[SP-F6] <<Deforestation>> Only you can prevent forest fire elementals

[Baldur 0]

Baldur stood before the monument of life. On it was written the names of every player trapped within the floating castle of Aincrad. The giant, dark monument had an innumerable number of names scratched out. People had tried to keep track of it in the beginning, but after thousands of names had been crossed off, it was too hard to keep track of, both logistically and emotionally. Baldur wouldn't quite use the term that he was "lucky" to have survived so far, more than half of the original players were still alive. Was he "lucky" to be alive, but trapped in this death game?

"Well, it's better to have hope than none." Baldur whispered to himself as he pulled out the sealed bottle of <<sacred sake>> and a small, square, wooden cup.

"To Azide and to fallen friends, both mine and others."

Baldur tore the seal and poured an overflowing cup of <<Sacred Sake>>. His left hand which hell the small cup, not much larger than a shot glass, held it over the steps of the monument. The sake flowed over the cup, over his hands, and some down his arm, but the majority of it waterfalled over the edge of the cup and down to the ground. He held it there, pouring it all out until the ceramic jar shattered into a thousand polygons.

Standing there for a moment of silence, Baldur reflected on their journey thus far, and then took a long draw of the sake. When it was done, he threw the cup down onto the ground and it too, shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Thank you, my friends."

Then Baldur turned to leave the Cathedral, when he overheard an interesting piece of news.

[Baldur 0]

"Did you hear about the sixth floor? There's fire everywhere." The words seemed whispers from the opposite end of the cathedral, but was carried to his ears due to the acoustics, echoing off of the massive stone walls.

"Fire? But I don't remember that event..." came another voice as Baldur focused his hearing more towards their conversation; the mystery voice echoing his own thoughts.

"Supposedly there's a quest now too, but players have been caught in the wildfires."

That's odd. Baldur found that any sort of environmental effect like that should be pretty easy to avoid. Players getting caught up in fires was something unusual. There must be more to the event than what it appears.

Baldur didn't see who was speaking as there were many people in the cathedral. Some came here to pay their respects to those who had passed, some to check up on friends and loved ones, and others to prey upon the fear of the broken. He wished that there was something he could do, but unless they accepted a challenge to a duel, then there was nothing to be done within the Town of Beginnings. Would he do that though? Would he really take someone's life - even in a duel? It was a question Baldur didn't want to think about too much. He knew what the answer was.

Moving down the long path through the decorative lake surrounding the cathedral, Baldur walked towards the teleportation gate and held up his hand to the shimmering light.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur stepped out the teleport square and walked down one of the streets of the Amazon settlement. The air was heavy with the feeling of humidity and even though they had shade from trees and the floor above them, the sun still managed to bake everything around them. The city itself didn't even look like a permanent settlement, with the most permanent buildings being little more than fancy wooden tents with walls.

What he heard, as he walked through the streets, was a bit troubling. While there was normally a background chatter to fill the silence that would probably have occupied an unpopular floor, this was different. The NPC's were acting... differently.

"There was another fire today."

"Why do those human tribe keep doing this?"

"It almost consumed half the floor this time."

"I heard a whole village was consumed."

"... fire seemed to be the worst at Amazon's Folly..."

"... giant monster in the flames...."

[Baldur 0]

"Um.. excuse me." Baldur turned to face one of the Amazonian NPCs. He always felt awkward talking to them. Most of them were based off of normal conversation key words, but every once in a while you got one that had amazing personality and depth and could be almost indistinguishable from another player, they only difference being that they thought this world was real.

"Can you tell me what's going on with the forest fires?"

The Amazon stared at Baldur for half a heart-beat too long to have been a player, or player-like NPC, "Legends tell of a fierce fire monster that roams the forest, bringing down divine judgement to all those who do not respect the natural balance of nature. One of our tribe's Shaman have left to try and quell the anger of the elemental beast. If you are willing, perhaps you could go and meet with the <<Elder Shaman>>?"

With that question, a window popped up in Baldur's vision, asking if he wanted to accept the quest.

Well, here it goes. Let's see what we find.

Baldur wasn't too worried as he hit the accept button. He outleveled the floor by quite a bit, so even an event quest boss shouldn't be too difficult for him. As long as it wasn't immune to stun, Baldur could probably solo anything they threw at him.

[Baldur 0]

"The human tribe has plagued our forest ever since the castle and mountain was ripped from the ground and sent into the sky." The Amazon said sadly, "We can do little to stop the human tribe without open war, but not we are stuck between the elemental god, and war. Please, go to the <<Elder Shaman>> and find another way for this to end before the entire forest burns down."

Baldur turned and walked out of the settlement. The ancient stone pillars covered with vines gave the whole thing a 'lost city' vibe. The video game lost city vibe. Baldur had been to a lost city in the real world, and it was an entirely different kind of amazing. Still, he enjoyed the theatrics of this style of lost city. It had been the kind he had grown up with, playing through all of those video games, and the kind he always imagined in the books he read.

Baldur had wondered how he should go about finding the <<Elder Shaman>> but he saw smoke off in the distance. It wasn't a terribly far from his current position, but it would take him a while to get out there. The last time Baldur had been on this floor he had been ambushed by elves and a doppelganger of himself. What would the wanna-be samurai find this time?

It was at that moment, that Baldur's newly aquired Search and Detect skill pinged him and allowed him to see an enemy before he normally would have been able to.

"Come out from there."

He kept his voice calm and as strong as he could, both to hide any trace of fear, but also to make his voice carry. Does that even work here?

[Baldur 0]

A man in a dark hood stepped out from behind a tree with a wicked looking kryss in his hand. Baldur immediately focused his eyes on the figure and saw a red diamond appear above his head. He couldn't believe it, but he almost let out a relieved sigh. The red cursor meant it was an NPC enemy, and not a PKer or a member of Opal's Laughing Coffin guild.

"Who are you?" Baldur asked, though he wasn't sure if the NPC was capable of banter. Slowly sliding his right foot forward just a bit, Baldur kept his hand hovering over the handle of his katana, Susano'o, just in case combat happened.

"You will not proceed further, human tribe!" The mob leaped into the air suddenly, throwing himself at Baldur.

At the same time, Baldur released the skill <<charge>> which he had been holding back. With his target suddenly in the air, Baldur was thrown into an areal manuver, and he executed his <<iai>>. It was a well practiced skill for Baldur, one he had honed both in SAO, and in the real world - and thankfully whoever motion captured the katana sword skills had been a practitioner. The move was embellished a bit with anime style flare, but Baldur didn't mind that at all.

---

[ID: 62445 BD: 3+3=6 (hit)] Dmg (12 base +2) x 10 = 140 DMG

<<Baldur>> 104/104 HP | 54 MIT | 13/26 NRG
<<Cultist>> 35/140 HP | 35 MIT | 18 DMG | STUNNED

Edited June 29, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

The streak of blue and orange that was Baldur had flown across the forest and up into the air. The lightning speed of Baldur's <<Iai>> attack paired with his <<charge>> skill meant that he cleared the distance between them as the <<Cultist>> barely had a chance to move. Baldur hadn't expected him to survive the blow, but the momentum carried him into a tree. Baldur ran the two steps leading up to the tree and then pivoted and pushed off the tree and turned back towards the <<Cultist>> who had been stunned by Baldur's sword art, leaving him wide open.

Using <<Zekkai>> Baldur brought the katana down on the shoulder of the mob and drew it entirely through the form. The blue light of the sword art cut open the mob to reveal the red wire frame that existed within the NPC, visible for only a second before the form of it shattered, leaving Baldur standing over where the mob had just been with the tip of his blade pointing towards the ground. Flipping the blade around, Baldur performed a reverse noto, simply because it felt good to do so. Usually he fought mobs in groups and he didn't end up in a position where it was natural to do so, but this fight had made him feel good.

"Hmm... so it seems there is more at work here than first appears." Baldur whispered to himself with a bit of excitement. Was this... plot?

 

---

[ID: 62451 BD: 4+3=7 (hit) LD: 6+1 ] Dmg (12 base) x 7 = 84 DMG

<<Baldur>> 104/104 HP | 54 MIT | 13/26 NRG
<<Cultist>> 0/140 HP | 35 MIT | 18 DMG | STUNNED +1 Material dropped

Edited June 29, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

The Amazon... the real one that is... was actually home to more cultures and ancient civilizations than anyone ever seemed to guess or expect. There was a whole cradle of civilization there that never traced it's routes through the land bridge between Russia and Alaska like everyone had originally supposed. The culture that had existed there had fallen into the swamps or been swallowed by the forest, but it still left it's grandiose markers on the world.

All of this was running through his head as he looked up at the ziggurat that he suddenly found himself at the base of.

"Well, I suppose if I'm looking for a shaman, this is as good a place as any to look."

[Baldur 0]

The steps leading up the face of the ziggurat looked like they had once be finely wrought stone, and expertly shaped duab. It hinted at a culture that was in decline, slowly falling back to nature. It seemed somehow fitting to Baldur. For some reason, when one spoke of Amazon it hearkened the Greeks, when there was actually an entire culture in the Amazon. Perhaps that was the origin of the name for the massive forest back in the real world. Here, it seemed, you could meld the two seamlessly, and Baldur loved what came of it.

There were, perhaps, a hundred steps to the top. A lot, but not anywhere close to other straight ascents Baldur had made on steps before. Ancient cultures liked to be up high. As he reached the apex, he saw that at each corner was a statue - not the marble you'd expect from Greece, but in that style, instead made of the weathered stone everything else here was made from. Each of the gods, or at least that's what he had assumed they were, represented different aspects of life. One was obviously a warrior, another a farmer, the third seemed to be a priest, and the fourth... Baldur couldn't actually figure out what the fourth figure meant. It appeared to be a spooky old woman. Perhaps fate? Perhaps death? It could be both still.

[Baldur 0]

Standing up from where he had been kneeling beside the Priest aspect, was the Shaman. Or, perhaps, Shawoman, Baldur should have called her. There was something about her animation that told Baldur this was probably a more sophisticated NPC than the normal ones.

"Welcome, warrior of the human tribe." The woman was not what Baldur had expected. Normally Priestess are either young 'Shrine Maiden' types, or they're the 'old hag' type. This was a matron, as Baldur guessed he should have expected from a people like the Amazons. She wasn't young, but neither was she old. Rather than the traditional standard Priest type, this woman looked like she had and could fight.

"Have you come to gloat over our destruction?" The woman's eyes were fire, but she did not let the rage that hid there show on her face.

Baldur, however, was more than taken off guard by the accusation.

"N-No! No! Of course not! I've come to help!"

[Baldur 0]

The fervent eyes of the Shamaness seemed to weigh Baldur to the extent that he was growing uncomfortable with this figure before him being an NPC. At least, he noticed a slight relaxation of her furrowed brow, and a subtle shift to her shoulders. Turning away from him she looked out over the floor. They were up high now and could see the whole of the forest. In the distance, there was a dark black smoke coming up from the trees.

"My mother has been fooled by a member of the human tribe."

The words were unexpected, both in speech and in substance.

"Some wicked man has deceived her, and so now she is trying to summon the <<Byakko>>, an ancient fire beast who represents the purification of fire. She believes that by burning everything, the human tribe will be driven away and the forest can be spared."

Baldur, standing behind the woman, saw what he felt like was a sad slump to her shoulders.

"The truth is that <<Byakko>> will destroy not just the forest, but the Amazon tribe as well. My mother cannot see what she is doing."

Edited July 1, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

"Please." The strong woman pled. "I cannot stop her. But perhaps you can."

Baldur nodded, as if an NPC with her back turned to him could sense that.

Actually... could she? If she is an NPC, then she doesn't technically have eyes. The system would still recognize a nod, whether she had eyes or not if she's one of those advanced NPC's...

The line of thought was making Baldur's head spin so much that he almost didn't notice that the woman was suddenly gone. Looking around, he couldn't find her anywhere. And while the Zig was steep, if she had jumped or fled, Baldur could have still seen her.

She didn't disappear, literally, did she?

He had never seen an NPC de-spawn like that before - only when they were defeated and shattered.

"Well then Baldur, let's go save the Amazons." He said to himself and started to go down the steps on the far side of the Zig.

[Baldur 0]

The forest was thick between him and the smoke, so he could only home that he was heading in the right direction. Normally, in the real world at least, Baldur had a pretty good sense of direction. One thing he did notice was that it seemed all the animals that normally filled the forest, the environmental ones. Not the ones you could activate, but the ones that made the forest feel alive... all of those had disappeared. There was no ambient animal sounds - in fact the entire field's music had been changed to something much more ominous. Finally, he could see and smell smoke up head.

"Almost there."

Finally, Baldur pushed through some under-brush and emerged into a clearing.

[Baldur 0]

"Go! Lord Byakko! Purify the forest! Save your people!"

An older woman was standing around a massive bonfire that stretched almost to the tops of the trees. Embers were flying everywhere. The fire was so bright, and so hot, that Baldur was having  a hard time seeing anything in the clearing at all other than the woman.

And then suddenly a giant beast leapt from the fire and the ashed. The fire and the pile of wood seemed to come alive.

"Go my Lord! Save us from the human tribe!" The woman intoned.

"[censored]." Baldur cursed and crouched down for the moment.

"Here I go!" Baldur moved forward with a powerful step as his <<Charge>> activated. The world become a blurr all around him he cleared the distance between himself the fire elemental at inhuman speeds. The only thing that allowed Baldur to continue was the the fact that he was used to operating at this speed.

 

---

[ID# 62762 BD: 8 LD 15+1 MD: 1] SA: Iai - 12+2 DMG x 10 = 140 - 40 = 100 DMG

<<Baldur>> 104/104 HP | 13/26 NRG | 54 MIT (-13)
<<Byakko>> 50/150 HP | MIT 40 | DMG 48 (STUNNED)

Edited July 1, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

As the world Blurred around Baldur his Iai slash cut the giant fire cat from tip to tail. The blue after image of his sword art left a bright red scar through the beast showing the red wire frame within, but Baldur didn't stop there. Who knew what kind of damage or effects these creatures had - especially one from an event such as this.

As the stunning effect of his charge held, Baldur's leather boots skidded on the burned forest floor as he came to a stop. Casting a brief disappointed look at the <<Elder Shaman>> Baldur ran forward, leaping into the air as the giant cat was almost out of his CC effect. Bringing his katana down at an angle, Baldur cut a gash through the mob from shoulder to belly, not even giving it a chance to turn and face him before it erupted into a rainbow of polygons.

 

---

[ID# 62763 BD: 10 LD 11+1 MD: 4] SA: Zekkai - 14 DMG x 7 = 98 - 40 = 58 DMG

<<Baldur>> 104/104 HP | 7/26 NRG | 54 MIT (-7/+1)
<<Byakko>> 0/150 HP | MIT 40 | DMG 48 (STUNNED) 1 Mat & 750 Col

Edited July 1, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

"Noooooooooooooooooo!" The <<Elder Shaman>> shrieked as the elemental demon roared and disappeared to the sound of shattering glass. Rather than sheath his blade, Baldur looked at the old woman. He was expecting to see someone else here as well. His eyes slowly roamed the forest around them, but he couldn't see anyone.

"You have doomed us all! We will all perish now!" She continued to wail until Baldur finally took a non-aggressive pose, but kept his sword out, just holding it loosely at his side.

"Your daughter told me of your corruption. That you had lost your way, and that your foolishness would be the end of all the Amazons."

Those words seemed to grab the old woman, but not in the way he had expected.

"My... my daughter?"

Baldur suddenly seemed a little concerned.

"Yes... at the Ziggarut..."

---

(+1 NRG & 1/3 Out of Combat)

Edited July 1, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

"At... the temple...?" The woman, who had seemed inconsolable a moment earlier seemed to be growing more lucid by the moment, tears from her eyes streaking her soot stained cheeks in a way that was almost indistinguishable from real life.

Baldur wasn't sure what else to say, so he nodded.

"But my daughter... she's... she's dead!"

Baldur had partially expected this to be the case, but hearing it from her did worry him for some reason.

"She is the one who sent me here, to stop you and save the Amazon tribe." His steel blue eyes began to look around a bit more.

"No!" The woman shrieked, "You have doomed us! Byakko was here to save us from... HIM!."

---

(+1 NRG & 2/3 Out of Combat)

[Baldur 0]

A man all in red robes came out from the haze of the forest line around them.

"I did not expect Lord Byakko to be defeated so easily, adventurer, but you have my thanks! Now I can blame this woman for burning down her own forest. The Amazon tribe will be no more!"

Baldur wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but when it came to a woman crying on her knees, and a megalomaniac gloating over it, he know which side he wanted to fight on.

"I don't know who you are, but if you put this family through this, then I won't let you get away with it."

"He... he's the one who stole my daughter! He convinced her I was mad! He convinced her she was in love with him and ran away!"

---

(3/3 Energy Regened)

Edited July 1, 2016 by Baldur

[Baldur 0]

There was something about the woman's words that bothered Baldur. The spirit of the girl had said that her mother was the lover of this man, and he had convinced her that he needed to 'reset' the forest. The mother was now saying he deceived the daughter. Which was it? Was the mother or the daughter deceived? Could he figure out the truth from what he had discovered here?

The truth of the matter here was that the mother was the one summoning the Byakko, and that there were hints of a forest fire wiping out the forest of the floor. The man wasn't the one who summoned Byakko, so if Baldur were to slay him, and think he won, then the woman could summon the monster again. If he stopped the woman and let the man go, then more deception would continue, and the forest might burn... eventually. How was he to know who was true?

[Baldur 0]

Whatever the outcome, this man was obviously no good.

"I am going to stop you." Baldur called out to the man, "And you." He told the woman who had been crying admits the ashes.

"You!" he pointed at the man, "Will perish by my blade. And you!" He looked down at the woman, "Will face justice from your own people."

Crouching down, Baldur's sword glowed with the blue light of the sword assist and he flew at the man, easily striking him down without the man even being able to defend himself. The situation felt odd. he cut through the man and he shattered just like any other mob, but no loot came out, and there just seemed... something different that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Come on." Baldur said turning to face the old woman, "You have your daughter's grave to explain this to.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Baldur