Morningstar

"What took you so long?"

Morningstar raised his ruined sheath, shaking his head. "I got robbed. Look what they did to this perfectly good piece of leather! Cut the strap right off of it! This is why we can't have nice things."

Fitting the sword between his arm and torso, he scoured his inventory for a quick snack. His fruit stock had been freshly replenished, specifically with dozens of perfect apples. The crunchy to juicy ratio was sublime, he thought, and so he summoned two and offered one to Nari.

"Captain Star," he laughed, "I like that. This way, soldier!" He took the lead, taking a bite of red apple. 

"There's a gent somewhere up the skyport and he needs our help. So, basically the start of every quest ever. Not sure exactly where he is but he can't be that high, since it's mostly blocked off. I'll know him when I see him. He's the dockmaster, I was told. Big dude in a fur cape."

Morningstar had never been to the skyport before. Actually, most of Ladonia was new to him. He'd come once, not long before the twenty-seventh boss raid, but kept his exploration to a minimum. Back then, he was running on little time. Now, he felt like the clock was on his side again. 

"I've got to say," he looked up the side of the tower, it's incredible height looming over the pair, "blocking off everything above level ten makes me very curious about what's up top. Is it bad that I want to break in?"

Eriwald.

Morningstar had never been to the swampy settlement. It was small, as he had heard, and there wasn't much to say about it. A few shops could be found within its borders, but what they sold was mostly junk. The local tavern, Mucksucker's, was the village's primary point of interest. While the streets and neighboring buildings were quiet, Mucksucker's was often not. At night, the crowd of both players and NPCs was wild and rowdy, as if the gathering in a place where people would normally be intoxicated caused a sort of placebo effect to occur. Morningstar tried to stay away from such places. Unfortunately, in Eriwald, there was no where else to meet people. So, he pushed open the tavern doors and wandered inside.

Thankfully, during the early afternoon, there were few customers inside Mucksucker's. Peak hours were far later in the evening and instead of the rowdy bunch that had been described to him, he was greeted by the quiet cowboy types.

Of course, they were swamp cowboys. The difference between them and regular cowboys was that swamp cowboys were significantly less cool. They didn't ride horses. They didn't ride exotic swamp animals either. No, instead, they walked from place to place because on the eighteenth floor, that was their only real option.

Significantly less cool.

He sat down at the bar and ordered something cheap. While he waited, he wrote a message to an acquaintance.

He hit send in time with the arrival of his order. He paid upfront, knowing he would not stay for long. "Any chance you know where I can find a man named Gyrard?" Morningstar asked the barkeeper.

The man pointed to a table in the corner. "Right over there."

Morningstar nodded. "Cheers."

[ lv. 49  ->   l. 33 / p. 16 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 720/720 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 5 (6) | BLD: 48 | FB: 40 | REC: 4   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped bleeding giant BLD II, FB II red longcoat EVA II, REC I sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory healing salve | HP III (x5) health potion | HP I (x5) teleport crystal magdalyn's cuckoo  skills.   Hide contents mod count: 3/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE buffs.   Hide contents statue n/a consumables  liquor of light | DMG III smores | EVA II paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD arts.   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x11 -> x14 TECH-A | x16 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x16 | DELAY TECH-D | x16 | SHATTER TECH-F | x12 | AOE STUN misc.   Hide contents Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30. Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.  gathering n/a

He attacked from the left, before the horseman could break free from its paralysis. With his blade enveloped in a red glow, he struck Death one final time. Steel cut through steel. Death's scythe fell to the dry grass with a thud, and upon Doom's back he crumbled to black dust, mixing with the breeze, defeated.

The other fights waged on. Freyd fought War. Nari fought Famine. Katoka fought Pestilence. The riderless horse approached Morningstar, sniffing at him while he watched his comrades battle away. It startled him. Pieces of skeleton were visible where flesh was missing. Green mist poured out where hair should have been, as well as from its hooves. Its eyes were the same colour and appeared hollow. It bumped Morningstar with its muzzle.

He lifted a hand to pet the steed. It whinnied and knelt, as if to show Morningstar that he was worthy of becoming its rider for the oncoming fight. Doom would have to wait, however, while he assisted his friends (and interrupted their duels).

***

Twisting and snaking around his opponents, he took them out one by one. Each of the elementals died in fiery bursts, vanishing into thin air. "Drops are good today," Morningstar said, chuckling. "Must be the gods."

"Is that what we're calling the system now?" Willow wrapped her arm around his and together, they wandered deeper into the flatlands.

***

Sweltering, they took a break upon a flat crag in the middle of nowhere. Teleport crystals would be their way home, it seemed, as neither of them was very inclined to walk back to Yōgan Village. Star tossed Willow a flask, filled to the brim with ice cold water. He had packed enough for a few days in the volcanic flatlands, knowing that whatever it was he was looking for could evade him forever, if he was unlucky.

Willow had her eyes set on something specific and he envied her for it. Cats were brilliant little critters, and Morningstar had considered looking for one for himself. If a cat was her choice, however, he decided that looking for something unique to him would be more fun. It wasn't like he couldn't interact with her familiar anyways.

In a flash of golden light, Morningstar stunned a squadron of four lava elementals that had grouped up around him. He snuck out from under them, looking around for Willow, who he had lost sight of in the heat (no pun intended) of battle.

She had taken a seat upon a slab of long-since hardened magma, where she waited patiently for Morningstar to finish up with his mobs. He rolled his eyes, to which she chuckled. "Gotta be quicker than that," she teased.

"You just keep an eye out for your hellcat and I'll take my time with these guys," Morningstar turned back to his fiery opponents. Lava dripped to the ground, singing the volcanic earth. They remained unmoving, Morningstar's quadruple stun keeping them from fighting him back.

"Any day now, Stephen. Your pet is probably getting away at this very moment."

"Yeah, yeah," Morningstar smirked, activating another sword art.

***

As he put the vial away, he heard a raspy sound behind him. Willow yelled for him to watch out. Another elemental had spawned behind him. He spun, dashing out of the lava creature's way, only reengaging once he knew he was in the clear. He cut through it like butter, it's flames fanning outwards as it exploded into nothingness, returning to Cardinal. He read over the loot summary. "Oh, look," he laughed, "it dropped a shard."

"What?! Really?! Lucky us!"

"Let's finish off these last few, maybe we'll get some more," Morningstar swished the summary away, his sword pointed at the crew of lava elementals and magma golems that were headed in their direction.

Willow raced ahead even before Morningstar could. He watched as she took down another golem, this time with little difficulty. Ever since she had switched from swords to martial arts, she seemed more comfortable in combat. He followed her lead.

***

Phasing through the flames like they were nothing, Morningstar cut down a Lava Elemental. Behind him, Willow clashed with a Magma Golem, it's tough exterior proving to be more of a challenge than Morningstar's adversary. More began to spawn in the distance, rock and lava forming their physical bodies. Slowly, they moved towards the duo.

The flatlands were as he remembered: hot and deadly. Monsters had been on their trail ever since they left the village and there was no end in sight. Flames spat out from geysers in the ground, forcing them to watch their step and position far more awkwardly. Willow's fist found its place in the golem's thick belly, cracking its rocky plating. She smirked as it crumbled away and loot poured into her inventory.

"Hey!" She shouted, "I got a scale!"

"Lucky you," Morningstar rolled his eyes, shaking the tiny vial he had received, at which she laughed.

***

Morningstar stood at the city's edge, waiting for Willow. She had stopped in at an alchemist that neighbored the traveling gypsy's tent, hoping to replenish her stock of crystals and potions. Leaning against the gate, inches from the invisible line that marked the safe zone, he glared out at the volcanic wasteland. Images burned in his mind of a time not yet forgotten. The hot sand pressing against his face, his stunned body forced to watch as Grace reached out to him, begging for help. Her body turning to crystal blue dust and mixing with the sandstorm. And then, months later, he stood over the body of a cloaked figure. Blood red hair poured out from under his hood and even before Morningstar could see his face, he knew who it was. 

He recalled the despair in Joaquin's voice as Katar made his choice. There was conflict within the swordsman, and Morningstar knew that. And yet, there was no forgiveness in his heart. Joaquin was not there, that day on floor five. He had not seen what Morningstar had. 

Katar had betrayed them. Whether he was even alive anymore, Morningstar was unsure. The last he had seen of the samurai, a group had come to his "rescue." Judging by their appearances and Katar's history, they were an unsavory group.

He blinked, a sigh escaping his lips, chapped from the heat. Willow rejoined him, a few items in hand. "Ready to go?" She asked.

"Yeah. Long day ahead of us, I expect."

The story was long-winded and mostly irrelevant NPC dialogue; nonetheless, Morningstar enjoyed it quite a bit. The gypsy questioned them, prodding for info regarding what kinds of beasts they were looking to tame and why they were interested in a familiar at all.

"I guess I'm not picky. I had a pet growing up and I think I just miss having one around," was Morningstar's answer.

"I'd like a cat. I've heard they have hellcats somewhere in the Volcanic Flatlands. I'm the opposite of him. I never had pets as a kid but I've always wanted one," was Willow's.

Satisfied, the woman handed them each a small burlap bag. Inside of them was food. "I'll loan you these. They'll help you tame your critters. When you're finished, come back and show me what it is you've managed to tame," she smiled warmly.

And off they went to the Volcanic Flatlands.

Sweat dripped off Morningstar's brow, stinging his eye. Willow coughed behind him, exiting the teleportation pad. Yōgan Village, home to the ninth floor's only means of teleportation, was scalding as always. Star made eye contact with a few members of the local mining guild, smiling as he passed. The people were pleasant enough, although his memories of the floor were quite the opposite. Willow caught up, intertwining her arm with his. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's just been a while," Morningstar assured.

"Okay. Do you know where the monster tamer is?"

"She's got a setup near an alchemist. Apparently she moves around a lot. Her tent's only here for the day."

They found the traveling gypsy quickly. Tents were non-existent in a place so flammable, so it was not difficult to locate her. After asking a few workers, they were pointed in the right direction. Morningstar lifted the tent's flap, peeking inside. It was hotter inside than it was out. It was no wonder why the gypsy would only stay a day. He did not think he could last an hour, frankly.

"Hi," he called, getting the gypsy's attention. "We're looking for the beast tamer."

"Oh, come in dears! That would be me!" The gypsy waved them over.

There were no proper seats in the tent. Instead, the three of them sat on the floor, using cushions as padding. She had a single lantern lighting the place, which was fine because it was rather small. At her side, a wolf curled up, asleep. If it weren't so hot, Morningstar would have found it cozy.

"Now, I take it you two are in the market for familiars of your own?"

Morningstar nodded. "Yes. We were told that you might be able to help us with that."

"Yes, of course, dearie! First, let me tell you a story."

[ lv. 49  ->   l. 33 / p. 16 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 720/720 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 80 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 8 (9) | BLD: 48 | FB: 40 | REC: 4   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped bleeding giant BLD II, FB II red longcoat EVA II, REC I sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory healing salve | HP III (x5) health potion | HP I (x5) teleport crystal magdalyn's cuckoo  skills.   Hide contents mod count: 3/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE buffs.   Hide contents statue n/a consumables  liquor of light | DMG III mortal instants | MIT III smores | EVA II gelato | LD III the stars collide | PHEROMONES paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD arts.   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x11 -> x14 TECH-A | x16 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x16 | DELAY TECH-D | x16 | SHATTER misc.   Hide contents Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30. Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Advanced Training | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.  Working | +2 EXP per crafting attempt gathering n/a

Morningstar watched the perspective clash as if it were a movie, neglecting to join either side of the argument. He raised an eyebrow as Freyd peered at his bare wrist and stifled his oncoming laughter.

Another voice, one he did not recognize, entered the conversation. The stranger was opinionated and full of assumptions about both the party and the frontliners. He used Freyd as a scapegoat to back his argument that frontliners were selfish, that they only cared about themselves and not the well-being of the masses.

Morningstar could not empathize with Alvion's philosophies because the frontliners whom he had encountered had been nothing but the opposite. They had helped him one-hundred times over and he had seen them do the same for others.

Truthfully, he agreed with Freyd. Clearing the twenty-seventh boss meant that they would be able to clear the twenty-eighth that much quicker. And that would allow them to clear the twenty-ninth and so on, until eventually they were finished and the player base was free. The damage that a few insignificant mobs in cages were capable of in contrast to the good that a successful raid could do was incomparable.

But maybe he was wrong.

"I met Raidou once. Interesting character. Good taste in apples," Morningstar said, yawning.

A mosquito hummed in his ear, hovering for a while before landing on his neck. Before it could sink its proboscis into his skin, he smacked it hard. Vigilon uttered some cryptic words to Freyd that flew completely over Morningstar's head. He ignored it, shut his eyes and enjoyed the sunshine. If he needed to know, he'd find out.

He chuckled at Vigilon's comment about guilds. "I'll let you know if I find a sticky situation and stupid shit guild. Sounds like we'd fit in perfectly there."

Kyo seemed like she was about ready for a nap and, to be honest, so was Morningstar. If he closed his eyes for a little bit too long, he'd start to drift off and have to catch himself. He picked out a banana from his basket and peeled it. Eating would keep him awake, he thought. Even so, with the combined warmth of the lakeside and the birds singing up above, it was difficult.

"If the world's post-apocalyptic then I think I'd rather just stay here," he laughed. "I'm not trying to wake up in "The Walking Dead" or something like that. At least we've got decent food."

In between bites, he continued, directly to Kyo this time. "Speaking of which, if you do become a cook, let me know. I'll send some ingredients your way. I'm in need of a go-to cook."

junk sale revenue[42,050]-appraisal cost[30,400]=11,650 col profit

2.28.2024

mystic essence

appraisals

junk sale

junk sale revenue[42,050]-appraisal cost[30,400]=11,650 col profit

Purchasing the following:

• x1 tent
• x1 golden key
• x1 t4 immolation potion
• x3 spyglass

cost: 3,400 col

He had bought accuracy, evasion, protein, loot die, and prosperity buffs... was that everything? It felt as though he'd missed something obvious but he couldn't put his finger on what it could have been. He stopped, facepalming, and rushed back up the mountain. Vitality. It was always vitality.

Morningstar crept back into the empty campsite, waking Demian once again. "Forgot something," he said, picking up a bunch more items. It felt good to be charitable. He handed over the last of his materials as payment and wandered off into the darkness mumbling something about trolls and rhinos and sea wyverns.

Nari turned away, Siondhe in hand. Before she could leave his shop, Morningstar shot a proposal. A quickly scribbled note on the counter next to him had all of the information relating to a new quest that his broker had discovered. He'd already blocked off space in his calendar to meet with Dockmaster Ryland at the Ladonian Skyport in three days time.

"You in?" He asked Nari, who'd promptly accepted. 

***

Three days later, he traveled to Ladonia. Bleeding Giant was sheathed and slung over his shoulder. His red coat looked more and more battered with each passing day. It damaged far more easily than his old suit of armor had; but, he didn't mind. Spots of fading colour and ripped patches were proof that he was an adventurer, he thought. When he explained that to Willow, she only shook her head, disappointed that he had already messed up a jacket he had only owned for a week. She just didn't get it.

"You! Hey, you!"

Morningstar blinked. A merchant with a glass eye and a failing stubble was calling him over.

"In the market for some wares?"

Before Morningstar could decline, the merchant was already showing off his goods.

"I carry all sorts of rare treasures. Do you see this?" He held up a crystal that lit up like a lamp. "This here crystal was a gift from the first Ladonian emperor to his daughter. It's said that-"

"I think that's just a glow stone," Morningstar looked closely.

The merchant gawked, putting down the stone. He picked up another item: a glass vial holding an unknown purple liquid. "This elixir of flight will cause wings to sprout from your feet!"

"I really don't want that to happen."

"Well," the merchant ducked down in a panic, searching his crates for some other piece of junk to pawn off on Morningstar. He shot up, holding a small mechanical bird. "What about this! A fierce companion to join you in battle!"

He placed the bird atop the counter and let it walk about. It's left leg broke off after only a few steps and its beak burst into flames. Morningstar shook his head. "Yeah, I don't think-"

The sudden change of weight on Morningstar's shoulder caused him to spin around. He was just in time to see a short fellow lifting Bleeding Giant off of the ground. He had cut it from the strap that Morningstar was still holding on to.

"Hey!" The now swordless swordsman shouted, chasing after the thief.

They barreled through the Aquilainean Bazaar, passing multiple guards who seemed perfectly content on not intercepting the short (but shockingly fleet of foot) man. Morningstar stepped hard against the dusty ground and, in a flash, he charged at the thief. He tackled the man and they wrestled each other for the straight sword. Morningstar gave him a good clock to the jaw and scooped the blade out of his loosened grip. "Get outta here," he huffed, nudging the thief on his way.

He touched his fingers to the straps that had been severed. "Fantastic. Now I've gotta hold the damned thing," he muttered. He looked up and cursed, realizing the thief had granted him one unintentional favor. He had guided Morningstar to the skyport, where he and Nari had agreed to meet.

[ lv. 49  ->   l. 33 / p. 16 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 828/828 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 80 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 6 | BH: 39 | LD: 8 (9) | REC: 4 | BLD: 48 | FB: 40 | Pros: 3   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped bleeding giant BLD II, FB II red longcoat EVA II, REC I sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory teleport crystal x5 healing salve x1 HP III magdalyn's cuckoo +3 LD matriarch's stinger +1 SA MULTIPLIER skills.   Hide contents mod count: 3/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE buffs.   Hide contents statue n/a consumables  liquor of light DMG III crème brûlée ACC II mortal instants MIT III smores EVA II gelato LD III mousse PROSPERITY III oats OH III paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD arts.   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x11 -> x14 TECH-A | x16 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x16 | DELAY TECH-D | x16 | SHATTER misc.   Hide contents Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30. Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Advanced Training | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.  Working | +2 EXP per crafting attempt gathering n/a

The crow atop the horseman's scythe cawed, as if acknowledging Morningstar's challenge, and flew away. Death loomed over the swordsman, staring hideously. The duel began in an instant. Both parties acted quickly; Death swept low with his scythe and Morningstar leaped backwards, creating space between them. He led his opponent away from the group, determined to end the fight on his own.

Running was of little use. There was no hope of out speeding Death while it remained upon its steed. Morningstar spun, blocking another swing of the scythe with the edge of his sword. The scythe's blade wrapped around Morningstar's body but was unsuccessful at completing its full sweep. They grappled with each other, each side desperately looking for their kill. Death reeled back, allowing Morningstar little time to breathe before striking again.

He hurdled the oncoming swath, dashing forwards on its way back and catching Death with a well-timed stab.

"Y'know," Morningstar said, stepping out of the way of the stunned horseman's scythe, "I think I'd like you better in a suit."

***

Thread Closing:

Morningstar receives:

2,261 EXP (Word Count [5603/10*5*0.7] + Quest [300])
539 col (1 page [200] + 15% P5 Reward [339])
Access to <<Martial Arts>> Skill
Access to <<TECH-F>> collected sword art

Wulfrin receives:

692 EXP (Word Count [5603/10*1*0.7] + Quest [300])
200 col (1 page [200])
Access to <<Martial Arts>> Skill
Access to <<TECH-F>> collected sword art

a few ids:

Name: Protein Pancakes
Your Profession:  Appraiser
Your Rank: Rank 5
Roll ID: 219693
Roll Result: 18 (no unique)
Item Type: Meal
Tier: T1
Quality:  Rare
Enhancements: Protein II
Description: They're a little dry but they do the trick.
Link: URL
Acquisition ID: 219428a

Name: Phoenix Down
Your Profession:  Appraiser
Your Rank: Rank 5
Roll ID: 219694, 219695
Roll Result: 5, 2 (unique found! BD: 10 CD: 10)
Item Type: Light Armor
Tier: T1
Quality:  Rare
Enhancements: Fireproof, Regen
Description: A set of simple leather armor that has woven patterns of flames. It is said that it carries the protective and regenerative properties of a phoenix.
Link: URL
Acquisition ID: 219428b

Name: Blighted Fang
Your Profession:  Appraiser
Your Rank: Rank 5
Roll ID: 219711, 219712, 219713
Roll Result: 16, 1, 2 (unique found! BD: 10 CD: 9)
Item Type: Straight Sword
Tier: T1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Damage, Keen, Blight
Description: A longsword crafted from metal coated in the sap of a blighted maple tree. Its necromantic properties leave lasting wounds that are hard to recover from.
Link: URL
Acquisition ID: 219398b

Morningstar sat at his work station with a cup of green tea, preparing for the day as he often did. His music was turned low, mixing with the waking sounds of nature. The chime of a bell rang through the shop. He had a visitor.

"Oh, morning! What brings you in?" Morningstar called.

He handed over a load of goods and some col, requesting appraisals for each of them. "Might as well stick around. I'd be more worried about bears than PKers in this area. I just made tea if you want a cup. I won't be long, but make yourself at home." He took the loot to his workshop and came back with a tray. On it was a teapot and a single ceramic teacup.

When he finally returned, he gave Wulfrin a rundown of what he'd discovered. "Mostly junk but I did find a couple of uniques. Here you go," he piled the items back on the counter for Wulfrin to look at.

***

Appraisals

For Pickup | @Wulfrin

"No, those are fair points. I think I just want magic that lets me fly," he admitted, shrugging back his shoulder as he cocked another punch. Rock crumbled to the ground as the boulder began to split. One more punch would do the trick.

"Ranged weapons would be quite fun, I think. I've never shot a bow before. It might be a little bit scary getting stuck in a dungeon with four skeleton archers, but that's what teleport crystals are for," he chuckled. "The game's not totally missing ranged mobs, though. Some dragons still breathe fire, and something threw a big rock at me the other day. My theory is that it's more fun for the developers to watch us flail around with swords while the enemies get to do whatever they want. I get it, to be honest. It's like one of those old Japanese gameshows. At least the food is good, though."

***

With that, the elemental was destroyed and the world saved. Aside from the burning land around them. Also, Morningstar wasn't convinced that the world was in any real danger at all.

"We should probably leave this to the next tier players in the area and move on to the raid.  People will be waiting."

Before Morningstar could concur, Freyd was berated for his disinterest in Cinnabar's plot. He bit his tongue to avoid being flayed. Frankly, he had no idea what was going on, nor the relevance of the sudden appearance of the elemental. With a sigh, he considered Vigilon's question.

"The value of catching monsters, putting them in cages, and then releasing them somewhere else seems pretty low. I don't really see any reward, actually. Their motivation—to organize and expand Aincrad, I think they said—seems kind of like delusion to me. The only thing I'm certain about is that they're anti-frontliners, so they probably see this as some new world that they can stay and live in forever," Morningstar shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "My guess is that they don't want us clearing anymore floors and ruining their grand design."

"Oh." A lightbulb went off in his head as he connected the dots. "Maybe they plan on using the elementals to stop the boss raid from happening?"

It didn't take Ren long to finish his work. Morningstar, continuing his examination of the smith's wares, spun around upon hearing his voice. "That was quick," he chimed, lifting the two packages from the counter and going on his way. "Thanks! I'm sure I'll be back."

He raced back to his shop, eager to try out his newly improved blade and to hand over the scythe that Nari had been searching for. He stepped through the teleportation arch and, on the other side, materialized on floor eight. About an hour later, he sat the packaged weapons on his workbench and crafted a message to his friend.

***

Morningstar collects:

Bleeding Giant | [Fusion ID #219684] | TIER 4 DEMONIC STRAIGHT SWORD | BLD II, FB II
[desc.]: A sleek, silver greatsword with a blade that gleams like ice under moonlight. The hilt is adorned with blood red rubies and intricate patterns designed to look like ice crystals. The name "Kelvin" is etched into the hilt.

Siondhe | [Fusion ID #219685] | TIER 4 PERFECT POLEARM | FRZ II, ENV
[desc.]: A warscythe designed with a twisting blue and violet colouring, it appears to have a singular layer of frosting along it's length.

Morningstar, gentle with his weapons, made a display across Rencesvals' table. He laid out two straight swords and two polearms, each with some sort of frost enhancement. He had also brought the required scales and shards for the task at hand. "Two fusions, please," Morningstar said to the black smith.

"Bleeding Giant's for me, Siondhe's for a customer. Just need the enhancements switched around. Oh, and I'll turn Giant into a demonic, while we're at it."

He placed two gleaming scales and one demonic shard on the counter. "No rush on this—I'm staying in town for a little while anyways."

***