Acanthus

Thirty minutes later, and the peak appeared like a mirage in the desert. She wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but the mountain really did seem to level out. Just a little further, and— A sudden lurch, and she was hanging by one hand. She’d missed the next rock while she was daydreaming. “Ffff—” A lady does not swear. “–ff…rats.” With the game’s help, she swung herself up and connected firmly with the wall. That was close. I don’t think it would have killed me, but losing almost an hour of climbing might have done me in for the day. Acanthus focused in on the remainder

With a moment to think, she reflected on why she had decided to climb hundreds of meters up a mountain for a quest on the second floor. Part of her thought that the martial arts skill seemed interesting. Part of her thought that the sword art it taught would be valuable in future fights. But her underlying reason was, in her opinion, less tangible than that. I’d never get to do this in real life. She rolled over and gazed out on the second floor. It was a beautiful panorama of mountains and verdant fields. About six kilometers away, a colorful speck that was Urbus teemed with life. It’s s

This was a terrible idea. Why. Why am I here. Acanthus clung to the side of a mountain. Start conquering one fear, and you decide to jump straight into finishing it off. But the mountain seemed just as likely to finish her. High up in the peaks of the second floor, she had climbed for hours. And hours. And hours. I’m not sure that I’m even halfway up. She reached for a handhold and pulled herself up. With an unnatural ease, she lifted herself to the next rocky outcropping. There’s no way I actually have this strength. It’s just the game assist rescuing me. Heaving herself up and

Crafting for 8/9/2024 (Ambition active: +1 EXP per crafting attempt | Trinket) Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience 1 224819 CD: 6 LD: 18 Salvage (Success) - +3 2 224820 CD: 6 LD: 20 Salvage (Success) - +3

Purchasing 1 Spyglass and 1 Custom Ambition Tool. 800 + 800 = 1,600 col

Crafting for 8/8/2024 (Ambition active: +1 EXP per crafting attempt) Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience 1 224754 CD: 1 LD: 15 Critical Fail - +2 2 224755 CD: 3 LD: 18 Fail - +2 EXP: 23/3

Acanthus paused a moment to think. “No, I don’t think I know a Marv. I’m down here to buy some materials, and well... I’m a little lost.” She sighed. “I am guessing by your comments that the shop behind you sells leeches, and that is not what I’m looking for. I may just call it a day and do some more composing back in the shop.” Just beforehand, the man in dark clothes had flicked his wrist, and a large clapboard appeared. Acanthus now eyed the announcement with curiosity. “What is ‘Shark Bait Training’? It sounds interesting.” It sounds dangerous. Acanthus, what on earth are you doi

“Hello again.” She bent down to pet the cat once more. After the day she had, it was a welcome way to relax. She noticed the orders in the corner, next to a bowl of salmon. Admiring the craftwork, she slipped the ring on. She felt an immediate sense of comfort. It wasn’t actually her mom’s ring, but the artisan had somehow managed a near perfect replica. Turning to the tuning fork, she almost gave it a ring in the shop before remembering her description to the artisan. Best to wait until I’m outside. Consulting the pricing chart one more time, Acanthus counted out 1,000 col for her two Ti

Name: Sudden Sonata Profession: Performer Rank: 1 Roll ID: 224389 Roll Result: CD: 10 LD: 19 Item Type: Support Song Tier: 1 Quality: Uncommon Masterpiece Enhancements: Instant HP Recovery 1 Post Link: Here Description: A song that ends almost as soon as it begins, but l

Crafting for 8/7/2024 Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience 1 224389 CD: 10 LD: 19 Uncommon Masterpiece - +3 2 224390 CD: 4 LD: 2 Fail - +1 EXP: 19/39

8/6/2024 Name: A Call to Memory Profession: Performer Rank: 1 Roll ID: 224317 Roll Result: 12 Item Type: Support Song Tier: 1 Quality: Perfect Enhancements: Familiar Sight Post Link: Here Description: A aria that draws in the listener and fascinates its

Crafting for 8/6/2024 Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience 1 224316 CD: 4 LD: 3 Fail - +1 2 224317 CD: 12 LD: 2 T1 Perfect Support Song - +8 EXP: 15/39

I can’t believe I’ve lost my way to the market. Again. Fortaleza refused to teach Acanthus how to navigate its winding streets. She had been down here three times for various errands. And each time, against all odds, she stumbled into the wrong building. Once, she accidentally left the city lost in thought. By the time the guards were done laughing at her, they made her pay twice the usual bribe to get back in. She watched as players traveled the town in bands. Acanthus regarded them with a light sense of envy. Maybe someday, I’ll strike up a little confidence. Ask someone to party u

Acanthus takes the blade reverently. "This is excellent work. And in such a short time. Thank you." She ponders his remark. "If you fight as well as you forge, then I would be grateful to meet you in the field. Venturing out with a tank would bring me quite a bit of comfort."

"Good morning. I was hoping you might take some custom orders for me. I'd like a pair of trinkets to swap out. One for the battlefield, and another for my workshop. Will these forms suffice?" Nyanko approached, and Acanthus reflexively held out her hand. As the cat warmed up to her, she became increasingly engrossed in petting the cat. I may need a cat for my workshop as well. A quick, playful nip from Nyanko reminded her to drop the completed forms off. Once she had set the forms down, she pushed back the broad-leafed plants barricading the front and returned outside to the Town of

The hubbub of Tomioka dimmed as Acanthus closed the door behind her. She looked around, initially dismayed. “Soup kitchen? Wrong address again,” she mumbled. “This is getting to be a habit.” A belch of smoke replied to her. As the sounds of the forge reached her ears, she relaxed. The Knight Shift seemed like an eternally busy shop. Steam hissed and the bellows groaned as materials made their arduous journey to become weapons. An uncountable number of materials, judging by the worn and repaired appearance of every tool and forge. But their worn nature reflected an attitude of careful atte

8/5/2024 Name: Nostalgia in D major Profession: Performer Rank: 1 Roll ID: 224248 Roll Result: 11 Item Type: Support Song Tier: 1 Quality: Rare Enhancements: HP Recovery 2 Post Link: Here Description: A song that sings sweetly of days gone by. Has an upl

Crafting for 8/5/2024 Roll: ID# CD: LD: Quality Count Experience 1 224247 CD: 3 LD: 16 Fail - +1 2 224248 CD: 11 LD: 16 T1 Rare (HP Recovery 2) - +5 EXP: 6/39

Just off the main square of Scalabis, there is A Familiar Tune. It is a bright, cheery studio with an expansive interior. Featuring sound-proof practice rooms and recording crystals, A Familiar Tune offers an atmosphere that caters to both frontline veterans and tourists alike. The large showroom floor offers a variety of vanity recording crystals—all currently public domain classical works. In addition to the recordings, there are enough instruments to equip a small symphony. Violins, trumpets, clarinets are strategically scattered about the shop to encourage visitors to pick them up and try

Crafter's Quest Song

THREAD SUMMARY Acanthus EXP: 300 (quest) + (5,750/10) * 1 * 1) = 875 * 2 (recruitment event) = 1,750 EXP Col: (400 * 1) = 400 col <<Performer>> Profession unlocked. Standard <<Performer>> shop unlocked. Crafted item: Support Song (T1 Rare): HP Recovery 2 | Roll ID: 224180 (2) materials spent crafting (5) materials

Rejuvenated, Acanthus wandered the streets of the beautiful, Roman-style city. She quickly learned the name (Scalabis), the main attraction (The Colosseum), and of course, a few nearby restaurants to sample. She wandered the streets with a pizza in hand. I’m pretty sure the Roman Empire predates pizza as we know it. Then again, the floor boss was a giant, mythical sea demon. Maybe historical accuracy isn’t the goal here. Her pizza nearly fell out of her hands. What lay before her was nothing less than the perfect shop. On a side street just out of earshot from the teleportation

As Acanthus sat on the stone pier, kicking her feet in the crystal clear water, she came to a realization. This is real. Like any other part of life, it’s happening. Whether I want it to or not. And she was happier for that realization. She hadn’t realized how much she had been fighting herself for the last two years. The voice in the grove had been right—she had been in denial for so long. She had lost two years, not because she was trapped outside of the real world, but because she had refused to accept that for now, this was her reality. Part of her understood that she was no

After a brief review of the available floors, she was left with a short list. She decided that she would start no lower than Floor 11. If she were going to stay below that, she might as well be on Floor 1. Many of the floors seemed impossible to live on, let alone open a shop. Floor 12 was nothing more than marshland with a few shacks dotting the landscape. Floor 13 was a post-apocalyptic nightmare of green plant-smudge. Floor 14 would have been perfect for her—assuming she were a brooding night-clad vampire. Floor 15 seemed nice, except that Acanthus did not particularly care for heights

With her profession locked in, Acanthus decided to look for shop locations. She first returned to Tolbana, where she asked Dorian about opening a music store on the square. (Secretly, she had hoped to open it next door to the Sweet Tooth.) Dorian shook his head firmly. “Acanthus, I'm honored you would want to stay here. But I think for your sake, you should take your shop to the higher floors.” “Dorian, I thought that you wanted to share Tolbana with adventurers? Didn't you say you wanted us to come back from time to time?” “Yes my dear. But opening a shop? That's not ‘returning