[F01 | PP] Don't Fear The Depths | <<The Third Lesson>>

[Nymoria 0]

Second Lessons [Nymoria] | The Third Lesson Quest

The day had started about as well as Nymoria could've hoped. The inn room had been quiet, there'd been few people at the tavern, and those who had been there kept to themselves, only interested in their own small groups or individual selves. She'd even managed to order her food without any odd looks from the other patrons in the inn's tavern area, returning to her room to eat it in solitude. It had left her feeling both relieved, and somewhat empty inside as she realised the depressive nature of her actions.

It's fine, so long as I'm not bothering them. Everyone is happier that way. With that thought, she'd made her way out into the heart of Tolbana proper, determined to push through the third - and she hoped final - quest in the chain of lessons she'd started the day before. Her success had given her a small hope towards some progress in her time within Aincrad, and while she knew that she was nowhere near the level of those who patrolled the frontlines, she thought that she may have at least gained some skill and growth in her own endeavours.

The town's streets had been busy upon her departure, forcing her to weave through and around those making their own way throughout their day. A few had cursed as she ducked around and underneath them, her smaller build allowing her more freedom to avoid them. She could feel the glares and glances thrown her direction, and for once she wondered if her inability to truly hear and understand the commentary thrown after her was a blessing, rather than a curse. 

She turned a final street, stopping as she eyed the docks ahead of her. Standing at the end of the pier was a lone individual, the silver hair similar to that of the others she had been sent to see in the previous quests. Well, I guess I can kind of see why the mayor had trouble remembering... She giggled at the thought, taking a step forward toward the dock in anticipation of meeting the individual head on. 

"W--t -n --- h-ll -r- y-u d--ng! -et ou- --e w-y y-u i--ot!" Nymoria turned as a horse and carriage came to a sliding stop to her left, the entire thing missed against the other vibrations that she'd felt in the area. Her eyes wide, she stared up at the large man atop the wagon, still yelling at her even as she trembled in fear.

I'm sorry! She signed in a hurry, before rushing over to the docks, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape from the sides of her eyes, her form still trembling from the event as she tried to control herself. Stupid! Stupid! You didn't look! Always look! You always do this!

  

Statblock

Spoiler Notes [Theme] Nymoria | Lv. 5 | P. 0 | HP [100/100] | EN [28/28] | ACC [3] | DMG [8] | MIT [11] | BH [+1]  Tier 1 | Tier 1 Equipment Nymoria's Sabre [Sabre | Tier 1] Enhancement: Damage [2 Slots] Beginner's Chestplate [Light Armour | Tier 1] Enhancement: Mitigation [1 Slots]  Hearing Aid [Trinket | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [3 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 Health Potion {1} | Tier 1 | Potion | HP Recovery III Boar Jerky {1} | Tier 1 | Consumable | DMG II | MIT I Skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills Battle Healing [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.] Weapon Skills Sabers [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: +5 DMG] Armour Skills Light Armour [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain Mitigation based on your rank in Light Armor. You can only benefit from one armor skill at a time (the respective armor type must be equipped). Your mitigation is capped at 2 enhancement slots.] Active Extra Skills N/A Inactive Extra Skills  N/A Combat Mastery N/A Familiar Skills N/A Estate Buffs N/A Sword Arts Spoiler [x8] ST-I (8 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x11] ST-II (11 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn. [x7] AOE-I (7 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x8] TECH-A (9 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. Estate Buffs Spoiler N/A

Edited April 13 by Nymoria

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin had been at the docks for a few hours attempting to fish in a quiet corner. Unfortunately he wasn't having any luck on this one. His other half was off doing a bit of looking around Tolbana for new cooking ingredients. Today they had planned to follow the last lead they had for Dorian's little financial problem. The peacefulness was interrupted by the sounds of sniffling and the fighting of tears. Being the protective and caring person he was he scanned the area, and noticed a female player fighting back tears.

"Excuse me miss," Wulfrin approached the player. There was a slight familiarity, but Wulfrin couldn't quite place the face. "Everything alright?"

Wulfrin came dressed in his battle gear, a red long coat with additional armor on the shoulders and forearms over a simple breastplate with a sword resting in a well crafted scabbard hanging off his left hip. He waited patiently for the player's response. The player must have been low level, as when he looked them over for injuries the gear looked to be fairy close to the starter ones. They seemed okay, but Wulfrin wasn't going to just leave them without hearing they were okay first.

* * *

Spoiler

Stat block:
Wulfrin | Level 22 | HP: 470/470 | EN: 62/62 | DMG: 17 | MIT: 66 | ACC: 3 | BH: 4 | LD: 5 | BLD: 36 | REC: 3

Skills
Active

• Light Armor Rank 5
• Straight Swords Rank 5
• Searching Rank 2
• Battle Healing Rank 1

Extra Skills (Max 3)

• Concentration

Mods (Max 5)

• Meticulous
• Night Vison

Addons

• Stamina
• Precision
• Ferocity
• Resolve

Inactive

• None

Battle Ready Inventory

• 3 Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 hp each)
• 6 T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of Maximum HP.
• 2 Teleportation Crystals
• Protein Pancakes | [ID #219428a] | TIERLESS RARE MEAL | PROTEIN II
• [desc.]: They're a little dry but they do the trick.
• 2x Terra Firma Scale (equivalent to T3 MIT 1)

Equipment

• Armored Long Coat | T3 Perfect Light Armor | ID [220094]
  MIT 2 | REC 1
  [desc.] A long red leather coat with additional armor plates. The right pauldron has the signet of Sentinel Armaments emblazoned on it.

• Wolf's Bite | T3 Perfect Straight Sword | ID [220774]
  ACC 1 | BLEED 2
  [desc.] Sharpened to a razor's edge, this blade cuts deep and leaves lasting wounds. It is well balanced to aid in attacks. The center of the cross guard is the signet of Sentinel Armaments.

• Crystal | TIER 1 TRINKET | LD III | ID: #205224
  [desc.]: a blue crystal. scraps of a larger crafting component.

Estate Buffs

• Bedroom: "Rested" -1 EN to first 2 combat expenditures each combat
• Bathroom: "Clean" First DoT effect damage reduced by 20%
• Basic Kitchen: "Filling" increases effectiveness of one food item by 1 T1 MIT slot (+5 MIT)
• Storage Closet: "Item Stash" +1 Battle ready Inventory Slot
• Living room: "Relaxed" +10 out of Combat healing, Energy full after 2 out of combat posts
• Dining Room: "Tasty" Turn 2 identical food items into a lesser feast. (Feeds 4 players)
• Attic (Storage): "Col Stash" +5% Col from monster loot
• Basement: "Multipurpose" +1 LD, LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity (Once per thread)
• Fishing Pond: "Angler" +2 Fishing Exp per attempt

 

[Morningstar 0]

Sunlight blasted Morningstar in the face as he materialized in the Town of Beginnings. It was an astringent change of scenery from the dreary tenth floor and the ill-lit locations within its land. He had spent enough time staring into the void that entering a normal town essentially burned out his eyeballs. Squinting, he stepped into the town.

His investigation of the void had come up futile. It was an oddity that simply existed with no logical rhyme or reason. Naturally, that intrigued him and so, he spent three days there. One of his experiments included dropping useless items into the pit. He would watch them enter the blackness and vanish. It was impossible to say where they would end up. Players, he discovered, woke in their beds if they ventured into the void themselves. Items, however, seemed to disappear entirely. He only dropped dull items, worried that if he sent a straight sword through it would end up back in whatever smithy it was crafted in. He wished for all blacksmiths to keep their heads during his investigation.

Seventy-two hours was plenty of time for Morningstar to give up. The first floor was his getaway from the endless noise (being the voices in his head, caused by the void). It appeared to stop as soon as he did, which he was thankful for. He tried to look down at the ground while he walked, going so far as to pull out his journal to avoid looking like a weirdo in public. Notes compiled from his endless expeditions up the tower were scribbled down. They looked sort of like a fourth grader took an edible and tried to write poetry. To anyone but him, they were cryptic and messy.

In exchange for a baby-sized sack of col, Morningstar rented the finest horse the Town of Beginnings had to offer. He was a white steed called Lincoln, and Morningstar was quite fond of him. "I'll bring him back in a day or so," he told the stablemaster before taking off.

He had no business in Tolbana, but decided to ride there regardless. It would be a solo-date in a town slightly less crowded and with better food than where he was currently located.

***

Morningstar dropped off Lincoln at another stable while he went about his day. There were quite a few shops he looked forward to peeking around in. There was a local bakery that he was particularly curious about. Before he could even begin, however, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Wulfrin?"

| MORNINGSTAR  | Lv. 55 >> P. 22, Lv. 33  | Status: [ out of place ]  Notes:  //

Hide contents Morningstar | HP: 740/740 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN equipped Dying Sun FLN II, AA, PAR VEN Red Longcoat EVA II, REC I Sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo Teleport Crystal x5 skills   Hide contents mod count: 3/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE buffs   Hide contents statue # | # consumables # # paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword 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 TECH-F | x12 | AOE STUN misc/housing buffs   Hide contents Dimensional Backpack | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (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. Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.  fishing #

 

 

Edited April 10 by Morningstar

[KnightessCiela 0]

Ciela wasn't having any luck while gathering materials, she opened up the menu and glanced at the time. "Oh no! I'm late!" She grabbed the little bag she usually took to forage and ran back toward Tolbana. As she ran through the town, she bumped into different NPCs and exclaimed, "Sorry!"  

She finally approached the dock and tripped right as she stepped onto the docks. Falling right on her face. She grumbled, then got up and dusted herself off. Ciela realized she was still in her casual clothes and changed into her armor. She looked around for her other half and saw him speaking to a female player and Morningstar. She approached them and as she did, she noticed that the female player was close to crying. "Hey Morningstar, hi darling, is she okay?" Ciela got side by side with Wulfrin and visually inspected the new player, extremely worried.  Her sea otter familiar, Perlita went to the crying player and pawed at her foot. 

* * *

Spoiler

Character Sheet:
 

Spoiler

KnightessCiela | Level 12 | HP: 270/270 | EN: 42/42 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 86 | ACC: 2 | FL. THRN: 4 | THRNS: 36

Equipment:

Spoiler

• Honed Longsword | T2 Perfect Straight Sword | ID [220512] | ACC 2 | DMG 1
  [desc.] A simple steel longsword that prioritizes balance over damage. The center piece of the cross guard is the signet of Sentinel Armaments.
• Duergar Battle Plate | [#220061d] | TIER 2 PERFECT HEAVY ARMOR | Flame Thorns, MIT, Thorns
  [desc.]: Forged deep below the surface, this black steel plate armor is fashioned with various spikes making it a guarantee that attacks will hurt the attacker more than you
• Sentinel Shield | T2 Perfect Shield | ID [220639] | MIT 2 | Thorns 1
  [desc.] A kite shield emblazoned with the signet of Sentinel Armaments. Enemies will find quite the sting when they collide with this shield.

Skills:

Spoiler

Armor:
 

Spoiler

R5 Heavy Armor

MIT 25

STEALTH -5

Combat Mastery:

Spoiler

Mitigation

R1 - Novice

6*tier MIT per rank = 6 MIT

Weapon:

Spoiler

R3 Straight Swords

• [x8] ST-I (8 EN) | A single-target sword art.
• [x11] ST-II (11 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
• [x7] AOE-I (7 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
• [x8] TECH-A (9 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

Addons:

Spoiler

Iron Skin

+15 MIT and +15* Tier HP (30 HP)

Mods:

Spoiler

None Yet

Extra:

Spoiler

None Yet

 

Battle Ready Inventory:

Spoiler

• (5) T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of Maximum HP
• (1) T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion: Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread.
• (1) T1 Rare Health Potion: Heals 10% of maximum HP.
• (3) Teleport Crystal

* * *

Spoiler

Foraging:

ID: 221999 | CD: 9 | LD: 1
No Materials Found
No Additional Materials

+3 Foraging EXP
Rank 1 Forager - [3/39] (0+3)

* * *

Ciela Consumes:

(1) T1 Uncommon Damage Potion: +1 DMG for an entire thread.

New Stat Block:

KnightessCiela | Level 12 | HP: 270/270 | EN: 42/42 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 86 | ACC: 2 | FL. THRN: 4 | THRNS: 36

Edited April 12 by KnightessCiela

[Nymoria 0]

She'd been unaware of her surroundings once again, as she'd tried to hold back the tears - something that she was clearly doing a worse job than she had expected, as a number of people approached her. The voices, distant and indecipherable, had barely broken her out of her daze, and she turned to find a trio of players looking at her oddly. Startled, she reared back in sudden surprise, holding up pale hands in an attempt to placate them and wave them away. Her eyes had gone wide, and she was sure they were tinged-red by the tears she'd been fighting back. 

I'm fine! I'm fine! Her hands moved in the signs, the words likely echoing in the player's minds if they saw the movements, as she tried to communicate that she was okay. She repeated the movement a few times, first touching her left shoulder before crossing to her right shoulder in the simple sign, before trying to dash away and down the docks - a distance that she realised wasn't nearly as far as she may have liked it to be. Ten steps took her to the side of the NPC that she had originally set out to meet, the man turning to look at her with an almost expectant, happy expression. 

Excuse me! She was careful with her sign movement, her fingers slowing their normal pace as the NPC's eyes seemed to lock onto her hands. She was used to this, at this point, having had the occurrence happen so many times already. I would like to speak to you about a loan, from the mayor?

The fisher suddenly burst into dialogue, his voice likely rough, but parts of the words lost to Nymoria's ears. She reached up and touched the device that had been settled into her right ear, shifting it slightly as if trying to adjust it. "Y-r te--in' -e M---r Dor--n taken to sending adventurers to do his dirty work? Tha' seems wrong, tha' skineev-"

The words had begun to come in clearly, more or less, but even with the system's adjustments, Nymoria found herself quickly lost to the man's drawling tone. She wasn't sure if he was speaking actual words, or if there was some national, local or other dialect that he had reverted to as he continued to rant. She stood there, silently, for a few moments as he continued speaking on and on, before eventually raising her hands up again and signing once more. You seem upset, is there something wrong?

Nymoria had pulled the jerked boar meat from the previous day out of a pocket in her shirt, chewing on it as she waited for the man to respond to her question, her eyes focused on his face so that she could hear what he had to say. She knew that, should they have seen her in that moment, her parents would've had choice words for the behaviour and the rudeness behind it, but she found herself not caring. I wouldn't be able to hear their berating anyways, so what does it matter?

Nymoria Consumes
Boar Jerky {1} | Tier 1 | Consumable | DMG II | MIT I

New Statblock
Nymoria | Lv. 5 | P. 0 | HP [100/100] | EN [28/28] | ACC [3] | DMG [10] | MIT [16] | BH [+1] 

Edited April 10 by Nymoria

[Wulfrin 0]

That's where Wulfrin recognized her. The signing gave her away as the player Nymoria. She had visited his shop prior to him coming back to floor one to look into finishing the third lesson. As Nymoria waved them off as fine Wulfrin held the other two back briefly to run down what he knew, whilst Nymoria tried her best to carry on a conversation with a fisherman.

"The girl's name is Nymoria," Wulfrin said with a calming smile. "She came by my shop a short time ago and got that sabre of hers. Unfortunately I'm not the best at signing so try to take your words slow enough for her to read your lips."

Wulfrin inserted himself quickly into the confrontation that she was having with some grizzled fisherman. It took a moment but he managed to calm the man down enough to carry on a conversation with him.

"Let me guess," Wulfrin opened finally getting the fisherman to calm down. He hadn't put away his rod in hopes that the fisher would take more kindly to one of his own. "You're Pete Larkin?"

"That I am," He said still slightly seething. "If you're looking for that money tell Dor-"

Pete stopped midsentence and stared out into the harbor. His eyes gleaming with excitement as they fixated on a slight shimmer within the water.

"There she is!" Pete exploded with excitement thrusting his rod into Wulfrin's arms, causing Wulfrin to fumble his own. You take that, 'n' I'll grab my harpoon. I can't believe Big Bertha's finally reared her beautiful head! You got any of those potion things? We'll need all the help we can get to bring Bertha down."

Wulfrin quickly recentered himself as Pete dashed off. Even he was overwhelmed with the sudden outburst, so he could only assume Nymoira was even more shaken. He tossed Pete's rod to Morningstar before picking up his own.

"Star," Wulfrin said with a grin. "Hope you like fishing. You and I are going to take point on this one."

Before stepping up to the dock, Wulfrin materialized a plate of pancakes. As he ate them the dryness of them almost made him gag a bit. Someone must of mistook the flour for protein powder, because they did not taste good in the slightest. He recovered and placed a hand on Nymoira's shoulder and waved for her to follow before sending out a party invite to all players present.

* * *

Wulfrin Consumes:

Protein Pancakes | [ID #219428a] | TIERLESS RARE MEAL | PROTEIN II
[desc.]: They're a little dry but they do the trick.

* * *

New Stat Block

Wulfrin | HP: 470/470 | EN: 62/62 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 3 | BH: 4 | LD: 5 | BLD: 36 | REC: 3

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar had somehow stumbled into a quest. His party included star-crossed lovers and a deaf girl that he could somehow understand despite speaking two words of sign language. The system attempted to translate her signs through some sort of weak telepathy. All that trouble to get away from the voices in his head and here one was again. It mostly worked, too. The translations weren't perfect, but they showed how far technology had progressed. Cardinal never ceased to impress him.

He vaguely remembered the name Dorian from somewhere. A previous quest, he thought.

"Oh, shit, this is the first few lessons."

It was an ongoing questline for him. He had managed to avoid the last quest for years, but everything eventually had to come to an end. Things began quick as the fisherman tossed over a couple of rods and went off to hunt down his harpoon. Why they didn't get harpoons, he couldn't say.

He accepted the party request and denied the fishing rod, taking one good look at the water before deciding that he was better suited to not being in charge of reeling in their catch. "I'll do the other stuff," he told Wulfrin, handing Ciela the rod. "You go for it."

Spoiler

FISHING FOR BIG BERTHA

ID222011 | cd2 | big bertha says "not today, loser"

 

Edited April 10 by Morningstar

[KnightessCiela 0]

"Oh!" She began to focus on enunciating her words, signing as she spoke. "Hi Nymoria, I'm Ciela. It's nice to meet you." Ciela had let the two more experienced players take point. It seemed like this was all new for all four of them. As the fisherman pointed out "Big Bertha" Ciela blinked. "We're going after a fish? That's the third lesson?" The annoyance came through in her body language and the way she spoke.

Morningstar had handed her his fishing rod, "Wha- I've not gone fishing yet! Why me? Wulfrin's the master fisherman!" She stammered and continued to sign as she spoke so the new companion could know what she was saying. She took the rod and cast it, hoping to catch "Big Bertha".

To no avail, Big Bertha seemed to evade Ciela and her non-existent virtual fishing skills. "Damn. We aren't having any luck catching this fish are we?" Ciela looked to her other party members and shrugged. "Who's up next?" She looked to the new player and handed the fishing rod over. She signed while speaking, "Nymoria, why don't you try? Maybe you'll have better luck than Morningstar and I had."

* * *

Spoiler

FISHING FOR BIG BERTHA
ID: 222194 | CD: 5 | Big Bertha evades Ciela

 

Edited April 12 by KnightessCiela

[Nymoria 0]

The fishing rod was suddenly forced in her hands as the others made their attempts, leaving it to Nymoria to try where they had already failed. Almost immediately she felt a sudden shiver come over her as she glanced at the fishing rod, then at the others. She wasn't entirely sure what was expected of her, the majority of the details having been left out while the others had conversed. We're fishing up some...big fish? Well, I think I can...try that... She didn't feel confident in her abilities, to say the least, and although the one woman had shown some sign of recognition of the slower speaking and basic signs that helped Nymoria, she had quickly dropped back into a cadence and rhythm that had left her unable to keep up.

Pulling back with the fishing rod, she readied herself for her toss as she'd seen the others do. Her arms came forwards, the rod moving with her sudden launching motion and throwing the line into the distance - wait no not - she watched in horror as the line, then the rod itself left her hands, disappearing into the water with a soft plunking sound before disappearing into the depths. Horror spread across her face, and she slowly turned to the others, her hands moving in an almost exaggeratedly slow manner. I...think I lost something...

Tears rushed to the corners of her eyes once more as she waited the berating, the angry voices that would barely pierce the quiet of her world. People always got mad at her, regardless of how big or small the incident. Naturally, she found herself tensing up and pulling inwards, her hands curling up against her chest as she stared at the group before her, not wanting to look and yet knowing she wouldn't be able to understand them if she glanced away for even a single second.

ID222284 | CD: 5 | Result: Who Gave Nymoria a Fishing Rod?!

 

Edited April 12 by Nymoria

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin simply watched as his companions took turns attempting to catch the fish. Wulfrin knew the problem though; they were fishing in the wrong place. Everyone else had taken a crack at fishing up the prize catch just off the dock in the harbor. Where they were now, there was too much boat traffic and the water was too shallow. Wulfrin chose a different spot at the end of one of the longer docks, with a clear line of sight to the larger body of water. In one swift motion, the bobber and hook soared through the air and landed out in the deeper, more open water.

Silence.

Wulfrin stared intensely at the water before him looking for the slightest movement of the bobber. Occasionally the line tugged, but immediately went slack. Something big was testing the line. He held the rod steady, waiting for the perfect moment to pull back. For a count of ten he held his breath as the line continued to be tested by the large oceanic creature. Then the bobber sank beneath the surface. That same moment Wulfrin pulled back with all the strength his virtual avatar could muster. 

"HHHYYAAAAAAHHH" Wulfrin yelled as he hoisted Big Bertha out into the open. "Target Acquired! Sick 'em!"

* * *

Spoiler

FISHING FOR BIG BERTHA
ID: 222285 | CD: 6 | Don't Worry I Got My Fishing Merit Badge (Bertha Caught!)

 

Edited April 12 by Wulfrin

[Morningstar 0]

Ciela was no natural at fishing. Big Bertha fully ignored her attempts at bait, and so she passed it on the the girl Wulfrin had introduced as Nymoria. A good effort was made, but even she wasn't able to catch the fish. She looked disappointed, or maybe it was just general melancholy. Star couldn't tell, but he smiled reassuringly. "No big deal," he said to the group, watching as the red-coated swordsman took the pole.

Who better to catch the fish than the resident fisherman? He pulled and Big Bertha followed the line out of the water and into the air. Morningstar reacted first; years of fighting had made it second nature. His blade materialized in his grip, and he skewered the fish.

"This would make a good dinner," he offered, holding it like a piñata for Ciela to whack. "Be gentle and maybe Petey Larkin'll let us keep her."

Spoiler

POST ACTION | TECH-A

ID222288 | bd1+4+1 = 6 | -> Big Bertha

23*16  = 368 DMG

13+3-2-1 = 13 EN

[2,0,0,0] Big Bertha | HP: 28/396 | DMG: 132 | STUNNED
En Garde! | Gains +2 Accuracy against a target that hit it within the same rotation.  <<Big Bertha>> is the sporting catch and always attacks last in the rotation.

Morningstar | HP: 740/740 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | HP: 100/100 | EN: 28/28 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 10 | MIT : 16 | BH: 1
Wulfrin | HP: 470/470 | EN: 62/62 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 66 | ACC: 3 | BH: 4 | LD: 5 | BLD: 36 | REC: 3
KnightessCiela | HP: 270/270 | EN: 42/42 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 86 | ACC: 2 | FL. THRN: 4 | THRNS: 36

 

Edited April 12 by Morningstar

[KnightessCiela 0]

Ciela followed Morningstar's lead. His attack went off and took a good chunk out of Bertha's health bar. "Woah. That was impressive." She was amazed, maybe she was starstruck. The last time she'd seen someone do that much damage was Freyd with the land sharks. She wondered if Morningstar was just as strong as Freyd.

"I guess it's my turn." Ciela stifled her laughter as Morningstar held the fish for her to thwack. Bertha wriggled and writhed on the line, she began to prepare her attack. As she activated her sword art she spun slightly, swiping at Bertha. She almost lost her balance as she stopped spinning. Just as she regained her balance, Bertha exploded into a million tiny little fractals. She blinked and smiled confidently. "I killed Big Bertha! Heck yeah!!" She clapped in celebration, then the menu displaying the loot she got from Bertha popped up. She swiped it away, remembering to sign what she was saying, "How do we wanna split loot? I wouldn't mind the materials but I'll leave it up to y'all." She smiled, looking to her party members. 

* * *
 

Spoiler

Post Action: Tech-A Vs Big Bertha (x8 DMG) (8 EN)
Free Action:

KnightessCiela vs Big Bertha
ID: 222290 | BD: 7 | DMG: 9*8 (72)

[2,0,0,0] Big Bertha | HP: 28/396 | DMG: 132 | STUNNED

Morningstar | HP: 740/740 | EN: 112/112 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 5 (6) | REC: 4 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | HP: 100/100 | EN: 28/28 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 10 | MIT : 16 | BH: 1
Wulfrin | HP: 470/470 | EN: 62/62 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 66 | ACC: 3 | BH: 4 | LD: 5 | BLD: 36 | REC: 3
KnightessCiela | HP: 270/270 | EN: 42/42 (42-8) | DMG: 9 | MIT: 86 | ACC: 2 | FL. THRN: 4 | THRNS: 36

Big Bertha [Dead as Hell]| HP: -44/396 (28-72) | DMG: 132 | STUNNED 

* * *

Looting Big Bertha:
ID: 222291 | CD: 7 | LD: 15

Bertha Drops:
1,188 Col
4 Mats
Rare T4 Weapon: 222291-A
Uncommon T4 Consumable: 222291-B

 

Edited April 13 by KnightessCiela

[Nymoria 0]

She'd been staring at the spot where the rod had disappeared, trying to figure out if the system would allow her to dive after it or not. It was no surprise, that when the fish was pulled from the waters then, that Nymoria's only indication was a sudden vibration of the large thing hitting the dock's planks. She'd spun suddenly, concerned that one of the others had fallen into the water before she could dive after the rod, only to find them engaged with what appeared to be a large, aquatic beast. 

Her hand had moved towards the sabre at her hip, struggling to get a grip on the pink wrappings as she stared in amazement at the scene before her. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the entire event had come to an end; the large fish exploding into a collection of shards and the trio before her taking in a moment of celebration. In her dazed condition, it took her a moment before realising that the others were speaking, the words barely reaching her ears as she tried to refocus. 

"-m--d --e m-t--i-ls bu- --- l--v- i- -- t- --ll" She shook her head, as much trying to clear away the feeling in her mind, as answering what sounded like it should've been a question. Not that she had heard it properly to begin with, but as she considered it she realised that it must've been one.

Stepping forwards, she gave a quick signing in response. None for me. You deserve it.

Before anyone could argue, she made her way around to the fisher, her hands moving once more in explanation of what had occurred - or, at least what Nymoria could understand of what had occurred. Her hand touched her forehead, coming out sharply in the chopping motion of apology, a sign she had learnt from an early age. Sorry. I lost your fishing rod. It slipped. I'll find a way to get you a new one. We found fish. Your fish. I think. Money for Dorian?

She waited to see how the man would react, flinching slightly at the expectation of anger. It took her by surprise as he suddenly grinned widely, pulling out and providing what appeared to be a large white bone and letting it fall into Nymoria's hands. "Big Bertha's bill! It's likely worth something, and should cover what I owe the mayor. Ah, yes, I t'was the one who borrowed it to begin with, let me buy this here fishing pole...speaking of, where did that thin' get off t'a? Always intended to pay him back for that, ya know!"

Perplexed and not wanting to explain, once more, where the fishing rod had went, Nymoria slowly turned away from the man, moving back to the group and holding out the bone. Only once one of the others had taken it, did her hands move again in the form of signs that would be heard within their heads, translated by the system on her behalf. Thank you. For help. I need to go back to the mayor, and then maybe figure out a way to get this weirdo his fishing pole. My fault it got lost.

[Wulfrin 0]

"It's no big deal," Wulfrin said, making sure he made direct eye contact with Nymoria and that his speech was slow and clear enough that his lips could be effectively read. "Based off Bertha's HP guage, I suspect all of us need to turn in the quest, so I hope you wouldn't mind a bit more company. I also wouldn't worry about Pete's rod. I'm sure he will find it respawned on his person eventually."

Wulfrin kept an eye on Pete and as soon as the NPC's back was turned, he ushered their small group out of the vicinity. Sure enough once they cleared the area, Pete Seemed to be back to his usual motions of fishing off the dock, a new pole miraculously in his hand. Wulfrin smiled as his theory had proven correct. NPCs were always predictable like that.

"So," He said to the group. "We've got Mr. Mayor's payment, let's go give the man a chat about keeping a better log of the people who owe him money."

[Morningstar 0]

Events were moving quickly. One second, Morningstar was on his way to a bakery and the next, he was skewering a giant fish named Bertha. Now, the fish was dead and the quest technically complete, aside from the final task of handing it in for their rewards. It was an odd and sudden group he had stumbled his way into, but not an unappealing one.

Nymoria was uncanny. The way her voice (if that's what it was) snuck into his head was almost creepy. The system had a way of weirding Morningstar out. He imagined it was nice for the girl to communicate easily, though.

"Lead the way," he said to Wulfrin, who had mentioned returning to the mayor with his money.

***

And the party did just that, meandering through Tolbana together until finally arriving at the Mayor's house. Morningstar rapped on the door. It looked like an expensive place; considering he was the elected leader of a settlement, that wasn't so strange, he supposed. Tolbana was an otherwise humble and discreet place, though.

The mayor opened up, peering out as if surprised to see the motley crew. "Yes?"

"Couldn't get your money, but will this do?" asked Morningstar. He handed over the jawbone of the fish.

The Mayor eyed it dubiously. "Well, yes," he stammers, "I suppose that's a fair trade. Truth be told, I don't quite remember how much we loaned him, anyway." Delicately, with two fingers, Dorian accepted the unusual item. "Uh, alright, that's all, then. Thank you for your help. If you ever need anything in this town, do not hesitate to drop my name. I'm sure that's far more valuable than any monetary reward I could offer you, anyway."

With that, he shut the door.

"A monetary reward would have been nice too."

[KnightessCiela 0]

"I agree. But to be honest, Mayor Dorian is a few green beans short of a casserole but it's not his fault. That's just the way he's been designed, poor thing." She chuckled and realized they had finally all finished the first few lessons. "Well, what now?" She looked at her companions. "We could always go and get lunch or something since it's still pretty early. Anyone have ideas?" She pulled out her book once more as she followed the group to wherever they may go. She attached the what she deemed her "reading leash" to Wulfrin's belt loop on his pants as she always did when she wanted to read. The book she pulled out was A Realm of Briars and Blossoms, a popular faerie fantasy romance novel. She read gleefully and immersed herself in her reading, as she waited for the group to decide what they were doing next.

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria had tagged along behind the others, reserved and somewhat unsure if she should be tailing behind them or not. She'd watched, in amusement, as the blonde man had handed over the payment to the mayor - and in turn, received a rather cold thank you and finality from the mayor themselves. She'd barely caught the blonde's commentary, giggling silently to herself as they muttered to the door. The silent giggle broke into a full bit of laughter as the red-haired woman not only agreed, increased the insult, but then moved on to attaching a belt to the dark-haired blacksmith and burying her nose into a book. 

She felt herself double over, hands clasping her sides as the laughter - a sound that likely would've come across as a tingling, almost purring like noise to the other players - took over her entire physique. She rose, moments later, wiping away the tears that had streaked down the side of her face. Her hands, slowly, began signing out an apology, tapping her forehead before coming outwards in the chopping motion of the apology. Sorry, sorry. You are both very funny people. Why are you leashed to him? Is he your master?

The final question was directed towards the redhead. A pause of a few seconds occurred before her hands began moving again, a look of sudden fear on her face. I didn't introduce myself! I'm sorry. My name is Nymoria, spelt with the symbols for 'broken' and 'flower'. It is a pleasure to meet you all.

[Wulfrin 0]

"Nononono," Wulfrin panicked as the words weaseled their way into his mind. His cheeks had gone just about as red as the coat he wore. "She likes to bury her head in books, so she came up with the bright idea to tether herself to me so she doesn't get lost."

He took a deep breath and recovered from the sudden and rather embarrassing question. Wulfrin had grown use to Ciela's clever way of reading books on the go. Though he couldn't quite understand how she could read the same five pages over and over again. How did he know the books were short? Simple answer, data storage. Every video game merely added short 3 to 5 page stories as books to find for clutter. SAO was no different. Most of the game's resources were dedicated to  monster algorithms and floor design. Leaving very little for additional lore. The bookcases at Wulfrin's house alone had 2 to 3 copies of books on them.

"Anyway," Wulfrin resumed desperately trying to change the subject. "I've still got plenty of gas in the tank if we wanted to go up a few floors and dungeon hunt, or we could just farm mobs for a bit. Up to y'all though."

[Morningstar 0]

Why are you leashed to him? Is he your master?

Morningstar snickered, about as confused as Nymoria was. Even after the leash was explained, he found it so strange that it was difficult to stifle his laughter. It was a strange bunch of players, he thought. The idea of a dungeon was floated, and Morningstar rolled his eyes at it. "Have we forgotten about the last dungeon we cleared, Wulf? I'll tag along if you need help killing mobs but I'd prefer something with a little less... death," he stated plainly.

The crew was funny and they had potential, but in terms of damage output they weren't much. He was pretty sure that the number beside Nymoria's level was a five. They'd get squished by whatever dungeon bosses hung out around Tolbana.

"To be honest, I came here for food. But, I'm happy to eat anywhere if we're switching floors. I'll let you three choose," he shrugged, scrolling through his inventory in search for a light snack. He had a total of one apple left from his last grocery hall. It was red, crunchy, and probably refreshing; but, he decided to save it for another time.

[KnightessCiela 0]

Ciela reddened as Nymoria stated, "Why are you leashed to him? Is he your master?" Before she could say anything explaining her case, Wulfrin explained the "book leash." She knew it was a funny idea, but it's the best she'd found so far. Ciela had problems focusing on things sometimes, so when she did she would read a book for a few moments and be able to focus again. She called it her recharge time.

Ciela chuckled, "I know it's strange. But I trust Wulfrin with my life. And that's a heavy thing to state in this game."

As Wulfrin suggested them take on a dungeon, Ciela glared at him. "I don't think myself nor Nymoria are ready for a dungeon yet, cause it'd be scaled to Star. Not to us. My mitigation is pretty high but I could still get bodied by whatever comes our way. If we're wanting combat, we can fight some stuff in the fields near Tolbana. I wouldn't be opposed to that at least."

Ciela pulled out her tins, as she usually did when going on a quest. She had four this time and handed them to Nymoria, Wulfrin, and Morningstar. "I made little mini pizzas. There are about six little mini pizza bites in each tin. I figured we would need a snack at some point so I prepped them last night before bed." She smiled and munched on one of the pizza bites.

* * *

Thread Closing:

Wulfrin receives:

1,322 EXP = {([5,484]/10*3*0.5) + 500 [quest]}
897 Col = 100 [1/1 Page] + 500 [quest] + 297 [Big Bertha]
Big Bertha Braciole | Unique Consumable (Meal) | A fishy entree that restores +2 additional EN each turn in combat for one thread.

Nymoria receives:

774 EXP = {([5,484]/10*1*0.5) + 500 [quest]}
897 Col = 100 [1/1 Page] + 500 [quest] + 297 [Big Bertha]
Big Bertha Braciole | Unique Consumable (Meal) | A fishy entree that restores +2 additional EN each turn in combat for one thread.

Morningstar receives:

2,145 EXP = {([5,484]/10*6*0.5) + 500 [quest]}
1,218 Col = 100 [1/1 Page] + 500 [quest] + 297 [Big Bertha] + 321 [Laurel Wreath]
Big Bertha Braciole | Unique Consumable (Meal) | A fishy entree that restores +2 additional EN each turn in combat for one thread.
Rare T4 Weapon: 222291-A
Uncommon T4 Consumable: 222291-B

KnightessCiela receives:

1,048 EXP = {([5,484]/10*2*0.5) + 500 [quest]}
897 Col = 100 [1/1 Page] + 500 [quest] + 297 [Big Bertha]
Big Bertha Braciole | Unique Consumable (Meal) | A fishy entree that restores +2 additional EN each turn in combat for one thread.
4 Materials