[SP-F6] Calm, Collected <<Calming the Soul>>

[Birdie 0]

The town of Amazon came and went like a bullet, Birdie paying zero mind to her surroundings there. She'd visited the town a while ago, remembering it as the place she encountered a gruelling NPC, the Gemini. Her battle with the doppelganger wasn't an easy one, and if there was anything she took away from that fight, it was to always judge the kindness of a stranger.

Months passed since then. Birdie had a few tricks up her sleeve now, having made progress with her skill as both a fighter and scout-in-training. Her naivety long since diminished, she was wise enough to know that fighting for the promise of gain was foolish and stupid, and unless it was in the best interest of both parties involved, utterly useless when trying to solve real conflicts.

"Not to mention I suck at swordplay," she quipped aloud.

A smile rested on her lips, for today she was faced a new challenge. A quest would see Birdie travelling across the jungle floor, towards a family of cliffs that housed the Waterfall of the Sage. 'Calming the Soul', as she remembered it to be, is said to unlock a new skill that, once learned, grants the user extra energy in battle. It wasn't necessary to have the skill and she could easily go without, though seeing as she had some free time to herself, she seized the opportunity and thought to get the quest out of the way.

Approaching what seemed to be an archway of birch tree branches and leaves, a human-like figure stepped out from the shadow of a nearby tree, approaching her with a seamless smile.

"Come to face your demons, have we?"

Stats:

Spoiler

Stats:
Level 16
320 HP
32 Energy
7 damage (1 base + 3 skill + 3 weapon)
2 Accuracy
3 Evasion
12 Mitigation

Items:
Retaliation (One-handed rapier) (+3 DMG)
Amulet of Precision (+2 ACC)
Ring of Eluding (+3 EVA)
Azure Shawl (as vanity)

Battle-ready:
The Matriarch's Stinger (+1 DMG for one battle)

Skills:
One-handed Rapier (Rank 3)
Search and Detect (Rank 1)
Light Armour (Rank 1)
Concentration
Familiar - Protector

 

Edited October 22, 2016 by Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Birdie stopped and looked onwards, cautioned by the sudden presence of a strange figure. Their words were spoken without a trace of emotion; nothing to let the girl gauge whether they were meant in a demeaning manner or spoken from curiosity. In the end, it hardly mattered.

"Are you the one who'll show me the Waterfall of the Sage?" Her voice carried hesitation as she remembered back to her last encounter with an odd NPC, and how deceitful they'd been to trick her into a fight.

"I'm to take that as a yes, presumably?"

Again, she couldn't catch the tone of those words, and she was left wondering if the nameless figure issued a warning.  It was more likely that the Cardinal was having her formally accept the quest, she thought.

The bluenette nodded carefully, sure of her decision to come.

"Wonderful." Shifting on their feet, Birdie found herself trailing a small distance behind the ghost-like NPC as she followed them. "No sense in hanging around, then. We've a way to go before the Waterfall. Do tell, what motivates a girl like you to conquer one's demons?"

Edited October 23, 2016 by Birdie

[Birdie 0]

All was quiet, as if the trees and animals of the jungle silenced to listen in on the conversation between Birdie and the faceless NPC. "Other than quest rewards and a free skill.." she muttered, almost whispering under her breath.

"I've gotten a lot stronger since I first started my journey. It's weird to think about how I was back then, awkward and not so sure of myself... My friends have taught me who I really am, what goals I should strive towards, and a part of achieving that is defeating the objects of my past. Whatever they might be."

Although impossible to tell, the figure found themselves wearing a smile. "Many venture here for reasons similar, it's a popular philosophy among humans. Not that I can persuade you into backing away now, however the reward for failing to defeat what lies ahead is a sure and slow decent into madness... are you sure you're ready?"

Birdie shifted uncomfortably and folded her arms together. "Hm.."

Edited October 24, 2016 by Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Birdie weighed her options: walk away and come back for the quest another time, or finish it up now and reap the rewards. 'It can't actually turn people insane, right? What's to really lose?' With a sure smile phasing onto her lips, she turned to the faceless NPC and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be. If I don't face my demons now, it just shows how little I've learned since last facing a tough enemy... this acts as verification for the progress I've made, and I intend to make good on the promise I made to myself."

"Very well." The figure replied in a voice that wasn't demeaning nor endearing; a perfect balance of the two that still left her wondering. She'd soon lose focus on the NPC as the world around her began to change. Rather than tall trees and long vines draping down from the branches above, autumn leaves began to fall and her surroundings suited a forest more than a jungle.

"That was quick.. huh?" The sound of gushing water filled her ears and as she looked over yonder, a waterfall came into view. "W-wow.."

"A sight to behold, isn't it?"

[Birdie 0]

Gushing water flowed over a river's end, thousands of gallons of the liquid cascading into a pool below. The branches of trees of grew out over the cliff's edge, causing leaves to drop in an unfortunate descent to the crashing water beneath them. Up ahead, a path would precariously lead behind the waterfall, where Birdie had no doubts the main part of this quest would take place. "You could say that again," she replied, her voice carrying a tone of disbelief at how ethereal the area seemed to be. "This place is beautiful.. it's the most eye-catching thing I've seen in a while."

"We're glad you think so." Other than that, the NPC took no interest in her words of kindness, and a small question brewed in Birdie's mind as to what they meant by 'we'. They drew closer to the waterfall, and as she was finally to sneak a peak at what was behind it, she felt something stop her in her tracks.

"Oof- huh?" She glanced to the NPC and saw that she'd walked into an outstretched arm.

"Final warning," it told her, "once you step inside, there's no turning back."