Freyd

"Having an orange mark is no joke," Freyd replied with dour bitterness. "I've known a few players who have had it, and it carries significant drawbacks. Imagine not being able to enter any town for simple provisions, or access teleportation portal. We take for granted the simple task of moving between floors, but asking someone with an orange icon to go from the Town of Beginnings to this floor is a lengthy, risky and potentially exhausting ordeal." Glancing over towards Kyo, he nodded in general agreement. "You're not wrong about justice in this world. It's fleeting, at best. And fickl

"Eh?" Face scrunched up in an expression that might have been best described at delightfully offended, Freyd held the pose for the entire duration of Sbruce's (possibly Ned's) entirely too lengthy explanation. Only when the all the treants had departed did he finally relax, massaging his cheeks with both hands to loosen the rictus that was setting in. "Oh, goody. This quest also has a fetch component. How nice. Should we gather some boar tusks and dandelions as alchemical fodder while we're at it?" Clearly joking, Freyd was already heading towards the appointed location. "They were

Kicking nonchalantly off to the side before returning to his crouch, Freyd looked like he'd missed his target completely. The blistering elemental glowered at him in its full blazing fury, burning most brightly even as its flame threatened to burst, flicker and die. Looming large over the Whisper, it made ready to lunge and engulf him completely when a growing darkness loomed over it in turn. Grinning giddily, even as he stood irreverently from his combat stance, Freyd extended a single, spider-like index finger up towards the heavens. "What goes up," he said, tilting his head and won

It was heartwarming to hear that Nari had found a renewed sense of companionship. Given the traumatic events she alluded to from hear earliest days in the game, and prior, it was precisely what others would likely say she needed. Freyd wasn't good with the whole 'emotion' thing, though he'd learned quite a bit from his own burgeoning relationship. "Ah. I think I understand," he lied, mostly. "Please don't think I was judging. Call it curiosity and a lack of understanding on my part. Relationships are new to me. There's still a lot that I don't understand, though that is slowly and painful

"They're everywhere, all around us - even here in safe zones. The trick is to know where and when to look." Freyd seemed mildly amused by Wulfrin's interest, recalling his own initial ambitions in the days and weeks following his own departure from the Town of Beginnings. "More often than not, you can find maps leading to them on random mobs as loot. They're rare, mind you, but definitely findable. Many are also far from obvious. I've had them open up right under my feet, suck me into spiraling anomalies, appear as ruins inconsistent with their surroundings, etc. There really is n

"NIGHT," Freyd echoed flatly, feigning mild surprise over confirmation of earlier suspicions. He'd been wondering what she had been playing at for some time. "She helped me out a lot when I was starting out, mostly by accident. We've worked together a few times since, but I can't really say that I know much about her at all." That the swordswoman had remained on his radar this long without more data coming his way was telling. He already knew that she was highly competent. That was never in question. It was her motives and goals about which he was curious. "The other you mentioned is u

"I've completed this quest over half a dozen times, and that was the first ever where he tried something like this." Freyd seemed positively gleeful, a light kindling behind his eyes at the prospect that Abdullah's behavior had changed. "Months of baiting was required, but he finally bit!" Rubbing his chin reflexively with thumb and index finger, the Whisper was clearly deep in thought. "Imagine what it could mean if we could actually alter the set behaviour of static NPCs. It's a potentially total game-changer - literally." Wandering back into the small dusty settlement, Freyd felt

"Would you mind telling me who the other two are? You can rest assured that your privacy is safe. It only tends to make life easier when you know who's avoiding the same tunes." A sense of satisfaction warmed him, sensing that he'd read the situation correctly enough for a successful outcome. What Freyd hadn't expected was her curtsey, a single eyebrow raising in surprise, yet falling again just as quickly. "If there were more of me in this world, I've have to chase them down and put them in the ground, again. It's a long story," he added, with a pleasant smile and dismissive wave.

"Nice moves," Freyd said, eager to see his companion starting to stretch his wings a bit. It hadn't taken long at all. Refocusing on their lone remaining foe, the Whisper thought he'd give it a go, just in case. "Will you yield?" There was little hope that the mob could actually do so, but a recent experience with treants up on floor eight had revealed that the system did occasionally allow for it. "Yield? To your punk asses? Not happening." Half the thug's leg was ready to collapse and crumble to dust, but still he chose defiance. How much of that was Cardinal's influence. I

"Agreed," came the response between sighs and the sounds of quickly shifting cloth. Freyd danced between his assailants with something akin to elegance as they clumsily charged and swung their weapons without guile or talent. Abdullah really needed higher standards if he thought these goons were going to stand a chance, but then no one could be sure how long the mobster had been pressing Fortaleza under his thumb. Part of him wondered whether these were the same men who offered the town what little protection it had from the denizens of the desert. Depriving them of that might be a problem

"Well," Freyd started, disappointed at seeing that the box had remained shut after its tipping, "that was anticlimactic." Leaning against it while the Cinnabon Lords monologued, he was too busy imagining them growing long flowing mustaches that twirled to ever-growing levels of ridiculousness the longer they droned on. "Yeah, yeah, end of the world, supreme conspiracy, you lot are the chosen of whatever... blah, blah, blah. Dude. You really need to watch less Pokemon." Suppressing a laugh while one of them struggled with the locking mechanism might have been the hardest part. "

"Uh... to be perfectly honest, it rarely actually goes that smoothly." Scratching at the back of his cowl, Freyd was a little perplexed at the fact that the mob had already fallen. "Unfortunately, I don't think we managed to get you the skill unlock, but we can always come back and try again once you're ready to smoke this thing on your own." He patted Wulfrin's shoulder, jovially, proud to see that the man was coming along so quickly. "Not too many decent fishing spots near Fortaleza." The burning desert wind and overwhelmingly arid, barren landscape slapped Wulfrin in the face as th

Donning his usual, maddening grin seemed to be the best retort to Katoka's jibes, not to mention the most effective way to bolster her spirits against any doubts or second guessing. "Don't worry," he added. "You're gonna have a halibut time." Hands raised in defense and proclaiming innocence, he daren't mock or challenge Nari's claims. Besides, he knew her to be among the most capable tanks currently serving in the front lines. Making wise cracks about your tank's waistline was a great way to wonder why your hate values were suddenly awry in the middle of a boss fight. Freyd was far

Like a dervish whirling into being from a breeze, Freyd spun into action instantly. Scouring their foes with a burst cloud of sand to cover his initial assault, he knew that he tactic could only be so effective. These things lived in the stuff and their shells were too resilient to be affected for more than a moment. But that was all they needed. Trusting that the mobs themselves could become their own worst enemies, he bashed their oversized and unwieldly claws against each other. With a few well-placed kicks, he managed to turn their greatest strengths against them, piercing and shreddin

From the moment of Nari's backhanded endorsement of his worthiness as a leader, Freyd knew where the rest of the conversation was going. Only people who'd suffered the most grievous of losses or injuries could see such necessities with selfless clarity. Though some might debate it, the Whisper also knew when to keep his mouth shut. He just listened. It was clear that Nari needed to get this in the open, and that she trusted him enough after such a short time to lay bare the burden seething within her was both stark and striking. He offered no apologies. They were not his to give an

"Wouldn't it be nice if it were impactful...if it were consistently changing?" "Most of chose to leave that world behind in favour of this one. What does that tell you?" Freyd waits patiently while Nari digests and processes his comments. "Each of us came to be here by different means and for different reasons. You're not wrong in your assessment. So many of us were fundamentally broken before this prison ever snared us. So what are we to do about it? This fight isn't about freedom. It's about proving our ability to overcome and endure, together. Some will just fight for t

"If you don't have anything more pressing than helping me solve a war, then you're welcome to come along." Pursing his lips pensively, Freyd looked down at his wrist. He wore no watch. "Sadly, the best we are likely to manage is to pause it for awhile, but I'd argue that's still very much worth the effort. My calendar is, fortunately, presently clear." His eyes drifted once more to the youngsters manning the city gates as they passed, a subtle handwave raising their excited eyebrows and encouraging a swift activation of their ancient mechanisms. Nari took the lead in their co

A swift nod and pivot to reposition. Wulfrin had reaffirmed his promise by finding guts enough to face this monster. Freyd gladly resumed his guard as the beast shook off the daze from their previous assault. A nod was all to be spared. Freyd dare not take his eyes or attention from their foe, not even for an instant. It's recover would be no less speedy. Better to take it down while they had the opportunity, and not take any chances. Triggering the skill by mental command, the void surround Freyd's hands faded, along with its keening, to be replaced by the more familiar purple miasma t

"It isn't you," Freyd clarified, regarding custom skills. "Those things have just brought out the worst in people since they were first introduced. You wouldn't believe half the nonsense, not to mention outright murder, those things have caused." Waving a hand dismissively at the topic, he clearly preferred to move on. "Glad to hear you have a crystal, though. That's survival gear 101. Anything goes wrong here, you use it, and don't hesitate. This thing won't give any quarter." Assured that he'd made his point, Freyd guided them towards a small, poorly used side path down beside the cr

"Don't even go near the whole 'unique skill' debacle." Pinching the bridge of his nose at the thought of the anguish those damnable skills had caused, Freyd swore they had only ever been crafted to sow mistrust and breed envy among the player base. The entire concept seemed fatally and deliberately flawed. A quickly sent party invite helped him better assess Wulfrin's progress. "You're doing great, especially in such a short time, but this mob can be downright lethal. Your assessment is also correct: it would eat you alive while you could only gum at its tenders and still likely prove to b

"Oh, apparently someone peeled Abdullah's grapes the wrong way, or something equally meaningless," Freyd replied, waving his hand dismissively towards the overdressed fop in the corner. The getup was a bit much, looking like a sultan, wrapped in heavily patterned silks studded with gemstones and precious metals. The mutual dislike between Wulfrin's friend and the NPC was palpable from the moment he'd parted the beads. "Come to seek permission to hunt in my domain again, pleb? Why should I grant you such an honour?" A local peasant girl wearing threadbare rags held a tray out with offeri

"Fishing, right? I swear, a fish will be the end of me someday." Freyd groaned with an exaggerated aura of gloom about him, as if past experiences had taught him to expect the worst from such sources - ironic, given that Wulfrin had watched him sitting and fishing through most of his first lesson. "So, I can definitely help with one of those goals, but not necessarily the other. Terra Firma's actually the easy one. I have that all lined up and will give you a should when it's time to meet me in Fortaleza... err, Floor Five. As to Freya's cooking, you might be out of luck. I think s

"Hold up, you're an Elf?" The resulting smile and laughter were more heartfelt than she would have expected. Freyd found her reaction delightful. "That...explains a lot, actually. Surprising, still...but explains a lot. I feel like you and I are going to have some very, very interesting conversations going forwards..." Waiting until they were out of sight and earshot, he let his borrowed elfin traits recede to normal human length - as she had seen them at the gate earlier in the day. The cowl returned to its customary resting place just as quickly to maintain the corresponding

Freyd stood behind Nari, looking relaxed with hands stuffed into his black hoodie-like top, legs spread wide for stabler stance. He truthfully wouldn't know how to relax if he was required to do so, and was equally ready to spring into action, especially if Arun did something impulsively stupid. Watching the plates of Nari's armor grind and shift against each other was like watching a coiled spring winding near the point where it would either be forced to release or break under its own stress. Intensity was good, but this level and extent tended to carry some downsides. Fortunately, the ne

"The hardest part of starting out is accepting that you can't do it all yourself. Some have, and succeeded. Vastly more failed, some selling their lives to feed their egos. It isn't worth it. It's been my pleasure to help, and we'll go smash Terra Firma into avocado paste as soon as you feel you're ready. Let me take the carry on that one, and then I suspect you'll be more than ready to stand on your own." Freyd smiled appreciatively as Wulfrin bowed with respect. As odd as it seemed, given his often irreverent attitude, Freyd deeply respected such gestures and returned in turn. "