Brax

ID 48393

     After he had split the mob clean down the middle, Brax watched as the rest of the group took their turns.  Opal maintained a discreet distance, allowing the lower leveled players a chance to show what they were capable of, with Ishida and Teselmar displaying...rather decent capabilities, at least as far as the stoic was concerned.  They would need more training, of course, so as to better their strength, but for a basic evening out hunting for a caravan they were functioning quite well.  As the Cactuar on the left vanished into pixels following Teselmar's Sword Art, Brax turned to face the other set and readied his axe for a, hopefully, final strike, or at least one strong enough to allow the others to finish them off.

     He felt the bloodlust in his axe begin to pulse outward, the fallen souls who had wielded the weapon thirsting for a chance to cleave through anything worthy of their time, and the pulsing power traveled up his arms as Brax readied another Trample Act.  The rage and lust reached his heart, but careened to a halt once there: the solid stone in his breast...was unaffected by the pulsating red bloodlust.  All it met with was a rocky countenance that stood like a statue, ever watchful and calculatingly cold.  It was Brax who controlled the weapon, not the other way around.  Idle thoughts traveled through his brain as his Sword Art took hold, specifically the idea that he would soon need to pick up another blade, for the Veteran's Axe, while useful during his training, could prove less than ideal should the bloodlust take over at an inappropriate time.  But, now was not the time to consider the matter; no, the matter at hand was the destruction of the mob of Cacti.  A flash of light heralded the finished charge of his Trample Act, and after Ishida's howl had drawn their attention Brax took advantage of the Cactuar's misplaced gaze.  Rushing forwards once more, he struck the unprepared green mob and was ushered through the final two sweeping strikes that fully bisected the mob into pixels.  As their crystalline shower washed over the stoic, he took a last look around to see if any other beasts would surprise their team.  Finding none, he simply sheathed his axe and turned back to the party, saying "Yes, a...good day indeed...for hunting mobs."  With that, he turned back to the desert itself, wondering when they would find the elusive caravan and hoping it would be soon.

OOC - Should we end this now, or do we need to post a little more?  I'm down for whatever if we wanted to wrap this up, or perhaps go on a dungeon run, should the roll provide :). 

ID 48374

     Finally clean enough to continue, Brax picked up his discarded weapon and soldiered on.  He had...mud in places he preferred not to think about, but the grime would not deter him from making his way down the coastal shoreline towards a more suitable place to wait for the deadly wyvern to appear.  Neither would it keep the heavily armored man from engaging in more combat with the denizens that made the swamp their home.  For another alligator pack, hungry and ready to kill, was stalking the man as he trudged along.  As he travelled, their yellow eyes followed his movements, while salivating fangs chomped noisily from their devouring maws beneath the murky depths.  Finally they could wait no more, and like Aphrodite rising from the water they came, not with beauty but beastliness, with fury not love.  Biting into Brax's leg the main gator held him down while the others moved in for a meal,  the stoic managed to be quick enough to tackle the biting monster with his shoulderguard, rolling over it as he moved and the motion activated his Trample Act.  His sweeping strikes took the entire mob to task, cleaving clean through their reptilian bodies and leaving nothing but pixels to sink into the muddy water below.

+4 materials

+1120 col

ID 48373

CD 8

LD 17 +6 LD

     As Brax cleaned himself off as best he could, he found several interesting pieces of muck in the crevasses of his armor.  They were not the normal fare of dirt and grime that might be found in a swampy land such as this; no, they were relatively more precious in design.  Various waterborne plants had been torn up from the ground as he had twisted free from his foes, wedging themselves in his metal frame as he got up and he pocketed them for future bartering purposes.  A rare find, indeed, during a basic cleanup process.

+1 material

ID 48372

     Unfortunately, while Brax was switching out his equipment, another menacing group of Alligators decided to ambush the stoic as he finished.  Looking up, Brax only had enough time to pick up his weapon before the mob tackled him into the fetid water, drenching his body and releasing red pixels from across his arms and chest from the blows.  He sputtered a little as he thrashed in the swampy field, twisting away from his foes and getting back to his feet as he readied the Explode Catapult once more.  Dripping with dank liquid from the swamp, he rushed the gators as fast as he could given the water that covered his frame and the muck beneath his feet, unleashing his attack as he moved.  With as much grace as he could muster, Brax sliced clean through two of the alligators and vibrated the remaining ones to death with the ensuing shockwave following his final slam.  Afterwards, he began to shuck off the muddy muck that he was covered head to toe with, the better to move onto the next area.

+8 materials

+1840 col

     The yellow glow began to fade from Brax's eyes, and he sat on a nearby rock to consider his next move.  Should he de-equip The Pactagon symbol and go with his Ring of Thror to better hunt down treasure, or stick with his accuracy and choose another consumable to aid his other skills?  In the end, the metal clad man chose the former, making his decision based on the fact that he had other things to help add to his ability to strike truly in combat.  Thus, Brax took off his Pactagon necklace and equipped the Ring of Thror, feeling the slight tug of avarice on his heart that faded quickly.

Equipped The Ring of Thror in place of The Pactagon (+2 LD, -2 ACC)

     As the fire subsided and left him with only the knowledge that he would be strong enough to contend with the dragonesque boss, Brax stared out into the misty morning air and realized his folly: he would need to maintain an ever present search for treasure, the better to make sure he could keep his consumable stores well-stocked.  Smacking his helm clad head with his metal glove, he drew forth another consumable in the form of a Chocolate Bar, what he would normally use to aid his treasure seeking gaze in it's task.  The sweet treat crunched noisily in the burbling of the swamplands, and after finishing it his eyes glowed with yellow light as the enchanted effects took hold.

Consumed one Chocolate Bar (+2 LD for a thread)

     'Wow...' was all that the heavily armored man could say as the reverberations of his attack echoed into the morning mist and faded away.  'So, that is the power...of a second tier weapon.  Impressive...to say the least.  I wonder...what it would do to a Field Boss, or even a Dungeon Boss.  Food for thought.'  Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Brax refocused himself to once again consider what he needed to accomplish while out here: hunting the Lord of the Seas.  To that effect, he wished to increase his defensive standings, the better to ensure that no matter how hard the wyvern hit, he could survive the battle long enough to claim victory.  Reaching into his inventory, Brax withdrew one of his acquired Potions of Protection II, consuming the red liquid and feeling his skin beneath the armor toughen up immensely.  With the added invulnerability he felt dancing across his skin, no monster would do enough harm to cause him worry.

Consumed one Potion of Protection II (tier 2) (+36 MIT for a thread)

ID 48362

     As Brax materialized in the settlement of Lazaro, he beheld his first visit to a higher floor.  It was little different than what he had seen during his trainings below Floor 10, with the exception of the environment which was a new experience.  It was...a foreboding looking town, with rickety buildings sitting atop wooden stilts as they swayed slightly in the musty breeze.  Water was...pretty much everywhere, as far as the eye could see, and the thick humidity hung like a blanket in the air, wrapping everyone in it's clammy embrace.  As he was teleporting in during the wee morning hours, the flowing breeze carried a slight chill that grabbed at the stoic's heart and tried to steal away what warmth he possessed.  In order to maintain some semblance of heat, Brax would have to move and move fast, which he did on his way to the quest board nearby.  His usual first stop when exploring was the board, for while he would not necessarily mind just hunting willy-nilly, and Brax shuddered once as he used such an odd word, with the acquisition of his new gear he wanted a suitable challenge, one that the quest board would most likely provide in full.  As he came upon it and looked at the proffered jobs, his gaze fell to a quest involving the hunting of a Wyvern called the <<Lord of the Seas>>, a powerful foe that only strikes when a storm begins to move in along the coastlines.  Smiling wanly with a certain amount of satisfaction, Brax knew that this foe would be perfectly suitable for a first true test of his gear, though it would not hurt to try out some moves on the local wildlife while he waited.

    Heading out of the village proper, the Stalwart Stoic stepped out into the vast swamps and began a search for the patch of water where this supposed Lord of the Seas took refuge.  Unsheathing his newly acquired Axe of Sir Render, Brax would also have to find some lower ranked mobs to contend with for a decent test of the weapon before attempting to kill the Field Boss.  In addition, with the help of his Pactagon accessory and his Greaves of Sir Loin, he would be able to effectively deal with any foes that came at him, even here on the second set of floors unlocked by the frontliners.  Foes like the alligators that arose from the murky water before him.  Weapon at the ready, before the raucous reptiles could even think of assailing Brax, he unleashed his AOE attack Explode Catapult in spectacular fashion, the mighty combination of two swipes and an overhead slam vibrating loudly through the mud beneath their feet.  The monsters stood no chance against the increased power he commanded, exploding into pixels even as the ground shook for several miles in every direction, explicit proof of the new strength of Brax's weapon.

+4 materials

     The swamps will run red with the blood of the wyvern, as Brax engages the beastie solo

Name: Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Item Type: Snack

Quality: Rare

Tier: 2

Enhancements: +36 MIT for a thread

Description: An oatmeal cookie with little raisins sprinkled throughout

Received:

4x from ID 48332 http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/10970-sp-f5-a-time-to-hunt-prowling-around-the-desert-sands-complete/?do=findComment&comment=450450

Name: Vitamin A Tabs

Item Type: Snack

Quality: Rare

Tier: 1

Enhancements: +2 BD for a thread

Description: A sack of chewable tabs, bright orange in color

Received:

x4 from ID 48224 http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/10970-sp-f5-a-time-to-hunt-prowling-around-the-desert-sands-complete/?do=findComment&comment=450239

Name: Rum Cookie

Item Type: Snack

Quality: Rare

Tier: 2

Enhancements: +4 DMG, -2 EVA for a thread

Description: An alcoholic cookie, meant for only the most adventurous of consumers

Received:

4x from ID 48333 http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/10970-sp-f5-a-time-to-hunt-prowling-around-the-desert-sands-complete/?do=findComment&comment=450454

Name: Potion of Strength II (tier 2)

Item Type: Potion

Quality: Rare

Tier: 2

Enhancements: +4 DMG for a thread

Description: A vial of liquid, dark red in color, glowing with light

Received:

4x from ID 48227 http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/10970-sp-f5-a-time-to-hunt-prowling-around-the-desert-sands-complete/?do=findComment&comment=450239

     "Thank you, Ishida.  I will await the completion of my equipment.  Farewell."  With that, Brax exited the establishment to level up sufficiently so as to actually be able to equip the gear he had just commissioned.  'Soon,' he thought silently as he left for parts unknown to train and build himself up.

     After a good dungeon experience and having leveled up along the way, Brax returned to the Midnight Armory posthaste, so as to receive his new pieces of equipment and continue training.  Calling out for the young blacksmith, the stoic asked, "Hail, Ishida.  Are my pieces complete?  I have just leveled up and would wish to see how my commissions fare."

+The Axe of Sir Rated

+The Armor of Sir Vival

+The Greaves of Sir Loin

+The Shoulderguards of Sir Racha

Summary

400 col + 3 SP + 3 Vitamin A Tabs + 4 Potions of Strength II (tier two) + 4 Oatmeal Raisin Cookies + 4 Rum Cookies + 38 materials + 11740 col + [ID 48347 ((Floor 5 + 9 LD + 6 LD) x 70) = 1400 col]

THREAD COMPLETE!

ID 48346

LD 5 +6 LD

     Only after a thorough once-over did Brax see that he still had something to do before ending his trip.  The reward screen beckoned to him silently, blinking in the air as it waited for his involvement.  Standing up, he looked it over and was pleased by it's contents, a decent amount of col and materials won in relation to the excursion.  Clicking the accept button, he took stock of himself for anything out of the ordinary before exiting the Coliseum and heading out of the village.

     Standing before the massive dunes that surrounded the dungeon he had just cleared, Brax was ready for the next phase of his journeys here in Aincrad.  With the EXP he had accumulated and the rare items he had won from both the dungeon and the mobs hunted before, he was now prepared to equip his tier two gear just as soon as he picked it up from Ishida.  With that advancement, he might even be able to make his way to the Floor Boss fight on Floor Thirteen, if he so chose.  But first...it was time to leave.  Brax stepped into the swirling sands and vanished, taking his first step towards the next journey.

ID 48345

LD 5 +6 LD

     As he stood atop the fallen Cactuar, the royal attempted one last time to rise and continue.  However, as it did it's virtual frame began to fritz.  Lacking the energy and the will to go on, it fell back and exploded as it hit, dropping Brax ungracefully to the ground hard on his butt.  As he washed in the pixels of his fallen foe, a window appeared in midair to much fanfare saying 'DUNGEON CLEARED!' that signaled the completion of his second dungeon.  He perused the arena floor for any other loot possibly dropped by his foe, other than what he had already seen.  While he searched, he failed to notice the prompt screen appear so as to let him collect his winnings.

ID 48343

     As he lay in the stands dazed and confused from the hard hit, Brax realized...he had not been damaged as much as he thought.  To be honest, he was only minimally hurt by the force of the blow and only dazed because of the distance he had been forced to travel.  Looking up, he saw that he had been launched at least 50 feet away from where he had been before.  'Wow, that was...interesting,' thought the Stalwart Stoic as he rose unsteadily to his feet.  Below in the arena the Cactuar Prince was smashing it's fists together to psych up and kill the interloper, or at least that was how Brax interpreted the gesture.  Looking around he found his axe lying nearby and picked it up to continue the fight.  A quick observation of the arena gave the man an idea on how to attack next, and he began running towards the giant cacti while still in the stands.  Roaring in anger, the Prince began to level stone chunks that had broken off around it in an attempt to assault the metal clad man from a distance, only managing to strike him with pebbles broken off as they landed near his advancing frame which did nothing to slow him down.  Weaving in and out of the way of the falling projectiles, and as soon as he had gotten close enough, Brax leapt from the stands high in the air with his axe already preparing a Sword Art in the form of the Ultimate Breaker.  The Cactuar tried to interrupt his attack by throwing a fist to block his path, but Brax simply dodged the blow and landed on the extended arm, running along it to reach the head itself and connect with his attack.  A pair of uppercuts to the head sent the Cactuar's head snapping back audibly, and as it fell to the ground dazed Brax finished the move with a final slam that bore the Boss to the ground hard, bouncing once in the sands before coming to a rest.

+2 materials

+1500 col

ID 48341

     Mostly out of energy, Brax could only watch as the Cactuar's eyes blinked closed for a moment and then opened wide to regard the stoic with a decidedly angry and outraged gaze.  The only indications of that sentiment, though, were found in the way it's eyebrows rose up almost to the crown atop it's regal brow, and the way the thin black line of it's mouth opened to show a gaping maw of...wait...where were the monster's teeth?  As if drawn by a child, the mouth of the powerful Dungeon Boss was empty and crude in design, as if the Cardinal had been channeling a three year old when it created the creature.  For all intents and purposes, the Cactuar Prince's mouth was...simply a hole, spiraling into darkness with nothing inside.  The sound coming forth from it, though, was anything but childish.  A roar that could peel paint off a car echoed violently over the battlefield, and Brax was forced to cover his ears from the sound.  With his eyes shut tight to drown out the noise, he almost failed to see the giant rise and reach out with a long and powerful fist, managing only to offer a half hearted swipe before it connected with a solid punch and sent Brax flying back into the stands above.

ID 48339

     The Cactuar remained hunched over and Brax sought to take advantage of the fallen Prince.  He was stopped momentarily by his frozen status following his attack, and he bided his time hoping that the monster wouldn't recover before he could devastate it once more.  Time crept by as a mournful sound emanated from the colossal cantankerous Cactuar, a keening cry from the pain and damage it had sustained.  It looked at Brax suddenly with it's unexpressive eyes, the only emotions being conveyed by it's murderous eyebrows and a black line that indicated where it's mouth was turned upside-down in a dismaying frown.  His frozen body began to operate once more, and looking into those dark eyes Brax charged forwards yet again as he set up another Dynamic Violence to try and end the fight now, before the Prince could get up.  Catching it's face with his powerful attack as it kneeled undefended, all four sweeping motions hit the Cactuar full force on it's head and threw the giant Prince reeling back, landing hard against the arena wall behind it and rattling the Coliseum itself with the force of the impact.

ID 48338

     A massive two story tall Cactuar stood in the stands behind Brax, casting the imposing shadow over most of the Coliseum under the lights of the moon and stars.  In the dead of night, the Cactuar Prince stood there with giant black eyes and almost comically expressive eyebrows creased in confusion and annoyance, though the intent behind them was lost on the stoic.  Long arms ending in boxing glove shaped fists extended from a dark green cylindrical body sprouting large thorns across the entirety of it's surface.  Finally, like a crown atop a royal's head, there stood a exquisitely beautiful desert rose, bright red and tinged with gold flecks.  It sat crooked, leaning to the side as the Prince regarded the intruder.

    Anger flashed across the creased brow of the Prince, and it leapt high into the air and landed near the center of the Coliseum's battlegrounds, turning to face Brax as it began readying itself for extended combat.  Eying the massive monstrous plant, the unflinching metal clad man charged forward before the Cactuar could strike first, taking the lead in the fight so as to end it as quick as possible.  Engaging his Dynamic Violence Sword Art, Brax jumped high into the air to unleash the attack to the Prince's midsection, the first three swipes crisscrossing the dungeon boss's stomach and as he fell back to earth his final empty swing sent a shockwave flying high to hit the monster's chest.  The Cactuar Prince doubled over in extreme pain, almost half of it's life taken by the assault.  Black brows curled in agony and the long arms clutched it's stomach as it hit it's knees on the sandy ground.

     Whatever the goal, he would face it in due time, for a telling 'PING!' from his status bar told the story of his renewed reserves.  With reinvigorated bones and sufficiently capable power, Brax rose from the dusty ground and shouldered his axe for a final showdown with the dungeon boss.  He turned and passed through the sandy archway, entering the Arena proper and looking around for his foe.  A shadow fell across the center of the arena, taking the form of a cacti of immense size.  Tilting his head slightly, Brax wondered at the shadow's bulk as he turned to regard what could possibly make such an impression.

     The night waxed on, the moon shining her silvery light across the empty Cactuar Village as Brax continued to wait for his strength to return.  He considered for a moment what his next goal would be, once he had reached the next level available and all the appropriate rewards that followed.  There was at least one quest he could take on against a wyvern of some sort on Floor Eleven with the added protections offered by his rare loot earnings and the new power he would possess with tier two gear.  But beyond that, all he could see was more dungeon diving, most likely on higher floors so as to increase the level of his training.

     Before he engaged the boss, though, Brax knew he needed to rest and recover himself.  His skills were more than sufficient to engage in battle and win; in fact, with all the consumables he had already taken, the only fear he could have experienced would be...boredom at the length of the fight.  However, the energy he had expended in the challenged against the Guardians needed to be recovered, no two ways about it.  Once he had gained back what he lost, though, the boss would not know what had hit it.

ID 48336

     The giant Cactuar Guardians stood imposingly at the main entrance into the structure, wielding huge spears and tower shields and standing at least two feet taller than Brax in stature.  Meaty fists were covered in spines, letting all who dared approach know that the weapons they wielded were not the only power they brought to bear in battle.  As the stoic drew closer to their position they took little notice of him, for it was their job to guard the archway, not move beyond it overly far.  Brax concluded that they would probably not engage until it was certain he would try to intrude on the inner sanctum beyond.  His energy fully charged, the man did the same and charged the Guardian's with a might roar.  They took full notice of his presence now, moving to engage in heated combat.

     Setting his axe low and to the side, Brax readied his Explode Catapult to end the battle quickly.  But before he could begin the charge-up the Cactuar attacked first.  Chunking their spears to disrupt his motions, the heavily armored man was forced to dodge to flying projectiles before he could attack.  The lead Guardians' took advantage of the moment, spinning the polearms they still wielded and hitting Brax dead center in his chest, the force of the attack forcing him back.  Shaking his head to clear the pressure inside, he realized these guards were much more capable than the ones he had faced in the desert, courtesy of being chosen for the royal guard they presumably served.  But, although he had been knocked around, Brax still had not wasted the energy from his pool, and again charged forth with his axe prepared for combat using the Explode Catapult.  This time, with no flying spears to avoid, he was able to muscle past the strikes of the lead Guardians and strike them all down, bisecting the first two and hitting the ones in back with his devastating shockwave.  His attack tore through them all, leaving nothing but pixels and col and the boss who lay just ahead.

+4 materials

+1720 col

     Off in the distance, Brax saw an open arena-like structure similar to a coliseum.  It was...palatial in design, built from hardened sand blocks built atop one another and decorated with vines and flowers.  Crumbling archways looked aristocratic in their architecture, with Greek and Roman style pillars holding up each level as it stood several stories high.  It was, indeed, a Coliseum, where a king would hold ultimate sway in the secret village, or perhaps a prince, and where Brax instinctively knew he would face the final dungeon boss once he entered.  But first, he would have to contend with the Cactuar who stood watch over the entrance.

     Sandy streets and spiny shelters lined the walkways as he meandered the town in search of his final prey.  Just about everyone was gone, having hopped over and through the massive dunes that supposedly protected the location from prying eyes, unless of course those eyes were trained to find hidden places such as the village.  Tumbleweeds and dust devils paraded the passageways now, as a cold and lonely wind began to blow and ruffle the remaining plant clad buildings.  Desert lilies were crushed under Brax's metal boots as they drifted through the air having been dropped by the escaping little critters.

     The Village was relatively easy to navigate, even with all of the running around of the various Cactuar creatures underfoot.  None opposed the Stalwart Stoic as he made his way to the center of the town, as his performance against the guards had frightened just about every monster there.  The only ones he would most likely have to contend with would be the boss itself and whatever guards stood in attendance.  Brax felt his energy returning as well while he walked, a good thing given that he would need everything he had in order to defeat what was to come.