[OP-F6] That Stings. (Complete)

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko had his goal in mind, and set to work making it reality. He had requested some new weapons, and now he was to gather the materials for them! He starts setting up his own quest, making the requirements for completion the obtaining of five «Scorpion Stabbers». The metal and rather poisonous tails of the enemies he sought. Once having found his way to the sixth floor, double checking all his maps to ensure he knew the route to the scorpions, he posted a "help wanted" advertisement for any who would be willing to assist him. While he waited to get a message from anyone interested in helping him out he sat back on a bench and stared up at the sky to occupy himself.

[Kane 0]

A cloud of dark, clinging fog followed Kane as he walked, changing shape playfully as his shadow-cat familiar tagged along at his heels. The sixth floor was full of Players who needed assistance in gaining materials, as this was still a relatively high floor for all of them, at the moment. Spotting Trinoko, Smoke -whooshed- ahead, the fog clinging to his legs as a -purrrr- could be heard. Kane raised a hand in greeting. "Hey! Were you the one who needs a hand with some scorpions?"

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko grinned when he heard purring and looked down at the little shadow, offering his hand to the smaller creature before petting it softly. "Indeed, that would be me! I guess I should have expected the protector of the weak to show up." He chuckles and stands up off the bench, patting himself of any dust he had on him. He then returned Kane's greeting and said "I for one am hoping only the scorpion's stingers are metal, because smashing that carapace would be annoying otherwise." He shrugs and swipes through his menus, a party invite heading Kane's way.

He decides to explain things in more detail to Kane. "Long story short, going to turn the things into some lovely new throwing daggers. I'll leave the heavy armor to you. Still not sold on if I will pick leather or light metal." He also sends a copy of his waypoint to Kane. The waypoint was set deep in the dungeon... In the former boss's room. "The smith said the minions respawn time to time. I'm hoping to take advantage of that!" he grins happily to himself. "It's no boss monsters drop... but it's close enough for me."

[Kane 0]

<< OOC: Go ahead and ask a GM what materials you want the metal scorpions to drop when they're dead. Like, <> and <> for weapons and armor? >>

Kane acknowledged the party request. Trinoko was a good companion, and it was high time he had better materials for armaments. "Alrighty then, we're game. We'll be heading into the labyrinth then, to fight scorpions. How many of the critters do you want to harvest for their stingers? Plus, we should talk strategy." As they walked (and floated, in Smoke's case), Kane strategized. "You tell me if you like this plan: Since I'm wearing armor and I can tank multiple hits, you let me block their attacks, and then you nail 'em with your daggers. Their poison can only paralyze me if they get through my armor, and even then it'll only last a small while if I Meditate to nullify the venom. I'll attack when I can, but if they aim at you, I'll do my best to intercept on your behalf."

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko's eyes were drawn as Kane's name and healthbar appeared in the corner of his sight. "My plan was to crush five of them into scrap metal. I think that should be enough for what I need. With some luck-" He flicks his earring "- it won't take any more than that. All I need are their «Scorpion Stabbers»" He materializes a Cure Stone from his inventory and shows it to his companion. "I had bought this ahead of time. If you think it would help you, I would gladly hand it over." he smiles to his battle companion for the quest. "In all other regards, your plan sounds solid to me. Just don't get overly surprised if I try and squish a few if knives become a rarity." He cracks his knuckles.

Now that planning was done he looked around curiously to see if any other wished to come. When he saw nobody he shrugged and said "Well, onward to victory I suppose!" He laughs and leads the way this time, going toward the floor's main dungeon and towards the now deceased boss's domain. If any other were to join them, it would have to be on the way out or to their objective!

[Kane 0]

The pair made their way through the dungeon, many of its threats still active in the wake of the boss monster's death. They weren't there to waste time on small fry, so they did their best to sneak past as many as possible. Finally, they came upon the boss chamber, door flung wide open. Inside was a colony of scorpions, huge and vicious looking, with sharp metal claws and stingers. Each one would take some effort to take down, but Kane was confident that they'd be fine. "Alright, let's go! I'll begin."

Sprinting forward, Kane put himself right near the edge of the scorpions, activating his <> skill. His blade flashed cerulean blue, and drew an angry red line of pixels across a scorpion's leg. It chattered angrily, turning to engage him. The rest of the scorpions were now aggro'd as well, and they tried surrounding him. Kane trusted his armor to keep him safe from most of their blows, and Smoke clung to his armor in a vapor, obscuring his form and making him harder to hit. "C'mon, beasties! We need those stingers!"

[Trinoko 0]

He had to admit, at first he was a little intimidated by the numerous metal-clad scorpions. He held his throwing knife at the ready while circling around so he wasn't at risk of tagging Kane by accident when he struck. Trinoko took aim, the blade in his hand glowing crimson and his hand shook, almost like the blade was being pressured. When Trinoko threw the blade it was aimed for the scorpion that was already on Kane, shooting forward through the air and leaving a red trail behind on it's way to the monster's tail!

The blade of his throwing knife sunk in between the two metal joints that connected the poisonous tail and the rest of the scorpion's body, severing it and making the creature react painfully as it's tail hits the ground and shatters. Above all else he didn't want those things to use their poison, and he assumed drop rates weren't much affected by what he chose to cut off! It was nice that their armor had such handy gaps, despite being tanks in all other areas.

[Kane 0]

Kane was about to have his hands full with a scorpion on his left flank when Trinoko's blade sheared off its tail. It shook its head in a fury, giving Kane enough time to roll to his right, out of the path of the flailing claws. "Nice throw!"

He noticed the gaps in the scorpions' armor, the weak spots that were vulnerable to damage. Say what you want about Kayaba, at least he gave the Players a fighting chance. Bringing his sword up and around, he drove the flared tip home, between the joints of one scorpion's armored plates. It chattered madly for a moment, then disappeared in a haze of crystals.

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko smiled gladly once the first of their targets fell defeated! When he reached for a second throwing knife he caught a glimpse of something in the corner and dodged to the side! It seemed one of the scorpions was wanting to vent it's frustrations on him instead!

Trinoko lifted his leg upward, and like a spear jabbed it down when the foot began to glow! He sliced off one of the scorpion's prized pincers while he was in range and then backed up as best he could, just barely dodging the downward stab of the same scorpion. He thought it would be easy pickings now since the stinger was trapped in the ground for a moment.

[Kane 0]

Kane saw Trinoko's maneuvers out of the corner of his eye. "You're getting really good at this!" he called out, using his wide blade to jam the gaping jaws of a scorpion open, keeping it from biting him horribly. "Pretty soon, I'm gonna have to put more points into Throwing Weapons." Shoving the scorpion's jaws aside, its tail crashed into him, striking hard! However, his breastplate stopped the blow cold. Slicing upward, Kane dispatched the beast's tail, sending it backwards, off-balance. Looking down, he sheepishly gestured to his gear. "On second thought, maybe I'll stick with armor!"

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko laughed and said back to Kane "Thank goodness, otherwise I wouldn't be original anymore!" He chuckled and, seeing how his opponent was currently helpless, closed his hand into a fist and aimed downward with the force of a hammer! He hoped that the trope of blunt weapons being more effective against armor held true here as well when he hit the top of the scorpion's head before it shattered apart!

Trinoko decides to add during the fight "And while some armor would be nice, I don't feel heavy is quite where I am going to go!" He draws a throwing blade and hold it at the ready. "Light metal, maybe. Some metal gauntlets, greaves, and a chestplate seem like a good investment but I'd want everything else looking pretty too!"

[Kane 0]

When Kane and Smoke were in contact, the world felt different. He couldn't exactly read his familiar's mind, but when the vaporous creature was bonded to his armor, Kane could sense its mood, and its basic emotions. It seemed... amused. He didn't have a lot of time to think about it, however, as the scorpions just kept coming! As he moved forward, one's tail swept his leg out from under him, but he managed to turn the fall into a roll, getting back on his feet. "I like heavy armor, lets me do stuff that would normally get me killed!" he smiled, raising his blade in an arc to slice the claw off another of the creatures. "There's something to be said for style, that much is true."

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko nodded with a laugh "Very true! Unfortunately it also slows you down. I can't commit to something like that without going all the way. I'd be using a huge shield and a mace or something. Full paladin mode!" He chuckles and throws his blade, going across the boss arena and into the legs of one of Kane's approachers, crippling the beast before he eyes around for any of his discarded blades, finding one in the crowd he shrugs and focuses on his fists, clenching them tight as he moves closer. "I have the look in my head. Maybe when we aren't at risk of death I could show you." He chuckled happily, always taking notes when in town after all.

[Kane 0]

Kane's face looked thoughtful as he calmly sliced through another scorpion's leg. "Paladin, huh? That's not half a bad idea, maybe we could call the guild, 'The Paladins'? What do you think?" He leapt high, bringing his sword crashing down through another scorpion's armor, turning as one approached him from behind. He swung at it mightily as he continued, "I'd love to see some armor designs! I think after a couple more battles, I'm gonna need some new gear."

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko raised a brow and considered the idea, saying to him. "Well, if you don't mind that not everyone is going to look the part of a holy figure, I say go for it!" He chuckles "Most people try to add a suffix or prefix, but hey, names are names. It's the actions that matter, right?" He runs up, they were getting close to their goal so he was getting a bit cocky, giving the scorpion he had crippled a downward jab with his foot after a jump, his toes going between the monster's plates and killing it as the kill counter went up to three! "Only two more and we can head out the way everyone else did!" He gestures to the floor's exit that lead to the seventh.

[Kane 0]

Kane parried a scorpion's stinger away from him, hearing the -CLAAANG- of steel on Mithral. He feinted left, then twirled and smashed his greatsword down on the arachnid's midsection, blade shining with a bright blue sheen. It demolished the creature, and Kane had a second to breathe while he thought. "You're right. Paladin brings to mind somebody we're not. We'd be blades for hire, I can't expect everyone to conform to the same image." Shifting his stance, he blocked a claw-stinger combo from the last scorpion, resisting its charge. "We need an image that evokes strength, honor, and commitment..."

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko did his best to think while they were in the middle of combat, leaping out of the way from a scorpion that had it's pincers pointed him and towards Kane. Once side by side he, points at his ally's blade and says "Most people would think of a sword when they think honor or such, yeah?" He chuckles and snatched up a throwing knife that was nearby and tossed it into the scorpion's unprotected face, causing it a severe amount of frustration. "Myself personally...? If you want to keep the paladin look, but lose the holy stuff, why not go with the shield since we are gonna be protectors?" Trinoko rattles of several words "Aegis, Ward, Bulwark, whatever you like. Your guild!" He grins mischievously, letting the thoughts sink in while taking a few steps back from the poisonous arachnids.

[Kane 0]

Kane's eyes lit up as he dashed forward, hacking at a scorpion's claw before turning and rolling away from its tail strike. "Huh, one of those could work. I kinda like the name 'Heroes for Hire'. Gives a good, succinct definition of what we're all about." As a scorpion flanked him on his left, Kane's hand went to the daggers strapped to his leg, whipping one into the arachnid's eye.

[Trinoko 0]

Trinoko hummed softly and nodded "And it would make advertising really easy." He chuckles softly and shrugs, getting maybe a little too brutal he lunges forward with his foot and into the blade impaled in the scorpion, finishing the beast of and a "ding" indicating their quest was completed sounded. "That's our cue! Think you can make it to the door?" He laughs and goes through his menus, unequipping his weapons so they would leave the ground and enter his inventory. He didn't feel like chasing them down.

[Kane 0]

Kane retrieved his throwing blade by hand, not realizing you could do it by adding them from your equipped items back into your inventory. He hadn't played around with his ranged weapons enough to know that little trick yet. "Alright, let's blow this popsicle stand." Slashing through one last scorpion as he turned, Kane headed for the door that would lead out onto the seventh floor.