Morningstar

"Good to meet you." They set off, with Morningstar taking the lead, not admitting to his generally poor sense of direction. At least he had been there before. "First time in the mountains? Are you relatively new then?" Wulfrin didn't appear out of the ordinary. His gear looked to be new and of decent quality. He supposed it wasn't impossible that the man had just come from the Town of Beginnings, but he wouldn't have guessed it. If he was, then someone must have set him up with some equipment to start off with. "I was just up here a few days ago. I think I passed by the dojo at

The songs of birds resonated throughout the cool forest breeze. The city, basking in sunlight, was hardly bearable; however, the forest was much more temperate. He recalled his early days in the game and the time he had spent in places similar to it. Mind you, without all of the ants. The Forest of the Great Tree was a favorite of his, as were the multitude of smaller woodlands on the first floor. They rode quietly for a while. Morningstar constantly thought up questions in his head, debating with himself whether they were too strange or personal to ask a stranger. It was strange; he wasn

They rode at a slow pace, since Nemo was new to horseback riding and it also gave them the opportunity to talk on the way to the garden. Even still, it was far quicker than walking would have been. Morningstar kept Bleeding Giant at his waist, and an eye out for any nearby antmen patrols or scouts. If there was one thing he disliked about the eleventh floor, it was the insects. Their caves existed all throughout the Reverent Forest, spanning deep beneath the surface and out of sight from passersby. He had accidentally stumbled across one once and found himself utterly disgusted by the existenc

The stableman was less than happy to see Morningstar return so soon. He scowled at the swordsman, puffing smoke from a hand-crafted pipe. Morningstar grinned toothily. "Your rate is double now," the stablekeeper huffed, choosing not to stand from his rocking chair. "Double!? C'mon, mate, it won't happen again," Morningstar pleaded. "Triple." Morningstar made a sound similar to a dying bird. A prompt appeared for his rental agreement. He signed his name under the terms and made the purchase for two horses. He looked around for Nemo, momentarily thinking that the man had run

He sat in the center of town, upon a bench made from wood. His mind had wandered away from the annoyance of handing over an extra sum of col. Now, he thought only of what was next. Bleeding Giant leaned against the side of the bench. From time to time, the swordsman would look down at it, frown, and then switch his gaze back to the townsfolk. His eyes were frequently drawn to a man across the way, who dressed strangely like a pirate and did not fit the atmosphere of Taft in the slightest. But that's the game, he thought, crossing a leg. People watching had stunted his awareness. He almost

Wind cut across Morningstar's face like ice cold daggers. The sound of clomping hooves was muffled by dirt, grass and moss. His cloak blew like a curtain in the breeze as he and his horse wound around trees and over fallen logs. He held his sword out as far as he could, the sharp edge of the blade pointed outward. The scout antman had not the chance to fight back. Its head separated from its body, dropping to the ground with a thud. His horse leaped over a patch of tall bushes, crashing through the tree line and into a large field. On the opposite side from him was Taft, the primary settl

Midday passed and he decided it was time to leave. He closed the request for help and enjoyed the last of the band's tune. Before it could end, however, he was approached by a stranger. Prompted by a question, he smiled. "Yeah, that's me. Didn't think anyone would come, to be honest. I've heard the quest is a little bit tedious, and it's a bit of a trip to get there." He looked the player up and down, as if trying to figure out what he was all about. Then, he held out his hand. "Name's Morningstar. People call me Star, though. I'm actually about to leave town, if you feel like tagging alo

Morningstar was perplexed. He peeked around the strangely empty campsite, wondering how the equipment that was there had been hauled into the floor seven mountains in the first place. Then, he saw Demian, his head poking out of a sleeping bag. "Oh, it's you," he said, recalling the player from some place or another. It was quite late, he realized. "Sorry to wake you. Just going to take some of your stock while I'm here." He coughed up the materials, piling consumables into his inventory as if he had a family of thirty-six waiting at home. "Nobody can say that I don't support small bu

Morningstar, after multiple days of stress, took to Urbus once again. His time in the mountains had left him with more questions than answers and he desperately needed a break. Not a relaxing vacation, mind you, but a day where things made sense. He wanted to take a training day. Atop a mountain on floor two, he had heard of a quest that offered just that. It was an opportunity to not only strengthen ones body, but their mind and spirit as well. He carried no weapon, for he would not need it where he was going. A broker had warned him that while risk of death could be ruled out, the quest

Identification Item Fusion #213489+219147a

2.20.2024 Fusions Identifications

2.19.2024 REROLLS cost: 62,000 col xp gained: (5*10)=50

the end Morningstar receives: 3,319 EXP (Word Count [3,638/10*5*1] + Quest [1,500] 9,807 col (1 pages [400] + Loot [8,910] + 15% P5 Reward [497]) T4 Rare Armor/Shield 219297 <<Disguise>> Extra Skill (rewarded for killing the Gemini)

It was empty inside. He turned off the kitchen light, and found his way to the attic where he kept his things. Empty wooden supply boxes had been stacked in the corner. He often used them for work, storing tools and items in them at his shop. He grabbed one and went back to the beach. Beneath a tree, he dug a hole deep enough to fit the box. He equipped the Soulcursed Blade, his face split between regret and yearning, and placed it carefully inside the box. Not long after, it was buried in the sand. A part of him worried that he'd go back for it if he knew where it was hidden. Anoth

He returned to Krycim after hours of bumbling through the dense jungle. Bleeding Giant, a sword he had recently appraised, hung at his side, his temporary replacement for the Soulcursed Blade while he figured out what was wrong with him and what the next step to take was. He struggled to the teleportation arch, wiped from the day's events. He called for it to bring him home, which it did without fuss. He dragged himself across the beach, kicking up sand with each step. He had switched out of his armor, randomly selected a few garbs and throwing them on. Vikhrov's Legacy looked ugly to him

He picked himself up, his eyes on the floor. It occurred to him that he had forgotten to ask his double about Halador and the mountains. There were many things he hadn't had the chance to ask—or to say. He took one last look into the pond and saw his reflection. He tossed a stone, blurring and distorting it. It skipped twice. He wanted more time with the Gemini, despite knowing that the Gemini had come from within. He had always and would always be there with Morningstar. Equipping an alternate sword, he left the clearing and the pond, traveling back to Krycim with the world around him pl

Morningstar's lip quivered, his hands grasping for the floating blue shards the rose into the atmosphere. The birds had finished their song. Nothing but the slight breeze that drafted in through the canopy of leaves made a sound. Numbness climbed through his body. His arms fell, limp, as he stared through a hole in the trees. The sky was bright and blue, contrasting the dark place in which Morningstar had fallen into. Sunlight shone down on him, but it was impossible to reach. The hummingbird hovered by his head, its tiny wings beating dozens of times per second. He turned his head to mee

Identification Item #219216a Reroll

2.19.2024 IDENTIFICATIONS EXP: ((3*3)+2)*8=88 COST: 3040*8=24320 col

Morningstar giggled at Nari's comment regarding the newly dubbed "Demon's Rectum" being the tourist attraction of old. "I was thinking of selling my house and buying something here. Cheap real estate, I'd imagine." He looked around, grimacing. "It might need a little renovating, though." They entered the arena. Four figures sat upon steeds of different appearance. It was easy to tell which of the horsemen was which. "Here's to the apocalypse," Morningstar said. Nari confronted her opponent first. Famine, she had chosen. Very well, he decided. It was his turn. He stepped up to Death.

Morningstar exhaled, relieved. He hadn't even realized he was holding his breath. The fight was over. The destruction of Meteor left the Gemini unable to fight. Morningstar stood as the victor. They looked into each others eyes, seeing two parts of the same self wrapped in conflict and doubt. Morningstar gave his sword a spin before sheathing it. As it touched the steel of its scabbard, his hand burned. Thorns drilled into him, sending him into agony. Control of the weapon had been lost. It moved his body on its own accord and, sensing his mercy, impaled the Gemini. Both of their eyes wid

Red particles emerged from the hole in the armor. The Gemini's expression turned serious. "Fight me as if I were Halador, or the Time King, or the Butcher in the Sands, or Katar. Fight me as if I were Wushen. Don't treat me like I'm worth any less than them—like I'm some weak boar that you can take it easy against." Morningstar stuttered. "That's not-" "No, but it is. I see the way you look at yourself, Stephen—the way you think others look at you. Have you forgotten who I am? I know what you think, what you feel. I know everything about you, Stephen! I. Am. You!" The Gemini roared,

"Come on, Star! Fight like you mean it! You wouldn't have shown Elwood this much restraint!" Morningstar's temper sparked. His next swing was a bit harder and a wide grin appeared on the Gemini's face. "Yeah, there we go," he said, blocking the attack. The swords lingered momentarily before the Soulcursed Blade turned translucent and phased through Meteor. It touched the fake copy of Vikhrov's Legacy, this time with enough force to pierce the armor. Morningstar had drawn blood. They parted, resetting their stances. "Whew. I was wondering if that would happen. Nasty enhancement, phase

Morningstar smirked, weaving a kick into the flurry of sword swings. The Gemini, was surprised, a characteristic that the blonde thought it lacked. He jabbed his blade into the clone's shoulder, not powerfully enough to pierce the armor but enough to send him stumbling backwards. The sword art took effect, briefly stunning the Gemini as he fell to the ground. "That's revenge for making me cry," Morningstar joked. When the paralysis finally wore off, the doppelganger replied. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true. You were due for a good cry." They clanged swords once more, the

Gold struck black, sparks flying from both blades. Morningstar was not accustomed to being last to attack. It made sense that the Gemini would make the first move, however. They were the same person, after all. Meteor struck Morningstar in the arm through an open piece of his armor. He winced. "Lucky shot," Morningstar smirked. "We'll see," the Gemini replied. "Did I mention that I like the new haircut? It feels good to wear it short again." "You're the first to notice," Morningstar ran his hand through his messy locks. "That's gotta sting," the Gemini laughed, charging in