Nari-Lanreth

Nari smiled as she collected another bundle of the shiny metallic bars. Her luck was truly with her today as she busied herself in the bushes. This was far better than she had ever imagined – far better than the last time she had come here. It appeared as if the garden was trying to repay her for what had happened before, as if this was somehow Nemo’s way of apologising for the way he had treated her previously. At the thought of him, Nari paused, glancing over in his direction. The man was still by the teleporter pad where she had left him, his face a smile of solace, as if he was someh

The shiny metallic bars clinked in her hands as she pulled them from beneath the bushes, drawing them from their hiding places and storing them away in her inventory. This had truly been an excellent haul, and was only getting better with time. She wondered if it was even going to be worth her while to fight the wolflike creatures if she could just find everything laying about here. Glancing at her health bar, she decided that she was in no immediate rush, and so she could spend some more time simply searching the grounds for anything of value. The wolves weren’t going anywhere, yet. And

The pitiful creature exploded in a shower of sparks, and Nari felt the briefest moment of pity for it. The fight hadn’t lasted long at all, but Nari knew better than to rush into another round of combat just yet. She knew that her cooldowns would limit her from being able to fight effectively yet – and besides, letting the body relax a bit wasn’t such a bad thing. She had to admit that it had been a good haul, but it wasn’t worth dying over. Sliding her sword back into her sheath, she turned to the pathways, deciding that a bit of searching could help cool her body off enough before she

Thinking back to her first fights against the smaller creatures of the lower floors, Nari felt a sudden surge of pride at how far she’d come. Before, something as simple as a boar had been so difficult – but now…now she was taking on creatures of much greater aptitude and danger without any concerns. Sure, it wasn’t a floor boss by any means – but maybe one day she would be ready to face something so…powerful. For now, she was content with how she was doing – even if it was against something as minor as a little baby dragon that someone like Astreya could wipe out with a single hit. Slidi

Nari’s blade pushed forwards as she lunged out towards the dragon like creature, sliding the blade’s edge right along the flank of the tiny thing. It let out a small squeak of surprise, a large gash appearing in its side, and its health bar dropping significantly as the blade in Nari’s hand glowed softly violet. She pulled herself back behind her shield before the creature could truly react, readying herself for a counter attack that never truly made it her way. Embrittled with the success of the first attack, Nari felt herself smiling – it was time she got some revenge on this place aft

Content with the progress she had made, Nari placed away the materials that she had found before leveraging herself to her feet. Breathing in deeply, she glanced around for anything that would prove a worthy foe. She saw many different beings roaming the areas, from the grass covered wolflike creatures, to creatures that walked on numerous legs and appeared to be created from nightmares. Nari found her target hovering over a collection of flowers nearby, however. It appeared as if a small drake of some sorts, as if somehow related to the giant green beast she had once fought here before.

The bars slide from beneath the plant as Nari slowly dug further and further down into it – rewarding her efforts ever so slightly. She refused to let her excitement get the better of her, as she pulled them free, depositing them into her inventory with care. She had done well thus far, but was willing to spend some more time digging in the dirt before turning to other, more dangerous activities. She glanced about, seeing a number of animals and beasts in the vicinity – most ignoring her entirely. Nemo remained in his same position by the teleporter pad, his expression one of joy and bliss at

Her fingers had stopped moving as she thought back upon all the instances of her gathering in the past. There were far more than she had considered, including that time she had headed into the forest with Yuki. Although the activities themselves were…tiring, they were also fulfilling in ways she couldn’t quite explain. The entire thought of it all brought a soft smile to her face, and Nari returned once again to her work. She let her mind wander as she did so, realising that she was entering a wonderful area of peace. ‘I could lose myself to this, if I gave myself the chance to. Lose it a

She felt the smile split across her face as the success of it all finally paid off. She had to admit, it was an enjoyable feeling – to find what you were looking for, after so much failure. She thought about that, the fact that something so bad could lead to something so good. ‘Perhaps that is something to consider, not only in searching for goods, but in life itself. The good always feels better after some bad. Even if the bad hurts to begin with…an interesting thought.’ Her hands continued to move as she thought about the prospects of her discovery, digging away at the plants and dirt.

Her agitation got the better of her – only for a moment, but long enough that the roots beneath her hands crumbled away into thousands of shards, disappearing as she clenched down too hard. She cursed herself at the carelessness, before breathing deeply to calm herself – emotions wouldn’t help here, only control would. She knew what she had to do, to take control of her mental state – that was the only way to success. She was growing stronger every day, but there was still so much farther for her to go. She needed to do better, to be better. That began with ensuring that she wouldn’t lose cont

Her first few moments found nothing of interest, and Nari had to fight the urge to move onto the next area. Instead, she forced herself to dig slightly deeper – careful not to harm the plants themselves as she went, regardless of how much she may want to lash out and destroy everything here. She knew it wouldn’t help anything, especially her search for the hidden goods that she desired to find here. ‘No, calmness and control is required. Only then will success be found.’ Her fingers clawed through the dirt carefully, displacing that which was loose beneath her touch, gently pulling it asi

Opening her eyes, Nari found herself once more in the garden known as Little Eden – around her were the lush bushes, the various animals and assorted plants that sprawled throughout the area. Off to the side, Nemo stood, waiting to welcome her. Nari didn’t give him the chance, pushing past and heading straight for the nearest set of bushes. She knew at this point if she was forced to listen to his voice anymore, she might actually draw her sword and see if he was killable. Kneeling down beside the bushes, she closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in and out a few times before opening t

Nari wondered if they were coming close to the pad that would take them to the garden. She’d already found a few minor materials – but she craved, needed more. Nemo was still talking, and she was wondering if she tried to run him through with her blade, whether it would do anything or not. Shrugging – deciding it really wasn’t worth it – she was forced to listen to his prattle, able to cut him off every few times, without any real way of shutting him up entirely. “As I was saying before, I’ve really grown the-“ “I don’t care.” “-there’s new animals, new plants and flowers! Oh y

Nari sidestepped along the path as she spotted the shiny metallic bars gleaming from the side of the road. Quickly snatching them up, she glanced around once more – just in case there was anything else to be found, before rushing after Nemo. The man had made good distance on her in the brief moments that she had taken to step off the path, and she found herself running to catch up. “I have so much to show you in the garden. It’s grown since last you visited! I think you’re going to love it.” His chipper voice rang out against the otherwise silent air, giving Nari a shiver down her spine.

“I’m glad that you decided to return. It’s been rather lonely without someone around…and I always enjoy having company!” The man smiled, the entire thing setting off alarm bells in Nari’s head – yet…there was nothing of a threat in his manner, or his words. The entire thing had been…oddly normal. It didn’t make her feel any sort of pity for the NPC, but it definitely left Nari confused as to…well, everything now. Nemo made it a dozen steps before Nari realised they were moving again. Releasing the grip on her weapon, and allowing the tension to fall from her body, she reluctantly picked

Nari fell in beside Bismuth as they walked towards the edge of town, smiling at the man slightly before her expression darkened. Raising her voice a little, so that anyone nearby could hear, she spoke words tinged with a slight amount of acrimony tied into them. “Don’t worry Bismuth, so long as we stick together, you and I can handle this. I won’t disappear on you suddenly.” Her eyes seemed to bore into the gates ahead of them as she spoke, not blinking. Just as suddenly she turned her attention to Bismuth again, smiling slightly in what could only be described as a complete change in beh

Nemo made small talk as they made their way out into the bog area, attempting to pull Nari into that same sense of safety and friendship that he had originally tried with her when they first met – perhaps that was all that his programming allowed him to do. Regardless, Nari ignored most of his attempts, giving half-worded answers, or remaining silent in most cases. Her eyes continued to scan the ground as they walked, looking for anything of value that could be found. She didn’t really expect much along the edges of the bog, but she figured it was always worth a try – plus, it would help her g

Nari stepped off the teleporter pad, and the first thing she noticed was the smell. Horrid, as of natural decay wafted through the air. Around her she saw what appeared to be settlement stilted above the swamp waters of marshlands – which explained the smell. Gingerly she stepped down off the teleporter pad, walking across to the edge of a nearby boardwalk, staring down into the green murk that was considered water. ‘Nemo sure does have an affection for the more…disgusting and depressing of places.’ The rumour had reached her ears again, about Nemo making another appearance – this time on

Thread Summary Nari-Lanreth | 4,794 EXP | 500 EXP [Quest] + 4,294 [Thread Progression] | 400 col | Hephaestus’ Hammer | Crafting Tool | Meticulous: +1 CD when crafting in one’s workshop.

It took Nari a few moments to realise what the deity had just informed her. She was correct. He had actually said the words. She felt the breath she had been holding suddenly release, a smile coming to her face as she stared at the chair. It was exceptionally ugly, and yet… somehow beautiful, once you realised what had gone into it. She glanced at the deity, the smile still on her face. ‘This is someone I can understand, someone who pours their entire being into what they do – not because they wish to be the best, but because that is what they truly love.’ She bowed her head at Hephaestus

Nari eyed the being as she considered her options. If she was wrong, there was a good chance that she would miss out on whatever the reward may have been for completing this adventure – but… if she was right, well. There was only one way to find out. Tucking a strand of fallen hair behind her ear, she sighed in preparation for what she was about to do. It was a gamble, an absolute risk, but she knew that it was the best course of action that she could possibly see – at least right now. “This piece is nothing but imperfections – it contains no piece that a true smithing master would consid

Nari gave a slight wave as Koga appeared on the teleporter, glancing about as if uncomfortable in the area – likely similar to how she herself felt here. She cocked her head at his question, a look of surprise and mischief at his lack of knowledge – it made her happy knowing something he didn’t. “He’s a Gardener who… well, come on you’ll find out soon enough.” Her voice carried a hint of playfulness to it, as she turned and began leading Koga away from the centre of this area, heading for the wilds beyond. “Oh, and if he seems friendly… don’t trust him. He’s an ass hole.” Passing the

The final room was far different from what Nari had expected. Where the previous five had the pieces on display in wide open areas, beams of light directed down on them to bring their mastery to life, this room was tiny – barely able to fit herself and the being, alongside the piece that sat in its centre. No light shined down from above to illuminate it, and as Nari stared, she became more and more confused. ‘This is… a chair.’ Well, technically it was a throne. A throne made of numerous weapons and – was that a piece of plate armour for a back rest? The entire thing was… well, not what

As she studied the fork more and more, she suddenly realised why the being would be upset with this piece – although it appeared on every single surface to be perfect, there was one major flaw with the entire piece. “It’s not metallic. What is it? Ceramic…? Stone…? No… it’s something else…” She shifted around the piece, trying to figure out exactly what it was made of. The lack of reflection it was giving off was what had originally made her stop, but as she ran her gaze over it again and again she suddenly felt an urge. Reaching up gingerly she gave the piece a light prod, jumping b

Without any further words towards the piece that was just destroyed, the being moved to the next room – Nari following, wondering at the loss. If offered, she would’ve gladly accepted the piece as a gift. It definitely would’ve been more than welcomed in her own vanity collection. The next room was slightly different than those previous. Rather than on display in the centre of the room, this piece hung on a wall directly across from the archway she had entered through. As she glanced at it – ‘military fork, twin-tined, short shaft for better management in close quarters combat’ – she wond