[PP-F2] White Pony <<Breaking The Unbreakable>>

[Ronin 0]

Ronin grumbled, cursing something about child support payments under his breath and lifting his lit cigarette to his lips.  He pursed the chapped flaps of skin around the brown speckled filter and drug long and hard at the cancer stick, his ears perking up at the sound of the dried tobacco leaves sizzling and crackling as they burned.  Drawing the thick, poisonous smoke into his lungs, his eyelids fluttered and the receptors in his brain were showered in nicotine.  "Ohhh [censored] yeahh..." he moaned, before opening his eyes.  "Now then, where's that damn teleport platform to reach the second floor..."

The swordsman had recently posted up a status update which was viewable to all players and was hoping someone would respond.  He had been trying his best to seek out the various quests this death game had to offer, in order to successfully complete them and grow stronger.  Up until now, he had been doing most of them solo, but he knew sooner or later, he was going to need a little help.  He had high aspirations of one day joining the fight on the front lines and he knew the only way he'd ever truly get there, was by exploring every little nook and cranny this world had to offer.  Hopefully, after enough quests had been completed and his skills had improved, he would be able to do his part in attempting to clear this fucked up game.  Then... everyone could go back to their real lives, in the real world...  "Ah, here we are," he breathed, finding his way to the teleport platform and zipping off to the second floor.

@Takao @Nikodemus_Blackwood

Quote

 

Breaking the unbreakable, <<Martial Arts>> Extra skill
This quest is only available on the 2nd floor.

To start the quest, the player must first find the quest NPC that has taken residence in a hut near the summit of an exceptionally high mountain at the southern edge of the 2nd Floor. If the player accepts the quest, the NPC takes the player outside to a 2 meter-high rock with a diameter of about 1.5 meters and almost as tough as an Immortal Object. There, the NPC reveals that the player must split the rock into two using only their fists and then proceeds to paint whiskers with quick-drying paint on the player’s face, claiming that the whiskers cannot be removed until the rock is split. If the player does manage to split the rock, they are rewarded with the Extra Skill.

Good luck Players!

This RP will not count in the benchmark.
Requirement:

• RP must be at least 1-2 pages.   (21 or more posts)
• Must destroy a rock with 50 HP using only your fists. Thus damage bonuses such as Athletics apply but your weapon skill rank does not, nor can you use any sword arts.

Rewards:
You will be gifted with the extra skill <<Martial Arts>>
You will gain 1 Skill point

Parties and Guilds are allowed but one person will receive this skill per try.

 

Edited April 4, 2016 by Ronin

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

Having found himself along the second floor after bringing his newest items to be evaluated, Nikodemus had some time to kill. He smiled and wandered around a bit. Seeing the message board about a player looking help on the current floor, Nikodemus wandered towards the teleporter and sent off a message wanting to help. Seeing a man come through the teleporter, Nikodemus held a hand up and motioned towards him. "Hello. Are you the gent looking for help with a quest?" Nikodemus said as he moved towards the player.

[Takao 0]

Browsing the various request boards had become something of a daily ritual for Takao. A plethora of players aspired to become frontliners in the clearing parties for some reason or another, and more often than not he found them to be requesting help with quests. They were excellent venues for progression, if not a bit arbitrary or asinine at times. Having done them all himself, it only seemed natural for his free time to be spent helping others do the same. The tell-tale distorted light of an incoming teleportation appeared on the warp platform, barely moments after Ronin himself did. Takao's first step onto the second floor was met with another individual inquiring about a quest. Given the rendezvous point, it was easy for him to arrive at the assumption that the blonde one was who sought out help. "Guess we've already got a party going, huh." Takao muttered, hands finding their way into his trouser pockets as he cast his draconic shoulder-mounted familiar a fleeting glance. "You were doin' the uh... martial arts one, right?" He continued, smoothly descending the steps of the platform and dropping onto the cobblestone pathways of Urbas with a soft thud. "I've done it myself and ranked up the skill a bit, so I figured I'd swing by 'n help, if you were interested."

[Ronin 0]

The chain smoking blacksmith looked from one player to the other, realizing that his little message for help had been answered... and rather quickly too.  He smirked and nodded his head, taking a step down from the highest tier of the teleport platform.  "Right on guys, I--" he began.  As the sole of his weathered boot met the first step down from the platform, Ronin slipped and tumbled down the stairs, ending up on his back at the bottom.  He sighed and looked up toward the sky, laying there for a good long moment and not bothering to move.  He knew you couldn't really feel pain in this virtual world, but perhaps the mental frustration and annoyance of his clumsiness was keeping him grounded now.

"Glah..." he spat, slowly working up to a seated position and glancing toward the two fellows that had answered his call.  "Ey guys... Uhh, yeah, any help you wanna' give would... definitely be appreciated..."  Ronin wasn't normally so polite, nor well spoken, but he was trying to make a good impression.  This was the first time he had asked another player for help, let alone two of them.  He was just glad that anyone had bothered to give his little shout out a second glance and was eager to get this show on the road.  Hopefully, there weren't many more stairs...

Edited April 4, 2016 by Ronin

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

Giving a bow to both Ronin and Takao, Nikodemus smiled and stretched his arms over his head until they popped. He decided introducing himself would be a good idea. "My name is Nikodemus. I am happy to give a hand. I need some experience myself in questing, and any thing to kill some time while my items are evaluated will be a welcome thing. So, after you my good party leader." Nikodemus gave another bow and then grinned impishly. His armor made slight clatter save for the jingling of the length of chain where his axe normally rested. Checking his items and inventory he was satisfied with the contents. "So, what is this quest anyway?"

[Takao 0]

Takao's expression flat lined as Ronin took his first step off the platform and subsequently tumbled the rest of the way down. He tried his hardest not to laugh, thinking that it would easily come off as condescending if he were to find humour in a stranger's misfortune, but the urge was too much for him to hold back. A burst of air left his lungs as he erupted into a brief fit of laughter, settling down almost as quickly as it started after having gotten the desire out of his system. As Nikodemus introduced himself, Takao stepped up to Ronin and offered his hand out to help him to his feet. "Nice t'meet you, Nikodemus. I'm Takao." He said, glancing over his shoulder to the heavily armoured one. "We should probably get a move on, yeah? We've got a mountain to climb."

[Ronin 0]

A mountain?!!? blurted the swordsman within the confines of his mind.  "...Well [censored] me..." he sighed under his breath, accepting this 'Taco' feller's hand and rising back to his feet.  As he achieved a stand, he kicked the toes of his weathered boots against the ground, wondering if there was something he could do about repairing their durability once he got back to his little shanty of a shop later.  Tossing these thoughts aside for now, Ronin knew he outta' at least do the courtesy of spittin' his name into the pot while introductions were all goin' round.  "Niko-deemus... and Taco, was it?" responded the blacksmith, doing his best to pronounce the names he had heard.  "I'm Ra..." he began, catching himself before he introduced himself under his real name.  "...uh Ronin," he said simply, giving a sharp wave of his hand.

Brushing himself off a bit, Ronin looked around, trying to spot this mountain from where they were standing now.  In all honesty, he had no clue where they were supposed to be going and was hoping since this Taco guy had done this quest before, that he'd be able to point them in the right direction to get started.  "Erm... after you..." he decided, knowing they'd go nowhere fast if he himself was leading this little adventure.  "So ya' said you've done this one before aye?  What exactly are we up against here?" inquired the curious blacksmith, plucking a cancer stick outta' his pack and sparking it up.

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

"Nice to meet you Takao, Ronin. And I too am curious as to this quest. What are we up against Takao?" Nikodemus fell in step behind the others and hummed to himself softly while walking. His armor clattered slightly, the length of chain where his axe normally rests jingling freely. Shield was at the ready, but he had heard rumor that the endgame of this quest require no weapons, so his axe was stored away. His paranoia prevented him from storing his Shield, and instead he kept it gripped tightly in his hand. The mountain climbing bit would be easy if it was without the need to stop and fight mobs, but if they did, and barehanded at that, Nikodemus shuddered at the thought.

[Takao 0]

"Takao," he repeated. "Like... tah-kah-oh." Sounding out the pronunciation of his name brought back semblances of a long since abandoned accent, exhibiting some proficiency in his native tongue. As the reins of their adventure fell unto him, Takao swiped his hand and opened the menu. He sent both Nikodemus and Ronin a party invitation, knowing fully well that he wouldn't be able to help the latter with the quest if they weren't in the same instance. "S'pretty straight forward quest. Climb a mountain, talk to some ol' dude, then punch a rock 'til it breaks. The rock itself is pretty durable, on account of bein'... well... a rock, but I got some tricks up my sleeve that'll help us along. Should just take a few hits 'n we'll be done." He said, starting off in the direction of their destination: the hut on top of the mountain.

[Ronin 0]

"Tah, kah, oh," tried the smoker, taking another hard drag at his ciggy once he felt like he had nailed the pronunciation this time around.  His eyes suddenly lit up, as he was pinged by a notification.  "Eh?" he chirped, his gloved fingers fiddling through the air in an attempt to see what was up.  "Party invite..." mouthed the swordsman, a little confused at first.  To his recollection, this might've been the first time he had seen one of these in this particular game.  He pursed his lips, thinking on it for a moment, before he finally thumbed the acceptance button and joined Takao's party.  His eyes drifted slightly toward his own HP bar and he noticed there was now another name and HP bar listed along with it.  Spotting the spelling of this Taco dude's name for the first time, Ronin nodded his head, feeling like he understood better than before now, how it should be said.

"Righty o, mountain, old dude, puncha' rock..." repeated Ronin, the soles of his weathered boots thumping along in time as he marched beside his fellow party members.  He was glad to hear that the Taco man not only had prior experience with this quest, but also some tricks to help them get it done faster than ever.  He pulled another drag at his smoke and exhaled long smokey streams from his nostrils.  "So Niko... uhh... mind if I call you Niko?" Ronin asked, having forgotten the rest of the other guy's name.  "...Excited to go punch a rock?" he finished, shooting the dude a quick glance.

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

Seeing the party invite, Nikodemus accepted it and smiled following Takao and Ronin. Humming still, he listened to Takao's run down of the mission and nodded. Rumors were true, no weapons needed. He was thankful he had his armor on, gauntlets included, as punching a rock seemed to be an excercise in pain for those without them. He was happy none the less to be gaining experience, even if he missed out on the skill. Hearing Ronin address him, Nikodemus smiled and nodded. "Many call me Niko. I am fine with it. It's better than Nutter, as Master Blacksmith Mack likes to refer to me as. As for punching a rock, the act itself is not a cause for excitement perse, but not a cause for dread either. I have well made armor, so my hands will be fine. I'd love to have used my newest Axe I made earlier today, but it is still being evaluated, so I cannot. I am, however excited to get another Skill Point as I can then get a new skill." Smiling wide, Nikodemus resumed humming softly as they walked onwards.

[Takao 0]

"Your hands'll be fine even without armour," Takao said from over his shoulder as they left the settlement of Urbas, delving into the wilderness of the second floor. Having done the quest a handful of times already, the path to the mountain was well known to him. "The game doesn't simulate pain, 'n you don't take damage from hittin' stuff unless it has thorns. The rock's just a quest objective so it doesn't bite back. So... yeah. It's just a pain in the butt without the right gear." He continued. In truth, Takao's own arsenal wasn't necessarily ideal for the task, but it was better than nothing. A few minutes of walking had lead them to the foot of the mountain, where a long set of stairs boasted an even longer journey to the top. Takao started up the staircase without hesitation, and cast a brief glance over his shoulder to the two behind him. "Almost there, s'bout maybe ten more minutes of walking."

[Ronin 0]

"Ten more minutes?! [censored]..." cursed the swordsman under his breath.  He always seemed to be grumbling and cursing about one thing or another in between taking drags of his cigarette.  Each time he did so, noxious smoke escaped from his lips and flaring nostrils, though he kept right along in stride with the others.  Takao had taken the lead and guided them rather quickly to the base of the mountain.  While Ronin did his best to pay attention and keep up, his mind couldn't help but wonder about something the Niko guy had said before. Finally, his curiosity could take no more and he shot the dude a glance, asking about it.

"You said you made an axe... that mean yer a blacksmith?" wondered the smoker aloud.  He held back a grin, already knowing this must be the case.  He was glad to meet fellow blacksmiths and the fact that this guy even knew the big red bearded fucker named Mack, was just another inch added to Ronin's already elongated, grinning lips.  "Well [censored]... we're all over the damn place, aren't we..." he said to no one in particular. 

The prospect of climbing more stairs was a daunting one to the chain smoker and not because he had a smoker's lungs.  He was simply a little concerned that he might slip and take another tumble, like he had done upon first meeting these two gents.  The last thing he wanted was to reach the top of the mountain and then slip and go rolling all the way back down to the bottom.  Surely these guys were generous, but he couldn't expect anyone to have the patience to put up with that [censored].  Doing his best to watch where he was going, he climbed one step at a time, taking extra care to get firm footing before applying any weight.  "So what's this old guy like anyway?" he asked of the guy leading their little march up the mountain.

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

"Ten minutes til we're there? Ok. That's fine. I don't mind the stroll." Nikodemus smiled and continued humming. After a moment, he realized Ronin was looking at him. When Ronin asked about being a blacksmith, Nikodemus stopped humming and nodded with a grin. "Why yes. I am a blacksmith. I own the blacksmith shop 'The Cracked Crucible' on Floor 7, in the city of Nimbus. It's new, and I've made only a few things, but today I made a nice uncommon rapier, nothing to special, and a perfect One handed axe. Plague's Maw. I made it for myself to replace the one Master Blacksmith Mack gave me. His is such a wonderful axe, much like this armor and shield I have were made by him, but the Maw was made for me, by my own hands. It holds sentimental value and such. But it and the rapier are being evaluated on Floor 1, so I do not have it. When we're done here, I'll be returning to retrieve them before returning to my shop. And you?"

 

Smiling wide Nikodemus continued up the stairs undaunted. His armor was quite heavy, but he was fine in it. He continued to hum once more and followed Takao towards the summit.

[Takao 0]

A grimace slowly set on Takao's face as he listened to the two. Between the pungent odor of the smoke that he detested and the mention of Mack, which brought back both exhausting and disturbing memories he would much rather forget, the trip was beginning to seem considerably longer than it was. Sure enough, as Takao had predicted, ten minutes of walking had lead the small group of players to the hut of the quest NPC. "He's uh... well, he's 'bout as hospitable as the rest of the game is. When you accept the quest, he'll paint whiskers on your face, and they'll stay there 'til you finish it. They're not really a big deal though." He said, delving into his inventory for a moment. The sword hanging from his shoulder disappeared in a brilliant blue light, and replaced by the same illumination on his hands as cloth wrappings materialized in its place.

With his sword gone and the unarmed damage bonus applied, he procured a single crystal and shattered it in his hands. Glancing over his shoulder, his attention settled back on Ronin. "Go ahead 'n grab the quest, then we'll take care of the boulder right quick."

- -

Inundator unequipped.
Hand Wraps equipped.

T2 Perfect Damage Crystal used.

[Ronin 0]

Hearing this Niko guy talk all about his shop had been well and good at first, but as he began to speak of his fortune in crafting valuable items lately, Ronin let out a sigh.  "Right right, yeah... I got a little set up, nothin' special," he replied, not wanting to bother with any further details about his little [censored] hole of a shop down on the first floor.  It wasn't much of a shop at all, and in all honesty he was surprised it was even still standing.  It was hardly bigger than a shed with a little broom closet sized shitter in the back.  Still, the little shanty was his home for now and he did find some comfort in it... just not in any of his crafting attempts lately. 

He chewed at his own tongue and spat at the steps as they continued to climb the mountain, puffing at his smooth cancerous cylinder from time to time.  His little smithing mallet hadn't done [censored] for him lately and he was getting rather annoyed with his inability to make anything useful over the last few days.  Shaking all this crap from his mind, Ronin returned his attention to the task at hand, knowing he needed to retain at least some bit of focus, less he wanted to go tumbling head over heels back down the mountain. 

It served him too, to listen to what Takao was saying in relation to the quest and some of its... finer details.  So, he needed to go and speak with this old man in his hut and get some cat whiskers drawn onto his face?  [censored]... that sounded just [censored] great...  "Fuckin' old geezers in their mountain top huts," he teethed, chewing at the filter of his cigarette.  When they finally peaked the mountain, Ronin bee lined it for the hut, knowing he didn't want to take up anymore of these generous dudes' time than he had to.  After all, they were really doing him a favor by coming along and helping him out with all this [censored].  He gave a little rap on the door before entering the hut, exchanged pleasantries with the NPC inside, accepted the quest and endured the torture of having goddamn kitty whiskers painted onto his face.  Why the old man had chosen hot pink for Ronin; he would never know.

Emerging back into the outside air with a look of frustration painted on his face right alongside the whiskers, the chain smoker shot a glance toward Takao and Niko, hoping they wouldn't take too many jabs at his new decals.  "Alrighty then, looks like we're all set..." he started, his gaze shifting to the wraps around the Taco-man's hands.  Hell, this guy wasn't jokin' around... wonder how many hits it'll take him to reach the gooey center? he wondered.  "...let's do this thang..."  With that, Ronin unequipped his little makeshift shank and cracked his knuckles.  It was time to go punch a fuckin' rock...

Big Ass Rock: 50/50 HP

Edited April 5, 2016 by Ronin

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

Seeing Takao equip new wraps after explaining the quest, Nikodemus smirked slightly and then put his shield onto his back. He waited with Takao as Ronin went in and accepted the quest to break the rock and was assaulted by NPC with face paint. When Ronin emerged once more, Nikodemus began to laugh loudly and snort. "Oh my... Ronin... You look great with whiskers!" After a moment of guffawing, Nikodemus caught his breath and relaxed once more. Looking at the rock, Nikodemus measured it's health and sighed. "Whelp, thankfully Takao is ready for this. If not for him, we'd be punching this thing for quite a while. Well, guess I'll punch it." Swinging his right hand in hard, he connected with the rock, but made no dent.

 

ID# 55360 results:

Battle: 10 Craft: 5 Loot: 10 MOB: 4

 

DMG: 1 + 2 = 3

 

Big Ass Rock: 47/50 HP

 

(OOC: If I did anything wrong Takao, let me know and I'll edit it.)

Edited April 5, 2016 by Nikodemus_Blackwood

[Takao 0]

OOC// Looks like you did everything right, so no worries!

ID: 55361
BD: 6 (3 + 3(ACC))

Takao approached the two meter tall boulder that would be their quarry for the day while Ronin dealt with the NPC. He was starting to find himself on this floor much more often than he ever thought he would, yet the lower floors were much more pleasant than the front lines. Dark and gloomy had been the theme across the board for the past four floors they'd unlocked, and he sincerely hoped it would change eventually. His musings were interrupted by Ronin's reappearance, his face decorated with pink whisker-like lines. While Nikodemus laughed, Takao smiled faintly. The humour off the situation had long since worn off, but it was still an entertaining sight nonetheless.

Nikodemus engaged the boulder first as Takao rolled his head across his shoulders. "This shouldn't take very long at all," Takao claimed, moving to an unoccupied portion of the rock. His feet were shifted apart, dirt an gravel crunching under the soles of his boots, and his fists were raised to replicate some semblance of a boxer's stance. Without the use of sword arts, it was a daunting task indeed, but the proper buffs and equipment went a long way. Takao struck the boulder next, utilizing a mixture of his equipment and his skills to maximize the damage he dealt. His upper body twisted and his right arm swung forward, smashing into the coarse stone. The rock shook and rumbled as a large crack formed where Takao's fist made contact. "I think I'll be able to do it in 'bout three more hits."

HP
Takao: 213/213
   Energy: 51/52 (+1/-1)

Boulder: 30/50 (1(Base) + 1(Athletics) + 2(Unarmed Weapon) + 2(Martial Arts) + 5(Charge) + 6(DMG Crystal) = -17)

Edited April 5, 2016 by Takao

[Ronin 0]

Ronin had yet to even touch the rock and already he saw that the other two in his party were dealing a good blow to the massive stone's HP bar.  He pursed his lips in thought, wondering if he might just kick back, spark up a smoke and enjoy the show.  No, he had to help out and do what he could, even if it wasn't much.  After all, this was his quest and these guys had taken time outta' their own dealings to come all the way up here and lend him their fists.  He nodded his head, making up his mind and prepared himself for an attack on the rock.  "Here goes nothin'..." he said under his breath, setting his sights on his target.

He engaged the muscles in his thighs, preparing to rush forward and deliver a powerful kick to the side of the rock.  He knew he didn't do that much damage yet, especially unarmed, but he was going to give it his all.  As soon as he applied weight to his foot and tried to press off the ground to begin his forward charge, the sole of his weathered boot slipped out from under him and he face planted in the dirt.  "URK!" he spat, slapping the ground with an audible thud.  "Damnit..." he cursed, rolling over and looking at the rock.  Even this damn boulder appeared to be mocking his failure.

ID# 55397 results:

Battle: 2

Big Ass Rock: 30/50 HP

Edited April 5, 2016 by Ronin

[Nikodemus_Blackwood 1]

Seeing Takao do a large amount of damage to the boulder, Nikodemus smiled and believed him when he said it wouldn't be long. He stood and prepared to strike the rock again when Ronin ran in, then slipped and landed into the dirt face first. Cringing slightly, Nikodemus the walked over and helped Ronin to his feet. "You ok?" After making sure Ronin was fine, Nikodemus turned back to the rock and threw another punch at it. Having swung awkwardly, his armored hand slid along one of the rounded edges of the rock and harmlessly brushed it. With a sigh, Nikodemus looked at Takao and shrugged. "I am not good at martial arts..."

 

 

ID# 55401 results:

 Battle: 1

Edited April 5, 2016 by Nikodemus_Blackwood