[F01|R5 Appraiser] the scarlet line. | [closed]

[iris 0]

the scarlet line.  SERVICES Junksales at a 90% return. Identifications currently not available at this time.

red and white and gold. she'd chosen them explicitly for the fortune it would bring, because if iris was right about her hunches, she would need it in incredible amounts. she couldn't afford it otherwise.

first floor, town of beginnings, north-western quarter of the city, somewhere along the main road. a prime position for a new store to open up, after the plot had been squatted on for too long, far too long. what's eye catching about the front was its use of crimson, silver and gold, boasting of luxury even to the most indifferent of passerbys. at its best, it manages item identifications for a few private individuals. at its worst, it takes out the garbage collected from the masses, reaping what col cardinal has the favour of offering them for the day. while it is closed, a scarlet velvet barrier blocks off its exits from interested patrons. Spoiler glass stairs first greet any customer looking for its merchant's services. each step's reflection captures the marbled flooring, with ripples of gold interlaced through them. a brilliantly intricate chandelier made with an artisan's touch looms over the newcomer, to flood them with a zest of awe. down at the heart of the room is but a white table, with a comfortable office chair. it might as well be a throne, however, with how it sits squared at the center of the pristine space. two cushioned lounge benches and a low glass coffee table sit between the end of the steps and the edge of the merchant's table. two tiny square tables are in parallel by the benches' sides -- a bowl of tchotchkes and sweets on one's surface, a stock of different tea leaves in a white case on the other. off to the sides, a number of bookshelves, gold plants and crystal trees decorate the room's interior. side rooms frame the office on the left and right, but they're barred off from entry to the average visitor. black sliding doors mark their frames. headed by one <iris> as the front of the store, it is also manned by two significant figures of the realm of expedition; <jean> and <masa>. they keep watch over the store while <iris> is resting or away from business, but often also laze around in the room's comfort, making good use of their expended col on <iris>' behalf.

 

[iris 0]

(1/5)

[iris 0]

(2/5)

[iris 0]

mystic essences count: 12

Spoiler

[batch#001]

1. 161293 | 191848a | 193297
2. 191840 | 194540a | 194555
3. 194540b | 191865a | 193314c
4. 165026a | 165027b | 172528
5. 162179b | 162178b | 163228
6. 193290 | 193283b | 193288
7. 206624b | 206637-1 | 206637-2
8. 205740 | 206549b | 206548a
9. 206548c-1 | 206548c-2 |  206543b
10. 208204a | 211521 | 211516c
11. 210665 | 210709 | 193284a
12. 194554a | 193284b | 206636a
13. 206633 | 206542 | 208523
14. 208653b-1 | 208653b-2 | 208653b-3
15. 210660a | 210663 | 210643
16. 210648 | 210674 | 210676
17. 211518 | 209166 | 142515
18. 142597 | 162175 | 163013

 

[iris 0]

backlog: requiring re-evaluation.

Spoiler

Reminiscing The Lord | [#128443]-[a][c] | TIER 1 PERFECT SHIELD | PARALYTIC VENOM, MITIGATION II
[desc.]: A dark tower shield crafted out of steel. Orange and cyan accents decorate this piece around its frame, and a skull at the bulwark's center occasionally flashes with light, striking fear into the heart of its opponents.
[state]: crafted

components.

| weapons.

Spoiler

weapons.

imp. | [#193310a] | TIER 3 STRAIGHT SWORD | KEEN II, FLN
08/03/22 | t3wpn. | [#194556] || DMG / ACC | FLN / HLY

majesty. | [#194561c] | TIER 3 CLAWS | ABS ACC, DMG II

02/04/22 | t4wpn. | [#206543a] | DMG / ACC || DMG / ACC || PARA-V / BLIGHT
30/12/22 | t4wpn. | [#211012c] | DMG / ACC || BLD / PRLYZ || PARA-V / BLIGHT

02/04/22 | t4wpn. | [#207583a] | DMG / ACC || DMG / ACC || VAMP-O / ENV-O
30/12/22 | t4wpn. | [#210886c] | BLD / PRLYZ || DMG / ACC || VAMP-O / ENV-O

14/05/22 | t4wpn. | [#208204b] | DMG / ACC  ||  DMG / ACC  ||  FROSTBITE / STATIC
02/01/23 | t4wpn. | [#210656b] | DMG / ACC  ||  BLD / PRLYZ  ||  FROSTBITE / STATIC

02/01/23 | t4wpn. | [#210646c] | DMG / ACC  ||  BLD / PRLYZ  ||  FREEZE / BURN

14/05/22 | t4wpn. | [#208152] | BLD / PRLYZ || DMG / ACC || ABS ACC / PHASE
30/12/22 | t4wpn. | [#210852] | TAUNT / KEEN || AA / PHASE

02/01/23 | t4wpn. | [#210669c] | DMG / ACC  ||  TAUNT / KEEN  ||  FALLEN / HOLY
03/01/23 | t4wpn. | [#211520c] | BLD / PRLYZ || BLD / PRLYZ || FALLEN / HOLY

| armor.

Spoiler

armor.

06/03/22 | t3cloth. | [#193298b] || EVA / MIT | EVA / MIT | VAMP-D / ENV-D
06/03/22 | t3cloth. | [#193290] || RISKY / LM | RISKY / LM | VAMP-D / ENV-D

06/03/22 | t3cloth. | [#193286] || RISKY / LM | RISKY / LM | BLOODCLOT / PARA IMMUNE
unstoppable. | [#191844b] | TIER 3 CLOTH ARMOR | RISKY II, PARA IMMUNE

07/03/22 | t3cloth. | [#194545] || EVA / MIT | EVA / MIT | EVA / MIT

 

10/02/24 | t4cloth. | [#233639c] || EVA / MIT | EVA / MIT | EVA / MIT

 

25/03/22 | t4light. | [#206655] || EVA / MIT | EVA / MIT | HB / LIFEMEND
25/03/22 | t4light. | [#206650b] || REGEN / REC | REGEN / REC | HB / LIFE MEND

25/03/22 | t4light. | [#206652] || REGEN / REC | REGEN / REC | BLOODCLOT / PARA IMMUNE
04/01/23 | t4light. | [#210672] | BLOODCLOT / PARA IMMUNE || EVA / MIT || LM

04/01/23 | t4light. | [#210705] | LM || LM || ANTIFREEZE / FIREPROOF
04/01/23 | t4light. | [#210710a] | LM || EVA / MIT || ANTIFREEZE / FIREPROOF

31/12/22 | t4light. | [#210928] | EVA / MIT || EVA / MIT || VAMP-D / ENV-D
04/01/23 | t4light. | [#210659b] | EVA / MIT || EVA / MIT || VAMP-D / ENV-D

 

26/03/22 | t4heavy. | [#206607] | VAMP-D / ENVENOM-D | REGEN / REC | REGEN / REC

26/03/22 | t4heavy. | [#206638] | THORNS / HM | THORNS / HM | HB / LIFE MEND
26/03/22 | t4heavy. | [#206623] | THORNS / HM | HB / LIFE MEND 

01/04/22 | t4heavy. | [#206558a] | MIT / TAUNT || HB / LIFE MEND || VAMP-D / ENVENOM-D

01/04/22 | t4heavy. | [#205741] | MIT / TAUNT || THORNS / HM || FL. AURA / FR. AURA
01/04/22 | t4heavy. | [#206560] | THORNS / HM || FL. AURA / FR. AURA

01/04/22 | t4heavy. | [#205743b] | MIT / TAUNT || THORNS / HM || FL. THORNS/ FR. THORNS

01/04/22 | t4heavy. | [#206552b] | BLOODCLOT / PARA IMMUNE || REGEN / REC || REGEN / REC

| trinkets.

Spoiler

trinket.

31/12/22 | t4trinket. || [#210893] | LD / QUALITY | KEEN / PROSP | BLOODCLOT / PARA IMMUNE
10/02/24 | t4trinket. || [#220856b] | ANTIFREEZE / FIREPROOF | ACC / EVA | TAUNT / REC

 

[iris 0]

backroom.

Spoiler

exp: 2617 | [24/3/21]     | cd tool: [thread]    | attempts: 10+1

---

unidentified storage:

from fragile / obtained here:

• t4 perfect armor (21)
• t4 perfect weapon (23)

 

[NIGHT 0]

"Okay. Let's get this over with."

Bistro was the only one out of the group that sauntered in without a care, unfazed by the aesthetics of their current domain. 'Get this over with?' NIGHT had to protest -- since when did shops in Aincrad get so sophisticated and classy and idealized?

For the lack of a better word, homely, too?

It was rich. It spoke of wealth. The player could only stare at the ceiling, the floor, the tiles. How everything seemed to reflect her appearance back at her, sleek surfaces flawlessly polished to a tee.

The alchemist needed to nudge her artisan counterpart in the ribs to retrieve her from staring daze, and a stern smile returned was to prod NIGHT into remembering her purpose for attendance. In a fluster, the woman drummed up a collection of items from her inventory, locked fast away in a single wooden crate.

---

Spoiler

Junkselling the following as [equipment]. See the list below for tallies.

tally	tier	uncommons	rares	perfects
66	1	26	40
49	2	22	27	23
69	3	35	34	23
184

 

Spoiler

 

source	tier	uncommons	rares	perfects
[8/8/20]	1	3
[28/8/20]	1	2	6
[12/9/20]	3	1	2	1
[8/10/20]	1	3	2
[13/10/20]	1	2	1
[15/10/20]	1	5	9
[18/10/20]	1	1	4
[17/11/20]	1	3	4
[24/11/20]	2		3	1
[10/2/21]	1	2	6
[25/2/21]	1	1	2
[26/2/21]	1	4	6
[27/2/21]	3	6	7	7
[28/2/21]	3	6	11	5
[1/3/21]	3	10	6	4
[2/3/21]	3	7	9	4
[3/3/21]	3	4	4	7
[3/3/21]	2		4	2
[4/3/21]	3	1	1
[4/3/21]	2	9	5	6
[5/3/21]	2	8	9	5
[6/3/21]	2	5	3	9
[7/3/21]	2	6	8	6
[8/3/21]	2	1	5	5
[9/3/21]	1	3	4
[13/3/21]	1	3	5

 

 

[Bistro 0]

Part one was complete. So Bistro would add her share on top of NIGHT's own, then.

If the single box wasn't going to scare Iris from her duties, perhaps the alchemist's share was about to. After a click, there were multiple waves that pulsed in the air, each ripple about her vicinity forming a carrier of potions violently shaking in their storage spaces, the container landing upon both marble flooring and each other's surface with a hearty mixture of thuds and clanking. This time, Bistro only held worry in her eyes.

From the look of Iris' hands where she stood, it seemed as though her client was... trembling.

---

Spoiler

Junkselling the following as [consumables]. See the list below for tallies.

tally	tier	uncommons	rares	perfects
633	1	285	348

 

Spoiler

 

source	tier	uncommons	rares	perfects
[15/2/21]	1	24	19
[16/2/21]	1	19	16
[24/2/21]	1	10	16
[25/2/21]	1	10	28
[26/2/21]	1	15	17
[27/2/21]	1	11	21
[28/2/21]	1	16	13
[1/3/21]	1	7	23
[2/3/21]	1	5	26
[3/3/21]	1	14	13
[4/3/21]	1	13	22
[5/3/21]	1	11	15
[6/3/21]	1	17	10
[7/3/21]	1	14
[8/3/21]	1	9	9
[9/3/21]	1	22	17
[10/3/21]	1	14	14
[11/3/21]	1	12	18
[12/3/21]	1	6	27
[13/3/21]	1	21	9
[14/3/21]	1	15	15

 

 

[Alkor 0]

So far, there weren't many people who knew much about Appraising items. They existed, and they were quickly coming into their own as crafters, but Alkor didn't know enough to find "the best" Appraiser in Aincrad.  He decided that any Appraiser would serve his need, at least for now. Eventually, he'd have to find better items and craft a weapon more suitable for the Frontlines.

He arrived on Floor One through the teleporter and looked around for a bit until he found a place with scarlet doors and golden and silver accents. He pushed his way through the doors and looked around. 

The room was worthy of comment, bookshelves and tables cleanly kept and it almost seemed like more of a lounge than a business. Glass stairs and a marble floor made the establishment seem even more regal, almost like he didn't belong there at all. He took a breath. 

"Hey," he called out, "I'm looking for someone to alter the attributes of my weapon. Can someone help with that?"

He rummaged through his inventory a moment and held out an item which he offered. "If you can, I'd be willing to give you this to help with the process."

Alkor surrenders x1 <<Witches Brew>> [Gained here.]

Quote

Item Name: Blightsteel

Item Tier: 4
Item Type: OHSS
Item Enhancements: CURSED / BLIGHT / DMG II
Description: "Some men wield blades to be heroes, others are more pragmatic."

 

[iris 0]

| 6/4/21

Not that the store was properly open just yet, but there were always exceptions to the case. Masa must've dropped the stanchion rope on her way out, then forgot to attach it -- not that Iris out of the trio minded. Fate was always something she couldn't plan for.

And attempting her appraisals when the others' couldn't see it; to Iris, it was but a practice gone unnoticed. 

She savoured it.

"Over here," she signaled. A blond man with a solid build. With the new system that kicked in earlier today reassessing everyone's builds, it seemed as though he'd properly reallocated his skill points. A front-liner, perhaps? Maybe a new one, due to the updates. "I'll give it my best shot. The weapon..."

She hadn't expected the consumable alongside his proposed item. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation -- a buff, this early on in her career?

It wouldn't matter in the long run. But it was worth a shot.

Pop off the cork. Down the hatch. Her results were nothing worthy of note; it seemed as though the weapon was the real prize than her identifications. But the assortment of enhancements had managed to negate the red colours that were once on the weapon's [Damage] text.

"That looks about right," Iris commented, examining the blade over. "A good balance of DoT effects, and a paralysis to boot if you strike your targets just right."

Her eyes then met the other player's, and immediately she recalled her manners.

"Oh! Sorry--" A bit of flailing, hand waving. "I didn't catch your name. Mine's Iris. And yours...?"

Spoiler

> REROLLING | Item of focus: [Blightsteel] | CURSED / BLIGHT / DMG / DMG
 | using Witch's Brew from [here].

ID: 187661 | BD: 2 | LD: 11 | DMG -> BLEED / PARALYZE
ID: 187662 | BD: 4 | LD: 3 | DMG -> TAUNT / KEEN
ID: 187663 | BD: 3 | LD: 11 | TAUNT / KEEN -> BLEED / PARALYZE

> REROLLING | Final product: [Blightsteel +3] | CURSED / BLIGHT / BLEED / PARALYZE 

 

[Alkor 0]

While he could have hoped for more forward, damage enhancing effects, a full retinue of Enhancements that would greviously debilitate an enemy had its own merits. Blight was different now than before. It's hideous affliction degraded the victim's ability to defend themselves while it whittled away their health- a horrifying prospect to say the least. But now, it also bloodied them, forcing their health to chip away even faster, and with the precise application of force it could do all of that while they were powerless to resist. The weapon had transformed into something malevolent, a force of unbridled devastation.

His gilded eyes flickered up to the woman as she introduced herself, and he smiled. "Alkor," he told her his name when she asked, "and you have my thanks, Iris. This blade will serve me even better now."

Alkor gently accepted the weapon back from the Appraiser, who's efforts had made the Demonic Weapon's name worthy of changing. "I think I'll call it Witchfang," he decided absently as he withdrew a strange ticket from his inventory and held it to the blade. After several seconds, the item dissolved into data and the sword glowed faintly, a deep red color, before it changed shape to fit the description Alkor had given it.

Now, the blade was straight and deep black. The edges were honed, jagged and almost wicked looking. He slid it carefully into its sheath and replaced it at his hip. 

"I really appreciate this," he reiterated. His gaze moved around awkwardly, as though he wasn't sure what else to say. Maybe she was busy. He didn't want to keep her long.

[NIGHT 0]

If Iris was going to be busy, it was most likely from the arrival of a new customer.

(Not that NIGHT had any interest in getting her things in order on her own accord. Performing on her broker's behalf, however, made things easier to process.)

Only fortunate that the player caught Alkor as his transaction with the once-merchant was complete. "Hey," she issued; if this day had been different, his presence would've been a surprise. However, with the variety of different changes running around in Aincrad, coincidences should've been expected of any players busying themselves with the updates.

Her gaze dropped to the blade blankly. "Is that new?" She couldn't find herself surprised if it was; even today, waking up to Jack's Executioner being altered in conditions had caught her off-guard. A re-examination of anyone's prized weapon would've not been uncalled for. And though its appearance struck a chord with NIGHT, she couldn't put her finger on why. The serrated edge? The depth of its pitch? It had some sort of menacing aura on it, at least. Perhaps that's what she found comforting about it, having sensed it from her own hand of choice once before.

But before she lost herself in the details, her eyes drifted back to Iris'. "Identifications." A trade window and an exchange of weapons. NIGHT watched idly as the appraiser set herself to work. The player was in no prepared state for a conversation, nor did she mean to butt in.

Little did she know, she was already in the middle of doing so.

Spoiler

Requesting item identifications.

Tier 3 Perfect Weapons (12)
[165009] | [165026a] | [165026b] | [165027a] | [165027b] | [165027c] | [165267] | [165271a] | 
[165271b] | [165271c] | [165579a] | [165579b]

Tier 3 Rare Weapons (7)
[165013] | [165021] | [165018] | [187039] | [187038] | [165281] | [187047]

[iris 0]

| 6/4/21

Iris nodded to him with a smile. Alkor; the name echoed in her brain, for it would serve her well to remember players and their names, their titles, their achievements. Though the enhancements she'd had offered him were standard, the appraiser believed his words, having seen their effects take form in a pinch first-hand. Intriguing, how after the update, she was still drawing from a familiar pool of effects.

And how strange the whims of players were. Iris included on most occasions, but in this respect, she hadn't expected the blade to have changed under his jurisdiction so soon and so suddenly. A small form applied to the weapon was enough to transform it into something horrific -- and Iris contemplated if it'd fit the type of player standing in front of her.

Surely not. Just as she was about to speak, another customer came through the door, and her thoughts were stolen from her.

Iris thought it better to put up the stanchion after all.

Bistro's assistant, it seemed, though what the player wanted with her was beyond her comprehension. A curt exchange of words -- Iris wondered if she was being ignored on purpose -- before the woman offered her a trade window. Down to business, as the alchemist would have them.

Luck would have it that the Witch's Brew from earlier was still in effect.

The appraiser excused herself in a whisper, with a wry smile and a nod. "I'll have to take this." Surely he understood. Though in place of an expected conversation, there was only silence.

 

...What? Iris felt cold sweat on her palms. Why was it suddenly so tense for no reason? Didn't the other player recognize Alkor? It wasn't reasonable for her to act so familiar with him, otherwise. Or perhaps the courier was just plain awful at social interactions?

(Or perhaps... all three available players were.)

Spoiler

> IDENTIFYING ITEMS | attempt allowance: 1/10.

2. [165013]*
| ID: 187664 | LD: 15 | 
| ID: 187665 | LD: 17 | 

3. [165018]
| ID: 187666 | LD: 1  | 
| ID: 187667 | LD: 3  | 

4. [165021]
| ID: 187668 | LD: 13 | 
| ID: 187669 | LD: 12 | 

5. [165281]
| ID: 187670 | LD: 13 | 
| ID: 187671 | LD: 19 | 

6. [187038]
| ID: 187672 | LD: 2  | 
| ID: 187673 | LD: 5  | 

7. [187039]
| ID: 187674 | LD: 3  | 
| ID: 187675 | LD: 12 | 

8. [187047]
| ID: 187676 | LD: 7  | 
| ID: 187677 | LD: 4  | 

9. [165009]
| ID: 187678 | LD: 16 | 
| ID: 187679 | LD: 20 | 
| ID: 187680 | LD: 8  | 

10. [165026a] | flagged for evaluation.
| ID: 187681 | BD: 10 | CD: 8 | LD: 8 | FREEZE//BURN
| ID: 187682 | LD: 3  | TAUNT//KEEN
| ID: 187683 | LD: 5  | TAUNT//KEEN

using [dragon's breath].
 | 10/3/21 batch [here]. 1/5 used.
 | attempt allowance reset to 0/10.

11. [165026b]
| ID: 187684 | LD: 10 |  
| ID: 187685 | LD: 2  | 
| ID: 187686 | LD: 14 | 

12. [165027a]
| ID: 187687 | LD: 10 |  
| ID: 187688 | LD: 8  | 
| ID: 187689 | LD: 6  | 

13. [165027b] | flagged for evaluation.
| ID: 187690 | LD: 13 | BLEED//PARALYZE
| ID: 187691 | BD: 10 | CD: 9 | LD: 12 | VAMPIRIC(O)//ENVENOM(O)
| ID: 187692 | LD: 19 | DAMAGE//ACCURACY

14. [165027c]
| ID: 187693 | LD: 17 |  
| ID: 187694 | LD: 3  |
| ID: 187695 | LD: 7  | 

15. [165267]**
| ID: 187696 | LD: 12 |  
| ID: 187697 | LD: 3  |
| ID: 187698 | LD: 13 | 

16. [165271a]
| ID: 187699 | LD: 18 |  
| ID: 187700 | LD: 18 |
| ID: 187701 | LD: 19 | 

17. [165271b]
| ID: 187702 | LD: 4  |  
| ID: 187703 | LD: 16 |
| ID: 187704 | LD: 11 | 

18. [165271c]
| ID: 187705 | LD: 4  |  
| ID: 187706 | LD: 16 |
| ID: 187707 | LD: 11 | 

19. [165579a]
| ID: 187708 | LD: 3  |  
| ID: 187709 | LD: 20 |
| ID: 187710 | LD: 12 | 

20. [165579b]
| ID: 187711 | LD: 15 |  
| ID: 187712 | LD: 6  |
| ID: 187713 | LD: 20 | 

* identifying rare, not perfect.
** typo in item id in roller.

> IDENTIFYING ITEMS | TIER 3 2HSS | rare (7), perfect (12)
    | cost: (7 * 2000) + (12 * 3120) = 51,400col

[Alkor 0]

"Yeah, no problem," Alkor assented with a nod as he stepped back to allow Iris to deal with NIGHT. A fellow Guild Member though she was, Alkor and NIGHT still lacked a real sense of camaraderie and still hadn't become used to something as simple as normal conversation yet. Then again, that wasn't unusual for him.

When NIGHT asked about his sword, "sort of," he replied. "It's the same sword I've been using, but I just had her change up some of the Enhancements for practicality's sake," he said, indicating Iris. "She did some pretty cool work, so I used an Item to alter its name and appearance to match."

He knew that referring to her sideways when she was present in the room might feel awkward for Iris, so he tried to do what someone with more social prowess might and include her in the... almost... conversation. 

"This whole system overhaul is... weird."

[NIGHT 0]

For some reason, the player was surprised to hear someone else was here on personal business.

In NIGHT's defense, she had never heard of the shop's opening. She doubted she could even recall the store's name -- not that their merchant needed to know about that detail. And if she'd wanted to pay a salesplayer a visit, her woman of choice would be on the other side of town. Why else would she have needed to know this one, out of all of them?

Looking upon her guildmate's blade now, she remembered how her own hadn't changed despite its ever growing prowess. Was she mistreating her own equipment? Was Alkor his?

"It looks good," the player remarked. She took a step back, thumb under her chin, imagining how it would look resting in a hilt by his side.

"I like it."

From the corner of her eye, it looked like the blonde had wanted to say something partway through her identifications, brows furrowed together. NIGHT gave her a glance -- accidentally piercing, enough to stop an objection yet rising in its wake.

The prompting of unique weapons caught the merchant's gaze instead.

Spoiler

Requesting item rerolls.

Jacket of the Prince (x2)
-- [ Loot Die II | +2 LD. ]
-- [ Evasion I | +1 EVA. ]
-- [ Recovery I | On a CD7+, regain 3 EN. ]
Obtained in an Easter Dungeon, 2020.
1. Item ID: #155427b | Identification rolls:
#155947, #155948, #155949, #155950 | [>>]
2. Item ID: #174122 | Identification rolls: #174343, #174344, #174345, #174346 | [>>]
[T3E4-CA||IDENTIFIED]: A black jacket with a detachable hood, once modified to fit its user's taste. Now, it looks like a tracksuit that might come from a high-end fashion store, or a cosplay website. One large red stripe tears down the side of its sleeves, and two folded collars sit on opposite ends of the front zipper. Large pockets line its insides, and there are two more at its front. Only a small label at the back of the coat clues players into the coat's origins -- however, it seems to be written in Latin.

 

[iris 0]

| 8/4/21

Two items: Vampiric Offense and Freeze.

Iris handed the weapons to her second customer with a small bow and a smile. Finally, the indications on the appraisals window made sense. As the guest examined them, she turned her attention to Alkor. "Weird indeed." Her fingers locked together behind the desk. "The work I performed on your sword was part of it. Not that merchants ever had the ability to jumble enhancements around before, but I'm assuming you knew that."

This early on into the new release, it made sense that everything had to be discovered and learned on one's own. It went doubly so for Iris, disconnected from her old peers. "I'm surprised the procedure went as smoothly as it did." Not to worry the man, but even she had her reservations, however quiet, about the rerolls.

"Ah, and then..."

Two similar jackets dropped onto the glass table. It almost seemed as though an item dupe had occurred out of thin air -- the woman reassured the duo this wasn't the case.

"Since we're on the subject, go ahead and 'reroll' on one of these."

Raven eyes bounced between the pieces provided, arms folded. Iris took the coat on her right and commenced her work.

The guest then turned to Alkor, nodding. "I've heard quests have changed too, since the update. Some have gone missing. [Essence of Steel] is one of them; the snake whose venom I'd been collecting seemed to have... vanished from its local haunt, too."

She groaned, offended. A hand rubbed her face, the woman's expression souring. "As though we hadn't had it rough for the past however many years to begin with..."

Spoiler

NIGHT | > REROLLING 
 | Item of focus: [Jacket of the Prince]-#155427b | EVASION // RECOVERY // LOOT DIE II
 | max rerolls: TIER 3 + 1 = 4

ID: 187777 | LD: 18 | EVA -> LD
ID: 187778 | LD: 14 | LD* -> RECOVERY/REGEN
ID: 187779 | LD: 18 | LD** -> LD
ID: 187780 | LD: 3 | LD -> EVA/MIT

 | final product: [Jacket of the Prince +3]-#155427b | MITIGATION // LOOT DIE // RECOVERY II

NIGHT | > second reroll attempt cancelled.

* error in roll purpose. stated [EVA] instead of [LD].
** same enhancement rolled, reperforming enhancement reroll.

[Alkor 0]

 

He stroked the pommel of his blade with his thumb. In all their brief meetings, Alkor couldn't recall NIGHT giving much praise. In fact, they'd only recently shifted to 'getting along' since that time they saved Koga and that newer Player, Starla, from death. He managed to smile. "Thanks," he said offhand, not entirely sure what else to say. Compliments had always been hard for him. 

Alkor nodded. "Yeah, I didn't think I'd heard of anything like that," he replied to Iris after she finished. "Seems like everything turned out alright with it, honestly. I liked the idea of a sword that inflicts status ailments, so the rolls definitely ended up in my favor. In the future, I'd like something with a bit more raw damage potential, but I think that'll be increasingly more difficult to achieve now that the system is... like it is," he fell silent after those words, contemplative about the rarity of more difficult to find enhancements. The ones he'd seen on Frontliner weapons that made them more vicious, like radiating holy light or becoming suffused with Stygian darkness. Rumor had it that those things made a blade deal massive amounts more damage. Perhaps more exotic than that was an enhancement that made a stroke ignore mitigation. 

"I'd say you did a pretty good job," he told the Appraiser. "I'll keep you in mind when I need more work done." He wasn't sure how he might rectify some of the awkwardness between the group of them, but he tried to at least make Iris feel engaged. 

NIGHT immediately put the girl back to work. Alkor felt for the girl, in her own shop forced to feel like an outsider. Then, his guildmate spoke up about quests that had seemingly vanished with the update. "That right?" he asked. "I can't say I'm surprised. We don't have a full grasp on what's changed, but it makes sense that some of the older quests that don't fall in line with the system update got terminated or lost." He failed to mention how worried he was that the system updated with them still inside. The human mind was fragile, unlike a computer. Wiping memory from RAM or ROM couldn't kill someone or leave lasting damage. Altering human memories was much more of a moral gray area. "But, the Essence of Steel quest was pretty important for people trying to upgrade weapons. There might be some kind of replacement quest, we'll just have to keep up with the Info Brokers to see what turns up."

He glanced to Iris again, preoccupied with her work. 

"Sorry," Alkor said. "I don't mean to exclude you from the conversation. If you have questions about anything, feel free to ask."

[NIGHT 0]

NIGHT didn't find herself saying much in return; if there was anything Iris needed to know, there was an intermediary party between them who was working on gathering all the facts. Any help she could offer would pale in comparison to their associate. And so she directed her attention to watching the alteration made to her jacket in real time. When the results were finalized, she raised a hand to examine its status.

They were optimal.

"Wait," the player instructed, raising her other to halt Iris' movements just as she'd started to reach for the other. "This is... good enough. The other was just a backup."

NIGHT didn't catch the look of suspicion from the appraiser as she retrieved the clothing from the table. Instead, the equipment vanished, changing into a few more select pieces of armor.

"Junksale. When you're done, that'll be it from me."

Spoiler

Junkselling the following items:

• Tier 3 Equipment (x4)
• Tier 1 Equipment (x1)

 

Spoiler

Zokutō Yoroi
-- [ Mitigation I | +27 MIT. ]
-- [ Thorns II | 54 unmitigated damage against attacking enemies when they strike this player on non-critical attacks. ]
Craft ID: #155312
[T3E3-HA||CRAFTED]: A suit of armor made with countless miniature spiraling spikes. It'd be a miracle not to cut yourself without gloves when handling this. Be careful with it.

Sleek Shift
-- [ Mitigation I | +27 MIT. ]
-- [ Heavy Momentum II | +6 DMG on an unsuccessful attack. Buff is removed on a successful attack. ]
Craft ID: #155302
[T3E3-HA||CRAFTED]: Black steel-toed military boots. Did these come out of Hot Topic or something? There's a miraculous weightlessness to these. Zippers always included.

Second Wind
-- [ Mitigation I | +18 MIT. ]
-- [ Light Momentum II | +2 ACC on an unsuccessful attack. Buff is removed on a successful attack. ]
Craft ID: #155313
[T3E3-CA||CRAFTED]: Black leather gloves affixed with a plate of steel. Two dark gems seem to sit on the center two knuckles.

Reinforced Black Tracksuit
-- [ Mitigation I | +54 MIT. ]
-- [ Evasion I | +1 EVA. ]
Craft ID: #164093
[T3E3-LA]: A large oversized tracksuit. It's black in colour, and sports two white stripes running down its sleeves. Large pockets line the insides of this jacket, and there's two more at the front. This one has reinforced leather padding on the front, sewn in place on the inside.

- - -

Steel Ring
-- [ Prosperity II | +2 PROSP. ]
-- [ Accuracy I | +1 ACC. ]
Craft ID: #164149
[T1E3-TRINKET||CRAFTED]: A small, plain steel ring. For some reason, this item has been imbued to invite fortune.

 

[iris 0]

"Sorry, I don't mean to exclude you from the conversation. If you have questions about anything, feel free to ask."

"There's no need," Iris mentioned with a smile and a bow. Though, not for his trying; she'd already become familiar with the quests the other player had mentioned, and the idea about a replacement for [Essence of Steel] was well within the realm of possibility. Perhaps if she were still amongst her group of reserved players, this sort of information wouldn't be concluded upon until a renown broker was ready to disseminate information of the sort. Speculation, testing and reporting were the tools that confident adventurers relied on to get intel solidified. Even the first step alone was enough. "Your presence alone is welcome enough."

Another task from Bistro's lackey. Only a few clicks through a menu, nothing more. The equipment dissipated from view, stardust sparkling from their once-visible forms, and with their disappearance came an allotment of col. Iris traded it away with a brief exchange.

"Well, I'm done here for now," the other woman exhaled, stretching backwards before folding her arms. "Alkor, you headed anywhere after this?"

Spoiler

Returning the following items, since post got approved [here].

To @Alkor:

Witchfang+3 | TIER 4 OHSS | CURSED, BLIGHT, BLEED, PARALYZE
[state]: crafted.
[desc.]: Forged from the fang of a Black Dragon, this blade promises ruin to
those who are struck by it. The blade's edge is fashioned of Obsidian and
invested with a myriad of afflictions.

To NIGHT:

glacier. | [#165026a] | TIER 3 2HSS | FREEZE, KEEN II
[state]: identified.
[desc.]: a sword made of ice that never melts. sharpens on the surfaces of its enemies.

hunger. | [#165027b] | TIER 3 2HSS | PARALYZE, ACCURACY, VAMPIRIC (O)
[state]: identified.
[desc.]: a sword made of bone and teeth. if it wants to feed, let it.

Jacket of the Prince+3 | [#155427b] | TIER 3 CLOTH ARMOR | MITIGATION, LOOT DIE, RECOVERY II
[state]: crafted.
[desc.]: A black jacket with a detachable hood, once modified to fit its user's taste. Now, it looks like a tracksuit that might come from a high-end fashion store, or a cosplay website. One large red stripe tears down the side of its sleeves, and two folded collars sit on opposite ends of the front zipper. Large pockets line its insides, and there are two more at its front. Only a small label at the back of the coat clues players into the coat's origins -- however, it seems to be written in Latin.

[Alkor 0]

Alkor returned the bow respectfully. "You're kind to say so." 

It was true that the world of Aincrad was lonely without others around, but for someone with a shop that intermittently relieved itself. Such was the situation here, more than likely. It was a welcome reprieve from one's own company. He watched the brief exchange between NIGHT and Iris in silence until their trade ended, and the frontliner turned her attention toward him. He raised a hand thoughtfully to his chin and tapped it a few times. "I was going to look into one of the Broker's rumors or grab a quest, honestly," he revealed. "I'm looking for items that'll help me put together armor, weapons, and accessories. It'd be ideal to figure out how the supply chain works now, so I thought to get a head start."

They were Guildmates, but Alkor rarely had much face time with anyone else among them. He was the oddest of the oddballs, especially when it came to isolating himself. He did try to keep the new intel pouring in where he could, since other Guilds were just as hungry for new information and wanted to grab everything they could as fast as possible. Firm Anima had a strangehold on the market before the system overhaul, so they were more than likely fiending to recapture their monopoly.

Now he had a chance to disrupt that and go around the social circles and cliques.

"...what about you?"