[F7-PP] <<Butcher of the Sands>> Searching for a Place to Belong

[Mortambo 0]

As I walked through the town of Deepedge on Floor 7 looking for the Tacet Cibum cafe I thought back to the kind of strange girl named Neo who guarded me on my way to find Sunetra. She was certainly an amazing fighter, but never said a word, only sending messages through the system. I heard she owned the cafe I was headed to and I wanted to thank her again for helping me find my companion. Sunetra's company was so wonderful when I was out adventuring on my own I feel like I owed her another thank you. Finally spotting the café, I saw the subtitle “Where our toast is as golden as our silence”. Huh, it sounds like a place to stop and shed your worries and just exist for a little while. I’m sure we could all use that. As I stepped inside the cafe, I felt Sunetra, inside my hood, shift slightly to get more comfortable.

@Neopolitan

Edited January 16, 2019 by Mortambo

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo was busy in the back of her shop preparing meals like no other. She had received quite the order and was ratheer frantically trying to get it done efficiently. The problem was that all this speed led to her burning quite a few of the meals as well. Though a few were salvageable and could get turned into appetizers for the raid, not many were. Perhaps they could find themselves someone else to do their cooking for this floor. Probably not, but Neo was hopeful. She had justed ushered out quitee a few of her guildmates after having an induction meeting with a new member, and there was probably still some of the information pamphlets sitting on one of the tables somewhere. It wasn't the end of the world though, as she didn't often have much more than NPCs come into her shop. That was, until she heard the bell of her cafe door opening. Maaking her way to the front, she waved a greeting to see the player she had met over on floor 9 to help get their familiar.

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

“Hey, Miss Neo.” I waved a greeting back. “I heard about your shop and wanted to stop by…” I trailed off as soon as I saw the Golden Toast in the display case and stared for a moment hungrily. “That toast you shared with me was delicious. I might have to get some when I have some more col.” I grinned up at her as I continued, “Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and thank you again for helping me find Sunetra, my familiar. I’ve been doing a lot of quests on my own, and well...it’s really nice having a companion to share my time with.” I felt the warmth on my shoulder as Sunetra put their paws on it and peeked out from my hood. “It’s been tough training them to stay places where they won’t burn everything but it’s been worth it. We’ve been practicing working together.” I kind of shyly brushed my hand through my hair and bowed my head briefly. “Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again for watching my back while I found them.”

@Neopolitan

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo let the player talk, smiling and nodding along with his statements. She was glad that he appreciated her help, though she knew the floor's environment meant that few monsters actually spawned. Whatever did spawn was hostile, but so little seemed to spawn there. Coming out from behind the counter, Neo just pointed towards her prices so that way Mortambo could know just how much her stuff costed. As he mentioned also just wanting to get the uncommon stuff, he may notice her guild bonus of free uncommons with purchases. Cleaning up some of the papers left out from their most recent meeting together. Neo went back to the counter to place them. Roman was still inside of the counter keeping her refrigerated section cooled off. It was a nice convenience to have, though there was probably items that would relieve the job off of her familiar. It was still nice to have it around though.

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

As she pointed towards her prices, I looked over them. Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to come back when I have some more col and she has some great stuff on sale. I noticed something about a bonus offer. "Oh, I see you have a special for your guild mates. What guild are you with?" As Neo placed the papers down on the counter I looked over them, including the guild pamphlets. Sunetra just had their head on my shoulder watching Neo and I interact. After I looked up from the pamphlets I smiled, “And okay, not just for the discount on your delicious food, but what kind of members is your guild looking for? I feel like I’m ready for something more in this world and to accomplish much of anything I need friends. I’ve started making a few, but I think a guild would be even better.”  

@Neopolitan

[Neopolitan 0]

As Neo was straightening out the papers for her guild, Mortambo seemed to have taken an interest to them. As he aske more about the guild, Neo made her way behind the counter to get her pad of paper. Though using messages was nice so people could reread what she said more easily, it seemed that people liked the more personable form of her writing instead. For all she knew, the game treated it as the same system. She wrote down something and passed it over to Mortambo as she explained a bit more about how the guild was about family values and they all mostly just hung about and used the guild as a way to contact everyone a little bit quicker. There were some specifics on the paper, but they were really little more than a formality that she had to include like the no level requirement, no leveling quotas, and so on.

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

Looking over the paper, I nodded. “Family sounds a lot better than some of the other guilds out there. I mean I understand the drive to level, but I also don’t want to feel like just another cog in the machine. I also really like the idea of looking out for each other and taking care of one another. That seems so lacking with so many people in Aincrad.” Stopping for a moment, my eyes narrowed as I thought about it. “I’ve only looked at a few guilds so far, but I think this sounds like the best fit for me so far. What do I have to do to join?” Sunetra, getting restless climbed onto my shoulder and started swatting at the paper. “Hey! Hey! None of that!” I grinned and walked over to the fire place putting them down in front of it. “If you’re restless here. Just don’t burn Miss Neo’s shop to the ground.” They just meowed in response.

@Neopolitan

Edited January 15, 2019 by Mortambo

[Neopolitan 0]

Mortambo seemed to be rambling on a bit about how he enjoyed the ideals of the guild. And it seemed to Neo that they had chosen quite well in deciding how to market their guild. Not that they were really looking for a lot of people to be in the guild, it was just nice to have more friends to hang out with and do quests with. As he asked about what he had to do to join the guild, Neo just penciled to words onto the paper, "Just ask". There really wasn't much to join ntheir guild. They didn't care too much about what build you were or how you would synergize with others in a fight. What mattered was that they respected the values, and he seemed to be doing that. No sense holding back. Though she didn't want to send the guild invite to someone who didn't really want to join, so she would wait until she had directg confirmation that they wished to join. Once that was attained, she would send out the guild invite tto Mortambo. No sense beating around the bush.

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

Just ask. I guess it is just that simple. Other guilds wanted me to prove myself or something though. I thought about it a moment and then nodded to myself as I came to the decision. “If it’s really just that easy, then may I join your guild? It sounds wonderful to have a group of people I can trust at my back instead of spending all of my time alone.” I smiled at Neo, looking rather excited. I looked at the fireplace and Sunetra had curled up INSIDE the fire. Chuckling, I said “Well I was going to ask Sunetra but it looks like they really love your café. So that’s definitely what I want. Just tell me where to sign.” Okay it was probably just accepting the invite, but joining a guild felt more like a contract I was agreeing to. This should be interesting. I don’t even know who else is in the guild.   

@Neopolitan

[Neopolitan 0]

Neo nodded as he asked to join the guild, giving her silent shaking chuckling motion towards the cat curled up in her fire. It honestly wasn't too much of a surprise, but still cute all the same. Sending a guild invite to Mortambo, she waited for him to accept it. She also drafted up a quick announcement to the rest of the guild members so that they knew a new guild member was joining. It seemed that they were going to have an influx of people today, which wasn't really a bad thing. It just meant that they would need to figure out some way to actually get everyone together once so they could level up some of the lower level players in the guild. That was what they were supposed to do anyways. It was more just an excuse for them to have a refined friends list really. Hopefully Mortambo would understand, and if not they could probably go out just the two of them to help him level up quite a bit.

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

Seeing Neo chuckle at Sunetra in the fire, I said “Yeah they do that all the time in the forge in my shop. It makes sense, but it is still pretty funny.” After that she sent me a guild invite, and as I hit accept I felt a wave of relief hit me. I didn’t realize it would feel so good not to have to be alone in this world any more. I mean, I’ll carry my weight in the group, but I don’t have to carry all the weight anymore. “All right, so uh…what now?” I said kind of sheepishly feeling a little out of my depth. “Do you want to see what I can do so far? I know I didn’t have much skill when I was fighting that fish, but I’ve gotten a little bit better. Well I’ve gotten a lot better at gathering and a little better at fighting.”

@Neopolitan

[Neopolitan 0]

With all the business of guilds out of the way, Neo was preparing to go back to working on the order she had looming over her head. Insteead though, it seemed Mortambo wanted to do something here first. He really was used to the formalities of most other guilds. Neo thought about it for a little bit, then a light turned on in her head. It might be a little bit risky to bring him along, though it would be nice to seee how he reacted to facing some tougher foes. Neo went over and grabbed some items from behind her counter and handed one of them to Mortambo. It was just a little bit of dip with a plate of crackers. Nothing too special, but the bonuses it gave would be a nice little safetey net. Neo debated about handing him her safeguard, but noticed that no one was making them anymore and decided against it. Sending a party invite and a message to come meet her on the fifth floor, Neo grabbed her parasol and familiar and walked out of the door to her shop.

(Giving Spinach-Artichoke Dip to Mortambo [+2 EVA])
(Eating Hummmus Dip [+2 ACC] and Tofu Burger [+2 DMG, -20 MIT])

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

After accepting the invite and getting Neo’s message about meeting her on Floor 5 I stood there dumbfounded for a moment by this whirlwind of activity, still awkwardly holding the plate of crackers. Well when Miss Neo decides something she certainly doesn’t wait. I wonder what she’s going to have us doing on the fifth floor. I know any quest I can handle myself she’s way too strong for. Maybe she just wants to observe. She said the guild didn’t have any requirements or anything. Wait, what are you doing?! GO MEET HER ALREADY AND SEE! I suddenly jumped into action, checking my axe and armor to be sure they were ready, and preparing my  potions in case I needed them. I then went over to the fire and coaxed Sunetra out of it and back into my hood quickly headed out of the café and towards the teleporter to go meet up with Neo on the fifth floor.

@Neopolitan

[Neopolitan 0]

The fifth floor was just as hot as always, though Neo was ready for that. With her familiar around her neck, it was acting almost like the opposite of a scarf. It was keeping her cold rather than a typical scarf keeping her warm. Once she noticed that Mortambo had come through the portal, she just led the way towards an arena styled area with an NPC at the front. The gate to the arena was closed, but you could see the sand shifting underneath it. Talking to the NPC yielded little dialogue as the quest was already in Neo's log. All it did was open up the gate for the two of them to pass through. Before heading through, Neo sent a message to her party member.

Quote

TO: Mortambo

    This quest is fairly difficult as you can only do it when you have at least one other member in your party. You should be able to take a hit if they attack you and I can take it out fairly quickly. If you don't want to go for it, by all means we can do something else. But if you want the challenge, just walk through the gate. I'll be right behind you, and it won't close until at least two people enter the arena. 

Time to see what his spine was made out of, presuming he trusted her. Blending into the shadows, Neo prepared for the fight.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #111717

LD: 2 + 5 = 7 - stealth rating (terrible, but he won't be searching before I attack anyways)

@Mortambo

[Mortambo 0]

As I arrived on Floor 5, this time with Sunetra balanced on my shoulder, I was blasted with dry hot air. Living now on Floor 9, I was used to the heat, but oddly enough the desert was so much less humid than the lava fields. Noticing Neo immediately she motioned for me to follow and I walked behind her to the arena. She sent me a message about the quest and reading it, I went and talked to the NPC and accepted it myself. Seeing the details I hesitated for a moment. This was it. The test…she has a point though. If we are going to get anywhere as guild mates in this game, or be able to trust each other in combat I need to trust that she can do this. I took a deep breath, nodded to Neo, and took out a potion I’d gotten from one of the starter quests. As I walked forward I quickly chugged the potion and tossed it to the side as it shattered in a shower of blue sparks. I then drew my axe, readied my other potions, and took a fighting stance inside the arena ready for whatever might come.

Combat Stats:

Spoiler

Mortambo: HP 250/200 | EN 20/20 | DMG 3 | MIT 35 | ACC 0 | EVA 0

• Battle Axe (DMG +1)
• Armored Coat of the Warrior (MIT +3)
• Lucky Shirt (LD +2)

Battle-Ready Inventory

1. 3 Tier 1 Uncommon Health Potions (+40 HP)
2. 1 Tier 1 Uncommon Over-Health Potion (50 Temporary HP)

Drinking Uncommon Over-Health Potion for 50 temp HP for this thread (HP is now 250/200)

@Neopolitan

[Neopolitan 0]

Mortambo walked into the arena with little hesitation. She didn't know if that was him trusting her, being brave, or just being foolish. Whatever it was though, Neo was ready to take on this monster. As she entered the arena, a gate closed in behind her. She didn't know if that stopped teleport crystals being used, but it would certainly make running away quite difficult. Mortambo was being all cute and taking an offensive stance. Nothing came to those who waited for danger to come to them. Neo quickly leaped high into the air as the churning sand sped up even faster. Just as the beast reared its head from the sand, Neo plunged down towards it and sliced it up quite a bit. Her items were working wonders and the beast was already flying into a rage after just her first hit. It wouldn't be too long before she was able to finish everything at once and win this fight.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #111718
BD: 5 + 5 = 10 - hit (14 + 1 = 15 * 14 = 210 - 20 = 190 damage)
CD: 9 - recovery
MD: not yet

@Neopolitan: 780/780 HP | 68/78 EN | 14 DMG | 39 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 REC | 8-10 PLZ | 4 FLN
@Mortambo: HP 250/250 | EN 20/20 | DMG 3 | MIT 35 | ACC 0 | EVA 0

Sando Satsu: 160/350 HP | 150 DMG | 30 MIT

Spoiler

Sando Satsu ignores Block, Evasion, and Mitigation. But does not do bonus damage on a 9-10
-Cull of the Meek: On a natural roll of 10 he will spin with his weapon at maximum reach hitting everyone in the fight. He will gain 10 hp per person hit.
-Dominus: When he reaches 175 hp, he grows massive in size upping his damage to 150 and mitigation to 30 for the rest of the fight. [Activated]

 

 

[Mortambo 0]

I knew I was out of my depth so I waited nervously watching the churning sand. Maybe after Miss Neo attacks I’ll have a moment to at least try and attack this beast. She came into the arena and the gate slammed shut behind us. I gulped and steadied my axe as my hand shook a little. She raced forward and jumped timing her landing perfectly as the huge beast reared from the sand. I braced myself and darted forward trying to take advantage of its momentary distraction as it reeled from her blow. My axe just clanged off of its hide not penetrating as took two quick swipes at it. Jumping back I shook my head. Yeah I am pretty useless in this fight. I put my axe up again but concentrated on getting ready to dodge it if the beast swiped at me. I’ll just wait until Miss Neo finishes it off.

 

Combat Results:

Spoiler

• ID 111721
  •  Battle: 2 (MISS!)
  •  Loot: 11 (targets Neo)
  •  MOB: 9 (HIT!)
• @Mortambo: HP 250/250 | EN 20/20 | DMG 3 | MIT 35 | ACC 0 | EVA 0
• @Neopolitan: 630/780 HP | 68/78 EN | 14 DMG | 39 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 REC | 8-10 PLZ | 4 FLN (-150 HP)

Sando Satsu: 160/350 HP | 150 DMG | 30 MIT

Aggro: @Mortambo: 1-10 | @Neopolitan: 11+

Spoiler

Sando Satsu ignores Block, Evasion, and Mitigation. But does not do bonus damage on a 9-10
-Cull of the Meek: On a natural roll of 10 he will spin with his weapon at maximum reach hitting everyone in the fight. He will gain 10 hp per person hit.
-Dominus: When he reaches 175 hp, he grows massive in size upping his damage to 150 and mitigation to 30 for the rest of the fight. [Activated]

 

 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Mortambo

[Neopolitan 0]

The fight seemed to be going rather smoothly, and the beast hadn't even noticed Neo's partner just yet. Deciding it would be best to make sure that it was ended quickly, Neo prepared for another strike. Just as she was about to strike, the blade of the allilgator like creature swung at her. Neo saw this comming and flipped her back with an open parasol towards him. The blow sent her skidding across the field, but she didn't appear worse for wear. Turning back around, her blade turned blacker than the night sky as she charged foward. Bolts of pure darkness seemed to erupt from her blade as she stabbed the beast faster than the eye could process. When she was done, the beast was all but ash blowing in the wind.

Well, not as much of a challenge as we had hoped.

Perhaps we should've let it go after the other.

No, they're a friend

Is anyone here a friend?

Spoiler

Roll ID: #111742
BD: 7 + 5 = 12 - hit [fallen proc] (14 + 4 = 18 * 14 = 252 - 30 = 222 damage)
CD: 3 - no recovery

@Mortambo: HP 250/250 | EN 20/20 | DMG 3 | MIT 35 | ACC 0 | EVA 0
@Neopolitan: 630/780 HP | 68/78 EN | 14 DMG | 39 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 REC | 8-10 PLZ | 4 FLN (-150 HP)

Sando Satsu: 0/350 HP | 150 DMG | 30 MIT

Aggro: @Mortambo: 1-10 | @Neopolitan: 11+

 

[Mortambo 0]

Seeing Miss Neo’s final strike on the creature, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I have a feeling that thing could have ripped me in two if it had come for me instead of Neo but she did it. I hopefully showed that I trust her with my life and she got to complete this quest. Walking over to Neo, I said “Thank you for bringing me along. I think that is the strongest creature I’ve faced here but I knew you could handle it. It was…tough to swallow because the stakes were very high. However, I feel that I trust you with my life. I hope you feel like, once I’m stronger, you can trust me with yours.” I offered her my hand to shake. Even though I had already joined the guild, I felt like saying out loud that I trusted her with my life was important so that she would know, without a doubt, I would follow her into the breach.

@Neopolitan

Edited January 18, 2019 by Mortambo

[Neopolitan 0]

With the fight now over, Neo looked towards Mortambo who seemed to be going on about how he trusteed his life with her. It was honestly a little bit over the top, Neo was just happy she could finally complete this quest. Sheathing her blade within her parasol, which was as black as the energy the blade emitted, Neo shook Mortambo's hand. The gate to the arena was now open and the NPC who was so arrogantly trying to get them killed stood there mouth agape. Taking the token from him, Neo flipped it over to Mortambo. She sent a message to him saying that it was good for redeeming at a local shop for some gear. As she was about to walk away, she noticed that there was something sticking out of the sand. Reaching down to clear it out, she noticed it was a treasure chest. It was rather plain, but it still was in good condition. She waved over Mortambo so he could help in opening it.

Spoiler

Roll ID: #111745
LD: 19 - chest found

@Mortambo