[F05 - PP] Beneath the Scales | <<Bloodstained Land>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her fight with the creature in the colosseum had gone far better than Nari had expected it to, and as she had returned home – barely getting a few hours of rest – she was notified of another situation on floor five. Deciding it was a problem for tomorrow, she rolled over in her bed, trying to fall asleep. A few moments passed before she realised she wouldn’t be able to rest properly until she did something about the notification.

Sighing heavily as she rolled into a seated position, she brought her menu up, opening her friends list and quickly scrolling through it. Her finger hesitated over a name that she hadn’t actually reached out to before, debating on whether or not it was worth following up on the promise she made at the tournament. ‘What the hell, I did say I wanted to learn from him…’

Quote

 

To: Jomei

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: Hey! We met at the tournament that Baldur held. In round one. I beat you. Sorry about that. That wasn’t nice… anyways! I heard there’s some sort of creature harassing the fifth floor, something called the… Terra Firma? Was wondering if you’d want to join a couple of us to try and take it down… would really like to follow up on those lessons from you about front liners! Anyways, if you’re interested… send me a message. Or… well, I’ll be on the fifth floor teleport pad tomorrow morning! Hope to see you there!

 

Reading the message over once, she scowled at herself before sending the rambling, text laden book, hoping he didn’t think she was an idiot. Bringing her menu up, she quickly typed up two other messages, deciding to reach out to only one of her other regular friends. ‘Iris would be proud, I’m reaching out...’

Quote

 

To: Astreya

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: Hey! I know it’s been like… maybe a day. But did you want to meet up again and hit up floor five? Apparently there’s some creature there called the Terra Anima. Might be worth checking out? I’m going to be there tomorrow morning. Floor five. Teleporter pad.

 

Quote

 

To: Oji

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: HI Oji, it’s Nari from Baldur’s tournament. I wanted to say thank you for your guidance. I’ve started down the path of… healing, recoupment, fixing. I’m not sure what to call it. Making amends I guess. Anyways, I’m getting a small group together to go face a creature – something called the Terra Anima – on floor five. I would love it if you’d join us, if for no reason other than I’d like to thank you in person again. I’m hoping to meet everyone tomorrow morning on floor five. Well, bye for now and I hope to see you there!

 

Her messages sent, and the exhaustion over taking her, she rolled over and fell into slumber, her final thoughts of consciousness ones of happiness at the progress she’d made in the last little while. ‘Maybe… just maybe…’

Nari-Lanreth's Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 9 | HP: 720/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 1 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG] | FROSTBITE [30 DMG]
Tier 4

Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread).

Equipped Items

Síonnách Geímhrídh | [T3 Polearm [One-Handed Assault Spear]; Perfect] Standing at nearly 120 cm in length from tip to tip, this short spear contains a metallic-appearing shaft of shifting dark and light violet, twirling in a mesmerising pattern. The blade - connected by a metal collar of a blackness similar to a void - glints with an ice blue colouring, a shift of light violet visible in the surface at the right angle. Twin wrapped lengths of cord - a combination of ice blue and dark violet - hang from the metal collar, intertwining in a mesmerising pattern when in movement.

Enhancement: Freeze [1 Slot] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) remove the enemy’s action on their next turn as a Frost effect. Frozen opponents have their Evasion set to -1. Striking a frozen enemy before the effect ends deal an extra (16 * Tier) unmitigatable damage. [Must hit to activate the status condition.]
Enhancement: Paralyse [1 Slot] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties.
Enhancement: Frostbite [1 Slot] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) deal (10 * Tier) unmitigated Frost damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. In addition, anyone with Frostbite receives a -1 Accuracy debuff until the effect wears off.  Frostbite damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The highest tier of Frost damage overrides lower tier versions; cannot be overridden by lower-tier versions. [Must hit to activate the status condition.]

Dark Fox's Reckoning [Tier 4; Heavy/Plate Armour] Forged to be shapely, this piece appears thinner than most pieces of heavy armour - leaving what appear to be openings towards the neckline, and the sides of the torso. Smaller shoulders leave limited protection towards the neck, but allow for greater movement. Coloured a dark violet, the edges of the piece outlined in a shifting soft silver, orange and red colour. Upon the chest's centre stands a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred, black eyes staring out as if at the individual in front of the piece. 

| Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def.
| Enhancement: Heavy Momentum [1 Slot] | Effect: After an unsuccessful attack, gain +(1 per slot * Tier) base damage until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another unsuccessful attack will reactivate this enhancement. Must be using the Heavy Armor Skill for this enhancement to take effect. [For Area of Effect attacks: This effect only activates if you miss all enemies targeted by the attack.]
| Enhancement: Taunt [1 Slot] | Effect: +1 Hate generated from Howl, Focused Howl, and successful attacks.

Dark Fox's Retribution [Tier 4; Celtic Shield] Similar to a wall shield, this piece stands nearly 137cm tall, and nearly 76 cm wide - easily covering the form of a shorter individual. Tapered on the sides, the shield seems to bend inwards slightly on its edges, a perfect opening for an outwardly weapon to be levelled through. The top and bottom edges slightly bend inwards, giving the impression of a less than straight appearance. Coloured in a dark violet, with edges of dark forest green, a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred is emblazoned on its centre, appearing as if ready to strike. 

| Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def.
| Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] | Effect: Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (9 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Only activates on damage dealing, melee attacks.

Battle-Ready Inventory

Teleport Crystal {3}
Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3
Starter Healing Potions {5} | Heals 50 HP
Blank Dungeon Map {4} | Tier 4
Immolation Potion {1} | Tier 4; When used, successful non-critical attacks against you deal (10 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Must be of the appropriate tier to use. Effect lasts for one thread.
T1 Uncommon Damage Potion {1} | +1 DMG for an entire thread

Inventory

T1 Uncommon Health Potions {5} | Heals 5% of Maximum HP
T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread
T1 Rare Health Potions {1} | Heals 10% of Maximum HP
Spyglass {3} | Use to reduce the number of posts required to search for a dungeon, familiar or field bosses by 5 posts. Effect lasts for one thread.
T1 Monkey Agility {2} | Evasion 1
Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 2
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III
Länn Síonnäch Gheímhrídh [Tier 4; Polearm [One-handed Assault Spear]; Demonic] Standing at nearly 120 cm in length from tip to tip, this short spear contains a metallic-appearing shaft of shifting dark and light violet, twirling in a mesmerising pattern. The blade - connected by a metal collar of a blackness similar to a void - glints with an ice blue colouring, a shift of light violet visible in the surface at the right angle. Twin wrapped lengths of cord - a combination of ice blue and dark violet - hang from the metal collar, intertwining in a mesmerising pattern when in movement. Both sides of the blade, just above the collar, contain a curled white fox, the dark black eyes staring outwards.

| Enhancement: Paralyze [2 Slots] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties.
| Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.

Combat Skills

Battle Healing
Rank 2
Passive
Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.

Weapon Skills

Polearm
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: +7 DMG

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina
Passive
Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision
Passive
Effect: Gain +1 ACC.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus
Passive
Effect: Decreases minor critical threshold by 1. Also reduces DoT thresholds by 1. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.

[Rank 5 Shift] TECH Specialist
Passive
Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.

Sword Arts

[x12] ST-I (12 EN) | A single-target sword art.
[x15] ST-II (15 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
[x20] ST-B (20 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll.
[x11] AOE-I (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
[x14] AOE-II (14 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
[x16] TECH-A (16 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.
[x16] TECH-B (15 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a status condition that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn.
[x16] TECH-C (15 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn.
[x16] TECH-D (15 EN) | SHATTER | A single-target sword art that applies [Shatter] to an enemy for 3 turns. [Shatter] is a debuff that can stack up to a cap of 3. Each stack of [Shatter] removes -20 MIT from an enemy, down to 0, if it has MIT. 
[x12] TECH-F (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn.
[x3] RAW-A (10 EN) | THORNS | A single-target sword art that utilizes the [Thorns] of the individual against the enemy. Other types of enhancements that apply damage upon contact with the individual are also considered in improving the damage of this sword art (eg. Immolation Potion, Flame/Frost Aura, etc). Outgoing damage is considered mitigatable.  Must have a weapon equipped to activate this sword art.

Armour Skills

Heavy Armor
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: MIT + 35. You can only benefit from one armour skill at a time (the respective armour type must be equipped). Your evasion is capped at 1 enhancement slot and you take -1 to Stealth Rating per rank.

[Rank 5 Heavy Armor Addon] Iron Skin
Effect: Gain +15 Mitigation and +15 * Tier HP

Active Extra Skills

Survival
Cost: Complete <<The Traveler>> with Unlock Conditions
Action: Passive
Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.

Parry
Active: Post action
Energy cost: 9 EN
Cooldown: 3 Turns
Effect: Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns.

[Parry Mod] Vengeful Riposte
Passive
Cooldown: 4 Turns
Effect: A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent.

Block [Requires two Extra Skill slots]
Passive
Effect: Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants additional mitigation:
Rank 5: 25 MIT

Inactive Extra Skills

 

Combat Mastery

Mitigation
[Expert] -> Rank 3
Passive
Effect: Gain +6*Tier Mitigation per rank. Ranks of this Skill apply to Mitigation enhancement caps.

Estate Buffs

Bedroom
Effect: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat

Storage Closet
Effect: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot

Spoiler

Word Count: 491

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth

[Jomei 0]

The bells of the Grand Cathedral broke through the silence of the night air. Limestone towers that contrasted heavily against the dark sky towered over the rooftops, always prominent and visible from almost anywhere in the city. Some believe that if someone found a way to climb to the very peak of the tallest of spires, they could touch the bottom of Floor Twelve above the clouds. If only such a feat could be accomplished, yet the story remained just that, a tale meant to satiate the dreams of imaginative players. 

Emerald eyes lingered not on the sight above them, but towards the ground below. A busy street that had become all too familiar to him these pasts months.. even years. He had no way of telling just how long he had lived here. While the streets were constantly filled with players, merchant stalls, horse drawn carriages, in between ran something much deeper; memories. Not only his humble home, sandwiched between two townhouses of very similar make, but Taft itself was the stage for much of Jomei's development, his theater of the mind constantly putting on retellings of the good times and bad experienced within these cobblestone streets. Though, these stories of memories once past were becoming a bit stale, some still pulling on heartstrings that he did not think were still intact. Perhaps it was time for a change of scenery. 

Once again basking in the stillness of night, Jomei stood upon the small balcony that overlooked that Taft street. A cool, late winter breeze tossed around the bangs that hung in front of his eyes as they scanned the flat screen that hung in midair in front of him. Quick blurbs about Floors above the one he currently resided on, thinking of where it may be best for him to relocate to. Somewhere quieter? Greener? Maybe another city, if that was the life cut out of him. Perhaps even more secluded, if he wanted to get away with that retirement that always tugged at the back of his shirt. 

Before his window shopping could continue, another chime of bells took hold of his attention, this time tiny and localized to his person. A notification of an incoming message, unexpected at this time of night.. from an unexpected sender nonetheless. His short lived opponent from Baldur's tournament, Nari-Larenth, invited the ginger out to take on some quest boss on the Fifth Floor. A curious invitation, he read it over with a single raised brow, chuckling to himself as she made mention of 'lessons about the frontlines.'

Quote

To: Nari-Larenth

From: Jomei

Re: Message: Ah yes, how could I forgot lol.
Really no need to apologize, it was a fair fight and you came out the winner. I had fun, don't worry.

As for the quest, sure, I'd love to. Sounds like one I haven't had the chance to take myself before. I'll meet you there in the morning.

Tapping the button to send, the message went off into the digital ether to its recipient. It had not been too long since the tournament, and last he heard from Astreya, Nari-Larenth was of a low level. Was this her way of having Jomei carry her through a quest? Or, perhaps, the tournament gave her the spirit to power through and level herself up. Either, he was looking forward to seeing the girl as an ally rather than a friendly rival. So pushing himself up to a proper standing position, he returned to the confides of his house, closing the sliding door to the balcony behind him. The moonlight poured in from the doorway he stood in front of, slightly illuminating the dark room. Lids slowly clamped shut over his eyes, trying to fight off the memories that crawled their way to his surface thoughts. Plopping himself down on top of his bed, he let forearm rest over his eyes until he drifted off to sleep.

-----

The hazy, desert sun of the Fifth Floor was as welcoming as ever as he stepped off of the platform that housed the floor's warp gate, his boots slightly sinking into the sand with each step. Despite her height, Nari wasn't really one to blend into a crowd easily. So as the ginger looked around at various gathered players, he did not see the small, violet haired woman. "Maybe I'm a bit early.." he said to himself as he rubbed the nape of his neck, before instinctually finding a shaded space to wait for her. Even in a digital world, his pale, Irish skin was no fan of the blazing sun.

 

  

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 32 | Paragon: 62 | Tier: 4(10)  Jomei: 880/880 HP | 126/126 EN | DMG 23 | MIT 44 | EVA 3 | ACC 4 | BH 48 | HLY BLS 19 | BLD 48 | FLN 8 | AA | LD 1 | F.Sprt. equipped Nihilim's Wrath  Vestige of St. Patrick Alatreon's Will battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler Skills Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Extra: Concentration (x) Survival (x) Meditation (x) Parry Forgotten King's Authority Hiding R.4 Mods Athletics (x) Vanish (x) Addons Stamina (x) Ferocity (x) Precision (x) Nimble (x) data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Housing Buffs:  Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat     Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)     Dining Room: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Living Room: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

[Oji 0]

The early morning sunlight of the 22nd floor shone brightly above Oji as he sipped his morning coffee. He was sitting on his deck, swaying on his porch swing and reading the morning news on his HUD. He had recently learned of it's existence, and it had a nice little tutorial block on the third page, and it had helped him quite a few things that he had no idea existed. He now understood what DoT stood for, which he first thought meant Doing other Things. How drastically wrong he felt, and he was glad he learned it on his own instead of on the frontlines when someone shouted it, and he decided to go and pick flowers.

As he finished the second page, which had an interesting block about the Floor 26 event that he had been apart of, Soup came out from the nearby woods, his maw filled with a few feathers as he skittered up the steps and hopped up next to Oji, giving a happy chirp and spit the feathers onto Oji's lap. Oji, within his own world and reading the story and reminiscing, missed the skittering sound of his familiar and was caught off guard when feathers rained on him from nowhere.

"Shit!" he screamed, falling off the swing as it swayed back and forth. Oji's HUD disappeared from sight, a groan escaping his lips as Soup looked from over the lip of the swaying chair, a happy look in his eyes. "Soup... Hi, you scared me." He said, slowly turning over and getting up from the ground. Once he was back on his feet he pet the Sable's head. "I need to get a bell around your neck I swear." Soup said nothing, but he closed his eyes and learned into the pets happily.

A ping came from Oji, and he saw a message notification appear in his peripherals. A bit confused, he opened his menu and his eyes widened as he recognized the name. Nari, the young girl he had talked to at that Samurai gentleman's establishment during a tournament. He quickly skimmed the message, then reread when he realized he was a tad too happy to hear back from her, and he missed half the context of the request.

Spoiler

To: Oji

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: HI Oji, it’s Nari from Baldur’s tournament. I wanted to say thank you for your guidance. I’ve started down the path of… healing, recoupment, fixing. I’m not sure what to call it. Making amends I guess. Anyways, I’m getting a small group together to go face a creature – something called the Terra Anima – on floor five. I would love it if you’d join us, if for no reason other than I’d like to thank you in person again. I’m hoping to meet everyone tomorrow morning on floor five. Well, bye for now and I hope to see you there!

Oji with a smile quickly typed a reply. He was happy that he hadn't planned on anything for the next few days, his trip to the desert had left him feeling a tad hollow, the thought of Zamek still fresh in his mind as the man's eyes faded from full of life to a glazed, almost fake look to them. He shook of these thoughts, then continued his typing. He took awhile to get the message to send as he still wasn't used to typing, and he saw a lot of misspellings were in the message, but it was too late now, so he decided to send it anyways.

Quote

To: Nari-Lanreth

From: Oji

Message: Hi Nari, it's grate to hear you two! I hope all is well, and I would be happy to assist you! I will sea you tomorrow morning! Have a good day!

Once the message was sent, Oji spent the rest of the day with Soup, attempting to train him to a few commands, but with little to no avail. He sighed and spent the remaining hours of sunlight in his shop, crafting a few trinkets and putting them on display to hopefully, one day sell to a happy customer. He got a good rest, then the next woke up and drank a quick cup of coffee and made his way to the fifth floor, arriving through the teleporter. As he arrived, he only recognized one person, and that was the Orange-haired man he had met a few times in passing, Jomei. They had only a few small conversations, and shared some sake. He walked over to him with a wave.

"Oy! Are you here for Nari too?" he asked him from afar, Soup perched on his shoulder, staring at the man they approached.

Stats:

Spoiler

Oji, The Uncle of Aincrad
Level: 15
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 300/300
EN: 48/48

Stats:
Damage: 1
Evasion: 3
Loot Dice: 3

Equipped Gear:
Weapon:
Armor:
Misc: Jigen kōtai [3 EVA]

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Searching R3

Active Mods:
Energize

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Field Medic
Hyperactive

Active Extra Skills:
First Aid R5

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Oji

[Astreya 0]

The evening was settling in around her, and the young woman exhaled slowly, enjoying the slight lull in the nonsense that had been going on in her life lately.  Not that she really minded- it allowed her to forget she was stuck in a digital prison- but all the same, it was nice to just get to relax a little bit and wind down on her own.  The woman's gaze was on the chess sets that were in her shop.

She'd spent more time doing this lately than she did actually working on her music, but that was fine.  She didn't really much care.  They were only now getting into the twenty-seventh floor.  They had to break one hundred to get out.

The thought of that made her want to crawl up inside of herself and just...cry.  She hated it here, in this game.  This hell.  She wanted to be out and free and just...back to her normal life.  Whenever she did get out, she wasn't going to touch another game.  Ever.  She'd decided this one time to try one, and look where it had gotten her.  Stuck inside here.  Probably forever.

Her throat constricted and she felt like she was about to cry, to let her inner weakness show for a moment, but at that exact time, a sudden message alert came in.  Her eyes flickered to her HUD, accessing the message before letting her gaze flicker over it.  Nari.  The girl was one of her close friends here...and one of the people that she was able to communicate with and be close to on a regular basis.  She exhaled- she was so tired, and so done, and she just wanted to be out of this place.

Spoiler

 

To: Nari-Lanreth

From: Astreya

Message: Ohhh yeah!  I heard about that thing and I wanted to check it out but like I didn't ever like, take the time to put together a party and stuff!  But yeah I'm down!  I'll see you in the morning!!

 

She looked over her message with a flat expression on her face, frowning as she reread it a second time, making sure that she didn't miss anything before she sent it over, leaning back as she looked back toward the chess set.  "Check," she spoke quietly, to no one as she moved the bishop, placing the opposing king in danger.  She stood slowly, rubbing at her face.  She supposed she should try to sleep.  It's not like she had any customers besides Nari- no one would mess with this while she was gone.

----

As soon as she popped out of the teleporter, Astreya blinked as she looked around, glancing around for Nari, setting her hand over her eyes to blot out the harsh sun.  It'd been a little while since she'd been here, but all the same, she was interested in this quest.  Supposedly it had a really good item drop for tanks- and that's what she was after.

However as he looked, a familiar face caught her attention first.  "Jomei!  Heyyy!" she called cheerfully, beaming a smile that rivaled the aggressive sun as she hopped forward, even as she belatedly processed what the other man had said as he moved closer to Jomei.  She recalled seeing him at Koga's party, and that the two of them had chatted for a bit.  But the older guy mentioned Nari, and she tilted her head to the side.  "Wait did Nari, like, totally invite you both too?" she asked, unable to help a small grin.

--------

Statblock-

Spoiler

 

Level 32 / 11 | HP 740/740 | EN 106/106 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 122 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | LD: 1 | BH: 37 | Taunt: 1 | Prosperity: 1

Equipment:
Glacial Blade - T4 | [ACC][DMG][DMG]
Battle Dress MK III - T4 | [MIT][MIT][MIT]
Glacial Mantle - T4 | [HeavyMomentum][HeavyMomentum][Recovery]

Skills:
Weapon Skill (R5) | 7 Damage
Battle Healing (R5) | 5% (37 HP)
Heavy Armor (R5) | 35 Mitigation

Mods:
Impetus | +1 Damage

Combat Masteries:
Accuracy (R3) | [ACC][ACC][ACC]

Add-ons:
Ferocity | +2 Damage
Precision | +1 Accuracy
Stamina | -2 Energy Consumption
Iron Skin | +15 Mitigation | +60 HP

Extra:
Concentration | Gain AA for 1 Attack | CD: 5

Familiar:
Hunting Familiar | Roll LD/CD without bonuses as if looting a loot-min Mob | CD: 5

Profession:
Forager (R3)  - 193/299 EXP

Items:
Frosted Mantle | T4 Armor | [Thorns][Thorns][Taunt]

 

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“I am so late…” The words came out as a groan, mimicking the groan that escaped her as she rolled out of bed. It was still dark outside – it was always dark outside, here – but Nari’s glance at the time told her what she already knew. Somehow the alarm had failed to wake her when she wanted, and the only thing that had brought her to wakefulness was Onóra harshly throwing a pillow at her from the door, the sound of Nari’s alarm clearly disturbing the other woman.

She had scarfed down what could be called breakfast, before collecting Yuki and making her way towards the front door. Calling out behind her, she opened the door. “I’ll be back in a while! Feel free to use my shower if you want – and anything in the fridge is fair game!”

Nari waited a moment to see if there’d be a response, before making her way out and closing the door behind her. She’d given the other woman a key not too long ago, but still made sure to lock the door as she left.

The jaunt to the teleporter had taken almost no time at all, and as she materialized onto floor five, she could see three individuals already gathered together – clearly waiting on her arrival.

Shuffling over towards them – still bringing her armour and shield into place as she pulled up her menu, her hair likely an absolute mess – she smiled at the three. “Hey! Sorry I’m late…uhm… alarm. Went off. Didn’t wake up to it…anyways. How’s everyone? Do… do we all know each other? Oji! I’m so glad you made it…”

A slight bow towards the man, an almost reverence like air to it, before she straightened and continued. “So, as the message said, hunting the uh… Firma Anima. No wait. Terra Firma?... The beast. Thing. It’s so early…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 310

 

[Jomei 0]

The shadow cast by the merchant's canopy slowly diminished as the sun continued to climb higher into the sky above. Exuberant shouts from the man sitting cross legged on a carpet just behind him about finely woven linens for sale, all while glaring daggers at the back of Jomei's head for taking up space that could be used by a paying customer. A slow bead of sweat trickled down the smooth jawline of the ginger as he looked out past the tents and buildings, at the clear sky peeking over the battered, sandstone wall that stood around the city of Fortaleza. 

Oy! Are you here for Nari too?" A deeper voice addressed him as the figure approached. His emerald eyes shifted from his mindless staring as Oji addressed him. Stepping out from the shadow of the overhead tapestry, he greeted the man with a smile. "Oji, hey. Yeah she-" Jomei!  Heyyy!"

Completely cut off from what he was saying, his attention turned then to Astreya who approached the two. "Astreya" he started with a small chuckle, "Good to see you again. I was actually just telling Oji that she sent me a message last night about meeting her out here. Glad to see that I wasn't pulled into a group full of strangers." his lips parted into a small grin. 

The trio did not make it long into their greetings before Nari haphazardly made her way over to them, still pulling herself together from an early morning. 

"Hey Nari. Don't worry about it, we weren't waiting long." he said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to this quest.. its been on my radar for awhile, but never got around to tackling it."

[Oji 0]

Oji saw the emerald-clad man appear from the shade of the tapestry above him. He approached him as he started to say something, when a young woman appeared from nowhere, calling out for Jomei. With a small jump, he turned to her, Soup's eyes staring intently at both the the man and the woman, not recognizing either of them, but they seemed friendly. He gave a small chirp in reply to their strange human language, and shifted back and forth on Oji's shoulders.

"Ah, well at least it's some faces I... somewhat recognize." He said, and looked at the young lady. "Hi there, I'm Oji. I'm guessing your a friend of Nari as well?" and as he mentioned her name, she appeared from the teleporter. Nari came over to them, and she actually bowed to him, thankful that he was there. He was taken a bit back, and stepped back, giving her room to bow. Soup was a tad confused, and thought she was trying to attack Oji, and gave a small hiss, and curled around Oji's neck. Oji quickly pet him. "It's okay Soup, she's a friend." he looked at Nari with a small smile. "Sorry, he's a little protective. There's also no need to be so formal with me, we're friends right?"

He turned to the group. They all seemed far stronger than he was, but he knew that his job was just to heal and give energy. and if that's all he did he had no fear of getting any damage done to him. He had done a bit of research on the boss, and it didn't have any AoE on it, so he was safe from any attacks coming from nowhere. He as happy for that, since he had yet gotten any good armor. "Yep, I think it's called Terra Firma, quite a beast." he chuckled. "So, lead the way party leader." he spoke to Nari with a proud smile. He had seen the growth in her in just the small time since the tournament.

[Astreya 0]

Astreya had grinned widely at Jomei as he'd greeted her, the woman coming closer to the Irishman with a little hop as she drew closer, her hands folded behind her back.  She was still in her normal attire, but she'd be sure to switch to her armored gear as soon as they were ready to go.  "Yeah!  I think the only one is..." she began, when Oji introduced himself, and she beamed a sunny smile at the older fellow's direction.  "Nice to meet you.  I'm Astreya!" she spoke, nodding as she gave him a small once over.  His gaze moved past her then, and she turned, glancing over her shoulder to see Nari coming closer, and she excitedly lifted a hand in a wave toward the other.  "Heyyy! Nari!" she called, grinning as the other came closer, indicating the issue with her alarm.

"Girl, you're burning the midnight oil too much.  Like, I know you totally wanna get to the front lines but like, you gotta take it easy," the woman spoke, frowning slightly as she lightly chastised her friend, frowning.  "Make sure you like, get more sleep, y'know?" she continued, before glancing back toward the other two in their group.  

"Yeah, same!" she spoke, looking to Jomei.  "I heard it drops a really cool tanking thing so I like, totally want it," she added with a grin.  

Still, she was somewhat curious about this new person she didn't know very well.  Obviously, she'd seen him back at Koga's party, but she hadn't had a chance to introduce herself then.  "If you're, like, a friend of Nari's too, then that's awesome!  Let's, like, all go together and have some fun with it, yeah?" she spoke, bouncing slightly in place with that seemingly endless unspent energy.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari blinked as Astreya chastised her. It took her a moment to realise what was happening, and for the briefest of seconds, Astreya’s face blurred – the dark hair taking on a golden form, the eyes shifting to an emerald colour. Nari’s ears flushed slightly in response, and she bowed her head.

“I…wasn’t up that late…” The words came out mumbled, her expression one of humbled emotions. She glanced down at her feet for a second, before shaking herself, the smile broadening on her face suddenly. “Besides, I was only a little bit late.”

Nodding towards the town square, she’ll point towards a man laid out on fine cushions, the air of superiority waving off him as if a heatwave on pavement in the summertime. Her smile disappearing as she saw him, reminding her of the quest they were about to engage in. Her hand will drop slightly, and her voice – carrying a sombre tone to it, will whisper.

“I know Astreya has partied with me before, but…Oji, Jomei. I mean no disrespect, but I won’t have anyone dying with me. I’m built to take the hits, so let me do so.” She’ll cast her eyes over the two men, her expression extremely serious as she speaks. “Focus on hitting it’s weaker points, but leave its attention on me, no matter what.”

She’ll wait a moment to hear their responses, before making her way towards the merchant to gather the quest. A voice in her head reminding her of a promise made, not too long ago. A promise she intended to keep, no matter what.

Spoiler

Word Count: 264

 

[Jomei 0]

A cheery smirk crept its way onto Jomei's face as the morning's entertainment played out in front of him. Astreya briefly, yet in a friendly manner, scolding Nari for losing sleep. Two forces with completely different energies. Outgoing and boisterous against quiet and timid. The energy of a well slept individual powering over one who was obviously lacking rest. The ginger couldn't help but let out a small hum of a laugh. 

Astreya matched Jomei's excitement for completing this quest, expressing her true interest was the item drop that they would be rewarded for taking down the boss. "Well, I'm no tank.. so I'm not sure how much that item will help me out. But it could be useful. If not, maybe I can pass it off to one of you." his eyes shifted between the three players, two of which seemed more fit for taking damage.  

Nari chimed back in, her disposition a heavy contrast against the lighthearted atmosphere they had produced just moments earlier. Her strategy for the battle, which consisted of her being the primary shield to protect the rest of her party. A curious brow rose as he looked down at the woman.. she was serious and confident in her abilities. Just how much had she grown since they last saw each other. After a moment, Jomei would smile and nod, "Alright, we'll be counting on you then." 

[Oji 0]

Oji watched the banter between Astreya and Nari with a hopeful smile. It seemed that she had been making friends in her spare time, and good ones at that. She had called him, which he was thankful for, but she was getting along with this bubbly girl very well, and Astreya scolded her for not sleeping enough, which he stood behind. She needed rest, and if she wasn't getting it she would have to be scolded as she was. He listened to the plan, and saw the intense look in Nari's eyes. She meant it, and he had no problem with what she said, and he held his hands up  defensively.

"I did not plan to get hit, so no worries from me, I'm just here to support." He said innocently, a gentle smile. "I'll be able to handle myself in running if it comes to it, just worry about taking the shots, and I'll patch you two up." Soup inched closer to the orange-haired gentlemen, sniffing his cloak and armor curiously. He crawled down Oji's leg and left him, going to the feet of Jomei and looking up curiously, his head slightly tilted to the side. Oji didn't take note as he knew Soup wouldn't go anywhere too far from him, and he didn't hear him making any serious sounds, just small chirps and curious coos.

[Astreya 0]

Astreya couldn't help but to smile at the girl's defiance in the face of the scolding.  "Okay, but like, after we do this, can you like totally do me a favor and get some rest?  It'll like, totally be good for you," she continued, giving the girl a small smile, taking a small step back so as to not crowd her.  She still felt that the girl should probably get some more rest and just to take some time for herself...but Astreya didn't want to keep nannying her- she was pretty sure Nari was older than she was anyway.

The young woman glanced from Nari's instructions to the other two, curious if they planned to balk at all.  But neither Jomei nor Oji seemed to mind at all, perfectly content to let Nari (and if needed, Astreya) take the brunt of the monster's aggression.  "Okay, cool!  Then we got our battle plan!" she cheered, giving a small grin to everyone as she followed along with Nari to pick up the quest.  

As she did so, she paused, however, glancing back and then falling into step with Jomei.  "Hey!  Check this out," she spoke, beaming a grin at him as she reached into her inventory, pulling out a small little sound crystal.  "I kinda like... got inspired.  Here, check it out," she spoke, handing the crystal over to him, beaming a smile.  "Wanted you to like, have it too.  As thanks for all the help, y'know?" she added.
 

Spoiler Item Name: V-I-C-T-O-R-Y Item Type: Support Song Item Rarity:  Perfect | Masterpiece (Group Heal) Item Enhancements: [HP Recovery][HP Recovery][HP Recovery] Craft/Appraisal/Obtainment IDs & Rolls: 204455 Item Description: A cheer inspired by the training from a certain Irishman, the cheer has a slight Gaelic bend to it, using instrumentation more commonly heard at an Irish Pub.  All the same, it's incredibly catchy and will likely remain in your head for hours after hearing it.

"I should be able to like... make more.  Theoretically.  Totally hasn't gone well since like, that one though," she admitted with an embarrassed grin.  

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari approached Abdullah, half listening as the NPC spoke about the creature terrorising the area, and the need to defeat it – and how he was graciously not charging them for the information he was providing. ‘How kind of you…’

As soon as the dialogue for the quest appeared, she pawed the accept key, before turning back to the group. “Any final questions for the generous man who’s not charging us to help the town?”

Her eyes passed over the three quickly, before realising she probably looked rather imposing, and forcing a smile upon her face. She waited a few moments before turning and heading towards the exit from the settlement, checking her map as she went and glancing over her inventory to make sure everything was exactly where it should be.

Twisting herself to face the others – continuing to walk backwards, and desperately hoping she wouldn’t trip over anything – she threw another smile at the group. “So…a question for everyone…seeing as we’re all here. With the winter months coming to an end…and well, with the success of Baldur’s event – do you think there will be more like it? Or…well, do you think people would like more get togethers? It seemed like…most people…liked to see each other off the field of battle. I was just thinking…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 215

 

[Jomei 0]

"Hm?" Jomei took notice of the small, weasel like creature standing just in front of his boot. It looked up at him with a quizzical, crooked head. Jomei smiled back down at Oji's familiar. With a chuckle, he began to speak, "Don't get any funny ideas." Finally peeling his eyes from the sable, he looked to the crossbar of the canopy above him, where his actual target of conversation had been perched. The large owl peered down at the marten with its dark saucers for eyes, mimicking its tilting head motions. "I've trained you better than to go after other's familiars." Barely opening its beak, the brown owl would let out a small screech, before extending its wings and lowering itself onto Jomei's shoulder. "Good girl."

In the meantime, Nari had stepped off to collect the quest information from a merchant within the square. Once the party of adventurers were settled and ready to go, they began their march out of the town of Fortaleza. Astreya perked up, matching Jomei's speed and walking beside him. From the confides of her digital pockets, she pulled out a recording crystal, very similar in nature to the one she had showed him only a couple of weeks prior. However, it held a different shine to it.. being more of a successful craft rather than just one that held a song. "Wait, you want me to have it?" he questioned her, before smiling, "I told you that you didn't have to pay me back for those lessons but... I'll hold onto it. I'd rather not accidentally waste the effects of the song trying to listen to it, so I'll save it for a rainy day." The item vanished from the palm of his hand into his own inventory in a small flash of light. His lips stretched into a smile as warm as the desert sun as a hand rises up to gently pat the top of the girl's head, "Thank you, very much."

Jomei turned his attention to Nari, who asked about the event Baldur had thrown at his homestead, and any similar events that may arise in the future. With a nod of his head, he confirmed what the violet haired woman assumed, "Sure. There's usually plenty of events. Sometimes they are more social based.. other times they involve fighting monsters. There was one not too long ago around Halloween that was a circus.. but about half way through the show, zombies began to pour into the tent." he barked a small laugh, "Macradon and I managed to fight off those undead until the sun rose the next morning. But it was a lot of fun..  A lot of the events are developed by Cardinal, usually for an upcoming holiday. But every once in awhile, players like to set something up themselves, like Baldur did." 

[Oji 0]

Oji waited and then walked with the group quietly, taking in the scenery. The last time he had been to this floor was for his traveler quest, and it was towards the evening during a sandstorm, needless to say he didn't get to enjoy the little beauty of a town that was here. The quaint homes and shops on this floor were something that he enjoyed to look and study while the group made their final preparations. Soup had looked up to see Jomei's familiar, a fair-sized owl. Soup hissed a bit, then retreated to Oji's shoulder, and did his best to nuzzle and hide from the large owl. Oji was a tad confused from this action.

"What's wrong?" he asked the squirming ferret-bear. He got no answer, but eventually, Soup squirmed his way into Oji's shirt, his small head poking out of the top hole. Oji just laughed and pet his head. "Fine you little trouble maker, you can stay here for the time being." He said quietly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation of Jomei and Nari, who were talking about player-ran events such as the tournament, and he took some interest in this. Most were made by the system apparently, only a few were player-made. Maybe he would have to change that when the time came.

[Astreya 0]

Astreya gave a small smile toward Jomei, pleased that he had accepted it.  She did recall that he'd said she didn't need to repay him in any way, and their somewhat emotional ending of letting him actually get to play some music again with someone, even if it wasn't necessarily the most treasured song to him... was still a gift on its own.  But when she'd been possessed with the inspiration to do it, and so when she'd completed it, the very first thought she'd had was that she had to give it to Jomei as thanks.  Even if he never got the chance to really listen to it or use it... she still wanted him to have it, to be able to rely on if it was ever needed.

As he pat her head, the girl grinned up at him, rolling her eyes at the taller fellow.  "C'mon now, I'm like, not a kid," she spoke, still showing a bit  of a flush on her features for the genuine appreciation for the gift.

Conversation then turned to the idea of the events and such that had happened.  "Yeah!  Koga's party was like, totally awesome!  Even with all the flooding, and the like, giant slime," the girl spoke, pausing for a moment before shaking her head.  "And then that tournament was so cool!  I wish I woulda won though," she mused, glancing up to the sky, before looking to Oji...and seeming to finally notice the little pet he had.

"Omigosh!  That is like, so totally cute!" she squealed a bit, hopping over toward him.  Her own bird loathed the heat and wasn't even present, but she found the little critter to be.  "Can I pet him, or hold him?  What's his name?" the girl chattered, clearly excited by the little creature.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari glanced backwards at the squeal from Astreya, spotting the moment that she rushed forward to bother Oji about the sable hidden away in his shirt. She had caught the tail end of the conversation about the fight – reminding her of the events that had occurred there, and bringing a slight reddening to her ears in turn.

Deciding that she couldn’t hide away, she turned back around – continuing her walk, unaided by her vision – smiling, and waving a hand towards Astreya. “Careful Oji, if she’s of the right mind she may decide she likes Soup so much she’ll want to keep him.”

A slight wink at Astreya, before she turns her attention back to the desert around them. She was never a fan of this floor – much less the heat that made her uncomfortable in her heavy plate, but she also wasn’t one to shy away due to a little bit of warmth. She pulled up her map again, before pointing to the west, looking back towards the others and cocking her head slightly.

“If I’m reading the directions right – and…well…fifty fifty on that…we should need to head over to the caves that a way. If we’re lucky, it should simply…appear. At least, according to the fancy merchy man.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 209

 

[Jomei 0]

The memory of the party at Koga's house just before the turn of the year brought a smile to his face. Good food, drinks, and company to be had. Looking at the small group, he realized that he had met both Astreya and Oji that night, despite having a nameless run in with Oji on the Twenty-Seventh Floor. It was not until the tournament that he got to meet Nari. His head nodded along with Astreya's words as she shared her own opinion of the two gatherings. "Koga's party was a very good time.. And the over flowing sink just added that extra bit of excitement that all parties need." 

"At least you did better than me in the tournament." he said with a sheepish laugh, rubbing at the nape of his neck. "Both of you did." he looked to Nari as well. "Oji, why didn't you participate? I know you're not much for fighting, but it was all in good fun." 

With the small sable, Soup, out of Adere's field of vision, the owl let out another screech before hopping off of Jomei's shoulder and taking to the sky above them once more. Creating a figure 8 pattern while keeping up with the group as they pushed through the desert. Creating a visor with his hand, Jomei looked up at the bird for a moment, picking up some of the sweat that lingered on his brow on his index finger as he did so. Nari played navigator, pulling up her map to figure out if the group was heading in the correct direction. Following her gaze, Jomei noticed the rocky formation she mentioned. "Alright, so we should make sure we're ready for this. If none of us have taken on this monster before, then who knows what kind of tricks it has up its sleeve." 

[Oji 0]

Oji was a bit shocked by the sudden interest in Soup from Astreya, and he took a cautious step back at first. Soup, also a bit apprehensive, sniffer her hand hesitantly as she brought it close. But once he heard the words "pet" and "hold," she was suddenly his best friend as he wormed his tiny front lets out of the jacket for the girl to pick his little body up. Oji sighed, a small smile as he picked him up and held him out to Astreya. "Just be careful, he doesn't sit still long." He chuckled.

He heard Nari warn him about Astreya, and he gave her a wink. He knew what trouble Astreya was getting herself into, and he was excited to see what happened. Jomei had continued the conversation, and asked him why he didn't enter the tournament. Oji smiled awkwardly, and waved a hand. "I prefer to watch people fight." He lied "It's a lot more interesting for me than to actually fight with my own weapon." he turned to look out into the large dunes that surrounded them the further they went into the sands. He had the memories of the bandits out here, and he wondered if the bandit boss was using the threat that he had told him. Then again, he may never run into him again so he had no clue.

But his attention was brought back as Jomei said to prepare themselves, and he gave a small whistle to Soup, who came to his shoulder from Astreya. "We'll be ready whenever you guys are, just say the word."

[Astreya 0]

Astreya couldn't help but to give a genuine giggle of glee as the little creature wormed its way forward so she could pick it up, and the dark-haired young woman cradled it almost like a baby, cooing at it and petting the little creature as she moved, staying well within sight of Oji.  She knew at least that the creature was his- she didn't want it thinking that she was taking it away, or honestly, for Oji to feel the same.  

But Nari then called her out and the woman blinked, turning to look at her friend, sticking out her tongue.  "C'mon!  Like, Frosty would get so totally jealous if I did.  I wouldn't, like, keep the little guy.  Even if he's like, too frickin' cute!" she cooed back down to the creature, happily messing around with it, before beaming a smile at Jomei. "Like, I did all right- but that movie star dude like totally kicked my butt," she spoke, shaking her head.

The tone switched to a more serious one then as Nari noted they were getting close and Jomei added in their need to be prepared.  Soup hopped from Astreya's arms over to Oji and the girl gave the little sable a small wave and smile as she reached her hand back to the handle of her two-handed blade on her back.  The blade was pulled free in an instant, and the chilled blade began to condensate almost immediately in the heat.  "Well like, bring it on!  Nari and I got point!" she cheered.