[F5-PP] Through softened stone [Blood in the Sand]

[Setsuna 0]

Through the scorching heats of floor 4, she sets out and at first, she intends to gain strength on her own but a rising feeling this would not be what the guild master would wish of her she second guesses it. Transcribing a message and firing it through the vine that was the guild chat: "Floor 5, the sand shark. Join me if you wish." she silently hoped that none would come to her aid as she hits send, that way she could say that she tried to proceed with a group and was forced to go alone. She peers up into the sky, an enlarged burning ball of fire loomed overhead threatening to sear her ivory skin until she turned to ash. But she would wait, if only for a moment for a reply from Firm Anima before she left to simply sate any frustrations that may stem from her actions.

Setsuna | HP:440/440 | EN:44/44 | DMG:11 | EVA:3 | ACC:3

Spoiler

Setsuna, The Creature in the Mist
Level: 22
HP: 440/440
EN: 44/44

Stats:
Damage: 11
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Demon's Gaze T1/Perfect/Katana [+3 Base Damage]
Armor: Cold Fabric Kunoichi Wear T1/Perfect/L.A [+3 Evasion]
Misc: Kunoichi Wrapping's T1/Perfect/Trinket [+3 Accuracy]

Skills:
One-Handed Curved Sword [Rank 1]
Katana [Rank 5]

Extra Skills:
Disguise

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)*3
Teleport Crystal*1

Housing Buffs:
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt

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.

 

[Kasumi 0]

Through mirrored lenses she can feel him looking, "Aid her, she needs guidence. You may not agree with her, but I need you to learn to work with her. Teach her discipline." Kasumi adjusts herself, wrapping lingering strands of hair around her ear with a twist of her hand before she nods. "I will do as you ask cousin, your sure she is nessessary. I believe that the guild would be better without..." before a commanding voice breaks her sentence before it could finish "Enough, I grow tired of this squabble between you two. You are on the same team, act like it." a thickened red as a visible form of fury, as if the fight they had saved him from had changed him. This was more active than she had ever seen him, and she could not tell if she should be proud or frightened.  She exits and beats a path toward coral to utilize the warp gate as she was told, a smile mixed with a strange feeling of direction.

Kasumi | HP:460/460 | EN:46/46 | DMG:11 | EVA:3 | ACC:3

Spoiler

Kasumi, The Blossom
Level: 23
HP: 460/460
EN: 46/46

Stats:
Damage: 11
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 3

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Master White Hand-wraps [T1/Perfect] (3 Damage)
Armor: Mugen Tenshin Decree [T1/Perfect] (3 Accuracy)
Misc: White Red-trimmed Gee [T1/Perfect] (3 Evasion)

Skills:
Martial Arts [Rank 5]

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3

Battle Ready Inventory:
Orange Hair Tie [T1/Perfect] (+3 Loot Dice)
Teleport Crystal*1

Housing Buffs:
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt

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.

 

[Sam 0]

Seeing the message in guild chat, Sam finishes what she was doing at her new house. She was trying to make it homier like but in the real world, all she had was her room full of computer stuff with a room full was game systems she would occasionally go back to play. Putting this on hold she gathers her things and heads out to floor five given it was Setsuna who sent the message and knew that waiting was not a strong suit of hers. Sam makes haste toward the gate. Calling out floor five as her destination she arrives and seeing Setsuna waiting there. -Oh god, this is going to be fun- Sam thinks to herself as she walks to her side still not knowing what Setsuna was feeling toward her. "I hope it's okay if I join. It's the least I can do for the other day." Taking out her book she starts looking at the notes inside of it while she waits for something to proceed with this gathering.

Sam | HP:460/460 | EN:46/46 | DMG:11 | ACC:3 | REC:2

Spoiler

Sam: The Red Rose
Level: 23
HP: 460/460
EN: 46/46

Stats:
Damage: 11
Accuracy: 3
REC:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Grand Cleaver - Stone: Damage 3 (3 Base)
Armor: Fire Brand - Din: Accuracy 3
Misc: Assault Division Bracelet: Rec 2, Acc 1

Skills:
Two-Handed Battle Ax [Rank 5]
Fishing [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Battle Ready Inventory:
Sapphire Ring - Nayru: Prosperity 3
Silver Band - Farore's Wind: Loot Dice 3
Teleport Crystal*1

Housing Buffs:
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing

Edited July 27, 2020 by Sam

[Simmone 0]

A soft sway through the town of beginnings with the soft jingle of a bell behind her broadcasted her as perused the stalls. Nothing of value outside of standard gear was present as was usual, to no surprise she'd find nothing that met the specifications she was given to hunt for. "Another failed trip, come one Felix lets head back to the odyssey and see how Sam is fairing." a notification from Setsuna breaks into view. "Well, isn't that interesting. What do you say? a detour?" she looks to her feline with a smile as it looks up and mews softly as if grinning himself. She parades toward the gate, intrigued by the fact Setsuna was seeking aid convinced the girl would never do such a thing. Stepping up onto the platform she removes her rapier and swaps her gear to something more fitting for walking through sand, minus the platformed heels. "Floor 5, Fortaleza" as a flash of blue rips her upward as the fabric between the floors fold.

Simmone | HP:460/460 | EN:46/46 | DMG:1 | EVA:1 | ACC:3 | BLD:12 | KEEN | REC:2

Spoiler

Simmone, The Black Lotus
Level: 23
HP: 460/460
EN: 46/46

Stats:
Damage: 1
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 3
BLD:12
KEEN
REC:2

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Ornate Quicksilver Rapier [T1/Rare/Rapier] (Bleed 1 [9-10{12 Dmg over 2}], 1 Keen)
Armor: Embrace of the Lotus [T1/Perfect/LA] (2 Recovery, 1 Eva)
Misc: Cat's Gaze [T1/Perfect/Trinket] (3 Accuracy)

Skills:
Searching [Rank 2]
Picking [Obtained]
Energize [Obtained]

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Mods:
Hyperactive
Dismantling

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal*1

Housing Buffs:
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests

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.

 

[Setsuna 0]

She looks on as both Sam and Simmone move into view, was expecting no one to show and she was unsure how to respond by the fact they had. "If you must." Setsuna barks out a bit irritated by the fact they came, moving to the quest board in the center of sandstorm battered town. Scrolling through the list she turns and targets the players one after another, and sends invites and quest shares to them both. Tightening her sash and tapping her lifted toes to the stonework underneath her, she starts to head through the sands as she had before with a different target her focus. "Anyone know what this thing is we are facing?" she asked the grouping hoping someone had the mindset to check what it was before they left, as she had haphazardly assumed it killable without any further inspection. She would then look to the quest description "A shark, that swims through the sand."

[Kasumi 0]

Making it to the platform and calling out the warp coordinates she transitions from a rather lush and comfortable floor to a burnt one, she sneezes as she lands. "I am going to need to take a bath." she softly exhales before fleetly hopping down and moving up to see both Sam and Simmone had also arrived. "Hi guys~" she waves with a jubilant hello before turning her attention to Setsuna and her emotion turns rather plain "I've come to assist you." With reluctance and a hint of confusion, Setsuna targets Kasumi and invites her as well, While she tightens the sections of ribbon wrapped around her hands. "Try not to slow me down." Setsuna barks to the girl topped with orange. "Slow down a bit, Setsuna, and make sure you are ready." the girl twists and fires a sharpened glare at Kasumi with a shout "Shut your mouth and follow my lead." but it breaks mid sentence, a section of uncomfortability on her tongue.

[Sam 0]

Sam smiles and nods to Simmone and looks to the other two bickerings back and forth. So of hesitant, she walks to them saying "Raidou has always been trying to get us to work together. The least that we can do is try. Eruda has taught me to stay calm and collected, to think before I act because if not crap can go downhill quick. I suggest we do both of these things. Setsuna, you can lead because you made the quest but we need to communicate. We need to work together to prove that we can. Also, it's always better and has greater results in the end if we do." Sam says this with a calmed voice hoping that they bother got something out of what she just said. "Come on Simmone, oh and I read on this sand shark. Its damage is mediocre and its health is low but we should still take the precautions needed for anything else out there that could possibly harm us." She found this black book that she got from Raidou to be very handy. She starts walking into the sand storm that started while they were talking and planning, trying to keep an eye out for any movement in the gusted sands ahead of them.

[Setsuna 0]

Still so filled with sentiment and convinced that she needed them to do this fight, she takes a stance in solidarity to invite Kasumi but begins to beat a path alone away from them picking her battles. This floor was hot enough without her anger and she would choose to not fight with both Sam and Kasumi in it. Heading through the wavering sands that parade in clouds on a soft breeze from subtle dunes, her tabi sinking into the stuff as she stuck out like a sore thumb in her light blue attire that was helping stave off some of the heat of the floor. On the horizon she saw through the sands a blackened fin dancing through the coverage at rapid speed, carving a path as it swam through it. She pauses and lifts the cover over her face, taking a moment to choose a course of action before she would take it.

[Simmone 0]

Simmone took a moment to remove herself from the conflict between them all, good lord they were choosing the wrong girl to tag team as she had experienced the girl's ferocity on more than one occasion so far. She was convinced Setsuna may explode on them both but to her surprise she simply leaves on foot. "I guess we are off." she remarks to Kasumi and Sam and keeping in tow with them as they would follow behind the girl in silver hair who was taking the helm of the journey. Scattering up to her side in a prance little Felix seemed completely unfazed by the sands the cat seemed to be holding some tuft of grass it had found rather proudly, with a hop in his step. "Even here you seem to have no issue in collecting little bobbles." Simmone extrudes at the familiar's tenacity, a jingle of his bell still rather present.

ID# 161810 results: Loot: 10+2=12, Failure

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Simmone

[Kasumi 0]

The result of her words was expected: Extremely aggressive, she wasn't sure what Raidou wanted her to do or what he convinced she could do. Fighting back emotional turmoil that reflected in her eyes as a bit of moisture she would offer no tears to Setsuna's sudden outburst. She was already irritated and began to leave alone, Kasumi places a gentle hand to Sam's shoulder appreciating her attempts at support. It looked that they would not reach her like this, every attempt simply seemed to make her go on the defensive. Walking through the heat that threatened her skin, compounded with the dirt of the floor she would definitely need a bath after this. She was nervous she may start to stink if she spent too long in the scorching rays, and didn't want to expose her teammates to this, taking a moment to check her scent for an offense.

[Sam 0]

Shaking her head while Setsuna runs ahead of the group and wanders into the storm that continued to get worse. She walks close to Kasumi saying "I don't think she will ever slow down. I am not sure the word we give will ever be enough for her. I think we need to act with caution and prove ourselves first before anything we say will mean a dam thing to her." Sam walks in silent now trying to figure Setsuna out. Why was she the way she was? What made her so cold to the touch through her words given. Sam looks to Simmone saying "I got all those materials together and processed as you asked. I see Felix has found yet another worthless... " Sam looks down for a second at Felix with a smile before she continues saying "Grass? where the heck did that come from. It's all sand lands here." Sam looks around not seeing Setsuna though the storm that was brewing around them. "Setsuna... Where are you?" Sam starts to get a bit worried before looking at Kasumi. 

[Setsuna 0]

Pulling her weapon out slowly, a mist took her frame offering some semblance of comfort but offering her little in the sense of hiding given its proximity is weakened by the heat that lingered. The sandstorm around her thickened and blurred her vision, as a result, she loses her fixation on the creature as well to some degree of frustration. Her mists get swirled into the mess and blends together, as she moves toward where it was seen to regain her targeting on it so she could slay it. At her back, she can hear Sam shouting, but presses forward into the obscurity and leaving the rest of the group at her back. If they could not locate her through it, it would prove she had not needed their intervention in the first place. If they were convinced they were so necessary then they could prove it by not slowing her down.

[Simmone 0]

Simmone chimes in at Sam's observation "I have to agree, that girl has always been moving to the beat of her own drum. It's best to follow along and not get in her way, she's if nothing else persistent and focused." keeping up with Sam and commenting in regards to Felix "I have no idea, he always does this." She moves with them in attempts to traverse the flurry of sand together as to not become separated, she looks to Felix who seemed fine despite the power of the storm. "You are adorable." Simmone lets loose, kneeling and stroking him once as she cannot help but do so while he was taking rather focused and enhanced steps to push through the winds with a smile. The black lotus could feel the sand piercing her clothes, and finding its way into uncomfortable places that would require removal to get it out.

[Kasumi 0]

Kasumi attempts to force a smile, paying a response to Sam and Simmone both "Yeah, I think it would be wise to let her do her thing and just support her when she needs it. Otherwise..." her voice trails off her face takes a rather comical grimace frown and offers a thumbs down with her hand. "That cat of yours is kawaii, he's a little trooper. Looks like he is trying to help his master, even if it's useless some of the time." Kasumi exhumes tapping his head alongside Simmone, ignoring the swirling tornado of dirt around them for if only a moment. "Let's try to catch up to her before she gets herself lost or killed out here. I don't think Raidou would be happy if I let her die when he told me to help her, and no one deserves to be on that monument." she comments with her heart on her sleeve.

[Sam 0]

"I couldn't agree more. I think she went this way. Try to keep up okay." Sam starts to make haste in the direction she thought she saw Setsuna go. After a few moments of searching intensely looking through the storm, she sees something moving slightly it the distance. Running to them or it thinking it was Setsuna... I most definitely was not. The thing was coming right at her from beneath the ground. Sam dives out of the way before it steamrolls her. Sam face plants the ground to save herself. Sam turns around to see it heading in her direction again. Rolling out of the way from the large mound of sand burrowing toward her yet again she finally calls out "Help would be great right about..." trying to get their attention before she realized it was heading her way once again. Sam tries to take her weapon out after rolling once more the other direction.

Sam | HP:460/460 | EN:46/46 | DMG:11 | ACC:3 | REC:2

[Setsuna 0]

Her target became visible through the dense howling winds, seemingly removed slightly from its 'water' in attempts to feed it had not noticed the child yet. A glimmer of blue painted upon but an inch of her steel as she slowly unsheathed it, a whisper "I have found you, and unfortunately for you, I have some steam I need to release." she vanishes into her surroundings minus a flare of blue eyes and a glow of her steel in her obscurity. A sudden appear at blinding speeds the shark only manages to turn before a click of her weapon into its sheathe. "Mortal Draw." she whispers as it's head falls from the rest of its torso, followed is a mark of the quest completing. She takes slowed footfalls back through the risen storm, passing by the others as she moves back to the city having ended this journey with one fell stroke.

ID# 161817 results: Battle: 3+3=6, Hit dealing 165 damage and killing it!

Players:
Setsuna | HP:440/440 | EN:29/44 | DMG:11 | EVA:3 | ACC:3

Mobs:
Sand Shark | HP:-40/125 | EN:44/44 | DMG:50

Edited July 28, 2020 by Setsuna

[Kasumi 0]

A dodge from Sam before Setsuna erases the beast with one slash at rapid speed, she was getting unbelievable with a weapon she couldn't draw before. Setsuna leaves them behind and Kasumi was at a loss, she figured she should report back to her cousin and at least let him know that Setsuna would be fine and the quest was finished. Composing a message to him and hitting send, the response she receives was not what she expected: Then more drastic measures will be taken, thank you Kasumi.

Drastic measures? she thought for a moment trying to get an insight at what it meant, but she had done her part. She looks to Sam and Simmone, paying them both a smile and remarking "Let's get out of this heat and grab a bite to eat. Then perhaps a bath, I feel a bit muddied." checking her fragrance and still noticing her floral scent had yet to fade.

[Simmone 0]

Sheathing her rapier and leaning down as Setsuna storms past, the quest was over and as such she picks Felix up in her arms. The poor familiar was still doing his best, an unwavering spirit but his stature was betraying him. "Well I know just the place, there is this quaint little place that deals in all manner of frozen goods, and after this, I assume we can use something cold. Setsuna." She turns but the girl was already long gone "I guess it's just us then." she remarks looking to the pair with a smile, as Felix was fiddling with a strand of her long black hair. "Shall we ladies before we are buried in this sandstorm?" starting to move back to Fortezala as quickly as they had come, it was but an hour spent which was efficient but she wished to wash her hand of all this lingering tension.

[Sam 0]

Getting ups from the sand after being pelts several sand shards gusts, Sam walks back to the others. She does not bother dusting herself off. "Shower sounds nice and food sounds great. I haven't eaten today so maybe dessert first then a bit of food." Sam says this a bit bland as she watches Setsuna charge away. Looking to Felix with a smile she pets his head gently. "It doesn't matter if Setsuna didn't want to work with us. I do know one thing for sure though. We can't give up on her even if she is an angry little A**." Sam knew that Setsuna was disliked from most of the party and the only one that seemed to get along sorta with her was Eruda. How does she do that? How can Eruda get along with such an impossible person... Sam shakes her head just thinking about it. She walks toward the town with the other two letting Simmone lead the way for she knew the way to the Frozen pastry shop.

[Setsuna 0]

As Setsuna approaches the warp gate on her own away from the others her HUD rings with a message. She pauses before jumping to floor 4 to continue her training and opens it to read its contents. It read: 

Quote

"The guild hall, You want to know who I am to lead? I will show you what your missing. I will be waiting." 

She pauses with a moment of confusion plastered on her face. What could this be about? Was she going to be removed, but that last bit meant that perhaps he was going to give her some answer. Biting her bottom lip and changing her destination she calls out the new location "Floor 22, Coral." that casts a flash of blue light as her form becomes light and she vanishes from the confines of Fortezela and the heat she hated so much. The quest was over but her day was not quite over yet.

Quest Complete:

Setsuna:

5*SP (1 Thread Closure, 1 Event Bonus, 3 Quest Reward)

Kasumi:

5*SP (1 Thread Closure, 1 Event Bonus, 3 Quest Reward)

Sam:

5*SP (1 Thread Closure, 1 Event Bonus, 3 Quest Reward)

Simmone:

5*SP (1 Thread Closure, 1 Event Bonus, 3 Quest Reward)

400*Col

4*Sand Armor Potions (+27 Mit, [Does not Stack])

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Setsuna