Shield

While there had been a sudden influx of players in his shop not too long ago, things had slowed down to a crawl. Aside from Beat stopping in for visits now and then or his various business connections picking up or dropping off orders, there was nobody who came up this far. Shield didn't mind. If anything, it gave him some time to concentrate on his craft. He focused his eye through the jeweler's loupe and began appraising axes once again. Today was nothing but paralysis and damage, that is until he found an odd looking axe at the bottom of the crate. It was shaped like a human spine for

1 Item Name: Keen Axe ID: 80837 Roll: Craft: 10 + 3 = 13, Loot: 4 - Keen Tier: 1 Type: Axe Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Keen Description: A simple hand axe with grey inlay. 2 Item Name: Accuracy Axe ID: 80840 Roll: Craft: 8 + 3 = 11, Loot: 6 - Accuracy Tier:

Shield had long since given up on defensive items. To his knowledge, there were no defensive enhancement on tier one equipment that could outdo his tier two gear. However, there were some that he had heard of that might outdo his axe, and easily so. Unfortunately, today would not the day to find them, but if nothing else, there were a handful of mundane enhancements to uncover today. During a week where his quotas had been down, a small pile of axes wouldn't be unwelcome. One locked, which was unfortunate, but between the keen, the accuracy, two damages and a paralysis, he was back on tra

1 Item Name: Accuracy Axe ID: 80760 Roll: Craft: 12 + 3 = 15, Loot: 8 - Accuracy Tier: 1 Type: Axe Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Accuracy Description: A simple hand axe with white inlay. 2 Item Name: Damaging Axe ID: 80761 Roll: Craft: 9 + 3 = 12, Loot: 18 - Damage Ti

His frustrations were beginning to carry over from the other days, because the next set of appraisals was paltry. Only two successful appraisals in the lot, and with a small mound of materials now gone. "With so little to show for it, too," he sighed, lacing his fingers behind his head and looking up towards the ceiling. About this time, he heard a knock on his door. "You got anything for me?" asked the weapons broker that was the ferry to the first floor for lower players. "Oh," Shield said, disappointment heavy in his voice. "I may have to owe you. The shipment is going to be

1 Item Name: Thorns Shield ID: 80615 Roll: Craft: 10 + 3 = 13, Loot: 10 - Thorns Tier: 1 Type: Shield Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Thorns Description: A simple kite shield with red inlay. 2 Item Name: Paralyze Shield ID: 80621 Roll: Craft: 12 + 3 = 15, Loot: 14 - Paralyze

His success the day before set his hopes high, which was an unfortunate thing. He had a stack of shields laid out and ready to appraise, but right our of the gate, his first item locked on him. It took him another four tries to find anything noteworthy on one of the others, and the only other things he managed to find aside from that one shield of paralysis were a couple of thorned shields. Pushing his tools across the desk, Shield pressed his palms against his eyes. "There has to be a better way to find good gear," he groaned. It wasn't that he minded searching for new things, but t

1 Item Name: Regen Shield ID: 80535 Roll: Craft: 11 + 3 = 14, Loot: 6 - Regen Tier: 1 Type: Shield Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Regen Description: A simple kite shield with green inlay. 2 Item Name: Thorny Shield ID: 80536 Roll: Craft: 8 + 3 = 11, Loot: 11 - Thorns T

With his lucking having plateaued momentarily on chest plates, Shield decided to swap over to his namesake, hoping the change in tack would equal a change in luck. "Regeneration," he mumbled to himself, setting the shield aside to take the next one. "Thorns..." he went on, pulling the next shield forward. Before it had fully registered, a golden exclamation mark filled his view as he inspected the item through his jeweler's loupe. He leaned forward, inspecting the item to see what enhancement the ellipses would become. "Holy Blessing again?" he gasped. "Oh, if only I had a way t

1 Item Name: Recovery Shield ID: 80406 Roll: Craft: 11 + 3 = 14, Loot: 2 - Recovery Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Recovery Description: A simple kite shield with purple inlay. 2 Item Name: Paralyze Shield ID: 80411 Roll: Craft: 12 + 3 = 15, Loot: 15 - P

Although he was beginning to tire of the sight of chest plates, Shield still had a lot of stock to go through before he could make his weekly quotas on low-level equipment. He pulled his scales and coin across the desk and affixed his jeweler's loupe before picking up the next chest plate. The going was slow, and one plate in particular refused to be identified until he had wasted half of the day's attempts on that item alone. Then, after all of that effort, it had just been another paralysis enhancement. He sighed, pushing the stack of items away from him. Despite the difficulty, everyth

1 Item Name: Mitigation Shield ID: 80351 Roll: Craft: 8 + 3 = 11, Loot: 20 - Damage Mitigation Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Damage Mitigation Description: A simple kite shield with blue inlay. 2 Item Name: Thorns Shield ID: 80354 Roll: Craft: 10 + 3 =

He continued on his foray into heavy armors, pouring from one pile into the next, determined to find more interesting enhancements. His blood pounded in his ears as he burned through material after material in each new attempt to uncover what was hidden under the veil of an otherwise common item. This batch would prove to be less interesting than the last couple, producing only two enhancements, and neither having any uniqueness to them. As a matter of fact, their enhancements were both ones that Shield already had stacked on his build as high as he was able to do so. He sighed, pushing t

1 Item Name: Recovery Plate ID: 80304 Roll: Craft: 7 + 3 = 10, Loot: 1 - Recovery Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Recovery Description: A simple chest plate with purple inlay over the chest 2 Item Name: Angel's Plate ID: 80305 Roll: Craft: 12 + 3 = 15, Ba

After a short break, he was back at the grind again, squinting so hard into his jeweler's loupe that it hurt his eyelid. The adrenaline from finding his most recent unique enhancement had subsided, but his excitement was still present in force. This time, he set about searching his heavy armor, hoping to uncover something of significance there. He found recovery on one set and put it aside before looking at the next set of armor. The golden exclamation mark flashed before his eyes and he sat forward again, waiting for the details to display. "Holy Blessing! I've heard of this! It's a

1 Item Name: Keen Axe ID: 80222 Roll: Craft: 7 + 3 = 10, Loot: 2 - Keen Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Keen Description: A simple hand axe with swirling grey inlay in either side of the head. 2 Item Name: Damaging Axe ID: 80226 Roll: Craft: 7 + 3 = 10, L

Shield was spending more and more of his time focusing on weapons. For some reason, he seemed to be having the hardest time finding uniques for them. He had found one once upon a time, but that was a long time ago, and before he had really focused on increasing his crafting abilities. He set out his instruments and went to the back of the shop, pulling out a crate of one handed axes he had requested from his weapons dealer. They were mundane, but he was determined to turn as many of them around as he could, hopefully finding the holy grail - a unique, maybe even fallen - on one of them. A

1 Item Name: Recovery Plate ID: 80139 Roll: Craft: 10 + 3 = 13, Loot: 2 - Recovery Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Recovery Description: A simple chest plate with purple inlay over the chest 2 Item Name: BLANK Plate ID: 80141 Roll: Craft: 7 + 3 = 10, Loot

Although he had a mountain of other items to go through, he was still partial to heavy armor, being a tank and all. He set aside his other gear and pulled out a fresh stack of collapsed chest plates to go through. He made to crack his neck, though the actual physiology of Sword Art Online, or lack there of, did not account for joint popping, which left Shield feeling very unsatisfied. "Hmm.... this first one is stubborn... still nothing... wait... Ah! Thorns! Not bad. let's see... Heavy momentum. Those enhancements always seemed a little silly to be, but some enhancement is better than no

1 Item Name: Recovery Plate ID: 80022 Roll: Craft: 10 + 4 = 14, Loot: 1 - Recovery Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Recovery Description: A simple chest plate with purple inlay over the chest 2 Item Name: Recovery Plate ID: 80021 Roll: Craft: 12 + 4 = 16,

Since heavy armors proved to be difficult the day before, Shield gave one of his supply of axes a go before switching back to armors. He stacked up a pile to go through, arranging his instruments before starting into his work for the day. One by one, he brought the items into the ruby hue of his loupe, watching as the little chaser style ellipsis icon flashed before displaying the result. "Keen on the axe... and then regeneration... damage mitigation... Hmm..." he said aloud, having to make several attempts before his loupe changed its tune. "Ah! Recovery. And on this one as well." H

1 Item Name: Mitigation Plate ID: 79759 Roll: Craft: 10 + 4 = 14, Loot: 17 - Damage Mitigation Tier: 1 Type: Heavy Armor Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Damage Mitigation Description: A simple chest plate with blue inlay over the chest 2 Item Name: Regen Plate ID: 79757 Roll: Craf

Another day of inspecting mundane items to find something of use. As it was, Shield had established a solid trade of simple items with one enhancement each. They were perhaps not the most effective in combat, but they were still of use. One of the eleventh floor information brokers had set up a side business shuttling loads of uncommon quality gear to the lower floors. Pulling his scales and coin forward to benefit from their bonuses, Shield affixed his jeweler's loupe to his eye and began going through his most recent shipment of heavy armor. They were difficult this particular day, usua

1 Item Name: Accuracy Blade ID: 79618 Roll: Craft: 10 + 4 = 14, Loot: 5 - Accuracy Tier: 1 Type: One Handed Straight Sword Quality: Uncommon Enhancements: Accuracy Description: A simple broad sword with a straight edge and a white gem in the pommel. 2 Item Name: Accuracy Blade ID: 79615 Roll:

"Absolutely," Shield said with a nod of affirmation. "The very nature of appraisal is a gamble. You never know what's in store, but it's always an interesting ride." He stretched his neck, preparing himself for another long bout of appraisals. Digging through his inventory, he pulled out another respite, more mac 'n cheese, and a hearty food item to keep up his vigor, having to squint and readjust his eye each time he took it away from his loupe. The pile of mundane items continued to mount, and one after another, he was forced to take breathers to consume his various items that he h