Shirien

Shirien hummed while walking his way up to a bench under a tree in town. It looked like as good a place to relax and read as any in his mind. With that focused in his mind he continued his reading and started to verbally state the things he was trying to memorize. He tried not to look up though in case somebody was staring at him like he was totally crazy. "Okay, lets see... Sells items... gain exp in the profession to rank up... get new items and then sell those..." And then he got to the juiciest bit. The ability to examine items for secret traits which he could unlock. The mere thought of such a thing excited him, making him grin as he looked down the list of potential traits he could unlock! "Mmm... I like how that sounds. A touch random, chaotic, what more could I need?" Gambling was pretty fun, the money kind, not the Russian Roulette kind. He really preferred the money kind.

He knew that earlier on in the game people were handing out these cheap little books full of tips to help new players. He was willing to gamble on them being updated over time to include more info. He had no use for the original since he wasn't going to participate, but he knew where to get one originally. It took him an hour or so of searching since it had been a long time since he had even come this deep into the first floor's capital but with a quick exchange of Col he soon had a small brown book in his hands which he started to flip through to drain it dry of the knowledge it had around the Merchant profession so that he could get it all down mentally. He would worry about studying before he would worry about the concept of gaining a place to actually do his business. He needed knowledge to have power, not the other way around. He glanced down to the dagger on his hip, more or less evidence of the fact. It wasn't exactly a broadsword meant to be swung hard and hope for the best.

Shirien shrugged at the slight cold shoulder but he had everything he needed in any case. He was now officially a Merchant as far as he could tell. He hums a moment while walking through the street and checks his menus just to be sure. Sure enough he did eventually find the word 'Merchant' in his stats, making him smile as he had successfully completed today's goal, leaving him with a sense of success and fulfillment which was a rare thing for him in the past in this virtual world. He hummed while thinking about what steps would come next after this. He had the profession, but no way to actually use it. He would need to start doing research he supposed. After a few minutes of thought he smiled when he realized there was a pretty easy way for him to get the info he needed.

Shirien was both wrong, as well as right. Another person did enter the shop but it was not a customer, it was the owner in fact. The NPC who was the reason he was currently standing there behind the counter. "Ahhh, I see you haven't abandoned your post. So, you've spent a day in the life. Tell me, do you still want to be a Merchant?" To which Shirien nodded, despite it not actually being a full day as the NPC suggested. He was willing to let it slide, it was within his tolerance for quest flavor text confusion. "Yeah, sign me up. This seems like something I could get behind." He says with a smile. Seconds later he got a Quest Complete in his face, making him grin as he got some spare EXP as well as extra materials to boot. He'd count them later but he knew to step out from behind the counter now. "Well, thank you very much for the opportunity, have a good one!" He says to the NPC who gives him a nod before returning behind the counter, its mission completed.

Moments after the quick exit of the previous player a brand new player entered, glancing behind themselves curiously "What was that about?" They ask curiously while looking at Shirien who grins and shrugs his shoulders "No idea, he asked for two teleport crystals and went off after paying. My guess is someone is in trouble." He shrugs his shoulders since there wasn't anything he could do "And what can I get you?" He winks to the other player, assuming that wasn't their sole reason for coming in. "Oh! Right, just a supply run for my guild. Nothing major." A grocery list of sorts was handed to Shirien who skimmed it with a nod and started to bust out the items requested by them. "Done and done. We sell everything you need." With the transaction made the player nodded to Shirien and gave him a wave "Great, thanks a bunch!" With that they exited while Shirien braced himself for the potential of three people coming in a row.

[ID# 57720][LD: 17]

[Total Materials: 3]

Shirien had far fewer than twenty winks to relax as quickly stomped in the next customer, seemingly out of breath and in a hurry. "Hey, get me two basic teleport crystals, wouldja?" Shirien blinked but sensing the situation hopped up and tossed him the crystals a second later, the player not even reading the price before they ran out as quickly as they had ran in. Shirien hoped that the door wasn't damaged and if it were that the slams were not credited to himself. In either scenario Shirien noted a new tip added to the invisible till that he only hoped was a real thing and not just a fake way to encourage him to work hard until the quest was complete. "... Well, hope it wasn't a big deal. Good luck, whoever you were." He says with a musical tone to the end.

[ID# 57719][LD: 15]

[Total Materials: 2]

Shirien quickly tugged his hood back a few inches and stood up when the now familiar ring of the bell announced his next customer. This one much like the last knew exactly what they needed. "Hey there, could you give me a fishing rod?" To the request Shirien eagerly nodded and reached down, pulling up a lovely quality rod and setting it down for them. "There you are." He says as the popup appeared for the new arrival who happily accepted the price. "Thanks, time to put this baby to work." With those words the player turned around and left the store with a ring while Shirien more or less took as his cue to get another twenty winks before the next customer.

[ID# 57717][LD: 14]

Pleased with himself and his new acquisition he got ready to nap twice as hard, his eyes shutting as his hood is tucked over his eyelids, smiling happily with his exposed mouth while napping in a store in broad daylight. He might not have been employee of the month, but he didn't really need to be when there was nobody else home to tell him how to do his job. Customers were getting the services they paid for, and that made him feel satisfied enough with his work to enjoy his forced breaks. "The future looks bright~" He says while blinded by the darkness of his hood. It seemed doubtful to him that having his own shop would be more busy than this, if anything he expected it to be less so. And truly, that was a good deal to him. It gave him time to catch up on sleep whenever he wasn't adventuring and tiring himself with combat!

[ID# 57715][LD: 6]

After what felt to him like half an hour of relaxation the bell rung and he got up onto his legs once again to greet the customer. "Heyo, whatcha need?" He says to vary things up a touch for his own sake. The player soon handed him a grocery list of items from potions to a few items and crystals even. With a nod Shirien starts piling the stuff up onto the shop's counter and waits for the player to confirm the price as he crossed his fingers behind himself. With a nod the player hits the 'accept' button and the shop is given some Col, if not Shirien himself. Once the player had left with his new items however he got a notice about getting a material as a 'tip' of sorts for some reason. He was more than happy to simply accept it without question however. Pay was pay, whatever the form!

[ID# 57714][LD: 15]
[Total Materials: 1]

He had found a little humor in his job which suited him just fine. It was a nice little bonus for him that something amusing would happen while he was on the clock and waiting for the quest to conclude himself. So far as he could tell aside from leaving his post there were no actual failure conditions for this quest, but he didn't feel like pushing his luck either in case it was a one-time quest and failure meant being blacklisted from this sort of thing in the future. In either scenario the only work he had to do for the next short while was hold down the fort thanks to a momentary lull in the flow of customers giving him an impromptu break to shut his eyes with his arms behind his head.

[ID# 57713][LD: 9]

With a failed sale which he wouldn't have profited from to begin with completed he plopped himself back into the seat, sighing softly in relaxation before another ringing was heard to rudely interrupt him. He waved and repeated the same greeting he had given the last guy, The player in question seemed to want a basic whip. Several smart remarks met his mind but were wiped aside in favor of being professional in a shop he didn't own. He went through the items that were for sale and came up with the basic version of the whip weapon for the player. The player looked the item over for a good moment before shaking their head. It wasn't quite what they were looking for they explained and that it would need to be custom. Shirien held back a laugh until the player had walked a safe distance away, his mischief getting the better of him!

[ID# 57712][LD: 8]

Shirien was able to rest for a nice long time in his temporary seat, sighing happily as he was given a chance to gain the rest he had lost in order to set off on this venture. Eventually however came the ringing of a bell signalling the entrance of customer. Common manners kicking in as he opens his eyes and straightens up. "Hey, what can I get you?" He asks curiously as he player steps forward and says "Hi, can I get three healing potions?" Shirien looked around a moment, suddenly regretting not checking the inventory beforehand but coming up with three potions relatively quickly. "Here we are." He notes the other player looking at a pop-up. The player frowned a bit and said "Oh, uh sorry. That's ever so slightly out of my price range. Uh, thanks anyways." The player turned and left, leaving Shirien to put the potions back away, and this time actually checking the stock and what they had.

[ID# 57711][LD: 8]

With a nod and a pat on the shoulder the NPC moves out from behind the counter and invites Shirien to take his place. Shirien nods and moves behind the counter while the NPC says "You won't need to do much, just wait for a customer and if they ask for a certain item, see if we have it and give it to them. The shop will tell them the price and it's up to them if they choose to purchase it or not. If they try to steal the item, leave it to the guardians. They'll take care of the criminal, that's not your job in this shop." With the NPCs explanation finished Shirien nods and the NPC exits the shop without hesitation, utterly trusting Shirien... as his programming dictates. "Well... Here we are." He claps his hands, high fiving himself for a job well done as he flops backwards into the nearby wooden chair. He crosses his legs and arms while letting his head hang back, waiting for any would be customers to enter the shop while he lazed about. it was everything he could have ever dreamed for in a job.

Shirien soon concluded that what he had on his hands was a quest of sorts. From what he could understand it was basically telling him that he would fill in for the NPC owner while he himself went on 'some errands'. Shirien himself assumed the NPC would pathfind to a random location or just despawn entirely while out of view, but either scenario left him with the same chores. He was to make sure the shop didn't lose business in his absence. The quest mentioned the possibility of being given 'tips' for the duration of the quest if customers were satisfied when they left. The actual reward itself seemed kind of vague, like it was going to be a randomized reward atop of the EXP and profession. Seeing little other choice and it was a paid chance to experience his new job firsthand he accepted the quest and said "Alright, I'm in. I'll watch your shop while you go about your errands!"

Shirien went from store to store in the markets, quizzing the NPCs if they could make him a merchant or knew a place that could. One by one he got responses that to him basically amounted to 'This response is coded into me to say when I don't have an answer or response.' which didn't help him in the slightest towards his goal. It wasn't until about the seventh shop that he finally got something to tide back his minor sense of annoyance at the lack of information he had to his name. "Hey, Shopkeep, do you know how an Adventurer would go about becoming a Merchant?" He asks like he had said the phrase many many times and was growing tired of it. "Ah, you've come to the right place!" Says the NPC to Shirien's surprise. While fighting the urge to place a vendetta on the shop's neighbors for the close proximity he says "In that case I would like to become a Merchant, how would I go about that?" The NPC smiled and a pop up soon appeared in front of Shirien's face which he started to read in detail.

After consuming his meal like a ravenous beast and paying for it with (thankfully) enough Col he let out a happy sigh and pushed himself out of his seat. He ensured his hood was up and shielding his face as he approached towards the door. The moment he passed the threshold into the first floor's capital he sighed and kept his eyes out of contact with the sun while keeping his ears from trying to take in every single sound. He had to focus and get what he was going to do today done. He felt if he got distracted too much the day would pass entirely and he would fail himself, the last person he wanted to really fail. With a deep breath he headed towards the shops in the town. If anyone would know how to become a merchant or give hints, it would be merchants themselves he supposed. If they didn't know then they must have been really bad at their jobs he supposed.

It didn't take long for him to mentally force himself to the realization that the first step to becoming a merchant was to not be inside of a tavern's room and to actually exit. With that settled into his mind he turned towards the door and exited the room. From there he started to pass into the dining area of the tavern where breakfast was being served to customers. He felt his stomach grumble a little and he let out a sigh as he knew how little funds he had... Still, he could use the energy is what he told himself as he took the free detour! He seated himself at an empty table to the side of the room and waited to be served by a waitress. As no surprise to him it was an NPC who took his order with mechanical precision. Minutes later he had a platter of sausage and eggs before him. He almost had to wipe away a tear at the sight of real food before he started to stab the meal with his prepared fork. The food was eerily close to the real thing he concluded with a grin. He didn't care, it filled his belly and pleased his tongue, that was all he asked for in a meal!

Shirien decided it would be best to just list his choices out loud to himself since nobody could probably hear him from his room. "Let's see... I'm not very creative, so that rules out Artisan and Tailor... I'm not the type of guy who would hammer steel for a living... way too physical, so that rules out Smithing..." He strains himself a little to keep going and remembering each of the available professions. "Food is too subjective so no Cooking... Fishing is just icky... Uhm..." He was starting to run out of options he quickly noted "I'm tone deaf-ish, so I can't be making music..." And then it hit him, the perfect profession for a man as lazy as himself. Why work and gather materials when he could get other people to do it for him?! He brings his fist into his palm and announces proudly "Alright, I'll become a merchant!" He says proudly to himself for coming up with something even he could do. Now he just needed to figure out how he would actually go about becoming one.

((Chronologically this takes place after he decided/was convinced to start adventuring after the 15 floors of inactivity.))

Shirien groaned miserably as a new day dawned. He didn't want to get out of bed, he didn't want to step out into the day and form a forward momentum... but he had reason to fight now he supposed. "Dangit... Such a good sleep too..." He mutters as he kicks hard, the blankets that covered him flailing off as he shuffles out of bed and begins to equip his cloth clothes and dagger. "Okay... Goal of the day..." He says while scratching his head with a yawn. While trying to decide he forced himself to stand and started to look through his menu, In time it became apparent to him that he had a distinct lack of a profession. Something for himself to do during his off hours in other words. "... That works." He states plainly before shutting his menus and beginning the grand debate in his mind of what he should choose to be his profession. There were many options to choose from after all, and he could only really settle himself down onto one. He shut his eyes while still standing, tapping his foot to a mental beat as he tried to weigh pros and cons.

He tried not to seem too relieved when the man wasn't as intimidating as he had originally thought, even quite friendly it would seem. "Nice to meet you as well!" He says in turn before returning the favor and pulling back his hood as a sign of trust so both their faces were visible to the other. He couldn't help but give a soft whistle at the announcement of him being a frontliner. That identified him as a very important person after all. Time would tell if it was the truth however, say the right words to the right people and you get free meals and praise of course.

When quizzed on the name of the guild he couldn't help but say "I feel like I've probably heard the name but not the context behind it I think. Is it named after the 'Blood Knight' trope you see in books and such? Y'know 'Battle doesn't need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose'?" He shrugs his shoulders and accepts the shift towards the second question happily. "Hm... I suppose I wouldn't mind. I don't have any plans." He gestures to a wooden building with a sign not far behind the armored player who called himself Macradon "Well, just behind you is the tavern I stay in. The beds aren't that great but the food makes up for it if you can afford it in my opinion." He makes a 'follow me' gesture and turns to continue the tour that he had requested. "There are worse places to stroll, this village is peaceful and rarely visited by outsiders. Especially at night." He shrugs his shoulders and gestures to his right as they passed a sweet smelling bakery. "This place has good treats but they can get a bit pricey. If you are strapped for money, on tuesdays the have a sale on this bread with sugar mixed in. It's no luxurious but it's tasty compared to the regular bread." He holds up his example of the regular bread and takes a bite, glancing back at the other player to see if he was being bored until he swallowed. "Ah, that building that is up the hill and stands above the rest? NPC Mayor's. The view is great from the top." The only way to reach the top however was to go from rooftop to rooftop, or jump inhumanely high. Shirien momentarily thought about saying it might not be a good idea to go up there so heavily armed, but then he remembered buildings didn't just crumble like in the real world.

@Oikawa I mean no offense when I say that is precisely what has happened. I made a request in my post with set conditions and a little backstory behind it. Macradon roleplayed his taking of the request.

There is a thread with me and Macradon at the moment in the beginner floors continuing where his response left off, but I do apologize if it appeared like I was going to RP here.

Shirien blinked and tried not to panic as the armored player veered course straight towards himself. He took a deep breath and kept his spine straight so he wouldn't shrink up as he was approached. Sensing the mood he stopped in his steps and faced the player who approached him. As the other player spoke he continued to chew on the bread in his mouth, buying himself time to think of a response as well as an excuse to not immediately respond. The title of 'Vanguad' seemed rather fitting to Shirien considering the armored status of the player. The main thing that set off warning bells to him was the 'blood' in 'Knights of Blood'. From name alone he would assume they were a PvP guild or at least somewhat on the dark and/or edgy side. The truth of the matter may have been completely different, but he tried to watch his words. Having processed the situation somewhat he swallowed his mouthful and extends his left hand for a handshake. "You can call me Shirien. I don't have any titles to give you, hope that's okay." He would have held out his right hand for the handshake but it was holding the bread, and he didn't want to get flour on the man's hand just in case. "What brings you to Horunka?" He questions curiously, "Not many people as geared as you stop by is all. Particular materials in mind or a miniboss?" He hesitates a moment before saying "Uh, don't take this the wrong way, but if you are here on a recruitment run for your guild, I'm not really looking, heheheh..." In the back of his mind he was praying this player wasn't the spoiled type in some MMO who will harass or hound people who don't want to join their guild. In either case his eyes easily told him this player could kill him by simply squeezing him too hard if they were outside of a safezone. Stats were everything in an MMO after all.

I am simply curious if nothing else. Like, is there a profession that is understaffed and provides a service that's in demand, or are we pretty nicely balanced? My intention is Merchant for a few reasons but I am curious to hear what other people have to say on this.

Oh, but don't say Fisherman, my understanding of basic math makes me say 'no'.

Today Shirien was going about his usual routine. He had just gathered a handful of miscellaneous herbs from the surrounding forest of Horunka Village and traded them in for some cheap Col at a vendor. Using the Col he had obtained he happily walked himself to the local bakery and purchased their cheapest bread. Buying cheap food and a cheap room and just keep living was the summation of his life the past fifteen floors..He wore his usual maroon hooded shirt with his hood up which offered zero by way of protection and his rusted dagger was sheathed on his hip. He couldn't be less under-geared if he tried which was almost an achievement this late into the game if it wasn't just sad. He didn't particularly mind though as he bit at his tasteless food with no interesting textures. The tough bread kept his stomach satisfied if not his palette which yearned for something better. An idea formed in his head and he takes out a few berries from his inventory that he had scavenged and drops them in the dome left from his bite. With the extra flavoring added he bits down on his food while walking through the peaceful village. His may not have been an exciting life full of adventure and strength but it was a peaceful one that kept him alive and out of depression if nothing else.

Today looked like it was going to break his monotony though, as an unusual visitor entered the village. Occasionally lower level or undergeared players would visit and use the town as a hunting base but seeing a heavily armored and decently strong player was far more of a rarity due to the floor's number. Shirien didn't know what business the man with the two-handed blade had in this village but he doubted it had anything to do with himself. With that in mind he idly skirted to the side of the street so not to get in his way or bump into him. The last thing he needed was an enemy after all, then he really would be at risk of starvation for fear of leaving town.

Description: A message is seen plastered on a few random boards and walls on various floors, the writing not being Shirien's at all but that of someone living in Horunka Village speaking about Shirien.

"Dear Adventurer's, it has come to my attention that there is a player on the first floor who is not progressing but could be. I would like for somebody to give him a push in the right direction. He spends his days gathering, eating, and sleeping but little else. However, there have been contained incidents where I believe he shows potential. When threatened he sneaks away in an instant and can scale trees relatively easily. Atop that he has shown considerable reflexes and balance, at night he will travel across the roofs of houses with barely a sound. His combat skills themselves may not be very... present, but I think with time and motivation he could be made into a decent player. Please, get him out of the first floor or at least on the path to actually making a proper living."

The message is followed by a description of the player, from his brown hair and eyes, to the hooded shirt he wears and the rusted dagger he keeps at his hip. it also mentions his usual route through Horunka Village.

Fulfillment requirements: Convince the new player (Shirien) to become a true adventurer. Bribery, blackmail, seduction, all methods are permitted.

Aid Allowed: Not recommended but not disallowed - Too much attention might make him slip into his shell so to speak..

Rewards:The knowledge you helped add someone to the fight for Aincrad.

Repeatable:No