Bahr

Ah yes. The plains. Bahr's favorite place. If by favorite, you meant absolutely detested. He had spent an uncomfortable amount of time in these plains so far. The terrible thing was, he probably didn't actually need to be doing so. His level was likely high enough to progress the to next floors. But if he did, he wouldn't finish all of the quests here, which was just lazy. If he wanted to raise his level, it only made sense to complete all of the quests available before moving on.

He knew how this quest worked. Look around, fight monsters or gather materials, and wait for an opportunity to search for a familiar. The equipment he had brought wasn't ideal for hunting, so he resorted to what he knew best - searching for materials. What a noble practice. Much to his pleasure, his material hunt started off on the right foot. Literally. He looked down and a T1 Material was just sitting there on his foot. Just how effective were the items he had consumed and equipped, anyways?
 

(I will be using Yui's Grace for this thread.)

This time, Bahr was ready. This time, he had come prepared. There was no way he could give a one-hundred percent guarantee on the likelihood of his success, but at the very least, he had done absolutely everything in his power to improve his chances. Equipped with all of the item he felt would make the quest a bit more bearable, he confidently approached the gypsy he had met before.

"You look troubled, young one," the voice of an elderly woman rang. Bahr gestured impatiently for her to continue, familiar with the canned response already. "Have you thought of taking a pet to k-"

"That's exactly why I'm hear, dollface. I'll take the food now," he retorted crudely, holding out his hand impatiently to receive the item. Even though the NPC was scripted, it still seemed rather offput by his rudeness.

"You'll need this..." she responded, placing an item that resembled food in hand hand. "When you find a creature that looks friendly, try to give it the foo-"

"Way ahead of you, lady. Thanks, I'll come back later when I'm done."

With that, he set off into the field and took out some of his items. Firstly, he used Yui's Grace to increase his rewards. Next, he activated the Spyglass, as consuming one of its charges reduced the amount of time it would take to find a familiar. Then, he activated the Familiar Sight, a prism which emitted the sweet sound of Bach to lure familiar's in toward him. Finally, he retrieved the piece of resistance - a Golden Garlic Bread, which would increase his overall luck for the duration of the adventure. Slowly and thoughtfully, he devoured the morsel, its sinfully delicious cornucopia of complex flavors and textures filling him with a euphoria he hadn't felt in ages. Remarkably, he actually felt luckier after eating it.

Name: Gloves of Caerus
Your Profession: Tailor
Your Rank: 1
Roll ID: 118912
Roll Result: CD12 / LD3
Item Type: Gloves
Tier: 1
Quality: Perfect
Enhancements: +3 LD
Description: "These gloves are rumored to have been worn by Caerus himself, Greek deity of opportunity, luck and favorable moments. They're tan and unremarkable in appearance, but never fail to bring luck to the wearer."
Post Link: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/17882-f1-r1-tailor-the-crusty-bahrnacle-currently-closed-to-public/?do=findComment&comment=576032

DAY 3

Bahr spent some time at his sewing station. Sewing, weaving, pulling, stretching, mending, and assembling. After what seemed like forever, the fruits of his labor finally presented themselves. They were nothing special, just a few basic articles with the occasional breath of brilliance in between. Bahr could feel himself progressively becoming better and better at his craft. Every failure was a lesson. Every success a motivator. Every material snipped, every thread pulled, and every nip tucked. If he continued on his track at a pace like this, it would soon be him pulling the strings behind the Light Armor of Aincrad.

-2 T1 Materials

+13 EXP

"Howdy, Dagger. It's me again. You got a frequent flier card or something like that? Seems I've been in here a lot lately."

Bahr chuckled at his own stupid joke as he approached the counter, eyeing the dapper gentleman and offering him a nod. He leaned against the counter with one elbow.

"I'm looking for an item called a Spyglass for a quest I'm working on. Do you have anything like that around here?"

As he eyeballed the prices, he noticed one such item that fit the bill for 840 col. His eyes narrowed as he saw the price, not exactly happy about giving up another 800 col. It couldn't be helped, though. With a sigh, he placed 840 col on the table.

"One Spyglass, please."

- 840 col

As Bahr entered the establishment, his nose was filled with the intoxicating aroma of fresh food. Instantly, he found himself wanting to gobble up everything in the shop. But if he did that, he would probably run out of col pretty quickly. He came here for one specific type of item that he heard could help him in his quest. He approached the counter and regarded the shop owner before looking at the prices. His face would contort into a sour expression before sighing and placing the col on the table.

- 1200 col

"Yeah, uh, I'd like one of your Perfect items. The Golden Garlic Bread," he spoke very deliberately, doing his best to hide the bitterness in his voice. Being as poor as he was, he didn't like the idea of shelling out 1200 col for something he would eat in an instant. He needed it, though, so he sucked it up and committed to the purchase.

Bahr strolled into the shop, seemingly unaware that the shop owner was even around. He was looking for anything that would help him locate a familiar for the quest he had failed earlier. As luck would have it, there was one such item that seemed to stand out among the rest, a Familiar Sight. He examined the product for a moment before the shop keeper caught his eye. The was rather small in stature, her lavender hair tied up neatly on the back of her head in a bow.

"Hey, uh, I had a question about this item," his deep voice boomed, "What exactly does it do? I'm hoping to nab a familiar later and it looks like this might help."

Looking at the prices that were posted, he fished out some col and placed it on the table. Regardless of how exactly it worked, he wanted it. If he sat around and thought about it too long, it was possible someone else would stroll along and scoop it up before he had a chance.

- 700 col

@Arabelle

Bahr felt ridiculous. Retrieving medicine for NPCs? Preposterous! It was the sort of quest that had probably been completed by thousands of players already. Just how much medicine did this village need?

No bother. It was the experience that Bahr was after. Even if he didn't feel compelled by the quest itself, the rewards were really what he was after. Things had been going decently well in that regard for him recently, having reached level seven in only a matter of a few days. He was still a far cry from most of the community, but at least he was starting to get there. With any luck, this quest would push him over the edge for another level.

As he approached the wooded area where the quest was taking place, he saw a rather well-dressed individual lurking about. Why, it was none other than Dagger, his favorite merchant! Bahr owed most of the equipment he had equipped to the man's identification skills. He sauntered over to the individual, a grin spreading across his face as he neared.

"Well, hello there! And what might a dapper individual such as yourself be doing in a place like this?" he inquired innocently, just hoping to spark a bit of conversation.

QUEST FAILED

Thread net gains:
2 SP
(8) T1 Materials
400 col

Sure enough, he lost his footing about halfway down and slipped, smacking against every single tree branch on his way to the ground. Once he finally hit the bottom, he gasped and coughed, sputtering obscenities while doing everything he could to catch his breath. He weakly climbed up to his feet, approaching the gypsy NPC with the <<Familiar Food>> held in his outstretched palm. Reluctantly, the gypsy took it.

"Does this mean you were successful? I don't see a familiar with you," the woman mused.

"No, I-... I..." he struggled to get the words out between labored breaths. "I wasn't able to find one. I think... cough I think I'm just going to have to try this quest again later."

"As you wish, young traveler. I look forward to meeting with you again, soon."

Satisfied with the exchange, Bahr waved her away and started toward the gate for the Town of Beginnings.

Since he was so close to town and was about to speak to the gypsy again, he figured now was the time to take one last look around for any more materials before he went inside the city walls. He looked above ledges, below logs, inside of holes and in every patch of grass he dared to touch. Just as it was beginning to look as though he would never find another one, he noticed a faint twinkle high up at the top of a nearby tree. He groaned at the thought of climbing the entire thing, but with how scarcely he actually found materials, this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

The climb to the top was a daunting, harrowing ordeal. There were many swear words spat venomously from his lips, several slips and near falls, and virtual splinters aplenty. Finally, he reached the top, claiming what he could only hope was the T1 Material he had been looking for. As he looked down, his vision starting to become blurry. Part of him knew that slipping out of this tree on the way down was inevitable.

 

Then again, maybe it wasn't that hard to find materials. Not if you literally tripped over them, anyways. Which is exactly what Bahr did.

The edge of his foot caught something lodged in the dirt and he fell face first into the grass. With a groan he rolled over, sat up, and investigated the culprit of his vertigo-inducing trip to the floor. Why, it was none other than one last material, right before he reached town! He would have counted himself lucky if this sort of luck had occurred while he was looking for a familiar, but there wasn't anything he could do about that now. It was honestly just best that he counted his blessigns and moved forward with the understanding that he would come back later better prepared for this quest.

As he neared the entrance to the town, he noticed the gypsy still hovering about, not far from where he had encountered her earlier. It seemed she had a set route and stayed in the same area most of the time. That would be convenient for him.

 

The sun had set now, and darkness had descended upon the landscape. On the horizon, the soft glow of the Town of Beginnings shined like a beacon of guidance. The usual sounds of the daytime had been replaced by crickets and deafening silence, the rustling of grass and leaves heard only occasionally as a breeze rolled through. It was peaceful, and a calm washed over Bahr as he took it all in. This place may have been boring to him during the day, but at night it just had a different quality. He had actually never spent any time out in the fields at night, so perhaps that was why. 

The only problem with it getting dark was that he couldn't really make out any details beyond the most basic. He knew there was a tree there, a rock there, and a mob over yonder. But the chances of finding a material? Slim at best.

 

While he meandered slowly back toward the Town of Beginnings, the sky began to adopt an orange hue, indicating that the day would soon be done. As the tangerine rays of sunlight cast themselves over the landscape, Bahr noticed a small twinkle not far in the distance. He sped up his stride a bit to get there before anyone else or a mob, even though nobody was around. As he approached, he came to recognize the item he was looking at as a T1 Material. How lucky he had been to stumble upon it on his way home, and immediately after failing to find a familiar. The sensation could only be described as bittersweet.

He scooped up the item and continued on his merry way. It wouldn't be too much longer before he reached the town, but it was still a ways off. He started to hum a tune to himself, one that his mother would hum to him when he was a little boy. It wasn't something that he consciously thought about, just a thing he did from time to time.

 

Search as he might, it didn't seem there were any tamable creatures around. Perhaps he had scared them all off with his stunt from earlier? Yes, that was probably it. But, then, what was he to do with this food? He eyed the strange item precariously, unsure of what he should be doing with it if not giving it to potential pets. Perhaps he would simply return it to the gypsy from earlier and try the quest again at another time.

At the time, it was starting to get late, and he was pretty far away from the Town of Beginnings. He decided it was time to start his trek back, and perhaps gather some extra materials along the way. Part of him felt like it was unlikely that he would find any, considering his abysmal luck finding any throughout the day. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, though. 

 

He had managed to go the entire day without seeing a friendly creature. Or, perhaps that wasn't true. He had already interacted with a couple animals that hadn't been aggressive toward him. Quite the opposite, in fact. They scurried away like little panzies! 

Bahr resolved to search for one such creature after taking another peek around for materials. He searched high and low, far and wide, but came up empty. Perhaps he had looted the whole field by this point? No, that was impossible. The field was absolutely massive. There were probably materials somewhere close, but honestly, Bahr was about ready to give up on that for the day. He had already found, what, six so far? That was more than enough. Well, not really, but he was going to convince himself that it was more than enough.

Right, then. After he was done taking a little rest at the same hole from earlier, he would venture out and try to find himself a pet.

 

Bahr was elated to hear that his equipment had finished being identified. He scooped his new coat and charms off of the table and opened his menu, inspecting their stats. Seemed like great items! More than worthy for a noob like Bahr, anyways. He was a bit perplexed when the man behind the counter started apologizing for not having managed to identify a unique enhancement.

"No, don't worry about it. These are great. I'll definitely recommend you. And, uh, let me know if you ever need a hand with anything. I'll be around," he said before turning and walking toward the door. 

+ <<Red Coat of the Traveler>>
+ <<Aeolus Wind Charm>>
+ <<Luck of the Irish>>

See? The lucky pants paid off. Well, not really, but Bahr didn't know that.

All he knew was that he had managed to find a T1 Material out in the open, completely unhidden from view and shattering his earlier perceptions of materials always being hidden. But hey, it wasn't his fault. He was still a noob after all.

Perhaps it was time to eat. Yes, that was it. But he didn't have any food. He clutched his stomach as it grumbled, grumbling himself at his lack of forethought. Who goes out into the field for an entire day with no food? An idiot, that's who. Bahr had never considered himself one of the smart ones. And, well, now he couldn't really consider himself one of the strong ones, either. Just what was it that he was good at? Gathering materials? HA. If only. Perhaps he needed to invest a little more time into everything before he started prattling off about what he was or wasn't good at.

 

As he continued looking around, he started to notice a trend. It was really difficult to just find materials. They were always hidden somewhere. Like in a hole. Or being carried by a virtual pigeon for some ungodly reason. This was why he really needed a skill to find the materials easier. After all, as mighty as his lucky pants were, they didn't really seem to be doing the trick. They had maybe found him one or two extra materials over the span of their existence. And after he got some better armor they were going to be taken off.

It was kind of sad, really. He really enjoyed the pants, but there was much better equipment he could be wearing. He especially felt this while in combat. His encounter with Swine Jesus had taught him that things like ACC bonuses were absolutely necessary for survival, even on a floor as low as the first. He would still hang on to the lucky pants, though. You never really knew when you needed a little extra luck.

 

But enough brooding. Bahr had lollygagged long enough. There was work to be done. He still had materials to collect and a possible familiar to tame. The only thing standing in his way at this point was himself.

After wandering for awhile, he came cross another tree, this time with a hollow notch nestled into its trunk. Perfect. He shoved his hand into the hole without a second thought, surprised at how much space there was inside. He actually pulled his hand out for a moment to take a peek inside the hole. To his surprise, most of the tree was, in fact, hollow. He jammed his hand inside once more, shoving his arm far down into the simulated wood. 

Wouldn't you know it, there was a T1 Material in there! Really strange place for it to be. Perhaps the squirrels were hoarding the materials, after all. He would need to keep this spot in mind in the future.

 

No. He definitely wanted to fight. It was getting to a point where he wondered about the state of his real body on the other side. How far had it deteriorated? How were his loved ones doing? What was going on in the world?

How long did he have before he died?

It was his responsibility, along with the responsibility of everyone else, to be a part of the liberation of the people stuck in this game, and he felt guilty for having shirked that responsibility for so long. It didn't matter if he didn't get along with the players on the frontlines - he had to be a part of it. In order to save himself and everyone else, he had to join the ones who were already a part of making that happen. If he couldn't make it there, he honestly felt like he had no business even being alive at this point. He had spent enough time idling while others - real people - were dying.

[ REDACTED ]

The plan had been clever, and had definitely worked, but now Bahr was just standing alone in the middle of a field and fresh out of ideas. He peered around for any sign of another item, but as usual, came up short. He knew there were skills that could help him in this regard, but honestly... he wanted to focus on the combat oriented skills. If he wanted to be useful on the frontlines, especially with his unorthodox build, he was going to need to put every point he had into ensuring he was competent in battle. And let's be real... he really hadn't been so far. Though, that was the sort of thing the frontliners had spent actual years honing and perfecting. He couldn't expect to be a combat genius after only a few days.

Then there was the question, did he even really want to be on the frontlines to fight? Or was he just going there to get his friend back? From what he had been told, the people on the frontlines were "barely human," whatever that was suppose to mean. Though, it didn't seem that different from what he had been witnessing of the militia on the first floor.

Eventually, a bird came and rested on the statue's left shoulder. And what was that in its talon? Oh! It was a T1 Material! But how would Bahr retrieve it without the bird flying away first?

Without warning, the statue's right hand shot up and grasped the bird, which squawked fearfully as it found itself wrapped between the stoney fingers. The rest of the wildlife that had collected in the area skedaddled instantly, and a visual overlay that was cloaking the statue began to fade. Why, it was none other than Bahr himself! The real one! It appeared that he had used the Disguise skill to make himself look like part of the environment so he could wait for the right opportunity to strike. Seemed it had worked out rather handsomely for him. 

After plucking the material from the bird's talon, he released it. It chirped angrily at him for a moment before flying off, and Bahr waved at it as it went with a cocky grin on his face. 

Bahr was starting to realize that eventually he would need to stop doing things like this solo. It wasn't that it was hard work, per se, but it was definitely boring work. Not only for Bahr, but for the narrator. Can you imagine having to find a new and inventive way of describing some low level loser failing material gatherings over and over again? It's not fun, let me tell you. 

Yet somehow, he had a stupid grin on his face. Not really for any reason in particular. He just... had it. It was a really blank smile, too. As though he had just become completely hollow. Oh, wait, that was a Bahr statue. How had that gotten there, and where was the real Bahr? After awhile, creatures slowly started gathering around the Bahr statue, seeing it as nothing more than an ordinary piece of the scenery. Was Bahr lying in wait somewhere?