Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 #1 Report Share Posted April 9 (edited) The First Lesson | The Second Lesson Quest Nymoria had remained outside of Zackariah's shop for nearly an hour, trying to figure out what she was going to do with the expansion of the quest. She wanted nothing more than to return home, to give up on the chain that was slowly unwinding before her, to return to the normalcy that she had found within the game. The only thing that had stopped her was the realisation that if she gave up now, she would be returning to nothing more than a desperate reliance on others in order to bring about their freedom; another means of reliance that left her incapable of helping out, of doing anything for herself. In her anger, she had ended up kicking a nearby wall, screaming in response at the pain that it had caused. She knew that the game had been designed to naturally ignore pain, and yet over time Nymoria had found that it became more and more realistic. Whether that was an adjustment of Cardinal's doing, or if it was her own mind filling in the pain that it expected from the experience, she still wasn't sure. Whatever the reason, she was certain that it hurt, enough so that she found herself nursing the foot for a time before being able to stand on it once more without feeling the pain shooting up into her body. I'm not going to be able to avoid this forever. I need to do this. I need to become...able to do this. She felt the loathing building up within her, the consistent reminder that she was reliant on others for everything, the voice inside her that told her just to give up. She could feel the darkness of it all, fighting against the attempts to ignore it. She wanted nothing more than to simply give in to it, to return to the point that she had been all those years ago. No! You can't do that, no matter what! No matter what happens, you can't! The faces that swam before her eyes were enough to push her to her feet, and before she knew it, Nymoria found herself making her way down the avenue in the direction that Zackariah had indicated the blacksmith would be. She knew that she could simply follow the quest marker, and yet she found herself purposefully ignoring it, knowing that the longer she took to get there, the more time she would have to calm herself. To gain control once more. I don't care what those thoughts say...I'm going to do this! I'm going to! Even if it's the last thing... Statblock Spoiler Notes [Theme] Nymoria | Lv. 3 | P. 0 | HP [60/60] | EN [24/24] | ACC [1] | DMG [6] | MIT [6] Tier 1 | Tier 1 Equipment Beginner's Sabre [Sabre | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [1 Slots] Beginner's Chestplate [Light Armour | Tier 1] Enhancement: Mitigation [1 Slots] TBD [TBD | Tier 0] Enhancement: TBD [0 Slots] Enhancement: TBD [0 Slots] Battle-Ready Inventory Starter Healing Potions {5} | Tier 1 | Potion | Heals 50 HP Uncommon Health Potion {5} | Tier 1 | Potion | Heals 5% Maximum HP Uncommon Damage Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | +1 DMG [Thread] Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | +5% Maximum HP [Thread] Health Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | HP Recovery III Skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills N/A Weapon Skills Sabre [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: +5 DMG] Armour Skills N/A Active Extra Skills N/A Inactive Extra Skills N/A Combat Mastery N/A Familiar Skills N/A Sword Arts Spoiler [x4] ST-I (4 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x3] AOE-I (1 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x4] TECH-A (5 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. Estate Buffs Spoiler N/A Edited April 9 by Nymoria Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #2 Report Share Posted April 9 Her meandering path had taken her well outside of the direction of the quest's marker, and she'd found herself needing to follow the mini map in her display in order to get back to the original area, a detour that had taken nearly half an hour of her time to cover the single block between Zackariah's shop, and the blacksmith's work area. She knew that she'd been delaying the inevitable, and yet her feet had naturally carried her away from the locale, until such time as she'd been forced to return, aware that she would never complete the quest, never move forwards, if she didn't. I don't need to be afraid. Just go in, ask for the money for the loan...it might be another quick fetch quest, but I mean I can do that, right? What's the worst that's going to happen... She could imagine the worst, and quickly put the images out of her mind as she tried to hold on to the small amount of courage that had appeared. Stepping through the doorway and into the shop, she noticed two things almost immediately; a heavy smell of smoke and burnt air, as well as a flicker of shadows that were pushed back by the burning flames within the forge off to the side. Her eyes burned slightly as she entered the area, and she found herself casting her gaze around as the soft, distant thumping sound of two items colliding reached her ears. It took only seconds to spot the cause - a large, well-aged man standing at the forge, hammering into shape some form of armour that Nymoria could only guess the purpose of from where she stood. Ah, this must be the blacksmith...err... She struggled to remember the name she'd been given, and found herself approaching the man without any clue as to how she was going to get his attention. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #3 Report Share Posted April 9 Whether through the system's recognition, or pure luck, the blacksmith had turned at her approach, wiping his hands and frowning slightly as he spotted Nymoria's form within the smoke of the smithery. "Welcome, I would normally say. However I'm quite busy at the moment and don't have time to be taking orders for new materials or items." Nymoria raised her hands, preparing to correct the man, however a wave of the blacksmith's hands stopped any form of argument or correction that she would've attempted. His voice was gruff, unwelcoming and overall displeased as he continued speaking, clearly not interested in what she had to say. "I don't do anything without payment. Kill a few boarlets, bring back their tusks, and then we'll see if I can't help you whatever your problem or need is. They're weak creatures, so even someone as small and weak as you should be able to handle them. Come back to me once they're dead, and then maybe we'll talk." The man didn't wait to hear anything further from Nymoria, turning back to his work in a manner that was clearly dismissive of her presence. She waited a few seconds, in a mixture of shock and uncertainty, before turning and heading back out of the smithy and onto the street outside. The dismissive nature had struck her far deeper than Nymoria would've liked to admit to, and as she re-entered the sun filled streets of Tolbana, she found herself shaking with a mixture of emotions. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #4 Report Share Posted April 9 Nymoria had wandered towards the fields once more, her emotions roiling within her as she tried to push back all the thoughts that had come with the dismissive behaviour from the blacksmith. She knew that it was nothing more than the Cardinal system's auto-generated messages, that there was nothing personal to the words stated. In fact, she knew, deep down, that they were said to every person who entered the shop, and yet she found herself dwelling on them as she did any time such negativity was directed her way. It's just...just words. I can't let it get to me. I can't...otherwise...otherwise it'll be like before. I just need to ignore it...it's an NPC, and they don't...they're not really people. They don't have malice, or...it's all pre-generated words, meant to be said offhandedly to give more realism to the experience. Instead of comforting her, the words within her mind seemed to drag her down even further. It was with surprise that she found herself standing at the edge of town, the gates before her beckoning her out into the grasslands beyond. Even from where she was within the town, she could see the roaming figures of the boarlets and larger cousins, moving across the field in a randomised pattern. If I kill those boarlets, he'll talk to me. So I just need to...prove my worth. It seemed so simple when she considered it, and yet she knew that there was danger to be found even against the smallest of creatures. Wait, the potions! The thought made her jump as she flicked open the menu, searching through her inventory to find the newly acquired potions. Although she'd gained experience enough to increase her capabilities with the sabre at her hip, she knew that every single edge could change the outcome of a fight, and she wasn't about to let go of any advantage she could gain.New Statblock Nymoria consumes: Uncommon Damage Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | +1 DMG [Thread] Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | +5% Maximum HP [Thread] Nymoria | Lv. 3 | P. 0 | HP [63/63] | EN [24/24] | ACC [1] | DMG [7] | MIT [6] Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #5 Report Share Posted April 9 She waved to Terin on her way out of the gate, sighing softly as she crossed out of the town's safe zone and into the fields beyond, trying to shake off the various emotions that had been weighing her down mere moments ago. The potions had helped slightly in that regard - the bitter sweet taste of them causing her to think of things other than the words that had been spoken to her by the blacksmith - something that, if she'd been more aware of, she might have considered a small blessing. That wind is so nice. She raised her face against the sunshine, closing her eyes slightly as she took in the feel of the wind against the otherwise warmth beating down on her. She wanted nothing more than to let herself bask in it, to ignore the world around her and leave everything behind. A flash of the blacksmith's face, reminding her that there was still work to be done, however, pulled her back to reality. Sighing softly, she turned her attention towards the animals in the field, drawing her sabre even as she approached one of the smaller boars standing off by itself. Apologies, friend...this has to be done. Combat Nymoria | Lv. 3 | P. 0 | HP [63/63] | EN [20/24] | ACC [1] | DMG [7] | MIT [6] | -4 EN Boarlet | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3 ID221980 | BD: 9+1=10 | <<ST-I vs. Boarlet>> | Minor Critical Hit: [(7+1)x4] = 32 damage | Boarlet destroyed! Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #6 Report Share Posted April 9 Nymoria glanced down in shock as the creature in front of simple exploded into shards as her sabre blade tore into it's side. She couldn't help but release a squeak in response, a combination of excitement at her ease and success, as well as surprise from how easy the fight had been. Is this really what doing these lessons does for a player? Does it make that much of a difference...? I mean, yeah I gained a couple of levels just from that first one...but...wow, I should've done this so long ago. I...I regret not doing it. She couldn't believe how long she'd put off these lessons, thinking they were nothing more than introductory sessions to the gameplay itself, not realising just how easy it made the actual progress of the game's systems. I don't think this is the quest limiting the ability of the boars, either...I've never seen Cardinal do that, so I think it's just...wow... She couldn't help the giddy feeling that had been growing within her at the thought of just how simple the quest would become now, and she found herself bouncing from foot to foot in celebration. Although she had made some progression in the game previously, it had been hard fought and not without struggle. Never before, not even against the boars of this floor, had she so easily bested a creature. If I keep this up...I may actually be able to become a competent fighter. Maybe even good enough to be on the fron- The wave of loathing hit suddenly as her thoughts came to a stop, realising that it would likely never happen. No matter how good she became, there was always going to be a flaw with her joining the frontlines - an obvious limitation that would stop her from ever being able to join those fighting for their freedom. As quickly as it had arrived, the excitement disappeared from her. Nymoria gave a harsh flick of her blade, flipping it in her hand before grasping it firmly once more. Her expression had taken on a dark tone, and she turned away from the spot where her first big success had occurred, the memory darkened by the sudden change in her emotion. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #7 Report Share Posted April 9 (edited) She wanted nothing more than to leave the fields, to return to the inn that she had begun to call home, to leave everything behind and simply fade away. She could feel the depression cutting into her, taking away the few moments of happiness that she had felt only moments ago, dragging it into a measure of darkness that felt both familiar, and horrible all at the same time. In her mind, she felt the screams building, the mixture of frustration, despair and hopelessness trying to overwhelm and overtake her. No, no! I need to...keep going, for them. The words were enough to shake away the darkness, at least for the time being. Leaving her feeling both exhausted, and relieved. Carefully, with a sluggishness that had nothing to do with her actual physicality, she forced herself to move away from the spot where she had become rooted. She could see out of her blurred vision the shape of a boarlet nearby, and automatically moved towards it, her sabre blade raising into a guarded stance as she approached. Oh, there's more than one. The final thought was enough to break her from her daze, bringing her back to reality with a sharp shift, and the realisation that she had unwittily walked into two of the boarlets. The pair had begun to huff at some point, their hooves smashing against the ground in an obvious sign of aggressive display. Not that Nymoria cared at the moment. She needed to bring down the pair of them, and then she could return to the blacksmith and finish out the quest, before finding her way back home. So be it. Let's do this the quick way, then. Combat Nymoria | Lv. 3 | P. 0 | HP [63/63] | EN [16/24] | ACC [1] | DMG [7] | MIT [6] | +1 EN | -5 EN Boarlet 2 | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3 Boarlet 3 | HP: 0/5 | DMG: 3 ID221981 | BD: 9+1=10 | <<AoE-I vs. Boarlet>> | Minor Critical Hit: [(7+1)x3] = 24 damage | Boarlet destroyed! ID221982 | BD: 5+1=6 | <<AoE-I vs. Boarlet>> | Minor Critical Hit: [7x3] = 21 damage | Boarlet destroyed! Edited April 9 by Nymoria Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #8 Report Share Posted April 9 In another flash of shards, the pair of boarlets were gone, leaving Nymoria alone once more. She released a puff of breath that she had been holding in, letting the sabre drop slightly to the side as she took in the area where the boarlets had been. Once again, it had almost been too easy to overcome the minor challenge that they presented - a fact that reminded her of just how much progress she'd already made compared to all the time she'd previous spent in the game. It was almost embarrassing, if she stopped to consider it too fully, and she found herself naturally turning her attention away from the thoughts. Enough depression already...hey, what's that? Her eyes shifted to focus on a small item nestled into the grass, the sunlight glinting off it's exterior in a mesmerising way. She wondered what could possibly have been left behind - she'd already received the tusks, and as far as she'd noticed, no other items were normally left to be collected. Curiosity overcoming her, she knelt down to examine the piece, picking it up with careful hands and bringing it level with her eyes. Some sort of vial? Maybe it's another potion...I wonder- Her thought was interrupted by the sudden vibrations in the ground beneath her, causing her eyes to widen and her head to snap around as she tried to figure out what was happening. The large boar had come up behind Nymoria, likely during the encounter with the two smaller creatures. Although it shared a basic appearance with the ones she had just defeated, even Nymoria could tell that it was a far more difficult opponent, something that would give her a difficult time if she was pulled into a fight with it. Shit, it looks like I'm going to be pulled into just- Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #9 Report Share Posted April 9 (edited) The large boar had moved quick, leaving Nymoria little time to dodge it's initial attack. She'd barely managed to roll to the side, avoiding the charge with a hair's breath between herself and the creature's flank. Already she could feel her heart racing, the sudden fear and adrenaline coursing through her and making her move through reaction, more than any actual planning. Stumbling to her feet, she raised the sabre in front of her, feeling the awkwardness of the blade as she tried to properly right herself and prepare for the next attack. I defeated those other three, I can bring this one down too! I just need to be careful of those tusks. They look like they'd hurt. Her eyes darted around, considering whether or not she had the space and speed to outrun the larger boar. She could see a number of other players in the distance, but none of them were close enough to call out towards. Not that you could, anyways. There was no time to focus on self-loathing as the boar charged again, forcing Nymoria to rush out of it's way to avoid it's attack once more. She brought her sabre up as she stepped to the side, trying to drag it along the boar's side as it came close to her. She'd hoped to use the momentum of her own movement, along with that of the boar's in order to score a strike against it as it went by. Use it's own movement against it, come on! Combat Nymoria | Lv. 3 | P. 0 | HP [54/63] | EN [13/24] | ACC [1] | DMG [7] | MIT [6] | +1 EN | -4 EN -9 HP Mama Boar | HP: 32/60 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 5 | EVA: -1 | -28 HP ID221983 | BD: 4+2=6 | <<ST-I vs. Mama Boar>> | Hit: [7x4] = 28 damage | MOB: 6 | [15-6] = 9 damage Edited April 9 by Nymoria Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #10 Report Share Posted April 9 (edited) Her feint had worked, at least to a degree. She'd felt as the blade of her sabre connected with the side of the boar, dragging along it's flank and causing the thing to flail back in rage and pain at her successful strike. Yes! Just like that! Now I just need to press the attack! She'd stepped up and forwards to press her attack, which had been her first mistake. The sudden impact on her side caught her by surprise, but the secondary impact as she slammed into the ground brought the breath out of her entirely, causing her vision to blur slightly as her mind tried to figure out what had happened. Slowly, as if in a daze, she noticed that the boar's hind legs had slammed into her and thrown her from her feet, leaving her to lay in the dirt and mud wreathing in pain. Struggling back to her feet, she rolled out of the way of another careless charge of the boar, too concerned with everything that had happened to even try slashing at the thing. This may be a game, but that actually hurt...wow. Need to shake this off. Come on, now's not the time to fall apart. She shook her head, clearing away at least some of the blur from her vision. The sabre in her hand had been raised into a ready position at some point, although she didn't quite remember having done so. Alright, come on...you want to fight? Fine, I'll fight. Not like I have anything to lose. Combat Nymoria | Lv. 3 | P. 0 | HP [54/63] | EN [10/24] | ACC [1] | DMG [7] | MIT [6] | +1 EN | -4 EN Mama Boar | HP: 0/60 | DMG: 15 | MIT: 5 | EVA: -1 | -32 HP ID221983 | BD: 9+2=11 | <<ST-I vs. Mama Boar>> | Hit: [(7+1)x4] = 32 damage | Mama boar is defeated! Loot Mama Boar ID221988 | LD: 10 | CD: 9 | Results: 120 col, 2 materials, Rare Trinket (1), Additional 60 col Edited April 10 by Nymoria Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 9 Author #11 Report Share Posted April 9 The shattering sound, followed by the shards on the air in front of her, left Nymoria stunned. She knew that she'd improved since her earlier days, but as she looked upon the spot where the large boar had once stood, and realised that it had already been defeated, she couldn't help but feel a combination of wonder and amazement at her success. The fight had lasted no time at all, and although she'd taken a glancing strike, she'd walked away from the entire conflict without any real harm or concern - a fact that wasn't lost on her. Is this...what's possible in this game? What have I been doing up until now...? She felt almost saddened by the lack of progress she'd made previously. Sure, she'd managed to join a few groups on some of the floors above the beginning, but she'd never really gone beyond the dangers found in the starter grasslands - something that now became acutely obvious she wasn't prepared for, previously. She could feel the depressive feeling settling on the edge of her mind, and forced herself to fight against it. No! Not this time, this time I can be happy. Happy that I managed this, all by myself! I don't need to be mad, or upset, or...or sad. I may not have been able to do this before, but this time...this time I did it! Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #12 Report Share Posted April 10 With an amount of force and determination that Nymoria wasn't sure she'd ever applied before, she pressed down the thoughts that had begun to rise, determined not to let them overwhelm her in the instance. She knew that she should be happy, if not entirely proud, of the achievement before her. Yet she found that it was hard, harder than the fight she had just endured. You don't deserve to be happy. What have you ever done to deserve that? Nothing but problems for those around you. Nothing but a nuisance, unable to help...a drag. Words that she had heard her entire life resurfaced, and although she fought against them, they were too familiar, too normal in her mind. But I did this! I did this all by myself, no one helped me! No one did anything for me! I deserve to be happy about this! For the first time in a long time the dark voice had fallen silent, no argument coming up, and Nymoria found herself actually smiling. With the internal dispute put down and aside, at least for the time being, she decided to take some time to enjoy the beauty that was to be found in the open grassland plains. Sitting down, she pulled her feet in towards herself, wrapping her arms around her legs in a loose hug and resting her chin on her knees. In the distance she could see the movement of other players dancing around their own enemies, the sounds barely reaching her as she focused on one, and then another group. They're all fighting so hard, to get to the front and help out. Even after all this time, it's like they haven't given up hope. I wish I could be like them. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #13 Report Share Posted April 10 Although the words themselves had once given Nymoria a depressive feeling, a wonder towards something that she could not obtain, she instead found herself filled with desire for once. She wanted to be like those players out in the field, fighting to make themselves better, to become someone who others could rely upon. Wasn't that exactly what she wanted in life? To become something that others could rely upon? To become someone who was stronger, who was capable of helping those around her? She felt her arms tighten at the thoughts, the desire burning within herself becoming more and more fierce as she considered the possibility. Don't we all want nothing more than to be...accepted? Isn't that what all of...all of that...was? It's stupid, but...why can't I? Why can't I be like them? She knew the answer to the question, and while she made sure not to put any form of thought towards it's very existence, the words seemed to echo in the back of her mind, taunting her in a way that she was all too familiar with. In this instance, at this moment, she chose to ignore the words - knowing that they would bring no comfort or benefit to her existence. Instead, she watched as the other players continued their dance, swaying to the movements of their opponents with a control and confidence that Nymoria could only imagine having herself. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #14 Report Share Posted April 10 The sun had shifted in the sky by the time that Nymoria had decided that it was well past the time to make her way back towards the blacksmith. There was still more that needed to be done in the day, and although she had no desire to see the man again, she knew that the only way to complete the quest was to face him. As hesitantly as she had originally made her way towards the smithy, she forced herself to her feet, struggling against a desire to remain where she had been sitting, indefinitely. Growing old and dying here isn't ideal either. Get up, and go do the quest. The voice in her head was filled with scorn, and she could feel the scowl on her face in response. Not that it would make any difference, she knew. Turning back towards the town, she began the long walk back across the plains, careful to avoid the various areas that would draw in the nearby creatures to her. She didn't feel like fighting anything else, even if she'd improved in skill. Although the meandering route through the grasses took longer than her original departure, she found a comfort in the movement. It allowed her to stretch her legs, which had begun to numb from the position she'd been locked into while watching the others and wasting time. It was a good reminder to her that she still needed to move about, to work her various muscles and form, regardless of whether this was just a game or not. They definitely went for realistic where they could, I'll give the developers that much. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #15 Report Share Posted April 10 She paused at the gates as she came upon them, smiling as she saw Terin's form among the trio that awaited arriving players. As always, he greeted her with a calmness and welcoming presence that somehow put her at ease. She could see the looks of the other two, far more aggressive and snarling in comparison, even if they couldn't care less about Nymoria herself. She gave a short bow to the guard, before greeting him in her typical signing, the smile on her face a true feeling of happiness. It's nice to see you again, Terin. How have you been? The guard watched with an interested expression; neither rushing her movements nor coming across as confused by them. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the looks of a couple players passing, their confusion evident even without her full attention. Neither of them paused in their steps, but she could see as they slid slightly further away from her, as if trying to avoid any chance of being brought into whatever was occurring between herself and the guard. Maybe they think I'm getting ready to attack him? She almost laughed aloud at the thought, never having considered the possibility before, and yet amused by the chance of it being true. There was no magic in Sword Art Online, but that hadn't stopped numerous individuals from trying to find some form of it in the world, as if hoping that it would suddenly appear for them to use, even if it had been purposefully left out. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #16 Report Share Posted April 10 "It's good to see you again, Nymoria! Have you been well?" His voice was calm and slow, the cadence a perfect match for her to follow even if the system hadn't augmented her hearing due to her attention. She gave a quick nod in response, hoping that it would be enough to prompt him to continue speaking. She'd learnt that it varied, sometimes he would launch into an explanation about his day, or his recent events, and sometimes he would need further prompting from her to push him onwards. Today, however, seemed to be a day where he was excited to share. "It just so happens that my day's been going rather well, you see! We managed to catch a collection of nefarious individuals who were trying to break into the town and sell illicit goods to adventurer's like yourself! No good ruffians, the entire lot, but we stopped them before they could even step a single foot beyond this line, collected all of their goods too, just for good measure! I'm sure they won't try that again, any time soon." It may have been nothing more than simple, pre-generated information provided by some secondary designer during the creation of the game, but Nymoria had never heard the man give the same story twice - something that she had found utterly fascinating. It had made her wonder if the events actually occurred, if the NPC was telling and re-telling events that it had personally experienced, or if it was truly nothing more than lines spoken for the sake of being spoken to the coherent players. She still hadn't found an answer, although she'd come to enjoy dwelling on it when her mind refused to release itself from the more depressive thoughts that plagued her during the dark nights. She gave a quick smile, before signing to the guard again, curious to see if he would explain more. Did you arrest the bad people, and put them in jail? Do I need to worry about them in town, or outside of the town? Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #17 Report Share Posted April 10 "Ahaha, no, no! You've nothing to worry about. They've been locked up in the jail for the time being, awaiting trial. We'll handle them appropriately, so that they don't cause any more trouble for anyone." He'd placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair slightly in a way that would've annoyed her if it were anyone else in the world. Something about the nature in his movements, and the way he spoke to her, however, reminded her of a caring old brother - and she found herself smiling due to his response and touch. "We continue to make sure that the town is a safe place for everyone who comes and goes and lives here, that's why we're here, after all. It would be wrong if we just let criminals and other problematic people run loose, creating danger and distress." Nymoria nodded again, somehow both comforted and amused by the way with which the NPC spoke. Somehow his entire demeanor, the words he used, even the small mannerisms in how he approached her all seemed human, in a way. She was aware that he was nothing more than a computer program, designed and coded to speak to her and rely information based upon a prompt and response manner, but there was something about the way he acted that felt more than that to Nymoria. Something that she couldn't just ignore and pass off as nothing more than a small piece of Cardinal, designed to entertain, or frustrate them. Oh, sorry but I do have to go! The blacksmith is waiting for me to deliver some tusks for him. Her hands moved with the urgency of the message, remembering that she still had the quest to complete. She wanted nothing more than to remain there, talking with the guard, but knew that she needed to head back and complete the drop off before the blacksmith closed for the night. The last thing she wanted to do was have to return the next day in order to finish off the quest, spending a night dreading it. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #18 Report Share Posted April 10 Another burst of laughter left the guard's lips following Nymoria's declaration, and he gave her another pat on the head in response. "You shouldn't keep Lyle waiting, I've heard he has the rather grumpy temperament to him, so you don't want to keep him waiting too long! Best you head off and complete whatever task he sent you on, before the night falls. You and I can talk more next time you pass by, so long as you don't keep me waiting too long, yeah?" Nymoria gave a few movements of farewell towards Terin, thanking him for taking the time to talk with her and share his story. She quickly moved past the trio of guards and into the town proper, a feeling of loneliness coming over her as she left behind the one person in the entire world of Aincrad that she felt she could talk with comfortably. She wasn't sure if she should find it a bit despairing that her one anchoring form of conversation came from a computer generated individual, but she couldn't deny the way in which the guard brought her a form of comfort and happiness. Maybe I should visit him more often, then. It's been some time since I last passed by, but he still remembers me. Or am I just imagining that, and this is how he treats all the players? She almost shrugged it off as nothing more than the NPC's normal behaviour, before considering that she'd never seen him act that way towards others before. Not that many people stop and talk to him, really. Most players view the NPCs as nothing more than computer information there for a single purpose...I wonder if anyone else sees the humanity within them? Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #19 Report Share Posted April 10 The urge to ask others rose within her, and she fought against the desire to open her friend's list. It was pitifully small, just a collection of basic player's who she could reach out to for information, or other basic needs. No one that she could really call a friend, and certainly no one that she could ask mundane questions of, if she was being truly honest with herself. If I messaged any of them with something so trivial... She figured at best, they would laugh at her. Although she wouldn't be surprised if it turned worse than that. It doesn't matter, anyways. It's just a silly thought. You have more important things to worry about right now. She stepped off the main path and onto one of the side streets that would allow her a break from the crowd that had gathered inside of the town. The natural bustling of the town's populace had begun in earnest now that the time in the day was moving forwards, and Nymoria found herself preferring to avoid any other people - NPC or player - as she moved along the paths of Tolbana. While the city may not have been as large as the Town of Beginnings, it was till filled with winding streets and alleys that led to various portions of the settlement, and she found herself winding along a less than direct path as she focused on solitude. Her ten minute walk turned into a twenty minute stretch, but as she turned her final corner she spotted the sight of the blacksmith's shop in the distance, her pace picking up as she closed in towards it. The sun was still high in the sky, a sign that business wouldn't close for some time yet, but Nymoria had reached the end of her restraint, determined to simple finish everything and return to the inn promptly. Link to post Share on other sites
Nymoria 0 Posted April 10 Author #20 Report Share Posted April 10 "Oh, you returned." While there was no direct malice in the comment, there was little in the way of welcome. Nymoria quickly produced the tusks, placing them on the counter in front of her, and receiving a simple nod in response to the action from the blacksmith. "Just leave them there, I use them or the hilts on new weapons. Now, what was it you needed? You've done this for me, so I can perhaps complete a simple task for you, assuming that it's not time consuming." She gave a quick wave of her hands, signing the reason she had originally come to the blacksmith's smithy in an abrupt manner. As always, the man remained silent, his eyes focusing on the movements in an odd manner as he seemed to listen to what she had to tell him. When she had finished with an abrupt swipe of her hand, he gave a strong scoff, before commenting. "A loan, really? Leave it to Dorian to forget who he gave money too, useless mayor of a man. You can feel free to tell him I said that, as well. And no, I didn't take any money from him. Although, you might want to try finding that Pete Larkin, spends all his time fishing down by the docks or river, I think. Useless man, that one...if anyone would've taken the mayor's money, it would be him." She would've squealed in frustration if it hadn't been for the sudden dismissive turn that the blacksmith performed, leaving her ignored as he turned back to his original work. A single comment was thrown over his shoulder as she made her way out, grabbing an item at his direction as she went. Once outside, she stormed her way back up the street towards the inn she had booked for the day, tired and frustrated and wanting nothing more than to head to sleep for the remainder of whatever light may still exist, entirely done with the world for the time being. Thread Summary Word Count: 5,880 1,063 EXP | 588 [5,880/10x1x1] + 475 [Quest] 1,080 col | 400 [Thread Progression] + 500 [Quest] + 180 [Loot | ID221988] 2 materials [Loot | ID221988] Rare Trinket [Loot | ID221988] Boar Jerky | Consumable | Tiet 1 | DMG II | MIT I Tealeaf Blade | Sabre | Tier 1 | DMG I Unlock <<The Third Lesson>> Quest Link to post Share on other sites
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