Acanthus

"Ah, here it is." The elderly man drops to his knees beside an impressive cluster of rocks. Zamek digs through the sand fervently with trembling, calloused hands. Acanthus surveys the land around them while he digs up his chest. Maybe there will be a chest for me as well. Acanthus left him to scrape through the sand, while she searched on her own. With some luck, she uncovered a nearby Sandborn cache. Chest tucked under her arm, she returned to Zamek. "These belonged to my late wife," he explains, "as did these." He showed a handful of jewels to Acanthus. Between the bandits that frequen

Acanthus returned to sight, where she saw Zamek chewing loudly on their last rice ball. She mustered up all her patience, and asked him with a deadpan voice, “are we there yet.” Zamek replied cheerfully, “yes! We’re almost there! It should just be another hour or so.” It took them three. Part of it was because of the man’s pace. But also, the two were now being approached timidly by the Sandborn. Some spoke, while others simply gestured, but the request was always the same: food. Give us food. Acanthus grew concerned as she passed out bite after bite. Their own reserves now dwindled on da

“You’re a sandborn?” The boy nodded. “Can I have some bread?” Why does the NPC need this bread? Acanthus decided not to think too hard about it. If he was asking for it, he probably needed it. She offered him the bread. “Oh, wow! The whole loaf! Thanks!” Before Acanthus could open her mouth, he had devoured the entire thing. I guess… I guess he was hungry enough to need that. Her own stomach growled. She blocked it out, focusing instead on a few ore she’d missed up on the ledge next to her. She had already pried most of the material loose, but a little more came free in her hands. She almost l

Despite the promising start, Zamek had to pause an hour into the journey. Acanthus didn’t even acknowledge him. She simply dropped the backpack near his feet, grabbed a quick ration, and stalked off for a peaceful morning snack. She found a nice ledge along the canyon, a few meters up. She liked sitting about things, although she couldn’t say why. It helped that there was a node to plunder up here. She was quickly learning how to collect materials in greater quantities. This is going to be great for my crafting. I'll have Pinball's order in no time. Turning back to her meal, she prep

Acanthus woke as far from refreshed as a full night’s sleep could get her. The morning light hit her eyes with an unpleasant brightness, and Acanthus muttered. Standing up and stretching, she felt like she had walked another day’s worth during the night. Her limbs ached from being in the cold, buffeted by the occasional gust. Zamek, on the other hand, appeared bright and eager to start. He offered some morning pleasantries and vigor, and Acanthus had to fight to keep from saying something bitter. You offered him the tent, don’t sulk about it now. She channeled her frustration into searchi

Acanthus felt half-pity and half-frustration. “You can have my tent. I’m sure I can handle the outdoors better than you." “Oh, bless you child!” He said, almost immediately crawling into the tent. “Such a kind girl.” Zamek was asleep no sooner than he had entered the tent. Exasperated, Acanthus pulled the spare bedroll out of her inventory. I suppose it was worth being over encumbered. I didn’t realize the game was going to test my resources—or my patience. By the light of the dwindling fire, Acanthus took stock of their remaining rations. She had to double check; how had they alread

Zamek laid on the ground, alternating between heavy ragged breaths and violent coughing. She knew where the cough came from in part—when she took off her bandana, it had firmly set from the caked mud and dirt. She was sure the rest of her was equally filthy. She tried not to think about it. Acanthus set up the fire, prepared dinner, and cleaned up while Zamek sat passively and watched. I know he’s just an NPC, but he could have offered to help with something. She felt irked at both the computer and whoever had scripted it. Acanthis broke out her tent and wind fly and busied herself s

The worst of the sandstorm felt like it lasted for days. But eventually, the sun began to set, and the winds began to die. They were still buffeted from time to time, but Acanthus felt safe enough to untie the rope. When she untied the knot, she felt like she had just been released from prison. Making an excuse, she ran up ahead just to feel like she was making some fast progress. Eyeing a few foraging nodes, she decided to try and gather some materials. She dug up a few precious blast roots. They were prime alchemical catalysts; they could also be used in a recent recording crystal debuff cal

The storm grew to such a terrible roar that it was impossible for Acanthus to see or hear Zamek. She realized this after she had stopped to forage and nearly lost him. She saw more tempting riches on the horizon, but peering back at Zamek, shook her head. There's no way I can get out there with him. I have to put the quest first. Pausing briefly, she pulled out some rope to tie the two together. Now that she was more literally bound to his pace, she felt it all the more keenly. Every trip, stumble and fall caused her to falter as well. She nearly cut the rope a few times, leaving his fate to c

Incredulous, she passed her canteen to him, and he began to drink greedily. “Hey. Hey! Old man, easy on the water. You’ll just throw it all up.” With a final gulp, he drained the bottle. He gave a ragged breath, followed by a coughing fit. “Unbelievable.” She managed to say out loud. She didn’t even have the energy to be apologetic about her statement. Zamek bowed. “I’m sorry, young lady. I’m just too old for the road now. I thought I’d packed enough to make it out there, but it turns out that I’m not as fit as I used to be.” “I can see that. Are you ready to move?” She gave the bandana a

When Morningstar corrected her, Acanthus turned beet red. “I’m sorry, I made a wrong assumption. That was silly of me.” She gave a quick bow. “Acanthus. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Morningstar mentioned that the people of Snowfrost were having a festival. “Games and food are fun, I suppose.” She tried to avoid the topic. Games were a mystery, and she hadn’t tasted much food in Aincrad that agreed with her palate. But there was no need to be negative to someone she’d just met. The flow of a conversation behind her rose to the front of her attention. It sounded like two men talking to eac

The other day while crafting, she had taken a bite of some langue de chat prepared by that mysterious kitchen. The cookie burst in her mouth, and it felt like she had dumped sand in her mouth. Coughing, but adamant for the experience bonus, she choked down what felt like an entire hourglass as she took bite after bite of the cookie. Choking down the rice balls, she told herself that most of the grit was just a result of the brewing sandstorm. It was making foraging even more difficult. By some stroke of luck, the sand and grit revealed a deposit of black iron ore. The pass was proving her

To Zamek’s credit, he went almost four hours before needing another break. He nearly collapsed on a nearby rock, and that was her sign to take a quick pause. Before sitting down, she quickly picked over a few rocks for some foraging. She pried some of the ore out of the rock. They would not be useful for performance crystals, but she knew a few people that would be interested in the materials nonetheless. Acanthus dropped her bag again before grabbing some onigiri she’d grabbed from Yuki Izakaya as more “decadent” trail rations. Rice balls certainly were not an opulent meal by any stretch

Acanthus looked back to the rim of the canyon, hoping to see a face peering out. “I… it was nothing. Are you ready to keep moving?” The old man lifted himself from the rock with a grunt and nodded. Acanthus slung the bag back over her shoulder, and took the lead. As they walked, she kept an eye out for any more outcroppings she could harvest while they walked. Despite the slow pace, moving while gathering proved difficult. She pried the best looking samples from the walls of the pass, but it didn't amount to much. She thought about the last time she had been here, with Freyd and the other

“Well, now I know we’re being f— hey!” Acanthus cried indignantly as she returned to Zamek, who was busy rooting through her backpack. He pulled back sheepishly, mouth full of dried fruit. “I’m sorry, young lady, but I was starving. I made it through the rations I’d packed and thought you might have some for me.” Acanthus walked over to her bag. “I did pack enough to share—just ask before you start looking through my things.” I should have just kept them in my inventory, but I didn’t want to have to navigate a menu if the sandstorms picks up suddenly. And the wind was getting worse; she s

“Another break? But we just—” Acanthus bit her tongue. Don’t disrespect your elders. It’s unbecoming. Through gritted teeth, she sloughed off her backpack and let it hit the ground with a heavy thud. “I’m going to go look for materials,” she said to no one in particular. A narrow offshoot of the passages led to a dead end, one that appeared rich with crystals and ore. She attempted to harvest a few for herself. She did well with her harvest, but she knew she could have gotten more if she hadn't been so distracted by the old man. I can’t be mad at him. He made it clear that it would be a s

“If I may ask, what’s in the box that you need so badly?” Zamek coughed for what seemed like minutes. “Sorry, it’s hard for me to breathe in this sand. It’s a treasure most precious to me.” Acanthus rolled her eyes at the vague response. “So I assume it’s something sentimental to you then.” Zamek gave no response, instead coughing again. He stopped to catch his breath. Acanthus did not mind this particular stop—the sand had only gotten worse over the last few hours. It buffeted her to and fro, the narrow canyons of the pass enhancing the gusts. Even through the sandy gusts, she notic

Zamek caught up to her position, winded from the brief time on the road already. “Zamek,” Acanthus asked, “does anyone live in the pass?” Zamek shook his head. “No, the sandstorms here are far too rough for most people to live here.” Acanthus cocked her head. “You said ‘most’ people.” Zamek shook his head again. “The sandborn are a group of men and women that make their living outside of settlements. Most of them are outcasts from Saharda and Fortaleza, and resort to pillaging to make ends meet.” Acanthus looked back at where the noise came from. “Do you think they keep close tabs on peop

Two hours into the trip, and Acanthus worried that even the three days’ rations would not be enough. The old man had a pace that tested her patience. He walked so slow that she nearly went back to check for some means of transportation for the man: horses, a carriage, even a wheelbarrow. But she didn’t want to be rude to the man by suggesting that he pick up the pace on a journey she volunteered for. Acanthus kicked over a few rocks, looking for some valuable ore. She found an entire vein. Grateful at last for the old man's pace, she had plenty of time to mine it all. She admired the scen

"Are you an adventurer?" Even under his heavy wool cloak, Acanthus saw his body shaking. "I am terribly sorry to bother you, but I need help. I—" he hacked violently again. "I have a treasure chest of sorts, buried in the desert, at the base of some uniquely shaped rocks. The contents are incredibly important to me, but I am too ill to make the journey alone. Would you escort me there? Though I cannot offer you much col. But, should you offer your assistance, I would be eternally grateful." Acanthis softened at the poor man’s plight. All he needed was an escort out to the chest and back.

[[You are over encumbered.]] Acanthus trekked doggedly through the rocky pass. Over encumbered is under-prepared. Besides, with a name like “El Paso del Diablo,” she knew she needed to be ready for anything. Behind her followed a frail old man. He was the source of today’s quest. He had been sitting idly at the bazaar in Fortaleza, a quest marker drifting lazily over his head. Acanthus had returned for ink quills and noticed him. Briefly skimming the quest information, she thought it was a good fit: the trip out to Saharda might be long, but the risk of death was almost zero. Besides

THREAD SUMMARY Acanthus Receives: EXP: 1,000 (quest) + ((4,021/10) * .7 * 3) * 2 = 3,688 EXP +19 foraging EXP Col: 27,330 (looting) + 400 (page) + 2,500 (quest) = 30,230 col (23) Materials T4 Perfect Weapon | 231057b T4 Perfect Trinket | 231057b, 229812a, 231057a T4 Rare Trinket | 229811a, 229810a T4 Perfect Consumable | 231140a, 231140b, 231141a, 231141b T4 Rare Consumable | 231139a Pinball Receives: EXP: 1,000 (quest) + ((4,021/10) * .7 * 8) * 2 = 6503 EXP Col: 2,500 (quest) = 2,500 col T4 Perfect Armor/Shield | 231057a, 231140c, 231140d, 231141c T4

“Until next time.” Acanthus gave a simple goodbye to Pinball as he disappeared into the wilderness of floor ten. Why on earth would he willingly go back there? It was terrible. The monsters, the sounds, the dull and crushing atmosphere… Surely he had somewhere more pleasant to be. But it wasn’t her job to question Pinball. She was there to start the fights, and he was there to finish them. Come to think of it, why had he asked her to come along in the first place? The question nagged at her again, but this time the thought was unplagued by worries or concerns. It was more of an idle curio

Crafting for 9/12/2024 Langue de chat consumed (Ambition). +1 EXP per craft (+2 total from Trinket | Tuning Fork) EXP 1011/2559

A sliver of her energy returned. Acanthus steadied herself, ready for more, only to find that Pinball had finished them off. “Thanks. I really thought I had more energy than that. I’ll be more careful next time.” When Pinball suggested they call it for the day, she agreed. “I was hoping for a few more mobs, but I think I was prepared to take on more than I can handle at this level. Don’t worry—I promise I’ll keep up with you. We’ll finish this quest together, and by the time we do, I’ll be fighting just as hard as you.” They meandered back through the caves. After the Leech Lich’s de