Kranzer

For the most part Kranzer simply walked beside Dynaon while he remained silent. He wanted to cringe when the fool called him Kranzy again. However, by now he was simply going to accept the fact that Dynaon either couldn’t say his name correctly or he just didn’t care to. Albeit his he grudgingly accepted it and not without a silent curse or ten. While it was clear Dynaon held similar feelings as Kranzer he did seem to be rather pleased with that breastplate. It was the one small spark of hope in this entire debacle that made it even remotely worthwhile for the indecisive player to continue tagging along. While his belief that somewhere deep down the fool had some survival instinct he feared that possibility was forlorn at best.

When Dynaon finally spoke it wasn’t to continue the heated debate they had the previous day but to offer Kranzer praise over the fact that he’d gained a single level. A quick glance at the party interface and it showed that the “Immortal King” was already level three. Kranzer wasn’t envious so that wasn’t way he didn’t reply at first. His lips parted to offer a retort but no sound flowed out so he closed his mouth. He just didn’t know how to reply when praised for his effort or lack thereof in this case. His gaze shifted to look at the fool to see if he was only teasing and it didn’t seem like that was the case. In fact the man wasn’t even being crass about it. Was it possible that he was genuinely proud about the level?

It didn’t seem appropriate yet Kranzer felt a strange sensation at the situation at hand. He’d never been praised before. Was this what it felt like to feel pride in what he did? “T-thank you,” he finally managed to say. “I-I told you I have a strategy.” Kranzer idly scratched at his cheek with the index finger of his left hand while his right hand flexed idly along the hilt of his sheathed dagger. “Look at you though. Level three already?” Kranzer quickly tried to shift the focus back to Dynaon since he felt discomfort anytime the light of this stage called life was focused on him for any length of time. His brown eyes shifted and there was a tiny bit of shame reflected within them about everything that he’d set yesterday while he was heated. Though he still felt it was well deserved since the man didn’t seem to have any sense at all.

Dynaon grew visibly frustrated though on the same note so did Kranzer. Then he went on about fate and skill. He also claimed he never failed a test though that only made Kranzer shake his head. “Fate has brought you to me it would seem to talk some sense into that unbelievably thick skull of yours. You’ve never failed a test? Well of course I can see that,” he conceded that minor defeat. “However, where else have you seen study guides and pop quizzes that could literally kill you if you failed? Hmm?” Then the man stood up and tossed a bit of Col on the table and started to walk for the door leaving a statement that Kranzer would know where to find him when the time came. For a long moment those brown eyes rested upon the Col on the table before he snatched it up.

His nostrils flared as he swept out of the booth and hurled the stuff right at the back of that thick skull. Not that it would hurt of course. Especially not here in Starter City. “I don’t need your charity and if you think I can just sit here and eat off of your good graces while you go out to ‘study’ and get yourself killed, well you got another thing coming Dynaon.” Kranzer walked forward. His brow and shoulders set as he visibly fumed. While he was aimless in life there was nothing that got him more focused, more determined than when he got angry. This man had accomplished that much and as he walked by he would try to grab the man by the arm and physically drag him out of the cafe if he let him.

“Let's go and find this glorious end that’s destined to befall one such as you, oh Immortal King.” Ugh how did it come to this. For the man who didn’t want to leave the city to suddenly be on his way back out just to prove his point… man to the wind with his luck.

“My level,” Kranzer asked as if to echo Dynaon’s statement. Then he went on about the higher stats again which incited a drawn out sigh from the indecisive player. No matter what it was it always seemed to come back to the level and stats with this one. Kranzer interlocked his fingers together as he lifted his hands to shield his face from the prying eyes about the establishment. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation to have. The sigh died out half way as Kranzer suddenly puzzled over the fact that the man had mentioned he’d looked at his stats. Through the party menu? His hands shifted slightly as they were pulled away from his eyes and he opened the menu. Well maybe this guy’s level was pretty high. It must have been for Dynaon to have the gall to poke at the fact that he was still only level one.

The party menu opened and his expression shifted to an incredulous one as his lower lip quivered. This man with all his bravado and insistence that he raise his level was in fact only level one. A LEVEL ONE player actually saw fit to lecture Kranzer about his lack levels gained since they were all trapped here? Now that was horribly ironic. It would have been funny if Kranzer could see the humor in the situation. Which he didn’t so he simply placed the palm of his hand against his face as he groaned. “You’re only level one." His tone betrayed the disbelief that raged through his mind at that moment. "With all that talking you were doing just now I thought you might have actually playing around earlier.” He didn't know what was scarier. The fact that Dynaon actually believed in his own hype or that he actually charged that boar alone with the sole belief that he was untouchable.

“Let me guess. You’re one of those who never prepared for the test and attempted to talk big to hide that fact aren’t you?” Kranzer kept up with the analogy the man had used. As he spoke Kranzer leaned in and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “And my name is Kranzer. I’d ask if you were capable of reading but I’ve told you that quite a few times already.” Slowly he leaned away and rested his back against the chair. “Look we are in a party so I guess I can help you out from time to time. At the very least I can keep you from running off and getting killed like some glory-seeking noob.”

Those brown eyes narrowed by a small margin as he took a moment to truly study Dynaon for the first time. He looked young though not so young that he should have possessed any measure of immaturity. Then again looks could be deceiving.

Dynaon didn’t comment on his statement and instead shifted the conversation back towards Kranzer and asked about how he intended to accomplish this strategy of beating the game without taking any action. For a brief second Kranzer blinked in confusion. Clear the game? He tried to think back and pondered on if he said anything that might have eluded to that then he held up one of his hands in apology when nothing came to mind. “I think there has been a misunderstanding. I said a strategy to survive. I never said anything about clearing this game.” He did not in agreement with most of what Dynaon said which came as a surprise for Kranzer actually. Who would have thought he’d agree with anything the man said.

“You are right though. For a plan to succeed a certain amount of action is required. However,” he said as he held up a finger to express his point further. “Not all action is required to be overt. Sometimes it is the things people don’t see that make the most difference. Even if they don’t know it themselves.” Dynaon also made the assumption that Kranzer had yet to take any action during all of this time. Which for the most part could be considered the truth, but it wasn’t something he was about to admit openly. “So what makes you think I haven’t done anything yet to put my plans in motion?”

His plan worked out well. Kranzer figured if this man was so full of his own hype as he appeared to be he wouldn’t miss a beat when offered a chance to speak about himself and it worked. The indecisive man leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands though his eyes drifted to the other faces here in the cafe. Once he actually heard Dynaon’s explanation though he had no choice to cast an incredulous look at the fool. Was that… really the reason? That was his motivation? It all fit together with everything else he had said so far but in his heart of hearts Kranzer truly hoped that Dynaon was just talking up a storm rather than actually pouring his heart out.

“I see,” he said finally. “So what you are saying here is, and correct me if I am wrong, you want to place a target on your face and while you take the punishment you will allow everyone else to do the work of actually killing the bosses and clearing the floors? Because that’s what a tank does and if I am being honest that’s what it sounds like you’re going for here.” His words were harsher than he intended really. Kranzer only sought to knock the man down a peg or two on that ladder he so desperately clung to and tried to climb. It was a genuine attempt to keep the man’s head level and focused so he wouldn’t die in vain for his mad grasp for immortality.

Then he was asked about his activities since he first logged into SAO. Kranzer hesitated for a moment as he tried to figure out a way to word this without looking like too much of a coward. “I... have studied the situation and I am currently working on the best strategy to survive this mess.” That sounded about right. No need to say he was just lurking in Starter City too uncertain of himself to step forth outside of its protection and see the world at large. No need for that at all.

The comment Dynaon made reached Kranzer’s ears but he didn’t know what to say. For a brief moment his gaze was lifted skyward though he had to shield his eyes from the sun. A bird eh? Flying through the clouds without a worry? That seemed oddly… fitting for this man somehow. Maybe it was due to the comment he’d made about Dynaon’s head being in the clouds? Although being a bird and being able to fly away was an appealing idea. Kranzer suddenly shook his head and dismissed the idealistic thoughts that crept into his mind. This wasn’t the time or place to fancy such dreams. He had to face the cold hard truth of reality. If he allowed his mind to wander that could only lead to disaster. Kranzer was rather pessimistic in life which was probably rather evident.

Kranzer followed the fool through the city streets fully expecting him to get them lost but when they arrived at the cafe a short while later he had to admit he was impressed. Though he didn’t tell Dynaon that, oh heck no. Inside they went and Kranzer sat at the opposite side of the booth. Then things took a turn towards the awkward. Dynaon asked about Kranzer’s story. About his life. A cloud of doubt flowed over Kranzer’s face as his expression shifted. It wasn’t really something he was comfortable talking about and so he quickly tried to evade the question by asking one of his own. “So tell me. What’s the story behind this Immortal King claim of yours?”

Thankfully the idea of food seemed to appeal to this “Immortal King” so much that the man actually took the lead. This was great finally they were going to get out of the fields and return to the safe haven Starter City represented. “Starlight Cafe,” Kranzer muttered in response. Well it sounded good and he wasn’t above accepting free food. So he tagged along and let Dynaon take the lead in case anything happened to spawn in their path. Kranzer cringed at the bastardization of his name as he slowly shook his head. Why was this man calling him Kranzy? For now he just let the matter slide. The last thing he wanted to do was provoke the man into wanting to stay out here in the fields even a moment longer.

Then his eyes rose to see the thumbs up and they widened ever so slightly in indignation. “T-toughen me up,” he muttered in disbelief. Did he really just say that? Kranzer’s brow furrowed as he narrowed his eyes. “I am not scared thank you very much. I just,” he said as he adverted his gaze. “I just prefer to be cautious is all.” Dammit that fool had to go and put him on the spot like that. “Levels are fine and all but it isn’t that I need to be toughened up.” Once more his gaze fell upon Dynaon with a dim fire lit in his eyes. There was the start of something there but if Kranzer opted to take hold and follow that path remained to be seen.

“What we need to do is to get your head out of the clouds and your feet planted firmly on the ground.” Oh he could go for a burger right now… Kranzer was so darned irritated. The ping of the <<Party Request>> brought him out of his thoughts. Kranzer glanced at the man momentarily as he realized that he wasn't just spewing hot air... he really intended to try and toughen him up. Kranzer groaned inwardly but ultimately he reached forward and pressed the accept button.

“Woah wait just a minute there,” he started to say as he crossed his forearms together to form an X out in front of his body in response to the sudden idea that he could help watch Dynaon’s back and there was that strange pronunciation of his name. His brow furrowed in clear frustration as the man kept on talking about his grand dream. Immortal King? Hogwash is what Kranzer had to say to that. “Look I am not the one to watch your back in a fight. Offer you advice? Sure why not but to watch your back that means I would need to wade into the thick of it alongside you which is not an option. Also again my name is Kranzer not Kranzy.” Lowering his arms he rested his hands on his hips as he focused solely upon the fool that stood before him. “You might as well have named yourself King Arthur and be done with it!” Well that was a thought. Idly Kranzer scratched at his chin as he considered that.

“Yes I could be your Merlin,” he said before his eyes widened and he raised a finger in order to shake it at Dynaon. “A less confrontational Merlin mind you… and without magic… who isn’t always around,” he said as he started to lose track of where he was going with that entire line of thinking. Suddenly he shook his head and a look of pure stubbornness flashed across his face. “Bah anyway, I don’t know about all this heroic stuff and clearing the floors personally.” His expression softened as he bore witness to the determination behind this man’s words. He seemed awfully intent to get out of this place. Kranzer wondered why since he just couldn’t relate with the man. After all what was waiting for him back in the real world? An empty house? He had no family to speak of. Even his dog Kranzer had died which is why he kept using the name as his screen name.

His chest deflated as a low sigh parted his lips. This was all too much for the indecisive player to take in. “How about we go back to Starter City and find a place to get some food or something.” The last thing he needed was to be out here after the sun set. The thought of being trapped out here in the dark when Raid Bosses might lurk behind every hill... well it was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

Kranzer wanted to slap the man as he latched on to the comment he made about the tombstone and tried to turn it around to fit his own goal. What would a few words scratched into stone matter when he was dead? It wasn’t like he could read it after all or get any of the satisfaction for any of that. Then there was this Immortal King business. What?  Kranzer’s brow furrowed slightly as he stopped walking and turned around to look at the fool a bit more closely. Surely he had to be joking. Right? So did this man desire the legacy that would be left behind after his death or did he seek the thrill of the journey that he underwent to forge that legacy? None of it made sense to Kranzer not in the least.

Then it was almost like Dynaon had a breakthrough as he talked about how death here was permanent. It wasn’t like some game where he could simply start over. When you died here, well you just died. That was it. Finally the fool had started to see reason. A slow smile spread across Kranzer’s face as he bore witness to the impossible or so he thought. Suddenly his smile started to fade. “Wait what?” Dynaon wanted to be the hope of the people? That undying light that lived in their hearts and saw them through each and every day until the final floor is finally cleared and the final curtain set upon this mockery? He had to shake his head at that.

“So what you’re saying is you want to be a martyr. Sure the words 'He fought for us' will be written on that tombstone of yours. Though words fade with time and you won’t find any glorious death here. Glory is to be found in surviving. You want to see this through to the end? Then make damn sure you live through it otherwise that hope you want to bring to everyone will be dashed like porcelain beneath the weight of a hammer.” Kranzer balled his fist and slammed it into his open palm as if to further illustrate his point. “Just," he said with a drawn out sigh. "Think. Don’t try and play the hero. Heroes freaking die man and their ‘legacy’ remains in the dirt along with them.” He had gotten a little flustered in all of this so he took a moment to let out a slow and drawn out breath.

Both of his hands ran down his face as if to wipe away the lines of concern that were etched into his face. Why was he even getting so invested in this man? Was it the fact that his sense of idealism was so strong that Kranzer just wanted to make the man see reason? Regardless he shook his head once more. “Look no matter what you can’t do this alone. First you need to find others to watch your back. Think things through and plan accordingly. Observe first and then act.”

Dynaon moved to follow so that was good at least. Kranzer didn’t take the time to observe all the variations in the man’s face to really know what he was feeling, that is assuming there were any hints to be read in his expression anyway. For once the man didn’t seem to want to talk which was a pleasant surprise. Well that is until they started to wade through the tall grass. Dynaon questioned his reasoning for not wanting to grind out his levels. Kranzer nearly shook his head when he mentioned that they’d gotten lucky and asked what he’d do in the future. In the future he’d be sure not to randomly wander off into the wilderness. That he was absolutely certain of. Then Dynaon went off into an idealistic speech about gaining strength to protect the average player from meeting an untimely fate at the hands of some raid boss.

That statement suddenly made Kranzer freeze in place as his gaze frantically shifted about their immediate surroundings. There were raid bosses that could roam the floors? A bead of sweat trailed its way down the side of his face and lingered on the edge of his chin before it made the final plunge to vanish in the grass. “Wait,” he muttered as he suddenly turned around and looked Dynaon square in the eye. “What do you mean what if a raid boss comes plowing through the first floor?” Kranzer cast a wary gaze around before he looked back at Dynaon. “T-they can do that?” He had no flipping clue that was a thing. What was he doing?! He had to get back to Starter City stat. Though what Dynaon said at the end gave Kranzer a momentary pause.

This man… did he truly feel this way? He spoke like “the heroes of old” as the saying used to go. Did he truly believe in everything he said? Kranzer slowly shook his head in indignation. “Look what you’re saying is nice and all but that’s just not me. Obviously I won’t just turn a blind eye to someone in danger but to go out there and seek danger just to protect others from a perceived threat? It sounds like you want to win medals.” There was an intense flare in Kranzer’s deep brown eyes as he leaned in. “Unfortunately there aren’t any medals out here are there? Do you want to know what that gung-ho attitude will get you out here?” Kranzer waited a moment to see if Dynaon would reply before he went ahead and said it. “All that’ll get you is a one way trip to an early grave.”

Kranzer threw his hands up in frustration as he turned. “Look let's get back to Starter City before some Raid Boss decides to make us an early afternoon snack.” Unbeknownst to the indecisive man, this was the start of what could only be described as a destructive relationship between the two old “friends.” Though they were more like acquaintances than true friends from the sparse interactions in the past but he did know the man and this was just too much at the moment. Would the aimless man end up taking the path of ensuring the fool didn’t run off and get himself killed? Perish the thought...

The truth of the matter was despite his seemingly cool exterior Kranzer was rather freaked out about everything that had just happened. A slight chill at the back of his neck made him think that if that battle had gone on any longer one of them would have been dead and considering Kranzer’s luck it definitely be him. Dynaon accepted the trade without so much as a thank you which caused a slight tremor in one of Kranzer’s eyebrows. The man never missed a beat did he? Stared right into death’s door and came back grinning like a madman. Perhaps he was mad… that thought didn’t sit well with Kranzer at all. Then his reason for being out in the field was brought up,  and then the fool only went on to prove that he must have been illiterate when he murdered Kranzer’s name. Kranzy? What the heck was that? “N-no, it's Kranzer. K-R-A-N-Z-E-R. Kranzer.”

Not really getting that he’d just earned a nickname he stressed each letter as if he meant to teach Dynaon how to pronounce it properly. “As for why I am out here,” he muttered before he adverted his gaze. Kranzer scratched idly at his cheek with the index finger of his free hand and then moved to sheath his dagger. This was done only after he took a good look at their surroundings. One never knew when another <<Mob>> would spawn suddenly. He chose to avoid answering that by revealing he had been lurking out in the grass like some stalker. Based on all of their interaction Kranzer figured that would just encourage the man's dreams of grandeur. Instead he went on to answer the next question. “I’m not really all about the grind Dynaon. I am more concerned with surviving, and I’ll be honest with the way you’re going I don’t think you’ll last long.” While it was true Kranzer had no idea on what he should do ever since that oversized GM announced that they were all trapped here until the game was cleared grinding out levels was simply not all that appealing to him.

His eyes turned to focus on the fool with a hint of regret flashing across his expression. “We shouldn’t just stand around. We need a plan. It’s dangerous around here, and who knows when another Boar is going to spawn right?” He waited for a moment to see if the fool would finally see reason. Regardless of what he observed Kranzer motioned for Dynaon to follow him as he started to head back over towards his hiding spot.

At first Kranzer seemed almost ashamed that he had flubbed his attack so bad that he ran into the man. That is until Dynaon had the audacity to refer to him… as… as a fan! Now he kinda wish his dagger had slipped, no that wasn’t a very nice thought so instead Kranzer stood up quickly and rolled his eyes. “Look we should handle this together. I have a plan to,” he started to say before his voice trailed off. Kranzer turned to look at the man though he seemed to have either totally disregarded what he’d said or Dynaon was just so full of himself that he didn’t hear it as he told Kranzer to stand back and let him handle it. “Ugh.” His eyes rolled slightly as he turned his attention towards the <<Boar>>. “Well if you want to die that bad then go right ahead.” Which he did. Kranzer watched in disbelief as Dynaon actually ran forward only to fail big time.

His foot slipped and he rolled across the ground and for a moment Kranzer hoped he’d see a grass stain down the fool’s face. That is until the <<Boar>> looked down right at him and it was obvious Dynaon was in a life or death situation. “Crap.” With his dagger held in a traditional grip he ran forward. Grass parted beneath his feet with each frantic step he took. The <<Boar’s>> head dipped down as it prepared to charge forward and gore the poor fool to death. “Faster,” he thought. He had to go faster! Damn that fool for making him have to go through so much effort. Then suddenly he went right by the beast. The blade of his dagger sliced along the <Boar’s>> flank as a red streak was left in its wake.

The blade swept through and as he finished his attack Kranzer crouched low with his arm angled across his body. His eyes grew wide when he received the <<Critical Hit>> alert pinged across his field of view. No freaking way. Slowly he stood as he heard the sound of the <<Boar’s>> body breaking apart as it died. Slowly he turned around to face Dynaon head on. His approach was slow and deliberate. The sun shined down on his back which masked his face in shadows which kept most of the contempt concealed for the most part. The blade of his dagger was held low and by his side as he continued to stare. Then ever so slowly and deliberately Kranzer leaned forward as he held out his free hand. “Come with me if you want to live.” There was a window on his left that had popped up revealing that he’d earned some loot from killing the beast.

Briefly his gaze flicked over it and he realized he’d received a good item for the kill. He’d received a material for killing the <<Boar>> along with some heavy armor. Well that wouldn’t do him any good. Perhaps… His gaze shifted back to Dynaon as he accepted the loot and immediately sent a trade request to him as he offered the armor. Perhaps this would keep the fool alive another day in this place.

Alright it was finally time for him to withdraw. There wasn’t any need for Kranzer to attack this thing and to do so alone would be paramount to inviting death over for tea and then trying to shake his hand before ushering him out the door. It just wasn’t smart. He was just about to start scooting back along the ground when he heard that overbearing voice. “No,” he muttered in slight disbelief and he hurriedly crawled forward and parted the grass once more.  Someone was actually charging the thing... and he was alone?! "No you idiot! Don't do that. Ru--," he started to say until the man landed a rather solid hit against the boar. Which left Kranzer laying there blinking by the display. It was a nice hit after all so maybe... just maybe this guy knew what he was doing. Any hope of that was quickly butchered as Dynaon went off on a little monologue as the boar's hoof dragged back against the ground which signaled that it was about to attack.

While the man's blade scored a clean hit the boar's hide proved to be a bit too resilient for him to win on his own. The instant that name echoed through the open grassy field it became painfully evident who this man was. Kranzer had encountered this very fool many times on other games. That is unless someone else with the same overbearing attitude created a character with that name. Kranzer groaned softly in dismay. "Of the thousands of players I had to have the misfortune of running into this asshole again." For a split second Kranzer thought about just leaving the fool to his fate but something nagged at the back of his mind about that choice. A fool he might be but he was a fool that had helped Kranzer out more than he cared to admit in their past experiences online. "DAMMIT," he shouted as he sprang up from his hiding spot and charged in. His hand gripped the hilt of his dagger firmly as he pulled it free of its sheath and ran in even as the boar charged forth with the intent of goring Dynaon with its tusks.

Kranzer’s mind however was rather focused upon his annoyance at the way he always ran into this guy no matter what game he picked up. Was it some cruel twist of fate? As he ran forward his attack was way off and by the time he realized his momentum would carry him directly into the man it was already too late. He was way too invested in it all. His dagger missed the boar and his body would plow directly into Dynaon unless he moved first. Which in turn miraculously would take them both out of the boar’s path. If that is the reason the Boar missed the fool or not… well Kranzer wouldn’t claim otherwise. From that moment forward his intent was to save Dynaon. If he let it slip that he’d flubbed an attack so bad… well he would never be able to live it down.

There was an old saying from years back that struck so true for one such as Dynaon. The way he presented himself and the actions he took. Kranzer’s mind idly pondered over what it was until he finally realized it. This man was so much like an old character from an old MMORPG. What was the name… Jeroy Lenkins? No that didn’t quite sound right.

Another way I just discovered is to go to your profile, click edit profile, then select the option to enable status updates. Then it looks like you can post them directly from your profile as well.

“Why did I even come out this far,” Kranzer muttered to himself while he lay prone upon the ground. Slowly he scooted forward so he could peer through some tall grass. Grass that he prayed would go a long way towards keeping him concealed from the solitary boar that spawned a short distance away. Granted it wasn’t necessary for him to hide since it needed to aggro on him before it would attack. Which he knew of course. It was a common mechanic that was common in the various games he’d played through during his life. The main difference though was that none were quite as extensive as SAO was. A fact that held true more so now than ever due to the fact that this “game” had become all too real for everyone involved.

Regardless he always erred on the side of caution so he stayed a fair distance away and actively tried to stay outside of its range while he studied it a little more closely. Once more he berated himself, silently of course, for his sudden stint of carelessness. How he’d managed to wander outside of Starter City finally was beyond even his understanding. There he was in town thinking on all the reasons he should leave Starter City while he walked along the streets that through the city like veins that allowed the populace to circulate throughout the city. When he cast a quick glance to his left it was revealed that he wasn’t too far from the city so he was pretty certain he could make it if he had to make a run for it. For now though he was fairly set on at least observing the creature to see if he could work out any patterns in the AI that governed it.

Light suddenly flowed over Kranzer’s body as he stepped out from beneath one of the many archways that stretched over the city streets in a city that was aptly called Starting City. Slowly his hand rose as he held it before his face almost like he wanted to get a better look at it. For several moments he just stood there as he flexed his hand into a fist only to release it a second later. He repeated this several times. It was an almost surreal with how much this form resembled his own. Largely in part due to that “special mirror” that had been placed in his inventory. Ever since that fateful day Kranzer had sort of just wandered aimlessly around the first floor without having fought a single monster. It wasn’t so much that he was afraid really though there was a tiny fringe of fright there that remained fixed in his mind since that GM in the blood colored robe revealed the truth behind this “Game” or what he felt was the truth.

He wasn’t really afraid to venture outside of the city it was more to the fact that he was just overly cautious. Everytime he worked up the nerve his mind would play through different scenarios of what could go wrong and before he knew it he lost more ground than he gained. Every time he took a single step to start his true adventure and hopefully find a way out of this place he ended up taking two steps back due to one form of indecision or another. His hand clenched into a fist until there was a subtle shake behind it due to just how firm his grip was. While the action might have hinted at some form of anger it was completely void on his face. Largely he was indifferent about the entire situation. Granted he wanted to leave this place but ultimately what could he do?

He could either accept the reality of the situation and live as best he could or completely freak out as he’d witness countless others do. It just required too much energy to do all that. Finally he allowed his hand to relax and fall down by his side. His gaze was cast towards the vast sky above while a soft sigh escaped from his slightly parted lips. “What should I be doing right now?”

Profile
Username: Kranzer
Real name: Tristan Cromwell
Age: 26 / February 23rd
Gender: Male
Height: 5'11

About: History/personality

Tristan was born to a relatively poor family as an only child. They weren’t poor due to lack of work or a decent income in fact it was quite the opposite. The main reason was the fact that his father was always a sickly man. He’d have to make constant trips to the hospital and to cover those bills his mother was always working and rarely ever home long enough to do anything more than eat or sleep. She’d talk with him of course but only for a few minutes before she’d run off to one of her jobs. His main companion in life was his pet dog. A little mixed breed mutt that was just as kicked back as he was. Due to the lack of any direct human interaction in his early years Tristan never really developed what most called fundamental “social skills.”

He had to mostly take care of himself which is how he grew into the man he is today. His father ended up passing away when he was seventeen and his mother followed shortly thereafter. She’d spent so much time working and not enough time resting that it just eventually wore her body down. Tristan never made it through college. He just couldn’t find a major that kept his interest long enough. So he ended up bouncing from one job to the next. Even his private life didn’t have much consistency. He’d start one game and before he truly got to experience it he’d put it down and move on to the next.

When SAO came out he was mildly interested in it of course though he knew he’d probably only play it for a few months before he lost interest in it as well.

Link Start

Rather than spending much time working on his avatar Tristan simply logged in to try the game out first. As usual he used the name Kranzer which was his dog’s name which had passed away five years prior. With every intent for Kranzer to be a throwaway character he picked the most basic weapon he could find and logged in. At first he was rather astonished with the game though he didn’t leave the starting city at first. Such a vast and open game offered him entirely too many options to really know where to start. Then it happened. The giant figure clad in a red cloak revealed that no one was going to be able to log out. A fact that was only proven when he couldn’t find the logout option in the menu.

“Well crap,” he muttered. A tiny sliver of fear welled up within him as he realized that it may be a long time before anyone noticed something was wrong with him since he lived alone, and here he thought he’d only be spending a few months here.

Virtues:

Controlled: Kranzer always works at maintaining his calm and remain in as much control of a situation as he possibly can. He isn't prone to recklessness in most situations. When he finds himself in any situation he tries to think his way out of it first in order to find the best solution.

Cautious: Kranzer has never been one to possess a reckless attitude. If he feels something is too dangerous he will not hesitate to say so nor will he recklessly risk his own life unless its to save a friend.

Loyal: It's true that Kranzer can be described as being both controlled and cautious. In face he prides himself on that and its left him with very few friends indeed. However, those few who area able to accept him for who he is will find a friend for life. The few occasions that Kranzer will actually stick his neck out for anyone is when its a friend. He's loyal almost to a fault but that doesn't stop him from speaking his mind.

Flaws:
Aimless: One of Kranzer's major faults is that he simply lacks both ambition and a direction in life. Which carried over into SAO. While other players fought to clear the floors he simply wandered around the first floor uncertain of what to do and unwilling to truly put his life in danger to see any progress made. This lack of purpose often makes him appear lazy or uncaring of his current situation.

Humorless: Kranzer is a very serious fellow. To such a degree that he often doesn't see the humor in a situation and will take most jokes as serious statements or commitments. It's put him at odds with quite a number of people in his life. Even when someone tries to explain the humor of a situation he only grows frustrated if he's not able to understand it.

Indifferent: One of the reasons Kranzer hasn't been able to truly find a purpose in his life is the fact that he just lacks the necessary drive to seek it out. He just isn't able to maintain a steady level of interest to see most things through unless he has someone there pushing him to do so. This added with his lack of friends has proven to be a horrible combination though he's never been one to really worry over it. His seeming lack of interest has often made it look like he doesn't care about the fact he can't log out or the fact that many have died since he was first trapped there. In truth he does care he's just never really had a way to express that so he usually just keeps quiet on the matter.

Profession: Merchant [Rank 2]

Skills (24 SP total; 23 SP spent)
Non-combat:
»Search and Detect: Rank 1 (5/13)

Passive:
»Light Armor: Rank 1 (5/13)

Combat:
»

Weapon skills:
» Dagger: Rank 2 (13/23)
» Martial Arts <<Extra>>: Rank 0 (0/5)

Inventory
Weapons/Tools:
» Starter Stiletto, 10 Bread, 15 Water, Set of Vanity Clothes
» Fate's Hand; Acquired
» Matriarch's Stinger [x1]
» Material x4[Boar]
» Material x15 [Non-Combat]

» Col: 3063
Armor:
» Blade of the Black Rose
» Shield of the Black Rose
» Gloves of the Lone Wolf
» Cloak [Vanity]
» Stone Wall [Good Quality Shield]
Usual Gear Equipped

Roleplays
Active Threads: 11
Completed Threads: 13

Relationships (optional)
» Dynaon:

» Hope:

Story Thus Far (optional)

Hello everyone. I'm looking to join up here and figured I'd take the time to greet everyone. I'm still looking through all the rules before I post a journal for approval, figuring out what weapon I'll start with, etc. I'm new to this site but not rp over forums. I've been writing collaboratively like that for around seven years or so. I've not been on a site quite so structured as this though so it'll be a new experience.

 I'm assuming there isn't a set equipment list and it's more just the item rarity + item type? As in there isn't specific weapons and more just weapons based on the skill?