[F17 - SP] The Hidden Flower | <<Challenge of Olympus: Forager>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“I’ve been thinking that maybe I would take a break from-“ The incoming alert interrupted her words, and Nari glanced down, realising she had received a message from another NPC – this one named Poseidon – bringing a groan from her.

“Trouble in paradise?” Onóra asked from her spot on the counter. She had leaned up against the wall, her one leg hanging over the edge, while her left leg curled inwards. She’d donned a simple black turtleneck, and brown leggings, with emerald green socks – an outfit that Nari wouldn’t herself be caught dead in, but that somehow fit the other woman perfectly.

She stuck her tongue out in response, before re-reading the message. “No, it seems I’ve been cordially invited to visit Poseidon’s abode…this time for the foraging version of the quest.”

“Oh, how horrible!” Nari picked up a rag from the counter and tossed it – completely missing Onóra but making her point nonetheless. The resounding laughter didn’t help Nari’s annoyance – but it did bring a smile to her face.

“I’ll have you know, I hate that quest. I swear if I have to deal with that damned Satyr again…” She left the sentence hanging in the air, leaving the threat open-ended.

“You’ll what, hug him to death?” The teasing only brought another tongue, this one held for a few breaths longer, before Nari pushed herself off the counter herself, landing on her feet and making her way into the forge behind the shop.

“Hey – do me a favour and lock up the shop, please?” She added an extra pleading to her voice, hoping to make Onóra laugh – and heard her success as she turned the corner.

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 16 | HP: 780/780 | EN: 90/90 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 1 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | Thorns [72 DMG] | Frostbite [30 DMG] | Battle Healing [+15]

Tier 4 | Tier 5

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

+1 LD (This bonus only applies to looting, searching for and opening chests).

 

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) | Tier 1; 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.
Caribou Stew | Tier 4; Rare Meal | Protein II

Inventory

Monkey Agility {2} | Tier 1; Evasion 1
Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Tier 1; Antidote 2
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.
Uncommon Health Potions {5} | Tier 1; Heals 5% of Maximum HP
Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Tier 1; Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread
Rare Health Potions {1} | Tier 1; Heals 10% of Maximum HP
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III

Combat Skills

Battle Healing
Rank 3
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

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

Frozen Hide
Active: Free Action
Energy Cost: 5 EN
Cooldown: 4 Turns
Effect: As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn.

Howl
Active: Post Action
Energy Cost: 2 EN
Effect: Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets.

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.

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.

Meditation
Action: Post Action
Cooldown: 3 turns
Effect: Recover an additional (4 * Tier) energy. 

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.

Familiar Skills

Protector Familiar
Active: Free Action
Cooldown: 3 Posts
Effect: The next time you would take damage, your familiar rushes to your aid, reducing the final damage by 10%.

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: 276

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“Did you pack your lunch?” The question was followed by a squeak of laughter, and a thump as Nari threw a pillow across the room – barely missing its mark and dropping to the floor harmlessly. She threw a scowl at the woman, following the missed projectile.

“Yes, mother.” Onóra continued to giggle in response, eliciting another scowl from Nari. She checked over her collection of goods once more – realising that where once she would’ve headed out with a simple collection of pre-made goods, usually junk like food. But Onóra had prepared – or bought, she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure yet – an entire meal. The basket had contained a collection of sandwiches, some sashimi – red trout from the looks of it, with a side of blue fin – and a collection of baked goods that contained numerous berries, or what equated to berries. Nari smiled as she stared at the basket, wondering again how she’d found such an amazing person.

Turning her gaze upon Onóra, Nari paused in the doorway of the kitchen, hand on the frame as she considered her friend. A smile spreading across her face, she thought back to how they had met, and how much had changed since then. “You sure you don’t want to come with? It could be exciting.”

Onóra laughed, before shooing Nari out the door, eventually forcing her on the path towards the teleporter pad. Sighing slightly to herself, she made the walk with a broad smile, capturing the memory in her mind and hoping she would get to relive it many times over.

Spoiler

Word Count: 261

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She knew the path down to the teleporter, and the same path away from it once she had arrived on the seventeenth floor. The walk itself had been relatively calm, and as she made her way down past the waterway, she found herself staring out towards the horizon in curiosity – a sudden longing for the ocean and lakes she had lived near reaching her heart.

She stopped, briefly, to stare out into the horizon – the sun reflecting off the calm waves that lapped at the shores, the lack of any white caps signifying just how smooth and calm the large body of water truly was. Memories came back to her – canoeing through a rain storm, wondering if the boat would tip, among others. She smiled to herself as she considered some of the events, she had survived on the many lakes she had visited, suddenly realising how lucky she was to be alive in some of those cases.

She was just preparing to leave the scene behind, when a voice spoke to her from behind her left shoulder. “Oh, hello. Are you the one that Demeter sent for?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 188

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She turned to find a slightly tanned woman, dark hair complimenting a sky blue dress. The eyes, dark blue in colour, seemed to shimmer with an almost fluid like appearance. It reminded Nari of a pool of water, somehow seeming to wave like the surface of a pond.

“I…believe so, yes. I received a message calling me to visit Olympus.” She wasn’t entirely sure who had requested her presence – the message itself had been sent from Poseidon, but that didn’t mean much when it came to NPC based messaging systems.

The woman smiled at Nari, before turning and making her way towards what appeared to be a rowboat with a single sail. She beckoned to Nari as she reached it, before climbing into the boat. “Come, Demeter awaits.”

Nari hesitated where she was. This was far different than the first time she had taken the quest. Her eyes lingered on the boat for a few moments, wondering if there was any risk. She knew that there was only one way to find out, and forced herself into the boat alongside the other woman. A quick smile, a flick of the wrist, and the boat was sailing out towards the open waters.

Spoiler

Word Count: 201

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The boat pushed off into the centre of the water, swaying slightly as the smaller waves rocked it. Nari kept herself to the centre of the seat, not entirely comfortable with her current position. Trying to distract herself, she glanced at the woman guiding the boat. The first time she had completed this quest, the guide had been a half man, half goat creature – full of sarcasm and enthusiasm towards acting coldly towards Nari. This woman seemed far more…regal in her stance, shoulders and head held high, as if she were trying to pronounce her status to the world.

Nari’s gaze lingered for some time over the woman, enough that it drew the attention of the other. The woman smiled towards Nari, tilting her head slightly in an appearance of curiosity. “It is fairly common for the men whom make this trip to eye me for so long, but those of the more…feminine persuasion tend to eye me with distrust, or jealousy. Not you, however.”

Nari forced her gaze away. The woman hadn’t been entirely wrong, but what she was suggesting hadn’t occurred to Nari – beyond the fact of admitting that the woman was visibly pleasing. “I do not know what you think was to occur, but know that my heart calls to another.”

The woman gave no verbal response, her smile and the wavering of her eyes seeming to note to Nari everything she needed to know about what her commentary had done. The air seemed to change, and at first Nari thought that it was a change in the very behaviour of the other woman. But as the sails began to drift out of view, she realised that it was instead a fog that had begun to cover the boat itself.

Spoiler

Word Count: 293

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She shifted again on her seat, her discomfort at the entire situation becoming obvious through the tension in her body. Her arms had locked themselves in her lap, fingers clenched white against one another as she tried to calm herself. Her eyes had locked onto the visage of the woman guiding the boat, not breaking from her face in an attempt to block out the rocking of the vessel, and the obscuring clouds rolling in.

“I do hope you’re not afraid of a little bit of cloudy weather.” The jest was not welcoming to Nari, and she felt her face scrunch slightly as she scowled at the woman. She bit her tongue on her response however, knowing that this was all likely little more than dramatic show as Cardinal brought her towards her destination – it was unlikely that Cardinal would place in her a precarious position she couldn’t escape from, or so she hoped.

The rocking eventually seemed to calm, and as Nari eventually tore her gaze away from the face of the other woman, she noticed that the clouds had begun to pull away as well, leaving a view of the water around them – water that appeared to be calm.

Spoiler

Word Count: 201

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The shoreline slowly appeared in Nari’s vision, and sooner than she had anticipated the guide was motioning her to exit the water based craft. Shakily, her legs giving way to the uncomfortable position she was in, she stepped from the boat onto solid land.

A quick cast gaze over the area, and she realised she was in some equivalent to a natural beauty, a garden allowed to be free of human control. She could see bushes of varies berries and flowers, trees that held fruits, assorted edibles, and colours that were both vibrant and nearly overwhelming.

“This way, if you please.” The woman had stepped behind Nari, holding a hand out and directing her along a path that led deeper into the island. Seeing no alternative, Nari followed the guide along the path, moving beneath a collection of trees that shaded the otherwise sunny area.

“Demeter will be awaiting your arrival, and I should say that it took you far longer than it should’ve. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were expected to apologise for your tardiness.” There was a change in the posture, the tone. It was as if her guide had become somehow more…proper? It was truly unbecoming, and reminded Nari of the Satyr from when she had originally attended this quest.

Spoiler

Word Count: 214

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Realising she was within a garden – one that reminded her of a less tamed version of Nemo’s own – she considered if it would be rude to search for anything of value. Deciding to risk the wrath of her guide, she posed the question aloud. “I realise this is…a sacred place, but I was wondering if it was acceptable to search for goods that could help in the…uh…mortal realm?”

The guide turned to look at her, a pleasant smile upon her face. “You may look and take anything of desire, so long as you do not disturb the sacred beauty that is found on the Land of Hesperides. Tread with care.”

The answer was enough for Nari, and turning her attention to the pathway they followed, she began her search. She fell beyond a few paces as she carefully glanced beneath the growth, looking for the glitter that would denote anything of value to her.  

ID207425 | LD: 3 + 1 = 4 | CD: 4 + 1 = 5 | Foraging | Failure

Spoiler

Word Count: 154

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

As she fell further and further behind, the guide called back towards her. The tone held a measure of respect, but there was an edge to it that noted that she wasn’t pleased. “We are already delayed, I would recommend perhaps not delaying further. Demeter isn’t one known for immeasurable patience.”

Nari bowed her head in response, muttering a few apologies as she disengaged herself from the bushes she had been searching in – relatively fruitlessly at this point. Making her way up to the guide, she continued to follow her dutifully, casting her eyes across the bushes and areas they passed, determined not to give up on her foraging quite yet.

“You…wouldn’t happen to know what sort of challenge I should expect to find offered by Demeter, would you?” She hastily added to her question, realising that the parameters may not have been entirely met. “I received a message, stating that I would be facing one. Any insight would be...well, helpful.”

“I do not know the whims of the goddess.” The answer was short, and about what Nari was expecting to hear. Although somewhat disappointing, it was unsurprising. With nothing further to go on, she decided that she would simply have to leave it as a surprise, until she met Demeter themselves.

ID207426 | LD: 13 + 1 = 14 | CD: 11 + 1 = 12 | Foraging | Critical Success [4 materials; 3,000 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 212

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her first success on the island found her almost falling behind again. Cursing herself, she collected the goods and made her way after the guide, quickly catching up – and hoping that her delay wasn’t noticed once more. ‘Even if it was, this find was well worth a bit of anger.’

The pathway took a turn, wrapping around towards a direction away from where they had entered the island – a direction that Nari had no concept of. She pondered that conundrum, wondering if it would cause problems in the near future. ‘A problem for another time, I guess. There doesn’t seem to be anything dangerous here.’

“We are almost at Demeter’s place of rest, I would advise that you properly prepare yourself. Have your greeting ready, and ensure it is…acceptable.” The disdain again. Nari cocked her head in confusion, wondering if she was supposed to have created some sort of specialised greeting, or a monologue. Considering her options, she glanced along the path, thinking about what could possibly be a proper greeting while looking for more goods that she could obtain. Almost as an after thought, she brought up her menu, putting away her shield in favour of the little music box that helped her concentrate when searching, the song pouring out into the air.

| Dark Fox's Retribution stored. | Music Box LDIII equipped.
| Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 16 | HP: 780/780 | EN: 90/90 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 1 | REC: 4 | EVA: 0 | LD: 3 | STH: -5 | Frostbite [30 DMG] | Battle Healing [+15]

ID207435 | LD: 3 + 4 = 7 | CD: 2 + 1 = 3 | Foraging | Failure [0/4 materials; 0/3,000 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 214

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Their final few steps brought them to what appeared to be a small luncheon setup, a table and chairs made of stonework laid out in the centre of a miniature stone pad. The garden seemed to halt at the edge of the pad, providing an area of openness to the individual sitting in the centre of it all.

Laid out along a bench of stone, Nari could only assume was the goddess Demeter. She had to admit there was a beauty to the being, although Nari herself oddly felt no attraction towards her. She did, however, realise that a greeting was required of her, and so she stepped forward and bowed her head slightly. “Goddess, I thank you for your invitation to this garden of beauty. It is more wonderous than-“

Her words were cut off as the being spoke, her voice a lilting harmony that played at Nari’s ears, reminding her somehow of a symphony at a grand hall. “You do not need be so formal, mortal. I have invited you here, for a purpose. And while it is proper that you prostrate before a being such as I, this time I will forgo the required formalities.”

Raising her head to look at the goddess, Nari felt a wave of concern. This was nothing like the challenge with Hephaestus. Letting the silence hang for a brief moment as she collected herself, she eventually posed the question that she knew would bring her truly into the quest itself. “How may I serve, then?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 253

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The goddess almost immediately launched into a monologue. Nari listened attentively, as the goddess explained her purpose here. The words, to Nari at least, had an almost pre-designed manner to them; as if the NPC had pre-written them and was reading them from a paper.

“You see, I have lost a gemstone that was precious to me, one that I truly desire returned – if only for the purpose of being able to display it again. It is a rare piece, designed of natural stone, but with a shifting of colours that seem to glimmer and morph with the very light that plays upon it. One would recognise it almost immediately upon their eyes befalling it, and many would come to love it almost greedily.” Nari remained still, her face expressionless as she listened. She waited for the true catch to be found here, knowing that this wouldn’t be a simple task. “There is one catch…”

‘There’s always a catch. I wonder what it will be this time…’ She kept the discontent off her face, knowing that any outward signs would be picked up by the NPC and likely have a negative impact. Besides, there wasn’t any point if showing any sort of signs of disagreement with the quest, her personal opinion wouldn’t change anything.

“…the gemstone appears normal, when its not held by one who truly wishes to find it. Therefore, unless you are putting your desires into locating it, and truly desiring to obtain it, it will only appear as a common stone of varying colour to the wielder.”

‘And there it…well, that will make things more difficult.’

Spoiler

Word Count: 269

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her brow furrowed inwards as she considered the challenge, wondering how she was supposed to find a stone that could only be found by those who desired it, when she had never had more than a simple description of it. Throwing her caution to the wind, she decided to ask the goddess – not truly expecting to get any results from the question, but realising that it never hurt to try. Usually.

“And how, exactly, does one desire something that they’ve never laid eyes on before?” Her voice was emotionless, not tone of anger, frustration or disapproval – and yet the question itself seemed harsh to Nari’s ears.

“That is up to you, to figure out.” The goddess gave her a smile before turning away to attend to one of the bushes behind her, visibly dismissing Nari. With nothing else to go on, she gave a shrug and made her way back along the path a ways, before stopping. She had no directions, no guidance, other than find a stone.

“This will be…so much fun.” With nothing else to go on, she decided that she would do what any good forager would do – forage. Stepping off the path, she began her search, combing beneath the bushes and trees, following the will of her eyes as she strode further away from the place where she had met the goddess.

ID207438 | LD: 11 + 4 = 15 | CD: 2 + 1 = 3 | Foraging | Success [1/5 materials; 0/3,000 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 226

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her search continued for some time, the path leading her ever onwards into the underbrush. At points she was forced to crawl, before being able to stand again. She wasn’t sure quite how long had elapsed, but she eventually found herself needing a break.

A small clearing had provided the perfect place to sit and relax, to consider her options. She only had a minor bit of information to go on – and although she’d managed to find a veritable amount of stones, none had been anything beyond the grey of common rock. Her eyes drifted across the area around her, wondering what the goddess had her searching for.

“A…stone. Of varying colours…but only shows up as something common to the undesirable…I guess I’m looking for a gemstone of some sort, and if I want it badly enough, it’ll kaleidoscope for me.” She had nothing better to go on, as frustrating as that left her. If she had been in a normal game, she’d likely have submitted reports for this quest – but here, well, there was no one to complain to. “Besides, how often do those complaints get taken seriously, anyways.”

Determined to complete the quest, she pushed herself from her seated area, forcing herself to her feet and onwards with her search. She knew she wasn’t likely to give up, no matter how hard it would be. ‘And hopefully it doesn’t take as long as clearing this damned game seems to be taking.’

ID207444 | LD: 2 + 4 = 6 | CD: 9 + 1 = 10 | Foraging | Failure [0/5 materials; 0/3,000 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 243

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The first stone she had found that was anything beyond standard rock, was a small gemstone of a varying blue and silver colouring. She had spent some time staring at it, wondering if she had somehow come across exactly what she needed. The longer she stared, however, the more certain she was that this was nothing more than a common piece, not one that would appease a goddess.

Deciding to pocket it for the moment, she carried on through the garden, keeping an eye out for the gemstone in question, as well as anything of value that could be found upon her path. Her wandering taking her further and further away from where she had begun.

As she came into a clearing that was wider than any other she’d been in before, Nari pondered just how large this entire island was. At some point, she would hit the other side, and find nothing but ocean in front of her. “And when that time comes, I guess I’ll just…turn around?”

ID207445 | LD: 18 + 4 = 22 | CD: 7 + 1 = 8 | Foraging | Success [3/8 materials; 2,500/5,500 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 169

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her afternoon slowly faded away, her search becoming more and more erratic as she found numerous different gems – some of a blood red colouring, others of a greenish colour that reminded her of emeralds, and one that seemed to be a golden exterior with a centre of bronze. Yet, she still hadn’t found the single gem she had searched for.

Her path had brought her to the waterside as she had anticipated, not long after she’d had the thought itself. She’d followed the coast for a while, before making her way back towards the interior, her search along the coast itself having been relatively fruitless.

She had just settled into an open clearing for a brief break – the daylight slowly beginning to fade above her as she wondered just how long she could keep this up – when she spotted yet another gem. This one, a fine white exterior, with an odd blueish-green interior, had caught her eye. She had just about pocketed the piece, when a hint of sunlight caught it, causing a combination of colours to portray upon the ground before her.

ID207448 | LD: 1 + 4 = 5 | CD: 4 + 1 = 5 | Foraging | Failure [0/8 materials; 0/5,500 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 183

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“Well now, what is this…?” Her curiosity was peaked as she saw the colours – a combination of silver, blue and green – splaying across the ground. She cocked her head in confusion, shifting the gem a bit to see if it was simply a trick of the ground itself. The beams of light seemed to follow, and Nari felt herself growing more unsure as she continued playing with it.

“What in the nine hells…” A sudden thought came to her, and she pulled some of the other gems from her pocket, holding them up to the light and testing their deflections. Most gave off no sign of similar effects, but one – a ruby like gem that she had found, which appeared to have a darker interior – spilled out a twin beam, one the ruby red of the gem, but the second an almost pink colour. Placing the two gems side by side, she could almost imagine the rainbow before her.

“Well, I’ll be damned. It’s not one gem. It’s a collection of gems. Sneaky bitch.” She quickly pushed herself to her feet, repocketing the gems and heading off in search of more of the magical pieces she had just discovered.

ID207449 | LD: 8 + 4 = 12 | CD: 7 + 1 = 8 | Foraging | Critical Success [4/12 materials; 3,000/8,500 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 199

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“Ha!” Her exclamation would have disturbed the birds in the trees, had there been any to begin with. Holding up the most recent gem she had discovered – a translucent piece, with an orange and yellow core – she felt almost proud of her success. She had continued right into the dark, scrounging around in the garden for the gems that she knew would bring her success.

As the final one had fallen into her hand – literally, having fallen out of a tree as she passed underneath it – she had felt the conclusion come. With this last piece, she had a collection of six gems that had created a varying rainbow of colours when held up to the light.

Her enthusiasm was sudden struck down as she turned in place. “I…have no idea where I am. Shite.” She looked back the way she had come, or at least the way she thought she had come, before heaving a heavy sigh. She’d managed to find the gems, but in doing so had lost her way on the island. Deciding there was nothing else to do but wander until she came across her destination, she placed the gems away in a safe spot. Making her way forwards, she kept her eyes out for anything of interest as she went.

ID207450 | LD: 15 + 4 = 19 | CD: 2 + 1 = 3 | Foraging | Success [1/13 materials; 0/8,500 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 215

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“Well, that was…an experience. At least I found you.” She beamed a smile at the woman who had led her to the island to begin with. It had been hours since she had found the last gem, and although the night sky had still remained dark, Nari felt like morning was slowly coming on. Or perhaps she was just exhausted. Either way, she was glad to have found a familiar face.

 “Ah, you return. Have you completed the quest provided to you, then?” Welcoming and emotional as always, these NPCs. Nari forced back the scowl, instead smiling at the woman in a way that bespoke of less than happy emotions within her.

“Yes, I do believe so. Would you…would you happen to be able to lead me back to Demeter? I seem to have lost my way.” The woman gave a slight bow of her head, before making her way down the path the two were standing on. Nari slowly fell into step, deciding to continue her foraging as she went, regardless of how much discontent the other may be willing to voice.

ID207451 | LD: 20 + 4 = 24 | CD: 10 + 1 = 11 | Foraging | Critical Success [4/17 materials; 3,000/11,500 col]

Spoiler

Word Count: 183

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The return to Demeter was far quicker than Nari had expected – and although she had managed to scrounge up another mighty find of materials and col, she hadn’t managed to locate the piece she truly desired.

The goddess herself seemed almost excitable as Nari placed the collection of gems on the table before her, holding up each to show the light that glimmered through, before placing them in the order of the rainbow. As she stepped aside, the light shone in such a way that the colours spilled across the table.

“I see that you figured out my unspoken problem.” The woman spoke with a smile, as if she was proud of Nari – or of the challenge she had given her. Nari didn’t really care, she was too tired to play nice at the current moment. “Not one, but many gems, which come together to create a cacophony of blending, creating one of the most beautiful things that we have created.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s true.” Her tone implied that she felt otherwise, but the NPC seemed not to hear Nari’s words. The NPC seemed to shift in place, reaching behind her to pull out something – likely the reward for Nari’s hard work.

“This, is the cornucopia that I had planned on placing upon the table of our feast – one to which you are invited, of course! But, now that you have presented such a beautiful display of gems, I feel that it would pale in comparison to what we could see here – true beauty, held in the eye of the one whom looks upon the gems, shining in the light that provides.” The woman held forth the cup, waiting for Nari to retrieve it. Holding back a sigh, she stepped forward and accepted the reward, before seeing the completion notification appear. “I thank you for all your troubles, and hope to see you at the feast!”

Nari had no intention of attending the feast, but she knew that there would likely not actually be one either. Smiling in response, she made her way back to the guide who had brought her here – twice now. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to return to the boat, and then home…”

Thread Summary

Nari-Lanreth
Word Count: 4523 / 30 * 25 = 3,769 EXP
3,769 EXP [Thread Progression] + 500 [Quest] = 4,269 EXP
11,500 col [ID207426, ID207438, ID207445, ID207449, ID207450, ID207451] + 400 [Thread Progression] = 11,900 col
17 materials [ID207426, ID207438, ID207445, ID207449, ID207450, ID207451]
Demeter’s Cornucopia | Crafting Tool | Bountiful: +1 CD when using Foraging skill.

Spoiler

Word Count: 369