[F17|SP] Pan Fried, or Just Fried | <<Challenge of Olympus: Cook>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Challenge of Olympus: Cook

No sooner had Nari returned from the mountain, than she received the next invitation. She’d spent the better part of a few days working furiously within her newly acquired kitchen – industrial grade ovens pushed to their limits as she tested and tried various recipes, most of which came to be nothing more than absolute disasters in completion. She was slightly disappointed with some of her failures, but even Onora admitted she was picking up the nuances and necessary skills for the art rather quickly.

It was during one such session that the alert had come in, the message written as it always was – notifying her that Zeus had summoned her presence among the gods and goddesses of the great godly city of Olympus. Nari still wasn’t sure if it was actually a being named Zeus sending the message, or simply a way to inspire newly arrived, up and coming players to attend the quest in the hopes of somehow meeting some sort of King of the Gods. Either way, she swiped it away with little more than a half-glance, knowing that there would be time later to attend the request, and the mount in question.

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Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 35 | P. 65 | HP [1,020/1,020] | EN [134/134] | ACC [3] | DMG [9] | MIT [224] | B.Healing [+55] | STEALTH [-5] |  FRSTBT [40 DMG | -1 ACC] | THORNS [72] | F.AURA [16 DMG] | PARA [8+] | HM [+4 B.DMG]   Hide contents Notes  [Theme] Tier 4 | Tier 10 [Laurel Wreath] Equipment Póg Deiridh [One-Handed Assault Spear | Tier 4] Enhancement: Frostbite [2 Slots] Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] Glacadh Morríghan [H. Armour| Tier 4]  Enhancement: Frost Aura [2 Slots] Enhancement: Heavy Momentum [1 Slot]  [coPóg an Gheimhridh [Heater Shield| Tier 4] Enhancement: Paralyse [1 Slot] Enhancement: Taunt [1 Slot] Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] Battle-Ready Inventory Dimensional Backpack [+1 Battle-Ready Inventory] Teleport Crystal {3} [Crystal | Tierless | Post Action to Teleport to nearest Town.] Starter Healing Potion {4} [Potion | Tierless | Heals 50 HP] Siúil a Rún {5} [Support Song | Tier 3 | HP Recovery III] Sí do Mhaimeo Í {2} [Support Song | Tier 4 | Monsters' Fortune I [Instant]]  Níl Sé'n Lá {1} [Support Song | Tier 4 | Monsters' Favour III]  Immolation Potions {10} [Portion | Tier 4 | +40 DMG] Skills   Hide contents Utility Skills Extended Weight Limit [Active: Passive. Effect: +2 additional Battle-Ready inventory slots.] [Extended Weight Limit Mod] Large Pockets [Active: Passive. Effect: Increases the number of identical items you can carry in one Battle-Ready inventory slot to 15.] Combat Skills Battle Healing [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.] Energist [Active: Passive. Effect: Increase base Energy by 5*Tier.] Fighting Spirit [Active: Passive. Effect: Attacking and using Howl or Focused Howl generates +1 additional Hate. (Ex. Generate 1/2/3 Hate on a Miss/Hit/Critical attack. Generate 5 Hate when using Focused Howl.)] Howl [Active: Post Action. Energy: 2 EN. Cooldown: 2 turns. Effect: Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets.] [Howl Add-on] Focused Howl [Active: Post Action. Energy: 4 EN. Cooldown: 4 turns. Effect: Adds +4 Hate against a single target.] Weapon Skills Polearm [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: +7 DMG] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina [Active: Passive. Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 ACC.] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus [Active: Passive. Effect: Decreases minor critical threshold by 1. Also reduces DoT thresholds by 1. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.] [Rank 5 Shift] TECH Specialist [Active: Passive. Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.] Armour Skills Heavy Armour [Rank:5. Active: Passive. Effect: 35 MIT. Evasion is capped at 1 slot; -5 Stealth Rating.] [Heavy Armour Mod] Impetus [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 base Damage.] [Heavy Armour Add-on] Iron Skin [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +15 Mitigation and +15 x Tier HP.] Active Extra Skills Block [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants additional mitigation: 25 MIT.] [Rank 3 Block Mod] Shield Bash [Active: Post Action. Energy: 6 EN. Cooldown: 2 Turns. Effect: Make an attack with an equipped shield. On a hit, deals (Base * 10) damage, stuns the enemy for one turn, and applies status and thorns (and variants)  enhancements present on the shield. Note: When calculating Base Damage for Shield Bash, Weapon Skills do not apply.] [Rank 5 Block Add-on] Rampart [Active: Free Action. Energy: 10 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Reduce final damage that would be dealt to you by 25% (rounded down). Effect lasts until the beginning of your next turn.] Brawler [Active: Free Action. Energy: 5 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Increase mitigation by 10*tier until the start of your next turn.] Meditation [Active: Post Action. Cooldown: 3 turns. Effect: Recover an additional (4 * Tier) energy.] Survival [Active: Passive. Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.] Inactive Extra Skills  Assault Mode [Active: Free Action. Energy: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect:As a free action, switch your accuracy and evasion values until the start of your next turn.] Concentration [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 5 turns. Effect: As a free action, gain Absolute Accuracy on your next attack. In the case Absolute Accuracy is already present, increase your Accuracy by 1 instead. Effect lasts until the start of next turn.] Frozen Hide [Active: Free Action. Energy: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect: As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn.] Lady Luck [Active: Free Action. Energy: 5 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Replace a single enhancement slot on your weapon with a random enhancement using the Appraiser’s Identification roll until the start of your next turn.] Combat Mastery Mitigation [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +6*tier Mitigation per rank. Ranks of this Skill obey Mitigation enhancement caps.] Familiar Skills Protector Familiar [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 3 Posts; Effect: The next time you would take damage, your familiar rushes to your aid, reducing the final damage by 10%.] Sword Arts   Hide contents [x12] ST-I (12 10 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x15] ST-II (15 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. [x20] ST-B (20 18 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, use only the first roll. [x11] AOE-I (11 9 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x14] AOE-II (14 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 the previous turn. [x16] TECH-A (16 14 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. [x16] TECH-B (15 13 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a status condition that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn. [x16] TECH-C (15 13 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn. [x16] TECH-D (15 13 EN) | SHATTER | A single-target sword art that applies [Shatter] to an enemy for 3 turns. [Shatter] is a debuff that can stack up to a cap of 3. Each stack of [Shatter] removes -20 MIT from an enemy, down to 0, if it has MIT. [x16] TECH-E (17 15 EN) | RESTORATIVE STRIKE | A single-target sword art that restores HP to its user (10% of its final damage dealt as HP). [x12] TECH-F (11 9 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn. [x16] TECH-G (15 13 EN) | BURN | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Burn] on the enemy. [Burn] is a DoT ailment that deals [14 * Player Tier] unmitigated Burn damage for 2 turns. [x2] RAW-A (10 8 EN) | A single-target sword art that utilizes the [Thorns] of the individual against the enemy. Other types of enhancements that apply damage upon contact with the individual are also considered in improving the damage of this sword art (e.g. Immolation Potion/Frost Aura, etc.). Outgoing damage is considered mitigatable. Must have a weapon equipped to activate this sword art. Estate Buffs   Hide contents [Home] Bedroom [-1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.] Living Room [Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.] Storage Closet [+1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot.] Basement [Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.] Extended Workshop [+2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt & +1 crafting attempt per day.] Greenhouse [+2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.]

  

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’If you cook like this, Hestia is going to boot you off the mountain forever.’ Onora chuckled from her perch on a nearby tabletop, her legs swinging as she stared at the burnt mass that had come out of the oven mere seconds ago. Nari frowned, both at the horror piece that was meant to be a cake, as well as at Onora’s commentary. True, her cooking skills had been improving, but she was still having episodes like this one – where the item simply came out obliterated and awful. ’Still, you’d be silly not to go – you’ve already completed it how many times already? Not to mention the cauldron…it helps a lot.’

’Too bad we can’t share it…’ She glared towards the one seated in the corner, locked to Onora’s own usage. Her only frustration was needing to attend the mountain once more, to complete a task that would be somehow overtly complex, and simplistic at the same time – all to obtain a slight upper hand that anyone with a free day could theoretically get, if they had the will and patience.

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Quest Objective | Roleplay receiving an invitation to visit Olympus, on Floor 17.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’Yeah, well, we can’t. So get going.’ Onora made a soft shooing motion with her hand, as if trying to get rid of Nari’s presence. She knew that wasn’t the case – if anything, Onora was likely annoyed that she was headed off again, and leaving the blonde alone to run the shop. A necessary evil, they’d started calling it – and one that was only going to get worse the more Nari returned to the old way of things.

The town was almost the same as the last time she’d visited. Merchants could be heard hawking their wares on the street’s corners and edges, the winds blew in from the plains and mountains surrounding it, and bodies moved throughout the whole area with the ease of regular motion. Nothing seemed out of place as she made her way down the teleporter pad and towards the main gates of the settlement, eyes searching for the satyr that she knew would be waiting her arrival.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’I believe you’re looking for me, madam.’ The voice came from her left side, and Nari found herself spinning with her spear rising, the look on the satyr’s face shifting from calm intent, to sudden shock and surprise at the reaction. ’Oh! Oh my apologies, madam! I didn’t mean to startle you!’

Nari let out a breath, letting the weapon release slightly as she shook her head in an attempt to clear away the adrenaline that had begun to flush her system. She forced a half smile onto her own features, trying to calm herself and appear welcoming all at once. ’No, no. You’re fine. I’m just…a little jumpy, I guess. My name is Nari, and I believe you’re here to escort me to Hestia?’

The satyr seemed to pat down the shirt that they were wearing – a simple blouse coloured an off pink that wasn’t at all clashing with their pale appearance. A few awkward seconds passed, before the two had composed themselves enough to be able to continue onwards, the satyr slowly confirming Nari’s suspicions, before leading her out of the settlement proper. ’I do hope the rest of the journey shall be uneventful! I can only handle so much in a day…’

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Quest Objective | Roleplay meeting a satyr guard, often acting as an escort for the player.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari silently hoped the same, however kept herself from saying anything aloud. She had no reason to believe this trip would be different from any previous one she’d partaken in to get to Olympus; they’d all been pre-arranged to be uneventful and boring, so as to ensure those lower players attending the fields on such a high floor would be able to do so without worry to their lives – a kind action by Cardinal that Nari still hadn’t figured out the purpose behind. She’d never known the system to pull itself back on aggression or danger; in fact, it had usually shown its desire to inflict as much danger and destruction as possible when given the opportunity.

’What’s Hestia like?’ Nari floated the question without any expectation of a response; the satyr attending to the position of guide usually carrying the small talk on behalf of Nari. This individual, however, appeared to be rather subdued and quiet, and although Nari generally enjoyed the leisure and peace behind less talkative non-player characters, something about this one’s quiet felt odd in the situation – as if there was some bad feelings between them that Nari had caused somehow.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’I’m sure you’ll find out for yourself soon enough.’ There was no malice in the voice or comment, although Nari did see the satyr eyeing her out of the corner of its eye for a few seconds, before it seemed to decide to add on to its original commentary. ’Though…she is known to be rather kind to those who visit her.’

Nari jumped on the comment, deciding that she would carry the conversation a bit – perhaps her coldness had reached the other satyr’s that lived and operated out of Olympus, and they’d taken an instant dislike to her now. ’Oh? What about to you? Is she kind to you, and your…companions? Friends? Coworkers? Or is it a-‘

She’d almost accused the goddess of false behaviours, before realising that the comment might come across as less than kind or appreciated, especially to one who served the goddess specifically. Thankfully, she bit her tongue in time to avoid the comment slipping out, though the odd trailing end of her sentence did leave a few steps of silence between them; likely the satyr attempting to figure out if she was going to continue her thoughts or not.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’She is indeed kind to us; all of us. It is a blessing in itself to be able to serve alongside Hestia – not as equals, never presumed, but certainly as appreciated caretakers and helpers.’ The satyr bopped along suddenly, as if some ice block had been removed from it, and it suddenly felt comfortable speaking more fully. The voice was somewhat feminine, and Nari noticed for the first time that the guide appeared to be a woman of middling age; a first that she had come across – her previous escorts all being males. ’One of the benefits of serving with Hestia is the foods…once your mortal kind has finished their challenges, we’re left to clean up…and sometimes that means having leftovers to taste and try! Sometimes we bring a whole bunch back to the main roo-‘

The satyr suddenly fell silent, as if snapping to the awareness of what it was admitting to right before a mortal who had been summoned to complete one of the tasks it had been speaking of, mere breaths ago. Nari found herself giggling, a response that the satyr seemed not to have expected at all as the wide-eyed expression shifted towards Nari.

’How about I make double, just to make sure you have something. Though I cannot promise that it will be…good. I’ve only just started my career as a chef and cook, and…well, it’s a work in progress, certainly.’ Now it was Nari’s turn to shift in embarrassment at what she was saying, realising the irony of being summoned by a goddess, and yet considering herself not good at her trade. Still, she wondered if that wasn’t how every up and coming skilled individual felt facing a professional in their field.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The satyr eyed Nari for a few seconds, as if trying to judge whether she was joking or not, before deciding to simply take the higher road on her response. ’I would appreciate that, and I would make sure to share it with everyone else as well! I’m sure that many among the serving staff would also appreciate it, depending on how much there is!’

Nari gave a small nod, the smile still across her face as she glanced up towards the mountain that was coming ever closer. A part of her mind was wondering again, wondering exactly what would be in store for her once she arrived at the mountain’s peak – whether it would be as simple as those tasks she’d previously faced, or if it would be uniquely fit to confound her entirely.

’Worry not, the goddess never places anything before you that you can’t overcome. You simply need to be confident in your abilities, and know that you can succeed…’ The encouragement was meek and subdued, but it somehow helped Nari slightly in her step. It had faltered without her even noticing, the doubt creeping up in a physical apparition as she thought about every way she could possibly fail at the quest. The satyr’s sudden encouragement and soft tone, however, seemed to dispel that fear for the time being, allowing her to continue forwards.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’Thanks. It’s…thanks, I really appreciate the encouragement.’ She glanced back up the mountain, the peak coming closer and closer with each step. ’Sometimes I think I forget just how much I’m doing in this…world…and then it hits me, and it’s just…a lot.’

She wasn’t entirely sure why she was being so open and honest with the satyr. Perhaps the fact that it wasn’t a real person, that it likely wouldn’t remember or be able to repeat this conversation, made it easier to speak more freely for Nari. Or perhaps it was simply the right place, and the right time for the words to come out. Whatever the reason, she found herself exposing a darker side of her thoughts suddenly, a motion and action that would normally leave her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

’Sometimes we mortal folks forget that we aren’t godly. We can’t do everything, take on everything…sometimes we need to rely on others to help us along…’ The response came slowly and apprehensively, as if the satyr felt uncomfortable giving a hero summoned by the gods advice and encouragement. Or perhaps it just felt awkward in the moment. ’…but so long as you keep going, one day…one moment, at a time…you’ll get there. To your goals. To successes, though perhaps not in the original form you expected.’

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her legs burned slightly as the incline increased, a typical response to the change in her stance and stride required in order to climb the mountain’s side. Nari smiled gently at the words, uncertain whether there was any true humanity behind them, and yet feeling as though they were far too human for the artificial creation that strode beside her. She knew it was one of the many wonders of Aincrad – the way in which unreal characters that were nothing more than amalgamations of code brought together and mashed into some sort of personality, could provide the most real connections.

’That’s really good advice. I think sometimes I forget that…that I can’t do everything, and that’s okay…’ Nari felt a flash of despair as she realised that the mindset and attitude could cost someone their life, before recognising that it was even more pressing and important to take note in relation to that thought. She couldn’t protect every single individual in Aincrad all at the same time, as much as she felt drive to do so. Some will die, and there’s absolutely nothing I can do about that. Not a thing…no matter how much I train and fight and push…I can only do the best that I can. But is that enough? She knew the dangers of such mindsets, the complacency that could come along with it – and she knew the danger that such results could cost to others. Probably had cost to others, already.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’It has been an honour to guide and attend to you on this travel to Olympus.’ The satyr turned and bowed to Nari as they approached the main gates of the gods’ house. Nari had passed little in the way of conversation back and forth following their deep commentary on the climb, though she had remained civil and polite. Her thoughts had wandered for a while, to a point where she’d found herself having to focus on some of the lesson’s Onora had taught her for rebalancing herself.

’Thank yo-‘ Nari had turned to thank the satyr, only to find herself standing alone. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been staring at the open gate, nor when the guide had left her side, but at some point Nari had been left alone to traverse the barrier and begin her challenge. I never even asked her name. The thought brought her sudden sadness, and Nari found herself looking around once more, as if trying to locate the satyr that had left her life for good now.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Further moments had passed before Nari had gained the courage to step into the hallway beyond the entryway, making her way into a corridor that led to a singular point. She’d come to a stop at the end of the corridor, facing a kitchen and dining room that could be called anything but humble. Her eyes had passed over everything quickly, noticing how the entire design was a mix of modern – stoves, fridges, and countertops lining one side of the room – and near medieval design, with a corner of the room given to a large, fire burning hearth and cauldron.

’Welcome, Nari-Lanreth, cook of Morríghan’s Descants. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh.’ The voice was soothing, welcoming – almost motherly to Nari’s ears. Nari found herself bowing out of respect and habit as she turned to the seated goddess at the dining room table. Dressed in what looked like atypical ancient Greek robes, the goddess was settled comfortably within a chair that seemed oddly uncomfortable, a cup of something steaming between her hands. ’Are you ready to face your challenge?’

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Quest Objective | Roleplay speaking with Hestia, god of the hearth and home.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

’Ready…? I’m not sure I’m ready, but I am willing.’ There may not have been confidence in her tone, but the rigid stance and determined expression upon her face likely more than made up for the fact that she felt a nervousness in her core that seemed to be expanding. She’d made it this far, and she knew that she would continue pushing forwards as long as she could – even if that meant completing challenges for gods that were anything but gods. ’What is to be my challenge today?’

Hestia’s eyes seemed to linger on Nari for a long time before the goddess spoke again, the tone somehow transitioning to one that came across distant and engaged, as though reading something from far away. Unsettling, was the only way that Nari could truly describe the way in which Hestia spoke. ’Create for me a dish that will speak to your home, your history and your humours. Provide for me a dish that will let me see into your soul…into who you are. Provide this for me, and my cauldron will be more than yours.’