[E3|F1|PP]Tanking<Training Your Friend>

[Zajcica 0]

<Training Your Friend>

Yuki teleported to the Town of Beginnings and made her way to the area she planned to meet with Shield. It was time to practice her tanking with someone who knew the skill intimately. It felt like cheating to use such low level mobs for it, but Shield was pretty serious being in a fight that you can control at all times

Aki screeched as she flew around above, enjoying the breezy temperature between it's wings. The girl had done a lot since Shield last saw her. She helped two low level players complete quests, saved a defenseless girl from some bats in abyss-like darkness, and survived a cave in that smashed her right leg completely. That has to account for something in his book. Though, maybe she should leave out the detail that she was the one who caused the cave in in the first place. To be fair, if she didn't, that girl would have died to the freaking bats.

@Shield

Spoiler

General
Level: 22 | HP:  455/455 | Energy: 44/44 Hate: 1/3/4(M/H/C)

Stats
DMG: 4 | EVA: 0 | MIT: 0 | ACC: 3 | Thorns: 0

Skills
R2 OHAS, R3 Heavy Armor, Fighting Spirit, Concentration

Mods
Athletics

Equipment(In use)
La Black Luna(Trinket): ACC 3
White Spear - Lux(OHAS): 2 Bleed, 1 Taunt

Equipment(Standby)
Ice Wall(Shield): MIT 3
Regal Cuirass(Heavy Armor): 1MIT, 2 Thorns

Consumables
(2x)Starter Healing Potions(50HP)
(2)Woodland Armor: MIT 1
(3x)Oyakodon with Miso - Overhealth 2

 

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

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.

Shield

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: 1770
• Base EN: 168
• 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

Egg Roll

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs:ID# 140818 results: Craft: 10 [6 Eggs found]  Loot: 13+8=21 [1 Mat found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 6
Materials: 1

Shield was already there, waiting on the edge of a vast plain just outside of town. His dark eyes scanned through the grass, searching with intention and focus. His heavily booted feet picked their way carefully across the flatland, walking soft so as not to draw the focus of the beasts that spawned nearby. Then, he spotted it. His quarry. He strode with purpose, his long strides carrying his broad-shouldered frame to his target. Reaching down, he grabbed firmly onto...

A pink, ribbon-covered basket full of chocolate eggs.

The once front-liner closed his eyes and let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Why couldn't they have made the quest items something else... This is so not cool..."

Hearing footsteps, he turned around, spotting more pink, but this time on the head of the player he was there to meet. He gave Yuki a brief nod of greeting. "Yuki," he said, acknowledging her before lifting his eyes overhead. "I take it your familiar is nearby?" The shrewd player was not here for social time, though it was indeed good to see her. However, they were here on business, and he kept his demeanor businesslike.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

With a shrewd whistle, the hybrid bird dive bombed from the sky, slowing down just in time to land softly on Yuki's head. She was getting too big to get away with sitting on her head anymore. It was fine when she was just a hatchling no bigger than a kitten. One notable thing about Yuki today was that all of her armor had been removed, but she kept her weapon in hand, along with the black horn that she used to call Aki from a distance.

"Yuki and Aki reporting for training sir." She gave him a makeshift salute with a bit of jest in her tone, but all around serious. "I won't be wearing my armor since, as you know, the benefit of training with a mitigation familiar bonus can't be applied on top of the armor enhancement. I feel insanely light." The girl admitted. She was ready for this though.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Egg Roll:ID# 140925 results: Craft: 12 [6 Eggs found] Loot: 12+8=20 [1 Material found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 12
Materials: 2

Shield's eyes followed the descent of the familiar and nodded a brief 'at ease' to his new 'soldier.' He realized he was still holding a frilly Easter basket and promptly stored it in his inventory. "I take it you're familiar with the beginner quest line, the 'first lessons?'" he said, turning to face the barren patch of ground beyond the grassland. "This is the same area where the boar pups spawn for that quest. However, since we aren't actually taking the quest currently, the items that they usually give will not drop when they die." Shield turned back to Yuki, continuing with the explanation of the exercise. "Once you cross into that area, they will begin to spawn. They shouldn't be able to keep any real damage on you, but if you get low, I will heal you."

Shield crossed over to the border between grass and badlands. "There is a maxiumum number of pups that will spawn at any given time, so you should never be overrun to the point of being in any actual danger. I will be monitoring in case I need to bail you out. Your goal is not to focus on offense. We want to keep the number of opponents high, since that is what you will be up against eventually, so no killing mobs if you can at all avoid it, but you may use your weapon to defend." He gestured with an open hand towards Aki. "Now this is where your familiar will come in. He isn't going to be able to do much to absorb damage for you without being in danger himself. So," Shield continued, raising one finger as he got to the point of the exercise. "Aki will be your eyes. You can't watch behind you, but if you two can learn to communicate, he'll be able to watch your 6 and help you coordinate your defenses accordingly. Establish a signal. When he gives you that signal, it means you need to defend your back."

Out of the corner of his eye, Shield spotted a flash of bright, iridescent yellow behind a tall tuft of grass. Certainly another basket. He made mental note of its location to scoop up once Yuki had begun. "Now the enemy behind you will still have an advantage, so you likely won't escape harm entirely, but if you shift, or block to interfere with the attack at all, it will be better than taking the full brunt." At this point, he relaxed his stance a little and leaned closer to Yuki. "This is going to take practice. You and Aki aren't going to get the timing right at first, and there will be a lot of mistakes. Know that up front, adjust your expectations, and be patient. You'll get there."

Edited April 12, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Both Yuki and Aki nodded to Shield as he finished his description and without saying anything she walked into the spawn air, drawing her weapon. The boars all turned on her instantly. Although he said that she should focus on defense, she still went in and made an attack on one of the boars. The attack missed purposefully, of course. If she focused on defense entirely, she would be too alert to everything around her to let Aki have a chance to help her. She could take a hit.

The squawking came soon while she was in mid swing, she spun around to block the coming attack but couldn't get the lance up in time. The boar pushed her onto her ass and she stood right back off deflecting the next attack with her lance sending the boar running to the side. 

"A little too late Aki, try to get it sooner and I'll block the next one okay?" She said. In the moment, she happened to forget that Shield was there. She was calm and as focused as possible, deflecting the attacks that came from her front.

CD: 5; fail
Need 7-12

Edited April 13, 2020 by Zajcica

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs: ID# 141049 results: Craft: 2 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 3 [0 Materials found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 14
Materials: 2

As soon as Yuki was focused on her task, Shield grabbed and stored the basket he had spotted before, practically tripping over a couple of extra eggs along the way. Once he had gotten his gains, he turned back to the training exercise. "Aki, you're too close to Yuki! You need to back up to get a better field of view! If you're too close, you're limited on what all you can see, and you won't be able to watch to see what Yuki is doing to coordinate!" Pacing slowly around the perimeter, he was careful not to cross the line into the barren patches of earth of the badlands. Not that it would harm him, but if he had boar pups spawning around him and bumping into his thorns, it would be a little too distracting.

"Yuki, keep your defense up," Shield called out over the pack of squealing pups. "We chose this spot for a reason! There are going to be lots of distractions in boss raids! You have to be able to keep your focus on everything if you're healer! You need to watch your friends' health! You need to watch your health! You need to watch the terrain! You need to keep your eyes on the boss to see when it broadcasts its big hits! You need to know where each and every one of the boss' adds are around you!" He cupped his hands around his mouth for the last part. "And remember, you're not turning your back on the enemies in front of you! Keep your eyes on the biggest concentration of enemies! Aki is letting you know when to defend in back, but you keep your eyes and weapons forward!"

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Yuki's eyes we're everywhere, looking for every mention that her teacher was calling out. She located all the mobs and forced herself to stay at the bulk of boars. Aki flew up higher to get a better vantage point. When the next caw came from Aki, Yuki swung around and slashed her bladed lance across the air. Too early. The boar came in and the pink paladin stepped out of the way just in time. Then the front of boars descended on her. At least five of them trying to push past her. It was difficult but she countered every one of the tusks that came at her.

"Kuso!" The aggravated girl growled and continued to make some comment in her native language. Once she was done letting out her frustration she turned back onto the boars and took a defensive stance. She let out a sigh and relaxed her breathing. "Sorry, I'll do better! Focus defense, be ready..."

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs: ID# 141053 results: Craft: 2 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 1+8=9 [No Materials found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 16
Materials: 2

"Vent your frustration," Shield barked out, settling into his new role as drill sergeant. "That's fine, but get over it fast, cuz the battle won't slow down just because you're muttering to yourself!" He continued his round pacing, watching the action carefully. She was sloppy. Clearly inexperienced. But she was tough enough, and she was definitely determined. "Don't let up. Keep the pressure on! You're the tank! Use your skills to control the flow of combat! If you're getting ganged up on, change your position so they can't flank you!

At his feet, Shield spotted a couple of extra, loose eggs. He bent down, not letting his eyes leave the fight. His hands groped around blindly by his ankles until the two chocolate treats filled his palm. He grasped them and stood up quickly. "Aki! Tighter circles! If you're banking wide, you've got too much time with your back to Yuki! Yuki, keep your feet moving! If your opponents get a feel for where you're standing, they'll walk all over you! Switch things up so they can't get too comfortable!" It was a difficult exercise. There was no way she was going to be perfect at it. Still, the point off his instructions was only half to instruct.

The front lines are chaos... players shouting nonstop. She's got to get used to this...

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

The girl danced around the battlefield, trying to keep herself moving trying to stay in a useful position that made the boars uncomfortable. As the fight continued, she could already feel herself getting better. Maybe it was just because she wasn't wearing armor, but her reactions felt quick and she was able to keep herself up and running.

The more the battle continued to pan out, Shield could notice something. After his last comments, she seemed to be corralling the pack of boars together. It was to the point where she could see most all of them at once. More continued to spawn around her though, those are the ones that Aki would call out soon. She would be able to react to one of them at least. She just needed the timing good was all. With a calm mind and a clear head, she kept the pack of boars in check. She had at least six of them together and was keeping them all in line. Occasionally one would die to her lance, but the next would spawn immediately.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs:ID# 141070 results: Craft: 2 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 3+8=11 [No Materials found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 18
Materials: 2

There was a marked improvement as Yuki adjusted to the patterns of the boars. Still, he knew his role in this exercise. Praise could come at the end, but for now, he needed to stay on her.

A drill sergeant always finds things to critique. Even if you do a task perfectly, you didn't do it fast enough, you didn't do it clean enough, you didn't do it pretty enough.

Shield steeled himself, furrowing his brow. "Don't you let those boars drop! There are going to be times that killing the adds to a boss is unacceptable! Boom! It's dead! The boss just got stronger, or boom! Now there are two to replace the one you just killed!" The heavy leather boots that he wore as part of his traveling gear picked their way through the dry grass on the border to the badlands And he paced, his dark eyes boring into Yuki.

 Once again, he spotted a small clutch of eggs, only two this time, and snatched them up. "Yuki! are you listening?" he called out, a full lungful of air propelling those words across the dry and cracking earth of the badlands.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Yuki's brow furrowed as Shield barked his orders. She was slowly killing mobs as she went along to keep them at a constant number at all times but now she had to do her best not to kill them? Dammit! How was she supposed to that when she was wearing her armor and the adds died to that? Aki's squawk came again but her mind was so focused that she missed the call even though it would have been perfect. She fell to her bottom and growled as the boars surrounded her. Her weapon sliced through all of them in a quick twirl.

The polygons faded away and the new boars began to spawn. "I'm not keeping my mind clear! I will do better!" She said to no one really other than herself. She took up her defensive position again and readied herself for the next round of boars coming at her. This was just the kind of training that she needed.

CD: 4; fail

CD 7-12 needed

Edited April 13, 2020 by Zajcica

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs:ID# 141090 results: Craft: 1 [2 Eggs found] Loot: 9+8=17 [1 Material found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 20
Materials: 3

Shield had to widen his path as he searched for eggs, but his eyes still darted back and forth to keep the battle in focus. Yuki had done what he hoped she would do and didn't directly address the question he asked. Quickly, he bent down to retrieve the eggs he had spotted, these ones a dull, dusky yellow which had made them harder to spot. He also found a small sprig of herb that he thought was useful in alchemy. He straightened back up and filled his lung with air. Just before he called out, he focused on Yuki, triggering both his Howl skill and the associated Focused Howl mod, careful to only target her and not draw aggro from the pups. 

"YUKI!" he bellowed, kicking up dust and blades of crass as his voice flattened the patches of grass ahead of him right against the ground. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION! ARE YOU LISTENING!? YES OR NO?!" It was a harrowing experience being on the receiving end of the skill, and he was certain Yuki would not be expecting it. However, it established the necessary expectation for the exercise: Questions are to be answered.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Yuki jumped as the roar hit her like a freaking train. She turned to Shield.

"I have ears and they're fragile! Temmei!" She complained, getting knocked by one of the boars again when she took her eyes off them. Her face was growing a little frustrated again. She got back into her position again, attempting to coral the boars back into a pattern that was easy to follow. She had time to react to the next squawk that Aki made, stepping out of the way a charging boar and moving it into the corralled pack.

"I'm trying my hardest! This is difficult, but I won't stop! Stupid boars wont get the better of me!" She said kicking one of them in the skull to get it away from her. It whined and moved back into the group of boars, trying to find the crack in her armor so they could kill her. That wasn't going to happen though, even when she wasn't wearing any armor.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs: ID# 141091 results: Craft: 9 [5 Eggs found] Loot: 8+8=16 [1 Material found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 25
Materials: 4

"You are missing the point! You will answer the question as asked! Are you listening? I need a clear yes, or I need a clear no!" he crowed, though this time without the assistance of his Howl skill or its mod. "Communication is absolutely critical on the battlefield! You will need to know when your allies are wounded and need healing, but more importantly, the tide of the battle may completely change in an instant, and the few moments you get of communication before the next move might be the only thing that stop the boss from pixelating you!"

Shield wasn't pacing anymore. He was sprinting up and down the sidelines like a foot ball coach screaming at a referee. Along the way, he stepped over a section of log on the ground, and discovered a clutch of eggs hiding on the other side. He collected and stored them. "Conflicts between team members have broken out in the middle of boss fights! Players have turned on players! Tempers flare! Personalities butt against one another! Clear, concise communication is our best salvation against petty conflicts and rash actions from volatile - yet necessary - players! So I ask you again!"

He drew in air and shouted loud enough that his vocal cords almost crackled under the strain. "ARE YOU LISTENING!?"

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Yuki cringed a bit as Shield's voice rang into her ears again. She knew why he was doing it, but it continued to tick her off a bit. The best she could do was just calm down, focus and be as responsive as possible. The front lines were no place to play around.

Yes, yes! I hear you dammit! I know, I'm listening to everything you say for sure!" She says, deflected more tusked charges with every few words she says. Every movement was deliberate. She knew what she needed to do to keep enemies off of her teammates, she just needed to keep herself in the mentality.

The paladin looked up to check on her familiar, who was looking pretty tired right now, but she knew she would come along. This was her first time in combat with Yuki, so she expected Aki to feel the weight of it, along with being such a young little hippogriff.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs: ID# 141179 results: Craft: 9 [5 Eggs found] Loot: 5+8=13 [No Materials found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 30
Materials: 4

She was adapting rather quickly, which created challenges for Shield's tactics. He needed to keep her off balance as much as possible so that she wasn't thinking too much about her reactions to Aki's warnings. If she was thinking about them, she would second-guess the timing, and the little familiar would have an impossible time knowing how to time his warnings.

It has to be pure reflex... otherwise it all falls apart.

Shield's demeanor did not change, despite her complying with his request. "Then if you can hear me, keep a dialogue going! Communicate constantly! That's what keeps players safe! You're going to be surrounded by a dozen to two dozen other players while you're out there, and half of the chatter will be battle cries and complete nonsense! You have to pick out your teammates and know what they're saying by voice alone!" He paced back down the other direction, keeping the same distance between himself and Yuki without drawing the boars to him. As he walked, he came across another, freshly spawned basket and collected its contents.

"Tell me what your weapons are, Yuki!" He knew she knew the answer. She had told him so not five minutes ago. However, the heat wasn't on her then. Now, she was in the thick of it, and her mind was in several places at once.

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Yuki furrowed her brow, she already knew what it was but if she didn't respond Shield would blow her ears drums out again. Her voice resounded back at Shield through the commotion of boars and squawking.

"My brain and my armor." She responded. As she was speaking, the squawk came through again, but she was too focus and missed it. The boar knocked her on to her front side. Her weapon slid away from her reach and the boars began to surround her while she was scrambling to get it up. Every time she was about to get up, the next boar would knock her back to the ground. Her health wasn't in much danger since the boars do absolutely no damage to her, even without her armor equipped. Although, she was getting pretty pissed about being stun locked by a bunch of low level enemies. Aki was also beginning to panic, cawing manically.

CD: 2; Fail
7-12 needed

Edited April 13, 2020 by Zajcica

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs: ID# 141183 results: Craft: 12 [6 Eggs found] Loot: 10+8=18 [1 Material found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 36
Materials: 5

She was down, but it was very evident that she wasn't even taking the damage. However, for things that weren't actually harming her, they were keeping her on the ground too long. "Yuki! What did I say about frustration!?" he called out, still reserving his Howl skill for a moment when she was too focused to answer. For now, she was talking, which was good. Over the constant squealing and grunting from the monsters around her, she was focusing on him enough to stay abreast of the situation. Now if she could get used to that, she could start to heed her familiar.

Shield glanced up and saw the erratic movements of the hatchling hippogriff. "Yuki, calm your familiar! She doesn't know you're not in trouble!" Taking his eyes off of the fight for a moment, he took a quick survey of the area, spotting not just a couple of loose eggs, but another full basket with a chocolate bar nestled among the eggs themselves. He gathered these up and turned his eyes back to the scene before him, keeping a close eye on the combat and Aki's reactions.

She has to manage him, or we can't move forward with this...

Edited April 13, 2020 by Shield

[Zajcica 0]

Why was this happening to her? It really just showed what stun-locking could accomplish for anything lower leveled. Being knocked around like this wasn't really denting her health bar, but that didn't mean it wasn't taking a toll on her train on thought. She missed the words Shield had spurted and kicked the next boar away form her. Barely able to make it to her feet with the ensuing dizziness, the paladin collected her weapon and, rather precisely brutalized any swine that dared to get close to her. When they were all gone, she jammed her weapon into the badlands soil and leaned on it to keep from falling over.

The familiar came down to ensure she was alright. It cawed worriedly for her. Yuki reached her thin hand out to pet it. "I-I'm fine. We'll get the hang of this yet, nee?" The dizzy girl looked over at Shield and remember what she was doing. "I'm alright! She said, assuming that he had asked some question based on his expression towards her. The next boars would spawn soon and she would do better this time...hopefully.

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

Searching for Eggs: ID# 141335 results: Craft: 11 [6 Eggs found] Loot: 15+8=23 [1 Material found]

Total Loot:

Eggs: 42
Materials: 6

Shield was afraid this might happen. The training exercise had been abandoned for the sake of comfort and taking a breather. He was left with a difficult choice. He could Howl at Yuki for breaking up the exercise. However, her familiar was close, and if he did that he was almost certain to spook the hippogriff. Shield let the scene play out for now, deciding it was best to let Aki get the feel for seeing Yuki attacked and knowing she wasn't being seriously harmed. He strolled over to a patch of tall grass, scanning visually to give Yuki some time to address Aki's concerns before cracking down on the situation. There in the midst of the long blades, Shield spotted a full basket of eggs. He made quick work of the, storing them away before turning back to the young player and her familiar.

Shield's fingers swiped through the air, opening his menus and his inventory. He scrolled through until he found something from his shop inventory - a vanity shield. He tossed it across the dead earth of the badlands to land at Yuki's feet. "Familiar back in the sky. You were supposed to leave the boars alive. Toss your lance over here. That," he said, pointing towards the shield, "is your replacement weapon." This was a strategic move. For one, it would unfoot Yuki, but it would also provide her more cover. She would be outside of her comfort zone, which would likely blind her to that benefit, but that was what he wanted. This needed to feel like a punishment, not a handicap. "If you two can get your timing down without having to kill anything, you can earn your lance back." With that, he held out his hand for her to toss the weapon, his features stony and intent.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Shield