[OP-F1] The Novice Knight Needs Help

[Balmung 0]

14:22 PM, A Plaza in the Town of Beginnings
"Thank you, miss, with the deepest of sincereties," said the tall gentleman as he parted ways with the young lady with whom he'd just been conversing.

It had been three days since Balmung first started playing SAO, and for those three days, he had been endlessly wandering around the Town of Beginnings, attempting to gather information on what he should be doing. And for three entire days, he had failed to come up with anything of any use. Most of the players here had little idea what they themselves were doing, and the ones who did know had either moved on beyond this place, or were definitely not open to sharing any information without asking a hefty fee, a fee which Balmung had no Col to pay. The meager earnings he had made were spent on food and drink, and being too stingy to pay for a room to sleep in, he had spent his nights laying in the cold, cobblestone-lined alleyways of the city. 

Balmung had come to decide that he had had enough of sitting around in this lazy city, and he made it his goal for this day to find some lead on what he should be doing. He had already talked to fifteen strangers today and had decided that each of them were either withholding information, or they were honestly just as clueless as Balmung himself. A frustration came over Balmung as the thoughts crossed his mind that he would be stuck here forever until he eventually died or he had stayed idle long enough to allow everyone else to take all the glory in this land for themselves. He let these thoughts linger for only a moment before clearing his head and letting the frustration simmer away.

"I must keep myself levelheaded. If I let my emotions get the best of me that easily, I'm no better than those brutish oafs who swing their blades as if they were cricket bats," he said aloud to himself.

He decided to walk to the city gates. Balmung hoped that by doing this, he might get to speak with the players who were entering and exiting the city. Perhaps these people who were among those brave enough to step foot outside would have the information that he so desperately sought. 

After standing around by the gates for a bit, he noticed someone who he thought looked as if they knew what they were doing. So he called out to them, saying, "Excuse me, but it would seem as though I have found myself requiring assistance. Would you be so kind as to direct me towards what I should be doing? I would have you know that I have been wandering this town for three days now, and as embarrassing as it is, I have not yet come across the knowledge as to what I should do first."

Edited July 9, 2017 by Balmung
grammar

[Winik 0]

Winik looked up from polishing his shield, the light catching the moon emblazoned across the front.  With a grunt, he drew himself to his feet and slung his shield over his back.  "You're a greenie too, huh?" Winik chuckled, stepping towards the other player.  This caused the light to catch to stars in his armor and dazzled him.  He shook his head before holding out his hand to the new player.  "I don't know much about what we should be doing, but I know a few things.  Are you looking for some quests, items, gear, or anything specific?  I've made a couple of good friends and I'm sure they could help you out.  Or even I could, if you're just looking for a compatriot to get things moving." The wind whistled around them, leaves and other detritus floated by in the breeze.  Winik's hair fluttered, the golden locks catching the light and shining a brighter yellow.  The BGM played constantly, a soothing sound befitting the Town of Beginnings.

[Balmung 0]

"Hail-fellow, well met," responded Balmung, at first taken aback by this warrior's sparkling armor.

Balmung sized up the man, hoping to find something that would resonate between the two. Balmung noticed that he was a bit taller than this stranger, but in terms of equipment, he could compare not. It was to Balmung's surprise that someone who seemed to have some experience at these early stages would be interested in speaking to him. After all, he had been stuck in the Town of Beginnings with no knowledge of what he was to do next for three days now. He believed this was exactly the sort of encounter that he needed to change his fortune for the better. And seeing that this newcomer was also dressed the part of the brave knight, Balmung thought no one could make a finer companion.

Balmung flashed an acute smile and said, "Indeed, fellow. My knowledge is not quite what I would consider to my liking. Nevertheless, I am an eager one, willing to learn. I have been talking with many a stranger in hopes of discerning some glimpse as to what I shall do next, but it would seem all hope of such has escaped me. It would be of the highest kindness would you instruct me on where I shalt begin my journey."

[Winik 0]

'He must be one of those players who really get into the whole roleplay aspect,' Winik pondered to himself, beaming a smile to the player.  He took a moment to really look the player over.  He wasn't used to others being taller than him, but there was nothing he could do about it.  He shrugged to himself, taking in the starter equipment the player had equipped.  'He needs new gear, definitely,' he thought to himself. 'But if he's been here three days without getting any, he must be short on col or materials.' "Well, since it appears you don't have any, uh, decent gear, your best bet would be a couple of the easier quests.  Then when you're done with that, you can get some new gear.  There are a few quests that have gear as their rewards, but player made gear is typically better for your current gear.  My armor was player made and it's actually really good armor.  I have some nice buffs on it and my shield.  And my sword was a gift from a frontliner, so it has a nice DMG buff on it."

[Balmung 0]

Balmung quickly began to realize he had no idea what all this babble was about buffs and stats. He had experimented around with tabletop roleplaying since he began college, but this was an entirely different level. Obviously, this armor-clad stranger before him was more advanced than he first thought, and Balmung would not stand by and not try his damnedest to learn something from this man.

"Ah, yes. The DMG buff of the sword is a good one, my friend. I am sure you are proud of that the most. I am, being a knight myself, in the know on these sorts of things. It would be irresponsible of me to not possess such knowledge," Balmung tried to cover his lack of understanding with a hearty, but noticeably nervous chuckle, "Come now, fellow. Allow us to be going forth in a way not unlike that of the heroes, which we so truly are. It would not do to stand idly by all day lollygagging about like the common rabble. Perhaps you can show me the way of gathering resources so that I might acquire such illustrious manner of fine equipment all my own."

Balmung paused for a second after speaking, and a look of pure embarrassment overtook his face.

"Mine fellow! How hath you withstood my disrespect for such a length of time. The patience of a saint, you must possess. It seems I have yet to introduce myself," said Balmung, before clearing his throat and continuing, "I am the knight-errant, Balmung. I am a newcomer to this land, and I have a great admiration to explore this land's beauty and brave its wilderness. I will carve through this land the path of the true knight."

[Winik 0]

"Resource gathering?  Sure, I can help you with that.  It'll require us going out of the safe zone, if you're okay with that." Winik took his outstretched hand and scratched the back of his head with it.  He chuckled heartily, introducing himself, "I'm Winik.  I'm still kind of new to this still, but I will help you to the best of my ability." He waited for his companion's answer on leaving the safe zone, not wanting to force the poor guy out into the wilderness if he wasn't ready.  NPCs walked through the streets and allies, intermingling with the various other players selling their wares and trading with merchants.  In this world, money and mats are the lifeblood, but even they are limited.  You had to level, and quickly, if you wanted to stay up with everything.  Gear, buildings, loot, money, all of it is what made the world worked.  And Winik was one to obtain as much as he could.

[Balmung 0]

"Dear fellow, I would verily enjoy to accompany you on a rousing excursion through countryside, gathering those things which are necessary for our due improvement," Balmung said, and then paused for moment as if puzzled before saying, "But I must inquire with you that I have noticed that you speak with the tongue of a lowly peasant, and do you not find this embarrassing for a man who is so devoted to the walking the path of a knight?"

Balmung looked around after speaking, taking in the busy scene around him. Though he had been in the Town of Beginnings for several days now, he had not yet seen a part of the city so filled with life. Perhaps it would have been a wise decision to have made the move towards the gates sooner.

[Winik 0]

Winik scratched at his chin with his left hand, casting his eyes to the side as he spoke. "I understand a lot of people get into the roleplay aspect of VRMMORPGs, I'm just not one of them. Since we're stuck here, I've decided to enjoy the game to the best of my ability. Now, follow me and we'll go find some mats to get you started. And I'm going to apologize ahead of time, but I'll be keeping any I find. I need them to grind my Cooking Skill." With all that said, Winik turned and made his way through the cobblestone streets to the main gate. Just outside the gate, one could see rolling hills and grassy plains. Mobs spawned occasionally, but Winik wasn't too concerned about them. He's be able to tank at least a little bit. Winik strolled through the fields, the BGM becoming a soothing moldy playing in the background. He turned to his compatriot, gesturing with an outstretched arm. "All we have to do is look for mats now. We can handle a few mobs if need be."

[Balmung 0]

Along the way, Balmung took in the sights and sounds. A calm breeze blew against the side of his face, feeling more real than anything he had experiences so far. The gently rolling grassy plain before him, and the white, fluffy clouds lazily sailing along overhead, painted a serene picture all around. To Balmung, the wilderness of this virtual world was truly beautiful. 

Along the way, Balmung confessed, "I am sorry, Winik. I guess I've been a total jackass up until now with that unbearable speech pattern. Too many nights rolling dice and scratching down hit points on paper, instead of studying, made me think that all RPGs would be about really getting into character. I'll try to relax a little more from now on and look at this as a new life for me, instead of just some game world."

[Winik 0]

Spoiler

Roll Results: ID# 86597

LD: 12

No mats found

Winik shrugged his shoulders, enjoying the feeling of the breeze.  "I wasn't faulting you for the way you want to play the game.  Hey, I meant even have gone that route had it all stayed a game.  But now, now is the time to really enjoy ourselves.  In here, we can do anything we want, be anything we want.  Why not enjoy it, you know?" He flashed a reassuring smile before turning around to crouch in the grass near a bush.  He busied himself with scrounging around inside of it before giving up on his fruitless venture.  "I meant to requisition some gear to help me with searching for mats, but haven't really gotten around to it.  I'll need to find an artisan, tailor, or blacksmith willing to take on an order.  Heck, there are even pets that can boost your crafting and searching skills.  I might have to pick me up one, but I heard that quest is actually quite difficult.  The RNG hasn't really been kind to me lately."

Edited July 12, 2017 by Winik

[Balmung 0]

Balmung observed Winik as the blond haired man began to look through the loose shrubbery of the field around them. The level at which Winik kept his armor polished astounding, and Balmung found it hard to watch the man do much moving in such sunlight, as the almost mirror-like shine of his kit was enough to dazzle an onlooker with the harsh rays it tended to reflect back into someone's eyes.

"You know, I've thought about picking up a trade myself. I've always seen such beauty in the shape of arms and armor. Perhaps I could do good as a blacksmith," said Balmung, as he began to look around for some place that he too could begin to scavenge for resources.

He finally settled on a nearby rough-looking boulder. It was amazing how the developers of this virtual world were about to make such things look so real. This particular specimen appeared to be heavily weathered due to its long exposure to the wind and rain. Many times had its body been chipped and broken, and grass around the boulder was littered with the results of such heavy wear. Some of the larger pieces appeared to have turned orange with rust, and this was of especial interest to Balmung, who began to busy himself collecting these rusty pieces.

Spoiler

Roll Results

ID#: 86607
LD: 12
Result: No Mats found

 

[Winik 0]

Spoiler

Roll Results: ID# 86610

LD: 1

No mats found

"There's always a call for good player blacksmiths. The gear they make is far superior to anything you can pick up from an NPC, or from the earlier quests. But they can be expensive so I can always run a few of the earlier quests with you, get you some gear. I'm a cook, profession wise, that way I have consumables for any battles or boss raids. If you do pick up blacksmith, I'll run the quest with you, but I expect some good gear from you," Winik explained, clapping one hand on the other players shoulder. He cast his eyes around, trying to find mats and coming up empty. He sighed heavily, shoulders slumping beneath his armor. 'I need some searching gear,' he thought to himself. 'The RNG really isn't being very friendly lately.' He sighed as he brought his hands to entwined behind his head, watching the wind blow through the tall grass in the fields.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Winik

[Balmung 0]

Balmung was not discouraged by his lack of results. He had finally left the Town of Beginnings for the first time, and he'd rather never go back than to return empty handed. He looked for more sites around the location that might offer some interesting finds and did his best to acquire at least a little something that he might be able to take something back.

Balmung was so deep into his searching for resources that when Winik clapped his hand on Balmung's shoulder, it sent a jolt of surprise through the man. He quickly regained his composure, trying to keep his embarrassment hidden as much as he could. It was surely a pity that someone who wanted to be a top-class warrior was so zoned out that he let someone sneak up on him. Balmung tried not to think about the repercussions had it not been someone friendly like Winik.

"Yeah, it seems that I'm not having much luck either," said Balmung as he casually kicked up a small cloud of dust, "So you're a cook, you say? It's strange that even in this world we get the desire to eat. But it's not like the food here does any good for our bodies back home. Almost scary to think that we could starve to death even if we were to eat constantly." 

Spoiler

Roll Results

ID#: 86618
LD: 10
Results: There's nothing here...

 

[Winik 0]

Spoiler

Roll Results: ID# 86635

LD: 2

No mats found

"I'm glad that this game has given me a chance at it.  I've been having fun, even though I haven't had any luck with it yet.  But I can't wait to see what you'll be able to craft.  Tanks go through gear like no other, you know?  Always have to have the best for our tier.  Do you know what build you're shooting for?," Winik called over his shoulder, crouching in the grass in attempt to find something useful.  He rooted around in the bushes located next to the wall of the Town of Beginnings.  Unfortunately, he wasn't having any luck with it.  'Why must RNGesus forsake me so?,' he cried in his head. He stood, clapping his hands together to shake off any dust he had acquired.  He sighed heavily, crossing his arms and strolling thorough the grass around him and his compatriot. "The RNG has forsaken me yet again, I'm afraid."

Edited July 13, 2017 by Winik

[Balmung 0]

Balmung carefully combed through some nearby vines that had overtaken whatever had grown here before. Between the winding, twisting tendrils he could make out some interesting stones, and that was what he was truly after. But the vines were relentless and refused to release their grasp on the stones, and they had grown so thick they were impossible to tear by hand. Balmung was forced to draw his longsword to have a go at the vines with it. Eventually he freed the stones from them, but when he inspected them closer, they turned out to be useless. He sighed heavily and tried not to think too hard about the fruitlessness of his efforts today.

"Well, Winik, I gotta say that I have given it a little thought," said Balmung, now standing from crouched position and sheathing his sword, "and I feel like I would be able to best protect others if I could fight in the front and keep the enemy numbers at a minimum."

Spoiler

Roll Results

ID#: 86639
LD: 13
Result: A lot of disappointment.

 

[Winik 0]

Spoiler

Roll Results: ID# 86642

LD: 12

No mats found

"Do you need any help, a mentor of sorts?," Winik questioned as he changed tactics and went further out into the field.  He kept his eyes down, searching through the tall grass that could be found in the fields there.  He raised his gaze, staring out into the field at the mobs that could be found spawning there. Boars could be seen roaming from place to place, minding their own business as no one had drawn their aggro.  Winik turned his gaze back towards the ground, particularly a small copse of trees that weren't too far from the main gates.  There, he looked through the roots of the trees around in hopes of finding a mushroom or some other sort of herb.  Unfortunately, he had no luck yet again.  "I really don't understand why I keep coming up with squat.  I'm really not good at this, am I?  Maybe I should pick up a skill that'll help me.  Or at least give me more mats when I finally do find something, you know?"

Edited July 13, 2017 by Winik

[Balmung 0]

"I may be new to this, but I think I understand your problems, Winik," said Balmung as he thought about his failures to come up with anything so far.

The tall, brown haired man walked alongside Winik as they made their way further into the field. It was definitely not encouraging to find nothing around the town, but perhaps other players had already looted the points and they had yet to respawn. Balmung kept telling himself things such as this to keep his spirits up, still hoping to come across something that could prove valuable.

"A mentor, you said?" questioned Balmung, "I'm don't enough know what I would need mentoring on in the first place."

Balmung lightly chuckled at his own expense, trying not to let his lack of knowledge get to him. He had found a spot that worth checking out, and while Winik was busying himself searching for Mats in his spot, he decided to check it out. However, like his previous attempts, Balmung came up empty handed once again.

Spoiler

Roll Results

ID#: 85543
LD: 6
Result: Balmung finds a nothing... again... yay...

 

[Winik 0]

Spoiler

Roll Results: ID# 86655

LD: 1

No mats found

Winik rooted around in the gnarled roots of the trees, trying not to let his disappointment of not finding anything show.  He was supposed to be showing his new companion how to look for mats and luck was not on his side.  He growled loudly to himself, knotting his hands in his hair.  "Why is this so difficult?!," he cried to the air around him.  He stood suddenly, spinning around to find his companion.  He swiped his hand through the air, pulling up his friends list in the menu.  A few taps later and he sent a friend request to Balmung.  "I never got around to doing this earlier, but would you accept my friend request? I want to make sure I can come help you whenever.  Oh, and this." Another tap and a party request was sent as well.  He crossed his arms over his chest, a small smile playing on his lips.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Winik

[Balmung 0]

Balmung was beginning to grow a bit weary from all of his collective failures of the day. He thought that his insight was good enough to find spots that would be loaded with resources that he could use later, but he quickly learned that he would have to be changing his way of thinking as he kept coming up empty. As much as he hated to admit it, this game was beating him right now, and he didn't like that at all.

As he was combing over some odd looking plants that apparently were only there for aesthetic effect, a notification popped up before him, accompanied by chime, and then another immediately after. Winik had sent him a friend request, and a party invitation. This was all new to Balmung, he hadn't met anyone who wanted to help him before, and now he and Winik had spent the last few hours out in the fields, toiling away searching for Mats together. He decided it would be best to keep someone as friendly as Winik close at hand, and accepted both the friend request and the party invite.

"Thanks for those. It's nice to see I'm not the only one enjoying having a companion by my side." Balmung said, not even trying to hold back the wide grin that spread over his normally placid face, "Do you think we should wander a bit further out? Perhaps that forest over there or something of the sort. I've even heard there are mountains somewhere on this floor. But it seems apparent that these plains are just not willing to give us much to work with today."

Spoiler

Roll Results

ID#: 86656
LD: 14
Result: Balmung needs glasses because he isn't finding a darn thing.

 

Edited July 14, 2017 by Balmung

[Winik 0]

 

Spoiler

Roll Results: ID# 86659

LD: 3

No mats found

"I think the mountains are on Floor 2, but the forest sounds like a good idea.  I'll lead, in case of any mob spawns," Winik said cheerily, smiling at his new teammate.  He strode through the field, shrugging his shield off his back and securing it firmly on his arm.  Next, he drew his sword, the rasping of the steel freeing itself from the sheath audible in the quiet field.  He kept a wary eye out for any mobs, hoping to catch their attention before they turn it towards Balmung.  "We'll have to get you some gear, don't want you to feel bored out here in the field," Winik called over his shoulder, still keeping an eye out for anything that could be harvested for mats. "Strangely, there are some quests on this floor that suggest a higher level than some found on some of the higher floors.  We just cleared floor 20 and the frontliners have started exploring floor 21 more recently, but there's not much for the low leveled players to do to help them except craft."

Edited July 14, 2017 by Winik