Elora

Scents of the Wild: Part I Grass crinkled and compressed under Elora's heels as the elven player bobbed toward an eventual destination. An azure tote held loosely in her hand swung to and fro like a pendulum as it counteracted every excitable step. Stuffed with an assortment of snacks and pastries, she was fairly certain the load could double as a makeshift bludgeon should the need arise. Today's events, however, called for something far less violent. At least, so she'd hoped. Another tug of anticipation towed the treasures of her second hand further forward. Although Freyd had sugge

Elora walked alongside her weary friend, flashing a sympathetic smile as she joked at her own expense. It was difficult to know what to do in these moments. For as much as Elora understood emotions, allowed them to flow through her, she struggled with digesting those of others. Perhaps that wasn't it. Emotions were easy to detect and to recognize. Determining a way to channel them was a far greater task. As the pair entered the grandiose halls of the solitary church, her worries smalled in comparison. Polished marble floors below captured the stray rays of sunbeams refracted in stained gl

A pathetic whirr accompanied the fatal blow. If Elora was a poet, she'd have described the sound as one of a deflating balloon. The once formidable queen quickly fell quiet, its hulking frame crumpling into a puff of confetti. "Well -- that was easy.", she remarked. It wasn't every day that players could relish in such a simple victory. Usually, these kinds of fights dragged on, costing rounds of fleeting energy and frustrating evasions. Today had been different though. Elora was glad for it. "I killed it, Kil!", she declared with only a second spared to consider the strange phrasing. By

Something was definitely off. If there was one thing Elora knew about Katoka, it was that her body language could be read like an open book. Normally, the small-set woman would be wobbling anxiously from side to side, or at the very least, feigning some sort of optimism as she attempted to conceal an overwhelming worry. Today, she just seemed...deflated. A vacant stare drifted among the crowds of pedestrians until eventually settling on her. She hardly seemed relieved because of it. "Hey Elora. Thanks for c-coming out here with me...", she started before Elora knew what to say, "Sam and I

It would be difficult to miss the droning matriarch as she spawned beside the dwarfing nest. At first, Elora assumed the shadow that passed over her was from a cloud intercepting the sun. Only a few seconds had proven enough to prompt additional investigation. Turning her head, the amorphous peripheral mirage morphed into a wicked shape - the angular body of a wasp, and one that was pissed. Reorienting her attention to the stronger foe, she began to shake with worry. "Yeah --", her resolve began to crack, "She's big!" With an angry whirr, the queen thrust her abdomen forward. Elora narrow

"Not yet", she started, "But I'm sure if we follow the bees, we'll have our answer." In any realistic scenario, Elora would reel at the thought of getting closer to the swarm of raging insects. But in Aincrad, uncomfortable encounters tended to be the source of any reward worth receiving. Hesitant at first, she shuffled forward, spear held diagonally across her chest. The nearby hum of activity quickly morphed into a roaring frequency. Dozens of worker bees darted and crawled outside of a papery hive, its base woven securely to the underside of an oak branch. Normally, Elora would expect

Accidental blank post

Dreams fizzled into obscurity as the familiar ping unraveled scenes of taupish cliffs and rolling hills. Tired blinks ushered in the furnishings of a new environment and it became clear that she had fallen asleep within the walls of Witherwind Rest. With a sluggish huff, Elora swiped open her menu to blacklist whatever sociable lunatic was messaging her at this hour. Certainly, it was not her responsibility to mute the chime of notifications at the end of every day. The highlighted text trailed behind a profile photo that depicted an amorphous blob. So the slimes are soliciting players n

Elora's elven ears seemed to perk up at the question. "Well, yeah --", she started with some enthusiasm, "Chemicals have always interested me." She paused momentarily before correcting her phrasing, "Chemistry, I mean -- the way that different solutions can work together to create unexpected reactions. I've...never been great at the math behind it all, but I like the experimentation." Something appeared to cross Elora's eyes at the admission. Her attention gradually retreated inwards as ears sank back and into their usual position. Where she'd intended to retrieve an appropriate story, sh

Her imagination was briefly whisked away with a montage of comforting smells and tastes. Kiluia's reasoning was sound. There were few staples of home that came to her mind more readily than food. From boxty for breakfast to shepherd's pie for supper, Elora could recall the warmth of many meals she'd tried. "Your idealism is admirable", she offered sincerely, "There are few tasks more difficult than that. How do you recreate real-world dishes without their ingredients?" It seemed impossible, in her mind, to harness the taste of home without so much as a recipe. "I don't envy you, Kil", she

Her brows furrowed briefly at the assessment, rebounding to a more optimistic expression after he arrived at the compliments. Bahr seemed a more honest player than she was used to. At least, he seemed more inclined to say whatever had crossed his mind. In a world where so many strove to befriend one another and vanquish their enemies with the power of friendship, she appreciated such frankness. Elora appeared contemplative as the pair retraced their steps to the labyrinth's entrance. Lit by the thrumming glow from rows of reliable torches, the once-unfamiliar corners felt far less sinist

Elora silently swooned as Kil shared his history with Haine. It was adorable to imagine how a fledgling romance to blossom into a long-term relationship. As they walked her mind began to wander, wondering whether or not she would meet someone special one day. "I can see the appeal", agreed Elora after a long pause, "Desserts are sugary and pack the most powerful punch to our tastebuds. There's few things better than cool gelato on a hot day or biting into a square of chocolate during...", she trailed off, "Anytime of day --" Nice save. She found herself nodding along with his remarks on i

"I didn't distinguish anything unique", started Elora, "But the way he looked...almost frozen, I wouldn't normally think anything of it, considering the climate." She knew they all had caught glimpses of it. The man, though exuding a feral vitality, appeared to inhabit a body succumb to frostbite. Pale skin mottled with bruise-like patches could be seen just beneath a pelt of frosted facial hair. "Where do you think he could have come from that was still that cold?" A timely chill directed her attention to the snowy peaks that loomed in the distance. "I agree. There's something else to come of

Coming eye to eye with the ragged man made Elora's skin crawl. She had slaughtered beasts before and even snuffed out the lives of many elves. Never had she encountered an enemy that looked so human, yet so monstrous at the same time. Rusty streaks trickled from the mouth of the man, ensnaring the stench of something revolting within his beard. She'd barely managed to stop her fall as the butt of her spear lodged into the thawing mud. In an instant, she was cast in the other direction. Whether by instinct or force, her legs stumbled backwards, clearing a distance between the two of them.

"Well it's working, isn't it?", she sang back in a smarmy voice. The words streamed from her with an unbridled sincerity that she was scarce to allow. Normally, self-praising remarks hemmed the pattern of a confident disguise. Only recently had she begun to feel a genuine pride in her own abilities. It was bittersweet to question whether or not she deserved that even that. So instead, she rushed back into the fray. With their enemy teetering on the brink of collapse, there was precious time to waste. Careful leaps around pools of lava placed her just beneath the Warden's hulking form. Eye

Elora would have shaken her fist in anger if she wasn't desperately attempting to steady her beer. What were the two of them thinking, sprinting off like that and leaving her to to trail after them like some sort of hound? Dexterity failed her as she struggled to dodge thawing pitfalls and protruding conifer branches. Finally, she escaped the evergreen canopy, stumbling onto the scene of an ensuing battle. Freyd was doing whatever he was. Meanwhile, Oscar had already begun to unsheathe his weapon of choice. Katana? Nice -- Not far off, a bear of a man had begun his feral dash toward their

She spared no hesitation. With heels springing her forward, Elora raced toward the Warden in a zagged pattern. In a moment's notice, she had approached its faltering knee. Magma silhouetted a rippling cape as she leapt into the air. Her spear positioned for an opportunistic attack, blade plunging deeply into a gap between the armored plating. The behemoth reeled, spraying magma into Elora's sights. Using all of her strength, she ripped the weapon from where it had been lodged. The retreat was sudden, though without second-thought. In such haste, Elora had robbed her senses of what preciou

Maybe not so boring after all, Elora assessed the unfamiliar player, He could make for good company. Following after the both of them, Elora began to pluck the smorgasbord of pastries she'd collected from the basket of her skirt. It was more than a little awkward to alternate between using her free hand to carry her stein, then bring the food to her mouth, but she was determined to make it work. Perhaps I should have finished this before we left, she thought, regarding the beer. "So what are we actually doing?", she called out after dusting stray crumbs from her dress, "Finding Darian? Is

A fleeting grimace eclipsed Elora's features as she recalled their failed attempts at claiming her first familiar. Elora could vividly recall it's fiery personality, which was far too explosive when compounded with her own. From wrestling the wyrmling to smacking it with her spear, the smarmy creature was more a victim to her antics than the other way around. "Ah, the time you lent me your cloak", she reminisced with much greater fondness, "And we ran away from those crazy carnies to cuddle in the woods." Saying that aloud made it sound more like a German fairytale than a shared experience. F

"HAH! Oh --", she exclaimed with relief, "Yeah, I thought that seemed kind of sudden --" The hue of embarrassment had already spread to her ears by the time Roisin relinquished the smoking pan. Freyd carefully accepted the vessel, guiding it to safely rest atop a cool burner nearby. "I love you, you know. I'm just trying to feel my way through all of this, and my brain keeps getting in the way.", he explained with a candid touch. A widening smirk could have revealed the intrusive remark that threatened to escape Elora's lips. "Yeah, I understand -- feeling the way through...", she

Elora claims the following: Dagan Crystal-A | Removes one enhancement on a weapon and replaces it with Envenom Offensive. (This effect cannot override the Envenom Offensive enhancement cap. Consumed on use.) ID: 223754 Braso Crystal-A | Removes one enhancement on a weapon and replaces it with Absolute Accuracy. (This effect cannot override the Absolute Accuracy enhancement cap. Consumed on use.) ID: 223755

"So what is a person like you doing in hell for?", the eldritch blur seemed to ask. God? No, Satan -!, her mind quickly deduced. "What'dyou want, an itemized list?", she sarcastically retorted. With a sluggish wobble, she raised both hands to begin the count, "Alright, there was that time in high school I guess -- b*tch had it coming though, real work of a person..." Elora seemed to trail off as the illusion of steam morphed into something more recognizable. Green crystal... "O-oh", she stammered and stiffened into a more attentive posture, "At least, that's how I think the stor

Elora missed Mina's home from the second she left its doorstep. It was hard to imagine why the player had chosen to move to an inferno of a floor, even harder yet to understand how her oasis of a property survived its engulfing climate. She certainly wouldn't find herself occupying any of the arid floors without reason. Growing up in rural Ireland made even the slightest heats practically unbearable. Yes, she much preferred the temperate, or even the colder climates of many of the other floors to this literal hellscape. Trudging back towards the level's main settlement, she did her best t

She shelved her confusion at his thanks in favor of an awaited reply. "I.. never really had a proper family.", stated Freyd as sorrow seemed to eclipse his features. "Tell me more about yours." His redirection puzzled her. After all, she had posed the discussion with the intention of learning more about his history and interests. Dispelling the invitation so immediately made her reconsider his newfound willingness for transparency. Despite that, she considered that her judgement might be unfair. Freyd had been making visible attempts to lift the veil, to allow her a glimpse at the m

"It's easy", she began, as a gesture through her UI summoned familiar ingredients to the counter before them. "You remember - we just gotta grate and mash the potatoes, then mix that into some flour and egg." That was the short of it, at least. Elora gave Freyd a hesitant look before suggesting, "If you can prepare the potatoes again, I'll get started on mixing the batter." She left little window to decline as her attention diverted to the delegated task. Thankfully, the bowl she'd previously put out hadn't been fashioned into a projectile during the earlier battle. It was a straightforwa