[F01 - PP] <<Earning a Living: Alchemist>>

[Elora 0]

Spoiler

LEVEL - 1 

HP - 20 

EN - 2 

DMG - 5 

ACC - 1

 

SKILLS

Non-combat:

Passive:

Combat:

Weapon Skills: 2H Assault Spear R1 (+3 base damage)

     Blast (2 Energy +2 per target hit) - A pair of horizontal sweeping strokes that hits multiple targets.

     Straight (2 Energy) - Begins with the player bending their knees before thrusting forward with a singular powerful strike covering the gap between you and your opponent.

 

INVENTORY

Weapons: [Equipped] 2H Assault Spear (Rare)

   Damage - Gain +(1 * Tier) base damage per slot

   Accuracy - Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit

Equipment: "Selective Deflection" (Vanity Armor) 

Items: Starter Set B "DPS Package": x3 Healing Potions (heals 50 HP), 10 Tier 1 Materials 

Money: 2,500 Col

 

Total Skill Points: 5

Unspent Skill Points: 0

Spent Skill Points: 5

The awkwardly-shaped pebble clattered atop the cobblestone before halting a few paces in front of her. Kicking it along her path to town provided an effortless and welcome distraction to thinking about what she was going to do with her day. The city was always bustling with traffic as other players socialized with friends or prepared to embark on grandiose quests. It was easy for her to become overwhelmed, to get lost in the motion of it all. If only she could just regain her footing and find something to focus on for more than a matter of hours, maybe then productivity would become intrinsic to her. 

She narrowed her attention to the rock as she prepared to deliver another kick. Swinging her leg forward and making no contact with it, she swiftly drove her foot into the shin of a passing pedestrian. 

"[censored]!" She exclaimed before even having the chance to look at the stranger's face. Her face immediately flushed with embarrassment for how negligent she had been for not paying attention to where she was going. She could only hope that whoever she had just hurt wasn't looking for fight. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

Spoiler

Stats
Level: 4
HP: 80
EN: 8
DMG: 4
ACC: 1
EVA: 1
KEEN 1
SAVVY 1


Skills
- One-Handed Curved Sword (Rank 1)
>>> +1 DMG

Equipment
- [E] Crescent Elegy (T1 Rare Curved Sword)
>>> +2 DMG

- [E] Red Coat of the Traveler (T1 Rare Light Armor)
>>> Savvy 1
>>> +1 EVA

- [E] Aeolus Wind Charm (T1 Rare Trinket)
>>> Keen 1
>>> +1 ACC

Battle-Ready Inventory
- (3) Starter Healing Potions
>>> Heals 50 HP

How long had it been since he'd seen sunlight? Judging by the perpetual squint he wore in a vain attempt to assuage its abrasive glow, too long.

Life wasn't kind on the tenth floor of Aincrad, but no more so was it on the first. Treacherous mobs roamed its fields, shifty salesmen lined the streets of its cities, and all manner of debaucherous goons skulked in its shadows. The Town of Beginnings, a supposed bastion of safety for the less combat-oriented denizens of the floating cage, had long degraded into little more than den of thieves. Whether the Militia that "protected" (and extorted) its subjects, the rogues that sauntered betwixt the shaded alleyways, or the shopkeeps that always seemed to keep their prices a bit too high, everyone here had something to gain at the expense of another. 

Though, could Jackpot consider himself much better? He'd chosen to flee to a cave in proverbial hell to escape the literal one here. Were he to-

Thud.

"[censored]!"

What?

What a shrill voice. Though, it probably had more to do with the situation than the woman herself. Yes, he concluded as his eyes scanned her slender frame. Look at how red she is. And her gear... Just another noob, not that he'd expect much more in a place like this. Though, there was something to be said about fresh meat, and how useful it could be when developed properly. It was just a perk that she was easy on the eyes, too.

So he smiled.

"Lost?" he inquired in the warmest intonation he could manage. "So am I." A lie, but a disarming one. "Where were you headed?"

[Elora 0]

"Lost?" Elora heard the man ask in a friendly manner. 

The inquiry resonated with her in an unnaturally profound way. She quickly shook herself from the feeling. Obviously he was referring to how unfamiliar she seemed to be with her surroundings, but it's not like she carried herself in the fashion of some purposeless vagrant meandering the city. Wait...or was it that...?

Elora stared for probably a bit longer than she should have at his unusually squinted eyes. Oh...HE'S lost because he's blind... She shuffled her feet uncomfortably while she considered what she should do. It REALLY wasn't her job to play seeing-eye dog with this man who QUITE LITERALLY could not watch where he was going. She wouldn't have even gotten in this awkward situation if he had just been responsible when he decided to take his sweet time moseying through the busiest city in all of Aincrad. 

GAH! I'll just need to bring him somewhere to pawn him off on someone else. At least that would mean I didn't just do nothing. Reaching out, Elora carefully grabbed a few of his fingers and began to usher him to follow her. Her facial features subtly contorted as a wave of revulsion washed over her. Touching people she didn't know was so gross, and assisting them was about as satisfying as attending Great Aunt Karen's annual Christmas Carol at the retirement home. "I was actually just on my way to finding an Alchemist. I think I've developed some sort of ailment that needs remedying." They've got to have some sort of concoction that he can take to recover. 

Edited May 16, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

She was staring. Why was she staring? Was there something on his face? Or was it just his devilishly good looks? It almost looked like she-

What... What the hell?

She'd taken his hand. And so soon? Maybe he'd laid the charm a bit too thick. The last thing he needed was someone a bit too clingy.

"Y-yeah..." he replied nervously, voice cracking a bit as he retracted his hand and slid his fingers from hers. He attempted to take a step back, but his body began to pitch as his heel met with a portion of uneven cobble. Gracelessly, he stomped his other foot back to brace himself and prevent the fall - only for it to meet with the corner of the shop they'd been loitering outside of, and pitch his body abruptly forward and toward hers. Instinctively, his hands flew forward to break his fall, and he found his fingers inadvertently wrapped around her tiny shoulders.

Oh, what the f*ck have I gotten myself into?

"U-uh..." At least he hadn't held onto anything too inappropriate. There was still a chance to recover. "Yes. The Alchemist!" That was a bit too enthusiastic. He'd need to reel it in. "I- yeah. I know the way. Um-" He retracted his hands. "This way."

He kept his eyes glued the street as they meandered through the streets toward Evangeline's shop, lest he trip again or otherwise catch the eyes of the very person he'd tripped in front of. And manhandled, apparently. This isn't exactly going according to plan... he mused mentally as the blunder played on a loop in his head over and over. Though, what had been the plan in the first place? Whatever it was, it was a bust now. Best to deposit her at the Alchemist and move on.

They were coming up on it, now. "Yeah, uh, that's it," he managed with a meager and pathetic extension of his index finger toward the NPC's tent. As his whiskey-colored eyes flickered toward her, he couldn't even bring himself to look her in the eye. Rather, his own lingered on the peripherals of her visage, absently fixated on the scenery that lay beyond. "Sorry about, well." Don't do it. Don't bring it up.

Instead, he extended his hand for a shake. Then, just as awkwardly, forced it to his side again. He wasn't quite ready to embrace her touch again. "My, uh, name's Jackpot. Merchant. You?"

Just say something. Anything.

[Elora 0]

This guy was even more uncoordinated than she could have imagined, his body stumbling and falling in every direction. Her shoulders instinctively tensed and lifted up when he grasped them with his hands. Why can't he just stick to holding my hand? It's so much less awkward than whatever...whatever this is attempting to be. Almost as quickly as he had lost his footing, something that seemed to be happening to everyone today, he was leading her to an Alchemist. She was glad to no longer be making contact with him and was actually enthused to observe how he would manage wayfinding on his own. 

He announced their arrival to the shop before adopting a distant expression. With eyes glazing over, his countenance appeared to stare into the void or a great darkness beyond.

"My, uh, name's Jackpot. Merchant. You?" Outstretching an arm to feel something, anything, he disappointedly returned it to his side, empty-handed. 

"Elora..." She promptly stepped around him and entered the establishment, her voice trailing off midway through the pronunciation of her name.

Being quickly greeted by a woman named Evangeline, Elora began to describe her situation. "It's nice to meet you Evangeline, I've heard from word on the street about your skill in potion making. My...acquaintance...here is hard of sight. I think he may have been injured in a battle." Elora didn't try with any effort to quiet her voice. She didn't care if Jackpot overheard. This was all for his own good anyway. She continued, "Do you carry any sort of eye drop solution that could be used to restore his vision?" 

The woman began hunting through cabinets and shelving for something to assist his impairment, but was unsuccessful in doing so. "If I just had those 5 ingredients, then I could create a new remedy for your friend. Oh, but don't worry, they aren't difficult to find. Here, I'll write them down in a list for you. It could be another few days before I get what you need to help him. If you want, it'd be best to gather them on your own and return to me."

Edited May 18, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

Did she just push past me? How rude.

He didn't follow her when she went into the tent. Absently, he imagined that now was the perfect time to ditch the girl and go about his business, just as he'd intended. But something about her was rubbing him the wrong way. Almost like she wanted to ditch him. And that wouldn't do.

"My... acquaintance... here is hard of sight."

Hard of sight?

Jackpot actually snorted upon hearing it. Had he really made such a fool of himself that she believed him blind? Maybe there was a way he could use this to his advantage. Did he have any black shades to sell the pitch?

Of course not. This was Aincrad.

"Oh, you don't need to do that," he insisted warmly as he slowly made his way into the tent, feigning holding his hands out blindly to feel for his surroundings. "I've done just fine so far. On my own. With nobody to guide me."

Edited May 29, 2020 by Jackpot

[Elora 0]

Elora looked down at the list and sighed quietly, accepting it from the woman. "Thank you" she said, bowing to her before turning to leave. So much for being able to leave the man in her care. At least assisting in this task would give her something to do. Admittedly without it, she likely would have returned to her room at the inn to sleep for the remainder of the day. 

She stopped near Jackpot at the tent's exit to address him. "You can't just continue walking around like this or you're going to end up hurt, or even worse..." Her previously annoyed expression melted into one of genuine concern. "Don't worry, I'm sure it won't be too difficult for me to find what she needs to make the serum. You should stay here for now, it's too risky for you to leave the city walls." Saying the statement out loud made a pit of uneasiness form in her stomach. No matter how many times she seemed to leave The Town of Beginnings, it never got any easier. It wasn't that she worried about encountering monsters; instead, she held an irrational fear of other players attacking her once she left the sanctuary of the city. 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

"You can't just continue walking around like this or you're going to end up hurt, or even worse..."

Ew. What was that? Concern?

"Don't worry, I'm sure it won't be too difficult for me to find what she needs to make the serum. You should stay here for now, it's too risky for you to leave the city walls."

What a kind chum. 

"Yeah, okay. Sounds good," Jackpot responded, trying to keep his eyes as neutral and absent as possible. "Wouldn't want to get hurt, and all that."

So when she left, he simply followed. Keeping his steps light, of course. No use letting her know he'd chosen to tag along until the time was right, of course. But it didn't take long for her to catch on, of course, inevitably catching him out of the corner of her eye as she shifted her line of sight around to navigate the labyrinth that was the Town of Beginnings. Then, to maintain the facade, he bumped into her as she stopped, as though he hadn't seen it at all.

"Woah- why'd you stop? Don't we have work to do outside the walls?"

[Elora 0]

She had set out to leave the city through the main gate, which wasn't too far from the Alchemist's shop. Before long, her confident stride, which she had taken on in order to to save face upon leaving Jackpot behind, devolved into a slumped saunter. While she was walking, she decided to take in the view. Looking to her side--

The SAME guy immediately came crashing into her, causing her to fumble forward and regain her footing. 

"Wh-why are you following me?!", she exclaimed, "I thought we agreed that you would stay behind! Losing your sense of sight sure didn't do any wonders for improving your sense of hearing" Elora grumbled and worked to compose herself, emotionally, and by readjusting her accessories. How did he even manage to keep pace with me? It's not like we really walked that far, but still...

"AGH!" Elora lifted her hand in the air and waived it around dismissively. "Follow me or don't, it makes no difference to me. You'd just better not be trying to give me the slip! I'm doing this to help you after all." 

No she wasn't. Whether or not she'd admit it, Elora was looking forward to having a reason to leave the city and to scour the surrounding landscape for plants again. She thought back fondly to her time doing so with Warren, the first Alchemist she'd ever met. Maybe if I succeed in bringing all of the items back to Evangeline I could learn Alchemy too. 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

Damn, she was pissed. 

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Jackpot countered as nonchalantly as he could manage, keeping an absent gaze just beyond her. "So what do you need to do, anyways? Pick up some materials?" He kicked a pebble, which skittered down the street. "Sounds kinda boring. Just figured you might appreciate some company." 

The truth, of course, was that Jackpot was just so thoroughly entertained by the notion that she literally thought he was blind, and felt the need to see it through to the end. His curiosity had gotten the best of him, and while he'd originally planned on dumping the girl off to pick up her quest and dip, but now it seemed that he was stuck with her.

What a joy.

"Are we, uh, out of the city yet?" he inquired, feigning ignorance. "Still sounds... kinda loud." Then, the edges of his lips curled into a wry grin. "Guess I can hear, somewhat."

[Elora 0]

Elora nodded without considering that his impairment wouldn't allow him to see the affirmation. "Yeah, it seems we'll just need to gather five items; herbs, maybe?" 

"Sounds kinda boring. Just figured you might appreciate some company." 

"Yeah...it can be. I haven't really done any scavenging on my own yet, so I'm not sure what it'd be like" She considered what they could do to prevent the quest from becoming, well, lack-luster. Her recent journey with Warren had proved that what seemed like an enjoyable and productive pass-time could quickly be soured by bad luck. Maybe it'd be better to look outside of the wooded region this time. I'd imagine other climates probably produce fewer herbs, but the change in scenery could be a good trade-off.

"Are we, uh, out of the city yet?", Jackpot inquired, distracting her from her thoughts. 

"No, not yet. Let's get a move on" Soon, they had moved through the gates and were on their way to a region of scattered ponds and lakes that resided northeast of the town. It wasn't long before Elora spotted something that she could gather. In the shade of a shrub was a light teal-colored plant with jagged leaves. Upon grabbing its stem, Elora noticed that it seemed to emanate a cooling sensation, almost like a potent mint. "This one seems like it'll do wonders for your eyes"

 

Spoiler

ID#: 154993 LD19 (1/5 Materials Found)

 

Edited June 25, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

Really? She was picking mint and thought it would work wonders for his eyes? It suddenly dawned on Jackpot that he was probably in for a world if hurt if he let this facade to continue for too long. There was a lot he was willing to do in the name of mischief, but letting someone pour liquid mint into his eyes was not one of those things. 

As she turned toward him, he avert his eyes and settled absently on a cloud in the distance. "Haha yeeaaahhhh guess I'll just have to take your word for it," he replied hastily, feigning a small laugh. He had to do something to steer this poor girl in the right direction. "Do you smell... honeysuckle?" he inquired, raising his nose into the air like a dog following the scent of steak. "Good potions made from honeysuckle. Er, so I've heard. I think I can't track it."

It took everything in his power not to burst out laughing as he faked his way through leading the woman through the power of blind man nose straight to a collection of the fabled plant. "Should be around here somewhere," he asserted as he gestured toward an entire field full of them. 

[Elora 0]

Jackpot seemed to have an impeccable sense of smell. Sure enough, he had lead them both to a small meadow that was dotted in bushes with flowering honeysuckles. "Yeah, I think I've heard that too", confirmed Elora as she reached out to remove a cluster of flowers. When she pulled to remove the segment from the whole, it snapped with such force that all of their petals fluttered off and disintegrated into pixels. "Hmm...looks like we might not be able to use these...", she noted with a tone of discouragement. "You know, I think I read somewhere this one time that prickly pear juice can also sooth inflammation. The only trouble would be making sure that all of the barbs are removed before you incorporate it into a serum. But that doesn't sound too difficult. I'm sure I could manage it on the first try!" She definitely held a concerningly high resolve when it came to tasks she thought she should be good at.

 

Spoiler

ID#: 155867 LD7 Fail

Edited June 27, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

"Haha... Haha... Yeah... Prickly.. Pears..."

This wasn't good.

"But my eyes aren't inflamed!" Jackpot corrected in a genius moment of rare clarity. "Doesn't seem like it would help much with my blindness. We could, perhaps, instead, uh, go for something a bit more..." Safe? "Eyesight focused." Eyesight focused. Wow. Genius. "Carrots!" he blathered, perhaps a bit too excitedly. "Carrots are meant to help with vision, right? We could do something with those!"

As much as Jackpot wasn't keen on having his eyes flushed out with carrot juice, it had to be better than getting prickly pear barbs stuck in there. Even if it was only a virtual world, his skin still crawled at the very thought. 

"Unfortunately, I cannot smell carrots," Jackpot admitted. "We'll have to rely on your eyesight to find some."

As he'd suspected, it seemed that things were rapidly getting out of hand. He'd need to give up the ghost sooner or later, or perhaps end up with prickly pear barbs under his eyelids as a result.

[Elora 0]

While Jackpot began offering up suggestions, Elora once again tried and failed to collect one of the honeysuckle flowers. Hmph. So much for getting these I guess. "Well I suppose if your eyes aren't irritated...", she considered, "carrots might actually do the trick." She sighed heavily, as if in response to his claim that she would need to locate the crop. "You seem a lot better at this than I am. We should probably just stick to gathering whatever you think will work." The admission seemed to weigh on her spirits more than it should have, considering she had no reason to have preliminary knowledge or experience with the Alchemic profession.

Taking his advice, Elora began to lead them in a random direction that she figured carrots might spawn. As they were walking, a low rumbling sound slowly grew louder around them. Wonder if rain will be coming in shortly. If that's the case, we'll probably want to get out from the middle of this field. She suspected that the darkening sky was probably a sign of a storm rather than nightfall approaching. The two of them stepped atop a nearby hill and were suddenly greeted by the sweeping scenery of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls cascading across the landscape. "Whoaaa!", Elora marveled aloud. A fine and cooling mist sprayed in the air around them. "This seems like a good place to find some herbs!"

 

Spoiler

ID#: 156565 LD4 Fail

Edited July 11, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

"This seems like a good place to find some herbs!"

Had he not been so distracted, he may have called Elora out for her Donald-in-Kingdom-Hearts-Three-esque observation. Jackpot, despite trying his best not to, couldn't help but gawk at the scenery that unfolded before them. Beautiful sprawling plains, layering over one another in a stunning, hovering mosaic. Briefly, Jackpot felt himself wondering how much it must suck to actually be blind. To never see something like this. Or the woman who'd brought him here. 

Come to think of it, she seemed like the sort of person who might find themselves perfectly at home in an environment like this. Green hair, green fields. Yeah, something like that. Wait, was her hair naturally like that? Or dyed? Wasn't like he could ask her, on account of his seemingly perpetual lie. 

"Smells good here," he noted flatly, which probably came off as at least a little bit creepy. So he immediately corrected, "Like nature." Jesus Christ. 'Like nature.' Fucking brilliant. "See anything good? I don't hear any mobs around. We probably have time to mosey for a little bit."
 

[Elora 0]

"Yeah", she agreed to his comment with a deep sigh. It probably wouldn't be clear whether or not the response was made in self-satisfaction to finding such a place or to pity him for his astute observation.

Thankfully, she didn't give the comment much of an opportunity to settle into an awkward silence. "Hey, look!", she exclaimed, pointing over to a concentrated patch of what appeared to be carrots. "I think that's what we've been looking for! I'll go grab some!" After enthusiastically sprinting over to gather the item, she called back to him in concern, "BE SURE TO STEP CAREFULLY OVER THOSE ROCKS!" Elora was referring to a pile of boulders that sat jumbled loosely atop one another, sloping to bridge the bluffs to the banks of a nearby lake. "If you think you'll need any help, just let me know. Otherwise, I'll keep looking for stuff to help you" 

 

Spoiler

ID#: 158676 LD16 (2/5 Materials Found)

Edited July 11, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

'Hey look!'? Really? It was like she didn't know who she was talking to at all. Or, rather, that he knew him better than she gave herself credit for. Either way, he put his hands against his hips and stared on incredulously as she navigated the gauntlet of boulders and rocks on her way to her destination. "Think I'll just stay on this side, thanks," he finally called out in response.

The true reality of this situation and its implications wasn't lost on Jackpot. He'd either need to come clean about his 'disability' or take a healthy dose of carrot juice to his sight balls. Either way, he had an unpleasant road ahead. Perhaps it would simply be easiest to make his escape now, which she was distracted, rather than waiting until either of the other possibilities came to fruition? 

Yes, certainly that was the least painful avenue available to him. 

So he simply... turned and began walking another direction. Not too fast, as not to draw suspicion. But also not so slow that she would catch up to him easily should she take note of his departure.

[Elora 0]

Elora encroached on, then crouched beside the small patch of carrots. They looked awfully adorable compared to some of the other strange produce that sprung from the ground in this area. Putting all of her concentration into collecting the item still proved to be fruitless as she once again failed to do so correctly. Her hand had wrapped around the vegetable's stem and, somehow, plucked it free from the soil with such slowness that the game didn't understand how to accurately compute the action. Before the carrot could be added to her inventory, it had already dissolved into oblivion. "Why am I so fucking bad at this...?", she sulked, I can't just keep coming up empty handed or Jackpot is going to think I'm a complete loser. I'll just have to keep trying until I manage to gather something...At least then I could make the excuse that I was looking for the best carrot to use...or...something...

 

Spoiler

ID#: 173760 LD9 Fail 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Elora

[Jackpot 0]

As it seemed that Elora was still distracted with her carrot picking, Jackpot felt secure in his dastardly escape attempt right up until he was accosted by a gigantic spider crab creature. He hadn't even noticed that he was walking directly toward it until it was too late, having had his sights set on the verdant-haired maiden as he slinked along the path of his departure. By the time he had the good sense to look forward, one of its revolting pincers was headed straight toward his neck.

It was by the grace of limbo prowess the likes of which he hadn't displayed in years that he was able to lean back far enough that the pincer more so tickled his chin than caused any sort of actual lasting damage - though, the damage to his heart may have been worse. A bit shaken up from the encounter, but understanding that there was no easy escape, Jackpot timidly pulled his blade from its resting place at his hip and prepared for battle. 
 

Spoiler

Encounter: King Caron
HP: 40 | DMG: 12

Spoiler

Jackpot: HP: 80/80 | EN: 6/8 | DMG: 4 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 | Keen: 1 | Savvy: 1
Elora: HP: 20/20 | EN: 2/2 | DMG: 5 | ACC: 1 | Disengaged from combat

Jackpot used [x2] Rage Blow, -2 EN FOR MISS

King Caron: HP: 40/40 | DMG: 12 | ID: 176498 | BD: 2, Miss | MD: 1, Miss