[PP-F2] The KoC Returns - The Recruits (KoC + Recruits)

[Shark 0]

It was a beautiful sunny day on the 2nd floor in the main settlement of Urbus. Since Shark has just come out of hiding, he thought that he better become more acquainted with the locals to restore his once renowned image. The first pub that caught his attention was called The Rusty Dagger. "That seems like a good place to start". Shark said as he opened his menu and navigated to the Messages menu. Shark started to compose a message to Ryu, his soon to be official Grand Commander of the guild.

Quote

To: «RyujinSeaLord»
From: «Shark»

Hey bud, I found this pub that looks like a great place to start recruiting. Meet me here.

-Includes location to The Rusty Dagger-

   - Shark

Shark hit sent and began walking towards the pub. When he got outside the door, he opened his inventory and pulled out a guild recruitment flyer that Ryu had made. The blue-haired swordsman posted the flyer to the door and then entered the building. He walked up to the bar and found a seat. He motioned the barkeep for a drink and waited patiently for his best friend to show up. 

@RyujinSeaLord

[RyujinSeaLord 0]

I was doing my usually food shopping on the first floor because the weather down here is absolutely gorgeous. That’s when a message dropped into my box. After reading that he was going to be a the “Rusty Dagger” I looked at the time and date. 

“Huh I guess I forgot that was today.”  I said to myself as I headed for the main teleport gate and zoomed up to the second floor.  And walked along the streets navigating a path to the bar. 

Not too long of a search as it was on the Main Street near the center of town. I entered the bar and immediately noticed Shark, my blue haired friend, sitting at the bar so I pulled up a seat next to him and awkwardly ordered a glass of powdered chocolate with milk and a straw. 

[Shark 0]

Shark was sitting at the bar when the drink was delivered by the barkeep. After a couple minutes of sitting there, Ryu showed up and proceeded to order a glass of powdered chocolate with milk. After Ryu took placed his drink order, Shark looked to Ryu, “Lets grab a table. I might know someone who would be interested in joining the guild. If you know anyone that might be interested, feel free to message them as well”.  He said while opening his menu and searching through some old messages until he found who he was looking for.

Quote

To: Hikoru
From: Shark

Hey man! Long time no talk! I just wanted to see if you were interested in joining a guild, if you are still solo that is. The KoC is returning and we could use you in the guild.

If you are interested, come to the Rusty Dagger.

    -Shark

Shark hit send, grabbed his drink, and made his way towards a table at the side. The blue-haired man waited eagerly to see if his old guild mate would show up.

@Hikoru

[Symphony 0]

Symphony wandered into the Rusty Dagger with a guild posting on the upper right-hand of her screen. She had never been part of a guild before and saw that one had just started forming. Maybe if she was lucky, they would accept her. Though, I am such a low level, she said to herself. 

She looked over at the bar and was surprised to see her lover Ryu sitting with another man. Hm, could he be here to join the guild too? She shyly walked over and introduced herself when the two had finished conversing. "Hey, Ryu. Um are you here for the guild, too? Oh -- and is this your friend here?" She looked over at the man opposite Ryu. "If so, it's a pleasure to meet you." She smiled to the man innocently. She hadn't realized yet that he was the one who had started the guild as she wasn't paying attention to the name popping up on her display (as usual).

 

[Kairi 0]

Kairi had walked into the Rusty Dagger and looked around, some looking at her due to her chest and small frame, she had rolled her eyes seeing some of the people immediately looking over at her. She had walked up to where only a few had stood looking about the guild opportunity, she knew that Macradon's guild he didn't want her joining at all and he would soon move on from it, so... she had to go look for one and see if he would join along with her on the guild adventures, which leads her here. She had smiled energetically and said out to the three people that sat and stood before her and said "Are you guys the people looking to get together for a guild?" she had bounced up a little "I am more than interested~!" she pointed toward herself and leaned forward "My name is Kairi! It's a pleasure to meet all of you today!"

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru was working at his desk, as he usually did. Being one of the head leaders of the Info Broker Society had its perks, but also cost him a lot of time. It had been a long time since he had actually taken the quests that he had put onto the market. It was depressing, because other than Raid Bosses, he had no time to have a good fight, to take on foes that were stronger than him, or on par. It was thanks to the combination of both his level and the rate that they were taking the floors. He sighed and took a sip of coffee when he received a ping. He looked to see a small mail notification. He just shook his head, expecting it to be one of the IBS workers asking for a report. He looked at the sender, and his eyes widened a bit. A name that he hadn't heard in a long time, nor had he seen since he was around level 20, Shark. He was invited to come to their guild that he had been apart of long ago, the KoC. Hikoru sat back and thought about the offer, then decided to go and see what they had to say. Hikoru donned his blue cloak and made his way to Tomoika, then teleported to the Second Floor. He made his way to the Rusty dagger and walked through the doors. He pulled up his hood as heads turned towards him, then quickly looked away as he looked at them. He looked back to Rex, the Barkeeper, and gave him a nod. Rex nodded back and Hikoru looked to see a group of people that he knew stood out amongst the den of Thieves and Rogues. Two men and two women, all seemed to be of lower level. Hikoru came over quietly and pulled up a chair, sitting at the edge of the table.

"It's been a very long time old friend..." He said as he pulled his cloak down, his Raven black hair and piercing gray eyes looked at Shark. "It seems that time has done its toll..." He smiled. "It's good to see your alive and well. And hello to all of you." He said to the others. "I do believe I'm not the only one invited to this guild by the looks of it. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." He sat and looked at Rex, giving him a thumbs up, and Rex went to prepare some drinks. "Rex here will provide some drinks, as you chose to meet at a Bar where I'm friends with the owner. It's on me."

[RyujinSeaLord 0]

I lifted my head from my drink to turn and face my beloved Symph. I was wearing a white jacket with blue trimmings over top of a white shirt and grey pants*

Spoiler

*this outfit

I looked back and forth between my outfit and Sharks all blue outfit with white trimmings, the exact opposite of mine. Before replying to her i turned to Shark. "Do I not look like im part of your guild already?" i asked him jokingly before turning to Symph and clearing my throat. "Symph this is my best friend Shark, he is the Guild Master....and I....and his Guild Commander or Vice Commander depending on which guild you ask.

Thats when I heard the door open and notice a very small girl with a largely above average chest approaching the table. I tried to hold back from staring as best as i could but its hard to look at someone so short in the eyes without looking at the rest of their body. "Its nice to meet you Kairi, Im glad you could make this meeting"

Again the door opened saving me from having to explain a spontaneous nose bleed by taking my focus away from the small one. This person seemed to be familiar to Shark. They didnt say what their name was but I offered mine. "Hello stranger, my name is Ryujin, also called Ryu, I am the guilds new VC or GC as Shark calls it. Im glad you all decided to make it here. We have much to discuss, please everyone take a seat around the table, order something to drink and we shall begin to discuss the trails you will face." I said confidently as if i had rehearsed it one hundred times, even though I literally just made it up on the spot. ( @Symphony @Shark @Hikoru or @Kairi whomever is next)

Edited March 31, 2019 by RyujinSeaLord

[Shark 0]

Shark just got to a table when a female player approached them. She seemed to know Ryu based off hearing her say his name as she approached the 2 of them. The player introduced herself to Shark. “Hello Symphony, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Shark, the Leader of the newly formed Knights of Christ.” Shark said as he motioned for her to join them. “We are still waiting for 1 or 2 more to arrive before we get started.” The blue-haired man said as he took a sip of his drink.

A few moments later, another female player showed interest in the guild and introduced herself. The player introduced herself as Kairi. “Hello Kairi, I’m Shark, the leader of the Knights of Christ. I love your enthusiasm in joining the guild! Please join us. We are waiting to see if one more person shows and then we can get started.” Shark said as he motioned for her to join the 3 of them.

Not too much longer after the 4 of them were settled down, the final person had arrived. The atmosphere took on a slightly different vibe as the blue cloaked player had entered the bar. Shark recognized the feeling and knew exactly who it was. The man came over to the table, pulled up a chair, and pulled down his cloak. Shark hadn’t seen the man in quite a long time. “Hik, it’s great to see you too man! It has been a while since we last spoke. Looks like you became quite a force out there.” The blue-haired man said as a smile came across his face. “I’m glad you could join us”. Shark said as he noticed that Hikoru had mentioned that the bill was on him.

Ryu began to get everyone acquainted and the meeting appeared to be ready to start. Shark moved to a position where he was facing the group. “Alright everyone, first, welcome to the first guild meeting. We are happy you all could show. The guild ranks are in the form of the Knights Templar. The top dog is the Grand Master, which is me. The Grand Commander is second in command, and that is Ryu. From there we have Field Commanders and they are the ones who have the lead in the field. There will be other positions in the guild as we gain members into our ranks. Any questions so far?” Shark said as he looked around to see if everyone was still following along. Shark then took another sip of his drink and motioned for his Grand Commander to say a few words for the joiners process.

[RyujinSeaLord 0]

I took Sharks nod as the sign to speak. I got up from the table and cleared my throat.

”As you may not know yet the KoC or Knight of Christ were a guild formed on the lower floors before the tenth floor was even a dream. The knights fought bravely along side their companions and non of them gave up. Not until death came knocking on their doors. After floor 11 the guild master when into hiding for a very long time and after being brought back from the brink we decided that what this game needs is the KoC to come back and reclaim their title as one of the strongest guilds in the game. The frontlines is where we belong friends, Some of you may not be strong enough to fight up there yet but just know we will get you there quickly. So in order to test everyone’s combat prowess’s, we will be having custom duels. No sword skills, no armor no boosts, limited health. This will show Shark and I if you have the resolve to not only be prepared to fight the bosses bitbalso to see if you are willing to strike down anyone who would wish to oppose the guild such as those guilds which rely on murdering other players.” I spoke boldly and confidently in front of the group.

“Now as per the rules of the duel you will all be facing off against me. 1v1, the HP will be set at 100 and your skills will be turned off as per the custom rules madenpossible by this game. The only help you get is your physical skill alone. Damage will be set to 10 damage per blow. Once you hit below half way the duel will end. Shark will be the judge and witness to the duel and will make any and all final decisions. Is that all clear?”  I explained and asked them. This would be a test but not an impossible one. 

[tricolor_mina 0]

Mina was sitting at a table a short way away from the group of people standing nearby, holding a glass of Gin. She hardly knew anyone there, but she did understand that the people gathered there were powerful players that were reforming a guild that existed back towards the beginning of the game. The knights of Christ. A guild whispered about amongst many players, old and young, weak and strong. And the leader of the guild was also whispered about as a legend. He had gone missing shortly after the first ten floors had been cleared. It was a bit of a stretch to say that he might have been the best player, usually people gave that title to Heathcliff of the KoB, but that was an entirely different can of worms that she certainly didn't want to open. However, to say that he was a legend was very much the truth, and perhaps might even be an understatement. Shark the holy knight, a powerhouse towards the beginning of the game. Nowadays however, it felt like he might have slipped behind a bit, but it still felt like he was strong. Mina knocked back her glass, her mask pulled up just enough to allow her to drink the Gin within the glass. She opened her menu, and unequipped the mask, it disappearing into her inventory the instant she did so. She pulled her scarf up over her mouth, before approaching the group, leaving the empty glass at her table. She knew that she needed a new guild that would help her become stronger. She needed friends, and allies. Even if she wasn't very strong now, she could get stronger easier. She just needed someone to help her try. she finally reached the area in time to hear that they would be training for some reason. A simple training duel. everyone set to 100 hp, and no skills, and no armor. Interesting to say the least. "Mou... I get to cross blades with the legends... how fantastic!" she said softly, watching the group with mild interest in her eyes.

Mina's Appearance

Spoiler

@Shark@Hikoru@RyujinSeaLord@Kairi@Symphony

Edited March 31, 2019 by tricolor_mina

[Shark 0]

Just as the meeting had started, another female player approached the table. The blue-haired man looked up at the player, “Hello there, are you interested in joining the guild as well? We are the Knights of Christ and I am the guild leader, Shark.” He said with a smile on his face as he motioned for the player to pull up a seat and join them. “And who are you? Introduce yourself” Shark said as he kept up his friendly persona. The number of players that showed interest in the guild made Shark happy as there were more players than he originally thought. “Wow, there are more people here than I thought there would be.” He said to himself as he looked back at Ryu and signaled for him to continue the recruiting speech. Shark took another sip of his drink and sat back to see how Ryu would take this now that another player has shown up and seemed interested.

@RyujinSeaLord @tricolor_mina

[tricolor_mina 0]

Mina noticed that shark had decided to approach her, and she straightened up a bit before nodding at the Blunette. "Naa... just call me Mina, sir." she said dryly, locking eyes with the senior player. She noticed that he had gestured for her to sit down, so she let out a dry chuckle. "Naa... I think I'd rather stand, but I appreciate the offer." Mina flagged back down an NPC so that she could get a glass of wine. She simply decided to stand a bit to the side, watching the rest of the group, a bored look in her eyes. The meeting seemed to be going rather slow for now, so she wasn't too worried about having been late to the party... She was, however, quite nervous when she realized that she would be dueling the man that had made the announcement, though she sighed in relief when she heard that they wouldn't be using skills or enhanced armor/weapons. It was a very good thing to know, she supposed, before she took a drink from the wineglass. "Mou... So we're doing a Even-grounds duel then? Interesting. I've never done one before..." She murmured, continuing to drink from her glass.

@RyujinSeaLord@Shark

[Hikoru 0]

Hikoru listened to the group get to know one another in their own unique ways, and he avoided eye contact as Shark complimented and said that he had become a force. It was true, but to hear that from the man he used to look up to was something he wasn't quite comfortable with. He listened to the trial that they had set, and Hikoru held back a laugh. Apparently, word didn't get to these two as to who he really was. He just cleared his throat a bit

"Not to be rude, but I'll have to decline that offer to fight... For good reason." He said, then opened his HUD, pulling up his stats and his skills, but he crossed out his Unique Skill from sight, not wanting to reveal that quite yet. While the frontliners know, other's don't, and he'd like to keep it that way. He made two separate windows and gave both of them to @Shark and @RyujinSeaLord . "As you can see, the thought of me fighting like that is... pointless." He said, not trying to sound cocky but being sincere. "But, I am willing to help these players by playing as a practice dummy." He said with a chuckle. He saw another young girl come over and ask to join, and he smiled. "Ah, that seems almost perfect. Three players as their challengers, and three players to take the test." He looked at Ryu. "I hope you'll accept, and I'm sorry if it becomes an inconvenience to your plans."

[RyujinSeaLord 0]

I looked to the high leveled player Hik and when he shared his stats i nodded in agreement with his prior statement. 

"Based solely on your level and your skills as they are I will permit your request to not participate in the combat portion of this trial. However also based upon your stats I will decline your offer to be a practice dummy as I feel it may be slightly unfair especially to our weaker players for someone of your stature to smack them around." I said with a slight chuckle at the end.

"Now then With three participants prepped and ready for the trial i shall lead you to the town square where we will make our even grounds duel take place." I said taking the lead and walking out the door hopefully with everyone else in tow. Once we were to reach the center of the town I began to set up the rules of the duel i looked to each on of our participants.

"Which one of you would like to go first?" I asked them. "Ill even let you have the first strike" i said with a smile on my face. I was prepared and ready to wield my katana on the field of battle once again. @Shark @Symphony @tricolor_mina @Kairi @Hikoru

[Symphony 0]

Symphony listened to the leaders speak and nodded her head. However, an urgent notification popped up on her screen. Her mild expression transformed into a frown and she swiped to read said notification. Unfortunately, this message was not to be taken lightly and needed to be dealt with right away. Sighing heavily, she looked back at the people around her one last time and snuck away from the meeting without being seen. She regretted missing the opportunity of joining a guild, but she also could not leave this urgent manner unattended. After the door closed behind her, she took a deep breath and stepped onto the cobblestone road, starting to walk towards the gates of the Safe Zone. She passed through them and left the meeting in the back of her mind, too preoccupied on the dangers that may lay ahead of her to really think about what she could be missing out on. 

[Shark 0]

Before leaving the tavern, Shark looked at Mina, "We are excited to have you. You will fit right in!" He said as he looked back at Ryu and motioned to continue. Moments later, Ryu lead the group to the center of the town and prepared for the recruit trials. By the time the group reached the center, Shark noticed that they were down a recruit. Shark looked at Ryu motioned that one had left and just shrugged. “Let the trials commence!” Shark stated as he signaled for the first combatant to come forward for the start of the trial.

The blue-haired man made his way next to @Hikoru and slid him a note. This note was a mission for the future of the guild.

Quote

 

Scout a location for the future Guild Hall, collect some materials for crafting, and see if you can recruit another player. The last part is optional, but I do need you to find the best location for our future training grounds.

Report back when you find the spot

-Shark

 

The leader nodded at Ryu and gave Hikoru a pat on the shoulder and said, “Good luck. I know you can do this”.

[tricolor_mina 0]

Mina simply followed them out of the building, a bored look in her eyes as she began sipping from her glass. Shark had merely decided to congratulate her on joining the Guild, and said that she would fit, causing her to shrug. "Mou... the odds of me fitting in with everyone are so slim it isn't even funny." when she noticed that Ryu was already brandishing his blade, the Katana gleaming in the afternoon light, she gave a feral grin, before immediately pulling out her rapier, and doing a basic thrust at him that barely missed his face by an inch. "Mou... I thought I had you there, oh well~ This is my first duel in a year I suppose, I guess I'm just a bit rusty?" she quipped, pulling back a bit from the Man, her red eyes focused on his blade, watching for any other movements. It never hurt anyone to be too prepared.

Spoiler

ID# 114034

BD: 5 (Miss)

CD: 8

LD: 17

MD: 8

Mina: 100/100 HP, 10 DMG

@RyujinSeaLord: ???/??? HP, ?? DMG

Edited April 5, 2019 by tricolor_mina

[RyujinSeaLord 0]

Mina made the first strike as i had taunted her into doing. How utterly foolish of her to think that i wasnt the one already in her head making he feel secure about her win. Her blade narrowly missed my face and i smirked as she pulled back her weapon.

"You're too CLOSE" I shouted at her before slashing my katana at her shoulder aiming to slash across her chest.

ID# 114089 BD = 7 Hit 10 Dmg

I laughed noting the very large slash mark i had just give Mina straight across her chest. I readied myself for a counter attack.

"This is my first duel since i fought the legendary Zelrius" i said looking to Shark knowing that he would know exactly what im talking about. I the looked right back at Mina " Not try to concentrate, I am not, and will not be, anything like the enemies you face in the dungeons. I have a brain and not an AI. But if you can beat me, you can defeat those enemies."

Ryu: 100/100 (deals 10 damage per hit)

___________VS_______________

Mina: 90/100 (deals 10 damage per hit)

@tricolor_mina

Edited April 5, 2019 by RyujinSeaLord

[tricolor_mina 0]

Mina smirked as Ryu called her out on being to close, and he slashed her across the chest. It wasn't too bad of a wound, but it did mean that she was 10 hp less than he was, and that just wasn't how it was gonna go. Mina gave another feral grin at Ryu when he said who he last dueled. "I'm gonna guess you knew that prick then?" she said dryly, her eyes darkening slightly. "I hated that guy from the get go, but He died a while back. And good riddance since he used me as entertainment on my first day out in the fields." She darted forward fast, easily twirling around his guard, and skewered his hand with her rapier. "Mou... you call that a guard" she taunted, "One for one, Brat, Let's keep it even!" She backed up swiftly, raising her rapier once again. Hopefully this continued going well for her, though knowing her luck this was the only hit she would score. After all, she was fighting a Veteran player.

Spoiler

ID# 114108 results:

 Battle: 7

 Craft: 2

 Loot: 17

 MOB: 2

@RyujinSeaLord: 90/100 (deals 10 damage per hit)

___________VS_______________

Mina: 90/100 (deals 10 damage per hit)

Edited April 5, 2019 by tricolor_mina

[RyujinSeaLord 0]

That was the last straw. Everything had finally added up making me decide that i was no longer about to go easy on this recruit.

"How dare you." I spoke getting angrier. "How dare you! Zelrius was a dear friend of mine and someone decided to take his life away from his family on the outside and you have nothing but insults for a man you truly didnt know?!" The fury began to boil out of me at this point. You could almost feel the steam coming out of my ears.

ID# 114125 BD = 3 Miss

I let the rage consume me and it threw off my attack. I shook my head and cleared my thoughts. i took a deep breath knowing i had to focus. "Zelrius is part of our Legend. Zelrius was a hero and a legendary player. He was also there helping us clear bosses on the lower floors." I spoke attempting to make her feel bad about what she had to say

Fighting a rapier with a katana was not an easy feat but neither was the other way around. I used to take fencing and kendo in high school but this was ridiculous i never realized how difficult this would actually be.

 

Ryu: 90/100 (deals 10 damage per hit)

___________VS_______________

Mina: 90/100 (deals 10 damage per hit)