[PP - F10] Putting an end to the «Wail of the Banshee»

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Crossing yet another quest from her backlog, the blonde looked over the list displayed in front of her. With more than half of them finished, she let out a satisfied smirk while drinking from her mug of ale. Her current location was a quiet tavern that could easily be found in the main setlement of the obscure 10th floor. Memories long forgotten started resurfacing as she had spend much of her time around these parts when this floor was the 'front line' at the time. Some people were saying that they weren't making much advancements but the blonde disagreed. Now they were knocking at the labyrinth entrance of the 21st floor, which was a bit more than double the floor number from when she had joined the front lines.

Browsing through quest the list again, her hand stopped at one that was placed here. She attempted it before with a certain crimson haired girl, that went off the grid now, but never managed to finish it by themselves. At the time, a two man cell had proven ineffective despite the relative easiness of the quest. She could go and do it alone but a more fun idea crossed her mind. She messaged her favorite pair of siblings 'assistants' to post a announce on the lower floors for her. The message said the following:

Quote

Looking for a party, to tackle the «Wail of the Banshee» quest plus a sub-dungeon. No level requirements, just being able to care of yourselves on the 10th floor. You can keep the rewards from my share. I'll be waiting at the tavern in Yomi, at the bar. Look for the white furball next to me.

A simple anonymous message that would hopefully attract at least a pair of players willing to do this quest with her. She avoided signing it, as her name there would drastically decrease the chance of somebody coming. Some company would help pass time a bit faster than the previous attempt. Friends right now, for the blonde, were a rare asset... so she had to look for new people for questing. But until they would arrive, she would have time to at least order another mug of ale. Her familiar, a white furred lion cub, was sleeping undisturbed next to her bar stool.

---

Spoiler

Stats:

• 1,315 HP (1300 +15)
• 130 Energy (65 x2)
• 93 Mitigation (30 +63)
• +2 Accuracy
• +1 Evasion
• +1 Savvy (When an enemy misses an attack against you, gain +(1 per slot) Accuracy until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Being missed by another attack will reactivate this enhancement.)
• +2 Light Momentum (After an unsuccessful attack, gain +1 Accuracy per slot until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another unsuccessful attack will reactivate this enhancement.)
• 18 Base Damage (3[base] +1[athletics] +5[weapon skill] +9[familiar])
• +8 Fallen Damage (Successful attack rolls of 6-8 (before modifiers) gain (2 per slot * Tier) fallen damage to your total base damage.)
• +24 HP Holy Blessing (After taking damage, heal [8 per slot * Tier] HP at the beginning of your next turn. Damage over time effects (Bleed, Poison) will not trigger Holy Blessing. Can only trigger once per round.)

Items:

» «Darkened Blade» [T2, Perfect 2HAS]: +2 Fallen Damage, +1 Accuracy
  A 3 meter long (~10 feet) spear that is entirely died in obsidian black. Below the spearhead, a banner hangs freely. Its background is colored in a dark blue with a white lion's head wearing a crown, in the middle. 
» «Leonidas' Strength» [T3, Demonic Light Armor]: +1 Life Mending, +1 Holy Blessing, +2 Damage Mitigation+
  A blood red cape with a black inverted V design in the middle of the back, if worn as light armor; one of the trademark items worn by the Spartans that fought until the last man.
» «Lion's Rage» [T1, Perfect Light Armor]: +1 Savvy, +2 Light Momentum
A set of matching shoulder pads and vambraces that resemble steel, that is in fact extra durable leather, dyed to emulate actual metal color but still retaining a tinge of gold. It has the same hardness, that upon impact it even makes the same sound effect. It's a light armor item but it offers almost the same protection as a heavy armor piece while being lighter. 

Buffs:

• N/A

Battle Ready:

» 2x Rare T2 Healing (+160 HP Recovery) [Crystal]
» «Holy Sovereign Orb of Antioch» (+4 Prosperity, Bloodclot) [T1, Demonic Trinket]
A golden orb around held by a chain to be worn, said to have protected heroes from the rabbit. An inscription on it says 'Count to Three, no less'.
» 4x Uncommon T2 Healing (+80 HP Recovery) [Crystal]
» Basic Teleport [Crystal]
» 1x Safeguard [Potion] [Inventory limit reached, item not available]
» Guardian Cloak (+3 LD)
» *Banner of Support (+80 HP heal for all (up to 6) party members, 2/4 charges remaining)

Skills:

Spoiler

On 5/28/2015 at 0:37 PM, Mari said:

<<Wail of the Banshee>>

This quest takes place on Floor 10
This quest is repeatable for the item only
This RP does not count towards the Benchmark

 

 

Those who venture near Tartarus say they hear an unholy wailing. If they linger too long, that wailing becomes louder, many flee before the sound reaches them. Those foolish enough to stay encounter a deadly fate!

As you wander the tenth floor you hear more and more rumors of this. A suspicious old lady with wry black hair, who wears a dirty, silk night gown approaches you, she speaks in a very distressed voice as she almost pleads with you. She asks you to get rid of the banshee, for the banshee has killed her husband. Should you accept she promises a great reward and shows you a large bag containing 10,000 col. She states she no longer needs it for without her husband there is little to life. So you accept...

 

 

 

Requirements:
-Players go out in search of the <<Banshee Lair>> within Tartarus; a rundown jail-like building on the 10^th floor. they must RP searching for it in each post, whilst rolling a Loot Dice. To successfully find the cave; players must roll a LD of 15 or higher.
-Banshee has two undead guardian zombies per players present. (If there are two players she has 4 guardians)
- Banshee and her guardians must be defeated
-Upon defeating the Banshee you discover that the Banshee is the old lady, and there is no Col reward.
-At least two [2] FULL Pages (41 posts or more)

 

Rewards:

1. Bottled Banshee Scream: A Potion that when used on Weapon adds Paralyze to it for the duration of the battle: If you rolled a 9 -10 Enemy is paralyzed on their next turn.
2. 2 Skill Points

 

<Undead Guardian Zombies> is a Field Mini Boss and has the following statistics:
Health: 40 HP
Damage per Attack: 120
+15 Damage Mitigation

 

 

<Banshee> is a Field Boss and has the following statistics:
Health: 250 HP
+2 Evasion

Damage per Attack: 200
Banshee ignores armor mitigation on a natural roll of 9-10
-Banshee's Screech: On a natural roll of 10 she will add a scream to her attack that will paralyze all players present for 1 turn.

Parties or Groups of low level players are advised.
Recommended Level: 25

@Domarus @Birdie @Aereth

 

[Aereth 1]

Floor four, outside of the safe zone. Aereth was on his daily trip to meet his personal information broker. Since he wasn't permitted to enter the safe zone of the main settlements ever since he had killed those two idiots, and the other seven bastards that were unfortunate enough to meet the sharp end of Aereth's blade, Aereth needed to keep in close contact with his various info brokers all over the floors.

Sitting down on a bench besides a dark hooded player, Aereth simply sent over the usual amount of Col, and waited till the man started to speak. "No new information about Black Adder or Laughing Coffin, but a few new requests on the message boards. Only one that could be of your interest. A quest on floor ten followed by a dungeon raid. The player requesting the help is located in a tavern in Yomi." Aereth nodded before opening up his inventory and grabbing a teleport crystal. Moments later he vanished in many pixel fragments.

He quickly wrote a message to @Domarus telling him about the quest, the sub dungeon and the location, and made his way over to the town exit nearest to the tavern his information broker told him the quest giver would be in.

[Birdie 0]

"Wail of the Banshee?" She scanned the announcement board in search of, unsurprisingly, announcements. There was only so much soloing one could do before reaching a wall, and given her weak tolerance to loneliness, Birdie was beyond her threshold.

Minutes later, the girl stood beneath a tenth-floor tavern's double entrance, her eyes were fixated on the cute little lion cub as she gazed through the door's barred window. Sat upon the adjacent stool was a blonde player, most of whom's details became obscured from their awkward angle to one another. Mulling over the possibilities, it was an easy assumption that she be the one behind the announcement. She eased the door open just enough to slip through.

The scout steeled herself, drawing in a lungful of ale-scented air as she set off across the back wall. Devising a path to draw the least unwanted attention, she doubled around a table of rowdy patrons and emerged halfway across the bar, a dozen feet East of the tame cub and its mistress. She took up refuge beside the blonde and softly cleared her throat, garnering the accidental attention of an NPC bartender. "O-oh, n-no thank you, I'm only here on business." She beamed a nervous smile in hopes he wouldn't have an adverse reaction, though her luck ran thin as he rolled his eyes in disapproval. "S-sorry," she responded, eyes falling to the counter top.

Another breath entered her lungs, though she tried not to focus on the alluring taste. "H-hey there, um... would you happen to be the one mentioned in the announcement? The one for <<Wail of the Banshee>>?"

[Domarus 0]

Frozen.  The world had been frozen for some time now.  Domarus had to solo because most players had become inactive, and yet he was getting nowhere training on his own.  He was moving yet frozen in space and time.  And he was through with it.  He needed to climb the levels swiftly and he would do so one way or the other.  He swung his ax at the golem he was facing, dropping it's health further.  These creatures were no threat to him but were all he had to gather experience at this very instant.  He released a sword art and finished off the mob, it's tormented howl vanishing as it burst into nothing but crystals.  No loot would come from this victory, only a little bit of experience points.  He scanned the area for his next target when suddenly a message from Aereth appeared.  Something about a quest.  He opened the message and read it.  When he did his eyes narrowed.  Wail of the Banshee.  The quest itself wasn't too difficult and was pretty much straightforward.  However it seemed that this player was keeping their identity a secret.  Domarus pondered on whether or not he should do the same.  He turned to Keres who waited for him.  Ever since the beach she had been ready to follow him everywhere, but whenever they were alone she had a rather blank face.  What was going on inside her head Domarus did not know.
     "We're leaving."  He told her.  Keres bowed her head in acknowledgement and followed Domarus.  As he walked he took off the Hopebreaker armor, knowing that Keres would inevitably give his identity away.  This being said, he should appear to be very open about it.  A good reputation and name was extremely vital to his goals. Being active and strong was a part of that as well.  Domarus reached the teleporting pad, watching Rhozarth glide over to him and land on his shoulder, shaking it's head to answer the question it had been sent to discover.  No dungeons yet.  Porvós also slithered back, climbing up Keres' leg, waist, and wrapping itself around her torso area as usual.  Domarus gestured for Keres to step onto the teleporter and she did, the two of them vanishing only to reappear on the tenth floor.

The tenth floor as he recalled, used to be pitch black and filled with more horrors than it did now.  Kayaba was going soft he believed, trying to make things less frightening and easier for the player.  It mattered not of course.  He made his way into the building and scanned the are, the first thing he noticed was a girl with blue hair.  The second thing was the furball:  A white lion cub.  Domarus didn't know much about the front liners, but he did know enough.  This player was Ariel, and the stories and rumors that surrounded her were not the nicest.  He would need to be prepared for anything with this woman.  Despite how he was thinking however, his face and posture showed something else entirely.  He wore a cheerful smile and appeared relaxed, as if he wasn't worried about who she was, or perhaps that he didn't know who she was.  He walked up behind Birdie, hearing what she said and chuckled.
     "That is the white little furball isn't it?  I'd say that's a fair bet."  He waited till Birdie and Ariel noticed him before holding his hand out to shake theirs.
     "Name's Domarus, nice to meet you two."

@Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Birdie

[Birdie 0]

Hm?" A voice from behind caught Birdie's attention, causing the bluenette to half-swivel in her seat. Her eyes fell upon a man with scruffy hair and a woman following in his stead - for the slightest of moments, she seemed to recall the two. However, from where and from how long ago were two questions she couldn't quite answer. "L-likewise, Domarus. My name's Birdie," she responded, accepting his gesture with a calm shake. Birdie swivelled further to face the woman at Domarus' side and extended the offer to her, "It's a pleasure to meet you two, I take it you're both here for the quest as well?" If two more players had turned up in such a short space of time, she feared how many others would make an appearance. Four was manageable, five was a crowd and six seemed a tad unnecessary, but more manpower meant an easier time with the quest and dungeon. Of course, she'd completely forgotten about the party limit of four, yet the nauseous expectation of forming a bigger group would continue to panic Birdie.

@Domarus @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

As she was finishing a up another mug of ale, she noticed some movement coming from the entrance. Usually it wouldn't distract her attention as the tavern was such a place was appropriate for 'merry' people trashing around. However, the hair color she sported made the blonde slightly smile as she was remembered of a bee and a turtle. But those were two different stories from a happier past best left untouched for now. She continued to watch the gal with the corner of her eye as the blonde loudly ordered another mug and the barista nodded with a smile. She let out a small subdued laugh as, after trying to get the blonde's attention, the bluenette got a response from the bartender instead of her.

Finally, she adressed Ariel directly and the blonde finally acknowledged her presence and turned to the side. "Yep that's me!" At that time, two other figures entered the tavern. 'It's getting kind of crowded in here' she thought, about to suggest they leave when her visual memory kicked in. While being bad with names in general, she would at least recognize the silhouettes of the people who entered. Frowning as they came in their direction, she struggled to remember names but got nowhere. Luckily the man presented himself so after taking a deep breath and exhaling, she did the same... facing all 3 of them. "The name's Ariel. Thanks for coming." 

Looking around and pointed towards the exit, while tapping her foot next to the sleeping lion's head. "Let's take this outside as we walk towards the destination." After paying her consummation and waving at the barista, that she would send then each party invitation and after that, would select even currency distribution but opt herself out. "As it was posted, I'd like to complete the wail of the banshee quest. So first I'd like to go over the quest details to have us all in the same page: I already went to see the NPC quest giver a while back so all its left is to search for the ghost lady and kill her. My sister and I killed it a while back but it must've re-spawned by now..." she said, cutting it suddenly at the end and showing a complex expression as she reminisced about her redheaded partner at the time.

Shaking her head she regained focus and continued: "The ghost was the old lady so if any of you have a weak heart and can't handle killing a lonely NPC with a broken heart, you should leave now." Her tone was pretty indifferent and cold when pronouncing the word 'killing' and even after realizing that she could've phrased that better, she continued to speak in the same way. "If I remember right, we need to find her cave and she had some guardians with her. Nothing to worry about though. At least not for me." with the end of her sentence came a small smirk. "All crear until now?" she asked as she looked at her companions.

The white lioness was walking next to Birdie that seemed to be willing to give her some attention while lightly hissing at Keres(@Domarus) when she first saw her, clearly remembering her from the beach party. She would brush against @Birdie's leg and looking up to her, trying to get more of her attention.

---

Sorry for the late reply...

[Domarus 0]

The blue haired girl was the first of the players to have responded to Domarus' greeting.  It was clear to Domarus that either the girl was shy, or stuttered her words often.  However the fact that she was standing here, about to join a quest to take down a banshee, and the calm handshake she gave to him, told him that it was most likely that she stuttered and nothing more.  He could be wrong of course, the girl could be more of a coward than he led himself to believe.  However that bit of detail would reveal itself in the near future.  Her name, or rather username, Birdie, screamed innocence and gentle to him.  Names could be deceiving of course, as she could easily turn out to be courageous, corrupt, or even fierce in combat.  Once again however, he would need to analyze her as they travelled.  She then turned to Keres and offered a handshake with her as well, to which Keres would take a step forward and shake her hand, bow, then step back again.  Domarus nodded.
     "A pleasure to meet you as well Birdie.  And yes we're here to take on the quest.  We have yet to take it on and thus I feel it would be worthwhile to gain some needed experience."  It was then when Ariel had responded to Domarus, introducing herself at last.  Domarus raised his eyebrows ever so slightly and shaped his facial expressions to give off the appearance of surprise, or shock.  This reaction was devised for two reasons:  He wanted to make her believe that he either hadn't noticed her before, or had never met her before.  The second reason was to ensure that she understood this player she was speaking to had heard the rumors that made most players fear her.  Hopefully, this would lead the player to debunk one or two rumors in order to ensure he stayed, or at least was more focused.  Until then he would ensure that he kept his eyes on her from time to time, as well as seemed 'out of focus' during battles until she did so.
     "Ah.  Ariel.  It is a pleasure to meet you."  Ariel suggested that they take their conversation outside despite that they were the only players in the area.  Regardless, he would do as she said and followed her outside, Keres walking beside Domarus.

Ariel began to explain how she had taken the quest with her sister.  Whether this was her birth sister, or an Aincrad adopted sister, was unclear as she gave no indication to this.  If it was an aincrad adopted sister then he could probably make an accurate guess as to whom it might have been, seeing as how Ariel and Zandra, the ax wielder, seemed to spend all of their time in public together.  The image of the two during the ball was still fresh in his mind.  She explained to them how the npc who gives out the quest was an old lady and she turns out to be the Banshee.  She then asked if they had any qualms about killing her and the way her tone was as well as her posture, and the coldness in her voice, had already strengthened some of the rumors he had heard.  However rumors could not see into the minds of others and thus he had no way of truly confirming them yet.  He allowed himself to be silent for a moment, as if her words made him uncomfortable, which in truth it didn't, before replying.
     "Not only is she an npc, but her real form is actually a Banshee.  Even if she tried to fool us, it wouldn't sway me.  I'm good with seeing this quest through till the end."  Keres watched as the white lion growled at Keres, and after confirming that nobody would see her, she smirked at the cub.  While her addiction to pain had been stripped from her entirely, there was one pastime she could still cling to:  Messing and screwing with other's emotions.  She loved it dearly and it would probably be the only other thing besides Domarus that would keep her sane in this game.

@Birdie @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Birdie 0]

The blonde had quickly confirmed she was the player in the question, and all unease present on the bluenette’s expression ceased in an instant. As the woman came into full view, Birdie inspected her features with subtlety for any semblance of familiarity. Coupled with her high-level gear, the way she carried herself gave the impression of a confident high-level player, and a possible front runner at that. The woman’s face was somewhat recognizable, though on which occasion and under which impression she’d seen it eluded the fencer completely.

After the likes of Domarus and Keres entered the fray, Ariel – as she revealed herself – had suggested they take business outside and converse on the way, and Birdie obliged without a word of question. A party invite window appeared and disappeared as she placed a finger on Accept, and a short briefing of the quest objectives proceeded as they walked. Only as Ariel’s voice cut off abruptly did the bluenette spare an upwards glance, though the hard-to-peruse expression on the woman’s face caused her to frown in possible understanding.

Until then, such a detail as killing an elderly woman to complete the quest had escaped Birdie’s knowledge entirely. It was easy enough for her to discern that morsel of information, however, understanding it was merely a quest and that the NPC was a fabrication of their digital reality. The cruel inflexion (or therefore lack-of) in Ariel’s words sent an uneasy chill through the blue player’s spine, and as the woman asked for the acknowledgement of all those present, Birdie didn’t hesitate to deliver a jittery nod.

As a distraction from the conversation, the bluenette took notice of the walking fur ball beside her and made a slight frown at the hissing toward Keres. In a bid to calm the cub, Birdie leant down by her side and stroked the nape of her neck, forming a smile in the same instant. “Hey now, there’s no need to be like that." Gauging the small creature’s reaction, the bluenette silently lifted her eyes to Domarus’ companion, offering her a smile of similar integrity.

Gradually, the fencer rose to her feet, just in time to catch the tail end of Domarus' sentence. "As am I. I suppose it's easier to stomach, knowing the old lady intends to kill us beforehand. S-still, it's kind of unsettling to think about." Before too long, the tavern had seemed to disappear from sight. The bluenette's lips parted and closed, facing an internal struggle to summon her words. "Does anyone know how far we'll be travelling?" she managed after too long. If they were to distance themselves far from the town's border, the small chance of the entire arrangement being a setup would fester, and try as she might to feign ignorance of such a possibility, the fencer couldn't shake it entirely from her mind.

@Domarus @Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Aereth

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Looking at each's reaction, the blonde let out a nod and a sigh. It was good that they replied positively but the lack of debate on the matter of whatever it was or not morally correct to do so... made her think for a bit. "Is this really the first time you take this quest?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. They seemed determined to kill that NPC lady after hearing her explanation. Was it really a good thing? If they though that humanoid NPCs were the same as mobs, then it took only a little bit from striking against a NPC to striking against a player. The realization of where her mind started wandering, made the blonde chuckle to herself. 'Now that would be fun to see.'

Luckily, @Birdie posed a pertinent question that snapped the blonde out of it and made her think for a bit, trying to extract some more details from her last attempt. Squinting her eyes, as if her eyesight was in the way of her recollection... similar to how bright light makes one shield the eyes until they adjust, she gradually opened her eyelids, revealing the mirror-like gems behind the hand.
She looked at the bluenette and replied with a grin. "It's a bit of a walk... if any of you had the Night Vision mod you would see the small mountain range I'm pointing at." She navigated through her inventory and retrieved a small bottle labeled «Firefly Essence». It started to glow after a couple of gentle shakes, similar to the glow sticks IRL. It wasn't much in the eternal darkness that was the 10th floor, but at least it would alert them of any monster presence in their immediate vicinity. "Once we get there we will have to navigate through a cave system inside those mountains, battling whatever we meet there in a enclosed space and then finally face the banshee. Them we would need to make it back of course."

She glanced towards the trio again, while Birdie acted like she haven't really heard about the blonde, @Domarus showed some degree of reaction to her name. Further strengthening her gut feeling that she had seen him and his companion before. Staying true to her nature, she spun on her right heel making a 180° turn and brought her face closer to Domarus, asking while slightly tilting her head. "Haven't we meet before?" 

Staring with a stern expression at him, she looked over her shoulder and eyed Keres as well. Making it clear that she would expect a reply from both of them. Her overall attitude was more aggressive than the cold stance she had until now, hoping it was a good indication that she also expected the truth.

---

@Aereth should make a appearance.

[Aereth 1]

Finally he saw a familiar set of armor in company with two females coming out of the city. "Wait. What?" he thought when he spotted the mob of blue hair of his former scouting partner. "Birdie?" he gave out surprised and pulled back his hood and face mask. "I mean you are a scout, so why am I wondering that you found that announcement." He said with a chuckle, before he greeted Dom with a nod and faced Ariel. He knew her. Last Christmas event. She killed Hikoru's mentor and Beatbox warned him from this person.

"The infamous frontliner Ariel. To be honest I wasn't expecting you to be the writer of this offer. Either way, the name's Aereth and I hope you have another spot free in your party, because I could also need some of that experience." he said with a grin on his face, looking directly into the eyes of the deadly blonde.

@Ariel - The Crowned Lion, @Birdie

[Domarus 0]

The nod and sigh wasn't much to go on at all, even when she asked them if they had truly never taken the quest before.  Domarus shook his head in response.  What did this woman really want?  He doubted this was just for experience or items as she could probably take the quest on her lonesome.  Domarus was here for experience and information.
     "I truly have never taken it before.  I like to stay informed however, and the fact that the npc who gives this quest turns out to be a boss, changes matters considerably don't you agree?  In the end she really isn't an npc after all, but a red cursored mob in disguise."  Domarus was being practical.  The npc, no matter what she looked like, was in fact a banshee who attempts to fool the player and turns out to be the boss you have to kill.  Banshees are not the sort you would be hesitant to kill.  Especially when your defending yourself.  It would be foolish to think of it as a green cursored npc when it reveals itself as the enemy.  Despite the fact that the tenth floor had plenty of lights nowadays, the woman Ariel sent a field of light into the air for the others.  Domarus didn't have night vision.  He would rather focus on his combat skills than focusing on search and detect.  It was a genuine question if he would ever get around to that skill at all in fact.

Then Ariel had decided to turn around in front of him and stop, which he immediately did as well.  Keres stood by Domarus, her hands behind her back folded together.  Domarus met Ariel's eyes.  His body was stiff because he allowed it to, as it showed alertness as if he was concerned of what she might try to do.  His eyes were firm, showing that he wasn't going to just back down.
     "Only from a distance, during the events.  I noticed you with that other woman during the ball.  I've watched you fight.  The closest we've been to a proper introduction would be the floor boss meeting.  I mostly listened than anything else."  There was nothing more to the truth in the sense of her knowing them.  He had stated where they had been in the same area and that he had noticed her.  Nothing more.  Keres stood silent, showing no fear of the woman in any manner.  In truth Domarus didn't fear her either.  The mind was quite an interesting instrument, but all instruments could be played.  It was clear she had no intentions to kill today and was just trying to make an impression.  He was making himself to appear concerned and on guard to place certain thoughts in her head.  It could go either way of course, ether negatively effecting the future, or positively effecting it.  Regardless of what happened, Domarus doubted this would be the last he saw of Ariel.  Not by a long shot.  

That was when Aereth approached the group.  Domarus would not look away from Ariel until she let it go.  When she did he turned to Aereth and grinned, holding out his hand.
     "Aereth!  How've you been friend?"  He watched Aereth's movements, his body showing kindness and his eyes firmness and determination.  He knew what he was doing here and that was excellent.  Birdie on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the hidden messages being sent between them all.  He wondered if Ariel was aware of their hidden speech as well.

@Aereth@Ariel - The Crowned Lion@Birdie

[Birdie 0]

   In light of Ariel's follow-up question, Birdie had offered a similar answer. "It's my first time too, promise. I'm inferring this from what you three- uh, two- have been saying, but it sounds like that lady is just a wolf in sheep's clothing - not a person at all. I-I would probably stand back if she fought us in human form, though." The bluenette's eyes fell after ending her sentence, unwillingly visualising the act of smiting an elderly person.

   Despite her original intentions of becoming a scout, the Night vision mod wasn't in the cards for her yet, and she silently cursed herself for not having it on this occasion. "I see. O-or, I don't see..." What Ariel said next wasn't great news either. If the mountain range was vastly out of the way, there was no efficient route for safely escaping to town - coupled with the imposing woman's phrasing, 'enclosed spaces', and concern started to build up in the bluenette. Was that a necessary detail? Perhaps Ariel was warning everyone ahead of time - Birdie would be thankful in that case, knowing to watch out for potential enemies which would capitalise on limited space. Somewhat satisfied for now, a smile tugged at Birdie's cheeks as she nodded thankfully towards Ariel.

   The journey stopped abruptly, and Birdie walked a few metres ahead of the group before realising they'd come to a stop. Her mouth hung loosely as if she were going to say something yet a stray voice caught her attention, and she spun to catch sight of the source- Aereth? "Fancy meeting you out here," she spoke with a soft chuckle, bowing at the presence of a friend. "I-It's great to see you again."

   All eyes appeared to be on Ariel, and Birdie started to think she was on a completely different page. Why was there so much tension in the air? Has she missed something? Regardless, the bluenette stood pensively by the sidelines with her arms crossed, feeling rather uncertain.

@Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Domarus @Aereth

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

"Ok then..." made a quiet response from the blonde that leaned back. She had to admit to herself that she didn't quite keep a low profile in the recent events, be it social or system events. The latter was the one that gave her a more, negative reputation that she didn't dislike. Older player say she changed while the blonde would think herself of having become 'unchained' after a certain event. All her questions but one, had been answered so she gave herself a excuse to be nosy... she would have to glance at Keres  for a extra second and address her: "You should speak more for yourself." she said with a bored tone and turned towards, a light smile slightly showing after her reply. It seemed that at least one of them some showed some kindness towards NPCs. For long while now, the blonde though that she would be the only one seeing them as something more than mere codes. Her own white snowball, walking besides Birdie and asking for attention, being the strongest influence in that direction.

Out of nowhere, the group was hailed by a apparently new recruit. Returning a side grin herself, she replied with delight accompanying her words: " Infamous huh? That kind of flattery won't get you far with me." then after looking at the two that seemed to already know him, she raised her index and after executing a few graceful motions in the air she send him a party invite as well. "Nice to meet ya and welcome aboard. Though I recognize you too even if I think this is the first time we spoke face to face." she added before having her fingers dance some more in front of her.

In the next instant a grey colored cloak had been equipped by the blonde from her inventory. In the darkness surrounding then, she would blend in perfectly with the newly donned item except for the few colorful marks on the back side. She wouldn't expect them to recognize the markings on the back for nothing more than some random drawings.

They were all guild icons from her past, a self reminder of what she once stood for: at the very top proudly stood the simple blue wing design with her origin guild, next came a blue shield with white markings and a blue phoenix in the center... the ones that took her after the guardians disbanded. A dark blue shield surrounded by black vines and with two intersecting swords would represent her initiative to join a more 'well established' group, followed by the chess board shield also with a pair of crossed swords... this one was was her own attempt in making the front lines a better place. needless to say it wasn't successful as herself and the shield were the only remains from the 'Pin' era. And finally something similar to a fragmented purple gem stood at the very bottom, her last membership in a serious organized group.. led by her red haired sister. The player that build herself the reputation as the Crimson Maiden, last known owner of the Battoujutsu unique skill.  

"Almost there, let's see if this old charm can help me find a entrance." she muttered with a nostalgic smile as the symbols on the back somehow came into view.

---

I'd like to reserve the dungeon search after the 15th post (if not the actual 15th one) in order to search for a sub-dungeon. @Birdie @Domarus @Aereth

Swapped «Leonidas' Strength» for «Guardian Cloak».

Guild symbols and names for those interested:

Spoiler

      - The Guardians Of Aincrad

      -  Azure Brigade

 - Absolute Pin

    - Knights of Christ

    - Amethyst Descend

 

[Aereth 1]

"Yeah, glad to see you made it. I was already fearing that you were busy when I sent you the message." Aereth said to Domarus. He hadn't received an answer from the redhead after all... "And Keres. You look great today." Aereth said, knowing how empty the woman was inside. But unfortunately there was nothing he could do about that.

The brunette chuckled. "Yeah, good to see some familiar faces. You've been fine as well?" he asked the bluenette, slightly worried about that she might feel uncomfortable around him after he had told him the truth about him.

"Dang, and here I was thinking that would work. Seems like I'm not getting laid today." He said with a grin, and listened to the blonde front liner. He knew that he was playing with fire, with her being the player who killed Hikoru's former teacher, but up until now he was used to it. He didn't know the whole story about that matter, and that woman was by far out of his league, she would obliterate him in moments, so he just act as if he didn't care that she was most probably a killer.  "Yes. We indeed met a couple of times. Some event boss fights if I remember correctly, but you are right, we never had the chance to talk to each other." Aereth answered, before Ariel would equip her other cloak. 

@Domarus, @Birdie, @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

Using her left hand brush to some wild golden strands behind her ear illuminating the figures of those near her with the fluorescent bottle in the same time. The blonde let out a small chuckle to Aereth's comment: "Aren't you a cheeky one." she said with a grin of her own, then pointed above his head. "I'd take more care with what I would say if I had that." she added, meaning it more as a subtle warning rather than a advice; which the blonde herself would ignore if she had a orange cursor. "One day I would love to hear the story behind it." 

It was nice to be with players that weren't kids, at least in appearance, Birdie looking like the youngest among the party members. They seem like a decent bunch but they still had a long way until she would place some form of trust into them. One of the few useful things she learned in SAO was better to be skeptical of people until they've proven trustworthy.

She would divert her attention forwards as they drew closer to the rocky formation she was pointing at a while back. She raised her hand horizontally, signaling them to stop. "Let's see now, if I can find a entrance." she muttered, trying out her new searching skills. Her eyes would gain a small red glint as she started using the 'Reveal' mod. "Woaaahhhh!" came a involuntary interjection as she started to clearly see through the stone, the tunnels she knew about inside the mountains were clearly showing in front of her. 

She started moving her head from left to right, trying to track a tunnel close to them that would also have a entrance nearby. Signaling the rest to follow her, she would move to the side until she would be near what she was looking for. With a small sigh and a smile, she would raise the luminescent bottle in her hand and illuminate the grotesque entrance she had found. "Seems like this is one of the entrances, if you have any pre-battle preparations to make I suggest you do them now. Before we get in and face whatever dungeon crawling mobs are there."

Taking her own advice, she muttered a silent 'Thank you!' and then immediately swapped the old grey cloak back with the crimson spartan one she had around her waist originally.

---

ID# 87738  LD: 20 (10+5+2+3)
Intermediate Sub Dungeon Found!

Swapped «Guardian Cloak» for «Leonidas' Strength».

@Domarus @Birdie @Aereth

 

[Domarus 0]

Domarus remained unmoving as he waited for Ariel to withdraw.  When she did she spoke to Keres specifically.  Whether she said this because she wanted to see the girl stand for herself, or if she believed Domarus was enslaving her in some way, or some other thought process, Keres had different ideas, as always.  She smiled to Ariel.
     "I choose when I wish to speak Ma'am.  May I ask where your maid is?"  After this she turned to Aereth, calling him out on his act of flattery and seeming to joke along with it.  When she stated that she knew him yet didn't know much about him, Domarus concluded that she really didn't pay attention to anything other than what she wanted.  A flaw he thought to himself.  Domarus actively tried to mentally memorize each and every individual of some importance wherever he went.  Whether it was at the ball, events, or aiding players in their quests and other such tasks, he usually memorized faces and names upon first glance, and details about them the longer he spent time with them.  With such information he usually was able to set up a trap, or find a way to sway them over to his side.  Ariel he would not sway, but for the future, just in case, he needed to find flaws and weaknesses he may be able to use.

Then Ariel switched equipment around, a cloak appearing on her that held many symbols he did not recognize.  As stated above, Domarus began to burn those images into his mind, and would investigate them at a later date.  He could get Aereth to ask around while Domarus did so as well.  He would like to avoid info brokers simply because the less who knew of his investigations the better.  Aereth continued using his normal talk, including toward Keres.  Domarus wondered if he was setting up a disguise, prodding Ariel for a reaction, or both with his words towards her.  At any rate it was one more dps on the team.  Domarus was unsure what Ariel's level was, but he was certain she was powerful enough for the monsters to be deadly.  He doubted he would be able to tank this time, but his heavy armor would keep him from dying in case he was hit once or twice.  Then Ariel managed to find an intermediate dungeon.  Domarus had believed that they would be dealing with the quest first but he was fine either way.  Unfortunately he didn't have any consumables on him.  He did however, had his battle gear.  Domarus opened his menu and equipped his Hopebreaker set.  The weapon was a two handed black battle ax, the designs and symbols pulsing a dark red glow.  Then his armor *description in spoiler*.  When he spoke his voice was deeper and more metallic.
     "I'm prepared.  Keres won't be joining us in combat."  Keres nodded with a smile to confirm this.

 

Spoiler

 

@Birdie @Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Aereth

Edited August 11, 2017 by Domarus

[Birdie 0]

In reply to Aereth, she nodded. "Better since last time." Much of their previous encounter faded from obscurity, and for the most part what small details remained were hardly worth noting. Although their discussion of past relationship woes hadn't left her entirely comfortable, she wouldn't let it dull the current situation - there was no sense dwelling on ghosts of the past.

Tensions continued to fester and boil. Convinced there was a major plot point she was missing out on, Birdie strode along the path and kept to herself, unwilling to fan the flames or stir up a fuss of her own. These were underlying issues that she hadn't a right to intrude on nor a part to play in, and only if things resorted to violence would she speak out against them - assuming the bluenette's cowardice didn't hold her back.

Fairly soon after switching equipment, Ariel had shone a light to reveal a dungeon's entrance, and Birdie also confirmed her readiness with a nod. "Ready to go." Birdie wore an Elven vest of blue silk and over it, her vanity half-breastplate of silver with gold trimming. Blue boots and thigh-high stockings completed her lower half, and attached to Birdie's hip by thin leather straps was a scabbard containing Tempest Fleuret, her rapier.

 

Spoiler

 

Stats:

• 680 HP
• 68 Energy
• 39 Mitigation (36+3)
• +3 Accuracy
• +3 Evasion
• 12 Base Damage (1[base] +5[weapon skill] +6[familiar])
• +3 LD

Items:

• <<Tempest Fleuret>> [T2:Rapier]: +1 Paralyze/+2 Accuracy
• <<Seasilk Vest>> [T2:Light Armour]: +36 Mitigation, +1 Evasion
• <<Vanguard Signet>> [T2:Lucky Charm]: +1 Accuracy/+2 Evasion

Skills:

• Rank 5 | Rapier: +5 Damage w/ Rapier
• Rank 3 | Search and Detect: +3 LD
• Rank 1 | Light Armour: +3 Mitigation
• Rank 1 | T.H.S.S: +1 Damage w/ T.H.S.S
• Gatherer: +3 Materials per successful gather
• Concentration: +1 BD upon activiation, 5 post cooldown
• FM: Fighter: +6 Damage

 

@Aereth @Domarus @Ariel - The Crowned Lion

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

To Keres' inquiry, the blonde dubbed as the crowned lion, blinked a couple of times. Her mirror like gaze drifted to her upper left side, trying to reminisce any instance of 'her maid'. The only maid she had recent contact, that came in mind, was the crimson beauty that acted as her familiar's babysitter at the beach event hosted by that strange guild she never heard before. "Oh!" came a sudden interjection alongside a involuntary hand gesture that made her point her right hand index upwards. 

"You must mean Claudia. Cute little girl, crimson hair... always wearing a maid outfit everywhere she goes and speaks formally most of the time?" she couldn't imagine any instance of her being near a maid, so she must've been talking about that event. "While she is indeed a maid, she isn't my maid... I...." she paused for a moment to think about a proper way to describe their relation at that time.

"She was send to me by her master... and since the gal doesn't really know how to wind up, I put her up to babysitting Kimba. Their situation is.. quite unique." she decided to leave it at that, as the finality in her tone suggested it. It was a actually a cute story to hear, or at least she found it that way when she first heard it but she wasn't about to go and blabber on about their circumstances to people she just meet.

The blonde's eyes narrowed as Domarus mentioned that the girl won't fight. Seeing his armor choice, she mentally sighed and rolled her eyes before turning towards Birdied and giving a short nod to her and Aereth. "Okay then, follow me." she motioned them with the commanding presence of a natural leader, despite how much she hated to take that position in the past. She revealed a small smirk towards herself as she herself though of that.

After passing by the entrance, it would take several seconds for one's eyes to adjust to the dark. Night Vision users wouldn't have to subject themselves to this temporary loss of eyesight. For a split of a second, the blonde's other senses augmented their efficiency and she was able to hear small noises in front of them. They sounded more like someone dragging their feet rather than walking and the ocasional scrapping against stone.

This was enough to get the blonde in her 'battle mode' and have her weapon make a wide semi arc from the side, forcing the spearhead to scratch against the tunnel walls. She tossed the bottle with «Firefly Essence» towards Keres and muttered: "Make yourself useful and hold that up for me." Now gripping her weapon with both her hands, she was ready for whatever was in front of them. She would have to restrict her attacks to mostly thrusts instead of slashes, the tight space of their surroundings posing a big environmental obstacle on top of the low light. 'Yeah.. last time I was here I was using the rapier...' she thought as she got ready to attack. 

Soon enough four armed shadowy figures enter their line of sight. In that moment the blonde showed a ferocious smile and charged towards them as her obsidian colored weapon gained a dark crimson aura. The fallen attribute oh her weapon alongside the crimson glow of the high-end sword art made her assault on the wraiths look even savager. Performing a 360º spin sword art took its tool on the weapon as half of the time it was scraping against the side walls. The blonde audibly clicked her tongue in frustration as she saw that her prey was still alive with a slither of health.

---

ID# 87850   BD: 7 (6+2-1, Fallen proc,)
Sword Art: (18) Weeping Moon - 1x9*(18+8+5+1) & AoE = 288 Dmg

[H:2 #1-4] Ariel: 1,315 /1,315 | 112 /130 | 93 Mit | 1 Evasion

<Player#2 stats>
<Player#3 stats>
<Player#4 stats>

@Birdie @Domarus @Aereth

Wraith#1 62 /350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#2 62 /350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#3 62 /350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#4 62 /350 | 120 Dmg

Guidelines:

Spoiler

1. Post once in whatever order you desire. But after all players post, we need to keep that order during battle.
2. While in battle, each player has a 24h interval to post or else the player will be skipped. This is to keep this thread from stagnating.
3. I'd like us to keep this fighting template to keep a easier track of stats, you can use your own design as long as its easier to interpret.
   mine is [Hate - enemy/es targeted] Name: HP | Energy | Mit | Evasion.
   These are the stats I'll need when rolling for the mobs as well, you don't have to post all the stats if you already listed them all once before starting the fight. 
4. Battle order is P1->P2->P3->P4->MOBS->P1->P2...etc. I'll roll for the mobs in my post before my turn this time, since I spawned them. Whoever spawns mobs after rolls for them after a full rotation.
5. Intermediary Dungeon mobs stats: http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/7838-sao-site-guide-tutorials-rules-and-more/?do=findComment&comment=438462 We'll spawn them in order, 6 standard -> 2 elite -> 1 miniboss then go after the quest mob.

 

[Domarus 0]

Keres watched as Ariel seemed very confused as to what she was talking about when she had mentioned Claudia's name.  She wondered if it was either because she didn't care at all about the maid, and deemed the girl too low for her to note.  Or if she didn't really know her, which was extremely unlikely.  At any rate, Keres was hoping she could use Claudia to either gain information on Ariel, or help Domarus gain information on her.  She didn't know what Domarus' thoughts on Ariel was, but she felt that if Ariel proved trustworthy, she could be an excellent follower.  If Domarus felt he could trust her completely, she could be a general.  Keres felt that would be something Ariel would like more than the role of followers, but then again, most followers didn't even know they were such.  And those who did were too loyal to care.  Domarus was good at picking such targets out.

When Ariel finally spoke she explained the situation to Keres and she nodded with a grin.  She thought about whether or not she should ask Ariel the exact reason as to why this master sent the maid to her in the first place, but she realized she could get the information from the maid.  She would probably be more open to that information than Ariel was.  She bowed to Ariel with a smile.
     "I understand now mistress Ariel.  Thank you for clearing that up."  While he didn't appear to be the type, especially before he was wearing his armor, he observed every detail.  He had watched Ariel's glare to his comment as well as the eye roll before she began to move forward.  The cavern was dark as expected, but Ariel had provided enough light for them to see in.  He did of course, need to adjust to see clearly but that would occur rather soon.  As they walked he could hear their foes up ahead.  Ariel moved forward first and tossed a glowing object towards Keres, who caught it without blinking or flinching, her reflexes faster than most would have expected from her.  Ariel was taking the role of leader without request, and Domarus knew she had the right to do so...  For now that is.  He watched as she launched forward and nearly destroyed every single target.  It was Domarus' turn now.

Domarus activated charge, following right behind Ariel's assault.  He had observed that her choice of weapon was the two handed spear.  A weapon just as deadly as martial arts.  Domarus wondered why the game master had decided to make the spear the most deadly weapon, rather than a two handed ax.  However since wondering would get him nowhere in any manner he pushed the thought aside as he closed in on his targets.  He wouldn't waste his energy as their health was nearly depleted already.  He released his sword art and cut their health down to zero while Keres waited by the side holding the light, smiling as she watched Ariel and Domarus destroy them.  Due to them not being loot requirement, there were no rewards.

Spoiler

ID#  87861  BD:  2+3+1 (concentration) Sword art used:  Trample Act- 3x2  -12 EN
14+2x3x2=96 dmg

[H:2 #1-4] Ariel: 1,315 /1,315 | 130 /130 | 93 Mit | 1 Accuracy
<H:1 #1-4] Domarus:  700/700 | 58/70 | 54 MIT | 3 ACC
<Player#3 stats>
<Player#4 stats>

@Birdie @Domarus @Aereth

Wraith#1 0/350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#2 0/350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#3 0/350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#4 0/350 | 120 Dmg

Spoiler

Level:  35 - Health:  700/700 - Energy:  70/70 - Base DMG:  15(-17)

Mitigation:  54 - Accuracy:  3-4 - Evasion:  0

Damage:  15-17 - Damage over Time:  None - Counter Damage:  2 Tier 2 Thorns:  24 dmg

Armor:  Hopebreaker Set -Tier 2, 3 MIT, 2 Thorns

Weapon:  Anazititís psychís: 3 ACC

Rhozarth:  Flaming dragon familiar  3 DMG

 

Skills:  Survival, Rank 2 Charge, Concentration, Rank 5 THBA, Rank 3 Familiar

Mods:  Ferocity Ranks 1, 2, 5.

 

Edited August 15, 2017 by Domarus

[Birdie 0]

"Suppose we don't get have a choice," Birdie offhandedly whispered to her former guild-mate. She couldn't decide what was less pleasant, venturing into darkness or the thought of not returning from it. At least it wouldn't be a completely strange time - one of the few men she instilled full trust in was standing only a few feet away, calming whatever subtle unease the bluenette had felt. Birdie trailed behind Domarus and Keres as Ariel led the group through the depths, keeping her wits about her as the Sun's influence grew null. Having grown accustom to the light, the lack of vision struck the girl much harder than most, though she made do with the glow of Ariel's light bottle which now rested in Keres' hold. Senses would adjust in time.

From 0 to 100 real quick, combat ensued. Two expert Sword Arts laid waste to four foes and looked to clear the path ahead, though more ghostly whispers bellowed from within as two fresh monsters emerged. Without hesitation, Birdie sprung to the front of the group and reared her rapier, allowing Over Radiation's light to consume her weapon as she prepared to attack. Angling the blade low, she aimed for a single wraith and motioned forwards- immediately, something felt off. The light levels; incorrect footing; too much hesitation and not enough action. Whatever the excuse, she shook her head and cancelled the Art before it was too late, leading her to stumble forwards pathetically and succumb to a brief system delay. Mm, great timing...

ID# 87869   BD: 4 (2+3-1)
Sword Art: Miss

[H:2 #1-4] Ariel: 1,315 /1,315 | 130 /130 | 93 Mit | 1 Accuracy
[H:1 #1-4] Domarus:  700/700 | 58/70 | 54 MIT | 3 ACC
[H:0] Birdie: 680/680 | 66/68 | 39 MIT | 2 Accuracy
<Player#4 stats>

@Aereth @Ariel - The Crowned Lion @Domarus

Wraith#5 350|350 | 120 Dmg
Wraith#6 350/350 | 120 Dmg
 

Edited August 15, 2017 by Birdie