Astraeus

There was a golden flash from the dagger, and a horrible scream of pain as the Boar slid on its front hooves and stopped dead in the grass. Astra, was shocked and with wide eyes looked over his shoulder, finally...Victory! He jumped and yelled like a school girl in his head, but he was cool and collected on the outside. He twirled the blade in his hand and sheathed it in its place and smiled

~~~

Boar HP: 0

Astra: 3

Out Come: Astra: Success!!!

"And that is how it is done..." The novice dagger wielder said.

The small crowd of people flocked to Astra as if he had over come a mighty and epic battle, but in reality it was just a boar, a low level, common, every day spawn creature. There was nothing remarkable about it, but it was a learning lesson indeed for him. He straightened his body and slid his hand through his hair, the feather accessory pointed straight up as they greeted him.

"Well done, Astraeus. That was some good fighting out there. Don't be let down that it was just a boar. A level one boar vs a level one player is just as epic as a standoff between two level thirties vs a common spawn. You did well with the execution of your movements and the dagger seemed to be at home with you. It'll be no time before you are a master at it. So! How about we looks for another---"

"Oh no!! I am done for right now. I either need to find me a smith or buy me a better dagger with more proficiency before I recklessly throw myself out to more wild hogs!" Astra laughed and clapped his hands in a wild manner as they headed back to the City of Beginnings. With a long day coming to a close, Astra was given the opportunity to stay at an inn for free, thanks to one of his admirers. Graciously accepting the token of appreciation, he found the room to be quaint yet comfortable for himself. It was odd, this feeling of being tired in this virtual world..it was unsettling.

The half dead hog turned and mowed down the novice dagger performer, or tried to at least. With a hand on his dagger, his left foot lifted off the ground and he side stepped like a troubadour and spun around, a miss for the wild boar. The small crowd clapped for the Performer as he took a bow, gloating at the fiery heated fiend. Astra, the cocky look on his face, showed brilliantly once more as he readied his fierce dagger.

"Come on, just one more hit will do and I can finally end this..." he breathed and calmed his body down. His eyes traveled to the angered specimen. The boar was hesitating now, perhaps it knew it's fate was at hand!

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra HP: 3

Out Come: Boar: Miss!!

~~~

With the small blade glinting in the sunlight, Astra took off like the wind charging full throttle towards the hog and threatened to skewer it. A small battle cry uplifted his spirits and he was cheered on by those who were watching, it was somewhat humiliating to see this happen...but even a beginner had to start somewhere. 

Swish The blade grazed the boar again, this time he thought he had nailed it. But the last second evasive action by the boar showed that Astra was still a novice at this knife edge death match. Grunting, he spun around on his heel and lined his sights up for the boar. He missed the mark several times now against the last remaining HP the boar had, that piggy was quick on its feet. Snarling under his breath, but keeping a calm exterior, Astra readied his blade to dodge the next on coming attack.

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra HP: 3

Out come: Astra: Miss!!

~~~

The boar grunted turning its head with its long snout wet as it sniffed the air finding its target. Astra stood vigilant, his dagger ready in his hand. He was somewhat regretting not taking a skill in his weapon class, but he couldn't turn back the clock now. This was do or die time. His blue eyes shifted in the sunlight to a steel blue, he watched intently on his target as it charged at him. Bracing himself for a possible collision, Astra stood his ground and would move at the last possible moment.

He smiled back showing his pearly white teeth. As they communed from the city, they came across a quaint little café shop where they could get out of the sun and relax a little bit. Astraeus, being the charmer that he was, pulled out a seat for the young woman he had just met.

He moved to the other side of the table and sat down, moving the half skirt away from his body as he did so. Sitting gracefully now, he smiled at her and simply marveled at her perfection…It was odd to see someone half as good looking as he was. He turned his head to the side, “You must have been a model in the real world at one time or another if I am not mistaken. Wondrous beauty is captured on film, perhaps you were an actress as well? I am sorry if I just popped out of nowhere as I did, I saw you across the street there and I couldn’t be more magnetized by you. I just had to talk to you, and learn a bit about yourself. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on making any moves on you. I simply wish to—“

“Can I help you ladies with anything…Oh! I’m so sorry; the long hair totally threw me off. I’m sorry about that, sir.”

The look on Astra’s face, dismal, gloomy, depressed, then…a bright smile, “Ahh! Yes! Drinks! A glass of your citrus flavored beverage would be exquisite, thank you. And this young lady may have whatever she wishes…Sorry, I don’t believe I caught your name…?”

A moment passed to allow her the privilege of telling her name to him, “Ahh, such a wonderful name…”

The waitress left the table with their order. Astra gave a slight cough, “Yes well, it can be confusing can it not? I do look a bit wild in this garb; however, trust me when I say it has its reasons for being as such. So, little canary. As I was saying I wanted to chat a little, I find myself drawn to people and you were very much a vibrant young rose in the midst of all those weeds…” his voice trailed off for a moment, something caught the corner of his eyes, something he did not like outside. He blinked for a moment and allowed the moment to pass briefly, undisturbed by the flow of time.

“Actress? Model? Surely you have the looks, you must have been racking in the dough. How did you come to be one of the victims of SAO?” A cheery smile, dressed to sway.    

“Golden flecks of blonde as radiant as the sun…” Astra smiled his brows high on his forehead as the woman sat down. Her armor clad over her womanly figure, intense metal and shine that reflected light from the low lit candle. As if heaven itself had struck down on this mighty damsel, Astra was awe struck by the very presence of her holiness. He could feel a Gilles De Raise Complex inside himself as he stared at La Pucelle.

“My…you match a striking resemblance to her, don’t you? I mean, the armor, the holy aura that seems to emanate off your gallant presence. You might even have been a distant relative…- Oh! I’m sorry, perhaps you know of whom I am speaking about? None other than Joan of Arc, yes? I see the resemblance indeed!” He smiled and laughed a bit. His hand gestures helping with to emphasize his comments.

“Ahh, how rude of me. My name is Astraeus, it is pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Now, before you say your name…You are under no obligation to tell me. I understand that there might be some elite players are ‘above’ the common people here, I myself being one of such. So you are free to tell me your name, or not. It’s up to you. But since I am a low level player and all, I was wondering if I could get some information? I don’t have access to some of the other areas yet since I am still building on my stats. And I would rather not die to a lowly boar in the middle of a field. But I have been helping out in town here, with the children and helping keep a civil order. Perhaps you have heard my name whispered upon some lips as you were passing by?”

There was silence…”No? Well…I don’t ask for appreciation, it is not what I do it for. Alas, I was wondering if you could help me with some names of people. I heard the names of guilds shouted in the streets at times, I was wondering if you could tell me the names of these Guild Leaders, and perhaps a few things about each one. Strengths, weaknesses? Now, I know you might think I can’t be given such valuable information, even one such as myself. I am of low level, that is true, but the brain is not restricted by the mechanics of the game? I am quite the strategic thinker, a planner, a never ending book seeking the ink of a pen and the knowledge of the writer! I could be a useful tool down the road…”

He was complimenting himself, he does that, a lot. But for good reason as well, he was no slow witted dandelion. He has matured over the years, roughly, as a budding rose not trampled and untainted by the sludge of man’s foot. He has blossomed into the fabric of perfection with a mind as sharp as his never dulling dagger. Or…he thought for a moment, if the items in the game dulled or not. He pinched his eye brows and shook his head, “Where was I? Oh! That’s right. Information. Well La Pucelle, have any insight that I may acquire?”

Astraeus was walking about the Starting City, minding his own business, but all the same he was keeping up with the humdrum community because you never know what sort of information someone might have to sell or even tell! And knowledge was everything to Astra, he could feed off of it for eternity and never get full of it.

It was mildly depressing to hear cat calls every now and then from other men, and he tried…again and again to convince people he was indeed a male. Perhaps the audacious look of his was too much for these troglodytes to comprehend. The unique avatar that he has been accustomed to has grown in flavor, long thigh high boots showing more than enough to make anyone blush. Though his provocative apparel is what is needed to be. He needs to stand out from the rest of the crowd, he needs to be nurtured by the other’s light, for he will drink it all into the darkness and throw it into the endless eons of the abyss when the time is ripe. But now, now he needed something more. A puppet? A mannequin? A stringed up…

“Doll?” He watched as female was walking by him, her long brunette hair swaying in the wind of Aincrad as she strolled down the street. He touched his chin with one hand as the other folded, “Ahh yes, little canary. You will do…”

With the glint of those soft blue dreamy eyes of his, he caught up to the unfamiliar woman and stood in front of her with his hands out. Dramatically he bowed in place, his eyes still on hers as he took her by the hand and kissed it lightly, “Yes! You are a fantastic creature of Aincrad, are you not? Such wondrous beauty walking down these undeserved paved streets, mingled before the absolute drawl of the urban community. I find myself looking at a beauty personified by even the Goddess Aphrodite who swings enraptured by the golden rays of light….Ahh! But I digress; I am getting off on the wrong foot and have yet to introduce myself. My name is Astraeus…I was wondering if I could buy you a drink or two? Perhaps we can escape for a bit to chat for a little while?”

The boar, a wild and turbo charged quadrupedal creature charged with those chipped tusks and angry snout. It roared in victory as it smashed once more towards the gut of its victim, Astraeus. The Dagger Wielder performed a leap of faith hoping he could evade the dangerous attack by this nemesis. As he seemed to have tried to duck, the tusk caught his shoulder and ram into him like a hemi. The future Aincrad Dictator fell backwards, his butt planted into the grass once more as the snotty Boar did a small little victory dance.

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra HP: 3

Out Come: Boar: Success!!

~~~

Twice now he was shamed with an attack by that horrific brute of a pig. Getting himself off the ground, Astra shook his head. The back of his hand sweeping through the edges of his long platinum hair as he made a quarter turn to face the evil piggy! After the first successful strike of this Boar, and after his little tantrum, Astraeus vowed he would not lose his cool in this battle. Three more blows would be necessary to be taken out, and he knew for a fact once he took out the boar...he would have leveled up and he would be on his way to greater things than this...thing. Dancing with the danger in his hands, he sped like a silver bullet towards the fiend. Thrusting into the wind with a snarling battle cry, Astra charged his weapon right into the face of the wicked boar. 

His hands fell back to his sides as the dagger was readied in his hand. A slight show of play and Astra was ready once more for combat. He took off from the ground, his feet pounding down on the turf of the field. The blades of grass being upturned by his speedy approach. With a swipe of his blade, he missed the target once more, but he kept his calm. Anger? What need was that? A trifle matter, showing such a heated emotion would cause a negative display on his status. Though his attack missed once more, it was not the end of the battle. He could be hit four more times before being totally KOed, but someone would save him if his Health go too low...right? It was an awkward feeling...if he lost to this boar...he would be shamed even in death.

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra HP: 4

Out Come! Astra: Miss!!

~~~

The brown clad, thick skinned little bugger seemed to taunt Astra after his missed attack. Dancing side to side to show that it had the upper hand. It was actually mocking him. Beady red eyes narrowed at the Dagger Wielder and snorted, once more its stubby feet kicked the grass and charged. Astra on the defense, hoping he could evade the next attack from the wild boar!

The carnage of the boar took stride in those husky legs. Grass was torn up and tossed aside as the bowling fat pig raced towards the angered player. The frustration was unsettling and this battle dragged on for longer than he would have liked. Who would have thought this Boar, a low level grunt of a creature would actually go the distance with him, Astra, the future King of Aincrad? His blood boiled within him, anger drove him, and it the start of a turn of events. The hide of the boar ripped through Astra like a bullet, taking a shot at him by jumping head first into his solar plexus. Jostled by the attack, he watched as a fifth of his life bar went down. It struck him head on.

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra HP: 4

Out Come! Boar: Success!!

~~~

Astraeus crashed to the ground landing on his backside. The small group of people watching over the battle seemed to snicker a smile under their breath while others held up their hands to cover their mouths. Was that a sign of weakness just now? That's what they must be thinking, "Get up, Astra! Stand!" they shouted back remembering what he said in his speech. He should not falter here. Taking a deep breath he relaxed...and then...he started to laugh and clap his hands.

"Ahhahahaha! Yes! YES! Good show, evil fiend! Now I, Astra, will be the last thing you see when you cross into that digital horizon! Now! Let's finish you disgusting beast!"

The grass beneath his feet blew in that high sun. Every blade of grass seemed to trail by in the wind as Astra was about to make the final plunge of his blade into the fierce head of that gangly looking boar. He gripped his Basic Dagger with the right hand, his left hand an opened palm and then slowly closed until he charged straight at the boar. The vicious looking creature looking haggard after two back to back failed strikes.

For the first time, the crowd around him looked at those steel drawn eyes of his avatar. They saw something flicker in those cold orbs. What was Astra? Who was he in real life? They wondered about that silently, and then…

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra: HP: 5

Outcome! Astra: Miss!

~~~

The brightness, the twinkle, the gleam in those cocky eyes faded quickly. A miscalculated attack, the system won this round. The blade grazed by the boar who evaded the attack. It stomped the ground and quickly turned. It would strike Astra while his guard was down.

“Watch out, Astra. Turn around!!!” they shouted, to them he was like a hero. If he failed now, all that he would end up working for would be for not. A humiliating defeat by a boar…that would be unacceptable.

“UNACCEPTABLE!” Astra shouted as he turned, his eyes angry and frustrated.

The HP Bar of the Boar was down to half, and its angry red eyes glowed at Astra as if to intimidate the player. By now the system was working in his favor, just as he predicted. But it could turn on him at any moment and with a small group of people now watching it was more important now than ever to evade this next strike and get this little tutorial battle done and over with. Eyeing the beast from a short distance, he watched as the small legged fiend reared its ugly head, a battle cry triumphant as it snorted and charged once more. Silver grey eyes watched for the moment to make an evasive action. Astra twisted his ankle and moved…

~~~

Boar HP: 1

Astra HP: 5

Out Come! Boar: Miss!

~~~

His feet bounced to the left, it was a critical mistake on the boar and completely missed his target by an exaggerated amount. The quick foot Performer turned back on his heel, his long spiky hair over flowing from one shoulder whipped around him like a maelstrom as he landed back on his foot. Astra wasted no more time, this last strike would end the Boar!

The basic dagger danced in the palm of his hand, he would use this instrument of death to take his first step in creating his Kingdom of Pain over Aincrad. With a cocky smile, he lifted up his blade drawn hand and thrust his small dagger straight at the boar’s backside!

~~~

Boar HP: 2

Astras HP: 5

Out Come! Astra: Success!!

~~~

Astra's blow was a success against the boar, dealing one point of damage bringing its HP bar to half. The boar squealed with pain as it turned around to face him. Astra, still cocky with his last successful attack made ready for the next attack by the Pig. "Hey! Nice going, Astra. Looks like you got the hang of things."

"Woo! Go Astra!"

Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed a small little crowd of people cheering him on. He recognized some of the faces from day one as he was giving his speech. His thoughts trained back on the boar as it charged once more, its tusks aimed at his midsection. Another successful blow and this monster will be down for the count. 

Through the grasslands they walked, ”The novice training a novice,” Astra thought, but he kept his smile on his face as the man was talking about battle systems, and how they are a variation of other games he has played in the past.

“And that is all there is to it!” stated the knowledge pool of wealth newbie.

“Right…” Astra wasn’t paying attention, but he got the jist of things. He pulled out his dagger from the small sheath belt around his waist. He wielded it like a pro, or so he thought. It was just the in game mechanics kicking in at this point that made him look cool. The stance was perfect; his wrist was fluid, his eyes dead on the boar that spawned just moments ago. Cold eyes sat on the dusty brown hog like creature as it made its way towards them. 

“This is all you, Astra. Make that piggy squeal!”

Astra nodded his head; the feather like long hair unfurled away from his shoulder as he once more concentrated on this would be dangerous denizen of the grasslands. The sun in the sky beat down on them, the boar looked ahead snarling and charged.

~~~~

Turn Order: Boar > Astra

Boar: HP: 2

Astra: Lvl 1: HP: 5

Out Come! Boar: MISS!

~~~~~

The boar snarled and swept its head side to as it charged and ready to strike Astra in the legs with its mighty tusks! The sly tongued performer readied his position, side stepping a moment early than the boar could anticipate and was successful in evading the attack. Now was the time to make a counter attack! "Good job, Astraeus! Now, strike with your dagger!"

"I know that!"

Astra was at one of the establishments, a late evening as he was going over the very little information he had gathered the day before. He sat in a wooden chair and leaned back with his feet propped up on the table, one hand behind his head and the other strumming along on the table in a slow pattern of; pinky, ring, middle, index. His silvery starlit eyes seemed to graze around the area, what he needed more than anything was information and these low level players who were keeping a low key was not helping him with anything.

He was nearly fed up when a blonde woman entered the establishment, "Oh? What do we have here?" He kept his eyes on her as she walked in. This might be the perfect opportunity Astraeus was looking for. He kept calm in the situation, he knew how to talk to people, how to react and above all else...never reveal your motives and intentions. He was a low level player himself, so asking for such information would only be natural. Right?

"Ah! Excuse me!" The start, "By chance, would you be willing to help a guy out?" he motioned to her a seat next to him, the low lit candle flickering a few inches away. Upon first glance it was hard to depict if this creation was a man or a girl; the avatar itself looked a little on the /unique/ side, but the voice rang true with a masculine voice, if not a very soft one none the less. He motioned with his hands to the said blond an empty seat next to his, she could of course turn him down. He would have to get used to the Elite Status some player would pride themselves of speaking with what others who did not level up as; Lazy. And Astra was not lazy at all, in fact...he was anything but. Since that day in the Starting City, he was prepared to go full throttle with his plans. But right now, throwing himself into danger would risk all that he had planned. 

Act 1: Scene 1

”In order to be an effective leader, I need to learn the game and become stronger. No one will take me seriously as a level one whelp. So we have some skills here…or…at least I thought I had some skills. Great…I thought I picked a weapon skill, I must have miss clicked or something. What is this? Sneak And Hide? Well I guess that can be useful…Well, time to find me a boar…”

“Hey! Hey! You! Girl!”

Astra looked over his shoulder, his avatar made him look a bit on the womanly side, but he was very much in fact a guy. A slight exhale followed by a hmph, “Oh! Sorry. That’s a pretty unique model. I heard you talking in Town. I was moved by your speech. I used to play a wide range of games like this before SAO actually came to fruition. I don’t mind helping out if you wanna give it a go?”

“Give what a go, exactly?” Astra asked.

“A basic tutorial on how battles flow. Trust me, once you get into it…it gets kinda addictive and fun. I know we have our lives on the line every time we set out in these grasslands, especially us beginners…But I think we are pretty safe here, and the monsters that spawn aren’t too difficult. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Profile
» Username: Astraeus
» Real name: Kordello
» Age: 30
» Gender: Male
» Height: 5 feet, 9 inches

About: History/personality

Let’s go back to ten years… Kordello was a rich, narcissist lawyer. A good one and won all his cases, all of them. He was a shady lawyer though; he worked in the prevention of putting murderers and the like in jail. He was paid to do a good job, even if it meant lying through his teeth. And that is something else he can do very well. He has the boyish good looks that some girls go for and he uses that to get what he wants. Equipped with a silver tongue, the good looks, the ability to lie about anything and everything to the point of reality spelled trouble for him and sooner or later Karma was coming back to catch him.

In his mid-twenties, life for Kordello took a nose dive. After losing the love of his life, won by his unconscious use of lies and falsehood, he was left with nothing but immoral ground to stand on. Case after case he was exposed to, there seemed to be a heavy weight on his shoulders and it was harder and harder for him to keep his ways intact. By this time he was emotionally distraught and had to leave the business. He had a nice lump sum of money he kept in order to provide himself with a more than comfortable life style, but he was empty and distant. He turned to drinking as a form of release for those lonely nights, often waking up in some cheap motel next to a woman he met the evening before. How long had this gone on? A year? Maybe two? It was enough to mark him as an alcoholic and an indecent human to society. There seemed to be no end to the grave he was digging himself into.

By the time he turned twenty-nine, Kordello was sober and getting his life back together. The money he had kept in savings was used to get himself clean up and turned his life around. Now living a more simplistic life, Kordello finds his days at peace with his inner self.  But…mostly bored of the hum-drum lifestyle. With so much time on his hands but with little to do, he has picked up a hobby of online gaming. With the recent purchase of some named technology, Kordello has found an outlet for his inner demons to dwell. With excitement and adventure, Kordello Links into the game known as SAO; and becomes Astraeus; the name meaning God of Dusk in mythology. And much referenced to keeper of Winds. With this new outlet to let his conscious mind wander into a new virtual world, Kordello finds himself slowly regressing into his old former self of his early twenties, sometimes causing panic and fear within himself and causing instability issues of laughing and clapping out loud.

Virtues:

Quick Thinker: Astra has a unique trait where he can think quickly on his feet in times of high anxiety. When partied, he is the first with an idea and escape route to lead to safety.

Charisma: He is told he is a wonderful speaker and people are generally drawn to him because how well he can hold himself to others whether in terms of leadership roles or roles needing diplomacy. Normally cold and distant; Astra still seems to be a “warm” person people can look up to and respect.

Forgiving: Despite what some may think, Astra always gives a 2^nd or even a 3^rd chance for people. He understands that life can have its pitfalls and people will have bad days. These chances he gives to others are a way to atone for the mistakes he has made himself, almost giving fatherly advice to others to help them back on their feet.


Flaws:
 

Liar: Due to the game not letting you log out; Astra uses an old Silver Tongue to get himself out of trouble. Because of his charismatic ‘aura’ that people can feel about him, he can get away with a petty lie or two with the use of the right words. This can sometimes lead to a mistake as it does not always work.  

Obnoxious: Astra has his moments of ‘breaking points.’ He’ll laugh and clap madly at random times, often making this a trademark gesture of his being. He can be over the top in his drama which may shun some people away from him, others are attracted by his weird quirk and smile along with him. Laughing and Clapping out loud can be a sign of stress, or pressed to the edge. He’ll become erratic with his behavior; unstable and unable to be read. Some people have found themselves at the edge of his sword in one moment, or being hugged and glomped the next moment.  

Dramatic: As mentioned, Astra can be overly dramatic. The laughing and clapping is a double edged sword for him as it’s also a means of self-expression. He also ties in old romance opera scripts with his dialogue at times, performs weird hand movements and is very much feel like ‘the golden star on the stage.’

Profession: Performer [Rank 1: Musico Primo]

Skills

SP: 1

Non-combat:
»

Passive:
» Sneak & Hide: [1/5] [2 SP Used] +2 Stealth
» Search & Detect: [1/5]  [2 SP Used] +1 LD

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:
» Dagger Proficiency: [1/5] [2 SP Used] +1 Dmg

Inventory
Weapons/Tools:

» Col: 1200

» Basic Dagger
» Blood Drinker [+2 Bleed]

Roleplays
» [solo] Act 1: Scene 1 [Completed], +400 Col, +1 SP
» [solo/Quest] Earning a Living: The Traveling Performer [Completed], +400 Col, +2 SP
» [PP/Quest:Aramail] First step of Many [Completed] +200 Col, +1 SP
» [PP/Quest:Aramail] Earning a Living w/Aramail [Completed] +200 Col, +1 SP

Relationships (optional)



Story Thus Far (optional)

You. I like you. :D Will do just that, thanks a bunch.

Well I would assume a heavily armed 2 handed axe wielder would be pretty awkward to be sneaking and hiding. As far as Floor Bosses go...What would you guys like to see more of? I am sure there is a dozen or so assault type players out there already.

Any viable Tanks or Support Types? I was thinking of doing a Rogue; dagger, and picking up the sneak and hide skill for some fun RP experience. That would kinda key in with my eclectic Astra character. I can make him a Tank too I suppose, but that would be weird and awkward to me after playing in a more...well, different view. BUT I am not limiting myself. So I guess I'll need some more info before I decide heavily on anything. More input on the types of characters needed or the types you'd like to see would be greatly appreciated it.

Hi, hi! Astra here. Looking for some general help.

First off; going through and reading the rules and skills; I have a few questions on each. Firstly it states I start off with 2 skill points. Epic. So I a guessing I can take up to 2 skills, 1 point in each, or 1 skill with 2 points? Am I correct in this observation?

Also, as far as weapons go; in the RP itself what is the least favored weapon or what do you tend to see less? Are there a bunch of the one hand and two handed sword weilders?

As far as skills go; also as the above question states: Which is the least favored or less used of the bunch? These answers will sway what I have in mind for my character, but in the end I have a general idea of what I am creating and what 'build' I am going for.

Thank you so much. I may have more questions down the road.