Freyd

His sojourn through the sparse woods of the Forest of Memories took little time, especially given the proximity of Ariel’s dojo to Firm Anima’s guild hall. Freyd had just finished reviewing his daily reports when the message first arrived. Having recently learned from Hirru that the labyrinth had been cleared; the news was met with mixed reception and concern. Were they ready? Shadow’s defeat had taken personal tolls and left a heavy burden on all of Aincrad’s remaining players. Though no one he knew personally had fallen in recent memory, names still steadily appeared on the Monument of

"Another floor raid, already?" Freyd seemed skeptical, an eyebrow arched to reinforce the point. "It feels like we barely just cleared our way through that inky little shi...err... Shadow." "I was fresh off the pier when that raid happened, never even having attended the planning meeting for it, though I heard through the grapevine that it was a bit of a mess. Aincrad's players are at their best when they've actually united behind a common goal, not so much when talking about it." Gloved fingers absentmindedly stroked his chin as he spoke, mental gears grinding beneath his woole

"For Fonsa," Freyd whispered for his own benefit and only to himself, "I gift you a lesson in despair." The nearest maw, having failed to find purchase against the crimson robed captain at his side, rolled and smashed the rocky surface where the Whisper stood. Hissing like a steaming geyser, it rose from a cloud of dust of its own creation. Few people can appreciate how great a pleasure it is to see a villain's self-satisfaction shattered. Firm Anima was so gifted in that moment, when the same dark figure that should just have been smeared beneath the serpentine queen still stoo

All-Consuming Shadows Cost: 10 SP [Custom Skill] Energy Cost: +2 EN per target hit, plus Shift cost if applied Cooldown: 3 Turns (0 Turns) Requirement: [Disguise], [AoE Shift] Effect: Apply the AoE tag on any sword art. The sword art in question becomes eligible to benefit from the AoE Shift at the cost of the usual EN surcharge. If the player has unlocked TECH-F, TECH-A becomes an AoE sword art, permanently eligible to be upgraded with AoE shift. Description: The void tolerates no boundaries, manifesting everywhere all at once and between all things. Sundering their own f

"Nicely done." A rare compliment and satisfied smirk perched upon the Whisper's lips as he watched the mob disintegrate by Ariel's side. The pervasive gloom dominating the slain monarch's chamber lessened as a few stray strands of light penetrated through tiny, distant windows unaccustomed to fulfilling their intended functions. "I'll buy them off you, if you've no use for them." Directed at Hirru, the two of them had taken on Ugzeke together in the past, and Freyd was constantly grinding the field boss for its infamous buff. "Also, let me know what weapon you're seeking and I

Confused, more than anything, Freyd was left standing in the middle of a dungeon, the dregs of fallen wraiths and ghosts decomposing all around him. The rest of his squad had pulled his own trick against him and vanished, albeit strangely. Sam had proven herself competent, but in need of seasoning. Freya had proven herself Freya and jaunted off, leaving calamity in her wake. Eruda, supposed to be the rock in the group, had run off from trauma with unspoken emotional scars. So, there he was, standing alone in the dark, wondering what the heck had just happened. Eyes narrowing beneath

Stepping into the very blind from which the mobs had sprung, Freyd reappeared from the final mob's shadow. The fish-man's mouth opened in surprise, but any outcry was swallowed along with his guts as the staff protruded from his chest. The entirety of his form vanished inward towards the void, until nothing remained but the distant cawing of gulls and other avian scavengers. The immediate threat had been dispatched. Clamoring back onto the boat, Freyd signaled safe passage to the Captain, who had been waiting following Hirru's instruction. "Right. This was just basic warmup," F

He watched her rambling reactions in silence, his facade fixed in place to reveal nothing. Eyes like mirrors reflected the firelight as Celeste bobbled awkwardly about the site, playing her part with reckless bravado. It wasn't false. Freyd had figured that much out about her, and had no trouble accepting it. He had no expectations, save that people be true to themselves. In her own way, Celeste embodied that principle, writ large. That was probably why he had no issues with her demeanor. Let her rant and rave. Let her bounce off the walls and rage at their existence. She could be an

*SMASH* *CRASH* Eruda hadn't even finished her thought when something lunged beneath her guard catching the spirit completely unaware. A thin outline from its spectral presence hovered above the tank's shield, but the rest of it sat half-imprinted into the far wall. The bulk of its torso was now little more than a gaping hole, pixel fragments sprinkling down the rest of its body from the crumbling cavity, even as its head rolled and hung limply. The ghost's crippled form tumbled forward and sprawled with a soft thud as its semi-corporeal form sloughed all over the cold chamber flo

"Look!" Freyd didn't point or actually give any indication whatsoever to signify his point. He just kinda vanished. An instant later, cries of alarm sounded from behind a rocky shoal near where their sordid excuse for a ship was meant to pass. Fish guts sailed through the air, dematerializing soon after being severed from their host body. The fact that Freyd was technically using a blunt weapon made it that much more disturbing, but the sheer amount of hellish shrieking that came from the seaweed coated rocks quickly confirmed his weapon's handiwork. Something metallic clanked

Sliding past Hirru's still form, Freyd smashed the taller undead monster smartly on the rib cage beneath his left arm. Crunching bone resounded even as the Whisper pressed his attack. He was no tank, but The Forgotten Time King would not be permitted another strike against his ally. Planting the butt of his staff firmly against a block of broken masonry lingering from the glories of days long absent, Freyd flipped and spun high into the air. Samael's Pride opened its maw wide, unleashing the void within, and struck with the crushing appetite of a dying star as its exposed void it melted th

"Two more, eh? That won't take long. Gimme a minute." Launching himself at the next wave, a pattern of rapid swings and strikes shatters bones and turns digital mesh into splatters across the floor. Three smears laid themselves out around the sole survivor, spread in a radial pattern away from Freyd's position. A chuckle slipped through his lips as he steadied his breathing upon completion of his kata. Another wave of enemies laid low, decimated by a ruthless assault. "Dungeon? Yeah. They shouldn't be too tough to find around here, especially with your talents." Freyd

Eyes wide at Hirru's revelation, Freyd instantly called up his inventory, surveying the list of loot gathered to date. After so many grind runs, he practically knew the standard loot drop patterns by heart. Recognizing patterns was part of what made him a good appraiser in the first place. A few of the drops were definitely larger than expected, and by a very direct order of magnitude. "Huh," he sputtered, stoically and in muted mockery of the glee that might have escaped from anyone else's mouth. A raised eyebrow was about the extent of any further emotive reaction. The man was a co

A pulse of gravitic force slammed into the space on Hirru's left flank, popping the tricky Sahagin that had sought to exploit an unexpected opening. Freyd's staff struck with such momentum that it passed clean through the mob, but could get clear in time to snag a second target. An instant later, Freyd stood on the far side of their foes, his method of travel unclear and catching another pair of advancing fish-men off guard. Already beaten and battered from their foolish faceoff against the Jade Hunter, the first fell into fragments with but a gentle tap. Spinning the weapon around, tight

A sly grimace spread across Freyd's pursed lips. Somehow, you couldn't stun this bag of bones, but you could still poison it? Such were the inconsistencies of a digital world, where the system governed over all and lingered just beneath the surface of everything. Logic dictated, but not the type you might think. It all boiled down to programming. And, despite the apparent futility, the Whisper chose to test it anyway. Veering right while his companions drew the king's ire, a second, smaller shadow scurries loose from beneath his armor and dashed straight between the feared mob's leg

Thunder boomed in staccato bursts from the broken marble arcade that line the edge of the ruined square. Intermittent flashes of brilliant whites and blues preceded each, highlighting the shadow of a figure in motion as it darted from one kill to the next, yet never quite quick enough to snare its true image. Freyd had been here before, several times. Once, of note, was to save the hide of Firm Anima's noble vanguard captain, who'd foolishly sought to take on the black monarch alone. The canny bastard had nearly pulled it off too. As his fellow captain, Freyd admired the cunning and ingen

"Fishing," Freyd said, flatly. "This never ends well." Visions of being propelled through the air while attempting to flense a giant flounder flooded to mind from his memories Oscar, bellowing like a madman, as they tried not to be drowned in the process. Or that one with the rowboat, where he taunted fate, knowing that it would summon the beast right behind him to nip him sharply on the backside, or fling him from his dinghy in despair. Freyd didn't mind fishing, strangely enough. He'd even picked up the skill and found peace in the activity, along side images of his grandfather.

A shower of shattered red crystalline shards rained down around him. Some mob had just died, violently. It was a frequent occurrence around him. So much so that he'd come to tune it out and was already reading Hirru's message, received a moment earlier. This particular outing had just drawn to a close and he wasn't needed elsewhere for a few more hours. Pulsing thrums in his hand slowed as Samael's Pride slowly returned to its more nominal state. The weapon could never truly be sated, but it was at least satisfied with the outcome of their battle. It was so like its master. "Word f

"Your poison has proven more useful than anticipated." Freyd's furrowed brow denoted consternation at his mouth's clumsiness. "What I mean to say is: your goods are very effective. I'd like to replenish my stock." Something seemed off about him. His edge had softened in some imperceptible way. The usually abrupt harshness of his speech carried a less grating tone. Hardly sociable at the best of times, he'd just made his own version of an attempt at a compliment. It was weird. Sorting through the bounty on offer throughout the shop's well-stocked shelves, Freyd pulled down batches

"Lead the way," Freyd chimed in, his gaze set upon a distant ridge, beyond the tree line. Some distraction kept his attention elsewhere, though enough focus remained to have followed the completion of Marius' transaction. "The quest imposes limitations on how much help you can receive. They," he pointed at the sky, or more likely at some unseen entity beyond it, "don't want us experienced types walking newbies through all the content." Grasping his staff firmly, Freyd braced it against a nearby log and used it to push himself up to the top of a nearby crop of stone. It would be easier

A hint of red cloth at the edge of her vision and the glare of light reflected on lenses. Something hazily familiar glinted at the outskirts of Eruda's vision just as another shadow closed in at her side. Freyd understood enough to know what might grant her comfort. "You're distracted," he whispered from pursed lips. "This is neither the time, nor the place. These bosses are most unforgiving. Firm up, Eruda. Distractions are for later." The words were deliberately crafted, as his so often were. Dashing forward, he tapped Sam lightly on her left shoulder as he darted past on her right.

"Tracking." He spoke as if the single word explained everything, then slowly registered that more details might be required. "Err.. the Tracking mod under the Search skill. Sorry. Force of habit. I'm never quite sure how familiar people are with the game, and tend to just assume it. After so many years, it's rare to encounter players who haven't heard it all a thousand times." Reaching up, slowly, Freyd pulled back his cowl to reveal a plain and fairly unremarkable face adorned with pale skin and steel-blue eyes. The latter played hide-and-go-seek behind loose strands of hair from an

Finding his way back to the smith's forge, the Whisper had finally gathered all components required for the latest addition to his arsenal. This wasn't a matter of power, but options. The more tools he had available, the easier it became to fulfill his appointed role. Function and flexibility governed over all, especially for Firm Anima's captain of 'weird, crafty strategic shit.' He'd thought the unofficial title up himself, but didn't like the acronym and so tossed it back onto the mental discard pile. O&I had a simple convenience to it, and a strange appeal in that most people hadn

"Yup. Totally," he responded to Sam, his cowl partially concealing his face. Turning towards her, he shook a negative for her eyes only. Mixed messages was just so much fun. "O&I isn't for the faint of heart. I need to know that you can be relied upon when things go wrong." A wailing screen rose from the back of the chamber they had just entered, an ancient altar of dry set stone blocks neatly stacked and fitted together dominated the dais in that area. Wisps of black and purple rose from the stones, which fractured and crumbled as the thing within fought its way free from its ancie

Freyd regarded Marius with casual curiosity, seeming to ponder options before making up his mind. "Oh, you mean Lady-what's-her-face? Yeah. She hops around between floors quite a bit." The shadowed cowl swiveled loosely, scanning their surroundings before coming to rest in a particular direction. "You're on the right track, actually. She's a few hundred feet that way." Pointing with death's walking stick towards the sound of the waterfall, upstream from their position, Freyd had already fathomed what the man was after. "I'll tag along, if you don't mind. It's always nice to meet