[F1] The First Few Lessons Are Free

[Kitsune 0]

Fetch Five One-Tier Items for Zackariah

"Hmm, now where was that – oh I see it now." Kitsune murmured to herself as she explored some narrow alleyways in the Town of Beginnings. Coming out from the backstreet she was met with a modest little workshop that had various pipes belching a variety of colored smoke from its thatched roof. When she had asked a couple of NPCs what to be on the lookout for while looking for Zackariah's place, all they had said was follow the trails of smoke. "Here goes nothing." Kitsune gulped and rapped gently at the wooden door a few times. She heard the sound of papers and books falling, followed by the sound of glass breaking, which was then followed by the sound of a man quickly muttering some obscenities. Then the door opened. The young artisan was met by an elderly man who was decanting some strange red liquid in one hand, while firmly grasping a flask of neon green gas in the other. "Well come in then I haven't got all day." Zackariah said in a brusk tone. Kitsune shuffled carefully into the  alchemist NPC's workspace, being careful not to shatter anything should he lose his temper this time. Zackariah continued his apparent work with the two, now apparently glowing and volatile elements and asked indifferently "What can I do for you miss?" Kitsune cleared her throat and explained that she had seen his announcement on the quest board offering some sort of "lessons", and she was interested – in other words – unable to take on any other higher rewarding quests due to her low level. Zackariah seemed to warm up upon hearing that, and he immediately took on more of an "NPC" disposition. "Ah well why didn't you say so before!" he exclaimed exuberantly. "Here's a list of some things I'll need first before we can get to potion crafting." A quest initiative appeared in front of Kitsune's face, and upon pressing the affirmative blue circle she was given a short list of items needed to help Zackariah. "Five T1 materials, huh. Should be easy enough." Kitsune thought to herself as she closed the workshop door behind her. With a spring in her step Kitsune set off to the nearby wilds to start searching.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Kitsune understood that outside of the Town of Beginnings, thing could be just as dangerous as fighting a high-level monster if one wasn't careful. Treading carefully through the open, green plains that were frequented by boars, wolves, and other low-level hostiles, Kitsune found herself in a nearby forest that was still young. Plenty of sunlight reached the ground and most of the animals she saw were passive mobs such as rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc. Scanning the environment, she looked to see if there was something useful that Zackariah could use for potion crafting.

ID #: 84491 LD: 6

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

"What are these items anyway? Never heard of them." Kitsune thought as she double-checked the list. The materials seemed to consist of types of herbs, but she had never seen any in person. She huffed upwards causing some tresses from her bangs to blow upwards, and kept on searching.

ID #: 84498 LD: 14

"Huh? Looks like this little guy's on the list too." Kitsune gagged a bit as she picked up a fat-looking larvae from the forest floor. It had a shimmering light-blue outline, so she knew it was a quest item. Stashing the item away Kitsune continued through the small forest, drawn by the sound of running water.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

After walking some minutes, Kitsune found a small clearing that gave way to a small stream that cascaded in various pools. Some of the natural basins even had birds and other forest creatures who were apparently replenishing themselves. She took in the scene for a moment, lulled by the small chirps she could here and the sound of a faint breeze. Smacking herself in the cheeks a bit, Kitsune brought herself back to the task at hand.

ID #: 84500 LD: 11

"Wow, pretty." Kitsune murmured, awestruck by the appearance of a wildflower that was clearly on her list. Although being stuck in Aincrad could be seen as tragic by some players, Raine was just impressed by the attention to detail and how real everything was. To her, living in SAO seemed more like a gift instead of a punishment at this point.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

"Two items down, three to go." She thought confidently. Skipping over some large, smooth stones imbedded in the stream bed, Kitsune continued her quest. The forest was now giving way to a larger clearing; it appeared to be a man-made grove where players had cut down most of the trees for building materials. Although slightly depressing, she could see that tall saplings were already bursting out of the soil, the fallen tree-brethren adding in all the nutrients they needed no doubt.

ID #: 84501 LD: 14

Among the fallen trees, a large variety of mushrooms had already begun growing. Kitsune spotted another quest item. Adding the neon red mushroom to her inventory, she scanned the grove once more before heading off again.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Kitsune could tell she was getting a bit farther from the Town of Beginnings now. She had reached a point in the forest that became increasingly steeper and was only on an incline. Cautiously, she shimmied her way down the hill, using exposed roots to hold herself in place. She could see now that the woods were wilder than the forest she was in just a moment ago, but Kitsune didn't think too much of it. She was completing a low-level quest, and Zackariah had mentioned that she would be able to find what she needed in this area.

ID #: 84502 LD: 9

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

The sun would be setting in a few hours, and Kitsune anxiously picked up the pace. She had heard mob spawn rates dramatically increased after dark, and she didn't want to be around to confirm it. Thankfully this part of the forest was filled with bioluminescent plants and fungi, so at least she would be able to see even if it got dark.

ID # 84503 LD: 6

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Finding herself at a forked path, Kitsune took the left. She figured both had been heavily traversed by adventurers already, so the probability of there being something dangerous was low. Unsure of herself, Kitsune rested a hand on her iron-dagger and moved carefully but quickly – trying not to make too much noise.

ID #: 84504 LD: 19

And she tripped. Looking at her health points decrease substantially caused Kitsune to panic. "Come on!" She almost yelled. "I hardly even fell!" Then she remembered that she couldn't feel pain, and she did fall flat on her face. In real life she'd probably have broken her nose. But, it wasn't all bad. The fall kicked up some dust, and Kitsune could see one of the last materials she needed: a small, salmon-colored pebble. It didn't really feel like stone, but it wasn't that soft either. Tired of trying to figure out what it was, since her list said something vague like "Pinkoron", she tossed it into her inventory with a couple of menu clicks and began looking for the last item.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Kitsune had reached a new clearing in the deepwoods, although not much sunlight was shining through. The reason for this being that a massive oak was growing right in the center of the clear space. She took a second to examine the tree – it was much, much larger than anything she had ever seen before SAO – and then began her search once more.

ID #: 84506 LD: 13

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." She said. Now that she was closer to the monstrous trunk Kitsune could see high above the tree was home to dozens of birds' nests. Not just any birds' nests either. Apparently their eggs were just the ones she needed! Yippee! Kitsune kicked off her fur boots and tugged her hair up into a ponytail. She was planning to climb the tree, and clearly other questers before her had done the same. Nicked in the tree's bark were foot holds that led to the closest branch, which thankfully still had some eggs. By the time Kitsune was close enough to add the egg to her inventory the sun was already starting to set. She hastily strapped her boots on and began a mad dash towards town.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Help Zackariah Craft a Healing Potion

Following the instructions in the quest menu, Kitsune made her way back to Zackariah's workshop. Thankfully, this time she had a path marked for her so she wouldn't have to go searching for it all over again. "Hello – Oh, you've got the ingredients! Let get crafting right away then!" Zackariah said with the same "NPC over-excitement" he had shown Kitsune earlier. Zackariah told Kitsune all of the basics there were to potion-crafting. In fact, it was so much information that Kitsune started jotting it down on the blank pages of her guide book. Night had already fallen, and Kitsune rolled up her iris-colored sleeves with vigor. The urge to sleep was hitting her but she wanted to at least start the crafting process before she went over to the nearest inn. Being an artisan, Kitsune didn't think it'd be too hard. "Crafting trinkets and potions are kind of the same thing.. Right?" She tried reassuring herself before tapping the materials in her inventory and dragging each one to Zackariah's pot with a blue light.

ID #: 84507 CD: 10

It took a few seconds, but a small, white puff of smoke then escaped the pot. When the smoke cleared, Kitsune could see a small crystal vial containing a shining red liquid. "I did it I – oof!" She sputtered when Zackariah gave her a strong slap on the back. "Well I'll be! This potion is looking positively perfect! Couldn't have made one better myself if I tried." Kitsune thanked the kind NPC and was almost on her way to the inn when her quest menu pinged. She opened up her log but before she could read anything Zackariah was already asking her to make a delivery. "Oh, but make sure you do it first thing tomorrow! The monsters come out at night, and it's not safe to travel to the next village at this hour." She thanked Zackariah for the obvious advice, and went to the inn to sleep off the tiring but rewarding day she had.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Deliver Package to Lyle Tealeaf

"Alright. It looks like Lyle lives somewhere around here." Kitsune took the finger placed pensively on her lips and moved it to a red dot on her map. She hadn't yet left the inn and was still in her simple nightgown. "Ho-ru-n-ka." she mouthed the new village's name to herself as she changed out of her nightgown into her cloth armor. She gave herself a once-over in the mirror. "I must look pretty silly with these ears and this tail." Kitsune thought to herself. She ran her fingers through her long hair, tilting her head back to get some loose locks out of her face. Hoping this quest would allow her a bit of col to get a better set of armor, or even some nice crafting materials to level up her artisan rank, Kitsune headed out. The sun was shining and the sky was ultra-blue with puffy clouds, and even the players had smiles on their face as she headed towards the town's North gate. For better or worse, Kitsune liked her new life in Aincrad.

(I know Lyle lives in The Town of Beginnings, but this is pretty much the only way I'm gonna stretch this RP into 20 posts.)

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Kitsune observed the package in her inventory as she headed North-west towards Horunka. It was a quest-specific item, so she couldn't open it to get a look inside or anything. This only made her wonder even more as to what it could be. Zackariah hadn't mentioned anything about Lyle's profession, just that he dealt with weapons. Narrowing down her options, Kitsune figured he must either be a blacksmith or a merchant. Taking into consideration the general formula of MMORPGs – she played a lot of them after her mother died – Lyle was probably a blacksmith, and would teach Kitsune a thing-or-two about weapon-making. She liked making the potion in Zackariah's workshop, but Kitsune had no desire to become a blacksmith. Weapons made her feel uncomfortable, whether it be a small knife or a longsword. She only had her iron-dagger with her as an extra precaution but still dreaded the idea of using it.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

Walking along the main road to Horunka, Kitsune began to feel uneasy. A party of all-male adventures waved at her and smiled. It was a kind gesture, for sure, but it only made Kitsune feel all the more uncomfortable. She put her hood up and quickly passed them, trying to calm herself down. A few minutes and deep breaths later and she was fine. There were no mobs in sight, and even as she began approaching Horunka's surrounding woods things seemed to be going along smoothly still. A female adventurer heading back from the same quest had told her that the mobs around the village couldn't cause paralysis or destroy items, so it was definitely still a newbie task indeed.

[Kitsune 0]

" H O R U N K A  T H I S  W A Y " Kitsune could read the imposing letters sharply engraved into a large wooden sign. The sign pointed to the entrance to a forest and Kitsune walked in without hesitation. The forest had a lot of young trees, and plenty of already cut trunks. Most of the trees were fruit trees too, clearly planted by the NPC villagers to better sustain the population. She would hear a few howls, grunts, and rustling of leaves, but it was nothing you wouldn't find in a forest even for the first floor. She picked a juicy, red apple from one of the trees and slowly munched on it. It tasted just like an apple, but was sweeter and fresher. Although Kitsune knew the food in SAO didn't actually keep her from going hungry, she felt as if she had more energy after eating it.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune

[Kitsune 0]

The animals in this forest were more accustomed to human interaction, as Kitsune could already tell. Many small critters approached her with curiosity and some mobs that she knew to be usually hostile did the same. "Maybe when I finish up this quest I should try and tame a familiar.." She thought to herself. Before being trapped in SAO, Kitsune had three pets of her own at home. She loved them like her own family – well maybe not her family since that relationship for her was complicated – but she loved them all the same. When she discovered the logout button was removed, the only thing she had panicked about was whether or not somebody would be feeding them and going out for walks. Kitsune tossed her apple core to a red fox, who hastily picked it up and ran off a second later. "You're welcome!" She hollered, and continued walking towards the village.

[Kitsune 0]

The forest began to shrink as Kitsune made her way towards Horunka's main gate. It was much smaller than The Town of Beginnings, but much more natural – and beautiful in Kitsune's opinion. It was surrounded by a crystal clear moat that had fish swimming through it. She wondered how it could have fish, and when she asked an NPC languidly fishing on the village's already open gate he had told Kitsune that the village's moat was provided to them by a local river which ran into it. Fascinated by the simplistic innovation, she leaned over the edge of the gate, which now served as a dock, and gazed into the aquamarine waters. "Here." The fisherman said plainly as he held out his hand to Kitsune. In his palm was some grain which he must have been using to gather the fish in crowds. Reluctantly, Kitsune held out her hand to accept the kind man's offering. Even if he was an NPC, she had a hard time speaking with men much less making physical contact with them. She tossed the hand of grain into the water, prompting a dozen or so koi fish to wrestle for the food. Kitsune smiled watching them. Watching the koi reminded her of when she lived in Japan as a little girl. In Japan she and her family lived in a large house and had a koi pond in their backyard, which is a lot for a family living in Tokyo to be honest – probably impossible nowadays. Kitsune snapped out of her daydream, not wanting to remember more than that. She thanked the fisherman for the fish food, and headed towards the village's center.

[Kitsune 0]

Once she made it to the center, Kitsune quickly located a local weapons shop. Just like Zackariah's workshop, this place had its own set of pipes billowing smoke from the roof. Although the smoke here was purely black. "Blacksmith." Kitsune thought to herself with certainty now. She rapped on the door a few times and was greeted by a different version of Mr. Zackariah; he looked a little more like Santa Claus, but with muscles. Kitsune thought he looked kind and intimidating. "I've got a package for you." She said softly to Lyle. "What was that darlin'? You'll have to speak up." He replied rubbing some soot out of his left ear with a thick finger. "A-a package!" She said again with an ounce more of force. "A package! From Zackariah is it?" He questioned. Kitsune replied this time by taking the delivery out of her inventory with a few clicks. On the small wooden box wrapped in brown paper was the mandatory delivery tag required by SAO's mailing system. "To: Lyle – Zackariah" The blacksmith read aloud to himself. "You must've gone through a lot of trouble to get this critter here!" Lyle practically bellowed, shaking the package in question. "Actually not rea–" Kitsune was about to say, when Lyle cut her off with a loud "Come on in!"

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kitsune