[PP-F1] A True Display of Skill

[Kooh 0]

Kooh bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. She, alongside most of her new adventuring party, stood in the middle of the rolling grassy hills on the first floor. They'd just come from the forest and the tall walls surrounding the Town of Beginnings stood visible in the distance. It was just Kooh, the tank named Adhae, and the other one named Verus. The girl assumed he was building standard for damage, since he hadn't mentioned anything different. Their scout, Itzal, had said something about picking up a couple of items from town, and quickly split off to return later.

Stray monsters, such as packs of boars, roamed the fields around them, and Kooh couldn't help but frown. The monsters just outside of the city were so boring. It was all boars, with the occasional wolf thrown in. Regardless of the lack of variety, the girl was busy trying to mentally prepare herself. She didn't want to have to go through some silly weapon demonstration. She recalled the first time she tried fighting in these very fields, and had to resist a grimace making its way to her features. Keeping a determined look on her face, the blonde looked over to the tall woman as if waiting to follow her lead. "Well, whenever you're ready, I suppose. Pick your favorite." She grinned, allowing the tank to initiate the combat. There were plenty of boars in what looked like varying strength wandering around them.

Edited July 3, 2016 by Kooh

[Itzal 0]

Itzal readjusted the sword on his hilt.  It was still a little weird feeling extra weight on his hip but he knew he'd adjust soon enough.  As he fiddled with it's position his eyes caught the purple flowered bracelet on his right arm.  He just thought of how awkward it would be for him to walk up to them with a black sword named retributor, wearing a purple flowered bracelet.  He shook his head.  He decided he'd just tell them he liked flowers and that purple was his favorite color.  The latter was true, but he decided it wasn't time to tell them his history.  Verus probably wouldn't care.  Adhae probably wouldn't believe him, and Kooh.  He groaned at the thought of Kooh's grin she made when she intended to embarrass him.

Itzal was about to go look for his friends when two npcs started arguing.  It startled him at first, but then recalled that the npcs were programmed with hundreds, possibly thousands of possible interactions.  He should have guessed that arguments would be one.  He was going to ignore them until one of them was punched and knocked into Itzal.  Growling, Itzal pushed the npc off.

"Get off me you!"  The npc turned to Itzal.  The npc had Itzal and the other npc to worry about now.  He stuttered, apologizing to Itzal, who in turn sighed.  "Alright, might as well fix this.  What were you two arguing about?"

[trenttrent20 0]

"If you let me pick I'd choose a bunch at once." Verus smirked and opened up his menu, scrolling to his inventory. He hadn't wanted to show his gear to the new player earlier for some reason. The thought may have never crossed his mind that he still had his beginner items equipped, but it had now. In the armor section he swapped on his new leather cuirass over his cloth shirt. It fit nice and snug on his torso, hugging him just enough to make him feel safe. He then swiped over to his weapons and replaced his current beginner rapier for Adzin, his new rapier. It's white and purple colored guard didn't really match the rest of his outfit, but he planned for it to over time. Verus was all geared up and ready to go.

He scoured around the plains, trying to find some simple mobs to test the girl on. He noted that her health bar appeared just under Adhae's, taking a mental note at what level Kooh was. She was half his level but that bothered him not. If she was able to defend herself and add to the party in someway Verus could care less. Having numbers was always a good thing anyway. "Adhae care to start it off? You can show Kooh how strong that chest...plate of yours is." 

[Adhaerere 0]

  Adhae nodded as Kooh spoke. "Hmmm..." She looked around, and put her thumb and forefinger on her chin, stroking it thoughtfully. There were big boars, small boars, medium sized boars. Anything she could wish for. She spotted a big looking one, which was separate enough from the rest of the pack for her to feel safe going after it. She pointed it out to the others. "That one." Then as Verus commented about taking on a group, she laughed. "No." As she was looking at him, she saw him scroll through his menu and pull out his new armour and sword. Her mouth formed a little "o". "Where the heck did you get this stuff?" She walked over to him and pulled at the leather armour, feeling the thickness of it. Then she peered down at his sword, noticing the purple on it. "Interesting colour choice too," she said as she took a step back. "Show us how it works, squirt." She grinned, choosing to ignore his comment, and then started off in the direction of the boar. She reached back to grab her axe and held it in her familiar two handed grip as she advanced on the mob. The sound of her plate mail clinking as she stepped reassured her that the giant tusks on the boar wouldn't do very much damage to her. 

ID: #62951
BD: 9
MD: 4

 She saw it notice her, turning abruptly towards her. It prepared its regular attack, kicking at the dirt before it started running at her. She knew what to expect, and so was easily able to step out of the way of the charging beast. As she did so, she swung her axe at the beast's behind, smacking it square and with more force than she was used to with a basic attack. She didn't need more than a basic attack these days, due to the desire of attention on her being the only reason she hit the thing. It stumbled a little, and swung back around towards her, now facing away from the other two in the party. "Your turn, Kooh." She glared directly at the boar as she spoke, as if daring it to attack her. 

  energy: 6/7
Damage Dealt / Received (Boar, Adhaerere)
        Boar: Health: 18/18 (-1[4MIT]) = 17/18
        Adhaerere: Health: 28/28 (-0) = 28/28

 

Edited July 3, 2016 by Adhaerere

[Kooh 0]

'Okayokayokay.' Kooh tried to calm her mind as she came to terms with the fact that she was expected to fight. Not only fight; she was supposed to put on a show. Now, Kooh didn't have stagefright. Of course not--how would she be a Performer if she was afraid to show off? And she certainly knew how to form her words in just the right way to please her audience. No, she was focused on the last time she tried this miserable part of the game. Supposedly, players spent all their time fighting monsters and they enjoyed it. She wanted to frown at the thought, but tried her best to push it from her mind.

Verus swapped out his equipment while Adhae wasted little time in picking out a target. The blonde man's movements reminded her of something. She swiped in front of her, pulling up her inventory as well, before tapping lightly on an item. Fixed to her coat materialized a ruby red pendant that matched the color of her eyes. Instilled with a bit of confidence from the item's presence, Kooh turned her attention back to the group just as Adhae made her attack. The woman signaled to her, and Kooh reacted by leaning herself forward into a dash towards the boar.

Fingers curled into fists, the girl tucked her arms in close to her similar to a martial arts stance as she approached. Once she was in range, Kooh came to a stop at its flank. With her right leg leading, the blonde twisted her body to sweep her left heel around in a smooth motion. Though she attempted to open her attack with a powerful heel kick to the boar's head, her attack was just too high, skimming over the creature in a miss. The force she expected to feel was suddenly absent, and the girl was unable to follow-up the strike with a slash of her claws as she'd intended. 'Dammit!' She instead narrowed her eyes, catching herself before she fell off balance.

Combat Results

Spoiler

Opponent:

• <<Boar>>
  • HP: 18
  • DMG: 3
  • MIT: 4

Turn Order:

• [H:1] Adhaerere
• <<Boar>>
• [H:0] Kooh -> Post Action: Attack
• [H:0] Verus

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 62956
  • BD: 3 + (2 Equipment) = 5 - Fail
  • CD: 2
  • LD: 10
  • MD: 3

Combat Results:

• Adhaerere:
  • HP: 28/28
  • Energy: 6/7
• <<Boar>>:
  • HP: 17/18
• Kooh:
  • HP: 16/16
  • Energy: 4/4 -> 2/4
    • Miss!
• Verus:
  • HP: 36/36
  • Energy: 9/9

 

Edited July 3, 2016 by Kooh

[Itzal 0]

Itzal was walking back from the town, still mildly upset from having to settle a stupid argument between two npcs that apparently started because of a mob's meat.  He shook his head in frustration.  He wanted to meet up with his group and fast.  He hated it when he wasn't training.  Any time he wasn't training was more time he was falling behind.  He couldn't have that.  Besides, Kooh was probably demonstrating how claws are really used and that was what he wanted to see more than anything.  He sighed as he picked up his pace.  He heard someone cursing up a head and looked up.  He saw Adhae, Kooh and Verus fighting a fairly large boar.  And the boar didn't seem to be taking much damage.  Itzal hesitated.  It wasn't how he wanted to show Retributor, but it was probably the best way anyhow.  He quickly drew the black blade and charged.

He saw Verus getting prepared to attack, but he knew he'd be there before Verus.  Although Verus was fast, Itzal was as well.  Not to mention that the leather armor Verus wore looked like it might weigh him down a bit.

"I got it Verus!" he called and lifted his sword.  With lightning speed he thrust his sword through the boar with such force he had no choice to roll onto the ground to decrease his momentum before circling around to give Verus a chance to strike without worrying about hitting Itzal.  It was a good hit, but wasn't good enough for the bleeding effect his new sword possessed.  If he got the chance he'd use it with a sword skill.

ID#  62981

BD:  8

MD:  5

Result:  Adhae:  28/28   Kooh:  16/16   Itzal:  20/20   Boar:  16/18

[trenttrent20 0]

"Show you how it works eh?" Verus smirked, knowing what he would have to do. He gave the others time to put in their attacks though, watching as it did minuscule damage against the beast. He understood that Kooh wouldn't be able to do much at her level and Adhae was pretty much the team's defense. Damage was damage though, and he smiled once Adhae's hit landed. Damage was damage, no matter how small. It appeared that Kooh had missed her claw attack, but he was able to see that she was willing to run into battle. That was all he really needed to know anyway. 

What surprised him the most about the fight was Itzel's random appearance. Verus kept his eyes trained on him as he quickly ran in from somewhere behind them. His attack landed as well, but it seemed to do minimal damage. It was just funny to him to see the guy run in from nowhere and join the fight. Verus laughed a little before regaining his composure, fiddling with his sword as he waited. "My turn right?" 

He picked up his pace as he began to run at the beast. His armor made his movement feel a little clunky but he'd get over it soon enough. It moved freely with his arms and that was really all he could ask for in the long run. "Accel Stab!" His sword shone a bright white this time with hints of purple added in. It was strange not seeing a dark purple as his last sword was, but he could care less. His sword arm surged with power as he landed each of his attacks, piercing right through the large boar with ease. His damage output seemed insane, and the results proved that it was. The beast fell and disappeared into particles, leaving Verus with a notification that he gained an additional material from the slaying. "Neat." 

ID: 63029

BD: 9

LD: 8

Verus: 36/36  (6/9 energy _{accel stab used})

Boar:  0/18  ((6+1)x3) = 21dmg- 4mit= 17 damage

 

(+1 MAT) 

[Adhaerere 0]

 She watched the three of them as they attacked the boar she had chosen, looking slightly surprised as Itzal appeared. "Oh hello Itzal. Where'd you run off to?" She eyed the new gear he sported, admiring the blade. Then, as Verus attacked, her eyes widened. He had oneshot the beast, using his new sword to absolutely wreck the creature. She whistled, impressed. "What a weapon. You're quite a hitter," she said with a smile. He certainly had impressed her. 

 She hadn't commented on Kooh missing before, but she did so now. "Impressive looking shot. Let's try another one, maybe Itzal can see you attack this time." She nodded in confirmation of her words, and looked around to select another creature. She started walking towards it, and waved the group on. "Y'all better not be wussies ad chicnen out on me. Especially you, squirt."  She knew that was something he would do. 

MOB: 18 health, 4 mit, 3 damage.

ID: #63087
BD: 10
MD: 10

 Her axe in her hand still, she advanced the huge thing. The one she chose was as big as the last one, maybe even larger. Grinningat the challenge, she prepared for its charge. It noticed her immediately, and prepared its charge. Setting her right foot back, she braced herself against its charge. Once it was running there wasn't much else she could do. However, she wasn't prepared for the huge amount of force in the boar's charge, its tusks slamming into her torso. She gruted and was moved backwards a few feet, sincerely thankful of her chestplate. Then, she brought her axe up and swung it down on the boar's back, putting All her strength ito it. It was a respectable hit. 

  energy: 6/7
Damage Dealt / Received (Boar, Adhaerere)
        Boar: Health: 18/18 (-1[4MIT]) = 17/18
        Adhaerere: Health: 28/28 (-1[21MIT]) = 28/28

 

Edited July 4, 2016 by Adhaerere

[Kooh 0]

Kooh repressed a scowl as the beast was felled before her eyes. Itzal had appeared rather suddenly and scratched the boar the same as Adhae, but the blonde man...

Kooh's eyes rested on him for a moment. At least from this small display, he was the strongest of the group. The girl was certain that even if her attack had landed it would have only done minimal damage. Averting her gaze before he had a chance to meet hers, Kooh looked back to Adhae as the party leader picked out another opponent for them. Again, wasting little time, the woman and the boar had begun trading blows with one another.

Taking in a breath as her turn to attack came around again, Kooh took the same approach as the last fight. Running up to the monster's flank, she twisted her body and brought her leg around to mirror her last attack. This time she felt the solid contact of her heel striking the side of the boar's head. With the successful blow, she followed up with an uppercut swipe to the creature's left flank. Three thin red slashes were left on its thick hide, and to Kooh's irritation the creature's mitigation absorbed most of the potential damage.

Combat Results

  Hide contents

Opponent:

• <<Boar>>
  • HP: 18
  • DMG: 3
  • MIT: 4

Turn Order:

• [H:2] Adhaerere
• <<Boar>>
• [H:1] Kooh -> Post Action: Attack
• [H:0] Itzal
• [H:0] Verus

Combat Roll:

• ID#: 63093
  • BD: 5 + (2 Equipment) = 7 - Success
  • CD: 9
  • LD: 3
  • MD: 5

Combat Results:

• Adhaerere:
  • HP: 27/28
  • Energy: 6/7
• <<Boar>>:
  • HP: 17/18 -> 16/18
• Kooh:
  • HP: 16/16
  • Energy: 2/4 -> 3/4 -> 2/4
    • Hit! Basic Attack:
      • (1 Base) + (1 Weapon Skill) + (2 Equipment) = (4 Damage) - (4 Mitigation) = 1 DMG (Minimum)
• Itzal:
  • HP: 20/20
  • Energy: 4/5
• Verus:
  • HP: 36/36
  • Energy: 6/9

Edited July 5, 2016 by Kooh

[Itzal 0]

Itzal watched and almost winced as he saw the boar hit Adhae with much force.  That would have been enough to knock all the air out of her but it was obvious that Adhae's armor wouldn't allow much damage.  Adhae called Kooh up and he narrowed his eyes.  He thought he had noticed a reluctant air about her on their way here, but now it was clear she'd rather do anything but fight.  What Itzal thought was incredibly interesting however, was that although she obviously hated fighting, she started off in an almost perfect martial arts combat stance.  The use of her right foot followed by her claw was also a brilliant tactic.  This made Itzal wonder.  If she was this good at it, why did she hate it?  Was she forced to practice martial arts in the real world?  Is that why she entered the game?  He shook the thoughts away.  They would have to wait.  As he prepared his charge he silently hoped that Verus didn't ko the mob this time.  It would be useful to have a player as strong as that on their team, but he felt like he might become a show-off if this continued.

Itzal charged at the boar and this time he pierced the blade in a soft spot between it's rib and shoulder.  He heard a cry of pain he had never heard before and almost felt sorry for the mob.  So this is the bleeding effect, he thought.  He grinned once he slowed down, then turned to face his friends.  It would definitely help him against any pkers.

"Alright Verus!  Your turn!"

ID:  63115

BD:  10

 

Result:

Adhae:  27/28

Kooh:  16/16

Itzal:  20/20

Boar:  15/18 (bleeding effect:  8 dmg per boar's turn)

Edited July 5, 2016 by Itzal

[trenttrent20 0]

"The guy that gave you that armor crafted it for me." His death-dealing hit to the boar brought a smile to his face, as defeating something always did. The particle shards calmed him in a way that he couldn't really describe. Fighting almost was therapeutic for him now; a way for him to relieve any and all pent up stress. In the real world, he would never be able to fight and stab monsters such as the giant boar, let alone even wield a sword. 

His hand tightened on the grip oh his rapier, looking around at the others after the kill. They all seemed to be staring at him slightly before continuing on to fight another approaching beast. Verus was in a zone. The three of them went to attack just like they had before, slightly angering the beast. It seemed to land a solid hit onto Adhae, or what looked to be. She was forced backwards, her heels digging into the dirt to try and stop the force of the blow. His eyes then went to the health bars in his top right view, seeing that she took very little damage. "High quality armor."

Itzal called out to Verus, snapping him out of the slight trance he was in. Verus must have stood there for longer than a while just watching the fight underway. It was just so...enticing. "Oh...right." He rolled his neck slightly and let his sword fall to his side, preparing for his Accel Stab sword art. He jogged up to the beast, whom seemed to look directly down on him. It was much, much larger than Verus, but he did not care. With three quick piercing stabs, the massive boar fell to its side, letting out a squeal as it passed on. "Two crit's in a row? Damn."

 

ID: 63145

BD: 10

LD: 1

Verus: 36/36 _{(4/9 energy Accel Stab used)}

Boar: 0/18 _{((6+2)*3)=24dmg-4mit=20dmg}

(+1 MAT)

Edited July 5, 2016 by trenttrent20
dice roll

[Adhaerere 0]

 Smiling, Adhae steps back from where the carcass of the boar slumped to the side. She laughed a little as she had to dodge it collapsing on her. She didn't know what it would feel like to have the thing turn into fragments on top of her. She'd have to try it sometime. 

 "Nice job Kooh, as soon as you get stronger we'll be able to kill more of these things in no time." She grinned wider, and patted her gently on the shoulder. "Better not wait on that, eh?" 

 Honestly, the attack from Verus had impressed her again. His power certainly was untapped, and Adhae didn't know if they'd seen even the least of it. She looked up when she heard the familiar jingle of levelling up ((accounting for the last thread)). Her smile broadened, and she opened her menu with a swipe of her fingers. She moved the unused skill points into the spots she wanted, and took a look at her sword arts. Her mouth made a little "o". "I can use Stun skills now." She made a little fist-pump, overexcited to use them on the next mob they would attack. "But let's take a little break before we fight something else."

[Kooh 0]

Kooh relaxed as the monster was eliminated before her yet again. She felt a twinge of irritation--the blonde man was outdoing the rest of the group in every way, save for Adhae's dedicated tanking. Nevertheless, at the woman's mention of a break, Kooh happily unequipped her claw weapons and slipped her hands back into her pockets with a lazy shrug. "Sounds good to me." She agreed casually. The girl didn't have any access to special abilities like a stun or whatever in the world Verus had been doing. At least, none that she knew about. Her level was still pretty low, so she hadn't bothered looking into combat much more than "hit stuff, get experience."

((crap post, my badddd))

Out of Combat Regeneration

Spoiler

• Kooh:
  • HP: 16/16
  • Energy: 2/4 -> 3/4 (1)

 

[Itzal 0]

Itzal nodded and sheathed Retributor.  Unless they brought it up he wouldn't show them his sword nor the verbana bracelet.  Especially not the bracelet.  It would be a bit embarrassing if they found out why.  He wasn't angry but he was pretty upset that Verus had preformed a second deadly blow twice in a row.  Itzal probably could do something like that if he designed his sword that way, but he chose a weapon that could tip the balance in the long run with it's bleeding effect.  Not to mention that as soon as he upgraded his sword skill he'd be doing much more damage.  Overall he just had to accept the facts:  Adhae was the tank, Verus was the berserker, Itzal was the scout, and Kooh said she wanted to be a performer.  Yet even though Kooh hated combat, and although you could avoid it at all times, it was nontheless essential to be capable of fighting.  So what category would she fall in?

Itzal shook the thought away, deciding to let her figure that out on her own.  Instead he walked closer to the group to chat for a bit.

[trenttrent20 0]

As soon as he heard the word 'Break' he slumped down to the ground, panting slightly. He had a little energy left but landing those two attacks really drained him. They weren't too hard and he really just wanted to see how much damage output he could do. This little self-testing resulted in wonderful results, leaving Verus slightly smiling. More power would come with more levels, and those seemed to be coming rather fast. He was almost level ten now, which he really couldn't fathom. 

"So..." 

(shortpostsorryihavehadnoideawhattosayforlikeadayandahalf)

[Adhaerere 0]

 Adhae took in all that happened, her attention being drawn to Verus as he plopped down. She scoffed and laughed at him. Crossing over, she kicked at his leg softly. "Get up you lazy bum. A break doesn't mean a nap. Chop chop," she scolded. She swung her axe over her back to rest where it usually did once she'd finished talking. The comfortable weight reassured her; she would never get hurt with this weapon on her back or in her hands. Plus her heavy armour. That would be her party's saving grace more times than not, she figured. It really was a neat piece of work and was crafted by the best blacksmith she'd seen so far. It certainly had served her well. She'd had it for quite a few floors, and had already saved them more than once. She glanced admiringly down at the shiny white metal and grinned. 

 Her attention turned to Itzal. "So. Where the hell were you, mister?" She turned to him and set one hand on her hip, one eyebrow raised in an accusing question. He'd showed up at a convenient time, but that didn't quell her curiousity about what he had been up to. They needed all of the party members in order to kill monsters quickly and efficiently. And that's all they needed, really. A grind to get them all up levels. It also didn't hurt that they got materials from each mob they killed. 

[Kooh 0]

Kooh kicked the sole of her boot lazily across the grass, tilting her head up slightly to gaze at the huge virtual sky looming over them. The group seemed to keep mostly to themselves before Adhae gave Verus a playful kick and spoke up towards Itzal. The former two seemed pretty close; the blonde wondered if they knew each other outside of Aincrad, or if they'd just formed some sort of alliance or friendship before the trio ran into her. Still, she had no doubt that Verus was a strong player, and Itzal seemed to show potential along with what looked like shiny new equipment. At least, she thought he'd picked up a new sword from town since she started following them around.

From the corner of her eye, Kooh looked over to the raven-haired man with a sly grin. "Ran off to go see your girlfriend?" She couldn't resist giving him a hard time. His reactions were so honest, it was too entertaining to pick on anyone else. The girl fully turned her attention his way, giving a wave of her hand. "Come on now, you don't have to keep secrets like that from us!"

[Itzal 0]

Itzal turned to Adhae who demanded an explanation, and he chuckled embarrassedly, pulling down his hood and mouthpiece down, revealing his face again.

"Sorry.  I received a message that my equipment were done so I went to go pick them up.  I would have been here earlier....  But I had to settle a fight between two npcs.  They kinda dragged me into it.  Real annoying.  I hope that doesn't become a thing for me.  Would be a real drag."  He turned to Kooh in total confusion when she mentioned a girlfriend.  "What are you talking about?  I don't have a-"  Too late.  He realized it too soon, and his face reddened slightly.  Why did she do this to him?  Was he just going to be a target for her now?  He didn't like it when people teased him.  Being isolated in your room playing video games means you don't know most of the stupid phrases or jokes school kids learned.  Besides, with all the bullies he had to run from he didn't exactly have time to interact.  "Do you really have to do that Kooh?"

[trenttrent20 0]

He rubbed the spot where Adhae had kicked him, smiling slightly as he pushed himself up off the ground. He dusted his backside off and placed his hands on the small of his back, pushing forward to try and pop his spine. "Oh hush. Rest is rest." He let out a few groans and finished his stretching, finally noting that Itzal and Kooh had rejoined the two. "Well, glad everyone's here." Verus' ears perked up at Kooh's mention of Itzal's potential girlfriend. His grin turned into a devilish smile and he decided to play along. "Oh you don't have to hide her from us! She's probably a nice lady."

 

Verus then decided to kick back at Adhae. He started to fake cough while grunting the word "Revenge" in-between each successive cough. He braced himself for some sort of retaliation, trying to hide his gaze from his clearly shorter counterpart.

Edited August 25, 2016 by trenttrent20

[Adhaerere 0]

 Adhae's mouth formed an "o" as she heard Kooh's comment. Itzal was definitely the person who Adhae could mess with and feel happy about bugging. She stepped towards him and set her hands on her hips, leaning her torso forward and giving him another accusing look. "Giiiiirlfriend? Hmmmmm?" Now being assaulted on all sides by questions, he better give a good reaction. She grinned. 

 She looked sharply to the side as Verus kicked at her, striking her right in the shin. She rounded on him and advanced, putting on an angry expression. She reached out her arms as if to grab her shoulders... And then grinned and tackled him. "Little sh--" she fell to the ground and got the breath knocked out of her. "fuhhh" was the sound she made. It took a few minutes to regain her breath, but she did, and she rolled to the side and looked up at the sky. "That was a bad idea."