[SP-F1] Moments of Tranquility (Complete)

[Evander 0]

Evander sat down in the shade of a lone tree, on top of a hill, surveying the rolling, grassy plains below. A gentle breeze blew through, rustling the leaves of the branches above him. The weather had been actually quite good for the past week, and Evander had yet to see rain at all. He supposed that was one of the features of the first floor- wouldn't want new players to be too uncomfortable before getting invested in the game. Evander lay back, hands behind his head, and looked up at the blue sky. Evander sighed in content. It was a nice day, with a few puffy clouds lazily floating along in the sky, and the cloak he had just bought made it all the better- it was a soft, thick fabric, and was like a blanket. He expected that as time went on, and the cloak experienced more wear and tear, this would cease being the case. It was a nice day- he was glad he decided to give himself a break today. Birds twittered in the sky as they flew freely in the wind. Hmm, maybe a break every month wouldn't be too bad... but so many people were already fighting so hard for freedom every single day that Evander felt guilty for even thinking about taking any breaks. Ah yes, that reminded him of the one thing that he had set out to do today on his break- introspect, and reflect on why he had put himself so close to death's door. Evander sighed. This wasn't going to be as relaxing as he hoped.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander wrapped his cloak tighter around him like a shawl. He thought back to the previous day. He remembered the sheer rage that had gripped him, the anger he had felt coursing through his veins. He shook his head. His frustration had gotten the better of him. He needed to be better, so that never happened again. He was only still alive because of Takao. Hmm. There were actually likely many things wrong with him, as with all people. He needed to work on all of these, but, one step at a time. He had to excise one flaw at a time, most likely working on his rage first. Yeah. That was a good idea. Well, that was the most important part down pat. He needed a goal, something to strive for, and he got it- becoming better. Now, as to how he would do this. This was the dilemma. Ugh. Evander flumped back down into the grass and began to groan. Why was this so hard? Why was becoming better so difficult? He couldn't control himself during those moments, so what could he even do about them? Evander stared up into the sky, hoping for an answer.

[Evander 0]

Eh. Whatever. Evander stood. He wasn't going to learn anything by just lounging around. He needed to clear his head. A walk sounded nice right now. He began to walk down the hill, hands in pockets, thinking about nothing in particular. His eyes wandered, focusing on different things, such as how there was a bird's nest over there, or how a butterfly landed on a flower. His feet trod down a beaten path into the forest. The air was cooler under the trees, more refreshing and crisp, in comparison to the warm, lethargic air outside. A stream swiftly ran by to his left. Evander knelt by the water, cupping his hands and drinking. The water revitalized him, made him see with more clarity, clearing his mind of useless dregs of thought. Evander pulled out his hand-drawn map. Yeah, he knew there was already a map provided by the system that showed everywhere he went to, but drawing one out let him add amusing annotations. He hadn't added to it recently, but he had already mapped out and wrote about most of the region around the Town of Beginnings and Horunka Village, and the path connecting, so there really wasn't much need to. Evander pulled out a piece of charcoal, and wrote "Refreshing Stream" by the stream on his map in his usual illegible scribble. Evander smiled a little. Was it just him, or was his handwriting getting even worse from lack of practice? He had already failed an essay once because the professor couldn't read it, though the contents were surely worth an A. He hadn't thought worse handwriting was possible. Evander put the map back in his inventory, and moved on.

[Evander 0]

His mind was clear. It was clearer than it had been for a long time. His footsteps came to a halt in a clearing in the forest. The sun was able to break through the thinner foliage and shine its light onto the floor. Evander sat down in the sunlight, basking in the warmth. On a whim, he decided to try meditation. It seemed to have enlightened many characters in fictional works and some people in real life, so it was worth a shot. He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began to think. His thoughts flitted about randomly at first, and he fairly quickly became bored, but he managed to begin to focus and concentrate his thoughts on the path he had undertaken. Becoming a better person. It was a question that had been asked since the time of the Greek philosophers. Aristotle had said that courage was one of the most important qualities, alongside honor, and that the greatest virtues were those that helped others. The past was a wealth of knowledge- one could learn much from history's struggles.

[Evander 0]

Now, this was a good train of thought- Evander felt like he was finally getting somewhere, like he was finally taking steps towards being better. Evander continued to focus. The Greeks had valued attaining glory through one's achievements, and bending the impossible through one's will. They had myths of men like Odysseus, who continued to try and try again to return home to his island of Ithaca, to his wife Penelope, despite so many setbacks against him. Yes, there was a common thread, there was one pivotal thing that connected all of the Greek myths of glory- the Twelve Labours of Hercules, Odysseus's long journey, Orpheus's descent into the Underworld. Evander was close, he was so close- he could almost see the answer before him. A growl came from behind him. Evander opened his eyes, and leaped to his feet. Another wolf. A monster had disturbed his train of thought, causing him to lose sight of the path he needed to undertake. Evander sighed. He had been so close. With resignation, Evander drew his blade. Might as well get this over with. At least he could test out his new cloak.

Begin Combat

Evander: HP: 24/24  Energy: 6/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 12/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

[Evander 0]

Evander looked at the wolf intently. He could not allow himself to rely on another person's strength to save him again. He needed to be better. The wolf stared back with yellow, baleful eyes. It's cloak was a dark brown, perfect for blending into the forest, unlike the white wolf he had fought the other day. Evander focused. He could not allow his thoughts to wander, or allow himself to become frustrated. It was just another monster. Evander looked at the beast, waiting for it to strike. He noted that, thus far at least, all of the monsters had been willing to let him have to first move, and thus, at least in his opinion, the disadvantage. The one who struck first had no opportunity to learn of his opponent's skills before being attacked in kind, and this could be fatal in a life or death game. Well, at least he had his gifted crystals to bust out if he got injured too much. He was getting distracted again. He needed to focus on the battle at hand. Evander charged forth to deal the first blow. He landed a hit with his blade, but it did the bare minimum of damage due to the wolf's defenses. However, when the wolf snapped back at him, his armor took away most of the damage and dealt thorns damage back onto the wolf, dealing it a grievous blow.

Combat

Evander: HP: 23/24  Energy: 5/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 4/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 58362 results:

 Battle: 6

 MOB: 8

Total DMG: 2-3(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt + 7(thorns)= 8 DMG to mob

Mob DMG: 3-12(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt

Edited May 6, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

It was clear that this player-crafted armor was great in quality. It would likely be carrying him through the battles to come. He could even buy a player-made sword, and then all enemies would fall quickly before him... Evander shook his head. He didn't really feel comfortable doing this. It felt too much like piggy-backing off of, and using the talents of others. He felt like he didn't really earn anything. Evander made an assertion in his mind that he would never buy a piece of equipment from a player again- he needed to earn his own victories. He would keep his armor though- one, because he already had it, two, it was probably the only thing that was keeping him alive, and three, it was comfortable to wear and use as a blanket. Very comfortable. Evander drew back from the wolf. It was panting, a sign of its flagging health. If he got hit one more time, it would likely die. The boy chuckled a little. That was pretty funny. In order to kill the beast, he needed to be hit by the beast, instead of dealing the damage himself. It was practically cheating. Evander stepped forward, cutting down with his blade. He missed. Evander sighed. Missing yet again. If he compared his actual hits to his misses, he was sure he would probably be shocked at his sheer inaccuracy. Well, at least the monster missed too.

Combat

Evander: HP: 23/24  Energy: 4/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 4/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 58364 results:

 Battle: 3 (fail)

 MOB: 5 (fail)

Edited May 6, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Alright, it was time to get this over with. Soon, he could get back to his meditation, and hopefully be able to resume the thread of thought he had had. Also, he needed to get on with getting a better weapon. His basic sword couldn't even pierce the hide of these wolves to deal any damage beyond maximum. Even with sword arts, he wouldn't be able to even hurt these monsters much. He really needed a better weapon. Hmm, there should be a quest that would give him a better sword somewhere here on Floor 1. Perhaps he would go check that out later. Evander twirled the sword in his left hand. Pretty soon, his left would be just as good as his right in fighting. That was good- no he wouldn't be defenseless if someone decided to lop off his arm, or one of his arms was unusable or something. Well, back to the task at hand first. He was in no real danger of dying, but one could never be too cautious. As Evander moved into a stance for a lunge, the wolf jumped out at him first. Whoa there, whoa there. That was one of the first times the monster had actually taken the initiative to attack first. That was pretty unexpected, though in retrospect, he should have been more wary. He had just been lucky, he guessed, with no monster making the first move. It was a pretty good thing the wolf had horribly failed- it missed him by a foot, and he didn't even have to move. Too bad his reflexive hit missed because of that.

Combat

Evander: HP: 23/24  Energy: 3/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 4/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 58415 results:

 Battle: 4 (fail)

 MOB: 1 (critical fail)

Edited May 7, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Well, this match certainly was riveting, wasn't it. This inept wolf, combined with his own propensity for missing attacks, made this battle drag on. It could have been over by now, if the wolf just landed a hit. Blech. One of them needed to become more accurate. Evander turned to where the wolf had lunged. It was back on its feet, albeit a little unsteadily. It began to growl, likely in frustration. To be honest now, Evander kind of was too, but he couldn't let himself be too frustrated, with the whole tamping down on anger thing. Evander held his blade in a defensive position. The wolf wasn't going to surprise him this time. A cloud went over the sun, making the already somewhat dim light in the forest even dimmer. A butterfly decided to land on his shoulder. Evander was tense, ready to spring into action at any moment. Well, the wolf wasn't moving much, just growling, so he would probably have to attack first. Evander sighed again. He remembered when battles used to be fun. Now they were just a bunch of unlucky misses, or just him being ravaged by some monster or other while he missed every single attack. Perhaps he needed something to increase his accuracy. Well, whatever the case, dilly-dallying about wasn't going to get anything done. Evander ran forth, blade held in front of him, for what would hopefully be a direct hit. Nope. Just as expected. Evander sighed in resignation yet again. Even the monster missed its pitiful strike. He needed to work on accuracy.

Combat

Evander: HP: 23/24  Energy: 2/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 4/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 58416 results:

 Battle: 5 (fail)

 MOB: 2 (fail)

Edited May 7, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Evander looked at the wolf. The wolf looked back at Evander. This battle wasn't really working out, and both him and the monster AI knew this, or, at least Evander imagined that the AI knew this, for dramatic purposes and such. However, both of them were obligated to continue to fight one another, no matter how pointless it was- it was simply the nature of the situation. Because the situation required it, they must both fight, and they both would continue to fight, no matter what. Hmm. That was an interesting train of thought- obligations. They would both continue to try and try again, because they were obligated to do so. Well, all of this philosophical thinking could be saved for his meditation time. Now was the time to fight, and probably miss. Evander stood in a defensive position, his sword up in front of him, waiting for it to strike. He looked into the wolf's narrowed yellow eyes. The wolf leaped forward toward him, teeth bared. The wolf managed to land a savage blow in, ripping at his right arm. Well, it was a very good idea that he had trained with using a sword with his left hand, and it was also very good that he had bought this cloak. The wolf's lunge threw him off-balance, and his own retaliation missed.

Combat

Evander: HP: 22/24  Energy: 1/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 4/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 58421 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 10 (critical +2)

Mob DMG: 3+2(critical)= 5-12(MIT)= 1 DMG done

Edited May 7, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Well, that was interesting- the wolf hadn't been affected by the thorns enchantment. It was probably because the wolf had scored a hit that likely would have been fairly devastating, had he not been wearing his cloak. One might even have called it critical. Ah, puns. They were great. Back to the task on hand. Evander held the sword out in front of him. The cloud over the sun passed, brightening up the forest again. This fight was practically over, but, then again, it had practically been over since the first exchange of blows. Why did he have to be so unlucky? Well, perhaps this was a self-fulfilling prophecy, in a way. Perhaps believing that he would miss actually caused him to miss. Maybe he needed to change his mindset about the whole matter. Well, whatever the case, he really needed to get back to the battle now. Evander looked the wolf in the eyes. Evander swung his sword at the wolf, hoping that this would be the end of the matter. The swing swung true, but the wolf bit onto the blade, halting it in its tracks. A struggle ensued, as Evander tried to push through the strike and hit the beast, while the wolf anchored itself into the ground, snarling.

Combat

Evander: HP: 22/24  Energy: 0/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 4/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 58467 results:

 Battle: 5 (fail)

 MOB: 3 (fail)

Edited May 8, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Now, this was more like it. Instead of a pitiful battle, where they both missed all the time, there was an actual struggle now, a fight for dominance. Evander pushed his blade even harder, but the wolf held strong. They both looked each other in the eyes, as the wolf continued snarling at him. Since this was clearly going nowhere, Evander pulled his blade back, freeing it from the wolf's grip on the blade. Evander stepped back, preparing for another strike. The wolf was going to die, there was no doubt about that. Looking into its eyes, Evander could almost imagine that the wolf knew that too. The beast did not want to go down without a fight. The wolf howled, a howl of anger, rage, and perhaps a bit of despair. Man, he was being way too poetic. Pressing the advantage, it leaped forth, claws out, jaws wide, for one last ditch effort at killing him, one last effort for living. Evander, on reflex, raised his sword in front of him the block the attack. His sword knocked the wolf aside to the ground, its claws and bite missing Evander entirely. A clod of dirt flew into the air. The wolf stood shakily, continuing to hold onto life, or as much life as an AI could have. Man, pretty soon, he was going to make himself depressed about killing this wolf.

Combat

Evander: HP: 22/24  Energy: 0/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 3/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 58492 results:

 Battle: 7

 MOB: 2 (fail)

Total DMG: 2-3(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt

Edited May 8, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Wow, that was pretty surprising. He didn't expect the wolf to up and charge at him like that. He was also obviously getting very good at describing various things in a dramatic manner. It was too bad he didn't want to be an author- all of these poetic moments were going to waste. Well, whatever. He couldn't get himself distracted. Also, he really needed a better weapon, like, pronto. He didn't want to be dealing the bare minimum damage against every single mob he fought. He also didn't want to buy anything from the store, because that felt like cheating. So, he was forced to depend on any rare drops, or a quest reward of some sort. This was going to take some time. Evander held his sword out in front of him, preparing mentally for another strike. The wolf was swaying on its feet, as its health was grinded down, one point at a time. Evander stepped forth and struck down with the sword in his left hand in one fluid motion. The sword missed the wolf, barely grazing it as it side-stepped the attack. It attempted to claw him in retaliation, but it missed, only swiping at empty air.

Combat

Evander: HP: 22/24  Energy: 0/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 3/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

 ID# 58493 results:

 Battle: 2 (fail)

 MOB: 3 (fail)

Edited May 8, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

Ugh, he really, really needed to work on accuracy. Evander drew his arm back into a defensive position, so as to not get surprised again by a sudden lunge from the wolf. A breeze began to blow, rustling his cloak and brushing past the fur of the wolf. A stray leaf floated away on the wind, fluttering away. The weather really was nice. Not too hot, not too cold. Well, if it was too cold, he had his cloak with him, so it wouldn't be much of a problem. He was getting distracted again. Wow. Perhaps he was missing half the time because he was not even focusing half the time. He liked being far too poetic. The wolf growled again, and its eyes narrowed. Evander raised his sword. He needed to focus on the battle. He wasn't really in much danger, but later, when his life counted on it, he needed to be able to focus and perform. Evander stepped forth quickly, slashing at the wolf from the side, hoping to deal some damage. The wolf decided to surprise him again. It jumped out at him, trying to claw at his face. Evander barely pulled back his sword in time to deal a small blow on its side, but the wolf's momentum carried it forward, and it clawed at his chest. Evander fell back onto the ground, then the wolf dissolved into particles, as his enchanted cloak killed it. Yep, thorns was very overpowered, but he wasn't going to complain.

Combat

Evander: HP: 21/24  Energy: 0/6 MIT: 12 Base DMG: 2

Forest Wolf: HP: 0/12 MIT: 3 DMG: 3

ID# 58494 results:

 Battle: 6

 Loot: 11

 MOB: 6

Total DMG: 2-3(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt + 7(thorns)= 8 DMG to mob

Mob DMG: 3-12(MIT)= 1 DMG dealt

Edited May 8, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

It was finally over. Now, it was time to see what loot he had gotten from the wolf. Knowing his luck, it was probably just a pelt. He didn't even really want to check. His hopes would rise, as they always did in the past, then be dashed as nothing was left. Evander looked down at his chest. Well, at least he got a pelt. He put the pelt in his inventory, and- wait, was that a bag of col on his chest as well? Evander's eyes widened. This was the first time he had gotten col from a monster before. Wow. Evander added to col to his inventory. 60 col could pay for a pretty good dinner. That was very lucky, at least for him. Well, now that the excitement was all over, it was time to get back to what he was doing earlier- meditation. Ugh. Now he had lost his train of thought. He probably had to start all over. Well, no matter. He had all of the time in the world to sort out his troubles. Evander walked on back to where he had been sitting earlier and flumped down on the ground. He took a little break to catch his breath.

Evander: HP: 24/24  Energy: 1/6

Loot from Wolf: 60 col, 1 mat

Edited May 8, 2016 by Evander

[Evander 0]

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down from the fight, he crossed his legs and assumed the same position he was in before. He closed his eyes. His thoughts became serious. Now, where was he. Ah, yes, the Greeks. Well, it was probably a lost hope to try and recollect whatever silver thread he had managed to glimpse by connecting the Greek myths, so it was probably time to move on to a different era of history. Now, the Romans. The Romans were disciplined. That was the first thing that came into his mind. Their legions of soldiers, at least when Rome became an empire, marched with uniformity and order in the chaos of war, and they won against many different peoples. They struggled through horrid conditions, they invaded different lands, and they succeeded in conquering the Mediterranean Sea, which they dubbed the Mare Nostrum. What was the cause of their success? What made it so that their armies could accomplish so much?

Evander: HP: 24/24  Energy: 2/6

[Evander 0]

It was close. Very close. It was practically right in front of him... but he just couldn't piece together the puzzle. Evander sighed. Well, it was time to move on to the next era of history- the Middle Ages. Well, technically it would probably be the Byzantine empire or something, but whatever. He had already learned all he could from the Roman legions. The Medieval Age, a time of feudalism. Peasants had no opportunity to rise above their social class. The only thing they could do to survive was toil away for long hours, as the nobles above them ruled over them. There was no way to rise above one's social station- at least, for most. Some could rise above the norm through sheer will and force, and become great and legendary. There were stories of heroes like Robin Hood, or Joan of Arc, who rose above their class through their determination and grit. Another lesson was to be found here... Hmm... The Greeks, the Romans, and the medieval legends. What did they have in common?

Evander: HP: 24/24  Energy: 6/6

[Evander 0]

He needed more information to crack the puzzle. He needed to examine other parts of history. Now, on towards the next era of history- the Renaissance. This was an epoch of inspiration, of artists and awe-inspiring works. Radical changes were made both in the arts and in philosophy, political or otherwise. Artists toiled away for hours on masterpieces with which they could awe the world, and philosophers thought through the long hours of the night, hoping to bring a change to the rigid society they were in. Writers spun tales of glory and tragedy, speaking about some of the most universal themes and questions. Inventors worked to ease others' lives and change the world as they knew it. Explorers undertook dangerous, life-threatening voyages in the name of exploration and discovery. People like Leonardo da Vinci, or Shakespeare, poured their souls into their work, changing the world and bettering themselves in the process. How were they able to change the world? What quality did they have in order to be able to continue chasing their ideals through the rest of their lives?

[Evander 0]

More pieces were slot into the puzzle. Evander began to slowly see the path he had to undertake to become better. What he needed to do was becoming clearer. History really was the best teacher. His mind moved on to the next epoch in history- the American Revolution. A time of colonies and radical ideas. In the British colonies of North America, the people were heavily taxed by King George III. They endured as best they could, until tensions rose to a boiling point. Several people, most from humble origins, arose to lead and guide the people. These were people like George Washington, or Thomas Jefferson, who poured their hearts and minds into the Revolution, and eventually won independence from Britain, though only after long, grueling trials. This new nation, the United States of America would be small at first, but would eventually grow into one of the world's largest superpowers, carried on by the American people. How was America able to grow from a few fledgling colonies into one of the world's most powerful countries?

[Evander 0]

It was there. He could practically see it now. It was right there, right in front of his face. One last piece of history remained to be slotted in. The Industrial Revolution- a time that changed the world forever. It began in Britain, in the textile industry, and spread across the globe. Two distinct classes arose- the bourgeois, those that prospered in the new age, a new middle class, who achieved wealth through their own work, and the proletariat, the factory workers that made this industrialization possible. Both toiled and slaved away at their jobs, but one prospered, and the other scraped on by. What brought success? At last, the puzzle was completed, and one could see the message therein contained. Evander cracked an eye open. The sun was setting. Wow, a lot of time had passed- woah that hurt, that hurt a lot, blech, he needed to remember to stretch sometimes while meditating. Evander got to his feet and leaned back, wincing as he heard his back pop. He sat back down. Now, to finally understand the pattern that history had left behind for him to follow.