behind him, he’d approach the shopkeeper, “Hey there, bud. I got a quick question for you.†He wanted to insure the shopkeeper would answer his question prior to stating that he didn’t want to buy anything, it was better than risking the info and getting a solid boot out the door, “Oh, of course! What is the question?†He leaned in close over the counter, hoping that the other players browsing the shop wouldn’t overhear on the conversation, “Yeah, I heard there’s an NPC here that gives players big rewards. I just want to know where I could find the NPC.â€

He waddled about the floor in hopes that someone here would be knowledgeable enough to know the location of such an important and notable NPC, especially if Justin wasn’t the first one to come and seek it. He would approach the players that he stumbled upon and most of them didn’t happen to know what he was talking about, saying that they were only here for training or for some of the various types of food available on this floor. However, before he had the chance to leave the useless players, they’d always beg the question of what he was talking about and pester him about the specifics. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to tell them, but he’d be damned if he was going to miss the opportunity to find this NPC if it was one of those limited time sort of deals. A few players had begun creeping after him, in hopes that they’d eventually be able to trail him to the source of this important find, but he’d give them the slip after rushing down a few alleyways.

 

 

<<The Gemini>>

This quest takes place on Floor 6

This quest is not repeatable
This RP will not count in the benchmark.

 

An NPC with no name appears before you when you are adventuring. He challenges you to a friendly duel and promises magnificent rewards if you win. However, once you begin the duel, you realize that it is a duel to the death! His name appears and he is revealed to be the Gemini, and then he transforms into you. He has the same HP and skills as you. If you win the duel and kill the Gemini, you gain the skill of <<Concentration>> if you roll a 1-17 on your loot die at the end of the battle. This adds a +1 to the attack it is used for, but has a 5 turn cooldown period. If you roll and 18-20, you can the <<Disguise>> skill. It temporarily transforms you into the other player, giving you a +1 on your combat die and them a -1 on their next action. It only during your and his turn, and can only be used once every twelve turns.
 

 

 

Good luck Players!

 

 

Requirements:

-RP must be at least [2]  (21 or more posts)

-This RP is SP only

-Must defeat Gemini

 

Gemini Information:

The Gemini has all your skill levels and your HP, but he does not have your equipment. This is to make this battle less of a stand off for tanks and high damage dealers looking to complete this quest.

 

Rewards:

1. You will be gifted with the extra skill <<Concentration>> if your final post completing the battle has a loot die roll of 1-17, or <<Disguise>> if your loot die roll is 18-20.
2. You will gain 3 Skill Points

 

This RP is SP only
Recommended Level: 6

 

Justin had made it to the sixth floor, currently the highest level floor that he had been to. After the blazing heat of the desert on the floor below, he figured it was time to check out some of the others. Though his goal here wasn’t sightseeing, it certainly was a beneficial feature of taking the time to do so. The real reason he had come here was for something of far more value or at least he had hoped that was the actual case. He had heard rumors spreading about a NPC that could be challenged here, rewarding the player with ‘immeasurable’ and ‘priceless’ loot if they were strong enough to defeat him. While he was never able to get the specifications on where the NPC could be found or what kind of power the NPC had, he figured it would be a worthwhile trip since he had been informed countless times that the townfolk in this game couldn’t kill players. Most of them weren’t even capable of attacking, but as players told him time and time again, they weren’t cold-blooded killers.

More than filled with gratitude that the deal was made, he extended his own hand, "The name is Juzt, just Juzt." It sounded a bit like a cliffhanger unless he added the last bit, but even with the addition, it seemed a little silly. More than delighted to begin talking about the specifications of what he desired, he'd finish off the handshake and put it back in his pocket, "I'm looking for something gladiatorial themed, that's what my gig is-" He stopped mid sentence knowing that it wasn't necessarily the truth yet, "Well, that's what my gig will be once I'm well equipped and strong enough to call myself the Aincrad Gladiator." He was tempted to do a snarky pose that would make him seem like a rather lame jackass, but carried on with the details, "In particular, I'm looking to obtain a Dory Spear, Hoplite Shield, and some Spartan Armor." He didn't expect to get all of them in one run, but if he could get one or even two, regardless of the quality, he'd be one step closer to earning the name he desired and far more versed in his survivability in the world of Sword Art Online. He cleared his throat and spoke one last message before heading outside, "Well, I've got to be going Smith, hit me up when I can drop by and see what you've been able to make!"

Justin made his way into the shop, hoping that perhaps he would be able to strike a bargain with the owner. Not only did he need a legitimately efficient weapon, but he needed an entire set of gear to go into battle. The last venture he went on, he came far too close to death and it was something that he was not comfortable with doing again. Whether it was a quest or some training, he needed something a little more reliable than the javelin that he had been using from the start of the game. After opening the door, he saw quite a few items on display, though he paid little attention to the fine details since none of it was what he was after, "Hello?" He called out for the owner, expecting for him to soon arrive and he would explain his situation when he did so. Pulling the four materials he had gathered from before, he placed them on the counter, "Hate to be a burden, but I'm in some serious need of gear. I don't know what your prices are, but I'll give you everything I have." At this point, he probably seemed like a desperate man, but he wanted to make himself clear, "All I'm asking is you take what I have and try to make all that you can, I'll accept whatever you make with them regardless of quality."

-4 Materials

I, Juzt hereby, Decline being Salty or annoyed at anytime in the season furthermore, no Col losses or anything of that sort will be held against Zelrius or Ssendom (Or anyone else except for myself) or claim them accountable.

Quest Complete!

Obtained the following:

• The title "Beginner Alchemist"
• The ability to open up a shop.
• 2 SP (1 for completion of thread, 1 for quest)
• 400 Col (400 for completion of thread)
• Extra materials (rolled by GM with Loot Die upon topic completion, next post)

After a bit of tinkering and mixing the [snake Venom] with other secondary ingredients, Justin was pretty disappointed to find that he had a terribly diluted variant of the potion, "I thought you said you were pretty good at this, gramps." He shook the potion around, wondering where he had gone wrong. It was nowhere near as radiant a color as the old man claimed, but rather, a very transparent red hue. The NPC scratched the back of his head, seeming slightly confused, "I don't know what YOU did wrong, but I used to be the top notch alchemist around." He slowly began to lower his voice as he continued talking, "Then again, it's been quite a long time since..." Trailing off, he waved his hands as if everything he said didn't matter, "Well, there is one thing that you can do in these sorts of situations! You can salvage the [snake Venom] by the method of fractionation, which doesn't take up too much time and it's pretty hard to screw up." He took him over to a different nearby table with the bad quality potion in hand before pouring it in the top flask, "Just like so!" After a solid ten minutes, they'd take a look at the split fluids, finding the [snake Venom] from before looked nowhere near as prominent as they used to, "Oh well, guess you goofed up so bad we can't save it! Better luck next time!" He'd hand the keys over to Justin and usher him out with haste, "Now go, I've got things to do, places to be! I can't be wasting all day on you!" After hearing the door slam behind him, he'd let out a sigh of relief, "Damn, am I glad that's over." He held the key up to inspect it before placing it in his inventory, "At least I got what I was looking for."

[Dice Roll] 19991 || 10 || 5 || 14 || 5

[CD of 5] Bad item! Can still be salvaged!

[Dice Roll] 20001 || 8 || 4 || 8 || 9

[CD of 4] Failed to salvage item!

At this point, Justin could do nothing more than shrug his shoulders in slight disappointment and relief at the same time. The old fellow raised his hands, ushering the player on, “Oh, we must hurry now! If you ever imagine becoming a real chemist like myself, you must show that you are light on your feet otherwise CLICKY CLICKY WHAM WHAM WHAZZLE and whole building burn down! Then wife laugh at you and you find a new job… Oh, Betsy… The good times…†Justin got out of the chair, not sure of what to expect at this point, but he was certainly hoping that there would be no explosions or unexpected gadgets catching fire, “What’s first, gramps? Got any equipment I need to put on before I get sta-“ He laughed, tears forming, “A real man needs no equipment, just his bravery and wits! You must believe that you can do it if you wish to be able to do it!†A solid and obviously annoyed “humph†was released by Justin as they got the show on the road.

Justin would eventually pick himself up and run on back towards the town, half expecting some other monstrous creature to get in his way. It wouldn’t be anything close to pleasing, even if it was some overly cuddly looking monster as he was so weakened, nearly anything could kill him at this point. He watched the distance, his footwork, and his surroundings as he carried on – nothing was safe out in the wilderness. Eventually, he would wind up back at the town in much worse shape than he had left in, but upon approaching the retired shop, it was safe to say that nobody had bothered the old bloke while he was gone. Knocking three times with no regards to pattern, he opened the door and closed it behind himself as he took a seat, “Ah, man. Glad that’s over with, should have told me that I was hunting down a GIANT ASS SNAKE though.†The older man laughed as if he was expecting such a reaction, “Oh, but I did tell you! I think, but that doesn’t matter now!†The grin was either that of delight or deceit, “I can now teach you the way of making potions and other alchemical goodies!â€

Justin was pretty pleased with how quickly things were going, considering the poor caravan was absolutely covered in a heaping helping of sand, but they were both quick and capable of removing all that had plagued the inanimate object. It certainly made things noticeably speed by with the joking going on between them and before long, they’d be rewarded for all their hard work and effort. Sitting in front of them would rest a weary caravan, both tidied and patched up for another long lasting life of carrying passengers and merchandise alike. The other player would toss him a water bottle as he suggested this would be the best time to relax with understanding that it’d be a longer journey back, “Sure thing boss, I could use a little cat nap.†He kept up a steady pace of replacing the equipment that they had removed from the caravan before starting off the water bottle he had received. Two hours was a lot of time and he knew the time would fly by a lot faster if he used it to completely refresh himself, “If I’m not up in time, just push me off.†Leaning comfortable against one of the boxes, he began to doze off.

[Dice Roll] 19933 || 5 || 9 || 10 || 6

[ssendom] 30/32

[Juzt] 11/11

CD of 9, no damage taken.

[ssendom] 30/32

[Juzt] 11/11

Justin looked a little concerned about Dom's health bar being slowly chipped away, red fragments of data being carried away in the desert winds as he thought about how much more of a percentage of health he would lose in comparison, "Are you sure you don't need another break? Could get wor-" He looked ahead as if on command, surprised that they had made it to the location in such a considerably decent time. He expected they would get lost at some point or overshoot the location, but it was pretty straightforward in both direction and effort. They both picked up the pace as if the caravan gave them a second wind, but upon arriving, they found it had been broken and filled with sand. Lending a hand, Justin would help take out the boxes to reveal the entire caravan in its current condition, "It definitely looks like it can be salvaged, I'd say it's worth the spare time and effort, especially with how much luggage there is." He began pushing some of the more troublesome sand out of the way to make it easier to pull out and begin working on the damaged wheel, "Sure it is, I don't think you'd be able to do this all by yourself!" He chuckled, hoping that it'd bring forth a little retaliation, making the time go by quicker and with much more amusement.

[Dice Roll] 19926 || 9 || 9 || 13 || 2

[ssendom] 30/32

[Juzt] 11/11

CD of 9, no damage taken.

[ssendom] 30/32

[Juzt] 11/11

The snake’s head grew closer and closer in less than a second, giving Justin a fraction of aforementioned second to tilt and extend his spear, lodging itself right through the top of the snake’s mouth. Red data fragments bursted out and the snake all but disappeared immediately afterwards, revealing the fortunate victor of this close match up. With a loss of words, Justin leaned back and sprawled out, pleased to have finally accomplished his mission and defeated the monstrous demon from some early twentieth century horror movie. He looked at the prompt on his user interface displaying that he had obtained [snake Venom] and he grinned, it was proof that he had actually done it. Not only that, but it meant that he could now return to the sanctuary of town and get on with this quest, earning himself a sweet new shop. Granted, he’d still have to learn the trade, but he didn’t imagine that it could be anywhere near as bad as the previous encounter.

[Dice Roll] 19829 || 10 || 10 || 8 || 6

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 2/6

[Juzt] hits [snake]! +4 Damage!

[snake]? Snake? SNAAAAAKE!

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 0/0 - Dropped one [snake Venom]!

He kept on running, hoping that he would have enough time to get to the rear of the snake before it could turn its entire body around. He had cleared half of the length of the snake by the time it had started chasing after him and he was pretty confident his plan would work well in action, but he didn’t account for external possibilities. Surely, the snake would be easy enough to keep an eye on, but what about that unseen root sticking slightly out of the ground? Justin hadn’t even considered it, let alone known about it, but it would be his downfall as his foot collided with it at full sprint. He crashed down on the ground, spear clear of his body as the snake finally closed the distance, “This can’t be the end, I swear it.†The snake, however, seemed to have reached the conclusion that such a statement would easily be overruled. It raised itself up, extended its jaw and flashed its fangs before hurling itself forwards towards its next meal.

[Dice Roll] 19828 || 1 || 4 || 1 || 4

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 2/6

[Juzt] misses [snake]!

[snake] misses [Juzt]!

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 2/6

Justin began to seriously consider what he might be doing wrong, knowing that there had to be some way to actually land a hit on this hideous thing. “Okay, think this through Justin. I haven’t hit him more than once and that was probably because it thought I was just shitty at defending myself. It’s hit me EVERY single time and I haven’t…†He just about finished himself off due to the sudden realization of his sheer stupidity, “I haven’t even bothered dodging the damned thing. It might be fast, but it’s big and can’t keep up if I’m agile enough.†He kept the spear at hip level as he rushed towards the enemy, but this time, he dashed to the left of the snake just before the fangs glowed white. It worked, giving him time to get just out of range of the snake’s head, but he wasn’t clear to land the killing blow that he assumed was required. Certainly, the only way to finish off something like this would be a deadly stab through the head of the beast.

[Dice Roll] 19827 || 5 || 11 || 13 || 2

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 2/6

[Juzt] misses [snake]!

[snake] misses [Juzt]!

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 2/6

Unfortunately, even though things were pretty fair at this point, a single hit from either opponent could permanently remove the other from the game. For one, it would merely mean being reset and living on to fight another player some other day. For the other, it would mean escaping from this world only to find the real world wouldn’t accept his return. It would be a cold, vile death and it wasn’t something that Justin was looking forwards to. Suddenly, the little health bar that sit comfortably in his view became a little more practical and of much more importance, “No, no, no… This isn’t good. I’ve got to finish this fast!†He pulled back the spear and lunged it forward, hoping that the increased length would deal for a stronger blow, but the snake avoided it with ease. It did strike back though, knocking the player’s health down to the same number, but having dealt nearly twice as much damage already.

[Dice Roll] 19826 || 2 || 4 || 2 || 8

[Juzt] 3/11

[snake] 6/6

[Juzt] misses [snake]!

[snake] hits [Juzt]! +1 Damage!

[Juzt] 2/11

[snake] 2/6

Justin dug the head of his spear into the ground, using it as leverage to hoist himself up. He brushed some of the dirt off with a slight shock on his face, “Holy censored, didn’t expect that.†Tugging on the handle, he removed the spear and readied it ahead of him, “Eyes on the prize.†The snake, daring in its current and apparent power, was more than willing to lunge head first towards something as small and insignificant as a player without any natural ability to fight. With one idiot quickly approaching another, fangs and spearheads were traded causing both players to retreat slightly back, “Hah, got you that time!†He looked down towards his spear to see some red fragments of data slowly decaying from his arms, “Seems like he wasn’t the only one to get struck.†At least he had landed a hit now, slightly evening the playing field from its original scenario of being heavily in favor of the snake.

[Dice Roll] 19825 || 10 || 2 || 19 || 10

[Juzt] 6/11

[snake] 6/6

[Juzt] hits [snake]! +4 Damage!

[snake] hits [Juzt]! +3 Damage!

[Juzt] 3/11

[snake] 2/6

The snake didn’t seem as if it was in any immediate danger, rather, it was almost as if it was toying with its prey. Much to Justin’s dismay, it had already whittled the player’s health down by a third and it wasn’t like Justin had much more than a spear to defend himself. What could he really do besides charge wildly at this wild creature? He took a sharp breath and ran forwards, spear extended as he launched himself towards the mammoth of a snake, but it was quicker than he recalled. Within a few seconds, the entirety of the snake had cleared its previous location and was soon wrapped around the sides of its plaything, “Let go of me, you disgusting little basta-“ Almost as if on command, the snake would unfurl the length of its body, sending Justin flying outwards into a tree, “Oomph!†He was kind of getting pissed off now, he should be able to hit something so large, but the speed of it was really messing with him or so he thought.

[Dice Roll] 19824 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 7

[Juzt] 7/11

[snake] 6/6

[Juzt] misses [snake]!

[snake] hits [Juzt]! +1 Damage!

[Juzt] 6/11

[snake] 6/6

It was likely wise to say that provoking an enemy was a bad idea, especially if it was angered due to a certain someone’s surprise attack. Not many people or things liked surprises, especially when it came to a matter of pain and/or life and death. Unless it was a surprise birthday, which would have been an unexpected exception to the prior statement. However, it was not. No, it unfortunately wasn’t, which meant that Justin was likely in for a world of hurt. This was his first monster that he had attacked and he jumped right in without any thoughts for the consequences of missing such an easy target, “I’m such a miserable fool.†He flinched, not sure of what else to do when the snake obeyed his orders and rushed forwards, fangs extended. They latched on and it slithered away, slowly circling the foolish man for his pitiful attempt, “Well, standing around isn’t going to get it done… Guess I’m going to have to go all in.â€

[Dice Roll] 19823 || 3 || 9 || 2 || 10

[Juzt] 10/11

[snake] 6/6

[Juzt] misses [snake]!

[snake] hits [Juzt]! +3 Damage!

[Juzt] 7/11

[snake] 6/6

Once Justin had caught up to Dom, there wasn't much else to it. A little chatter amongst the barren desert, howling winds striking strong against the two players, and their destination slowly getting nearer and nearer. Dom took a small jab at Justin's ability to catch up, but didn't really bother the man since he intentionally did so, "Just sight seeing, haven't been to this floor before, remember?" He kept his speed steady, knowing that both of them adjusting their speed to one another's would get them nowhere fast. "Not sure if we'll need another break, but if you're up for one, I'm game. If we come across an oasis, that's where we'd have to take it." He knew that the trip back would be more work than their current leg of the journey and wanted to focus more on that, having no idea just how big or small a load it would be. He assumed Dom didn't know since the lady never really mentioned anything about the details or contents, but they'd surely be able to handle it, especially since there was two of them instead of one. Justin noticed as Dom began to lose a bit of health, even if it was only a mere sliver, "I guess what they said about this place was true, perhaps it is a bit more dangerous than it looks." He too picked up the pace, following Dom up and over another one of the many dunes they've since crossed.

[Dice Roll] 19822 || 7 || 10 || 18 || 3

[ssendom] 31/32

[Juzt] 11/11

CD of 10, no damage taken.

[ssendom] 31/32

[Juzt] 11/11

It's been a while and I'm thinking about making a collection of comics based upon memorable/funny moments in the SAO world.

However, I need some suggestions of the most memorable/funny moments in SAO history. Don't try to solely suggest content that you've done, but stuff that the entire community would agree with. *Don't be selfish!*

I'll check through the threads you link (though it'd be better if you tell me exactly where in the thread the moments are) and come to a decision when I think I've found a good start.

So yeah, suggest!