Warren 0 Posted June 22, 2020 Author #21 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 Spoiler ID: 154797 LD4 Fail "Yeah, a real shame," Warren mused as the next plant he attempted to gather wilted in his hands before eventually shattering. Warren understood that they weren't on the same quest and they were merely completing their quests together but honestly, he wondered why there couldn't be some sharing system in place. Warren felt bad enough about the fact that he wasn't very successful in his gathering, but it was made all the more irritating when he realized that he was holding Elora up. She'd blazed past him and was almost done with the gathering portion. Warren still had a ways to go. He wasn't a very emotional man but damn if this whole situation didn't have him frustrated almost to the point of breaking. "I'm really sorry about all this. Do you maybe have some pointers? I have no idea what it is that I'm doing wrong and I don't want to eat your whole day." Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 22, 2020 #22 Report Share Posted June 22, 2020 (edited) "It's all about the technique", Elora began haughtily, "You've got to make sure you're careful when you touch the plant and start to separate it from its stem, wherever it may be" Her eyes scanned the area, looking for an interesting plant that she could use as a demonstration for her expertise. Past a series of boulders that protruded from the brook was a small island of foliage which had likely surfaced after the river's flooding. Rich in nutrients, the soil had produced a bounty of burgundy berries which were surrounded by cylindrical flowers in an array of red and purple colors. Elora made her way to the spot by gracefully stepping, then hopping over the smoothed river-rocks. "The most important thing is be confident in your gesture. If you hesitate and --" Just before she could make it to the isle, Elora lost her footing on a particularly slippery stone that was glazed with a thin layer of slime. "A-AHHH!", she cried out in surprise. Her arm reached out to grab anything that could stop her fall, haphazardly clenching one of the prickly stems of a berry bush before it snapped off and caused her to plummet into the water. Spoiler ID#: 154800 LD1 Critical Fail Edited June 23, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 23, 2020 Author #23 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Spoiler ID: 154802 LD4 Fail Warren rushed forward when he heard her scream. Before he could even process what he was doing, Warren was diving into the river after her. He'd heard rumors from players that swimming in Aincrad was particularly dangerous. Something about the weight of you armor and weapons dragging you down. The moment he plunged into the ice cold waters, that became readily apparent. If not for the fact he was hyped up on adrenaline and still riding out his last dose of the Azrael-series concoctions, he probably wouldn't be able to move at all. The current of the river was more swift than he had anticipated. Both he and Elora were whisked away before either of them could really get their bearings. Warren, however, spent a lot of his time in the water. Having routinely gone to the gym in the real world to stay in shape, running laps around the pool made him a stronger swimmer than most. He quickly closed the gap between them and snaked his arm around her waist. At least he hoped it was her waist. As the water grew ever more choppy, it was impossible to tell. Struggling against the current wouldn't avail him, really. Best bet was to run perpendicular to it and hopefully let the waters drag the two of them somewhere they could clamber back onto land. Pulling her, her weapons, her armor, and his own kit was an almost impossible task. But he managed to pull through it. Eventually, the waters calmed and planted them at another riverbank some distance away from the clearing. Warren dragged her back to shore and then collapsed on his back, taking big gulps of air. "All in the technique, huh?" Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 23, 2020 #24 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 (edited) Elora's first instinct was to touch the bottom of the river bed and stand up, except that when her feet extended to search for the floor, they were met with no resistance. Her head quickly submerged beneath the water's surface as a strong undercurrent drug her downstream. Her arms resisted it and fought to tread water, but the weight of her equipment and the items she gathered were difficult to counter. The next sweeping motion of her arm made contact with a solid object -- maybe a fallen tree she could grab hold of. As she bent her arm to cling to it, she felt its branch -- no, another arm -- wrap around her waist. Warren! The realization he had fallen in after she did caused a second wave of panic to wash over her. Before she could even act on her drive to get them to safety, he had already begun to change the direction of their course. Blessedly, Elora's feet scrapped against a series of submerged rocks. She pushed off from them, assisting him in bringing both of them closer to the shallows. Once they had managed to crawl onto shore, Elora released the berry plant, which had never left the clutches of her hand. A green screen materialized above her: ALL MATERIALS GATHERED. RETURN TO ZAKARIAH'S WORKSHOP TO COMPLETE THE QUEST. Admittedly, it was a comforting announcement to see, however....She turned her head to look at Warren, who was completely drenched and laying on the sand, gasping for air. It felt so....hollow.... "I'm...so sorry...", she said with her head hanging in embarrassment for what he witnessed her do, and for she put him through. Spoiler ID#: 154818 LD17 (5/5 Materials Found) Edited June 23, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 23, 2020 Author #25 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Spoiler ID: 154280 LD9 Fail Warren was too busy trying to catch his breath to gather anything right now. Honestly, that was way more work than he thought he would be dealing with today. At least the two of them were safe. Even after her attempt to flex on him, Elora still finished her gathering long before him. No small wonder. He barely had the energy to move. Warren truly didn't know what he would do if he didn't get some food in him soon. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug in that it left you utterly exhausted when it wore off. He didn't know if he'd be able to move his arm, much less trudge all the way back to town. His hand found purchase on a plant on the riverbank. It shattered as soon as his hand came into contact with it. Really, he needed some food. Then he heard a noise off in the distance. Something was coming. He was too tired to warn Elora of the approaching mystery thing. He really hoped it wasn't an angry tree. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted June 23, 2020 #26 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 "HOT DOG!" Oscar exclaimed. From out of nowhere, the hot dog man yeeted a hot dog at Warren. Specifically, a Crazy Lucky Hot Dog. Then, he ran off into the night. Why was Oscar out in this part of the forest? Honestly? He was stalking his young friend to make sure that he didn't bite off more than he could chew. He'd been following them since they left the city. Once Elora and Warren had fallen into the water, he followed them along the riverside to make sure they didn't, you know, drown. Swimming was the one portion of the game in which levels bore no weight. Luckily, it seemed that Warren had been a good swimmer and was able to get both himself and Elora to safety. But the poor guy looked tuckered. After so many failures at gathering, it made a lot of sense. So, Oscar decided to help him out with a tactical meat missile. Hopefully that would help speed things along a bit. Transfers <<Crazy Lucky Hot Dog<< [T1 Snack 3 LD] to Oscar Spoiler Oscar - Lvl 62 1270 HP 124 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 Ivory Gold Leaf Ring [Tier 1 Demonic Trinket] | ACC, ACC, EVA, EVA 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 Fishing | Gain materials/encounter enemies based on CD result. First Aid | Rank 5: Restore 12% of target’s max health [Cost: 4% 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 Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 23, 2020 #27 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Elora sat up and spun toward the noise, positioning her spear defensively between it and the two of them. A stream of water splattered off from her arms when she made the motion. Sh*t sh*t sh*t, she thought to herself, How the hell are we going to defend ourselves if that's another player? A tall man emerged from the woods and enthusiastically shouted "HOT DOG!" before hurling an item at Warren. Elora's first instinct was to knock it out of the air to prevent it from hitting him. But as it sailed majestically over to them, she could read it's title: "Crazy Lucky Hot Dog". Is that...something to help him?, she deduced confusedly. The frankfurter landed directly onto Warren's mouth -- a direct hit! Before she had the chance to thank the strange strategist sausage assailant, he had already fled the scene. Was it really nighttime already? "What the f*ck was THAT?" Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 23, 2020 Author #28 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 From out of nowhere came a tactical meat missile. Expert aim delivered the dish directly to Warren's lap. He looked to his right to see Oscar retreating into the woods. Warren couldn't even complain about the man stalking him at this point. Not if he was delivering food when he was in such a tight spot. Warren forced himself to sit upright, leaning his back against a rock. He looked down and examined the hot dog, taking note of the enhancements provided on the dish. A boost to his luck might be just what the doctor ordered. He quickly plucked the dog from his lap and greedily devoured it. Five bites or less, as hot dog etiquette dictated. Even though it was a virtual food and Warren wasn't actually physically exhausted, just the mere act of eating reinvigorated him. He felt his energy returning. For now, however, he would wait and let the food finish its work. There was no sense in rushing things. Hopefully it would provide just the edge he needed to give this quest a final push. "That was Oscar," Warren began, his voice just a bit less tired. "The patron I was telling you about. No clue how he found us here." Warren consumes <<Crazy Lucky Hot Dog>> +3 Loot Die Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 23, 2020 #29 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 (edited) "O-oh", Elora spoke. She didn't know whether or not that actually clarified anything about the circumstances of their situation. "He seems nice" There wasn't really an easy avenue of conversation for her to transition to after everything had happened. "Wellll", she added as she stood up completely and began to stretch her legs. The weight of her armor and her clothing felt twice as heavy now with all of that water trapped inside of them. Getting back to the Town of Beginnings was going to be a long-haul. "I think I'll scout out where we are now while you take a rest. Maybe I can find something for you to collect" With that, she began to scan the stretch of bank, which was surrounded by tall reeds with circular bulbs that almost seemed to glow from within as sky's light began to dim. Small amphibious creatures bounced across puddles and began to chirp in an unharmonious chorus. Spoiler ID#: 154992 LD5 No Treasure Chest Found Edited June 23, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 23, 2020 Author #30 Report Share Posted June 23, 2020 Spoiler ID: 154995 LD1+3 Fail Armed with his newfound luck, Warren decided to try his hand at grabbing a flower again. Noticing a bright red bloom, Warren jumped to his feet and strode over to it. Stooping down to pick it up, his fingers wrapped around the stem. He had been going for a clean break, but unfortunately the plant had other plans. For you see, some predators use bright coloration to attract their prey. This was no different. The moment he tugged at the flower stem, roots shot out of the ground and bound him. Held thusly, he couldn't reach his sword to hack himself free. The ground rumbled and cracked as a massive set of fangs burst from the ground and began to close around him. Stay calm. This is floor one. It can't be that strong, Warren reminded himself. "Hey Elora! Wanna give me a hand with this real quick? Maybe before this thing eats me?" Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 24, 2020 #31 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) Elora gasped and quickly scrambled to ready her spear. "D-don't worry, I'll -- uhm -- I'll get you free!", she consoled him with the shakiest voice imaginable. It would be apparent to anyone observing that she had never engaged in a battle before, especially one where it was up to her to take the initiative. Her first impulse was to get the hell away from the thing and save herself from being eaten. No, no, no! You're going to stay and fight that thing! Warren saved you after your escapade and now you're going to do the same! , Elora thought as she quickly talked herself out of it. Before she could allow herself to waver, she rushed forward toward the beast. Elora jumped into the air and forced the point of her spear into the monster's mouth. It quickly recoiled at the pain, retracting its roots from coiling around Warren. She landed awkwardly on the ground, clearly unsure of her footing. The roots quickly fell limp and turned black as dirt broke off and slid from the hole nearby into the creature's mouth, burying it completely. Spoiler ID#: 154997 LD8 Hit (basic jab) Edited June 24, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 24, 2020 Author #32 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 Spoiler ID: 154998 LD10+3 3/5 Materials found Just as Warren thought, the creature that had had him in its grasp wasn't strong at all. Though, he shuddered to think what might have happened if he had been alone. After the roots released him, he dusted himself off and gave Elora a bright, sincere smile. Completely uncharacteristic of him, but she had just saved his life. In the plant's wake, there was still the red flower. Warren tried his luck at picking it and, much to his surprise, he succeeded. He was one step closer to finally being done with this quest. His guilt for holding her up subsided somewhat. If they'd parted ways, she would have met her end at the river and Warren would have been slowly gnawed to death by the plant. Though the quest was taking longer due to his ineptitude, the two of them were safer together. "I think we make quite the team Elora. That was a pretty badass thing you did." Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 24, 2020 #33 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) Elora's face shifted from an anxious expression to one containing pride and a beaming smile. "I defeated it!", she exclaimed. The statement seemed to be pointing out the fact to Warren just as much as it was reinforcing the accomplishment to herself. "I thought it was going to eat you! I've never been able -- well I guess I've never tried -- to land a hit like that! You were even able to keep the flower! Maybe we should start killing more monsters if they leave behind items like that" By now, the Sun was setting and a dim blue sky loomed over them. The orbs atop the reeds swayed and glowed a soft blue while yellow smudges of light from nocturnal insects sprinkled the vegetation around them. "It's getting late now, why don't we start heading back? I'm sure you'll be able to find more to gather on the way, especially with your newfound luck" She gave him a playful wink "That is, if we can even find our way back" Edited June 24, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 24, 2020 Author #34 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 Spoiler ID: 155036 LD18+3 4/5 Materials found "Yeah, that's probably a good idea. If we follow the river, I think we might find some familiar terrain." Warren was a little worried about traveling at night. But, then again, the monsters here were barely threatening. Between Warren's gear and Elora's newfound combat confidence, he was pretty sure they they'd be fine until they found a familiar landmark. It wasn't as if they were completely fumbling around in the dark though. The full moon shed a ton of light on the situation. So much so that Warren was able to pluck another flower off the ground, making it that much more progress towards finishing the quest off. "Hey! I only need one more now! Let's hope it doesn't take all night. The first four took forever!" He shot Elora a playful smirk. He was in a weirdly good mood for someone who'd just been swept downriver and almost eaten by a hungry hungry plant. Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 24, 2020 #35 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) With that, the two of them headed up the river by following a narrow trail that laid beside it. Elora took in the scenery around them, once again happy to bask in nature without being swarmed by insects. It was long before the reached the edge of the forest. A field assorted with tall grasses and flowers now extended between them and the Town of Beginnings. "Good thing Zakariah isn't based on a real old man, or we'd probably have to wait all night before we could see him again tomorrow morning", she chuckled at her own joke, "Do you think that making the potions with him to will be any easier?" She hoped that it would be. Even though Elora had enjoyed her time foraging with Warren, she was ready for a bit of a break. She had never been adventuring outside of the city walls before and was starting to feel the affects of a long day's work on her body. Edited June 25, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 24, 2020 Author #36 Report Share Posted June 24, 2020 Spoiler ID: 155037 LD17+3 5/5 Materials found Warren bent over to try to pick another flower. He beamed with glee as the words appeared in his quest log. ALL MATERIALS GATHERED. RETURN TO ZAKARIAH'S WORKSHOP TO COMPLETE THE QUEST. He straightened up and let out a contented sigh. "I'm hoping so. Though, I'm doubting my skills as an alchemist are going to come into play. I feel like the intention was for this quest to be finished before Earning a Living." Warren looked around, trying to find his bearings. It seemed like civilization was super far away. No matter where he looked, there wasn't anything familiar in view. The darkness didn't help. "I don't know. It might be morning before we get back. That river really messed us up." Maybe a better idea was to wait it out until morning. He'd heard that night time in Aincrad was dangerous. Would they even survive the night. Then, he heard a tone. A message? Warren quickly opened it. Quote From: Oscar Hey. I'm near the main road. Follow my location data. "Hey, Elora. Oscar just sent me a message. I think he's gonna help us get back." Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 26, 2020 #37 Report Share Posted June 26, 2020 A smile appeared on Elora's face as she watched Warren's reaction to completing his quest. It was good that they were both eventually able to finish gathering the items. Although she reached her objective before him, she would have felt guilty if hadn't stayed and encouraged him to see things through. "I don't know. It might be morning before we get back. That river really messed us up." Reading his expression now, he seemed worried about whether or not they'd make it back safely. That unsettled Elora, who didn't think being outside the city walls at odd hours would make much of a difference. I was able to defeat that thing that grabbed hold of him, so I'm sure if we were both fighting a monster we'd be able to take it down easily. Who knows though, maybe it was one of the weak ones... She jumped a little upon hearing a sudden "BLIP" interrupt the silence between them. Thankfully it was only the sound of a notification. "Hey, Elora. Oscar just sent me a message. I think he's gonna help us get back.", said Warren with a hint of relief. Well, I don't know if I want that basket case leading us back, but I guess it's better than nothing... "That sounds good", she said nodding, "Do you know how we're going to find him though?" Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 26, 2020 Author #38 Report Share Posted June 26, 2020 "Oscar said something about following his location data. So if I pull up my friend list..." He worked through his menu until a map of the area came up with two blinking cursors on it. The one centered on the screen was Warren's. The other was Oscar. He wasn't too far away. "If we go this way, we'll find him." Warren led them through the forest until it finally opened up to a clearing. In the distance, Warren could make out Oscar holding some form of light. Warren quickly dashed up to him and was about to speak. Oscar merely gestured over his shoulder and started walking. The giant of a man led them back to the city and all the way to Zackariah's shop. Then he disappeared around the corner. Damn that guy was weird. For Warren's part, he was just happy to be back. He turned to Elora with a smile. "Well, you wanna go first and knock this thing out or should I?" Warren didn't really care which. It just felt like they had been on this quest for an eternity. Link to post Share on other sites
Elora 0 Posted June 26, 2020 #39 Report Share Posted June 26, 2020 (edited) "I'll have a go", she confirmed before proceeding to knock on the workshop's door. It wasn't long before Zakariah greeted them and invited them in. "So it seems you've found the herbs I requested, splendid! I hope that Lady Luck was on your side during your travels. It would be unfortunate if the two of you encountered any trouble" The old man was almost obnoxiously nice. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's just get on with the crafting already" was what Elora wanted to say. Zakariah continued, "Follow me and I will help you create a healing potion to aid you in future adventures" He led them past the elaborate chemistry set he had been finicking with when they met and over to a and tiny, rusty cauldron in the corner of the room. "This is where you will --" "Got it, throw the items in", Elora interjected. She hastily dumped her set of herbs into the cauldron. The pot boiled up, filling with pink bubbles and chunks of debris. A notification appeared to show than an item had been added to her inventory x1 Healing Potion - Uncommon Quality . "I'll take that", said Zakariah as he confiscated the potion Healing Potion Given to Zakariah "If you hadn't been so hasty, you would have produced a potion of higher quality. Next time, take it more slowly. Carefully prepare the ingredients and cook them until they're fully incorporated" Elora nodded, then turned to address Warren, rolling her eyes, "You're up" Spoiler ID#: 155409 LD5 = Success (Uncommon Quality) Edited June 26, 2020 by Elora Link to post Share on other sites
Warren 0 Posted June 26, 2020 Author #40 Report Share Posted June 26, 2020 Spoiler ID: 155411 CD6 Uncommon Potion Crafted Making something good wasn't the priority. He just wanted to get this done. Warren haphazardly added the ingredients to the cauldron, letting them stew and simmer for a brief moment before scooping some out into a vial with trained hands and handing the potion off to Zackariah. He was about to launch into his advice when Warren cut him off. "I know what I did. Let's go." Zackariah nodded and handed a package to both him and Elora. "The Blacksmith Lyle is expecting this. Would you be so kind as to deliver it?" In his haste, Warren completely forgot social niceties and grabbed Elora by the hand, all but dragging her all the way to Lyle. Once the two of them dropped off their packages, the QUEST COMPLETE text appeared and a plethora of items were added to their inventories. It felt so good to be done with this, finally. He just wondered whether Lyle's quest would be a pain too. Thread Summary Elora +5 SP [2 Quest, 2 Page, 1 Bonus] 400 Col 5 T1 Health Potions [50 HP] 1 Uncommon DMG Potion [+1 DMG] 1 T1 Overhealth Potion [+50 Overhealth] Warren +7 SP [2 Quest, 2 Page, 1 Bonus, 2 Mega Slime Farm] 400 Col 5 T1 Health Potions [50 HP] 1 Uncommon DMG Potion [+1 DMG] 1 T1 Overhealth Potion [+50 Overhealth] Link to post Share on other sites
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