[PP-F05] I hate sand. It's rough, course, and it gets everywhere.

[Wulfrin 0]

<<The Traveler>>

Wulfrin had a goal in mind, unlocking the Tech sword arts in preparation for joining the frontlines. The next one he needed to check off his list was the one dropped by Cerberus. From talking with other players about the aquisition of the sword art, he had come to the conclusion that the Survival skill would be a decent pick up before facing off with round one of Cerberus. That meant returning to Floor Five, a floor that took most of its inspiration from Arabian culture. That meant sand, bandits, and blistering heat. The other factor making Wulfrin hesitant to partake of the quest was one of the nobles within Fortazela. For some reason Abdullah had a slightly different algorithm behind him. Despite the quest tied to him being cleared, Abdullah seemed to be the only NPC capable of remembering players as well as holding grudges.

"Guess it's unavoidable," Wulfrin sighed as he finished up in his shop for the day. "Maybe Ciela wouldn't mind going. I could use the company."

In stark contrast to the scorching heat and blistering sandstorms of Floor Five, Floor Twenty-Two was significantly more pleasant. The cool air and pleasant breezes provided a much more enjoyable experience. Wulfrin stepped into the living room of his large log cabin estate. On the couch where she typically slept, Ciela sat reading one of her romance novels she had become so fond of reading. Next to her both Solaris the phoenix and Pearlita the sea otter peacfully snoozed away in the mid-morning light that permeated the room.

"So Book Girl," Wulfrin said attempting to pry Ciela's attention from her novel. "You feel like tackling a quest today? I have to go on it for a skill and could use some company."

[KnightessCiela 0]

Ciela had spent the morning preparing a meal for the two of them, they had been going on frequent picnic dates so she packed it to go. She had just sat down and buried her nose back in her book when Wulfrin came home.

Lucky thing too. Wulfrin had that glint in his eye. She knew that glint all too well. He'd found another quest for them to go on. Or better yet, he'd found more info on the Tech skills he's been wanting to collect. He treats those skills like pokemon cause boy does he "gotta catch em all." She didn't mind though. It meant more experience for her and experience was needed. Especially if she was going to be ready by the time the frontline crew finished the labyrinth. She wanted to fight alongside Wulfrin, Freyd, and Morningstar to clear the game.

Wulfrin began to mock her reading as he came in. "So Knight in shining Red Coat," Ciela responded to her other half in the same tone. "Sure, where are we going?" She prepared herself, getting her armor, sword, and shield all equipped. 

* * *

Spoiler

Character Sheet:

Spoiler

KnightessCiela | Level 15 | HP: 330/330 | EN: 48/48 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 96 | 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

R4 Straight Swords

• [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.

Other:

• [x8] TECH-F (8+2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn.

Addons:

Spoiler

Iron Skin

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

Mods:

Spoiler

None Yet

Extra:

Spoiler

R1 Block
Passive, [Requires two Extra Skill slots], Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants 5 mitigation          

 

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

 

Edited May 8 by KnightessCiela

[Wulfrin 0]

"Fortazela," Wulfrin sighed. "Today is another step towards unlocking those ever so elusive Tech Sword Arts. To help stave off some of the rougher terrain effects. I'm prepping to take on the first round of the Cerberus questline soon. I can solo the boss and minions easy enough but being in the heart of a volcano on Floor 9, the Survival Extra Skill will help with the brutal heat."

At the mention of Fortazela, Solaris seemed to become even more energetic. Not that Wulfrin was surprised mind you. Floor 5 was Solaris's original home. Wulfrin wasted no time double checking his gear in preparation for the trip. He wasn't going prepared for a massive fight, but it was still in the back of his mind. Abdullah would likely not take it lightly that Wulfrin was waltzing through his territory once again, but Wulfrin remained confident he could handle anything the stuck up NPC could muster. 

"Let's get moving," Wulfrin said as he made his way to the door. "Might want to store the basket in your inventory. If a sandstorm crosses our path, it will sap the durability and ruin your hard work."

[KnightessCiela 0]

As per usual she stored her lunch basket complete with their meals and any snacks they may need along the way. Most of the time she'd over prepped snacks but they would snuggle up on the couch and snack before falling asleep. 

Wulfrin mentioned Fortazela, Ciela didn't like heading down to Fortazela. Not because of the sand. But Ciela absolutely hated the heat. Pretty funny considering her main extra source of damage is fire. She grew up in the south and has learned to absolutely despise the heat because of it. "I'm so grateful my hair can't frizz in a game." She ran her fingers through her hair then brushed her bangs away from her face.

She looked over to Wulfrin. She had almost glossed over what he'd said. "Wait. Wait. Wait. You mean to tell me we are going into the heart of a volcano? How do you suggest we survive going into the heart of a volcano?" A puzzled look washed over her face. She almost looked as if she was about to scold him.

"Other than go into a volcano during this quest, what else does it entail? Are we going to skydive off of a dragon?" She snorted as she finished her statement. Looking to hear what Wulfrin was going to state next.

[Wulfrin 0]

"The volcano is the next quest," Wulfrin corrected as they stepped off the warp gate platform in the heart of Fortazella. "This quest is an escort one. Something about an old man and the desert."

It didn't take Wulfrin long to locate their mark. It was hard to miss the rugged old man that was staring out towards the horizon of the desert floor. Wulfrin was careful as he moved throughout the streets of the crowded bazaar. The back alleys had become almost like a second home to him. Abdullah had eyes everywhere in the city, so the fewer heads he turned, the better. That meant moving fast and inconspicuously. As the knightess and the swordsman in red approached the old man Wulfrin spoke up.

"I take it you need to cross the desert?"

"You're adventurers I take it?" The old man replied turning to face the duo. A name appeared above his head identifying him as Zamek. "If you wouldn't mind, I have a chest of sorts buried in the desert, at the base of some uniquely shaped rocks. The contents are incredibly important to me, but I am too ill to make the journey alone. Would you escort me there? Though I cannot offer you much col.  But, should you offer your assistance, I would be eternally grateful."

The lack of a monetary reward set poorly in Wulfrin's stomach. That wasn't the main reason he was taking the quest. That position belonged to the survival skill. 

"Yeah we can escort you out there," Wulfrin smiled as he accepted the quest via a panel that appeared before him. The quest shortly appeared in the quest log of both of them, along with a progress marker.

The quest in hand the now trio began their march into the desert sands.

* * *

Miles traveled (0/5)

[KnightessCiela 0]

Ciela watched as Zamek moved very slowly. This was an escort quest. The bane of her existence. She let Wulfrin take the lead and she held the rear.

Ciela looked around, paying attention to small details. She was on edge due to the heat. It was making her quite cranky.

She materialized some snacks and handed them out per usual. Inside the tin was cut up cucumber and watermelon. "Here, have some snacks that are pretty hydrating. I also made sure to bring lots of water." 

The trek seemed to go so much slower than their previous quests. Although she attributed that to the way that walking in sand slowed them down. She decided to swap the shoes she wore to sandals, she did not want to walk around for hours with sand in her boots. She changed her skirt to shorts that met just above her mid-thigh. She knew she was already going to fight the heat with her armor, she wasn't about to do it with pants and shoes. After changing, she felt much more comfortable.

* * *

Miles Traveled (0/5)

[Wulfrin 0]

An escort quest, Wulfrin grumbled to himself. Great. Just what I needed. We are walking at such a slow speed, we are basically sitting ducks out here.

He wasn't keen on the slow pace they were having to walk for Zamek to keep up with them. Wulfrin had a vague idea of where they were going as he somewhat remembered seeing a rock formation that sorta matched Zamek's description when he traveled out into the desert in search of his familiar. He hated the sand here. The winds that were starting to kick up began to batter his skin with the course granules. There was definitely a sandstorm about to cross their path, they had no choice but to press on. Wulfrin was certain he would be digging sand out of just about every place on his body.

"We're about a mile out of town," Wulfrin said materializing a large scarf he had hanging around in his inventory. "No turing back now, but there is likely a sandstorm about to cross our paths. Might want to revert to those pants dear."

* * *

Miles traveled (1/5)

[KnightessCiela 0]

"Absolutely not. I've been on the beach with pants. It's not a fun time. Shorts are more ideal for this trek, at least in my opinion. I don't mind the feeling of sand against my skin, I don't wanna have to dig sand out of my pants later." She knew exactly how this would go if she wore pants, every little crease and crevice would have sand in it. She was NOT about to deal with that. It was awful enough that they had to do an escort quest in the desert, she wasn't about to deal with the awful feeling of sand in the pants.

The heat was bouncing off the sand and as the sun went higher in the sky, the temperature only increased. She let out an audible groan. She hated the heat. Honestly she wasn't bothered by the sand rubbing up against her skin. She hated the heat more. Sand absorbs heat and in turn makes it even hotter. Which is why she chose sandals and shorts, yes it meant that her skin would be hotter, but it also meant that she wouldn't have to take layers off as she got hotter and hotter. If it came down to it, she could change out of her plate armor but that would leave her utterly and completely exposed, and she didn't want to risk them being caught unawares.

* * *

Spoiler

Foraging:

ID: 223262 | CD: 4 | LD: 8
+0 Materials
0 Additional Materials

Foraging EXP:
+3 Foraging EXP

* * *

Spoiler

Total Loot:

Wulfrin
0 Mats
0 Col
0 Fishing EXP

KnightessCiela
0 Mats
0 Col
3 Foraging EXP

 

Edited 3 hours ago by KnightessCiela