[PP - F3] The Cult of the Dragon

[Lessa 1]

Spoiler

Level: 44 | HP: 910 | Energy: 88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1
2HSS [5] | Heavy Armor [5] | Protector Familiar [3] | Survival | Howl | Precision | Ferocity | Athletics
Scarecrow Sickle [+3 DMG/+1 BLD] | Rose Gauntlets [+2 Thorns/+1 HM] | Rosebud Charm [+3 ACC]

Housing
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down).
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

"Seven to go," Lessa answered, summoning her HUD with a flick of her wrist. Over the twinkle of chimes, she added, "There's nine all together, and we've done two. I'm pretty terrible at math, but I can at least figure this one out." The smile she gave him was small and self-deprecating, before she turned back to her work. A few selections later, a new sword was strapped to her back. She drew the curved blade, holding it out in front of her for study. "Bigger dragons," she explained, "require bigger guns."

She tipped her body, thereby rotating the weapon, and allowing the sun's light to gleam along its edge. "This is Scarecrow's Sickle," she told Alkor. "It used to belong to Zelrius, but it's been tossed around over the years. Now it's mine." As she studied the sword, and reflected on how it had come into her possession, her smile softened into something more genuine. She replaced the sword in its sheath.

"No word on the third dragon." After glancing at her inbox to confirm, the blonde planted her hands on her hips. "Assuming these quests will stay true to pattern, we'll find the next dragon on the next floor. Does the third floor sound good to you?"

[Alkor 0]

The name Zelrius haunted Alkor, not because he hated the young man but because of the things he had heard. After Alkor, many people were lost during boss fights. Once believed the strongest in all of Aincrad, the Blood Bucaneer became one of those nameless, drifting memories.

They had worked together on occasion, and he even considered the boy to be one of the few friends he made. Now, he was gone. Lessa held his sword. Funny how things came together that way.

Alkor studied the weapon quietly and then looked up toward its owner. The last time they'd seen each other hadn't been during a dragon fight. They parted ways to find new information, and ultimately met up during an event where they worked together with Macradon and that infuriating Bahr guy.

Now that it was over, they were back to business as usual. Maybe it wasn't bothering her the way it did him. He looked away from her and his hand fell to the weapon on his hip. A gift from Father Wuotan. Blightsteel.

"I'm ready to take it on," he said after his moment of introspection. "So, floor three sounds good to me."

 

Alkor level 29

590/590 HP 58 Energy

9 DMG 1 Blight 3 EVA 48 MIT 

Blightsteel: T2 Demonic Curved Sword [Cursed | DMG | DMG | Blight]

Nightmare Bomber: T2 Perfect Light Armor [MIT | MIT | EVA]

Vagabond's Mark: +3 Evasion T1 Perfect Trinket.

Rank 5 Curved Sword Rank 3 Light Armor Athletics Mod

[Lessa 1]

"Great," she answered with a small nod, then began the short walk to the teleportation gate. She moved slowly at first, lengthening her stride only when she felt him fall into step beside her. Months had passed since their last dragon hunt, but the distance between them felt even wider than that. The irony wasn't lost on her, as she'd gone years without seeing him once before - what were a few measly months? But after their strained interactions during the Obsidian Invasion, Lessa wasn't entirely sure how the day would progress. It didn't help that, every time she looked at him, she recalled the feel of his blood-drenched body in her arms. She heard the words he'd spat at her, their truth as explosive as the pain from his blade. She remembered the lesson he'd taught her. Is that damn Calming the Soul quest going to haunt me forever?

"So," she began conversationally, "how have you been?"

[Alkor 0]

If the question were a firearm, it would have been loaded.

In the months since he woke up, everything had changed. The grim realization that this world and the other were mirror versions of one another, and he could not simply play the part of a character in a story still hung heavy over his head. The desire to cut and run was gone, replaced by the bitter sentiment that he had to soldier forward without someone at his side guiding him. Now after the events of the Obsidian Invasion and a talk with the Player NIGHT, who made him realize just how foolish his desire to help people while remaining apart from them truly was, Alkor found himself at a total loss.

Further set back than square one, he was at ground zero. When Lessa asked how he was, Alkor had no idea how to answer. They'd broken through a layer of difficulty in their interactions the last time, but Lessa was a changed person. She wasn't the same, almost fragile, dependent girl he had promised to protect all those years ago.

And he wasn't pretending to be the dauntless hero, either. So, stripped of the façade that he had worn for so long, he strung together the best answer he had. "I'm still alive," he said with a slight smile and a chuckle that seemed half nervous and half amused. How ironic it was that he wasn't dead in a world where communication was key. "So it can't be all bad, right?"

Right?

His expression slowly returned to the anxious, non emotive mask he generally wore, but the cracks were all too visible now. It wasn't fair to dump any of that on Lessa, nor was he going to. Instead, he decided. Alkor was going to find the path for himself.

That also meant he had to learn what it meant to connect with people. And to be friends. "How about you?" he asked.

[Lessa 1]

Her companion's soft chuckle elicited a smile of her own. The expression was slight, the smallest sliver of silver moon in a black-velvet sky, but it held light nonetheless. It would be easy enough to attribute the statement to Alkor's dark, brooding tendencies. But the truth was that some days, being alive really was enough. She could hardly fault the dark-haired swordsman for finding himself in a rut, even on a day so beautiful.

Lessa tilted her head back, turning her face to the sun like a flower seeking it's warmth. Then she clicked her tongue. "Can't be all bad," she agreed, though she never looked at him. "Lot of people can't say the same these days, so it's always good to keep things in perspective." She paused to shake out her blonde hair, then twisted it over her shoulder in a quick, practiced motion. 

Alkor seemed... tired. He didn't yawn, the obvious indicator, but there was something distant in his actions. Not apathy, Lessa decided, and that was something. He wasn't ignoring her, or dismissing her, as he'd occasionally done before. He was just.... thoughtful. And as that was an enormous step up from apathetic, Lessa didn't mind.

"I'm good," she answered, finally turning to face him. "I'm better than I have been in a long time.

[Alkor 0]

He found some comfort in those words, strangely. It was nice to hear that someone was doing well, even when everything seemed to be falling apart all around them. Alkor had never been the type to find positivity in the experiences of others, but then, how often had he had the chance?

Every day, you learn something new about yourself. He recalled hearing that, once. Life was a series of lessons, and if you weren't learning, you weren't living. That last thought stung, though.

What had he been doing before that? Going through motions? I'd always thought there was more to life than putting milk on shelves, he mused silently. His gilded gaze flicked toward Lessa after she finished speaking. 

"That's... I'm glad to hear that," he said, honestly. He recalled what that other Player had said, about opening up too much and being an open book, and how it put people off. In light of that, he elected not to explain his thinking radically and in extreme detail. Instead, he chose his words. "I've just been spending a lot of time trying to figure things out."

That's better than saying I have severely impairing character flaws that pre-date being trapped inside this game, and I'm trying to establish who I am as a person, at least.

Alkor almost laughed out loud. It was the first time he had admitted that, in entirety, to himself and heard it. How ridiculous it sounded. But... it also felt freeing. He felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off of him, and that had to count for something.

"One day at a time," he said at last. "And they're not all going to be good, but the alternative damn sure wouldn't be any better."

He grinned.

"But that's a bunch of deep thoughts and twisted emotions, and we both know those are dreadfully boring. We came here for Dragons."

[Lessa 1]

Lessa's blonde eyebrows winged up. "Oh yeah?" she replied. "Figuring things out, huh?" She offered her companion a crooked smile, then added, "Sounds a little foreboding. But I guess that's not totally uncalled for in a place like this."

The young woman's expression softened as Alkor continued speaking. Despite the darkness that undoubtedly swirled within him, colorful butterflies pinwheeled around the swordsman. The contrast nearly elicited a laugh from her, but she bit down on the sound. No use making Alkor uncomfortable when he was finally opening up to her. How would she explain her sudden laughter, anyway? I know you're going through some stuff, but those butterflies are really funny. That might be on par with laughing at grass poking through a crack in cement.

"I don't find them boring," she prodded gently, "and you know that. But no pressure. Killing dragons sounds like a solid plan." When her gaze came to rest on his face, her heart leaped. The words escaped before she had even organized her thoughts. "It's nice seeing you smile again."

[Alkor 0]

"It's nice to actually feel like smiling," he replied honestly. It was strange, because he'd learned to force an awkward smile but never once felt good about doing it. The lack of confidence that Alkor felt about generally everything had been extremely debilitating, even if he had found the strength to pretend he was fine.

But was that really strength? Some might have argued it was. Alkor was beginning to think that just surviving wasn't the same as actually living 

What he knew in the present, was that making conversation was difficult, and he didn't want to bore Lessa. Nor did he want to upset her by doing the wrong thing. Whether she knew it or not, he constantly second guessed himself- and that only compiled on itself when it came to her.

But that wasn't her fault. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. 

He had to stop looking to cast blame, because whenever he did, it fell back on himself. He pulled back the hood on his jacket and the breeze swept through his hair. Gilded eyes flickered as the sun kissed them, and he glanced back toward her.

"I guess, do we have an idea where we're headed?"

[Lessa 1]

His statement coaxed a smile of her own. "Yeah," Lessa replied on a long, windy sigh. "It is nice."

They walked side by side in companionable silence. Though her gaze remained on the path ahead, she could hear his muffled footsteps in the long grass, sense his constant nearness. The absurdity of the situation never ceased to fascinate her. After so many years of wishing for it, Lessa had her friend back. They had been given a second chance, and a fresh start. Alkor, it seemed, was making the best of it. It was an absolute pleasure to witness.

"Uhm, yeah," she answered dumbly when his words interrupted her thoughts. With the twinkle of bells, Lessa summoned her HUD. "I have that message from the information broker somewhere, and-" Lessa fingered hovered over the menu as a line creased her forehead. "Huh. Here's something I haven't opened yet. I don't know how I missed it." When the message populated, the woman's confusion dug that line into a trench. "What in the world?"

She tilted her display, allowing Alkor to view it. "Is the game glitching? That definitely isn't English, but my translator isn't touching it." Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Aaaand there's nothing listed in the sender field." Turning on Alkor, she asked, "Thoughts?"

[Alkor 0]

There were secrets in Aincrad that had yet to be uncovered, despite the forward momentum of the top Players. Sometimes, there were puzzles that required one to go off the beaten path to solve, or gain an item, or any number of complex solutions. All of them really made the world feel that much more intense and real.

So when he saw the message appear, Alkor couldn't help but remember the Riddle of the Sphinx, or the horrific consequence that came with an incorrect answer. Aincrad was like that. Do the wrong thing and die. Fortunately, when he read the message, Alkor recognized it.

Floor three of Aincrad belonged to the Elves. It was a sanctuary away from their ageless enemy, the human race. It made sense when they were reticent about involvement with Players when one really delved into the lore- but most people didn't.

That's why it made sense that the sender did not give their name, and why the message came in Elvish. If they could be trusted, it didn't matter who asked. It mattered that they took the time to understand.

The words clicked in his mind and cranked like cogs in a machine. "I can... translate this, I think," he said at last. "It's... Elvish."

"Give me just a minute," he told her as he looked over the script fervently.

[Lessa 1]

"Elvish?" Lessa blinked owlishly at him, then shook her head. "I mean, I guess." Those wide eyes went to mere slits as she studied the seemingly random jumble of letters. "But even knowing it's Elvish isn't doing anything to translate it for me." Though she paused to stare a moment longer, she ended up glancing away with a quick tch. "My brain just isn't wired for this stuff," she informed him. Despite four years of French, Lessa could remember nothing of importance, and she had come incredibly close to failing every single semester.

So rather than offering any actual aid, or continuing to talk and distract the man, the blonde glanced away to study their surroundings. The hum of an insect drew her attention, and she followed a bee as it flitted from flower to flower. She watched a chittering squirrel scamper up the nearest tree, fluffy tail bristled like a toilet bowl cleaner. She caught a hummingbird out of the corner of her eye, but it disappeared before she could study it further. Then, finally, she turned back to Alkor.

[Alkor 0]

It hadn't been long hours of Sindarin study that taught Alkor to glean what was written there. The strange quest he embarked on through the Labyrinth had yielded knowledge of Aincrad's lore, and the secret behind the origins of the third floor's Elves. Their language was part and parcel to understanding the story, and so, the system had imparted knowledge of it to the Player as an unexpected side effect.

The ornate letters unwound before him and appeared as if he'd known them his entire life. Alkor turned toward Lessa and spoke. "It says that there was holy ground on this floor," he explained. "Something left behind, but desecrated. On that ground, where the dead go to rest, the Dragon waits."

Alkor blinked. Holy Ground? Certainly Elves weren't so sanctimonious... then he remembered. The Elves had once lived in harmony with the human race. Their destination was probably holy to mankind, once.

"It's not like there's a church on this floor, is it?" he remarked offhand. "Or some other kind of place for worship. Do you know of anything like that?"

[Lessa 1]

Hands on her hips, Lessa regarded Alkor for a long moment. Then she emitted a long, low whistle. "You are just full of surprises," she finally commented. "Not sure where you found time to learn Elvish, but I'm certainly glad you did. I figure that's going to save us a lot of aimless wandering."

Desecrated, ground, dead go to rest... damn it. She knew where he was going even before he got there, and the grimace on her face said as much. "Yeah," she finally admitted on a long, windy sigh. "There is a church on this floor. We can head that way but I'm not sure we'll find anything. I'm pretty certain there are no dragons there." Her voice trailed, and the woman didn't need Alkor to tell her that she was being vague. She paused to suck on her teeth, then gave a small tch. Might as well explain her thinking.

"Alright, long story short, Bahr and I found a cult living inside the Defiled Church on this floor." In the minutes following, Lessa summarized her experience with Sanctuary as succinctly as possible. Some of the juicer, more personal details were neglected, of course - they weren't exactly relevant to the task at hand. Besides, Lessa recognized the weird tension between her boyfriend and her best friend. No use making things worse by stirring the pot. "We can go back there, if you'd like, but I'm not sure it's worth the trip."

[Alkor 0]

"I don't think it's related to the church itself," he reasoned aloud, "but more like, that's a waymarker. 'Where the dead go to rest' sounds like a graveyard or mausoleum." It was weird to think about a cult inside of Aincrad, and after what Lessa explained, Alkor wanted to think that people were done with them thereafter. No more Kool Aid service.

"Either way, it's certainly not linked to your Sanctuary buddies. This is a quest generated by Cardinal, which means that unless the NPCs have all developed a religion while we weren't looking, the probability of any kind of organization like that is pretty low."

Alkor heard the reluctance in her voice- which was rare, honestly, because he struggled with empathy. After she went to all the trouble to explain her thoughts and dropped all the hints however, it was impossible not to notice.

"We just need to get our bearings," he said. "I'm not interested in exploring a defunct chapel, especially without a quest explicitly telling me to. What do you think we should do?" he asked.

[Lessa 1]

Her relief was nearly palpable, but she masked the enormous emotion with a small smile, a curt nod. "Yeah, that's a good point. I know Cardinal has been known to create quests on the fly, and even tailor them to specific people, but I can't imagine it making one about Sanctuary. Besides, I'm pretty sure this dragon quest has been around since the beginning of time. I've just never gotten around to it."

When the dark-haired swordsman asked for her opinion, surprise came into her blue eyes. "Oh," she answered as she turned them to him. "Uh, I think maybe we should head toward that big elven settlement?" The question in the statement might have been humorous were it not for the uncertain expression she wore. The Alkor she had known took charge of the situation. While he varied dramatically from the picture of a perfect, charismatic leader, he molded the situation in his own quiet, sturdy way. As such, his effortless question caught Lessa off-guard.

The blonde cleared her throat, casting a glance into the bushes to avoid meeting his gaze. "I mean, that's logical, right? It was in elvish, there are elves on this floor, and they probably have a cemetery of some sort."

[Alkor 0]

That clicked. 

If elves had sent the message, he doubted seriously a human made church counted as any kind of holy ground. He glanced at his map data and made a quick note of where they were relative to the main settlement. 

There were multiple on this floor, all with various intentions and missions. The largest was the Frontline defense against the dungeon, and where Players prepared to assail the floor boss. Since they had left the third floor behind them, it was all but forgotten by the Frontline Players.

Until right then.

"Holy ground," Alkor remembered. "The blessed land where the heroes laid down their lives in defense of the Elves. You're a genius, Lessa," he spoke quickly as he dismissed his status window and turned to start running. "Let's go!"

There was a wide path ahead of them, and the brush hung low overhead obscuring the sky, but sunlight filtered through and told them that they still had the luxury of daylight on their side. Soon, they would be faced with some manner of Dragon. 

Hopefully, ideally, stronger than the last.

[Lessa 1]

Still flushing from his "genius" comment, Lessa tore after Alkor. They matched each other stride-for-stride, boots thudding against the well-packed earth as they ate up the distance. When the pair reached the cemetery, perched on the edge of the elven settlement, she knew they had found the right spot.

The dragon's emerald scales shimmered beneath the sun as it wandered between ornate headstones. This creature was larger than it's brethren, approximately the size of a large dog. "I almost wish they were bigger," Lessa muttered as they slowed, and approached at a hesitant walk. "They'd be easier to kill if they weren't so small and cute," Even as she spoke, she drew her blade.

And the hatchling emitted a high pitched scream that sent her stumbling backward. "What the-" she managed, before two elves in deep green robes spilled from the nearby mausoleum. They both clutched curved daggers with gleaming, gem-studded hilts, and Lessa sucked in air through her teeth. "Guess the little guy has some back up."

Spoiler

Lessa: HP: 910/910 | Energy: 88/88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1

Ghidorah the Opal Hatchling: HP: 215/215 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | DMG: 70 | Thorns: 14
Elven Dragon Cultist Bob: HP: 50/50 | MIT: 25 | DMG: 35 | Thorns: 14
Elven Dragon Cultist Tom: HP: 50/50 | MIT: 25 | DMG: 35 | Thorns: 14

[Alkor 0]

Alkor jetted forward the moment Lessa mentioned the additional enemies and threw himself into an attack meant to strike out at every enemy at once. It wasn't his favored attack pattern, certainly, but if he could manage to end each of them in a single stroke, or even just take out one or two, it would leave Lessa with less enemies to worry about.

He snorted in irritation as his attack only managed to cleave through one of the cultists. On the plus side, it was ample damage to send the enigmatic elf splintering into shards of data. He would have to leave cleanup to Lessa, or at the very least, be ready to jump back in and help her finish the job. "Back up," Alkor repeated as he made finger quotes with his free hand.

"Warm bodies, more like. Shouldn't have a problem with these ones, either," he said.

 

Lessa: HP: 910/910 | Energy: 88/88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1

Alkor: HP: 574/590 (-14) | Energy 50/58 | 9 DMG | 1 Blight | 3 EVA | 48 MIT 

Ghidorah the Opal Hatchling: HP: 215/215 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | DMG: 70 | Thorns: 14
Elven Dragon Cultist Bob: HP: 50/50 | MIT: 25 | DMG: 35 | Thorns: 14
Elven Dragon Cultist Tom: HP: 0/50 (-55)| MIT: 25 | DMG: 35 | Thorns: 14

ID# 167962 Battle: 5 (miss)

ID# 167963  Battle: 5 (miss)

ID# 167964 Battle: 9 (crit) (poor Tom)

9 + 1 = 10 × 8 = 80 DMG 

 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Alkor

[Lessa 1]

"Nicely done," Lessa complimented easily, moving up alongside Alkor. The first elven cultist burst into pixels after a single hit, the fractals catching the sunlight as they drifted to the earth. The other two, as the swordsman predicted, would likely go down just as quickly. With that in mind, Lessa hefted her enormous weapon, lunged toward the two enemies that remained.

By chaining her attacks together, she was able to rake her blade across both the dragon and it's cultist at nearly the same time. The elf hardly had time to register the damage, a split second of horror crossing his face before he exploded. The dragon, unfortunately, proved unwilling to go down so easily. Though her sword art brought Ghidorah's health to the red, the creature remained. It bared it's sharp teeth, tucked it's head, and rammed it's shoulder into Lessa's midsection.

Was not expecting that, the woman mused as she flew backward. Though the actual strike failed to deal damage, one of the dragon's thorns had plunged into her armor's most vulnerable spot. Hissing through clenched teeth, Lessa turned to Alkor. "Finish it off?"

Spoiler

[1 - 1 - 0] Lessa: HP: 910-28= 882/910 | Energy: 88-14= 74/88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1

[0 - 0 - 1] Alkor: HP: 574/590 (-14) | Energy 50/58 | 9 DMG | 1 Blight | 3 EVA | 48 MIT 

Ghidorah the Opal Hatchling: HP: 215-152= 63 - 36 = 27/215 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | DMG: 70 | Thorns: 14
Elven Dragon Cultist Bob: HP: 50-167= 0/50  | MIT: 25 | DMG: 35 | Thorns: 14
Elven Dragon Cultist Tom: HP: 0/50 (-55)| MIT: 25 | DMG: 35 | Thorns: 14

Calamity Disaster against Ghidorah the Opal Hatchling | ID: 168706 BD: 5 - 1 (EVA) + 4 (ACC) = 8. HIT. 16*12 = 192 - 40 = 152.
Calamity Disaster against Elven Dragon Cultist Bob | ID: 168707 BD: 2 + 4 (ACC) = 6. HIT. 16*12 = 192 - 25 = 167.

Rolling for Ghidorah the Opal Hatchling
ID: 168708 BD: 10 Deals 70 - 89 (MIT) = 1 DMG to Lessa. Takes 36 DMG from thorns.

 

[Alkor 0]

Lessa ran in and delivered her own powerful AoE attack. The second cultist dropped as quickly and expired as pitifully as the first, but the dragon hatchling endured. When she called for him to take charge, he rushed forward from behind her and leapt upward, his blade glistening a sunset orange. 

When Alkor brought his weapon to bear, he unleashed a string of ferocious slashes that tore into the beast's flesh and sent data streaming away like spurts of blood from a fountain of gore. The swordsman landed with both feet against the creature's chest, bearing down on it with all of his weight and forcing it backward, looking to take it off balance and send it careening into the floor.

Its health bar exploded into small fragments as it disappeared from view, and Alkor glanced toward Lessa with a slight nod. "Looks like we got this in the bag," he commented.

 

ID# 168781 Battle: 10 <critical hit!>

10 + 2 = 12 × 11 = 132 - 40 = 92

Lessa: HP: 910-28= 882/910 | Energy: 88-14= 74/88 | Base DMG: 16 | Base MIT: 89 | Acc: 4 | Thorns: 2 | Heavy Momentum: 1 | Bleed: 1

 Alkor: HP: 560/590 (-14) | Energy 50/58 | 9 DMG | 1 Blight | 3 EVA | 48 MIT 
 

Ghidorah the Opal Hatchling: HP: 0/215 (-90) | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | DMG: 70 | Thorns: 14

Edited September 22, 2020 by Alkor