[PP-F27] Operation Pompeii

[Vigilon 0]

                         The day had come for the raid. He wasn't sure about this feeling within himself, the fact that he was heading off to help the frontliners in one of the most dangerous battles in the whole game...it was like this sense of dread had just welled up inside him within seconds, and the settlement was almost eerily quiet. Vigilon took a deep breath, and stepped off of the Teleport Platform. Well, that was the easiest part, next was to head over to the boss room, where the other frontliners would be gathering. The anticipation nearly made him shudder, and it was a different, yet similar feeling to when he first stepped outside the safe zone during his time in this game. Every decision would count, and one slip could cost him or his allies greatly.

                        Ronbaru was a large settlement, so he felt safe for a time... when he neared the edge of Ronbaru's safe zone, he slowed down, stopping at the edge itself.

     He didn't know if he was ready, but there was only one way to find out...that, however, will need courage.

 

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Main Stats:

 

Level: 32
Paragon Level: 31(paragon stat bonus totals: +120 HP, +12 EN, +30 SP)
 

Paragon Rewards:

Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread.
Lv. 10 | +1 LD to loot and chest rolls
 

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 800(Base[760], Resolve[40])
Energy: 114(Base[94], Energist[20])
Base Damage: 23(SS R5[7], Combat Mastery: DMG[12], SS Ferocity[2], Meticulous[1])
Mitigation: 78(Silver Night[+48], Light Armor R5[+30])
Accuracy: 2(SS Precision, Dragon's Eye)
Evasion: 2(Silver Night, Dragon's Eye)
Loot Die: 6(Searching R5[+5], Dragon's Eye[+1])
T4 Blight: Inflicts Blight on BD 9-10
T4 Burn: Inflicts Burn on BD 9-10
Fallen Damage: +16 DMG on BD 6-8

Additional conditions:
-2 on all stealth rolls(Light Armor Rank 5)
 

Equipment:

[T4]Kyrkuran(Straight Sword, Fallen II, Blight, Burn)[Equipped]

[T4]Silver Night(MIT II, EVA)[Equipped]

[T1]Dragon's Eye(ACC, EVA, LD)[Equipped]

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x4[Battle Ready]

Liquor of Light(3 DMG) x4

[T4]Mortal Instants(MIT III) x4

Shadows Withal(OH III) x4

Skewer Roll(Protein II) x4

Creme Brulee(ACC II) x4

Smores(EVA II) x4

Gelato(LD III) x4

Mousse(Pros. III) x4

Imugi's Inspiration(Crystal, Mass Healing) x3[Battle Ready]

 

 

 

Skills:

Straight Sword Rank 5(30 SP)

Light Armor Rank 5(30 SP)

Searching Rank 5(30 SP)

Extended Mod Limit(10 SP)

Charge(10 SP)

 

 

Extra Skills:

Combat Mastery: Damage Rank 3(13 SP)

Familiar Mastery: Rending(10 SP)

Survival

Meditation

 

Mods:

Meticulous(4 SP)

Night Vision(3 SP)

Detect(4 SP)

 

Shift: AoE(10 SP)

 

 

Addons:

Resolve(6 SP)

SS Ferocity(6 SP)

SS Precision(2 SP)

SS Stamina(4 SP)

 

Profession(Crafting): Blacksmith
Profession(Gathering): TBD

 

[Krysta 0]

                               Krysta had a duty, and she intended to see it through.

                    The day of the raid had come, and Krysta was already on her way. Vigilon had notified her some time ago that he would cover for consumables, at least for what he could afford. Regardless, Krysta wanted to gather her own preparations, especially for the roles she would primarily be utilizing in the coming battle. 

           Despite her intentions, this was actually her fist time within this floor. She had yet to memorize the settlement's layout, so it took her some time to reach the edge of the safe zone...where Vigilon was, probably hesitant. Krysta remembered the day when she first made the decision to leave the safe zone, so she could understand if he was hesitant for this decision. Nevertheless, Krysta had a duty...a duty to the people. There were many back home in the real world who were probably hoping for her safe return, and there were also many innocent people trapped within this virtual world along with Krysta. She just had to do something about it all at some point, and with the frontlines needing what help they could get, how could she remain by the sidelines this time?

           She took a deep breath, then she placed her hand on Vigilon's shoulder. "I understand if the situation seems grim now...but we must press on. I am certain we can survive the battle, even if it forces us to retreat." She spoke, hoping to reassure him.

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Main Stats:

 

Level: 32

Paragon Level: 29(paragon stat bonus totals: +100 HP, +10 EN)

Paragon Rewards:

Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread.

Lv. 10 | +1 LD to Loot and Chest rolls

 

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 780(Base[740], Resolve[40])
Energy: 112(Base[92], Energist[20])
Base Damage: 23(THSS R5[7], Combat Mastery: DMG[12], SS Ferocity[2], Meticulous[1])
Mitigation: 78(Lumino Regalia[48], Light Armor R5[30])
Accuracy: 2(Alediel's Grace[1], SS Precision[1])
Evasion: 2(Aurora Lux)
Loot Die: 0
T4 Recovery: Recovers 8 Energy on a CD roll of 7-12
Holy Damage: +8 Damage on BD 9-10
T4 Bleed: Inflicts Bleed on BD 9-10, deals 48 DMG per turn for two turns

 

Additional conditions:

-2 on all stealth rolls(Light Armor Rank 5)

 

Equipment:

[T4]Alediel's Grace(Straight Sword, Holy, Acc, Bleed)[Equipped]

[T4]Lumino Regalia(Light Armor, MIT II, REC)[Equipped]

[T4]Aurora Lux(Jewelry, EVA II, REC II)[Equipped]

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1[Battle Ready]

Imugi's Inspiration(Crystal, Mass Healing) x5[Battle Ready]

 

 

Skills:

Straight Sword Rank 5(30 SP)

Light Armor Rank 5(30 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage Rank 3(13 SP)

Battle Healing Rank 3(14 SP)

Energist(8 SP)

 

Shift: AoE(10 SP)

 

Extra Skills:

First aid Rank 5(30 SP)

Familiar Mastery: Healing(10 SP)

Meditation

 

 

Mods:

Purify(4 SP)

Barrier(6 SP)

Field Medic(6 SP)

Meticulous(4 SP)

 

Addons:

Resolve(6 SP)

SS Ferocity(6 SP)

SS Precision(2 SP)

SS Stamina(4 SP)

 

Profession(Crafting): TBD

Profession(Gathering): TBD

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Krysta
SP miscalculations from long ago. I messed up so bad.

[Morningstar 0]

In his hand was Sapphire, a shimmering jewel necklace that had been gifted to him for the raid. He stepped out of Freyd Edges and immediately teleported to the Twenty-Seventh Floor. There was not much time left before the raid and the last of his precautions had been made.

Morningstar slung his blade over his shoulder. Despite its smaller size, it was his heaviest weapon by far. He had yet to equip his armor and walked through the safezone dressed in his casual clothes: a brown knit sweater and some light-wash jeans. It was funny, the kinds of clothing that lived between worlds. Even after years away from his old life, he still preferred real-world outfits to armor at times.

The morning air cooled his nervous skin. It was a strange feeling, being so close to the edge of the boss fight. At that moment, he was standing there, living, breathing. In a few hours, he could be dead.

He noticed two others that he thought he recognized from the raid meeting. "You two heading to the labyrinth?" Morningstar called out.

Normally, he would not have said anything; on today of all days, however, it seemed like the right time. Perhaps, he thought, he should get to know the people he would soon fight alongside. "Mind if I walk with you?"

  

[ lv. 46  ->   l. 32 / p. 14 ] MORNINGSTAR | HP: 740/740 | EN: 106/106 | DMG: 23 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 1 | MIT: 122 | LD: 6 | AA: 1 | VO: 122 | STK: 40/24 | BH: 15 | Stealth Rating: -5   Hide contents notes.     Hide contents equipped soulcursed blade VO II, AA I, STK I armor of fallen radiance  MIT III sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory teleport crystal 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 BATTLE HEALING | RANK 2/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK buffs.   Hide contents statue n/a consumables  n/a paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD 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 August 4, 2023 by Morningstar

[Alkor 0]

Everyone had their own way of mentally preparing for stressful things. For some people, it was relaxation and reflection, meditation, some means of setting themselves at ease. Others were more fond of getting themselves excited, hyped up, ready for the challenge at hand. For Alkor, the anxiety had long since taken root. He'd grappled with several stages of despair already, the critical self-doubt that came with having nearly failed and died in this same situation before. He came to grips with that possibility and took the fear, and he swallowed it whole. It remained sour and bitter, stale, burning like acid in the pit of his stomach.

Like a caged animal, wreaking havoc on him from the inside.

The expression he wore told the tale of conflict, but no longer about what might happen. Now only the inevitable lay before them, that they would face danger, and that injuries were a certainty. Alkor had spent all of his time in Aincrad before seeking a shadow of himself, of something he never believed that he could surpass. The expectations set on him to carve through adversity were like shackles, born of someone else's vanity and obsession with perfection. Shackles that had become his own.

But a shackled man was like a flightless bird. He couldn't escape from himself, or protect anyone else. Swinging his sword against a phantasm of himself served no purpose but to bind him forever to who he was. Who he would always be. He had to take those shackles and break them down, throw them into fire, and reforge them.

Alkor had finally decided to wear his weaknesses as armor, so that they would never again be used against him.

The man called Vigilon had worked on the actual suit armor he wore now, though admittedly it still felt foreign. Despite all of the skill points invested, the feeling was unfamiliar. Weight that protected him also refused to allow him to move freely the way he once had. It promised that he would face pain head on, and weather it like a storm. 

It was that same man who he happened to see just ahead of him on the way out of Ranbaru. It was plain enough to see that everyone around was nervous. Afraid even, perhaps. What did they say under those circumstances? Would they talk as though nothing were wrong, or that the future, though uncertain, would come regardless of what they did?

No, best not to ingrain the prospect of futility in them just before a fight.

"Nice day out," he remarked offhand. He may as well have said "it's a great day to die," for all the enthusiasm in his voice, but rather than state something morbid, he just hoped to lighten the mood. If they were all headed the same place, it was pointless to do so in a foul mood.

 

Vitals:

Alkor 32 // 40

840 HP 116 EN

Base Damage: 9 Mit: 170 Acc: 4 Eva: 0 Blight: 32 In addition, a target afflicted with Blight loses 20 Mitigation for 2 turns Bleed: 48 Paralyze Battle Healing: 52/turn 8-10 Critical chance 10% increase to healing received

R5 Heavy Armor

R5 Straight Sword

R5 Battle Healing

[Mod] Emergency Recovery

[Addon] Stamina 

[Addon] Precision

[Addon] <<Straight Sword>> Focus

Combat Mastery: Mitigation

Energist

Fighting Spirit

Howl

[Addon] Focused Howl

TECH specialist

(Extra skill) Parry

[Mod] Vengeful Riposte

(Extra skill) Survival

Total EXP: 268000

Total SP: 190

Current Level: 32

Paragon Level: 40

Unlocked Paragon Rewards:

Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 10% of EXP earned in that thread.

Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting

 

 

 

Inventory

 

Equipped:

Item Name: Witchfang

Item Tier: 4

Item Type: OHSS

Item Enhancements: CURSED / BLIGHT / BLEED / PARALYZE

Description: "Forged from the fang of a massive Black Dragon slain by a nameless hero in ancient times, it was given as offering to placate a Sorcerer intent on bringing low the Kingdom. He struck a deal with the hero, in exchange for a reprieve in his generation, the fang would return to haunt their world one day. Witchfang promises ruin to those who are struck by it. The weapon's edge is fashioned of Obsidian and invested with myriad afflictions. One of Aincrad's Cursed Weapons, its very presence inspires fear and invokes the chill of darkness."

 

Item Name: Titan's Ward

Item Tier: 4

Item Type: Heavy Armor

Item Enhancements: Mitigation 2, Taunt

Description: very long 

 

Item Name: Eye of Osiris

Item Tier: Tierless

Item Type: Accessory

Item Enhancements: ACC III

Description: A pin fashioned in the style of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, depicting the eye of the god Osiris.

[Vigilon 0]

                           The first person to meet Vigilon over at the safe zone's edge was Krysta. It was haunting enough to know that he was going to one of the riskiest and most dangerous battles in the game, but the fact that Krysta was going as well...it kind of hurt him inside, he wanted to be able to see her again, and he doubted he'd be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to her...
                                             He noticed the tiara that Krysta was wearing. It really suited her, and complimented her appearance, in his eyes. Deep down inside, he didn't want this to be the last day he ever sees her. Krysta tried to reassure Vigilon, saying that the two would be able to make it, even if the battle forced them to retreat. However, Vigilon had heard rumors of some combat scenarios disabling teleport crystals...this wasn't one of them, was it? Hopefully not...

          He looked at Krysta, his expression worried, as his fears couldn't be held down any longer. Before he could speak, however, a voice called out to the two. Vigilon looked and saw one of the players from the meeting. "Yeah, that's where the floor boss room is located, isn't it?" He responded. The player then asked if he could walk with Vigilon and Krysta. "Sure, definitely." He answered. "There's safety in numbers, after all, isn't there?" He added, on the assumption that there may be danger up ahead on the way to the boss room itself. With his luck, he doubted he wouldn't come across anything that one of the players would pull aggro on along the way. Then Alkor showed up, wearing the armor Vigilon had made for him. It really gave the guy a totally different vibe just by the appearance of the armor alone. "We were just about to head for the labyrinth. Since there's strength and safety in numbers, we might as well head there together, might reduce the chances of anything aggressive we find becoming a problem along the way, right?" He noted.

[Krysta 0]

                               There was much to do, but Krysta had yet to figure that out. Other than the coming raid, she had little expectations for the day. When another player appeared, offering to walk with the players, Krysta nodded her head with a warm smile. "Certainly, it is better to travel with others, even more so with friends or allies." 

       Krysta couldn't help but notice how quickly Vigilon's expression changed. It was likely that he did so due to not wanting to seem unnerved, especially when his concern was probably involving Krysta. He seemed to care for her more than she anticipated. That was actually a good thing, for one wouldn't dare wish to lose someone they'e grown to cherish so deeply. Before Krysta could say anything more, an armored man with a tone lacking enthusiasm of any sort. She could understand this, for despite how Krysta was managing to carry herself so far on the exterior, her internal states, both emotional and mental, were under the midst of disruption on the brink of becoming a maelstrom, for the reality of potential mortality, for herself and/or her allies, even her beloved, was settling into her mind, setting everything else into a state of slow-burn anxiety.

              Vigilon suggested that the four travel to the raid as a party. It was a fair idea, but it required the agreement of the other two players. The four would also need to decide on a party leader. "If we are all in agreement, we should figure out who the party's leader should be." She noted. She refrained from nominating Vigilon or herself for the time being, as she did not want to alienate these two from Krysta or Vigilon. She would let them choose any of the four party members.

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar nodded. He had fully expected to travel to the boss fight alone but welcomed the company. When the fourth member of the party appeared, he smiled. He thought he recognized the man but could not put his finger on where from, if they had met at all.

"I'm open to whatever you would all prefer," Morningstar said, indifferent to who was the party leader.

He did not nominate himself—he always felt weird about that sort of thing. He expected that Vigilon would take the lead, although it was a hunch and nothing he cared to prove, even if he could. That being said, he would not have been surprised if Alkor was to take the lead either. The way he carried himself reminded Morningstar of other frontliners he had met. There was experience under his belt; he was a veteran for sure.

"I'm Star, by the way. Morningstar. I don't think I've met any of you officially."

[Freyd 0]

Every lead up to a raid meant a flurry of furious activity: field bosses to be slaughtered, mountains of items to be identified and fused, and a virtual Thanksgiving buffet of consumables to obtain and prepare.  This time was no different. Freyd was in the final stretch. Having already visited The Knight Shift to secure a new blade for Morningstar, he was bound for the location provided at the prep meeting with an inventory full of goodies that would make Santa's toy bag look like amateur hour.  What had ever possessed him to volunteer as a tank?!  Wrapped in trusty but worn traveling leathers, he'd never held any aspirations to be more than a damage dealer in these things.  It wasn't his first rodeo, but to get pummeled by a raid boss would be an entirely new experience.

Were he truly honest with himself, the Whisper was worried that he wasn't properly prepared.  Injuries weren't the issue.  He'd suffered plenty in the past.  But having five other players in his charge had lit a fire inside him to meet high expectations set by others better suited to the task.  Raidou, Eruda, Shield, Calrex, Yuki, just to name a few.  These names were legends in raid lore.  He hadn't exactly woken up that morning, before the meeting, expecting to take a stand as a party's meat shield wearing fancy pajamas while trying to keep them safe using his bare hands.  Glancing down, he felt the hum of power containing the endlessly hungry oblivion dwelling within his hand wraps.  It would be nice if they chose not to eat his hands while he was at it.

Freyd didn't really do the whole fear thing either.  It was too inefficient.  What might manifest as anxiety in others often turned into immutable resolve instead, driving him into a manic tizzy of activity and singular focus: be ready, and keep everyone not dead.  Hirru would be a godsend for the latter.  The Whisper would have to rely on swift reflexes and raw stats to pull himself through the rest.  There just wasn't enough time to fully reset his build completely.

Muted voices reached him from beyond one of Ronburu's many manicured hedges.  Everywhere in this place felt like a garden, though he'd yet to give it the proper investigative scouring.  Too many other duties pulled him elsewhere, fighting fires to the point of smothering, then moving on to the next.  This whole raid felt much like the same.  Sidestepping through shrubbery, the lanky Whisper emerged from the shadows to join the group of fortunately familiar faces.

"Ah.  There you are," he said, speaking calmly and quietly, belying his actual state of mind. "Making the final trek, are you?  Would it bother if I tag along?"  A quick nod was added towards Morningstar, who would be in his raid group.  

***

Freyd consumes:

Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (6/6) - 1 portion, filled (other portions are shared with party)
Armageddon Juice (Potion) | Damage 3 | [179649] 
Red Velvet Meringue (Snack) | Evasion 2 | [197253]
Jackpot Pretzel (Snack) | Loot Die 3 | [197169]
Stalwart's Stew | T4 Perfect Meal | MIT 3 | [215251] 
Shrimp Gumbo | Tierless Perfect Meal | Overhealth 3 | [216721] 
Strawberry Yogurt with Honey (Snack) | Probiotics 3 | [166168]

Note: Alkor has dropped off from the thread.  Freyd is stepping in as a replacement.  
Note: CS (Shades of the Gemini) is in use.  If any other player objects to this, please say so on your next post and it will be considered inactive.

Freyd | HP: 1357/1357 | EN: 152/152 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 7 | BH: 74 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8 | PROB: 36                                                

Spoiler

"Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 33
Paragon Level: 122
HP: 1180/1180+177
EN: 152/152

Stats:
Damage: 23+3
Mitigation: 103+60
Evasion: 2+1 (CS)+2
Accuracy: 4+2+1
Battle Healing: 64+10
Loot Dice: 5+3
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride | T4 MA | FLN 2 | HLY 2
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb | T4 LA | MIT 2 | REC 2
Misc: Fight O'er Flight (ACC 2 | EVA 2)

Combat Mastery: Damage R3
Combat Shift: AOE
Familiar Skill: Grappling Familiar
Custom Skill: Shades of the Gemini

Skills:
Martial Arts R5
Battle Healing R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Charge
Energist
Quick Change
Extended Mod Limit
Extended Weight Limit
Fighting Spirit
Howl

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Emergency Recovery
Untraceable
Detect

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina
Focused Howl

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Meditation
Forgotten King’s Authority

Inactive Extra Skills:
Frozen Hide
Brawler
Photosynthesize
Hiding R2

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+10% HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk:  Hope's Covenant - Resolve +4 (T4 Demonic Weapon (MA) - AA, Phase, Frostbite, VO)  x1
EWL:  The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 Demonic MA, AA, Blight, Static, Para.Ven (Off))    x1
EWL: Dagan Crystal-B (Reusable) x1

Housing Buffs:
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)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
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: +2 Fishing EXP per attempt
Practiced Angler: +2 Fishing EXP per attempt, addition +1 LD/CD to fishing attempts
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Tanos Statue: +25 Mitigation for a thread.

Wedding Ring: n/a

Fishing: Level 4 | 461XP"                                                

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Freyd

[Vigilon 0]

       Vigilon seemed to be in thought for a short moment. "...So I guess we're all indifferent to who the party leader is, then? Alright, maybe we could flip a coin or tw-"

            Freyd showed up, asking if he could tag along. "You know what, the more the merrier, there'll be strength in numbers." Vigilon decided. "Now all I gotta figure out is how to divide a team of fi-"
             Where the heck did Alkor go? He was just there a second ago, how could he disappear without a sound? A faint outline of the man simply blinked in and out of existence within his mental perception. Vigilon blinked, with a confused look on his face. "...Ooookay, looks like we're four again, one full party." He remarked. Since there was some indifference to who the leader should be... Vigilon came to a conclusion of his own. He may have wanted to engage in leadership at some point, but one thing that was important to him was, "Before you should lead, you should first follow." He then pulled out a single col and showed it to Krysta and Morningstar. "Call it in the air, the winner of this coin flip will be the party leader. Cool?" He asked.

[Krysta 0]

            When Freyd arrived, one of the armored players disappeared from view. Perhaps some of the greatest mysteries were the unsolvable kinds, such as how an armored individual can move silently and quickly at the same time. Vigilon decided to flip a coin to decide the party leader between Krysta and the armored player who stayed. "Heads." Krysta spoke. Vigilon then caught the coin and placed it atop his hand.

     Heads.

  Krysta was not anticipating to actually succeed in this coin flip, for in her experience, it was usually tails that won out. Regardless, she was now the party leader. "I shall do my best for my role in the Party." She stated. "To begin, we must make sure we are all prepared to set out. There's no telling what what awaits us along the way to the Boss Room, so we should figure out our roles within the party and know what we each are capable of." She explained as she began sending party invites. She sent one to Vigilon and one to Freyd, but then she realized she was not acquainted with the third party member. Looking at the list of usernames "Within Proximity", she then looked to the third player. "Pardon me, but is your username Morningstar?" She asked, making a guess.

Once that was settled, she would continue. "I work with Damage Dealing and Support, and will take whichever action is needed within the moment." She added, explaining the basics of her build. "Before we set out, we should see if we cannot bolster our stats for the journey. If anyone has brought any consumable buffs with them, I highly encourage you to share any extras you are willing to part with."

     A party must be at their best at a time like this, for the highest achieved floor would most likely have the most dangerous common monsters available.

[Morningstar 0]

Alkor magically morphed into Freyd and suddenly, Morningstar was in a party of four. He watched a coin shimmer through the air and fall back down to Vigilon's hand. He refrained from guessing the outcome aloud but called tails in his head. He was wrong.

Krysta, dubbed leader of the party, made an extremely well-educated guess of the Lightbringer's name. "It is," he nodded.

He made a mental note to be confident when announcing his role or playstyle. He was a frontliner now and it was time to start acting like one. "I'm a DPS," he replied, his eyes wandering through his inventory, picking through the dry stock of remaining consumables. It was about time he visited an alchemist.

Krysta's wariness of the road ahead was understandable; however, the mobs between them and the labyrinth were nothing compared to what they would face in the boss room. Between the four of them, Morningstar felt that they were safe.

"Ready when you are, o' great party leader sir," he saluted sarcastically.

Spoiler

consuming the following:

• Potion of Vicious Dragoon-Fang | +3 DMG
• Potion of the Ancient Rock Dragon | +111 HP
• Potion of Armoured Dragon-Scale | +60 MIT
• Freyd's Crème Brûlée Tray (1 slot) | +2 ACC

 

[Freyd 0]

Watching the exchange left him feeling a little out of the loop.  Why was a walk to the raid room being so formalized?  Strict control over his facial features maintained a neutral if somewhat confused expression.

"Erm... uh.  Tank?  I'm tanking in the raid, so... uh.  I guess I'll do that now too?"  His black brows furrowed slightly.  "Are we expecting some sort of trouble along the way?  Night is usually quite thorough. I'd be surprised to find much opposition remaining along the path she outlined, not that it's impossible."  Shrugging after his own words, confusion gave way to acceptance.  "I suppose it can't hurt to be cautious."

Stuffing his hands unceremoniously into a pair of invisible pockets hidden somewhere along the middle of his black on black outfit, Freyd kicked a small stone along their path, anticipating their continued progress.  

"So, will this be a first for each of you?  I've only been in the last few raids myself and don't necessarily track who attended the ones before."  He knew for certain that this would be Morningstar's, having gone to lengths to procure the man some better gear worthy of their upcoming effort.  He and Vig had taken on some quest with a crazed bear on floor 6, ages ago.  Something to do with deforestation.  'Whatever happened to that quest?' he wondered.  Their progress had followed similar timelines.  Krista was a wild card.  He knew little about her, but an open question allowed everyone to chime in without feeling singled out.

"Tanking sound like it will be a treat," he added confidently, feeling anything but.  Appearances had to be maintained.  "Guess we'll found out how well I can mimic Raidou.  Not a lot of people can pull off standing toe to toe with a raid boss in light or cloth armor."  He couldn't help his eyes from widening, as if he were describing his own insanity.  Raidou had crafted it into an art.  Here, Freyd was just a pretender.

[Vigilon 0]

    Vigilon flipped the coin, and it landed on heads. Krysta would be leading the party, and she stated that she would do her best within her given role. "And you have my sword, my lady." Vigilon responded, with a bow of his head as a gesture of respect. As cheesy as this probably was, he didn't care because he loved her.
         The discussion of player builds and party roles was an important one. Krysta mentioned that she was mainly a damage dealer, but could offer healing and support when needed. Morningstar would reveal himself to be a DPS, but didn't elaborate further than that. Freyd began with the unexpected. A Tank? Freyd? He looked like a Stealth User, yet he was gonna tank? ...Well...he did put his username down in the tank slot in one of the party lists during the raid meeting...not that it made any sense, but still... "I'm a DPS myself, but I've got a few scouting skills in the mix, helps to find things better, be it treasure or trouble." Vigilon chimed in, and thus all four players' roles were revealed.
                   Of course, to answer Freyd's question, that would be a bit complicated, but he'd try his best to answer. After looking at Freyd in the eyes for an awkward four seconds, he'd respond with, "If I know anything about my own luck, assume yes." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Every trek I've been on is met with all manner of monsters. Heck, I had to clear the road to my shop daily to make sure the path was safe to travel on, until I found someone I could give payments to to handle that for me, allowing me to get to important things faster." Vigilon lowered his head, shaking it as he did so. "And the more important the journey, the more likely something gets in my way. Usually it's just a common monster, sometimes a big one, it's rarely anything serious, so I guess there's no reason to worry as long as we're prepared."
               He then remembered something as Krysta mentioned something for last preparations. "Speaking of which..." He then pulled out a set-up stand from who-knows-where in his inventory, then pulled out a platter and placing it down on it. Finally, he pulled out a large assortment of consumables, placing them all on the platter, then taking one of each for himself. He wasn't worried, he'd brought enough for a whole party. "If anyone here is lacking in buffs, I gotcha covered." He remarked.

 

-Vigilon sets out the following consumables for the party:

Liquor of Light(3 DMG) x3
[T4]Mortal Instants(MIT III) x3
Shadows Withal(OH III) x3
Skewer Roll(Protein II) x3
Creme Brulee(ACC II) x3
Smores(EVA II) x3
Gelato(LD III) x3
Mousse(Pros. III) x3

 

Spoiler

Vigilon consumes the Following:

Liquor of Light(3 DMG) x1
[T4]Mortal Instants(MIT III) x1
Shadows Withal(OH III) x1
Skewer Roll(Protein II) x1
Creme Brulee(ACC II) x1
Smores(EVA II) x1
Gelato(LD III) x1
Mousse(Pros. III) x1

[Krysta 0]

      Krysta couldn't keep herself from smiling over Vigilon's gesture. If only he knew... Krysta brought her hand nearly over her mouth. "Ehehehehe, you don't necessarily need do that, Vigilon...but I appreciate your kind gesture. Thank you."

              The players revealed their builds, and their roles in the party would settle in. There seemed to be enough balance to keep everyone alive, and if things began to look grim, there were crystals for healing and teleportation that should be able to help. Freyd wondered why the players seemed to be anticipating trouble, and Vigilon would answer with the explanation of his downtrodden luck. Given the track record of every time the two players had been together outside the safe zone, there was little evidence to disprove his claim. The Princess had a solemn expression upon her face. "I'm afraid what he says is true, Vigilon has no shortage of enemies, including ones that will make war against him upon sight, even monsters with a neutral temperament have had hostile reactions to his presence from time to time. Why that is, however, I currently do not know."

  Freyd asked if this would be the first time for everyone other than him. "If you speak of Floor Boss battles, then yes. Otherwise, no. Vigilon and I have been present in a handful of raids before." Krysta answered.
    Vigilon would pull out an impressive array of consumables for the party. Surely any stats that may be lacking will surely be strengthened through this effort. Krysta smiled, giving a nod of her head. "Many thanks, Vigilon."

              Now it was time to get to the situation proper. "Now then, we must make sure we arrive with the others. To do that, we must know exactly where we are headed, and which path to follow." She then looked to the party's self-appointed Tank. "Freyd, you have experience in the front lines, so you must know at least a fair hint of the path you believe Night has cleared for us, correct? Even if we run into any monsters, the path she traveled should still be the safest route for us." She requested.

 

After all, it most certainly would not do to get lost now, would it?

 

Spoiler

Krysta consumes the following:

Liquor of Light(3 DMG) x1
[T4]Mortal Instants(MIT III) x1
Shadows Withal(OH III) x1
Skewer Roll(Protein II) x1
Creme Brulee(ACC II) x1
Smores(EVA II) x1
Gelato(LD III) x1
Mousse(Pros. III) x1

 

[Morningstar 0]

Krysta's comment regarding Vigilon's "many enemies" was likely intended to be a warning; however, Morningstar took it as a fun fact instead. It was kind of badass.

Being new to raiding, he had zero idea as to what they should expect to find along the way to the labyrinth. Freyd had assumed that the pair's preparation was intended for monsters. Judging by the way they spoke, it felt like they meant players.

He accepted a couple of Vigilon's consumables but, having already consumed a few, avoiding taking too many from the stash. "Thanks. I always seem to be out of these," he said, referring to the gelato and mousse. He thought he recognized them from Demian's shop.

"Since you're the Floor Boss expert, what can we expect at the end of the labyrinth? Anything we should know beforehand?" Morningstar asked Freyd.

He was not yet nervous, but he knew that it would come in time. It always did.

***

consuming the following:

Gelato(LD III) x1
Mousse(Pros. III) x1

[Freyd 0]

Freyd listened to Vigilon's recounting, solitary eyebrow raised by the quirky fickleness of fate.

"Wait... does all that have anything to do with why we usually meet with you falling out of the sky?  Oh, and thank you for offering, but I ate before I came," he added, patting his flat and unassuming stomach.  "Standard pre-raid procedure.  You know how it is."

"I'm afraid what he says is true, Vigilon has no shortage of enemies, including ones that will make war against him upon sight, even monsters with a neutral temperament have had hostile reactions to his presence from time to time. Why that is, however, I currently do not know."

The other eyebrow raised, and deadpan delivered an unbidden comment.

"Have you considered switching aftershaves," he suggested, jokingly.  It took him a moment to catch Krysta's meaning and distinguishing of 'raid' versus 'floor battle'.  Everyone uses their own jargon, and her mannerisms were unexpectedly formal.  'Must be a princess thing,' he told himself.

"Freyd, you have experience in the front lines, so you must know at least a fair hint of the path you believe Night has cleared for us, correct? Even if we run into any monsters, the path she traveled should still be the safest route for us."

"Umm.  Yes?  I was planning on doing just that before I ran into the rest of you.  Others will be gathering as well.  The sheer amount of frontliner traffic converging on one place should help keep the path clear."  Shrugging, as he had no other plan to suggest, he was quite content to follow hers as outlined.  "I have some modest talent as a scout.  Hopefully, it will steer us clear of trouble, despite Vigilon's strangely afflicted fortunes.  But, there are no guarantees."  Spoken like a true merchant.

"Floor bosses are unpredictable," was all that he could offer Morningstar in response.  "I've only seen a few, so far, but each has been considerably different from the others.  Just keep your teleportation crystal warmed up, in case.  If there's anywhere you are most likely to need it, this will be it."

[Vigilon 0]

                    Krysta confirmed Vigilon's problem, but there was probably a track record to prove it. Freyd's comment was met with a deadpanned stare. There was literally no way that it would help, even if aftershaves even existed in Aincrad, how could it possibly help? It made no sense.

   Now that everyone was ready, and with a path to follow, the party could set out.

       Time passed, nothing seemed wrong. Despite Freyd's remark on how frontliner traffic would nearly assure a clear path, something didn't feel right as he walked with the party. "It's peaceful..." He thought. "Too peaceful..."

              More time passed, then Vigilon heard something. Sounded like voices...but how was he to know if the voices were from frontliners, or someone else? Vigilon held his hand up. "Wait." He spoke, just audibly enough for the other three to hear. He then dashed on ahead before slowing down, and stopping at what looked like good cover.

    The voices were more definable now. They belonged to two male humans. Vigilon looked to the next available spot of cover and made a quick roll over to it. Now he could hear words...

        "Why are we moving this again?" One of the two asked. "Were you not at the mission briefing? Operation Pompeii is a go, we need to get these things in position!" The other responded. What in the world was going on here?
                 The sounds of startling could be heard as a violent shaking of stone made a sudden noise, alongside some kind of angered cry. Vigilon wasn't sure about what was going on, but he hoped to find out. He slowly made a step, but didn't notice the smooth, round pebble that he'd proceed to slip on. "Crap!!!" He uttered out in midair before landing on his back.
                "Wait, what was that?"
           Oops.

       Vigilon was now pretty sure that those two now knew he was here. Hopefully they wouldn't find the rest of the party if they turned out to be trouble. Hopefully he could try and diffuse the situation.
             "It came from over there!" Yep, he'd been found.

                                                Vigilon could only get up and prepare himself for a confrontation before two players ran up to him, looking wary and ready for battle. "So..." Vigilon began. "Wasn't expecting to find anyone today, something going on?" He asked, hoping these two wouldn't be a problem. The two were players, both with green cursors, so things were looking unlucky but ok so far. "Nothing much." The first one replied. "Just...delivering something."
     There was a huge stone container of some kind nearby. It shook violently as something roared out from within. "Cool. Uh, what's in the box?" Vigilon asked, albeit a bit awkwardly while scratching his back. "Nunya." The second one replied. Vigilon deadpanned. " 'Nunya business'? Ok then...well, who are you delivering it to?"

                 It was that moment when Krysta then arrived on the scene. So much for looking like a random wanderer. "...Alright, yes, I'm with a party..." He admitted with a sigh. He couldn't blame Krysta for this, though, she probably thought he was in danger. Most likely, the others would be here within seconds...who knows, knowing Freyd, he might already be here right now.

 

ID# 219030 LD: 2-2=1(Vigilon has been Spotted!)

Edited February 15 by Vigilon

[Krysta 0]

                              Krysta was confused by Freyd's remark regarding aftershaves. "Hva...?(What...?)" Despite her word being in her homeland's tongue, the Cardinal would translate it for those who heard. 

     From what Freyd had mentioned, there was indeed an outlined path to follow, so as long as the party did not steer clear of it, they would be fine. Krysta would frequently check her map and compare it to the outlined path to make sure the players weren't unwittingly going astray. After some time, it was feeling far too quiet, and Krysta considered sparking up some conversation to lighten the mood, but before she could, she heard Vigilon call for the party to wait.

    Before Krysta could speak, he was off in a flash, heading over to the source of the sound that Krysta originally could have sworn was just her imagination playing tricks on her. Krysta was willing to wait, but now she was in position to act at the slightest change, whether it be in the sounds, a sudden movement, or in Vigilon's HP, displayed under her own.

     "Crap!!!"

"I knew it." Krysta thought. "He's gone and gotten himself into trouble again."
       She drew her blade, ready to handle this new development at the slightest sign of aggression. "Vigilon is in trouble, we must make haste to his aid!" She commanded.

     When Krysta arrived on the scene, Vigilon appeared to be speaking with two individuals. Specifically, they were players with green cursors, one with light armor, and the other having cloth armor. Their armors also seemed to have similar style, and had what appeared to be a guild emblem upon said armors, suggesting they were part of some guild or other unified outfit. Vigilon then admitted to them that he was with a party. Ah, so he was hoping to prevent any suspicion upon himself...Krysta couldn't blame him for that, regardless of these two players' intentions. Speaking of which...

              Krysta looked to the two players, her blade lowered, but still drawn. "Who might you two be? Specifically, who are you with? Those emblems upon your attire, are you from a guild, perchance?" She asked.
                             The two players would take a stance, standing tall and firm, while their arms did the equivalent of an inverted dab. "We are the Knights of Cinnabar, the future of Aincrad's playerbase rests on our shoulders! The expansion of the Land and territory we travel on is within our objective!" One declared. A nearby stone box shook violently, as something inside cried out in anguish. Krysta's eyes narrowed slightly, apprehension within. "And what is it you have in that box there?"
                       Three seconds of awkward silence passed. This was becoming rather suspicious. "A delivery...for some NPCs..." The second player claimed.
   Krysta would remain silent for a few minutes, to allow the other players to ask any questions, if they had any.

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar laughed at the pair's confusion. Differing senses of humor, he thought.

He stopped, as Vigilon wished, and glanced around. For them to break so abruptly implied that something was wrong. Were they in danger? He saw no mobs around but there were two players up ahead. Suddenly, like something straight out of a video game (which he supposed it was), Vigilon ran off, somersaulting behind a boulder in earshot of the strangers. For a moment, Morningstar was impressed with how stealthy he was without even using a skill. And then, he slipped on a rock."

"Oh, brother," he shook his head as Krysta followed her partner. He shrugged at Freyd and jogged towards the others.

The commotion had understandably surprised the two gentlemen. Morningstar had only heard bits and pieces of what had been said; but, he got the gist of it. "Knights of Cinnabar? Don't think I've heard the name. Not heading to the labyrinth? I'm sure the raiding party would love the extra swords."

Even Morningstar could admit that the shaking of the box combined with the vagueness of the knight's explanation and their "Pokémon antagonist" way of speaking was suspicious. It almost seemed like poaching, which he had a hard time understanding in a video game, where animals could be created with limitless supply. Hoping to get more information without being too aggressive, he offered an easy question: "What do you mean by our future resting on your shoulders?"

[Freyd 0]

"Wait a sec... Knights of Cinnabon?"  Something jarred deep in the recesses of Freyd's memories, urging him to ask Vigilon for clarification.  "Aren't these the same jokers you picked a fight with back when we first met on Floor 8, or wherever?  That time when I walked away from a pointless and unnecessary fight.  Please tell me this isn't some sort of persistent personal vendetta you've got against them.  We do have a raid to get to, after all."  Freyd hoped that highlighting their status as frontliners might give the two mooks pause. 

Meanwhile, his thoughts drifted to other intruding memories of steaming hot, glazed cinnamon pastries from his youth, leaving him drooling slightly and licking his lips.  The reaction must have seemed strange, especially taken out of context.  The whole exchange between the two knights, Vig and Krysta had left him a bit lost and confused, wondering why they'd not just gone around these people.  Everyone had a world-ending conspiracy in their pockets these days, or so it seemed.  Leaning up against the strange box-cage thing, Freyd casually ignored the growling from within, patting the top of the box with benign disinterest. 

"A delivery, you say?"  Feigning curiosity as he finally turned to address the two belligerent thugs, Freyd stumbled acci-deliberately, catching himself on the edge of the cage and tipping it towards the two knights. He was hoping that whatever was inside would pounce on the first thing it saw - and also liked the tasty smell of cinnamon.

Edited February 17 by Freyd