[F01 - PP] "A Prisoner's First Steps" <<Scents of the Wild>>

[Salem 0]

Scents of The Wild: Keepers of Nature

 

Sticks snapped beneath the soles of the solitary player as he made his way to a nearby forest. Still new to the circumstances of this simulated world, Salem found himself in search of substance, perhaps more importantly, something to do. If this game was like any other he'd played, he'd have the opportunity to beef up his stats in a matter of days. Advised against combat, he instead sought to hone his skills through other means.

Best not to leave the first floor until I've completed some quests., Salem cautioned before adding, Seems restrictive, but I'm not about to die to a baby boar.

Floor 1 seemed as vanilla as it got: grassy fields, blue skies, and a modest helping of deciduous trees. Snaking across the prairie was a dirt road that connected The Town of Beginning to...well, wherever he was going.

Salem was soon enveloped by the cool shadow of a leafy canopy that rustled overhead. With hands in his pockets, he allowed himself to bask in the ambience. The humming of bees, croaking of frogs, and whirring of cicadas formed a melody made evermore pleasant by the fact he wasn't being eaten alive by mosquitos. So there are some benefits to the game's limitations, he quietly considered.

*crack*

Hands drew from Salem's jacket in an instant as the sudden sound commandeered his attention. 

 

 

***

Salem | HP: 60/60 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | ACC: 2

Spoiler

Salem
Level: 3
HP: 60/60
EN: 24/24

Stats:
Damage: 4
Accuracy: 2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Claws R1 (Rare) with 2 slots of Accuracy

Custom Skill:

Skills:
Claws R1

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Stamina
Precision
Focus
Resolve

Active Extra Skills:
Concentration

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited April 13 by Salem

[Nymoria 0]

Perhaps it was fair to say that she'd become lost shortly after she'd left the Town of Beginnings itself. She'd found herself wandering along dirt path after dirt path, barely keeping the directional marker of the mini-map pointed in the right direction. Out of eventual annoyance, she had stopped looking at the thing. Not that she felt she could navigate her way any better without it, but it certainly wasn't doing her any good to try and keep her sight focused on it. She'd worn her regular clothing out on the trip - a basic set of black tights beneath a white collared shirt and school-like blue bow, covered by a simple chestplate that over-covered her front. At her hip was her new treasured sabre, simple in appearance with it's pink-wrapped grip and sheath. She did, perhaps, look like an adventurer - but she was far from feeling it in that moment.

Sooner or later I'm going to have to admit that I'm entirely lost, and I need to start thinking about retracing my steps. Stubbornness had kept her going this far, a determination to find the supposed cavern that held mystery and amazement to those who laid eyes upon it. Because there's no way that's just a sales tactic that these information brokers use to pull us in...it's around here somewhere. It has to be, I just need to keep-

She wasn't sure when she'd entered the canopy of the forest around her, but as she looked down, the odd feeling beneath her foot became obvious. She'd managed to step onto a large branch, the piece giving way beneath her as her entire weight came down upon it. She tilted her head, wondering if it had made a loud noise, before looking up and around. This isn't a safe zone, which means there could be dangers. Her hand drifted to the sabre at her hip, her eyes going wide as she spotted what appeared to be another person standing almost a dozen steps away from her. How didn't I notice...are they friendly?!

She raised her left hand, opening the palm and waving slightly in greeting, her right remaining on the edge of the hilt to her side. The tension in her body was apparent, a clear sign that she was prepared to run if it came down to it. Her body had shifted in place, leaning slightly away from the other player - the green crystal above their head was obvious, even to her - not that she trusted it. Although she didn't want to take her eyes off the individual, she knew she needed to check her surroundings, her eyes darting quickly in a circle around her before glancing back at the figure. Slowly, without any sort of calmness in her movements, she began to make a collection of broke signs with her left hand, likely causing a voice in the other player's head as she tried to communicate. You. Here. Alone?

 

  

Statblock

Spoiler Notes [Theme] Nymoria | Lv. 8 | P. 0 | HP [160/160] | EN [34/34] | ACC [3] | DMG [9] | MIT [34] | 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 Spyglass {2} | Reduce Search Posts x5 [Dungeon, Familiar, Field Boss] for one thread 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: 4. Active: Passive. Effect: +6 DMG] Armour Skills Light Armour [Rank: 3. 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 [x10] ST-I (10 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x13] ST-II (13 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. [x17] ST-B (17 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, this CD check applies to only the first roll. [x9] AOE-I (9 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x12] AOE-II (12 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn. [x10] TECH-A (11 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. Estate Buffs Spoiler N/A

Edited April 13 by Nymoria

[Salem 0]

An icy glance shot her way as Salem flinched in turn. It wasn't like him to startle easily, but in some ways, this world had put him more at a disadvantage than the waking one. Another player., he quickly determined. Tension gradually bled from his features as he inspected her appearance. Small. School-girlish, docile., were his initial instincts.

Her hand lifted to offer a candid greeting before cycling through a series of gestures. You. Here. Alone?, came the projection of a feminine voice. Its cadence, although soft, sounded off, like a computer's rigid recreation of human speech. 

Did her lips even move?, he reflected apprehensively. The green icon above her head seemed to denote her as another player. Still, he considered, Could be a trap. 

"I'm not an enemy.", came his avoidant response. There was no reason to dispose of whatever precious leverage he had.

But as silent seconds passed, his assessment began to feel misplaced. Here he was, a six foot vagrant dressed in all black trudging along the backcountry of the first floor. The girl before him looked like a goddamn deer in the headlights, with trembling legs and darting eyes, it was a wonder she hadn't succumbed to cardiac arrest. 

The realization hit Salem like a brick to the head.

"I'm just out for a walk. Came to recently and looking for a way to level up." He paused before asking, "You sign everything you say?"

[Nymoria 0]

His movement and posture was imposing, in a way - and yet Nymoria saw a slight bit of...was that fear...? She shook off the thought. It seemed unlikely that someone like the man before her would have fear. His voice came through distorted, and Nymoria's eyes snapped to his face as he spoke to her, trying to decipher his commentary in earnest. "I- j--t o-t f-r - w--k. Ca-e -o re--nt-y --- l--k-ng f-r - w-y t- l-v-l --. Y-u sign everything you say?"

She'd naturally taken a few steps closer, her attention on his face not clear enough to let her understand everything he said. She bit her lip in response to the question, a sombre, almost depressive look coming over her face as the typical question was asked. Her eyes shifted to the ground quickly, and a strong flush came to her face as a collection of emotions struggled into her. Her hands moved again in a quick pattern, their very motion filled with an obvious rhythm of anger, frustration and hatred - although who they were focused at, might have been lost on the other player.

Yes. Can understand you. A bit. If looking at face. Hard to hear. Impossible sometimes. She was shocked that she'd admitted so much after having just met the man, and she was quick to turn the situation around, suddenly throwing a flurry of questions towards him in the hopes of perhaps changing the topic at hand. Looking for cave. Quest near here. Are you also looking for cave? Scent of the Wild? Have you heard of it?

It became apparent as her questions grew that Nymoria had been breaking the signs down, simplifying it in the hopes of making them pass quickly or perhaps an easier understanding for the other player, but as her excitement at talking to someone grew, so did the complexity of the signs she used; a sudden aching to communicate with someone else reaching out from her as she continued. Maybe...we could look together?

Even as the final question was asked, a hurried apology - her right hand slamming into her forward before slashing outwards like a chopping motion - and a couple of steps towards the direction she'd been heading, came from Nymoria. Her face had flared in embarrassment, the once pale skin burning with a red colour as she tried to escape the situation.

[Salem 0]

Salem could feel his muscles constrict as the woman moved toward him with a deadpanned stare. As moments passed, he quickly understood why the reflex was misplaced. She's reading my lips. Under any normal circumstance, the limitation would be easy to identify. His condition in the real world had made him more receptive to that. But in SAO? Isn't the game...supposed to fix that?

A frustrated flurry of signs implied his question had lacked the appropriate etiquette. Yes. Can understand you. A bit. If looking at face. Hard to hear. Impossible sometimes., she responded with flushed features. Looking for cave., she rapidly continued, Quest near here. Are you also looking for cave? Scent of the Wild? Have you heard of it?

"A cave?", he questioned the concept aloud.

Maybe...we could look together?, she suddenly suggested.

She wants to go on a quest together?, his mind began to simulate the logistics of that. Well, she should definitely have a guide if she's going to descend into a cave. But I don't know any sign language. She'd need to be able to read my lips. Maybe I could go in before her -- no, that wouldn't make it any easier. She could walk in front of me. For some reason, ushering her down into the monster-ridden abyss didn't seem the right solution. That's not the issue, it would be way too dark for her to see anything I was saying, anyway. I could -- His eyes shot down to glance at her hand. Not ideal., he discounted with a slight frown. Maybe -- A realization caused his eyes to widen. "Is there an in-game --" 

By now, the timid player had already ducked to shuffle her way past him. Without consideration, Salem extended an arm to halt her. Clasping one hand carefully around her shoulder, he did his best to guide - not force - her way back to facing him. He took special care to lean forward so she could understand his next statement.

"Message", he said bluntly. The emphasis on annunciation felt foreign and more demanding than he intended. Was tone going to be an issue with her? Provided it was, he offered a follow-up. Releasing her shoulder he lifted his left hand to summon his UI. After a few stalled moments of unsuccessful navigation, he eventually found his way to creating a new DM. 

Send to:  Search

 

Salem raised his right hand to cover his eye before lowering it to conceal his mouth. 'Neither of us will be able to see', the charade seemed to imply. He couldn't deny that all of the motions made him feel pretty ridiculous and somewhat Neadrathalic. His only hope was that it came off as helpful rather than demeaning.

 

[Nymoria 0]

She'd twitched as the arm had reached out and the hand grasped her shoulder. For a single second she'd reached for the sabre at her hip, her eyes wide and a look of terror on her face that seemed almost beyond the simple situation at hand, as if there was more to it's causation. The look on the man's face, however, had broken the spell of terror - if only slightly. She watched as he tried to explain his thoughts, struggling to pass on the idea that he had, before eventually completing what appeared to be a crude version of an attempt at signing the idea to her. 

She laughed aloud as his hand covered his eye, before lowering itself to cover his mouth, as if trying to tell her they wouldn't be able to communicate. Suddenly the blunt word he'd said made sense, and she found herself doubling over in laughter at the simplicity of it. It took her a few moments before she gained control of herself, wiping away the tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes. Her hands moved jerkily once she was able to sign in response to the man, small bouts of giggles still escaping her every once in a while. Message. Sorry, sorry. That was pretty funny though. You did get your point across, but...sorry. Not many people try and...make it work. I appreciate you for that. Yes, messages work. Oh, my name is Nymoria. It's spelt with the symbols for 'broken' and 'flower'. It's a pleasure to meet you.

She gave a slight bow towards the man as she finished signing to him. Although she had laughed, which in truth she felt a bit bad about, she was happy to have found someone who took the time and effort to try and talk to her. It was a rare occurrence, even among those she had grouped with before. Adding on to her previous commentary, she smiled and signed once more. The caves are never so dark that I can't readhear what you're saying, but I can type fast. So messages would be good. That way you can readhear what I'm saying back, without needing to watch me.

She wasn't aware of the odd word that the system corrected as she signed her customary form for how she spoke with others, the sign so natural to her that she'd never considered the oddity of it. She did, however, flush slightly as she realised the implication of her final statement, and she had to fight from looking away from the man as the embarrassment of the innuendo rolled around in her mind.

[Salem 0]

He had caught a glimpse of something fleeting, a resistance to his touch, a factor left uncalculated. Whatever hint of fear that he identified was quickly circumvented by a wave of...laughter? For what felt like far too long, Salem stood there, engrossed in embarrassment as the woman keeled over and nearly hacked out a lung at his expense. Probably the better alternative, he reassured himself through a veil of crimson, At least she hasn't run away or attacked me.

He did his best to crack a candid smile as she regained her composure and began to sign. You did get your point across, but...sorry. Not many people try and...make it work. I appreciate you for that. The thanks evoked a more genuine smile, though bittersweet in origin. Salem understood all too well how scarce seemingly obvious accommodations could be. He was thankful many of those hinderances were no longer applicable to him here. 

Oh, my name is Nymoria. It's spelt with the symbols for 'broken' and 'flower'. It's a pleasure to meet you., she introduced herself.

Salem, he typed out and sent to her account. Blessedly, the system had auto-suggested her after a couple of attempts at spelling the first half. A pretty unique name, he noted to himself with a returning bow. 

The caves are never so dark that I can't readhear what you're saying, but I can type fast., Nymoria assured, So messages would be good. That way you can readhear what I'm saying back, without needing to watch me. The woman seemed to reabsorb whatever color had finally left his features in another another bout of insecurity -- or something, he hadn't entirely identified what that was.

With a wave of his hand, he motioned her toward, what was hopefully, the direction of the cave. In actuality, he had no clue where he was going. Was it...Secrets of the Wild she had said? He opened his UI to search for a tab on quests. All that could be seen was the First Lessons quest he had already completed and a few others that had been issued from spontaneous interactions with various NPCs. No information then..., he surmised. 

Do you have any leads?, he started to write, What sort of cave is this? Hole in the ground cave? Hole in a mountain cave? His questions felt juvenile and undeveloped. He sent them over anyway, then looked to Nymoria for a response.

Edited April 15 by Salem

[Nymoria 0]

The message appeared at the edge of her vision, a quick tap of her hand bringing it up for her to read. Salem. It was a unique name, at least from her experience. She couldn't help but wonder, momentarily, where it came from - if it had any meaning at all. His questions, however, continued as he pressed on regarding the quest itself. She eyed the messages as they came across, preparing to type a response when the corner of his eye noticed that he'd in turn glanced her way, as if waiting to see if she'd sign in return.

There were a few seconds where her feet continued to carry her beside him, and her hands hovered in the air, as if trying to decide which way was best to answer him. Despite herself, she decided that it would be rude to text back at the immediate moment, and instead chose to sign the answer to him. Not a lot of information, sadly. Could have been given everything about the quest, for the right price. Beyond my price range though, so all that I know is that it's in this area, and that it is an entire rock wall that simply vanished. Leads to a small cavern. I've checked around the vast areas for the last few...times, but found nothing. So there should be something nearby.

There had been an obvious pause between the the signs where she'd begun to explain how long she'd been out searching, as if the information had been purposefully altered midway through her explanation - a fact that the red tinge to her skin may have shown as embarrassment. Her eyes turned from the man for a few moments as they'd continued heading onwards, reminded of the need to search for the hole itself. A point which, through pure luck, they had stumbled across - and almost missed. 

A sound escaped her that resembled the squeak of a mouse, and without thinking she had grabbed the man's shirt sleeve, hurriedly pointing in the direction of the entrance she had just spotted, all while bouncing on her feet. She took a few steps towards it, stopping only to make sure that the other player had begun to follow her direction. Her hands moved in a flurry of motion as she excitedly signed towards him. You must be good luck! I've been searching all morning for this! Finally found it, after finding you!

[Salem 0]

Nymoria seemed uncertain in how to respond. After a look of consideration, she signed, Not a lot of information, sadly. Could have been given everything about the quest, for the right price. Beyond my price range though...

Like a micro-transaction then? Seems odd to stunt progress so early on with a paywall, especially if we're not exchanging real currency... "Who do you pay?", he asked while she was still facing him. It seemed an important subject to be informed on, especially if the majority of quests were unlocked that way.

The pair continued searching the forest floor for any signs of the cave. It proved to be a difficult endeavor, however, because of the sheer number of roots, shrubs, and vines clambering across every surface. Salem determined to pay special attention to any rocks that seemed to protrude upwards and out of the multitude of mossy knolls. Eventually, his companion emitted an excited squeaking sound, tugging at the end of his sleeve to get his attention. He turned her way to see a large recess in one of the slopes, its opening concealed by draping grasses like a more whimsical entrance to a 70s bedroom.

"That appears to be it", he remarked to himself before praising Nymoria, "Good job!"

You must be good luck!, the belated woman began to sign, I've been searching all morning for this! Finally found it, after finding you!

Salem smiled at that, partially because the sentiment made no sense, mostly because of how enthusiastic she seemed at the discovery. He couldn't recall another point in his life where he watched someone get so excited over something as dank and depressing as a glorified hole in the ground. Her curiosity demanded he pick up his pace, lest he lose sight of her at a moment's notice.

The pair descended into the cave as light quickly dwindled from the tunnel behind them. As far as caves went, this one was easy to navigate. Sure, there were a few slippery rocks and crevices where he had to contort his skeleton to sidle through, but at least they hadn't encountered any monsters. Salem was certainly surprised by how navigable his surroundings were. With a dim radiance encompassing them, the atmosphere was less like a real cave and more like a closed-off closet with a light on the other side. 

[Nymoria 0]

The excitement of spotting the cave had erased any chance for Nymoria to properly answer Salem's earlier question, and it was only once they had plunged into the depths that she realised he was likely still waiting for an answer. While not dark enough to impede their movement or sight in any major way, the gloom from the underground cavern would've caused some distortion of her motions, and Nymoria decided that it would be more beneficial for her to simply respond to the question through message. A few waves of her hand and the menu had appeared, her fingers flashing across the virtual keyboard as she typed out the message to Salem.

To: Salem

From: Nymoria

You had asked earlier about where I was buying the information from, and who I pay? Have you not had any experience with the information brokers? They're these players, generally - or sometimes NPCs, but not as often - who make their entire wealth  through, and spend all their time gathering information. Essentially they use various sources to get details about quests, and then sometimes provide the information for free (very rarely), or sell it to individuals who are interested in buying it. The more information you want, the more it costs...hence why I could only obtain a little bit for this quest. It helps alongside the general details that the original questline dialogue provides.  For this quest, all I was able to get was the details about the cave being somewhere along the edge here, and it looking like a hole in the wall. Oh and that there is some sort of tree in it's core that is useful towards the completion of the quest!

She sent the message off once she had finished typing, her eyes looking up to realise they had come to a split in the pathway, with one direction leading towards what looked like a rock wall. Glancing down to the left, she pointed in the direction before heading further inwards, a small shift of light visible even from where they had been standing. The path was short, no more than a few mere metres, before opening up into a large room with a tree standing in it's centre. Nymoria glanced around, her eyes taking in the oddness of the tree - situated below a hole in the ceiling that allowed the light to filter down and inside - and beside it, a small pedestal that seemed to hold something. She gave a quick tug on Salem's arm, before pointing towards the pedestal and signing. Something over there. Let's take a look.

She didn't wait for a response, heading over and picking up the tablet from the pedestal. Small markings decorated it's edges on one side, and Nymoria found herself more confused as she stared at each of them in turn. She was just about to turn to Salem for his thoughts, when her attention was drawn to the tree trunk beside the pedestal, a collection of notes carved into it. She signed at the man even as she looked closer at the tree, hoping that he'd been looking her way and noticed her motions. This looks like a cipher?

ID222703 | LD: 19 | Cipher Attempt | Result: [19/60]

Edited April 15 by Nymoria

[Salem 0]

To: Nymoria
From: Salem

There's probably a lot that I don't have experience with. I woke up two days ago.
 

He took pause to consider if there was more to add to that statement. A change in their path prompted him to send it as is. Only a matter of seconds lapsed before the two of them meandered around and into a flooded basin. At the cavern's center rested a singular elder tree. Even from afar, one could appreciate how the cascade of roots had tirelessly snaked around a pile of boulders to prop itself beneath a beam of light.

If that's not the most videogame-looking waypoint I've ever seen..., he mused upon seeing it.

Salem figured it best to linger back and await the onslaught of whatever traps would inevitably be set off by Nymoria's interaction with the relic. When nothing spawned, he cautiously chose to accompany her by the base of its trunk.

This look like a cipher?, she asked, motioning to the bark.

Leaning forward, he began to examine the strips of runic carvings. "I'd say so, but it's not written in any language I can recognize.", he noted. With hand outstretched, he borrowed the tablet to have a closer look. "These share similar markings, that's good at least. We could start with decoding the shortest articles, though that assumes its alphabetic. Their characters could just be symbolic." He passed the object back to her before inquiring, "Have you encountered anything like this before?"

 

***

ID:222704 | LD: 9 | Cipher Attempt | Result: [28/60]

Edited April 17 by Salem

[Nymoria 0]

She shook her head, her eyes focusing on him as he pended the question at her. It was the first she'd ever seen of a cipher, much less the associated runes, since her time beginning in Aincrad. She watched as he pointed out possible interpretations, considering everything that could come from each of their guesses. Until they had at least started to break the concepts of it, the message would remain a mystery. Yet there was no denying that there were connections between plaque and tree, and as Nymoria ran her hands over a collection of items, she saw something begin to shift in her understanding. 

Excitedly, she pulled her menu up, preparing a message even as she continued to try and match the points between the two objects. Her fingers moved in a flurry as she typed out parts of a message, the words becoming somewhat more refined as she continued. She glanced up at the man as she sent the message, waiting to see what he would say in response to the small portion she had figured out.

To: Salem

From: Nymoria

I think there's a connection here. Look how it repeats...and in certain areas, like you would find a vowel...maybe an 'e' or an 'i'? If I'm reading this right...maybe this word is 'seeking'? That would mean that the word over here could be...resistant? Resistance? Resi...hmm...I thought I had something here, any ideas...?

ID222799 | LD: 8 | Cipher Attempt | Result: [36/60]

Edited April 17 by Nymoria

[Salem 0]

Nymoria immediately became immersed in the challenge of it all, her hands tracing an invisible line in the air as her mind began to unravel the code. Rather than lurking over her shoulder, Salem instead took a moment to examine their picturesque surroundings. The grotto's ceiling was dappled with columns of stalactites that occasionally dripped into the deep cerulean spring below. Countless ripples of refracted light undulated across the limestone walls while others still spilled and twisted across his body like some sort of lovecraftian horror. Maybe I was wrong about this world., he marveled silently as his gaze drifted upwards to follow the fading projections. Swaying above them were wispy vines that sliced apart what few sunbeams had made their way through the overgrown vegetation. Compared to the matted-down moss that clung to the sides of the cavern, they appeared more eloquent and free.

A few moments passed before an alert commandeered his attention. Opening the message, he began to read Nymoria's findings, perhaps more accurately, speculations.

'Seeking' seems a safe assumption., he wrote after some consideration, There aren't many other words with two ee's placed together in that configuration. They could be two o's...but let's explore this possibility for now.

"Wait a second...", Salem halted his typing and lifted a hand to cusp the bottom of his chin. Those two characters appear again at the very end here, but -- not the same word. He continued typing to include the observation in his message. Besides that discrepancy, we can assume that the end of 'Seeking' is an 'ing'. Let's try to apply those letters elsewhere. His first instinct was to work from the beginning. 'I_' -- 'If'... 'If seeking' 

'I~' 'I-' similar words with different spellings. 'In', he determined for the one that shared the first two characters from 'ing'. That leaves... 'Is', was his guess. If these are correct, we've unlocked the letters: s, e, k, i, n, g, f, and s so far. That should give us a solid trajectory.

By the time he'd finished writing the message, Nymoria was already scouring the text in search of additional connections. Still, he thought it best to send his summary as he had written it out.
 

To: Nymoria From: Salem   "Seeking" seems a safe assumption. There aren't many other words with two ee's placed together in that configuration. They could be two o's...but let's explore this possibility for now. Besides that discrepancy, we can assume that the end of "Seeking" is an "ing". Let's try to apply those letters elsewhere. "I_"... "If" "If seeking". This one shares the same ending as "Seeking", which would make it "In'". That leaves this one as "Is" If these are correct, we've unlocked the letters: s, e, k, i, n, g, f, and s so far. That should give us a solid trajectory.

***

ID:222802 | LD: 5 | Cipher Attempt | Result: [41/60]

Edited April 19 by Salem

[Nymoria 0]

The message popped up in her peripheral vision, and she paused just long enough to glance over it. The catch was something that she had missed, and she quickly jotted a few notes into her small digital pad before glancing back at the cipher once more. It was quickly coming together, and as she stared at the runic symbols on tablet and tree, she felt herself smile. Her hands moving quickly across the virtual keyboard, she typed out a message to Salem as the excitement of her discovery took over her caution. Her face, beaming with a smile, didn't necessarily look at the man, but there was an enthusiasm that would've been obvious to anyone who saw a glance of her.

To: Salem

From: Nymoria

That's a very good catch! I hadn't noticed the connection at first, but if we compare the symbols on the secondary line from the left, and the one's that are the third, half line in of the tree, we see that there's also a connection between a continuously appearing collection of letters...which, if I'm reading this right, should read as... "If seeking power, wisdom and resilience, find ye those which embody nature’s graces" And it that's accurate, then the next line should be... "The fiercest of beasts with unmatched strength; a sentinel to the afterlife bound by the Stygian river; a wise and wily water-borne predator"

She felt like the entire message was slowly coming together, and as she sent the message off, she twisted the tablet so that Salem could see the points, making sure to point to each of the areas that she had managed to decipher so far in her work. She figured that they almost had it, if they just pushed it a little bit more.

ID222876 | LD: 11 | Cipher Attempt | Result: [52/60]

Edited April 19 by Nymoria

[Salem 0]

Salem felt a similar excitement as the two of them swiftly translated swathes of symbols into recognizable letters. He appreciated the strategy of it all. There was an infectious nature to the challenge, an unexpected deviation from the usual adrenaline of combat. At the very least, battles that were waged from the other side of a computer screen. Tilting his head, he followed her examinations of the text. Line by line, it was beginning to sound like...

"I swear to god, if this translates into a riddle --", he remarked to her with a sarcastic smile.

Casting his speculation aside, he continued to pick apart the text. This time, he'd left the template of his message open just to write out, erase, and rewrite each attempt at deciphering a word. I'm seeing "free", "forest", "harness", "benefit", "Keepers of Nature". Uniting his new findings with Nymoria's seemed enough to provide the remainder of what they needed. Ever so slowly, new letters began to reveal themselves, until eventually:

"...the unmoved titan who is callous and free; a sly shadow high in the branches of the forest; and lastly, that which prowls and safeguards the sky. Only once vanquished will you harness their power to your benefit. These are the Keepers of Nature.”, he had successfully interpreted and shared with her.

"Nym, I think we did it.", he declared with a contented sigh. Now, he pondered with a second reading, What does it all mean?

 

***

ID:222943 | LD: 10 | Cipher Attempt | Result: [62/60]

The cipher has been decoded!

Edited April 20 by Salem

[Nymoria 0]

Her eyes shifted between the tablet, the cipher, her own notations and finally the continued messages she'd received from Salem. Everything had lined up, eventually, and as she turned to face him, she saw and heard the words that confirmed her own thoughts. We did it. It's deciphered. But...what is the meaning of it all? The message seemed to allude to a variety of things, and it was clearly meant as some form of riddle that would assist them - or more than likely confuse them - in whatever came next. Tilting her head slightly, she gave a smile towards Salem as she considered the possibilities.

It seems we figured it out. Not that I know what it means, but we're moving in the right direction. She saw the sudden notification that they'd managed to complete the quest, and quickly scrolled through her own user interface to see if there were any changes. Sure enough, a new quest line had appeared, in detail, and she motioned to Salem in excitement. Check your quest log, see if you have the new quest options. Ferocious Foe. Leeching Nightmare. Fighting Fish. Colossal Shadow. Pouncing Puma. Shocking Stallion. Are they all there for you? It seems to be the sequels to this original quest. Looks like you can do them as you wish. Maybe...together?

There had been a slight pause between her first motion and second as she suggested working together on the quests. She knew, without even looking at them, that they were likely well beyond what she could handle alone, and as much as she may have been reluctant to admit it, she enjoyed the company of the other player. But suddenly, her eyes casting downwards, she added to her question a final statement. Unless you do not want to do it with me. I would understand. You must have other friends here to find.

[Salem 0]

A sequence of softly-heralded alerts tumbled through his interface as Nymoria signed their titles to him. For a brief moment, he felt overwhelmed, or perhaps it was the pangs of exasperation. Are we meant to do all of these at once?, he grumbled as each menu was expanded to skim the details.

Looks like you can do them as you wish., the female player had speculated, Maybe...together? Salem looked up from the text to regard her as she had finished posing the question. Unless you do not want to do it with me. I would understand. You must have other friends here to find., she quickly deferred. 

"I'd like to.", he insisted with a nod. Although her assumption of his popularity had been inaccurate, he made no effort to correct it. "You're not an ear-full, I appreciate that.", he offered as an uncertain hand raised to rustle the back of his head. The unintentional ambiguity of that statement hadn't occurred him until after he'd said it. A rising embarrassment indicated that it was his turn to evade her glance. "Ah -- not like that, what I mean is, you know how to handle yourself. You make for good company." With a pointed inhale, he waved his hand to motion their departure. "If we're done here, let's head back to the surface." There's no reason to wait for monsters to spawn and attack us. Carefully, the two of them made their way back to the tunnel they'd descended from. Salem was careful to keep a watchful eye on Nymoria as they hobbled over slippery stones and ducked beneath low-hanging passageways. By the time they'd exited the cavern, the sun had skirted across the sky to a marginal degree. How long was that? An hour? Haven't gotten a grasp on the day-night system here... 

Edited Friday at 10:01 PM by Salem

[Nymoria 0]

She stared at the man as he corrected her assumption, the words registering slowly as he stated that he'd be willing to continue the questline with her. His flurry of commentary afterwards were, for better or for worse, mostly lost on Nymoria as she tried to come to terms with the fact that she wasn't being immediately turned away. She followed along, as he suggested leaving, barely aware of the trip out of the cavern itself. Her thoughts were a mess, and as she entered into the sunlight, she found herself squinting in surprise. I guess we're out now.

Thank you, for your help. Most people don't...help. There was a small pause between her final signs, an obvious hesitation in her communication. After a single second of pause, where Nymoria realised the awkwardness of the comment, she turned towards the open area of the floor they had come out onto, waving a hand towards it and signing in an offhanded manner as she turned back to Salem with a smile. This place is beautiful, even if it's horrible too. It is a reminder that even in the worst things, good things can be found.

There was nothing left in the area for them, and she could tell from a quick glance at Salem that the man wasn't built for any sort of grinding or combat. Instead, she gave a nod towards the Town of Beginning's general direction, deciding that they'd nothing else to do. Shall we head back to town? I think we're done here, for the time being. Maybe we can find somewhere to have a coffee?

[Salem 0]

All he could do was offer another nod of affirmation. There was no reason for her to thank him, but she extended gratitude in spite of that. If she acts this indebted to everyone, she's gonna be taken advantage of., he found himself assuming. Maybe that's unfair., came the immediate reflection. It seemed nonsensical to praise her capabilities one moment only to ridicule them the next. He just couldn't shake the feeling that she was someone who needed protection. She seemed...too bright for the world, too uplifting with the gravity of their current circumstances. The instinct was unfounded and misplaced. I'm the weak player here, he was sure to remind himself. 

Shall we head back to town?, he parted from his thoughts to listen,...Maybe we can find somewhere to have a coffee?

Salem was caught off-guard by the candid invitation, as if his personal thoughts had seeped through and dispelled their chances of continuing a conversation. "Sure", he found himself replying, "That sounds...really nice." With the curt bow of his head, he ushered them forward and back toward that winding path. "Let's take care not to wander into any boars", he jokingly remarked, "I haven't actually engaged in combat yet, and I don't think either of us is ready for that sight."