[F2-SP] A Time To Hunt - Bagging up those Wintery Flakes, Beginning Again pt 2 - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

     As Brax made his way into the tunnel, he drank another Strength Potion as the previous one was wearing off quite a bit more quickly than he had anticipated.  The potions were losing efficacy the more he consumed, and the more battles he seemed to engage in.  He believed he would have enough to last the trip, though the return to town might prove less than ideal.  The tunnel was winding upwards to the second level of the cave, and after traversing the length of the mountain cavern, Brax would finally arrive at the castle ruins which were his goal.  There, he would find much more suitable mobs for hunting, both for training and profit.

Consumed Potion of Strength (+1 damage for a thread)

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45713

LD 5

     As far as profits went, the cave was proving rather fruitless.  Despite being rather deep inside the mountain, most of the rocks lying around had nothing but stone residing within.  No metals to forge with, nor any gems or geodes to adorn an artisan's crafting table.  The stone itself was useless as well, no redeeming value to them at all.  They weren't even suitable for a paperweight, as most of them crumbled easily in his grip.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45715

LD 2

     The plants growing in this tomb of a cave were relatively useless, as well.  They lacked a certain vibrancy that one would expect from expert level materials.  The mushrooms were poisonous, but not enough for more than a mild queasiness, the moss was brown and mostly dead or dying, and whatever weeds grew close to the streams meandering through were simply unsuited to alchemical processes the world over.  Supplies of value were few and far between.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45716

Spoiler

BD 7 +3 ACC LD 19 MoBD 4 -1 EVA

Brax 32/32 EN 3/8

Lesser Subterranean Snake 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Lesser Subterranean Snake 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Lesser Subterranean Snake 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Lesser Subterranean Snake 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     As Brax exited the tunnel leading to the second level, he saw the monstrously open cavern from above, empty air the only thing separating him from the ground far below.  The ledge he stood on was relatively narrow, but just wide enough for several lesser snakes to slither about in search of fresh meat.  Their unseeing gaze was not focused on him, but he knew that could change in an instant.  Brax readied himself for battle, his axe at attention, and he rushed the serpents position quickly intent on killing them before they could react.  He set his axe low on the right, the green glow a sure tell for his Lumberjack, and all three swipes hit home, sending the four creatures plummeting to their deaths over the side, the loot appearing afterwards on the ledge he knocked them from.  He collected it, but another roar managed to draw his attention away.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+4 Potions of Health I(tier 1) (heal for 10 HP)

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45718

Spoiler

BD 4 +3 ACC LD 17 MoBD 1

Brax 32/32 EN 1/8

Subterranean Snake -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Ultimate Breaker - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     The roar came from another snake, a regular sized one, if Brax's eye was a decent judge.  Venom sloshed from it's gaping maw as it's fangs snapped in angry and resentment.  The loss of it's kin wounded the heart of the beast, if such monsters had a heart, and enraged it struck out at the aggressor Brax.  Having no room to maneuver, the only thing he could do was raise his weapon in defiance, which Brax did swiftly.  His Veteran's Battle-Axe managed to catch the attack, and he used all his strength to deflect it to the side, forcing the snake of it's game plan.  Before it could turn and retaliate properly, Brax uppercut the beast twice, his Ultimate Breaker already in motion, and with a final slam destroyed the creature entirely.

+1 material

+1 snowflake

+80 col

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The power of his blow was so great that the ground on which he stood began to shake in response.  Brax felt the stone shift under his feet, the rock absorbing and resonating with his weapon's attack, and knew that the stone bridge was about to give way.  Moving swiftly, he ran across as fast as possible with the help of his Epitaph, the trinket flashing brightly on his wrist.  Just as the rocky ledge began to shake violently and break apart from the stress, he leapt and landed safely into the confines of another tunnel, the stone falling to the ground below.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Heaving a sigh from the exertion, Brax rolled over and stared behind him at the open air that used to be a bridge to the other side.  "A close call," he said aloud.  'I shall have to thank Teayre one day for the Epitaph, for without it I wouldn't have made the distance,' his thoughts swirled in his head as he took his calming breaths.  He stood, dusting himself off, and looked about the tunnel he currently was in.  It was very similar to the other passageways littered throughout the area, though he noticed as he got higher the wall began to warm up noticeably as if heated from the inside.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He would have liked to explore the reasons, his intrigue high enough to force him to halt his progression, but pulled back before his obsession could take hold: his mission was to make his way to the ruins.  Brax could not be distracted, even by a fascinating mystery such as this.  Filling the observation away for later perusal, he followed the tunnel to another cavern that resided in the mountain, this one more jagged and rough in it's design.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45741

Spoiler

BD 8 +3 ACC LD 6 MoBD 10 -1 EVA N/A

Brax 32/32 [6 + 2crit - 3 MIT] = 5 DMG EN 6/8

Troll Leader -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Ultimate Breaker - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     Brax heard sounds coming from the other side of the cavern and strode over carefully to investigate.  What he saw was a battle between two mobs, the Snakes and the Trolls.  The trolls were not faring well, the only one able to hold it's own was the leader, and only because it seemed to move slightly better than the others of it's team.  The Snakes were tearing apart the other trolls with gusto, feasting on their bodies as they disintegrated into pixels.  Their leader, having disposed of one of them while he watched, was taking a rest before going back to save the doomed crew, and Brax took advantage of the rest to attack, mixing himself into the fray.  His steps echoed loud as he ran, the troll becoming aware of his presence as Brax set his axe low in anticipation of his Ultimate Breaker attack.  The Troll itself charged at him, roaring in anger at being disturbed, and responded in kind with it's weapon, a rusty polearm, jutting out before it as if to impale the adventurer.  The spear struck Brax before sliding across his armor, the force almost knocking him away, but his charge had enough momentum to force him forward, his uppercut connecting and lifting the beast up into the air.  A second uppercut and a slam later, the troll died in a shower of pixels, leaving Brax alone with a group of Snakes just finishing their meal.

+1 material

+1 snowflake

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45798

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 3 MoBD 1 -1 EVA

Brax 27/32 EN 1/8

Subterranean Snake 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Subterranean Snake 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Subterranean Snake 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Subterranean Snake 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     Fangs dripping blood and venom, the snakes attacked en masse, tripping over each other in an attempt to strike the heavily armored man first.  Brax was able to easily avoid their attacks as they were tangled up with each other in their haste to do battle, the bloodlust blinding them to the threat he posed.  Jumping back a little, he used the distance to garner up the momentum the increase the speed of his Lumberjack move, allowing him to hit all four remaining beasts before they could untie themselves from each other.  He did it for them, the three sweeping slashes bisecting each one as he struck, and in the aftermath, collected the loot they dropped.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 17, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The battle over, Brax looked around for another exit, one that would lead higher up into the mountain, thinking that the upward direction would lead outside eventually.  Unfortunately for him, there were two exits from the area.  One led down, the rocks surrounding the hole warm to the touch like the tunnel he just came from, and the air emanating from it fresh as if from the outside.  The other led up, the draft coming from inside musty and old, the rock walls cold and damp from condensation.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He lacked a certain knowledge of spelunking that would have told him the fresher air was an indication of an outside air flow, but at the same time that particular tunnel led further down into the heart of the mountain, away from the ruins he sought to find.  He pondered the situation for a moment, and decided to go up, the most logical direction of the exit he was looking for, and hopefully the right one.  Brax felt the cold chill of the tunnel wrap around his body even under the heavy armor as he entered.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The tunnel looked to stretch on forever, the darkness permeated by only dimly lit torches spaced rather far apart.  The light revealed little about the consistency of the rock itself, save that it looked like Swiss cheese, many sized hole dotting the floor and walls at irregular intervals.  Brax had to watch his step or he might break an ankle, if it were possible, tripping over any one of them.  'They must have been made by the serpents I have been fighting, the ones feasting on the trolls,' he concluded, knowing that he would probably run into another one in just a few moments.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45830

Spoiler

BD 4 +3 ACC LD 4 MoBD 10 -1 EVA

Brax 25/32 [6 + 2crit - 3 MIT] = 5 DMG EN 6/8

Subterranean Snake -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Ultimate Breaker - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     Speaking of the devil, the Snakes must have heard his rumbling footsteps as he traversed what could only be described as one of their transportation hubs, judging by all the mismatched holes.  One such creature stuck it's head out to 'see' what was going on, surprising Brax from above.  It smashed into him before he could mount an effective defense, landing atop his heavily armored frame and smashing him to the ground before moving away to strike again.  Before it could attack twice, Brax managed to rise up and swing his weapon in response, the Ultimate Breaker making two connecting uppercuts before slamming back down on top of the beast's head.  The loud 'BANG' of his steel reverberated throughout the tunnels, leading to another round of roaring in the deep.

+1 material

+1 snowflake

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45831

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 10 MoBD 9 -1 EVA

Brax 9/32 [6 + 1crit - 3 MIT] x 4 = 16 DMG

Subterranean Snake 1 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Subterranean Snake 2 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Subterranean Snake 3 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

Subterranean Snake 4 -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Lumberjack - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     Those roars heralded the coming of another pack of Snakes, once again surprising Brax as he could not tell which direction they would appear on account of the many tunnels they used and the echoes giving false readings.  He was slammed multiple times before they came to a rest before him, blocking the escape with their large imposing frames.  Blinking back his shakiness from the blows, he began sweeping wildly as they came at him again, his Lumberjack attack catching them all in the tight confines of the rocky cylinder.  He killed them quickly, wanting nothing so much as to leave the area before more showed up.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Ignoring his exhaustion, Brax ran swiftly through their dying pixels in escape from the death trap the holes provided.  Soon he was out, and sank to the ground to recover his strength.  He would not go that way back, he knew instinctively, until he had amassed enough MIT to survive their assault.  It was too close of a call, and the odds told the story.  Had one more group appeared his life would have been forfeit.  How he would get back, though, was a question for another day.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He scanned the area he had run to for safety, wondering where his escape had led him.  The tunnels had gone quite a distance, and his tired body was all the evidence needed.  It was still a tunnel, but much wider than the others he had traveled through.  The rock was almost fashioned, striations on the walls looking like they were hewn by a stone mason's touch and not a natural occurrence.  There was an absence of stalagmites which would be expected in a cave as large as this, and the torchlight was much brighter, illuminating the entire room. 

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     If he was to make a guess, Brax would have said this 'room' was a staging area of some sort, the length of the tunnel enough to house a small garrison of people and equipment.  As he ventured further in, he saw evidence that supported the idea: wooden barrels and crates were scattered about the area, damaged bedrolls lay in torn-up piles on the floor, the remains of several fires under cast iron pots alluding to a functioning campsite.  'This must be connected to the castle, some sort of starting point,' Brax thought to himself, 'There has to be a ladder or something that leads to the castle proper.  Where is it?'

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45832

LD 17

     He searched through the site with a careful eye, on the lookout for anything of value that still remained.  Most of the materials were unsuitable trash, shattering into pixels as he picked them up.  He found success when he searched the crates, some metal strips still untouched by time, the dark steel gleaming in the torchlight.  He put them in his inventory, looking around for the exit this time after perusing all the remaining barrels.

+1 material

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 45833

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 7 MoBD 8 -1 EVA N/A due to mob death

Brax 15/32 EN 6/8

Bandit Scout -1/16 DEAD [7 x 3 Ultimate Breaker - 4 MIT] = 17 DMG

     He saw the ladder nestled in a corner, and a bright light shinning above that could only lead to the outside entrance of the ruins.  His goal almost reached, his satisfaction bubbled up inside him with a vengeance.  Brax was almost at his goal, the object just out of reach, but not for long.  He climbed the ladder hurriedly, but also with a large amount of care as after his encounter with the snakes he did not wish to walk unknowingly into an ambush.  Peering out over the edge of the hole, Brax saw nothing but rocks surrounding the entrance.  He came out, but made sure to keep his weapon at the ready, just in case.  As he turned a corner around the stones, he came face to face with a bandit, momentarily surprised but not for long.  His axe came up twice, the twin uppercuts from his Ultimate Breaker connecting with the bandit's face before he slammed into his head from above.

+1 material

+1 snowflake

Edited January 18, 2016 by Brax