[F9-PP] <<Burning Phoenix Feathers>>

[Seul 1]

Rain? No. It was merely sweat which rolled down his cheeks and drenched the equipment that clung to his slender form. A hand rose to wipe his brow. Seul had been walking for about a watch and it was evident the hellish temperature of this particular floor was beginning to take its toll on his sanity. The eyes were even playing tricks on him now, as he could have sworn the small droplets flung from weary fingers evaporated before ever hitting the red dirt. 

It was time for a break. 

Many lovely stones marked the mountain trail. He chose the flattest as his improvised throne and sat crossed-legged. Looking down the slope he could make out the silhouette of Yōgan Village and couldn’t help but flash a wry grin at how far he’d come. That tailor had better have been right about this. The trek up the mountain wasn’t exactly a walk in the park and there was still quite a bit of distance that needed to be covered if he was to reach the nest before dark. 

The Phoenix was a creature of myth in the real world. To hunt for one now had been almost poetic. His time in Aincrad had killed a part of him. He shambled from place to place; universally hated and feared by those he encountered. But continued on nonetheless in the hopes of seeing the day they would all be free. From the ashes of his past Seul has returned and it is for that end he wields his blade once more. 

@Oikawa

Spoiler

Stats
1085 Health
104 Energy
14 Base Damage
126 Mitigation
54 Battle Healing
24 Holy Blessing | 6 Recovery
27 Thorns
6 Heavy Momentum
1 Accuracy
-1 Evasion
Equipment
Gratitude (THSS).......... // 6 Damage | 1 Accuracy
Confession (Heavy Armor).. // 6 Heavy Momentum | 27 Thorns
Remorse (Light Armor)...... // 24 Holy Blessing | 6 Recovery
Skills
Two-Handed Straight Sword.| Rank 5
Heavy Armor...............| Rank 5
Battle Healing............| Rank 5
Search & Detect...........| Rank 1
Picking...................| No Ranks
Extra Skills
Providence (Protector).....| Rank 3
Meditation................| No Ranks (Inactive)
Concentration.............| No Ranks
Survival..................| No Ranks
Skill Mods
Stonewall
Dismantling
Inventory
Woodland Armor - 1 Charge Left
Basic Teleport Crystal - x1
Banner of Support - 3 Charges Left
Generic Armor MK.9 (Light Armor) - +3 Evasion

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Seul

[Oikawa 1]

Stats:

Spoiler

LVL: 69

HP: 1,410 | EN: 138 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 61 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 0 | SR: +5 | LD: +3

+36 Bleed Damage (On a successful Critical attack with a Natural BD of 9 or 10, inflict Bleed on the target for 2 turns.)

+1 Paralytic Venom Offensive (On a successful attack with a Natural BD of 8-10, Paralyze the target for 1 turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties.)

+20 Burn Damage (When hit by a Non-Critical attack.)

+2 Light Momentum (After an unsuccessful attack, you get +2 BD until your next successful attack.)

+3 Recovery (On a Natural CD of 6 or more, you get +3 EN.)

MODIFIED STATS

HP: 0 | EN : 0 | DMG : 0 | MIT: 0 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | SR: +0

BUFFS

Rested (-1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.)

Clean (The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% rounded down.)

Unused

Unused

Unused

EQUIPPED ITEMS

Weapon: The Mob-Stopper [+3 Damage | +36 Bleed | +1 Paralytic Venom (Offensive)]

Armor: Akuma's Vain [+2 Flame Aura | +2 Light Momentum]

Accessory: Gate of Babylon [+3 Loot Die]

BATTLE READY ITEMS

x2 Safeguard Potion - [The next successful hit to your player will do no damage.]

x1 Banner of Support - [Heals up to 4 players for 20 HP. 3 Charges Left.]

x1 Major Damage Potion II (Perfect Tier 2 Potion) - [Adds +6 damage. Lasts for one thread.]

x1 Major Armor Crystal II (Perfect Tier 2 Crystal) - [Adds +54 mitigation. Lasts for one thread.]

x1 Eye of Horus [+2 Accuracy | +3 Recovery]

SKILLS & MODS

1. Hiding [Rank 5]: Vanish [Mod] | Surprise Attack "Trickster" [Mod]

2. Quick Change

3. Charge [Rank 5]

4. Two-Handed Assault Spear [Rank 5]: Precision [Mod] | Ferocity [Mod]

Martial Arts [Unlocked][Inactive]

5. Light Armor [Rank 5]: Athletics [Mod]

Concentration

Familiar Master: Fighter [Rank 3]

Meditation [Unlocked][Inactive]

Survival

Ragged pants and the sizzling sounds of evaporating sweat beads filled the nearly silent void blanketing the sandy expanse. Oikawa managed to continue his pace. Placing one foot after the other focusing solely on the task at hand. Scattered winds dusted away the trailing paw prints King, as the cub attempted to keep up with his master. One would assume that the survival skill would have an effect in these environments, but like most mechanics, they inevitably stop mattering.

Reaching the apex of the dune, Oikawa stopped short and gazed across his current horizon. Beneath him, a path carved in the sands led to what he assumed was Yōgan Village. What lay on the other side was rumored to be the nesting grounds of Aincrad's fabled Phoenix. The Party of Blacksmiths often mentioned that if you could retrieve one of its feathers, you could change the name and appearance of an item.

"In a way, it's like breathing new life into something of old..."

The thought drifted. Dropping to a knee, Oikawa glanced to the cub before picking him up and hoisting him onto his shoulders. "This next part gets tricky, and we need to make haste," murmured the brunette as he began to trek past the village.

"Curiosity is an interesting fate. Too often I find myself on these 'adventures'...perhaps this one will yield results..."

Oikawa's golden gaze shifted to something he hadn't noticed before.

Another set of steps.

"Hmm...I...wonder..."

 

@Seul

Edited April 26, 2020 by Oikawa

[Seul 1]

Seul continued on his way some time later. Although his journey would come to halt once more as he stumbled across another who walked this path. Accompanied by his familiar the other man had halted his advance the closer he drew. At this, the swordsman decided it best to maintain a respectable distance to not raise any sort of alarm. 

“Nice weather today, huh?” He sneered from beneath the mask. 

When their gazes met a wave of nostalgia swept through his mind. This was not a stranger like he had initially assumed. The term “friend” wouldn’t have been quite right either. Perhaps the most accurate thing to say was that they were ex-comrades in arms, if only because they had both served on the frontlines together in the past.

“Oikawa, The Faint. Now that's a name I haven’t heard in... I don’t know how long, actually. But it’s nice to see you’re still kicking.”

It’d probably be best to reintroduce himself as well.

“It’s Seul. Though I'm not sure if that’ll mean anything of substance. I never did quite reach the upper echelon of the frontlines in my time there.”

[Oikawa 1]

Sand swirled around them. The dusted particles clinging to his every movement as they inched closer to what hopefully would be there destination of rest. A bead of sweat raced down from his brow. Something was off. Waving his hand, he dissolved the cub from his shoulder and replaced it with one of his spears instead. The steps he followed were deeper. Fresher if you will. As he lurched forward over the hill, a cloaked figure came into view. A mask obscured his face but there was no mistake he was awaiting the brunette's appearance.

Oikawa remained cautious, the man's crystal a vibrant orange much like his own though he wasn't familiar with this player as far as he knew. Tension filled the air as he stepped closer. The ex-frontliner remained poised to strike until the hooded figure spoke.

“Nice weather today, huh?” the sneering voice echoed. Oikawa remained silent. What were his intentions? He knew people still loathed him for Zel's death. Could this be an ambush for that reason? "State your busi-"

"Oikawa, The Faint. Now that's a name I haven’t heard in... I don’t know how long, actually. But it’s nice to see you’re still kicking.” Oikawa was taken aback. "He knows my name. Surely this is an attack the-“It’s Seul. Though I'm not sure if that’ll mean anything of substance. I never did quite reach the upper echelon of the frontlines in my time there.”

"Seul?" The name sounded vaguely familiar. He thought back. Images of a lake and the boss raid populated, though he looked much different during those times, and he was sure his crystal wasn't orange then.

"Ahh, Seul. The frontlines isn't much more than a title these days. You're not missing out." Oikawa tightened the grip on his spear. He was still unsure of the man's intentions. He wasn't too familiar with him and was in no mood to deal with a PKer today. "Entertain me. What bring you out here?"

@Seul

Edited April 8, 2020 by Oikawa

[Seul 1]

    Seul's arms folded across his chest as he eyed the man. Saying Oikawa was a bit on edge would've been an understatement. The man's weapon might have been out, but it wasn't fully poised to strike. At least not yet anyway. The swordsman had no intention of spilling blood, though.

"You can relax... I assure you our meeting here is purely coincidental. I'm looking for a certain monster. A phoenix. The people down there said it lives around these parts, and I'm going to kill it for a quest."

    With the air cleared and his purpose known, he hoped that the man had enough sense to sheathe his weapon. Though Seul wasn't at the Floor 15 boss fight, his guildmates at the time were. Everyone had seen who killed the Hero of Aincrad. With a literal stab through the back, he fell from the blade of someone he called a friend. It was a far cry from Seul's situation, and of the two, it was clear who warranted more suspicion. 

@Oikawa

[Oikawa 1]

Oikawa's grip softened. The quest. They were both here for the quest. To say paranoia had become more of a reality would be an understatement. After witnessing Mari get chased down mercilessly, he was sure his name wasn't too far behind hers on the list of PKers to PK. The brunette then shrugged, he imagined Seul couldn't be too inclined to want to pick a fight right now anyhow. Neither of them were sure of their level or gear set, though if his old nickname had still held any merit, one could assume that he was still a user of the paralysis build.

Clearing his throat, Oikawa planted his spear and rested upon the crossed arms hoisting him up. "Burning Phoenix Feathers?" he questioned. "Hmm it would seem we have the same objective then. Perhaps we should party up to knock it out quickly?" Oikawa was still leery, despite Seul's words, but he had seen enough combat to know when things weren't going to go in his favor and if need be he could always just vanish. The reward would seemingly outweigh the risk and he was fine with that.

"So what do you say Seul?"

Loot:

Spoiler

ID: 144731

LD: 10 (7+3) [No Materials Found]

@Seul

Edited May 6, 2020 by Oikawa

[Seul 1]

"Works for me." 

    Tensions had calmed, and it appeared the two were working toward the same goal of felling the phoenix. With a swipe of his hand, Seul sent forth a party invite. He didn't mind working with someone on this particular task. Most times, he was left to his own devices, relying solely on what his blade alone could do. These past few months spent in solitude had been eye-opening in that regard. 

    Using the opportunity to search for materials the NPCs wanted, the swordsman was only able to find rocks, rocks, and more rocks. All of them useless. With Oikawa not seeming to have much more luck, he thought it would be best to start moving again. Seul would move some way up the mountain path but was careful to stay within earshot. 
    
"So, where have you been? I've been out of the loop for a long time. Not that I was ever really in it, to begin with."

Looking for Mat ID# 145126 results: Loot -- 4 | (3+1) | Fail

Edited May 2, 2020 by Seul

[Oikawa 1]

"Works for me." 

With Seul on board, Oikawa reasoned the quest would begin to move a lot smoother. Accepting the party invite, he looked over the quest requirements once again. Judging from their cumulative quest inventory, neither of them had been successful in locating the materials for the name tag yet. "Perhaps we should move further along. I don't think we'll find any worthwhile materials in this area." However, Seul was already ahead of him on that note as he began to trudge up the sanded mountains.

Still searching, Seul called out to the brunette. Questioning where he had been since the last time they had met up. Oikawa scanned the ground for materials, while he pondered the best way to approach the question. He thought about fully explaining but thought better of it. Opting for the condensed version, he turned to him and answered.

"Honestly, I've been trying to sort myself out. Ever since the incident...I haven't been the same," he admitted. "But I'm working towards new goals. Hence why I am out here. I don't care for the phoenix feather, but I need the skill points and col for my plans."

"What about you? What have you been up to in my absence?"

Loot:

Spoiler

ID: 146662

LD: 10 (7+3) [No Materials Found][0/5 Found]

@Seul

Edited May 6, 2020 by Oikawa

[Seul 1]

Though he faced away from the spear-user while they walked, Seul listened intently as the man answered his question with honesty. It seemed Oikawa too had been on a journey of sorts these past few months. But unlike Seul, his purpose was found somewhere along the way. 

"I see." 

From the corner of his vision, Seul had noticed a small patch of grass growing between two stones and quickly took to digging up the bundle of flimsy blades. With one ingredient down and four left to find, the pair were making decent progress for only having just started. After tucking it away, he would finally turn back.

"Guess I've been going through something similar. I've spent a lot of time traveling this world alone, looking for a reason to keep going. I'm not too sure what that'll be, but I know I'll know it when I find it." 

A nagging sensation pricked the back of his mind while speaking. The choice was simple: He could press for further information or let the conversation take a different turn. Of course, curiosity would get the better of him, as it so often did. 

"So, these goals you mentioned..."

Looking for Mat ID# 147031 results: Loot -- 19 | (18+1) | Success! | 1/5 Found

@Oikawa

Edited May 7, 2020 by Seul

[Oikawa 1]

"That's oft how it goes," chimed the brunette. "But I hope you find it."

Oikawa was unsure what troubles Seul had, but he was reminded that everyone had there demons and dealt with them differently. He hoped Seul would find his purpose before losing complete faith in himself. He knew that dreaded feeling and wouldn't want to wish that upon anyone.

The pair split further. Each searching around for materials. While it seemed like Seul had found luck, Oikawa was still emptied handed and not contributing at all. It would seem the trend would continue as he flipped another rock to no avail. I wonder if the material gathering difficulty was increased for this quest? I should really invest in Gatherer again...he mused before snapping back to Seul who seemed to question what he meant earlier.

"The goals huh? Simply put, redemption. Clearing the game, helping those in need, and eventually working towards removing this," he explained gesturing to the orange crystal above him. "It isn't much, but I owe Zelrius at least that much."

Loot:

Spoiler

ID: 147444

LD: 6 (3+3) [No Materials Found][1/5 Found]

@Seul

Edited May 9, 2020 by Oikawa

[Seul 1]

“All that sounds very noble.” 

He wasn’t sure what was going on today. Seul had never been one for gathering or crafting. These things required a level of finesse and patience he was never willing to invest. Not as long as he was able to make money from quests and looting monsters anyway. So it was strange that he would be the one to stumble across yet another material on the list. 

“I’m not sure if I wanna get rid of mine.” He stated, bringing the focus back to the crystal colors. 

“I might miss the dirty looks I get while out and about.” 

It was a half-joke. While changing back to green was something he had considered before, the swordsman wasn’t in a rush to go through with it. As far as he knew, orange players could only revert back once. Though they had been quiet, he knew it was only a matter of time before the organization responsible for the first assassin decided to strike again.

Looking for Mat ID# 151021 results: Loot -- 18 | (17+1) | Success! | 2/5 Found

@Oikawa 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Seul

[Oikawa 1]

“All that sounds very noble. I’m not sure if I wanna get rid of mine.” I suppose so, thought the brunette. "I don't see it so much as noble but more so what I owe to the one I felled in coward's combat," he explained. "As far as your crystal, there's nothing wrong with that. Having it is more so a warning for others than a debuff or nuisance for us. A lot of things are still obtainable without the need for towns." Oikawa knew everyone was different and had their reasons. Seul was no different. Though he has changed a lot from what Oikawa remembered about him. Aincrad does tend to have that effect on people however, he mused.

His eyes continued to scan the sands for anything remotely close to an ore. They had been out searching for a while now and they only had two materials to show for it. Worse part, was that he hadn't contributed to the two at all. "Until now," he muttered under his breath as he plucked yet another ore from the dunes. "I believe that makes three no?"

Relaxing his stance, the brunette looked back towards Seul. "So what're your plans now? What's your end goal? And what made you a bearer of that crystal?"

Loot:

ID: 151192

LD: 20 (17+3) [Materials Found][3/5 Found]

@Seul

Edited May 25, 2020 by Oikawa

[Seul 1]

Rolling...

Looking for Mat ID# 151226 results: Loot -- 12 | (11+1) | Fail

Edited May 26, 2020 by Seul