Mack

@Lowenthal doesn't wuv me enough to invite me? *sniffle sniffle*

@Macradon what are you talking about? I wasn't invited to any wedding... which is odd because I could have officiated it for free given my vocation...

ID: 74002
Roll: 13 (12+1)

Item Type: Hand Wraps
Tier: 1

Quality: Perfect

Enhancements: +1 Bleed, +1 Paralyze, +1 Unarmed DMG

Description: Black leather handwraps for an unarmed fighter with gold plating reinforcing the fingers, knuckles, and top of the hands. The top hand plates have also been engraved with an image of the Monkey King from Chinese Mythology.

ID: 74004
Roll: 7 (6+1)

Item Type: Steel Pauldrons
Tier: 1Uncommon

Quality: Uncommon

Enhancements: +1 Mit

Description: Simple steel shoulder guards.

ID: 74005

Roll: 11 (10+1)

Item Type: Steel Reinforced Boots

Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: +2 Mit

Description: Leather Boots that have been reinforced with steel plating at the ankles and toes.

ID: 74006

Roll: 12 (11+1)

Item Type: OHSS - Sin of Valor
Tier: 2

Quality: Perfect

Enhancements: +6 DMG

Description: An obsidian bladed one handed long sword with a cross guard and hilt made of obsidian shot through with gold.
 

ID: 74007

Roll: 10 (9+1)

Item Type: Steel Breastplate
Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: +1 Thorns, +1 Mit.

Description: Simple steel breastplate.

ID: 74008

Roll: 11 (10+1)

Item Type: Steel Tower Shield
Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: +1 Thorns, +1 Mit

Description: A steel tower shield suitable for a hefty warrior.

ID: 74009

Roll: 13 (12+1)

Item Type: OHA - Silver Fang
Tier: 1

Quality: Perfect

Enhancements: +2 ACC, +1 Bleed

Description: A silver battle axe with the image of a bear engraved onto the axe head and a bear's fang dangling from the end of the leather wrapped oaken haft.
 

ID: 74010

Roll: 8 (7+1)
Item Type: Steel Vambraces

Tier: 1

Quality: Uncommon

Enhancements: +1 Mit

Description: Simple steel forearm guards.

Daily Crafting Rolls for 9 January 2017

Mack plodded through the ever deepening drifts of snow, one grey eye occasionally flicking to Chewie as the bear blasted through snow drifts. One of the bear's chief delights in digital life, after food and attention, was terrorizing snow drifts like an over sized and quite fluffy jack in the box. It appeared as if the internal clock for the world of Aincrad was synched up with some kind of actual real-world clock as Mack was reasonably sure it was January in the real world and the snow had been falling in Aincrad more heavily than normal. Reaching the entrance to his shop, the blacksmith pushed his way inside and brushed the snow from his shoulders and chest before firing up his forge and getting started with the morning's work.

ID: 73775

Roll: 10 (9+1)

Item Type: Round Shield
Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: 1 Rk. Thorns, 1 Rk. DMG Mit

Description: A simple and unadorned steel shield capable of covering a person from shoulders to hips.

ID: 73777

Roll: 2 (1+1)
LD: 18 - SALVAGE!

ID: 73778

Roll: 8 (7+1)

Item Type: OHSS
Tier: 1

Quality: Uncommon

Enhancements: +1 ACC

Description: A simple steel straight bladed short-sword
 

ID: 73779

Roll: 2
LD: 16 - SALVAGE!

ID: 73780

Roll: 8 (7+1)

Item Type: Buckler
Tier: 1

Quality: Uncommon

Enhancements: +1 Thorns

Description: A common squarish buckler.

ID: 73781

Roll: 11 (10+1)

Item Type: OHA
Tier: 1

Quality: Rare

Enhancements: +1 ACC, +1 DMG

Description: A steel headed woodsman's axe.
 

ID: 73782

Roll: 2
LD: 16 - SALVAGE!

OOC: @Aereth you need to officially transfer me that T2 mat using the economics system on the board. I can talk you through the process if you don't know how. But, until I officially have it on the board I cannot use it.

Daily Smithing Rolls for 4 January 2017 are in Spoiler since items are being crafted here in this thread & not for general sale:

"As far as I know, even with the changes to the system from updates, it is not possible to get a plus three crafting item. It is possible to boost that ability beyond a mere plus one, which is all I can do, but the additional boosts only work for things like healing attempts and such boosts are beyond the ability of a blacksmith to craft. If you want a plus one instrument for your own crafting that I can do, but no more," Mack rumbled in response to @Dominion, before turning to the other players to leave Dominion with a chance to mull things over.

"Shouldn't be a problem. How much accuracy do you want on the sword," Mack asked @Ignavus_veneficus, before turning to the next person in line even as the smallest of the players there tried to pick up Chewie only to collapse under the weight of the bear cub which proceeded to sit on her for a moment, giving @Row a baleful look with his chocolate eyes. She was small and Chewie was small, at least by bear standards. They were meant to be friends, that much was obvious. Still, she was apparently banishing him. Giving Row a reproachful look Chewie scooted across the tent to @Shizua and repeated the up gesture. Girls were always more likely to give him extra food, and attention, the bear had learned that long ago, even if it didn't always pay off.

"Help yourselves to as much as you want from that table by the door. It's full of vanity armor pieces, if you take them to a merchant for appraisal you may yet find they have more powers than what meets the eye," the blacksmith rumbled, accepting the tier two material from @Aereth before hefting the hammer onto his shoulder and beginning to craft items.

Once he had knocked @Aereth to the ground the bear scrambled up into the middle of the man's back and placed one front paw upon Aereth's head before squalling a victory call. The grizzly looked like nothing quite so much as an explorer claiming some new and unexplored territory for the mother country. In Chewie's case, the mother country was his stomach. Jumping down off of Aereth the bear snatched up the food offerings and scampered away to the entrance of the tent and, quick as a flash, the food was devoured. Soon enough the food offerings were pouring in. There was some cake, emphasis on the was since it was quickly consumed. Then something else, the bear didn't know what it was but he greedily wolfed it down all the same. Finally, some nuts and berries found their way into a new home, in his stomach. Greedily Chewie looked about for more food and, seeing none, he made a beeline over to the cake giver, @Row, who had gone into the tent. Reaching her side he popped up on his hind legs and held up both of his front paws in an unmistakable gesture indicating that he wanted to be picked up.

"The bear has a terrible sweet tooth," Mack rumbled in a dry tone, following everyone into the tent. "Yes, I am a blacksmith, one of the higher leveled player blacksmiths in Aincrad and if you have the tier two materials I can forge a plus six sword with no problem." The ginger giant thought for a moment before answering the other question that Aereth had posed. "As for status effects, I'm not a big fan. I used to use bleed but with all the rebalancing you're better off to just go for max damage with an accuracy boost."

As Max (@DrinkingGlass) entered the tent shop and held up the note the blacksmith snatched it from him. 'You heard right. I'm making gear for players. Back of the line and feed the bear," Mack rumbled, his storm grey eyes sweeping the shop and spotting Chewie now begging to be picked up by Row. "Blacksmiths can forge weapons, shields, heavy armor, and handwraps for martial artists."

"Now then, you will all form a line and you will tell me what you need. It may take some time to fill the orders, but I have about three hundred tier one crafting materials so I should be able to get everything done," the blacksmith said, hoisting an enormous smithing hammer up onto one shoulder. "And if you want yours you'll have to provide the tier two materials," the red-headed man said, leveling a finger at Aereth. "I'm fresh out."

@Ignavus_veneficus @Shizua @Dominion

Will edit in the opening bit here in a bit.

The bear's eyes grew wide as the food was produced, his greedy desire to devour the treats being hidden from exactly no one. As @Aereth held the treats up, most uncharitably out of reach for moderately sized bear cubs Chewie backed slowly away from the man as he began to speak with Mack. Aereth's attention was distracted, the time to strike was nigh upon him. Once the roiling mass of brown fur had backed up as far as he judged was necessary he bawled a war cry and charged across the snowy ground that separated him from Aereth and, at the last moment, Chewie leaped into the air and slammed the full force of his weight into Aereth's legs. There would be none of this "only one food treat" stuff. No, the bear wanted both the honey and the steak and he meant to have both of them.

While Chewie was readying his attack Mack regarded the adventurer from his still seated position on the ground. "Mack, former Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath. Might still be Vice Commander, I haven't checked on the guild in awhile," the burly axeman continued, shrugging his shoulders. "If you're looking for Tier Two gear, I can craft it for you but you will have to provide the materials as I have none above Tier One. I'm still one of the highest level blacksmiths in the game though, I doubt, I am the highest."

As they were speaking @Ignavus_veneficus wandered up to the group just as Chewie was engaging in the assault phase of "Operation Yum Yum" and launching his one bear attack on Aereth's legs. "Apparently not," the blacksmith allowed, shrugging his broad shoulders before pointing a finger past Ignavus to a small line of other players that were struggling through the snow in the direction of the shop. "Of course, it's not as if I made it difficult to work out," the blacksmith continued speaking and ignored his familiar as Chewie slammed into Aereth's legs. The bear's attack was, after all, Aereth's own fault for baiting the cub with multiple food items and, within the safety of the town on the fourth floor it wasn't as if Chewie could cause any real damage to Aereth.

"It's not much of a code," Mack rumbled in response to @Row his grey eyes sweeping the area to take in @Shizua as well as the other girl stood quietly a little bit off from the rest of the group. Mack laced his fingers together like a concert pianist and rolled his head around on his neck, which produced an audible cracking sound as @Dominion joined the group. At Dominion's introduction to the group Mack quirked an eyebrow. Monk, as a profession, wasn't really something that was found within the world of Sword Art Online. Still, to each their own. It wasn't as if the use of the title was hurting anything. Rising to his feet in a swift, fluid motion, the ginger giant peered down at the low-level players for a moment before sweeping aside the entrance to the shop, which greeted the assembled group with a warm blast of air from the lit forge within.

"Let's move this inside, I can't very well forge anything out here," he said in a gruff tone, waiting for everyone to troop inside. "Don't forget to feed the bear. If you don't he may start gnawing on your legs."

With a spray of powdery snow, Chewie the grizzly cub exploded out of a snow drift. The rounded ears on top of his head swiveled in the direction of the one that had spoken his name. That one knew his name. People only called his name when they had food for him. Food he wanted... food he needed to eat. Squalling a battle cry at the top of his tiny bear lungs, Chewie began to rumble in the direction of @Aereth like a miniature freight train covered in brown fur. Reaching the adventurer the bear hopped up on his rear legs and swatted the highest part of Aereth that he could reach with his front paws. That would capture the man's attention. That done, the bear flopped down on his haunches, opened his mouth, and promptly directed one clawed toe from his front paw down his throat.

It was the universal sign for "Feed Me". Everyone knew that.

"I am not Chewie," Mack rumbled in a deep, resonant voice. The bearded smith tilted his head back slightly to consider Aereth through his storm grey eyes as a shower of snow cascaded down from the top of the hood. "Chewie is the bear and, since you called his name, he'll want feeding." The smith continued to speak in the same even measured rumbling tone. "I placed the notice on the board and signed it in the name of my familiar. What can I do for you regarding weapons, shields, and heavy armor?"

OOC: This thread, in its entirety, takes place within the main city of the 4th Floor which is a safe zone and, therefore, PK is not possible in this thread.

As yet another Christmas within the world of Sword Art Online came closer and closer, to say nothing of the other holidays that were celebrated during the season by people with differing belief systems, the giant ginger blacksmith of the fourth floor of Aincrad sat just outside the tent that housed his shop. The sky overhead was a cloudy slate grey and great fat snowflakes fell from the skies to coat the ground of the wintery wonderland. As for the smith himself, he sat silent and stony faced with the deep hood of his crimson cloak pulled up over his head and his arms crossed over his broad chest as the snow piled up upon his head, shoulders, and lap seeming for all the digital world as if he were wholly oblivious to the cold and snow falling around him while Chewie, the grizzly cub, gamboled about in the snow occasionally disappearing into massive snow drifts only to reappear seconds later in a powdery explosion of fresh snow.

Several days previously the blacksmith had placed a notice on several of the notice boards in the Town of Beginnings, advertising that for those players that could find him, and who were ob appropriate level, he would provide certain Christmas gifts for those that could use them. The note had been signed "Chewie" and an inky bear cub paw print had been used for the signature. In order to claim the gift or gifts those who wished would need to decipher the hints from the note and locate the shop, at which point they would be rewarded. As quests went, it wasn't terribly complicated or difficult, but even the low-level players needed to do something to earn their rewards. Even if it was only a bit of detective work.

I dunno, gonna go with Godfrey.

The Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath continued to cut a bloody swath through the Spartans that comprised the fifth phalanx. Invictus whipped around and sheared through four of them with a single swing, unleashing an earth shaking rumbled as they exploded into pixels. A fist shot out and jerked one of the Spartans to the ground before the steel shod cap of Invictus' haft was driven through the warriors throat. Like a bull in a china shot, the ginger giant waded through the fifth phalanx, methodically cutting down Spartans one by one.

Battle Order, Roll, Stats

"I got an idea to lure him out," Mack said in a low voice, advancing into the throne room. "Hey, Takao, watch this," he rumbled, clapping the brunette on the shoulder with what was, most likely, more force than was, strictly speaking, necessary. Using his free hand, Mack pulled up his menu and, in short order, he produced a four-pack of green tea that he had picked up so long ago that, honestly, the burly red head didn't recall whom he had purchased them from. Holding up the four pack, Mack made a show of blowing nonexistent dust off of the cans. Separating them out, he lobbed one in Ariel's direction, another in Takao's, and a third over his shoulder in what he guessed was Oikawa's direction. He would have tossed the last one to Hikoru, but the guy was nowhere to be seen.

Wasting no time, the Vice Commander cracked open the last can of the Green Tea and swaggered up in the direction of Sheeptar while holding up one finger in the classic 'Wait' gesture as he walked to within easy throwing distance. When he had finished with the last drops of the drink, the ginger giant crushed the empty can in his hand. "This is what we think of you," Mack rumbled in a booming voice, then he belched loudly and scratched himself. The quest was non-specific as to how they were supposed to lure Sheeptar back to the village, but being crass seemed a good bet.

"Now, slave, get down here and kneel at my feet. I have soiled my boots killing your soldiers and now they must be shined. I want to see my face in them when you're done." The towering axe man cocked his arm back and launched the crushed up green tea can at Sheeptar. The tiny missile of digital tin flew unerringly through the air and struck Sheeptar squarely between the eyes. Of course, it did no damage and the can itself dissolved in a shower of pixels, but it was the thought that counted. "Now, slave, get down here and shine my boots." Mack punctuated the remark by spitting on the ground and flashing a crude one fingered gesture at the Sheep King.

Roll and Order:

ID: 63186
BD: 6
MD: 4 (3=1 [Neg. EVA])

Mack: 208/222 30/48
Jaguar 1-4: 0/113 (Mit.=40) [Explode Catapult: 3x3x17=153)

Moving back into the jungle, Mack had already resolved to make a beeline back for the town of Amazon and, once he was there, to depart from this floor as rapidly as was possible. The ginger giant had no desire to remain in this ruthlessly hot and humid place any longer than was completely necessary. He also had no intention of taking his time with any mobs that he encountered between his current location and his final destination. When a quartet of jaguars appeared the Vice Commander drew Invictus from his back, charged forward, and ruthlessly cut down the felines. He paused only long enough to collect the crafting materials they dropped before moving on.

+4 Mats

Alert: 3/3 - Guards appear
Exit Search: 2/3

ID: 63185
BD: 13 (10+3)
MD: 9 (7+1 ACC+1 Neg. EVA)
LD: 5 (No Loot)

Guard 1: 0/14 [DMG: 16, +1 Acc, +2 Eva, +20 Mitigation] (Lumberjack: 3x1x19=57-20=37 DMG)
Guard 2: 0/14 [DMG: 16, +1 Acc, +2 Eva, +20 Mitigation] (Lumberjack: 3x1x19=57-20=37 DMG)
Mack: 220/222 36/48 EN (16-84=1x2=2 DMG)

Grumbling dark imprecations about looking for exits and walking in circles, Mack made his way down yet another corridor. About twenty feet from where it terminated, the ginger man having already figured out how this place worked, exploded into motion and activated his charge skill. Tearing out the end of the corridor, Mack impaled himself on the weapons of the bandits again. Just as had happened the time before he landed a critical strike and his two-handed axe, Invictus, made very short work of the two low-leveled mobs. The Vice Commander rolled his head from side to side and cracked his neck as the two bandits exploded into pixels.

OOC: Out of combat, +Full EN, +6 HP

When, at long last, the shadow creature finally led him back to the exit from the caverns concealed behind the waterfall Mack stopped and clapped him, for the last time, on the shoulder in a comradely way. "Well, Monty, it's been real and it's been fun... but I'd be lying if I said it'd been real fun," the Vice Commander said in a deep booming voice. "My time on Let's Make A Deal didn't end with all of the fabulous richest that I was promised and this Meditate skill had better prove to be worth it," he concluded before spinning on his heal and slogging through the small body of water that separated the caverns and waterfall from the rest of the jungle.

+1 EN, out of combat
Alert: 2/3
Exit Search: 1/3

After completely disassembling the room that the two bandits had been in, looking for loot that was nowhere to be found, Mack tossed Invictus over his shoulder and set off down another corridor in the hideout. Behind him, the guard room looked like a hurricane had blasted through it with everything upended and bits and bobs tossed all about. Soon enough, he was certain, there would be more bandits to arrive and then they could get on with being reduced to pixels and the continual search for yet more loot could resume. "This quest is looking more and more like it's going to be a colossal waste of time," the Vice Commander grumbled as he moved through the caverns like a well-dressed man out about town.

OOC: Out of combat, +1 EN, +6 HP

Without a word, the shadow creature tuned around and began to head back out towards the entrance of the cave system that Mack had entered to begin this quest in the first place. "The strong and silent type, I see," Mack rumbled as he followed along in the wake of the shadow creature. "You wouldn't make a very good game show host Monty, you know that right," the Vice Commander continued, chattering away at the shadow monster since there was nothing left to do for the quest and Mack had no better way to occupy his time during the walk back out of the cave system and through the waterfall.

Alert: 1/3

ID: 61181
LD: 11 (No Exit)

Making enough noise to wake the dead, literally, Mack pawed through the contents of the guard room looking for anything that might constitute useful loot. In truth, the red-headed behemoth had no real thought that there would be anything worthwhile to be discovered. After all, this quest was taking place all the way down on the third floor and he was pushing level fifty at this point. The odds of any mob or random crate having worthwhile and useful loot were, effectively, zero. Still, the Vice Commander rampaged around the place like a bull in a china shop looking for anything good.

OOC: Out of Combat, +1 EN, +6 HP

Behind the soldier, the heavy stone doors slid open once again with a soft hiss. Sheathing Invictus at his back, Mack spun to face the silent shadowy guardian as the doors to the stone room opened. Unlike the previous three times, when the doors had opened quickly and easily this time their opening seemed to drag on and on and Mack crossed his arms over his broad chest as he stood and waited until, at last, he could see out into the hallway beyond once more. "Well, Monty," the ginger man asked, crossing the room and exiting through the doors before smacking the shadow monster on the shoulder. "What fabulous prizes have I won?"

OOC: Alert Triggered.

ID: 63180
BD: 13 (10+3)
MD: 12 (9+1 ACC+1 Neg. EVA)
LD: 1 (No Loot)

Guard 1: 0/14 [DMG: 16, +1 Acc, +2 Eva, +20 Mitigation] (Lumberjack: 3x1x19=57-20=37 DMG)
Guard 2: 0/14 [DMG: 16, +1 Acc, +2 Eva, +20 Mitigation] (Lumberjack: 3x1x19=57-20=37 DMG)
Mack: 220/222 39/48 EN (17-84=1x2=2 DMG)

Reaching the end of yet another corridor in the bandit hideaway, Mack went tearing out of the end, screaming bloody murder and whipping Invictus around his head quite murderously. Not even breaking his stride, he charged into the room and impaled himself on their weapons without a second thought, completely ignoring the meager damage that was doled out. In returned, the ginger giant slammed the heavy bladed head of Invictus into each of the bandits several times, reducing them to a joyous confetti of blue pixels. The only thing missing was a raucous fanfare.

ID: 63177
BD: 10
MD: STUNNED

STUNNED: Inner Demon #4: 0/167 (Base DMG: 117) (Mit: 13) [Whirlwind: 2x1x15=30-13=17 DMG]
Mack: 189/222 (31/48 EN)

Since the last of the demons was stunned it was pretty apparent to Mack exactly where the creature had to be laying. After all, it couldn't move while it was stunned and so it would stay in the exact same spot, for the time being at least. With that in mind the red-headed Vice Commander took his sweet time lording it over the invisible beastie and lining up his last strike and, once he was completely satisfied that he wasn't going to miss the target the axe man growled and whirled Invictus high over his head before bringing it thudding down with a flourish directly in the middle of the whatever it was which exploded in a shower of pixels.

Out of Combat, +1 EN
Alert: 2/3

Just as Mack had suspected, he could hear the sounds of voices and footsteps up ahead. The fact that those voices and footsteps were also accompanied by the founds of weapons and armor clattering about could hardly be called a surprise. Just as he had suspected, his run ins with the previous bandits had triggered some sort of alarm. The real question about the alarm was whether or not it would bring every guard in the place thundering down on his head or, instead, if a simply unending stream of bandits would spawn and engage him in combat until he found his way out of their hideout. Mack shrugged his shoulders. Only time would tell.