Freyd

"We found ourselves a perfect little valley carved out of the bedrock by some waterfalls on the outskirts of the High Fields of Crossing." The others would never know it, but it took a lot for him to disclose even that limited amount of information. Naturally cautious, Freyd's past behaviour bordered on the paranoid, though mostly about Cardinal's perceived vendetta against him. It had kept him hidden away for years in the Town of Beginnings, chatting only with Marv and a limited selection of players, doing little more than skulking among other shadows lost in back alleys. Beyond that, his

"Yeah, sometimes nodding is all it takes for pickup the quest, though there is often also a pop-up with 'yes' and 'no' options." It was a little surprising that Xclear hadn't seen it yet, but the prompts could occasionally be laggy. Dorian himself moved on, scurrying away from Freyd, wide eyed and sweating profusely as he struggled against his own girth, clearly unaccustomed to the exertion. "Sorry. I've been through this quite a few times, and you start to notice patterns in the actions of certain NPCs over so many repetitions. I used to believe that Dorian was an innocent, if slig

Wandering back to the flaming nightmare that had been left behind in the wake of War's utter embarrassment, Freyd found it to have simmered down to a more manageable midnight coal. Its eyes were still red, watching him with curiosity even as it chewed upon the last vestiges of its previous rider's fractured fractal form. Bits of orange dust disintegrated as they fell from its scorched and blackened maw. "Spoils of War, eh? How'd those taste?" A snuffling neigh and sneeze were his reply. "That bad? Maybe too much hot sauce. Why don't we rebrand a bit and give this job a touch of Whis

*cough* "The lady may want to relax a bit, before she ruptures something. That level of rigid can't be good for your digestion." Stepping out of a darkened area just inside the doorway through which both had entered, Freyd emerged into the lit centre of the room where light drifted through an oculus in the roof. It wasn't exactly like this floor saw a lot of rain. Black on black casualwear struck a stark contrast to the more practical desert attire worn by all the locals. Little more than cargo pants matched with a hoodie, Freyd's appearance was notably unremarkable, which was precis

"Hrm. Fickle fortunes of fate, huh? Yeah. That's way more common than most of us would like. Well, if we can get you through the first few lessons, maybe you can close the gap and rejoin them?" Pointing ahead at the sleepy rural hamlet on a shallow rise, white smoke drifted slowly from a series of hearths and shops. Even at this distance, there was a certain wafting scent of fresh bread in the air, sullied slightly by the odour of the various boars roaming randomly in the surrounding fields. They stayed clear of the roads, and weren't naturally aggressive. Freyd steered them clear,

Persi rounded the nearest street corner while devouring the last of her pilfered snack, ensuring that no evidence remained of her shenanigans. Half-expecting an angry merchant to be chasing after her, Freyd was pleasantly surprised to find a pair of youngish looking players instead. "What have you found there, Persi? A pair of wayward souls in Fortaleza? They'll fit right in," he added with a charming and sympathetic grin. Dressed in a more dusty version of his normal if spoopy attire, he'd allowed himself to go a bit local over time. Visits here had become a staple, of sorts, fulfil

Nodding politely in accepting Nari's thanks, Freyd would normally have dismissed it and thought it completely unnecessary. Fighting in crazy circumstances and aiding players in need was just 'what he did'. But, in this case, he would play along for the always better reason of helping a friend save face. She'd made a bad call and fortune had intervened in their favour. Wulfrin was alive. So far as he was concerned, the matter was settled and done. What remained was an opportunity. "It's not Earth-shattering or anything, but the Cave of Wonders does grant a notable bonus to loot and

"Well, we do have to head back to Fortaleza at some point, but it doesn't have to be right away. I guess that depends on what you have in mind? I routine patrol this floor with Persi. There are less notable sand sharks and other beasts around to be fought, not to mention bandits, carnivorous cacti and a whole slew of different scorpions. Can't say that I favour any one floor over the rest, you know? I just go wherever the action happens to be." Stuffing his hands into a pair of concealed pockets in his hoodie-like top, Freyd strode casually as they chatted, seeming neither rushed nor ove

"I'll be fine," Freyd replied, not even bothering to look at the injury. It wasn't clear whether he wasn't feeling it, or somehow simply managed to fight through whatever pain seeped through the suppressor algorithms. "But I need to borrow this for a second." Snapping his fingers, he summoned Kyoto's shadow to his side, pairing it with his own and directing them both to flank the sand shark from opposite direction. The beast was virtually blind and shadows made no sound, but all it took was contrast between light and dark for it to recognize a threat or meal. Thrashing violently as the tw

Sparing a moment to share a thumbs up for his ally was all it took. He'd taken his eyes off the ball, and it rose up and bit him, literally. Terra Firma burst forth from the sands, doing what no one ever wants to see from any shark, and flew through the air to chomp down on Freyd's shoulder. "GAH! Get off!" The thing's sheer weight toppled the Whisper head over heels backwards and flat onto his back. Instinct drove him. Before he could even think, Freyd reeled back and drove his forehead straight into the beasts midnight eye, his sword art miraculously triggering in the proce

The dark, brooding fellow - notably not Freyd for once - was muttering to himself by the lift's gate, not having bothered to spare Katoka so much as a glance. "Eh... Ryland: Kat. Kat, this is Ryland. He's the skyport's harbourmaster and resident nanny. Everything that takes place here is on his watch." "Right," the gruff former sailor interrupted. "Which means that every time our supposed security forces cut a deal with another band of pirates, it comes out of my paycheck, and the higher ups take it out of my hide! I've had it! Calas and her goons keep taking bribes to look the

Thread Closing: Freyd receives: 21,287 EXP (Word Count [11087/10*16*1] + 20% Mega-Slime Farm & highest contributor bonus) 71,393 col (2 page [800] + Loot [67400] + 15% P5 Reward [3193]) 24 Materials (Loot [24]) +1 Demonic Shard Random Dungeon Map 218897 T4 Perfect Consumable 218895a T4 Perfect Consumable 218895b T4 Perfect Armor/Shield 218895c T4 Perfect Armor/Shield 218895d T4 Perfect Consumable 218914a T4 Perfect Consumable 218914b T4 Perfect Armor/Shield 218914c T4 Perfect Armor/Shield 218914d T4 Perfect Weapon 218921a T4 Perfect Armor/Shield 21

Hugging Freyd had always been like hugging a tree. It didn't hug back. Unexpectedly, though, Kat actually felt the tender press of a hand upon her back in the moment where she gave the spoopy shadow man his compressive greeting. There was also an uncharacteristic ease in his eyes, which so often looked like they were permanently set in predatory-sarcasm mode. Not today. "Actually, Elora and I have been spending quite a bit of time together. I think I'd told you we were thinking of moving in together, right?" He honestly couldn't recall with certainty, but if he'd told anyone it wa

Watching his companion and foe alike, Freyd darted around the natural desert arena like a veteran, dodging and weaving around the angry mobile maw that was Terra Firma. He'd fought this beast many times - enough to learn to respect the thing's remarkable agility. Heavily armored and fast, there were few mobs in the game that could match it without being considered field bosses or higher tier quest mobs. Randomly changing directions, as easily as a shadow might, Freyd's movements were erratic and unpredictable, and served to good advantage. As quick as the sand shark was, it tended to charg

Wulfrin and Morningstar were acting precisely according to the plan, and each to his strength. While the first couldn't dish out the raw numbers, the system didn't care whether you could crush stone with your bare hands or barely flick a flea: a stun was a stun. Tall, bright and greedy had just learned that painful and humbling lesson. Star was also just really good at breaking things that deserved breaking, and this thing was overqualified as a candidate. Nari looked pissed. The question was whether that anger was directed against the boss or herself. Freyd's money was on both. There w

It had taken quite a bit of time and effort, but Witherwind Rest's final touches were nearly complete. For weeks, Freyd had been shirking his other duties because some secluded part of him told him that this was important. He and Elora were finally moving in together. His better half, by far, she had already gone off to gather all the seeds and herbs for her gardens and pharmacy. 'If she ever actually steps foot in it,' he thought, laughing. She talked a big game, but he'd never seen her actually devote much energy toward her alleged profession. Still, she had insisted on having it, and

Racing across the battlefield to join a second fray, Freyd felt suddenly sluggish about halfway along. His legs felt laden down, as if someone had instantly poured lead into his pockets - and he had a LOT of pockets. Staggering through the next few steps, but eventually recovering, he spotted Nari ahead. The purple-haired knightess was holding her own, as he expected. Spreading themselves out as they had just made it impossible for her to properly pull and hold all of the riders' attention as a tank normally would. From their time in the last raid, he knew that Nari could certainly hold h

It had virtually become routine for Freyd to visit Fortaleza's sweltering heat in recent weeks. In truth, he did it so that Persi could visit her family's den in the desert. His tiny shadow mongoose familiar was a surprisingly familial creature, though you would never have guessed it by her arrogant attitude. Actually, that wasn't quite accurate. She was only arrogant and pretentious towards him. Everyone else got nuzzles and cuddles. Freyd was convinced that she was just trying to scam anyone she could into parting with their snacks. Being made of void and shadow apparently meant an un

Don't hold back, huh? Alright. A rueful grin spread across the Whisper's face while watching Mina do whatever lewd thing she was doing on the mob's back. Winding up like a trebuchet, he felt the power building around the seals containing the dark energies swirling about his clenched fists. When the troll raised its club again, for what would surely be its final time, he unleashed. A forward lunge, tumble and roll brought him just beneath its bony chin, too close for it to strike in its few remaining seconds. Coming out of the roll, Freyd sprung and bounced off the thing's shoulder, r

House Name: Witherwind Rest Location: Floor 2, In a small valley nestled in the cliffs on the outskirts of the plateau that marks the High Fields of Crossing (Safe Zone) Plot Size: Estate (15 room slots, 4 storey max, 3 yard slots) Thread where Freyd and Elora found the location together: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/39318-pp-f01-a-place-to-call-home/?tab=comments#comment-676434 Yard(s): Yard 1: The Piling System (Storage Shed, upgraded to Extended Workshop) [Freyd] Yard 2: Big Puddle (Fishing Pond, upgraded to Ornate Fishing Pond) [Freyd] Yard 3: Memorial Yard (Slim

Could he do it? Was it actually even possible for him to let down his guard, even for a single moment? If there were people with whom ever he'd consider it, two of them were sitting with him now. Akame was an issue. He didn't know or trust the man in the slightest, and the fellow seemed quite keen to keep it that way. The best he managed was to actually show that he was considering it. That, alone, was a monumental achievement. Turning to gaze at Montjoy as Mina spoke her theories... or questions. It was a nice trick, and one he often used himself. Twice he half-turned, tempted to red

"Real is what we make it, Nari, and I share your sentiment. It's been a pleasure to get to know you too. These aren't subjects that everyone cares to discuss. It might be safe to say that you have to have seen a certain side of Fate to be open to it." Dropping off the rune was surprisingly underwhelming. While Treants treasure their traditions, they don't tend to stand for much in the way of ceremony. Ned merely nodded, confirming that they'd brought the right object, instructing them to return it to Queen Haelia with his blessing. He would know that the task was done by the bloomin

Rushing past Nari even as she spoke her warning, Freyd needed to keep up his pace and momentum to maximize their odds of success. He also didn't want anyone dwelling on the dangers any longer than necessary. People didn't often do well left to their own thoughts while under stress, and this world placed a heavy enough burden on its occupants as it was. Broad and brilliantly glowing with a warm, golden hue, the cave's central chamber promised a vast treasure hoard - which it was sorely lacking. Instead of ornate artwork, glistening gems and scintillating jewelry, all laid over a sprawli

Katoka muttered some quip about poop that made him look under his boots, wondering whether he'd stepped in something. "Really?! Even on digital beaches? Have people no sh....OWWWW!" Something pointy had just tried to spear whatever Katoka must have seen, but hit his leg instead. The pain was expected more than real, recording a notable drop in his health, but suddenly not that much worse than he'd suffered on multiple occasions. He just hadn't been expecting it, still being in a bit of a daze from yet another fishing venture gone horribly, horribly wrong. Freyd winced as the g

"Yeah," Freyd replied, weaving around the thing's jerky movements as it regained elements of control over itself. "All bark, no bite, I guess." The mob opened its many mouths as if to protest, giving him the perfect opportunity to kick it in the teeth several times over. By the time he was done, there was nothing left of the last Utterance, its polygons dissolving into nothingness "We should be near the exit, barring whatever other parts of Malediction will try to stop us next. My money is on 'Malediction's nose hairs'... also.. eww." Grimacing as he spoke, Freyd winced and stuck out his