[PP-F22] The Ivory Citadel

[Vigilon 0]

                  Welp, Vigilon wasn't going to stick around for this, better help Dazia get Shanno to safety!

    Down the tower, down the tower, the shaking has stopped, but now Vigilon was getting worried, for who knows what's coming.
             Speaking of which... "Hey, Shanno," Vigilon began as the players were making their way down. "Do you know what the seals were containing?" 
                      Shanno quickly recalled what she'd read. "Two groups, the Ivory Clan, and the Ebony Clan." Shanno answered. Were these groups small, medium, or large? If they could overrun the players, Vigilon was going to assume they were pretty damn large if that was really the case. Sure, he could get into another scrap or two soon, but Dazia's HP wasn't looking the best. If this place was called the Ivory Citadel, maybe there was more about this "Ivory Clan" that had something to do with this Citadel, and this "Ebony Clan" had something else, who knows.

                  

Vigilon: HP 737/760 | EN 64/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 403/660 | EN 24/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

[Dazia 0]

                      Wonderful, two clans... NPC factions, and now they've been released. But this was a mission, and Dazia intended to see it through. Shanno needed to be brought out safely, no matter what. The three players managed to get out of the room that connected the Citadel to the Tower, so there ends the linear path. Now there was probably a maze of rooms to get through before they could finally escape, as Dazia wasn't able to retrace her steps beyond here.
                       She tried to retrace her steps regardless, but they didn't make any sense. "Damn it, the way we came isn't making sense! There should have been a room over there!" She thought aloud. Shanno then remembered a detail from the time she was around exploring the Citadel prior to being trapped at the Tower. "The rooms, they change and shift. There was a room there, but not anymore." She revealed.

         Well, that just made things a whole lot harder.

 

Vigilon: HP 737/760 | EN 64/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 443/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

[Vigilon 0]

                      So this place was nearly impossible to navigate? Nah, can't be... "Shanno...do you, by any chance have anything that could reveal a layout of the Citadel? A map? Memory will also do, if possible. If the odd rooms are the ones that shift and change, then the rest of the Citadel should be straightforward, right?" Vigilon asked Shanno, essentially thinking out loud as he did so. Shanno took a second to think.
       "...I don't have a physical map with me, but I remember getting lost and figuring out a few pathways. I intended to climb upwards to see where I was exactly and which direction to go, but that's when I ended up trapped by the monster you killed." Shanno explained. "I remember coming from...this way!"
             Shanno would take point from here, but Vigilon kept an eye out for anything different, just in case. For a second, he looked to the side and he could have sworn he'd seen blue dots and shifting white pass by the other end of the corridor he was looking towards...weird.

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 110/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 443/660 | EN 28/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

                      Dazia listened to the two players' conversation, but there wasn't much that Dazia could chime in for. Nevertheless, she listened, then allowed Shanno to take the lead. Of course, Dazia kept her weapon in hand just in case anything showed up. Everything in the interior and exterior of this damn place was white, so not only was there no use sneaking, there was hardly any way to properly remember these halls...but from what Dazia's memory and the present moment could tell, Shanno was right, while the strange rooms kept appearing, disappearing, and changing, the halls had no changes to them.

                 At the end of the next hall, Dazia could see another color...which wasn't a good thing, it meant interference. She took the lead from that moment as to protect Shanno, but then as the three players drew near, Dazia was able to make out the odd shapes of the entities there. By the time Dazia stopped, she was nearly face to face with the things. They were all black, save for a pair of red gemstones where the eyes should be...but what was confusing wasn't the normal, black armored arms and legs, but the bodies of these creatures themselves. "What the hell...? Are these...Chess pieces??" Dazia observed, for they looked like giant black pawns with arms and legs, as well as rubies for eyes.

 

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 110/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 84/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

                  So the three players would get roadblocked by a bunch of black chess pieces with limbs. Odd. Three pawn looking things just staring at the three players. It was almost casually awkward, but then a dark knight with a red-eyed, dark horse head joined the trio of pawns. This couldn't be good.

          Yeah, there was no avoiding a fight at this point. Vigilon readied his weapon, and struck all four enemies with his Sword Art. The Ebony Pawns were all heavily damaged, only the horse-headed Ebony Knight remained above half its HP. Vigilon breathed out a sigh of relief. "Phew...thank God these are just common goons, I don't know what we would've done if they were more than that..." He remarked.

              So then, this was the Ebony Clan, judging by their dark colors, as well as the names of these monsters, <<Ebony Pawn>>, <<Ebony Knight>>. This must mean that if the Ebony Clan was made up of monsterfied black pieces, then white pieces turned into monsters would be the Ivory Clan, right?

 

ID# 218545 BD: 3+4=7(hit)

ID# 218546 BD: 9(Critical, +1 Base DMG, inflicted Paralysis)

ID# 218547 BD: 5+4=9(hit)

ID# 218548 BD: 8+4-2=10(hit)

AoE-I: 23x15=345 Damage to Ebony Pawns 1 and 3, and Ebony Knight! 24x15=360 Damage to Ebony Pawn 2!

 

[1-2-1-1]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 89/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0-0-0-0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 84/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Pawn 1: HP 155/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 2: HP 140/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 3: HP 155/500 | 128 DMG

Ebony Knight: HP 455/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

                        So, the two clans were just a bunch of chess pieces...all that Dazia could hope at this point was that the rooks, bishops, kings and queens weren't too dangerous, as the pawns and knights seemed to be much easier to kill than expected. Even the Knight, whose HP was still above the halfway point when taking damage from Vigilon's attack...after all, the two players had been through far worse than this.

              Dazia prepared her sword art, and Shanno stepped back as the two other players fought. Dazia's attack slaughtered the three pawns, but the knight was left standing. Dazia prepared herself, as it seemed to be readying an attack that would leave an impact if it were successful. "Shanno, to my left." She suggested. Once Shanno moved, the Ebony Knight rushed towards Dazia. She sidestepped the attack and grappled the monster by the arm, proceeding to use momentum against it, swinging it with a spin and slamming it against the wall. The wall displayed <<Immortal Object>>, but the enemy did not look like it was having a good day.

 

ID# 218549 BD: 3+3=6(hit), MD: 7

ID# 218550 BD: 8+3=10(hit, Fallen activates!), MD: 10

ID# 218551 BD: 4+3=7(hit), MD: 9

ID# 218552 BD: 2+3-2=3(miss), LD: 11(Enemy used Nightmare's Charge), MD: 1(Critical miss)

AoE-I: 23x15=345 Damage to Ebony Pawns 1 and 3, 31x15=465 Damage to Ebony Pawn 2!

ID# 218553 CD: 2, LD: 8+1=9(3500 Col, <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218553>>)

ID# 218554 CD: 8, LD: 10+1=11(3500 Col, <<T4 Rare Weapon 218554a>>, and <<T4 Uncommon Consumable 218554b>>)

ID# 218555 CD: 10, LD: 8+1=9(4000 Col, <<T4 Rare Trinket 218555>>)

 

[1]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 89/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 69/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Pawn 1: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 2: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG
Ebony Pawn 3: HP 0/500 | 128 DMG

Ebony Knight: HP 455/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

             Dazia finished off the Ebony Pawns and slammed the Ebony Knight into the wall. Victory was pretty much assured, Vigilon and Dazia simply had to win it...and to win it, the two players would need to hit this thing. "I'm going in for an attack, Move so you don't get caught in the crossfire!" Vigilon alerted Dazia. Once there was an opening, Vigilon readied his weapon and his sword art, before unleashing his attack against the Ebony Knight.

       The Ebony Knight was now looking really bad, and its HP was in the red. It couldn't last much longer like this, and yet, it apparently wanted to keep fighting, based on the look in its glowing red eyes. Ah, yes...the classic case of the typical Aincrad monster behavior, regardless of floor...where the monsters' reactions to being in danger isn't "Oh shoot I gotta run", but instead "I'm taking you to hell with me".

 

ID# 218661 BD: 8+4-2=10(hit), CD: 11(ST-B Available!)

AoE-II: 23x18=414 Damage to Ebony Knight!

 

[2]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 75/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 69/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 41/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

             It was always the same old damn thing.
       Monsters turn out to be smarter than expected, a clash of equal skill, and a lock of weapons...at least, that's what happened when Dazia went in to strike after Vigilon damaged it. Exactly how was Vigilon doing better than Dazia was? Was there some kind of luck the dumbass had that flip-flopped for better or for worse specifically on the situation?

                      Dazia glared burning daggers into the cold red dead eyes of the Ebony Knight, but it didn't seem to care about Dazia's mood whatsoever. The two simply kept pushing at each other, though it seemed that Dazia was making better progress despite the size comparison between the both of them. Shanno could only watch as the two were engaged in a shoving match as their weapons remained locked against each other. "You better come in clutch, Vigilon!" Dazia called out. As much as she would have loved to make the kill, she was getting tired of this, and just wanted to get Shanno out of here unscathed.

 

ID# 218845 BD: 2+3=5(miss), LD: 3(Enemy used Nightmare's Charge), MD: 6-4=2(miss)

 

[2]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 75/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 71/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 41/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

Edited February 14 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

                     It must be hard for Shanno, only being able to stand and watch as the two other players fought on, with seemingly no end in sight, 'cause this Ebony Knight knew how to dodge, block, lock, deflect, push during a lock, the list goes on...

    Point was, this Ebony Knight seemed to be giving it's all for it's survival...and Vigilon knew why. This thing wasn't gonna stop until Vigilon went down as well. Despite the fact that Dazia was managing to hold it off, she was failing to damage it while doing so. She called for Vigilon to make an attack, but as it turns out, it's hard to strike a target when said target is in lock with an ally and can attempt to use said ally as a meat shield. Vigilon canceled out his attack the moment Dazia was in harm's way. "Damn, this thing's way smarter than it looks..." He thought. There had to be a way around this predicament, and if Dazia couldn't get a scratch on this thing, he'd need to consider his options, and quickly.

 

ID# 219019 BD: 2+4-2=4(miss)

 

[2]Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 77/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
[0]Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 71/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 41/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

Edited February 14 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

The night rolls on

 

ID# 219041 BD: 10(Critical, +2 Base DMG), LD: 12, MD: 1

ST-I: 25x12=300 Damage to Ebony Knight!

ID# 219042 CD: 2, LD: 12+1=13(2404 Col, <<T4 Rare Trinket 219042>>)

 

Vigilon: HP 760/760 | EN 77/110 | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD
Dazia: HP 483/660 | EN 63/84 | 23 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 8 Fallen | 1 LD

                  Enemies:

Ebony Knight: HP 0/800 | 135 DMG | 1 ACC | 2 EVA

Abilities:
Nightmare's Charge: An attack that Inflicts Stun on Critical Hits. Used on LD 1-12.
Blood Knight's Blade: An attack that steals half the damage dealt. Used on LD 13-20.

Edited February 16 by Dazia