F17/SP Moving On Up <<Challenge of Olympus>>

[Warren 0]

<<Challenge of Olympus>>

Spoiler

Warren
Level 3
HP 60
EN 6
DMG 6
ACC 2
MIT 18
Keen
Bleed

Battle Ready Inventory
Healing Potion(3) - Restore 50 HP
Empty Slot
Empty Slot
Empty Slot
Empty Slot

Equipment
Claymore of the Sands - T1 Perfect 2HSS [2 DMG, 1 BLD]
Vanguard’s Armor - T1 Rare HA [18 MIT]
Lucky Banana - T1 Perfect Trinket [2 ACC, 1 KEEN]

Skills
Rank 1 THSS Mastery

Housing Skills
RELAXED: Increases HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts
ADVANCED TRAINING: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month.

Warren's skill as an Alchemist had improved leaps and bounds in a very short time frame. Between the assistance provided by Oscar and the buffs for being in his Guild, Warren had about everything he needed to master his craft. However, there was still one piece missing from the puzzle. After he had reach the second rank of his profession, a quest had quickly come available. It was called Challenge of Olympus. Being all the way up on Floor 17, Warren was a bit leery about taking it on. The monsters there were several orders of magnitude stronger than anything he'd dealt with thus far. It was only after he found out that it involved no combat whatsoever from an Information Broker that he decided to take it on. But, the Broker had also been fairly vague. While they had insisted that it involved no combat or anything that would endanger a low-level character, they also didn't have any tangible information about it either. Something about it being different depending on the profession chosen. Nevertheless, Warren wouldn't be caught unprepared. He tinkered away in his workshop, just throwing things together that he might find useful. Some acid here. Some analgesic there. Anything that could be considered a useful chemical.

[Warren 0]

Ever the pragmatist, Warren didn't want to set out on such a mission ill-prepared. The problem was that he didn't know what to prepare for. At a certain point, he could take all the precautions that he could think of and there would still be the one scenario that he didn't plan for. That was when ingenuity and cleverness came into play. But thinking on his feet wasn't something that Warren was known for. If he stayed in his shop all day and tried to plan for things that were impossible to plan for, he'd never get anywhere. So, he grabbed a satchel from a peg on the wall and began to fill it with his concoctions. Vials of medicines were labeled green, acids were labeled brown. And then there was the crown jewel of his work in the lab. Nitroglycerin was carefully wrapped in cloth and added to his satchel. He was careful to insure that they couldn't clink around within the confines of the leather pouch. That would not end well.

[Warren 0]

As he left the shop, Warren had to question why he was bringing copious amounts of explosive ordinance on a quest that had nothing to do with combat. But, then again, his explosive ordinance wouldn't have any effect against any monsters. Near as he could tell, Alchemists couldn't make bombs to lob at enemies. It was a point of much disappointment. But, he still felt better with the items in his pouch. He carefully made his way down the mountainside, mindful of the explosives contained within the glass vials in the satchel on his hip every step of the way. Eventually, the Town of Deepedge could be seen on the horizon. A few more minutes would place him firmly within the confines of the town. There, he imagined that the safe zone boundary would prevent his explosives from doing their thing before he was ready. At least, he hoped so. If not, teleporting would suck.

[Warren 0]

Warren breathed an audible sigh of relief when he crossed into the town. As he stepped onto the Teleportation Platform, he took a steadying breath. He didn't know what was more nerve-wracking: the assault on his senses that he knew was coming or the risk that the nitro in his pouch would explode as he did so. He closed his eyes and, through gritted teeth said, "Athenaia." The ground beneath his feet disappeared as he hurtled at break-neck speeds through the void. He had the good sense to keep his eyes shut through the ordeal. Eventually, he came to rest on solid ground. Still disoriented from the sudden acceleration, Warren steadied himself before slowly opening his eyes. As his eyelids opened, he saw a pair of yellow orbs mere inches from his face. He recoiled quickly, a hand shooting to his sword on his back on reflex. "Christ on a cracker, the hell are you?"

[Warren 0]

Before Warren stood a goat man. From what little Warren knew about the facial expressions of goats, the man seemed to have taken offense to Warren's sudden outburst. Nevertheless, it bowed deeply and clopped its hooves on the ground. 

"Greetings young alchemist! I am Bylus, a humble satyr in the service of the Goddess Demeter. My Lady has been expecting you and requests your presence on Mount Olympia! Time is of the essence, so I shall guide you there."

Warren scowled at the satyr's sudden joviality. He looked up at the mountain towering over him in the distance and thought for a moment. Did he really need a guide up the mountain? Could he really deal with this satyr, who in a handful of sentences, had already set Warren's nerves on edge? He had to make a quick analysis of the situation and weigh the pros and cons before he answered Bylus. 

[Warren 0]

Bylus tapped his hoof on the ground, clearly growing impatient as Warren weighed his options. Finally, having reached a decision, Warren raised one hand and shook his head. "I'm good," he stated. Then, he began to head off in the direction of the mountain. He didn't make it ten feet before he heard the clip-clop of hooves behind him. Warren turned his head to see Bylus following along behind him. As they exited the town, the clip-clops grew faster until the satyr was quickly in his face again.

"Very sorry, but it isn't optional. I will guide you to the top of the mountain as I was instructed."

Warren sighed and pushed past the satyr, not really willing to deal with the creature any further. Try as he might though, he couldn't get more than ten feet ahead before the satyr came trotting past him to walk in front of the man. Warren was beginning to get a little annoyed, but pushed on regardless.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Warren

[Warren 0]

As Warren began to grow increasingly annoyed, so too did Bylus. Eventually, Warren decided to stop for a quick break next to a small lake on the way to the mountain. Bylus tapped his feet impatiently as Warren stopped to smell the roses. He'd never been on this floor and he wanted to enjoy it. It helped that it was clearly getting the goat's goat. He lingered for a bit longer than he needed to until Bylus finally voiced his irritation.

"It isn't polite to keep a goddess waiting, you know. Let's go."

Warren shrugged his shoulders and shot back, "It isn't polite to linger when you've worn out your welcome either, but here you are. I will be enjoying my time out today. If you don't like it, you're free to leave." Warren figured that if punctuality was such a huge issue that Demeter could just warp him straight to the summit. Until that time, he would take his sweet time getting there.

[Warren 0]

Bylus scowled and let out a low grumble, but didn't press the issue any further. Warren, for one, was busy taking in the sights. The way the sun glistened on the surface of the lake was simply gorgeous. That, plus the pleasant breeze blowing small ripples into the water just set him more at ease. It was a small snapshot of the majesty of nature that Warren felt would be a travesty to not enjoy. Eventually, though, he was snapped out of it by Bylus grabbing his collar and trying to drag him towards the mountain. Apparently, his patience with Warren was at its end and he really wanted to get him up that mountain. However, Warren wasn't going to be going without a fight. He was dragged for a small distance before he finally planted his feet and pulled against the satyr. Now that he was standing at his full height and putting all of his strength and weight into fighting it, the satyr struggled to even budge him.

[Warren 0]

Eventually, Bylus relented and got in Warren's face again. "You need to hurry up! I've got better things to do than babysit some brat who can't even show proper respect to a goddess," the Satyr yelled. Warren merely blinked and started walking towards the mountain. Bylus let out an audible sigh of relief. Warren, however, took off into a sprint. His hand went into his pouch and wrapped around one of the cloth-covered vials. Before Bylus could chase after him, Warren wheeled around and threw the vial at the satyr. "Think fast!" Warren exclaimed. Bylus' hand shot up, but Warren had aimed his toss short. The vial shattered on the ground. An explosion ripped through the air, blasting Bylus into the waters of the lake. By the time Bylus recovered from the shock, Warren was already long gone having used the opportunity to give the satyr the slip. Warren chuckled to himself as he dashed off, making a beeline straight for the mountain.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Warren

[Warren 0]

With Bylus nowhere to be found, Warren was finally able to enjoy the silence and solitude he had so desperately craved. The mountain grew ever larger on the horizon. He didn't encounter any real trouble on his way. Although, there were some rough patches. In his haste to escape the satyr, he almost ran straight into a group of Lionesses. Something told him that he wouldn't survive half a turn against them, so he had to give them a wide berth to pass around them safely. Thankfully, the didn't seem to have been interested in following him. Eventually, Warren arrived at the base of the mountain. Imagine his irritation when Bylus, charred fur and all, was there waiting for him. The Satyr had his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at Warren as he approached the stone staircase leading up the side of the slope. "Finally! We can get going." Warren planted his feet and cross his arms, mirroring the Satyr's posture.

[Warren 0]

"Dude why won't you leave me alone?" Warren asked, clearly exasperated.

"Because I was given a task to deliver you to Lady Demeter and I will see it through," Bylus responded.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't plan on going to see her," Warren snapped back.

"Yes, but you are on Her time, not yours. When a Goddess calls, you answer," Bylus retorted.

"I always have the option of turning around and going home. You think Demeter would be happy with you if I decided to leave because you're being too pushy? Being late is better than not being there at all."

"That's Lady Demeter, mortal. If you wish to have her favor, you will appear."

"And I will. On my own timeframe. I'm pretty sure if She had any problem with my lateness, she would have communicated that to me by now. Now, I'm going up this mountain without you. If you try to follow me, I will blast you off the side of it again. I've had about enough of you ruining my day." With that, Warren pushed past the Satyr. For the first time, he didn't hear the clip-clop of hooves behind him. Warren continued up the stairs, thankful that this time the Satyr had the good sense to stay away.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Warren

[Warren 0]

The way was steep and the footing was treacherous. But Warren continued the climb unhindered. Now that he didn't have to worry about that satyr all up in his business, he was finally able to get some progress. All the way up, Warren gazed off the side, watching the ground below grow farther and farther away. It was certainly a long way down. One misstep and he was dead from fall damage. The staircase wound around the perimeter of the mountain, a gentle incline. Even so, a gentle incline can be tiresome if one walks it long enough. Warren eventually decided to stop and rest, sitting on the edge of the staircase with his legs hanging off into the air. He'd never really be bothered with heights. Quite the opposite, really. It was really enrapturing to see the ground so far beneath him. Being up so high almost felt like he was flying. He was just about to continue when he heard the loud clip-clopping coming up the stairs. Before he could react, he felt something grab his collar again, yanking him up towards the summit.

Edited May 29, 2020 by Warren

[Warren 0]

"You will see Lady Demeter now!" Bylus roared. Warren struggled to get his balance as he bounced up the stairs. But, eventually, he was able to get his legs under him again. It took no small amount of effort to stop his upward ascent. Bylus was pulling on his collar with all of his might, trying to get Warren to move again. This time, Warren had had about enough of this annoying Satyr. Grabbing the goatman by the wrist, Warren slung him towards the edge of the stairs and held him there. Bylus flailed his hooves, trying to find purchase in the stone. Warren held firm, his grip the only thing keeping the Satyr from falling to the hard ground below. "I told you to leave me alone and I told you what would happen if you didn't," Warren said as he glowered at the Satyr struggling in his grip. "I didn't want company. I wanted some time alone to focus on the challenge. But you couldn't let me have that." Warren loosened his grip just a bit, watching the panic in the Satyr's eyes as he lurched backwards. Then, Warren pulled him forward and slammed Bylus into the wall. "This is your last warning. Leave. Me. Alone."

[Warren 0]

Warren continued onward. Bylus didn't. Thankfully, the message seemed to get across to the Satyr this time. Warren was perfectly willing to drop him off the side of the mountain if it meant a moment of peace. Eventually, Warren arrived at the gates of Mount Olympia. As he approached the golden gates, a dove landed in front of him. Warren watched in awe as the dove transfigured into a beautiful woman. She looked at Warren with a gentle smile, her arms stretched outward in welcome. "Welcome, traveler. I am Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest. I'm so very happy you could join me here. I understand that Bylus had come on a little strong in his efforts to get you here. I apologize. He can be quite zealous." Warren could only manage a nod. He was still in awe of the fact that she had just been a dove. Sensing his trepidation, Demeter continued.

"I've called you here to face me in a challenge of Alchemy. As the Goddess of the Harvest, I know all of the plants and how they react to one another. Your challenge is to create something I haven't seen before," Demeter stated.

[Warren 0]

How in the hell was Warren supposed to pull that off? She was the Goddess of the Harvest. Apparently, the Goddess of Medicine too. How could he possibly create something that she had never seen before? But then it hit him. She had said that she knew how all the plants reacted with one another. Medicines and poisons came from plants, but Alchemy was good for more than medicines and poisons. Warren opened his satchel and produced a vial of acid. He grabbed a plain rock and dumped the vial out on top of it, allowing Demeter to watch. The acid sizzled and smoked, corroding the rock down to nothing in seconds. The acid, derived from a mineral, was not something one would be able to create from plants. But still, Demeter didn't look impressed. She'd seen that before. But Warren had one more card to play. He had brought exactly two vials of Nitroglycerin with him. One he had used on Bylus but the other was still in his satchel. Sure, acid wasn't all that impressive. But how about an explosion?

[Warren 0]

Warren grabbed the vial and took aim at a larger boulder. He let the vial fly. It shattered against the rock, the sudden friction destabilizing the liquid and causing a large explosion that kicked up a cloud of dust. Demeter looked surprised this time. Clearly she'd never seen anything like this. When the smoke cleared, the rock had been completely decimated. Warren turned to Demeter and waited for her response. It took a moment for the goddess to pick her jaw up from the floor, but finally she spoke. "That's certainly new. Impressive work, young Alchemist. You have won my challenge. As a Reward, I would gift you my Cauldron. May it serve you well in your future endeavors." A small golden cauldron appeared before Warren. He reached out to touch it and it was quickly added to his inventory. Warren bowed respectfully and turned to head back down the mountain. But then he heard it again. The clip-clopping.

[Warren 0]

Bylus came running up the stairs with fire in his eyes. Immediately, he was in Warren's face. "How dare you disrespect Lady Demeter like that? This mountain is sacred!" Warren shook his head and pushed forward, but Bylus tugged on his collar again. This time, Warren was at his wit's end. He grabbed Bylus and put him in a headlock, pulling him towards the edge of the mountain. "We cool if I throw him off?" Warren asked the goddess. For her part, she looked rather perturbed with the Satyr's behavior and said nothing, merely turning her back to enter into the now-opening gates. Warren took that as the all clear and slung the goatman forward off the edge. The satyr plunged down through the clouds and presumably met his end at the ground below. There went Warren's great day. But at least he got a nice tool out of the whole thing. And the satisfaction of doing away with that rude satyr once and for all.

[Warren 0]

Without having to worry about Bylus from this moment forward, Warren descended the mountain. The way down was almost as treacherous as the way up. He had to control the speed at which he went down the steps so that he wouldn't make a bad move and go plummeting to the ground. All the way, he kept his ears open for the sound of clip-clopping. He knew that he probably didn't need to worry about Bylus, but at the same time, the guy had a habit of showing up out of nowhere. Like a cockroach. Warren wouldn't be very surprised if the satyr was waiting for him at the bottom of the mountain. But Warren had to make it there first. Honestly, this whole excursion was more tiresome than it should have been. Plus, he didn't have anymore explosives to deal with the goatman if he did show up once more. For all of that posturing about punctuality, Demeter didn't seem to care too much that Warren showed up when he did. Bylus really needed to relax.

[Warren 0]

When he reached the base of the mountain, he heard screaming from up above him. Warren looked up and saw Bylus dangling from a tree branch by his loin cloth. He was screaming bloody murder at Warren. How he wouldn't get away with this. How the gods would punish him for this disrespect. Warren merely smiled and shook his head. "Demeter didn't seem to care when I threw you off the cliff buddy. I don't think you're as important as you think you are!" With that, Warren could only laugh as he headed back towards Athenaia. The satyr's raging soon faded behind him and Warren was left in blessed silence. Good thing too. He was one more quip away from throwing a vial of acid at the tree branch. The cool breeze washed over him as he passed by the lake once again. But this time he didn't stop. The less opportunity he gave Bylus to follow him the better. Besides, Warren wanted to get back to his shop and put this new cauldron to good use.

[Warren 0]

Eventually, Warren passed into the safe zone of Athenaia. He stepped onto the platform and closed his eyes. "Deepedge," he called out. He was immediately hurled through space again, returned to his home floor. Having been overstimulated by having to fight Bylus the whole way to the mountain, Warren didn't really find himself fazed that much by the strangeness of the warp. He recovered quickly and headed towards the exit to town and - thus - his shop. He had a bit of pep in his step. He was excited to get to crafting again. It had been too long and now his crafts would be all the better thanks to the cauldron. After leaving the city proper, his shop was just a quick walk along the main path. He quickly disappeared inside the small building and locked the door behind him. Potential customers be damned, he'd had more than enough company today.

Thread Summary
3 SP [1 for page, 1 for quest, 1 for bonus event]
<<Demeter's Cauldron>> +1 to CD for Alchemy Rolls
400 Col