[E3][PP-F21] <<Nature's Treasure>> No Floor for Old Men

[Baldur 0]

Baldur put on his straw hat. He hadn't worn one since he was a kid, and he picked up his brand new fishing pole. He hadn't been fishing since he was a kid either. Probably since his feet hadn't touched the floor boards of his dad's truck. But it didn't matter here. He had the <<Fishing>> skill, which meant he was just as good as everyone else... at least, mechanically speaking. He didn't know if there was some special way to choose locations, but that's what the quest had picked up was for. <<Nature's Treasure>> was supposed to make it easier, and cut out some of the annoyance, like fishing up monsters.

He tied up the sleeves of his kimono, and in an almost unique exception, wasn't wearing his trademarked blue and white haori.

Floor 21 was also not a floor he frequented. He didn't care for the grim dark edge lord, or underground floors. But this is where the magic happens.

The gaijin fisherman made his way out of the settlement and tried to follow some underground rivers had had seen on his map. Eventually he came to a cavern that seemed remote and unoccupied. A waterfall fell into a pond, and it seemed big enough and deep enough that he could fish there all day and not deplete the pond. Better than that, while he was scouting it, a fish jumped.

"Well, this looks about like the perfect spot."

He set down his tackle box and interacted with it, loading the <<Bait>> onto the pole and casting out into the pond.

"Winner winner chicken dinner."

---

ID#139041 CD: 6 LD: 2+5=7 Materials +1, Eggs +4, +1 Mat from housing bonus
Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 4
Mats: 2

@Shield

Quest:

Spoiler

Floor 1, 11, or 21
<<Nature's Treasure>>
Recommended Level: Any | Party Limit: None
Repeatable: Yes
Credit: @Itzal

Rewards:

• The Materials Gathered

Summary:

Marking the beginning of each tier (Floors 1, 11, 21, etc.), these levels of Aincrad in particular each seem to have various locations among the floors that are bursting at the seams with crafting materials. They are easier to find than other hunting grounds on comparable floors, with short respawn rates to make them the best locations to hunt for materials.

If the floor is vegetated, players can find a <<Garden>>. If there are a lot of buildings on the floor, players can find a <<Courtyard>>. If the floor is underground, players can find a <<Cavern>>. Many NPCs give away these farming locations, telling players about this amazing opportunity of extra materials, whether it be from plentiful monster drops or from the safer areas outside of town that make for easy, peaceful fishing and gathering.

Searching:  LD rolls of 11-14 give 1 material.  LD rolls of 15+ give 2 materials.  Gatherer skill is added to this roll as well.

Fishing:  Monsters and bosses never spawn.  Fishing receives no bonus materials.  CD 12s require a LD of 15+ (modifiers allowed) to fish up a treasure chest.  If 1-14, players receive 4 materials.

Treasure Chests:  LD of 1-3 does not result in a mimic, but drops (Floor * 25) col and one material.

Looting Mobs: Mobs that satisfy the loot minimum always drop (HP * 4) col and 1 material as default drops.

Requirements:

• At least one [1] Page (20 or more posts)
• Mobs MUST meet or exceed the loot minimum parameter.

Baldur:

Spoiler

» Baldur, The Gaijin Samurai

• Modified HP:
• Modified EN:
• Modified MIT:
• Modified ACC:
• Modified DMG:
• Modified EVA: 
• Battle Heal:
• Search: +5
• Temp Buff: Lucky Heart +2 LD
• Temp Buff:
• Temp Buff:

» Base Stats

• Base HP: 1350
• Base EN: 132
• Base MIT: 79
• Base ACC: 1 (2 and does not automatically miss on 1s with Warden's Fury)
• Base DMG: 19 (with fighting familiar)
• Muramasa Base DMG: 22 (No bonus from familiar)
• Base EVA: 2
• Battle Heal: 53 HP
• Search: +3

» Items Equipped:

• Warden's Fury - Absolute Accuracy/2 Paralyze
• OR Muramasa - +12 Damage
• Montsuki haori - 54 DMG MIT/+1 EVASION
• Bandit's Lucky Rabbits Foot +3 LD
• Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7)

» Battle-Ready Inventory:

• Medium Damage Potion ^x7 | Rare T2 Item | +2 Damage
• Basic Teleportation Crystal ^x1 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings
• Max Mass HP Recovery Crystal ^x7 | Perfect T2 Item | +30*Target Tier (30/60/90)
• Max T2 HP Recovery Crystal II ^x5 | Perfect T2 Item | +180 HP
• Safeguard Potion ^x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard
• HB: Max Vitality Snack ^x2 | Rare Tier 2 | Grants +12 Energy
• EWL: Medium Antidote Potion ^x1 | Rare Tier 2 | Immune to negative status effects for 2 turns
• EWL: Muramasa or Warden's Fury
• EWL: Emerald Teardrop - +2 ACC/+1 EVASION

» Skills:

• Searching | Rank 0/5 | +0 Bonus to LD, +0 to Stealth Detect
• Battle Healing | 4 Rank | While in combat, recover 1% per rank (45HP) at the beginning of your turn
• Charge | 5 ranks | +1 base damage per rank (+5 damage) once per opponent per combat
• One Handed Curved Sword | Rank 1/5 | Novice
• Katana | Rank 5/5 | Grand Master
• Light Armor | 5 Rank | +25 Mitigation
• Concentration | No Ranks | Gain +1 BD for a single attack | 5 Turn Cooldown
• Familiar Mastery: Fighter |  3 Ranks | +9 base damage (Does not stack with equipment)
• Survival | Purchased |  Increases out of combat health regen to (15xTier) 45 per post
• Extended Weight Limit | Purchased | Increases Battle Ready Inventory by 3
• Parry | Purchased | 3 Turn Cooldown | 5 Energy | Reduces incoming damage by 50%
• Quick Change | Purchased | Swap Equipment as a free action | 3 Turn Cooldown
• Fishing | Purchased | Fish for equipment and gain prestige among old men

» Housing Bonus:

• Rested: -1 Energy on first 2 uses
• Filling: Add 1 extra slot to food
• Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory slot
• Relaxed: Out of Combat regen 5*Tier and recover all energy in 2 turns

» Mods:

• Athletics: +1 DMG +30 HP
• Katana Precision: +1 to Accuracy
• Katana Ferocity: +1 damage on katana sword arts
• Sprint & Acrobatics: +1 Evasion
• Finesse: Rank 3 | -3 Energy cost to sword arts

Event:

Spoiler

Event will run until April 22, 2020

The Easter Bunny has scattered Chocolate Eggs all around Aincrad. Eg, Egg, n Eggy - three children of dubious morals and ravenous sweet-tooths (teeth? teeths?) - need your help to find as many Chocolate Eggs as possible! Chocolate Eggs may be found by hunting mobs, gathering materials, or even fishing! Bring enough to Eg, Egg, and Eggy in exchange for amazing prizes!

Chocolate Eggs may be found via looting slain mobs on a LD9+
CD1-3: 2 Eggs
CD4-6: 3 Eggs
CD7-9: 5 Eggs
CD10-12: 6 Eggs
Chocolate Eggs may be found via gathering on a LD6+
CD1-3: 1 Egg
CD4-6: 2 Eggs
CD7-9: 3 Eggs
CD11-12: 4 Eggs
If gathering with Full Energy:
CD1-3: 2 Eggs
CD4-6: 3 Eggs
CD7-9: 5 Eggs
CD10-12: 6 Eggs
Chocolate Eggs may be found via fishing on a CD3+
LD1-5: 2 Eggs
LD6-10: 4 Eggs
LD11-15: 6 Eggs
LD16-20: 8 Eggs
Chocolate Eggs are a bonus drop and will be obtained in addition to any other items.

Rewards
 

Tier x Material (Limit 100)	1 Egg
Specified Unidentified Equipment	5 Eggs
Reroll Ticket - Reidentify a single slot on a single piece of gear at a merchant. (Limit 3)	25 Eggs
Easter Bunny's Favor - Reidentify a single slot on a piece of gear at a Merchant using only their Unique Enhancement table. (Limit 1)	50 Eggs
Bunny Stamp - Increase the Rarity of a single item up to Demonic, selecting a normal Enhancement in the process (Limit 1)	150 Eggs
Special Dungeon Map	100 Eggs

Note: Players may only participate in the event with a single character. Alts are banned from this event. If caught using an alt, you forfeit all rewards from the event.

 

Special Dungeon

Purchasing the Special Dungeon Map unlocks the Special Dungeon <<Easter Bunny’s Chocolate Factory>>. Inside the Chocolate Factory, you will be pitted up against enemies of the same tier as the one who initially used the map. So, a Tier 3 Player spawning the dungeon would create a Tier 3 version of the dungeon. The Special Dungeon must be undertaken with at least one other player, with a maximum number of players being 4. Players may pool their eggs together to purchase a Special Dungeon Map, but in all other cases Eggs are bound to the player.

Within the Special Dungeon, players will fight Unique Mobs and roll on a Unique Drop Table. Note: Players may only enter the special dungeon once.

Encounter 1: The Caramel Warren
Frosted Bunny: 150/400/650 HP | 50/125/250 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 25/35/50 MIT
While the Frosted Bunny is alive, all of the other members of the Warren heal for 10% of their maximum health every rotation.
Toffee Bunny: 275/600/1000 HP | 25/75/150 DMG | 2 ACC | 0 EVA | 35/80/125 MIT
While the Toffee Bunny is alive, no other member of the Warren can be attacked, including via AoE.
Red-Hot Bunny: 150/400/650 HP | 75/150/400 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 25/35/50 MIT
The Red-Hot Bunny applies a Burn debuff on a BD7+, inflicting 20/50/60 Unmitigatable DMG every round to the target.
Dark Chocolate Bunny: 150/400/650 HP | 75/150/400 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 0 MIT | Stealth Rating: 13+
Every 2 Turns, the Dark Chocolate Bunny enters stealth. Attacks from stealth strike all members of the party.

Rewards
2 SP
Each member of the party rolls for Loot
LD1-8: Frosted Necklace: Tier x Perfect Trinket - Life Mending, Recovery, Recovery
LD9-15: Toffee Armor: Tier x Perfect Heavy Armor - Bloodclot, Thorns, Thorns
LD16-19: Red Hot Weapon: Tier x Perfect Weapon - Burn, Burn, Bleed
LD20: Dark Chocolate Rabbit’s Foot - Change one weapon/armor type to a different one of your choosing

Encounter 2: The Way-Too-Big Peep
The Giant Peep: 700/1000/2000 HP | 10/25/30 DMG | 3 ACC | 0 EVA | 50/100/150 MIT
Ability: Every three turns, the Peep splits into smaller Peeps. Players then have the opportunity to play Chubby Bunny with the peeps by rolling a CD. The CD corresponds to the number of Peeps one can shove down their gullet and still speak. After the Chubby Bunny phase, the Giant Peep reforms and players gain bonuses equal to the amount of Peeps they ingested.
1-3 Peeps - Phase
4-6 Peeps - Apply Burn on a BD8
7-9 Peeps - Holy Proc on the player’s next Critical.
10-12 Peeps - Next successful attack procs double Fallen.

Rewards
3 SP
20000 Col
30 Tiered Materials
<<Peep's Tears (it's basically sugar water)>>: Grants a +1 CD Bonus for Familiar Training
Each member of the party rolls for Loot
LD1-8 Double Col and Material Rewards
LD9-17 The Big Peep - Demonic Consumable: Overhealth, Overhealth, Overhealth, Overhealth
LD18-19 The Bigger Peep - An item that turns your familiar into a tiny version of the Giant Peep
LD20 The Biggest Peep - Tier x Perfect Trinket: Holy Blessing, Recovery, Recovery

Encounter 3: The Easter Bunny’s Second Cousin (twice removed)
Sebastian 500/1000/2000 HP | 75/200/350 DMG | 2 ACC | 2 EVA | 25/50/75 MIT 
Ability: D-D-Drop the Egg - Every three turns, Sebastian drops a massive egg onto the battlefield (100/250/500 HP | 50/100/150 MIT). If not successfully destroyed, the entire party suffers 75/150/250 Unmitigatable damage and become struck by the funk, causing them to lose their next turn to Sebastian’s sick beats.

Rewards
5 SP
LD1-6:  Bass Cannon - Unidentified Demonic Weapon
LD7-12: Dope Shades - Unidentified Demonic Trinket
LD13-19: Sick Jacket - Unidentified Demonic Shield/Armor
LD20: The Ultimate Chocolate Egg - Crack this bad boy open for an amazing surprise. That surprise is a Quad Fall- I mean literally all of the above.

Fishing:

Spoiler

►Fishing
Cost: 10 SP
Active: Post Action
Effect: Use a dice roll to fish something up based on a natural CD result:

• CD 1: Fished up a boss monster!
• CD 2-3: Fished up a monster with loot minimum stats
• CD 4: Nothing seems to be biting...
• CD 5-6: 1 Material fished up!
• CD 7-8: 2 Materials fished up!
• CD 9-10: 3 Materials fished up!
• CD 11: 4 Materials fished up!
• CD 12: Treasure Chest fished up!

Note: When fishing up a treasure chest, another post action is still required to open it. Fished-up monsters take their turn before the player(s) and originally target the Fisher.
Boss monsters have the following stats: (Player Level * 20) HP | (Player Level * 6) DMG | (Player Level) MIT. Boss monsters drop col equal to their total HP and 2 materials in addition to normal loot drops.

Description: The user has learned the water holds secrets, and now goes to search them, though it holds dangers...

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

The droning roar of the falls filled the space of the cavern where a solitary soul sat silently in the semidarkness of of Aincrad's cavernous twenty first floor. Pale light cast contrast onto his rough features, accentuating the short but unkempt facial hair and the prominent scar that cursed his visage. It had been a long time since Shield had revealed himself to anyone other than a very select few players, the list limited thus far only to his gaming companion, Beat, and Calypso, the woman that he had grown very fond of over the past years of isolation. He had not had any plans to break that streak. He had come at a time of day when people tended not to frequent this spot, and he had arrived early enough that if someone did arrive, he might be able to slip out unnoticed.

Shield glanced at his HUD, noticing a notification that he had missed earlier. It was for an Easter themed egg hunt. He glanced briefly at the rewards and how they might be acquired. His eyes stopped on the word 'fishing.' His spine stiffened. He had not anticipated others being present, but given the ample rewards, company was practically an inevitability. He began to quickly pack up his tackle. There came a splash from the pool in front of him, on the other side of the waterfall that concealed him, which was not uncommon for the fish-laden subterranean waters. What was uncommon though, was the voice that followed.

"Well, this looks like a perfect spot!"

...Baldur?

He questioned in his mind, but he knew immediately that there wasn't any question about it. He knew that voice. A former compatriot and fellow front-liner, and a once personal friend. He was not one of the players with whom Shield had maintained contact. He was not sure if he wanted to now. Still, it felt petty and cowardly to slip away into the darkness from someone for whom Shield held so much respect. He stepped out from behind the waterfall, casting his line into the water just as Baldur finished landing his own catch.

Spoiler

ID# 139058 results: Craft: 5  Loot: 7+8=15 [6 Eggs Found] [1 T3 Material Found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 6
Materials: 1

Shield's reel whined loudly behind the samurai, and as he reeled in, he sat himself down beside his old friend, facing out towards the water, not quite ready to look him in the face just yet. He wasn't sure if it was shame or just the uncertainty of standing after so much time. Still, he was here.

"Nice day for fishing."

 @Baldur

Spoiler

» Shield, The Immovable Object

• Modified HP:
• Modified EN:
• Modified MIT:
• Modified ACC:
• Modified DMG:
• Modified EVA:
• Battle Heal:
• Search:
• Temp Buff:
• Temp Buff:
• Temp Buff:

» Base Stats

• Base HP: 1710
• Base EN: 162
• Base MIT: 169
• Base ACC: 0
• Base DMG: 2
• Base EVA: -1
• Battle Heal: 85 HP
• Search: +5

» Items Equipped:

• Seeking Aura - +3 Search
• Raw Passion - +3 Prosperity
• Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7)

» Battle-Ready Inventory:

• Golden  Keys ^x7 | Unique Item | +2 Search on Chests
• Golden  Keys ^x3 | Unique Item | +2 Search on Chests
• Basic Teleportation Crystal ^x4 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings
• Safeguard Potion ^x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard
   

» Skills:

• Searching | 5 Ranks | +5 Bonus to LD, +0 to Stealth Detect
• Battle Healing | 5 Ranks | While in combat, recover 1% per rank (85HP) at the beginning of your turn
• First Aid | 5 Ranks | +4% HP per rank (+20% HP) on Post Action
• Picking | Purchased | +3 LD when opening chests
• Heavy Armor | 5 Rank | +35 Mitigation
• Energize | Purchased |  Restore 8 EN to target
• Block | 5 Ranks | +25 Mitigation
• Howl | Purchased | +2 Hate against each opponent (up to 4)
• Fighting Spirit | Purchased | +1 Hate when using Howl or Focused Howl
• Parry | Purchased | 3 Turn Cooldown | 5 Energy | Reduces incoming damage by 50%
• Fishing | Purchased | Fish for equipment and gain prestige among old men

» Extra Skills:

• Concentration | No Ranks | Gain +1 BD for a single attack | 5 Turn Cooldown
• Familiar Mastery: Healer |  3 Ranks | +135 HP (Does not require post action)
• Martial Arts | 1 Rank | +1 Base Damage per slot with Unarmed Weapons
• Meditation | Purchased | Recover an additional 15 EN on Post Action | 3 Turn Cooldown
• Survival | Purchased |  Increases out of combat health regen to (15xTier) 45 per post

» Mods:

• Athletics: +1 DMG +30 HP
• Focused Howl: +4 Hate against single target on Post Action
• Dismantling: +2 LD when opening chests
• Stone Wall: +Gain 10 MIT and 45 HP from heavy armor. Reduces DOT by 25%. -1 to Evasion.
• Justified Riposte: A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 3 Turn Cool Down
• Vengeful Riposte: A successful Parry returns 50% of DMG back to your opponent - mitigatable. | 3 Turn Cool Down

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

"Ain't it?" Baldur said as he reeled in his fish, but then after a moment, it struck him. He glanced to his side, almost missing the fish as he pulled it from the water. The man who stood before him had that kind of unkempt look that somehow managed to look kempt. It had been a long time since he had seen his old comrade. 

A mix of feelings washed over Baldur. Chief among them was relief. He had certainly missed the man, one of the few players Baldur felt like he could truly speak with on an even tone. They were of an age, or close enough, and Baldur considered Shield his equal in matters of strategy, planning, and acumen. Shield has a disposition that matched Baldur's, which allowed them to debate ideas back and forth, thinking aloud and brainstorming, without the usual frustration that Baldur could sometimes feel with others.

"Shield-kun." Baldur said, with a bit of a smirk as he reeled in another fish, and a much better haul than the rest.

"I..." He was busy handling the fish, and Shield seemed to be intent on his own line, so rather than hug the thorny tank, Baldur turned back to his line.

"It is good to see you, my friend. Your presence has been sorely missed."

Not since the dreadful fight with Hestia that not only broke the front line, but broke their alliance, and Baldur's spirit. Instead of going into the Floor 24 fight with high spirits and fully prepared, Baldur and Shield's team disbanded and left for isolation to think things over. And the raid went on unprepared and disorganized in one of the worst displays without someone dying that had been faced by the front line.

@Shield

---

ID#139060 CD7 LD14+5=19: 2 Mats, 8 Eggs, +1 Mat housing bonus

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 12
T3 Mats: 5

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 139063 results: Craft: 4,  Loot: 7+8=15 [6 Eggs Found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 12
Materials: 1

Shield gave a nod, enough of one to be seen peripherally at least, and at this point floundered for actual words. His absence was a long one, and he had heard very vague updates from Calypso about the state of things. It was not all good news, and he knew he had contributed his fair share to that. He swallowed back that regret, despite the size of that lump. He was determined for this to not be a sad meeting.

"You're looking well," he said, unsure of where he was going to go from there. Asking about the front lines seemed too business-like, but he did not know anything about the samurai's personal matters since his own departure from the dealings of the assault team. He chose rather to maintain his silence for the moment. Baldur had always been more social than he was anyways. Besides, he had somewhat intentionally caught the other player by surprise. There was no need to force any particular topic. "It's good to see you as well," he added, which was both a polite reciprocation and the truth. Despite his misgivings, it was good to see with his own virtual eyes that a friend was still living.

He reeled in his line once again, this time actually inspecting the catch. Dangling from the belly of the fish, which was an odd, translucent gummy candy, there were a number of foil-wrapped chocolate eggs inside of it. He dismissed the items into his inventory for later f inspection.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

 

Baldur was pleased when he saw Shield cast his line again. They may not be particularly chatty, but him remaining here to continue conversation, or just being near each other, brought some warmth to Baldur's heart that he hadn't realized had been hurting. The gaijin fisherman had carried the burden of floor 24 with him, seemingly on his own, for all this time. The loss of his friends, the breakup of his team, the stalling of the frontline. These were all burdens on his shoulders. Not that they alone were responsible for it, but they had certainly played their part.

But more than that, the loss of Shield as Baldur's peer and comrade had left the player feeling more alone than he had for a long time, even as he was generally a solo player. The guild they had been building towards was one Baldur was going to be proud of. But now, he had retreated. Back to solitude, back to isolation, and back to introspection. It was only when he saw that the frontlines weren't moving forward at all, that he had begun to put himself back out there, and fight for some type of normalcy and redemption for his part in things.

But he still carried a twisting knot of anger in his belly for Hestia, and that made fighting along side her difficult.

"How's the wife?" Baldur tossed him a bit of a playful smirk, but Shield was looking forward and might not have seen it. Shield was married to Beat, and though it was a marriage of stat bonuses, Baldur enjoyed poking at his friend over it.

---

ID#139064 CD10 LD16+5=21: 3 mats, 8 eggs, +1 Mat housing bonus

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 20
T3 Mats: 9

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 139066 results: Craft: 9, Loot: 15+8=23 [8 Eggs found] [3 T3 Materials found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 20
Materials: 4

Shield had almost forgotten about the little jibes that Baldur bandied in his direction, and for a moment, he was on the verge of flushing. After all, despite being very close to Calypso, that situation was not common knowledge. However, he righted himself quickly and silently kicked himself over his internal reaction. "Beat... kinda vanished for a while there. I guess we all did. It was no small matter tracking him down to make sure he was still in one piece." He shifted in his sitting position, unsure if that particular topic was one he was ready to delve into. "How have you been?"

His line scarcely hit the water before it was snagged in the lip of another, more substantial fish. He felt the pull all the way in his shoulders and had to dig in his heels to bring the fish in. Once again, it was laden with the same chocolate eggs as before. The event so far seemed straightforward enough. It was everything he could do not to open the message once again and properly inspect the details of what the eggs did. Even in the face of such a significant encounter from his past, Shield still was what he was - a shameless min-maxer. He resisted the urge, banishing the fish and its contents to his inventory with the others and turning his eyes back to the lake.

Is it really that much better to avoid eye contact by looking at the water than it is to avoid it by reading up on the event?

Shield arbitrarily decided that the answer was yes, though not a very confident one.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

The gaijin fisherman let out a long sigh when Shield asked how he had been. Not perturbed by the question, but most the weight of the emotions Baldur felt. There was silence for a long moment as Baldur thought about how he would respond to Shield's question. So many thoughts and feelings running through him.

"Probably about the same as Beat, I'd imagine."

He cast his line out again into the water.

"I kinda vanished for a while. I only recently started to kind of come back out and help out."

Baldur wasn't really sure how to say what he wanted to say, so he said nothing.

"I bought a house... I'm going to open a dojo to help people. I seem to be a magnet for people needing help or finding repentance." Perhaps it's because I'm so used to seeking it out myself. Baldur left the final words unspoken.

"I'm going to call it... Katsujinken... literally, the Life-Giving sword. I thought it was a fun philosophical... pun? I will teach them how to use a weapon of death, not just to save themselves, but to save everyone but getting us all out of this game."

---

ID#139069 CD5 LD12+5=17: Material +1, Eggs +6, +1 mat housing bonus

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 26
T3 Mats: 11

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 139071 results: Craft: 9 [3 T3 Materials found] Loot: 14+8=22 [8 Eggs found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 28
Materials: 7

'"That is a noble use for a sword, that it is," Shield said, a very sly half smile turning up at the corner of his lips. The reference was an old one as far as those in the nerd community were concerned, but he had a feeling given Baldur's style and aesthetic that it would not be lost on him. "I'm glad one of us old lost souls is doing something to give back. I used my shield similarly as you know, but... it's been absent from its post. I'm sure you wouldn't assume otherwise, but don't think I haven't carried the guilt of that. I haven't heard word of any deaths, but even if that is accurate, it doesn't preclude that there was opportunity for lost life."

It was arrogant. He was talking about himself like he was the only player who could tank on the front lines. While he knew that was not the case, it was still something he has aspired to strive to do, and to be the best that he could. What's more, his reasons were not entirely selfless. Without even realizing it, he had fallen down that same rabbit-hole of thought that had plagued his contemplations for the entirety of his absence. Likely, he would have continued tumbling down its winding depths were it not for the yanking of his line. He gripped hard and pulled, setting the hook and reeling in a catch nearly identical to his last.

"I can't say I blame you for struggling - and for getting lost. I think all of us old players get that way at some point."

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

"You're not wrong. The burn out it is real, that it is." He smirked. He had almost lost his line when Shield had... not quoted, but mimicked Kenshin. He didn't know that anyone else here would have gotten the reference of such an old, classic show. But among gaijin who practiced the art in the outside world, it was impossible not to.

"It's been... hard. I have no good justification for walking away, other than I just like the rug had been pulled out from under me, or like I had the wind knocked out of my motivation. I was a ship stilled in ocean, stuck in calm waters.'

He cast his line out again, but this time something really stuck.

"It took me a long time to be able to face--- urgh.. to face them again." Baldur struggled, hauling something very heavy.

"It helped that Macradon stepped away as well, and he and I came together to push things forward."

Slowly, and worried that his fishing rod might back, Baldur pulled a treasure chest ashore. It was a feat that could only be accomplished inside of a video game.

"Well... aint that something. Do you mind giving me a hand with this? I seem to remember you being quite good with these, and I left my keys at home."

---

ID#139074 CD12 LD20+5=25: Treasure Chest, Eggs +8, +1 Mat housing bonus

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 34
T3 Mats: 12
1 Treasure Chest

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 139076 results: Loot: 9+7=16

Chest Loot [Accounting for +3 Prosperity]

[1-3] = A <<Mimic>>
[4-7] = 1200 Col, 2 materials, 2 uncommon consumables
[8-11] = 1800 Col, 3 materials, 2 rare consumables
[12-15] = 2400 Col, 5 materials, rare weapon, 2 rare consumables
[16-20] = 3600 Col, 8 materials, perfect armor/shield, 2 rare consumables
[21-23] = 4800 Col, 10 materials, 2 perfect weapon, perfect consumable
[24-25] = 6000 Col, 12 materials, perfect weapon, perfect armor/shield, 2 perfect consumables

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 28
Col: 3,600
Materials: 15
Equipment: Perfect Armor/Shield [139076a]
Consumables: Rare [139076b][139076c]

Shield knew the heft of a chest when he saw it, and he was already fishing out a ring of golden keys by the time Baldur had brought it ashore. Though it would mean setting down his rod and missing out on some fish, a chest was always worth inspecting. He held out one of the keys in front of the lock, lining it up with the keyhole. The key vanished in a glittering stream of gold dust that drifted down and dissipated into the air with a faint tinkling of jangling metal. The lock popped open, and an inventory screen appeared in front of him.

He sighed. As he had feared, no eggs. However, a perfect set of unidentified armor was nothing to balk at. "This chest was no joke," he said with a soft whistle. "This armor might actually be something impressive. We'll have to find out. Some consumables too, and no small amount of cash and materials." He clicked the button to collect the items, and thus depleted the chest's durability. It burst into polygons, the bright shards melting into the air as Shield stood up and dusted off his knees. "In any case... It's not just burnout. It was anger. Embarrassment. It's no good stating a right case if it means dividing the people who Aincrad most depends on. Of course, I know I was not the only person who contributed to that, but I definitely brought that debate into public space... and things got heated fast..."

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

"It wasn't just you... I... I lost it in there." Baldur didn't blush at the statement, but he did feel heated about it still.

"Hestia was someone I trusted, that was the entire reason for bringing her into the small council, but instead she betrayed me... not just me, but any effort trust, good will, or cooperation that was brought to that meeting. The Labyrinth boss fight didn't help, with the hypocrisy..." Baldur was building up steam, his words coming faster, and his tone becoming more and more laden with emotion, and then he stopped.

He closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath.

And then he let it out.

"Yeah... I still have strong feelings about that. I hate hypocrisy more than anything else, and betrayal is if anything just barely not tied with it."

Baldur cast his line far out, almost too far, when a fish practically jumped out of the water and caught it. Baldur quickly reeled it in. He could feel his blood pressure rising. Which was concerning because they didn't have blood pressure here.

"I still haven't spoken to her, nor addressed the elephant in the room with anyone else. I still don't know how we're supposed to do this, what with her and Cal being the only tanks left, and Zandra and her being the only healers. It's... going to be tough."

---

CD 10 LD 11+5=16 Materials +3, Eggs +8, +1 Mat housing bonus

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 42
T3 Mats: 16
1 Treasure Chest

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

 ID# 139082 results: Craft: 10 [3 Materials found] Loot: 2+8=10 [4 Eggs found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 32
Col: 3,600
Materials: 18
Equipment: Perfect Armor/Shield [139076a]
Consumables: Rare [139076b][139076c]

"Ah," Shield uttered, shaking his head. "So besides Calrex, the only players left on defense are the woman who instigated the fighting and the one who tried to beat me to death with her fists in a safe zone?" Shield looked over at Baldur properly for the first time, and either from the ridiculousness at state of things or just the hopelessness running around the far end and becoming hilarity, the typically stoic tank felt an involuntary snort that burst out into fruition of full body fits of mirth. "Ho-how the hell did we end up in this godawful predicament?"

He was doubled over now, his head between his knees as his body shook. Droplets had formed and were precipitating from the corners of his eyes, though he was unsure whether they were born of merriment or despair. Perhaps even some bizarre marriage of the two. He sat back up, wiping the moisture away with the back of his wrist before pulling back his pole and launching his hook and lure out into the open water again. In the outside world, an outburst like that would be sure to scare away all of the fish. In this place, however, it didn't phase them one bit. Only moments later, he got another nibble and pulled in quite the haul of candied fish and chocolate.

"Oh... Christ, Baldur."

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

Baldur wanted to be mad, but the anger just leaked out of him as Shield started laughing. It grew as a slow chuckle, rising into a full belly laugh, that ended up scaring away the fish Baldur had just about been to hook, but it was just as well, as he almost dropped the pole as he doubled over laughing. Finally, as it began to secede, Baldur wiped away a tear from his oceanic blue eyes. The steel was gone from them.

"I just... I really don't know. I mean... floor 23... we had a PvP fight in the middle of the boss raid, while people were debating saving the floor boss." Shield had been with him to hear of Hirru's revelation, and his reasoning, and they had been working with him to repair his honor and his trust, when everything fell apart.

"It really has been a [censored] show for a few floors. I mean... it hasn't been this much of a [censored] show since the Azure Brigade was trying to boycott raids because they weren't in charge of planning them."

Baldur shook his head and reeled his line back in so he could cast it again.

"I honestly though, after our conference, we had the consensus and good will to move forward stronger than ever... and yet we seemed to break so easily, over something so petty."

He shook his head, but another chuckle surged up from within him.

"I mean, Kayaba damn, we're all on the same side, aren't we?"

---

ID#139086 CD 1 LD 16+5=21 (No Monster due to Nature's Treasure, no eggs due to CD<3)

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 42
T3 Mats: 16

Edited April 1, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 139088 results: Craft: 5 [1 Material found] Loot: 10+8=18 [8 Eggs found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 40
Col: 3,600
Materials: 19
Equipment: Perfect Armor/Shield [139076a]
Consumables: Rare [139076b][139076c]

It took a while for Shield's breathing to return to a steady pace, and even so, he had to force himself to breathe through his nose before he could get a hold of himself properly. "It would be really nice... It would be really really nice if we were... but this game changes people," he said, gesturing to the air around them, which, for many intents and purposes, did not exist. "Some people came out of their shells, some people turtled into them... some people became idealistic zealouts, while some people..." his thoughts turned to orange guilds and players like Death Adder, whose exploits had become more known to him since the chance meeting at a prior boss fight. "It brings out sides to people that never would have seen the light of day in the real world. Here... something about the size of things... the fewer people competing, the new, unclaimed territory... it stirs something in you."

He pulled back his arm and cast again. Once again, his thoughts got away from him, though this time they did not stray far from the topic at hand. His features were lighter than usual after the laughing fit, but the corners of his eyes were tinged with darkness. His already angular features were thrown into sharp relief in the uneven lighting of the cavern. His pole bent over and he pulled back against it, securing yet another egg-laden fish to add to his pile.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

Baldur opened his mouth to respond to Shield comment after a few minutes of introspection, when he felt the heavy tug of his line again.

"Kayaba damn it, not again."

Baldur took a moment to brace himself and get solid footing and a good angle to push and pull on the reel lever, pulling another chest out of the water. He was really surprised it hadn't broken from this. And how many chests were at the bottom of this lake to begin with.

"Man, I feel like the dragon just dumped all of her treasure in the pond, for all these chests I'm dragging up."

Baldur dropped the pole for a minute, and rubbed his fatigued arms. Though he didn't have muscles, you could get tired in this game from exerting yourself. Maybe this was akin to massaging the section of his brain that would be involved in the task. Maybe it was all in his imagination.

"Is this how fishing usually goes? I feel more like a garbage collector than a fisherman at this point.

He threw an amused smirk at Shield, knowing how much the man had fished.

Baldur decided to open this one up. It looked like a much poorer version of the last one, and it wasn't even locked. Be inside, he found several more eggs and a few crafting supplies.

Well I can always use more mats.

---

ID#139089 CD: 12 LD: 1 - no chest - +4 mats, Eggs +4, Housing Bonus Material +1

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 46
T3 Mats: 21

Edited April 2, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 139128 results: Craft: 4 [0 Materials found] Loot: 8+8=16 [8 Eggs found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 48
Col: 3,600
Materials: 19
Equipment: Perfect Armor/Shield [139076a]
Consumables: Rare [139076b][139076c]

"You don't know the grind of fishing until you find your first boot,"  he sighed. "...and your first tire..." His face fell into the open palm of his non-pole hand, casting out his line, he began to reel in once again. "There aren't even cars in Aincrad!" Fortunately, a tire is not what found the end of his hook. The pole bent once again, straining under the power of the newest catch. Shield reeled in, fighting the fish one direction and the other as it refused to give up the fight. Finally, with one final tug, up came the smallest fish Shield had ever seen. It spat out a bag of eggs, dislodged from the hook, and hopped back into the water with one last flick of its tail.

"So what happens from here?" he said, shaking his head and turning to the newly recovered ronin. "I mean, I don't even know if there's a place for me on the front lines anymore, aside from the obvious mechanical one. I know I'm always welcome with you, and dalliances into hermithood aside, you are as well as far as I'm concerned, but... my old guild fell apart, the new one scattered into the four corners of Aincrad..." He stepped back over to recover his catch and set up to cast again. "I don't even know. Once I was driven, with a momentum that couldn't be tamed. Now... I just don't know."

Edited April 2, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

Baldur ignored his fishing pole for a moment as he watched Shield open the chest and lament the lack of a current direction. He had hit the nail on the head.

"That's exactly how I feel. I don't really know what to do going forward. Especially without you I just felt... lost. We had a good plan. We built up a good team. I was really feeling optimistic about what we could do, and showing what a coordinated, thought out team could. Just like the synergy you and Beat had, but team wide."

The gaijin let out another sigh.

"There really aren't any guilds that aren't trade guilds now. I've been thinking about starting one up, but just with a small focus. A family focus. My students and I. But I really do want to put together a frontline group. Meant to be a frontline group. Meant to not just lead, but coordinate and assist all the disparate groups. We were on the verge of having that."

Baldur whipped his line out of the water and then cast it back in like he was fly fishing.

"Even if we could get most of the band back together, we need another healer. Not just for an A team, but for the raid in general. Hestia has... more or less become a recluse, leaving Zandra the only one who is really actively involved in the front."

---

ID#139092 CD:3 LD: 4+5=9 No fishes, +4 eggs

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 50
T3 Mats: 21
(1) Treasure Chest

Edited April 2, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 139093 results: Craft: 8 [2 Materials Found] Loot: 6+8=14 [6 Eggs found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 54
Col: 3,600
Materials: 21
Equipment: Perfect Armor/Shield [139076a]
Consumables: Rare [139076b][139076c]

"That may not be an altogether bad thing," Shield said, though reluctantly. It would not come across as a kind point, but hopefully would land as a practical one. "The front lines have always been DPS heavy and light on tanks, though likely not to this degree. Still... if I step back in... do we still have Calrex? He's been a competent and effective tank in the past. As has Macradon when the occasion called for it."

Shield did not like using off-tank DPS as main tanks, but what they absolutely could not have was a front lines that were stationary. It was a race against time, and they did not know when the timer would be up for each individual. Certainly there were the occasional players who would die unexpectedly, usually from old age or people who had chronic health conditions in the real world.... but were all of them due to just those things? Could they rule out the possibility of players dying just because their body had given out from withering away for too long in a hospital bed? These were thoughts that very few people seemed to like to discuss out in the open. Shield did not break that unwritten rule, at least not in the current company. Baldur was not faint of heart by any means, but it was a good meeting, and he did not intend to upset that.

"There is much pragmatism in having a guild," Shield added, piggybacking on Baldur's thoughts. "If for no other reason than to foster the next generation of tanks and healers that we want to see on the front lines. I am not saying 'get the band back together,' at least not yet... but it is a thought worth having. It could be that what we were really lacking was the support of a real guild backing us." Another healthy haul of fish and eggs came up with Shield's line, and he stored it with his mounting hoard of loot.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Shield

[Baldur 0]

"Yes, we'll have Calrex, and Macradon. Hestia will still probably show up to the floor boss. Zandra will be there as a healer who also does damage. But Zandra and Hestia are our only healers and honestly, that doesn't bode well for you as a tank." The gaijin samurai chuckled.

"If we could load up the other members of the party with full stacks of group heal crystals, and we all used them in sync, then we could probably double for a healer, if coordination was achieved. I love the idea of having Mac as an off tank, but not as a main one, and I don't think he relishes the idea either. We need you to come back as tank..." Baldur suddenly felt sheepish, calling on his friend to return to the frontlines like this.

"If you're up for it and bring your A game. But we also need a healer, and from what I can tell, there are no others... Ruby... Ruby is dead." Baldur shook his head sadly. He didn't know her well, but she seemed to be a dedicated healer who always came perilously close to dying in every event or boss they fought. Still, she kept pushing forward, apparently until she couldn't any longer.

"So I really don't know what to do."

Baldur let his line linger in the water with no bites yet, but he was lost in thought and would have missed one anyways.

"That's why I like the idea of a guild. I wanted the guild we had planned... but ever since that floor meeting... It seems to have crushed everyone's disposition to working together. It just feels like there's nothing left. But friendships remain... that's why I was thinking if I ever started a guild again, it would be a family one. There just aren't enough frontliners."

---

ID#139096 CD: 1 wah wahhhh

Baldur's Haul:
Eggs: 50
T3 Mats: 21

Edited April 2, 2020 by Baldur

[Shield 0]

Quote

ID# 139111 results: Craft: 8 [2 Materials found] Loot: 8+8=16 [8 Eggs found]

Total Loot Count:

Eggs: 60
Col: 3,600
Materials: 23
Equipment: Perfect Armor/Shield [139076a]
Consumables: Rare [139076b][139076c]

The news of Ruby was not welcome news. Shield looked away, his jaw clenching slightly. "I did not bear Ruby any particularly goodwill. She was reckless, and she was not particularly tactful. It is not surprising that she is dead, but it is grim news none the less. Healers are never easy to come by... Even in the real world, nobody ever wants to play support." He gave a single halfhearted chuckle. "Guess it's hard for gamers to change their stripes sometimes."

On the surface of the water, a ripple passed in front of Shield's bobber, and the next moment it had flicked and vanished. His reel whined, and he locked it in place, bracing himself to haul in his new catch. Little by little, the fish lost the battle, being inched closer and closer to shore until finally it was pulled from the surface to flop helplessly on the shore. "I don't suppose Hestia could be convinced to go full healer." Even as he said it, he knew that it was a ridiculous notion. Shield had met a lot of headstrong players, but Hestia had proven herself to be the most resolute of any he had yet encountered. While that quality had certainly gotten her to where she was, it had also contributed to the situation they were in now in no uncertain terms.

Edited April 2, 2020 by Shield