Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0 Posted July 8 #1 Share Posted July 8 (edited) While fishing at the koi pond near the dojo grounds of her guild estate on the 22nd Floor, Ariel noticed something strange tugging at the line. What she reeled in wasn’t a fish, but a weathered scroll wrapped in waxed silk. Upon closer inspection, she found it to be two documents: one, a hand-drawn map marked with runes and coordinates; the other, a translated journal entry from an old Dragon Hunter, speaking of nests, maps, and the hope that a dragon was asleep. It wasn’t the kind of find you ignored. After a brief pause to verify its validity and scan the map, a familiar system prompt appeared: «Quest: Diary of the Dragon Hunter» Accept? O X She accepted. Knowing how quests like these escalate, she posted a short but clear LFG notice: "Unusual quest. Scouting a dragon’s lair. Two spots. Probably nothing too serious. Meet at Floor 1 outskirts. – A" Not long after, wo players replied. Ariel didn’t recognize the names, but their builds passed muster. No red flags. She agreed to the meeting location just outside the 1st Floor’s main settlement—far enough from town to speak without eavesdroppers, close enough to retreat if things went sideways. She stands still... straight-backed, posture poised with the kind of practiced discipline that speaks louder than any introduction. A long sheet of blonde hair moves gently in the wind, combed but unbound, catching the sunlight in pale streaks like firelight on steel. At her hip rests a black-sheathed katana; sleek, slightly curved with a small silver ornamental pattern. Her blue kimono, elegant in cut, carries a faint swirling pattern of falling plum blossoms and winding mist, just enough to hint at taste, not vanity. It moves subtly with each breeze, like a ripple across still water. Ariel | HP: 960/960 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 34 | ACC:4 | AA | PHASE | HB: 42 | REC: 8 | RISK: 8 | FLN: 16 Spoiler Name: Ariel True Tier: 11 Level: 34 Paragon Level: 71 HP: 960/960 EN: 114/114 Stats: Damage: 24 Accuracy: 4 Loot Die: 3 Stealth Rating: 5 AA PHASEHB: 42 REC: 8 RISK: 8 FLN: 16 Equipped Gear: Weapon/Armor/Trinket: - ≪Nihilim’s Wrath#187490≫ T4: AA / Phase / Fallen / Fallen Armor/Trinket: - ≪Leonidas' Strength#151568≫ T4: HB / HB / RSKY / RSKY Shield/Armor/Trinket: - ≪Kurokō no Tamashii (黒鋼の魂)#190961≫ T4: Acc. / Acc. / Rec. / Rec. Combat Mastery: - Combat Mastery: Damage R3 Combat Shift: - ST Shift Familiar Skill: - Custom Skill: - Kaiso no Waza: Meikyo Shisui Skills: - Cloth Armor R3 - Katana R5 Extra Skills: - Hiding R5 - Concentration - Survival - Forgotten King's Authority Inactive Extra Skills: Addons: - Ferocity - Precision - Stamina Mods: - Athletics - Surprise Attack: Assassin - Untraceable - Vanish Inactive Mods: Battle Ready Inventory: - "≪Chocolate Truffles# [Dessert]≫ VITALITY II (+12 EN) IDs# 144486 / 144486-1 / 144486-2 / 144486-3 / 144770 " x5 - "≪Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde[Crystal]: Mass HP recovery 10% IDs# 223185-1 / 223185-2 / 223183 / 223183-1 / 223181" x5 - "≪Flash of Rejuvenation# [Crystal]≫ Mass HP recovery 10% IDs# 144486 / 144486-1 / 144486-2 / 144486-3 / 144770 " x5 - "≪popcorn. [Snack]≫ VITALITY II (+16 EN) IDs# 144486 / 144486-1 / 144486-2 / 144486-3 / 144770 " x5 - ≪Glowstone≫ x - ≪Teleport [Crystal]≫ x2 Housing Buffs: - Basic Kitchen: 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. - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. - Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests - Attic (Bedroom): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase. - Basement: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll - Guest Room: Players can have one «Amenity» in a «Guest Room» and the «Amenity» cannot be recovered. Players are allowed to change which «Amenity» is in the «Guest Room». Multiple instances of the same «Amenity» do not stack. This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members. - Master Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat - Master Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down) - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day - Ornate Fishing Pond: +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts. - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. Guild Hall Buffs: - Guild R5: Guild Rank 5: +5% Final Experience Gain, +5% Final Col Gain - Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests. Scents of the Wild Totem: - Kumatetsu Wedding Ring: Crafting Profession: - Tailoring[3696exp] R9 Gathering Profession: - Fishing[191exp] R3 PT Skills: (235 SP Available / 137 Used / 100 PT Skills) 5x ► Biting (+2 DMG) @Acanthus @Gambit Edited 9 hours ago by Ariel - The Crowned Lion Link to post Share on other sites
Gambit 0 Posted July 8 #2 Share Posted July 8 "Scouting a dragon's lair, eh?" Gambit smirked. "Nothing I can't handle." Ever since he'd killed that Floor One Field Boss, Gambit had been on a roll. When a seemingly helpless fighter handily dispatches the terror of an entire floor, said fighter would obviously earn a well-deserved boost in confidence. And a well-deserved boost in confidence Gambit had, and then some. Nothing could stop him. He had a new sword, a flashy little plushie dangling from the pommel of aforementioned sword, and a bad attitude to match. This Ariel fella needed help dispatching a few winged lizards? Leave it to ol' Gambit. He'd get it done in no time at all. With his weapon on his back and a smile on his face, he strode out to the meeting place with unabashed boldness. The woman's practiced demeanor did nothing to dissuade Gambit's approach. He waved furiously. "Hi! Hello!! I'm here to help kill those dragons or whatever!" Gambit | HP: 180/180 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 13 | ACC:4 | EVA:3 Player Stats (the long way): Spoiler Level: 9 Health: 180 | Energy: 36 DMG: 13 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 Shift: - Skills: Combat Skills: ► - Weapon Skills: ► Straight Sword [30/30] - Rank 5 ►Stamina ►Precision ►Ferocity Utility Skills: ► - Extra Skills: ► - Familiar Skill: ► - Armor Skills: ► - Modifiers: ► - Equipped: »[Equipped] [Perfect] Steel Longsword: +3 DMG »[Equipped] [Perfect] wolf pendant: +3 EVA »[Equipped] [Perfect] tomochi plush.: +3 ACC Battle Ready: » empty Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted July 9 #3 Share Posted July 9 (edited) Scrolling through the LFG posts was something of a guilty pleasure for Acanthus. There were scores of posts from mid- to low-level players, with tone ranging from begging to entitlement. “I need this quest item!” or the evergreen, “Can anyone help me with this field boss?” Most of those posts were followed by listing gear that would barely pass a large boar, let alone the Ripper of Glyndbourne. She watched these posts populate and wither in the forum with a detached sense of schadenfreude. They deserve to languish in the middle floors. They have not put in the time to grow as you have. If they grow, it will not be from kindness. Hatred’s voice lingered in the back of her mind, ignored. It rarely spoke, and when it did, she no longer regarded it with fear. It had been downgraded from “terrifying” to “merely bothersome.” Besides, it wasn’t exactly wrong. Mid- and low-level players could be ignored. Let them help each other. The frontlines needed to stick with what they did best: helping the frontliners. A new message popped up, generated from Ariel. The name tickled a memory in the back of her head. “Speak of the devil. The frontliner. This should be interesting. And scouting a dragon’s lair… So she’s attempting the Anthology then? That seems worth the time and energy.” It would be the third time she had attempted the tiresomely long quest chain. Hopefully this time, the party would stick. * * * Ariel cut an imposing figure as she waited for them. Acanthus had only seen her at the Floor Boss, and that had hardly been picturesque. The entire raid featured muck and fetid water; no Player had been spared its ugliness. But outside of that muck, Ariel stood tall, adorned in flowing garb, with a katana resting at her hip. Acanthus thought that if she were not a warrior princess in real life, she played one well enough in Aincrad. There was also a gremlin: a gremlin she recognized from the beach. The boy that had outperformed her at digging holes. She fought down the twinge of petty jealousy and settled for a succinct wave and a curt hello. Acanthus then addressed Ariel. “It’s nice to see you again. I’m looking forward to running this quest. I’ve done it a handful of times actually—just the first leg, that is. Everyone seems to lose interest quickly. I’m hoping that isn’t the case this time.” Acanthus | Lvl 84 (34/43) | HP: 940/940 | EN: 122/122 | DMG: 23 | MIT:160 | ACC:3 | FL.AURA: 16 | THORNS:72 | BH:50 | HB: 40 | LD:6 | Env. (O) 32 | Blight 32/-20 Spoiler Equipment and Consumables Spoiler All enhancements reflected in the stat block unless otherwise specified. Equipment Weapon. Wormwood, the Fallen Star | Blight 2 | Env. (O) 2 Armor (Heavy). Corpse Flower's Kiss MIT II | Thorns II Trinket. Vow of Return | ACC 3 Consumables None Taken. Abilities (Skills, Shifts, Masteries, Add-ons, and Mods) Spoiler Combat Mastery and Shift Combat Mastery: Damage R3 AoE Shift Skills Battle Healing R5 Energist Heavy Armor R5 Addon: Precision Addon: Iron Skin Mod: Impetus (1/5) Searching R4 + 1 (Skylight: Searching) Mod: Night Vision (2/5) Mod: Tracking (3/5) Straight Sword R5 Addon: Ferocity Addon: Stamina Extra Skills Forgotten King's Authority Survival Assault Mode Block Mod: Shield Bash (4/5) Inactive Extra Skills Photosynthesize Disguise Addons Ferocity Iron Skin Precision Reveal Stamina Mods Shield Bash Meticulous Night Vision Tracking Battle Ready Inventory (7 Slots) Dimensional Backpack + Item Stash Spoiler Lama Sabachthani | 236687 | Consumable - Soundtrack | Hypnosis 2 | Lullaby 2 (Instant) Pain deeper than words, engraved by a hand that does not know its own heart. Edict's Threnody | 236686 | Consumable - Soundtrack | Perpetuate (Instant) If my suffering will not end, then neither will yours. Bear Trap | Set Target's Evasion to 0. [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] Housing Spoiler House Name: Villa of Coruscating Flowers (The Villa) Location: Floor 24 - Paradise Islands Description: See above Plot Size: Estate - PK Accessible Rooms: Listed below. All rooms are assigned to Acanthus. Master Bedroom Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Greenhouse Green Thumb | +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts. Extended Workshop: Recording Studio (25,000 col) Hard Working | +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day. Mega Slime Farm Advanced Training | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post. Living Room: Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Attic (Bedroom) Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill (Searching). Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase. Basement: Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Storage Closet: (10,000 col) Item Stash | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot Master Bathroom: (25,000 col) Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down) Basic Kitchen (15,000 col) 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. Crafting and Gathering Spoiler Performer | Rank 5 Apollo’s Metronome | Crafting Tool | Meticulous: +1 CD when crafting in one’s workshop. Forager | Rank 5 Demeter's Cornucopia | Gathering Tool | Bountiful: +1 CD to gathering attempts. Edited 10 hours ago by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0 Posted July 9 Author #4 Share Posted July 9 (edited) Ariel’s gaze settles on each as they arrive. Gambit’s wave is impossible to miss. She doesn’t return it, but a faint lift of her brow acknowledges the effort. He’s young… obviously. But there’s something about the way he moves that reminds her of students who hadn’t yet learned to fear the right things. That kind of energy had its uses… sometimes. Acanthus earns more than a glance. A nod of comradery this time:“I remember you.” she says, voice level, her expression softening by a degree. “Floor 29 raid. You were in my squad. Clean work.” There’s the faintest trace of wryness in her voice—there, then gone. Before continuing, Ariel offers a slight bow; measured, polite, more custom than emotion. It’s a subtle gesture, but meaningful; one rooted in the discipline of martial arts and traditional etiquette. “I appreciate you both showing up. Most players these days skip quests that don’t glow gold or red.” With a small, fluid motion, she summons a translucent system window midair; a faded map projected across the interface, faint blue runes circling marked coordinates. A few rough annotations flicker in one corner, likely her own notes. She tilts the display slightly, enough for them to glance over, then closes it with a flick of her fingers. “Map says it’s just a scout job. No signs of a major fight from what I can tell… not yet anyway. I’ve done some scouting on my own before. Efficient, sure—but honestly? It’s good to have people watching each other’s backs. Might as well apply what you teach. Less efficient, maybe but more grounded.” Last two sentences mostly muttered with a faint smile. Thinking back at the recent lesson she gave at the dojo before coming here. She shifts slightly, kimono catching the wind like ripples on glass. Then glances between the two—Acanthus steady, Gambit practically vibrating. “Not expecting trouble, but if we do find any… ” she pauses and flashes a mischievous grin as her hand rests on her weapon's saya. She then turns slightly, glancing back at Acanthus. “And I hear your concern... But I do intend to see this through. There’s a bear statue at the end of this questline. Minor offensive boost, barely anything—but on the frontlines, you learn fast: everything stacks.” The hem of her kimono stirs in the breeze as she starts forward, her stride measured and quiet, the kind that expects to be followed. “Let’s get eyes on the place.” Edited July 9 by Ariel - The Crowned Lion Link to post Share on other sites
Gambit 0 Posted July 10 #5 Share Posted July 10 "Aw man, what? That's so lame..." No fight? Gambit was crestfallen... but he recovered quickly. Not five seconds after the news, he was back with a fresh bounce in his step. There was no way there was a dragon quest without there being a requirement to slay a dragon. Not in a fantasy game like this. He had to give himself a mental pat on the back for piecing that together, though -- but he was careful not to come off as too smug. Gambit would keep it to himself for the meantime. They'd catch on sooner or later. He couldn't help but pick up on the weird vibes the two girls were giving off. Did they know each other? They spoke to one another with that sort of stiff, awkward tone to their speech that you only really heard in the strictly formal conversations of adults in a stuffy workplace. It was a little annoying. It definitely couldn't hurt for them to lighten up a bit. Gambit whistled loudly as he walked, taking large, stompy strides to keep pace with the group. Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted Saturday at 01:45 AM #6 Share Posted Saturday at 01:45 AM (edited) A bear statue? Did she mean the totem? From Scents of the Wild? The remark about a minor damage boost certainly matched. Acanthus opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it again. Ariel knew what she was doing, and Acanthus did not want to risk the revelation that she did not. This quest yielded a boss fight, and possibly some other mysterious benefit. Perhaps it was a bear statue. As far as she had asked around, nobody had ever completed the quest. Whatever rewards lay at the end of the chain remained hidden to her (and all the info brokers she had talked to). “Last time I ran the quest, the nest was over to the south.” Acanthus gestured generally in that direction. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if the location changes from time to time.” As they marched, she eyed their young companion with some amount of worry. Acanthus set aside her pettiness for a moment to talk to him. “Young man… I know we’re not in much danger right now, but I don’t want you to die if we continue this quest past the first one. You’re not going to jump into the fight without any regard for your life, are you?” She watched for his response carefully, gauging the boy’s answer. Post Action: Look for Nest 247599 | LD 9 + 6 | Lair not found. (Roll 1/5) Edited Saturday at 01:45 AM by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0 Posted Saturday at 03:37 AM Author #7 Share Posted Saturday at 03:37 AM (edited) "You two seem to know each other." Her hand slipped into the pocket of her kimono, fingers brushing past folded parchment and a couple of teleport crystals before finding the wrapped treat she’d tucked in earlier. A faint grin tugged at the corner of her mouth—barely visible, but real. "Should I have come better prepared?" she added dryly. "Brought a leash, maybe?" She pulled out two sticks of hanami dango, pastel pink and green, and held them out to the others without ceremony. “Seasonal,” she said, as if that explained everything. “Don’t drop them. They’re real... as real as it can get here.” She let her gaze sweep across the open terrain—boulders, gnarled brush, uneven stone. As her focus tightened, the system picked up her intent. A faint shimmer ghosted across her vision—an automated scan, minimal by default. No threats pinged. No nests flagged. A few hotspots blinked red and disappeared just as fast. Nothing conclusive. The result was clear: without the full skillset equipped, this was guesswork and instinct. Not a feeling she enjoyed. “Should’ve kept the Searching skill if I knew it was this bad without it.” she muttered quietly—half to herself. “We’ll fan out near that ridge,” she said, pointing to a lichen-covered rock shelf jutting from the earth like a broken tooth. “No signs from here. Could be it’s deeper in—or we’re walking in the wrong direction entirely.” She turned slightly, glancing at Acanthus. “If it was south last time, maybe it cycles. The quest's old enough to have a few tricks baked in.” Then her eyes shifted to Gambit, watching him bounce in rhythm with his footsteps like his energy might wear out the terrain. “You’re either fearless… or haven’t read the questline fine print. I’ll let the dragons sort that out.” she teased. The wind tugged at the edge of her sleeves as she stepped forward, the hem of her blue kimono catching like mist across still water. Her stride was quiet, unhurried, but it carried the same calm weight as always Post Action: Look for Nest ID# 247600 | LD 5 +3 | Lair not found. (Roll 2/5) Edited Saturday at 03:58 AM by Ariel - The Crowned Lion Link to post Share on other sites
Gambit 0 Posted Sunday at 03:59 PM #8 Share Posted Sunday at 03:59 PM (edited) "Young man? I'm like... fully an adult. And also," Gambit scoffed, buffing his nails on his shoulder, "I'd be more worried about the dragon, eh?" Ariel chimed in too. Something about a leash made him frown. He was in too deep now. He had to fight back! These ladies were questioning his capabilities! His super confident strong buff guy capabilities! "Uh, I think I'm leaning towards the former." Fearless definitely had a nice ring to it. Two things were for sure, though: he wasn't an adult, regardless of how much time he might have perceived to pass here in Aincrad, and he hadn't read anything about the quest before tagging along on it with these two. Acanthus (although he didn't know her name), seemed to imply that there was actually more to it than just the expected "Hey, go kill this dragon for a reward" type quest. And hadn't they been searching for this lair a little longer than seemed necessary? Uh oh. A questline. Gambit decided he should actually try to help. He squinted. Fan out over the ridge? Ok, if you say so! He bounded off, inspecting every rock and shrub for the telltale signs of a dragon's lair -- burn marks, big footprints, um... gold? Right? Searching: ID#247704 LD: 13 (Naw) Edited Sunday at 04:33 PM by Gambit Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted Sunday at 05:23 PM #9 Share Posted Sunday at 05:23 PM (edited) “Right, an adult. I’m sorry.” When she was a child, it bothered her for adults to talk down to her so regularly. Here she was, doing the same thing. Something in the boy’s—the man’s—attitude shifted. Gambit sprinted ahead of the other two, inspecting rocks and shrubs for any sign of dragons. “The searching skill… doesn’t actually work that way, right?” Acanthus whispered to Ariel. “I typically activate it so that it can tell me where to go. I have to be close to wherever I’m searching, but I don’t have to…” She trailed off, observing the boy enthusiastically turn over rocks and peel apart shrubs. Actions she had a hard time imparting to a full-grown man. “...I am normally not as thorough as the boy. But that could still prove useful. And I think he’s slowing down. Maybe he’s caught wind of something?” Eventually, they caught up to Gambit. “You did well,” she told him. The trail appeared to be getting warmer. “I think we’re close to the dragon’s lair. This first quest should be fairly simple, but even still, I’d like you on full alert, please.” Post Action: Look for Nest 247705 | LD 2 + 6 | Lair not found. (Roll 4/5) Edited Sunday at 05:43 PM by Acanthus Link to post Share on other sites
Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0 Posted Sunday at 06:36 PM Author #10 Share Posted Sunday at 06:36 PM (edited) Ariel gave a soft exhale that might’ve been a laugh. “Traditional scouting. Can’t remember the last time I saw anyone actually peel back shrubs.” She angled a glance at Acanthus, her voice low and lightly amused. “Honestly? It’s refreshing. My Searching skill used to feed me clean data—heat signatures, movement trails, elevation dips. Like cheating, but earned.” A short pause. “Now I’m just watching a k... man toss rocks and praying I catch the scent before he does.” Her attention drifted back to the ridge as she stepped ahead. Wind curled around the stone edge, carrying the faint scent of smoke—long cooled—and something else, mineral-rich and sharp. She knelt, brushing her fingers across the soil. It was dry, but not undisturbed. A line of uneven pressure marks trailed toward the west, barely visible to the untrained eye. Near them, claw-scraped stone, subtle but undeniable. She rose in a smooth motion, voice tightening slightly. “This way.” The terrain narrowed into a natural funnel of stone outcroppings and sloped ground. The path coiled downward into a basin half-choked with rubble and darkened cracks in the earth. As they crossed the final ridge, the air changed—denser, warmer, heavy with a silence that didn’t belong. In the center of the lair, a topaz-scaled dragon lay curled in a half-collapse, wings folded tightly around itself. Gold glinted dully in patches beneath her—a scattering of coin and not much else. Claw marks tore at the stone. An empty nest—cracked, shattered—sat behind her, and another dragon, unmoving, sprawled across the far side. Dead. Ariel’s hand moved instinctively to her katana’s saya. Not to draw but by instinct. The dragon’s head rose slowly. Her breath rasped—pain, not fury. But when her eyes locked on the intruders, she roared, staggering upright on unsteady limbs. The wounds along her underbelly pulsed red, raw. Ariel didn’t flinch. She stood still. Then, quietly, her tone dropped lower, almost measured. “She’s injured… but not out yet.” A glance toward the nest. “And not alone, until recently.” Her eyes stayed locked with the dragon’s. She didn’t move, but she spoke loud enough for both companions to hear. “Don’t draw. Not unless she attacks.” Post Action: Look for Nest ID# 247708 | LD 11 +3+1 | Lair found! MULTIPURPOSE: 0/1 Edited Sunday at 06:55 PM by Ariel - The Crowned Lion Link to post Share on other sites
Gambit 0 Posted 19 hours ago #11 Share Posted 19 hours ago "Hehe... yeah..." It was hard for him to hide the fact he was positively beaming at the praise, so he just didn't. But they were on the trail, now, and Gambit fell into line quickly. The two of them took the lead and Gambit took the rear, and he took his job as the party's caboose quite seriously. The terrain narrowed into a natural funnel of stone outcroppings and sloped ground. The path beneath them was beaten down through repeated use, and the creature responsible for the well packed earth at their feet laid wounded in the center of the clearing. Gambit immediately noticed some signs of struggle -- despite this, his sword was already drawn halfway out of its scabbard by the time Ariel told them not to draw. With a blush, he realized his mistake and let his weapon fall back into its sheath. "My bad," he whispered to Ariel. He then gave the dragon an equally sheepish look. "My bad." Link to post Share on other sites
Acanthus 0 Posted 11 hours ago #12 Share Posted 11 hours ago Acanthus looked to Ariel, and the Gambit. And then the dragon. With a sigh, she sheathed her sword. Three times she’d done the quest, and every time she had been the one stuck talking to the dragon. She liked dragons, but her fascination with the quest had ended a while back. She spoke plainly to the wounded dragon, like asking a stranger for directions. “Hi, yes. Acanthus. You don’t remember me because it’s a new quest instance, but—” “Be ye friends or foes?” The dragon rasped. “I—we’re friends. And who talks like that? They didn’t even talk like that in the 1400s.” Fuzziel seemed unperturbed by Acanthus’ invocation of real life. Her fangs retracted slightly, encouraged by the present lack of violence. “Then friends I see. I beseech thee, noble adventurers, to rescue mine brood from the clutches of the vile—” It was her turn to interrupt. “Carsar, yes. I’ve been here before.” Acanthus tapped her temple with growing impatience. “We’ll kill Carsar, bring back the dragonlings, and be on our way.” “Beware ye, for Carsar is a deadly foe. His grace in the skies—” “For Cardinal’s sake, this is a level one quest. Skip dialogue. skip dialogue.” “At least take with ye mine blessing, to make thineself lighter, to better face the vile beast in combat.” “It will take you longer to breath all over me than it will to kill the stupid thing. Goodbye.” She turned on her heel and marched towards Carsar’s lair, leaving the other players to decide whether they wanted the buff. Link to post Share on other sites
Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0 Posted 9 hours ago Author #13 Share Posted 9 hours ago (edited) Ariel couldn’t help but smile at her companion’s bluntness. To be fair, she’d walked this road too—at least two or three quests in, back when the chain was half-written and the reward was bugged. As Acanthus turned away, Ariel offered the wounded mother a short bow, formal and unhurried. “I’m in the same boat,” she said calmly. “Started this before it was finished. Got updated. We lost interest.” Her gaze lingered a moment on the dragon’s exposed wounds before stepping past her. She only showed a slight smirk before she vanished. No system alert. No flash of light. One step forward—then gone, as if the mist along the rock shelf had swallowed her whole. She moved with practiced silence, one with the terrain. Carsar came into view moments later—a broad-chested, slate-winged dragon hunched over a half-cracked boulder. Behind him, nestled in the shadows, six small shapes—the hatchlings. One limped. Another’s side bore a long, healing gash. None of them moved. None of them cried out. Fear had carved their silence too deep. Ariel didn’t hesitate. One smooth arc. A breath— The blade slid free. A ripple of shadow curled along its edge. «Nihilim’s Wrath» whispered once through the stillness— And Carsar fell, spine split clean between shoulder and wing. He never saw her coming. The hatchlings didn’t scatter. They simply froze. It was Ariel who knelt this time, lowering her blade, hand outstretched with the same quiet, steady calm she used to ease first-year students into sparring. “It’s alright,” she said, voice softer than usual. “He’s gone.” She waited—let them move first. A few seconds passed before the first hatchling crept forward, then another, until six were pressed around her legs and kimono folds, quivering but safe. She didn’t rush them. Just turned slightly and raised her voice for the others to hear. “We’ve got them. Let’s get them home.” Post Action: ST-I > Carsar ID# 247907 | BD: 6 (2+4, Hit!) | CD: 6 | x[12+3] *(34) = 510 -(40) MIT = 470 DMG Ariel | HP: 960/960 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 34 | ACC:4 | AA | PHASE | HB: 42 | REC: 8 | RISK: 8 | FLN: 16 <<Carsar the Egg Snatcher>> HP: 350/350 | DMG: 65 | MIT: 40 [OHKO DELETED] Final Rewards: Ariel EXP: 8586 [Total]| 3490/5 *11 +500 (Quest) +5% (Firm Anima R5) Col: 1352 [Total]| 1288 (para lvl. 5) +5%(Firm Anima R5) 1 Mon Topaz Gemstone Acanthus EXP: 6782 [Total]| 3490/5 *9 +500 (Quest) Col: 1288 [Total]| 1288 (para lvl. 5) 1 Mon Topaz Gemstone Gambit EXP: 1198 [Total]| 3490/5 *1 +500 (Quest) Col: 0 [Total]| 1 Mon Topaz Gemstone Edited 9 hours ago by Ariel - The Crowned Lion Link to post Share on other sites
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