{PP-F24} Don't Split the Party!

[Pinball 1]

Using [x1] Yui's Grace

On the 24th Floor, on a small island like so many others,  there was a pit. In the middle of a glade, this pit existed. It was deep and dark, and there was a ladder that descended into the hold but there was no light, and Pinball couldn't make out the bottom of it for the life of him. 

So he stood there, his hands on his hips, the wind kicking up loose blades of grass and leaves. The wind whipped at his hair and whistled through the trees, bringing with it the smell of the ocean that surrounded them. In the not-so-distant distance Pinball could hear the sounds of birds squaking, probably diving for fish in the water. Directly behind him, maybe a three minute walk through the forest, was the sturdy wooden bridge that connected them to the larger, more well-explored islands. 

Pinball frowned, debating whether or not he should jump in. There was every chance it could just be some sort of trap; the ladder could break on him, for instance (if there was one), or lowering his body into the pit could trigger some sort of rockfall. He had a vivid imagination, but that vivid imagination was probably what had kept him alive for this long - even if it was muddled by darker, edgier thoughts nowadays. 

Or a lack of thoughts in general. 

He wore his disguise. Potions and dyes did wonders. He had white hair, parted for the most part over one eye. The eyes themselves, which were once an icy blue were now a deep gray. His frown remained perpetual. He wore a satchel, a purple half-cloak, simple cloth, and his old, nondescript leather armor from when he'd first joined the Emerald Harbingers.

A few minutes passed, and he still wasn't able to make his decision. 

                                                                                                                                                                              

Player Stats: 

Spoiler

Level: 58
Health: 1160 | Energy: 116
DMG: 15 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | BH: 23 
 
Skills:
 
Combat skills:
►<<Battle Healing>> [13/50]: Rank 2 - Novice 
 
Weapon skills:
►<<2H Assault Spear>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<1H Straight Sword>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
 
Armor skills:
►N/A
 
Extra skills:
►<<Familiar Mastery: Fighter>> [18/18]: Rank 3 - Grandmaster
►<<Martial Arts>> [0/50]: N/A
►<<Survival>> ~ Active
 
Utility Skills:
►<<Hiding>> [50/50]: Rank 5 - Grandmaster
►<<Extended Mod Limit>> [2/10]: Rank 1 - Novice 
 
Modifiers:
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Ferocity>>: +1 Base DMG
►[Active] <<2H Assault Spear: Finesse>> ~ Rank 3 
►[Active] <<Sneak Attack: Trickster>>
►[Active] <<Hiding: Vanish>> 
►[Active] <<Hiding: Untraceable>> 
►[Active] <<Hiding: Blindside>>
 
Inventory
»[Equipped] [Demonic] Jack’s Hellfire: Burn, Blight, Bleed, Cursed 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Leather Armor of the Amateur Duelist: +3 EVA
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Warrior’s Focus: +3 ACC
 
Battle Ready: 
» [3x] Teleportation Crystal 
» [2x] Greater Curative Potion: +120 HP 
» [5x] Spinach-Artichoke Dip: +2 EVA  
» [5x] Hummus Dip: +2 Acc
» [Demonic 2HAS] Cold Fervor: +2 Freeze, Phase, Cursed

House Buffs: 

Spoiler

“Well Rested”:  -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
“Squeaky Clean”: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
“Filling”: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30
“Relaxed”: Increases HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
“Item Stash”: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot 

@Andromeda @Cordelia @Fae

Edited November 29, 2019 by Pinball

[Fae 0]

Running, taking a fast stroll, hiding, whatever you wanted to call it, that's just what Fae was doing. She wasn't the best with decisions either and found herself now on the 24th floor. She wasn't that high levelled, so she figured no one would come looking for her here. It was just a few people like miss Hestia that she was scared of, but that was enough to make her want to get away from everything. The island with the pit seemed like an ideal spot to hide out at for a while since it was less explored compared to the others, so Fae headed across the bridge and began to look around once she reached the other side.

A forest like this was welcome on Fae's mind since it provided plenty of nice spots to hide. She could probably find some good materials up here too, so that was a plus. After a few minutes of looking around, she finally found the pit. But what concerned her more than the deep darkness was the figure that was standing and looking down at it. Fae skipped over to them and poked their arm, not realizing it was her old friend Pinball. "Hi mister, what are you doing here? Fae was just looking around." Fae asked him, keeping one hand inside of her cloak ready to pull out her dagger if she needed it. It probably wouldn't help at all considering who it was if they got in a fight.

Fae's Stats

Spoiler

Level: 10

HP: 200 Energy: 20

Skills
» 1H Dagger Rank 2

Inventory:

Divine Dragons Cloak (Light Armor) •+1 DMG, +1 MIT, +1 Light Momentum

Iron Dagger (Vanity)

Battle Ready:

Double Fudge Cookie (Snack) +3 MIT

 

[Andromeda 0]

Two weeks since that entire Halloween circus fiasco. An had been working her way up the floors - venturing even further than she had dared to before. And it was an adventure! She'd walked through forests, prairies, deserts, wastelands, sailed out into the middle of Floor 22's large lake, hiked up the mountains of Floor 19, and held up a torch to stave off the darkness in Floor 23's caverns. Crimson eyes never once lost their delighted shine. This was exactly what she came here for and already, she was experiencing it in full!

An could barely contain her eager smile as she walked down one of the connecting bridges that led from one of the larger isles to one of the smaller, less-explored ones. Today, she was exploring again, hopping from island to island in search of... nothing in particular. She just wanted to see the beautiful sights for herself though she stopped once to pick a flower to show to the cute little NPC kid that always followed her around when she was in Floor 1. Stepping onto the last island, An looked back the way she came with a smile, breathing in the salty sea breeze and letting the sound of the waves lapping against the rock formations beneath wash over her. Then she turned and trudged on further. What new thing would she find here, she wondered--?

If it was a random hole in the ground which led far, far down into what seemed like an all-consuming void, she would steer clear of it. However, if said hole had another player standing at the edge and staring down at it... consider An curious!

"Hello. It's not everyday I see someone looking so intently down at a hole in the ground." Her calm greeting carried over to them before she stopped at the taller player's side, close enough so she could peer in herself. Fearing a repeat of... the last time she was called out for watching a group of players from a distance, she drew closer to the two without pausing to give it much thought. Probably, he was staring at her in confusion. Long white hair, crimson red eyes, a shield seemingly made of auburn ice, and small blobs of darkness which floated around her sheathed rapier's hilt. Rather irregular in every aspect but she proved her friendliness when excitement started to seep into her previously controlled tone at the thought of adventure. "I'm An. Something interesting down there?"

Spoiler

LEVEL 6
120/120 HP | 12/12 EN | 3 DMG | 33 MIT | 2 Blight | 1 Burn | 1 Frost Thorns | 1 Frost Aura

SKILLS

• Rapier -- Rank 2

EQUIPPED

• Jack's Corrupted Legacy -- T1 Demonic Rapier -- Cursed | [x2] Blight | Burn -- [reference] "...and they shall cast them into the furnace of fire, where there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth." A malicious, unstable weapon hidden beneath a plain semblance. Patterns of vines and fleur-de-lis are etched onto its black swept hilt and its blade is 38 in. long. It takes on a crimson red aura when a Sword Art is activated. At random, unpredictable occurrences, the weapon will burst into flames - sometimes red, sometimes a darker hue, and sometimes a pitch black in color - and inflict a strong damage-over-time effect on its enemy.
• Svalinn -- T1 Demonic Shield -- Cursed | Frost Thorns | Frost Aura | Mitigation -- "The shield which once stood before the sun and kept the Earth from being set aflame." A small round shield perpetually encased in a thick layer of unyielding ice. Its surface is uneven, with sharp ice crystals jutting out and rising up, and any attack aimed at it would sure result in a nasty counter-effect. Attacks made from afar or otherwise aren't left without retribution either, as the opponent would feel themselves surrounded by an intense chill. When equipped alongside any item with a flame enhancement, the ice becomes dyed with an auburn hue but does not lose any of its intensity. 
• Starter Light Armor -- T1 Rare Light Armor -- [x2] Mitigation -- A leather chest guard that offers minimal protection to the wearer.

BATTLE READY INVENTORY

• [x3] Starter Healing Potions -- Heals 50 HP
• [x1] Vicious Dragon-Fang Potion -- +3 DMG for a thread
• [x1] Teleportation Crystal -- Use a post action to activate a teleport crystal. Teleports the player to the town or designated teleportation area they specify.

SWORD ARTS

Rank 1

• [x2] Rip Ravine (2 Energy) - Two quick slashes into a target

Rank 2

• [x3] Accel Stub - (3 Energy) - A chain of three nimble thrusts aimed at the target's torso.
• [x4] Quadruple Pain - (4 Energy) - Four thrusts are made, each aimed at the limbs of the opponent.

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by Andromeda

[Pinball 1]

(going on without Kirbs or Fae because Kirbs doesn't like me and Fae hasn't responded) 

"Hi mister, what are you doing here? Fae was just looking around."

Pinball spun around, his eyes wide and his vision shaky. When was the last time he'd heard that voice? Seen her face? A long time ago. Too long. He'd pushed her away, back then; the girl who'd openly told that asshole she'd kill someone. But she was just a child. She'd done it once before, out of self defense. But what about him? What about the lives he went on to take? For sport? Pinball was probably the biggest hypocrite in the world. There was no doubt about it. 

Though as he turned to look one of his many mistakes in the eyes, he was greeted by someone completely unfamiliar. A girl, around his age or so, asking why he'd been staring so intently at the hole in the ground. And his initial bewilderment eventually faded, leaving behind only a lingering sense of unease in his voice. He had only been hearing things. It wasn't the first time, and it probably wouldn't be the last, either. That was all it was. 

But no, it wasn't a hole. Not really. Actually, "It's the entrance to a dungeon." 

Pinball turned his back to her and made his way back to the hole, wondering how he was going to get down there. It was dark, as far as the eye could see - er, rather, as far as the game would let you see. Darkness in Aincrad was just another simulation. But there was no rope, no ladder, no vines, and no way to slide down as far as he could tell. It was a straight drop, and it didn't look like there was any hidden entrance. 

So how did he know it was a dungeon? 

He swiped open his menu and brought up the map one more time, just to be safe. The marker pegged the location right in front of him with a big red "X". This was it. 

"...." 

                                                                                                                                             

USING: 

[x1] Beginner Dungeon Map - {Doner Reward} 

1 Map Left. 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Pinball

[Andromeda 0]

A dungeon...! An's eyes sparkled with curiosity; she had believed him immediately. She'd never been to a dungeon before - had never even seen the entrance of one, only heard of them from Leah, and even the very thought of being near one was an excitement to the amateur adventurer!

"Doesn't look like the usual dungeon," she casually remarked. An followed him closer to the hole, as if it was the most natural thing to do. It was only when he brought his map up again did she think to elaborate. "I mean, usually, it's a thing with a flashy, distinctive entrance, right? A big door or a cave with statues in front of it. In other games, I mean."

They looked down at the hole in relative silence. Wondering. How on earth was someone supposed to get down? And yes, she was wondering with him. 

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," An recited confidently. "If you can't figure something out, it's better to charge in without a second thought! ...with a Teleport Crystal on hand, of course."

She lifted a foot, hanging it over the hole with a casual smile. As if she hadn't just suggested the option that was practically suicide - if they were unlucky enough.

"Are you going in? I've just been exploring this place without a goal in mind. Want a teammate?"

Something about the way she looked at him eagerly suggested she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Andromeda

[Pinball 1]

She was very talkative. A welcome change. 

For now. It would get annoying soon enough. Like the birds outside his tent or the sigh of an evening breeze - it'd start off as beautiful, until that beauty pressed incessantly at the walls of his mind until it broke through - like always - leaving him feeling agitated and raw. And not in a hot way. 

He didn't mind if she came along with him, but he didn't want to say as much. How could he agree to her joining his party without actually having her join his party? Pinball thought for a moment, staring deeply into the shadowy depths of that bottomless hole... 

...and nodded. "Sure." 

Without another word, Pinball would hop feet first into the darkness.   

The programmed sensation of wind whipping in his ears felt real enough as the teenager plunged into nothingness. For a moment, an icy tendril of fear pierced his heart. Was he falling straight through the floor? Was that it? Was he really the idiot who died because he thought a hole in the ground was something it wasn't? 

His fears were eventually answered as - washing over him like the relief in his chest - Pinball felt himself splash into a deep, dark pool of water. 

The teenager would surface, pulling himself onto land and letting his eyes adjust. They were in some sort of clearing, it would seem - a hallowed out section of some sort of tunnel system. There were plenty of them. To the right and to the left and behind him, their shadowed entrances only made harder to look at by the lack of light. 

[Andromeda 0]

An smiled brightly.

"Alright! Please take care of-- ehhhh?!"

He'd jumped straight into the hole without another word. "Hey!" the silver-haired player was left yelling after him, peering over the edge in concern. Oh geez, oh man, Harriette, did you really just persuade a guy into unknowingly jumping straight to his death? "I said jump with a Teleport Crystal, ya bloody twit!!" 

But he had already vanished into the dark depths. An slapped her cheeks with both hands and dismissed her shield and rapier. Take responsibility. She unhooked her crystal from her belt and stepped off the edge.

A literal leap of faith.

And that was because she realized only a few seconds into her freefall that this hole was a lot, lot deeper than she expected and under the low light, there was no telling if there was anything to soften her fall at the end. Her head spun: to use the teleport crystal or to leave it to the whims of fate? To guarantee her survival or to see the end of this fall -- and the boy who went before? As An fell, she did the one thing her mind completely agreed with.

"AAAAH!!"

Splash!

It was a pool of water. Thank all her swimming classes! The girl swam to the surface, coughing, and pulled herself up behind her companion. She was dripping wet. There wasn't anything she could do about the light armor that now clung tightly to her form, but she wrung droplets out of her ponytail and shook her head about, spraying small drops of water in every direction. Probably at him too, she realized a bit too late. Chancing a glance at their new surroundings, she re-equipped her rapier and shield and hooked her teleport crystal back onto her belt. "A-a-are you okay...?" An asked the other player. She walked up close to him, wrapping an arm around her shivering form. "I-i-it's always a bad idea to split up in places like this. Let's look around for a bit then choose one? There's often an indicator for the right path! ...o-or something."

Edited February 24, 2020 by Andromeda

[Pinball 1]

A few moments later, another splash echoed throughout the dark cavern. Now, if Pinball hadn't already been soaked to the bone, he would have been considered an unlucky victim of this dungeon's splash zone. Pinball glanced over his shoulder as she pulled herself out of the depths of the pool, coughing up water; which, admittedly, might have been a bit over the top. He wasn't really sure how you could cough up anything when your gag reflex in the game was practically non-existant. Or maybe that was just him. 

"I'm okay," he said. 

Pinball cast a tired gaze over the optional paths. They were everywhere. An expansive network unknown to either of them, there was no no telling which were dead ends, which were connected, and which held dangerous traps or ominous secrets. There was probably some sort of indication as to the right path, as the girl beside him sheepishly suggested. 

But Pinball wasn't in the mood for puzzles right now. 

"I'm going left." 

He went down a path to the left. 

[Andromeda 0]

“Glad to hear it!” An exclaimed, sincerely relieved at his response. By the looks of her full health bar, she was fine too. “Hey, so, um…” With every moment of relative silence lapsed between the unlikely duo, her voice faltered until she quieted down entirely. He seemed to consider the area a little, and so did she, shivering in the same spot she’d earlier come to a stop in. In the low light of the cavern, the amateur player was suddenly hyper-aware of the soft repetitive echoes of water dripping from stalactites somewhere above… and the pool of water behind them still sloshing about… and of the smallest sounds whose sources she couldn’t identify. 

“W-we’re going to stick together!” she insisted, though the hesitation in her voice was only attributed to the unsettling quiet of her companion; any other instinctive fear she might’ve had was quelled by her own curiosity for what lay beyond the tunnel’s entrances. An inched forward, taking her place behind him. “So, um, can you move forward? I want to check out the one right in front of us.”

But he’d already made his decision. 

“Eh? That quick?!”

An waddled after him, shivering and feeling a bit inadequate.

“You must be good at this, senpai–!” Absolutely clueless, the girl smiled in admiration as they went further into the path he chose. “How did you tell? I couldn’t see anything from where we were standing earlier...”

Edited April 30, 2020 by Andromeda