[PP-F21] Mining Blues <<Search for the 21st Labyrinth>> [Complete]

[Shield 0]

The appearance of the unusual creature spooked the children at first, and the one whose head Velnia first landed on froze in fear, not being able to clearly see what it was at first. Slowly, the little creature won them over, and they crowded around it then instead of Shield. The tough guy was unwilling to let go of the topic at hand, though. As he seemed to have been given temporary 'grown-up' status, he was eager to discuss what he knew.

"Don't know," he said, looking from side to side to make sure no other grown-ups could hear. "If yer tough enough to handle it, maybe. People say that nobody is though. It don't come here though. Our parents take the stuff to it so it stays away. They also talk about having to sing it songs and be all loyal and stuff."

Shield nodded, trying to unravel the tangled web of the floor. It seemed like whatever this monster was, it demanded not only resources, but also worship.

"And what's the scary thing called?"

The kids all avoided his gaze at this question, and the tough guy's chest deflated a little.

"We... don't know," he replied, pouting a little. "Nobody will tell us."

[Itzal 0]

Velnia grinned and began to play with the children, trying to teach them how to play tag and then proceeded to attempt playing it with them.  She was fair and flew within catching height and didn't zip around at the speed of lightning, but she didn't make it easy for them either.  Itzal chuckled when he saw the sight and returned his attention to the other child.  "So this boss is trying to lift itself to god level status huh?  That tends to happen to someone who's extremely powerful it seems.  It gets to their heads.  Well I assure you that we're strong enough.  Many of us have trained for a long time, and a few of us are extremely powerful.  I'm more mediocre though."  When Shield asked the boy what the creature was called, it seemed the kid didn't know.  Itzal nodded.  "Alright then.  Most likely this being is the floor boss.  The labyrinth entrance doesn't have to be near the tower since the tower is simply the stairs to the next floor.  We'll need to find the entrance first.  One last question.  Have you heard rumors of where this being tends to strike the most?  That will give us a good start as to the general location of where the entrance is."

[Shield 0]

"I don't know about that," said the little tough guy, casting about for something else that was useful to contribute to the conversation. "It usually just targets the biggest crowds it can find. People usually go that way though to bring it stuff."

The child pointed a grubby hand out towards the far side of the settlement. Shield looked in the direction that he pointed and nodded.

"Thank you for your help," he said giving another little appreciative nod before straightening back up. The child looked disappointed to have lost his grown-up status, but he ran along with his friends as Shield turned to the others. "No telling for sure, but it's something at least. Come on."

He led the way, bringing them to the far edge of the settlement before striking out across the last suspension bridge that led to a tunnel in the cavern wall.

Spoiler

ID# 84902 results: Loot: 3 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 8 - No materials (3 total)

The way was narrow, and it seemed to spiral slowly downward to what Shield assumed would be the cavern floor, but for now all the way consisted of was bare stone with glowing fungus along the walls.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield

[Itzal 0]

Itzal walked with Shield down the path.  He decided to let Velnia stick around with the children and give them some entertainment for once.  After all, one whistle was all it would take for Velnia to dash over to him wherever he was.  As the walked along Itzal pulled out the physical map he had been working on and marked the path they were on right now as he hadn't taken this path before, drawing it as they walked.  "Alright then.  So the boss believes itself to be some form of God status eh?  That makes me think that it's going to have very high health.  Maybe high damage too.  Of course, it's just a guess.  We'll need to find the boss in order to actually form a more solid theory."  Itzal kept the map in hand as he scanned the area, using reveal to look for any hidden rooms or paths as they traveled.  Soon they'd hit the stony valley again, or, at least Itzal would again.  He wasn't sure if Shield had hit the valley yet.  Or perhaps this path didn't lead to the valley but somewhere else?  Was there a ravine nearby?  A complex tunnel system that wasn't part of the labyrinth?  Itzal loved exploring.  Itzal didn't see any materials nearby...  He hoped he'd have better luck when he looked for the labyrinth.

ID#  84903  LD:  5

Edited May 22, 2017 by Itzal

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 84905 results: Loot: 16 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 21 - +1 material (4 total)

As they made their way nearer to the cavern floor, little openings in the wall on each new downward spiral began to let them catch glimpses of their position. They were indeed approaching the ground, but there was an odd sight to greet them down below. There on the floor of the opening where the city lay, there were a number of pools with steam rising from them. He and Anemone had spotted some thermal vents in their cursory probe around the caves on the other side of town. He wondered if these might be related.

In the mean time, as they walked, his Seeking Aura earring lit up brightly, illuminating a stone that was not luminous on its own but was definitely of a high quality. Likely an alchemist or smith could turn it into quite a useful item. He prized it from the wall and stored it in his inventory.

"Are you guys seeing the steam down there below?"

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield

[Hirru 0]

It seemed that Itzal and Shield had a knack for gathering their own information.  The hunter was impressed that they would go to the children for easy questioning.  The hunter could use that kind information gathering in the future, if it was ever necessary.  Though, there may be some issues with that with which he would have to deal with on his own.  Regardless, they would be on their way towards a suspected lead.

Making a quick message to @Hikoru, with local town map data and details, that they were going to head out through a service tunnel that they were pointed towards, the group would follow with while keeping spacial awareness of one another, and anything that could otherwise be dangerous.  The flora seemed innocent enough, but there were no signs of any fauna or territorial mobs.  Only a lone tunnel leading to destinations unknown.

"So, what do you think this 'Forbidden One' is?"

[ID: 84906] [LD: 11+8=19] +1 T3 Mat (3 total)

Edited May 22, 2017 by Hirru

[Itzal 0]

Itzal listened to Hirru's comment and shrugged.  "Well, besides the obvious that it's most likely got extremely high health, damage or both, the only other clues is the environment.  We're in a huge cavern with lots of growth that glows in order to provide light.  Perhaps this boss is darkness related?  Wherever it goes the light goes out maybe.  It may be stone, or a beast like creature.  Or it could be an armored humanoid.  Regardless it sounds like it works alone, no minions at all."  Itzal thought about it for a while.  The twentieth floor boss was a colossus with extremely high mitigation.  It sort of reminded him about the shadow of the colossus game.  He really loved that game as it required strategy to beat.  "Although you have to wonder.  If it wants to be worshiped, why does it want nobody to mention it's name?  Kind of contradicting don't you think?"  Itzal scanned the area again and spotted a tier three material at last.  Four actually, thanks to gatherer.  He inserted the materials in his inventory.

ID#  84910  LD:  14+8    @Shield @Hirru

Edited May 22, 2017 by Itzal

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 84911 results: Loot: 6 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 11 - No materials (4 total)

The downward spiral let them out right about where they had expected, several hundred feet below the town itself. Up close, it was much easier to see the source of the steam. A series of what seemed to be hot springs lined the edge of the cavern wall, a number of structures built around them with members of the village trekking in and out of the buildings.

"I suppose a hot bath would he a big help after a hard day mining," he thought aloud. His attention returned to the conversation at hand. "It does and it doesn't make sense," Shield said in reply to Itzal's observation. "While it wants people to know about it, making the name taboo gives the owner of the name more awe and a sense of import. It's all over the place in fiction and in religion: 'he-who-must-not-be-named,' and 'thou shalt not take the name in vain,' and things of that ilk. It doesn't want love, it wants infamy."

Along the side of the cavern, there was a prominent archway leading into what promised to be a vast system of caves. Motioning with his head, Shield urged the others to follow as he jogged off in that direction, taking to the tunnel that bore its way deeper into Aincrad than any players had been before.

@Hirru @Itzal

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield

[Hirru 0]

[ID: 84913] [LD: 8+8=16] +1 T3 Mat (Total = 4)

"I'd say that's the basics of what we're going to find around here."

The hunter said as they discussed the possibilities of the Labyrinth Entrance Guardian for the twenty first floor.  There was no way that there would only be one of those things from the twentieth floor and up.  No, things were changing from the old formula that the previous front liners had to deal with.  Everything was getting that much tougher, and they would have to pay the price for investigating in the future.

Coming up to what could only be described as weirdly illuminated pools of steaming liquid, the hunter dipped his sword in before reaching his hand in.  It was quite hot, but not enough to burn.  Though, the liquid still didn't feel right to him, which happens with all water as he saw it.  

Before he could test any further, Shield hurried them down another tunnel to destinations unknown.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Hirru

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 84912 results: Loot: 8 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 13 - No materials (4 total)

Shield walked as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. There was no telling how big the floor was or how many nooks and crannies it hid. With the most recent boss so close behind, he was not entirely sure that his entire blood stream had not been replaced by pure adrenaline. The passages twisted and turned and forked and joined up with other ways. One path would bring them out into expansive chambers lined with decorative though intrinsically worthless crystals or fungi that lit the area. Another might dump them into a wide fissure that had only a narrow footpath around the edge to keep players from falling off into the abyss below.

After a lot of walking, Shield finally began to slow. The further they strayed, the more complicated the matter of returning would become. He had to make sure that the scouts had time to take careful note or finding the exit once again would prove just as treacherous as Mothra had been.

This is the second time I've let my eagerness steer me too carelessly into unknown territory. I need to watch that.

@Itzal @Hirru

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield

[Itzal 0]

Itzal listened to Shield's words and nodded.  It did make sense in a way.  Still, it was rather stupid to be called the forbidden one.  He chuckled at the Harry Potter reference though.  Soon enough it looked like the two were starting to speed up, particularly Shield.  Itzal took up a jogging pace and went ahead and whistled for Velnia.  The sound echoed throughout the entire cavern as he did so.  Soon enough they exited the tunnel and into what looked like...  An underground room.  The room was large enough for a decent fight and Itzal saw at the very back of the room...  nothing.  Itzal walked slowly through the room, activating reveal and double checking everything.  As he did he saw something that not even reveal could show.  He turned it off and placed his hands on the walls, feeling the rough surface until he stopped.  He pushed his hand in and grabbed what felt like a lever and twisted it.  The false wall in the back of the room moved out of the way and revealed a far smaller room, a set of doors, and in front of those doors was what looked like a dark knight.  The being held the pommel of it's sword which was currently pierced into the ground.  Itzal couldn't see it's eyes but he could tell it was watching them carefully.  "I think we just found it guys."

Spoiler

ID#  84914  LD:  16+5+3+2+1=29  <Rank 5 S&D, +3 LD clothing, Detect and Reveal> Labyrinth Entrance found!

@Shield  @Hirru

Edited May 22, 2017 by Itzal

[Macradon 0]

Just strolling with the others, Macradon really didn’t have much of a place here with everyone. He was a scout, but so were two others in this small party, but who’d have guessed that a scout party was formed when searching for the labyrinth … Macradon didn’t have that much to do other than following on, hoping that something bad wouldn’t happen. The place gloomy, even if it actually was pretty vivid. He wasn’t too fond of the atmosphere, it felt too out of place, too brooding.He wasn’t too fond of the surroundings, but there wasn’t too much to do. The population’s atmosphere might be gloomy, but the overall feel of the floor is pretty tremendous in sight. The floor was really something of its own, gloomy people wandering a wondrous place, it was just like the 14th floor. A deadly cemetery, but with people who still lived happily, it really was weird.

ID: 84919 
LD: 4+5=9, nothing found.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Macradon

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 84921 results: Loot: 19 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 24 - +1 material (5 total)

Before entering the room ahead, Shield's earring lit up, shedding light back along the tunnel from where he stood. He had just bent down to retrieve a large nugget of silver that was laying along the side of the tunnel when he heard the sound of stone scraping on stone and looked up in time to see the opening that Itzal had found.

He took off at a sprint, catching up and bringing himself shoulder to shoulder with the Celestial Ascendant scout. His jaw was set and his eyes narrowed as he assessed the danger. Currently, the foe did not seem to be paying them any mind. Still, he did not want to take his eyes away. He took another step in front of Itzal, before mumbling out of the side of his mouth.

"Itzal, message Hik," he said, keeping his voice as even as he could. "He wanted us to update him, and I'd say this warrants an update."

He had been told stories of field bosses who guarded labyrinths that hit harder or just as hard as the floor bosses themselves. If anyone of those gathered was going to stand up front right now, it should probably be him.

@Hirru @Itzal @Macradon @Hikoru

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield

[Hirru 0]

The hunter was close behind them while throwing his reveal and detect mods on, as did Itzal, but he was a few seconds too late.  That was fine, as there was no competition in that matter.  What Itzal had discovered, though, made the hunter want to go back to the heated water pools for planning purposes.  A fairly tall humanoid figure in dark sinister armor stood in front of the doors that could only be seen as the Labyrinth Entrance, making this guy its guardian.

"Oh.."

He gasped while looking towards the others.  They needed to step back slowly while they waited for the reinforcements.  Macradon was following somewhat behind them but lagging behind all the same.  Hikoru should have gotten the notice from him and may be following in the darkness.  Anemone straying not far behind them as well.  All of them could probably take this guy, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Good job, Itzal.  Now let's back away a bit.  Wait for the others to come."

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 84923 results: Loot: 8 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 13 - No materials (5 total)

It was odd staring down such an ominous figure. It remained stoic, unmoving in the face of the intrusion. Then again, not having stepped through the door, perhaps they had simply not crossed the vital threshold. He began running through what he knew about the prior labyrinth guardians, which was appallingly little.

Their stats tend to be taken more or less directly as a factor of the floor they're on. Probably nothing as far as statistical surprises, but their attacks can be unpredictable. They have been known to have the ability not only to AoE, but also to stun. I don't remember whether one has ever managed both in one go, but that would be devastating if they did.

There were footsteps behind as the others caught up to their position, and Shield threw out a hand in warning to tell whoever belonged to those feet to slow their gait. Nobody so far seemed eager to charge, and that was definitely a good thing.

"I think we're all on the same page that we're not attacking right now," he said slowly, his eyes still locked ahead of him.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield

[Macradon 0]

He really was out of himself today, he wasn’t awake, or something like that, at the least not fully. He looked up as everyone were excited. “Oh, cool! Well done, itzal!” Macradon said as he, like the others, would come up to Itzal at the entrance to find the boss that would block their path to the labyrinth. “Hm … a Dragon Knight, sure does fit the theme of the floor. This will be an interesting battle indeed” Macradon thought as he looked upon the boss, though no names were shown as of yet, Macradon would have to rely on something else before he would know what to do when attacking. He would ponder, how many would come to fight this boss? Would be a big party or just a small one like this one, he pondered on those thoughts for a short while, but only a short while, not too long.

ID: 84924
LD: 9+5=14, Nothing Found.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Macradon

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru received the notification and opened his HUD to find out that Itzal had discovered the entrance guardian. He copied the co-ordinates on his map, and realized that it wasn't that far from where he was. He found his sense of direction and focused onto an area for a shadow door to open up, then made his way there. He looked to see the guardian standing tall and mighty, and he felt immediately intimidated. He would need to get a lot stronger before he would be ready to fight this, but he knew that in his team they would be a strong group of players. He let out a small sigh and looked around, realizing that this was a decent group overall. The few of them could easily defeat this thing if they needed to, and it would be so much easier to just go in headfirst. But for now he would wait and see what they would do before he did anything too drastic and hoped that they would come to a conclusion soon on whether or not they planned to fight this thing.

[Macradon 0]

Macradon hadn’t much to do, waiting for everyone else to find a plan. Were they gonna go back to the town and spread the word of the boss, or were they going to strike down upon the knight now? He wasn’t too sure about this and had asked Balthazar to stay back in town for now. If they wanted to fight now, Macradon would have to go back and get Balthazar before the fight, he needed his companion, mostly for when to strike, Balthazar was good at that kind of stuff. Not really being sure of what everyone wanted, Macradon would just relax, standing up awaiting what the people wanted. Macradon could easily just leave now, but he wanted to have as much information as possible. He wasn’t alone on this front for the guild, both Anemone and Hirru were here, and Macradon had to make a good example as the Vanguard Commander.

ID: 84938
LD: 7+5=12, nothing found.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Macradon

[Hirru 0]

With Shield, Macradon, Anemone, Itzal, Hikoru, and the hunter; the chances were not really known.  Last time they waited, the L.E.G. of the twentieth floor didn't last very long, but that was because they waited for the main group to catch up.  Everyone had some kind of buff for themselves, so taking care of that mid-boss was rather easy and not very fruitful for everyone, except Zandra.  Speaking of, where was the Berserk Healer?  Did anyone other than them come up to the next floor, or even send a message about the higher quality materials that could be found here.

"I think we should wait before striking out.  Gather supplies, even if they are minor buffs.  We don't know this floor, and should proceed with caution."

The hunter said while scoping out the rest of the room that they had encountered.  He wondered if there was anything else around here, but found only the glowing flora.  He took a sample, but that was it.

"Take as many materials as possible to the crafters below.  We've got some rebuilding to do."

[ID: 84941] [LD: 8+8=16] +1 T3 material (Total = 5)

Edited May 22, 2017 by Hirru

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 84948 results: Loot: 8 + 3 LD item + 1 skill + 1 skill item = 13 - No materials (5 total)

"Agreed," Shield replied, giving Hirru a nod of acknowledgement. "On all counts. I already have some new equipment being crafted as we speak, so I can definitely say I'll be better prepared after taking a trip down there."

The assembly they had brought with them had yet to vote on the matter, but so far, the contributing voices seemed to be in accord. The boss should wait for another time. Shield set about opening up his menus and making note of the progress and location along the map. There were a number of twists and turns he had not recorded very carefully, so he would need to cross-reference it with the map Itzal had had been working on.

I guess this is how we know we've made it. There have been a lot of little goals met along the way, but between fighting and keeping pace with the floor boss and making so much progress towards the next one, he knew that he and Beat had found their place on the front lines in a very real and concrete way.

"All in all, not bad for a day's hunt."

Edited May 22, 2017 by Shield