[PP - F05] Slowly becoming known as <<The Traveler>> (With Zuel)

[Rithe 0]

Waking from a nightmare, Rithe gasps as her eyes fly open. She coughs, clearing her throat, as she sits up in her bed. Suffocating. Drowning. Where was I? And just as soon as she attempted to remember the dream slipped stealthily from her mind. She hides herself further under her jacket in her room at the inn, trying to shake off some unidentifiable terrible feeling. I don't want to be here right now. She leaves her room with haste, seeking some other refuge in the starting city. A quest. She thought. A quest will help take my mind off things. Rithe had noticed a locked skill in her listed called the <<Survival>> skill. And all she could figure out was that she needed to be on floor 5 to get it. Survival, huh? Maybe it will test our ability to find food in the wilderness. Rithe stifled a laugh at this, considering her experience with gathering materials.

Exiting the front of the inn and entering the streets of the Town of Beginnings, Rithe composes a quick message to Zuel, the only person in her contacts whom she believed could handle any situation as he's proven twice. Satisfied with her message she enters the plaza of the Starting City and takes a seat on a convenient bench, examining her menu while she waits.

Spoiler

Message: Rithe -> Zuel

Subject: Survival Skill

So you know that locked survival skill? It sounds like it would be really useful to have, so I was wondering if you could come with me in the off chance that we encounter any monsters. Wait, that sounded really rude, I didn't mean it like that. You don't have to come if you don't want to! Anyways, if you decide to come with, meet me at the starting city plaza, by the fountain at noon like before. See you there!

PS. I don't really know that much about the quest for this skill, other than it's on floor 5.

 

[Zuel 0]

Zuel would be on the ninth floor in his blacksmithing workshop forging weapons as he practiced his blacksmithing. As he was hammering away the mail icon would begin to light up in his menu, as he would check it seeing it was a message from Rithe about a quest on the fifth floor. He would put his hammer down and wipe his hands as he read her message. Survival skill? Intrigued by the quest Zuel would begin to head to the town of beginnings to let her know that he would accept the quest with her. Looking around the plaza he would see Rithe sitting down by the fountain as he would walk over to her. "Rithe. I got your message. Ready to go?" He would extend his hand out to her in order to help her so they could head to the fifth floor and reach the quest area. Zuel would motion to the teleportation platform ready to head to the upper floor. "It seems you have leveled up since we last met. Have you gotten stronger?"

[Rithe 0]

She was pleased by her recent alchemical crafts, noting her rapidly increasing Experience. I hope I never have to use any of these, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have them around. She changes to her main statistics and examines her newly gained levels, sighing. I may be at a higher level, but I'm still worthless if I'm forced into a fight. I guess that's the weakness that Zuel has solved up to this point. Speaking of whom, Zuel arrives and speaks out to her, startling her. She looks up and smiles, using his offered hand to help her to her feet. "Yes, let's go. I'm kind of excited! Have you ever been to the 5th floor?" She walks with him to the teleporters, listening to his comment and question. "Actually, I feel like I haven't improved at all. I might have a little more health, but nothing different skill-wise. What about you?" She waits for his response and steps onto the platform with Zuel, being taken away to floor 5 as soon as the destination is spoken of.

[Zuel 0]

Zuel would shake his head. I haven't been to floor 5 yet. I have been spending most of my time in my work shop on floor 9. I wonder if she would want it? I did do a quest on floor 3 earlier actually. It was a pretty rough quest so I thought it would give me something of value at the end but it just gave me this. Zuel would pull out a beautiful red pendant from his inventory and dangle it in front of Rithe. "It doesn't have any stats on it and is basically a vanity item so It doesn't have any use for me." He would look at the pendant and then to Rithe. "Maybe you would want it?" He would put his hand out opening a trade menu with Rithe if she were to want the pendant. Zuel would stare back at her with a smile thinking it would be something nice to give to her as a thank you for partying with him. "It would probably suit you well Rithe."  The sun would shine off the pendant as it would sparkle its current color was red but rumors say that by repeating the quest the color of the pendant could be changed. 

Spoiler

Opens trade with Rithe

-1 Hoya of Minos, a sought out gift for weddings, dates and birthdays. The Hoya of Minos is a pendant that changes form every time someone does the quest so it has a variety of appearances, though it always remains a pendant.

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

(!!! Given a hard-earned gift: +8% mental stability !!!)

On their way from the teleporters, Rithe notices her ally remove something from his inventory. She turns to look and sees the pendant, and quickly looks from Zuel's face to the pendant as she processes his words. Vanity item? No use for him? Do I want it? Rithe smiles with a curious expression across her face. She seems almost hesitant, as if she doesn't know how to accept such a gift. She opens her mouth as if to say something but closes it soon after because she simply can't. She very slowly accepts the trade offer. Do you want anything in return, is what she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come out. Her face begins to heat up as the trade is completed and she holds the item in her hands. She equips it, and it appears around her neck, coming to rest just above her chest, the ruby glinting in the light of the day. She smiles through her blush and manages to stutter, "T-thank..y-you." She wasn't sure why this was so difficult to say, but it was certain that she was grateful.

Edited August 11, 2018 by Rithe

[Zuel 0]

Watching as she equipped the pendant he smiled when he saw it on her. He would walk up to her and pat her head lightly. "It really does suit you Rithe." He would pull back his hand as he would begin to walk toward the quest location. "Come on we don't have any time to waste." With a time limit on this quest Zuel would lead them to the edge of the Desert where they would need to traverse it in order to retrieve the cargo for the mysterious NPC. Zuel would enter the desert as the wind would pick up the sand as it would blow into their direction. The winds would feel strong but nothing that Zuel couldn't handle as he would hold his hand out to his companion. "It would probably be better if we stayed close together so not to get lost in the dust storm." He would continue forward keeping and eye out as he searched for the missing cargo.

Spoiler

ID# 104415 results: CD: 3 (Safe) 

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

The redness in her face took a while to fade away, as she gently touched and admired the pendant around her neck. The headpat came as a surprise, taking her mind off the gift. The two of them exit the teleporter on floor 5, hurrying quickly to the location of the quest. Rithe doesn't have time to take in the rocky and heat-blasted scenery as she follows quickly behind her ally. After talking rapidly to the Quest Giving NPC, the two of them venture into the desert to retrieve the lost cargo. The blistering heat and brutal winds batter Rithe as she tries to follow behind the shape of Zuel. She thinks she hears him say something, but she can't hear him, only seeing the shape of his hand reach towards her. She grabs on and tries to keep close. 

She trudges through the storm, holding tightly to Zuel's hand, trusting him to find the way. A particularly strong gust threatens to loosen her grasp, but she fights through it and keeps moving.

Spoiler

ID# 104416 results:

 Craft: 3(safe)

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

Pressing forward Zuel would put his arm in front of his face to cove his eyes from the dust storm keeping an eye out for anything. As they continued walking Zuel would dip down a bit looking down into the sand seeing tracks that look like they may have came from a cart. Could this be from the cargo? Zuel looked over his should to see Rithe struggling a bit behind as he slowed down his pace as a particularly strong gust of wind would suddenly pick up blowing in their direction as Zuel would brace for the impact trying to stay in front of Rithe as much as he could to protect her. The harsh winds would pass leaving them unharmed for now as the tracks faded a bit but still visible in the sand. "These must be the cargo tracks. Lets hurry and follow them before they disappear from the dust storm." Zuel would pick up his pace a little bit gently pulling Rithe forward as he held her hand, not wanting to lose sight of the tracks.

Spoiler

ID# 104422 results: CD: 10 (Safe)

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

The environment scathed and scoured the party of two, relentlessly beating them with the furious winds of the sandstorm. The thickness of the sand was too much for Rithe to see clearly through, only vaguely recognizing Zuel's figure. She tightens her grasp on his hand and walks weakly onwards after him. They stop as her companion appears to have discovered something, Rithe tries to ask what it was, but gets a mouthful of sand and coughs instead. Who would ever want to live on a floor like this? She looks up towards her ally, and manages to decipher that he said something about 'tracks'. Maybe for a cargo cart. This sounds like what we are looking for! Rithe doesn't dare speak for fear of breathing sand, but squeezes Zuel's hand in acknowledgement. 

The tracks continue for some distance, before becoming too faint to see properly. Rithe looks around, trying to find where they went, but to no avail. She turns to the tracks they were following, but they weren't were she was expecting. Instead of speaking up, Rithe just assumes that Zuel knows what he's doing. 

Spoiler

ID# 104470 results:

 Craft: 3(safe)

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

Zuel would continue to press through the harsh dust storm as the heat began to rise as they continued deeper and deeper in the desert. After following the tracts they would come across more tracks that split two different ways. It splits into two? No wait one of them was created as a diversion. He would look to Rithe. "It looks like who ever took the cart doesn't like that we are following them. They are trying to throw us off their path with false tracts or they want to split us up." Kneeling down he would study the tracks as one of them had a different width as the previous tracks they had been following. This was clearly man made. Zuel would rise to his feet pulling Rithe along to the right path determining that this has to be the correct path. I wonder if this quest is more than just a simple survival quest... Zuel would continue following the path as the wind would begin to pick up again barraging the two but not enough to deal any damage. 

Spoiler

ID# 104472 results: CD: 4 (Safe)

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

Aincrad's sun radiated murderous heat down upon the two of them, scorching exposed skin. Rithe bundled up in her jacket to little beneficial effect. She had one hand affixed firmly to Zuel's and her other hand grasped the pendant, almost wishing upon it for luck. The cart tracks they had been following proved to be a challenge to follow as it appears that they had been tampered with. It was at this moment that Rithe realized this quest was more complicated than it seemed. Bandits? This definitely seems like bandits. Rithe really didn't want to fight anyone, and much less so in the current environment. She nods in agreement(which might be difficult to see through the dust) with what she can pick up from his analysis. "Be careful! If these people stole a cart, they might be willing to defend it!" She shouts over the storm, received a mouthful of sand for her efforts. 

Spoiler

ID# 104476 results:

 Craft: 6(safe)

 

Edited August 12, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

Even in a virtual world the heat was blazing down on them really feeling the heat. The only relief Zuel had was from the winds that were immolating from the the sand storm. After following the tracks for some Zuel would see the cart up ahead. He would hide behind a rock as he would survey the area to see if anyone else was around. It looked as if the wheel of the cart had fallen off as it laid before their feet as the cart was ahead in the distance. This could be a trap, or part of the quest. Zuel would lift up the wheel as he slowly approached the abandoned cart, signaling Rithe to wait for him as he investigated the situation. He would walk around the cart to make sure no one was hiding as he went over to the part of the cart that the wheel had fallen off from. There was no one else around but Rithe so he decided to lift the card up slightly and reattach the wheel fixing the card. After he would check its content to make sure it was all there as he waved her over. The winds would pick up once again blowing in their directions as sand would come flying through the air. Fortunately it wasn't strong enough to hurt Zuel as he would sit down next to the cart to rest as it was becoming hotter as the day went on.

Spoiler

 ID# 105250 results:

CD: 5 (Safe)

 

Edited August 29, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

Grateful for her jacket, Rithe used it as a limited shelter, protecting herself from the dangerous sand and ultraviolet radiation. The disadvantage to this was her dramatically increasing body heat. She was doing her best to stay aware of her surroundings, but just holding on to her companion's hand was proving to be a task of steadily increasing difficulty. The party stops suddenly, as her ally appears to have found the cart. Good, we can start making our way back now right? She catches of glimpse of the detached wheel and sighs internally. Of course it wouldn't be that easy- but her thoughts break as she is astounded by Zuel simply affixing the part back to the cart. The wind picks up and the density of the sandstorm skyrockets, making it nearly impossible to see her hands in front of her face. This isn't good, I can't see him anymore. She had to let go of his hand when he reattached the wheel and now she had lost him somehow. How did I lose my way?! I was right next to the cart, wasn't I?! Awkwardly reaching her hands out she feels around herself, trying to find where her companion went. 

It certainly wasn't getting cooler as the day progressed and Rithe was sweating away her hydration rather quickly. Still lost, she stumbled about in a mild delirium from the onset of heat exhaustion symptoms.  "Zue-" she tries to say, but the sand drowns her words. Hopefully he's okay.

Spoiler

ID# 105254 results:

 Craft: 4(no damage taken)

 

Edited August 29, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

After the sandstorm would pick up blinding the party Zuel would look behind him to see if Rithe was alright. "Rithe are you...What?" She had vanished completely even though she had been right next to him just moments ago. He would search around the area but it was no use she was no where to be found. The morning began to slowly turn into day as the hot desert began to reach a boiling point and it was becoming more dangerous to stay much longer. Zuel would continue to pull the cart as he looked for Rithe not heading back with it until he found her. The map was truly massive and she could of gone anywhere. Fortunately for Zuel, they were still in a party and used this to his advantage to fine her. Taking out a potion he would attempt to use it on her but was given an error message letting Zuel know she was too far away showing the exact distance. Zuel would repeat this process until he was headed into her direction moving quickly as he felt himself really getting dizzy from the heat. The desert winds would pick up again completely blanketing the areas as the winds blew in his direction but he managed to use the cart as cover and pressed forward. Finally seeing Rithe in the distance he would rush over to her seeing that she wasn't doing too well. Zuel would lift her placing her on the cart as he began to pull her back to escape the desert.

Spoiler

ID# 105287 results:

CD: 5 (Safe)

 

Edited August 30, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

The storm had reached its maximum intensity, sending Rithe staggering from a gust of hot sand and hotter wind. She was having trouble walking forward, some kind of dizziness had taken over her senses, bringing her to become nauseous. The splitting headache didn't help either, the thumping of her rapidly beating heart sending pulse after pulse of pain through her cranium. Where..? Delirium had set in, causing her thoughts to be shortened, her actions to be little more than keeping her upright, but eventually, that too failed. She held back from throwing up as she fell to her hands and knees, trying to find stability, and being unsuccessful. Now on her side, curled into a ball, Rithe stared off into the distance, trying to visualize what it was like, to be somewhere cool. Some time passes as the two allies are separated, and the desert partially buries her under waves of infinite sand, leaving only her arm and face exposed. She had fallen asleep (or perhaps fainted) at some point before awaking groggily to someone grabbing and moving with her. She was dimly aware of what exactly was occurring, seeing a large, hazy, shadow of a figure setting her gently onto something. Her nausea spiked as the ground seemed to move and pull Rithe along with it. 

Spoiler

 ID# 105298 results:

 Craft: 7(no damage taken)

(OOC: I am aware that Rithe has taken no damage, but I still wanted to add some conflict to her adventure, hence the heat exhaustion)

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

Zuel would continue to carry the cart of the supplies along with Rithe back out of the desert. The winds were intense and it was unbearably hot just showing how much this quest would test their ability to handle intense environments and weather. After pulling for some time he would pull to a shaded area covered by a rock as he noticed Rithe wasn't doing so well. He would go onto the back of the cart and check on her carefully lifting her up a bit wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Rithe, you have to pull yourself together. We are almost back." Zuel didn't think it would be a good idea to stay in one place to long as he began to pull the cart once again in the direction of the town as the winds would begin to pick up again making it harder for him to press forward but he continued anyway. A strong gust of wind would blow in his direction as the sand would be lifted into him but it wasn't strong enough to damage him. He could see the town in the distance as the heat began to take him making it hard for him to keep going even though he was so close.

Spoiler

ID# 105521 results:

Craft: 5 (Safe)

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

(OOC: Temporary Mental Stablilty change. It has no bearing on her current MS, but it should give Zuel his first insight into Rithe at a lower stability)

Rithe drifts in an out of consciousness, only becoming awake long enough to cough forcibly, and shelter herself under her jacket. Something in her immediate environment changed, the scorching rays of a hateful star being curbed by the shade of boulder. Her sand-laden eyes blinked slowly open, staring indistinctly upwards. Her senses weren't yet operational, and so she just gazes up at the figure of her companion, too out of her mind to be embarrassed about being held. Rithe was conscious, or at least appeared to be, as her mind was still living out a horrible memory. "No.." She says weakly, struggling to escape from Zuel's grasp. "P-please.." She begins crying, her tears cutting a stream through the sand still caking her face. "I c-can't anym-more.." She faintly hits Zuel's breastplate with indignant clenched fists, accomplishing nothing. "There's nothing left to break." 

Spoiler

ID# 105524 results:

 Craft: 12(safe)

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

Zuel would watch giving Rithe a confused look as she began to speak while she was still groggy. "Rithe...?"  Surprised once again as she began to hit him he noticed that she was crying. Just what happened to this girl before SAO. I better get us back as soon as possible. Now with more of a sense of urgency Zuel went back to the pulling the cart with all his strength and began to run a bit. As they finally approached the town the wind would pick up one final time blowing against him making it much harder for him to run as the gust would lift the sand to once again pick up heading toward their direction. Ignoring the wind he would continue to press forward as the heat began to finally feel less and less intense as they got closer to the town. Once he would reach the city outskirts where the winds would stop and it would be much cooler Zuel would fall to the ground from exhaustion as he would pant heavily as his body finally caught up to him from running. 

Spoiler

ID# 105533 results:

Craft: 5 (Safe)

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Zuel

[Rithe 0]

She was numb, suspended in a void of nothingness. Rip, tear, rend, carve, crush, scorch, scar, pierce, starve... What is next cannot possibly be worse than what I've already been through. After being laid back onto the cart, Rithe is reintroduced to the heat, exasperating her delirium. At this point she was babbling quietly, completely incoherent. Wake up.. She shifts fitfully on the cart, staring at nothing, curled tightly in on herself. Snap out of it.. The wind, howling, carries her empty words across the sun-blasted landscape. What happened to proving your strength? Why do you have to rely on everyone you come across? You're weak.. I'm weak..Then, the sounds of her world change, the sandstorm dying off as they arrive in the city limits. Get up! No more being a burden! Rithe sits up so suddenly that she falls off the back of the cart, yelping in alarm. Taking some time to recuperate herself, she stands up, shakily, and examines the situation. Noticing Zuel, she rushes over to his side, glancing at his health bar, and breathing a sigh of relief. She wants to speak, to apologize, but the words won't come to her. Instead she just sits down beside him, and leans against the cart, wiping tears and sweat from her face.

She looked at her own HP bar and noticed its slight decrease, giving her a strange sense of relief. So it was the heat that made me say those weird things. 

Spoiler

ID# 105534 results:

 Craft: 1(hazadous environment deals 20 damage)

Rithe: 160/180 HP

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Rithe
Resisting the desert.

[Zuel 0]

After resting for a bit Zuel would regain his senses and lift himself up looking to Rithe as his hair would be full of sweat and messy as it would drip from his forehead. He was relief that she was okay now as he went to talk with her but he was stopped by the quest NPC as he rushed over excited to see they had returned with his card full of his items. "Wonderful! I can't believe you two actually survived. Many adventures don't survive in that desert, Well done!." Just then a confirmation would appear in front of them both to complete the quest as well as their rewards for doing so. Zuel would rise to his feet looking to Rithe not sure what to say to her, since it really wasn't his place to pry into her past and didn't want her to become unstable like before. "Congratulations of completing the quest." He would give her a weak smile trying to lighten the mood a bit as he would stumble to his feet still a bit exhausted from the quest.