[F23-PP] Scouting floor 23

[Hestia 0]

I step onto the twenty third floor gazing around the area with some curiosity in utter wonder and with a grin at being the first one upon the floor as i feel some natural excitement at the idea of running around and exploring the floor in all of its wonder. I gaze around the area and sees that we're in some kind of dark under area as i gaze around the area seeing that it is mainly very cavernous underground place as i sigh loudly. Oh come on. Another underground place in not even one floor. Seems that it is going to be the tier two floors all over again with those swamps and what not. I say sounding disappointed as i start moving forward without much of a plan not really knowing what to do after beating my very first boss as i gaze around seeing that their is quite a bit of greenery and water mixed within this area. Seeming like just a underground place that has qualities of being above ground.

@Shield@Beat

[Shield 0]

Not far behind, Shield charged up the steps, having hung behind to check on his guildies, as always, he was still eager to see the next highest point of Aincrad. At the top of the steps, he spotted a familiar armored figure. He knew Hestia from the raid and from the King of Lakes quest. He narrowed his eyes, glancing back at Beat. "What do you think? A healer would be good to have along for the ride..."

He turned back to Hestia and called out to her. "Hey!" he shouted, taking a few steps in her direction. "Would you be up for some scouting? We have a whole floor ahead of us, and I don't have any plans to let other teams get the jump on us. Beat and I have worked too hard to get where we are to let ourselves fall behind."

From his sleeve, Lilith poked her colorful head, tasting the air with her tongue before retracting once again, deciding there was nothing worth investigating just yet. Shield scoffed a little at the reclusive serpent, but he returned his attention to Hestia, awaiting her reply.

Quote

Crafting in Kitchen:

Perfect T1 LD Food [-5 T1 Materials]

Consuming item

[+3 LD]

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by Shield

[Hestia 0]

I look towards the heavily armored man when i hear a hey towards me and gives a simple wave towards the tank of the Celestials. Hey Shield! Excited to view this floor like myself i am guessing? I ask the man with a big smile on my face as i look around the dark and cavernous area as i see some lighted aura in the distance that is reminiscent of towns with bright lights from the real world. 'A town this close? I guess this could be normal it is worth investigating.' I think to myself with a smile on my face. When being offered to scout i just nod my head with a grin seeing that it aligned my goal of what i wanted to do on this floor, and could give me some actual direction in my searching for things. Sure i would be up for some scouting maybe the best place to start would be the town over there? Could give a clue possibly about what this whole cavernous floor is about? I say towards the better tank. Knowing that i am outclassed in terms of level, skills for tanks, and knowing the man seems to have more thorns then i could produce on my own considering the damage he did to the boss when it collided against him. I then turn towards his partner and gives a nod. And hello to you too Beat. Nice damage you did against the boss. You were like taking chunks out of its health seemingly which was really impressive. I say with a grin.

[Beat 0]

Beat followed closely behind Shield, being content to take in their surroundings until his older companion called out to someone. He recognized the player know as Hestia from their recent boss fight and greeted her with a smile as Shield offered to scout with her. I wasn't really a problem to have more people and, given the fact that the twenty-third floor was entirely unexplored, more numbers were never a bad idea. 

A fellow frontliner is always welcome in unknown territory. We know she can hold her own. 

He continued to list and allowed himself a wide grin of pride as she complimented his damage in the last boss fight, "Nice to meet you as well, and thanks, it was wonderful to see our hard work pay off," He paused and scoffed at another thought, "Though I wish the health bars hadn't had issues. They didn't seem to represent the boss's health proportionately like they normally do." 

[Hestia 0]

I just shrug at hearing Beat's words to more so the second part of them. I mean this is my first fight, so i guess i can't really say much about the health bars. The only thing i could really say is that they seemed to be doing alright in terms of showing how much was left possibly. I say towards the player rubbing the back of my head knowing that i don't have much experience in such things. Just doing my best since this was my very first raid as i look between the players. So yeah. I guess we just walk around now and hope that we end up where we need to go in the very end. Again very new to this whole thing, and it seems like you guys know what you're doing from how you seemed very ready and all of that. I say with a nod of my head towards the married couple, and definitely questing duo if there seeming synergistic builds and always being together when i've seen them are anything. 'Except for that fish quest. Okay so that is only 50% really...maybe they are just close friends who work together sometimes.' I think to myself with a shrug of my shoulders at seemingly nothing.

[Shield 0]

Shield nodded, gesturing with a tilt of his head toward the settlement. As they drew nearer, he began to see that the inhabitants were not typical humans. Sure, they walked on two legs and seemed to be clothed and armed like normal people might, but their skin was of an ashen blue and their hair a shock of white, pure and radiant as snow. Shield squinted.

"If I didn't know better, these would look to be Drow, the dark elves of fantasy lore and role playing games from previous decades," he said, tightening his grip on his shield. "If so, they are not known to be the most wholesome or the friendliest of bunches. Slavers, swindlers, cheats, braggarts and bullies the lot of them. Keep your eyes wide, and keep them moving. Be highly suspicious of anyone who gets too close as well. It may be a safe zone, but we're still in unfamiliar territory."

Tempted to text his theory about the elves and their inspiration, Shield wandered over to a nearby stall that seemed to be selling fruit, hoping to strike up a conversation with the seller. However, after taking one look at the misshapen produce, he made a face and backed away. "Never mind..."

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head as we make our way towards the settlement seeing the dark elf like beings as i just listen to Shield as he spouts out info like a textbook just showing info about what they could be dealing with as i nod my head at that as i gaze towards the creatures in question as i move with Shield just sticking close to the tank. Not invading his personal space though more so just sticking close enough to avoid any possibility of getting lost upon this floor since as he said it is unfamiliar territory and thus a high risk factor of something and everything going completely south in terms of how bad they could end up for the trio of players. So got it expect the worst kind of people to be among them basically is what you're suggesting until we can see evidence otherwise. I say towards the other tank with a nod of my head keeping my gear close to my and my familiar even closer to protect the familiar i hold very dear. So then Shield, Beat what are you scouting the floor for by the way? I ask the man. Just doing a general check like i am, or are you searching specifically for quests or something?

[Shield 0]

Shield shrugged his shoulders slightly at the thought on what to expect from the elves. "Well, in my experience, dark elves are fallen from favor, or corrupted somehow. It's very much possible that these will be like them. Then again, there was a cult classic series of novels following the accounts of a pure and lawful dark elf. Still... part of what made him noteworthy was that he differed so greatly from his kin."

Next came the question that was probably most pertinent for the excursion: specifically, what was the aim. Shield's answer was simple and, at least for now, self-explanatory. "Boos room." They had scarce emerged from the fight with Bialis, but with their wounds already closing, there seemed no reason not to press on up the tower until they met their next obstacle.

It was difficult to properly explore a location when constantly fearful of being robbed by the locals. As soon as Shield felt it was appropriate to call their search of the city sufficient, he pushed for the edge of the settlement without delay. The caverns beyond glowed with a luminescence not unlike the twenty first floor. However, the phantasmal colonies of fungi and the odd coral-like structures that sprouted from the ground were far more sinister looking than any of the natural caverns of the twenty first.

[Hestia 0]

I gaze around the town only seeing hateful and displeased looks towards myself and my companions as i quickly just look away not needing anybody angrier then they already are with me if this could end up being a main settlement, or a settlement that i have to end up traveling towards. I move through the town alongside beat as i just gaze around finding shops and such as i immediately just ignore them. Knowing that it wouldn't be worth it to try and buy anything from them since the prices will most likely be higher then need be if all of these dark elf like beings despise players for some reason. I follow Shield out of the settlement and one more finds myself among some plants here and there as it slowly becomes more and more scarce to see alongside with the water as it becomes more cave like seemingly. I glance around the area rather curious on why the plant life had slowly disappeared, and then just shrug figuring there probably isn't anything huge to figure out in terms of why that would be since it is just a game. So even after beating one boss you're already fine with moving onto the next one? I say sounding a tiny bit surprised by that for myself. Having figured that most people would just take the much needed break from a exhausting fight against a floor boss.

[Shield 0]

"Beat, the other Ascendants and I did the same after Tesseleth," Shield explained, unsure of just how much to tell Hestia of the plans he had laid with Beat. So far, he had no real reason to exclude her just yet. However, it was something the two of them had not discussed out loud, so he figured rather than having hushed conversations in front of her, which would come across likely as rude and a little childish, he would let the events of the search act as a litmus test. "We found it in one go right after the boss fight. It's part of why we were able to get so quickly to the next fight. I mean..." he glanced at Beat, giving him a slight shrug as if to say, 'let's see how she handles this,' before continuing, "If front liners aren't continually pushing the front lines, then what are we doing, right?"

The cavernous underbelly of the floor continued to unfold, revealing eldritch rock formations and twisting tunnels that bored deeper down into the ground. Eventually, they came upon a sign that seemed to point directions to landmarks. It was the first real clue that had gotten so far as to where they really were. Back the way they had come, the sign said 'Underdark Exit.'

"That confirms it," Shield said grimly. "If this is meant to be the Underdark, then it really is based on the horrific underground labyrinth from fantasy. We'll need to be on our guard. For this first trip, I recommend guile over speed. I vote we lay low and move cautiously."

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head in understanding of that idea. yeah i guess you have a point Shield. I mean we are Frontliners we have to make sure we can find the boss stuff before some low leveled players does by accident and get themselves killed because of not knowing what it is. I say with a nod of my head as i continue to follow the fellow tank as make my way through the cavernous area just gazing around at everything and just enjoying the time seeing the floor for the first time in everything that it would have to offer the players as i keep mental notes on things of where things are. Wanting to make sure i can lead a group of players on some quests or anything of the such if i can find any just during this trip. Having not heard much besides some rumbling coming from the east side of the underdark. Once we get to a sign that says exit i gain a very confused look. Wait..if there is a exit does that mean we're already close to finding the boss room? Or is the floor somehow split into two parts? I say softly to myself in a rather confused tone of voice as i gaze in the direction of us going deeper into this underdark as i then do follow even still making sure to stick together encase the monsters are rather strong or defensively so. Not wishing to end up in a four versus one scenario if their strength is higher. I take out a notebook and pen and starts writing down information that i find including the direction of where i heard the dark elves talking about a shaking ground, and about a possible exit out if we don't leave the underdark right away.

[Shield 0]

"Impossible to say just yet," Shield said, though as he squinted up ahead he could see what looked to be some sort of underground mountain ahead in the gloom, the peak of which was nowhere in sight, vanishing into the vaulted cavern ceiling.

The labyrinth? I would expect that it would be towards the top of the floor, but it's possible that it starts at the bottom and tunnels all the way up above ground. It could also just be a giant stalagmite though...

"The fact we're here could be a good sign," he mused aloud. "The Underdark is usually something you stumble into late-game in those old fantasy games... it could be that you go up by first going down." He crept cautiously forward, avoiding noises as much as possible. This was a scouting expedition, after all, not a combat expedition. Though if they did find the field boss for the floor, he was all in favor of fighting. "Anything we encounter down here is going to be nasty, so keep a lookout. We could encounter anything from dark elf hunting parties to brain-sucking psychic squid-heads."

Edited April 28, 2018 by Shield

[Hestia 0]

I look towards Shield with a confused look. I am sorry what do you mean by brain sucking squids? I say finding such a thing very strange and weird that there could be a creature like that, or at the very least can be considered normal since anything and everything is possible within games. Though the idea of something like that could be put into the game and such ideas that could get a affect of some stuff.  So then Shield what are we looking for exactly in terms of what the boss doors or such will look like? is there usually any kind of hints for what we would be looking for? I ask Shield curiously as i move ahead as we move deeper rather curious what is beyond the underdark if anything as i make a note of that in my notebook encase it doesn't come up within our searching of the area. Smiling as i put it back into my inventory with a happy look on my face.

[Shield 0]

"They're called Mind Flayers, or Illithids," Shield explained. "They're humanoid in that they walk on two legs, but they have bulbous heads, the faces of which have tentacles where a mouth would be. They're psionic creatures with powerful mind-control effects, and one of their abilities, at least in tabletop RPG's, is the ability to stun you, snake one of their tentacles into your ear, and literally eat your brain out."

In the distance, there was a sound of scuttling, though whatever this mysterious scuttler was, it was likely large enough to be a tough fight. Shield turned, skirting around the source of the sound as much as possible. "As far as what we're looking for," he mumbled in a hush tone, "there are the vertical cylinders that rise up to the next floor - the labyrinth. It's basically a multi-leveled maze, usually guarded by a field boss. We should be fine to tackle it on our own if we find it, but it's impossible to say what its abilities are. Having a healer would definitely be useful, if you're up for it."

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head as i listen about these mind flayer beings as i just walk along with you finding them slowly more and more disturbing and then visibly shuddering in uncomfortableness at imagining a tentacle going into my ear. Okay..ew..nope. don't want none of that please. I say with a shake of my head wanting to get that image out of my head, and hoping to whatever deity even if it is Cardinal to not allow those creatures to be on this floor. I hear the soft scuttling and sees you wanting to move around it as i nod and quickly follow suit as i hear the description and then nods my head figuring that was what it was like to get towards the boss room. 'Okay then. Large tower that connects the floors. Should be easy enough as long as the floor is small enough to be able to observe it rather quickly. Though since it is a cave could be more of a pain then what it is worth.' I think to myself as i follow along as i then hear about a field boss and nods my head. You can count me in as a healer to help you out with killing this field boss Shield. Shouldn't be too difficult really since we basically have a pretty good group in terms of builds really. I say with a nod of my head.

[Shield 0]

Shield exchanged glances with Beat. If the fight with the field boss went well, it would be a good test. Battlefield chemistry was a factor, though he and Beat were generally flexible enough to make anything work, and from the sounds of things, Hestia was the same. The journey to the base of whatever the distant mountain was seemed to be a more lengthy one than initially bargained for. The obstacles in the way, though not physically evident merely from glancing over the floor, were plentiful. Winding passages through sharp ravines, chasms with narrow foot bridges, and more than a few camps of unspeakable creatures which were easy enough to avoid but more than a little unpleasant to look at.

"It's one thing to see these things in a monster manual," Shield hissed as they beat a retreat from a camp of fish-headed monsters easily twice their sizes. "It's another thing entirely to see them in here."

[Hestia 0]

I walk along with the two players not having any problem in traveling with the duo of players doing my best to look at the monsters even if they look rather unpleasant so i can write down info as quickly as i can about possible battle plans and locations encase i need to do a quick grinding session with Pinball or other allies to make a quick buck, or get some nice tier three gear to try and get my luck with a unique enhancement upon some gear. Doing all this as i traverse through these area as i hear Shield talk about a monster manual as i just nod my head figuring it is from some kind of game probably a board game since it requires a manual with pictures.Video games would've just showed it off as you play right along with them. Well even if they're in here Shield they will fall just as easily as the other mobs we have all faced before. Just another obstacle that needs to be overcome really. I say towards the fellow tank.

[Shield 0]

"No question," Shield answered with a slight tip of his head. "Doesn't make them any more pleasant to look at." They were coming up on the base of whatever the mountainous thing was before them. He kept his optimism in check, tempering it with realism. That which was before them could easily be just an ancient column, formed from the merging of a stalagmite and a stalactite. The Underdark, from his memory, was a place lost out of sight of the surface and even time, where constant warring of nefarious creatures made one peril almost interchangeable with another.

"We're coming up on that thing now," he murmured to the others. "No guarantees that it's actually the labyrinth, but if it is, you can bet that there's a field boss lurking somewhere nearby. Be doubly careful."

Keeping his stance low, he crept forward, his eyes shifting back and forth in the dim haze of the infamous Underdark that pressed in around them.

[Hestia 0]

I nod my head in agreement to the creature not being the prettiest of things to look at in terms of what they can do as i follow right behind keeping myself ready for a fight if one was to arrive.  I just follow you up the mountain like path as i gaze towards beat who has been silent for the entire journey for the most part which i can only assume might have something to do with the fact he might be lost in thought, or planning how to attack the enemy or enemies depending if field bosses have minions or if field bosses are multiple beings. I shake my head from those thoughts not wishing to become lost in musing of what is to come. Well even if they are unpleasant to look at that just makes them weaker and uglier it must be horrible being them really. I say in a joking sort of manner trying to make this at the very least somewhat entertaining for a long walk through a new floor. At hearing a possible field boss or labyrinth i nod my head and keeps low rather curious what a unkilled Labyrinth will be like.

[Shield 0]

Quote

Searching for labyrinth:

ID# 100451 results: Loot: 6+11=17 - No Labyrinth

As they made their way around the base of the massive pillar, Shields hopes began to sink. Despite his best buffs and equipment, all of which designed to help him spot anything out of the ordinary, by the time they made it back around to their starting point, nothing noteworthy had come up. He scuffed his foot along the ground, blowing out his cheeks.

"Well then, I suggest we head back to the surface and continue up there," he said to the others. "This was the most likely spot that we could see down here, so if we want to keep trying, we're probably going to need to go topside at some point or another."

It wasn't as if he had expected to find the labyrinth right away, but there was an awful lot left to do, and if they hoped to accomplish it sooner rather than later, they would need to keep on it.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Shield