Acanthus

Crafting for 9/3/2024 EXP 582/639. Crafter's Respite used! (ID 228986-2). Daily attempts reset. EXP 610/639

She recognized the shallow nod. Stepping up to the Lich’s bowed head, she raised her blade above her head in both hands and posed exactly like the first Stygian Warrior she had fought. The Lich Leech struggled and howled, just like Kumatetsu had in its last moments, but it was easier to harden her heart this time. The thing in front of her wasn’t human—it was, without question, a monster. Meteor formed a soft red light as she felt the final sword art charge. The Lich gave one final cry as she brought her blade down in a wide arc. It was a clean kill. Acanthus sheathed her sword and a

Acanthus heard the knives whistle, but never saw them. The new Stygian Warriors barely made it out of the river before Pinball put them down. What was it that Koji always said? “Goals,” I think. With a horrifying bellow, the Leech Lich tore past Acanthus to swing at Pinball, but with the smallest of movements, he avoided every one of the Lich’s attacks. Studying the fight carefully, her eyes widened. There it is—an opening. She darted in on the Lich’s flank, and struck the back of the its leg. With a groan, the Lich buckled to one knee, stunned by the surprise strike. Acanthus felt conflicted.

She was learning the game lingo. When Nymoria spelled out “AoE,” she knew exactly what she needed. And this time around, Acanthus was prepared. As Nymoria finished her attacks, Acanthus stepped in. Although all three snapdragons were grouped up, she kept her attack conservative. At the rate the first snapdragon was bleeding, it wouldn’t be a threat. With a particularly targeted strike, Acanthus sliced through one of the monsters, vaporizing it immediately. She danced with the second snapdragon, weaving around its attack to deliver one final blow. As she finished, she turned to the final s

Again, with the evasive answers. It was almost like being home. Her father had trained to stop asking questions when she sensed reluctance, and so she didn’t press any further for details. She occupied the silence with some more idle foraging while the two traveled. She found some half-buried crystal shards nestled at the base of a tree. With some polish, they would work well as recording crystals. Pinball made have been dangerous in the past but… His cat is named Pinball. He has a cat back home. She clung to this strange little tidbit to humanize him. But… The Monument of Life? She’d pas

Acanthus didn’t mind the repetition. She found it calming in an odd way. Here I am, fighting for my life, and finding it calming. She almost gave a dry laugh as she dodged through the snapdragons, looking for openings. I think I feel safe because I at least have Nymoria here. Between the two of us, we can keep each other safe. Following Nymoria’s lead, she cut through the snapdragons. The more she fought, the more she recognized the dragon’s patterns. She had previously worried about what might happen if the two of them weren’t able to stun them all, and they managed to sneak in an attack

From the tip of your blade, Purotekutā’s stare is nothing short of murderous. He gives one last look to his fallen comrade, then struggles to turn his gaze to you. His voice shakes with rage. “Why? Why do you care about any of this? You’re just some traveler—an ignorant vagrant. What do you care about our struggles? What do you know about the chief’s failures? Do you even care?” He fails to force himself up, too weak to strike. “Uso-Tsuki wants what is best for Marsonia. He despises the weakness of the Chief. Year after year, concession after concession, the Chief has relinquished our grasp on

Acanthus watched as Nymoria seemed to disappear inside herself again. Part of her wanted to reach out and hug her. But that felt like a gross overstep for someone she had met earlier this morning. She struggled to find comforting words instead, worrying that they sounded hollow. “I’m happy we met as well. I’ll be sure to stop by your shop and say hello sometimes. If we don’t meet on any other quests, that is. And my shop is always open if you want to stop by and just talk. It's on floor 24, just a few blocks west of the teleportation plaza.” She stood up brusquely and rifled through some

“I agree, not everyone is for the frontlines. But I would like to contribute however I can. If nothing else, I can keep crafting songs to help out.” Acanthus shook her head. “But I’d prefer not to think of it like that. I’ll keep leveling up I can’t, and if I can’t keep up with the frontlines… then I’ll think about alternatives. But I’m ready to be done with this game, and I’m starting to accept that involves some amount of danger, no matter what." She listened to Cordelia talk about Pinball for a bit. Her voice seemed strangely neutral. It reminded her of how Acanthus’ father talked abou

Your first strike changed Difendā’s demeanor instantly. Any trace of smugness was gone: hatred leaked from every pore of his body. This had become personal. “One lucky hit, and the pup thinks he is a wolf.” He spit blood on the steps and readied his blade. “Purotekutā, let’s go.” The two approach as a single unit with a practiced ease that shows their deadliness. But they are no match for you. They swap in and out, feinting for strikes, attempting to land a blow—something, anything. But their attacks fail, again and again. Purotekutā growls, bleeding from Solaris’ wounds. “The C

She regarded Nymoria with a hint of sadness. “I’m sorry you’ve been alone. I think I know what that feels like. When I realized that I was stuck here, I… I didn’t handle it very well. I shut myself off and didn’t let myself form any friendships. I was… scared about not being good enough. I thought that everyone I met would leave me behind as they climbed the floors faster than me. Or,” her voice deadened, “they would die.” “I know it’s not the same as your loneliness. What I’m trying to say is that you’re not alone in being alone. If that’s helpful at all.” She also busied herself with tr

Item Fusa-palooza Acanthus eyed the growing pile of crystals in her workshop. She hadn't performed any fusions before, so the process seemed daunting. Because it was daunting, she had put it off for as long as she could. But Pinball had been waiting for over a week since he'd put in the order, and she needed to show some signs of progress. Acanthus sighed, stood up from her desk, and rolled up her sleeves. (Fusing crystals wasn't something you really *needed* to roll up your sleeves for, but it was more about setting the proper frame of mind). Item Date Links 8/24 Crafts | 8/25 Cra

Crafting for 9/2/2024 EXP 529/639. Crafter's Respite used! (ID 228986-1). Daily attempts reset. EXP 550/639

“Take Point.” She didn’t hesitate. Starting off at a trot, she drew her blade as the Stygian Warriors detected her presence. They screeched, and she broke into a full sprint, blade close to the floor. The warriors had long, wicked blades of their own and tattered black robes that obscured everything except their skeletal hands. Their appearance reminded her of minions from a movie her friend had shown her once: King of the Rings, or something like that. The one in front slowly raised the blade above its head, preparing for Acanthus to close the distance. She thought about Nymoria’s l

Anticipation hangs heavy over the ceremony. Nature seems ill at ease; the normally raucous sound of animal life from the forests beyond has dulled to near silence. Heavy gray clouds approach Confluence Isle with the promise of storms, and the people in attendance are already scouting for cover. For the most part, the audience still remains eager for the ceremony, but their anticipation is colored with excitement and hope for a spectacle. The ceremony promised exactly that. Although rituals celebrating Jandis are often more reserved than those of the other gods, they are no less an event f

Acanthus drifted in from the cold damp of floor thirteen. She hadn’t seen this shop the last time it was here. “Must be new,” she whispered to herself. She pulled up a stool near the bar and pulled her cowl down. She studied the menu with quiet intensity. “Good evening. I’d like to sample some of your memory-whisking whiskey. I’ve got quite a large order of performance crystals to get out, and I think this could be a big help for me.” After finding the price on the menu, she reaches for a pouch of col. “I’d like five bottles please. I can pay upfront.” She drops the col on the counter. "I

Crafting for 9/1/2024 EXP: 504/639

Acanthus swung around, ready to dispatch the remaining snapdragons. But all she saw was Nymoria in a sea of shimmering blue shards. She’d dispatched them all so quickly. “Nym… Nymoria, that was incredible.” Her hands rested on her knees as she struggled with the words. She hadn’t realized how out of breath she was after the last few fights. “I think… You’re onto something with finesse.” She exhaled, trying to catch her breath. “I’m barely doing half the work, and I’m winded. Meanwhile, you’re over here taking on the world and not breaking a sweat.” Speaking of winded, Acanthus took note o

not all the other npcs were as frightening as the gypsy for you... were they?" GO ON. TELL HER. She shivered. Not yet. That story felt a little too personal to share. “No, not all of them. I’ve actually had many wonderful interactions. I stayed and talked with Mayor Dorian after the beginner quest, and he took me on a tour around Tolbana. It really brought the town to life.” Acanthus placed a single finger on her chin as she pondered. “But as far as other NPCs, she’s the only one I’ve seen that was that frightening.” Technically true. Thankfully, the conversation was interrupted

Not long after you arrive, the lieutenant walks out to the docks, also sporting his full battle regalia. It appears more ornate than the armor he was wearing the day before. The helm was patterned with coral motifs, and the iron armor was polished to a shine. “It’s for the ceremony,” he explained. “The annual communes with the gods are important, high-visibility occasions. All the more reason for Uso-Tsuki to attack so brazenly.” He gestured over to a large, pristine trireme in dock. “We’ll be taking her over to confluence isle. I believe you’ve already met our captain.” As if on cue

Acanthus breathed a small sigh of relief. The braciole was safe for another encounter. Maybe she could eat it while Nymoria started the fight. Acanthus felt guilty for considering leaving her alone for a round of combat. Not that she didn’t seem capable, it just seemed like a poor thing to do to a person she’d just met. Nymoria had a devilish look in her eyes after glancing at a nearby pack of snapdragons. She signed with her right hand. You can stay if you are scared. I have this. “Scared?” Acanthus huffed. But Nymoria was gone in a flash, racing toward the small drakes. Is she… tea

They followed the winding river for a long time. They ducked under mushrooms, stepped lightly around monster spawns, and brushed past the weeping shades. As a small shade cried out for its mother, she shivered. I have a hard time believing floor nine could be worse than this. She decided against pressing Pinball for details. If he thought floor nine was worse, then it was worse. It wasn’t a competition of preferences. They had spent most of the trip walking in silence. Normally, Acanthus enjoyed the shared quiet, but something felt off today. Maybe it’s just this floor. She looked around

Crafting for 8/31/2024 EXP: 475/639

The Chief nods, reassured by your confidence. “Thank you. A bittersweet memory he will be.” The Chief’s eyes mist over for the briefest of moments before his vision becomes steel. “But we will all play our part, and do what we must. For Marsonia.” With that, the lieutenant calls the meeting to an end. He makes an effort to seek you out and offer a firm handshake. “I apologize for my previous behavior. When the Chief asked that we request help from outsiders, I was doubtful. But he was right, as always.” The Lieutenant turns around to make sure the Chief is out of earshot. “And he is troub

[You’ve been invited to a party by Cordelia. Accept? [Y/N]] Acanthus pressed [Y] and offered another quick bow. “Thank you, I promise not to be too much trouble.” "Stay close. It's easy to get lost in there." She could see why. The tall trees choked out most of the sun, and the undergrowth made following any path difficult. She waded through brushes and shrubs, close behind Cordelia. At the mention of the frontlines, Acanthus made a face. “I don’t know anything about the frontlines, really. I suppose that’s the direction I’m heading, but so is everyone else. Aside from the idle