[PP-F5] A Time To Socialize - Braving the Desert of Awkwardness <<The Traveler>> (Ishida, Teselmar, Opal) - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

     As he had the previous two floors, Brax appeared on the teleport pad in the main settlement of Floor Five, Armadillo.  He was greeted first by the houses and buildings surrounding the plaza, made of rock and stone and weathered by the desert wind blowing in.  A hot, dry and rather oppressive he bore down on the heavily armored man as he exited the pad and made his way to the outskirts of town.  'So, this is the famed desert,' Brax thought to himself.  It was as hot as the previous floor had been cold, the weight of his armor bearing down on him hard.  While he did not truly feel oppressed by the pervasive heat, a quick check of his status menu told a different story: if he did not keep well hydrated here, the system would be forced to shut down his body for safety purposes, to keep him alive.  As such, as he made his way to the edge of town, he first stopped by a vendor to fill his inventory with the requisite rations of water needed for a decent jaunt outside.

     Finishing up his business transaction, Brax also remembered one other thing as he stared out into the windswept sands: he had asked Ishida in his shop if the boy would aid him in his travels here; the heavy armor Ishida bore would certainly prove helpful should the beasts prove too much for Brax.  Shaking his head in agreement, he again opened his window to send the dark armored fellow a PM, inviting him along.  The only thing left to do was wait for him to arrive.  Brax stared idly out into the desert, waiting for his assistance to come.

Edited February 27, 2016 by Brax

[Ishida 0]

No sooner than Ishida materialized on to the floor, he was hit by the heat of the wind rolling off the desert.  The teen had been here before with Opal and Teselmar and it was just as bad now as it was then.  He immediately regretted agreeing to help Brax with this quest.  Nothing to do with Brax, he was fine as far as an emotionless block of stone came but that hot, dry air was just hell on a kid in plate armor.  There was a look of mock pain on his face as he stepped down from the teleport pad and made his way along the path into the town of Armadillo.

His armor clinked and clanked the entire way through the town as he sought out the rendezvous point that Brax had sent him in an earlier PM, only briefly losing focus when he passed by the cantina that he had drowned himself in refreshments the last adventure through here.  He sure would have liked to stop and have another drink right now--they didn't even bother to card him last time!  As if such a thing as drinking age mattered in the world of Aincrad.  Eventually, though, he found Brax standing vigilant at the edge of town, staring into the winding winds and sandy dunes of the desert beyond.

"Hey Brax.  Are you ready for a fun day in the sun?!" he said with apparent sarcasm and false excitement.  "I hope you don't mind, I invited a couple of pals along.  I figured it would be better if we brought a group along, just in case things got a little hairy.  Always travel in numbers!"

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar stepped off the teleport pad, letting the sudden wave of heat and dry wind wash over him. Gritting his teeth to keep the lit cigarette in his mouth, he strode forward, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake. Ishida had summoned him to this floor to help out with a quest that a friend of his was undertaking. The more the merrier was his policy when it came to adventuring, as many hands made lighter work of monsters and bosses. The rapier clicked against his hip as he made sure all his items were equipped. Armadillo's streets were largely empty at this time of day, as the sun was high and heavy in the sky. He shaded his eyes with a hand, thankful that his only form of armor was his reinforced vest. 

Passing the little watering hole where he, Ishida, and Opal had celebrated their victory over the Sandshark with drinks and song, he grinned. Good times. He hoped to make more good memories in this world, and make the best of a bad situation. Approaching the area on the outskirts of the settlement where he'd been instructed to rendevouz, Teselmar spotted Ishida and another young man waiting. He made his presence known with a wave, sauntering up. "Gotta love this floor and what it does to you heavy armor types, eh Ishida?" he clasped the young man on his shoulder pauldron warmly. He then turned to the other young man standing beside him. "Hey, I'm Teselmar. You must be the one who wants to cross the desert, right?"

[Brax 0]

     Brax addressed the boy as he strode up to him at the edge of the desert: "I...don't think we should be having FUN in the sun, as to do so would be...rather frivolous."  A beat later, his brain caught up to the boy's sarcasm.  "Oh, you were being sarcastic.  Right.  Hah."  He exhaled a breathy laugh; the humor escaped him in moments like this.  As he explained that he had invited two people, Opal and Teselmar, and how he wanted to travel with a group, he indulged his inner voice for a moment;  'The more the merrier?  I...was not expecting that.  But, then again, it was a wise precaution.  I...am not the most...trustworthy looking person out there.  If he feels safer with his...friends?  Then I will not object, so long as we are successful in our endeavor.'  Switching from his inner monologue to outer conversation, he retorted back, "I...suppose that is acceptable.  It is...unexpected...but not unforeseen.  I assume this is the same 'Teselmar' that you mentioned previously as an artisan?  Then, perhaps I can discuss with him the finer points of the charms and trinkets I will need."  Shaking his head in agreement, Brax noticed something odd about the darkly armored fellow, and another beat passed before his mind clicked into gear: the boy was hot.  Physically, internally, he was sweating and uncomfortable.  Reaching into his inventory window, Brax drew forth one of his rations of water he had previously purchased, handing it to the man saying, "I see that the weather is having a deleterious effect on you and your armor.  Some water, if yoYesu wish."

     As he was handing the water over, Brax saw another figure come forth from town.  A cigarette in his mouth and a vest over a cloth shirt, the man gave a wave and greeted Ishida warmly.  'This must be his ally...his friend.  How novel to see a cigarette here.  Interesting...' thought the heavily armored man as he drew forth another water ration to consume while the man spoke rather animatedly.  When he greeted Brax and introduced himself, Brax finished his drink and tossed the bottle out into the desert, where the finished ration dissolved into the swirling sands, and afterwards took measure of the fellow for a moment.  Teselmar carried himself well enough, a rapier at his side for a weapon.  Suitable for a more gentlemanly sort, which was evident by the man's outer gear as well.  It seemed almost out of place in these windswept dunes, this dusty rock-domed town, but he wore it well.  Nodding his head at the greeting, Brax retorted: "Yes, I am the one.  My name is...Brax.  This is my first time on Floor Five, and I...was...concerned...about what I might face.  After picking up my armor from Ishida, he offered assistance should I require it; I accepted, so here we are.  I was...unaware...that he had messaged you, but I suppose the statement 'The more the merrier' does indeed apply here.  I am...most appreciative...for your help.  He mentioned you are an artisan, yes?  I have need of one."  Brax was not one to beat around the bush; no, he spoke straight and to the point.  The last statement he had made turned a corner in the conversation, as the group awaited their fourth companion.  Off in the far distance, further than any of them could see, a Traveler was making their way through the wind and sand, approaching their position.

[Opal 0]

Opal's honey eyes squinted blocking out the harsh daylight sun overhead her. Her white armor shimmering in the sun, though much like last time, she barely wore much but in this instance she would not be needing any armor or weapons. Receiving a request from Ishida, the woman wondered if she had really wanted to visit this floor again. Even though she was against it, it was  good opportunity for them to stretch their wings as members of the KoB. Walking slowly at first, she caught up to the small group of players that had grouped up. No doubt, the other person was the one they would be helping out with this quest. It was a good idea to tackle this thing now though, they could all gain the <<Survival>> skill in one shoot here which means less trips to this floor in the future. 

"Hello everyone." the woman said, her voice somewhat parched from the dry and arid heat. Her honey eyes looked to the quiet individual, there was an odd aura over him that she couldn't exactly place, "So you guys are finally taking on this quest, huh? That's good. Which means we won't have to do it later. Well, since we are gathered here...Ishida and Teselmar, I will be grading you on the actions and choices you two make today. I wanna see some good teamwork. I will be staying out of the combat, you three should have no trouble with the mobs on this floor by now and you all have adequate equipment. I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself."

Opal stood toe to toe with the man and looked up, her thin dark brows raised as to meet him in the eyes, "My name is Opal, Vice Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath. I hope we'll be able to clear this quest without any problems today," she offered a ruby smile to the player as the sweat raced down the length of her curvy body. It was bad enough to perspire as a woman, but this heat could be damned for all she cared. 

"As I said, I'll be taking a back seat on this ride." With that said, she offered a friendly smile to Teselmar as she made her way towards the back of the group, "When you guys are ready.." she said gesturing. 

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar blinked at Brax, taking in his first impression of the man. He spoke as if he'd been programmed to do so, no tact or guile to his words whatsoever. The smoking man found it almost refreshing, after growing up in a family that thrived off of intrigue and politics. Still, his lack of social feedback made the gregarious man with the goldenrod hair pause for a moment, thinking of the best way to respond to the armored stoic. He decided to go with factual and friendly. "Nice to meetcha, Brax. True, floor five is a pain, but as long as you stay hydrated and don't think about the heat too much, you'll be alright. Oh yeah, I have a little place on the fourth floor. The White Stag Cafe and Gallery; perfect place to grab a cup of coffee, relax, and get some gear made if you need it. I'd be more than happy to have another customer, just let me know what you're in the market for! " He grinned, looking over the taciturn man's armor ensemble. "Ishida made this, eh? He did a mighty fine job on this kit. Good craftsmanship, dude." He called over to the other young man in the obsidian armor.

In the distance, Teselmar could see two figures approaching from opposite directions; one was an NPC whom he assumed they'd receive their quest from, and the other, closer figure was one that the former cop was more than happy to see. "Helloooo, Vice Commander." He smiled warmly as he spoke softly, then cleared his throat and straightened in attention. Teselmar was in a unique position; Opal and he were an item, but she was also sorta... his boss. He knew to keep it professional at 'work', though, and listened carefully as she spoke. When she finished, he took the initiative and started out towards the approaching NPC. "Alright, let's get this show on the road, gents!"

[Ishida 0]

Ishida just sort of grinned at Brax as he put two and two together regarding his sarcasm.  Brax was a character of great contrast in comparison to the rest of the folk he was known to hang around with, who were mostly vivacious and energetic.  The stalwart man was as flexible as the metal that protected his body.

Soon enough, Teselmar made his approach from out of his line of sight and clapped him soundly on his armored shoulder.  A pained look washed over his face at the man's comment, thinking about how terrible it was going to be in the desert.  A groan unconsciously slipped out of his mouth as he further let his imagination wander upon the idea of heavy perspiration and the weight of his armor on a dehydrated body.  "Yeah, thanks for reminding me.... ugh."

Brax and Teselmar continued to converse as Opal walked up.  Ishida gave a light wave to her at first but when she started to talk about how she was going to grade them as their commanding officer, he remembered the Knights of the Blood Oath initiation ceremony--the one he totally forgot to attend.  "Oh..." he quietly eeked out before realizing his great mistake.  "Oh!  Oh damn!  I f-forgot about th-the--the thing!  Don't kill me, Opal!"

[Brax 0]

     Brax took a measured look at the lady who approached from town, his eyes scanning her figure once from top to bottom.  She was well-proportioned, easily a standard of beauty that few could compare to.  Strategically placed armor, looking more like cloth than metal, was draped around her to afford decent protection while maintaining both modesty and function, especially in such weather as that which pervaded the entire floor.  Raven locks framed a porcelain face with fire-filled honey-colored eyes, behind which Brax could see...steel, strong steel that could only be forged from unfortunate circumstances.  It would have been...intimidating to any one else, but as Brax could feel very little, all he could think was...that the woman possessed power and commanded respect.  Evidenced by how he noticed that Ishida and Teselmar both stood a little straighter when she arrived, collected themselves in a more...respectful manner.  As she stood before him and introduced herself, Brax found that he could respect both her directness and her fearless demeanor, standing toe to toe with the man even as he must have looked...very intimidating himself.  "A...pleasure, Commander.  I...am Brax.  As far as I know...there should be no problems."  Satisfied by his answer, Opal turned to speak to her two Knights-in-training.  Having explained to them her expectations, she took a backseat to the party, bringing up the rear for observational purposes.

     Teselmar broke the silence that followed by calling out his intention to start the quest.  Ishida, though, appeared agitated during her instructional statements, growing more so as it went on.  At the mention of their recruitment party, he visibly blanched, more sweat pouring out of him than even the desert air could produce.  He cried out something about not killing him, and his apologies, causing Brax's eyes to widen slightly at the fear the woman produced.  'Fascinating...' he mused silently, wondering what kind of legend Opal must have forged to incur such reactions.  Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he knew that such ideas were a distraction and would have no bearing on the mission: he was here to gain the survival skill, not comment on their social interactions.  Perhaps later, after the quest had begun he could indulge, but for now they should be on their way.  Turning from the tableau before it escalated, Brax followed Teselmar and simply said, "Very well, 'gent', let us...depart."

[Opal 0]

Sighing to herself, the woman flipped locks of damped blackness from her eyes. Sweeping the long strands over an ear to perch while she looked to Ishida with the simplest of smiles, "Ishida, I am not going to kill you...I'll leave that to the vultures to pick clean the meat from your bones out in the desert. Seriously though, it is no problem. It was a fine event. Commander Heathcliff spoke to everyone on our shared vision of the Guild and then we all had a few drinks and a nice meal and got to know each other a little better. If you are still interested in the guild though, we can still make you a member. However, at the next guild meet I expect a presence bearing white and red." she said pointing at the darkness of the heavy armor formed around his body.

Waving a hand at her body, she could only feel the arid heat drawn from the winds to decimate her unmarred body. Beads of sweat trickled lightly from her brow and down the curving features of her womanly figure. Sweeping a hand once more over her forehead to block both sun and sweat, the woman looked to the party leader, Brax, and nodded to him, "Sorry for keeping you from your quest, we should be good to go now." The woman materialized a bottle of water from her inventory and began to drink of the contents, the cool rush of liquid finally giving reprieve from the horrid heat that had taken to her body as the sun above them focused through a magnifying glass as if to turn their bodies to ash and fire. 

"Wait till you guys see the Volcano Floor..." the woman said with a small smile, if they thought this was hot, wait till they tangoed with the Cerberus on the higher floor. That was going to be a fun quest for them, and one she possibly would not entertain the thought of joining.  

[Ishida 0]

There was a wave of relief that hit him once Opal affirmed that she was not going to kill him.  That relief was almost as as refreshing as an actual wave of water hitting him, which was something he could really, really go for right about now.  Ishida watched in his periphery as Teselmar and Brax headed out into the desert to greet the incoming NPC that would start their quest.  With his attention pulled away, he only barely heard Opal's comment about his dark colored armor which immediately caused him to softly frown.

Ishida dropped to one knee at the very edge of the town; his knee plate scraped against the sand covered tile marking the end of civilization as he did so.  Armored fingers stretched out to toy with the sand, going so far as to draw the kanji of his name in its ever shifting face.  Although he knew that sand was hot to the touch, he could not feel its heat through the protection of his gauntlet.  He was glad for that but on the other hand, that meant that every bit of heat that was within his armor was retained as well.  Ishida was a walking sauna.

"Come on.  You know I wouldn't look anywhere near as good in white and red as I do in black.  It's kinda my thing.  Besides, you don't pick up girls wearing white, Opal.  There's no such thing as a "bad boy in white" look.  Girls see my black armor and they're like--dang, no one is gonna want to mess with him."  Ishida said with a certain enthusiasm.  He was half kidding but it was still humorous to him, none the less.

With a grunt, he pushed back up to his feet and let the sand accumulated in his gauntlet slip through his fingers and back to the desert below.  Reluctance was apparent in his melting expression as he started to follow after the rest of the group and into the further assault of the desert winds.  Ishida already knew, he was going to need a cold bath after this--maybe a dunk in a frozen lake on the fourth floor was in order?

[Teselmar 0]

Teselmar strode out into the desert, his comrades following closely behind him as he went. One conversation with an NPC later, and the four had their quest markers activated. Teselmar could feel the heat getting under his skin, and looked back at Brax and Ishida. Yikes. Wouldn't want to be roasting alive in a tin can if I were them. Of course. their armor afforded them much better damage mitigation than Teselmar's own combat vest, so he supposed he couldn't fault them for wearing it. Shooting the occasional glance backwards, he observed Opal and how she walked along. His own relationship with her aside, she was his vice commander, and he wasn't about to let a little thing like virtual heat stroke keep him from a successful mission. 

ID# 47279 results: Craft: 10 (safe) | Loot: 12 (nothing)

They walked in relative quiet for the first part of the day. Teselmar was holding up alright, and even though the heat was bothering him, his mind wasn't making it such a big problem that his HP bar translated the heat into damage. Looking around, it didn't appear that there were any materials he could gather in this leg of the trip either. Might be a good time to get to know everyone a little bit better. Turning a bit so he could address Brax, the golden-haired fencer spoke. "So Brax, what kind of weapon do you use? I haven't seen you equip yours yet."

[Brax 0]

ID 47292

CD 12 LD 15

     Brax was...very much intrigued that the trek through the desert sun was less damaging than he thought, even in his full armor regalia.  He was sweating, true, but not abysmally so, and not so much that he was unable to operate at a relatively peak efficiency level.  'How...surprising," he thought to himself as the party advanced into the hot swirling sands.  The dust and sands blew about them as they traveled, the silence easily prevent Brax from embarrassing himself with frivolous conversation, conversation that would have been...much more difficult than the journey their quest was taking them on.  As the sun sat high in the sky, however, Teselmar who was at the head of their traveling chain, looked back to ask Brax a bit of a filler question: he wanted to know what kind of weapon he wielded.  'I suppose...I should equip my weapon, if only to prepare in case we are accosted.'  Enacting his musings, Brax opened up his status window, and after finding his Veteran's Axe equipped it to his back.  The large and menacing piece appeared in a swirl of pixels, coalescing into an worn and damaged axe coated in blood, dried and crusted on the nicked metal facings.  It was...the appearance of a weapon that had seen much combat, and the blood stains pulsed ominously with energy, eager for more combat to slake it's lust.  "I carry...a Two-Handed Battle-Axe," Brax stated simply, allowing his axe to speak volumes for him.  "It has...seen much in the way of battle...since my time here in Aincrad began.  I chose it...well, I am...unsure...as to why I chose it."

Edited February 3, 2016 by Brax

[Opal 0]

"Ishida, you will wear the red and white proudly as a member of the KoB, however, if that is not your style. Third in Command of the Strike Force Unit, Mack, might have some use of you as a Tank. Their colors are garbed in crimson if that tickles your fancy. But as for the Knights of the Blood Oath, there will be a strict uniform policy. It is an indication of pride for your guild, also a beacon of hope to the players that we stand more united as the future presents itself." It was a difficult choice to make, to become part of such a prestigious guild such as this one must wear it proudly upon them as the guild stood for something more than a clan in this virtual hell. It stood for much and Opal would not allow the name to be packed with mud nor allow disobedience to unfurl chaos within her beloved guild. Strict rules are to be applied because of the dignity and future prosperity of the KoB. 

Sweeping her small fingers through the raven locks of hair, the woman had wondered of Brax as weapon as well. The interesting question came from Teselmar's mouth. Although the heavy armored warrior said no word, he did give demonstration to providing his weapon equipped to his back. A menacing two handed ax that had seen much of battle. He seemed to wear it proudly upon his person. She nodded with interest as it had appeared to be so, "This person, Brax, appears to be interesting on all accounts. Carries himself well, however he says very little. I wonder what spurs him with passion? And what sort of person he is over all. I shall keep a keen eye on his performance today for future note as a member of the Knights of the Blood." Opal voicing her opinions to herself continued with the others through the dry arid heat of the desert. The beads of sweat dripping from her unmarred skin, like hot beads rolling off the flesh of her body dripping to the sands.   

"How about an interest in slaying some mobs? If you guys are not to devoured by the heat, I'd like to see how far you have all have become in the prowess of battle." Opal had suggested, this was a lesson after all to her two members along with Brax's quest. 

[Ishida 0]

[OOC: I apologize for the delay.  I should be back in action now.]

"I know, I know.  I'll get working on something right away..." he said demurely after Opal had beaten him down with her words.  Ishida was only kidding in the first place but Opal's devotion to the Knights of the Blood Oath pierced the thick hide of his sarcasm.  The teen grumbled as they sauntered further out into the desert in search of the missing cargo, not at all pleased with those hot arid winds that were cutting through the gaps in his armor.  It was times like these that he really wished he had crafted a helmet for himself, which would have afforded some protection to the pelts of sand that repeatedly left his face stinging.

"I don't suppose anyone knows what exactly we're looking for right?  Opal, have you taken this quest before?"  Ishida raised his shield to simultaneously block the hot wind and the burning sun as he looked to Opal, unwilling to let those minor inconveniences interrupt his question.  Honestly, he was just trying to figure out how long he'd be stuck out here in these uncomfortable elements.

ID# 47782
CD: 10 (No damage)
LD: 16

Clunk.  His armored foot rang soundly as his toe caught on something just beneath the sand.  As a result, Ishida nearly fell over and planted his face right into the bowels of the blistering sand.  That would have been painful.  Reeling around in a fit of instantaneous anger, he was surprised to find a chunk of workable metal ore at his feet.  A look of muted pleasure washed over his features as he picked it up, though that didn't really mask the fiery ire that bubbled up to the surface just moments before.

[Loot: +1 material]

Edited February 9, 2016 by Ishida

[Teselmar 0]

 ID# 47938 results: Craft: 8 (Safe) | Loot: 20 (Success!)

The lithe man didn't pay much mind to the sun as they progressed onwards, letting his fair skin glisten in the radiant desert heat. "I'd be up for hunting some mobs, if the rest of you are okay with that." Seeing Ishida nearly face-plant, Teselmar suppressed a giggle. He caught a glint of something reflecting below the sand in front of him, and stopped. "Huh, people leaving buried treasure all over the place these days."

+1 Mat

Edited February 11, 2016 by Teselmar

[Brax 0]

ID 47983

Spoiler

Brax 8 +2 ACC LD 2 +1 LD MoBD 5

Brax 88/88 EN 11/22

Cactuar Brawler 1 1/44 [9 x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 2 1/44 [9 x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 3 1/44 [9 x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 4 1/44 [9 x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 5 44/44

Cactuar Brawler 6 44/44

Cactuar Brawler 7 44/44

Cactuar Brawler 8 44/44

     As the day dragged further on and the sun continued it's path into the late afternoon, Brax listened to the bantering of his gathered party, for in point of fact they had been gathered here by his direction.  Though the Lady Opal had said she would use the outing as a testing ground for the other men's skills so as to better place them within the guild she helped to command, it was his need of Survival, no pun intended given the harsh conditions of the desert, that had brought them together.  As such, he drew the conclusion that, should they wish to engaged in battle, he would have to make the first move.  Perhaps, should he have a decent showing, he might...prove his worth, not that he required people's validation for his qualities; no, more that...if and when he moved forward with his needs as far as assistance was concerned, it would be only logical to have cultivated an option or two.

     Thus, with the sun entering it's evening rotation and about to set in an hour or so, Brax unsheathed his weapon for battle and made ready to unleash his particular brand of devastation on any mobs that appeared, letting the group surmise his intentions from his actions.  His eyes scanned the sandy expanse for mobs of any nature, but only found a large patch of cacti in the near distance, waving gently in the desert breeze.  Brax turned away from the plants, idly wondering that such foliage must be hardy indeed to survive in a place such as this, when a thought struck him: what was a group of cacti doing...bunched like a mob?  That thought struck him like lightning, and turning round, Brax barely was able to dodge multiple pairs of fists as the cacti came alive and began to assault the search party.  After leaping back to avoid the whirling punches they launched at him, Brax landed back on his metal clad boots and pushed off towards his opponents, a midlevel Sword Art already being prepared as he charged.  A shoulder tackle landed against the closest of the Brawlers, leading his virtual frame through his Trample Act, using the two sweeping strikes that followed to split the group right down the middle, giving his fellow partygoers a choice of opponents and disrupting the Cactuars for the moment.  Taking a moment to assess, Brax offered but a single comment: "It would appear...that the mobs found us."

Edited February 11, 2016 by Brax

[Opal 0]

OOC: Excuse the tardy response. I was unaware it was my turn, until I had read this last post at work. :) 

Opal had been walking slowly behind the rest of the bunch, the hot sun wearing the woman thin as her normal confident stride was matched with a more sluggish pace or a trudge. Beads of sweat rolled off her heavily curvy body as she swept a hand over her brow flicking away the perspiration that consumed her forehead. When her name was struck, it sounded off like a strong cord hitting her in the very heart. She had snapped to attention by Ishida asking what they were to be looking for as they travelled the would-be Sierra Desert. 

"Ugh...right. Well, if memory serves, we should be looking for an overturned caravan of sorts with a package within. That is where we will find the medicine for the NPC," the woman didn't wanna drag out her response any further. Her throat was dry and hoarse as she spoke, probably an accumulation of the years she smoked along with the arid heat that seemed to suck the moisture from her petite body. A single hand fell on a dial of her menu, twisting it slightly as she found the pressure resource to help quench her thirst. The item sprang from thin air to her right hand as she carelessly chugged the cool liquid, replenishing the vital nutrients she was passing through from her skin due the sun above. 

Both Ishida and Teselmar had found priceless gems within the sea of sand surrounding them. Opal would have stopped to examine the sands around her, but the barren wasteland added no extra comfort even if she had wanted to. The thought of running her hands through the sand had made her feel like a slug with a salted body, and refrained from doing so. As the party stopped, Opal took a single step back when she found they were nearly in the clutched of a Cactuar Gang. The woman raised a single thin brow upwards, "Ugh...Yeah, I suppose this is a good time--"

An ax had planted itself firmly into a group of four, leaving them not but a smidgen of HP left for the others to take care. Brax seemed to have taken the offensive as well as lead with a strong attack for the others to follow through. She bit down on her lower lip as curiosity budded within the woman's mind if this player was always so well on taking the lead. Sweeping thoughts aside she took a step back or two to allow the others to take position, "Oh my. So many? Whatever shall you do? You must save me...I do not wish to perish in this desert from the...cactuars..." she had tried to conjure up some theatric display, but the heat was overwhelming and her act had faded as quickly as it had started. 

"Hurry up and kill the fuckers...I don't wanna be in this heat much longer," whatever lady like tone she had expressed turned more into a annoyed voice as she pressed the remnants of the cold bottle to her forehead before it shattered in her hand from expiration. Sighing, if she had to, she would take up arms only to quicken their pace and find that overturned caravan. 

[Ishida 0]

Opal's response left much to be desired.  It sounded like they were doomed to wander the desert until they found this mysterious overturned caravan.  That was rather foreboding if you allowed your imagination to roam like the teen did.  He could see it now: the four of them crawling from one mirage to another in search of the mysterious medicine, their young bodies now dried husks and looking more like beef jerky than human.  It was a terrible thought.

Luckily, Brax was attacked.  The invigorating sounds of battle were enough to snap him out of that menacing spell and bring him back into the fold.  A quick snap of his head and his attention was focused onto the fleet of prickly pests that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, only to watch half of them get chunked by a ferocious, controlled swing of an axe from Brax.  Ishida nodded in enthusiastic approval as he flung his own arm to the side, his hand already balled into a fist which soon transformed into a grip around the handle of his sword as it materialized.  Without missing another beat, the boy charged forward toward the cactuars, kicking up small cascades of sand with each heavy footfall.

"Come on!" he roared as soon as he got in close proximity to the enemies, taunting them with his menacing howl.  In preparation of the attacks to come, he raised his shield before his heavily armored body while doing his best to keep all of the spiny troublemakers in his field of view.

>> Howl used.  +3 Hate all opponents.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Ishida

[Teselmar 0]

OOC: Apologies for being late everybody, real life has been kicking my butt lately.

Teselmar grinned broadly at the thought of combat, and drew his rapier when Opal spoke. "That's not half a bad idea, dea- err, Vice Commander. Let's go for it!" They had been moving for nearly an hour when Teselmar's eyes caught sight of the cacti bunched together. Hmmm... something about those plants gives me a funny feeling... He wrote it off as paranoia, and was about to move on when Brax dodged a strike from the now-living cacti!

Brax cleaved through a decent chunk of the prickly bastards, and Ishida was Howling to attract their hatred. Opal was playing the damsel in distress bit to the hilt, and Teselmar suppressed a snort. She was by far and away the strongest of them, so to even think of her as some sort of helpless maiden was an amusing thought. He grinned and shouted back at her, "Fear not, milady! For I will not let the dreaded cactuses... cactuseses? Cacti, devour you whole." He winked at her as he dashed forward into melee range.

ID# 48375 results: Battle: 5+2= 7 (Hit) | Craft: 9 (Safe) | 

Teselmar brandished his rapier with poise and skill, the narrow blade flashing in the desert sun. A weapon like his was designed primarily to do a lot of damage to a single foe, but he wasn't absolutely defenseless when it came to attacking a crowd of enemies. His sword art <<Streak>> lashed out with blinding speed across a group of the four creatures, streaking like a comet as he carved into the plants. He targeted the ones that Brax had already decimated, finishing them off with efficiency. That only left half of the group to go. "Now this is what I call a good time; a nice sunny day, friends to spend it with, and monsters to kill!"

Teselmar: HP: 60 | EN: 15 | MIT: 21 | DMG: 7

Cactuar Brawler 1 0/44  Dead

Cactuar Brawler 2 0/44 Dead

Cactuar Brawler 3 0/44 Dead

Cactuar Brawler 4 0/44 Dead

Cactuar Brawler 5 44/44

Cactuar Brawler 6 44/44

Cactuar Brawler 7 44/44

Cactuar Brawler 8 44/44

Edited February 16, 2016 by Teselmar

[Brax 0]

ID 48393

Spoiler

BD 9 +2 ACC LD 5 +1 LD MoBD 7

Brax 88/88 [No Damage due to Ishida's Howl] EN 0/22

Cactuar Brawler 1 0/44

Cactuar Brawler 2 0/44

Cactuar Brawler 3 0/44

Cactuar Brawler 4 0/44

Cactuar Brawler 5 -5/44 DEAD [9 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 49 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 6 -5/44 DEAD [9 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 49 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 7 -5/44 DEAD [9 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 49 DMG

Cactuar Brawler 8 -5/44 DEAD [9 + 1crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 49 DMG

     After he had split the mob clean down the middle, Brax watched as the rest of the group took their turns.  Opal maintained a discreet distance, allowing the lower leveled players a chance to show what they were capable of, with Ishida and Teselmar displaying...rather decent capabilities, at least as far as the stoic was concerned.  They would need more training, of course, so as to better their strength, but for a basic evening out hunting for a caravan they were functioning quite well.  As the Cactuar on the left vanished into pixels following Teselmar's Sword Art, Brax turned to face the other set and readied his axe for a, hopefully, final strike, or at least one strong enough to allow the others to finish them off.

     He felt the bloodlust in his axe begin to pulse outward, the fallen souls who had wielded the weapon thirsting for a chance to cleave through anything worthy of their time, and the pulsing power traveled up his arms as Brax readied another Trample Act.  The rage and lust reached his heart, but careened to a halt once there: the solid stone in his breast...was unaffected by the pulsating red bloodlust.  All it met with was a rocky countenance that stood like a statue, ever watchful and calculatingly cold.  It was Brax who controlled the weapon, not the other way around.  Idle thoughts traveled through his brain as his Sword Art took hold, specifically the idea that he would soon need to pick up another blade, for the Veteran's Axe, while useful during his training, could prove less than ideal should the bloodlust take over at an inappropriate time.  But, now was not the time to consider the matter; no, the matter at hand was the destruction of the mob of Cacti.  A flash of light heralded the finished charge of his Trample Act, and after Ishida's howl had drawn their attention Brax took advantage of the Cactuar's misplaced gaze.  Rushing forwards once more, he struck the unprepared green mob and was ushered through the final two sweeping strikes that fully bisected the mob into pixels.  As their crystalline shower washed over the stoic, he took a last look around to see if any other beasts would surprise their team.  Finding none, he simply sheathed his axe and turned back to the party, saying "Yes, a...good day indeed...for hunting mobs."  With that, he turned back to the desert itself, wondering when they would find the elusive caravan and hoping it would be soon.

OOC - Should we end this now, or do we need to post a little more?  I'm down for whatever if we wanted to wrap this up, or perhaps go on a dungeon run, should the roll provide :). 

Edited February 16, 2016 by Brax