[SP-F22] Summit of Three Guilds

[Morningstar 0]

His white hair against the black armor he fancied made Caesar easily identifiable. Or perhaps, it was the presence that emanated from him, the way he commanded every room he stepped into. Voices hushed when he entered, both from intimidation and eagerness to listen to him speak. He was a prime example of a leader, the embodiment of authority. His face was stern and his gaze unreadable as he walked down the empty halls of his manor. Following closely behind were two men clad in a similar style of armor, albeit far heavier and metallic. Their identities were covered by dark helmets and large straight swords hung at their waists. They were his guardians, the guild members he trusted most to have his back in tense situations. Needless to say, they were strong.

Caesar ended his march in front of a large, crystal-adorned door.

“Wait here. I won’t be too long. Keep watch,” Caesar told the guards.

Three men circled a table on the opposite side of the door. Among them was Morningstar.

[ lv. 35  ->   l. 32 / p. 3 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 700/700 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 23 | ACC: 4 | MIT: 122 | LD: 5 | BLD: 36 | PAR: 1 | Stealth Rating: -5 | EN Cost: +1 (+0 on first 2 turns)   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped meteor BLD II, PAR I armor of fallen radiance  MIT III lexa's light ACC III battle-ready inventory n/a skills.   Hide contents mod count: 3/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech HEAVY ARMOR | RANK 5/5 impetus, iron skin COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 5/5 night vision, detect ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL buffs.   Hide contents statue n/a consumables  n/a paragon n/a arts.   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x11 -> x14 TECH-A | x16 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x16 | DELAY TECH-D | x16 | SHATTER misc.   Hide contents Rested | -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat. Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down). Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30. Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Basic Training | +5% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. gathering n/a

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Torches burned in the corners of the wide room. Flags swayed above the heavy oak doors, pushed by the gentle breeze that snuck in through the open windows. The meeting place was kept secret, located in a remote area on the twenty-second floor. Those who visited were given crystals that teleported them within the grounds of the guildhall as well as crystals to bring them back to the nearest safezone. It was important that the discussion that would soon begin was entirely private.

Morningstar’s eyes wandered between the other two players in the room. On his right was Mello, the Flame Legion’s leader. It was fitting, he thought. Fiery hair fell to his shoulders, coordinating well with the colour of his armor.

On his left was Greymore, the man in charge of a guild known as “Cleric”. They were few in numbers, he recalled from his brief research—those days, most guilds were. Even still, they were important enough to be invited to the summit.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

The combination of Greymore’s neatly trimmed beard, chiseled jaw, and constant frown gave him an intimidating appearance. It was untrue, though. From the short conversation they had had, Morningstar gathered that behind the gruff exterior was a gentle heart.

The question of why he was there puzzled Morningstar. He pondered Greymore’s intentions, curious as to why he of all people was invited when there were so many other qualified choices. Why not Freyd, or NIGHT, or—hell, why not any real frontliner?

Did a single boss raid give him the right to sit among them?

“He’s late,” mumbled Mello.

His arms crossed as he leaned back into his chair. His gaze took to the ceiling, the crystals of an old chandelier catching his attention.

“You know him,” Greymore stopped himself from habitually tapping against the table, “he’ll come along shortly.”

“Who is he?” Morningstar almost hesitated to ask.

Mello shot him a look of confusion but Greymore laughed.

“Oh, that’s right. I never mentioned who set all of this up for us, did I?” the bearded man asked, gesturing to the room around them. “The Black Knights called us here. Their leader, specifically.”

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

The doors opened, their creaks echoing through the great room. In stepped Caesar, his messy, white locks curling around each other. Morningstar had heard stories of the Black Knights of Aincrad. Never had he imagined he would come face to face with the Crusader himself. Caesar took a seat opposite to Morningstar.

“Sorry I’m late. Lots to do and so little time.”

Mello rolled his eyes but Caesar did not appear to notice—if he did, he was unbothered.

“Thank you all for coming this evening. I’m aware of how busy you all are these days, particularly now that the twenty-seventh floor has been cleared,” Caesar singled out Morningstar with a look of intrigue. “You were there, I hear. At the boss fight. What was it like—the dragon?”

The image of Wushen burned in his mind, the not-so-distant memories returning to him as he thought back to the day of the raid. He remembered the flames, his aching limbs, the piercing eyes of the godlike being.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

He remembered how it towered over them and how quickly the battle went from an intense showdown to nothing at all. The Elemental Warlord fell just like any other monster.

Unlike the rest, however, it would live forever in Morningstar’s memories.

"Brilliant. Terrifying. I'm just glad to be here," he admitted.

Caesar nodded, leaving his question at that. "Let's begin."

He tossed a crystal into the center of the table and a holographic map appeared. "This is a map of the Nineteenth Floor—more specifically, it is a small portion of the Forbidden Lands."

"Two weeks ago, one of our guild members discovered a strange item while clearing out a camp of Tanos worshippers," Caesar explained.

A red dot appeared where the camp was located. He tapped a button on a controller-like device and another hologram appeared next to the map. It was a long, rectangular object that appeared to be some sort of intricate piece of artwork.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

It was like a small statue made of stone and resembled the physical manifestation of a demon. Two purple crystals sat in the space of its eye sockets. Inquisitive looks had locked onto the item, Morningstar's included. Caesar continued.

"The item is called the 'Artifact of Mind' and holds no description; however, it is not all that he discovered," he said, switching off the map and item and pulling up a new image. "This is a photo of the shrine where the artifact was found. Behind it, you can see a mural on the wall that could be depicted as the ascension of these worshippers."

The mural was pixelated but still quite clear. It was painted from a bird's eye perspective and showed four people in the center of obelisks and totems. Upon the totems were various items, one of which matched the statue that had been taken from the camp.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"It is possible," Caesar said, "that these items are nothing but fodder or items to a quest that we are not yet aware of. Our brokers have tossed other, more 'conspiracy' type ideas our way. Rumor has it that there are items that, when gathered together, can return players to the real world without clearing the hundred floors. We believe that this is one of those items."

A scoff came from Mello's direction. "Who started that rumor? Sounds like rubbish to me."

"It may very well be. Either way, my people and I have decided that it's worth investigating and I'm being gracious enough to share my information with you," Caesar replied sternly.

Mello scowled. Morningstar was ignorant to the extent of their relationship and their history. The two did not appear to be friends, to say the least. Allies, maybe. Opposites with a common goal seemed to be more likely.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"So, if I'm getting this right, you think that the ritual depicted on the mural is meant for us rather than for the cultists?" Morningstar asked.

"Exactly. Gather the artifacts, escape the game. That's the running theory, anyway."

"And where can we find the artifacts?"

Caesar sighed. "This is our biggest problem, at the moment. Finding the first item was a complete accident. The knight who found it was leveling in the mountains and simply stumbled upon it."

Greymore added onto the conversation with the following question: "Was there anything else of significance inside the temple?"

"Yes, there was. That brings me to my next piece of information."

As he pressed the button on his controller, the image shifted once more. Morningstar could not be sure what it was he was looking at. He glanced over at the others. They seemed to be in a similar boat. The photo was inside the temple and in the same spot where the artifact had been discovered. However, there was no artifact. There was no display stand at all. Instead, there were two squares, one quite a bit larger than the other. On top was a standard chess set.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"Supposedly, this appeared as soon as the final mob was killed. No quest prompt, no explanation. Just a game. He played, of course, and his reward was the totem."

"He played who?" Mello asked.

"The system, I think," Caesar paused to gauge their reactions.

Nobody spoke. They did not know what to say. Nothing like it had been seen before, as far as they knew. Their vision was clouded, only the tiniest piece of the painting filled in. 

"So, he won," Morningstar spoke slowly, as if he was still in thought, "and was given the item?"

"That's correct."

"And what if he had lost?"

Caesar's face was unchanging, impossible to get a read on. "With the information that we have now, I'm afraid that it's impossible to say."

Mello laughed and the whole room stared at him in response.

"I'm sorry—what? I must be losing my hearing. A man plays a chess match, wins a rock and you think that it'll bring you home? A little preposterous, no?"

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Admittedly, Morningstar had thought the same thing (even if he was polite about it). There was little in terms of evidence and what they did have was a stone statue and a poorly painted piece of cave art. A broker's word went a long way but, in this case, he was skeptical.

Caesar responded but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. "I said what I said. The Black Knights believe that if there is even a one percent chance that these items are the real deal, it is our duty as players to seek them out."

"One percent chance? Even that is hard to believe! Don't you think that if there was a way out, someone would have already done it?" Mello called.

"Not," Caesar retorted, "if it didn't exist before now. Don't forget that we are in a video game. Theoretically, things can be added and taken away at any moment. If the feature was only added recently, then it would have been impossible for someone to take advantage of it before now. It isn't farfetched to say that we are the first to find an item like this."

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"But where is the evidence that this is different from any other quest item?"

Caesar stared at Mello for a moment before speaking. "There was no prompt for any quest when the item was retrieved. Besides, don't you think it's strange that there is no description, no indication of what the item is used for?"

"To be honest," Greymore added, "this isn't much for us to work with, Caesar."

"No! It's nothing for us to work with! Let's say that you're right—that this group of items will beam us back home if we perform some silly ritual. How? How do we do it? More importantly, where in the hundred floors of Aincrad do we even find the damn things? What if they are laying around on floors that haven't been unlocked yet?"

Mello's outburst shocked Morningstar but the guild leaders themselves looked unphased. Caesar's expression had yet to change from rigidity and Greymore remained an enigma, still and mute. A sigh escaped Mello's lips.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"I apologize for my shouting," he began, his voice hushed, "I only mean to say that I feel this meeting was called prematurely and with little information to offer."

"I know you mean well, Mello," Caesar replied, accepting his apology, "and I appreciate your concerns. I've considered them as well and that's precisely why we are holding this meeting now, without all of the answers. I'd like to ask our three guilds to cooperate and research this topic further. I think we would all benefit from searching together and sharing the information we find rather than keeping it to ourselves."

"And what about me?" Morningstar was almost nervous to ask, to question them. "Why am I here?"

"Because Greymore requested it. He thought that we could all benefit from the perspective of someone outside of the three guilds. We were in no position to disagree. You were a unanimous decision, in the end," Caesar explained.

[Morningstar 0]

"Our people have been allied for a long time now—almost since the beginning, actually. Sometimes, we get caught up with ourselves. We forget what it's like to be a solo player. Our goals may be aligned but the way we push towards them is quite different. We don't see the field nearly as much as you do. Not anymore. While we hold meetings in fancy rooms, you are out there every day, working towards a way out. There's honor in that. Wisdom too, we think."

Greymore spoke next. "It can be a lonely world, Morningstar. Lonely and dangerous. There will come a time where progressing alone is no longer possible. You have a place with us if you need it."

"We hope to unite players," Mello added. "You are the start but we intend to reduce the number of solo players by showing them what a sustainable guild looks like. Most crash and burn. We haven't. Knock on wood."

Caesar finished succinctly. "The world has become divided. We want to change that."

[Morningstar 0]

It was a respectable goal. Difficult, but respectable. "The glaring issue that I see is that we have no way to know how many of us could actually be logged out. I mean, what if this alliance backfires? What if some of us are left behind?" Morningstar asked.

"And how do we choose who stays and who goes?" Greymore added.

 He sounded like a leader, in a similar way to Caesar. In a group of one hundred or more, he thought that they would stand out, their words booming throughout the crowd. He was even more surprised to hear that he and Morningstar shared the same thoughts. Perhaps it was the reason he was chosen but they seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"It's a valid concern," Caesar admitted, "but, right now, we can only speculate. In the event that the items can only return a small portion of the alliance, what do you propose we do?"

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar had ideas, although he was not fond of any of them. "The most obvious answer is to disband the alliance and go our separate ways. Whether we like it or not, the player base would become a free-for-all if they found out there were only a few open slots on the trip home. The people with friends and family would prioritize them over strangers, even if they are from allied guilds."

Caesar seemed to have expected an answer like that. Morningstar continued. "Alternatively, we send back people who are unfit to stay here. Children and the elderly would be a priority, of course, and as many of the current level-one players we can take. I can't imagine the people on the other side know what's going on within the game. Maybe, if we send people back, they can tell our story and find a way to shut the game down."

"Both are considerable options," Caesar nodded. "Thank you for your input, Morningstar."

[Morningstar 0]

The blonde smiled, returning his nod. The group went on to discuss many other ideas until the thought of an actionable plan was mentioned. They considered their next moves and determined that the best place to start was back on the Nineteenth Floor, where the first artifact was found. The area was, for the most part, cleared out so Morningstar would take on the mission alone. His objective was to do a thorough walk-through of the mountain temples in the Forbidden Lands, take down whatever remained of the Tanos worshippers, and ensure that nothing had been missed on the first expedition. They did not expect to find anything notable but thought that it was better to be certain than to assume.

Elsewhere, groups from each guild would search for the remaining artifacts. All they had to work with was colour, so that is where they decided to start. They plotted out which statues looked like they could be located on each floor and planned for teams to explore each region that matched.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

The eyes of totems were different coloured crystals: Purple, Green, Blue, Red, Yellow, White, and Black. They had already discovered purple, the Artifact of Mind. That left six remaining artifacts hiding within the game.

"Let's assume that none of the totems are located on floors that have yet to be unlocked. Waste was found before the Twenty-Eighth boss raid, so anywhere from Floor One to Floor Twenty-Eight is on the table. We'll begin with the green artifact and work from there. I believe that it would be most efficient to send multiple teams out in search of a single totem, considering we lack information," Caesar said.

They came to the conclusion that there were a multitude of places it could be found. The Rough Mountains on Floor Two, the Jungle Expanse on Floor Six, as well as the Forest of the Great Tree on Floor Eight, and the Reverent Forest on Floor Eleven were their primary ideas. They included some spots on the higher floors as well, although they seemed less likely.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"We'll send one squad to each of those floors. Each squad will include four people. We may want to recruit a few extra hands, considering Morningstar will be on Nineteen. If anything strange is found, it will be communicated to each of us. We will send assistance depending on the situation."

The plan made sense. They scribbled down names onto sheets of paper, compiling each of the four squads. Sixteen players in total were listed and Morningstar recognized very few of them. Willow was leading her own team on Floor Two. He wondered where she was; he was under the impression that she would also be at the meeting.

"Any questions?" Caesar asked.

"Just one," Greymore voiced. "What will we do when other players get word of these items? We can't keep this a secret forever. They will come looking."

"We let them. I'm not sure there's anything else we can do. I don't want to start a war," Caesar replied. "With our combined strength, we should be able to collect a majority of the hidden items. If other groups manage to find them, we can attempt to work with them or make a deal. We'll do what it takes to get people home."

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar was glad to see that Caesar was not the man he appeared to be. When he entered the room, the blonde was worried that he would be difficult to work with. That did not seem to be the case. If he was to be worried about anyone, he felt like Mello was the logical choice. Morningstar's first impression of him was that he was emotional and hard to predict. He was there for a reason, though, and Morningstar was interested in learning what it was.

"If that's all, then I'd like to conclude this summit. You're all free to stick around and explore the estate," Caesar stood from his seat and moved for the exit. "I'll be in my study if you need anything. There are teleport crystals on the floor below. Just ask the guards."

“And once again,” he added, before stepping through the doorway, “thank you all for coming.”

[Morningstar 0]

The meeting adjourned and the four went their separate ways. Morningstar did as Caesar told , receiving a crystal from the armored players downstairs and leaving the manor behind. The crystal brought him to Coral, the floor's main settlement.

He had his instructions. The Nineteenth floor was his first mission. Once it was clear, he could report back to the guild leaders and begin preparation for the next. He thought about Willow and the others. They were being sent all over the place, all in search of the next artifact.

There were no clues, no hints, and no handouts. It was unlikely that Floor Nineteen would have anything left to offer but, sooner or later, another artifact would be found. It was inevitable.

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From his throne, the lonely king listened. The visage of a warrior appeared in the stone below.

“They approach, my king,” the warrior spoke with raspy words.

“Good. I await their visit.”

Edited October 21, 2023 by Morningstar