[F03- PP] <<Feeding the Enemy>> Falcown...PAWNCH! [Complete]

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76351: BD: 9 (6+3) MD: 4 (1+3)

ID# 76352:  MD: 4 (1+3) 

ID# 76352: MD: 8 (5+3)

ID# 76353: MD: 5 (2+3)

Tornado Kick - 1x6 - AoE - Dmg: 10 *6 = 60 -12 EP +1 EP

All mobs gain +3 Acc and after dropping below half health. 

Aspect of Horus #1: [50/170]: Miss

Aspect of Horus #2: [50/170]: Miss

Aspect of Horus #3: [50/170]: 30 dmg before MIT to Shield

Aspect of Horus #4: [50/170]: Miss

Beat- HP[240/320] EP[9/32]

"Oraaaaaaa!!!!!"

Beat maintained the momentum from his first strike and sent a second wave of energy out as he made yet another rotation. The force from the attack created a loud crack that rang through the air and the wave it released struck home, knocking each of the Aspects off balance after having been taunted by Shield. They staggered in obvious confusion as the combination of attacks and abilities assaulted their senses. Beat smiled as he watched their team work take great effect. 

"Nice timing Shield!"  

He landed and observed the results of his efforts, but was surprised when the eye of Horus pulsed once again from beneath them, resonating with the Aspects' now glowing eyes. Their enemies now wielded glowing weapons that seemed to move faster, leaving behind after images that made following their movements difficult. His eyes shot to their health bars and he quickly let out a sigh of relief once he saw that their health bars had not moved in the slightest. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Shield

Spoiler

Action: Howl

Mobs

Spoiler

Aspect of Horus #1: [50/170]: Miss

Aspect of Horus #2: [50/170]: Miss

Aspect of Horus #3: [36/170]: 30 dmg - 24 Mit. - 27 regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg) 

Aspect of Horus #4: [50/170]: Miss

Even with the quicker motions of the now elevated aspects, Shield still managed to step out of the way of three of them, his eyes tracking the motions of the larger foes with relative ease. The fourth managed to slice through a corner of his shoulder, but as it did so, its health bar was partially compromised, dropping even further than it already had.

"They seem to be just as susceptible to damage as before," Shield called over to Beat. "They shouldn't take long. Whittle them down a little with basics first if you need to, but they're already on their last legs!"

At this point, he turned his focus back onto them. He had definitely drawn their focus, but their glowing eyes were difficult to read. With the pressure that Beat was putting on them, they could shift to him at any moment.

"Hey, big guys! Eyes front and center! Don't you worry about that other guy!"

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

no offensive actions. Eating [1x] Fish (+1 Electrolytes) +3 EP +1 EP 

ID# 76357:  MD: 12 (9+3)

ID# 76358:  MD: 8 (5+3) 

ID# 76359: MD: 9 (6+3)

ID# 76360: MD: 6 (3+3)

All mobs gain +3 Acc and after dropping below half health. 

Aspect of Horus #1: [36/170]: 30 dmg before MIT to Shield; 14 thorns dmg

Aspect of Horus #2: [36/170]: 30 dmg before MIT to Shield;  14 thorns dmg

Aspect of Horus #3: [22/170]: 30 dmg before MIT to Shield;  14 thorns dmg

Aspect of Horus #4: [50/170]: 33 dmg before MIT to Shield

Beat: HP[240/320] EP: [13/32]

Beat watched as the Aspects clumsily attacked his comrade in arms, one of them ending up regretting it. Part of Beat looked forward to the time when enemies would actually pose a threat. It wasn't that he had a deathwish, but the threat of losing your life was a strong motivation and Beat looked forward to no longer being able to rest on his laurels and simply take Shield's resilience for granted. His eyes looked up to the watching falcons, who seemed to be watching intensely. This was serious to them and so Beat would take it seriously as well.

It may be a bit unnecessary, but I need to go all out, out of respect for this ritual...or whatever this is...

Beat's right hand flipped up and he began rapidly navigating his menu, pulling out the fish they had recently acquired and consuming it quickly. It wasn't exactly the most delectable thing he had ever eaten, but his initial attempts at cooking had certainly been worse. His body shimmered with a blue aura as his energy bar rose by a small amount. 

"I'm ending this in a moment Shield, just keep them off me!"

Edited February 2, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Shield:

Spoiler

Action: Howl

Beat's call echoed off of the canyon walls. Not like Shield needed the reminder to keep the enemies busy, but he didn't mind in the least. Communication was essential on the battlefield. Although a subtle change, this was actually a step up from the Beat that had once run off to a new, unfamiliar floor in pursuit of an unknown quest for unknown rewards.

Shield held out his spear and brought the tip of it against his protective shield with a crash, the sound of which resonating off of the walls and sending some of the nearer falcons skittering a little ways through the air before returning to their perches. He continued clashing metal on metal, his eyes keeping close tabs on the four aspects.

"What's the matter?" he mocked, turning towards each in turn as he spoke. "Can't make your damage stick? I thought you were all big and tough, but it looks like nobody can land a hit to save their lives!"

Four massive fists launched at Shield in unison, crashing into him from all four sides as he stood solid in the middle. The wind from the forceful strikes kicked up the stone dust of the canyon floor, sending up a cloud to cover the point of impact. Even before the dust cleared, however, Shield's fully in tact health bar stood out among the settling particles, and three of the four aspects had dropped even closer to zero.

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76382: BD: 7 (4+3) LD: 17 (10 +7)

Tornado Kick - 1x6 - AoE - Dmg: 10 *6 = 60 -12 EP +1 EP

All mobs gain +3 Acc and after dropping below half health. 

Aspect of Horus #1: [Dead]

Aspect of Horus #2: [Dead]

Aspect of Horus #3: [Dead]

Aspect of Horus #4: [Dead]

Beat- HP[240/320] EP[2/32]

Familiar Roll: ID# 76383: LD 17 (10+7)

Loot: 

3400 col + 4 T1 Mats

Total loot: 

6800 col +8 T1 Mats

 

The aspect's futile assault on the party's tank brought a smile to Beat's face. Shield's ability to withstand any attack had never been pushed since they had begun and it seemed like the only thing holding their party back was Beat's inability to deal enough damage at a reasonable rate. He was glad to finally begin seeing that particular issue disappearing, pleased that all of their opponents were now just a single attack away.

"Here it comes!"

He waited until the giant guardians had closed in on Shield again before leaping in between them, his legs just barely over Shield's head. WIth yet another spin, Beat's glowing leg connected with each of them, sending them flying away in a shower of red pixels. The symbol on floor ceased to glow and the unique cry of the falcon that had led them there rang out as it lifted off and spiraled downwards towards them. Beat watched it descend until it finally flew straight to him, landing on his shoulders, its gaze forward. Beat's grin had never been wider as he looked to his traveling companion. 

"Nice! I don't fe-"

Before Beat could say much, the two of them would be deafened by the combined screeches of the surrounding Falcons. A moment later they would feel the ground beneath them shake as the mouth of the giant monument slowly opened wide, the lower jaw of the falcon dropping below the ground to reveal what appeared to be a dungeon entrance. Once Beat's ears had stopped ringing, he looked to his new ally and then to his old one. 

"This is the third floor, we shouldn't be able to find sub-dungeons here. I'm guessing its part of the quest?"

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76411 results: Loot: 7 + 4 = 11 - No materials (6 total)

Shield shrugged, returning the same confused look that Beat had given him.

"It must be," he replied, returning his eyes to the gaping beak of the falcon statue that loomed over them. "This whole experience certainly has been a good deal more complicated than just finding and feeding a turtle."

Seeing the familiar manner by which the falcon seemed to be regarding Beat, it was clear that it was tame. It showed no sign of discomfort, perched resolutely on the martial artist's shoulder.

There must be more to the matter then...

He pulled up the party stats in his HUD, thumbing through his own familiar's information. There it was, plain as day.

Norbert: Alligator snapping turtle, Skill: Damage Mitigation, Skill Rank: 2...

Something came drifting back to his memory from his own first run at the quest. There had been something about how most familiar when tamed lack any kind of special skill.

"Beat, does the falcon have any skills?"

Edited February 3, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76415: LD: 15 (8+7)= 1 T1 mat found (9 total)

The right side of Beat's brow rose as he opened his menu and searched for his familiar's statistics. He flipped through the menus quickly at first, but as he began to realize that he wasn't having success, he slowed down, going through again. After a minute, his new ally nipped him in the ear, spooking him out of his trance and awakening him to the obvious realization. He looked to Shield with apologetic look. 

"This guy isn't even on my sheet yet. Not sure why, but if I had to guess, it's because we haven't finished the quest. There much be more to this guy than we thought."

Beat began walking towards the mouth of the cave, his eyes falling on a unique looking stone that had falled from the top of the monument as the mouth was opening. The falcon on his shoulder quickly followed his gaze and swooped down, snatch it up and returned it to Beat's waiting hands before landing on its new perch. Beat chuckled and shook his head as they entered the cave like entrance. 

"He nips a little bit like Norbert, but I don't see Norbert picking up loot for you."

 

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76413 results: Loot: 16 + 4 = 20 - +1 Material (7 total)

Shield shrugged, about to respond before a sound of sliding rock overhead caught his attention. He glanced up just in time to see a glittering piece of something fall just behind him. It clunked the turtle on the head, who angrily snapped at the air around it as the mysterious object clattered to the stone floor of the cave.

Shield knelt down and picked up what seemed to be a small piece of jade which he promptly stored in his inventory. Dusting himself off, he turned to Beat.

"Well... he tried," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's odd that it's not even a part of your build yet, despite the fact that it seems to be allied with you. A quirk of SAO, I suppose."

With that, he gestured ahead of them for Beat to take the lead. Since this was still his quest, Shield felt no need to impose himself in any role other than that of informational, when the situation called for it.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76417: LD: 27 (20+7) = 1 T1 mat found (10 Total)

Beat responded to Shield with nod as he followed the older player's instruction and took the lead once more. The falcon on his shoulder preened itself every once and a while, but kept its gaze vigilant for the most part. Its head would move as it explored the cave with its eyes, its talons firmly gripping Beat's shoulder, making him feel as if he could perform a series of flips and the falcon would be unfazed. He decided against tempting such a test of their newly found bond as they came to a large set of descending stairs flanked by torches mounted to the cave walls on each side of them. Peering down the stairs, it appeared that they bisected a large pit, the bootom of which was not visible. At the end of the stairs was a tall opening in the rocky wall of the cave, lightly illuminated by another set of torches. 

"Wow, like right out of indiana jones...this quest is awesome!" 

What had begun as a quick errand to retrieve a familiar had actually created a sense of affection and belonging with the being resting on his shoulders. Despite the tight grip of the raptor, Beat felt no discomfort and, if anything, he felt a sense of peace. He had not had such a bond in quite some time and, though he hadn't had a chance to process it all yet, he was enjoying the new experience. He bent down and took a glimmering piece of stone from the top most step, stashing it in his inventory before beginning to descend the stone staircase. 

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76418 results: Loot: 15 + 4 = 19 - +1 Material (8 total)

While the grandeur of the situation, and in particularly the expansive cavern, was not lost on Shield, neither was the danger of walking on paths that did not have visible bottoms on either side. He kept his feet low to the ground, stepping carefully with each stair. As they descended, he caught sight of the same algae texture that he had seen on the last beginner quest. He scraped the stuff from the step, adding the alchemic reagent to his supplies before continuing on.

As they descended, he squinted through the dark, trying to get a better view of the end of the staircase, but from their current distance any fine detail was lost.

It can't be that much further. Either that, or some game designers had entirely too much time on their hands with this one...

He kept his pace slow and steady, watching behind them every so often to make sure there were no monsters, or worse, rolling boulders, that would be ambushing them from the rear.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID # 74619: LD: 10 = no mats (10 Total)

Rest 3/3 EP restored!

Beat kept his knees bent as their steps echoed through the cave, keeping his eyes focused on the lit doorway at the end of the stairs. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they would step onto a landing that featured the same symbol they had seen on the ground in front of the monument. Beat stopped and examined the symbol as he spoke in a hushed tone, kneeling down and touching the markings with his fingertips.

"Hey wise man, have you ever seen this symbol before? It looks sort of Egyptian."

Beat's education was far from complete, but one could find that video taught a great deal of information, depending on the genre. In fact, a lot of information in games was simply a spin on existing, non-fictional events or facts. Still, Beat's lack of wisdom certainly showed when it came to the core subjects like history and science, though numbers and logic were a little easier for him naturally.

"I think we're in for another fight soon, I guess we'll see what else this trial has in store for us soon enough." 

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76420 results: Loot: 7 + 1 = 11 - No materials (8 total)

Taking a moment to kneel and have a closer look, Shield considered the symbol. There was definitely a sense of familiarity, but the exact origin was a little out of his reach at the moment. It would likely come to him in time, but the most he could do now was make some generalized assumptions.

"Egyptian wouldn't be too bad of a guess," he agreed, running his fingers along the stonework as he considered the markings. "I believe there was even a god in the Egyptian pantheon with the head of a falcon, so whoever designed this iteration of the quest was likely a mythology buff."

He straightened up, glancing around to see if any other clues would make themselves evident, but for the moment, that was all there was.

"That's all I've got for now, but I'll keep working on it. I know I know what this is, but it's not coming."

Edited February 3, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76425: MD: 6 (3+3)

ID# 76426: MD: 13 (10+3)

ID# 76428: MD: 4 (1+3)

ID# 76429: MD: 11 (8+3)

All mobs have +3 Acc

Aspect of Anubis #1: [156/170]- 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Aspect of Anubis #2: [170/170]- 36 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 

Aspect of Anubis #3: [170/170]- Miss

Aspect of Anubis #4: [156/170]- 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Beat- HP[252/320] EP[32/32]

 

"Hmm I'm sure it will come to you, though hopefully the developer decided to reveal the true nature of the quest. I would hate to be left wondering."

Beat led the way through the large entrance, the stone floor suddenly smooth and finished and the walls gradually coming inward until the space between the two walls on either side of them was about ten feet across. It was plenty of room to walk through, but it seemed very man made. It made sense if you accepted the fact that a human, or developer, created the monument. Torches lined the narrower hallway, giving the place the feel of a temple, which affirmed Beat's suspicion about an Egyptian influence. 

"Yep, Egyptian, I promise. I bet 100 col!" 

The falcon on his shoulder snapped its beak and lightly nipped him in the cheek as they approached the end of the hallway, as if to say "pay attention!"

"Ow! Okay!"

Beat laughed at the antics of his own bird, eyes forward to avoid getting another reminder to pay attention. The hallway's exit opened into a large circular room that, once Shield had entered, quickly closed behind them. Beat's heart raced as torches lit within the room revealing four Onyx statues with humanoid bodies and vaguely canine heads with sharp ears sprouting from their heads. Each one wielded a large, two-handed spear and became animated as soon as they were disturbed. Beat quickly moved behind Shield and prepared to strike as four Onyx warriors leaped through the air and attempted to skewer the older player with blinding speed.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Shield

Spoiler

Action: Howl

The statues crashed into Shield, driving the tank several feet, but leaving his health unharmed. Although they had been fortunate that the enemies had targeted him this time, he did not want to see Beat draw their focus as soon as he started into his attack. He threw his weight forward, flinging off the weapons that had formed an impaling wall. He sucked in air, using all of his public speaking skills to project his voice.

"It looks like you mindless cretins got something right!" he boomed, his voice echoing in the small chamber and shaking dust from the ceiling. "I'm the right one to be worried about in this fight!"

He struck his shield with his spear menacingly, looking up at the monumental monsters.

"Wait ...they're not dogs... they're jackals! Beat! It's Anubis, the Egyptian god of the afterlife! This might just be our final fight on this quest!"

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76435: BD: 9 (6+3) MD: 13 (10+3)

ID# 76436: MD: 11 (8+3)

ID# 76437: MD: 10 (7+3)

ID# 76438: MD: 11 (8+3)

Tornado Kick - 1x6 - AoE - Dmg: 10 * 6 = 60 -12 EP

All mobs have +3 Acc

Aspect of Anubis #1: [96/170]- 36 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 

Aspect of Anubis #2: [96/170]- 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Aspect of Anubis #3: [96/170]- 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Aspect of Anubis #4: [82/170]- 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Beat- HP[255/320] EP[20/32]

Beat cheered as he watched the giant warriors manage to do nothing to deplete Shield's health pool. 

"I knew it! You were wise to not take me up on that bet!" 

The falcon screeched and Beat took it as his queue to strike, he leaped into the fray, the falcon dismounting and circling between their opponents.  He landed next to Shield before bouncing off of his toes and straight up, his glowing leg whipping around in a flash, connecting with each onyx target with a crash. Chunks of smooth, black stone fell from his victims as they managed to maintain their balance well, though the dent in their hitpoints was much more evident. 

"No tougher than the others though, unless they get a nice buff too when they mad!" 

Beat landed soundly on the finished stone floor as his falcon continued to buzz around his recent targets, providing some measure of distraction, but nothing that was enough to distract them from their most hated target. 

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Shield

Spoiler

Action: Howl

"What do you mean 'wise,' Beat?" Shield shouted, covering his face with his arms as four more attacks lanced into him.

He threw them off of him before shoving against the nearest one with his shield.

"I agreed with you before you even tried to make that bet with me."

Shaking his head at the younger man, he returned his focus to the fight, checking their health, which had already dipped considerably from Beat's attack. Although the aggro was clearly on him, he decided it was best to keep them occupied in case Beat got in a few lucky heavy hits along the way. He took a deep breath, focusing his gaze on the statue directly in front of him.

"Look at you! You masquerade as the avatar of the great god of death, and yet you all pale in comparison to two puny humans! How humiliating this must be for all of you!"

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76446: BD: 5 (2+3) MD: 7 (4+3)

ID# 76447: MD: 4 (1+3)

ID# 76448: MD: 7 (4+3)

ID# 76449: MD: 6 (3+3)

Miss: _2 EP +1 EP

All mobs have +3 Acc

Aspect of Anubis #1: [82/170]- - 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Aspect of Anubis #2: [96/170]- Miss

Aspect of Anubis #3: [82/170]- - 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Aspect of Anubis #4: [68/170]- - 30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Beat- HP[258/320] EP[19/32]

Beat laughed again as they bickered during combat, having successfully irritated the older, grumpier one of the party. The pitch black warriors flailing at the party's tank, only to foolishly injure themselves. He shook his head, deciding that the developers made tanking way too good for lower levels.  

"Tanking is broken! You just sit there and LET them hit you and they die. I bet at higher levels this would take forever if you were solo." 

The falcon continued to weave in and out of combat, dodging the flailing swings of the onyx warriors of anubis while they futilely tried to end Shield's life. Beat wondered if he would be able to attack through his familiar, much like wizards did in Crossreign and he pointed at one of the guardians as his voice rang through the hollow chamber.

"Go! Falcon Rush attack!"

THe falcon simply screeched and returned to his should, pecking him in the side of the head as it released a sharp breath of irritation. Beat actually felt stupid for trying and he visibly blushed as he linde up his next attack. 

"kay, dumb idea...noted..."

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Shield

Spoiler

Action: Howl

Shield shrugged as he held off the attacks from the guardians with his forearms, giving Beat a look over his shoulder at the comment on tanking.

"There are two sides to that coin," he called back, taking a few swipes with his spear to give himself some distance from his opponents. "It's true that tanking gives me some definite advantages in overall survivability, but it's the gear more so than the build that makes me as effective as I am. There are numerous options for defense. The key is maximizing the potential for each."

He ducked to the side of a particularly heavy swing from the nearest guardian, rolling to the side before returning upright to his feet.

"There's more to it than that though," Shield called out. "You and I have not been doing the same amount of adventuring. It seems slight, but it's not. The difference between your level and mine is the difference between me being able to soak forty damage and being able to soak seventy damage. And that happens for a reason."

With a growl, Shield caught the oncoming spear of the next guardian, focusing his voice into a cry of anger to further draw their stony ire before returning to his normal speaking voice.

"The damage of monsters and bosses gets increasingly more harsh the higher you go in Aincrad. In order to keep pressing, I need to keep expanding my ability to tank."

Edited February 3, 2017 by Shield

[Beat 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76453: BD: 10 (7+3) MD: 9 (6+3)

ID# 76454: MD: 13 (10+3)

ID# 76455: MD: 4 (1+3)

ID# 76456: MD: 13 (10+3)

Tornado Kick - 1x6 - AoE - Dmg: 10 * 6 = 60 -12 EP +1 EP 

All mobs have +3 Acc

Aspect of Anubis #1: [8/170]-  30 Dmg to Shield before MIT. 14 thorns

Aspect of Anubis #2: [36/170]-  36 Dmg to Shield before MIT

Aspect of Anubis #3: [22/170]-  Miss

Aspect of Anubis #4: [8/170]-  36 Dmg to Shield before MIT

Beat- HP[261/320] EP[8/32]

Beat rubbed the underside of his nose as he laughed, slightly offended. 

"Well now, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were saying I've been slacking." He looked to his newest ally with a grin, the Falcon returning the gaze, "Can't have that can we?" 

The professional gamer slammed his heels into the ground and pushed with all of his might, rocketing himself up towards the ceiling of the tall room, the falcon leaving his shoulder at the peak of his ascent and joining him as they both dove towards their targets. He began spinning as he picked up speed, his glowing foot leaving a small white trail of pixels as the falcon kept position with him, spiraling with him. Snapping his foot out, the caught each of the warriors with his deadly sword art, sending them reeling as his partner screeched, pulling up out of the dive as Beat landed with his arms, absorbing the impact with his shoulders. He sprang himself onto his feet and leaned against the sturdy tank with a smile, watching as their opponents glared at him while they recovered. He spoke casually as he cared little for the threats in the room.

"Guess I'll have to do some adventuring of my own. Gotta see what that solo life is all about."

Edited February 3, 2017 by Beat

[Shield 0]

Shield

Spoiler

Action: Howl

"Don't take those words as a challenge," Shield said to Beat, actually able to speak at a reasonable level now that he was nearby. "Just know that I have places to be."

As the guardians began to regain their feet, the tank rushed them, bowling them over one at a time, pressing forward with his shield as he crowed in each of their faces.

"You're all a joke!"

"This dungeon is a joke!"

"This entire game is a joke!"

"If you're standing in my way, I will find a way to make you insignificant so I can overcome you!"

Each in turn struck out at Shield as he blasted spit and verbal venom in their faces. To the last guardian, he gave a particularly violent shove with his shield, causing its head to crack into the ground. Although his words and his actions may not have damaged them, he had drawn their attention, and that was where the trap lay in wait. The spines on his armor gleamed, eager for another taste of obsidian.