[1F - SP] <<Feeding the Enemy>> [Completed]

[Shield 0]

Quest:

Spoiler

<<Feeding the Enemy>>

This quest may take place on any Floor.
This quest is not repeatable, unless your previous familiar is dead or has died.

An old gypsy NPC woman approaches you. She tells you that if you feed a monster, it may become tamed and accompany you on adventures, and sometimes even help you. However, taming a familiar is very rare, and you may even be damaged by the familiar. Use caution. This quest can be taken on any floor.

Requirements:

Thread Length: 1 Page/20 Posts

The monster tamed must be smaller than a large dog and within reason. The tamed monster must also be logically tamed, and as such most humanoid monsters will not be tamable. Staff reserves the right to deny certain types of familiars. If you're worried that your familiar may not be approved before searching for it, please PM a member of Staff.

Rewards:

1. The title <<(Insert beast's type name) Tamer>>
2. A familiar (Possibly, view chart below.)
3. 1 Skill Point

Familiar Results:
When feeding a familiar, you have one chance to tame a familiar every 15 posts. That means you may only roll the loot die for the familiar on the fifteenth post. If you don't want a familiar that you tamed without buffs, you may kill it and continue searching. Use the loot die(LD) to see if you do. Familiars may only be attempted to be found in intervals of 15 posts of the attempting player.

LD 1 - 10	Failure	No monster is found or the taming attempt is unsuccessful.
LD 11-18	Success	Monster is found and may be successfully tamed.
LD 19+	Success	Monster is found and successfully tamed. Player may choose an extra skill from the Familiar Enhancements, submitted for approval via the Evaluations forum.

 

Only one familiar may be obtained per thread.

Relevant Bonuses/Buffs

Spoiler

Armor: Roseguard Pouldrons - Thorns 2, Regen 1

Trinket: Watchful Sentry - LD 3

Trinket: Finder's Keeper - Skill Slot 1 - Search & Detect (stacks with natural bonus to 2 ranks total)

Food: Lucky Steak in a Bag - LD 3 - Single thread only

Total LD: +8

Spoiler

ID# 75332 results: Loot: 6 + 8 = 14 - No mats (0 total)

While Shield was no slouch when it came to MMO's, this was his first quest that he had accepted solo that took him outside of The Town of Beginnings. His tall frame was lightly armored with nothing but a couple of ornate pouldrons to guard him, which did not sit right with him. Still, if the info brokers had been correct, he had to play this by the numbers. A familiar that could add to his protection would be a boon to his build, no question about that.

With a bag of fish under one arm and a bag of well done steak under the other, the two of which he hoped he would not confuse at any point of his journey, he made his way towards the little river that he had seen once before. It was the same river that had separated the majority of the first floor from the miniature badlands where he and Beat had hunted boar pups not so long ago.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75333 results: Loot: 19 + 8 = 27 - +1 Material (1 total)

It was in this stream that Shield hoped to find the creature he was looking for: An alligator snapping turtle.

He had always had an appreciation for the creatures, between their strong, protective shells and their powerful jaws, they were a not to be underestimated. Besides, both symbolically and directly, they mirrored Shield's specialty in combat, so to have a turtle companion that would actually aid him in turtling was deliciously appropriate.

Sitting on the sloping bank of the stream, he took out a piece of steak and chewed on it thoughtfully. Sey seemed to have outdone himself. It was very savory and even as he swallowed little pieces at a time, he felt the stuff stick to his bones on the way down. It was definitely a hearty meal. Before he put his hand down, however, her saw something poking out of the grass. Parting the blades, he found a small mushroom which was clearly a material component of some sort. He stowed it before returning his eyes to the stream.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75335 results:Loot: 3 + 8 = 11 - No materials (1 total)

The stream was slow-moving, and although there was the occasional disturbance under the surface, for the most part there were only a few ripples in the middle of the water. If the game developers were worth their salt, these were the exact conditions Shield should be looking for.

Taking one of the fish, he took the tip of his spear and split one of the fish down the middle, tossing it into the center of the water. Since blood and gore were not really a part of the game, the fish merely leaked red particles into the water like any live mob would while damaged. As the piece of bait drifted lazily downstream, its durability slowly drained until finally, just as it was about to bob out of sight around the bend in the stream, the fish vanished in a little puff of shimmering red.

"Well, I hardly expected to find what I was looking for on the first try. I'm no fisherman..."

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75338 results: Loot: 11 + 8 = 19 - +1 Material (2 total)

He fished out another morsel of bait and split it down the middle as well, tossing the 'bleeding' carcass into the water, a little further upstream this time. Leaning back again, he kept watch over the fish out of the corner of his eye as his fingers combed through the grass in search of more materials. Lo and behold, it wasn't long before his fingers encountered another spongy mass which, sure enough, revealed itself to be another tiny mushroom hiding in the grass.

He added to his inventory, and just as he was closing out of his menu, motion from the river caught his eye, and he snapped his gaze back to the water. Roughly where the fish had been, the empty surface of the water was only disturbed by a ring of ripples that emanated outward towards the banks. Something had taken the bait.

That's definitely a good sign.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

75370 results: Loot: 6 + 8 = 14 - No materials

Taking one last brush through the grass for hidden mushrooms, Shield abandoned his post and sneaked down the slope towards the water as silently as possible. He gutted another fish and waited a few seconds for the water to return to its nearly still state before tossing the fish just a little upstream of where the last one had disappeared.

He tried his best not to blink as the scarlet-bleeding game object floated down the steady crawling current of the stream. It drifted lazily, spinning slowly in the push of the water around it. With a splash, something narrow, dark and fast-moving popped out of the water, dragging the fish out of sight before he could completely register the movement. A satisfied little smile crept across Shield's face.

Good. I got already your attention. This might be easier than I thought, but I won't get my hopes up just yet.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75371 results: Loot: 1

With the strategy of chumming the water already producing results, Shield took the next fish, cut it, and lobbed it underhand just a little closer to the shore. The ripples had not yet disappeared from the last attempt, and sure enough, this one drifted past the spot and continued its course down the river.

Must have still been eating the last one. I'll give you a second then.

Shield took his time preparing the next bit of food, making a slow count to fifteen in his head before giving the fish a toss. It bobbed on the surface, and he watched every motion that it made in hopes of seeing is quarry. As it neared the same point in the river, Shield thought he saw a shape move under the murky surface of the water, and with a splash, a pointed, beak-like mouth snatched the bait and disappeared again.

Perfect. It's following the bait.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75372 results: Loot: 15 + 8 = 23 - +1 Material (3 total)

It was very difficult to not jump the gun again. Shield had to force himself to wait, taking another moment to glance around for materials. In the mud on he edge of the bank, he spied a small stone that had a unique sort of gleam to it. Picking it up, he turned it over between his fingers.

This looks like a tiger's eye stone. I'm sure some artisan could make good use of this for a trinket of some sort.

He stowed the item and returned his eyes to the task at hand, deciding that he had been patient enough and not wanting to risk his potential familiar swimming away on him. He put his spear tip to the next fish and watched it begin to degrade before tossing it in the water. Almost as soon as it had hit, there was another snapping motion just a few feet off of the shore, a splash, and the fish was gone.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75381 results: Loot: 3 + 8 = 11 - No materials (3 total) I had better turn these rolls around in the next 7 posts... >.>

The swelling excitement in Shield's chest began to mount, and he scooted closer to the edge. It was time to transition from staying out of sight to being part of the turtle's awareness. He took out another fish, preparing it in the same manner as he had all of the others, before holding the fish out a little ways over the water. He knew it would be ambitious to expect the turtle to take it from his hand so soon, so instead, he dropped it in the water, allowing the creature to clearly see where the food was coming from.

This time, Shield watched and waited, but nothing attempted to eat the fishy snack. He frowned, though he was not entirely surprised. There was a new potential threat in the picture, and turtles by their nature are shy creatures. Sitting on the edge, Shield gave it a few seconds before making another attempt. He prepared the fish, and held it out over the water, which by now had returned to a placid surface, only disturbed by the small interactions with the shore.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75382 results: Loot: 7 + 8 = 15 - +1 Material (4 total)

From just under the surface, Shield's eyes detected the smallest hint of movement. A little pointed face, still obscured by the dark hue of the impure water, extended into the brown translucency of the water. Only its outline was visible, but Shield was certain this was the creature he had been searching for. Now whether it had the ability to be a unique familiar was another matter.

A foot or so upstream of the little creature, Shield dropped the fish lightly into the water. Immediately, the head retracted into the depths, but once the fish had drifted closer, it extended once again. A mouth opened, and it slowly sneaked closer to the inanimate prey. With a snap, the head shot out and grabbed the fish, dragging it back under the water.

Shield immediately began to prepare the next, and while he was at it, he prepared a few extras, setting them in a small pile on the bank beside him. As he set them down, another glittering stone caught his eye.

Pyrite? What's fools' gold doing here? Oh well.

He snatched up the stone and set himself back to work preparing bait.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75384 results: Loot: 4 + 8 = 12 - No mats. (What is this garbage? :/ I have 2/3 chances to find mats and have found them 1/3 of my rolls... I dread making my taming roll... -__-)

The durability of his bait rapidly degrading, Shield set about trying to coax the turtle further. He took another fish, this time laying it gently on the water's surface. Again, the little face disappeared and poked back into view once his hand had withdrawn. There was a snap, and the fish was gone. Shield was already picking up the next to place just a little closer.

The turtle did not seem to be retreating as far as it had the first time, and even when there was no food to be seen, the very tip of its beaked mouth was visible. As Shield held out his hand, instead of retreating, the face remained where it was. He laid the snack a little closer this time, and he could see the body of the creature stir in the water behind its head. Its jagged shell's pointed front edge swam slowly into view, but nothing beyond that other than a vague shadow.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75388 results: Loot: 1 ....this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls.......this forum is PG13......I must not swear about my loot rolls...

Waiting patiently, Shield watched as the creature's head poked further out of the depths of its shell before swallowing up Shield's offering lightning fast. The next fish was already in hand, and this time, he decided to take a risk. He extended his hand, holding the fish under the surface of the water and slowly inching it towards the snapper.

Instinctively, he could feel the hairs on his forearm stand on end. He had seen the destructive power of snapping turtle bites in the real world, and they were no joke to a set of unsuspecting fingers. However, in SAO, even if the critter did manage to get part of a finger in its jaws, Shield was in no real danger. His raw mitigation alone without armor enhancements would suffice to protect him. Still, it was not easy to dismiss his impulses.

Easy does it, little fella... Eat the fishy, not my fingers...

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75392 results: Loot: 12 + 8 = 20 - +1 Material (5 total) ...not getting my hopes up... just chill... calm... don't freak out... >.>

Shield continued to push his hand forward in the water until he was sure that he would start scaring the snapper away if he inched any closer. His hand stayed there under the water, the seemingly featureless face of the turtle seeming to regard him for a long time as the fish's durability continued to count down. Neither of them moved.

The red particles continued to drift away down the current under the surface of the water, and Shield was certain that the fish was about to vanish, which would likely spook the timid reptile all the way back into deep water when he felt a rush of water and half of the fish was gone. The rest vanished before the turtle could come back for seconds.

It was painful having to withdraw his hand from the water so slowly, but he was terrified of making sudden moves. Having to repeat this process would be heartbreaking after making so much progress. Once it was safely out of the stream, Shield returned his hand to find another fish. Instead of a slimy piece of bait, however, his fingers closed around a small cluster of herbs.

I need to remember to farm materials here...

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75395 results: Loot: 8 + 8 = 16 - +1 Material (6 total)

Eager to capitalize on his progress so far, Shield made good use of the time it took the little beak to power through its most recent bite of food. Cutting the next little bit of fish down the middle, he extended his hand, this time, only just bringing it to the edge of the water. He did not submerge it. He did not put it within reach of the turtle's bite. He simply held it out and waited.

It was as if Shield could hear little gears turning below the water. For such a shy creature, it had already been very bold to come this close to land. Still, food was tempting, and apparently tempting enough. The snapping turtle lumbered up the slope of the river bottom, the full width of the shell coming into view as it drew nearer to the surface. It had to be nearly a foot and a half across and easily two feet long, not including its head and whatever tail was hidden still in the depths.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shield was sure that he had seen another piece of glittering something, but he would have to look and retrieve it later.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75398 results: Loot: 18 + 8 = 26 - +1 Material (7 total)

Don't say anything... don't jinx it... just don't think about it too much... >.>

Shield was too focused on the turtle to care about much else right now. He was finally starting to remember why he had been so terrified of the animals as a child. It had to weigh at least 40 pounds, and its head, though seeming small when partially concealed by water, was thorny and easily the size of Shield's fist.

It reached out its gaping maw, its neck extending as far from its protective body as possible, inching its way closer to his Shield's hand and the tasty treasure it held. To say that it was unnerving watching something that he knew to be a real threat to fingers continue to grow closer to his own fragile digits.

This is it. Stay calm. This is the real test here...

With every bit of focus he had to spare, Shield kept his body completely motionless, his eyes locked onto the beady little pinholes that poked out from the reptile's fused eyelids. It seemed to be thinking very hard about how safe Shield really was.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75400 results: Loot: 18 + 8 = 26 - Success!

Acquired familiar: Alligator Snapping Turtle, +1 Skill rank - Damage Mitigation

As an afterthought, Shield slowly uncurled his fingers, and in a final moment of decision, the turtle lurched its body further onto land and gingerly took the fish from Shield's open palm. As it 'chewed,' horking down the fish almost completely whole, Shield could not hold back his airy, silent laugh of relief.

I can't believe it! ...god that was scary. I've faced down monsters ten times that deadly. I guess it all goes back to that childhood fear of losing fingers.

One at a time, Shield proceeded to pick up the tiny bait fish and hand them to the turtle who eagerly snapped them up and chomped them down. Its tiny eyes looked at him with what almost seemed to be a bored disdain, but for now it was happy to be fed. Now that it was almost completely out of the water, it was much bigger than it had appeared before.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75404 results: Loot: 11 + 8 = 19 - +1 Material (8 total)

"You were hiding most of yourself in the murky water, weren't you, buddy?"

The creature continued to choke down the fish that it was currently eating, paying very little mind to Shield.

We'll have to work on your communication skills.

Its body was easily three feet long from tip to tail, its shell a full two feet across and ridged with almost a spiny pattern to the panels of carapace that fused together to make its single large surface. As is typical of the species, the skin was dark and covered in little horn-like protrusions on each of its limbs, ideal for blending in with a thick layer of leaves on the bottom of ponds and streams.

With a jolt, Shield remembered the materials he had been ignoring, and he quickly looked to the spots where he had seen them on the ground before. Sure enough, he found a hunk of topaz and what appeared to be quartz. Even as he made to scoop them up, another piece of tiger's eye stood out to him, poking out of the mud. He recovered it as well and stashed them away. 

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75413 results: Loot: 19 + 8 = 27 - +1 Material (9 total)

"What should I call you," Shield asked aloud, handing it another snack. "I feel like Shelldon or Shelly would be a little on the nose. What do you think?"

The turtle gave him the same disdainful look that it had before.

"Yeah, I thought so."

Already covered in mud and the smell of dead fishes, Shield just decided to make the best of it and trace his fingers through the mud as he contemplated the question of a name.

"Eugene? Filburt? Franklin?"

Chuckling to himself, he continued to go through names in his head. His finger snagged on something in the mud, and he pulled up a lump of the same ore-like substance he had found so often at lower levels. Stashing it away with the others he had found, he turned back to his new familiar.

"You look a little like a Norbert."

If turtles could glare, Shield was sure that was what the snapper was doing to him at that moment.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75415 results: Loot: 11 + 8 = 19 - +1 Material (10 total)

With a finger, Shield reached under the turtle's chin and proceeded to tickle the skin lightly. The sharp jaws snapped at him, more out of protest and annoyance than out of fear or hunger. He managed to pull his finger back in time, and he chuckled a little at the gesture.

"Well, you might not like 'Norbert,' but I do. That's what you're gonna be called, ya grumpy old man."

He reached down and scooped one hand into the front of the shell behind Norbert's head, using the other to firmly grasp the back just above the tail. Lifting the behemoth turtle was no small matter. It was much heavier than the 40 pounds he had estimated earlier, probably coming closer to 70 or 80 pounds. As it moved through the air it waved its clawed feet in the air as if trying to swim.

"Let's head back to town."

Hoisting the reptile, he carried it back to town like a sack of potatoes, having to pause along the way to rest his arms from the constant strain of hauling a prehistoric reptile around. Setting Norbert down, he crouched down on his haunches, and took a deep breath, letting his arms hang down into the dirt as Norbert wandered around looking for water.

As he rested, he scanned the side of the path, and as he looked he recognized a small plant.

Wild sage?

He picked it at the base and deposited it in his inventory before hunkering down to pick up his heavy load once again.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 75418 results: Loot: 17 + 8 = 25 - +1 Material (11 total)

Before he managed to get the turtle up more than about a foot off of the ground, he spotted another sprig of wild sage.

"Now I know how my mother used to feel at dinner when we kept asking for things every time she was about to sit down."

He set Norbert down, stashed the material, and then hoisted the creature up, its limbs waving all the while. It had been such a long time since he had had a pet. His wife had been allergic to most animals, so it had been long before his marriage, back when he was still in his college days. He wondered whether his old fatherly instincts were going to set in while caring for the lumpy reptile.

After a good twenty minutes of walking along the winding trails of floor one, he finally began to see signs of civilization on the horizon.

"Thank all that is good and holy! My arms feel like they're about to fall off!"

Edited January 25, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 75432 results: Loot: 9 + 8 = 17 - +1 Material (12 total)

Before making his way back to town, Shield spotted a hunk of ore among the stones of the road. Although materials were essential for his profession, he seriously debated whether it was worth having to pick the monstrous turtle up again after the fact. Grumbling to himself, he bent down, stowed away the material, and strained to lift his new companion once again.

To say that shop keepers were not excited to see him would be gilding the lily. Several tailors shrieked and threw things at Shield until he left, still carrying the heavy hunk of turtle with him.

And it's so difficult getting the doors open like this...

After knocking down pretty much every tailor's door that he could find, Shield finally managed to find one that could stand the presence of Norbert well enough to craft him a sling to carry the shelled beast in. Exchanging the appropriate amount of Col, and ignoring the looks that mustached man sent him on his way out of the man's shop, he laid the harness down on the ground, setting Norbert on top of it so that his legs poked through the gaps in the harness. Doing up the buckles across the turtle's shell, Shield hoisted the load up onto his back.

It's still heavy, but I think I can get used to this.

Norbert's legs were still swimming through the air the same way as when he had been carried, but now his dull claws glided along Shield's back. It actually felt a little like a massage. Pulling the straps up on his shoulders, he fished through his inventory for the bag of steak he had received before his mission, dumping the remainder into his mouth.

"Blech!" he cried out, gagging and spitting out the contents of his mouth, continuing to try to expel as much saliva as possible to get the taste out. "Why didn't I label the bags more clearly?"

He spat one last time and sighed.

"Sorry, Norbert. Looks like I need to get you more food now..."

[Quest Rewards]

[Title: Turtle Tamer]

[Familiar: Norbert - Alligator Snapping Turtle - Skill Rank: Damage Mitigation]

[2 SP (1 quest reward, 1 thread length)]

[T1 Materials: 12]

Edited January 26, 2017 by Shield