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[F16/TAROT] High-Seas Skirmish! <<Swashbuckling Buccaneer>>


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The Swashbuckling Buccaneer
 

Spoiler

Oscar - Lvl 57
1170 HP
112 Energy
1 Accuracy (+1 Precision)
0 Evasion 
19 Base Damage - (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Ferocity +9 Familiar +1 Athletics)
106 Mitigation 
12 Fallen
2 Burn
Vampiric (Defensive)
2 Rec
Paralytic Immunity


Equipment
Tesseleth’s Fury [Tier 3 Demonic Two-Handed Battleaxe] | Fallen, Fallen, Burn, Burn
Tactical Outfitting Mk.III [Tier 3 Demonic Light Armor] | Vampiric (Defensive), Para Immune, Rec, Rec
Mythril Greaves [Tier 3 Perfect Heavy Armor] |  +81 MIT
Gloves of Caerus [Tier 1 Perfect Light Armor] | +3 Loot Die

Familiar
Leeroy & Jenkins - Familiar | +3*Tier DMG


Battle Ready Inventory
Teleportation Crystal
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |
Empty Inventory Slot |

Buffs
Well-Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 slot.
Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash | 5% Bonus Col from Monster kills and Chests
Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25%

Skills
2HBA | Rank 5: +8 Damage
Light Armor | Rank 5: +25 Damage Mitigation
Battle Healing | Rank 5: Recover 5% of Max HP every round while in combat
Concentration | +1 to your BD (3 turn cooldown)
Survival | Heal 15*Tier HP when out of battle
Parry | 2-turn CD, 5 EN Half damage of next attack and remove Stun/Paralysis effects

Skill Mods
Ferocity                   | Increases Base Damage by 1
Athletics                  | Increases Base Damage by 1, Max HP by 10*tier
Precision                 | Increases Accuracy by 1
Justified Riposte      | Successful Parries Stun Opponent, 3 Turn CD
Finesse Rank 3       | -3 EN on 2HBA Sword Arts

The clashing of steel echoed out through the chamber. Torches lined the walls, casting dancing lights upon the two figures in the center of the room. Sand crunched beneath their feet with every step as they crossed blades in the shallow pit built into the center of the room. Oscar, for his part, hadn't spent much time at all in Tarot's new Guild Hall. The time he did spend had been mostly to fill the vault with consumables. He'd never actually taken the time to familiarize himself with the Hall's amenities. Fitting, really, that his first actual engagement with the Guild was for the benefit of another member instead of himself.

Oscar and NIGHT had found themselves in the Hall at the same time. Rather than just wave at one another in passing, Oscar had been struck with the sudden desire to actually get some use out of the place. Thus, she and he found themselves locked in faux combat inside the safety of the Training Room. From the moment they cross blades, Oscar could tell that it was numbers and not skill that she was lacking. Though she had managed to tag him more than once, her tier was the only thing holding her back from really making him feel the hit. It was odd, really. Level-wise, she wasn't that far behind him. But level 50 came with better multipliers and the difference was apparent.

They locked blades one final time and then separated. With a smile, Oscar turned and placed his training sword back on the rack. He wasn't proficient with a one-handed straight sword, but then again, he didn't need to be. It was the same general concept. Dodge or repel attacks, swing in with one of your own. Sword Art Online wasn't such a complex game that the basic premise of combat fluctuated to such a profound degree with a simple change in weapon. Besides, placing both of them on equal footing for their training would simply make the lessons keep easier. If he'd used Tesseleth's Fury, he doubted she would have learned anything besides how disgustingly powerful the weapon was.

"I think we've done enough for today, NIGHT. Did you manage to learn anything useful from that?"

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"Uh, yeah. Sword arts sure are super handy--!"

...

Goddammit--

They'd finally gotten their guild hall sorted out, a nice little enclave in the middle of nowhere, secrets dancing about its environment so that it stayed secluded from prying eyes and public entry. Upon first entry, NIGHT hadn't expected to lay her eyes upon a training hall, since 'skill' wasn't exactly a field one needed to hone in with regards to Sword Art Online. With the system's aid, any player could be a warrior, given enough numbers to overwhelm the foe.

So why then did her good friend Oscar invite her to spar if only but a moment's entertainment...? If anything, the session only served to bring out just how much of a sore winner NIGHT felt that she had to be, doing her best to tag Oscar despite the differences in their experience and strength. The fact that her taller mentor for the day hadn't once winced at her strikes made her wonder just how much power lied in her skill points to her equipment, as she tore away from the battle ground to return her double-handed blade to its rest, the woman letting out a few breaths trying to recover from her exertion.

"No, I'm just kidding," she quickly followed up, wringing the back of her neck with a gloved hand. "It's really as someone told me before -- that sword arts leave openings in one's defenses for a time, so well-placed or well-timed strikes are the key factors into..."

She turned over to the court, gesturing with an open hand. "... Fights or duels like those, I guess." Combat against players was a little more strategizing work than against system-guided enemies, so it made sense for her to feel a little more worn out than usual. NIGHT blew out a cool breath, instinctively dabbing her cheeks with the back of her hands, only to find that her face wasn't too warm (was it even warm at all?), and that she'd still remained gloved.

Old habits died hard, she guessed. One tinkling of her menus to redon her tracksuit, and the player returned to her usual getup.

Spoiler

NIGHT
 | HP: 910/910 | EN: 88/88
 | ACC: 6 (4, +2) | DMG: 21 (16, +3+2) | EVA: 5 (2, +2+1*) | MIT: 6 (36, -30) | VAMP(OFF): 1 | BLEED: 24 | PARAV-D: 1 | LD: 2
 | Stealth Detection: 2
* [Filling] used to provide +1 EVA.


[Skills]
 | 
Mod Count: 4/5

  1. Two-Handed Straight Sword | Passive | RANK 5/5
    Ferocity, Precision, Finesse
  2. Heavy Armor | Passive | RANK 3/5 
    Athletics
  3. Searching | Passive | RANK 2/5
  4. - - -
  5. - - - 

-[Extra]

  • Survival | Passive 
  • Concentration | Active -- CD: 3
     
  • Familiar Mastery: Fighter | Passive | RANK 3/3

[Equipment]

  • Dracbane
    -- [ Vampiric (Offensive) | Natural successful attack rolls of 9-10 heals the player for 10% of their Max HP. ]
    -- [ Bleed | Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 deal 24 unmitigated bleed damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Bleed damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. ]
    -- [ Accuracy | +1 ACC ]
  • Reminiscing The Lord
    -- [ Mitigation II | +18 MIT ]
    -- [ Paralytic Venom (Defensive) | Natural successful attacks against you of 8-10 removes the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties. ]
  • Silver Crescent Necklace
    -- [ Accuracy II | +2 ACC ]
    -- [ Evasion II | +2 EVA ]

-[Battle-Ready Inventory]

  • [T2] Evasion Dog [2 EVA] (1)   >> Empty Slot
  • [T1] Strength [3 DMG] (1)   >> Empty Slot
  • [T1] Artisan Carrot Cake [2 ACC] (1)   >> Empty Slot
  • [T1] Well-Done Steak [2 Protein] (1)   >> Empty Slot
  • - - -
  • - - -
  • - - -

[Misc]

  • -- [ Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots ]
    -- [ Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat. ]
    -- [ Col Stash | +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests. ]
    -- [ Relaxed | Increases out of combat health regeneration by (5 * Tier) per post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. ]
    -- [ Squeaky Clean | In a thread, -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player. ]
    -- [ Filling | In a thread, +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. ]
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Lessa hadn't expected to enjoy the Guild Hall as much as she did. She had her own home, a house she absolutely loved, so she didn't really need the real estate. Plus, the cost of the hall was, in Lessa's mind, astronomical; she'd been more than a little embarrassed to watch Bahr cover the lion's share. Frankly, she'd encouraged the purchase simply because of the buffs it provided, and she hadn't planned to spend any time there.

She'd been pleasantly surprised. There was something wonderful about hanging out in the House of Cards, and running into your best friends as they came and went. The hall provided a place for Lessa to socialize, without the stress of taverns or parks, and the crowds that lurked there. In fact, spending time there was a bit like being in a dorm in college. The camaraderie was something she didn't even know she had needed. Plus, she could just lie on the couch, listening to the voices that filled the halls, and know she was safe. She was safe, and happy, and a part of something larger than herself. That was worth all the col in the game.

As the now-empty wrapper of her chocolate bar burst into pixels, Lessa rolled off the plush sofa and onto her feet. Voices carried - Oscar and NIGHT, if she weren't mistaken - but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Finally, the blonde had reached the point when her curiosity was simply too strong. Following the sound of discussion, she eventually popped her head into the Training Room.

"Howdy," she greeted warmly, lifting a hand for a quick wave. "Would you guys mind an audience?"

Spoiler

 Basics
Level: 50
Health: 1045
Energy: 100
DMG: 16
MIT: 116
ACC: 4
THNS: 36
BLD: 24

  Skills/Mods   
R5 2HSS
R5 Heavy Armor
Howl
R3 MIT Familiar
Survival
Precision
Ferocity
Athletics
Fishing

Equipment
Scarecrow's Sickle (DMG/DMG/DMG/BLD)
Rosebud Charm (ACC/ACC/ACC)
Rose Gauntlets (THRN/THRN/HM)

Inventory
Transportation Crystal

Housing Buffs
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first
two expenditures of each combat.

Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen
by (5 * Tier 
HP) and decreases full energy regen
to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT
damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT
each turn by 20% (rounded down).

Col Stash+5% bonus col from monster
kills and treasure chests.

Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating,
  Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread.
Can be applied after a roll.

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Of all things to be in SAO, Cordelia never thought she would actually be in a guild. Not to give that whole edgy angsty teenage vibe cough cough pinball but interacting with a whole lot of people was never really her thing. Never was and probably never will be. 'Course, she's gotten better in the last year or so but there are just some things that can't and probably shouldn't be changed. The Tarot was nice, though. Few people in the guild were actually foreign to her, but the ones that she did know were probably her closest friends. If it were any other guild, she probably wouldn't have even given it a chance.

She didn't know why she was so surprised when there was talk about the Guild Hall. She was pretty sure Bahr was more loaded than she'll ever be, which was pretty ironic now that she thought about it and she was pretty sure that it wasn't just him who payed for the place, but did it matter at the moment? Not really. It had a pretty cool name though, really went well with the whole Tarot vibe; House of Cards. It was more of a surprise that it wasn't something totally and utterly shtewpid. "Knowing" Bahr and all of that. . . a pun of some kind wouldn't be out of the question at all-- maybe it was because of Lessa's influence? Kudos to her!

"Mind if I join, too?" Strands of ivory hair draped over her cheeks as she poked her head into the training room. Oh lawd, how did she even get here? The House of Cards was in no way a giant labyrinth but since when was she ever good with directions? Never. The answer was never. She honest to God would have walked into a volcano if it weren't for the built in-game map. 

"It's been a while since we last talked," Cordelia exclaimed, whipping her head over to Lessa with a curious smile as she took a few steps into the training room. "How have you been?"

Spoiler

[STATS:]

LVL: 56 | HP: 1140/1140 | EN: 112/112 | 19 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC

[INVENTORY:]

☆ T3 Katana | Onimaru: PHSE, 12 HLY, ABS. ACC
☆ T1 Light Armor | Bastille’s Resistance: +2 EVA, +1 PARA VNM

☆ T2 Jewelry | Empress' Kanzashi: +3 ACC, +1 EVA

[BATTLE READY:]

☆ [5] Standard Healing Potions [Heals 50 HP]

[CONSUMED:]

[SKILLS:]

Non-combat:

Passive:

☆ R3 Fighter Familiar Skill: +9 DMG
☆ R3 Hiding Skills: +3 Stealth Rating
☆ R5 Light Armor Skill: 25 MIT
  > Athletics: +1 Base DMG, +20 HP
☆ Disguise: [Gain +1 EVA until the start of your next turn]
☆ Survival: [Increases out of combat health regeneration to (15 * Tier) per post. Grants immunity to most damage dealing environmental
attacks/effects.]

Combat:

☆ R5 Battle Healing

Weapon Skills:
☆ R1 Curved Sword Skill 
☆ R5 Katana Skill [+7 DMG/+1 BASE]
  > Ferocity: +1 DMG
  > Precision: +1 ACC
  > R3 Finesse: -3 EN to all SAs

[BUFFS:]

☆ RELAXED: Increases HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts
☆ ADVANCED TRAINING: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month.
☆ TASTY: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast.
☆ HARD-WORKING: +2 EXP per crafting attempt, +1 crafting attempt

 

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"Sorry Less', we were just wrapping up. But look at you all grown up! Level Fifty," Oscar said with a smile. "That's one hell of an accomplishment."

Oscar adjusted his tie absentmindedly as he took a seat on the shallow steps that led down into the sandpit. Believe it or not, it took more work to make it look slightly loose and casual than it did to be actually straight. "NIGHT and I were just breaking in the new training room. Didn't figure we'd run into anyone today." It wasn't for lack of trying, really. Everyone had just been rather busy up until now apparently. Still, it would good for the guild to actually pull together. Being in a guild was nice, especially one that let you do your own thing. But sometimes there was such a thing as too much freedom. Oscar was just about to ask how Lessa had been doing when Cordelia poked her head in. He was more than happy to have her there. "Hey hon. Come on and grab a seat."

Being as it was a Training Room, seating was sparse. But even so, there was only four of them.

Wait, there's four of us!

Before Cordelia had an opportunity to even step into the room, Oscar shot straight up with a look of elation on his face. "We should totally go do a quest together! We haven't been together as a group much and it would be super fun! Much better than what I was going to do today anyway." Oscar put his hands behind his back and thought to himself. If it keeps me from thinking about spider pockets, it can't be that bad of an idea. Wait, I'm thinking about them now. Damn it! I need a distraction. He leaned over towards NIGHT and put on his sweetest smile. "Come on. I know you wanna see how much our little spar helped."

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NIGHT whistled at Lessa's entry and Oscar's following praise. Level fifty? And here the dark-clad player had thought she was doing just fine catching up to her allies. She should've expected everyone else to be hard at work, training as much as she had. Though, to NIGHT, now it just felt like she was lagging behind.

Numbers were always just numbers though, and it wasn't as though the Tarot prided itself on having only the best of the best fighters among its midst.

As the blond shuffled in, her junior piped up with a hearty "Congratulations!" and a light smile, Oscar taking the conversation by its horns from then on. NIGHT let him, her own attention stolen by another set of footsteps by the doorway, and the player's head whipped back towards it. Who was it? Oh-- Cordelia!

Her ally shot her a wave and a beckoning hand gesture in ("Hey-- come on in!"), though it was immediately intercepted by her sparring partner with an excited outburst. Oscar's volume caught NIGHT by surprise, and she took his moment's pause to register the man's words. A quest would be good bonding time with her guild mates, definitely. Plus, the bit of extra experience wouldn't hurt, either.

To his goad, NIGHT shot back half a smile, before looking away, rubbing the back of her neck with a hand. It was a little nerve wrecking being put on the spot. "I mean, I don't know if the spar would really be beneficial against system enemies," the woman confessed, hoping her words wouldn't step on her mentor's toes. "Buuut it makes sense to me to round off my 'training' with a proper encounter, y'know?"

"Though, I like the idea of a guild bonding session," she added, looking back at her guild members. "I don't suppose any of you already have a quest you'd be wanting to head out on? Nothing too difficult, of course." Interest was coming from the weakest player in the room, after all.

NIGHT hummed, cupping her chin in thought, her sights lowering towards the floor. "Still, it would be nice to find it a challenge, though... --Maybe human entities? Then at least there's a chance that our practice could be put into play..."

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"I've been really well," Lessa replied, turning to face Cordelia at the player's question. As always, the long, lean, white-haired beauty caused Lessa to stare for just a beat longer than usual. Fortunately, however, Lessa was beginning to get to know Cord better, on a personal level. She even wasn't intimidated by the woman anymore. Mostly. 

Suddenly struck with the urge to stand a little straighter, Lessa looked to Oscar just as he congratulated her. And what a well-timed congratulations it was. Like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, pride lit every inch of Lessa's expressive face. "Well thanks!" she replied, simply beaming. "It's a shame you beat me to it, but I got there eventually, and that's what really matters." Whatever jitters Cordelia's presence had caused were quickly chased away by the girl's boyfriend. Lessa had something of a soft spot for the man, and his easy, light-hearted way. And his cooking. And yeah, probably because he'd basically saved her butt on a baby quest when he'd been half her level. At least he only teased her a little bit.

Lessa strode over, plopping into a seat beside NIGHT as the woman tossed her own congratulations into the mix. "Thanks so much," Lessa replied, shifting to face her dark-haired guild mate. "You're really coming along as well! You have to be close to level fifty yourself!" Genuine surprise danced in the Guardian's sea-blue eyes as the realization dawned. When had her friends grown so strong? It was as if she'd blinked, and they'd all caught up to her. Or passed me completely. I need to train more. 

Speaking of which. Pivoting atop her chair, Lessa crossed one leg over the other, then leaned forward eagerly. "I'm game," she answered. "I've actually only done a handful of quests, so basically everything is still available. Whatever you guys decide, I'll join you."

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"That's great! I haven't really seen you since the Valentine's day event. I hope you and Bahr are doing well. I haven't heard from him a in while too now that I think about it-  if you get the chance to, tell him Cordelia says hi too," she gushed, giving her a friendly smile. "That if he still he remembers my name or not," she muttered, casting a nervous glance to the side. He was never really good at that, was he? The only part he ever really got right was the 'cor' part but everything after that was a complete mess. 

"Hey to you too. How was the spar?" She asked, her face brightening as turned to face Oscar. "I didn't get to see much of it."

The girl paused, overhearing his comment. "Level fifty? Oh wow, congratulations!" Cordelia exulted, her head swivelling towards Lessa. "That's great! It must be a huge step for you, with gear and stats and all of that fun stuff," she resounded, going off with her own experiences. 

"Oh gosh, It's been a while since the last time I've seen you too, NIGHT. I hope you're doing okay too?" Time truly flew by her in the past months. Especially with the completion of Scents of the Wild and the Easter Event. It was honestly just hard to believe. 

"A quest? Sounds fun. Which one are we planning on doing?" she replied, feeling excited. It's been a while since she had done a quest with a full party like this- and she could only hope that this time it would involve a lot less barf material. "It'd be good experience as guildmates too. You know, like a guild bonding day," Cordelia exclaimed eagerly.

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  • 4 weeks later...

It seemed that everyone was willing to go on a quest, but none of them had any idea on which one to take on. For his part, Oscar still had a fair amount of mid-to-high level quests to take on. Given that they were all level 50 now, each and every one of them were fair game. Except for, possibly, Betrayal of the King. Somehow that seemed a bit beyond their ability. He doubted they would be able to handle it easily even if Bahr came along. Plus, it would rather defeat the purpose of the 'guild bonding day' Cordelia was so excited for. As he mulled over the options, NIGHT piped up that she would prefer humanoid enemies to practice the skills that she had learned from their sparring. That narrowed it down immediately. Out of the two options that remained with that condition in play, only one of them was easy enough for the four of them to run roughshod over but not so easy that it wouldn't be enjoyable. A wide smile stretched over his face as he shot up and covered one of his eyes with his hand. He pointed at the three ladies with a crooked finger and puffed out his chest.

"Avast me mateys! Sounds like ye be lookin' for a high seas adventure!"

He let the sudden shock from his impromptu pirate impersonation sink in. An awkward silence filled the room. Oscar sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "<<Swashbuckling Buccaneer>>. It's a pirate-themed quest on Floor 16. From what I've heard, it's got humanoid enemies and it isn't that hard. I just couldn't be bothered to do it on my own time." Maybe he needed to get better material. His jokes usually always fell flat. Nevertheless, even bad jokes would invoke some laughter so it wasn't like he completely missed his mark. If only they were laughing at the joke and not that he was making a fool of himself. Either way, there was an option on the table now. All that remained was to see what they all thought about it.

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"Close?" It was true that she was resting pretty on the higher rungs of Tier 2, and while the gap between here and Tier 3 was probably much smaller than she'd made it out to herself, NIGHT couldn't help but feel a little inadequate about her progress anyways. Especially while she was next to her higher-leveled peers. "I sure hope so," she returned to Lessa with a small smile. The encouragement, she was certain, helped soothe her anxious soul for a moment. If the player's training from sparring didn't seem like it would pay off, at least she had comfort that the experience she would gain from her opponents would. "I'm in no rush though!"

She'd bowed her head over to Cordelia too, as the woman gave her notice. "Definitely. Feeling as good as any other day." NIGHT couldn't say that much had happened after her visit to her friend's ramen stall, but at least things remained peaceful on her end. That was often enough of a factor to declare that things were going well.

When Oscar proclaimed his plan for their guild outing, all NIGHT could scrounge up was a confused grin. Partially out of pity, partially out of amusement; mostly what swarmed her face was a general expression of loss as the woman was introduced to the proposal without context. It simmered away the moment her guild mate dropped his explanation, NIGHT letting out a breath she didn't even notice she'd been holding in. "So that's what it was about..." The words were torn out of her mouth in a half chuckle. "Well, with the way you'd put it, it sure sounds like it has an interesting premise. Pirates, huh...?"

The player mulled over the prospect, gaze shifted to the far end of the room, before she tagged back into reality again and found herself nodding to her friends. "It's fine by me." Idle hands got to work in taking a crack at her knuckles. "Why not? Could be fun."

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