[F4-SP] A Time To Hunt - Bagging up those Wintery Flakes, Beginning Again pt. 12 - COMPLETE!

[Brax 0]

ID 46754

Spoiler

BD 6 +3 ACC LD 4 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 60/60 EN 4/15

Tundra Wolf 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Tundra Wolf 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Tundra Wolf 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Tundra Wolf 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     The frozen fields of Floor Four stood before Brax as he walked through Snowfrost Town.  He was in the mood for a final hunting trip, and it seemed...apropos...to have it be in the snow and ice, given the event he was participating in.  For how best to collect snowflakes than it a place where snowflakes fell freely from the sky?  It was an irony mostly lost on his, as he failed to appreciate the more subtle turnings of metaphors and such.  It was unfortunately beyond him.  Even so, he was here, and in need of hunting partners, and so he strode out of the town into the icy cold wastes.

     He did not have far to look; as soon as he had exited the settlement, he was ransacked by a group of Tundra wolves, thick fur coats their defense against the chilly weather.  Brax managed to avoid their ardent slashes with help from his Epitaph, the charm flashing green in response.  As he turned, he planted his feet and dove shoulder first into the pack, activating his Trample Act and defeating the beasts readily.  He collected the fallen loot from their bodies, and continued on in search of more.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax continued looking out over the frosty fields.  He idly thought of the winters in British Columbia, back where he imagined his body still resided in the real world.  The doctors at Berringer's might not be truly medically trained, but the facility possessed everything necessary to function as a hospital, if need be; therefore, they would be able to maintain his physical body's status, keep him alive until he returned.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The winters in Canada were quite cold, the further north you went.  In Dawson's Creek, British Columbia, while not being incredibly far north, they still usually received a decent level of snow come Christmas time.  The ground would be white and pristine, though Brax, or rather Brandon, had not seen it himself; no, he had to rely on the tales told by doctors and patients alike, as he had still been in traction until the spring before being relocated to the facility.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     This bitter cold air, the chilling wind that blew most harshly, that he was familiar with because it didn't stop being cold until early summer.  The crisp air as it filled his lungs was refreshing during his daily physical therapy, building up his muscles after the accident had left him in the ICU for so long.  Even after his muscles had reached the point of completing his therapy, Brandon had continued to run as it let him focus simply on the task at hand, and leave all else that plagued him behind, if only for a little while.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46755

Spoiler

BD 4 +3 ACC LD 18 MoBD 1 -1 EVA

Brax 60/60 EN 4/15

Frozen Yeti 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Frozen Yeti 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Frozen Yeti 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Frozen Yeti 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Another mob of monsters stood off in the far distance, and as Brax drew closer he saw that the team consisted of yetis, decently sized but not so strong as to give him pause.  They stood little chance as the man began to pick up speed, his armored feet crunching the snow quickly underfoot as he drew closer and closer.  As their eyes began to focus on the charging figure it was too late, and his shoulderguards connected hard with their fleshy bodies, with his axe sweeping out in his patented Trample Act.  As the wind blew hard over the finished battle, it drew away the crystalline remains of their bodies, leaving behind only their loot.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+640 col

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The wind began to pick up steam, so to speak, and before long Brax found himself in the midst of a blizzard, obscuring his view of the path back to town.  Though he did not yet want to go back, the man knew that without proper protection no one would survive conditions such as this.  With that thought in mind, Brax went in search of a cave or something suitable to wait out the raging storm.  But would he find a place in time?

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Success!  As he trudged valiantly through the raging storm, Brax managed to locate a decent enough shelter in which to take his rest from the freezing elements outside.  The cave was deeply buried in the snow, but his armored hands made quick enough work of the offending wintery flakes, and soon he found himself holed up inside an icy cavern that stretched deeper than he had expected.  It was almost as if the retreat wound into a mountain pass of some sort; Brax chose to explore.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     As he traversed the frozen establishment, his eyes roamed the cold walls that lined the way.  They were exquisitely crafted masterpieces, such that even a stone cold heart such as Brax's could appreciate the splendor they projected.  He did not necessarily know if Kayaba's team had built it themselves, or if they had only constructed the computer element that built the locale on it's own, but nonetheless the structuring was breathtakingly beautiful in it's simplicity, it's artistic line.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46761

Spoiler

BD 10 +3 ACC LD 12 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 60/60 EN 4/15

Ice Elemental 1 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Ice Elemental 2 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Ice Elemental 3 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

Ice Elemental 4 0/43 DEAD [7 + 2crit x 6 Trample Act - 11 MIT] = 43 DMG

     But, that beauty was marred by the inhabitants that called the cave their home.  As Brax wondered at the crystal magnificence, the ice littering the ground began to rumble and form up together, taking shape into a quartet of Ice Elementals, mimicking the artistry of the cave in their designs.  Brax bare had time to draw his gaze away from the walls before they pounced upon him, the only saving grace his Elude Epitaph upon his wrist, flashing green to boost his escapist powers of evasion.  He leapt back from their frozen grips, and after planting his feet charged their positions with his shoulder low as to activate his Trample Act yet again.  The two answering slashes from his axe echoed in the cavernous space, and after dying out left only the loot of the elementals.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+860 col

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax continued down the frozen path that led through the cavernous space where he was taking shelter from the storm outside.  He heard the beating of the wind and precipitation as it railed against the outer wall of the locale, but inside he was well protected.  He might have preferred to be outside, hunting down creatures that called the tundra their home, but even in this cave he seemed to be able to find suitable prey for his hunting purposes, and in his book that was acceptable enough.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     His metal boots crushed the icy snow beneath his treads as he passed through the cave, and as he walked he thought of the exit and where it might be.  If the cave passed into a mountain, then he might be quite far from where he would need to be in order to get back to Snowfrost, and from there to the Town of Beginnings.  Before the contest was to end, he would need to drop off his remaining winnings, the results of this trip and the one before.  Once that was complete, he would be able to resume his upward mobility through the floors, through quests and the like.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     The further down the cave he went, the more Brax considered simply turning back and waiting out the storm at the entrance.  It sounded as though the storm was backing off slightly, but he could not be too sure as there were no openings to see outside in the ceiling above.  If Brax did not find an exit soon, though, he would turn back and wait it out at the mouth of the cave, watching the storm until it passed.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46762

Spoiler

BD 4 +3 ACC LD 15 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 60/60 EN 4/15

Frozen Yeti 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Frozen Yeti 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Frozen Yeti 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Frozen Yeti 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Just past a bend in the road, Brax encountered another group of monsters itching for a fight.  A few abominable snowmen seemed to call the cave home, as well.  He dealt with them as he would any other mob squad, with a shoulder barrage and two swift strikes from his axe.  After the battle was over, he felt the weapon in his hands pulse in response to a thrum off in the distance, a deep throbbing that felt extremely powerful to Brax.  For a moment, he considered going on further in order to find what the sensation was coming from, but as he needed to return to town soon he decided against it, and to make his way back to the cave entrance.  The 'boss fight', or whatever was further down, would have to wait for another day.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

+640 col

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax began to retrace his steps back through the cave.  It was not overly hard, as without the constant snowfall from outside his footprints were easily recognizable.  In addition, the cave itself was pretty much a straight path, some twists and turns thrown in, but nothing that branched off of the main road through.  There were a few open bridges, over which one could see a network of tunnels winding around a good distance down, but as long as you didn't fall off the edge you were good.  And Brax, he wasn't able to test the odds with how much he might survive a several story drop to the floors below.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     As he walked Brax could not keep his mental processes at bay, and his thoughts pervaded his wanderings.  Again, he returned to the weather at Berringer's, and the time he had spent outside there.  The nearby lake had frozen over the closer they got to wintertime, late September to early October, and while many of the 'residents' there had been unable to enjoy the privileges of going outside during the fall and winter, he was not among them and had benefited from a few trips outside.  He had even shared chats with the nursing staff whilst walking the grounds, breathing the crisp breeze that wafted over the entire district.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax, or rather Brandon, had gotten to watch the leaves turn, even shared an outdoor picnic with the staff during the midday lunch hour, when all the other patients had been sitting through a presentation from a local magician, the only entertainment they had had in a long while.  Since Brandon did not enjoy such shenanigans, being of limited emotional range, he had been invited by his nurse to join the festivities outside, where he had been able to observe 'normal people' and their behavior which added to his socialization repertoire.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

ID 46763

Spoiler

BD 8 +3 ACC LD 1 MoBD 5 -1 EVA

Brax 60/60 EN 4/15

Tundra Wolf 1 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Tundra Wolf 2 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Tundra Wolf 3 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

Tundra Wolf 4 -2/32 DEAD [7 x 6 Trample Act - 8 MIT] = 34 DMG

     Brax's wonderings were put on hold yet again as he drew closer to the entrance to the cave.  'It would not be long now,' he thought to himself.  Before he reached it, though, he found himself engaged in battle with another mob of Tundra Wolves who had taken refuge, much like himself, in the cave.  Looking at the time, he had little left to return to the Town of Beginnings and drop off his earnings, and so would need to make quick work of the pack.  Setting himself, Brax charged their position straight away with little regard to his personal safety, but it seemed the action took the wolves rather by surprise, which made his safety irrelevant.  His tackle connected with the lead wolf, and his body began moving through the Trample Act which decimated the mob.  He walked through their dissipating pixels towards the exit, or perhaps entrance, of the cave, intent on making back to town regardless of the weather outside.

+4 materials

+4 snowflakes

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     He passed through the cave entrance, or exit, whichever one preferred, and Brax stared up into the sky.  The snow had indeed lessened enough that he could make it through unimpeded back to Snowfrost, and he took the invitation gladly.  Well, as gladly as he could.  The freshly laden snowfall softly gave way under his heavy metal boots as he trekked the path to town, his purposeful stride pushing his body onward.  The Town of Beginnings awaited his snowflakes, and the end of the contest was in sight.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     Brax wondered briefly what the reward would be, as there had been little indication upon sign-up what the winner would be taking home.  'Perhaps a Unique item for the winners?  But, since it is a team event, that would water down the eventual prize, as multiple copies of a Unique tool would be...less unique.  I imagine the answer most suited to the event would be monetary in nature, and easy enough to calculate.  Though, I wonder if the one who has gathered the most individually will receive some sort of prize as well?'

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax

[Brax 0]

     "A logical conclusion," Brax said aloud, though there was no one nearby to hear him.  His thoughts continued: 'It would make sense that the highest collector would receive something themselves, though that may be wistful thinking, not something to be engaged in.  Still, as I have yet to receive anything of that nature, it would still be preferable to simply col and glory; the glory I need not, and as of yet, the col is...unnecessary.  Nevertheless, whatever we get in return will be...acceptable.'  He had almost arrived in Snowfrost, and could see the smoking chimneys in the near distance.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Brax