Morningstar

Killjoy, the Anti-Social Dog disintegrated, gone in a flash of light. Star took his savior's hand. He took off his drool-covered coat, determined not to wear it for a while. He shrugged at NIGHT's comment. "Who knows. Maybe I have a hateable face."

He looked around the room one last time before following NIGHT through the spinning vortex, leaving the Witch's castle behind.

On the other side was the forest, exactly where they had started. Morningstar's coffee cup lay empty on the ground, the grass stained by its spilled contents. "I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled coffee, but come on."

The moon was still high and the forest Forest of Memories quiet. "I'm taking a teleport crystal. Need one? I've seen enough of these woods for a lifetime. Two, maybe. Goodnight, NIGHT. Thanks for tagging along," he smiled, tossing the girl a crystal.

His farewell was followed by the crack of a shiny blue crystal and the dematerialization of his virtual body.

Thread Closing:

Dungeon Wave #1 (Floor 22) = 48 mats per player
Dungeon Wave #2 (1400*20) = 28,000 col per player
Dungeon Wave #3 (2000*50) = 100,000 col / 2 players

Dungeon Drop | ID 220856 | LD 17 | Tier 4 Perfect Trinket with one guaranteed Unique Enhancement.

Morningstar receives:

5,985 EXP (Word Count (5,813/10*6*0.7] + Quest [1,500] + Dungeon [1,800]+ 10% Advanced Training [244])
96,397 col (1 page [200] + Dungeon [78,000] + Loot [17,300] + 15% P5 Reward [897])
52 Materials (Dungeon [48] + Loot [4])
1x Witch's Brew
Tier 4 Perfect Trinket (Guaranteed Unique) (1) | 220856a
Tier 4 Rare Armor/Shield (1) | [220683]
Tier 4 Rare Trinket (1) | [220750]

NIGHT receives:

16,153 EXP (Word Count (5,813/10*15*0.7] + Quest [1,500] + Dungeon [8,550])
107,292 col (1 page [200] + Dungeon [78,000] + Loot [26,670] + 15% P5 Reward [2,422])
60 Materials (Dungeon [48] + Loot [12])
1x Witch's Brew
Tier 4 Perfect Trinket (Guaranteed Unique) (1) | 220856b
Tier 4 Perfect Armor (5) | [220701] | [220700a] | [220700b] | [220752a] | [220752b] | [220855a] | [220855b]
Tier 4 Perfect Consumable (4) | [220700a] | [220700b] | [220752a] | [220752b] | [220855c] | [220855d]
Tier 4 Perfect Trinket (2) | [220701] | [220699]
Tier 4 Rare Weapon (1) | [220702]
Tier 4 Uncommon Consumable (1) | [220702]

Dying Sun cut across Hogo-Sha's torso in flash. His body dropped to the ground. They shared one final emotionless look before the assassin died.

Guards surrounded Morningstar, spears drawn. He sheathed his longsword, a dozen weapons pointed at his throat, prepared to strike. "I'm a freelancer, hired by the Chief," he stated plainly. A few looked at each other before one, a captain, he thought, ordered the crew to lower their spears.

"Come with me," the captain said, gesturing for him to follow.

A new item appeared in his inventory at the same time. It was a coded missive, unreadable to the naked eye. He gathered that it was the true plot of Uso-Tsuki.

The captain and his guards returned Morningstar to the Chief's palace, guiding him to the room where he and the Chief had first spoken. It was a meeting space, probably for strategy and such. The guards left him there, alone, where he awaited the arrival of his employer.

He deflected Hogo-Sha's blade and pierced the assassin's shoulder, twisting before releasing. The man stumbled back, clutching it with one hand while gripping his greatsword with the other. Bloody particles spilled out of the wound and through the gaps of his fingers, floating and dissolving in the air.

"Give up. Tell me Uso-Tsuki's true intentions and I'll let you live," Morningstar promised.

Hogo-Sha's expression remained stoic and still despite the pain shooting through his shoulder. Not a word left his lips. Guards rounded the corner, a scene that Morningstar was all too familiar with. As they closed in, Hogo-Sha lunged at him, wielding his giant sword with a single arm.

He had made his decision, and although it would result in unjust actions, it was an honorable one. He had chosen not to betray his leader, his friend, and stay consistent with his own beliefs. A guard shouted from behind them, probably to stop, but neither of the swordsmen could hear them.

Morningstar worked to keep Hogo-Sha on defense, matching every one of his swings with two more. Uso-Tsuki was long gone now, and there was no way for the blonde to catch up to him. Even if he could finish off his bodyguard in that moment, he wouldn't know where to look for the traitor.

His mission was a bust. He had screwed up—no, it wasn't his fault. Uso-Tsuki had known he was coming from the moment he stepped foot in the bakery, maybe even earlier. Not a word of their plans was trustworthy information and bringing it back to the Chief would only spell his demise.

Metal reverberated through the air of the empty street. Windows and doors shut, fearful of the public brawl. It was a shady area, but the local NPCs couldn't have been accustomed to such violent duels, particularly between skilled swordsmen. Common thugs and thieves were the norm, not hired assassins and spies.

Morningstar fought back, and the sheer force of Dying Sun broke through Hogo-Sha's parry. They were a well-matched pair, identical in many ways. While the thickness was incomparable, their blades gave off a similar aura that could only be described as bloodlust.

Wordlessly, Morningstar followed up on his first strike with a flurry of vertical and horizontal slices, using the lightness of his blade to his advantage. He could move quicker, even if only a tiny bit. Hogo-Sha's greatsword was powerful, yet slow in comparison to the blonde's longsword. Even the strongest of swordsmen would have been troubled swinging around the weight of the assassin's slab of iron.

It almost seemed unfitting, seeing a man of stealth fighting in the streets like that, and his weapon of choice was odd as well. Greatswords were the very opposite of concealable, nor were they easy to carry. As a long time greatsword wielder himself, Morningstar was an expert.

All went silent for a moment, before Uso-Tsuki finally spoke again. "Questions? Good. Dismissed."

"Except for you."

Inches from Morningstar's face, a blade pierced the door. His stealth had been a lie from the start. Uso-Tsuki knew he was there behind the wall and fed his assassins the plan anyway. He wanted Morningstar to know. But why?

"Hogo-Sha, go."

Ripping around the corner came a suited assassin with a greatsword. He twisted his body as he swung at Star, smashing a hole in the wall in the process. A quick glimpse of Uso-Tsuki was all that Morningstar would get before the betrayer vanished into the shadow of the city.

He drew his blade in response to the attacker. They clashed briefly before Morningstar was overpowered and pushed through a wall. He landed in the street, empty except for a few witnesses. Hogo-Sha did not care either way. He leaped out of the house, following the dazed spy. Morningstar rolled and Hogo-Sha's greatsword slammed into the ground where he had once been.

The exact number of Uso-Tsuki's followers were unknown to Morningstar who, thus far, had yet to take a look inside the room. The entrance was directly to his right. A few more slow steps and he would have a better idea of what they were up against.

In the past, he might have simply stormed in and done whatever he could to take down the group of assassins. He knew better now. After years of experience in the field, his battle intelligence had grown substantially.

"We will find the Chief here—in his private quarters. Two armed guards will be positioned outside of his doors. Take them out, but do it quietly. It's best if he does not call for help."

"Not that it'll do him much good."

A few chuckles followed, but were quickly snuffed out by their leader.

"Kage, take the Wādā Twins and position your men around the palace. Keep out of sight and await my command."

The safety of the city melted around him. He had experienced safe zones deactivating in pockets before. This quest, he expected, was similar to what he had seen on Glyndebourne; although, unlike Glyndebourne, this was not a sporadic event. It was a planned questline, with the intention of pulling him from his comfort zone.

He tiptoed down the hallway, attempting to listen and creep simultaneously. It was difficult, juggling eavesdropping while also worrying that a single creaking floor board would ruin his entire plan. The crucial component of a stealth mission was not being caught. He dreaded what might happen if he was.

"We will begin tomorrow, after sunset," came the voice of a man. "Difendā, Purotekutā, and Hogo-Sha—you will enter the palace at my side. Guards are posted at all entrances throughout the night. Expect increased patrols, likely every 15 minutes. He will be wary of us and our numbers warrant a high level of security. We will enter through an unprotected skylight here," he explained, probably pointing at a diagram of the Chief's palace.

Parkouring over the low rooftops, Morningstar made it to the shop the agent had referred to. It was a bakery, he discovered by listening to a young couple passing by. He hugged the top of a neighboring store, careful to not be spotted by either civilians or assassins. His sword had been unequipped for efficiency whilst maneuvering from building to building. He slid down the rugged wall of the bakery, clinging to the ledge of a half-opened window. He forced himself through the tight gap, tearing his jacket on a sharp piece of rock. 

The jacket was already a right mess. Tears from a billion different quests had accumulated over time; it could hardly be considered clothing anymore. It was beginning to look unprofessional—not that "looking professional" was in his job description. He had a standard for himself, though.

Inside the building, it was quiet. He found himself in an attic, the highest part of the building used only for storage of goods. There were non-perishable baking supplies as well as tools and gadgets used to craft more efficiently. He hid behind a box, mentally planning out his route from there. The only visible path out of the attic was through a door in the floor. He snuck over to it, lifting the heavy wooden lid and taking a peek below. Unlike the attic, it was light on the next floor down. Acknowledging that dropping would be noisy, he used the retracting ladder built into the attic's floor to climb down.

Voices passed through thin walls. Morningstar could hear most of what they were saying, his brain calculating the missing words through context and common sense. The Chief was mentioned twice, confirming that he was in the right place.

Without a farewell, Morningstar was ushered out of the Chief's office, led by an agent. No names were given to him for privacy reasons, he imagined. The agent was a spy—that was obvious enough. It made sense that they would be hesitant to reveal his identity to a stranger.

Trust aside, Morningstar was a suitable candidate for the job. His skillset was geared towards one-on-one combat and while he had limited experience with stealth missions, he was confident that he could get in and out of Uso-Tsuki's hideout without being noticed.

He followed the Chief's agent outside, to the edge of town. They passed the docks, where the fishing boats were located, as well as a couple of miniature market stalls. Like some sort of ninja, the agent scaled the wall of a nearby building, reaching the roof in seconds. Morningstar was slower on the uptake but made it up eventually. The agent paid him no mind. Crouched, they looked upon the city. From their vantage point, they could see many of Marsonia's focal points. The agent pointed towards a street along the outskirts, lined with shops and the sort. "Uso-Tsuki was last spotted there, according to our intelligence. The store is a front. His men use it as a safehouse. Gather the intel and return to us without being seen. May Sol's light protect you," the agent finished, before slipping into the shadows.

Dogs were never his favorites anyway.

Morningstar took a few steps back from the feral beast, switching places with NIGHT, who was more than willing to move within reach of its razor sharp claws. She cornered it, forcing it to fight defensively, showing it who was in charge.

He took the opportunity to catch the wolf from its blind spot. His greatsword found a spot for itself in Killjoy's side. Morningstar had a knack for making monsters angry, and this would only adding to his reputation.

It lashed out again in frustration, reaching nothing but air while status effects chipped away at its already dwindling health bar. The Witch of the West's familiar had found itself in a difficult predicament, with few options left to choose from.

It pounced once again; however, this time, Morningstar was too slow. It pinned him to the ground, held back only by the flat side of Bleeding Giant. Hot breath and drool invaded his face, validating his dislike for dogs. 

Quest

He left his home early in the morning, just after daybreak. The weight attached to his waist was lighter than usual, the result of a brand new sword. His fingers dangled around the blade's hilt. Dying Sun, it was called—two powerful swords concocted into something far above what he was accustomed to. Side by side, Bleeding Giant was an ant, although its size might fool the brightest of apes.

Surrounded by armed guards was a state that he was growing less and less fond of. First in Glyndebourne and now in Marsonia, he was on constant surveillance. Across the sandstone table was the Chief of the city, a wise and well-respected leader. His reputation, as they always did, brought enemies to his doorstep. One came from within his most inner circle.

"Uso-Tsuki," the Chief explained, "was akin to a son to me; my most trusted lieutenant. An attempt for his arrest was made, ending in failure. He escaped, and the sting of his betrayal has lingered ever since."

Morningstar listened, intent to hear the man out. Normally, he ignored dialogue like this. The Chief, however, seemed pained. His emotions felt real.

"He is a bold man, Uso-Tsuki. Cunning, too. He plans to take my life," the Chief stated grimly, fingers locked beneath his chin. "I know not his motivation, nor he intends on bypassing my guards. We are blind to his strategy, left only to theorize.

"And that's where I come in?"

"Precisely. Follow Uso-Tsuki and return with information detailing his plans, and the reward will be yours. My agent," he gestured to the man on his right. "will guide you to Uso-Tsuki's current whereabouts."

[ lv. 52  ->   lv. 33 / p. 19 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 828/828 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 28 | MIT: 60 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 6 | BH: 39 | LD: 8 (9) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN | PROS: 3   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped dying sun FLN II, AA, PAR VEN red longcoat EVA II, REC I sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory teleport crystal x5 magdalyn's cuckoo popcorn x10 | VIT II 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 II crème brûlée | ACC II mortal instants | MIT II smores | EVA II gelato | LD III mousse | PROS III shadows withal | OH III breakfast fry | PROTEIN 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. 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

Quest | Previous Thread
Dockmaster Ryland was killed during the escape in <<Trouble at the Skyport>>

"So, what do you say, Captain Star? Ready to take us out?"

"Aye, aye."

Morningstar took the wheel in a hurry. He clicked, jabbed, and pulled buttons and levers, firing up the engine and setting the raggedy skiff on route. Skyrat Pirates, whom he presumed were the followers of the vanishing Ulric Drell, approached from the rear. They wielded daggers, cutlasses, and wide smirks as they raced towards the players. The skiff caught air, lifting off of Span 17 with a roar—which sounded more like a wheezing cough. As they picked up speed, so did the pirates, one going so far as to jump for the ship, only to fall to his death instead.

They had made it out in tact.

But the ship they had chosen had it's problems. For starters, the rudder was making a strange noise on each rotation. Also, the engine was a bust. They made it a short distance from takeoff before it burst into flames and they found themselves falling through the sky.

Morningstar strapped himself in. The skyboat's lack of a roof made it dangerously easy to fall out and while Nari might have lived, his health bar was not made for free falls. The sudden drop felt more like floating than falling. What set it apart was the rising sensation in his gut, like his stomach was aching to climb out of his throat. He held on for dear life, his knuckles white on the wooden steering wheel. The skiff was tipped slightly, angled forwards and aimed directly for a loading dock.

Words were ceiled shut inside his mouth. He thought it might have been the pressure, but he was no scientist. A large chunk of the ship's decaying hull flew past his head, thankfully coming no where near him. The front tipped more and he could see the ground a little too well. Forty feet. Thirty feet. Twenty feet.

He braced himself, shutting his eyes just before the ten feet mark.

The impact wasn't at all what he expected. It happened in a flash. The tip of the boat touched land first, crushing inwards until the weight of the stern forced it into a flat position. What little of the ship's prominent pieces had remained through the fall were no longer attached, and it slid for a while before slamming into the wall of the cargo bay.

They had made it out barely in tact.

[ lv. 52  ->   lv. 33 / p. 19 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 720/720 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FB: 40 | BLD: 48   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped bleeding giant FB II, BLD II red longcoat EVA II, REC I sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory teleport crystal x5 magdalyn's cuckoo popcorn x10 | VIT II 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 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

NIGHT reacted like lightning, keeping the wolf-dog from biting Star's head off. He needed his head, so he was grateful. It growled even more ferociously as she egged it on, wet drool dripping from its toothy jaw.

"I'd like to retract my statement. He's not cute," Morningstar said, whipping out his blade.

Also more of a cat person, he dove forth, swiping at the witch's familiar with the edge of Bleeding Giant, hoping to get a hit in without sustaining any damage in retaliation. He was disappointed. Part of him thought that maybe he could take the dog home with him, but all of his hopes and dreams had come crashing down in an instant.

The beast lunged at Morningstar, and he countered with a leap that turned into a roll at the half way mark. It was a small space, uncomfortable for fighting something normal sized. The wolf was huge, or at least far bigger than wolves were supposed to get.

Two elementals, fiercer than their predecessor, towered before the party. Flames jumped from their bodies like scalding rain, pouring down in a ring around them. They were boxed in, forced to fight.

Maybe Freyd was right. The labyrinth wasn't so far away. Maybe they should have left, even if it meant splitting up the four of them, and gone on to the raid team.

But whatever the right answer was, it didn't matter. A decision had been made and it led them to a battle of another kind. Morningstar slipped into a fighting stance, taking off behind Vigilon and Krysta. His blade became a red flash as he swiped through the healthier elemental. Once again, it felt odd to attack fire. It's material form was barely real; it was like slicing through hot air. The flaming serpent hissed at him, full of rage.

***

Post Action | TECH-B (x16, 15 EN): 15 - (Well Rested 3/3; Stamina) = 12 EN

220801 | bd9 | cd11 | dmg = (26+1) * 16 = 432 | -> Greater Fire Elemental 2

[0,1]Krysta | HP 897/897 | EN 97/112 | 28 DMG | 98 MIT | 4 ACC | 4 EVA | 26 BH | 8 REC | 8 HLY | 48 BLD | 3 LD | 3 Pros.
[1,1]Vigilon | HP 920/920 | EN 97/114 | 28 DMG | 98 MIT | 4 ACC | 4 EVA | 56 BRN | 32 BLGT | 16 FLN | 9 LD | 3 Pros.
[0,0]Morningstar | HP: 851/851 | EN: 106/106 | DMG: 26 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 182 | LD: 9 | AA: 1 | VO: 122 | STK: 40/24 | BH: 15 | Pros: III
[0,0]Freyd | HP: 1357/1357 | EN: 152/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 7 | BH: 74 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | PROB: 36

Greater Fire Elemental 2 | HP 3148/4000 | 240 DMG | 2 1 ACC | 1 EVA | DELAY | STK: 40 DMG (0/2)
Greater Fire Elemental 3 | HP 3136/4000 | 240 DMG | 2 ACC | 1 EVA (3160-24)
Wildfire Rush | AoE on CD 10-12
Spirit of Fire | Immune to Burn, Bleed, Envenom, and Stun. T4 Burn on MD 9-10.

26/3/24 .

Morningstar lifted the newly fused weapon. Dying Sun was its name. Even the hilt was warm to the touch. "This'll do nicely. One more puzzle piece and it'll be done. Thanks, mate. I owe you one, big time."

He said his goodbyes and left Sentinel Armaments, returning to his shop to add the finishing touches to the blade. He had accumulated enough shards to upgrade its quality, after quite a lot of grinding. Eager to get to work, he entered Honeydew & Hushwind, cranked his radio, and put on a pot of tea.

Old blues drowned out the sounds of nature; the birds, the wind, and the insects. His focus was on the sword and only the sword.

Morningstar arrived at the edge of Coral carrying a couple of straight swords he had recently appraised. They were called Moonslayer and Sunset and they had cost him all of his mystic essence. Expensive items were his taste, though, so he didn't complain.

"Morningstar, Wulfrin. Business is booming, I take it?" he called as he entered the humble smithy. It had a quaint vibe, and Morningstar appreciated it. It was also in a beautiful town. He propped the two blades on the counter for the blacksmith to take a gander at. "Need these babies fused. I had a vision of this beast of a weapon and I'm slowly putting together all of the pieces of Exodia."

"Oh, and, maybe use this on one of them as well," he said, handing over a one-of-a-kind crystal.

"Any time," he nodded to Katoka politely.

He marched back over to Doom, which lowered itself in response. Climbing onto the horse's back felt liberating, as if a surge of dark strength erupted through his body. The same bright blue, flame-like aura that surrounded Death crept up Morningstar's arms and legs. In his hand, his blade took a new form, morphing and elongating into a polearm—Death's scythe. He gave it a twirl, happily astonished by the new weapon he held. Not that he knew how to properly use it, of course. He hoped the system would help out with that.

Taking the reigns, he led Doom to the rest of his group as Acting Death. Nari had mounted her horse, Drought, already. Instead of Doom's blue embers, Drought's were green. "Y'know," he smirked, leaning the scythe against his shoulder, "I get the appeal. I may not want to give this up."

He took a look at the other horses, who had yet to be mounted. Red and gold were their fiery manes. Wrath and Conquest. "Hop on, then. Let's see how you look."

Morningstar chuckled, replying to Freyd. "My shop is a mess of plants and a stockpile of unidentified junk. I think, as an appraiser, it's hard not to have a ridiculous amount of things lying around when you leave dungeons with a trillion new items. Congrats on the new place, though. Not having to sleep in an inn or at work is game changing. I think I cried when I won my house. Whereabouts did you settle down?"

He followed the lead of his friends, doing Nari a favor and taking down the last of the mobs. When he looted the last of the... well, looters, he showed off the item to the knightess. It was a vial filled with a disgusting brown liquid. "See? Unidentified junk. This'll sit in my storage room for a while until I remember that it's there and I sell it off for whatever scrap col it's worth." He sure as hell was not going to drink it.

Another wave approached from the darkness of the tunnel, wailing about needing more stuff. "Well, Wulfie? Feel like taking the lead?"

“Yeah, a little,” he said vaguely. He was an okay singer, in his biased opinion, but his confidence wasn’t really there. “What about you? I peg you as a secretly good singer,” he hummed the tune to “Over the Rainbow” while tiptoeing up the stone stairs that would lead them to the topmost floor.

A corridor at the top dragged them along to a wooden door. Behind it was a bedroom. “No way,” Morningstar said, taking the first look inside. “Do you think she actually slept in here?”

There was a bed, a wardrobe, mirrors, magical spell books, and the head of a crow; all things you might expect from a witch’s private quarters. What shocked the blonde was the dog in the cage. A pet, or a prisoner? It was too cute not to approach. A closer inspection of the cage revealed its lock; however, no key was to be found. Quick thinking and simple sword art broke it off the cage and the door swung open.

The fluffy little guy, who’s health bar dubbed him “Killjoy, the Anti-Social Dog,” stepped anxiously out of its prison. In a knelt position, Morningstar gave it some scratches. “Aww,” he glanced up at NIGHT, smiling. “Isn’t he cute?”

A bark startled him, and his eyes flew back to Killjoy, who was rapidly growing in size. He took a few steps back from the dog, which was beginning to look more like a bloodthirsty wolf. Standing at a height of about four and a half feet, it growled at the players, ready to lunge.

At least NIGHT aimed higher. Her output against the winged monkeys allowed Morningstar to recalibrate and adjust his move pattern, this time hitting his mark. The smaller of the two, whose name was apparently Lyman, went down first. He crashed to the floor, at first only paralyzed, only to become dust a moment later. His goliath of a partner was still kicking, but only barely.

"Anyways, yeah—I had to sing. Kind of nerve-racking, I think. And no, I never went to any of those. I was a minor," he chuckled. He had almost forgotten about those days. They felt so far away now. It had been years.

"Oh, and I'll write you a list," he added on to the end.

So far, the upper stories of the castle were lacking in substance. Maybe that was the intention, with the expectation that nobody was going to climb it anyway. He pulled a book off of a nearby shelf and took a look inside, skimming the words for anything interesting while NIGHT finished off sleeping beauty.

24/3/24 unique

Name: Dart
Your Profession:  Appraiser
Your Rank: Rank 5
Roll ID: 220734, 220735, 220736
Roll Result: 17, 11, 6 (Unique found! BD: 10 CD: 9 LD: 17)
Item Type: Straight Sword
Tier: T4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Absolute Accuracy, Keen, Keen
Description: A thin straight sword, said to always strike true. It is silver from tip to hilt and the name of the smith who crafted it is engraved in the cross guard. It reads, "Russelsheim."
Link: URL
Acquisition ID: 219930b

Name: Moonslayer
Your Profession:  Appraiser
Your Rank: Rank 5
Roll ID: -, 220742, 220743
Roll Result: -, 17, 9
Mystic Essence ID: 207085, 210853, 220318a
Item Type: Straight Sword
Tier: T4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Fallen, Accuracy, Bleed
Description: A greatsword of immense weight and power. It has a simple design, which is not to be mistaken for mediocrity. A small crescent is engraved at the base.
Link: URL
Acquisition ID: 219937

Name: Sunset
Your Profession:  Appraiser
Your Rank: Rank 5
Roll ID: -, 220744, 220745
Roll Result: -, 18, 13
Item Type: Straight Sword
Tier: T4
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: Fallen, Accuracy, Bleed
Description: A longsword that looks almost draconic. It's hilt is white with a comfortable grip. The pommel and cross guard are a matching shade of ruby. 
Link: URL
Acquisition ID: 220012

24/3/2024 .