[PP-F3] Myths and Legends - COMPLETED

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus was standing around the village, twirling a dandelion he had picked earlier between his fingers. He had sent the other players he met a few days ago a message, asking if everyone was ready to take on <<Search for the Hoya>>. Cygnus had told them where he was, Delilah Village on the 3rd Floor. He hadn't been waiting too long, just long enough to begin to get anxious. He looked up some more information on the quest. Apparently the boss was a Minotaur. A rather nasty one at that. The Minotaur was always an interesting creature to Cygnus. When he was a child, learning about world history, the legend of the Minotaur was brought up a few times. It always interested and kind of frightened him. A dark labyrinth, a monster hunting you... it kind of invited fear. He impatiently flipped through his menu with his free hand, ready to get this show on the road. A Minotaur should be a worthy opponent. A brisk battle was ahead, of that he was almost certain.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Cygnus

[Emblem 0]

Emblem opened his menu as the familiar sound of a PM being received rang in his ears. He looked to see that Cygnus had sent him and many others a message asking if they were ready. He smiled. Today was the day he would finally take on the <<Search for the Hoya quest>> with a few of his Allies. He smiled then got up from his bench and began to walk towards the gate to the fields. he hoped that was where him and the others would meet. Emblem opened his HUD and equipped his armor and his sword preparing for the fight ahead of him. He was excited to use some new sword arts against the Minotaurs. 

[Baldur 0]

Baldur had been taking a nap in a safe zone out in the field of floor 17. He liked the Mediterranean climate up there. The slight chime of a bell woke him up, and he saw a small envelop icon in the corner of his vision. With a wave of his hand, he saw that it was from his new friend Cygnus. Using his sheathed katana for leverage, Baldur pulled himself to a standing position with a weight that wasn't imposed on him by the system, but which was entirely mental.

With another gesture, a keyboard was called up and Baldur quickly let his friend know that he was on his way. Putting the still sheathed onxy and crimson saya over his shoulder, Baldur began to head back to Athens so that he could teleport down to the third floor.

---

Walking out of the teleport plaza, Baldur made his way over to where Cygnus had told them to meet up. He was the second to arrive. Waving to Cygnus and Emblem, Baldur called out to them.

"Ohayo! How is everyone? Do you guys have all the supplies you need?"

[Rain 0]

Slowly stepping out of the teleporter, a unfamiliar familiar breeze blew by grazing the wanderer's face. He has been to this floor a couple of times by now, but he has never once stopped and took in his surroundings. As he stood there, he took a deep breathe in. A floor of memories he had from his childhood during his time in Germany came pouring in. The winds that blew here felt just like the grasslands's air in Germany. It just felt like... home.

As he reminisced on about his childhood, he suddenly remembered why he came here. Quickly slapping himself back to reality, he swiped his fingers in the air and looked at the map. ".. should be not far from here.." He says to himself as he slowly made his way to the meeting place. After an hour or so, he eventually found himself where the group was, waiting. "Ohayo..." He says as he raised his hand to acknowledge people. Good thing, he thought of coming here early. He always seems to be late since he has a bad habit of having no sense of direction. But at least, this time, he's on time. He seems to be the third to show up.

[Victor 0]

The boy had almost given up on the assorted group, when the message didn't come soon enough after their last meeting. It didn't frankly matter to him, he had that quest on his to-do list anyways. It just felt slightly safer and less time consuming with a group, this was of course as long as they kept the traps shut and their mind focused on the goal. Victor knew he was expecting too much, niceties were always in order. Perhaps it wasn't a bad thing, these social protocols helped human's exist and collaborate on a much larger scale than their less developed counterparts in the animal kingdom. He shrugged, sharpening his dagger with one of the sharpening stones he had found on his excursions. A small beep notified him of a message. Upon opening it, he realized it was finally the day.

The boy was always prepared, it took him a couple of seconds to gather his things and then he was on his way. The gate teleported him to the Delilah village and it didn't take him long to spot the growing group. He slithered towards them in a stealthy manner in attempt to avoid loud greetings. Soon he had joined in. The dark haired boy raised his chin at Cygnus and Emblem, with whom he had interacted more extensively, in a manner of greeting. He smiled bleakly at the Japanese boys, so as to not let them feel offended. Having that blossoming cult, turn against you would be unwise. There seemed to be quite a few of them, these Japanese players, which wasn't surprising since the creator of the game was of the same decent.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Victor

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus waved to everyone as they approached, giving them a smile and bowing respectfully. "Good day, everyone. Glad you could make it." He approached them, chuckling when Baldur asked if they were good on supplies. "Indeed! I'm always prepared." He looked over at Rain and waved to him. "Rain. Good to see you again, my friend." When he saw Victor approach, he gave the man a wave as well. "Victor! Glad you could make it." After giving each of them an individual greeting, he addressed the lot of them. "So, who all are we waiting on?" He stretched. He was excited to get this quest on the road and cement his friendship with these people.

[Emblem 0]

Emblem smiled as he watched more players arrive. It made him even more excited to take on the Minotaurs. He watched as Baldur then white haired boy Rainer walked towards him then Victor walk towards them as well. He gave them a wave. Cygnus greeted them. Hey Rain! Emblem confused walked up to him. Wait a second Rain? I thought your name was Rainer? Did you give me a fake name? Emblem sighed then shrugged it off. He walked back next to Cygnus. Well are you guys all ready for this? Emblem opened his inventory and downed a bottle of a +1 DMG potion. He felt a sense of strength wash over him. 

-1 +1 DMG Potion

+1 DMG

Edited July 18, 2016 by Emblem

[Baldur 0]

Baldur regarded each new-comer as they arrived with a friendly smile and a nod, but after a while, it seemed no more were coming. He looked around at the small group. It was less than he expected, but with as many deaths and close calls as they had encountered, Baldur was alright with this. It would be easier to shepherd a smaller group than a larger. He had planned to rely on Rain, who seemed to be the next highest level, to help him make sure that not only would no one die, but that no one would get hurt.

"We have waited here a good bit, I believe this may be all that we can expect to come. I fear if we wait much longer, we could have already completed the quest twice by now."

Still, this was not his shindig, so he would let Cygnus make that ultimate judgement.

[Bhairyuu 0]

Bhairyuu had gotten a late start that morning since he was totally wiped from his latest attempt to explore the Town of Beginning some more. Luckily though, he had set his HUD to blare in his ear if there were any new PMs waiting his perusal and that's just what had happened today. The alarm had blared so loudly in fact that he actually fell off the makeshift bed he had made for himself the previous night. Grumbling and groaning from the pain, he checked the PM after getting ready and saw that it was from Cygnus wanting to do the Hoya quest. This brought a small smile to his face as he headed out to the teleport plaza where the group was set to meet for the quest. He had chosen a simpler outfit designed more for keeping him inconspicuous, this outfit being a simple navy blue muscle tee with neon green borders which showed off his well toned body, matching colored trousers which stopped about 7 inches above his ankles. These had several pockets in easy to reach places and were held up by his utility belt. The parts of his legs that were beyond the hem of his trousers were covered by black cloth bandages. The only thing remaining from his old outfit was the footwear, specifically tactical navy blue long tabi boots and of course his navy blue fingerless gloves and his black armbands.

As he neared the teleport plaza and the group that was assembled there, he broke into a short sprint while waving his hand and calling out in as loud a voice as he could so that the group members could hear him

"Hey, guys! Wait up!! I too wish to go on this quest with the lot of you!" 

Soon, he had reached the group which he saw to be made of his newest acquaintances with the one in charge being Cygnus. Once he came to the forefront of the group, he took a few moments to catch his breath and then spoke

"Sorry I am late...but I am here now and am ready to join you guys on this Hoya quest. Let me just equip my sword and we can be off." 

With that, he opened his inventory and equipped his <<Silver Cutlass>> since it was his new favorite sword...at least until he got the one he commissioned not too long ago. He then nodded to the others and to Cygnus giving them the signal he was ready to go and waited for Cygnus to make the call.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Bhairyuu

[Rain 0]

"Right... We should get going before it gets dark. Let's finish this early so we can tackle a dungeon before it gets dark on the 5th floor." The wanderer Scanned through his HUD making sure everyone's ready. As he tinkered with his HUD, a voice echoed from the side of his which was familiar. As he turns around, it was the blonde player he met before at higher floors. "Ahh You're here. If you want to survive, never completely trust someone. Knowing someone's ingame name could let people track that person." He warned him before turning around to the rest of the group. His voice, was somewhat cold, but sincere. He had no ill intent at the blonde player, he just wanted to him to show caution for once. This game is still a death game after all. Now, facing the group, the wanderer readies his things. "Okay. Let's get going then, @Cygnus?"

[Syn 0]

Her eyes flickered open as she woke, it was late in the afternoon and today was the day she was meant to be finding the pendant Hoya with a few people on the third floor. Jumping up she glances at the time, cussing. “I’m going to be late" she says before heading out of the Hogsback Inn, quickly making her way to the teleportation plaza that white haired girl teleports to Delilah Village and makes her way towards the group of players. “Hi, Sorry I’m late!” She calls, as she slows to a stop. Looking up she sees a familiar blonde haired boy, walking over to him she smiles, “Hi Emblem.”

[Vyrtew 0]

Thudding on the floorboards of the room he shared with his sister Vyrtew rolled over to see her white hair disappearing from the door. His eyes went wide. “That’s TODAY!” He yells. Jumping up the boy quickly puts on his equipment before following his sister’s footsteps out of the door. “Seriously though I wonder what she’s been up to, I’ve not seen her around for quite a while.” The white haired boy finally made it to the teleportation plaza as he stepped onto the third floor a very familiar voice caught his ears. “Hi Emblem.” “So that’s it.” Glaring over at the boy Vyrtew settles down a short way from the group.

[Emblem 0]

Emblem felt his heart jump as he heard a familiar voice greet him. He turned around to see a silver haired girl walk up to him. He smiled then waved. Hey Syn! I haven't seen you in awhile how have you been? he looked behind her to see that her brother glaring at him walking up behind her and laughed. Well it's nice to see you too Vyrtew. Emblem looked around at all the players counting them. He counted a total of eight which was perfect for the strategy he had developed last night. Alright guys I have a little bit of a plan. We have a eight people so we can split that up into two groups of four. Each group can take on one Minotaur. We can have Rain and Baldur be in separate groups so that one group doesn't have a greater chance of dying. Emblem looked around at the people waiting for their response. Chances were they wouldn't like the idea and it would be dismissed quickly. Emblem wasn't really a strategist so this was something new for him.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Emblem

[Baldur 0]

Baldur nodded at Emblem's suggestion. It had matched his own plan.

"It isn't necessary, but I think it's a good idea. Each group can have their own tank, and practice their own strategies. Should things get out of hand, either Rain or myself can simply end things then and there, or stun them if we feel comfortable."

Baldur could tank both of the minotaurs himself without challenge, but this could be a good exercise in them learning out to operate in multiple parties. It would be a good experience, even without counting the experience they would gain from completing the quest.

"Now one very important point is to make sure you don't stray from the path. Monsters will try to bait you off the path in order to lure you into the mist. Once you're in the mist, you might never find the path again, and be forced to use a <<Teleport Crystal>> to head back to town. So whatever happens, don't enter the mist."

[Aster 0]

The sound of hurried footsteps against the cobblestone ground of Delilah followed after the orange-haired girl. Aster's quick breaths seemed to match the same tempo as she rushed to the meeting place Cygnus' message had specified. Of all the days for her to doze off in her shop, the day she had agreed to take part in a group quest had to be it. At her heels, Reginald trotted along, looking around at the third floor's scenery with mild interest.

Finally, the healer came upon the gathering of players, not surprised that she seemed to be the last one to show up. "Sorry... I'm late," The girl addressed the group out of breath once she'd slowed to a stop. Taking a moment to get her bearings, Aster gave a flustered glance at the familiar faces.

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus was about to call it and have everyone move out when Aster finally showed up. He bowed respectfully to her and gave her a greeting. He looked around. It looked like everyone was here. That was excellent. "Okay, everyone! If I can grab your attention for just a moment!" Once everyone brought their eyes to the brunette warrior, he would speak once more. It seemed they were splitting into two teams, so he started with that. "Let's begin by forming teams. Make sure you have your bases covered if you can. I am almost certain Aster is our only healer, but I don't know a lot of your combat strategies. So we should do two things first. Baldur and Rain should be team leaders, seeing as how they are the strongest. The second thing, going back to what I said before. Aster is our only healer, I am pretty sure. But I could be wrong. So if we have any other healers here, please make yourself known."

[Rain 0]

As the group started on their strategy meeting, they began worrying about healing. It seems as though Aster was the only healer. Luckily for them, the wanderer himself is somewhat of a healer. To be more precise, and alchemist. He waited for Cygnus to finish his little speech before he butted in. "I can deal with healing on the other team. I may not look like it, but I'm one of the best Alchemists in Aincrad." It wasn't meant to be him bragging, but just straight up facts. Over the course of his stay in Aincrad, the wanderer has built his experience and reputation as an alchemist. He's not exactly a combat healer, but his potions is enough to mitigate that lose of healer. His healing is however limited to however many potions he has. "But, I am somewhat against to splitting the team. Me and Baldur can definitely clean this quest quickly, but where's the fun in that for you guys? I think it's best we all stick together so you guys can get the feel of large battles and Baldur and I can stand back to support you guys. Then we can intervene when things gets sketchy." The wanderer did think that splitting the teams was a good idea, but there would be no enjoyment for everyone there. Where's the fun in that?

Edited July 20, 2016 by Rain

[Cygnus 0]

Cygnus thought about it for a moment. Indeed, splitting the team seemed like kind of a bad idea. That rarely ended well. This would be especially bad if they had only one healer. "Actually, yes. Rain is right. Like I said, I am almost positive we have only one healer. That being Aster here." He gestured to her. "But if a split would be preferred by most of you, Rain can handle healing on the other team, like he said." The brunette's curiosity was piqued when Rain mentioned he was one of the best Alchemists in Aincrad. That was a pretty big claim to fame. Cygnus figured Rain was exceptionally skilled, having seen his work before. Cygnus made a mental note to visit Rain's shop some time. His supply of potions could really use some bulking up, though through the generosity of others, he had built up a decent selection for himself to choose from.

[Baldur 0]

Baldur watched the others, they seemed to have a solid respect for the situation they were going into. It was health to always have respect for your foe. Baldur could simply one-shot both of the minotaurs at once, but there was always that 10% chance that he would miss - that one slight chance that the unexpected could happen, and that's when you want to make sure you've covered your bases.

"Well, the maximum party size is 6, so we may have to split the party, even if we're together."

Baldur swiped with this hand, "Let's see. There's myself, Rain, Cygnus, Aster, Emblem, Vyrtew, Syn, Bhairyuu, and Victor. So there's 9 of us. We'll have to have two parties, even though we'll be moving as one group, so to speak."

[Syn 0]

 The white haired girl smiled as Emblem greeted her. “I’ve been… Okay.” As she paused she glanced at Vyrtew before shrugging. “To be honest, I don’t mind. I just have a request that I get to group with Emblem.” Syn stated before her face turned bright red. She looked around realising that she had taken a while to answer, her eyes going wide. She sucked in some air and help her breath. “I mean… I mean…” She stumbled over her words falling silent. “Um…. Sorry.” Blushing a deep red Syn took a step back shaking her head, “I’m not really a fighter, so I can’t do much…”