Morningstar

His voice caught in his throat. The sword was so old, and yet it looked brand new. Its gold body shone brilliantly in the sunlight. How could he forget he’d given it to her? He stared down at Meteor, making no effort to reach out and accept it. It was a gift. He didn’t want it returned. When she set it on the ground, he scowled and picked it up.

So accustomed to his longsword, Meteor felt heavy in his grip. The sword had dragged him through the earliest stages of the game. He was awfully fond of it.

It vanished. He wouldn’t fight with it today. Dying Sun appeared at his waist instead.

The match began and Acanthus moved first. Star anticipated more hesitation from her, but she went all out, stabbing him through the torso. He winced, but didn’t let it slow him down. His sword erupted in a whirlwind of flames, fanning out around him in the wind. Before she could reposition, Morningstar tagged her with a slice across the chest.

41 minutes ago, Boreas said:

House Name: Aspect's Retreat
Location: Floor 17 - Outside Corinthia 
Description: Located up the mountains of Corinthia on the Seventeenth floor, Boreas's home made up from a stone marble was built on the very peak of the mountain where the view of the vast ocean connected of Corinthia could be seen with the rest of the floors landmasses in the distance. While his house may not be too elegant or expansive, anyone would love to have a house with an beautiful view such as this.
Plot Size: Starter Home (7 Slots, 2 Story Limit, 1 Yard Slot) (4 Rooms Given for Donation)
Room(s): 

1. Bedroom ("Rested": -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat) [Assigned: Boreas]
2. Living Room ("Relaxed": Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.) [Assigned: Boreas]
3. Bathroom ("Clean": The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down).) [Assigned: Boreas]
4. Attic - Storage ("Col Stash": +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests.) [Assigned: Boreas]
5. Empty
6. Empty
7. Empty

Total Cost: Donated

Approved

It was inevitable that they would face each other eventually—Star knew that. But eventually came a lot sooner than Star was ready for.

He stood at the entrance to the arena, tapping his fingers against his thighs in a steady rhythm, waiting for Minako to call his name. He cleared his dry throat. He was the last person Acanthus needed to face.

He almost withdrew. He could have avoided their tense reunion altogether, but he stayed. He had nothing to apologize for. It wasn’t his fault.

"Up next is, the man. The myth. The legend! IT's, Morningstar!"

Minako’s voice boomed throughout the arena. It was another silly introduction. The crowd erupted. He barely noticed.

He stepped into the light, jaw tight, eyes searching for her.

Acanthus followed moments later, her face carved from stone. No smile. No greeting. Just that same tired anguish he had seen on Floor 9.

She should have withdrawn. Staying in spite of everything that happened was irresponsible, regardless of whether killing was enabled. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t know what.

So, in silence, he prepared his equipment.

ID242984 LD10

Morningstar | HP: 450/450 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 9 | ACC: 4 | AA | EVA: 4 | REC: 2 | LD: 4 | FLN: 4 | PARA-V | SUSHI

9 hours ago, Ryo said:

Name: Ryo
Your Profession: cook
Your Rank: 2
Roll ID: 242810a, 242810b
CD: 12
LD: 18
Item Type: Snack
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Prosperity | Prosperity | Prosperity
Description: a small bag of hand made, salt free crisps. Gold Edition. 
Post Link: <Link>

approved

5 minutes ago, Nari-Lanreth said:

Shop Post: Break My Heart

Cost of Transaction: 11 materials

Crafter's Profession: Performer

Crafter's Rank: 5

Item Name: Break My Heart

Item Tier: Tierless

Item Type: Support Song

Item Rarity:  Perfect; Masterpiece [Instant]

Item Enhancements: HP Recovery [3 Slots]

Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID242799, 242807, 242808

Item Description: A small purple octahedron that seems to glimmer with the reflected sunlight. When played, the soft sounds of a familiar tune seem to hover in the air.

 

approved

14 hours ago, Teion said:

Fusing two Rare T2 Weapons [ID#: 242781 & ID#: 242783] into:

Fusing two Rare T2 Heavy Armors [ID#: 242785 & ID#: 242787] into:

Separate crafting evaluation:

 

Approved

23 hours ago, Nymoria said:

Shop Post: Recovery Aid

Cost of Transaction: 1 material

Crafter's Profession: Artisan

Crafter's Rank: 8

Item Name: Recovery Aid

Item Tier: Tierless

Item Type: Trinket

Item Rarity:  Perfect

Item Enhancements: Recovery [2 Slots]; Keen [1 Slot]

Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID242748

Item Description: A purple choker with inline black lacing; refitting to various sizes as desired.

  

Shop Post: Locator Ring

Cost of Transaction: 1 material

Crafter's Profession: Artisan

Crafter's Rank: 8

Item Name: Locator Ring

Item Tier: Tierless

Item Type: Trinket

Item Rarity:  Perfect

Item Enhancements: LD [3 Slots]

Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID242755

Item Description: A simple ring which seems to heat up slightly when items of interest are nearby.

  

Shop Post: Prosperous Ear

Cost of Transaction: 2 materials

Crafter's Profession: Artisan

Crafter's Rank: 8

Item Name: Prosperous Ear

Item Tier: Tierless

Item Type: Trinket

Item Rarity:  Perfect

Item Enhancements: Prosperity [3 Slots]

Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID242757

Item Description: A purple hearing aid that glimmers with black speckles upon its surface.

 

Approved

9 hours ago, NIGHT said:

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Unhindered // HAHAHAHHAHAA i know trust me bro
SP Incurred Towards Limit: 15
SP Refunded: 15
Cost: 15,000

?????

approved

Ugzeke was relentless. Once he broke free from Star's stun, he went into a frenzy. His speed increased tenfold, but blinded by his rage, his attacks became even sloppier than before. The troll charged Morningstar, swinging inaccurately in his general direction. Morningstar kept up, stepping outside of his attack range. Ugzeke rushed straight into the wall of the cavern, causing a miniature earthquake. Rocks tumbled from the ceiling, hitting the troll on the way down. Morningstar deflected a small one with his blade, eager to avoid taking damage from the environment if he could help it.

Dazed, Ugzeke sat still for some time. Morningstar took that as an opportunity to weave in some damage. Charging a sword art, he extended his blade. He dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant, and slashed at Ugzeke's exposed back. The blade cut through the troll's thick hide, but only drew a shallow wound.

Shit. Not quite enough, he thought.

He nodded, appreciative of Boreas' coverage. "Don't push yourself too hard. I can take over if you run out of stamina." After the latter was finished with his attack, and Ugzeke was done charging at him, Morningstar moved in. His goal was to weave in one or two solid hits before he frustrated the troll too much and became a punching bag. He dashed at Ugzeke, switching between weapon skills seamlessly, as he had practiced. His first punch landed against his ribcage, and Morningstar could feel a crack beneath the thick layer of flesh that protected them. The second, much stronger, took to his gut. Finally, Star hit the monster hard enough to get his attention. Ugzeke roared furiously, before a wave of cold froze him solid.

"Two in one day. Lucky me," Star snickered.

Ice Sculpture Ugzeke was open for a free attack. "Go for it," he motioned to Boreas.

Once again, Boreas left Morningstar feeling impressed. Where most would have evaded, Boreas met Ugzeke's attack head on. His stab did the trick, shutting down the troll's rampage for the time being. Ugzeke lumbered at the end of its charge, exhausted--probably from his sheer weight. Morningstar could only imagine how difficult it was to move around at his size. "Nice!" Morningstar cheered, moving in to land his third and final stack of shatter.

Dying Sun lit up, engulfed by his sword art's energy. He lunged for a clean hit on Ugzeke, striking straight through his back. Little by little, they were wearing the troll down. Soon enough, it's rampage would begin, and their gameplan would need adjusting.

Star eyed their energy bars and mentally noted the approximate amount of sword arts each player had left in them. He had plenty, especially when recovery was taken into account. But closing out the fight as soon as possible was still in their best interest, for Boreas' energy reserve was a bit smaller than Morningstar's.

"I'll swap back to martial arts. Keep it up!"

3.3.2025

• Trading Hall III active - 1 free reroll per unid
• Memory Whisking Whiskey #231831-2 | Crafter's Respite
• Witch's Brew | +1 CD

Morningstar's paralytic venom coursed through Ugzeke, delaying his initial reaction while Boreas followed up. They did what damage they could before the status effect wore off, taking a chunk out of its considerable health bar.

The troll stood, its breathing heavy. It didn't seem to acknowledge its deep wounds. It let out a bloodcurdling roar that lasted until it finally exhausted itself. Morningstar swiped at it, nicking its waist with the tip of his sword. Red pixels floated off, but Ugzeke ignored him entirely, focused on neither of the players in particular.

"Careful. He looks like he's just about ready to swing," Morningstar said, stepping back to a distance he deemed safe. The troll was slower than both he and Boreas. For the time being, the fight would be straight forward. They could move in while the troll recharged, pressuring its weak points, and play back when it attacked with its monstrous strength. 

#

Boreas exposed his interest in unique enhancements. "Coincidentally, you see people like me for uniques. I've got a shop on Floor 8. Stop by, if you can find it," Star said. His store, Honeydew & Hushwind, was deep in the Forest of the Great Tree. Finding it alone as a first time visitor was a challenge in itself. If he could do that, Morningstar figured he was ready for equipment of a higher value.

"Sure. I've got something in mind, actually--if that's okay with you."

They traveled upwards, to Floor 23. Morningstar was no more a fan of the Underdark than anyone else; however, the field boss that lived there was exceptionally useful to DPS players such as themselves. He intended to introduce Boreas to his old friend, Ugzeke.

They could hear the troll's groans echoing through the caverns. They approached from a cliffside, a safe vantage point from which they could scout the surrounding area before engaging. While slow, the boss was a sufficiently heavy hitter. Morningstar preferred not to be distracted by other mobs while engaged with it.

"Have you ever wanted to know what a train accident feels like? Neither have I. Don't get hit, if you can avoid it."

When he determined the coast to be clear, Morningstar dropped from the ledge. Midway to the ground, a blade materialized in his grip. He caught Ugzeke off guard (which wasn't difficult, even without a surprise attack), cleaving through him with a wide-arcing sword art.

-> Traveling to Floor 23

"It's a variation, yeah. It's called Freeze. A little less consistent than Paralytic Venom, but the shattering effect it has is a nice touch. It's new to me; I'm still getting a feel for it. I'm predominantly a straight sword user, but I've been training martial arts as a secondary. It's experimental."

Boreas struck the witch, but his sword had no effect. He wondered if it had to do with the icy shell that coated her frail body. Maybe it was Star's fault.

The witch unfroze and floated back up to a standing position. She cackled, and two bright fireballs expanded in her palms. She launched them at the blonde, but he was quick. Star sidestepped each spell, closing the gap between them expeditiously. He laid into her with one last combo and she was reduced to dust.

"Congratulations. That's the end of the quest," Morningstar said, after catching his breath. "You're pretty good. I'm surprised I haven't seen you at a raid before."

ph

#

Morningstar found himself in an uncomfortable position from the get go. Whatever item Oscar had activated debuffed Star heavily. His body felt sluggish, like he was trying to walk around in a dream. He peeked at his battle-ready inventory, only to realize he hadn’t brought an antidote along with him. Was he throwing? He blamed madness.

Their previous duel warranted anti-heal, he thought. It worked last time, more or less, so why not try again?

Working with the poor hand he had dealt himself, he activated the Heartbreaker, cutting Oscar’s passive healing in half.

Now he just needed to settle on a game plan. What was his win condition? What were Oscar’s weaknesses? Did he even have weaknesses?

He was concerned whether he would even be able to hit Oscar. Waiting out the slowness effect while being assaulted by his opponent seemed like a hefty goal. Maybe he should have thought things through a little better before being hit by Pheromones.

Cooldowns: Disguise [1/5]

Madness - ID: 242555 | CD: 4, +1 Madness
Post Action -> Heartbreaker
Free Action -> Disguise

EN: -7

Oscar - HP: 200/200 | EN: 43/43| DMG: 10 | MIT: 42|  ACC:2 | PHASE | EVA:1 | BH:6 | REC: 1 | VAMP OFF: 30 | AA | LD: 8 | Madness 0/3 | Heartbreaker: 0/3
[Pheromones]Morningstar | HP: 205/205 | EN: 36/43 | DMG: 9 | ACC: 3 | AA | EVA: 1 | REC: 2 | LD: 4 | FLN: 4 | PARA-V | MADNESS: 2/3 | PHERO: 0/3

Kindling. That was his name. After so many weeks of the tournament, you'd think Morningstar would remember by now. He lacked the skill of memorizing names, though. Now, faces, on the other hand...

"Happy to."

Their attention was pulled by the song of the second wave of harpies. Their respawn timers were even quicker than anticipated. It appeared he chose the right place to farm. Morningstar took initiative, as he so often did during party-based combat. With a quick start, he charged the flock. His fist drove into the stomach of one harpy, forcing a choked gasp from its throat. With a sharp jab, he silenced it, immediately pulling hate from the rest of the surrounding mobs. They ended their singing with abrupt, harsh screeches.

They collapsed on him all at once, claws extended and fangs bared. Morningstar, bouncing between feet, reacted with a triple kick. He swept through each creature, alternating legs with each kick. 

He wiped his forehead. It was warm on the islands, as always. Tropical weather was something he never came prepared for, which was odd, considering he lived there.

"So, Kindling," he said, turning back, "what brings you to the twenty-fourth?"

“Kestral Run? No, I think they fly.”

Morningstar wasn't sure what that meant. "Kestrals? I thought they were called drakelings," he said, right before witnessing Acanthus' monster massacre.  He grimaced as she stepped into the drake nest, stomping about on the unhatched eggs. "I feel icky."

Wulfrin was saying something about kestrals again. And why was he talking about Star Wars? "A New Hope? Is that the one where Skywalker kisses his sister?"

He loved film—he just didn't care much for Star Wars. It was a fun watch through the first go around, but beyond that, he'd wholeheartedly ignored it. There was something about it that made him groan, consistent with every single movie. It was the dialogue, he thought, but he would need another watch-through to conclude the theory—and that would never happen. Now, Lord of the Rings, he could get behind. It was a trilogy he grew up with, that he had binged a trillion and a half times, and it—

Oh my god—Wulfrin just murdered a child.

Their "work," as Foreman Gorge would have put it, brought with it the attention of the local homeowners. From the darkness of the caves appeared two scowling drake matriarchs, enormous compared to the younglings. Just about every section of their body was reinforced with deep blue scales. Even their beige underbellies looked thick. Each matriarch was equipped with a deadly horn atop their snout, as well. They were built for protecting their nests, which the motley crew of players were currently busy destroying.

"I can't say we don't deserve it," Morningstar shrugged, swiping at a drake while his party mates finished off the last of the eggs.

---

Their hosts had prepared quite the show in such a short span of time. Floor 29 seemed like an odd place to host a tournament. Without any safezones, it was hard to setup precautions for both spectators and competitors. Sure, the players couldn't kill each other--but what was stopping the shamblers outside from swarming and causing chaos within the arena. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened.

And then there was the enormous jellyfish in the sky. Emrakul was a nice touch, thematically, but Star couldn't help but feel uncomfortable beneath his presence. Through some sort of freaky mind link, she spoke to them, and Morningstar understood the theme of the week.

Any frontliner who thought they were finished with madness would have been dead wrong. Callisto remained a thorn in their sides, even after death.

"So, who's familiar do you think that is?" Star asked Oscar from across the arena.

--

Initiative: 242533 LD4

Madness: 242537 CD6 | +1 Madness

Morningstar | HP: 205/205 | EN: 43/43 | DMG: 9 | ACC: 4 | AA | EVA: 4 | REC: 2 | LD: 4 | FLN: 4 | PARA-V | MADNESS: 1/3

With one heavy sweep, Morningstar cut through the three of the four remaining revenants. Like some sort of terrible allergic reaction, they burst into flames at the touch of his Holy enhancement. The blackened husks barely had time to stagger before collapsing into embers, their unholy forms unable to resist the blade's power. A single mob remained in the wave--a mockery of life, inching slowly towards the mechanical constructs,  barely capable of movement at all.

"Never leave home without Reactin," Morningstar quipped, brushing ash off his coat. His sword hummed faintly in his grip, still hot from the explosive sword art.

The revenant shambled closer, but Morningstar did nothing. He had done his part and taken a hefty portion of the loot. Surely, he could have finished the last one himself, but what for? This wasn’t a test of endurance. Let the others clean up and share in the spoils.

Loot Totals

"A bit of theatre, a bit of film. I think I did a fast food commercial once. A little of everything, really."

Morningstar took the lead, familiar with the grounds of the castle. A crow cawed atop a grotesque and damaged stone fountain. Never had he successfully made out what it was supposed to portray. They treaded over dead grass, chatting until they reached the entrance. "If raids are your goal, I'm happy to invite you to the next meeting. We're always low on frontliners. The more, the merrier," Star said.

The witch attacked quicker than Morningstar had expected. Everything about the quest's pacing felt off today. It was inexplicable. Boreas engaged with a reliable strike, but the witch powered through the damage regardless.

Morningstar bolted, following up on Boreas' attack. He moved like lightning from the entryway to within arms reach of the witch. Then, he made contact. Something cracked beneath his fist, dropping her to the ground. Her body turned ice-blue and stiff as rock.

"Whew. First time I've landed that," he grinned, massaging his hand.

--

For @Telrenya

Eternal Winter | [#242216] | TIER 4 PERFECT TRINKET | ANTIFREEZE, EVA 2
[desc.]: a silver charm bracelet featuring a snowflake, ice cube, snowman, and a snow cone

+1 Gleaming Scale