[PP-F01] The First Few Lessons for the Weak

[Arsine 0]

Post Action | [x14] AOE-II (14 + (2 * 1 Targets = 2) EN)
ID: 256986 | 4 + 2 = 6, | Hit vs. Mimic Dealing 126 Damage"

 

The mimics tongue slowly slid up her leg, leaving trails of saliva behind it. “Eeurgh!” Arsine tried to push herself back up off the ground but the mimic had other plans, an arm of thin bone came out of its maw, flesh taught and purple, almost like it had been mummified. Its hand slammed down against her neck, pinning her to the boardwalk. The woman let out a small gasp, dots dancing in front of her eyes.

Was this how she was going to go? A simple beginner quest gone wrong?

The woman grit her teeth, refusing to allow her name painted on the momument in such a way. "Off!" She screamed, claws tearing through its flesh. The thing died. Finally, leaving the woman heaving, and covered in all manner of things on the ground.

With a grin so bright it rivals the sun, Pete came up to Rsine and gave her a sealed letter for the mayor. “That should serve Dorian right, for how he treats his debtors,” He didn't seem too happy about paying the man back. Arsine snatched the envelope out of his hand and then with a hard kick, sent him flying into the water.

A string of swears left her lips; as she trudged away from him. A warning flashing across her screen

<<Continued Violence against NPCs will result in a temporary marker change>>

She ignored it with a wave of her hand. The man did nothing but laugh at her as the mimic wrapped its tongue all over her legs. The man probably got an enjoyment from it.

Finally, Arsine managed to open up her messenger.

Bael --> Arsine:
I'm sure there is a place I can experience those things. I don't need to enter the town for that.

 

Right...she had taunted him, but he was correct.

Arsine --> Bael: You are correct. There is a hot spring Not far from Tolbana. Good for soaking. Mimic spawned in town. Am in need of a good soak myself.

She sent off the message, thinking not much of it as he headed toward the mayor, ready to finish this quest once and for all.

 

WC: 358

Arsine | HP: 320/320 | EN: 50/50 -11= 31 EN | DMG: 9 | ACC + 2  | LD +3 
Mimic HP 0/192 192 -126= 93| Damage: 64

Edited 2 hours ago by Arsine

[Bael 1]

The plains had gone silent again. The mobs had respawned, yet none dared draw near the hulking figure standing amidst the tall grass. The players that lingered on the edges of the field had learned to keep their distance. He could feel their eyes, curious, terrified, or both, each one another phantom presence haunting the edges of his awareness.

Bael rolled his shoulders, the greataxe shifting as it caught the faint shimmer of the setting sun. The light fractured against the edge, a deep orange glare reflecting across his black eyes. He could feel the tension in the air, how the plains themselves seemed to hold their breath.

No one dared to challenge him. They watched from the hills, whispering in hidden chat threads, as if afraid even their words might summon his attention.

His interface pinged.

A private message blinked into existence.

Arsine --> Bael:
You are correct. There is a hot spring not far from Tolbana. Good for soaking. Mimic spawned in town. Am in need of a good soak myself.

Bael's brow furrowed beneath his hood as he read the message. For a moment, the harsh edge in his stance softened. "Hot spring, huh?" he murmured, tapping his chin with one gloved finger. He tilted his head toward the sky, letting the artificial wind brush against him. The idea sounded almost human, almost peaceful.

Then, with a deep thud, he slammed his greataxe into the ground, the steel biting into the soil. The echo rolled through the plains, scattering a flock of pixelated birds into the sunset.

Bael --> Arsine:
A hot spring sounds nice right about now. A mimic should be easy work for you.

He smirked faintly as he closed the message window. Somehow, she still reached out to him as if they were equals, no fear, no pretense. It was.. intriguing.

The fields swayed again as he began to move. He could still sense the others watching him, hunters, opportunists, or would-be heroes trying to gauge their chance. He turned his head just slightly, enough for the black void beneath his hood to catch their gaze.

"Keep watching," he said under his breath. "Or maybe.. follow me."

He tore the greataxe free and rested it against his shoulder once more. The plains stretched endlessly ahead, the horizon painted in shades of red and violet. He moved forward, his silhouette cutting across the fading light, part man, part monster, and entirely the reason the plains had learned to fear the night.

* * *

WC: 414

[Arsine 0]

Post Action: Return Letter to Dorian

When you return and hand the stinking letter over to Mayor Dorian, he eyes it dubiously before opening it. "Well, yes," he stammers, "I suppose that's a fair trade. Truth be told, I don't quite remember how much we loaned him, anyway." Delicately, with two fingers, Dorian sets the parchment aside. "Uh, alright, that's all, then. Thank you for your help. If you ever need anything in this town, do not hesitate to drop my name. I'm sure that's far more valuable than any monetary reward I could offer you, anyway."

 

Arsine trudged through the city, ignoring the way both players and NPC avoided her, finding the mayors office she practically slammed the door open. “Is done.” She handed the stinking letter over to the man.

“W-Well yes…” He stammered. Looking from the letter to her. “Thank you for your help. If you ever need anything in this town, do not hesitate to drop my name.But perhaps first you should…have a shower.”

Something snapped within the woman, she drew her hand back and slapped the mayor with such force that he stumbled back three feet. “Ungrateful!”

Guards immediately started for her, weapons drawn by the mayor stopped them. “No. No. I could have been kinder…escort her to the town limits, and leave her in the fields, let her reflect on her anger.” Dorian smiled at her. “Do not say I didn’t grant you any favours, Miss.”

“Get off me!” Arsine shouted, kicking, trying to wrench her arms free from the guards who were escorting her through the town. “Am not like those! Is just anger! Is just a slap! No damage! Get off!” They didn’t budge.

If anything, she should thank the gods above that the mayor simply had her escorted out of town, rather than outright executed.

Once the guards had carried her to the edge of the safe zone they tossed her, and she fell face first into the dirt path.

“One step into town, and we will have your head.” The guards warned in unison before offering her a salute and a bow.

“Thank you for your service.” Then with a turn they shifted back into the city.

What…just…happened?

Arsine sat there, covered in dirt, slime, mucus, and who else knew what. Temporary orange cursor floating above her head. It’d disappear in a few days, but she couldn’t wait a few days to clean herself. The woman slammed small fists against the ground in frustration, sending out a flurry of curse words in her native tongue before taking a deep breath. Composing herself.

All she needed to do…was head to that hot spring, then find a safe place to sleep for the night.

Simple.

WC: 454

[Bael 1]

The plains had grown quiet again. The system light dimmed toward evening, the sky painted in hues of fading gold. Bael stood among the tall grass, his hand resting lazily against the haft of his greataxe. The whispers in the distance had thinned, those who watched him either fled or grew too cautious to move. The so-called heroes who had once gathered here were gone, leaving behind only the hush of the digital wind.

He could still feel them, though. The unseen eyes watching from behind trees, from the ridges far beyond sight. The Beast of the Plains, they called him now, every whispered retelling of his rampage growing larger, darker. It should have felt satisfying, but instead, it only felt still.

Another ping. A faint notification window appeared at the corner of his vision. Arsine’s message. Her words lingered like smoke.

You are correct. There is a hot spring not far from Tolbana. Good for soaking. Mimic spawned in town. Am in need of a good soak myself.

Bael chuckled under his breath. "Hot spring, huh? Guess even poison girl needs her peace." He closed the window and scanned the horizon in the direction of Tolbana. His fingers flexed around the weapon's handle as he considered his next move.

A low hum of thought crossed his mind. The mimic she mentioned would be easy prey for someone like her. Still, he found himself wondering if she'd really gone to the spring, or if it was just bait, intentional or not. Either way, it didn't matter. He wasn't quite done with her yet.

He walked until the faint outline of Tolbana's outer walls peeked above the hills. Then he stopped. The plains around him still smelled faintly of scorched grass and iron.

Here. Close enough to where she’d last been seen.

Bael leaned his greataxe against his shoulder and sat beneath a lone tree, watching the small lights flicker in the distance, the shimmer of the city's barrier, the movement of players coming and going. The night cycle began, stars blinking into view above the false sky.

"Let's see if you keep your word, poison girl," he murmured, eyes dark and still as the void.
"I'll be waiting."

The plains answered him with silence. The wind stirred. And in that stillness, the Beast of the Plains rested, patient, until curiosity, or fate, brought her back his way.

* * *

WC: 397

Thread Closed:

Bael | [Word Count: 16321/5 = 3264.2] * [True Tier: 1] * [Group Factor: 1] = 3264 EXP
Arsine | [Word Count: 16321/5 = 3264.2] * [True Tier: 2] * [Group Factor: 1] = 6528 EXP 

[quest.] 
800 Experience Points
2,000 Col
ID: 000000 | Zackariah's Special Draught
ID: 000000 | Initiate's Draw
ID: 000000 | Big Bertha Braciola x5

[summary.]
Arsine
6528 + 800 = 7328 EXP
2,000 + 400  = 2400 Col
ID: 000000 | Zackariah's Special Draught
ID: 000000 | Initiate's Draw
ID: 000000 | Big Bertha Braciola x5

Bael
3264 EXP
400 Col