[F9-PP] Playing with Fire (Training your Friend) Yui's Grace #1

[Griswold 0]

With repeated blows against a large gilded anvil in a shower of sparks, Griswold was fast at work as he always was. The heat that although unbearable to most did little but offer sweat on the back of the blacksmith's neck. He was adding the finishing touches on an axe requested by a member of the guild, having his familiar kindle the metal and bring it up hot enough to continue shaping. "Just a bit more boy." Griswold barks out tapping the beasts side causing it to stir in heat. Vulcan clamps down and the metal glows red hot, he removes it and continues pounding away. Eventually he obtains the shape he wants and drops the one end of the axe's head to a trough of water to the sounds of screaming steam as it cools. Taking out a white rag, Griswold dabs at his neck as a form of refreshment for his work was hardly finished.

Griswold consumes Yui's Grace [1/2]

Griswold | HP:480/480 | EN:48/48 | DMG:5 | MIT:47 | THRNS:18 | PARA:1

Spoiler

Griswold, The Forgemaster
Level: 24
HP: 480/480
EN: 48/48

Stats:
Damage: 5
Mitigation: 47
THRNS:18
PARA:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Horadric Malus [T1/Perfect/Warhammer] (+3 Base Damage)
Armor: Cobalt Rattlecage - Juggernaut [T1/Perfect/Heavy Armor] (Mitigation 3 [+27 Mitigation])
Misc: Plated Foundation - Impact[T1/Perfect/Shield] (Thorns 2 {18}, Paralyze 1 {9-10})

Skills:
One Handed Warhammer [Rank 1]
Block [Rank 3]
Heavy Armor [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Mods:
Mark
Shield Bash

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal*1

Housing Buffs:
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
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.

 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

Eruda wakes up in the morning and does her usual trip to the guildhall to find anything that Raidou might have drotted down for quests and the other floors. Finding not a whole lot of anything besides what she has already gone through she looks down to her wolf pup that found her way onto one of the chairs sitting around the table, with her head up with pride. "I think I am going to the floor that I found you. I have yet to see what you can do and I would like you to meet a friend of mine." The wolf pup turns her head slightly at Eruda and hops off the chair. Shuffling through a few more papers to make sure nothing was missed, Eruda heads out to floor 9. 

Getting to the floor she sents a quick message to Griswold saying:

Quote

"I have someone I want you to meet. Also, we need to talk. I am already on floor 9 just a short jaunt from where we found Volcun."

Eruda

Eruda wolf pup starts to look around frantically like she was looking for something. The pup starts to run in the direction that they were headed as Eruda says "Hey wait...Where are you going?" Eruda sents the message and starts running after her wolf.

Eruda | HP:670/670 | EN:64/64 | DMG:3 | MIT:99 | BLD:24 | TAUNT | THRNS:36 | REC:1 | DoT -25%

Spoiler

Eruda
Level: 32
HP: 670/670
EN: 64/64

Stats:
Damage: 3
Mitigation: 99
BLD:24
TAUNT
THRNS:36
REC:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Unforgiving Edge - Malice T2: (Bleed 2, Taunt)
Armor: Reinforced Plate - Lily T2: Damage Mitigation 3 (+54 Mitigation)
Misc: Stalwart Defender T2: (Thorns 2, Recovery 1)

Skills:
Heavy Armor [Rank 5]
One-Handed Curved Sword [Rank 2]
Fighting Spirit [Obtained]
Howl [Obtained]
Searching [Rank 1]

Extra Skills:
Concentration

Mods:
Stonewall

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal
Ebon Tether - Beauty (+3 Loot Dice)

 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

A message draws his attention for a moment while he was dabbing away to get the clingy moisture free from his skin, he'd hardly enjoy having his hammer slip and destroying the piece. What kind of blacksmith would slip and damage a piece of gear, a crappy one that's what. After some verbal shouts and screaming obscenities to the air, Griswold manages to get the damned menu open enough to read what the note entailed. It was from Eruda who seemed as though she'd be paying him a visit, hopefully, the girl knew where his shop was located. He sent her a message of his own:

Quote

I am in Tristram Steel, look for the pit its along the wall.

Griswold fights with his fat fingers upon the tiny keyboard and most of it was legible. Hopefully, she'd be able to decipher it and meet him while he finished the weapon.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

Eruda stops to catch her breath forgetting how fast her wolf was. Luckily her wolf stops too just in the distance and starts sniffing the ground. "What are you looking for?" She walks to her and she looks up to Eruda with a whining sound. Her HUD chimes with a message from Griswold. "I have been to your shop silly." She had decided to leave her thoughts on the back burner for now and let her hopes and dreams stay just that. "Come on girl, you can't just run off like that. We are going, come." She says thins in a more stern sounding voice as she starts to walk toward Griswold shop. She glances behind her watching her wolf walk slowly behind her with her head down low whimpering still. She had not a clue what was going on with her therefor she had not the first clue how to help. After a little walking the get to his shop, she realized the rock was there. Taking a short deep breath she takes a hold of the rock and starts to move it slowly. Eventually, she gets it about halfway open which gives her enough room to walk in as she calls out "Griswold I am her..." her words fall as she sees a blast from the past...

Edited August 11, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

The girl seemed to find the place alright, but the last thing Griswold would do is fight with his menu again to confirm it. He had received no reciprocated response from the blond tank which as the entry begins to move he assumed it to be her. He continued to work as Vulcan perked up at the new occupants. Peeling himself from the floor and moving to Eruda, heavy sniffs like the massive hound he was he would glow brighter with each huff. "Best not be rude Vulcan, I'd hate to have to toss water on you." Griswold chuckles focusing intensely on the piece of gear he was in the process of forging, being the other half of the double sided axe for the raven haired girl that would be needing it. Each blow against the tools casts a shower of sparks, exploiting his strength as he beats the metal into place.

ID# 164742 results: Craft: 2, Failure!

Edited August 11, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

Vulcan doesn't even phase Eruda upon approach, The wolf pup, however, perks up the moment the door opens. Sniffing the air for a moment, she pounces at Vulcan with excitement. Was this why she was so sad when we took her from this place because she was missing her friend. A small blue flame spirts from the little wolf and hits the wall. "HEY" she yells at the wolf and looks to Griswold in almost shock not sure what to say. He looked exactly like her photo with more age to his person now...All this time he was looking at her and never said a thing. Fought with her, by her side, and never said a thing...Did he even recognize her? Eruda had so many questions and could get a single one of them out. Her fist ball up on her sides as she tries to hold back tears as she manages to choke out "Do you know who I am?"

ID# 164743 results: Craft: 6 Failure!

Edited August 11, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

Hammering away in earnest, while the familiars seemed to tackle one another he had yet to see Vulcan so lively. It was as if he had found a long lost partner, which he had not expected but in hindsight, it'd make sense given both originated from the same floor. The sparks continue until the blade lay flat and shaped, still glowing red Griswold slides it into a vat of water to a fog of steam. "Of course I do Eruda, I have always known girl." he does not understand the girls drift, for they had met before in the guild hall on numerous occasions prior. as the weapon cools Griswold places his mallet down and picks up the two halves, placing them together it seemed as both fit together perfectly. "Look at that, it's like they were made for each other." Griswold remarks looking through the section where the handle would go with one eye shut.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

"Girl...No..." her worlds fall short as she could seem to get the right ones out. Eruda takes a small picture from the crevice of her armor. A photo that was taken long ago with her mother, Griswold at a younger age Freya and her at age 3. The photo looked ragged and worn but legible. Looking at the photo and then looking to Griswold to confirm her crazy point. Holding the picture up showing him saying "Are you going to tell me that that guy in the photo that looks exactly like you...isn't." She could feel the tears trying to come but she was angrier than sad right now so she manages to hold them back. The wolf pup runs in between Eruda's legs like it was trying to hide but failed horribly at it. Glancing down at her she gives a small nudge to her pup and it dives toward the other dog that was 3 times the size of her. Surprisingly though she was holding her own against Vulcan. 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

Looking at the photo he recognized it immediately, the pieces of the axe slowly lower before they clatter to the floor. Vulcan and the girl's familiar pause and move to sniffing the now dropped halves of the axe. "I...Had my suspisions...but the coincidence was too great." Griswold chokes out, his accent as thick as ever. Twisting his neck to a hearty pop, he slides behind his counter and removes a small metal figurine seemingly pointless for a smith to be creating. A tiny toy horse in silver casted with care by the smith, he places it upon the countertop. "I had no way of knowing it was truly you Elda. Understand what it would have been like if it wasn't, how hard would that have been to explain." Griswold looks his daughter over for the first time in ages, the feeling of having missed it all he was filled with regret and pride.

[Eruda 0]

The wolf pup tried her best to lift the items dropped back onto the tabled surface. Vulcan tag teams and helps and they manage to get it back onto the surface. They both sit on the other side of the counter looking around it to see what was going on. He had a point but if she saw him beforehand with his face visible, she would have known sooner. Looking to the little silver horse she feels a tear drip down her face. "I...I..." a sniffle comes intact as she tries to think of the words to say. "You left...mom said you left us and took the baby...She said you wanted nothing to do with us anymore...You wanted the baby but not us?" Eruda wasn't sure if any of her words made sense but she picks up the toy horse and looks it over after wiping her face as she didn't want to shed a tear for someone that her mother talked so bad about...

[Griswold 0]

Griswold sighed loudly as Vulcan and Eruda's familiar were trying there best to pick up the pieces. He leans down and pulls the axe heads from the creature's mouths, offering a pat to them both with his meaty hands. "Is that what your mother told you? she was always one to twist things in ways that benefited her. The truth is your mother stole you from me. Little Anna was sick, very sick and your mother couldn't handle it. She took you both and in the night she left, leaving me to care for Anna alone. I would have never abandoned you, girls. I have been looking for you ever since but given Anna, I could hardly pack up and rush around in pursuit of your mother." Griswold's face showed a bit of anger, but it was obvious it was not directed at Eruda. Digging behind the counter he pulls 5 more of the small toy horses out, one for every year as was his ritual. The one Eruda held had been forged but a few days ago, alongside another for her twin.

ID# 164748 results: Craft: 2, Failed!

Edited August 11, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

Eruda started thinking back now and she does remember her mother taking us into to car and leaving in the night. "That morning she told us that you left and she wanted to be rid of the house and everything in it. Being so young, I believed her. I thought about you every day for years after that and when I finally asked mom about you she would avoid the question like the plague. I never brought it up again because she became so furious." The other horses were brought into view and Eruda thought for a moment and realized that the count matched the years that this game has held all of them hostage. Her anger starts to aim the other direction toward her mother. "I was planning to leave after I graduated high school but then this game happened. It was another way that I could get my mind off everything. The life I could have had would have surely been better than what it was before this game." Thinking for a moment she says "You said Anna was sick...how bad is it now if she is still...Also, why did you start playing this game if she was sick?" Eruda was swallowing down her emotions as she had not the first clue how to take all of this.

ID# 164749 results: Craft: 4

Edited August 11, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

Keeping his hands in motion was the one thing Griswold knew, it provided an outlet for his thoughts to become more productive. As such he would take the handle of the axe and begin to bind them in place, pushing metal pins through the back of each with a pair of dark green pliers. "Anna was sick enough that she could not leave the house. Most of the time it was just me she got to visit with. That's no way for a little girl to grow, with an old codger like me. Even worse she was picking up the weirdest phrases from the internet, I had no idea how to understand what she was talking about." Griswold chuckled in his reflection, a fond memory of the strange phrases and things Anna would say. "I figured that something like this, when I heard about it would have been perfect, it was supposed to be a surprise. Now I am sure it was, I hope that apprentice of mine is taking good care of her in my absence." his face had become rather soured, the fact he had not seen her for two years was surely agony for her to see her father wilting away in a metal vise.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

"I was never the talkative type in school. Freya was always the active one but she was always there for me until she wasn't. When we started high school, Freya took on new friends and I stayed the shy one in the corner with no one at my side, with no friends. Mom became more and more obsessed with work and be that as it may, she unintentionally left everything to me and Freya. It was rough on me that I had no one to lean on. Anna had you that cared about her. I would have loved to get a hug when I was down or a smile when my first straight A's on the report card came out. Instead, I got, good dear keep it up. Freya got to be a child, but I had to grow up way to fast. I got a job in my freshman year and kept a high GPA in school while keeping the house clean and stocked with food and everyone fed." Looking at the horse figure in her hand, she runs a finger crossed its smooth surface. "I came into this game hoping to be the opposite of that person, to have fun and be that kid that I never got to be. From the time that I have known your character in this game without knowing who you actually were, I have enjoyed every bit of it. Being raised by you would have been a dream come true for me. Anna is very lucky to have you." She wanted to make up for lost times now that she knew the truth. She hoped that Griswold would understand that he was a great parent. He was looking for them this entire time and how convenient how it was that they finally were reconnected through a worldwide game. "Anna would have loved this game if it wasn't an all or nothing death game." A tear falls down her face now knowing that there was so much she missed.

[Griswold 0]

The pins were in place, Griswold set down the tool used to wedge them in. Lifting the heavy weapon up with one hand it was clearly designed for someone smaller than he, as he had no trouble lifting it. The weapon flares blue before transitioning to purple. "Another perfect craft." Griswold let the words from Eruda's life wash over him with no interference. "I am sure Anna would have loved you girls, I would love to introduce you." he remarks placing the axe upon the counter before he would slide another one of the produced silver horses over. "So where is Freyja?" rubbing his thumb over the polished statuette. After all, they were twins, and he'd like to see the other. At his side was Vulcan with a guttural bellow, like a deep howl as though it was tapping into Griswold's heartstrings and pulling out the emotion that lay underneath the roughened exterior.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

Eruda smiles for the first time since she got here, as he spoke of Anna. "Freyja is in the game as well. She is having some issues right now. I had a feeling that she was missing and next thing I know, Freya shows up after 2 years of not talking to her and tells me that Raidou saved her from a cave that she woke up in. She has no memory of what she had accomplished in this game and somehow became level one again. It's confusing but I am going to help her get her bearings again. Those beginning Quests that Raidou had us do, I am going to take her through them. You can come if you'd like. Get to know her, she is a bit of a firecracker though." Her wolf walks to Eruda with a small howl and pets herself against Eruda's dangled hand. Hearing his think accent she wonders about what origin Griswold was. "What is your accent. I have been wondering for a while but never bothered to ask because I never had a reason but now?" She gives a small chuckle at the statement. "I want to know where I came from now that I know a bit more. Maybe it will help me find a name for this little girl." She kneels a bit to pet the small wolf pup as she says "You should be the one to give that horse to Freya," looking up to Griswold with a smile. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

A bit perplexed by her name amalgamation along with her twins, matched with the question that regarded his accent. "It's quite simple, I am not entirely surprised that your mother had not told you. I am german and so are your names. Although converted to a Japanese sounding name they were originally Elda and Freyja, you girls are half of my blood." he explains as she was deep in thought "That boy, I've seen how you gawk over him. I think you could do worse, I owe him a lot for the guidance he had given me purpose." as he would look down to the charcoal greyed wolf which twirled as he did, expectant it seemed to want the same with a shared heart with Elda. "Raserei." he offers a single word that came to mind, wolves tend to be quick and aggressive so it seemed fitting. As spoken the familiar glow bright for a moment, Vulcan clamping playfully on her butt seemingly claiming the heat from her.

ID# 164830 results: Craft: 4, Failure!

Edited August 12, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

"Yea mom mentioned no such thing and I was too young to know the difference. Raserei..." she watched as Vulcan nips playfully at her wolf after the small glow. She turns and biffs him in the head with a paw. She then jumps at Vulcan and starts gnawing on his ear. "I like it and with that glow when you said it I can only assume she likes it too." Thinking of the words he said about Raidou she can't help to think of Gaius as the worst part of the phrase. "Were you always a blacksmith?" She asked this wanting to get to know him now with the large loss of time she was robbed from. "And thanks for the update in names, Elda and Freyja. I like it, it has a nice ring to it. Almost like it was always meant to be that way." She gets back to her feet and looks at the horse again. She starts thinking that it had been way too long and way overdue. Taking a deep breath, Eruda walks around the counter and gives him a hug with the only words she could think at the moment, "I missed you." 

ID# 164831 results: Craft: 5

Edited August 12, 2020 by Eruda

[Griswold 0]

Griswold takes to his anvil, setting to work on a few more pieces that needed to be processed for the guilds usage. Lifting an ingot and offering a whistle he tosses it to Vulcan who glows brightly. "Aye, I've always worked metal but I'd struggle to call it blacksmithing outside of here." The forge master takes an empty mold as molten mineral begins to pour from the flame familiars gullet, catching it he would allow it cool to a state of solidarity before he'd get started. The slag boils to the surface, and he picks it out and tosses it to the elemental who happily eats it with a crunch. "I've missed you more than you know my little Elda, shield eh? just like your old man." he would smile as he started hammering away, his pride strikes his mouth to a bright grin that seemed stuck to his face. Little Elda latches to his back, causing his arm to cease pounding against the glowing sword and beginning to cool. He then places a rather large and calloused hand upon her blonde head, painting a bit of it black with the soot from them.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Griswold

[Eruda 0]

A smug of blackness in her hair and she didn't even care. She was just happy to finally have her father back in her life. "I felt like a shield would have been a good choice although I was not the one who recommended it. Raidou did...Sometimes I think he knows more of what I want then I do, needless to say, he helped me find my path too," she says with a small giggle given the irony of it. "I never wanted people to feel the same way I did growing up and given that I wanted to protect them from it. We have had this conversation before though." She detached from his back not really wanting to let go but does anyway so he can work the metal. "Working with you these last few weeks and not knowing who you were, I have had this weird comfort around you and now I know why. I am proud to call you my father Griswold." As she says this a small blue flame from Raserei lands to her feet. Looking down at Raserei she finds her watching Elda with a small blue glow like she could pick up on what Eruda was feeling. 

Quest Failure:

Griswold:

3*SP (1 Thread Closure, 1 Event Bonus, 1 Grace)

Eruda:

2*SP (1 Thread Closure, 1 Event Bonus)

Simmone (Guild Treasurer)

400*Col

Edited August 12, 2020 by Eruda