[PP-22] <<Night About the Galactic Lake>> Sundered Spire Ascendance

[Freyd 0]

Quip and Dingo had already been dispatched to Coral with warning of the impending assault.  Hopefully, they wouldn't just get distracted by free food and clothes, and actually accomplish their task.  Freyd was already racing towards the hell mouth where the passage from floor 21 emerged.  His mind was racing, calculating options for how to deal with a force of the size he had seen in the caverns below.  Trying to hold them off solo was insane, but there was little choice.  Their sheer numbers would overwhelm those players that had gathered for the Tanabata event, and the ones outside of the safe zone would be vulnerable.  There were many heroes present who could surely rout the assault, but not before more damage was done.  Lower level players who had traveled to the upper level just for this purpose would suffer most of all.  His friends were in that town.

It surprised him that his thoughts also drifted to the NPCs.  He normally dismissed them as part of the setting, but his recent experiences with Shoji and Masaki, surrounding the death of Yori under similar circumstances still weighed heavily upon him.  Maybe the mobs did feel.  Maybe they could remember?  If it was true, it was a literal game changer, and the very source of this attack, and other signs he'd witnessed across other floors over recent weeks.  

"For all I know, it's Cardinal running its own event in the background, just to screw with ours.  What a jerk..."  Hopefully, it was nothing more, though that would already be too much.

He pushed himself faster, his cowl somehow remaining over his head as he hurtled towards potential calamity.  Their only chance of containment would be in the tunnel, and the enemy already had a substantial head start.

Spoiler

Name: Freyd, The Whisper in Shadows
Level: 40
HP: 820/820
EN: 80/80

Stats:
Damage: 20 
Mitigation: 43
Evasion: 3 
Accuracy: 4
KEEN:1
HLY:2
BLD:12
LD: 5
Prosperity 2

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 4]
Searching [Rank 1]

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
Ghoul Drool *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

Consumed:

Yue's Grace (1/5)
Liquor of Light: DMG 3 (153464-1)
Assortment of Fuzzy-Looking Meatballs: Protein 2 (+2 dmg, -20 Mit) (161686)
Red Velvet Meringue: EVA 2 (161687)
Scroogey Snacks: Prosperity 2 (159470)
Divinity’s Wait T1 MIT 3 (+15) (153982
Super Lucky Matcha Mochi: LD 3 (+1 Filling)
http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19019-r7-f04-cook-pk-accessible/?do=findComment&comment=614509

This plot is a continuation of this thread:

[SP-F21] Nature's Treasure - The Sentient Mob Conundrum

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Cordelia 0]

What Cordelia is currently wearing

Cordelia sighed as she squeezed the water out of her hair, just coming back from her adventure with Mars only minutes prior. She never figured that she would spend a good part of her night... diving for golden stars to give to children, but she did suppose it was worth it. They looked so happy after all. She just hoped that that boy, Shoji, could find some comfort in Yori's death...

"Gah, they're only NPCs, Cordelia," she muttered hastily, slapping her slightly damp cheeks in exasperation. "It's not like they can feel shit," she mumbled, shaking her head as she shrugged her kimono back on, somewhat thankful that she wasn't an idiot and decided to undress before she dove into the water. 

"What about you, Pacco? You must've enjoyed watching make an utter fool of myself?" she asked, turning her head towards the two large crows perched atop her shoulders. No reaction, as always, but she knew he was laughing his socks off... his bird socks or whatever. She looked between both of them again before pursing her lips. "Maybe I should've given you two separate names... it's getting confusing talking to two of you even if you're one sentient being," she sighed, stretching her hands behind her back again before tilting her chin towards the night sky.

Pac... Co? Pac and Co? Co and Pac? 

"Good Lord, I'm losing more and more brain cells by the second," she deadpanned, shaking her head harshly. 

Fearing that it was only going to get worse if she were to return to the festival, she decided to take a walk around the floor. It was always nice to explore a new floor, though she was more familiar with twenty-two than most of the other intermediate floors... probably because it was one of the only nice floors around here? No desert. No lava. No swamp. No. It's... just a very nice little lake floor.

She hummed, scratching her chin. Maybe she should invite someone..? That would certainly make the journey a lot less boring.

Spoiler

To: @Mari

Hey, do you want to take a walk with me for a bit? I'm just roaming around twenty-two since it's nice out and I needed to get away from the festival. If you're busy that's fine but just follow my location on your map if you wanna catch up!

Spoiler

[STATS:]

[ LVL: 59 | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 118/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 6 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC ]

[EQUIPPED:]

 ▶ T3 Katana | Onimaru: PHSE, 12 HLY, ABS. ACC
 ▶ T1 Light Armor | Bastille’s Resistance: +2 EVA, +1 PARA VNM
 ▶ T2 Jewelry | Empress' Kanzashi: +3 ACC, +1 EVA

[BATTLE READY:]

 

[CONSUMED:]

 ▶ Liquor of Light: +3 DMG
 ▶ Super Buff and Sight Shoyu Ramen: +2 Protein, +1 ACC

[SKILLS AND MODS:]

Spoiler

[NON-COMBAT]:

[PASSIVE]:

☆ R3 Fighter Familiar Skill: +9 DMG
     ▷ Passive
     ▶ Effect: Gain +(1 * Tier) base damage per Rank when fighting with your familiar. This does not stack with the Damage enhancement.
     ● Description: Your Familiar helps you in combat. For each skill level invested, the players gains +1 to their Base Damage. You may only benefit from one Familiar Mastery skill at a time. These bonuses cannot exceed your enhancement cap.
Possible to obtain after completing the quest <<Feeding the Enemy>>

☆ R3 HIDING SKILL: +3 Stealth Rating
     ▷ Passive
     ▶ Effect: +1 Stealth Rating per rank.
     ● Description: Blend into your surroundings, making it harder for monsters and other players to sense your presence and detect you.

☆ R5 LIGHT ARMOR SKILL: [25 MIT]
     ▷ Passive
     ▶ Effect: Gain mitigation based on your rank in the Light Armor skill. May only benefit from one armor skill at a time.
     ● Description: You become proficient with light armor.
  > Athletics: +1 Base DMG, +20 HP
 

☆ DISGUISE:
     ▷ Active: Free Action
     Cooldown: 3 Turns
     ▶ Effect: Gain +1 EVA until the start of your next turn
     ● Description: After having fought and killed your duplicate, you have learnt how to use its trick of becoming another, visually becoming another target.
Possible to obtain after completing the quest <<The Gemini>>

☆ SURVIVAL: 
     ▷ Passive
     ▶ Effect: Increases out of combat health regeneration to (15 * Tier) per post. Grants immunity to most damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.
     ▶ Description: After braving the harsh sands of the desert, harsh environmental hazards no longer affect you.
Unlocked after completing the quest <<The Traveler>>

[COMBAT]:

☆ R5 BATTLE HEALING
     ▷ Passive
     ▶ Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.
Description: Passively recover health in battle.

☆ R2 CHARGE
     ▷ Active: Post Action
     ▶ Effect: +1 base damage per rank to a single attack. You may only use a Charge attack once per opponent per combat and only if it is possible via roleplay. A charge attack negates any auto-hit effects from other skills and mods (e.g. Suprise Attack mods from Hiding, Tracking mod from Searching) and now have a -1 Accuracy debuff.
Description: Charge towards an opponent to inflict extra damage.

[WEAPON SKILLS]:

☆ R1 CURVED SWORD SKILL [DISREGARDED] 
☆ R5 KATANA SKILL [7 DMG/+1 DMG]
     ▷ Passive
     ▶ Effect: Gain +3 base damage for rank 1, then +1 base damage for ranks 2-5.
  > Ferocity: +1 Base DMG
  > Precision: +1 ACC
  > R3 Finesse: -3 EN to all SAs

[BUFFS:]

Spoiler

HOUSING BUFFS:

☆ 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.

☆ TASTY:
     ▷ Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast.

☆ HARD-WORKING:
     ▷ +2 EXP per crafting attempt, +1 crafting attempt

SCENTS OF THE WILD STATUE BUFFS:

• The Statues' stat effects cannot be used until a player has PERSONALLY gathered all 6 trophies. You cannot gather three and another player get three and put them together.
• Statues are non-tradeable, they are bound to your own player.
• You can only have one statue effect activated at a time in a thread (I.E. You can't have +1 Damage and +50 Overhealth, you can only have one or the other in a thread).
• Statues cosmetic effects can be used anywhere, but only one can be used in a certain area at a time

☆ KUMATETSU STATUE:
     ▷ A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Ferocious Kumatetsu. If used within a thread, it gives +1 Base Damage for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the deep forest, the moss-covered logs and the smell of the morning rain. The distant sound of the three rivers can be heard, giving a soothing and seemingly peaceful area where one can rest. It can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere.

☆ YAMATA NO OROCHI STATUE:
     ▷ A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated «The Leech Lich». When used, it gives +1 LD for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the musty, re-used air, the heaviness of the floor's feeling of being trapped with no escape. It also gives off the feeling of dread, being watched from every angle, and unseen creatures waiting in the shadows. It can also be taken to group gatherings to give an atmosphere.

☆ MORETSUNA STATUE:
     ▷ A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Mighty Mōretsuna. When used, it gives +50 base health for one thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the ocean from the beaches surrounding the islands. The sound of waves crashing along the shore and the scent of the sea air carried from far off lands, and the warm feeling of the sun against a person's skin. Can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere.

☆ TANOS STATUE:
     ▷ A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Colossal Titan. When used, it gives +15 Mitigation for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the 19th floor's plains, the vastness that comes with them and the smell of winds carried miles from all around, and from the nearby mountains. The low winds come and go throughout a person's ears can be heard, but not felt. It can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere.

☆ MOTHRA STATUE:
     ▷ A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Stealthy Suterusu. When used, it gives +1 Energy recovery for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the old and abandoned ruins found throughout the floor. The sweet plants that grow within the overgrown areas combine to make a pure, sweet scent that can almost be seen as romantic.  A slow, steady rhythm can be heard, echoing over mountains from hidden tribes. Can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere.

☆ BIALAS STATUE:
     ▷ A small statue [Uncommon Item] that can be placed in a home, proving that you defeated the Shocking Taneuma. When used, it gives +1 Taunt buff for a thread. When touched, it can give off the smell of the forests surrounding the area. The sweet smell of fresh sap coming from maple trees is strong and gives a fragrant aroma. The sound of a nearby lake can be heard, a fish can also be heard jumping to the surface and landing back down into the water with a small splash every few moments, and the distant sounds of birds can be heard as well. It can also be taken to group gathering to give an atmosphere.

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Cordelia

[Mari 1]

Pristine blue eyes blinked in mild surprise as they danced over the message in front of her. It was always a shock when someone messaged her. Especially a request to hang out. Mari knew she was not a nice person. She was blunt, and didn't cater to others delusions, which often painted her in the light of 'cold b**ch'. It never bothered her though. Mari just became used to it. She had friends now, and she would take solace in that. 

Mari typed a reply to one of those very friends. The message was short. Mari never liked wasting time with them. Why bother? Especially when they were meeting up in just a few minutes.

Quote

TO: Cordelia
From: Mari
Yeh, sure.

Mari stood from her seat on the bench - leaving a half eaten stick of Yakitori behind. It'd soon dissipate. The huffy NPC wasn't that great of a cook. The meat was charred and overdone, although Mari had an incline he had burnt her order on purpose. With a small exhale Mari followed the path out of the festival. Away from the laughing children, the bustling sounds of the crowds, and the dizzying lights of the stalls. 

The path was dimly lit by a full moon above. Twinkling fireflies danced on either side of the path, an effect of the event, perhaps? Not too far down Mari had spotted Cordelia. Standing tall and proud, with locks as pure as snow tickling her angular facial features. Really, she must be a model of some sort. Right? It seemed that she hadn't noticed Mari just yet. She ha been mumbling to herself- as every so often her attention shifted to the two crows that followed her around.

"Good Lord, I'm losing more and more brain cells by the second-" 

with Mari's lipped quirked into a half smile as she crouched down beside Cordelia, pausing to inspect a particularly shiny pebble. "Oh, should I help you look for them? I'd lobe to help." Mari snorted as she said the pun. Her freckled face crinkled in sheer amusement. "Is that why you wanted a walk?" Mari asked, still wearing a bemused grin from ear to ear. 

@Cordelia @Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

 

Spoiler

 

BATTLE COPY
Mari    [H:0/0/0] - HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 |

SKILLS
Rank 5 Weapon (+5 DMG)
-Weapon Mod: Precision (+1 ACC)
-Weapon Mod: Ferocity (+1 DMG)
Rank 5 Charge (+5 Damage -1 ACC)
Charge Mod BULL RUSH: Successful charge stuns target 1 turn
Rank 5 Light Armor (+25 MIT)
Light Armor Mod Athletics -  Gain +1 base damage and +30 HP when wearing light armor
SURVIVAL
Rank 5 Battle Healing (5% of total health rounded down start of each turn)
Familiar Mastery Expert - +1 (*Tier) Damage - +9 Damage
 

EQUIPPED
Name: Bleeding Lance| Item Type: 2H Assault Spear | Tier 3
Enhancements: Bleed 2 | Damage 1
'Bleed Damage of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10'
'Burn Damage' of 24 for 2 turns on a roll of 8-10 - Unmitigated

Name: Beacon Necklace | Item Type: Pendant | Tier 2
Enhancements  +3 ACC 

Name: Infernal Shadow | Item Type: Light Armour | Tier 3
Enhancements:  +2 Eva | +1 Flame Aura
'Effect: Prevent (6 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (5 per slot * Tier) unmitigated burn damage to the attacking enemy.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by Mari

[Freyd 0]

Racing through the woods near the outer lakes of floor twenty two, Freyd could barely hear the festival music in the distance.  His heart should have been pounding in his chest and resonating in his ears, but all he could focus on was swiftness and the ticking countdown of impending pain, possibly extending to the innocent.  His cowl snagged on a branch, ripping it back and sending him into a spin, though he managed to keep his footing.  A flash of orange and white accented by other vibrant colour caught in his peripheral vision and he skidded to a sudden stop.  

"Right.  Of course it would be you," he blurted out upon seeing Mari conversing with Cordelia.  "Sorry, didn't mean that like it sounded, it's just that... well... now I'm not sure if this is just another nightmare."  Several crashing sounds resounded in the deeper woods, in a direction opposite to Coral.  A few treetops swayed then toppled as if parting for something massive.  "Look, I know how crazy I must seem, but there's trouble.  If it's what I think it is, then a lot of people could get hurt."  He set his jaw and eyes.  His usual frazzled, bumbling or even vacant expressions were gone, replaced by firm resolve.  

"I need your help."

Without waiting for a response, he dashed off into the forest, a long white blade appearing in his hands, trailing wisps of holy light behind him.

***

"Why couldn't it be midgets or something?!"  It hadn't taken long to find the vanguard of the Sundered Spire's forces crashing through the woodlands.  Instead of the large force of armored dark elf warriors he'd expected, four colossal giants of red crystal waded through the thicket towards him.  Nearly thirty feet tall, they dwarfed most of the trees which crumpled before their advance.  Cores of malevolent black void ran vertically through their humanoid shapes, from their heads through to their legs.

Freyd managed to strike two of them despite having to dodge trees and massive footfalls that threatened to squash him flat.  

"Oh boy... what have I gotten myself into this time..."

Spoiler

Players:
Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:68/80 (-12)| DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12 (Rested, Finesse 3)
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 118/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 |

BD: 4 + 4 = 8 (hit).  Freyd deals 160 damage to Sundered Vanguard #1.  Stunned.
BD: 1 (miss).  Freyd misses Sundered Vanguard #2
BD: 2 + 4 = 6 (hit).  Freyd deals 160 damage to Sundered Vanguard #3.  Stunned.
BD: 1 (miss).  Freyd misses Sundered Vanguard #4

Mobs:
(1,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:424/584 | DMG:219 (584-160)
(0,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:584/584 | DMG:219
(1,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:424/584 | DMG:219 (584-160)
(0,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:584/584 | DMG:219

 

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Cordelia 0]

"Just how much have you been hanging around Baldur, Mari?" Cordelia quipped back, flashing the familiar woman a goofy grin of her own. "I think he's really getting to you~" she sang, clasping her hands behind her back with a quiet laugh. "Psh... do I need such a reason to invite one of my beloved friends to a peaceful walk?" she asked dramatically, one hand over her heart while the other outstretched towards the moon. She cracked an amused grin before reverting back to her own self. "But really, I just wanted to see you again. Just getting into the spirit of Tanabata, y'know?"

"Honestly, I've been wondering if-"

Cordelia's words paused right out of her mouth as an unfamiliar figured burst into the clearing from the trees. 

"Right. Of course it would be you,"

"Well, that was a bit rude. Do you know this guy, Mari-"

She deadpanned when he continued to talk. Why can't I just finish my sentences in peace? However, that was the least of her worries when chaotic noise filled the air. Cordelia looked over to the forest, and then to the swaying canopy. Her breath hitched in her throat as a sudden thought made its way to her head. Another event fight? Was it going to be like last year's Tanabata? Her thoughts went back to Shoji and Masaki absentmindedly. No, she couldn't let something happen to those two again...

"... Help, huh," she murmured softly, watching as the boy dashed off back into the trees without another word. She turned to Mari and gave her a sheepish smile. "Well, we aren't usually people to just stand around and do nothing about something like that, huh?" she asked, running a hand through her hair before letting out an exhausted sigh. "Being a good person is so tiring sometimes..." she trailed off, looking up at the night sky before opening her HUD. 

"I'll see you there!" she exclaimed, her kimono dematerializing in a flash of white before being replaced by her usual armor, along with Onimaru and it's sheath hooked around her waist. She gave Mari a crooked smile before rushing off after the unnamed boy. 

▶ ───●─── 

"Oi, watch out from above!" she called, pushing herself off of a tall tree branch, her katana outstretched above her as she got ready to down thrust her katana on top of the goliath creatures. 

Her blade sliced down the creature, leaving a bright red vertical gash down its tall body, but as much damage as she did, it wasn't enough to one-shot the thing, unfortunately. She grunted in disappointment, hopping a good distance away from the mobs so she couldn't get squished by them.

"Jesus Christ. I've never seen anything like these things," she muttered, her neck craning up to try to take in their full size. "How do these guys even classify as normal looting mobs?"

---

ID: 163837
BD: 1+5=6, Hit | 25+2(Charge)=27x15=405 424-405=19

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:68/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 107/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC -11
Mari |  HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 

(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:19/584 | DMG:219 -405
(0,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:584/584 | DMG:219
(1,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:424/584 | DMG:219
(0,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:584/584 | DMG:219

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Cordelia

[Mari 1]

Just how much have you been hanging around Baldur, Mari?" 

 

Mari shifted her gaze away from Cordelia. Not much. Ever since Mari admitted she may have feelings for him she hadn't really seen him. "Mmmm... No I don't think so." Mari mused, making sure she kept her voice light-hearted. depite the sinking feeling she had gotten from the comment. There was no use in worrying Cordelia. Especially not on such a pleasant night as this. "I doubt he'd beat me in a pun war if it ever came to it." Mari said with a small grin. "I mean - you could judge it if you really wanted to.I know how much you love dad jokes."

The ginger haired woman shifted her gaze back to Cordelia. "Yeh. I know." her voice was soft. Mari appreciated those words, far more than her friend realized. Beloved friend. It wasn't often anyone would dare to call Mari an acquaintance, let alone a beloved friend. Maybe things had changed. Mari tilted her head up toward Cordelia, slowly pushing herself up off the ground.

"Right. Of course it would be you,"

"Hi? Freyd- Right?" Mari was just as surprised to see him there as he was to see her. Mari turned her attention to Cordelia, how should she explain it? "I uh...he said he saw me in a dream once - but the first time I had met him was today."

Mari had planned to say more, but there was a crescendo of unrest along the horizon - and it appeared that Cordelia was distracted  by it too. Her face whipped to the sounds - a fleeting look of concern brushed across her features. Freyd had long since gone  by then. 

"Right." Mari said in response to Cordelia, drawing out her own weapon. A two handed spear. "Like I need any more rumors about me, 'sides - if the kids dreaming about me the least I can do is help him out. Right?"  Mari snorted at Cordelia's comment. It was tiring. It was exhausting. 

Mari watched as her friend charged off.

Friend...

That's right. Mari had friends now. And it may be exhausting. But she wouldn't trade that for the world right now...

▶ ───●─── 

Back to her usual orange attire, no longer wearing her simple kimono. Mari had her spear clutched tightly in front of her. She had joined both Cordelia and Freyd. "Wow...." Mari turned her attention to Cordelia. "I wonder what you'd call that..." Mari said as she gestured toward the big red gash that Cordelia had made. "A cut above the rest? Well, I better do the same."

Mari turned back to Freyd, she hadn't seen him attack - but could assume he also had a AOE. "Hey kiddo, I'll take care of the large swings - focus on the group with the lowest HP so Cordelia can finish wiping them out."

They were tall, but they didn't have that much health.  Mari swung her spear over her head in a half arc as she charged forth, light on foot her attack sweeped through the first Vanguard. It shattered into a shower of red data, Mari charged through the glimmering dust of the fallen warrior and tore through the second - pivoting on her foot she followed suit with the third and fourth. The attack took seconds, but it only took seconds to lay heavy damage upon the vanguards.

ACTION: WEEPING MOON AOE
[x9 AoE] Weeping Moon (9 Energy +2 per target hit) - Do a single and powerful 360-degree spin
19 x 9 =171

ID:164456  BD: 10 CRITICAL HIT +2 base Damage
ID:164457  BD: 5 + 5=10 HIT
ID:164458 BD:8+5= HIT  BLEED ACTIVATED
ID:164459 BD: 4+ 5 = HIT

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:68/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 107/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC -11
Mari |  HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15  -15

(1,1,1) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219 -189
(0,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #2 | HP:413/584 | DMG:219 -171 
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #3 | HP:253/584 | DMG:219 -171 -24 Bleed 2/2 Turns
(0,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #4 | HP:413/584 | DMG:219 -171

Vanguard 2  ID:164460   MOB 3   attacks Mari and misses
Vanguard 3  ID: 164461 MOB 8-4= attacks Mari and misses
Vanguard 4  ID:164462 MOB 4 = attacks Mari and misses

Sundered Vanguard 1 LOOT ID:165751
LD4  CD6

HP*3 =  1752 Col
LD Even+ HP*2 col=1168
CD Even + HP*2 col =1168
4 gold stars
---

LOOT TOTAL:
4,088 Col

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows @Cordelia

Edited August 22, 2020 by Mari

[Freyd 0]

A quick bit of internal calculation confirmed that his best target was the second monolithic beast remaining on his right.  Wait... was that Mari's voice?

His mind was still reeling at the threat posed by these creatures and those that would follow.  Distracted as he was, his footing faltered and he had to throw himself into a roll to gain enough momentum to recover his footing, his attack merely bouncing off the red crystal titan without effect.  Cardinal was messing with the random number generator again.  He had to be for his luck to be this god-awfully consistently bad, especially under dire circumstances.

Focusing just on not getting himself killed, he spare what attention he could to watch Cordelia and Mari in action.  They were spectacular, on their own merits of course, but certainly also by comparison to his own paltry performance.  The prospect of fighting this lot solo would have been considerably more daunting, and possibly fatal with this sort of luck.

"Thank you both.  Let's get this bunch cleared out," he rolled to dodge another massive footfall, "and then I'll explain in greater detail."

 

 

ACTION: Calamitous Tragedy vs. Sundered Vanguard #3
[x12] Calamitous Tragedy (2 Energy - missed.  Rested (2/2), Regain 1 energy on turn.)

ID:164535  BD: 1 (miss)

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:68/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 107/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC -11
Mari |  HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15  -15

(1,1,1) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219
(0,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #2 | HP:413/584 | DMG:219 
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #3 | HP:253/584 | DMG:219 Bleed 2/2 Turns
(0,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #4 | HP:413/584 | DMG:219 

 

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

[Cordelia 0]

... wait a minute, a dream? I... should I even be surprised by that? What's there to even be surprised at in this world anymore? 

"I'll hold you to that!" she exclaimed back at Freyd, hopping backwards to avoid the massive foot. What even kind of creatures were these? She had certainly never came across one during her years here, that's for sure. 

"Alright, I'm going to try to knock out the second one in a single attack. If I don't, follow up with an AoE!" she called towards both Freyd and Mari before dashing towards a Sundered Vanguard. Like out of a movie scene, she scaled straight up its long legs, dragging her katana alongside her until she had reached its head. She sucked in a sharp breath, hopping a foot away from the being before slamming her katana down on its head, hard. While it may not have been as flashy as her last attack, it certainly chopped off a good amount of points on the thing, sadly not enough to kill it, but she respected that. 

---

ID: 164537
BD: 5+5=10, Hit | 15x15=375 413-275= 38

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:68/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 96/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC -11
Mari |  HP 1490/1490  | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 

(1,1,1) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #2 | HP:38/584 | DMG:219 -275
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #3 | HP:253/584 | DMG:219
(0,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #4 | HP:413/584 | DMG:219 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Cordelia

[Mari 1]

This wasn't how Mari wanted to spend Tanabata night - fighting some hulking ass guardians? Yeh. Not exactly on the list of things she wanted to do. But, in a strange way - it was kinda nice, at least she wasn't alone. Her gaze shifted from Freyd, then to Cordelia - watch them fight. Giving it their all. The threat of death wasn't present - at most the battle was an inconvenience. Mari's lips quirked into a small smile. Maybe this ain't so bad.

when it came to her turn Mari swung her spear forward - jabbing it into the ground to give her the momentum to spring up into the air, She used the momentum to land against the 2nd vanguard - tearing through it. The mighty beast fell, before it burst into a smattering of red Mari ran up it's torso to attack the third, and fourth. Finally landing on the ground with a heavy 'Thud'

damn this really is easier than using a dagger...but didn't quite kill the second...

Mari sucked in her lip in a sound of flustered annoyance, she should have charged the enemies - then they'd all be much closer to death. But these things were gigantic -and if she were being honest -Mari wasn't sure she could charge them.  "Well..." Mari turned to Freyd. "Looks like the last two will be dead either way next round. Mari rolled her shoulders, shaking off the brunt of the Vanguards attack. She lifted her hand up to her head and offered the other two a wry grin.

Bad move on her part - the 4th Vanguard rose a large fist and drove it down - right onto Mari's head. Mari stumbled back a few steps before falling flat on her butt.
"Honestly, feels like I was just hit with a tonne of bricks. Everythings kinda....wibbly wobbly."  Mari kept her outward attitude lighthearted. But she was frustrated- and it felt like her brain had bounced hard against her skull. If this were the real world - she'd probably have more than a mild concussion.

"What did you do to get these guys all riled up anyway?" Mari questioned Freyd.
 

 

 

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows @Cordelia

ACTION: WEEPING MOON AOE
[x9 AoE] Weeping Moon (9 Energy +2 per target hit) - Do a single and powerful 360-degree spin
19 x 9 =171

ID:165701 BD: 5+4=HIT
ID:165702 BD: 2 + 4= HIT
ID:165703: BD: 3 + 4= HIT
Passive +1 En
Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:68/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 96/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 119/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15   -13 178

(1,1,1) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #2 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219  -171
(1,0,2) Sundered Vanguard #3 | HP: 58/584 | DMG:219    -171      Bleed 1/2 Turns -24
(0,0,2) Sundered Vanguard #4 | HP:242/584 | DMG:219   -171 

ID: 165704  MOB:6  Sundered Vanguard #3 > Mari  MISS   
ID: 165705  MOB: 10 Sundered Vanguard #4 > Mari HIT



LOOT ID: 165750  LD:7   CD:9   Sundered Guardian #2
HP*3 =  1752 Col
+2 T3 Materials
+HP*2 COl = 1168
+HP bonus col = 584
+1 T3 Rare Trinket
7 Gold stars
---

Total Mari Loot
7,592 Col

11 Gold Stars
2 X T3 Materials
1 x T3 Rare Trinket
--
-1,168 Col; +2 T3 Materials

• [584 * (3 base + 1 loot table)] = 2,336 Col
• [2 LD odd + 2 CD odd] = 4 T3 Materials

Edited August 31, 2020 by Arabelle

[Freyd 0]

Freyd granted himself a moment to watch the two fighters make their assaults, analyzing their patterns of attached and anticipating the follow-ups.  Even as Mari devastated her first foe and reeled against the blow from another of the giants, he was already calculating his trajectory.

"...wibbly wobbly."

Yeah.  That might work.  Bobbing and weaving, Freyd launched his own attack in Mari's wake, rolling to avoid the shower of falling red crystalline shards that followed her destructive blows.  The third behemoth was still staggered by her strike as he leapt into the air, plunging Forgiven Disobedience into its chest with a burst of brilliant white light.  Angelic choir song filled the air as a spider web of cracks filled with celestial light spread across its crumbling form.  Maintaining his momentum, he jumped onto the same arm that the remaining giant had used to smash the orange warrior.  The sound of shattering glass filled the air as Freyd slid down the creatures back, in a Flintstone-like maneuver, hopping off its heel and landing in a low crouch as it crashed to the ground behind him.

Allowed himself a breath, he pulled back his charcoal-coloured cowl, then bent down to rest his hands on his knees.  It had taken several hours at a flat out sprint from floor 21 to get here.  Even his digital innards were protesting harshly at that treatment.

"Thank you both, again."  He spared himself a pause to scan the swath of destruction made by the giants, and to ensure that another wave was not lurking too close behind.  They likely weren't very far off.  "I doubt we have much time before more arrive, so... quick version.  Over the last few weeks, I've stumbled across increasing evidence of a group of unique mobs.  They call themselves the Sundered Spire."  He stumbled a few steps over to where the third giant was already de-materializing and grabbed a small ruby token from amidst the cloud.  It was about the size of his palm, with a thin black outline of a tower shaped in Aincrad's profile.  A thin black sliver of obsidian in the shape of a sword was thrust through its centre.  "These rare items appear on only some of their members."  He tossed it weakly to Cordelia for her inspection.  "So far as I can tell, they have achieved some rudimentary form of awareness that survives their destruction.  They remember how they died when they re-spawn, and they're pissed at us for all of those deaths."

A huge, spiky shadow rose above them, casting Freyd's dark form into deeper darkness. The fourth vanguard, now headless, apparently wasn't quite dead.

"Oh... for crying out loud," he muttered with a hint of exasperation.  "Won't you please just stay down?"

Spoiler

ACTION: Calamitous Tragedy vs. Sundered Vanguard #3
[x12] Calamitous Tragedy (16 Energy - (2 hits).  Finesse 3, Regain 1 energy on turn.)

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:52/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 96/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 119/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15   -13 178

BD: 9 + 4 = 13 (Crit +1, Holy 2, Bld 12).  Freyd deals (276 + 12 bleed = 288) damage to Sundered Vanguard #3.  Killed.
BD: 2 + 4 = 6 (hit).  Freyd deals 240 damage to Sundered Vanguard #4.

(1,1,1) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #2 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219  
(3,0,2) Sundered Vanguard #3 | HP: 0/584 | DMG:219    (58-288)
(1,0,2) Sundered Vanguard #4 | HP:2/584 | DMG:219   (242-240)

Loot for Sundered Vanguard #3 (ID 165747 - LD: 9 + 5 = 14; CD 6):

4,496 col ([5*hp] base [584] + [2*hp] for even CD roll) +10% from Col Stash & Cold Deposit
2x T3 materials (odd CD & LD)
1x T3 Rare Weapon
1x T3 Uncommon Consumable
14 Gold Stars

Edited August 23, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Cordelia 0]

"Good God, Mari!" she exclaimed, watching as the massive creature threw a punch right to Mari's head. She skidded to a halt beside her orange-haired friend and sighed in relief at the minimal damage done. Barely a chunk was spliced off of her health but the way that Vanguard punched her made it seem like her head should've been blown right off her body. "Are you okay?" she asked, offering a hand to help her up. "That punch looked nasty. I hope your head is feeling alright after that... aside from the wibbly wobbly part," she fretted, though offering her an amused smile shortly after.

"It's no problem- wait, there's more?" she asked, flabbergasted. Her eyes trailed over to the split trees and large footprints left behind of the group.

"... well shit."

Cordelia grunted as she caught the token. Her fingers rolled it around a few times before she sighed. "This seems like a big deal. Why haven't I heard of this before today?" she muttered in confusion, looking up at Freyd for an answer. Certainly this should be something that the frontlines should be concerned with, right? 

A shadow soon quickly casted over them. "Oh, yeesh. That's creepy," she said, her nose slightly wrinkling at the sight of the headless Sundered Vanguard. Yeah, it wasn't pretty at all.

"Well-" she piped up, raising her katana once more before yeeting it at the mob's leg. "It shouldn't have much health left!" Much to her surprise, the sword landed, imbedding itself in the giant's leg before the creature bursts into dozens and dozens of polygons, leaving her katana falling to the ground with a loud thud. 

"I didn't expect that to work."

---

ID: 165748
BD: 8. Hit

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:52/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 96/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 119/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15

(1,1,1) Sundered Vanguard #1 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219
(1,0,1) Sundered Vanguard #2 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219  
(3,0,2) Sundered Vanguard #3 | HP: 0/584 | DMG:219  
(1,0,2) Sundered Vanguard #4 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219  -25

ID: 165749
LD: 11
CD: 4

2,920 Col
2 T3 Materials
T3 Rare Trinket
11 Gold Stars

Edited August 21, 2020 by Cordelia

[Mari 1]

There was a sudden wave of emotion that had hit Mari like a out of control tuck - she swallowed hard. Seeing the concern etched on Cordelia's face. Lately...it had been difficult. Mari was doing her best to hold everything together - to push back her own feelings. The loneliness she felt when Oikawa disappeared and when Baldur rebuked her feelings. The frustration and helplessness she felt when she was actively trying to rally a guild - too new - and already crumbling. The solemn and crushing realization that even if she were to make it out of the game - she'd be no better off. Instead of all that, and instead of wrapping her arms around Cordelia in a tight hug Mari simply smiled. As always. She smiled as she reached out and clasped Cordelia's hand. Her eyes shot to the remaining headless creature behind her.

"You really came ahead in that fight."

Mari turned to Freyd - shooting him a concerned look.

"Can't say I've ever heard of this 'Sundered Spire' business. Although..." Mari tapped her lip, her voice low and calculating as she voiced her thoughts. "It doesn't surprise me that something like this has come up, my question is - why are they specifically targeting you, Freyd?" Her tone sounded more accusatory than intended.  "You say they're pissed at us for their deaths - but the way I've seen it. They're targeting you. Is it cause yer onto their..." Mari waved her hand, round and round as she tried to find the right words - failing that she ended with -

"Their spire thingy."

@Cordelia @Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Freyd 0]

Freyd stared dumbly at Mari for a moment, as if his courtesy functions were struggling to activate.

"Their level of awareness seems to coincide with the number of times each mob has died.  No offense, ladies, but you've both been at this far longer than I have.  If they're holding specific grudges, I'd be more worried about you than myself." He took a moment to stretch his spindly arms wide, arching his aching back.  "And the first sign of these guys that I ever came across was down on floor five.  They had created false gathering nodes to lure players into ambushes.  These," he added, pointing to the last of the dissipating giants, "I first encountered on floor nine, while whooping some bandits with a guy named Oscar.  Who wears a suit into that kind of infernal landscape, anyway?!"

Taking a moment to open up a view of his inventory, he zoomed in on the half-dozen various tokens he had managed to collect, each on a different floor.  Their materials differed based on the geology of the floor where each was found, but the symbol was always the same: a red tower in the shape of Aincrad, with a blade sword drive through the centre.  

"I've been following this trail for days, chasing it across half the discovered floors of Aincrad.  A handful of other players have seen the same evidence, and it keeps mounting.  Oscar and I took down one of their champions, which led me to floor 21.  Think of it," his eyes grew wide with emphasis, "where would this process happen faster than on the floors most frequently favoured for grinding - those linked to the Nature's Treasure quests."  He let that sink in for a moment.

"They're only after me because I stole a copy of their battle plans."  He summoned the loose maps and orders written out in flowing elven script, all on a type of vellum rarely seen, except from subterranean floors.  "It's how I knew they were coming here, to this particular spot.  They've marshaled hundreds of warriors and monstrosities of the like we've just fought, and they plan to march on the Tanabata festival - unless we can stop them."

I must sound like a madman... again,' he thought to himself, but his resolve remained firm.  Freyd was fine with being cast as the fool, but it was finally time for that illusion to be set aside.  More heavy footfalls came from the direction of the forest nearest the lake's edge, accompanied by the snapping of branches and uprooting of trees.  More of the vanguard were near.

"I don't know exactly what happened here last year, but I've met Shoji and Masaki - two NPCs who remember the loss of their friend from a year past!  This isn't just about the mobs we kill.  It could be about the future of this entire nightmare.  For now, we need time, and to spare those in Coral from a repeat of last year's massacre.  Are you with me?"  The crunching of landscape grew nearer.  Waiting only for their response, Freyd was poised on the balls of his feet, ready to charge again into whatever nightmare was waiting.

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia heaved Mari up, sighing as she made another quip about... heads. "You never cease to amaze me with those puns of yours, Mari. It's like you have a whole library of them in your head," she mused, shaking her head jokingly. 

She looked over to Freyd and deadpanned. "Great, now I have to add recurring mobs that hate me under my list of worries," she mumbled in slight irritation, walking over to pick up her katana before sheathing it in its scabbard. "So it seems like these creatures can traverse through any floor," she duly noted, crossing her arms over each other. "That's no doubt concerning. I hope that the ones we just fought were limited to higher floors. Less experienced players have no chance against what we just went up with."

Her ears perked at the name of her fiance. "Oscar?" She ran a hand through her hair and giggled. "He refuses to wear anything else but that suit sometimes," she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she remembered how he refused to wear a kimono during the boss meeting and at the festival. He was a picky one that's for sure. Or did he just have a thing against kimonos? "... but he's never mentioned anything about this to me before," she murmured, her voice trailing off. Shouldn't this be sometime he should've told her? Or at least, with The Tarot? Bahr, Lessa and NIGHT surely would've helped with this whole situation if they knew what was going on, surely?

"A copy of their battle plans?" she echoed, part of it sounding a little too far fetched for her. Her eyebrows shot up at his statement before scrunching up in confusion. "Hundreds? You should've handed these plans to the frontliners the moment you knew an attack this big was coming up," she scolded. It made no sense for him not to hand these plans over to higher, more experienced players. Even if it was a holiday, she was sure they would've dropped everything to help with this. 

"Ah... yes, Shoji and Masaki," she whispered quietly, intertwining her hands in front of her with a solemn look. "I wasn't apart of last year's Tanabata event... but what I've collected is that there was a huge invasion involving... fish people or something like that. It was a huge fight apparently," she sighed, stretching her hands out in front of her. 

She glanced at Freyd from the corners of her eye before nodding. "Count me in."

[Mari 1]

As Freyd mentioned Oscar Mari snorted. "OH yeh, Oscar the grouch." It amused her - mostly because Oscar was far from a 'grouch' but his name always sparked that sense of nostalgia within Mari. She glanced side ward at Cordelia. The two were engaged. Cordelia laughed softly, running a hand through her hair before whispering words of concern. Mari cleared her throat - "Well....knowing Oscar he probably didn't think too much of it at the time." Mari said, trying to alleviate the concerns Cordelia was no doubt having. "Sides, if I were him I probably wouldn't want to worry you." She did her best not to give away Cordelia's relationship with the man - as that was none of Mari's business to divulge to Freyd.

"I've been....pretty absent actually." Mari admitted, the guilt evident on her face as her brows crinkled. "So - I dunno how much of a target I'd be for mobs. Though, I'd be used to it by now." An uneasy, self depreciating laugh fell through Mari's lips as she tugged nervously on her hair. She was still an orange player -and even if she had taken redemption. She'd still always be a murderer. Mari bit her lip at the thought. If only she had been stronger...

"Although...I have to agree..." Mari said as she trailed off. "I'd have tried contacting some frontliners - especially if it were in the hundreds. But hey..." Mari tried to offer Freyd a reassuring smile as she stepped up and gave him a lighthearted slap on the back. "It's a good thing you ran into us - you got two frontliners here - and a Guild Leader. Guess your dreams meant something after all." She added with a wry grin.

The two exchanged information about the previous event - of which Mari was absent from. Mari shifted her gaze away from them. It was another reminder of just how much she had missed during her isolation. It made her feel uneasy, as though she was standing on the fringe of a world where she would never truly belong. But - Mari pushed those feelings aside. "You know I can't really have a buncha weird mobs ruin an event, there's been enough death in this world as is. So I guess you can count me in too."

@Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows @Cordelia

[Freyd 0]

Freyd took off running towards the commotion, lingering only a moment for them to follow.  "My priority was to get here.  I only just found these plans, which is why I knew they'd emerge here.  The best I could do was send word to two players I trust, with a warning to Coral, but they don't know all the details.  People might not want to listen."  He picked up speed, using his blade to carve them a path through the forest as swiftly as they could afford.  Part of him worried for Quip and Dingo, but at least Coral proper was full of high level players. 

"Oscar and I met in the early stages of my investigation.  The vanguards we encountered were different from these, and much weaker.  They also spawned some strange creatures when they died - gatekeepers, I think Oscar called them.  He also wasn't big on sharing details about himself, though I guessed he was a front liner just by the gear he carried.  Consider how long it's taking me to explain this much.  Under any other circumstances, people would just dismiss me as crazy-person." 

'They usually do anyway,' he thought, thinking of his brief encounter with Mari at the festival.

A full-grown forty-foot pine tree came crashing down the sky, directly in front of them, top-first.  Freyd tilted back and barely slid beneath its heavy branches as it exploded behind him.  His reflexes barely let him clear the shrapnel-like burst of its needles spraying out behind him.  Four more vanguards rose tall as the treeline fell before them, the cores of their red crystalline humanoid forms pulsing with an inner darkness.  Like a back blade through a red tower.  Awwww fuck.

Catching both feet on the thick fallen trunk in his path, Freyd pivoted upward and lanced recklessly into the air.  Landing briefly atop another fully rooted pine, he spotted the placement of their new assailants and spun his momentum around to slingshot of the tip and onto one of their shoulders.  Slashing viciously as be jumped from one to another, large gouges left in his wake, he allowed himself a small smile at the sound of crystalline shards raining down below.  

Spoiler

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:36/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 96/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 119/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15

Calamity Disaster (x12) (+4 hits) = 20 EN - Rested (1) - Finesse 3 (3) = 16 EN

BD: 5 + 4 = 9 (hit).  Freyd deals 240 damage to Sundered Vanguard #5.
BD: 5 + 4 = 9 (hit).  Freyd deals 240 damage to Sundered Vanguard #6.
BD: 2 + 4 = 6 (hit).  Freyd deals 240 damage to Sundered Vanguard #7.
BD: 9 + 4 = 13 (Crit +1, Holy 2, Bld 12).  Freyd deals (276 + 12 bleed = 288) damage to Sundered Vanguard #8.

(1,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #5 | HP:344/584 | DMG:219 (584-240)
(1,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #6 | HP:344/584 | DMG:219 (584-240)
(1,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #7 | HP:344/584 | DMG:219 (584-240)
(2,0,0) Sundered Vanguard #8 | HP:296/584 | DMG:219 (584-288) (12 Bleed, 1/2)
 

Edited August 22, 2020 by Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia nearly choked on her spit at the title Mari had so delicately bestowed upon Oscar. "R-right, the... m-muppet," she wheezed, slapping a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter. "I-I remember you talking about that in my ramen shop not too long ago," she giggled, wiping a stray tear away from her eyes before giving Mari a warm smile. 

"Mmm, I understand your sentiment. You're probably right," she said, letting out a silent sigh before nodding her head. "I suppose he would be the type of person to do that, huh?"

She turned to Freyd and tilted her head. "Really? I kind of thought everyone knew him since he's one of the most notable chefs in Aincrad at the moment. He owns a little hotdog shop down on Floor One, so I just assumed everyone stopped by once or twice at least." She shrugged her shoulders. Maybe Freyd had a different supplier when it came to those types of buffs.

"Perhaps I can discuss this alongside my guild with Oscar later. I'm sure The Tarot can be of help-" 

The sound of roots snapping caught her off guard, and before long, a huge log of wood came tumbling down right in front of the group. Cordelia held her arms out in front of her to block out the debris before cursing under her breath. "Damn, I should've seen that coming," she exclaimed almost inaudibly, her eyes refocusing on another group of Sundered Vanguards. "These guys don't know when to give up, huh?" Cordelia muttered hotly, drawing Onimaru from its sheath as she weaved her way towards their feet. 

At blurring speeds, she bolted from behemoth to behemoth, delivering slash after slash, all while evading their massive steps and footfalls. By the time she had finished with her attack, red cuts had been littered across the group's limbs, effectively getting all of their HP bars into the red. 

She craned her neck over to Mari and grinned victoriously. "Alright Mari. A single AoE from you should be able to finish all of them off!"

---

ID: 165761 (meant #5 instead of #1)
BD: 1+5=6, Hit | 25x8=200 344-200=144

ID: 165762
BD: 5+5=10, Hit | 25x8=200 344-200=144

ID: 165763
BD: 2+5=7, Hit | 25x8=200 344-200=144

ID: 165764
BD: 2+5=7, Hit | 25x8=200 294-=94

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:36/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 84/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC -13
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 119/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15

(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #5 | HP:144/584 | DMG:219 -200
(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #6 | HP:144/584 | DMG:219 -200
(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #7 | HP:144/584 | DMG:219 -200
(2,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #8 | HP:94/584 | DMG:219  (12 Bleed, 1/2) -200

Edited August 22, 2020 by Cordelia

[Mari 1]

"Spritely lil' fella, ain't he?" Mari asked Cordelia as she watched Freyd run off again. She quickly followed suit, footfalls keeping up pace behind. "I mean, yer a little crazy." Mari called out to Freyd. "But, we all are down here- right?" She offered him a wide, toothy grin. Hoping he'd get the joke. Or reference, else she'd look like a right ol' idiot.

"Naw." Mari fluttered her eyes at Cordelia. She had to admit, hanging out with the other woman was helping lift her spirits. "Anything for you!" And with that Mari kicked off, rallying a charge combined with her Weeping Moon AoE. "What the fu-" Her words were drowned out with the clang of spear against metal - as she ricocheted off the first Vanguard- then as she tried to right herself mid-attack she missed the second. Mari's back arched in the air before she finally twisted herself around to deal a fatal blow to the remaining two guards.

"Well..." Mari said as she rolled her neck, rubbing her shoulder with her free hand. "Half is better than none...right?" 
It wasn't right - Mari had completely missed the first two - they shifted right by her with an unexpected speed.. She grit her teeth as she watched the oncoming attack. The two remaining Vanguards swarmed poor Cordelia - Mari shifted, her foot crunching into the soft earth below as she belted toward her friend, ready to push her out of the way - but...

A warning strike?

On either side of her, they had landed their blows. Missing her, just barely. Mari placed a hand on her chest and exhaled a sigh of relief. "That was close, you okay there, Cord? Freyd?" Mari asked.


@Cordelia @Freyd - The Whisper in Shadows

ACTION:  CHARGED WEEPING MOON AOE
[x9 AoE] Weeping Moon (9 Energy +2 per target hit) - Do a single and powerful 360-degree spin
5+ 19= 24 x 9 = 216

ID:165838  BD:2-1=1+4=5 MISS
ID: 165839 BD: 1 miss
ID:165840 BD: 9 HIT
ID:165841 BD: 4-1=3+4=7 HIT

Passive +1 EN
Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:36/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 84/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 107/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 -13

(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #5 | HP:144/584 | DMG:219 
(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #6 | HP:144/584 | DMG:219 
(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #7 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219 --216
(2,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #8 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219 -216

Sundered Vanguard 1- ID: 165842 MOb 6-3=3  MISS CORDELIA
Sundered Vanguard 2- ID: 165843  MOB:7-3=4  MISS

Sundered Vanguard 3 Loot
ID:165844   CD: 8  LD: 10
LD even: HP*2 Col 1168
CD even:HP*2 Col 1168
HP*3 Col 1752 Col
Loot table: HP Col - 584 Col , 1 x T3 Rare Trinket
10 Gold stars

Sundered Vanguard 4 Loot
ID:165845  CD:2 LD: 12
HP*3 Col 1752 Col
LD even: HP*2 Col 1168
CD even:HP*2 Col 1168
Loot Table: 1x T3 Rare Trinket
12 Gold Stars
 

Total Mari Loot
16,352 Col

33 Gold Stars
2 X T3 Materials
3 x T3 Rare Trinket  [165750]. [165844]. [165845]

Edited August 23, 2020 by Mari

[Freyd 0]

"A little crazy?  Yeah.  Isn't that a the truth?"  He watched Mari destroy the far two giants, wondering why she left the others.  They closed ranks around Cordelia and slammed the ground all around throwing dust and debris into a cloud all around them.  Seeing Mari's concern for her friend, Freyd dropped from his latest treetop perch, placing himself between the two remaining vanguards.

"I've got this!" 

Spritely, she said.  Bounding back and forth like a pinball on a parcour course, his white blade struck repeated from one construct to the other and back again.  It was like watching two rock candy sticks get perforated by a whirling blender blade between them.  Red rock and crystal sprayed everywhere, and a growing red haze accompanied the sound of shattering glass as their foes were cut down to size in a matter of moments.  The instant he struck the black voids at their cores, both creatures made strange popping sounds, like imploding balloons, and simply ceased to exist.

Freyd tumbled to the ground, winded by the exertion, and shielded his eyes as the red crystalline rain around them turned into dissolving digital motes.  Slumping onto his backside, legs splayed wide, he finally released his grip on his sword and fell flat on his back.  His cowl falling back to expose an exhausted face.

"If you two don't mind, I could use a two minute break.  Why don't you fill me in on who you are and who you think we should warn about this?  I'm just going to...phew... catch my breath."  His right hand rose, giving them both a thumbs up in appreciation.

"You ladies are awesome."

 

Freyd | HP:820/820 | EN:29/80 | DMG:20 | MIT:43 | EVA:3 | ACC:4 | KEEN:1 | HLY:2 | BLD:12
Cordelia | HP: 1200/1200 | EN: 84/118 | 25 DMG | 25 MIT | 5 ACC | 3 EVA | 1 PARA VNM [DF] | PHSE | 12 HLY | ABS. ACC 
Mari |  HP 1312/ 1490  | EN: 107/146 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 43 | EVA:3 | ACC: 4  | BH: 72 | BRN: 24 |BLEED: 24 | FLAME AURA: 15 

Tempest (x8) (+4 hits) = 12 EN - Rested (1) - Finesse 3 (3) - Turn Recovery (1)= 7 EN

BD: 5 + 4 = 9 (hit).  Freyd deals 160 damage to Sundered Vanguard #5.
BD: 8 + 4 = 12 (hit).  Freyd deals 160 damage to Sundered Vanguard #6.

(2,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #5 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219  (144-160)
(2,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #6 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219  (144-160)
(1,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #7 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219 --216
(2,1,0) Sundered Vanguard #8 | HP:0/584 | DMG:219 -216

Spoiler

Loot for Sundered Vanguard #5 (ID 165850 – LD 10 + 5 = 15; CD 5)

4,496 col ([3*hp] base + [2*hp] from even LD) +10% from Col Stash & Col Deposit
2x T3 materials (odd CD)
1x T3 Rare Weapon
1x T3 Uncommon Consumable
15x Gold Stars

Loot for Sundered Vanguard #6 (ID 165851 – LD 14 + 5 = 19; CD 12)

6,424 col ([3*hp] base + 2*[2*hp] from even CD & LD + [4*hp] from loot roll) +10% from Col Stash & Col Deposit
1x T3 Perfect Weapon
19x Gold Stars

Total Freyd Loot:

15,416 col
4x T3 materials
2x T3 Rare Weapon
2x T3 Uncommon Consumable
1x T3 Perfect Weapon
48x Gold Stars
--
+1,927 Col [Sundered Vanguard #6]

• [584 * (3 base + 2 pros. + 2 LD even + 2 CD even + 4 loot table)]*1.10 = 8,351 Col
   

Edited August 31, 2020 by Arabelle

[Cordelia 0]

Cordelia's eyes narrowed at the Sundered Vanguards' sudden shift of motion, quickly bracing herself for impact, but that never seem to came. She looked to her sides and sighed, two tiny craters planted right beside her. Cordelia lowered her weapon and gave Mari a crooked smile. "I'm fine. You shouldn't worry so much, Mari. Even if I'm just a DPS, I can take a few hits," she chuckled, sheathing her katana before placing a hand on the girl's shoulder reassuringly. 

She gave Freyd a thumbs-up after he had dispatched the rest of the behemoths. "Yeah, that's fine. Don't push yourself," she replied back, stretching her back in the process. "The last thing we want is to run out of energy mid-battle. So take all the time you need," she yawned.

"Ah, right. I suppose we never really did proper introductions, did we?" she murmured, tapping her chin before nodding her head. "Alright. I'm Cordelia, The Wheel of Fortune in a leveling guild called The Tarot. Pleasure to meet you... and as for who we should tell this to..." she trailed off, her head tilting as she thought for a few seconds. "I'm sure the rest of Tarot would want information like this..." she looked over to Mari, "and I'm not sure how things are going in Jacob's Ladder, but people like Baldur and Shield would probably want to know if something like this was going on too, yeah?" she asked. She wasn't too sure how Shield would feel about something like this but a kind-hearted man like Baldur would drop even the Tanabata festival if it meant the safety of innocent players. 

"I'm sure there's a few other frontliners that we could inform that aren't in our guilds too. Macradon would most likely want to be involved and maybe even Yuki?" Cordelia shrugged her shoulders. "There's really too many people to list."