Morningstar

Morningstar weaved past Baldur, sneaking in a few swift punches. The Spectral Knight reeled, unable to balance itself due to the reapplied stun. It toppled over, the heft of its armor crashing to the ground. It lay there, as still as a statue, unable to react to their onslaught of attacks.

All the while, he kept an eye on his party members. They were strong, and he knew that, but Acanthus was off. She always was, a little--ever since their spat at the bandit camp. She wouldn't meet his eyes, positioning herself as far away from him as possible. When she did speak (and she never directly said anything to Star), her words were slurred. Never would he point it out to the group, but the flask she sipped from when she thought no one was looking was not a buff.

He watched her cautiously, pretending as if he were focused on their opponent.

"If it's any consolation, the NPC's should respawn if we are able to reverse it."

Morningstar considered the sentiment. It wasn't impossible. One of the benefits of NPCs was the ability to respawn--something that players could only dream of. Respawning was required of quest NPCs in particular, since they needed to be reused on a frequent basis. The lighthouse keeper, a key player in the quest, likely fell under the category of a Quest NPC. Even if the others didn't respawn, he thought it probable that the lighthouse keeper would.

"Worth a shot."

Outside, the storm raged on. Their ship was damaged beyond repair, cradled by jagged rocks. Morningstar was secretly glad they wouldn't have to sail home. Standing on the edge of the shore, he stared across the sea. Dark waves reached high, slamming the cliffside, and foam bubbled around his boots. He raised his voice over the sea.

"Did you bring a crystal?"

thread summary

Morningstar
5128 EXP | (8601/10)*8*0.6=4128 + 1000 [Quest]
15883 col + 769 [Laurel Wreath]
<<Brawler>>

Acanthus
4612 EXP | (8601/10)*7*0.6=3612 + 1000 [Quest]
15883 col + 691 [Laurel Wreath]
<<Brawler>>

Teion
3580 EXP | (8601/10)*5*0.6=2580 + 1000 [Quest]
15883 col + 537 [Laurel Wreath]
<<Brawler>>

A trade menu materialized before Morningstar offering a single debuff song. He spammed buttons as quickly as he could while the boss' aggro was elsewhere. When the item was secured in his inventory, he advanced.

Morningstar's sword ignited, glowing boldly in the dark of the sewers. He charged in after Wulfrin's attack, singling out the healthiest duplication of the Slime King and driving his weapon through its gelatinous body. Flames sprouted from the wound, slowly climbing until the creature was engulfed. 

He retreated to safety and played the song.

The melody was somber, but beautiful. It wound through the chaos, threading between the clashes of blades, the echoing groan of shifting pipes. It seeped into the air like smoke. The flames sputtered, burning hotter across the Slime King's green form. It sloshed unevenly, staggered by the ticking damage of the status effect. Star stepped aside so his frontline could move in.

Post Action | CHARGE+TECH-G | 244105 BD4+6+1-4=7 | DMG: (32+3)*16-50=510 | BRN Applied
Free Action | Resonance of the Grave [Tierless/Perfect/Debuff/Instant] Incarceration | [224076] -> Slime King #5

Players:
Wulfrin | HP: 679/679 | EN: 59/89 | DMG: 26(+3) | MIT:66 | ACC:5 | EVA:4 | BH:14 | REC: 3 | BLD: 36 | LD:2
Eruda | HP: 1079/1081 | EN: 96/106 | DMG: 8(+4) | MIT:244 | ACC:3 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | BRN-IM | FL.AURA: 16 | FL.THORNS: 8/16 | THORNS:72 | BH:59 | REC: 8 | BRN: 56 | LD:4
Morningstar | HP: 874/874 | EN: 59/114 | DMG: 28(+4) | MIT: 20 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 6 | BH: 39 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V
Freyd | HP: 1357/1357 | EN: 62/156 | DMG: 27(+4) | MIT: 40 | EVA: 4 (-1) | ACC: 7 | BH: 64 | LD: 6 | PROSP 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 32/3 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8 | V.D.: 149 | DOTE 3/3 | PROB 36 | TRLBLD | HYPER [1/3]
Shiina | HP: 1012/1012 | EN: 110/120 | DMG: 1(+4) | MIT:251 | ACC:0 | EVA:3 | FL.AURA: 16 | FR.AURA: 16 | THORNS:112 | BH:32 | HB: 42 | MENDING: 2 | REC: 8
Raidou | HP: 1196/1196 | EN: 114/142 | DMG: 11(+4) | MIT:177 | ACC:4 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:7 | BH:66 | VAMP-D: 132 | VAMP-O: 197 | REC: 8 | BLI: 32/-20 | LD:6 | JUST/VENGEFUL

Boss:
[0,4,0,3,0,0] Slime King #2 | HP: 58/2500 | DMG: 220 | MIT: 50 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | PARA-IM | FRZ-IM | GRAP-IM | LULL-IM | HYPN-IM | VAMP-D[Final]: 100 | [BRN: 224/1]
[2,0,0,0,0,4] Slime King #4 | HP: 626/1250 | DMG: 220 | MIT: 50 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | PARA-IM | FRZ-IM | GRAP-IM | LULL-IM | HYPN-IM | VAMP-D[Final]: 100 | [BRN: 224/1] | BLEED 36 (0/2) | STUNNED
[0,0,1,0,0,0] Slime King #5 | HP: 640/1250 | DMG: 220 | MIT: 50 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | PARA-IM | FRZ-IM | GRAP-IM | LULL-IM | HYPN-IM | VAMP-D[Final]: 100 | [BRN: 224/2]

• Pure Structure: Any DoT effects on the boss will last half their original duration, except for Burn. Afflicting the boss with Burn will also deal double damage to it.
• Royal Gel: On an MD 9-10, the <<Slime King>> will launch an AoE attack at the four players with the highest hate, dealing 160 DMG and afflicting them with T4 Blight for two turns. This skill cannot occur once <<Gelatinous Form>> has activated.
• Gelatinous Form: Every time the boss’ health reaches 0, two more Kings will spawn, using the next lowest HP available. If a Slime King with the lowest amount of max HP possible dies, he will not spawn any more.

Morningstar took the parchment, clueless of the cage in the corner of the room. He took a moment to read the last words of the lighthouse keeper.

He dropped into the closest chair, sinking as he stared at the bug-eyed creature--no, the lighthouse keeper. The town's were empty now, void of NPCs, but their traces remained. Lanterns flickered in abandoned homes. Food and drink still sat in untouched pantries. Books, toys, tools--all scattered and forgotten.

He buried his head in his hands.

How many of you have I killed?

Every creature he'd fought--every human he'd slaughtered. For what? Experience? Loot? Virtual nothings in a fake world?

They were NPCs, he told himself. They were as real as your items.

But he didn't believe that. Not really. The line between real and fake had smeared into something unrecognizable.

The lighthouse keeper writhed, clinging to the bars of the cage. It almost looked like he was begging. But Morningstar knew better. The old man was gone. Whatever was left was just debris--something the game wanted the players to clean up. Morningstar let out a tired sigh.

"Maybe there's a way to reverse it."

You don't believe that.

"Maybe we can figure it out and come back for him later."

You won't.

"I think we should leave him. He's not hurting anyone like this."

It was illogical to assume that they were facing the same knight he had encountered before. They all looked identical, with nothing to indicate that one was different than the other. Their ability to print themselves onto nearby non-players only made it worse. He couldn't tell what he was fighting--whether it was the original or a copy.

A tentacle shot out from the darkness, coiling around Morningstar's leg and squeezing tight. His gaze met the Shambler's dull, insectoid eyes. Wounds covered its gangly body, but its health bar remained barely intact, held together by sheer luck. It fought on, if only on instinct, dragging itself toward Star. He stared at the thing and something in his chest twisted. There was a flicker of sorrow--or maybe just pity--in his eyes. Then nothing. He raised his sword and cut himself loose.

He couldn't tell what he was fighting. It didn't matter. It never did.

The Spectral Knight was experiencing the full force of a frontline party. It stood there, stunned, taking hit after hit, unable to retaliate.

Good. The less it moves, the less it'll duplicate.

His sword vanished, replaced by a set of wrist rings hidden beneath what was left of his jacket. He stepped forward, jabbing twice and finishing with a cross to the knight's face.

He followed Wulfrin to the living room, looking over his shoulder at the final puzzle. The vile nonogram taunted him, as if daring him to solve it. Morningstar stared back, trapped between giving it a go and resorting to trial and error on the combination lock. Giving in, he sat down and began to scribble in boxes with the pencil he had stolen from the previous room.

It took ages, but eventually, Morningstar cracked the nonogram. He nudged Wulfrin, who was still looking for clues, to follow him to the base of the tower.

He knelt down, hands scrambling the lock at the bottom of the stairs. He twisted the numbers while actively recalling the numbers from each of the rooms. When they were set, he pulled.

Nothing happened.

He frowned. There was no doubt in his mind that the numbers were correct. He tried again, this time reversing the order. Still, no luck. Frustrated, he attempted every single combination he could think of until finally, the lock cracked.

A faint glow emitted from the basement.

Approved

So Morningstar did, and what it spat out was nonsensical at a glance. He scribbled it down in the same notebook as the puzzle, reading it over in his head a few times before sharing with Wulfrin.

rainbowssinsworldwondersheaven. rainbowssinsworldwondersheaven. rainbowssinsworldwondersheaven. rainbowssinsworldwondersheaven.

He picked apart the words. "Rainbows sins world wonders heaven?"

Staring blankly at Wulfrin, he pondered the words. Then, after some time, a lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh, shit!"

He underlined words as he rattled off his realization. "The number of colours in a rainbow, the deadly sins, world wonders, et cetera."

Morningstar dropped the pencil back on the desk and jumped out from his seat. They were making progress, and fast. "I think we've found ourselves another number."

They were still missing some though. Maybe they had cracked the riddle alright. Assuming they had, that left one digit left to find. "There are probably more puzzles in the other rooms. Shall we look?"

Smix was a stretch, but it was better than nothing. While Wulfrin grasped at straws, Morningstar further explored the bedroom. Another book—this time a novel—sat on the nightstand. The title read, "Love Among the Lichens by Scarlett Burbadge." The book was unfamiliar to him, so he wondered if the author was real or fictitious, created quest immersion. He opened it and skimmed the first few pages. It was a romance novel, he gathered. It wasn't his genre.

The desk opposite to him had far more interesting items on display. He sat down and pulled the lamp cord. It illuminated the room well enough for him to dig through the notebook on the desk. It was already open, with a pencil sitting on top. On the paper was a puzzle.

Morningstar frowned. "Weird. This isn't a nonogram."

He gripped the pencil between his fingers, tapping it against the desk a few times. "I've seen one of these before too," he mumbled.

He had, in fact, seen the puzzle; however, the name evaded him. Somewhere in Glyndebourne, ages prior, he had encountered an identical puzzle in a strange old manor. Magdalyn's Manor, he recalled, had been an "escape room" style quest. The goal this time around was different, but the style was similar.

With the pencil, he drew a spiral, following the order of the letters on the page. "Hey, come here for a sec. Help me unscramble this."

Morningstar had know idea what the last bit of the riddle was referring to, but Wulfrin's theories for the previous two parts had weight. He knelt down to look at the combination lock. Four numbers were required to open it. With a curled fist, he knocked on the door. "Hello? Any lighthouse keepers home?"

He waited a second. And then another.

Nobody replied.

They returned from the tower with more questions than answers. The next room they found was clearly a bedroom—presumably,  it was the lighthouse keeper's. The bed was made neatly with no indication that anyone had slept in it recently. The trunk at its foot seemed too obvious not to check. He waved Wulfrin over and clicked open the latch. There weren't too many things inside, and what they did find seemed irrelevant. He pulled things out one by one—first a stuffed rabbit; then a dried rose; then a child's drawing—and passed them back to his guildmate. At the bottom of the chest was a book.

"Aha! Puzzled: 20 Unique Puzzle Types and How to Solve Them. Now we're getting somewhere."

The owner had bent the corner of one page, as if to save their spot. Morningstar turned to it, reading the first few sentences aloud. "Use the numbers along the sides of the grid to determine how many black squares should be in the corresponding row or column. For example, a row with the numbers [8 2 1] will have a run of eight black boxes, then two black boxes, then a single one, with any number of white boxes preceding/between/succeeding them. Completing the puzzle will reveal an image.

"Nonograms," he said. "I've done these before."

"Let's call it five," Morningstar corrected, joining from the rear. He was elbow deep in an inky black mess. He wasn't even sure what kind of creature it was anymore. Tentacles constricted around his arm, tightening the more he struggled. Somehow, despite being impaled by a spear-like jab, it lived on. His free hand burned golden and he sliced his way out of the monster's grip.

He was disheveled; his normally pristine jacket was in tatters and it looked as though he'd been playing in the dirt. Nevertheless, his smile remained. 

The ruination of his Ilridge outpost left him frustrated and scrambling. He took that energy and put it to use, tracking the Spectral Knight that had nearly killed him. Eventually, the road led him to the church, and to his friends. His gaze lingered on Acanthus a few seconds longer than the rest, but he said nothing to single her out. Today, they would work together. He pushed aside their differences and drew his sword.

"So, where's the knight?" he asked, eager for another go at the ghostly outlier.

Hide contents Morningstar | Lv. 76 | P. 42 | True Tier: 8 HP: 860/860 | EN: 122/122 | DMG: 25 | MIT: 60 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 7 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V notes: // equipped Dying Sun FLN 2, AA, PARA-V Inner Focus EVA 2, REC 2 Sapphire ACC 3, EVA battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo Teleport Crystal Yellow Dragon, Red Tiger HLY 2, AA, FRZ skills   Hide contents STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech MARTIAL ARTS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: aoe COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect, tracking, reveal QUICK CHANGE UNHINDERED ENERGIST CHARGE extra (active) SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   Hide contents consumables imperial quarter blend | dmg 3 gungir (freyd) | acc 2, eva 2 stalwart's stew | mit 3  paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

♦ms.

"Well, okay then," he shrugged, moving on from the kitchen despite Wulfrin's warning to not split up. "Dromedary it is."

He found himself drawn to a dark room at the far end of the dwelling. It led to the tower, he found. A staircase spiraled up the lighthouse, clearly stopping at the top, where the light was. One step at a time, he ascended.

The gate at the top was already open. He assumed the lighthouse keeper had forgotten to lock it and climbed the ladder, pulling himself into the lantern room. The first thing he noticed was the writing on the ceiling.

What can be found in the sea, but not ocean? What is the same in both music and motion? What is the end of the liar’s paradox? This knowledge will grant you the keys to my locks, it read.

He recycled it in his mind thrice before examining the rest of the rooms contents. He looked outside. The storm raged on, waves slamming against the rocks, thunder roaring up above. He was happy to be inside.

The crunching of glass beneath his feet distracted him from the light itself. He knelt down. He assumed it had come from the lantern and didn't think to check where the break had occurred. Finding nothing else of interest, he started back down the staircase.

He scavenged the opposite end of the kitchen, hunting down any clues that might hint towards the location of the lighthouse keeper. He dug through cupboards, pocketing a bundle of herbs before Wulfrin called back to him. When his guildmate mentioned a shopping list, Morningstar joined him.

"Unicorn," he said, pointing at the third scramble on the list.

The camel struck him as odd. The other two words, bound by mythology, did not have drawings attached to them.

So why a camel?

There wasn't an obvious link between them. Camels were very real creatures, unlike the other two. Notably, cyclops had one eyes; unicorns had one horn. Camels broke the pattern, however. Some of them had two humps, he was pretty sure. But the one on the drawing did have one.

"Dunno what that first word is," he admitted, a little miffed that he couldn't unscramble it. "I figure it's some sort of mythical creature, like the other two. Maybe the camel's a red herring."

The foghorn sounded loudly as they approached, drawing the ship in. The rocky waves made it difficult for them to dock, but thankfully, the boat wasn't their own. Morningstar settled for a rough landing, aiming the boat straight for the craggy shore. They collided with a smash, slowing with the breaking of their wooden sloop. Once they were nestled tightly in the rocks, they abandoned ship.

The lighthouse stood tall, casting a glow from up above. They hurried inside the small stone shelter attached to it, desperate to escape the ceaseless storm. As they entered, a new quest was added to their logs.

To Shine A Light flashed before their eyes, with one simple instruction: "find the lighthouse keeper."

Morningstar tapped the blue circle on the prompt and passed through the entrance hall, eyeing the decor as he passed. A painting, which seemingly depicted the lighthouse and surrounding area, hung on the wall. He looked closely at the signature in the corner.

"MG. The lighthouse keeper, maybe?"

He shuffled through the hallway, drying off his shoes and peeking into different rooms before settling on the kitchen.

WARNING: Spoilers for <<To Shine a Light>>
you may want to write the quest first. it's fun. do it.

Morningstar | Lv.77 | HP: 860/860 | EN: 122/122

Morningstar, deep in his work, had completely missed Wulfrin’s party leaving the outpost. He scribbled and scrawled vague notes in undecipherable shorthand. In a cage across the room was a Shambler. It lay so still, one might have thought it dead.

Graycott Point was still fresh in his memory. If he listened hard enough, he thought he could hear the toll of the foghorn through the ruckus outside. When he looked at his captive, he thought of the lighthouse keeper, trapped in a world he wished to relinquish. Morningstar could not grant him that wish.

“The real question: What do we do with this thing?”

“I think we should leave him. He's not hurting anyone like this.”

He collapsed wearily into the closest chair. The Floor 29 Trackers Alliance outpost had been built for two reasons: to have a home base for local scouting and to act as a stronghold to keep the monsters at bay. Experimentation was never their mission, and so they were unequipped for their new task.

Bee walked hastily into the room, looking over her shoulder before she shut the door. The 29th made her uneasy, and Morningstar knew that. At her level, without safezones, risk of death skyrocketed.

“Sorry,” Morningstar said. “I hate to make you come here.”

“It’s okay,” she lied, tiptoeing down the short staircase that opened into the laboratory. “It’s best that I get used to places like this—being a healer and all.”

Star smiled. When Bee was dishonest, she spoke in a higher tone. She couldn’t have realized it.

“I’m working by the book right now. Nothing’s worked so far. Health crystals were useless--not that I expected them to do anything. Same with my Crystal of Support. I’m running out of system-based solutions to try.”

“That’s why you called me,” she knelt down beside the cage, peering at the creature inside. It stared back with grey bug eyes. “Do you really think there’s anything left of… whoever they were?”

He stopped writing. “No.”

She cocked her head, glancing up at him. “Then why do all this?”

“Because they deserve better.”

24 minutes ago, Wulfrin said:

Fusing 2 Perfect T4 Shields [243717]+[243722]+ 1 Demonic Shard = T4 Demonic Shield

Dragonplate Shield | T4 Demonic Shield | ID 243761 | MIT | Thorns 2 | Taunt 
Desc. Forged from hardened dragon scales. It provides superior defense and retaliation.

Post Link: 

 

 

ok thumbsup

19 hours ago, Acanthus said:

Crafting results for 6/2/2025 (Link to shop post)

Step 1: Fusion

Fusing Uncommon
243754 + 243751 -> 243757 (Rare)

Fusing Uncommon (Mast)
243756 + 243746 -> 243758 Rare (Mast)

Fusing Rare
243755 + 243747 -> 243759 Perfect

Fusing Rare (Mast)
243739 and 243730 -> 243760  Perfect (Mast)

Step 2: Appraise
(IDs link to the shop thread in which the item was rolled or fused. If the item does not have a link, then it was fused or rolled in the same post it is appraised.)

March to the Dawn | 243750 243760  | Instant HP Recovery III
A militaristic fanfare that inspires players to press on, despite the odds.

---

Just a few bars | 243759 243573 243748 | HP Recovery III
Just wait until you hear the second verse.

Just a few bars | 243758 | Instant HP Recovery II
Just wait until you hear the second verse.

Just a few bars | 243757 | HP Recovery II
Just wait until you hear the second verse.

Just a few bars | 243731 | HP Recovery I
Just wait until you hear the second verse.

approved

On 6/2/2025 at 3:50 PM, Hirru said:

Skill(s) Being Dropped: Weapon Skill R1
Mod(s)/Addon(s)/Shift(s) Being Dropped: None
SP Incurred Towards Limit: 4/50
SP Refunded: 4 SP
Cost: 4000 

approved

The ship listed to one side, pushed around by brutal waves. Salt foam bubbled on deck, dissolving until again it was replaced by the dark sea. Morningstar gripped the wheel tight, his face drenched by lashing rain. Above, the storm thundered, the boundless wrath of Neptune bellowing through the air. Booming winds crashed against the sails, threatening to rip them to shreds. In the distance, Morningstar thought he could hear a horn. With one hand, he created a visor over his eyes, and once the waves dropped low, he scanned the horizon.

"Look!" he shouted through the storm.

Light broke through the darkness, small and distant. Again, the horn sounded. Star spun the wheel, motioning for Wulfrin to adjust the sails to starboard. If it was as he thought, and the light came from a lighthouse, then there was surely land for them to take refuge on while the storm ran its course. He steered them through great waves, straight towards the flashing yellow light.

Hide contents Morningstar | Lv. 76 | P. 42 | True Tier: 8 HP: 860/860 | EN: 122/122 | DMG: 22 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 47 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V notes: // equipped Dying Sun FLN 2, AA, PARA-V Inner Focus EVA 2, REC 2 Sapphire ACC 3, EVA battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo Teleport Crystal Yellow Dragon, Red Tiger HLY 2, AA, FRZ skills   Hide contents STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech MARTIAL ARTS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: aoe COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect, tracking, reveal QUICK CHANGE UNHINDERED ENERGIST CHARGE extra (active) SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   Hide contents consumables # # paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

♦ms.

According to his newfound notes, Morningstar was headed for the Mausoleum next. 

He was cautious when moving between rooms. The silence of the library was eerie; he never really felt alone, despite not seeing anyone else around. 

The books in this room were unreadable, bound in thick chains that Morningstar could not break through. He hadn't opened a single book in the previous room, but now that they were locked up, he found himself curious. What secrets did the library want to keep from nosy parties like himself?

At the back of the room, a sarcophagus lay where a bookshelf might have been. The library had a knack for keeping the deceased around. Morningstar thought it would be silly to ignore it and pushed open the sarcophagus.

To his surprise, there was no corpse. Instead, a short staircase led into the darkness beyond the mausoleum. Morningstar dove deeper.

LOCATION -> ID243704 LD15+1 | Morningstar enters Mausoleum

DETAIL -> ID243705 LD17+1 | Chained Books

RANDOM EVENT -> ID243706 LD12 | Empty Home/Office

TREASURE -> ID243707 LD16+1 | No Treasure

EXTRAORDINARY BOOK -> ID243708 LD9+1 | Book of Prophecies

ENCOUNTER -> | ID243709 LD10+1 | 2 Yellow Librarians

PROGRESS -> 1/40

He entered to a room that looked unfitting for a library. The roof was high, domed, and starry. Lanterns flickered above, replicating constellations that Morningstar could not name. In the center was an orrery. He moved closer to get a better look. The solar system was propped up in what he could only assume was an accurate representation (he knew nothing about space, really). The sun in the middle was a golden orb, about the size of a golf ball. The planets were still, but cranking the orrery caused them to rotate around the sun. The planets on the far end of the solar system moved slower than those closest to the sun. It was an interesting little toy, but he couldn't figure out what it was used for.

He moved on to the bookshelves that lined the round walls and was shocked to find the variety of subjects in the collection. It seemed random to him, but there must have been a logical sorting system the library used. One shelf lacked books entirely. Instead, it held plain vases. Morningstar lifted one. Each vase was labeled with a name, but he didn't recognize any of them. He unscrewed the lid and peered inside, finding ashes.

It was a hoax, he believed. Players didn't leave behind ashes when they died; nor did anything else in the game. It was only logical to think that the system was messing with him. He put the vase back on the shelf and let it be.

Across the planetarium, Morningstar found a set of notes left behind by previous library explorers. They detailed the layout of the library, including the room next door.

LOCATION -> ID243700 LD18 | Morningstar enters the Planetarium

DETAIL -> ID243701 LD15 | Funeral Urns

RANDOM EVENT -> ID243702 LD16 | Old Notes

PROGRESS -> 1/40 (i rolled a d4)

Winding halls made the cathedral a labyrinth. It took two hours for Morningstar and Florick to find a suitable library. Florick only stayed because he was unfit to take the path home alone, and he figured Morningstar would need help on the return trip as well.

Of course, that wasn't the case. Morningstar didn't need a guide at all. He had a map, and he had teleport crystals. It wouldn't take much for him to get back to Angel's Point.

Morningstar explored the library, looking for something that resembled a door. All the while, he tried not to interact with the NPC unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes, they felt like humans to him. The way they interacted with their environments and with players had evolved since the beginning. The line between real and artificial was blurring.

So, when Morningstar found the door buried behind stacks of old tomes, he was dismayed. With a frown, he tried the latch. As expected, it was locked. He turned to Florick, who was eyeing a book he pulled a book from a neighboring shelf, and apologized.

He was sure to make it quick--for his own sanity, mostly. He drew his sword, striking the NPC through the head. Florick was no more.

Morningstar's cursor flushed orange, a temporary brand he would carry for his crime. The lock clicked, and the door to the Stygian Library creaked open.

Morningstar formed the Trackers Alliance so that rumors and information could be gathered, maintained, and stored in one single place. Scouts affiliated with the guild could use that information as they wished, exploring to their heart's content. Even so, there were certain rumors that Morningstar withheld from his group--rumors that he deemed too dark and too dangerous to rank at all. The Stygian Library was one of these rumors.

He first encountered it as a myth in the Grand Library of Ronbaru. A short and seemingly unremarkable book titled "Callow's Mythology" detailed the author's discovery of the Stygian Library, recounting his experience using journal entries and impressive drawings.

Callow described the library as a pocket realm, existing separately from Aincrad's hundred floors. From the way it was written, Morningstar imagined it as a side road, jetting off from the castle's otherwise straight path. Supposedly, a skilled archivist could find just about anything in the library, if they knew what they were doing and had a bit of luck on their side. Callow seemed to think it was an amassment of the universe's knowledge archived in a single place. Morningstar was skeptical.

The library was supposedly accessible if two conditions were met. Firstly, to open an entrance required a significant collection of books to be present. Morningstar first considered his own shop, Honeydew & Hushwind, but decided that his collection wasn't vast enough for the system to consider it a suitable location. The few dozen books on his shelves weren't much of a library. A thousand or more ought to do it.

The second condition was death. At whatever location he chose, someone had to have died there. This narrowed his options further. Bookstores, player-owned or otherwise, were entirely out of the question--as was Ronbaru's library. Anywhere confined in a safe zone was immediately snatched off the table.

His research brought him to the Cathedral of Man. On the edge of Floor 13 for the first time, Morningstar had the cathedral to himself. Players, who normally used the area to grind monsters, were nowhere to be seen. Alongside him was an NPC called Florick.

It took a lot of convincing for Morningstar to find a guide out of Angel's Point. The Corrupted Lands were dangerous for numerous reasons, and villagers were understandably wary of leaving the safety of the last stronghold of Floor 13. But promises of unimaginable payment did the trick, and he was able to coerce Florick into joining him on his expedition.

Florick was a tall fellow with a scarred face. While he wasn't much older than Star, he certainly looked it. Life on 13 had done numbers on him. He was a tailor's assistant, which meant he spent more time selling stock at the front counter or running errands than actually tailoring. He was meek, only speaking when spoken to or when giving directions.

He wasn't much help in combat, so Morningstar took to defending him from the skeleton knights that guarded the cathedral. Two by the entrance, clad in suits of steel and wielding long spears, attacked as soon as Star and Florick approached. In as few strikes as possible, Morningstar cut them down, clearing the way inside.

#stats

He crossed out 'no combat' in his journal, replacing it with 'some combat.'

"Work at your own pace. Investigate rumors as often as your schedule allows. I won't be keeping track of your hours. In regards to rewards, the guild will not take a cut from anything you earn. You can think of yourselves as freelancers, sort of."

"Good question," he said to Bistro. "There isn't a straightforward formula for determining difficulty, but rank is predominantly based on the amount of danger a player can expect to be in while undertaking the rumor. Whether the danger stems from local mobs, environmental effects, or an extreme lack of information is case-by-case."

He nodded to Firefly. "There should be something for everyone. Expect rumors to take you to places the average player wouldn't think to explore."

Morningstar weighed his last answer carefully. Siren was on to him, but he decided not to confess. "Not a clue," he said sheepishly.