Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 #1 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 “Help me! Please help me!†Came the cry of a woman’s voice, piercing the clear air of the second floor mountain range. Baldur was way out in the middle of nowhere so the sound of a human voice suddenly alarmed him, a cry for help not-withstanding. Drawing his Katana, he leaped to the top of the grey rocky outcropping next to where he had been searching for materials. His blues scanned the steep slope of the flat topped mountain he was on, looking down below him. It was difficult to pinpoint sounds here, because of how sound would echo through the valley. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #2 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Finally, he spotted movement. He could see what looked like an NPC woman dressed in what he could only call ancient Greek housewife attire being chased by a Kobold with a wicked looking Mycenaean sword. Jumping off from the outcropping, he raced down the side of the mountain with little concern for stopping his momentum at the end. The woman was perhaps a hundred yards away downhill; the slope of the mountain was steep with rocky switchbacks and uneven terrain, but Baldur’s long strides ate up the ground. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #3 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Fifty yards. The woman took another blow from Kobold’s blade. Baldur shifted his focus for a moment to the woman and her health bar appeared in his UI. She was now in the red. He needed to get there quickly. If this was a scripted even, would she die, or would she regen enough before the mob would slash again that they could continue this until someone intervened? Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #4 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Twenty yards. Baldur was clearing ground quickly, but he wasn’t sure it would be fast enough. His booted feet hit the top of a jagged bolder and for a moment he thought he would fall, but he was able to slide into position for a <<Charge>> and launched himself at the enemy just as it’s sword was arcing down towards the woman. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #5 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10756 BD: 7 MD: 5] The <<Charge>> skill was one of Baldur’s favorites. The bonus damage was a plus, but being able to clear a huge amount of space in very little time while assisted by the system was a bit like flying as far as he was concerned. A small part of him also appreciated how cool it looked. Lunges were a powerful move in fencing, kendo, and iaido, and this was an extreme move worthy of an anime. The cyan light of the skill system illuminated Baldur’s blade as he drew the katana from its saya and slashed in a single move. Ama-No-Murakumo-No-Tsurugi, The Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven was a divine sword of the Emperor. It had always made Baldur think of a sword striking from the sky like lightning, and that’s how he felt as he leaped from above the <<Kobold>> and drove his blade through the creature as he landed between it and the NPC woman, causing the mob's attack to fly astray. <<Baldur>> 29/29 - hits for 10 DMG (1 base + 3 enhancement + 3 skill +1 Athletics +2 Charge) <<Kobold>> 6/16 - misses Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #6 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10757 BD: 10 LD: 14] The force of Baldur’s <<Charge>> felt like it should have left a small crater on the ground, but he immediately moved again, spinning his body and blade around and then slashing the Kobold from the nape of its neck to the hip on the opposite side. As his blade passed through the creature, he could momentarily see the red wire mesh that made up its frame. Half a heart-beat when by, and then a shower of multicolored polygons filled the air with the sound of shattered glass. It was a much more beautiful way to dispatching a creature than what that move would have really done to someone. When Baldur had seen that in the trailers, he had thought it was a move to get the game a lower rating and thus a wider audience. Perhaps if it had been bloodier, they could have kept children out of this death trap. Now that they were stuck here though, he appreciated not having to witness bloody slaughter and dead bodies. The small icon indicating he had received loot appeared in his HUD and with a smile he tapped the icon and looted the Col and mats that the creature dropped. <<Baldur>> 29/29 HP - hits for 10 DMG (8 + 2 critical) <<Kobold>> 0/16 - dropped 80 Col and 1 Mat Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #7 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Baldur flicked his sword to the side and then sheathed the blade with ceremonial reverence before turning to the NPC woman. She had waited for Baldur to dispatch the creature before beginning her scripted encounter. How many times have the two of them run through this scenario? It was an odd concept of resurrection and reincarnation. Would something like this be considered hell? Ironically, in the Greek mythology something like this would have been considered Sisyphean task. Or would it be more Promethean? Baldur couldn't continue that train of thought because the woman began to speak. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #8 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 “Thank you, brave hero! You saved me! But please, my dear child is need of your aid. He went into a dark cave not far from here and has yet to return! I tried to go after him but giant bats guard the cave and I could not get to him!†Then, as Baldur had been expecting, a Quest window popped up, asking him if he wished to accept the quest <<Let There Be Light>>. Reaching out to press the circle button, Baldur accepted the quest and the woman continued with her wailing speech. “The cave is not far from here, come, I'll show you!†Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #9 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 “The cave is not far from here, come, I’ll show you!†The woman took off at a sedate pace. Baldur always hated this part of games. He realized that if she ran and he got separated from her, that it could end up being impossible to track her down, but at the same time she walked in this annoying pace that was faster than a comfortable walk, but slower than a jog. At least it wasn't an escort quest. Yet. Baldur mentally face palmed himself. If he ended up having to escort the kid out of the cave, Baldur might commit seppuku. Hopefully he would just have to free the kid, and he would run a dozen feet away before despawning and completing the quest. One can always hope that Kayaba wasn’t THAT cruel. The irony of that thought made Baldur both smile and wince. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #10 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 It took them almost 10 minutes to cross terrain not much further than Baldur had crossed in order to save her from the Kobold. The mountain here wasn’t as steep, but the opening of the cave was almost a sheer drop directly into the ear. The sides looked rough enough that he would be able to climb out, the space going into the earth itself wasn’t particularly large. It wasn’t particularly small, either, but when you went underground Baldur preferred ample room. Because, you know, reasons. Valid ones. “Please save my baby!†The woman wailed. Baldur had almost forgotten her in the silence with which they had walked. “Of course!†Baldur said heroically, having to dig a bit deeper to find his inner RPer. “Worry not kind maid, I shall return thy child posthaste, and with full HP!†A hint of a smile tugged at his lips and he was thankful no one was around to hear him. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #11 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Baldur took a deep breath as he eyed the opening in the earth and moved up slowly, sitting down over the ledge and eyeing it in the best way possible to get down. He really hated caves like this. Once the hole stopped going DOWN and started going FORWARD he would be much more comfortable. At least, since the woman had said <<Giant Bats>> that meant that the cave had to be large enough for a flying creature to maneuver. And Reaching out and grabbing a handhold, Baldur lowered himself down onto the rocks which had indents enough to almost be considered a ladder, and he climbed down. And down. And down some more. It started to get very dark, and that made Baldur uncomfortable as well. I guess there is a use for that <<Nightvision>> skill. But it costs WAY too many points to be worth taking at this time. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #12 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 By the time Baldur reached the bottom, he had gone so far down that only a small bit of light from the outside reached down here and faintly illuminated the small section of earth. He drew his sword, and thankfully the blade reflected a bit of light for him to see the shape of the massive room he was in. “Hello? NPC kid?!†Baldur called out, his voice echoing throughout the cavern. He tried flashing light from his sword around the room like a spotlight, but rather than seeing a kid, all he saw was the ratlike face of a giant bat. “censored†Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #13 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 The Bat let out a shrill shriek as it spread its massive wings and dropped from the ceiling where it was hanging. Baldur immediately dropped into a guard stance and knew he only had one shot at this. The targeting system of the game showed him the creature’s health bar, but wouldn’t give him any more information about where it was. Still, the creature’s movements for those first few seconds were predictable. It would drop down from the ceiling, and it would need to correct itself, catch its balance and right its position in the air before coming at him to attack. That gave Baldur precious few seconds of knowing where the creature would be, and a rough approximation of its position. Plus, those powerful gusts of wind from its wings meant that its frame would be as large as its hitbox would allow. He dropped into his <<change>> position. It was now or never. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #14 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10764 BD: 10 MD:1] The azure light of Baldur’s sword skill briefly filled the pitch black room with light and Baldur could only spare a sliver of his attention to realize that there was a second room beyond the first. A moment later, his sword managed to impact the body of the <<Giant Bat>> and cleave through it. The red wire mesh illuminating the creature for a moment as Baldur skidded to a stop at the far end of the room and was plunged back into darkness. The giant bat flailed about, but wasn’t able to land a hit on him. Baldur saw that his attack had taken out a little more than a third of its hit points. A few more good hits and he could take this thing down. <<Baldur>> 29/29 HP - hits for 12 DMG (1 base + 1 Athletics + 3 Enhancement + 3 Skill + 2 charge + 2 hyper critical) <<Giant Bat #1>> 18/30 HP - misses Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #15 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10765 BD: 1 MD: 9] The darkness was more of a disadvantage that he could expect. He could see the health bar of the creature as it recovered, but he had no idea any longer what lay between them, nor what it would do. The red eyes of the <<Giant Bat>> turned to focus on him and suddenly the distance seemed to close. Baldur raised his sword to try and block, but he couldn't tell what the attack would look like and paid for it with his hit points. Claws raked against him and he was thrown back until he felt the wall of the cave against his back. He let out of cough. In the real world, that blow would have taken the wind from his lungs, but in here, in this cave, it only served to disorient him even further. Still, having the cave at his back would help him. It meant the creature had to come at him from the front at least. <<Baldur>> 28/29 HP - misses <<Giant Bat #1>> 18/30 HP - Hits Baldur for 3 DMG, Baldur mitigates 2 and only takes 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #16 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10766 BD: 5+2=7-1=6 MD: 5] Baldur had an idea, but it was a gamble. With his back to the wall, and the mob in front of him, he would go for a blind gambler’s cut. It would depend on his timing if he was successful or not. The last attack, the bat had him at him from head on, and it’s claws had raked downward due to the creature being so much larger than he was. If he could get the timing down, and thrust forward at just the right moment, he could drive his sword into the gut of the Bat, and its attack would miss him and be caught by the wall. It would be risky, but it would leverage his size against the winged rat. Another shriek of the bats echolocation and Baldur was ready for the attack. He watched the glowing red eyes and felt the gust of wind from its wings. The health bar zoomed towards him and Baldur shouted a kiai out powerfully as he drove forward. He felt again the wind as the <<Giant Bat>> wings closed around him, and felt the resistance as his blade drove into the chest of the creature. The sound of claws on stone above him brought a smile to his face. <<Baldur>> 28/29 HP - Hits for 8 DMG <<Giant Bat #1>> 10/30 HP - misses Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #17 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10767 BD: 4+3=7-1=6 CD:11 MD: 10] Baldur saw the bat’s HP drop into the red. Surely one more good hit could finish the creature off, but Baldur wasn’t sure if he could land such a blow. It was covering him now, and the space was limited. Now that was cornered into the wall by the creature, it had an advantage he didn’t expect. He needed to land this blow, if only he could <<Concentrate>> Doing just that, an idea struck Baldur and he drew his sword from the <<Giant Bat>> and threw himself into a roll to the side, underneath its wing and as he came up, he slashed at the thing membrane of that bat’s wings. It’s HP dropped, but stopped just shy of killing the bat. “oh come on!†Baldur cried out in protest to the system, but the <<Giant Bat>> did something unexpected and let loose a shriek that was so loud Baldur was worried it would destroy his ear-drums. The force of the cry shook the air in his chest and dropped him to a knee. Fortunately, his battle-healing kicked in and raised it back up a tick. <<Baldur>> 27/29 - hits the Bat for 8 DMG, and regens 1 HP from battle healing <<Giant Bat>> 2/30 HP - Hits Baldur for 4 DMG, Baldur mitigates 2, and takes 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 23, 2015 Author #18 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 [iD: 10768 BD: 5+2=7-1=6 CD: 12 LD: 17] With the <<Giant Bat>> almost dead, Baldur threw caution to the wind, quickly standing up before the mob would have the chance to move again and rushing forward. His ears still rang from the cacophony echoing through the chamber. Running through the slash in the bat’s wings like it was an opening of a tent flap, he pivoted on his slashed with his katana in a wide arc, the melee equivalent of spray-and-pray. It was enough. There was a glimpse of red mesh, and then the sound of shattering glass. The polygons remained hidden to him in the complete darkness of the room, and he almost wished for the red eyes of the giant bat so that he could see something other than blankness and that one, solemn column of light where he had come in. Almost. He tapped the icon that had popped up and looted the bat with a sigh of relief. <<Baldur>> 28/29 HP - hits for 8 DMG, and regens 1 HP <<Giant Bat #1>> 0/30 HP - drops 150 Col & 1 Mat <<Concentrate>> 1/5 CD Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 24, 2015 Author #19 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 "Help me!" A voice came echoing through the chamber. Baldur took his Katana in one hand and gasped through the darkness until he found a stalagmite. He pointed his head in the direction he though the cave continued in, and strike a downward blow, hitting the stalagmite and causing a flash of sparks that illuminated the room for a bare moment. Nothing. "Help me! I'm over here!" Came a voice which echoed and reverberated off of every wall. Baldur tried a different direction and struck again. There it is. The ground in the center of the room seemed mostly clear, so he carefully wound his way through the next several feet of obstructions and then broke into a dangerous job through the center of the room, using his Katana like a blind man's cane. When he came into contact with more stalagmites, he realized he had reached the other side of the room. With another strike, the sparks revealed another identical chamber beyond. And a rather anger bat already moving in his direction. <<Baldur>> 29/29 HP +1 out of combat regen <<Concentrate>> 2/5 CD Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted February 24, 2015 Author #20 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 As soon as the light died away, the target indicator showed that the bat was already almost upon him. He swung his katana in a panicked manner, simply trying to put the digital steel between him and the enemy. When his blade his something hard and the <<Immortal Object>> indicator appeared, Baldur was confused, but then there was a huge THUD as the bat couldn't make it through the smaller opening and had careened into the column near where baldur had stood. Falling backwards, Baldur gasped for breath and pushed himself to his feet, Katana held in both hands. For the moment, neither of them knew the location of the other. [iD: 10895 BD: 1 MD: 1] <<Baldur>> 29/29 HP <<Giant Bat>> 30/30 HP <<Concentrate>> 3/5 CD Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts