[F1-PP-PT] Stones Unturned

[Raidou 1]

The emerald fields of stone valley were just as fresh as the nomad remembered. Spanning about as far and wide as a players vision. Dotting the left a smattering of trees in a dim blueish and green hue, topped upon spires of darker wood and riddled with moss. Just beyond, a range of mountains that peaked slightly over that wood casting a silhouette of shade across that under its umbrella. The fields were ripe with activity, as players in formed parties rushed off and flashed blades to the promise of easy to acquire loot. Given the lack of difficulty these fields were flush with faces, chattering and laughter. Not an ounce of concern or care on their tones. A ball of flame stood stark in contrast to the ever clear blue sky, drawing its warmth across that field of green and chased away clouds that had failed to appear. Every so often a slight breeze would carve itself along the landscape, causing it all to sway to the same tempo and carry with it a string of leaves that danced gingerly through the air. Paradise, or better yet a prison pretending to be it.

A stark difference in a robe of crimson red, one that brought with it rumor and legend. His visit was one trivial in nature, nothing more then a inspection to confirm that nothing had changed in his absence. The breeze carried with it his robe aloft, from his ankles it drifts outward as it presses into his back. His feet begin to move, cutting a path as skills one after another begin to fire in repeated ticks. Sonar like pulses that race across his surroundings, recreating the environment across an older rendition to be accessed later. When enemies approach a faint film of red skirts across the ground like dry ice, causing them to become drained and die without the lift of a blade. Bursting into data without a inch of shown hostility, proving to those that would look on that he was far too high of a level for this floor to be even an ounce of a bother. In a silence that man would travel on, and as he would pass players would begin to hesitate and slow. Cupped lips met with hushed whispers, rumors and omens raced across muffled tones. A audience of pointing made careful, but coined none the less.

"The red wanderer."
     "What is he doing here? I'm scared"
          "I thought he was part of the frontlines, why is he on floor 1?"
"That guy, he's the ill omen in red."
     "Really? No shit. I heard he kills people. Let's get out of here Ri."

Those repeated tones of conclusions leapt would remain ringing in endless droning, becoming more constant as more of those younger whelps would recount the tale. But Raidou had heard it all before and heard them all clearly, and frankly it worked to serve as a constant reminder of danger beyond his own existence. Such legends would be remembered and cast an ode to safety, one of caution and the dangers of the unknown. His detection kept the volume on high, making every whisper a phrase audible. Standing at the precipice of all he had accomplished, at the root of where his journey had began breathed to life a sense of growth and nostalgia. A finger traces to his brow, pushing the lenses on his nose up to cause them to gleam in a stroke of white that darts across the grass. "Only through fallacy and presumption does one leave a stone unturned and assumes what is beneath it. To be a fool. But those that know better, understand that looks can be deceiving and the courage to lift that stone can prove that assumptions are hardly ever correct. What secrets do you hold today? More of the same, or something greater?" Raidou offered to the land with his thoughts oozing from his lips, spoken like a lesson to those that chose to hear it. A tired veteran that continued to walk a road less traveled and learn all the mysteries and lessons that laid on its edges, long past the efforts of all. As the red wanderer.

---

Active:
Guild Rank 5: +5% Final EXP reward
CS: Ill Omen in Red
CSA: [x1] Grand Mass Parry

Raidou | HP: 1280/1280 | EN: 166/166 | DMG: 24 | MIT:44 | ACC:4 | AA | F-SPIRIT | EVA:4 | BH:70 | VAMP-D: 141 | VAMP-O: 211 | LD:6

Spoiler

 

Name: Raidou, The Red Wanderer
True Tier: 19
Level: 35
Paragon Level: 146
HP: 1280/1280
EN: 166/166

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 44
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 4
Battle Healing: 70
Loot Die: 6
AA VAMP-D: 141 VAMP-O: 211

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Auric Sunlight - Finality of Faith [T4/Demonic/2HSS] +3 Damage, AA
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Red Wanderer's Resolve - Sympathy [T1/Demonic/Cloth] 2 Evasion, 2 Vampiric Defensive
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Tactician's Gaze - Ogma [T1/Perfect/Trinket]: +3 Accuracy

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Mitigation R1

Combat Shift:
  - TECH Shift

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - Ill Omen in Red

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R5
  - Charge
  - Cloth Armor R5
  - Energist
  - Fighting Spirit
  - Howl
  - Quick Change
  - Searching R5
  - Straight Sword R5

Extra Skills:
  - Survival
  - Parry
  - Forgotten King's Authority
  - Concentration
  - 
  - 
  - 

Inactive Extra Skills:
PhotosynthesizeBrawlerFrozen Hide
Addons:
  - Ferocity
  - Focused Howl
  - Nimble
  - Precision
  - Reveal
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Athletics
  - Detect
  - Justified Riposte
  - Tracking
  - Vengeful Riposte

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Crippling Composition - Lullaby [Tierless/Rare/Debuff/Instant] Hypnosis 2 | [224055] x1
  - Ebon Star - Vanguard Revenant [T4/Demonic/Straight Sword]: V.O 2, Taunt, Blight 1 x1
  - Flash of Rejuvenation [T1/Perfect/Crystal] Mass Heal [200869-1][200876][200877][200878][200879] x5
  - Random Dungeon Map | [229967b] x5
  - Teleport Crystal x1
  - Vocal Augmentation - Resonation [Tierless/Perfect/Support/Instant] +15% HP [160898][161641][161642][162018][162529] x1

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
  - 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
  - Greenhouse: +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering 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:
  - Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.
  - 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:

Gathering Profession:

 

 

[Vanta 0]

The forest was a place of wonder, it held life and death, creatures of all shapes and sizes knew it as home. The serene atmosphere drew her near. Careless whispers flew through the wind grazing Vanta. She loved it here, she could think, all was at peace. Thousands of trees to climb, roads and pathways to map, streams of cool water that lay to rest beautiful stones that shimmer under sunlight. This was life. At least the best of it she could live in this world. Senses imitated but not the same. The wind, the sun, the little ladybug that landed on her finger; none of it was real. The food she ate, the beds she'd slept in, the things she sees, all comparable to counterfeit. Her home, those she'd known in her life, the cat that came to visit occasionally, the scrape she'd gotten on her knee the day she logged in, those were real. She crouched down letting the ladybug course off her hand onto a simulated flower. She sighed deeply, "Be thankful you have it easy little one. You worry for nothing. If you die, you'll regenerate. It is simply not the same for us. I must get back," she resolved. She stood continuing her adventure amongst the trees. She wasn't one for paths, mapping them was easy enough as she'd stay on the outskirts following the curves. Though when anyone of note were in danger of encountering her, she would travel by tree. Climbing was a hobby she had always been fond of, the view it gave, and the advantage, all pleasant bonuses. Her stride even, her mind sharp, he reflexes aiding, all was well. 

She kept forward, going down paths she hadn't yet explored. Solitude was her friend; that she knew. She drew another deep breath and took a left at the next crossroads, noting the patch of small, bright blue flowers that looked unfit to be there. 'Possibly a useful herb?' She offered to herself. Herbology was a skill she hadnt yet acquired. What she had gained were bits and pieces of conversion she picked up over the weeks:

"Dont touch that, its poisonous stupid," the girl scolded the young boy and then took him back to what Vanta assumed was their home to treat the exposed area. 

In the village she passed a small group of players talking about a little orange flower. "I heard it might having healing properties," one noted. "No way Scurge, its just a flower numbskull," another refuted. Another member hit him on the shoulder, "but if it did, wouldn't that be great?!" The group laughed and the boy tossed the flower aside...

This was the extent of her knowledge aside from basic common sense. She hadn't discovered anything further, though she tried. Each time had been wasted by someone interrupting the conversation or the lack of cover that would leave her exposed. There weren't many plants noteworthy that she knew of. Anything significant would be kept in shops or kept at vendor tents. She didn't mind. It left her with plenty of imagination for other things. 

The course began to wind, bringing her to a brook, passing it she continued following down the bend. Her curiosity pulsed, to where would it lead? The end drew near, stopping her tracks. In the distance she saw red, the player was so far off she couldn't tell who it was, though she knew this wasn't anyone from the village, she knew the people in and out. Moving deeper into the forest she kept her eye on the wanderer.  As they got closer she noticed the tall man, he had a clean gait, he seemed laid back, but she knew better. Something about him told her he didn't belong here. Her mind raged, 'avoid him, take to the trees and go.' Off she went up into the trees, gaining some distance. At the level she assumed he was at, it wouldn't do much. He would hear her if she wasn't careful enough. Something shook her as she fled. Had he spotted her first?

***

Vanta| HP: 20/20 | EN 20/20 | ACC 0 | EVA 0

Spoiler

Name: Vanta 

True Tier: 1 

Level: 1 

HP: 20/20

EN: 20/20 

 

Stats-

Damage: 1

Mitigation: 0

Accuracy: 0

Evasion: 0

Recovery: 0

Bleed: 0

Battle Healing: 0

 

Inventory- 

(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

2,000 Col

(25) Material

 

[Raidou 1]

The rustle in the wood, the small green dot that perched itself on his minimap having been discovered by detection like all the others. It mirrored its companions in color, but the one distinguishing mark upon it was its distance. Far removed from the others, found solace within its solitude surrounded by cardinal creations in a stark blue. Raidou would reach for his brow and remove a pair of lenses, wiping them with a clump of fabric from his robe to give them a polish. A gesture to allow his thoughts to gather and the ones that mattered to bubble to the surface. There was always those that despite the circumstances preferred their secrecy and isolation. No matter how little it actually offered them. The man's mental inquiry left him choices, and the one that had won out left him ripe to play along with the game. A stolen but cursory glance caught but the brief opacity of a smaller shape, the gleam of eyes capturing light showing that it had already acknowledged him. His peripheral sweep wouldn't set on its source directly, only swiped by in a broad stroke like paint on a canvas.

His glasses return, and without a word he'd walk beneath the tree using his map as a guide. Functioning blind through a tactful choice to offer a choice. Beneath the girls tree who stood in silence working its part as a shelter, as safety from the unknown, he'd kneel low and offer a wave of his hand across the terrain. A skill of his would see his palm glow in a faint green, and with it blooming flora that reached to grasp that hand. The nomad was always more in tune with them then he was with his peers, and environments on the brink of decay embraced his return with open arms. A flick of his robe would see him kneel, and without concern Raidou begins to nurse the ground with experienced fingers. The light snapping of roots as he'd turn it over and remark in a simple recount from tried and long breathed memory.

"Crataegus ambigua, or as the game would refer it. <<Green Herb>>" He'd comment toward as if sharing a conversation with the newly claimed plant. But his actual words were spoken to his shadow. To his bag he'd pull free another in a sharp streak of blood red. "Salvia miltiorrhiza, a <<Bloody Herb>>" The man quips to further a simple lesson without addressing the girl directly. "Quite strange how something so seemingly mundane, two things that alone can do so little..." He cups them in his hand and presses them together, a flash of yellow like a sun in his palms that transitions to a cerulean blue. What remains is a small square crystal pulsing in a vibrant red heartbeat. "Together can exceed all expectations. Perhaps such dives into the unknown would yield similar results." Spoken as if outward thoughts, and yet were clearly penned into a razor fine point.

The man stands and holds the item on his palm, glowing faintly on fingerless black gloves. He kneels and places the stone at the base of the tree, tapping his hands twice to clear the soil from his pores. The man would begin to walk on, as stoic and silent as ever.

[Vanta 0]

The wind blew offering a rustle amongst the trees. It either aided her or gave her away. She stopped and looked back at the wanderer. Her eyes followed his every move, each step, each seemimg breath taken as he strolled. It was as she expected, he was more powerful than most on the floor. The wave of his hand hadn't gotten away from her. She recognized it as an initiation of sorts. Most likely a skill he'd aquired. Eventually she realized it pointless to flee. Better to stay put and stay quiet. So that she did. The longer she watched the more apparent it became to her that he was aware of her, yet he said nothing. Not directly to her that is.

The man stopped right under her billowing tree and spoke to....the plants? Speaking to the herbs as though they were old friends. Carefully identifing each and offering them wisdom. The words he said rang in her ears. She committed the herbal lesson to memory, as if thanking the red ronin for his teachings. Quickly realizing that in all cases, he had somewhat spoken to her. Almost as if he were inviting her to engage.  How odd you are ranger. 

She watched as he placed the stone and brushed the dirt from his hands. He'd refused to look up at her. She was relieved he'd decided to leave her be, but somehow it ticked her off a bit. If he was just going to leave what was the point of everything else. What game are you playing at Red? Something Vanta knew but chose to ignore, is the contradictory personality traits she possessed. Solitude was her friend, but she was intrigued, and that often won the battle. So she watched as the man took off and as he strode, she found herself following him loosely, quietly. I suppose a small detour won't hurt.

Edited Sunday at 04:31 AM by Vanta

[Raidou 1]

As his footfalls carried him, a sideward glance to his HUD showed the green circle move and trail behind him. <<Detection>> at its finest, leaving nearly none that could actually pass by the wanderer unnoticed. The lenses on his face gleamed with every streak of light that broke through the canopy overhead, as his focus remained ever forward. The man noticed no hesitation however, his gift left unclaimed but it was paltry in comparison to the meaning behind it. Down deeper into the thicker masses of the forest that line the larger mountains, where most players feared to tread. Where more dangerous foe existed, dwarfing those found within the plateau. A test, one not of malice but one of interest. To plug a curiosity ever further, to make swell the fact that just beyond comfort lie mystery. That even the lowest floor wasn't as safe as one would be lead to believe. The largest of foe lingered here, drawing deep in heavy breaths and tinted with bloodlust. Columns of flesh that moved like a serpent through the trees, a vast coil that rushed ever beyond seeking carnage.

The man flicks his hand to the side, opening a screen from his right. A couple of taps causes a larger map to expand from the digital window, creating a cascading transparent blue image of elevation in three dimensions seeming to span the floor in its entirety. A flash of green triggers <<Tracking>> on his eyes and would show all manner of red begin to prop itself up time and time again upon its surface. Each one moves at varied speeds, showing hostile life in the dozens. "It would appear that even the lowest floor is still as dangerous as I remember." The man remarks in a muted phrase, a simple acknowledgement made not for him but the mirage on his heels. He begins to drag a finger across that hologram, tracing a path through the lot of them with a twist of his thumb. Raidou had marked his path, shown through clearly his journey.

[Vanta 0]

Continuing through the forest. The farther they went, the thicker the wood grew. The mountains drew nearer, she knew this part of the forest well. She had learned to stay clear of it. Knowing beasts lay in wait if they drew too close. With each step her curiosity grew. The deeper he decided to tread the more intrigued she became. She kept forward eager to understand the test she had been bestowed. She'd recognized it father back, the sensation made her tingle, at least thats what she had imagined. The avatar could only imitate so much.

Vanta took it all in. The feel of the air, the way the grain of the trees felt under her hands as her fingertips grazed the surface. The way the branches bowed under her weight, the way her boots clung to the jagged bark; gripping, securing her footing, aiding her agile nature. Her piercing eyes gazed about. She was done eyeing the man, the time she had spent studying his gait, features, and habits, she dedicated to enjoying the land. He had made it an easy trail on purpose and she intended on exploiting the possibilities it offered.

As they continued she had committed to memory how many trees they passed, how many animals she heard and what they were, their reaction time before fleeing, how many water sources were nearby, if any of the plants he'd taught her of were abundant or sparse in the area, any new herbs she had yet to see, and lastly where the man chose to avoid stepping. She wasn't sure it mattered, but it was something she could analyze, so she did. 

Vanta watched as he summoned his map, he'd won her full attention yet again. Her own cursor stared back, her mouth ticked into a slight smirk. This guy really is something. Her smirk dissipated as she noticed the red cursors, they weren't too far off.  He spoke, she listened. Offering me an out are you? She thought in reply. Just how far do you plan to take me red?

 At this point the game was far to intriguing to back out of, but she knew that if she were attacked she would be in big trouble. No weapons and no skills, she scolded herself, what have you been doing for these past weeks fool. 

Tempting as it was to retreat she decided to remain his shadow. No one in all her time had been as intriguing or tempting as this man. She now understood that they were somehow connected in life. No matter what lay ahead, whether or not they ever exchanged thoughts. She would remember him and he would remember her. Of this, she was certain. So onward they went. 

***

Ignore this, its a test. 

muffins are delicious

Edited Sunday at 06:35 AM by Vanta

[Raidou 1]

The breaks of foliage underfoot in a low crunch, one of caution and practice. Toward the base of the columns of stone that cut their way toward the heavens, casting a large slice of shade across the thicker grove that lined its bottom. The last time he had been here, a player had scaled its birth seeking out an unorthodox familiar within its confines. Not many braved its peak, and what rested up so high offered little in artificial value. No high rarity material, no exclusive yield. Nothing to such calibers, and yet what was not readily apparent is what it did offer. A different perspective. Far too often players shoved their nose into the dirt and proceeded to see the world from a narrow and compromised view. One of constant motion and a beelined path, one blind to the grander schemes and the nuance that sat undiscovered upon the stones on every floor. Conversations left unspoken, views sat unfound, and locales lay dormant. A test of bravery as the man would start to follow the cut path up its side, the narrowest walks upon its rings to lead to the point at which the stars where ever closer. A midday sun still lingered ever still, and as the nomad rounds its side the sun would become a welcome companion. A thin layer of moss covered that brackish stone, still and silent in its solidarity.

A transitive moment led to its precipice, a singular resonating ring of blue like a ripple from a rain droplet across his mini map. It sought his shadow, who may or may not know he knew their presence. A silent agreement pushed to its brink. Upon its flattened plateau, where no tree could grow. A robe sees itself free, and is placed flat upon the terrain. From his inventory a small white cylinder: a thermos with an endless amount of unsweetened green tea. An ode to simplicity, one of knowledge and appreciation for history. A ripple that pressed ever on, a reminder to what was, is, and would be. The nomad sits, folding his legs and popping the cap, allowing the escape of a stream of steam in a thin trail of white. To the cap its poured, a lightly opaque olive green.

"A journey alone is one of sorrow, of loneliness and one that lacks meaning. I have lived long enough: my way of life. Is fall into the sere, the yellow leaf. And that which should accompany old age. One so green, I would ask thee, are you ready to face the light? To grow from a pair of tired old hands, and begin a path to truest happiness?"

An ambient retelling, one of a resolute cadence spoken to an empty field. Or was it? The voice would carry in a resounding echo that mirrored that of a stage. An honesty boiling long below a calm demeanor. If bravery were enough, then there would be no greater a place to make a leap. But if it were lacking, then the path was already prepared and would remain a constant murmur like a recurring thought. Time would tell, and Raidou knew time like a brother.

[Vanta 0]

A gentle breeze caught her, a sweet  scent trickling into the wind as it left. Eyes and ears attentive, the options were weighed. He had successfully intrigued her like no other. A veteran who spoke in clean riddle, yet soulful, honest poetry. One whom felt everything around them, understanding the essence of life that befell them all. There were things left unspoken, worries that threatened to gain footing. Realities that seemed far too near. But words, so close she could grasp them, holding them dearly. 

Her decent was graceful and calculated. A flip out of the wood to the soft, pillowy grass had exposed her outright. Each step made her feel more certain. In this moment, fear was unknown; head held high, a sincere confidence accompanied her. He hadn't bothered to look over, there was no need to. The wanderer simply sat enjoying a drink. 

She approached him quietly before sitting beside him. Tell me, how far off is the light you wish to share? the calm reply came. 

Legs folded, a hand resting on each knee, eyes to the sky; she watched noting the pattern with which the birds flew. There was something beautiful about this world. Though it was fake and unrealistic. The effort it must have taken, sleepless nights, hours upon hours of tireless creativity had streamed to make everything she saw a reality. Somehow she found a small bead of peace knowing that even though it had been intended as a trap, it had also been intended to birth newness. A way to live life unapologetically, freely, newly, with no past to weigh you down. Only the beauty and splendor of what was and is in the moment she now breathed. There was no telling what she would receive in response, how the man would react to her bold move, or what this meant, but all was right. Of this she was certain. 

Edited 2 hours ago by Vanta

[Raidou 1]

A turn of his hand would gently place the lid filled with tea into her hands, as if to renew her leap of faith. A glance with a pair of potent amber eyes to observe in his shadow now that it was made visible, collecting a face to his silent travel companion up until now. "It has done what it would, it has given me the opportunity to speak to more then just the trees." The man takes another sip from the thermos, causing the lenses on his face to become slightly white. "Beautiful isn't it?" Raidou remarks returning his attentions to the horizon, overlooking nearly the entirety of the floor in a vast landscape. A point of his hand would begin to reduce the ambiguity through explanations. "Horunka, where players shuffle into buildings and hurriedly rush through obtaining their shops and professions." A lift of that hand to his brow he'd remove the glasses and wipe them gently on their sleeves. "But, they hardly ever visit the pastures or the orchard behind its back wall. Harriette can always use a hand." Returning his glasses, his hand moves to express another village. "Tolbana, where most players begin to form grinding groups before noon. Some are content with meager earnings and living day by day. Struggling to succeed. A prime place to offer a helping hand or resources."

The red wanderer would turn to her, still fiddling with the cup given. "The Red Wanderer, The Ill Omen in Red. But those that know better know me as Kuzunoha, Raidou." A legend broken down into the man behind it. A real name, a show of faith to mirror that of the one she had taken. Offering a melding of minds, sharing experiences and knowledge that had been curated for what felt like centuries. His hand extends to shake hers. "Find others, learn and experience all this world has to offer. From your peers, your own inquisition, and the days you live. That knowledge, and those connections will aid you greater then any sword will." Another blow of steam followed by sip of his tea, to allow loose the tension of such a statement despite how gently its recount. "Its much harder to win, with a hand tied behind your back. I should know, I've done it for years." Raidou offers a smile, being more forthright then most had the opportunity to witness until recent. Long gone are the days avoiding everyone, hiding behind doors or signs. In barrels and sleeping in the middle of the woods. The man had changed, learned from his peers and ascended to gaze upon the world. Such was the success of a fool who had undergone an endless traversal through time and space.