[PP-F7] An Unforgetful Gathering [Zeke]

[orhalimi 0]

Rowan walk out of the 7 floor safe zone. "I will pay all the money in the world to see this teleport burning!" He muttered. He never liked teleports, they made his world spinning like a giant ballerina. People say its getting better everytime, for him its just getting worse.

 

He walked toward the Green Mines, a pretty safe place with a few monster spawns around. players used this place to gather smiting materials, and after he lost everything he owned, he had to get them to.

 

He walk quietly on the road, still dizzy evil machine...and then he stopped. A player was behind him.

 

"Who are you" He turned and drew his sword.

[Zeke 0]

"Don't remember me? Look in your friends list if you forgot my name." With a silent and defensive aura seemingly set up around Zeke, he walked past Rowan with a tap on his shoulder connecting on the way by. They were likely going to the same place, yet Zeke wished this could have all happened on a different floor, it was the most unique so far, but his most hated floor. He didn't want any friends dying here, giving him another reason to hate the place. 

 

"I followed you when you came by town. It wasn't hard to notice a friend, especially one like you. I figured I could help you here, you seem to be taking a risk with your level. I don't like close calls, they're like warning signs that can impale you. Wherever you're heading, I want to join you, so long as it isn't three floors up from here. I need to kill some stronger enemies. Those on floor one are starting to give nothing, and trust me, I'd know." Just in case Rowan wasn't to be trusted after all, Zeke equipped his weapon as well, leaving himself more relieved should anything happen.

[orhalimi 0]

"Zeke!" Rowan almost drop his sword in surprise "I didn't notice you around!" He gave a friendly huge to him and then step backward to look at his friend "Of course you can join, your company will never hurt". He gave a look on his sword and returned it to the sheath, wonder how this thing start to become a part of his hand. "I'm heading to the Green Mines, not for training but for gathering purpose . I never had much luck with iron ores before but who know, maybe today the luck will be on my side. I'm not going to fight to much, but I guess we can pick some Iron Golems inside if you want. I heard they drop iron ores to.."

 

{maybe I will get know your character a little}

[Zeke 0]

"I'm glad you still remember me. It wasn't long before we were separated again, so I'm a little shocked." Zeke admitted, and put his sword back into it's sheath. "I was feeling a little hesitant when you were startled, thought we were going to end up fighting. Excuse the behavior though, I don't know who to trust anymore." Zeke walked over to extend his hand for a shake, letting their meeting this time be their official one. "It's nice to formally meet you. I haven't done any gathering before, not except for one occasion that was rather off... Anyway, let's get heading. Nothing will get done with us standing here exchanging pleasantries." He offered a smile to the player, feeling vulnerable enough to offer one up front, unlike usual.

[orhalimi 0]

He took his hand with glad "sorry about that, this game made me develop some odd habits" its better to be careful to be sorry, but Rowan seems a quite concerned that his behavior was able to scare him. But then he shook himself from the though, point east and said  "Ok, if we follow this road will able to reach the Green Mines in 15 minutes. I heard that the only monsters that are laying in the area are Dirt Skeletons, so as long as we won't step on their heads we will be fine..."

 

With  these words Rowan start walking toward the mines, signal Zeke to join him.

[Zeke 0]

"Normal habits change nothing except for the risk you're taking, makes it harder to cope. I'm fine with you being cautious." Zeke nodded, clenching his fingers around each brim on the collar of his jacket, tugging them inward towards the center of his chest before running after, Rowan. "Do you know anyway of easily telling them apart from the ground? I'm a little worried after last time we fought together. If you die this time, it will spell the end for the both of us very likely."  Zeke's eyes already searched the ground ahead of where they walked, taking very little distraction from how he would normally behave when walking, as he was a clumsy person still unknown to many. He went so far to avoid every rock in front of the his feet, so he wouldn't fall on his face, and embarrass himself.

[orhalimi 0]

"That's right, well you got the idea. their heads remind stones a bit" he point on one of the 'stones', "Here, this one got a crack on it so its definitely a skeleton. But some of them don't have crack on their heads so be careful...."

Zeke mentioned death a lot. Even at his level, he doesn't seem to leave floor one too often. Rowan wonder about it, but who is he to judge him? He doesn't had the right to judge anyone around here, he can barely judge himself.

 

They continue walking without troubles until they enter the mines, a big long caves connected together in some weird ways. Here and there green crystals sprouted out of the walls. "Now" Rowan stop after they walked a couple of minutes inside "trying to mine is really easy, you just need to try pull out one of the iron rocks around", he pull his sword out and aim to one of the rocks, "actually mining it its hard. I don't know how the game calculated success, but that has nothing to do with how you gather the material". He cut the rock with a clean swing. Then , like proving his point, the game reward him with a single iron ore. "You see? that the all idea. Most of the time I fail badly, I was probably lucky this time."

 

{you need 16 + in loot to gather}

 

+Smiting material

 

Rolled a 16 on the d20 (loot) dice.

[Zeke 0]

"Got it, I'll just avoid all stones except the ones I will be swinging at." He stated while dodging one as he spoke.

Rowan was growing quickly on, Zeke, he was all around nice from what Zeke could tell so far. It wasn't the same feeling he had with others, where Zeke just felt a nagging headache grow with every word he traded to them. Rowan hadn't even so much as touched one of his sensitive nerves, and if that didn't mean somebody he was going to be able to trust, he might as well forsaken that idea all together then.

Following, Rowan along at the same speed, Zeke kept an eye out for more enemies as, Rowan searched for the correct way to go. A nice little team they had going on for such a gathering, but after last time, Zeke was worried even more, and that was saying something for the jittery minded scared-cat.

Zeke's friend had the first luck of the trip by determining a good spot that then provided for him easily. It looked too simple, but, Rowan was probably a master at this already, Zeke thought. During his attempt to mimic such a complex ease, Zeke struck the nearest ore with a high intensity to the force. Merely ricocheting his blade off of the sturdy rock wall, Zeke's arm flew back, sending his blade into the opposite wall of the two. "Oops... heh-heh?"

• Roll ID# 2042
• Battle: 2
• Craft: 3
• Loot: 6
• Mob: 9
   

[orhalimi 0]

"Don't mind that" Rowan smiled, "It has nothing to do with you. It's just pure luck". Rowan tried a couple of more rocks, non of them was a successful gathered.

He work for a couple of minutes without saying a word, then without a warning he said "Zeke, I need your advice about something. I tried to do something good but noting good came from it. I can not think of anyone else I will want to hear his opinion, you may see me in different light but your opinion is important to me. I trust your judgment."

He sighed and looked at the floor "I tried to join a guild. But it didn't....work out so well. Now I'm kind of banish from it but...not exactly. and I'm not quite sure what to do..."

 

Rowan stopped, waiting for Zeke comment. Its going to be a long story......

 

 

Rolled a 12 on the d20 (loot) dicew

[Zeke 0]

"I hope that same luck doesn't skewer somebody standing behind me, in the future." Zeke chuckled, fetching the sword with laziness in every step. Luckily for his drive right now, he didn't have to go far to adjust his energy to a nearby ore vein. "One second please..." Zeke swung his sword with less force this time, using caution in his swing to compare results with his first attempt. Nothing had changed of course. It seems his luck was going to carry with him still like a dark cloud.

Digging his sword's blade into the dirt of the cave, Zeke thought back on what, Rowan had said to him, taking in the message to filter through the many different nets of his mind, seeing which path would be best for the current situation presented. Taking the time to do so, Zeke rested his back against the crags and rocks aligned in the tunnel, leaving his index finger and thumb to rest his chin for the time being. "If you have any more details about what provoked everything, it would be a lot easier for me to come up with my thoughts on an answer. How were you banished, so to speak, but not actually? What happened to make it not go so well? Those the two key factors here to think further upon."

 

Zeke shook his head no when he was thought to be judging of the ordeal, Rowan presented. Zeke was a normally judgmental person, but, Rowan was leaps and bounds further than almost anyone before when it came to deserving his mind's eye.

• Roll ID# 2073
• Battle: 9
• Craft: 4
• Loot: 3 
• Mob: 10

[orhalimi 0]

Rowan swung his sword on a stone absently, the stone faded into the air. Rowan grimaced a bit a continue "When Mari can to me and offer me to join her guild, I agree. she said 'Most guilds are dedicated to power; strength in battle. Cerulean silence is created for the meek, the down-trodden, and the forgotten.' and I believed her."

 

Rowan slam another stone, noting good came from her "Maybe she was right, I don't know. Anyway after I agreed we got invited to the first guild meeting in floor 4. I went there after a long day of trading meeting and came just in time. They talk about splitting the guild to divisions, balance the professions, management and stuff..."

 

Rowan look at Zeke, Checked that he was listening to him and continued "You know, I was in the army, and the thing that I hated the most is following a idiot commander, what happened most of the time, just because I had to. I wasn't going to do the same mistake, I don't have to follow anyone. The only reason I will follow somebody here is because he is stronger then me, got more experience and knowledge then me or because I believing in him. They talk about management and stuff but they barely got 5 players. The most impotent things right now was to get money, perfect sets for everyone, levels and experience together. So I stand up, use my merchant's skill and stole the show. I told them that I can sell their items to to the NPC and give 100% of the profit to the guild, that we can all get materials and I will exchange perfect items for others with other merchants. In the end I told them that we can all stay blacksmiths and still live in abundance."

 

Rowan smiled "God she was pissed"

•  
• Rolled a 2 on the d20 (loot) dice.

[Zeke 0]

Waiting for every last word of information to come from, Rowan before saying anything, or striking for more material, Zeke placed everything together, but it all didn't fit quite as neatly as he wanted to. Something still wasn't being told, but, Zeke knew that was understandable from what he had experienced before. Raising his head back against the wall of sharp rock, Zeke winced at the pain, but it helped him jolt some thinking into his noggin.

 

"I'm going to list this in order so that dealing with it is more organized. First thing is a question I want to ask, do you wish to solve this issue, and rejoin the guild with the particular problem? If you do then I'll continue on just for that notion from you."

 

"Guilds are almost always pointless, at least for this game it is. The trouble in comparison to the benefit is almost ridiculous. These are my views, but people tend to be more different inside than outside. It is very likely that not only guild members are going to build tension between one another, but also independent players like me and you. It feels like natural human law to cling to others similar to you or your views as a friend, while discarding or deceiving those whom you could not want anything to do with. With everyone figuring out life for themselves, walls are put up to prevent confusion from entering into the mix, and therefore distorting the initial view of reality. Those who have been immensely distorted already tend to lose control of themselves and shape together their own version of life as everyone knows it, which makes them stray far from what is socially acceptable while considering it perfectly fine."

However... some do become accustomed to this madness over time since those who do not commit suicide delve deeper and deeper until they can pluck away the wrong things from right, simply because of trial and error. That is usually caused by being around others who have not stressed the same errors, or maybe because they are told by others with the same issue to accept it as normal when it is indeed not by lack of answer or reasoning for themselves, a temporary answer as I would call it." Zeke kept rambling on as he dug his weapon from the ground and readied another strike at the ore beside him.

"It all comes down to emotional/mental health, those who can not accept to overcome the evil in this world succumb to it until they are nothing left, leaving them vulnerable and easily ridden of. What I am basically saying all in all, surround yourself with those you can trust, and who build you up when you are at your at the end of your rope. Giving yourself to those you don't know or trust, is an easy recipe for destruction to your own well being." Zeke turned around from, Rowan's direction and swung the blade against the ore vein once more, failing the third attempt to do so before he started make himself crazed with anger, slouching forward against the wall again with his arm hold his body up on it's feet.

• Roll ID# 2125
• Battle: 7
• Craft: 8
• Loot: 1
• Mob: 2

[orhalimi 0]

Rowan thanks for Zeke for his word. He didn't understood all of them, but he got the idea. He was right, but that wasn't what he was looking for, he decided to tell the rest of the story. "Well your words are words of wisdom. But I'm not sure if I don't want to be around them or I just burn myself. You see, when I first meet Mari she was rude and unpleasant, but I decide to give her a shot. They said that 'The beautiful things are hides from our eyes', if you read the Little Prince. Anyway that's not the end of the story, after that she rise up and accuses me on disrespect to her, offer me not so gently to leave the guild if I don't like it and etc. As you  may guess I couldn't stay in a guild with a leader like that, but I became interested. I wanted to give her a chance and  see how she will act. I thought that maybe she was afraid that I will take her place or something."

 

Rowan broke another rock. Noting. He sighed in contempt and continued "So I did just that. I told her that respect is earned by act and not by silencing, and gather all the guild members around me. I wanted to earn my place, show her that her leading way need to be change. and I was ruthless. But you know, most of the commander are afraid that their loyal soldiers are better then them and will take their place someday. But if you toss your captain's sword and offer him your sword after that, you are showing him your ability and your loyalty. And he will always trust you, because you showed him that you can overcome his power, but chose to be loyal. He will knew what you are capable of and knew that you're not going to do it again.

 

Well that's exactly what I did. I reach the point that I felt I can take the control of the guild out of her hand and stopped one second before that, offer her my loyalty and ask her to change her ways. Yea I am a bit metaphorical person I know. There was a chance that she will banish me from the guild but I didn't care, I want to see if she was the right leader for me. But then something happen."

 

Rowan stop talking, try to decide what to say next. After a few seconds he continued "She said....something. something that upset me in a ways I could never imagine. I didn't know she can hurt me, but it's happen. From that point I just sat back and stop talking, try to hold my rage in. She used the time to divert all people in the guild against me, until I shout on her in the middle of no where, long time after our fight was over and then left the place. I looked like a completely idiot"

 

Rowan smiled to Zeke "I don't know why I told you all that....I think that I just don't know if I should back to the guild. I'm not even sure that my acts were justified. I don't want to go back to be solo player again, I don't know what to do." Rowan looked down to the ground "I just feel very confused right now.."

 

• Rolled a 12 on the d20 (loot) dice.

{high level of English ><"}

[Zeke 0]

"I'd like to believe I am at least a little wise in these affairs. Maybe I'm just like the type of person I explained just now, someone who searches for answers in chaos when all that he finds is just sorrow." Zeke thought back to all of the nights he spent coaxing himself into finding reasoning for all the bad things that happened to him. Nothing ever answered his questions, so he was left to become happy with only the fragments of good he could discover.

 

Placing his left hand against his face, he calmed himself down within the darkness of his palm. Turning to face Rowan, Zeke's face had red marks along the edges of his forehead, marking every placement where he had dug his fingernails into the skin. "I think it would be best if this was ultimately left up to you for deciding. My advice is certainly not common, and is certainly not wise. If it was, why would I be standing here like this? I have you and one other on my friend's list, a passion for hating others, and I'm standing here on the brink of a breakdown during a conversation with someone I don't even know. My advice only manages to save me moral dignity, not happiness."

Zeke walked up to a glowing orb on the wall not so far away from Rowan and struck it the same as before. One material had been gained a lot quicker than expected, leaving a little smile on Zeke's face. "I will say one thing with the utmost certainty though, don't go back to someone who has caused you that much grief. Seems like they were unmerciful towards you, and that's not right one bit. If we are friends now, I am willing to look after you, so please stay away from that guild."

• Roll ID# 2210
• Battle: 5
• Craft: 6
• Loot: 17
• Mob: 6

+1 Material gained!

[orhalimi 0]

Rowan smiled for a moment to the fact that Zeke finally got a Material, then his face return to be helpless.  "But Zeke, I didn't heard what I wanted to hear. You still haven't criticized my actions, honestly I thought you will say how rude I was or something like that. It's seems like you are looking on the half of the things. You never said that all the talk with my guild leader was for nothing, you never said that I shouldn't put her in that situation from the first place.That It doesn't matter how much blacksmith we got or what she will do, because guilds here are really useless."

He stop to cut another rock without gathering anything "All you said is that your previous experience taught you to walk alone. Why?"

 

I can't walk alone, not anymore. I must be part off something or I will get nuts. Not everyone can carry it like you. He didn't exactly said it, but it was obvious from the look in his eyes. He want Zeke to give him a reason to go back, because he couldn't find one by himself.

 

He wanna talk about the marks in Zeke's face, but he start to wonder if Zeke is lost and confused just as him. "I think I will back to the guild, hanging with them around until I will find something better". He looked around and sighed "Seriously, we will get more materials from killing monsters then we get from that."

 

 

Id #2447 (13)

[Zeke 0]

"I may be crazy, but I am almost one-hundred percent honest with everything I say. Besides the small percentage of the time I lie, I only ever leave small details out. My words are still more true than practically anyone you meet, I bet on that. Also, why would you want to hear a lie that would only hurt you down the road? That's how I got to the point I'm at in the first place. Life is cruel, generous and thoughtful actions make things better, take away those and you get the mental manifestation of who I am. I know how rough and strict I am of other people, but they need to quit hiding behind masks like it's always Halloween. Most never learn, because I can see those disguises easily... You perhaps being the only exception of what I thought before-hand."

Swinging again at the orb of light on the wall, Zeke obtained another material. His luck was getting better for now it seemed, so he smiled again to himself this time. "You get materials from killing enemies? I had no idea, I've never gotten one that way before. You're probably right though." An obvious disinterest in the statement of going back to the issue was shown in Zeke's lack of response or action. He'd rather not fight with Rowan over something that he could figure out on his own, if he wanted to. He is an intelligent guy, Zeke thought, and was appropriately equipped to do what he wanted.

• Roll ID# 2571
• Battle: 3
• Craft: 7
• Loot: 18
• Mob: 5

+1 Material gained!

[orhalimi 0]

"You flatter me too much. I lie to myself all the time, I just can't hide from that like the others". He felt like he got what he wanted . He wasn't sure what, but the talk with Zeke didn't gave him answers he ask, but helped him adjust his internal compass to the right way. He didn't felt confused anymore, even if he didn't know what to do. He just stopped to look for a reasons he's wrong, It's just not the same girl.

 

He like to talk with Zeke, and he didn't want to stop the conversation. They did not got too much from the gathering, but he did not think Zeke would agree to fight a monsters with him. "So let's move to lighter topics to entertain our time. In your opinion, What are the best enchantments for our gear?"

 

Id #2753 (11)

[Zeke 0]

"As you said, you can't hide like the others... That's exactly why I like you." Unlike himself to do so, Zeke passed up the chance to go further in detail about why he thought this. Instead he exchanged the time for another crack at one more piece of material, failing to achieve the gather in the end result.

"Our gear? Do you mean for gathering, or just overall in battle? I attempted to obtain a blade before with pure strength boosted in all available slots. You would think it's a foolish thing to only invest in one tactic, but I've seen the same destructive idea in play many times before, proven to be nearly flawless in every way when put on a scale against any other practical strategies. Hilarious sort of when you experience it at and there onward from the fifth time. If I was being my normal self, the boosts available only on a certain piece of equipment would come first. Ignorance tends to be well hidden when in the light of importance; Making even the most rash decisions intelligent."

• Roll ID# 2849
• Battle: 8
• Craft: 9
• Loot: 3
• Mob: 6

[orhalimi 0]

"Well a good blade make you kill faster, and it's better then nothing". He need to get a good blade too, whats the point in accuracy if you can't hit strong enough?

 

"I talking about gear enchantments for battle. As we both know we are allow to carry three enchantments slots for three different items. The easiest choice would to burn six slots on damage and damage mitigation, but note that we can improve both of them through the skills system". Rowan stop to slice a rock with his sword, a surprised look came over his face that he was able to gather one more material. Such a thing does not happen often. "There is also evasion and accuracy (ooc: lets ignore blocking because they still working on balancing it), they both important and barley up with skills. So in your opinion, what do you think your final gear would be?" 

 

Rowan back to smile a bit, he already knew his choice, he just wait for Zeke to share his opinion before he will uncover them.

 

 

• Rolled a 19 on the d20 (loot) dice.

+1 Smithing material

[Zeke 0]

"As I should have said a minute ago, my actual preference would be based on what is and isn't available on certain items. I prefer a mix of accuracy and offensive power. Defense is nice and all, but if you put out a flame before it hits the ground, what's the chance you'll be burned alive? That's how I see it anyhow, and I'm only saying anything about it because it's you asking. Skills will do enough defense for me." Zeke nodded, swinging the blade he prepared before speaking. No material came out though, and yet it still felt leagues better than risking his life for them.

*Yawn* "Staying in this place for too long is going to make me fall asleep. How about after a couple of more rounds of gathering, we head over to a more sunlit forest and gather herbs instead? I promised Marisa I would from time to time, but haven't yet. You can keep yours of course, just benefits me in two ways rather than one. Zeke ran his fingers through his hair, leaving the normally combed and spiky mess even messier now. He thought about the two friends he currently had active on his friend's list who actually opted to hang out with him, making his mind more at ease with the planning of the future from then on.

• Roll ID# 3151
• Battle: 7
• Craft: 4
• Loot: 11
• Mob: 6