Shield

Using Free Respec [Paragon 25]

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Lock Picking, Leadership, Scouting Familiar
Mod(s) Being Dropped: Dismantling, Elusive, Rally, Steadfast, Inspiring Speech, Press the Attack
SP Incurred Towards Limit: [No Limit]
SP Refunded: 80
Cost: 0 Col 

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Searching for Chest -  ID#: 191570 - Loot: 6+4=10 - No chest

Boss Roll - ID#: 191679 - Loot: 1 - 80,000 col, 120 materials

"Believe me, consistency is usually my middle name," he said with an inaudible chuckle. "After all, the best defense is every defense - every option I have to prevent damage combined with every opportunity I have to remove damage. I strayed from that formula, and it was a mistake."

Shield took one last glance around just as the congratulatory completion message sprang to life in midair. Aside from the banner and the rewards offered on the related dialog box, Shield did not see any other opportunities to loot anything. "On that note, I think we've accomplished about all we're going to. You about ready to head back?"

He collected his gains and closed the midair windows, making his way back towards the entrance. Aside from the obvious gains, Shield had certainly learned a lot about how the game had changed. Bringing up his notes document, he began to make notes, using heavy red marks to mark out the less essential peripherals.

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<<Quest Rewards>>

[ALL]

EXP: 5,253 [Field Boss + Wave 3 + 2 Pages] +3%
Col: 165,318 [Loot Drops + Field Boss + Wave 3 + EXP x 10%]
(24800 + 80000 + 80000 + 80000 + 63987 + 800 + 525 + 525) / 2
Mats: 189
(120 + 120 + 120 + 18) / 2
Rhino Horn

[SHIELD]

T3 Perfect Trinkets
[190493]
T3 Rare Armor/Shields
[190524]
T3 Perfect Armor/Shields
[191068a]
T3 Dungeon Maps
[190522][191067]
T3 Perfect Weapons
[191068b]
        
[FREYD]

T3 Perfect Weapons
[190523a][190523b][190523c]    
T3 Rare Weapons
[190508a]
T3 Uncommon Consumables
[190508b]
T3 Dungeon Maps
[191100]

NIGHT:

ID: 191680 | LD: 12 | Unique Skill for Shield.

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Post Action: Swapping Gear

Manticore Mask > Seeking Aura [+3 LD]

With a sigh, Shield let his shield arm fall to his side. "It's official. There is no room for dabbling in my build," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I had once been a lovely blend between buffs, chest looting, and support. Now, I don't think I'm going to be able to take on much - if anything - outside of the purview of a tank. If I'm actually going to be survival-oriented, I may need to lose Leadership entirely."

There was more than a subtle note of disappointment in his voice. He had loved being able to be the "DPS's best friend," but that last fight had shown him just how easy it was to fall behind the curve of damage. If the updates have indeed introduced newer, even meaner sections of Aincrad, then this fight should serve as a warning as to just how dangerous those situations would be. He began rewriting his skill list and his new numbers immediately. "This all does very little to my end build as far as equipment goes,"  he added, waving his hand to dismiss his shield. "However, my skills will need a dramatic revamp."

Extending a fist for Freyd to bump, he turned his attention back to the dungeon around them. "Given his rank and the lessening of the number of standard mobs, I would assume that's the last of the actual dungeon mobs?"

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 191094: Craft: 6 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [5/5] Focused Howl [3/5] Press the Attack [2/5] Inspiring Speech [1/5]

Post Action: None
Free Action: Gungnir's Shard [+129 HP]

Shield - HP: 679/860 | EN:101/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:118 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS: 129 [1/7]
Freyd | HP: 811/900 | EN: 41/124 (51+4-14) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[7,3] The Cap'n - HP: 333/1,600 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 200 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 (658-325)
[MD 9] 400 DMG, Splash AoE 200 DMG
[MD 10] 440 DMG, Splash AoE 300 DMG

"Bigger issue than the big-mouthed bird is the health I'm hemorrhaging," Shield growled, his eyes still trained on the pirate that had just resorted to headbutting him in the face. He sniffed to test his nostril, which still functioned for the moment. "I've got one more of those charges after this one, and then I'm down to my automatic heals, which have thus far left me a little high and dry, if you'll excuse the seafaring metaphor."

"I won't."

"Don't care." Shield reached behind himself, tapping his shard and draining the penultimate charge. Pale light rushed across his form and his health ticked back up. However, each new benchmark fell lower than the one before it.

Like hell am I gonna give up the last of my green gauge to this cretin.

Shield did not let his pride nor his thoughts pull him away from the fight. "Think you can shackle ol' 'what would it look like if scurvy got scurvy' for a minute?"

Quote

Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 191078: Craft: 2 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [4/5] Focused Howl [2/5] Press the Attack [1/5]

Action: Inspiring Speech [-8 EN]
Gungnir's Shard [+129 HP]

Shield - HP: 723/860 | EN:100/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:118 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS: 129 [2/7]
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 70/124 | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[7,2] The Cap'n - HP: 658/1,600 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 200 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1
[MD 9] 400 DMG, Splash AoE 200 DMG
[MD 10] 440 DMG, Splash AoE 300 DMG

Once again, although it was taking a beating and simultaneous pricking, the captain was living up to his title. His attacks were quick and precise, scoring multiple slashes across Shield's body. His arms were riddled with bright red slashes, and his torso was similarly marked. He swore inside of his head, but he swallowed that frustration and tapped the shard at his hip. 

This has been an informative venture. Dabbling has proved to absolutely cause me to sacrifice my build. If I wish to be able to actually survive in the role I've picked, it's going to require real commitment.

He watched his health tick back up a little ways, but it was not as near to full as he would have preferred.

First things, first -  anything that contributes to my Hit Points is of paramount importance. It will impact every single one of my heals. 

Raising his fist once again, he dug deep into his well of fatherly advice for his 'inspiring words.' "Just remember, there's no 'I' in 'team,' but there is a 'me.'"

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 191075: Craft: 5 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [3/5] Focused Howl [1/5]

Action: Press the Attack [-10 EN]

Shield - HP: 727/860 | EN:107/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:118 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS: 129 [3/7]
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 70/124 | DMG: 27 [+4] | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[7,1] The Cap'n - HP: 1,368/1,600 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 200 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 (1600-232)
[MD 9] 400 DMG, Splash AoE 200 DMG
[MD 10] 440 DMG, Splash AoE 300 DMG

"If you're talking about the inflatable version, I believe they called those 'bop bags,' which is admittedly a pretty lame name." Shield pinged the enemy back at Freyd off of his aegis, though not before taking the brunt of the pirate lerader's jagged cutlass. "That's a lot more than a tickle... but I have my trump card still half full. Think you can shut him up for a sec?"

As the pirate was flung from him, Shield raised his free hand, balling a fist and sending his companion a sizeable damage boost along with the motion. It wasn't exactly going to give them the deciding blow in the fight, but it would hopefully put them one massive stride closer to hat goal. "Make this one count!" He knew that Freyd would hardly miss on purpose, but it was still best to keep the chatter going until the two paragons of their professions managed to learn the ins and outs of one another's combat styles.

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 191064: Craft: 2 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Howl [2/2] Rampart [2/5]

Action: Focused Howl > The Cap'n [-4 EN]

Shield - HP: 860/860 | EN:116/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:118 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS: 3/7
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 75/124 (80+4-9) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[7,0] The Cap'n - HP: 1,600/1,600 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 200 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1
[MD 9] 400 DMG, Splash AoE 200 DMG
[MD 10] 440 DMG, Splash AoE 300 DMG

Shield gave a slight nod to acknowledge the question. "I've got all of the gear necessary already to build my ideal gear. It's essentially the ideal amalgamation of all possible sources of defense, most sources of defensive damage, and every form of passive healing, plus Taunt. I will probably not be as survivable as a fully optimized dodge tank, but I'll rely far less on chance and deal so much back to my opponents that it should balance out." Shield was just about to mosey further down the corridor when a heavy-booted set of footsteps announced that this would be unnecessary.

"So, ye flea-bitten sea-dogs put down me crew all on yer own, did ye?" came a creaky old voice from just out of sight. Stepping into the light of the nearest set of torches, an undead pirate in a much lesser state of decay made his appearance. From his frayed triangular hat and threadbare flowing red coat, his rank was obvious before his nametag was even readable.

Knowing the direction this conversation was invariably headed, Shield puffed up his chest. He focused his blast to the newcomer, sending a narrow cone of turbulent blustering with his howl. "COME AND JOIN THEM, YOU DROWNED RAT!"

Quote

Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 191064: Craft: 2 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Howl [1/2] Rampart [1/5]

Post Action: None
Free Action: Gungnir's Shard [+129 HP]

Shield - HP: 833/860 | EN:119/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:118 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ | GS: 3/7
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 91/124 (80+4-15) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[3,2] Sergeant at Arms - HP: 43/620 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | TXV 24 (1/3)
[3,2] First Mate -  HP: 43/620 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | TXV 24 (1/3)

The bite of the pirates' attacks was apparent on Shield's health as soon as they hit. However, the bite he dealt back to them was equally devastating, and after the blows each had taken from Freyd, the monsters were clearly the worse for wear. Mean while, Shield gave his shard yet another tap, and between it and his natural healing, he was returned almost instantly to practically full health.

"If that's how hard these guys hit, I can't imagine the big bad is gonna be pretty," he said with a low, reverent whistle. "Still, this is why I saved half of my shard. We should still be in decent shape come the big fight." With that, he raised his shield back up, giving his body a slight shake like a heavy beast shaking off a persistent biting insect, and set his dark eyes on the nearly depleted health bars of their short-lived enemies. "Here's to min-maxing, eh?"

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190480: Craft: 12 [+43 HP]
Cool Downs -

Action: Howl [-1 EN]
Free Action: Rampart [-9 EN]

Shield - HP: 860/860 | EN:118/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:118 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ [-25% final DMG]
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 91/124 (95+4-8) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[3,0] Sergeant at Arms - HP: 620/620 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0
[3,0] First Mate -             HP: 620/620 | DMG: 300 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0

"Cranky and crusty is what I'm built for," Shield chimed in, taking a half-skip into a jog down the passage. His eyes were sharp and his guard was up, but it soon became pretty clear that there was likely little danger of ambush. Two more crusty pirates appeared as they rounded a bend in the tunnel, but rather than lunging for the players immediately, they seemed quite content to play tug of war with a small treasure chest, each of them holding onto one of the side handles. The thing was that all of the gold had since spilled from the container and lay strewn about the floor. It was very that their brains had died as soon as their bodies had. Shield rolled his eyes and took a breath.

"HOLD ONTO YOUR BOOTY!" he roared, causing both pirates to release their chest and one of them to leap into the arms of the other. "CUZ WE'RE ABOUT TO KICK IT!" Shield was unapologetic in his dad-punnery and had been since he first made use of the howl skill. What was the point in stopping now? He raised his shield and prepared for them to get their heads on straight and mount an attack.

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Post Action: Basic Attack > Zombie Pirate #2

ID# 190511 - Battle: 5 - Miss

Shield - HP: 860/860 | EN:128/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 95/124 (124-21-8) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

Zombie Pirate #1 | HP: 0/620 | DMG: 186 (620-720)
[1,1]Zombie Pirate #2 | HP: 44/620 | DMG: 186 (620-576)
Zombie Pirate #3 | HP: 44/620 | DMG: 186 (620-576)
Zombie Pirate #4 | HP: 44/620 | DMG: 186 (620-576)

190512 - MOB: 4-3=1 - Miss
190513 - MOB: 5-3=2 - Miss
190514 - MOB: 8-3=5 - Miss

As much as Shield abhorred standing around and doing nothing, there was very little to be done. Still, he was not content to be idle. The less he could leave up to chance, the better. Bending over, he picked a skull-sized stone from the floor of the cavern.  With a wind-up, he lined it up with the nearest of the pirate's heads, trying to draw its focus without the need to use skills.

To observe that Shield was doing something unskilled was apparent, both in the literal and figurative sense. The stone sailed past the undead head it had been aimed at and shattered into dust and fragments on the wall behind it. "Well, let it never be said that I didn't try." The remaining skullywags (Shield decided to trademark this term as soon as he was out of SAO) descended on Freyd, each failed utterly to connect with their target, and they bobbled their heads about, confused and uncertain why their blades met no actual resistance.

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Passive [+1 EN] [+40 HP] Cool Downs - Focused Howl [4/4]

Shield - HP: 880/860 | EN:128/128

Post Action: Swapping Gear

Seeking Aura [-3 LD] > Manticore Mask [+88 THN, +ANTFZ]

Note: Due to clerical error, Shield has not been including Immolation Potion +2 in his THN. Total going forward will be 118

As they crossed the threshold, Shield's fingers swiped through the air once again, reversing their steps from before and banishing his trinket in favor of his shield once again. Out of the corner of his eye, in his HUD, the last of his abilities was refreshed, and his health gauge completely refilled. "I think we somehow timed that just right." Shield glanced around, trying to make out the specifics of the cavern they were trespassing. Thus far, he had not spotted any signs of life, outside of generic jungle generation as one would expect of Cardinal.

As they walked onward, the path continued to slope downward. The further they descended, the less natural the cavern became. Walls smoothed into flattened surfaces. Stalactites disappeared, and very soon, torches began to line the walls. "Well, I think we can rule out this being a random rock formation that just happens to look like a dungeon."

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Passive [+1 EN] [+40 HP] Cool Downs - Focused Howl [3/4]

Shield - HP: 824/860 | EN:128/128 [EN Refresh - 2/2]

Post Action: Searching for Dungeon - ID# 190495 - Loot: 12+6=18 [Dungeon Found!]

"Jungle it is," Shield quipped back, bringing the spyglass up to his eye and pausing, scanning the edge of the jungle and the nearby features for any irregularities. "Now if we're going to be successful, we're better off making sure we can see as much area as possible. Visibility inside of the actual trees is going to be extremely limited..."

Shield steered them towards the beach that skirted the edge of the jungle itself, pausing now and then to bring the spyglass back to his eye in order to scan the jungle's tree line, as well as the depths beyond, as much as visibility would allow. It was not exactly the easiest scouting in the world. However, on occasion, as he swept his scope from side to side, he would feel a slight squeeze on his arm.

Glancing down, he noticed Lilith's little snout poking from his sleeve. Following the direction she pointed, he saw a patch of darker jungle. It was subtle, but even with the shade from the overarching canopy, there should have been more light. Adjusting the spyglass, he magnified the dark spot as much as he could. There, in the darkness, he could make out stones and stalagmites and a ceiling that sloped down into a much deeper darkness.

"And there we have it!"  Shield handed the spyglass over to Freyd to show him what he had seen. "Dark patch, through the trees. Right at your 1 o'clock."

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Passive [+1 EN] [+40 HP] Cool Downs - Focused Howl [3/4]

Shield - HP: 784/860 | EN:101/128 [EN Refresh - 1/2]

Post Action: Swapping Gear

Manticore Mask [-88 THN, ANT FZ] > Seeking Aura [+3 LD]

Shield took the hand offered him, leaning back and rolling forward onto his feet with the assistance. "Bold of you to assume that I'm ever going to use sword arts," he added, dusting himself off as the two of them made their way out. Shield wasn't particularly interested in the drink. "It's already plenty late. If you're set on a drink, it's probably best to get one on the go. I've got a few buffs going that I don't want to run out on us."

As they walked, Shield swiped through his menus. As he tapped, Manticore Mask vanished from his arm, while meanwhile a small silver earring appeared on his earlobe. It was simple, just a small hoop, barely dangling below his ear at all. Running down the center of it was a single inlaid gold wire.

"The sooner we can ditch the crowd and make for the edge of town, the better," he added. Also appearing in his hand was a plain brass spyglass. "There are dungeons to be found out there. They're not gonna find themselves."

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190490: Craft: 6 [+0 HP]
Cool Downs - Inspiring Speech [5/5] Focused Howl [2/4]

Post Action: None

Shield - HP: 744/860 | EN:100/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 50/124 (56+4-10) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[14,8]<<Piasuhon>> HP: 25/3000 | MIT:170 (-20) | DMG:275 (+50) | ACC:4 (+1) | EVA:3 (-2) (341-228-88)
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate.- CD 8 [No Proc]
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, +1 ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

With a heave of exasperation, Shield continued his pacing. This was not the way he would have chosen to end the fight, but there was little that could be done at this point. The rhino's death throes were too potent to not give himself the extra insulation, but at the same time, he couldn't keep burning through his shard.

"I don't have any salivary sword arts, I'm afraid. Guess I have to trust you and hope for the best then," he said, giving Freyd a shrug.

His fingers itched. He wanted to either activate his shield defenses or hi heals, but this was just one of those calculated risks he was going go need to take. If he wanted either to be available when he next needed them, he was going to have to ride this final clash out. 

Odds are. Freyd takes it out no problem. However, odds are, people occasionally get really unlucky at just the wrong time....

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Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190480: Craft: 12 [+43 HP]
Cool Downs - Press the Attack [5/5] Inspiring Speech [4/5] Focused Howl [1/4]

Post Action: None
Free Action: Gungnir's Shard [+129 HP - 6/8]

Shield - HP: 842/860 | EN:99/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 56/124 (60+4-10) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[14,7]<<Piasuhon>> HP: 341/3000 | MIT:170 (-20) | DMG:275 (+50) | ACC:4 (+1) | EVA:3 (-2) | TXV 24 (3/3) (735-282-24-88)
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate.- CD 8 [No Proc]
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, +1 ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

Shield once again found himself stuck on cool down for his more useful abilities. However, given the glowing gash that marred his side and his shield arm, he figured another heal was in order. He once again tapped the shard at his hip, and sound once again floated across the battlefield. The melody was circular, so as it ended, restarting it would practically sound like a beat of rest in a continually repeating refrain.

Pacing like a caged animal, Shield stared down the rhino. It death throes were making him burn through limited resources, but they would replenish on their own with time. Freyds words of encouragement mirrored his own sentiments. "I have faith in you. Worst case scenario, I've got another damage boost that's just about fully refreshed for you."

Once again, the song wound down to a close. Unlike before, however, Shield's health was now practically restored. There was a certain satisfaction at undoing the work that a powerful opponent had worked so hard to do.

Better than you have tried, hairy.

Quote

Passive [+1 EN] Battle Healing [+43 HP] Holy Blessing [+51 HP] Vampiric (Defensive) - ID# 190478: Craft: 10 [+43 HP]
Cool Downs - Rampart [5/5] Press the Attack [4/5] Inspiring Speech [3/5]

Post Action: Focused Howl > Piasuhon [-4 EN]
Free Action: Gungnir's Shard [+129 HP]

Shield - HP: 768/860 | EN:98/128 | DMG:1 | ACC:0 | MIT:133 | THN:88 | EVA:0 | BH:43 | LD:1 | V.D.:43 | HB:51 | TNT | ANT.FZ
Freyd | HP: 900/900 | EN: 60/124 (80+4-16-8) | DMG: 27 | MIT: 111 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 7 | BH: 49 | LD: 8 | FLN: 8 | HLY: 8 | TXV 24/3 | V.O.: 99 | DOTE: 2

[14,6]<<Piasuhon>> HP: 735/3000 | MIT:170 (-20) | DMG:275 (+50) | ACC:4 (+1) | EVA:3 (-2) | TXV 24 (2/3) (1253-406-24-88)
<<Piasuhon’s Horn>> HP:750/750 | MIT:50 | EVA:3

Abilities:

<<By the Horn>> [Horn - 0 HP] -50 to DMG permanently
<<Stampede>> [CD 9+] +75 additional DMG + STUN vs highest hate.
<<Body Slam>> [LD 15+] Attacks 2 lowest hate at -40 DMG.
<<Blinded By Rage>> [<1001 HP] <<Body Slam>> disabled, +50 DMG, +1 ACC, -2 EVA -20 MIT
<<Seething>> [<<Blinded By Rage>> active] One time, player may use Post Action to throw glowstone. Becomes target of next attack.
<<Tier Lock: 4>>

The chatter out of Freyd had shifted. He had changed to talk about going on the defensive and sacrificing damage for a stun. Shield threw out his arm to try to halt Freyd for a moment.

"You gotta have a little more faith in me than that," he chided, though his tone did not hold any contempt. If anything, there was a note of amusement. He reached back to his belt with his non-shield hand and tapped a bauble that was dangling there. Freyd would immediately be able to recognize it as one of Gungnir's shards. They had, after all, found them together.

The air split open with a lilting tune - a soaring Celtic ballad that echoed through the Colusseum. Shield's health began to redouble its recovery, returning to a much safer range of his green health bar. Without even pausing, Shield's lungs began to expand, reaching their capacity before hurling sound at the dying rhino. "IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT MORE THAN A TEMPER TANTRUM TO WIND ME, YOU HAIRY MEAT BAG!" He clapped the face of his shield with a gauntleted fist, marking the final strains of the melody.

"Instant song of healing. This will keep me standing long after we manage to put this fur ball in the dirt. Don't you worry about stunning it. Just keep that damage going! My build capitalizes on speeding yours up, not slowing it down!"

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190477 - Loot: 9 [No Material Found]

He burst into the ring of the camp site, where the grass had been trodden down to lie flat on the ground. The woman whose name tag had read Giovanna crossed over to him, preparing to address him, but he cut her off before she could speak. "Here's the compass," he said, shoving it into her hand. "Here's the material," he went on, holding it out to see if she planned to take it, which she did not seem to intend, so he retracted it. "Are we done here? We're done here, right?" She opened her mouth, but Shield did not bother to let her finish. "Great. Fantastic. Wonderful. Lovely place you have here. I'm out!"

With that, he took one last look around for stray materials, took out a teleportation crystal and shattered it. "Taft!" he cried out and was quickly transported up a number of floors. "If I never have to go to those rotten plains again, it will be too soon!"

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[Quest Rewards]

1,133 EXP [(800 for 1 page + 300 Quest EXP) x 3%]
513 Col [400 for 1 page + (1,133 EXP x 10%)]
<<Gatherer>> Profession
1 Demonic Shard
4 Crafting Materials

Unique Skill Attempt-
ID: 190931   LD: 3   CD: 10   LD: 12   MOB: 4 | No US found.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190476 - Loot: 8 [No Material Found]

Finally, after a good five minutes of recounting events and trying to estimate how long he had spent walking in each direction, he made his best guess and he started walking again. It was nerve wracking to once again essentially be lost in the middle of an open wilderness. Still, he had done the best he could. All that was left was to walk and see if that had been enough. Under his breath, he simultaneously counted paces and let loose and endless stream of curse words, almost using it to keep time and count as he repeated phrases of blasphemy and vulgarity. On occasion, he would look around at the ground, but he had all but given up collecting anything else.

With one last curse as a punctuation to his elegy of profanity, he spotted something through the thick grasses of the plains. There appeared to be a small while canvas structure, though at most the size of a small shed. "The wagon!" Once again, Shield's pace quickened, though this time to an even greater degree than before, his feet pounding against the hard ground as the knee-high grasses parted for his passage.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190475 - Loot: 3 [No Material Found]

It was only then that Shield remembered the rocky start to the quest. "The compass.... I didn't follow a straight path. I wandered until the compass started working!" He stopped in his tracks, trying to remember the specifics of which direction he had turned when the compass had started working for him again, as well as recalling exactly how long he had been walking before he had finally convinced it to start functioning properly.

He closed his eye, picturing the events that had occurred while the compass was malfunctioning. "Think, man, think..." He had a vague recollection of what direction he had turned, though he wasn't entirely sure if he had overshot his turning point or not. He looked around, making note of the direction he was facing. "Of course it couldn't be that simple... There just had to be more complications..." He took one last breath, trying to clear his head so he could try to recall more clearly. He even looked around on the ground, making a quick check for additional materials, though admittedly he was a little too distracted to expect to find anything even if it was right in front of him.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190474 - Loot: 6 [No Material Found]

"Should be a cake walk from here," Shield said triumphantly. He gave the sandstone formation another once-over just to make sure he hadn't missed anything. However, he was stoked to keep moving. It had been a straight line from the camp to the ravine, so as long as he kept going the direction he had been walking, he would be finished in no time. He struck out and kept up a quick pace, leaning forward on the balls of his feet as he strutted through the plains.

The further he walked, however, the less sure of himself he became. He put more and more grassland behind him, and still no camp site. "It doesn't pack up and move while you have the compass checked out, does it?" he thought nervously aloud. "I thought I was just being paranoid before, but if it doesn't do that, why isn't it here right now? I made a straight line from the camp to the ravine."

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190473 - Loot: 15 [1 Material Found!]

Taking up a position at roughly the point from which he entered the gully, he scoured the horizon for the landmark he had stumbled upon first. "It was red sandstone... a larger boulder with some smaller bits of rubble around it, all a deep red." He swept back and forth across the horizon, eventually settling on the reddest looking thing he could pick out in the distance. "Let's hope for the best, Lilith." The snake he spoke to was still and silent in his sleeve. Most likely, sleeping. He made a note of how unhelpful she was being. "I'll have to give her a piece of my mind later on."

Not wanting to waste more time, Shield took off at a jog, closing the distance quickly. The closer he came, the more relieved he felt. At the edge of the little stone oddity, Shield spotted another chunk of the same green ore that he had found earlier. Collecting it, he added it to his growing stash and continued.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190472 - Loot: 12 [No Material Found]

Slowly, the ravine came back into view. It wasn't exactly in the right direction, but it was at least a familiar landmark. "It's something," he sighed to himself, finally slowing his pace a little now that he was on some trail, however cold it may feel at this point. "If there's one place I don't want to get lost, it's a place that's flat and has very few landmarks." He had a momentary image of his face wrinkled and overgrown with white, wispy hair, while he continued to wander the savannah, but he dismissed the silly notion.

He came to the top of the ravine and did a quick visual sweep to make sure he wasn't missing out on any hidden nooks or crannies where he might find more materials, but for now, he seemed to still be out of luck. "Let's see if I can find the spot where I entered the ravine and work backwards from there." Scouting along the edge, he found a spot where he recognized the terrain as the place where he had entered. "That's it! This is my way back!"

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190471 - Loot: 8 [No Material Found]

With the odd little wild orchard behind him, Shield's eyes cast about for any signs of civilization or human life, assuming an NPC could be called either human or alive. Both of those were doubtful, but regardless, he needed to find something human-like in design or else just wander around with an incomplete quest and no secondary profession. Neither of those was acceptable in his mind.

He doubled his pace, trying to cover more ground as he retraced his steps as best he could. "At some point, I must have veered off course while coming back from the ravine." He squinted, cursing the changes for limiting his skill points and keeping him from putting more points into scouting abilities. "At this point, it's going to be years before I can get my next skill..." He kept his eyes out for any materials, hoping to make the wandering worth his while. At the moment though, it was just more grassland.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190470 - Loot: 19 [1 Material Found!]

Most of the fruits were a little too small to be treated as full items. Either that or like some outdated games, some things were just intended to be background while others were not, and it was up to the player and a lot of button mashing to figure out which was which. In any case, he managed to find one more piece that would allow him to collect it before deciding that was probably good enough before he lowered himself to the ground.

Now that he was back on the ground, he realized that he had completely lost the campsite from which he had initially borrowed the compass. This was a problem, to say the least. It had been enough of a pain to track it down in the first place, especially considering that it had moved around quite a bit between different player encounters, so a part of him was afraid that in the time he had spent searching that it might have reshuffled its position once again.

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Searching for Materials: ID# 190469 - Loot: 16 [1 Material Found!]

Shield practically found himself stumbling into a stand of trees, realizing that he had stopped paying attention entirely to what was happening around him and where he was going. He glanced around, taking note of the odd and gnarled limbs of the trees, their bark having a dead, grey color to them. He looked up into their branches to see what the tops of such unusual trees would look like. There, among the branches and the deep green leaves, Shield could see several pieces of large, bright orange fruits.

With a shrug, he grabbed a limb and hoisted himself higher, working his way up towards the oblong fruits where they grew. Seating himself in the Y of two major branches, he examined the odd fruit. It was long and unevenly thick like a pear, but it seemed to have a thick rind to it. Shield almost wondered if such a thing would even be edible or whether its fruit would be used by crafters of different professions. Regardless, it had a material tag and so he collected it.