Freyd

Reports had been pouring in from around Urbus for the last week about increasingly aggressive mob attacks on the outskirts of the settled areas. Urbus itself was well defended and its fields regularly patrolled, but this was something different. Agents of O&I had been dispatched to investigate. Freyd had contacts in every corner of Aincrad, but few that could actually trace an affiliation to the guild itself. It was generally more practical to operate via proxies, mercenaries and other third parties whose actions could not be easily traced back. Every once in a while, something would

Carefully slipping into the shop while Quip had her back turned, Freyd tip-toed to the nearest counter to deposit the gift he knew she'd never willingly accept. Persi stood nearby, on standby to create a distraction if one was ultimately required. Fortunately, Quip was sound asleep, her bagpipes deflated and idle in her lap and nuzzle up against her like the warmest and softest of plushies. Pausing to admire the peace... and also silence - the silence was positively golden - Freyd was heartened to see that she had found her own footing. Giving her a little something extra to help her thriv

"Shit. What's the saying? No plan survives first contact with the enemy? Welcome to that moment." Freyd was instantly working at reading the room and their opponent the instant it revealed itself. Against Shadow and Orgoth, they'd had some room to play, but this thing negated the traditional tank build entirely. Shield, Yuki, even Eruda would have been in trouble against it. Only sheer dumb luck and lack of time had prevented him from modifying his own style as much, plus his preference for a combat style based more closely used by his friendly neighbourhood red wanderer. "We would

Well, there went his one and only good idea. And now his friend was in distress again. Freyd could feel Montjoy glaring through him to do something. Freya was so much an opposite to him with her overflowing emotions that it could sometimes be a struggle to understand where her head was at - just like Elora. Truthfully, that was his problem. It was her heart that needed his attention - just like Elora. He groaned internally, having wisdom enough not to do so aloud. 'The answer is simple,' he told himself. 'I just need to do what Elora would need me to do.' It sounded easy enough.

UNID Item fusion: (Note: I mangled some of the roller links, but they all come back to this page and are strictly for reference tagging only, so I've assumed that it won't be an issue) UNID Tier 1 Weapons: UNID Tier 1 Trinkets: UNID Tier 3 Weapons: UNID Tier 3 Armor/Shields: UNID Tier 3 Trinkets UNID Tier 4 Weapons: UNID Tier 4 Armor/Shields: UNID Tier 4 Trinkets:

"Nap? Sleep?" Freyd looked back at Katoka like she was speaking another language. The words simply didn't exist in hi vocabulary, at least in so far as being applicable to himself. Outright denial being true to form, Freyd merely moved on as if the suggestion had never been made. His brow further furrowed when Katoka asked what sorts of hijinks he and Rai had gotten up to. "Does that really sound like a me and Rai thing?" It was amazing that she would even ask it, though now his mind was reeling through its own internal way-back machine trying to recall whether any such moment might hav

The team was coming together and energized, but it didn't take much to sense the undercurrent of tension running between them and everyone else gathering in the chamber. Veterans among them knew enough to be aware that you could never fully prepare for the pending battle. Newer arrivals put on their bravest faces fearing their peers might judge them for inevitable doubts. Smiling as he handed each whatever they requested or required, Freyd read each of their faces in turn to do what he did best: appraisals. Even when set against digital flesh, nuances in tone and body language revealed muc

At first looking like he might protest at the pilfering of supplies under his arm, Freyd suppressed his inner hoarder for the sake of tranquility. If the system somehow interpreted the act as theft, Katoka would meet Marv's bad side and he'd have a very awkward situation on his hands. "Yva, Shrr. Fwy noff," he replied through his overstuffed mouth, his brow flattening with resignation and a sudden gulpish swallowing. "What craziness are we getting up to this time?" A snap of his fingers and his gear instantly swapped to more appropriate adventuring attire. The twinkle in his eye rek

Strolling into the strangely lit cavern, Freyd looked completely underdressed for the occasion, wearing little more than a black leather breastplate and typically spoopy black gear. He didn't even carry an obvious weapon, though both hands were tucked away in a pair of pockets. For those at the planning meeting, it might have been fair to ask whether he'd forgotten his commitment to tank during this particular affair. Pursed lips narrowed as he glanced over the displaced golem, it's mystery having already been solved, his curiosity having been piqued by various oddities of its origins

Man-handling a giant mutant shark wasn't exactly the sort of thing you got to do every day, so why not make the most of it? As Violet spun and drove the creature back his way, Freyd stood at the ready. Persi had already stunned the beast once with her onslaught. Now it was his turn. Crouched in his combat stance with one arm poised to parry and the other set to strike, the Whisper waited for his moment. When that massive maw bearing multiple rows of razor sharp teeth broke ground, Freyd sidestepped instantly and smashed it with his fist. The impact sent a ripple through the mob's entire

The only thing missing was a bathrobe. He had the steaming cup of coffee and his hair was already in a permanent state of helmet head. The package under his arm might also have been confused for a newspaper by those who scurried to get out of his way. Shambling along as he was, one of @Freya's famous honey buns clenched in his teeth, but drooping slightly as if seeking to acknowledge its devourer's fatigue. "Mrnng... Mrvw..." he mumbled, approaching his favourite mob. There were bags under his eyes, yet also a sense of satisfaction at having crossed every item off his to-do list. E

"Baaybeee. shark-doo-doo..." The tune from his childhood was playing itself in an endless loop in the back of his head. Freyd couldn't help himself but sing along as the massive creature barreled through the silty surface towards him. Heavy tremors shook the ground, growing in strength as it approached and causing his boots to start sinking into the ground. A last minute spin and whistle broke the tension. Sidestepping like a maniacal matador, Freyd's call summoned Persi who emerged from the ground like some sort of pent up shadow-geyser. It looked as if they'd struck black gold, whereas

"So, you finally got your act together. Took you long enough." Mirth was plain on his face as he leaned against the closed lower half the front door. Several friends and patrons had just made a run on the shop and he was eager for a cup of coffee to help with recovery. Fortunately, Quaestor's Quisine was just across the road and only just re-opened for business. Placing his order, Freyd left a hefty tip to ensure a steady future supply of goods for consumption. He didn't need the mats himself, or would rather direct them to an easily accessible source. Demian and Bistro had always been

Freyd was exhausted. Running around like a madman was already standard for him, but recent days had drained every once of stamina as he raced to every corner of the floating castle making preparations for the coming raid. Even by comparison to past efforts, this one was by far more complicated. The pressures of leadership were weighing on him - not in the sense that he feared the responsibility. Moreso, it was the opposite. People's lives would be in his hands in a manner he wasn't accustomed to dealing with. Tanking was a whole other business, and he was trying it for the first time in

"Oh, good. The other part is already here." Freyd had once again returned to The Knight Shift with another order all set to go, or components for one at least. The final part was coming on commission. "This one's for a friend who's just joining the front lines, Ren. Please perform your usual level of care." It had become a habit, of sorts, for Freyd to be visiting this particular shop. Lots to be done before a raid, t'was true, but he'd been acting the part of Raidou in his efforts to arm half of Aincrad of late. The thought made him smile even more. There were far worse examples to f

Returning a short while later, Freyd had several bags and satchels laden all about him. They could all go into his inventory, but it had been such a mad dash going from place to place that he hadn't yet taken the time. Rushing into the shop, slightly out of breath, he quickly scanned the goods and nodded his approval. "Much appreciated, Krysta. Thank you so much for getting it done quickly. This will come in very handy in the raid." Touching the piece, he donned it instantly, replacing his more emo common emo garb. A few turns and stretches in quick succession, twisting to check flexibi

"Who are you harassing this time, Mina?" A lone lanky figure clad mostly in black approached them, hands stuffed into non-apparent pockets at his side. Tufts of unruly black hair stuck out defiantly from the edge of a charcoal-coloured cowl covering most of the rest of his head. Ironically, in a desert environment, Freyd's garb looked less suspect than usual. "Is this lady bothering you," he added jokingly to the two very new-looking players she'd enthusiastically accosted. "Wait... Vanessa?" Recognizing her from a recent visit to his shop, the young woman looked a bit lost, but at

Rank 5 Appraiser (Base: BD 10, CD 8+ for unique, 10 identifications per day) +1 to CD from Hermes’ Scale +2 EXP: Hard Working (also +1 IDs per day) +2 EXP: Lucrative (Firm Anima) (also +2 IDs per day) +1 EXP: Custom Ambition Tool (bought from own shop 2020-07-16) Source: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19871-f13-appraiser-freyd-edges-open/?do=findComment&comment=674275 Identifications: 18x T4 Perfect Items (@3040 col) = 54720 col +270000 col for re-rolls. (18 * 15,000 for 4 rerolls apiece) Total Cost: 324720 col Junking: 15x T4 Perfect Item (@1900

'I really can't stand this guy,' Freyd thought to himself, tired of listening to Abdullah prattle on about what a magnificent human being he thought himself to be. Feigning neither interest nor disinterest Freyd simply repeated his request. "Yes, and thank you for the delightful lesson on the history of peeling grapes, Abdullah. I shall treasure it always. Now, perhaps we could review, once again, the location of this mutant land shark your bartender mentioned? It's a curiosity I'd hoped to observe for myself while I was here." He was lying through his teeth, already having scanned t

Persi slithered in first, the door jamb offering little resistance to a creature made of shadow and pure attitude. Leaping to Katoka's workbench, her curiosity reigned as she wandered about sniffing and poking her nose into everything. Like master, like familiar, as they always say. Freyd entered moments later, grinning madly, yet also looking slightly dazed. He'd honestly nearly forgotten about the order - not really, but it would be nice if he'd pretended such to be the case. Strutting with deliberate silence over to the counter, he yanked one of the vials up to his eyes and peered at i

Slinking quietly into the shop, Freyd crept stealthily over to the counter to collect his bounty, desperately hoping that the system wouldn't consider him a thief for just sneaking. More importantly, if NIGHT thought him there to burgle, she would have flayed him alive with her eyes alone. Really, he just didn't want to wake her or the cat sitting on the counter. "This gets a lot harder when you're refunded the hiding skill," he muttered under his breath, Persi glaring at his sudden added clumsiness. "Shouldn't we leave a note or something? Some kind of tip or thanks for prompt servic

Rank 5 Appraiser (Base: BD 10, CD 8+ for unique, 10 identifications per day) +1 to CD from Hermes’ Scale +2 EXP: Hard Working (also +1 IDs per day) +2 EXP: Lucrative (Firm Anima) (also +2 IDs per day) +1 EXP: Custom Ambition Tool (bought from own shop 2020-07-16) Consuming: Crafting Respite: [174609] Witch's Brew: none Items #1-13 Items #14-18

Bullets zipping past his head hadn't been on the agenda for the day, or ever, though at least they were going around rather than through him. "Was it the eye patch? You just don't like the eye patch, right?" Leaping over the side of the crow's nest, Freyd whipped around the various rope ladders, sliding to and fro as he dodged their shots and made his descent. As soon as he'd made it to the ground, the fight was essentially over. Parrying Amir's cutlass slash with a wooden pinion, he then threw at the pirate's head. Amir bent low to avoid it, running right into Freyd's waiting knee.

Taking one final look around, Freyd resolved that he would be ready when the moment came. "Thank you for hosting and generously sharing your insights. We'll see what fate brings us soon enough." A quick nod to those who'd agreed to make assorted supply runs with the limited time remaining, as well as friends and strangers who'd joined their ranks for the first time. He hadn't expected @NIGHTto step up as well, but wasn't completely surprised. The woman was exceedingly competent and would manage to find her own way through whatever Cardinal threw their way. "Be safe, and please com