[SP-F05] Butcher of the Sands

[Freyd 0]

"Everything always seems to lead back here, doesn't it Persi?"  

His familiar's shadowy face rested on his should, looking out upon the desert.  They had come to test themselves again.  It was all they ever seemed to do here, but it was satisfying in and of itself.  There was a fearsome beast known to roam the outskirts of El Perdito - the Butcher of the Sands.  They had come to pit themselves against it.

"Who butchers sand, anyway?  That seems rather pointless."  Persi's blue eyes rolled upward on her void-like form.  "I hear that it's a tank's nightmare.  They can't hold aggro against it.  It wreaks havoc on groups as it targets randomly between players.   Sounds like a perfect target for a solo run to me."  The shadow mongoose's eyes belied mirth.  She apparently agreed.  What a long road they had traveled together since they first met here.  It seemed like a lifetime, not a mere matter of weeks.

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 36
HP: 720/720
EN: 72/72

Stats:
Damage: 18
Mitigation: 48
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 4
KEEN:1
HLY:2
BLD:12

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Forgiven Disobedience (T1-2HSS, ACC 1, HOLY 1, BLD 1)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb (T2-LA, MIT 2, EVA 1)
Misc: Assassin's Cowl (T2-Trinket, ACC 2, KEEN 1)

Skills:
2H Straight Sword [Rank 5]
Light Armor [Rank 3]

Extra Skills:
Disguise
Familiar Mastery: Fighter 3
Survival

Mods:
Precision
Finesse - Rank 3
LA Athletics

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potion (50 hp)*3
Teleport Crystals*2
Turkish March *2
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik*5
Super-Duper Snake Sauce*2

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory 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 treasure chests
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild: n/a

Wedding Ring: n/a

Spoiler

Consume:

Liquor of Light ID151942-1: +3 DMG 

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

They had barely reached El Perdito when a massive sand storm swept over the area without warning.  Taking shelter flat to the ground beneath Freyd's cloak was their only option, bundling tight to keep the abrasive winds from flaying them alive.  It took hours for the storm to die, but they soon realized that it was merely the harbinger of their troubles.  Prying themselves from beneath a layer of packed sands, they found themselves surrounded by a palisade of giant spears forming a perfect ring.  A giant lizard-man clad in heavy armor and wielding sort of arced blade-thing materialized on the far side of the improvised arena.

Freyd called Forgiven Disobedience to hand.  He knew full well that this was going to be the toughest fight he had faced to date.  Persi still lay hidden beneath the improvised shelter, waiting for an opportunity.

"Come on, Larry - can I call you Larry?  It's just that you strike me as a kind of Larry, like Larry the Leatherhead, or something.  Anyway, let's do this..."

[Freyd 0]

The beast man stomped his massive foot on the ground, clouding his approach with a massive cloud of sand and dust.  The tremor of the impact alone forced Freyd to tuck into a roll to regain his footing. He ended up much closer than 'Larry' had expected and came out of the maneuver with a massive upward blow that caught his foe off guard.  A deep gash opened across its chest, throwing it off kilter and forcing it to spin painfully away from Freyd's white blade.

"Don't get too eager, big guy.  We've got plenty of time to figure all of this out."

The only reply was a parched hissing followed by a low, rumbling growl from the massive man-croc's chest.  He'd recovered much faster than Freyd had anticipated, which served as a good warning not to try that particular move again.  Field bosses were typically more adaptable than mere re-spawning fodder.  It made him wonder how difficult the labyrinth and floor bosses might be.

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:720/720 | EN:64/72 (-8)| DMG:18 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12 -> Rested

BD: 6+4 = 10 (hit).  Freyd deals (144 - 20 = 124) damage to Sando Satsu.  Stunned.

Sando Satsu | HP: 226/350 (-124) | MIT: 20 | DMG 100 -> Stunned.

Ignores Block, Evasion and Mitigation, but cannot crit.
Cull the Meek: On nat. 10, hits everyone in fight regaining 10 hp per target hit.
Dominus: When down to 175 HP or less, grows massive, increasing to DMG 150 and MIT 30
 

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Taking a chance, Freyd charged directly towards his enemy, leaping high at the last moment and carving down with the sun at his back.  It was enough to blind his approach and provide another deep slash across the reptile's back.  It screamed with rage, but rather than fall it's eyes ignites with fire and the towering behemoth nearly doubled in size.  It's massive hand blade did the same.

"Hey!  How is that fair?!"  Freyd protested to no one in particular.  Cardinal was no doubt laughing at his feeble frustrations.  Whoever said anything around here was supposed to be fair?

It swung the massive guillotine in a horizontal arc that covered half the arena, Freyd diving below it at the last minute to keep his head attached to the rest of him.  He looked desperate, but his motions were deliberate.  The hulking monster followed him with single-minded focus, completely ignoring the cloak over which it now stood, and from which a pair of small blue eyes looked up, eager to strike.

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:720/720 | EN:56/72 (-9 +1)| DMG:18 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12 -> Rested

BD: 5+4 = 9 (hit).  Freyd deals (234 - 20 = 214) damage to Sando Satsu.  

MOB: 2 (miss)

Sando Satsu | HP: 12/350 (-214) | MIT: 20 | DMG 100 

Ignores Block, Evasion and Mitigation, but cannot crit.
Cull the Meek: On nat. 10, hits everyone in fight regaining 10 hp per target hit.
Dominus: When down to 175 HP or less, grows massive, increasing to DMG 150 and MIT 30

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Persi slunk silently up the reptilian giant's leg without him noticing, fixated as he was on Freyd and the bloodlust brought on by the grievous wounds he'd already dealt him.  Freyd, meanwhile, waited on guard, his eyes firmly locked on 'Larry's' so as not to give away his familiar's pending and exceedingly painful strike.  The shadow had already vanished beneath the behemoth's loin plate.  An instant later, there came a blood-curdling howl as its eyes practically bulged out it head.  It snapped its legs shut, whimpering in a high pitch that should not have been possible for such an immense creature.  

"Honestly, Larry?  Crocodile tears?  Tsk, tsk."  He brought his white blade down as a mercy and ended the creature's unfortunate agony, the beast and spears that formed the arena transforming into clouds of light all at once.

Freyd tucked his hands in his pockets strolling back into the desert, Persi hopping up onto his shoulder, pleased as punch at her success.

He wasn't planning on fighting fair either.

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:720/720 | EN:47/72 (-10 +1)| DMG:18 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12 

BD: 4+4 = 8 (hit).  Freyd deals (234 - 30 = 204) damage to Sando Satsu.  Killed

Sando Satsu | HP: 0/350 (-204) | MIT: 30 | DMG 150 

Ignores Block, Evasion and Mitigation, but cannot crit.
Cull the Meek: On nat. 10, hits everyone in fight regaining 10 hp per target hit.
Dominus: When down to 175 HP or less, grows massive, increasing to DMG 150 and MIT 30

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

That had gone better than expected.  Freyd and Persi were making their way back to Fortaleza, but decided to take a detour through El Paso Del Diablo, and the canyon where they had first found each other.  It was oddly nostalgic.  Persi played with her blue shadow mongoose kin, but it was quickly apparent that she had grown beyond them.  This wasn't her home anymore.

Scampering up and down the orange sandstone hills, she scoured the many nooks and crannies she'd favoured hiding in whenever players or predators alike would wander through.  Many were rare spawn points and one produced an unexpected boon to Freyd when he played along.  This region was flush with an assortment of mineral wealth and favoured for farming by lower level players.  Maybe he could gather a few items to help out newer arrivals to the guild?  Persi seemed game, and so they set about scrounging to see what else they could find.

Spoiler

ID#161241 LD 15 - 1x T1 material found

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Wandering the desert looking for pretty rocks had not been his intention, but since they were here.  "Why not indulge a bit, right Persi?"

Turning over rocks, checking out scrub brush and skinning the occasional lizard yielded some unexpected results.  Freyd was content to enjoy the peace and simplicity of the process.  It was much less intense and hectic than the pace he usually kept.  Part of him felt old and tired... no... weary.  That shouldn't be possible.  He'd only been actively adventuring outside of the Town of Beginnings for a matter of weeks.  Perhaps it was a consequence of stranding himself in that place for so long.  Part of him had forgotten what living was like, too much of him, really.  It was what made moments like this matter all the more.  He needed to spend time just... being, without having to focus every precious second on endless and relentless advancement.  

Spoiler

ID#161243 LD 16 - 1x T1 material found

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Part of his mind reeled at  the prospect.  Slowing down!?  That was what left him in virtual torpor in the Starting City for years.  Everything had to be a spectrum, didn't it?  Too much of any one things would throw any system out of balance.  No wonder he'd never wanted to deal with it, and threw himself critically off-kilter in the process.  If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that keeping himself on the right path had never been his strong suit. 

A small cobalt deposit caught his attention, its bluish tint standing out in beautiful contrast against the brilliant reds and browns of the landscape.  Tagging and preparing to collect the sample, he was about to add it to his inventory when Persi pawed at his leg.  He looked down at her and then took a closer look at at the mineral.  It was hollow - a dummy stone.  Someone was baiting the spawn points.

Spoiler

ID#161249 LD 5 - failure

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

His blade was back in his hands a moment later.  There was a distinct possibility that one or more PKers were about.  Play time was over.  Rolling into the nearest cover, Freyd's eyes  searched every nook and niche in sight.  Nothing.  Whoever it or they were, they had either moved on to another site or were well concealed.  Damn.

Freyd cursed himself for letting down his guard.  He'd heard plenty of horror stories about players who turned against their own.  Sometimes it was the result of a tragic accident.  Too often, it was deliberate.  'El Perdito' was a popular location for low level characters to grind.  That was what he had heard.  How many had already fallen into this same trap?  Looking at the dust blowing in the wind, all he saw were the bodies of players, like the motes of defeated mobs.  He had never seen a player die.  Did it look the same?

Edited July 28, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Inspecting the false shard, Freyd found a symbol engraves on its inner face.  It resembled Aincrad's profile: a thick, tapering tower in bloody red, with a black sword thrust down the middle of it.  It didn't mean anything to him, but he would have to follow up with his contacts.  There were broader implications to consider, especially if it truly was a group of PKers.

Signalling to Persi, the moved quickly and silently along the canyon walls, keeping their profiles as inconspicuous as possible.  Whenever they would come across a blind, Freyd would take the opportunity to scan their surroundings again in search of pursuit.    They were near the canyon mouth when voices drifted along the winds from up ahead.  

"We've seeded the area again.  Check with the other teams and report on any User activity.  The Spire wants us ready to take action the moment anyone takes the bait."  Their were various sounds of ascent, accompanied by malevolent chuckles and jeers.  These must be the villains he was looking to avoid.

[Freyd 0]

'Better to clear them out,' he thought and too a flying leap towards them from a nearby low ridge.  Forgiven Disobedience flared to life, filling the air with brilliant, holy light and the climatic choral song of the heavenly host unleashing its righteous wrath.  Three of the agents lay dead and de-materializing a moment later, the fourth having miraculously survived his onslaught. 

"Why is there always one that misses?" Freyd wondered aloud, standing back up and holding the blade level with the last man's neck.  Persi sauntered from her perch on his back, along the length of the blade and sniffed at him.  Her amorphous, shadowy figure hissed and recoiled from him, signifying her displeasure and revulsion at whoever or whatever he was.

"I found your traps.  They've been removed.  Talk.  Now."  The mob still held the brass falchion which he had used to counter Freyd's initial and overwhelming assault.  A minor cut on the arm had been the only result.

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:693/720 (-27)| EN:50/72 (-14)| DMG:18 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12 -> Rested, Finesse 3

BD: 9 + 4 = 9 (Crit +1, Holy 2, Bld 12).  Freyd deals (252 + 12 bld =  262) damage to Spire Agent #1.  Killed.
BD: 10 + 4 = 9 (Crit +2, Holy 2, Bld 12).  Freyd deals (264 + 12 bld = 276) damage to Spire Agent #2.  Killed.
BD: 1 (miss).  Freyd misses Spire Agent #3.
BD: 10 + 4 = 9 (Crit +2, Holy 2, Bld 12).  Freyd deals (264 + 12 bld =  276) damage to Spire Agent #4.  Killed.

MD: 7 - 1 = 6 (hit). Spire Agent #3 deals (75-48=27) damage to Freyd

Spire Agent #1: HP 0/250 | DMG 75 (250-262)
Spire Agent #2: HP 0/250 | DMG 75 (250-276)
Spire Agent #3: HP 250/250 | DMG 75
Spire Agent #4: HP 0/250 | DMG 75 (250-276)
 

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

"So eager to find out, are ya," spat out the man, despite the sudden slaughter of all of his companions.

"You can't win this.  Surrender and answer questions, and I'll make this painless."  It was pointless to offer quarter.  He had no effective means of containment, and a mob prisoner would inevitably have to be killed.

"Painless?"  He laughed so violently that his shoulders threatened to dislocate.  "I've died four hundred and thirty seven times.  There ain't no such thing as 'painless', kid.  And that's only the tip of what I learned.  We're on to you now - all of you - and you're the ones who are gonna learn all about how 'painless' it is to die."

He charged forward, his heavy blade held high to maximize the weight behind his swing.  He never struck.  Freyd pivoted his blade and stabbed low and hard with it, like a spear, piercing him through the gut.  It was messy as hell.

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows | HP:693/720 | EN:43/72 (-8+1) | DMG:18 | MIT:48 | EVA:1 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12 -> Rested, Finesse 3

BD: 9 + 4 = 9 (Crit +1, Holy 2, Bld 12).  Freyd deals (252 + 12 bld =  262) damage to Spire Agent #3.  Killed.

Spire Agent #1: HP 0/250 | DMG 75 
Spire Agent #2: HP 0/250 | DMG 75 
Spire Agent #3: HP 0/250 | DMG 75  (250-262)
Spire Agent #4: HP 0/250 | DMG 75 

Note: Mobs do not meet Freyd's loot minimums, and are floor max stats for narrative purposes.  No loot rolled.

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

As the last of the villains fell, a highly polished piece of sandstone bounced off the sands and skidded to Freyd's feet.  These mobs were maxed out in stats for floor five, judging by the damage dealt to him.  What on earth were groups of floor-maxed mobs doing planting player traps throughout the floor?  Grabbing and examining the stone he found a mark embossed upon the backside - a blood red Aincrad-looking tower with a black sword through its centre.  He had no idea what it meant, but it couldn't possibly be anything good. 

"Come on Persi.  We need to go check this out, and determine whether there have been any other sightings.  The network might be able to shed some light on that."  Turning north, they made their way back to Fortaleza without any further incidents.  The floor seemed eerie and suspiciously empty after their brief battle, almost as if the rest of the mobs had decided to give him a wide berth.

[Freyd 0]

Turning in the quest for the Butcher of the Sands took no time at all.  Freyd was soon sitting in a nearby saloon with a steaming cup of coffee by his side.  The actual environmental conditions didn't matter to him.  It has simply become his 'thinking drink.'  Persi was laid out under the bar at his feet, enjoying a quiet afternoon nap.

Initial feelers sent out to the information brokers had yielded negligible results.  He sipped at his drink and reviewed Firm Anima's personnel roster while he waited to hear more.  "I'll need to make arrangements to meet Setsuna and  Kasumi in the near future. It won't do not to know my own team."  A ping signifying incoming mail distracted him.  After placing his cup back on its saucer, he scanned the incoming message, hoping for a lead.  It wasn't quite what he was looking for, but any information was better than none.

Edited August 10, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd has been asking himself for some time why he'd been bumped into the place Kiluia had vacated as Firm Anima's captain of operations and intelligence.  It was likely nothing more than a personnel shuffle to better optimize individual strengths.  His friend's casual demeanor and uncanny luck would better serve him in Provisions, and Freyd had to admit that he was a logical successor, given what little he knew of the guild roster.  

"Come on Persi," he said quietly, gently tapping her with his boot.  Two small appendages manifested, like paws, playfully batting away his footwear.  "Must be a fun dream, but we need to be elsewhere."  Downing the last of his coffee, he thanked the barista and hopped off of his stool, opening a new UI with information on floor nine as he sauntered towards the portal plaza.  His decision to pick up the Survival skill had been a godsend, and would likely prove to be so again in short order.  Floor nine made this place seem like a beach getaway.

[Freyd 0]

Another figure was emerging from the portal just as Freyd approached.  The skirted by each other without making any eye contact, the stranger's hand brushing up against Freyd's as they passed.  His other hand reached out to touch the portal.

"Floor Three."  

[Scene moves to Delilah on Floor 3]

Emerging from the portal, Freyd quickly ducked down a side alley, and waited.  Four red-clad figures emerged from the portal within seconds, each of them looking about as if searching for something.  Ducking below a stack of barrels, he looked at the item he'd been handed by the stranger.  It was as the cryptic message he'd received had warned and instructed.  Whoever this hidden agency might be, they were well-coordinate to have teams moving across floors so quickly.  He'd seen the yellow icons over their heads.  These were NPCs capable of travelling through safe zone, and yet acting with unnatural malevolence more befitting a red marker.

 

[Freyd 0]

He'd been given a note from the miner's guild on floor nine complaining that their shipments were being raided with increasing frequency and requesting assistance.  There was nothing especially off about it, and it even rang a bell about a bandit quest on that level.  'Nice way to move cargo around unseen,' he thought, admiring the ingenuity.  He'd need to be more careful about moving between floors.  The portals were clearly being monitored.

Waiting for several more minutes, Freyd carefully climbed the barrels providing him with cover and found a suitable vantage point from which he could more watch traffic in the courtyard without being seen himself.  The red-clad figures did not return, and his scan of the surrounding buildings and alleys revealed no additional watchers, so far as he could tell, at least.  Making his way around to approach from another direction, he wandered casually out into the plaza and triggered the device, stating his destination as Yogan Village.  

Edited August 13, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Ash-choked and furnished as if by Hell's interior decorator, Freyd momentarily admired the squat obsidian buildings of the small settlement before realizing its precarious position.  Perched on a narrow ledge at the base of Mount Kazan and protected by a low barrier of the very same substance that still threatened its survival, Yogan Village was far from the most secure compound he had ever seen.  His dark leathers quickly concealed him in the many drab and dingy shadow-laden corners available around the square.  Concocting a fiction about securing a source of raw materials for Firm Anima's endless crafting needs, he bought a small wagon and supplies, including some sort of reptilian beast of burden that seemed quite comfortable in the heat.  Still cloaked beneath his cowl, he slowly exited the town in the direction of the quarry and quest that offered possible leads to this bizarre mystery.

Many unfriendly eyes were watching, but he could discern no particular or greater mischief from among them.  He could only hope that he'd lost his mysterious pursuers.

[Freyd 0]

Reviewing the few details at his disposal, Freyd wondered what he could possibly have stumbled into this time.  His natural predilection - some called it paranoia - for seeing plots and conspiracies at every turn was already firing on all cylinders and spewing forth alternative theories to explain the oddly credible incredible plot. 

"Why do paradoxes seem so keen on finding me, then following me around and dragging me into their orbit?"  The question may have been directed at Persi, who was sprawled on the seat beside him, soaking in the abundant heat.  She twitched one of her paws playfully, possibly as a result of some pleasant dream that enabled her to ignore his inane and ranting speculations.  It had become their routine and worked for both of them, in their respective ways.  She rolled over to face away from him, which he naturally took as some form of acknowledgement and authorization to proceed.

[Freyd 0]

By the time they reached the quarry, their wagon was covered in a heavy dusting of ash, like a thick, insulating blanket of charcoal-coloured snow.  Freyd's suppositions have moved internally after several hours.  Persi was undetectable beneath the dark blanket.  Freyd had just started wondering how anyone could navigate around the floor with all of the falling ash when it finally stopped, only to be replaced by heavy gusting winds that blew it all back up into the sky.  The cycle began anew.  

Disembarking, Freyd braced himself against the harsh blowing waves that washed over him on their way back up into the skies.

"They call it the dragon's breath for a reason, stranger."  A hardy and stocky-looking man approached him.  He wore a heavy orange leather duster and hat with a black vest and trousers that made Freyd think of some sort of steampunk miner.   "You must be here about my post regarding our bandit problem," he began.  

"Yes," Freyd replied, lying.  "You must be the foreman.  Why don't you give me the details?"

Spoiler

Continued here:

 

Thread Rewards:

5 SP (1 page + 1 event bonus + 3 quest bonus)

400 col

Cloak of the Sands (T1 Mit 2, Thorns 1)

2x T1 materials