[F2-PP] The Darkness offers no safety (Let there be light)

[Setsuna 0]

A single strand of silver hair parades across her brow, held aloft in a tree she was perched. Another scouting mission and affair to which she was required to perform. Below her a pack of four bipedal creatures in light green skin. Dropping and a slide shift in white, a scattering of blue shards and a faint looming white mist that accents cyan blue eyes through its obscurity. Screeches cut short, the sounds of demise being the only thing that continues past her attack.

"Easy, too easy." The girl mutters softly with an aggressive bite to her words, these enemies were no challenge. As such how was she to improve fighting such dribble? Pressing her technique to the brim was the only way to get better. No rewards given but none were expected, these creatures were nothing more than a single swipe of Shiva's embrace from fragmenting and respawning. Another bit of the fog of war on her map falls away.

Setsuna Consumes: Artisan Carrot Cake (+3 Accuracy/Filled)

Mega Slime Farm Activated: +2 SP upon Thread Closure

Setsuna | HP:780/780 | EN:78/78 | DMG:16 | MIT:12 | EVA:3 | ACC:6

Spoiler

Setsuna, Firm Anima Assassin
Level: 39
HP: 780/780
EN: 78/78

Stats:
Damage: 16
Mitigation: 12
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 6

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Shiva's Embrace - Ancestry T2/Perfect/Katana [Damage 3]
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]
Hiding [Rank 3]+1
Light Armor [Rank 3]

Extra Skills:
Disguise

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3
Ferocity
Athletics

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal*1
Vocal Augmentation - Resonation [T1/Perfect/Support/Instant] +60 HP*2
Bird Seed (T2/Rare/Snack) Vitality 2*1

Housing Buffs:
Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (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
Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Hiding): +1 Rank to the Hiding skill.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

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 January 14, 2021 by Setsuna

[Freya 0]

Tossing and turning all night, Freya gets out of bed with a grunt. She didn't want to lay in bed if she wasn't going to sleep so an early day it is. Deciding not to eat today Gaius was going to have to make his own food this time. He could manage just one day. A small yawn was given as she walks out of her house with Ko walking slowly at her feet. "I know but if I am awake I can not be idle. That's when weird things start going through my head. We will start with something simple okay," she offered Ko words not realizing she was doing so...She knew that Ko was unable to truly understand her but it was nice to have someone to talk to. Equipping the gear she had she heads to floor 2 for a simple starting quest. 

Arriving on floor 2 she takes to the board of quests and grabs a random one. Anything on floor 2 couldn't be that hard right?? Soon after excepting the quest, she was approached by a frantic mother. "Please help me, my child..." before she could say anything else Freya says "Yea yea you need help. I'm on it..." waving the quest giver away. "OH thank you..." she starts to say but Freya was already heading toward the Nav marker.

Freya | HP:500/500 | EN:50/50 | DMG:15 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | BLD:24 | REC:1

Spoiler

Freya
Level: 25
HP: 500/500
EN: 50/50

Stats:
Damage: 15
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 3
BLD:24
REC:1

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Grim Reminder - Sorrow (T2/Perfect/2HBA): Damage 2, Bleed 1
Armor: Dark Embrace - Sacrifice (T2/Perfect/Light Armor): Evasion 2, Recovery 1
Misc: Bringer (Tierless/Perfect/Trinket): Accuracy 3

Skills:
Two-Handed Battle Axe [Rank 5]

Extra Skills:
Concentration
Familiar Fighter (Rank 1)

Mods:
Finesse Rank 3
Ferocity

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystal*1
Resistance Plate - Lily (T1/Perfect/HA): Mitigation 27
Silver Band - Farore's Wind: (T1/Perfect/Trinket) Loot Dice 3

Housing Buffs:
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.
Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]

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]

A soft exhale as she lunges and latches an outstretched hand to the bottom of a spire of wood, causing her to slide around it with finesse before she manages to find a point of solidarity to stand upon. Scanning the horizon before a leap to the next in sequence heading northward deeper and deeper in the uncharted territory, the lower half of her face covered with a dark blue cloth. A faint attempt at a hide of her identity, unsure if it did what she expected and frankly she was not too concerned if it had.

The dead tell no tales.

Her gaze shifts and finds the walls of Urbus, a hamlet to most player's avoidance. It was not quite as ripe as a primary city and as such offered much less in the way of wares. The commoners that ride through designated pathing, a faint remembrance of a face with purple hair. A single tear damps the cloth affixed to her nose. "I will bathe in their blood as repentance." Setsuna mutters with a burning pain riddling her heart.

[Freya 0]

Wondering into the early morning light where the mist still illuminates the area. The cool breeze upon her skin as she heads to the destination of which this quest brings her. The sun was not at it's peak yet but the light was fair enough to see in. Ko gives a yawn as she looks up to Freya with a meow. "I know we skipped breakfast today but I wasn't really hungry. Maybe we can something after this." Ko gives a huff from her nose like she was angry that she had gotten no food yet. "Ugg fine, uhh where would there be..." she starts to glance around. A small berry bush lays upon her view as she walks to it. Inspecting the bush she figures out that they were black berries. Freya then sits next to the bush as does Ko. Picking a few she offers Ko some saying "Try these." Ko sniffs it and takes a tiny bite from the berry given her mouth size. Freya just chuckles a bit and eats a few herself. 

[Setsuna 0]

A single look down to a blonde as she breaches the walls of the city, leaving it behind her. A small rat keeping to her side, before a slight squeal from it confirms it a cat instead. A glance into the coming sunlight, a faint feeling of the warmth it gives off. A wipe of her sleeve dries tired eyes. A memory repressed and another recalled. Eying the girl intensely from beside her peripheral, just beyond sight with a grace that was ever tempered. Hung low with a squinted eye, held aloft and inverted close enough to target her and check her marker. Green the thought races through her head, and with it, a hand is removed from a grip on a hilt. Now that it was determined she'd not be a threat at least not initially, why was she here? Playing the part of predator or watchman, Setsuna would wait for answers.

ID# 181076 results: Loot: 16+4=20 (Stealth Rating)

Edited January 6, 2021 by Setsuna

[Freya 0]

After a few minutes, Freya stands saying "Can you last now Ko? Can we go do this thing now?" Ko gives a purr now and with a nod of her head, she continues near the green nav marker on her map. Ko starts attacking Freya's shoelaces. Freya swoops her up into her hands now and tosses her into the air about a foot up and catches her. Snuggling her nose to Ko's saying "I really need to get you something to play with when we get back to town." Ko starts to purr again and hops from her hands onto her shoulder and sits there. Freya chuckles a bit as she eventually appears in front of a cave. Given she didn't really look at the quest or listen to the quest giver for the information she looks at her map and the Nav market was pointing right to this cave. 

Standing at the cave's entrance she hears cries of help within. Without a thought, Freya pulls her weapon and disappears into the darkness of the cave.

ID# 181077 results: Loot: 11...Nothing

Edited January 6, 2021 by Freya

[Setsuna 0]

Low Light Penalty triggered, Players -1 Accuracy

To a cave, and as the girl continued to check her map over and over it was clear she was following a quest target. The small cat placed upon her shoulder, she peers into the cavern. What instantly catches her attentions are the cries of a child, and descent and scamper closer to Freya causes Setsuna to wrap a hand around her face from behind. "Push not forward without knowing what you face, make any sudden moves and I will put you down. Two paces ahead of me, but slow." With a shift of her menu and a target, Setsuna sends her a party invite. She was intrigued and wished to offer assistance, but her delivery was a bit lacking. As her hand is removed, a bitter chill as cold as the words spoken she vanishes within the confines of the wet interior, holding to the very swelling shade that consumed the lights within.

[Freya 0]

A hand to her face covering her mouth, with sour words from another. Freya stops dead in her tracks. A hand removed as a party invite sends word that this female was possibly not a threat to her but to anything else in this dark cave. Accepting the invite, eyes dart to the name above hers, Setsuna. She leans her back against the wall trying to get a feel for where this party member was, but she was nowhere to be seen. Hmm, she thinks as she hears the crying a short jaunt away from where she was. Slowly, crouched, watching her step at every footfall she makes her way to the crying to silence it. Following the right wall strats she eventually makes it to the very young child and before she could say a word she grabs the girl and sits in the dark corner opposite of where she was found. Cradling the child in her lap now she puts a hand to her face with a silent shoosh. They both sit there in silence while her newfound party member explores the danger that should be somewhere close. 

Edited January 9, 2021 by Freya

[Setsuna 0]

A faint white mist parades down the halls as it twists and bends, drawing a bitter chill that causes some of the moisture to clung to walls to freeze. It paints white as if formed on floor 4, and with a single lunge, she latches to hanging stone columns. Eyeing Freya in the dark in faint silhouette and using the minimap to confirm. The sniffling of the child in question forces her forward, more of a curiosity then earnest concern. Like a bullet, she moves to the position and keeps her eyes held fast to the entire birth of the cavern of jagged grey teeth, fazed black by the lack of light. Her domain, it would offer her opponents no respite, it was they who should fear the dark, not she. A well trained and ever sharpened weapon who was already drastically over what was expected or considered a challenge to her.

[Freya 0]

Silence fell within the interior of this cave. Nothing but echoing droplets splattering to the ground could be heard. Freya watches the darkness, trying to pinpoint any movement. Deeming it safe for the moment she takes the young girl's hand now and glances down to her with a finger to her mouth as to tell the girl to keep silent. Freya starts to move slowly with the girl still crouched. Suddenly an outburst "DON'T let them hurt me again," as she pulls away from Freya's grip and starts to run. "Dam it child," Freya says in a small voice as she grabs the kids arm. Right then they could hear in the distance, flapping of wings and screeching tones echoing through the darkened halls of the cavern. Freya pushes her back against the damp walls and pins the child with her legs with her hand wrapped around her mouth to keep her quiet, sitting there, waiting, and ready to pull her Scythe if she needed to. She glances at the other female or at least where she last was, as the screeching starts to get closer. This time she was not going to let the child run wild.  

[Setsuna 0]

The cavern echos with a screeching that eludes to hostiles, held back and against the wind, the small silver haired girl slides from cover to cover at a rapid pace. A jerking scream of steel and a single darting cyan line causes one to bisect and fall in two halves. A flicker as she cleaves and a metallic click of her katana shut, a flare of white and a bitter chill. She vanishes, dropping from visibility as quickly as she had appeared. Through and back to concealment, she was looking to wait for Freya's input: either removing the girl from the conflict or swinging on her own. It mattered not, as long as she didn't attempt to slow her down like the Blossom. The bat shatters long after, as if the system was waiting till she was long gone before detonating. A flash of data as it erupts and casts shards into the ceiling in an agressive spray.

San Ge [x15] vs. Giant Bat #1, -12 EN [15-3 {Finesse}] Disguise Triggered {+1 Evasion}

ID# 181286 results: Battle: 4+6-1 {Low Light} = 9, Hit vs. Giant Bat #1 dealing 16x15=240 DMG

Players:
Setsuna | HP:780/780 | EN:66/78 | DMG:16 | MIT:12 | EVA:4 | ACC:6
Freya | HP:500/500 | EN:50/50 | DMG:15 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | BLD:24 | REC:1

Mobs:
Giant Bat #1 | HP:-190/50 | DMG:20
Giant Bat #2 | HP:50/50 | DMG:20

Edited January 13, 2021 by Setsuna

[Freya 0]

Removing her hand slowly from the child's mouth she whispers in her ear, "Be silent, or those bats will not be the scariest thing you see in here." The girl whimpers a bit but nods her head as Freya slowly gets up. Materializing her Scythe from her back her eyes shift through the darkness trying to see where the screeching was coming from. Suddenly a burst of data appears not far from her, giving enough light for a split second to see another giant bat still flying. Freya quickly moves toward it as that was her only focus, activating her concentration skill. A black oozed mist comes from her body and weapon combined as she strikes the other creature down, sliding behind it with an upper swing of her weapon. Turning back toward it as another shatter of data. She quickly moves back to the girl as she places her weapon away not knowing where the other vanished to. Kneeling down to the child saying "Do not let go of my hand, no matter what. Do you understand me?" The girl nods as Freya grabs her hand. They quickly make their way out of the cave with no issues...Turning to the cave entrance now watching it to see if the other female followed her out...

Activating Concentration and Explode Catapult (14 Energy -3 Finesse R3=11)+2 per target hit)

ID# 181289 results: Battle: 4+3-1=6, Hit! vs Giant Bat #2, Dealing 15*14=210 Damage, Killing it!

Players:
Setsuna | HP:780/780 | EN:66/78 | DMG:16 | MIT:12 | EVA:4 | ACC:6
Freya | HP:500/500 | EN:37/50 | DMG:15 | EVA:2 | ACC:3 | BLD:24 | REC:1

Mobs:
Giant Bat #1 | HP:-190/50 | DMG:20
Giant Bat #2 | HP:-160/50 | DMG:20

Edited January 14, 2021 by Freya

[Setsuna 0]

A blind of white as Setsuna reappears mere feet from the entry, still held to her special brand of stealth. "You've found your whimpering child. I suppose that it is your job to bring it back. I have matters to attend to in my own right. It was...pleasant that I didn't need to drive a blade through your neck." Setsuna mutters coldly, something close to a blunt compliment. Pressed against a hardwood tree in darkened wood bark, arms crossed as she breathed the words through a deep blue mask covering her mouth. A small respite to recover what she'd spent in the affair before moving on with her own duties as an O&I operative, best to operate with a full tank. There was still quite a number of sectors that needed fog of war removed, even on a floor as low as 2. For other guild members to travel safely in these uncharted lands.

[Freya 0]

She raises a brow to what looked like a mere child but acted so much more than that. What the hell did this game do to her. With a slight tilt of the head toward her she says "Thank you I guess...No wait a dam second why would you have driven a blade through me," she was really confused now. The remark that was made blew her mind at the fact that she could have died without a second thought... "You came up behind me and I heard nothing..." Freya looks down at the girl with tears in her eyes. Glancing back to the bluish silver-haired girl she sees now and the icon above her name, the same as hers. Freya takes a deep inhale now, "Thank you for helping me I guess but I am not sure I needed it. Those mobs were weak as shit." The little girls continued to whine as Freya was trying to make sense of this female. "Fine I will deliver you," she takes the little one's hand now and starts to walk toward the town. Glancing back she was very curious about this girl. What was she exactly in the guild that they share? 

Edited January 14, 2021 by Freya

[Setsuna 0]

"Some assume they can handle whatever, and take whatever they please. I am sure you can see that my abilities do not mirror my stature. I would have removed your head from your shoulders if I felt you hostile." Setsuna offered rather bluntly with a rather plain but piercing stare, reaching a hand for her face and peeling down the mask that concealed the lower half. "It's what I am trained to do, don't take it personally. No one hears me coming." The words came off as a boast, but her demeanor did not match it, so it must have been true. "You may not have, but only a fool underestimates their opponents, you would be wise to not do so. It is that overconfidence that will put you and everyone around you at risk. Calculate your chances, and stack them entirely against that which you face. Take every edge you can, and push that wound as much as it can go." A faint blue builds in the girl's iris as she speaks, and a sudden flicker and shift cause her to turn into mist.

ID# 181295 results: Battle: 10 {LOL}, Loot: 12+3=15 [Stealth Rating]

Edited January 14, 2021 by Setsuna

[Freya 0]

Those words again...They were differently phrased but much more of the same meaning. Setsuna turns to mist then nothing, Freya couldn't see her at all. "How the hell," like she told Simmone, there were still mechanics that she didn't know about the game and this was obviously one of them. Freya glances around one more time still seeing nothing. Glancing down at the girl now she says "Let's go get you back to your mother shall we." Wondering if she was still there, given Setsuna snuck up on her, was the girl following her. 

Arriving at the town now the little girl races to her mother crying her eyes out. "Oh thank you so much, I don't have much to offer but I am forever grateful." She leaves the child without a word to the mother as she was well aware that this was a quest and that the lady had said the same thing she had said to others 10 times over. The sun was in the sky again, as another day enters this fake world. Was time the same as it was in the real world she wondered...

Freya climbed the top of a building and takes a break before she enters another quest. Pulling out a honey bun and then another she sets one on the roof next to her and munches on it silently. She didn't know what to expect but she had to try... 

ID# 181296 results: Loot: 1 (Setsuna is just gone...) Stealth detection failed...

Edited January 15, 2021 by Freya

[Setsuna 0]

A bitter chill as she stormed from roof to roof, her only interest being in seeing the child returned safely. It was a test to see if Freya was true to her word, Setsuna was always the skeptic. It seemed that whenever the opportunity arose that people would exploit it. To her surprise, however, the blonde does what she was told. An obvious attempt at a conversation, a single bit of food placed to the girl's side. 

That chill would paint the exposed parts of the blonde's back as she flickered in, playing down the tiles of the roof with a clatter of her feet. "An attempt to bribe me?" the guild assassin quipped as she reached down and claimed the roll, taking a seat next to Freya. "Take heed you do not let that kindness become a weakness. Even more a better job at hiding it, else it be used against you as a way to rig the odds against you." she spoke from experience to the blonde, knowing full well what kindness was rewarded with.

[Freya 0]

Feeling the cold against her back as the girl takes what she sets and sits. "Bribe, no. A simple gesture. Kindness is my strength right now." Without giving too much away about what was going on within her she says, "Right now, giving and showing kindness is what's keeping me sane in this world we find ourselves in. You helped me so in return I show you gratitude for your actions." These quests she was doing, even if they seemed easy and quick, were getting her one step closer to her goal with Freyd. This downtime was merely a break that was needed. She didn't know what she could handle in terms of battle yet, but keeping him from coming out was her main priority right now. Keeping calm and focused, still learning the mechanics of the game she asks, "You were right in front of me, and then you were gone, what was that..." Pure interest in what skill allowed her to do such things.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Freya

[Setsuna 0]

"That was my gemini's gift, when I removed its head." Setsuna offered rather bluntly, digging small teeth into the roll to offset pressing hunger. She hadn't eaten in quite a while, the pain in her stomach was not obvious until the offering was given. "Kindness is strength, but also a weakness. If you let it control your actions then someone will use it to control you. Remember that." A slight twist of her gaze down to the streets of Urbus, NPC perambulating around beneath their very feet as they dangled from the edge of a high rose roof top. A single swell and change on the horizon above them, the warp gate flickering and twisting rather aggressively as it seems to go haywire. A leap from the top of the place down and as she steps to it as inspection, it activates without input thrusting her upward in an instant. The storm was about to begin.

[Setsuna moves to floor 7]

ID# 181440 results: Loot: 9 [25x9=225 Col awarded to all members]

Edited January 18, 2021 by Setsuna

[Freya 0]

Watching to warps gate before them, sparks of sorts flew a small distance away. Staring at it, Freya felt uneasy. Setsuna without a word hops off the roof to examine it. Almost instantly she was sucked in. "What the hell..." Freya hops off the roof. She thought to go to another floor that they had to say the floor number and then they get lifted. She didn't hear Setsuna say anything. Walking to the gate slowly, she eats the rest of her food quickly. Could you just think of the floor without saying anything... "God this game is strange." She started to hear some thunder. It wasn't from around here though. She takes two steps forward now as she too gets sucked in. Darkness is all she can see around her as her feet touch the ground landing on a floor she knows well. Floor 7... A storm was brewing and little did she know what exactly was going on.

[Freya moves to floor 7]

Quest Complete:
Setsuna:
6 SP (1 page, 1 event, 2 quest completion, 2 Mega Slime Farm)

Freya:
4 SP (1 page, 1 event, 2 quest completion)

Simmone: Guild Treasury
225 Col awarded to all members
225 Col awarded to all members
400 Page reward
(225+225+400=850 Total Col)

Edited January 18, 2021 by Freya