[PP-F20] New Encounters <Itzal and Ryo - Meeting/initiation>

[Itzal 0]

Itzal sat at the table in the guild hall of Celestial Ascendants.  Unlike the knights of the blood oath, they chose to design their guild hall in a way that wasn't prideful, or flashy, and yet neither was it demeaning.  The guild hall was designed to feel like a home.  A place for a family.  Beatbox was a part of that family.  And now apparently, he's dead.  Killed.  By a player that he himself told Itzal about, or at least the rumors.  Death Adder.  It was his username so Itzal could track him.  Not only that but apparently this player had a unique skill.  Something Itzal would never get his hands on.  In addition, this player was strong enough to kill Beatbox, whom Itzal thought was indestructible.  One of the stronger rumors was that he was cruel as well.  Three rumors, two confirmed:  He was powerful.  He was cruel.  Itzal knew this guy was cruel because Beat wouldn't just outright attack someone without a very very good reason to.  The third rumor, about how he had a unique skill, was very likely.  He had to find out the details of the other unique skills first however, before he could get onto anything.  Perhaps info brokers know something about it.  Itzal grit his teeth, the anger beginning to rise again.  The more he was with others however, the more he suppressed it, bottling it up.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo adjusted his attire as he stepped outside. Today was a big day after all. Unable to find the person who had taken his gear, his col, and all of his items, he was forced to use the old starter gear. He looked nice, he'd thought as he adjusted his hair. Twentieth floor is where his meeting was today. As long as he stood in safe zones, he should be fine. Ryo ran a hand through his hair, adjusting it ever more slightly. He stepped into the teleporter and said his destination. The warmth that came from teleportation was a nice one. It somehow reminded him of home. The twentieth floor was always a welcoming site. Bright sun, bright sky, and bright smiles. The starting floor reeked of gloom, from all of the other players and the npc's. This floor was filled with NPC's who cheered on, and continued with their days with ease, and no fear. Soon enough, he would make every floor feel the same way. He would be that hero, a symbol of peace. But first.

He reached the guild hall of the Celestial Ascendants. He had set up an appointment to join, and frankly he was in low spirits. Players now had access to tier three gear, and he couldn't even use tier two. And he was showing up in starter gear at that.And he didn't even know what guild member he was going to be touring with today. The callback essentially said member, meaning it could be with anyone from the guild. Ryo knew some of the higher tiers. There was Hikoru, Itzal, Morgenstern, and Kaiser led the whole troupe. Then Beatbox, Beat, shield, and Sey filled the lower ladders. He didn't know the rest of the members, either them being not to famous, or just too low a rank. He entered the building, and stated his purpose. He was instructed to go to the meeting room. Following instructions, Ryo prepared himself one more time before going in. Adjusting his clothes, triple checking his hair, and his breath before touching the knob.

The door swung open, revealing a quaint room. THe place gave off a general 'welcome back from the good fight' vibe, and it didn't sit all that well with him. There was a single person sitting at the table when he had arrived. "Ah, hello!" Ryo said, greeting himself. "Wonderful day it is, isn't it?" He asked, walking up to the man. Ryo held out a hand, when he realized who he held it out to. 'Gah, that's @Itzal! I got a Paladin for my first day? I'm so screwed!' Ryo let go through his mind, as he bravely put on a straight face.

[Itzal 0]

Itzal heard the door open and looked through the doorway of the meeting room.  He had nearly forgotten about an appointment today.  Usually they just ran into someone who said:  'hey I'd like to join the guild, that cool?'  Either way he forced his anger for Adder down, as well as his tactical thinking, and instead gave off a cheerful and with a gentle smile on his face when the person entered the meeting room.  Itzal stood up when the player approached him and shook his hand.  He looked like someone who was looking for a job in his mind.  For Itzal, this guild wasn't a job or organization, but a family.  One large family who looked out for each other.  "Hey there!  And yeah it sure is!  So your, Ryo right?  My name is Itzal.  Nice to meet you!  Everyone else is a tad bit busy, but this really doesn't take much at all.  All it is-"  Itzal hesitated.  Where was Velnia?  He turned around quickly and shot his hands into the air just in time to catch Velnia who was shooting toward Ryo like lightning, the purple dragon eager to meet a new friend.  She was wondering why she wasn't getting any closer when she realized who was holding her and she went limp, a childish grin appearing on her face.  Itzal sighed as he turned around with a grin.  "Ryo meet Velnia.  Velnia, this is Ryo.  He wants to join the guild."  Velnia struggled to leap over to Ryo but she realized she had to calm down first.  After doing so Itzal let go and she leaped onto his shoulder, licking his cheek.

"So as I was about to say, it really doesn't take much.  I'd like to get to know you a little bit, I ask you three questions, and then your in basically."

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo nodded as Itzal said his name. "Yes. That's me." He said nodding his head and giving the man a firm handshake. Ryo was lost in thought when something from behind Itzal gave a sinister sparkle. Ryo tensed at what it could be, but he would soon find out as it got closer. Ryo made a yelp, and flinched as it darted toward him. He flinched, preparing for an impact but nothing came. He opened his eyes to see a small lizard in front of him, in between Itzal's clamped fingers. Ryo returned his body to it's normal position, and looked at the dragon with interest. "Velnia, huh?" Ryo said, letting the small creature crawl up onto his shoulder. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He said, chuckling as it licked his cheek. "Three questions huh? That seems a bit too easy."  Ryo said, letting Velina hop off of him and onto Itzal. "Alright then, I'll answer them to the best of my ability." Ryo said, confidently. What kind of questions would he ask? Ryo wondered. He figured they'd be geared toward moral standing rather than basic trivia.

@Itzal

Edited August 26, 2017 by Ryo

[Itzal 0]

Itzal nodded and leaned against the wall, not preferring to sit at the current moment.  "If you want to jump right into the questions I suppose we could do that.  Afterwards maybe we could gather some materials or take down a monster?  I'd like to get to know you better if at all possible,"  He said with an honest smile.  "And as for it being easy, your very much right on that point.  There's only two rules really in the sense of joining the guild.  We're a family and we try to treat each other like family.  Now, for the first question.  What type of build are you shooting for?  Currently we have four:  DPS.  Tank.  Supporter.  And Scout.  I chose the scout build, and after I maxed that out I decided to start working on my dps skills."  Itzal asked this question for every initiation due to two reasons:  The first was the fact that it would make things easier if the guild knew what his goal or goals were.  That would help them, help him along that path.  Sharing experience, or training side by side with him.  Itzal especially needed questing partners.  Especially with Fearx and Adder to worry about.  The second reason was that Itzal felt this question could give him a glimpse of their personality.  The why behind their choice was just as important to him as anything.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo took a seat, and leaned back in the chair. "Given my situation, gathering materials might be better suited." Ryo said, acknowledging his starter gear. "A short while back, a player broke into my tavern room and sleep traded all of my items to themselves. So, I'm being forced to wonder around in the starter set for now." He said to Itzal, explaining his situation. "And as for that question there. I'm geared more towards the do route if anything. At least skill wise. And after that, perhaps support." Ryo said, scratching the back of his head. "An old friend said that I could become something, if I tried. So I'm putting his words to practice and I'm going to become something great." Ryo stood up from his chair, getting into the mood. "I'm going to become a symbol of Hope for everyone. When people see me, and this smile it'll inspire them. Inspire them, like he had done for me." Ryo said, jamming a thumb into his chest. "Aha, sorry. Got kinda worked up there for a second." He said sheepishly, and sitting back down.

@Itzal

[Itzal 0]

Itzal had a smile on his head and chuckled when Ryo apologized.  "No need to say your sorry man, no reason at all.  It was my hope to become a beacon of hope as well.  To help show the players who feel they're too weak to help the front lines that they mean something, that they aren't useless.  This world, both worlds, could use more hope than it currently has."  He shifted in his position, watching Velnia dart all over the inside of the guild hall.  "At any rate, getting more dps players can certainly help.  The front liners have become less active and we need more.  This current boss we're up against is going to be the hardest yet and there haven't been many appearing at the meeting.  We are especially low on tanks and supporters, but at this point we also need dps'."  He scanned the area a second time, just to make sure Velnia didn't do anything like break a lamp or something.  "So the second question.  Basically it's asking why you want, or wanted, to join the Celestial Ascendants, and what you intend to do as a member."  Some players sought help, to become stronger, and then go their separate ways.  Some people had other intentions.  Itzal was curious to know this players.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo nodded his head as Itzal spoke. He agreed with what Itzal said, about both the world's needing more hope. Apparently there was a lack of tanks and supports in the guild. He could believe it, the lure of dps was satisfying. With immediate rewards, and simple progression. Tanks had to have the right gear, the right skills, and the practice. Supports even more so, but with even more skill focus. Ryo rubbed the back of his neck, perhaps a role switch would be beneficial in the end. But as far as the second question went. "It was either this or Knights of the Blood. And I don't exactly agree with how the KotBO run things." Ryo said. "They're a bit too, military for me." He said, giving a brief explanation. "But another reason is that, I want to better myself through others. To become the symbol of peace, and hope I need to be stronger." Ryo admitted. He was right so far on the questions testing his morality. However, Ryo thought about what the third question would be. He was asked his role and his goal, what else was there to cover? 

@Itzal

Edited August 27, 2017 by Ryo

[Itzal 0]

Itzal nearly breathed out in relief when he heard what Ryo said.  Itzal didn't like the KoB either, for the same reason as Ryo, as well as the fact that they were arrogant, prideful, and abusive...  Or at least some of them were.  Macradon was really the only KoB member Itzal was fond of.  He very much disliked Heathcliff.  He didn't know Hirru that well at all.  And Mack was a horrible individual who would tear down at everyone because they needed to preserve their own lives due to the fact that the boss they were facing was too strong for them.  The Celestial Ascendants could be said to be the opposite of them.  The KoB rarely seemed to help out lower leveled players, while members of the CA did so on a regular basis.  In addition, they treated, or tried, to treat each other as a family, rather than an army.  "Alright then.  There's just one more question in the official business."  Itzal shifted in his stance and looked Ryo in the eyes.  "Do you think there are certain areas where killing someone else.  A player, not an NPC, would be fine?"  This was the question that actually held weight.  This was, in truth, the only question that determined whether or not someone could join the guild.

@Ryo

[Ryo 0]

Ryo's eyes opened wide. Did he just ask, what he thought he asked? Ryo shook his head, processing the question. "You mean like, killing a person? I-" Ryo said, racking his mind. The question caught him off guard, and he didn't like it one bit. BUt the question mulled around in his head, would he be able to take a life? No, that wasn't the question. It wasn't about whether or not he could, but whether or not it was justifiable. "In cases, I can people's points. When a loved in murdered for instance. But, as for if murdering them back is right?" Ryo took in a breath. "No. Everyone deserves life. No matter the crime. As a symbol of peace, and justice I need to uphold those two values to the fullest. Murder isn't one of them." Ryo said, confidently. But if he was given no choice, if it was him or another what would he do? Would he sacrifice himself to uphold his own ideals? Or would he kill them to keep on living, to spread hope to those who need it. The thought hurt his head, and in response he rubbed the back of his head. The question made sense, the guild probably didn't want anyone from laughing coffin in or those who would just throw away a life. But, what the hell was with it coming out of the blue. Perhaps something happened to Itzal recently or the guild, or it was just common practice for initiates. "Now, that's all three of your questions then." Ryo stated. "You said something about a field trip?" He said, standing from his chair.

@Itzal

Edited August 28, 2017 by Ryo

[Itzal 0]

Itzal already had his menu open after the player had given his answer.  He nodded to Ryo.  "My personal belief is that killing is not right in any way.  The only justification would be in self defense, or if someone's life is in danger due to being assaulted by another with the intention to kill, and even then one should do all they can to maim or disable them first."  He clicked the button and the guild emblem appeared beside Ryo's name, as well as a notification in front of him.  Itzal smiled and held his hand out to shake Ryo's.  "Alright!  Welcome to the guild my friend!  And yeah, I'd like to get to know you a little bit more if that's alright."  He smiled as he lead him to the door.  Upon opening it, Velnia dashed out, determined to be the first to do so, causing Itzal to chuckle and shake his head.  "If you have anything you'd like to discuss, or any questions you may have, go ahead and ask, I don't mind."  Itzal put his hands in the pockets of his purple trench coat and scanned the area.  However he didn't spot any immediate materials.  He shrugged, knowing he'd find some for his companion soon enough.

ID#  88185  LD:  6+8

@Ryo

Edited August 28, 2017 by Itzal

[Ryo 0]

Ryo opened the notification in front of him, accepting the invite to the guild. Ryo turned to follow, his arms folded behind his head. "I don't have a lot of questions really. But, I've a few." Ryo said, looking up at the ceiling. "Like, who are the other higher ups? And how does the guild infrastructure work?" He asked, wanting to understand the guild better, since he'd be a member of it now. "Like, I hear about the frontlines. And about it's members, but I've never met you aside from today." Ryo said, stating the obvious to Itzal. Ryo looked around for anything that might be useful, random materials spawning, or other items that were laying about. Something sparkled underneath him. Ryo picked the item off the ground, and the material materialized into his inventory. "Oh, neat. Found one. You can find these anywhere, can't you?" Ryo said, looking at the single item in his inventory. He missed his things.

@Itzal

ID: 88473 LD: 16

[Itzal 0]

Itzal listened to Ryo mentioned how he had a few questions and then listed them out.  Two questions Itzal noted.  That probably meant he had more questions, but was waiting till those were answered first.  So Itzal would answer him.  "Well, as far as our guild goes, there are the other three paladins.  Hikoru is our dps paladin.  You won't see him often as he likes to keep to himself.  He solos most of the time and remains in the shadows the rest of the time.  There's Kasier as well.  She's the support paladin.  She may seem cold at first, but if you get to know her.  Well maybe you'll find that out yourself.  And then there's Jonathan.  He's our tank paladin.  He's really nice and if you want to get some experience points, just call him or myself.  As for the infrastructure works, at the current moment it's a basic system.  The paladins are the ones who make sure no one steps out of line and/or take advantage of others.  We are always active to come up with ideas to improve the guild, run it by the sentinels, and then we have a guild vote.  Paladins are the ones who typically train new players, but Sentinels help out with that area as well."  Itzal spotted another four materials and picked them up, inserting them into his inventory as Ryo continued, mentioning how they could find materials anywhere.

"Eh, yes and no.  You can't find materials in shops, homes, guild halls and towns.  Otherwise yes.  Most materials are hidden from the eyes though, and without proper buffs they are nearly impossible to find."

ID#  88529  LD:  7+8  +4 MAT  Itzal:  4 Mat  @Ryo:  1

Edited September 19, 2017 by Itzal

[Ryo 0]

"So, Paladins are sort of a conjunction of leaders that decide the course of the guild. And there's four of you." Ryo said, plainly. "What if there's an impasse between the paladins? Who chooses then?" Ryo asked, wondering why they would have four main leaders instead of an odd number. And he had heard of just about all of the paladins before, with newspapers and other journalism entries. But the name Jonathon was new to him. "Johnathan? He doesn't sound Japanese." Ryo stated, wondering which leader he was, well paladin in this case. And Itzal confirmed that materials could be found anywhere essentially if one had to right perks. It made sense, invest in the find things tree, you'll find things better. "So if I'm understanding this correctly, then the Sentinels are a safeguard against the Paladins. They're there to make sure that the Paladins don't go mad with power, and vice versa. Yeah?" Ryo asked, looking for another material. Nothing immediately coming into view, Ryo went back to the conversation at hand.

ID: 88539 LD: 2

@Itzal

[Itzal 0]

When Ryo explained the confusion Itzal was seeing on his face, he could understand why he felt so.  Itzal listened to everything Ryo had to say before answering all of his questions.  "The Paladins come up with ideas, and discuss the ideas with each other, developing the idea.  They then bring the idea to the Sentinels, and discuss it with them.  Only after both parties have discussed is there a guild vote.  The Paladins themselves don't make final decisions, but the entire guild.  And yes, if a Paladin tries to abuse their power then Sentinels have authority to bring this to the entire guild's attention and unless that member changes, they are replaced with someone else.  Sentinels and Paladins are only a higher class in the sense that they are able to host guild events and mentor apprentices, Paladins more so than Sentinels.  Otherwise there really isn't any difference between members of the guild.  We try to make the system as fair as possible and we're always open to ideas and suggestions."  Like Ryo, when he scanned the area for any materials he saw none.  Even with the reveal mod which came in handy many times in the past.

"As for Jonathan, he isn't from Japan.  You'll find through time that there are actually many individuals who aren't from Japan."

ID#  88568  LD:  2+8  Itzal:  4 Mat  @Ryo:  1

Edited September 20, 2017 by Itzal

[Ryo 0]

Ryo rubbed the back of his head. Everything seemed so, democratic. A group of people, governing all is in turn governed by a separate group of people. Ugh, politics made his head hurt. "So, what about normal members of the guild? What do they do?" Ryo asked, continuing his questions. This was probably the last question he really needed to know the answer to. Everything else that came to mind seemed a bit too intrusive or nitpicking at the moment. "And if you don't mind, I'd like to know more about you. I already know of your aspirations, but what of your motivations? What keeps you going the way you are?" Ryo asked, now wanting to know his fellow guildmate better. If he was going to be a long-term member or even just a small pawn he would want to know more about him. Ryo looked for another material but to no avail.

@Itzal

ID: 89651  LD: 9

[Itzal 0]

Itzal saw the motion but he couldn't tell if it was because of what Itzal said, or something else.  It was a rather simple system to be honest.  Paladins and Sentinels came up with ideas for the guild, and listened to what everyone had to say.  They worked on the details to work out the mistakes, dangers and unfairness.  Then they would set up and start a guild vote where everyone had a say in the matter and could vote anonymously if they wanted.  It was a fair system in his opinion.  He then asked about normal members of the guild.  Itzal stretched a little bit as they walked.  "Well we're currently working on adding more to what the guild will be doing.  We have a few ideas at the moment that still need fleshing out.  For the moment however, regular members are a family, so any time they need assistance, or would like to assist someone else we jump at the chance to do so.  Not only this but as I've said they participate in guild votes.  Other than that, members can work towards becoming a Sentinel, which will give them more options such as training new players, initiations, etc.  So for now there isn't much, and that's why I brought up the matter with the other paladins and sentinels, and why we are working on adding more to the guild." 

Itzal spotted three more materials and inserted them into his inventory as Ryo continued, asking about Itzal's motivations.  How he wanted to know more about Itzal as a fellow guildmate.  Itzal smiled.  Fellow guildmate huh?  Itzal was hoping that it would grow to feel more like family than a guild.  Hopefully that would happen.  "I have three primary motivations.  My first is my sister and parents in the real world.  I've spent my whole life locked up in my room ignoring everyone, glued to games since I was young.  I want to get home and correct that mistake, spend time with my family for once.  Get out more.  That's what drives my desire to aid the frontlines in any way I can.  My second motivation is a player named Kasier.  My, girlfriend...  Even now it's hard for me to believe I actually have someone I love, who loves me back.  I refuse to die because of this, so I'm determined to get strong.  As for my third motivation, there are too many player killers and people who are ready to abuse others.  I want to help other players and protect them as much as possible.  I can't just walk past someone who needs it."

ID#  89659  LD:  17  CD:  10

[Ryo 0]

Ryo furrowed his brow at Itzal's response, at least about his motivations. There were just, but they seemed so, selfish. He wanted to fix his mistakes. Make his girlfriend happy. The thing that was the most just was his last motivation, to help his fellow man. It's never about oneself, it's all about them. They needed something to look up too, a symbol of sorts. Ryo clenched an open hand into a fist in determination. He would fill that role, just as he once did. He turned his head back to his companion. "Those are good. This Kaiser girl." He began to bring up. "Is she cute?" He said, giving Itzal a cheesy grin. As much as he wanted to be serious about the ordeal, he couldn't help but ask. It was more so personal curiosity than actually needing to know. And any kind of small talk to pass the time was good. Ryo quickly bent over, grabbing a material and pocketing it. "Hey, finally found one. Maybe more will follow suit?" He said, somewhat excited at the fact that he finally found a material instead of grinding for it by killing mobs in the wilds. 

@Itzal

ID: 89705 LD: 18 +1

[Itzal 0]

Itzal listened as Ryo mentioned how they were good reasons and motivations. In truth there were four, the fourth being that because he had people he loved that he wanted to see in the real world, he understood what others were going through.  And since there were plenty of people who weren't able to fight for multiple reasons, he felt obligated to help those players reach the end in any way he could.  Fight for them in a sense.  He forgot to tell Ryo this, but it was indeed one of his reasons.  He then mentioned Kasier and asked if she was cute, grinning to Itzal.  Itzal ended up blushing a little bit when he said that and chuckled, shaking his head.  "Cute wouldn't be the word.  Beautiful.  Strong.  She's a kind soul, though she tries to look more strong and stoneface in public."  He then saw Ryo pick up some materials, mentioning how more may follow suit.  Itzal spotted three materials...  Instead of, four.  Huh.  That's odd.  He walked over and picked them up, inserting them into his inventory as he walked with @Ryo

ID#  90737  CD:  6  LD:  19  +4 MAT  Itzal:  7 Mat  Ryo:  2