Oscar 0 Posted May 7, 2020 #1 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Return of the Queen Spoiler Oscar - Lvl 57 1170 HP 112 Energy 4 Accuracy (+1 Precision +3 food) 2 Evasion [+2 food] 23 Base Damage - (1 Base +7 Skill +1 Ferocity +9 Familiar +1 Athletics +3 Potion +1 Statue) 106 Mitigation 12 Fallen 2 Burn Vampiric (Defensive) 2 Rec Paralytic Immunity Equipment Tesseleth’s Fury [Tier 3 Demonic Two-Handed Battleaxe] | Fallen, Fallen, Burn, Burn Tactical Outfitting Mk.III [Tier 3 Demonic Light Armor] | Vampiric (Defensive), Para Immune, Rec, Rec Mythril Greaves [Tier 3 Perfect Heavy Armor] | +81 MIT Gloves of Caerus [Tier 1 Perfect Light Armor] | +3 Loot Die Familiar Leeroy & Jenkins - Familiar | +3*Tier DMG Battle Ready Inventory Teleportation Crystal Empty Inventory Slot | Empty Inventory Slot | Empty Inventory Slot | Empty Inventory Slot | Empty Inventory Slot | Buffs Well-Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 slot. Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Col Stash | 5% Bonus Col from Monster kills and Chests Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% Skills 2HBA | Rank 5: +8 Damage Light Armor | Rank 5: +25 Damage Mitigation Battle Healing | Rank 5: Recover 5% of Max HP every round while in combat Concentration | +1 to your BD (3 turn cooldown) Survival | Heal 15*Tier HP when out of battle Parry | 2-turn CD, 5 EN Half damage of next attack and remove Stun/Paralysis effects Fishing | Gain materials/encounter enemies based on CD result. Skill Mods Ferocity | Increases Base Damage by 1 Athletics | Increases Base Damage by 1, Max HP by 10*tier Precision | Increases Accuracy by 1 Justified Riposte | Successful Parries Stun Opponent, 3 Turn CD Finesse Rank 3 | -3 EN on 2HBA Sword Arts How long had it been since Oscar had actually tried to get some quests done? He honestly couldn't recall. Once he reached Tier 3, his enthusiasm to go out and level more had sort of petered out. But, he still had skills he wanted to pick up before the boss raid. And that required more SP. More levels. So it was time to get back on that grind. He activated his Kumatetsu Statue and consumed a selection of buffs. Ever since he and Cordelia had completed Scents of the Wild, he found the best starting point for his questing was in his own home. There, he had quick access to the statues had the had put on display in the foyer. With all of his prep work done, Oscar headed out towards Deepedge. From there, he would teleport down to Floor Two and finish up a quest that had been bugging him for quite some time. TITAN'S STRENGTH CONSUMED [+3 DMG] KUMATETSU STATUE ACTIVATED [+1 DMG] FOCUSED DOG CONSUMED [+2 ACC -> +3 ACC FROM FILLING BUFF] EVASION DOG CONSUMED [+2 EVA] Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 7, 2020 Author #2 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 97/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion1 ID: 146971 BD3+4 Deal 297 DMG Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion2 ID: 146972 BD1 Miss Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion3 ID: 146973 BD7+4 Deal 465 DMG Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion4 ID: 146974 BD7+4 Deal 465 DMG Bee Minion1 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Bee Minion2 250/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT MD6-2 Miss Bee Minion3 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Bee Minion4 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT After a short jaunt down to Deepedge, Oscar stepped onto the teleportation platform and called out his destination. A bright light obfuscated his field of vision and he found himself flung through space at a breakneck pace. Countless orbs raced past him as he dove through the ether, white balls of brilliance against a deep twilight backdrop. Eventually, his momentum began to abate and he felt solid ground beneath his feet once more. A second flash of light and the town sprawled out before him. Oscar adjusted his coat and strode confidently out into the field. Once there, he was immediately beset by a swarm of bees. Tesseleth's Fury was in his hand quick as a flash. Without any pomp of fanfare, Oscar launched an Explode Catapult. He haphazardly swung his weapon and was still able to generate enough force to slay the low-level creatures with a single swing. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 7, 2020 Author #3 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 89/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion2 ID: 146975 BD7+4 Deal 465 DMG CD8 Recovery Proc Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion5 ID: 146976 BD7+4 Deal 465 DMG Bee Minion2 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Bee Minion5 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Another bee came flying out of the woodwork to join the lone insect that had survived Oscar's initial assault. So much the better. Saved him the trouble of having to hunt it down. He launched another attack, barely putting any force into it. It seemed that they had a certain weakness to Tesseleth's Fury because they burst into balls of shadowy flame on contact with the blade. A Fallen activation had occurred and, frankly, their health values weren't high enough for it to be considered anything short of overkill. The moment the creatures shattered, the black flames reducing their health bars to zero, he heard a thunderous buzzing from deep within the forest. Round two would be beginning soon. But this quest was so far departed from anything he would consider a challenge, Oscar wasn't in the least bit worried. He leaned against a nearby tree as he waited for the Queen to arrive, relaxed and without a care in the world. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 7, 2020 Author #4 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 71/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC Explode Catapult vs The Queen ID: 146977 BD6+4 Deal 415 DMG Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion6 ID: 146979 BD9 Deal 311 DMG Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion7 ID: 146980 BD4+4 Deal 297 DMG Explode Catapult vs Bee Minion8 ID: 146981 BD8 Deal 465 DMG The Queen 85/500 HP | 200 DMG | 75 MIT ID: 146978 BD4-2 Miss Bee Minion6 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Bee Minion7 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Bee Minion8 0/250 HP | 125 DMG | 25 MIT Soon enough, the Queen came flying out of the woodwork with her minions in tow. Oscar readied his weapon as the bees encircled him. What was it with him and bugs recently? Between these enemies and the spiders on Floor 21, he really seemed to be burying himself in pests. Perhaps it was time for a change of scenery. The bees whipped around him, the corpulent form of the Queen rendering her rather sluggish in comparison with her minions. Oscar affirmed his grip on his weapon and let fly his attack. Tesseleth's Fury whipped around his body in a wide arc. All of the enemies were caught in the wake of his onslaught. Some burned, others fell to the weapon's dark miasma. At the end of his attack, all of the queen's escorts had been slain and the Queen herself was on her last legs. Er... Wings? Either way, she had been so disoriented by the attack that her attempt to strike Oscar with her deadly stinger failed spectacularly. Why had he been so concerned over this quest again? Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 7, 2020 Author #5 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 59/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC Explode Catapult vs The Queen ID: 146982 BD10 Deal 275 DMG The Queen 0/500 HP | 200 DMG | 75 MIT ID: 146978 BD4-2 Miss The Queen was bloodied from Oscar's previous attack. Fallen had a way with things like that. Oscar readied Tesseleth's Fury for a second, final strike. All it took was a single critical hit. His axe caught the airborne insect as it tried to flee to a safer distance, lopping off one of its wings in the process. Unable to keep itself aloft, the Queen slammed into the ground. Her forward momentum caused her to skid some distance before she was stopped by the trunk of a tree. The Queen curled in on herself, letting out a shrill screech as she began her death throes. Eventually, the Queen's form began to crack and fracture. Light burst out in solid shafts as the integrity of the Queen's body broke down. Eventually, unable to hold itself together, the body of the insectoid creature shattered like glass. The fragments were caught on the wind and carried off onto the horizon. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 7, 2020 Author #6 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 60/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC | +3 LD | 3 PROS With nothing else better to do, Oscar decided to continue his outing on a different floor. As he headed back to town, he produced two hot dogs and greedily gobbled them down. Boosting his luck and his col drops, the hot dogs were a final preparation for a small grinding session on one of the higher floors before heading home. Oscar. He slung Tesseleth's Fury over his back and shoved his hands into his pockets. The thrill of taking on a quest boss seemed to have lost its luster. This was rather problematic considering that he still needed to gain some levels to pick up some final skills before the boss raid - whenever that was supposed to be. Hopefully, he would have enough time to do it. If not, he could always double down on offensive skills for the raid and switch over to his desired skill set once it was over. Either way, he found himself rather excited for this raid. He'd never participated in one, so now was as good a time as any. ULTRA LUCKY HOT DOG CONSUMED +3 LD GOLDEN DOG CONSUMED +3 PROSPERITY Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #7 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Oscar reentered the town without much fanfare. It really was just another day. Had he grown to the point where even "hard mode" quest bosses were barely a threat. It was an interesting thought, to say the least. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a challenge. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd actually been bloodied in combat. The Night's King had come close to killing him. It had come down to one final attack. But that was the last challenge he'd had to the best of his recollection. Either the bosses he fought had health pools that were so prohibitively large that he would run out of energy before he could kill them or they were so easy that he barely had to even try. This quest had fallen into the realm of the latter. Combat had been his one real escape from everything and even that had begun to wear on him. Perhaps all he needed was a change of scenery - to fight things that he'd never fought before. But somehow, in the pit of his stomach, he knew it wouldn't be enough. He stepped onto the Teleportation Platform and disappeared. Oscar was carried through the ether to a new place entirely. The just-unlocked Floor 25. TRANSITION TO FLOOR 25 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 61/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC | +3 LD | 3 PROS Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #8 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Arriving in the Settlement of the Iron Fist, Oscar looked up in awe of the giant statue that towered over him. He approached the statue, marveling at the intricate details of the carving. His previous morose demeanor shifted to one of wonder as he ran his hand over the inscription at the bottom. Orgoth it was called. He took a moment to soak in the majesty of the statue, not noticing the approach of an older gentleman. The man cleared his throat. The sudden noise caused Oscar to flinch and turn towards the cause. The old man leaned against his cane, a warm smile on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you," he said warmly. "It just isn't often that we get visitors around here." Oscar relaxed and let out a small chuckle. "It's fine. I was just admiring your statue here. I think I got a little too engrossed." A bright smile stretched over the man's features. He looked up at the statue with a wistful expression before turning his attention back to Oscar. "It is quite magnificent. The younger generation forgets why its there. But me? I still remember the old stories." Oscar took one last look at the statue and then turned back to the man. "Really? I would love to hear them." Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #9 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Though Oscar knew that this was just a mere NPC, he was always happy to hear an interesting tale. The old man lamented how his old bones ached and that it was a bit of a long story. Oscar thought this was just him trying to be tight-lipped over it. He was elated when the old man invited Oscar back to his home for tea. Oscar was all too eager to accept. The man didn't live very far, his home being adjacent to the main plaza. It was carved out of stone, just as the rest of the town had been. The interior was warm and cozy. A fire roared in a pit in the middle of the floor, filling the house with a pleasant warmth. The old man sat down in a plush armchair. Oscar, for his part, sat down on a carved stone chair next to the fire. The old man sighed in contentment and reached forward for a kettle that had been left to boil over the fire pit. Oscar wanted to offer his help, but he was a guest. It would be rude to be too presumptuous. He waited patiently as the old man filled a teapot with the hot water from the kettle and settled back into his chair. "So, while the tea steeps, let me begin," he said. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #10 Share Posted May 20, 2020 "According to legend, my people once lived in the Endless Maze. A labyrinth of constantly-shifting passageways filled with monsters. Every day was a struggle to survive. We fought tooth and nail just to live another day. My people cut our teeth on the giants and dragons roaming the halls. We fought with the undead that shambled into our midst at night. We were constantly moving, constantly fighting. Eventually, we met a powerful Minotaur. Knowing nothing else, our people engaged this Minotaur in combat. The battle raged for what felt like an eternity. We couldn't land a clean blow on this beast. He was a warrior of a caliber we had never faced before. As we fought and continued to fight, he began to notice something. Though he was soundly defeating us, we had not suffered a single casualty or injury. So masterful was this warrior that he could disable our strongest fighters without causing them any lasting harm." The old man paused to pour their tea. He passed a cup to Oscar who accepted it graciously. "Where was I? Ah, yes." Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #11 Share Posted May 20, 2020 The old man took a tentative sip from his cup before placing it down on a table beside of him. "As I was saying, this Minotaur was so skilled that he was able to defeat us without killing or injuring any of my people. Eventually, we could not continue. My people collapsed from exhaustion. We had spent so much trying to slay this creature that we could not carry on. One by one, our warriors lost consciousness. A death sentence in the Endless Maze. When my people awoke, they were surprised. The creatures of the maze had not descended upon them. And then they saw the Minotaur again. Standing as a sentinel against the horrors lurking deep within the Labyrinth walls. It was then that we parlayed with the creature. He said nothing. He beckoned for us to follow. And follow him we did. Through the maze. It was the only peace we had ever known. Whenever a monster attacked, it was quickly dispatched by the Minotaur. We traveled through the maze for weeks before we came to the base of a tall mountain. A mountain that we had never known existed. All we had known were the walls and death within the maze." Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #12 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Oscar listened, enraptured, to the old man's tale. He took the odd sip from his tea, but for the most part he was so wrapped up in the man's tale that he forgot he even had it. The old man paused to finish his drink and then continued. "The Minotaur led us up the mountain and out of the stone carved for us a new home. A permanent home. And then, he left. But before he left, my people asked for his name. It was then that the Minotaur broke his silence and spoke one word: 'Orgoth.' And then, he disappeared down the mountainside. My people came to revere this Orgoth, eternally grateful for his delivering them from the clutches of the maze. We erected a massive statue in his honor. We dug deep into the mountain, finding that it contained ores and jewels aplenty. We thrived. Every day, I see that statue out there and I silently thank Orgoth. My people have not seen him since that day and the younger ones think it's a mere myth. But I still believe." Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #13 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Oscar had come to Floor 25 looking for some meaningless combat. Instead, he found something much more valuable. It was rare for the history of a floor to be shared in such detail. You could really tell that some had put much time and attention into it. Oscar finished his tea and returned the cup to the old man. "Thank you for your story, sir. I truly enjoyed it." The old man smiled and produced a small item from his coat. A length of chalk. He handed it to Oscar. "I've seen the adventurous types come and go. No one who enters the Maze has ever returned. But, in the old days, my people used to use chalk to mark the walls. I've always carried it with me for good luck, but I know you're about to test yourself against the Maze. This should keep you from losing your way. Know, that not every part of the maze is deadly. There was certain locations warded against the creatures within. If you ever find yourself in one of these places, you can rest easy." Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 20, 2020 Author #14 Share Posted May 20, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 114/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC | +3 LD | 3 PROS ID: 150195 CD5 - No monster attacks LD15+3 Peaceful Lake Located <<Heart of Rhaegal>> Obtained Oscar headed into the maze, chalk in hand. As he roamed the endless corridors, he made sure to mark his trail so that he could return safely. The old man hadn't been lying. The interior of the maze was dark and depressing. He wondered how anyone would be able to eke out a living in such a place. The path before him twisted and turned. A flurry of rights and lefts and chalk marks. He felt as if the hair on the back of his neck were standing on end. Like he would be waylaid by a dark denizen of the labyrinth at the very next corner he rounded. But, that was not the case. He made a sharp left. The maze widened outward. A lake stretched out before him. At the very center was a shrine of a dragon holding a large gemstone. As he stepped toward the lake, the gemstone began to shimmer. It rose from its pedestal and shot out over the waters, coming to a stop in front of the man. He held out his hand and accepted the item. The <<Heart of Rhaegal>> was added to his inventory. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 22, 2020 Author #15 Share Posted May 22, 2020 Spoiler Oscar 1170/1170 HP | 114/114 EN | 23 DMG | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | 106 MIT | VAMP-DEF | PARA IMMUNE | 12 FLN | 36 BRN [BD8-10] | 6 REC | +3 LD | 3 PROS ID: 150352 CD5 No Encounter With the Heart in tow, Oscar was overcome with curiosity. Perhaps the old man had answers. He followed the chalk marks he had made back towards the entrance of the maze. The winding paths would have been confusing if not for the trail that he had left that guided him safely home. Even still, Oscar was cautious. Just because he was making his return trip didn't mean that there wouldn't be any dangers. It was better to be safe than sorry, especially with something so valuable in tow. Thankfully, his trip out was just as successful as his trip into the maze. The labyrinth disappeared behind him as he climbed the mountain back up to the Settlement of the Iron Fist. He could breathe easy now that he was out of the oppressive maze. He couldn't wait to see what the old man had to tell him about the Heart. An excitement had bloomed in his chest that he could scarcely remember. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 22, 2020 Author #16 Share Posted May 22, 2020 Upon his return, Oscar found the old man sitting in a chair outside of his home. As he approached, the old man appeared rather shocked to see him. Oscar gave the man a bright smile and sat down on the ground in front of him. "Many thanks for the chalk. It was exceptionally useful." The old man, still reeling from the surprise, took a long moment to answer. When he finally parted his lips to speak, it was clear he was fumbling for his words. "I can't believe it," the old man finally said. "You entered the maze and lived? That hasn't happened since the time of Orgoth. How did you survive?" Oscar thought for a moment. He had wanted to craft some epic tale about how he waded through a small army of enemies and wrenched the heart from their clutches. But nothing could have been further from the truth. The real truth was that he had gotten exceptionally lucky to not have encountered any enemies within the maze. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 22, 2020 Author #17 Share Posted May 22, 2020 "Well," Oscar began. "There was quite a bit of luck involved, honestly. It seemed like no sooner had I entered the maze, I found one of the safe havens you had told me about. But there was something there." Oscar navigated through his inventory and produced the Heart of Rhaegal. The emerald-green gem hovered in the air. It was an oval-shaped gemstone, about a foot long and just shy of that across. It seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. "This thing just reacted to my presence and flew across the lake at me. It seemed rather important. So I thought I would come back and see if you knew anything about it. The chalk marks helped me make it back safely. I didn't run into a single creature on my way in or out of the maze." The old man admired the gem for quite some time. He had a look upon his face that was as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 22, 2020 Author #18 Share Posted May 22, 2020 "This is..." The old man trailed off. He held out his hand to touch the gemstone. Fingers splayed over the cool surface of the Heart, the old man closed his highs and took a deep breath. "My people thought their existence mere legend. The Hearts of the Elder Dragons." He removed his hand and folded it with the other together in his lap. He took one final look at the stone, his face contorted in thought. "Legend tells of nine gemstones called the Hearts of the Elder Dragons. Looking at this one, I can only assume the stories are true. The Hearts are shrouded in mystery. My people scoured the maze for the Hearts for generations, never laying eyes upon a single one. Until now." He cast a wary eye in Oscar's direction. "Even we do not know what purpose they serve or why they exist. We do regard them as objects of great power. I wonder what would happen if all of them were collected." The old man looked a touch concerned. Perhaps it was fear of the unknown? Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 22, 2020 Author #19 Share Posted May 22, 2020 To Oscar, however, the Heart constituted something bigger. A treasure hunt was one hell of a goal. Especially one in which you were expected to thrust yourself into danger in order to gather several objects of dubious value and extreme power. It constituted something larger, a task he could throw his power towards. A reason for slaying monsters left and right that was greater than the mere accumulation of wealth. As the old man found himself worried over the sudden appearance of the Heart, as well as an individual who had braved the Endless Maze and lived, Oscar was making plans for his next move. He had decided on his next course of action. He would search out all nine Hearts and collect them all. Then, when he brought them together, he would unlock what mysteries - if any - they held. At the very least, there would probably be some sort of reward for returning such and important piece of the villagers' heritage to them. Link to post Share on other sites
Oscar 0 Posted May 22, 2020 Author #20 Share Posted May 22, 2020 But the reward was only secondary. The hunt itself would be what Oscar would focus his efforts on. While this was something that was right up his Guild's alley, he wanted to handle the search on his own. It was a welcome distraction, this hunt. Something to take his mind off of things, to spend his energy upon so that he didn't have the energy to work himself into a lather. A visage of firm resolve stretched over his face. He shot to his feet, returning the Heart of Rhaegal to his inventory in the process. With a bright smile on his face, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked skyward. After a moment, he turned back to the old man. "I'm going to find them all," he said with finality. "And when I do, I'm going to bring them back here and we're going to discover what their purpose is together. You have my word." With that, Oscar regarded the old man who had helped him so much with a polite nod before heading for the Teleportation Platform. He wanted to head home for now. He couldn't hunt down the other eight without rest. Thread Summary 4 SP [2 - Quest, 1 - Page, 1 - Bonus] <<Queen's Honey>> - Perfect T3 Damage Potion <<Matriarch's Stinger>> - Double Bleed Damage for a single thread <<Heart of Rhaegal>> - ??? Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts