[PP-F4] The Essence of an Essential Tank <<The Essence of Steel>> [Completed]

[Piera 0]

<<The Essence of Steel>>

Spoiler

 

This quest takes place on Floor 4
This quest is repeatable
This RP will not count in the benchmark

Word from Information Brokers speaks of a mysterious Beast Skull found in the far north of the Frozen wasteland of Floor 4. A small party reported having struck the skull with a nearby bone, waking a huge beast in a nearby cave. This monster, identified as <>, was easily equal in health and strength to a Floor Boss, and is said to yield an incredibly rare drop upon death that will allow a player to enhance a single item, improving it's quality by one level.

Requirements:
-At least two [2] Pages (21 or more posts)
- The Snow Beast must be defeated

Snow Beast Information:
<Snow Beast> is a Field Boss and has the following statistics:
HP: 250
Damage per Attack: 160
Special Ability: Partial Phase- Snow Beast will always deal a minimum of 24 damage, even through Armor and Armor Abilities.

Rewards:

1. Essence of Steel: an incredibly rare monster drop that allows a player to enhance a weapon, armor, or accessory and improve it's quality by one level. (Example, an Uncommon Weapon becomes a Rare Weapon.) Enhanced Gear is eligible for new Item Enhancements and must be approved through the Crafting Item Evaluation Topic.
   Note: This item CANNOT change a weapon's Tier. (Example, a Tier 1 weapon becomes a Tier 2).
2. 1 Skill Point

Parties or Groups are encouraged, though only the player who takes this quest, and uses the Skull to awaken The Snow Beast will receive the <<Essence of Steel>> drop. That means ONLY ONE ESSENCE WILL DROP PER TOPIC.

 

Recommended Level: 25

 

 

Piera had missed quite a lot. What with some of her extended vacations to work solely on her crafting. Random honeymoons with Lee. Getting kidnapped and becoming enslaved. Hiding away from the world and trying to readjust after being rescued. She was still trying to catch up. Poorly. But at least she was trying. Thankfully she had a fairly large amount of col pooled up from over the years (jeez it really had been years, hadn't it?) that helped her grease the palms of some information brokers. To be honest she could have found roughly the same amount of information for free at random inns, but information brokers were discreet and truthful to a T as long as you payed them. It also didn't hurt that since most of the things she was buying information about were old news, she got a hefty discount.

But this was how she very belatedly learned of the field boss of floor four. One of her least favorite floors now for numerous reasons. She shuddered just thinking about it and it wasn't the cold she was thinking of. Knowing that she couldn't take on the beast alone, she had no choice but to ask for help. But from who? She couldn't ask Lee to what with all that had happened. Also she wasn't sure that just the two of them would be able to do the job. She refused to ask Mack for anything. Nocturn was lower leveled than Lee. Her pool of allies was severely limited. But a friendly face did stick out in her memory.

Lips pursing in consideration, Piera tapped the table in front of her as she leaned back in her chair at Snowfrost's less popular tavern, Long Barrow. Making up her mind, the alchemist swiped open her menu. She wasn't friends on the Cardinal system with him, but she knew his username. Assuming that he hadn't set up severe privacy like Lee had, she should still be able to send him a message...
 

Quote

 

TO: @Shield
FROM: Piera
SUBJECT: Not sure if you remember me...

I was the pathetic crying lady that bought you a drink. Was wondering if (whenever you have free time) you would feel like helping me not die. On a quest specifically. The Essence of Steel...also specifically. I'm not really sure what I can offer as incentive to prove I'm not trying to make you do a pity quest with me. Uhhh...I have poopy tier one potions you could have if you'd like? Heh...probably not. But name yer price. ...And i'll see if I can afford you I guess xD

 

Staring at the message she had written, Piera groaned. That sounded awkward as [censored]. But she really couldn't think of how else to word it. She didn't want to demand his help or make it seem like she was trying to guilt trip him into it. Bah. With a sigh, she hit 'send' and took a sip of her hot chocolate, watching as Jareth lapped up his warm milk around his beak and not aware that she forgot to unattach her current coordinates to the message, which was her usual 'signature' to save time when messaging people.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

[Floor 11]

As preparations wore on for the upcoming floor boss battle, Shield had been pulling double duty around his shop trying to find unique enhancements to aid players in the fight. He was just cleaning up the main floor of the shop when a notification pinged him. He set aside the rag that he was using to polish up his work counter and opened his inbox. The name was a familiar one, but not a regular by any means. He opened the message, scanning its contents.

"Another carry mission it sounds like," he said, his lips moving unconsciously as the words of the message slid through his consciousness, stopping abruptly as his lips finished forming the words 'essence of steel'. "Now there's a quest that's always worth considering."

Piera had left the topic of compensation open-ended, which was just as well to Shield. Being a highly skilled merchant meant understanding how to make deals so that everyone got what they needed. However, in this particular case, his sales pitch was simple and to the point. To be the best at what he did, he needed to offer the best items. That meant having the right consumables on hand to tip the scales in his favor. He opened a reply window and began to type.

Quote

@Piera,

Hardly fair to talk about a grief-stricken individual so unkindly, but I'll leave that matter alone for the time being. I believe I'm already waiting on an order of potions from your shop, so I believe I'm set for now on that front once that's taken care of. However, since this would not be my first time through that particular quest, I would request that since you're receiving the lion's share of the SP from the quest that I be allowed to name my prize from the loot, which would be the Essence that the field boss drops.

In either case, we can discuss the details in person. For now, it will take me a while to make the trip to Taft from my home, so if you could meet me by the teleportation plaza on the fourth floor, I can lead the way from there.

-Shield

He sent the message before starting off on his journey to civilization. The path led him through the wilderness, along the floor of a canyon, across rocky plains, and finally to the outskirts of Taft. Just before entering the safe zone, he noticed an odd stone along the road, bending down to pick it up.

"Wait a moment," he wondered aloud as he turned the rock over to inspect its odd crystalline structure. "This isn't a rock. It's some odd... rock candy."

Spoiler

 ID# 82945 results: Loot: 15 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 20 - +1 Material (1/0 total)

He banished the item to his inventory before making his way to the plaza. Once there, he unslung Norbert from his back and tapped his shell to equip the seasonal sweater that he procured for the cold-blooded turtle to use on the cold floor. Each time he equipped the unusual garment, it became more and more gaudy, now sporting a Christmas tree with actual tinkling bells as ornaments. The sleeves were tied together and tbe bottom sewn shut, turning the garment into, more or less, a giant sock more so than a sweater. Norbert protested immediately, grumbling his little turtle grumble as he gaped his jaws defensively from inside of the turtleneck of the sweater that swallowed all but the very tip of his beak.

"Yes, yes, you're such a victim," Shield complained back at him, slinging the turtle back up into his backpack-like position and stepping into the teleportation pad. "Snowfrost."

The main settlement, and unfortunately, the only one with a teleportation array, was blanketed in a thick layer of fluffy white. He crunched his feet through the substance, making his way to a nearby bench to sit and wait for his rendezvous.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Piera started slightly mid sip of her cocoa as a 'ping' sounded, alerting her that she had just received a message. Eagerly opening the reply, her green eyes flicked rapidly over the contents as she read through it. She considered offering him a discount but apparently he had his eyes set on another prize. Namely the item drop from the field boss. She vaguely remembered the information broker saying that it helped up the quality of an item by one rank, but she already had perfect gear so she didn't have any problem with that arrangement. Head tilting in curiosity upon reading his statement that he would take a while to to travel from his home, immediately wondering where he lived that made the journey so arduous.

It seemed she had a bit of time to kill and so sent another message to the information broker she had spoken with, spending some time finding out about any other quests within her and Lee's level range. There was also the quest that Teion had recommended to get the Survival skill. Finding out more information about that one took a little longer and before she knew it, Piera realized she probably should've been at the teleportation plaza by now. Gulping the last of her hot chocolate, the brunette urged, "C'mon Jareth, we gotta go!" The owl griffon flapped off of the table, taking flight ahead of her as she ran out of the tavern and towards the teleportation plaza, heavy armor clanking and cloak whipping in the flurries. Jareth landed gracefully on the bench next to Shield, beginning to tuck his wings in before pausing, eyes focused on the other familiar on the player's back with intensity.

His mistress arrived a moment later, panting slightly. Piera raised a hand in greeting to the man that was unmistakably Shield and apologized in short sentences as she caught her breath, "S-Sorry. Lost track of time. Information brokers. Hope you weren't waiting long." Letting out a sigh that caused a puff of fog hovered in front of her mouth, the alchemist added on, "Thank you for doing this by the way. I'm completely fine with you taking the item dr....drop..." Her sentence faded slightly as she had finally caught sight of what was on the tank's back. Pointing with a vaguely surprised expression she asked frankly, "Is that a turtle? ...Wearing a sweater? Oh my god that's adorable." Her tone of voice was flat but her expression was rapidly becoming captivated. Noticing Jareth's equal interest, she tapped a finger on top of his head, breaking his stare as she warned, "You be on your best behavior mister." Causing the griffon to give a disgruntled and quiet screech, his ears twitching as he twisted his head away from her touch.

[Shield 0]

With the extra time alone to his thoughts, Shield became lost in contemplation. The road behind him had been a rocky one, and despite finally making rank in his guild, he still did not feel as if he had a place there. Sure, he had been promoted, but outside of the guild hall, it was difficult to drag his guild mates along with him on quests and leveling missions. As the curious, flighted creature alighted beside Shield, he was pulled out of his thoughts. He extended a hand to it, wary of the beak, but holding his hand steady to gauge its reaction. Between the countless foes that had sunk fangs and claws and blades into him, not to mention his own bitey companion's reptilian beak, the ball of feathers beside him did not intimidate him. As Piera caught up, he returned the raised hand, keeping the one extended towards the birdlike creature who was transfixed on Norbert.

"I'd watch yourselves," he said to both human and familiar. "Norbert isn't as cuddly as he looks, and I say that fully aware of how uncuddly he looks."

In the familiar's distraction, Shield reached out and lightly pinched Jareth's beak between his thumb and forefinger. He was aware that such a gesture would likely earn him a nip, but that would be considerably tamer than anything Norbert's jaws could deliver.

"Yes," Shield replied in response to the inquiry on the snapper's attire. "It's necessary, I'm afraid, considering the weather and his status as a cold-blooded animal." He stood and brushed the snow off of him that had accumulated before turning to Piera. "Well, in any case, it sounds like we have a deal. I suggest we start moving. I'm not sure your build, but if you're relying on me for damage, this will be a fairly slow fight."

Spoiler

ID# 82973 results: Loot: 16  + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 21 - +1 Material (1 total)

He motioned for her to follow, taking the path that led out of Snowfrost across the icy forest landscape. As they walked, they happened by an odd tree with holly-like leaves and odd, clustered berries of a bright yellow color. His Seeking Aura earring reacted, the thread of gold wire in the otherwise silver hoop lighting and shedding a pale yellow light on his shoulder. He shrugged, finding the ripest looking berries and picking them from the stem to store them away in his inventory. As soon as he had done so, his earring faded and he pressed on ahead towards the plans that housed the dry, snow-filled river bed where lay the means to summon the field boss.

"This is your first time on this quest, correct?" He inquired, his dark brown eyes giving Piera a sidelong glance past the scar on his cheek.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Jareth's focus transferred from Norbert to the offered hand in front of him, neck slowly extending towards it before Piera interrupted with surprise, "I dunno, with that snuggie, he looks pretty cuddly right now. If you hug him just right I bet he can't even snap atcha."

Speaking of snapping, as the man would take hold of the griffon's beak, the familiar would immediately and with great indignation shake the fingers off before nipping at said fingers in retaliation while emitting a low hiss. "Jareth! Bad!" Piera would scold, rather scandalized at her familiar's behavior as she quickly scooped him up into her arms, roughly smooshing back his ears to make him look at her. "No. Biting." She intoned with seriousness, causing a low annoyed growl to emit from the griffon's throat, hanging tail twitching but he didn't otherwise move or protest. "Sorry..." The alchemist apologized weakly, her grip on the barn owl looking creature relaxing.

Eyebrows raising slightly as she nodded in comprehension as Shield explained that the sweater was necessary considering the cold of the floor that they were on and the fact that he was a reptile. "You sure the sweater will be enough? I could lend him my cloak to keep him warmer." He was doing her a favor and the least she could do was make sure his familiar didn't get frostbite while assisting her.

As Shield stood, Piera let Jareth slip from her arms, landing in the snow as he shook and puffed out his feathers for added layering of warmth. The cold apparently gave him a burst of energy as he jumped up and pranced sideways like a crazy feline, flapping his wings energetically and causing the brunette to chuckle at his exuberance. 

Looking up at the taller player as he said that they had a deal, she nodded at his suggestion that they get started, following him as he lead the way out of town. At his remarks about her build and relying on him for damage, the bespectacled woman shrugged. "My build isn't really much of anything as you can see. Or oh...well I guess you can't." Rectifying this, Piera sent him a friend request and then an invitation to join her party. Should he accept the latter, he would see not only Piera's health bar and stats, but also a player named Lee's. "I'm pretty much committed to a support role. Have a two handed spear that has plus one accuracy and two points of bleed, but I recently got an alternate one that gives me plus three damage. So probably gonna go with that one for this quest."

As the pair exited Snowfrost and officially left the safe zone, the woman immediately equipped aforementioned weapon, which was a trident of blue tinted Adamantite. Green eyes glanced behind her shoulder and around them to assure herself that there was no one following or watching them, following much more closely behind Shield than before now.

Eyes widening as she noticed that the older man had an earring and not only that, but that it was suddenly glowing, the alchemist watched as he glanced around before picking some uniquely colored berries. "Berry seeking earring?" She asked teasingly but with genuine fascination. "I assume it helps you find loot, or materials? I've never seen one that cool to be honest. Nice." The alchemist would glance around to see if there was anything that she could possibly collect to use in a new alchemic recipe but didn't see anything that would work.

Jareth would scamper to the edge of the snow covered river bed before his demeanor would change, feathers fluffing up even further and it wasn't due to cold. Retreating to behind Piera, the healer would glance from her familiar to Shield and nod with a slight frown. "Yeah. I uh...don't get out much." Somewhat self conscious of her level contrasting with her lack of experience in the world of Aincrad. "But you obviously have. What should I expect?"

Spoiler

ID: 82975
LD: 3+1=4
No Materials Found

 

Edited April 21, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Shield waved away Piera's concern over the nip that Jareth had given him. As any true pet parent, he was well versed in the joys of annoying animal companions as well as the consequences that followed.

"When Norbert gets snippy outside of safe zones, he's been known to actually take my fingers off," he reassured her.

As the requests were sent, he tapped to accept both before continuing along their way. As they cleared the forest and came upon the river, Shield struck out along the track that the river ran, moving steadily downhill with the flow of the now nonexistent current.

Spoiler

ID# 82976 results: Loot: 20 + 3 item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 25 - +1 Material (2 total)

Swapping gear:
- Finder's Keeper (- 1 skill rank: search & detect), -Seeking Aura (- 3 LD), + Steel Buckler (vanity shield), + 1 Bloody Hell (+ 2 dmg, + 24 bleed), + Manticore Mask (Taunt, +16 Flame Aura)

Already Equipped: Razor Ire (14 Thorns, Recovery 1)

As they marched, the familiar glow of his earring fell onto his shoulder again. Glancing at the ground, he found a bulge in the snow that looked like a stone that had snagged its fair share of snow and been buried. He knelt down and dusted the object off, finding beneath the white powdery shroud a fist sized rock with the classic red staining of iron ore. Tapping the material to summon an item menu, he banished it to his inventory before straightening up and opening up his menus to trade out his earring and wristband for a hooked axe and reflective round buckler, and his trusty Manticore Mask.

"As we follow this river, it will lead us to the beast's lair," he explained, pointing downriver. "There's a beast's skull suspended on a length of spinal column, and we have to use the nearby bone as a mallet to strike the skull like a gong, and that awakens the beast from his snow cave."

As they walked around a bend in the river, an object came into view in the middle of the stream that matched Shield's description. The skull was big enough that a small child could have curled up and hid inside of it.

"There it is there. The cave itself is hidden in the slope of the river and is usually so snow-packed that it blends in entirely with the river bank. Just hang back until I get in a swing to get its attention, and you're safe to do whatever you like. I won't need healing."

@Piera

Edited April 21, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Eyebrows raising above the frames of her glasses at the tidbit about the tank's familiar, Piera clenched her own fingers in sympathy. "Jeez.....it's a good thing that they grow back." Glancing around as she followed Shield down the snowy but otherwise dry riverbed, she wondered if the snow ever melted enough to make the river. Her attention was drawn back to her companion as he found another crafting material before going through and changing his equips. Blinking with wide eyes, she couldn't stop staring at the Manticore Mask. "Well that's....haunting." The healer stated flatly. Then her head tilted slightly, surprised that while the rest of his items seemed to be quite high in level and have great stats....then there was his shield. She tried to resist asking, but simply couldn't. "So uh...what's with the shield, Shield?"  Given his name, the woman had certain expectations. The plain buckler did not live up to those.

But they did have a job to do, so Piera attempted to focus on that. Paying rapt attention at the older man's explanation, green eyes following his pointed finger as she nodded, though a shiver ran down her spine as she actually saw said skull on said spinal column. It was pretty huge and she wasn't looking forward to meeting the thing that likely ate it. The realization that the battle was about to start set her pixelated skin prickling in anticipation and she jerkily swiped open her menu before jumping slightly as Jareth landed on her shoulder suddenly. Sighing as she realized who it was, Piera gave the owl griffon an errant pet, smiling gratefully for the distraction as he picked at her hair idly.

Going through her inventory, she unequipped her Fang Charm and equipped Healing Heart, despite Shield's statement that he wouldn't need healing. It was always better safe than sorry. Expression tense, the alchemist nodded, taking a deep breath to steel herself before she walked purposefully forward, glancing around before scooping up a bone on the ground. Shaking off the excess snow, she looked to Shield once more for confirmation before raising the bone high and slamming it into the skull. The resulting sound was somehow both low and piercing at the same time, causing her to wince while Jareth screeched in displeasure, flapping off of her shoulder to perch in the branches high above. Before the beast could emerge, Piera turned and sprinted back to a safe distance, namely behind Shield. "Ohhh boy it does not sound happy. Then again, I wouldn't be either if somebody hit my alarm clock early." She remarked, needing to say something in such a tense situation. Well tense for her. Might be a walk in the park for him though. Then again, babysitting could be annoying.

Spoiler

 

ID: 83018
LD: 2+1=3
No Materials Found

[Swapping Gear: -Fang Charm (-1LD) +Healing Heart (+3 Combat Craft)]

Equipment

• [Weapon] <<Adamantite Trident>>: +3 Damage
• [Armour] <<Violet Dragoon Armor>>: +18 Damage Mitigation; 1 Regen (Heals 9 HP after every successful attack from my opponent)
• [Lucky Charm] <<Healing Heart>>: +3 Combat Craft

<<Final Stats>>

[Level: 18] || [HP: 360] || [Energy: 36] || [DMG: 7] || [ACC: 0] || [EVA: 0] || [MIT: 21]

 

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83019 results:

 Battle: 10 - Hit! - 3 dmg + 2 = 5 dmg, Bleed - 24 - 2 turns, +1 Hate [Taunt}

 MOB: 3 +1 = 4 - Miss

[H:3] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:0] @Piera- HP: 360/360 | EP: 36/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 221/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 24 bld 1/2

"Couple of reasons on the shield," he replied, watching as Piera triggered the summoning of the Snow Beast. "I'm already getting enhancement benefits from my axe, my armor, and my mask. Normally, I would get Regen from my go-to shield, but with the Taunt on my mask, that saves me the time of having to Howl to draw focus, and since a weaker enemy doesn't require as much health regeneration I can forego those enhancements."

A slight tremor began in the ground below his feet, almost imperceptible under the layers of downy snow. He turned toward the side of the river where he knew the beast's lair was hidden, though under the snow it was impossible to see exactly where it was hidden. The surface of the snow was smooth and unblemished all the way along the river bank.

"That being said, I still need a shield equipped to reap the benefits of my Block skill," he continued, narrowing his eyes as the tremor became stronger. "That's one of the greater portions of my mitigation, so I can't go without. Long and short of it, if you're a dedicated healer and I'm a dedicated tank, our damage will be slow. That Taunt significantly reduces the number of times I need to howl. Otherwise, we may be here for a while."

With a roar that shook the ground even more than before, the great tiger-like beast burst from the surface of the snow, sending a wall of white raining down across the entirety of their section of the river bed, burying Shield up to his shins. The older player waded his way forward, trying to get more snow under his feet than on top of them. The beast leaped deftly through the snowy battlefield, unhindered by the obstacle, locking onto the mocking mask with a snarl and pouncing towards the approaching warrior.

With a quick, upward slash, Shield met the creature half way, splitting its face down the middle with a glowing red gash. The wound spilled red pixels into the air, and although his attack had done very little damage on its own, the beast's health began to drain away little by little. Much to Shield's chagrin, this counterattack had wrong-footed the beast enough to miss its attack entirely.

"Stonewall reduces my evasion into the negative, you dumb beast," he complained, putting his axe hand on his hip. "How much more help do you need?"

Edited April 23, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Green eyes flickered around in search of the beast to where Shield was standing in front of her as he explained the reason for his very under-leveled shield. Chewing the inside of her cheek, she had to admit this stats talk was helping her relax a little. "That creepy thing helps you Taunt? Huh." The appearance made more sense now and she made a mental note to ask the tank where he had acquired the item. Unable to feel any sort of vibrations through the thickness of the snow, Piera continued to glance around them before noticing that the older man was staring at a particular spot that didn't look like anything special, but he had done this quest before so he obviously knew what he was doing. Not taking her eyes off of said spot, the brunette continued to listen, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

Head bobbing slightly in understanding, the healer commented, "Yeah, you don't really need it. I guess I don't see why you wouldn't use it if you have it. You could probably regen back to full health immediately after it attacked you. ....Assuming it could even damage you through all that armor. Er, mitigation." She corrected, using the proper term.

Piera swallowed as she both felt and heard the roar of the beast awakening, she couldn't help the gasp she emitted as it charged through the snow, spluttering as it covered the pair. Backpedaling a few feet in instinctive wariness, the armored woman watched with wide eyes as the other player simply started forward, muttering, "Big, big kitty." Shield simply began attacking, the tiger like mob unable to even successfully swat at the tank.

Which he then commented on, causing Piera to chuckle weakly. "Hey, give it a break. It did only just wake up. Hasn't even had it's coffee yet." Realizing she was clutching her spear so tight that her knuckles were white, the bespectacled woman loosened her grip slightly and took a wider and more solid stance in the snow. "I-Is it okay to attack it now?" She asked, hating at how pathetic her voice sounded. 

After getting the okay from the more experienced player, Piera inhaled, her expression full of concentration as she charged forward. Trident raised, she skated around Shield before trying to quickly turn and stab at the yowling mob. It shot forward, deftly avoiding the long weapon. Not expecting to not meet any resistance, her eyes went wide as her momentum carried her forward, barely catching herself by shooting out her right leg. But she still stumbled, falling on both knees with a curse as she quickly used her trident to get to her feet, noting the blood pooling in the snow in bright contrast. Her ears were bright red from embarrassment at her blunder in front of the older player. Jeez, what was she level 8 or level 18?!

Spoiler

ID# 83022 results:

 Battle: 3 - Miss!

[H:3] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:0] Piera - HP: 360/360 | EP: 36/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 221/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 24 bld 1/2

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83023 results:

 Battle: 6 - Hit! - 3 dmg, +1 Hate

 MOB: 9 + 1 = 10 - Hit! - 160 dmg + 2 = 162 - 134 mit = 28 dmg

[H:5] Shield - HP: 1046/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:0] @Piera - HP: 360/360 | EP: 36/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 194/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 - [BLD END]

"From here on out, I've got the thing where I want it," he assured her, keeping his eyes narrowed and focused on the creature through the holes in the mask. "Attack at will, and don't worry about healing me. If I notice that it's staring to look your way, I've got Focused Howl waiting in the wings, but if things go according to plan, that shouldn't even be necessary."

As she went to her knees, he stepped between the beast and Piera. Shield swung his axe at the side of the creature's head. It connected, but only with a glancing blow this time. Before he could bring his arm back for a more solid strike, the retaliation of the Snow Beast caught him across the side of the head. Angered by the mask's visage, the tiger boss raked with its great claws, leaving wide gashes that showed the red glow of his sprite's innards. However, Shield had been expecting this sooner or later. Before Piera had time to react and get herself worked up, he threw out an arm to stop her reaction before it snowballed.

"My Battle Healing will cover that," he barked, using the force of his will to snap his ally out of whatever panic the sight of such a blow might cause. He didn't know Piera well, but she seemed to have strong visceral reactions in the face of adversity, and there was no time for that. "Focus on offense. I know this beast. That's about as strong as his attacks get, and even that is going to heal up almost immediately. He can't hurt me. Go!"

Sure enough, even as he spoke, the edges of the cuts had begun to close in on themselves. In a moment, there would be no remaining traces of the wounds. He slammed his buckler into the creature's chest, driving it back a few paces to give Piera more room to recover herself in order to strike. 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

As Piera scrambled to her feet, she looked up as a slight shadow was cast over her and she saw Shield standing in front of her, blocking the beast's view of her. Taking the opportunity he had given her to regain her balance and grip on her weapon, the brunette watched as he assured her that he had the monster where he wanted it which she assumed was the amount of hate he had acquired from it. But it was his assurances that even should she manage to catch it's eye, he had a backup plan that made her feel a little more at ease. It was hard to feel completely relaxed in any battle. At least for her.

Circling around as the tank's axe sliced into the side of the feline's skull, Piera inhaled sharply as claws dug deep into his body, leaving bright angry red marks in their wake and instantly causing a wave of anxiousness through the alchemist. Her left hand went to her opal necklace even as her eyes darted to the upper left of her vision to glance at his health bar. But before she could think to do anything, her attention was refocused back on Shield himself as he threw out an arm to catch her attention or stop her as he stated that his Battle Healing skill would take care of the wound. Lips pursed tightly even as her brow furrowed in worry, the brunette nodded sharply. "Got it!" If that was as much as this monster's attacks could hurt him, Shield was right, she didn't have anything to worry about.

Taking a steadying breath as his health bar nearly immediately began to refill, Piera focused her mind, eyes zeroed in on the snarling white feline. She needed to be careful and precise if she was going to hit this. ...And not fall on her face preferably. Circling quickly (but making sure not to run and thus draw attention) around the field boss, she waited until just after Shield used his namesake to bash into the beast's chest, giving her the perfect distraction to shoot forward.

Once in range, she held her spear much like a pool stick, holding the base with her right hand while the other was used to balance and aim. Her trident first thrust into the side of it's neck, making a small but deep wound before detracting and just as quickly shooting out again, but lower, hitting a pivotal point in the tiger like feline's leg joint. Expression cracking into a smile of achievement, Piera quickly backpedaled as she called out excitedly, "Stunned it!" It may not have been much, but it was now closer to half health than not.

 

Spoiler

ID# 83104 results:

 Battle: 8 - Hit! Sword Art used - Twin Thrust - 14 dmg, +1 Hate

[H:5] Shield - HP: 1046/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:1] Piera  - HP: 360/360 | EP: 31/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 180/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 - [STUNNED]

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

+30 HP - Battle Healing

ID# 83105 results:

 Battle: 8 - Hit! - 3 dmg, Bleed - 24 dmg / 2 rounds, +1 Hate [Mask]

[H:7] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:1] @Piera - HP: 360/360 | EP: 31/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 153/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 - [STUN END]

Shield gave out a whoop of triumph at the solid hit that Piera had landed, but as soon as she did so, he realized he had blundered and not communicated the game plan properly to her. Triumph turned into momentary frustration, and he cursed in the silence of his mind.

This is what happens when I don't take into account that people haven't fought alongside me before.

Taking advantage of the beast's weakness, he darted in, catching it across the face once more with his axe as it stood stock still, frozen in the snow with one paw raised. He saw the telltale eruption of red firefly-like particles scattered into the air. The Bleed effect of his axe had triggered for a second time. He gave a nod, glad that the paralysis had at least paid off somehow.

"Hey, Piera," he said, his eyes still focused on the beast, knowing the stun wouldn't last much longer. "Don't worry about stunning him. He may seem like he's dangerous, but if I'm right about the way this is going, I've got way more of his attention than you, and his damage isn't a threat, letting him make his attacks gives him a chance to trigger my Thorns and Flame Aura." He raised the buckler in front of him, preparing for the inevitable retaliatory strike of the 'frozen' snow beast. His eyes flicked over to Piera before wrapping up the thought. "Sorry. Should have said something before."

Edited April 25, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Excited grin growing upon hearing Shield's whoop, not noticing his change in mood as she was too caught up in her minor achievement. Watching keenly as he darted in to attack with his axe once more, taking advantage of the frozen monster, Piera started circling around behind him once more, this time to the right, hoping to further catch the feline unawares.

Eyes flicking over to the tank as he called out her name, she blinked once, her head tilting ever so slightly as she considered his statement. The hamsters slowly beginning to pick up speed in her mind just as quickly as the blood rushed to her face. How many times before had she ran that same tactic with Lee? She could even see Shield's stats since she was in a party with him! Why did she never strategize, never think ahead? She could hear her fiance scold her in her mind. At this rate, the frontlines were years away for her...

Holding her trident slightly in front of her face in the hopes of blocking view of her blushing face, Piera shook her head at Shield's apology. "N-No, I'm sorry. I can even see that you have Thorns. I wasn't really thinking. I'll do better." She couldn't allow these sort of mistakes to form bad habits. Not when someone's life could be in her hands some day.

Expression tense and determined, the healer glared at the field boss that was just starting to shake out of being stunned. This time Piera inhaled deeply, her spear beginning to glow green before she darted right past it, slashing the blades of her spear through the length of it's mostly white body, leaving one long angry red gash behind. She tried not to think of what a terrible impression she must be making on the older man and kept her mind on the fight. Waiting for it's next attack. Eyeing it's HP bar, it seemed that it likely wouldn't last too much longer.

Spoiler

ID# 83106 results:

 Battle: 8 - Hit! Sword Art Used, Heft - 14 dmg, +1 Hate

[H:7] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:1] Piera  - HP: 360/360 | EP: 29/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 139/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 -

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83108 results:

 Battle: 9 - Hit! - 3 dmg + 1 = 4 dmg, Bleed - 24 dmg / 2 turns

 MOB: 6 + 1 = 7 - Hit! - 160 dmg - 134 mit = 26 dmg, Thorns - 14 dmg, Flame Aura - 16 dmg

[H:10] Shield - HP: 1048/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:2] @Piera - HP: 360/360 | EP: 29/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 82/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 - [BLD RESET]

He didn't have time to assess Piera's state in depth, though judging from her apology she was taking the mistake as her own. He'd have to talk to her about it after the fight to remove that guilt, but in the mean time, the beast in front of him was shaking off, sending a flurry of little snowflakes that remained on its body from its grand entrance through the snow bank.

Before it had a chance to recover itself, Shield darted to the side and came at the creature from its flank, slashing down the length of its tiger-striped body. The gash that he opened once again poured out blood red particles that spouted through the air and evaporated. Roaring in anger, the creature turned to him and reared up on its hand legs, batting at him with both front paws. The twin swipes left the same signature red gashes along his chest as its last attack, and it did almost exactly as much to his health gauge as before. Meanwhile, his Stonewall skill mod had lived up to its name, and despite the powerful clawing attacks, he had remained unmoved as if he himself was made of stone.

The health gauge of the beast, however, was not unmoved. As its paws returned to the ground, the sides of them appeared to be covered in dozens of tiny scratches and burns, left behind by Shield's offensive defense of the thorned armor and the burning aura of his mask.

"It doesn't have much left in it," he called out. "One more good hit aught to do it!"

Edited April 25, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Holding up an arm to shield herself from the flurries flying off of the beast's flank, Piera watched as Shield immediately ran in to attack before it could regain its bearings. It didn't take the attack lying down (figuratively or literally) and swiped at the tank, doing the same pitiful amount of damage against the older man as it had managed before. It was hard for the healer to determine if the field boss wasn't as scary as she thought, or if Shield was simply that overleveled for this quest. She supposed she would find out if it attacked her but that was unlikely to happen with how thoroughly he was doing his job.

But it seemed that the snow beast's health bar took more of a plunge from attacking Shield than vice versa. She knew he had Thorns, but what was that other thing he had mentioned? Flame Aura? Impressed, Piera watched with some amusement as the terrifying field boss acted like somewhat of a kitten, yowling at it's hurt paws, not able to place them down all the way at first.

Head turning to Shield momentarily, the brunette nodded firmly. "I got it." Her serious expression faltered into an rueful smile momentarily as she commented, "Though I'm pretty sure you could just stand there and it would kill itself for us. At least we have a plan B." Chuckling, the armored woman squared her shoulders before charging the monster.

But as she did so, it was still flinging it's paws about in pain and she took it for the beginnings of an attack and flinched, causing her feet to trip over themselves all while cursing, "Frickin' piss!"  At least this time she expected it and managed to tuck and roll before landing on her side. Using her spear to push her upright, Piera groaned loudly to Shield, "I think we might need to use plan B after all."

 

Spoiler

ID# 83111 results:

 Battle: 2 - Miss!

[H:10] Shield - HP: 1048/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:2] Piera  - HP: 360/360 | EP: 28/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 82/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 - [BLD RESET]

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83112 results:

 Battle: 1 - Miss

 MOB: 9 + 1 = 10 - Hit! - 160 dmg + 1 = 161 - 134 mit = 27 dmg

[H:11] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:2] @Piera - HP: 360/360 | EP: 28/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 58/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 - [BLD END]

"Trust me, this would not be the first battle where I more or less had to wait for an enemy to kill itself on my thorns," he groaned, recalling a few fights that were much longer-lived than they should have been. The worst of which had been on this very floor, though at the hands of a different field boss altogether. "Don't sweat it. If we have to wait for him to wear himself down, so be it."

No sooner had he said this than the creature lunged at him once more. Unprepared for the attack, his foot slid in the snow as the snow beast pounced. The attack floored him, two massive paws pressed against his chest as he was knocked prone. His back hit the snow, which was fortunate, because hard ground could have easily knocked the wind from his lungs. The claws raked at his shoulders and neck with ferocity and precision, though even in the midst of it, it managed to do no more damage to him than it had before.

"I'm fine, he barked," certain that Piera would worry even despite seeing the paltry effects of the field boss' attacks. "Just focus on putting as much damage up as you can!"

His dark brown eyes glared up at the snarling jaws of the snow beast, and with a heave, he lifted his legs, fighting with the many limbs of the creature to try to plant them in his attacker's stomach to push it off of him. As the bleeding wounds slowly closed, Shield saw the creature's health drop into the red.

Okay, kitty, you've had your fun.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Chuckling at the older man's haggard groan at the thought of having to literally wait for a monster to kill itself on his armor, Piera assured him, "I'll do my best to make his a quick death."

And for a moment she thought that the quick death was going to be Shield's as he went down under the mass of white and black fur. Stomach lurching at the sight of the beast tearing into the front of her companion's avatar, she called out in alarm, "Shie-!" But before she could even finish his name, he yelled out to her that he was fin, barking out orders.

Growling in frustration to mask her mounting concern, Piera ran to position herself behind the tiger like monster. Seeing the tank push the beast off with a kick of his legs, the alchemist used this to her advantage, widening her stance and lowering her center of gravity by bending her legs, holding the point of her trident to the bottom left before jumping up, slicing deeply into the cat's spine, from his left flank to his right shoulder, damaging it critically as she yelled, "Get off of him!"

Landing on one knee with her black and purple cape fanned out behind her in the snow, Piera used the butt of her spear to catch herself from tumbling into the snow before standing, breathing a little more heavily than she had been. She wanted to offer the man a hand up, but she felt that he might be insulted. Also it probably wouldn't be good for them both to be standing too close together should the field boss decide to pull such a move again.

Spoiler

ID# 83119 results:

 Battle: 10 - Crit Hit! Sword Art used, Heft - 18 dmg, +2 Hate

[H:11] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:4] Piera  - HP: 360/360 | EP: 26/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 40/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 -

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83128 results:

 Battle: 4 - Miss

 MOB: 2 + 1 = 3 - Miss

[H:12] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:4] @Piera - HP: 360/360 | EP: 26/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 40/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24

As Piera's strike landed, it knocked the snow beasts's trajectory off. Like a cat falling from a high branch, the feline flailed as it fell, falling right back onto Shield directly across his rib cage. The startled tank floundered, a flurry of panicked claws lashing out in all directions on top of him as both player and monster tried to make sense of the arrangement.

"Get. Off!" he growled, managing to wedge his shield underneath the beast and hoist it away from his his face towards his legs. Using the barrier as a springboard, the cat-like creature managed to grab the edges with its claws and push off, springing onto its feet and whipping back around to face the small outfit of players.

Its great slitted eyes darted back and forth between both of them, clearly still more agitated by Shield, but still flustered from the chaos of being bounced around midair. Its body heaved with the wild, panicked breathing of a cornered wild animal, and it pawed at the ground, kicking up snow as it prepared itself for the next exchange.

"Well, that didn't go as planned," Shield spluttered, wiping snow out of his face as he stumbled back to his feet.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Shield

[Piera 0]

Wincing at the tiger like creature's flailing on top of Shield's body, she was about to try and rush it to knock it off, but it seemed the older man had it covered. Using his shield as a platform to fling it off of himself. She backpedaled quickly, not wanting to get hit with the hundered pounds of fluff, but thankfully her companion had aimed it away from her. It definitely seemed more pissed than before and the way it was looking between the two players caused Piera to do the same between it and Shield. Was it actually considering attacking her? It shouldn't with Shield having accumulated the most hate...

As the tank awkwardly got his own legs back under him, she tried to help, offering a steadying hand at his elbow for a moment before letting go. "Well not exactly." Piera agreed with a shrug before countering, "Could've gone worse though. At least we have plan B, heh. Let's try not to let it hug either of us again though. Nearly gave me a heart attack." Though her expression and tone were lightly joking, she was speaking truthfully. She wasn't used to combat yet, but she would try her hardest to get better at it. "Gonna go for the side again." Or try to.

Still wary of it's flickering angry gaze, Piera inched away from her companion, trying not to move too fast or make too much noise and gain it's attention. She knew logically that it shouldn't matter, but it's realistic feline actions couldn't help but put her on edge. She had stalked her fair amount of cats....albeit much much smaller ones. But the Hate held and it eventually stopped even glancing at her, seemingly getting angrier just by Shield's presence. Had to be that scary looking mask he had mentioned. As soon as the focus had left her, Piera charged the field boss, trident piercing its belly and dragging up through its striped ribs before exiting. Once her weapon was free, the healer jumped back, ensuring that even should she earn it's ire that she would be out of range. "So close now..."

Spoiler

ID# 83136 results:

 Battle: 7 - Hit! Sword Art used, Heft - 14 dmg, +1 Hate

[H:12] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:5] Piera  - HP: 360/360 | EP: 26/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: 26/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24

 

Edited April 26, 2017 by Piera

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 83148 results:

 Battle: 9 - Hit! - 3 dmg + 1 = 4 dmg, Bleed - 24 dmg / 2 turns

[H:15] Shield - HP: 1074/1074: EP: 94/94 | DMG: 3 | EVA: -1 | MIT: 134 | RGN: | BH:30 | TNT: 1 | FLA: 16 dmg | THN: 14 dmg | REC: 1
[H:5] Piera  - HP: 360/360 | EP: 26/36 | DMG: 7 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 21

Snow Beast - HP: -2/250 | DMG: 160 | PHS: 24 [DEAD]

Watching Piera's moves, Shield timed his charge for the same moment she did, using his own actions to mask hers and draw the feline's focus. However, much to his surprise, his attack did more than just provide cover. The heavy blade of his axe slid through the monster's sprite, ripping another bleeding gash along the side of its face. It recoiled, nursing two fresh wounds as it stumbled back. His attack had done next to no damage, but the wound he had dealt it was refusing to close.

"Done deal," he said with a note of finality, letting his axe fall down to his side. He took a deep breath, watching as the rapidly depleting health bar fell towards the zero mark.

The beast shook itself off, determined to make one last stand before the end, but even as it charged and leaped its health bar drained and disappeared, and its body was bathed in a bright blue light. Just as the claws drew near his neck, its entire form shattered, showering him with glowing blue shards of light that melted like snow as they hit the ground. The familiar congratulatory window sprang to life in front of them and Shield nodded as he dismissed his own.

"Not bad," he said, walking past Piera and tapping her lightly on the shoulder with his fist. "We may not exactly be DPS players, but we got where we needed to go. I say we call it a day."

He turned back towards the safe zone, motioning for Piera to follow him as he hoisted Norbert back up onto his back, securing his companion more solidly on his back.

"Come on, ya big grump," he said, giving the other player a glance over his shoulder. "I meant Norbert, not you."

As if on cue, as Shield turned back around, to look at Piera, his nose was suddenly within snapping distance, and Norbert promptly snapped the tip of it right off.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Shield