[F22-OP] Unchained, A plan to action pt.2

[Raidou 1]

A reddened tapestry adorning the back of a chair in an empty hall, a waking morning just coming online. Blue light bleeds through window panes casting subtle illumination to its surroundings. Upon a large redwood table a pile of papers with hastily drawn words scattered about, showing little consistency in how they litter the surface. Seven rooms lay unlit to a work not yet started, while the equipment within them await the point at which they would be used would come. Up the two sets of stairs, wooden doors with brass handle layered outward from the hall in opposition. The rooms are attached to obviously protruding outward from the building's center point. One has an occupant, the halls only frequented body. The guild leader and traveling nomad Raidou, to his left the magnified lenses upon a darkened wood end table. Fast asleep waiting for the day to begin, as it brings a rise in him once the light peers in. Clasping the glasses with both hands, Raidou begins a routine. The red robe disappears with the swordsman, leaving the hall empty for a few hours while he works to boost the guild's coffers.

These Threads (This & This) happen after this

Spoiler

Raidou, The Red Wanderer:

Level: 41

HP: 820/820

En: 82/82

Weapon: The Black Star - Genesis [1HSS] (T1/Perfect): Paralyze 1 (9-10), Taunt (+1 Hatred from Attacks/Howls, +2 on Focused), Vampiric [Offensive] 1 (Recover 10% of Total HP on 9-10)

Armor: Swordsman's Gauntlet [Heavy] (T2/Perfect): +54 Damage Mitigation

Misc: Red Wanderer's Robe [Light] (T1/Perfect): +3 Evasion

Skills:

1 Handed Straight Sword: Rank 3

Battle Healing: Rank 3

Parry: Obtained [Vengeful Riposte]

Fighting Spirit: Obtained

Howl: Obtained

Gatherer: Obtained

Searching: Rank 5 (GM)

Concentration [Extra]: +1 Accuracy on next attack, 3 turn cooldown

Battle Ready Inventory:

3*Golem Strength Potion (+2 Base Damage)

Auric Sol  [1HSS] (T2/Perfect): +6 Base Damage

Self-Heal Recovery Potion (T1/Uncommon/+60)*4

Teleport Crystal*2

Onyx Spectacles [Trinket] (T1/Perfect): +3 Loot Dice

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Raidou

[Eruda 0]

Eruda's eyes flicker open from a well rest. A small glimmer of light shines across the floors of her shop as she sits up in her cot. Glancing around, Eruda sees Sam still sleeping. Checking her HUB left with no messages from the guild master for what was next to come. Eruda gets up silently and rolls her bed to the corner where she sleeps and gathers her equipment that lays about the counter. Feeling a bit bad from yelling at Sam and Kasumi the other day but regrets not a single word she heads out after a quick clothing change. Locking the door behind her not wanting Sam to be interrupted in her beauty sleep for she did earn such. 

Thoughts start to cross Eruda mind like a wave of clarity. Deciding that she would try explaining her feeling later to Raidou knowing now that this is what stems her ability to fight for now. Intending to keep them to herself till she was ready to express such things she starts to head to the Guild Hall on floor 22 to figure out information on what was next in Firm Anima's line of quests to complete. Walking to the warp pad in the town of beginnings, taking one more step forward as she says softly "Floor 22" as her body breaks into data and her feet on solid grounds once more. As she walks through the familiar town toward the path which would lead to her destination she starts thinking "How can I further prove myself, make them trust me, like me." Eruda mind returns back to reality as she realized she was standing in from of the large hall. Hope Raidou was not here right now for she could not face him just yet, she walking into the building looking around for any movement inside. 

Closing the door softly behind her Eruda glances at the large reddish table with a crap ton of papers littered about. With the intention to find who was going with her on the next lessons quest she walks around the table and sits in the chair that Raidou usually sat in. Looking over these papers Eruda's eyes widen for there was much more here then she was hoping. A stack of paper catches her eyes that had her name on it. Spreading these papers out there are names of everyone and their professions, with weapon types and the armor that they wore or what they were going to be equipped with. Some of them had flaws or strengths that might need to be fixed. Eruda comes across her paper and smiles a bit saying to herself "He knew but how?" as she shifts through other papers that seemed important.

Another stack of papers catches her eyes. This had all the names divided into certain sections based on what looks like what they were capable of in Raidou's eyes. Eruda notices that her name was under Raidou in the Vanguard Division. "I guess Raidou believes that I could be upfront with him in the fray... I wish I believed in myself as much as he did." Eruda frowns a bit and looks at the other names not entirely sure what they were but knows that she would find out soon enough. 

As Eruda continues going through all the paper another catchers her eyes. A paper of the pairs that would be doing the third lesson together. Reading over the requirement for this quest, a subtle note of a glow stone being required by at least one member of the party. Eruda stays here for some time losing track of it as she read what she could on Raidou notes upon this table.

Sending a quick message to Simmone as she is the one listed to obtains such a thing saying "Please pick a few Glow Stones up. These will be required for the next mission." With a chime from her HUD she send this message. A response come back quickly saying "Alright dear, strange such a request is coming from you."

Eruda turns to reajust in the chair and sees Shiina exiting the guild vault...

Starts This Quest

Spoiler

Elda: The Non-Social Butterfly

Level: 12

HP: 240/240

EN: 24/24

Weapon: Bleeding Edge - Malice (Bleed 2, Taunt) 

Armor: Resistance Plate - Lily [Damage Mitigation 3 (+27 Mitigation)]

Misc: Stalwart Defender (Thorns 2, Recovery 1)

Damage: 3

Mitigation: 44 

Loot Dice: +3

Bleed 2: 8-10 Range dealing 12 unmitigated damage over 2 turns

Taunt: +1 Hate generated from Howl, Focused Howl, and successful attacks. 

Skills:

One-Handed Curved Sword (Rank 2): +2 Damage

Armor Skill: Heavy Armor (Rank 2): 12 Damage Mitigation

Block (Rank 1): 5 Damage Mitigation

Concentration [Extra]: +1 Accuracy on next attack, 3 turn cool down

Battle Ready:

Switch to Misc: Ebon Tether - Beauty (+3 Loot Dice)

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Eruda

[Raidou 1]

Returns from These Threads (This & This)

The girls leave as Raidou who had slipped in during the exchange between them, wanting to see how it played out with a bit of frost from floor 4 still adorning his shoulders. A changed man he was now, Raidou was waiting for someone to take the initiative which was the very reason the guildhall was open to them and the papers were so readily available. Two of the members, however, chose to take an action on their own, as Raidou picked up the now empty vial from the guilds floor and adjusted the moved papers back where they were originally set back in the systematic mess he had placed them in as a form of set up. "Good..." Raidou speaks to the empty hall as he disposes of the bottle, and adds a decent sum of resources to the vault from a prior trip. Scratching a few notes from his book to the paper analyzing Simmone, adding <<Picking>> to the page as a route to take in the near future as a lesson from a large chiseled man who knew to how to fish. Likewise as if drawing a comparison between him and the man's efficiency of one finding and another opening he draws <<Fishing>> to Gaius's page.

Edited May 10, 2020 by Raidou

[Eruda 0]

Eruda awakes really early in the morning, not getting much sleep after a very long day with Shiina the previous day. Tossing and turning all night she finally decides to get out of bed. Looking at the time it was 4 am. "Ugg since I can't sleep I mine as well make use of my time." Eruda gets to her feet and changes her clothing, grabbing her equipment and walks out the door quietly so she didn't wake Sam who seemed to be sleeping like a log. Locking the door behind her she realized that it was still dark outside. Eruda makes her way to the guildhall on floor 22 hoping that no one was there so she could finish what she started before helping Shiina yesterday. 

Getting to the guildhall she stands there thinking that if Raidou was in there she would ask to go through the papers and maybe tell her the other things that were on her mind. Knowing that they would have to come out eventually she blushes and walks in the door. Not seeing anyone at first glance she sits down at the table next to where Raidou usually sat and starts going through the papers again trying to make some sense of it so she could help Raidou with some stuff so he didn't have so much on his plate.

[Raidou 1]

Shifting about the contents of the guild vault early in the morning light in attempts to get it prepared for Simmone. His red robe was still straddling the chair to which he frequents, having not departed for this day's routine harvest. An unexpected cracking of the door of the guild, Raidou looks to the now pouring in light to a silhouette of Eruda. She was slipping through quietly obviously not aware that he was present. Taking a seat at the table she starts to gather the sheets of paper in front of her, reading intently their contents in silence. Raidou retracts from the vault and softly places the ledger back to the hook to the right of the entry with the accounts littering the page right in the margin with his projections. From behind her chair, Raidou reaches over her frame, grasping the sheet that described in detail the requirements and information for Third Lessons. "All difficulties are easy when they are known. You'll find this is what you are looking for." as he slides the loose piece of paper in front of her to read.

[Eruda 0]

Eruda's hands are frozen in place as Raidou speaks and reaches over her to grab the one piece of paper that she was looking for and places it in front of her. Thinking to herself shes been made but he doesn't seem mad at all. So much she wanted to say to him but nothing was coming out. "I didn't mean to...I.." her face becomes red as she can't seem to get anything out. Her heart starts pounding against her chest. Thinking to herself "God dam it Eruda..." She turns in the chair to look at Raidou "I was trying to help..." looking into his eyes through his frames "I am not sure how else..." her words fade to nothing. Eruda can't seem to turn from him as her face reddens a bit more. Eruda knows that she feels something for him but she isn't sure if he feels the same way and it would be stupid to think he had the same feeling. "I'm sorry, I-i-i don't know what I was thinking," Eruda says as she starts to get up from the chair...

[Raidou 1]

Raidou takes a softened hand to the girl's shoulder with a spoken word "This was exactly what I hoped would happen, interest breeds involvement. By choosing to help, to learn, and better yourself and those around you a change is made." Raidou affirms her stance in the chair, moving the sheet up to meet her. "With your interest, Shiina's will to help herself and your swaying grasp to offer her a hand the die is cast." he says removing his glasses and reaching for the red cloth of his robe. Wiping the lenses with a clump of the fabric before returning the glasses to the bridge of his nose. "There are no secrets, these papers are here for you and everyone to look over. I will continue to write to them and develop each step to give us every advantage I can." Raidou returns to the vault to finish his accounting and allowing Eruda to continue her study.

[Eruda 0]

Eruda forgot to breathe when Raidou's hand touched her shoulder and with that places her back in the chair. After he leaves around the corner she breathes out softly to catch what she lost. "I'm glad to hear that..." Eruda says softly to herself. Putting her hand to her forehead with her elbow leaned against the table reading what Raidou placed in front of her. "Hmm! Fascinating" Eruda says perking up a bit as she reads this sheet. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere though. Thinking of the recent missions that she took with the others she can't stop thinking that it was him in her head that allowed her to get this far. "Gosh dang it..." she says maybe a bit too loud.

Clearing her throat and sitting upright in the chair she stares at the paper in front of her with her face reddening by the second as she says "I know that you have been busy but I was h-hoping that with m-me helping out here with everything..." she closes her eyes trying to breath slower and calm her nerves "that maybe we could try that dinner thing...again..." Eruda combs her hair back with her right hand. "I just want to get to know you better..." rubbing her forehead as she says this. "I would understand if you didn't want to because of what h-h-happened last time..." she turns in her chair to look at the entrance of the vault "but I promise the ending will be different this time..." Eruda starts thinking of the last time. "I promise I won't leave this time..." thinking as her words fall silent,  her eye began to water knowing that if he said no, she would know that she missed her change that day.

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Eruda

[Raidou 1]

Returning to his work with the ledger on a shoddy looking pinboard, a pen on a cable adding tallies to the unidentified sacks of resources awaiting the guild's merchant to identify them and catalog them further for distribution. The girl moved to meet him, still troubled by a past that Raidou had long laid to rest as if it was still present upon the page. "Perhaps someday Eruda, but now is not the time for such distractions. Preparations demand my undivided attention, Firm Anima needs you as it needs the others to look forward not backward. Let the dogs lie while we let slip the hounds of war, focus on that, and eventually, the moment may arise where we are allowed such luxury." it was interesting that Eruda would bring up something from so far back upon their first moments alone as if it was always on her mind from back then.

[Eruda 0]

Eruda wipes what little tears were there. He was not wrong, thinking of how Sam was and Kasumi with Setsuna. There was a lot of tension between them and she has yet to see the performance of the others. Shiina might need some work but she wasn't really in her element in these last few quests. Breathing slowly now that she got what she wanted out Eruda says "I will do my best then. I am sending the team formation out in guild chat in a few minutes for the third lesson quest when I know that Simmone has the glow stones. I will continue to do what I have been, helping who I can with what they need." This made her think directly to Shiina. If she could somehow do this for the others then maybe the others will start to trust her too. "Raidou, if you help with anything or anyone specifically, please let me know," she says this last sentence with confidence because she knows that Setsuna and her made some connection. Shiina and her had a small bond, Sam was staying at her place for the moment. So if anything she had the respect she wanted from them. 

Knowing that Raidou's answer wasn't a no, Eruda felt better knowing that there was hope to hold on to. First, she opens her HUD and sent a message to Simmone saying "Did you obtain the glow stones? Two specifically are needed, one for each group. Please give one to Shiina and hold on to the other." With that, a chime of her HUD as the message was sent. Eruda waits for a response from her before sending out the other message. Eruda continues looking at the details of this next quest waiting for either receiving message or a walk it from Simmone. A chime from her HUD with a message from Simmone. Eruda opens to reads "Alright dear" and with a small nod she sends a message through the guild chat saying "Third lessons quest match up is Gaius, Setsuna, Simmone, Sam and the others Griswold, Kasumi, Shiina are with me. These are the requests from Raidou. Please do this quest asap so we can continue with the plan that Raidou has set for us," and with a chime of her HUD, the message was sent. Eruda looks to Raidou saying "The groups are set. Be safe out there Raidou!" Eruda says with a smile as she gets up from her chair and heads out to the Town of Beginnings to set the next quest up for the group that she will be going with today.  

Starting Quest Here

Edited May 12, 2020 by Eruda

[Setsuna 0]

Returning from her own mission, tossing the worthless ring to the table as it was of no use to her. A paltry thing but the specifics of it intrigued her further. To her surprise, Eruda was seated upon the long table. Raidou was nowhere to be found, surely off doing something odd. "Eruda, what is the next task on the agenda?" Setsuna prodded, convinced the girl who had been pouring over the papers had surely found the next and since Raidou was not around to dictate the next course of action it would fall to Eruda given the message she had sent that lead her to Sam and the others. "Third Lessons is done. Gaius is... Adequate, Sam needs more work." Setsuna said in a cool tone, with a biting honesty awaiting Eruda to respond as she took to one of the chairs a bit reticent at the feel, but was eager to improve further which would be expedited once the chaff had been culled.

[Eruda 0]

Eruda has been sitting at the table all day, looking at all the notes that Raidou has made on certain quests that needed to be taken. Pulling a sheet from underneath another she sets her eyes on the forth lessons quest, logging the groups that would go together. Seeing a small light peer inside from the front entrance, she ignores it but looks up when she hears a familiar voice talking to her. "I already knew that Sam needed some more work from when we last worked with her. Did she improve at all from what you could tell?" Eruda looks to the paper in front of her again trying to answer the other question to the best of her ability saying as she looks over the names "It looks like you, Gaius and Simmone will be with me for the fourth lessons quest. Also, there is something else here..." as she pulls another paper with the same level requirements as the others. Looking over this paper before she continues talking, "It looks like Raidou will be taking each of us to do this Venomous Warg quest. I guess we just wait for him to send a message to us separately when he has the time to do so. With that, I will send the message to the others shortly. We will head out first thing in the morning if that's okay with you Setsuna" Eruda looks up at her with somewhat tired eyes as she knew that she would be here for a while and the sun was already setting.    

[Setsuna 0]

A slip of the sheet in Eruda's grasp Setsuna read along the page. "With Raidou huh, strange that it lists as though he intends to take us each on this with him. A lot to ask of him." Placing the sheet back down. "She cannot follow up, she is troubled by insecurity and needs to learn to follow through. I can draw a comparison between her and Kasumi. Gaius is rather abstract in his rage but when he gets going it's effective. Simmone is well, Simmone." Setsuna pulls herself from the chair. "Eruda you need rest, I cannot have you falling asleep on us when things become more lethal." she spoke with a few hypocritical words, as her own rest had been suffering for quite some time. She exits the guild hall and moves her way toward the starting city as the sun begins to set, to remain vigilant in the coming night.

[Eruda 0]

Listening to every word Setsuna said including the last, Eruda watches her exit the building. In a small voice to herself, she says "Yea I do need sleep. But this is important too." Eruda yawns and rubs her forehead. "Well the least I can do is sent the message through guild chat. This will also let Raidou know that the third lessons have been completed by everyone and that we are moving forward," Eruda was talking to an empty room, sorting her thoughts out. 

Eruda opens her HUD, typing in the guild messenger saying "Fourth Lesson's quest pair up. Setsuna, Gaius, Simmone, and I. The others Griswold, Shiina, Kasumi, and Sam. These groups are in Raidou's request. Please complete this asap. Also, be waiting for a message from Raidou for another quest that you will be taking with him separately." With a chime of her HUD, the message was sent. Eruda also realized that in the team roster for the guild Sam's name had appeared. With a small smile and a yawn, Eruda gets up from her chair. Knowing that sleep was needed for the big day tomorrow she heads back to her shop to get some sleep.

[Raidou 1]

A late afternoon, the guild hall lay dormant but newly changed via the guild expansion being purchased. It felt abnormal to Raidou having something he was so familiar change in mere minutes, but he would adjust. Gaius comes via his call. "The hell am I here for?" Gaius barks having just completed fourth lessons but is paid no response and a glare that destroys his resistance. "Take these to Megitsune on floor 4." Raidou remarks tossing him a bundle of items, a care package for retrieving her familiar as she was already hard at work in the snow. "But I am hungry." Gaius sighs. "Then find something to eat, do it quickly as she needs these." as he adverts his gaze, a red fume building on his robe as a form of pressure to prevent a further argument. Gaius gulps and exits, not wanting a repeat of the previous fight. Raidou sends Kasumi a message: "Build something for Setsuna and I, accuracy please. Leave them in the guild vault while I prepare the rest."

[Kasumi 0]

Taking a moment or two to recover, the sickness passing enough to allow her to operate from the confines of Eruda's shop. To floor 2 she travels, her shop unlocked she gets to work. It takes a little time, but making the necessary adjustments she finishes what she assumes will fulfill the guild masters request. A move into the guildhall, it lays empty. "What are you up to cousin?" She whispers to the vacuum to no one, taking the pieces into the guild vault and setting the contained pieces to the shelving. She then notices the place had changed, the structure was larger but the more subtle changes she had a hard time placing. Taking a seat on the table, the very same she had taken when the guild meeting introduced the group to Sam. A move of the sheets of paper around she finds a much larger section of paper underneath, a definition of the divisions lay before her. "Operations & Intel." she remarks running her hand along the page. 

[Eruda 0]

Eruda finished the fourth lessons with the group and had to take a bit to gather her thought from the message that she received from her twin sister Freya. It had been a year and a half since they last talked and every message that Eruda sent previously to her went without a response. Eruda spent a bit of time wondering the area around the guild hall before actually going in. Wipping the remainder of tears from her face, she walks into the familiar building and sees Kasumi looking at a sheet of paper with almost a disturbed face. Walking to the table with a small sniffle from her recent issues Eruda says "Hope your feeling better, I see you found the division grouping piece." This was a paper that Eruda has already seen. Her name being on the top of the list in the Vanguard Division with Raidou. Sitting next to Kasumi she goes through the papers to find the quest information of the venomous warg. "I too am having some problems with understanding what Raidou has planned but I am learning. The most we can do is prepare for the worst and act on it without complications." Eruda pulls the paper she was looking for and reads it carefully.

Standing she goes to the Vault and picks up a hand full of potions preparing for the worst with what Raidou has planned. Placing them in her battle ready gear inventory she sits back down. "The issue that I am struggling with is being a group of people with more than you and myself. I am planning to take everyone out 1 by 1 to try to get to know everyone better so that when I have to be in a group with everyone, it will be with people I know. That is how I will fix my problems, so that there will be no issues in battle. If I have to prove myself to some of the team then so be it." Reading the quest information again she glances at Kasumi with a serious face saying "How will you deal with your issues," knowing that Kasumi had some of her own demons to face.

[Kasumi 0]

A sudden word from the blonde tank, Eruda enters and comes to the table on which she sat. "It's rather, unspecific." Kasumi explained seeing her own issues labeled loosely upon the page as she realized that Raidou was serious about dealing with them. "I am doing ok, and your right its better to know who your working with." Kasumi explained with a withdrawal from the sheet as she could not look at it any further. "It's difficult, more so without being next to Raidou. But I am trying the best that I can, Raidou believes I can change." she remarks in regards to the large piece of parchment. "That is good enough for me, As I trust my cousin with everything. He only wants what's best for us, I can feel it just under the words that seem cold. From my experience with him, you would be surprised that through all those tough words it's because he cares."

[Eruda 0]

Eruda hears her words and smiles a bit. "You brought up earlier that we were friends back in the day. Now that some of my thoughts have been dealt with I know more than ever now that yes were are friends. You believed that I could do just the same. As a friend I am telling you Kasumi that I know that you can do this. I believe in you just the same and I am sorry that I never said it earlier, I should have. I want you to know that you can always talk to me, no matter the subject. If you need help with anything, I will be there. You can put your trust in more than just Raidou." Eruda gets up from her seat and stands in front of Kasumi. "I too will not let you get hurt, which is what Raidou I assume is trying to do as well. More than ever, we all have to work together no matter what." Eruda came to realize that this was what she wanted more than anything. To be the shield that would protect everyone. Eruda glances back down at the Division paper and smiles. "I know it's going to be tough to over come but I will be here every step of the way." Looking back to Kasumi meeting her eyes with sincereity with a smile. "Lets do our best okay?"

Edited May 26, 2020 by Eruda

[Raidou 1]

Entering the guildhall after a long night of the same quest it was rounding 1 am, the exams were complete and as such, each and every member of the guild had been transferred into their divisions. Setsuna was looking to sheets of paper littered about the table, waiting for the guild master as she intended at the end of her own test. Taking to his seat upon the table, removing his glasses with a rub of his eyes as the fatigue was pressing in before placing them down as he did not need them to see. "Ask your questions." Raidou remarks to the girl, she had earned whatever she wished to know. Removing his robe and placing it upon the back of his chair. A shift of the papers upon the surface as he transcribes a further specialization while the girl formulated her thoughts into the query she wished to ask.