Nari-Lanreth

She watched as the health bar of her target dropped into the red – barely above the line that would signify its defeat. It seemed to hover – as if taunting her, and Nari knew there was little she could do about it, right now. She managed to shift her shield, catching the half-hearted strike against her and deflecting it away from her body. Stepping back, she watched for her next opening. Dodging and parrying away the poor strikes of her opponent, she almost felt bad – there was little in the way of challenge with this conflict. It was obvious that she was far the superior of her opponent,

The spear pierced the man’s torso, and as Nari pulled back the spear, she could see her opponent’s body shudder as the stun took affect – locking the muscles in place and allowing her to reposition herself. She centered her weight, allowing her spear to fall into its usual place along the top edge of her shield, managing everything before the man could even begin to twitch in response. As the stun affect washed away, Nari rushed forward, hoping to catch the man off guard. She knew that the fight would need to be ended quickly, that she had a lot more to do here – and she didn’t want to sp

A single individual stood at the entrance to the keep. A large spear in hand, the individual eyed Nari’s approach, clearly aware of her – yet not speaking aloud. Curiosity taking over concern, she walked up the individual – stopping a few paces away and giving a slight wave with her right hand. Smiling, she decided to try speaking to the individual first. She doubted that it would do her any good in the long run, but if she could avoid fighting an entire keep, well, it was worth the effort. “Hi there, I’m looking for a man named Cassim. You haven’t happen to have seen him, have you?” The

“I hate sand.” The words – a growl against the whipping wind – where echoed by the soft chittering of Yuki upon her shoulders, the fox agreeing with the distaste. Trudging along, Nari wondered if all of this was worth it – the sand on the air cutting into her as it whipped about, driving to cutting speeds by the wind. She’d travelled a fair distance already, and could see the large bandit keep just ahead – standing out against the minor storm like a welcome beacon to those travelling by. If it weren’t for the guide line that led directly to the area, she’d almost consider it a safe zone a

The NPC began its sob story – all about how his brother had been captured, the atrocity of it all, and how worried he was for his brother’s safety. Nari half-listened, waiting for the cues to respond in order to keep the conversation going. She watched the area around them, keeping an eye out for anything that would stand out as a possible piece of the quest. “But I’ll hand it to you on a golden platter, you know familial bonds by now, I’m sure. Cassim is worth more than wealth.” Nari nodded, giving a sound of agreement in order to hurry along the topic – until she realised that the NPC h

Fortazaela was exactly as Nari remembered it – reminding her of something out of a middle eastern inspired scene. The bazaar - loud and overwhelming - could be heard even at this distance. Nari had passed through the busy area as quickly as she could, already knowing where to find the NPC she looked for, thanks to her info brokers. ‘At least they provided something useful.’ Her eyes roamed over the building in front of her – clearly a tavern, and in better shape than she had expected it to be. Her image of a rundown, barely accessible front had collapsed as she came to a stop before the w

“I’m sure by now you’ve heard of the cave of wonders.” The question, if it could be called that, was rhetorical – no answer was required. Even still, Nari found herself nodding at the cloaked figure’s words – acknowledging that she had heard of it, although that was entirely unnecessary. “Seems that an NPC is willing to lead you there, for a cost.” “There’s always a cost. Let me guess – a favour for a favour?” The unspoken response confirmed what Nari already expected. She’d likely have to do something for this NPC, in order to be led there. She wasn’t surprised, and so far, the figure ha

Shop Post: Óró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile Cost of Transaction: 8 materials Crafter's Profession: Performer Crafter's Rank: 4 Item Name: Óró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile Item Tier: 4 Item Type: Debuff Song Item Rarity: Perfect Item Enhancements: Perpetuate [1 Slot] Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID209056, 209061, 209063, 209066 Item Description: A small sapphire octahredon that seems to glimmer with the reflected sunl

The song had been stuck in her mind the entire day, but as she sat in front of the piano, she found her mind empty. Devoid of any tune, and somehow denying her the basic urges to begin the work that need be completed. Sighing heavily, she laid out the crystals along the piano top once more, before tapping a few of the keys in an attempt to get the motivation she needed. "Never going to get anything done if I just sit here..." Another heavy sigh, before she decided that this would be one of the days where natural born motivation simply wouldn't do - instead, she'd need to force it.

She hummed to herself slightly as she read the subtitles produced by the flurry of hand signals that Ghost had managed – wishing slightly that she’d learnt sign language, if only because it would make paying attention easier. She shook her head, as if to answer the question posed – before realising that a further explanation would likely be required. “I’m not sure about dangers within the cave itself…the few I’ve spoken with who’ve returned from it provided nothing substantial – although, none of them seemed injured, or battle worn. Just…different. I don’t know how to explain it.” She gav

NIGHT following the trail of sulphur, Koga seemingly waiting for an answer, and their newest group member attempting to get Koga’s attention – that left Nari with nothing better to do than to explain her thought process. She waved a hand towards the distance, as if signifying a place towards the opposite side of the floor itself. “There’s a location on this floor known as The Cave. It’s…a cave, unsurprisingly. Not much is known about it, truly, aside from the fact that it can be spotted based upon the sword and shield etched into the stone above the cave’s entrance. Rumours – and trust me

She vaguely remembered a stint within the floor once before, but it had been so long that she couldn’t quite remember if she’d ever encountered the mentioned quest or not. Regardless, it was too much to pass up – especially if it truly did provide the tech skill that the message mentioned. Her hand hesitated over the message – she wanted to send it, but she was apprehensive of the response she would get. Their most recent parting had been…well, she couldn’t say happy – but it certainly hadn’t been aggressive or horrible, either. Sighing aloud, she read over the piece once more. Her e

A single blink, and then she pulled forth the topaz gemstone, holding it aloft so that the dragon could see it within her hand. She shot a curious glance towards NIGHT, but remained silent as the dragon inspected the piece. “Curious…it feels so similar…” The dragon’s snout receded, and suddenly Nari noticed the amethyst gemstone within the dragon’s claws – held so that Nari could reach out and take it. With hesitant hands, she accepted the piece, listening as the dragon recited its piece. “This has been within my possession for quite some time, a piece that I inherited…well, long ago. Som

She glanced between the two, watching as Koga settled in for a bit of fishing – clearly wanting to relax a bit after the back to back combat. Nari smiled, understanding the desire, even if she’d prefer to keep moving herself. Determined to at least make use of the down time, she moved towards Jomei, nodding towards the weapon on his hip. “I couldn’t help but notice your use of the Tech skills – did you focus on them for combat, or was it just pure coincidence?” She realised the personal question, and unconsciously pulled her hands together in front of herself. “I-Sorry, I know that’s a pe

Shop Post: Óró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile Cost of Transaction: 1 material Crafter's Profession: Performer Crafter's Rank: 4 Item Name: Óró Sé Do Bheatha Bhaile Item Tier: 4 Item Type: Debuff Song Item Rarity: Perfect; Masterpiece [Instant] Item Enhancements: Perpetuate [1 Slot] Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: ID209036, 209037 Item Description: A small sapphire octahredon that seems to glimmer with the reflecte

The feast had gone on far longer than Nari had expected, and she'd returned late into the night. The morning had been almost as rough - she'd forgotten to turn off the alarm clock, and had been rudely awoken at her normal early time, something that she was now cursing. With nothing more to be done about it, however, she'd found herself drawn to the recording studio, interested in testing out the metronome and seeing what affect it had on her crafting skills. She assumed it would be similar to the hammer she'd once had - but curiosity was curisosity, and it had to be saited.

The soft clapping barely pulled her attention back to reality as her song came to an end. She kept her eyes closed, revelling in the sound, trying to hold on to the feeling, before finally giving in. The sight of Apollo – still leaning on the wall, same small smirk on his face – but a twinkle in his eye that bespoke of…something – caused her to suddenly feel the fear that had been tucked away. ‘I…I did it. It was probably horrible. No good. It was…it was off tune, I could hear it, feel it.’ The negativity danced around her mind, bringing word to the emotions that she felt within herself –

Thoughts turned inwards, her attention to the world around her almost lost, she began her tune – the words slipping out as if she’d written them only moments ago. With her eyes closed, hands pressed tight against herself, she barely even noticed the feel of Apollo’s gaze upon her – his very presence lost to her as she poured out the emotions she felt within. She wasn’t sure how the piece would sound to Apollo – to her own ears she could her the flaws in the melody, the way her tone would shift almost a quarter beat too late. The way that she would hang on one syllable a little too long,

Closing her eyes, she focused inward – remembering the time long ago, writing the lyrics and considering the tune that she would use. She’d wanted something original, for a show that had at one time felt like the first step into a whole new world. She’d prepared, so hard for it – only to have it all fall apart when she’d found herself fumbling. At the time her manager had told her it was normal, that the first time on stage was the most difficult – that with practice it would become easier. Nari hadn’t believed it – she’d seen what it was like, and had no misconceptions about the fact th

The figure slid back against the wall, leaning its shoulder against the wall and crossing its arms. There, it waited patiently for the performance to begin. Taking in a deep breath, Nari moved to the centre of the room, running a hand over the front of her dress in a nervous manner. “This is a piece that I made many years ago…it’s…well, it’s something that I felt was meaningful to me at the time. So…I hope that you find it enjoyable – inspiring. Whatever you may call it…” Another pause as she readied herself, and just as she was about to open her mouth the voice of the other cut her off.

A deep breath escaped her as her mind settled upon the only option available to her. Shifting in place, she felt her ears flush slightly upon their tips as she considered what she was about to offer up – a piece that she had originally created many years ago, when she had considered singing a more obtainable route in her life. “I’ve decided upon my presentation.” The words seemed to be spoken with a calm manner, but Nari could feel the beating in her chest that gave a voice to her true feelings. She couldn’t help but feel nervous, the choice she had made had failed her once before – a tim

“That’s always the question, isn’t it?” That smirk bespoke of a hidden meaning, as if there was more to the words than the face value that Nari was able to decipher. She found herself pondering the question, and soon realised that the NPC was actually awaiting a response from her. “Oh – yes, yes I guess it is…the question of whether or not to take one choice, or follow another…” The non-sense felt somehow deep to her, and she was surprised to find that the NPC-deity nodded in understand, whether actually finding meaning beneath her words, or simply doing what it was programmed to do.

A few moments of silence stretched across the room as Nari considered what was expected of her – a performance. She knew that much. But whether it was expected that she create something the deity couldn’t deny as anything less than a masterpiece, or a piece that the deity couldn’t himself create in his everlasting genius in music. Nari couldn’t quite figure out what the trick here was – this wasn’t at all like the challenge when she was a blacksmith; that had been so simple in afterthought. “You do like to keep me waiting in anticipation, don’t you?” The casual smirk was still there, but