PP - F2 Absolute Pin Initiation: Lowenthal (Completed)

[Calrex 0]

Calrex sat just outside of the teleportation circle in the second floor main settlement of Urbus, clad in his deep sea blue full-body armor the Grand Chariot. Attached around his neck was Teayre's gift to him, the Ocean's Defense, and strapped to the back of his hip was his one handed sword the Grand Blade.

 

"Normally I wouldn't be meeting up with Lowenthal like this, since the appearance can be a little intimidating, but in this case I have to be serious. I was the one that recommended him to become part of Absolute Pin, so I need to make sure that he has the qualifications to be a strong member of the guild. I've decided to oversee both his initiation."

 

As he awaited the appearance of his friend and initiate he crossed his arms, leaning against the wall he was standing next to, "I need to do this right. The last time I saw him was back when I first met him on the first floor when he was first getting the hang of the combat system. I've heard that's he's grown by leaps and bounds, so I hope that he's grown even more from before. He was recommended by the council, and I believe in him as a player, so I hope he proves that right."

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal stepped onto the teleportation pad on the floor one. "Alright, Floor Two." He said, was drowned in a sea of bright light. As his vision returned he looked out and saw Calrex just a few feet away. Lowenthal could recognized that armor anywhere. Lowenthal thought back to his friend Alucard, who had just recently got a blue chest plate. The comparison made him laugh to himself. Lowenthal stepped off the teleportation pad, and walked over to meet Calrex.

 

"Hey Cal. Long time no see." Lowenthal said. It had been a long time since he had last seen him. Back then, Lowenthal might as well had just started the game. lowenthal had grown a lot since then, from opening a shop to facing his clone. Hell, he even had a crush on girl. Which, if Lowenthal remembered correctly, he poked fun at Clarex for being engaged. Lowenthal continued. "So, I got your message. This is about the guild I'm assuming." He asked, as heavy armor wasn't normal drinking attire.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex turned to see Lowenthal walk over he gave a nod, "Hey Lowenthal, the same. It looks like you're doing well though!"

 

He nodded underneath his helmet as his eyes scanned his teammate's gear, "Well, he's certainly upgraded from the last time I saw him."

 

"As for your question, yes this is related to the guild. Here."

 

He retrieved an item from his inventory as he walked over to Lowenthal, handing it to him. It was a square piece, like the squares one would see on a chessboard.

 

With that Calrex gave a small cough to clear his throat before speaking in a more formal tone, "Lowenthal, as the Rook piece of Absolute Pin, your arrival marks the start of your initiation. During this course I don't want you to think of me as your friend, but as my position in the guild. I will personally be observing your initiation. During this I'll be evaluating your abilities not just as a player, but as a person, to see first of all if you are qualified to become a full-fledged member, and if so where you would fall in terms of the duties of the guild."

 

With that Calrex gave a small sigh as he dropped the formal voice, as if he had gotten tired of being serious, "Just know that we're doing all of this for your sake. Absolute Pin is not a place welcome to everyone, it's a place where we're trying to bring the best of the best to work together in beating this game. You were selected because we believe you have the potential to become a great player, whether on the frontlines or not. I need to confirm their suspicions are right, and if it is not the case I'm not going to put you at unnecessary risk."

 

With that Calrex temporarily assumed his formal voice, "Knowing this Lowenthal, do you accept these conditions?

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal palmed the small square in his hand. It was, cute, in a way. Small tile, black on one side and white on the other. Calrex spoke, about the Guild. Lowenthal listened intently, with no intention of being distracted. Lowenthal knew he was going to be tested, everyone is eventually. But for what was always a mystery. When Calrex spoke about how Lowenthal could become a great player, Lowenthal was taking aback a bit. He looked at the square in his hand. It was strange, it seemed a lot heavier now. He clutched it tightly in his hand and looked back up at Calrex, detirmination in his eyes. "I accept." Lowenthal said, grinning with excitement. "What's first, sir?" Lowenthal asked, pocketing the tile.

[Calrex 0]

As Lowenthal responded to his question Calrex gave an approving nod. "Alright then let's get started."

 

The rest of the time Calrex spoke in his normal relaxed voice, "First of all I'd like to get to know a little about you in terms of what you think you can bring to the guild. Absolute Pin is not a just combat guild. We are also looking to assist in all aspects of Aincrad, and that also includes running shops and material gathering. I'd like to get a gauge where your strengths and weaknesses are so that should you be accepted you will be put in a position you can serve the best in."

 

With that Calrex gave a small breath before continuing, "The second part, of course, is the thing that we need to evaluate no matter what the case. I'm going to be taking you into a small dungeon on this floor to evaluate your combat and exploring capabilities. I will be with you the entire time should things take a turn for the worse. This is to make sure that you are more than capable of continuing to take care of yourself."

 

With that Calrex directed Lowenthal in the direction of the gate, "I can ask you these questions on the way."

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal put his crossed his hands behind his head, and began walking to the gate. He looked behind him, seeing that Calrex was following him. "Ask away." Lowenthal said. "Lowenthal was confident in the first part. he had a store, a mission goal, and the ability to get materials. Lowenthal figured he was pretty set. Then he he remembered the last time Calrex had a question for him, and sweat began to form on his forehead.

[Calrex 0]

"Sure thing. Alright then, first question. Absolute Pin is trying to serve in all part of Aincrad, but right now the guild's been organized into combat and non-combat types of tasks. Where do you think you would serve best in?"

 

As the two exited the gate Calrex made note in his mind of the destination they were heading towards, the dungeon where he had tested Skylar previously. It wasn't too difficult to handle at Lowenthals level, but it would prove a suitable measure of the boy's skill.

 

"I know he wants to keep his sister safe as well, so depending on how he answers I'll need to make note so that the council can give him an appropriate task."

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal thought about the question. "Do I really have to pick just one?" Lowenthal asked, sighing. He thought about where he would fit in more. He didn't have the tailor's touch as he remembered that he only has two items on stock. And that he easily dispatched the clone of himself. "I guess, due to experience, I'd most likely be combat." Lowenthal answered. Lowenthal also slowed his pace down, so that he could follow Calrex. Lowenthal knew where the gate was, but not the destination. "But I'd like to still keep my shop open, and try to sell my swim suits." Lowenthal said, laughing.

[Calrex 0]

"Heh, well of course. And congrats on getting that opened! Don't worry, we're not going to force anyone to close down their shops. We're just looking to see where you would work best in terms of duties for the guild."

 

Calrex gave a nod as he acknowledged Lowenthal's answer, "Hm...maybe once his shop's been running for a while I might ask him to make me a pair of swim trunks. Then at least I could see if Teayre wanted to go check out somewhere we could swim at."

 

"Alright then, second question, have you ever experienced combat with more than one person at your side before?"

[Lowenthal 0]

That was an easy question to answer. "Yes actually." Lowenthal said. "Not long after meeting you, I had me, my sister, and another friend practicing in the fields." He thought a little bit more about the question. "As regards to fighting alongside people I don't know, not that much actually. I mean there's this girl, but.." Lowenthal trailed off as he started thinking of Ahti. About her face, her hair, he very odd habits. Such as teasing him in caves, and hatred of tomatoes because they dampen her powers. He shook his head and sighed. "Well, I mean. She more a danger to me then the monsters. Y'know what I'm getting at?" Lowenthal said, chuckling. 

[Calrex 0]

"I think I get your meaning. Nonetheless it's good to know you have some experience in group combat. You're probably going to be experience more of that should you be accepted as a full-fledged member of the guild. Alright that's all the questions I have for now. We'll keep moving until we reach the dungeon, then get started with the second part of the initiation there."

 

With that Calrex led Lowenthal further down the path as they arrived at a nearby cave. With that Calrex directed him inside, "I'll be with you to evaluate your skills, but for the most part I'd like to see how you fare in a fight on your own. Be prepared, this cave can be a little dark, but not enough to trigger Night Vision, so your attacks shouldn't take a hit, but it will be harder to see for enemies."

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal followed, satisfied with his answers. Calrex had led him to a cave. Strange, seemed less menacing then the one he and Alucard investigated. Lowenthal shrugged and nonchalantly stepped inside. The cave was dark, but the mouth of it was big enough to let light inside a significant amount. Lowenthal whistled a small tune, and drew his kunai swinging it on one finger. "How far do I go in?" Lowenthal asked, his steps echoing off the cave's walls. Truth was, he was getting antsy, nervous even. 

[Calrex 0]

"We'll keep going until we reach a room with a particular monster that I'd like you to fight. It's not too far inside, but we're likely to encounter a monster or two before we get there."

 

Calrex followed behind Lowenthal as he activated his <<Reveal>> skill, the dungeon's walls and corridors becoming transparent so that he could easily monitor for any creatures in the area, "Go ahead and give this a shot as if I was not here. This is part of your test. I want to see how you handle yourself on your own, especially when doing things like dungeon crawling and such."

 

With that Calrex kept watch of a couple of shadows moving a couple of hallways down, "If this is anything like Skylar's initiation most likely those are going to be bats."

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal nodded at Calrex. "Find a room, not to far in. Easy." Lowenthal said, hastening his pace. Lowenthal kept his ears open for anything that sounded odd. The sound of Calrex's armor was bound to attract God knows what. Lowenthal caught the sound of something and stopped and raised his kunai. he squinted into the darkness and made out a shape. 

ID: 18618

BD: 8+1=9(Hit) 4dmg

MD: 4-1(eva)=3(miss)

 

The first bat Lowenthal saw coming. Lowenthal leaned back to avoid it's charge, and slashed at it with his kunai. Lowenthal spun, as his kunai hit it's target but its speed grabbed him and threw him off balance, And with good luck too. As he spun, a second bat had charged and had missed Lowenthal. Lowenthal regained his balance and his senses. He kept his eyes up, looking for another ambush.

 

 

 

 

Lowenthal: 36/36

[bats do 1 base damage]

Bat A: 36/40

Bat B: 40/40 

[Calrex 0]

ID: 18619

Battle Dice: 7

 

As Calrex watched Lowenthal deftly dodge the two bats strikes and easily strike the first bat he gave a nod.

 

"Since there's two bats of a decent level I'll jump in and take out that second bat. Lowenthal can handle the first one on his own."

 

He gave a calming breath as he reached back, grasping the Grand Blade in a icepick grip before rushing forward using his <<Sprint>> ability. As the second bat fell into striking range he quickly drew his sword from its sheath as he cut across the bat's body, leaving a red slice mark across its abdomen. With that he gave a calming breath as he turned and faced the second bat, twirling his sword into a hammer grip.

 

HP List

Lowenthal: 36/36

Calrex: 81/81

 

Enemies:

Bat 1: 36/40

Bat 2: 31/40

[Lowenthal 0]

ID: 18620

BD: 7(Hit) 4dmg

MD: 8-1=7(Hit) 1dmg

 

Lowenthal turned as he heard Calrex draw his blade and attack the second bat. Lowenthal gritted his teeth, this was a test so why was Calrex helping. As he was pondering that, the first bat hit Lowenthal from behind. The blow toppled Lowenthal forward and he bounced off of the stone floor. Lowenthal quickly got up and took a deep breath. He ignored Calrex in the room. He ignored the second bat in the room. He listened for the first bat. As the bat charged again, Lowenthal stabbed with his dagger. His kunai caught the bat in the wing and sent it flying into the wall. Before Lowenthal could run up to it, it was able to get up and fly into the cave.

 

HP List

Lowenthal: 35/36

Calrex: 81/81

 

Enemies:

Bat 1: 32/40

Bat 2: 31/40

 

(edited: Miss-used Concentration skill. Derp)

[Calrex 0]

ID: 18621

Battle Dice: 2

 

As Calrex kept his eyes on the second bat he gave a calming breath as he gave a couple of warding slashes at it, the bat continuing to back off as he observed Lowenthal's combat, "He seems to be holding his own, and performing much better than the last time I saw him. He definitely has gotten accustomed to the combat system."

 

As the second bat tried to fly down and tackle him Calrex stepped to the side, his eyes continued to keep trained on the bat, "This is likely going to be a fairly short battle if I can get some good hits in. After that all that's left to do is keep an eye on Lowenthal."

 

HP List

Lowenthal: 35/36

Calrex: 81/81

 

Enemies:

Bat 1: 32/40

Bat 2: 31/40

[Lowenthal 0]

ID: 18622

BD: 2 (Just had to say 'good hits' huh?)

MD: 4

 

Lowenthal searched for the bat in the darkness. This time he would wait for it, then strike as it got close. The bat, as predicted, charged at lowenthal. Lowenthal waited, and swung his kunai. He swung to early, and the bat stopped in mid flight. The bat flew off again, to try it's charge again. "Dammit. Stop flying away." Lowenthal cursed to himself. This bat was getting annoying. He didn't do nearly as much damage as Calrex could, but he wouldn't let that discourage him. This bat was no different then the boars from day 1.

 

HP List

Lowenthal: 35/36

Calrex: 81/81

 

Enemies:

Bat 1: 32/40

Bat 2: 31/40

[Calrex 0]

OOC: I'm sorry! XP

 

IC:

 

ID: 18623

Battle Dice: 2

 

As Calrex kept his eyes trained on the bat he kept calm as he waited for a prime opening. Unfortunately the bat had decided to fly further in the air, out of range even with his <<Acrobatics>> skill. He gave a small sigh as he flicked the Grand Blade into a reverser grip, sheathing it partially into its sheath, although not enough to lock it in place.

 

"Fine then, if I can't come to you. I'll just wait for you to come to me."

 

With that he moved his right foot back, going into his modified iaido stance, calming himself as he awaited the bat's advance.

 

HP List

Lowenthal: 35/36

Calrex: 81/81

 

Enemies:

Bat 1: 32/40

Bat 2: 31/40

[Lowenthal 0]

ID: 18624

BD: 2

MD: 10 (Well, thats rude) 3dmg-1DmgMit=2dmg

 

lowenthal tried waiting for the bat again, the bat charged again but had a new trick. It stopped short, and gusted it's wings at Lowenthal. Lowenthal raised his arms to defened his face. And as he did the bat charged and hit Lowenthal in his gut. The blow sent Lowenthal flying backwards, and sliding on the cave floor. Lowenthal quickly got back to his feet. "is that all you can do, you flying mouse!" Lowenthal said, charging back into battle.

 

HP List

Lowenthal: 33/36

Calrex: 81/81

 

Enemies:

Bat 1: 32/40

Bat 2: 31/40