[SP-23] The Silence of a Whisper's Rage

[Freyd 0]

Dust swirled in the air, still stirred by the passage of devastation incarnate.  Nothing remained.  Whatever small settlement of mobs had once lain sheltered in this tiny nook, deep in the bowels of the underdark, was now nothing more than an afterthought.  Freyd scoured these tunnels regularly, seeking to keep down the plague of monsters that spawned anew every few weeks.  He recognized the signs and knew at once the source of this particular doom.  Its tells were everywhere.  A combination of oblivious brutality and overwhelming brawn, Ugzeke cut random swaths of destruction though these dark and barren lands with disturbing regularity.  

"I've waited too long since my last visit."  The harshness in his tone was directed at himself, though the eyeless gaze of his own shadow silently waiting for instruction at his side.  Sifting through the rubble, red eyes fell upon an unexpected sight: a small stuffed toy, of the likes he had once seen Fonsa tuck away when she thought that no one had been looking.  These people, whoever they were, had also likely fled from Kalanaes for the same reason.  

"That place of misery grows more dour daily."  Gloved hands tightened around the haft of nothingness made manifest, its blessing's seal humming against the increased pressure of his grasp.  In the distance, the sound of smashing  and clattering rock echoed.  The giant pressed on in the distance, likely never having noticed the tragedies left in its wake.

"Come, Montjoy.  We have a mess to clean up, again."

***

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 124/124 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Consumes:

Spoiler

Crème Brûlée (Snack) | Accuracy 2 [173484]
Smores (Snack) | Evasion 2 [172801-1] + Filled
Liquor of Light (Potion) | Damage 3 [178133-1]
Divinity's Wait (Meal)| T4 Mitigation 3 [190696-1]
Max Level Courage (Meal)| Over-Health 3 [170013]
Berry Crumb Bars (Snack) | LOOT DIE 3 [175204-1]
Mousse (Snack) | PROSPERITY 3 [175576]
Viperion (Salve) | T3 Toxic Venom [178362] 
Troll's Blood -  https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/20877-sp-23-for-whom-the-bell-trolls/?do=findComment&comment=639407

Full Stats:

Spoiler

Freyd,
Level: 31
Paragon Level: 61
HP: 900/900 (+135)
EN: 124/124

Stats:
Damage: 23 (+3)
Mitigation: 78 (+60+25)
Accuracy: 4 (+2)
Evasion: 0 (+3)
Battle Healing: 45 (+6)
Loot Dice: 5 (+3)
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
(TXV 24/2)
PARA IMMUNE
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T4-WH, HOLY 2, FLN 2)
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb (T4 LA, MIT 2, REC 2)
Misc: The Shadowed Rose (T3-Trinket, ACC 3, Para Imm)

Skills:
War Hammer R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R5
Battle Healing R5
Charge
Energist
Extended Weight Limit
Charge
Extended Mod Limit

Active Mods:
Large Pockets
Ferocity
Stamina
Meticulous
Resolve

Inactive Mods:

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Meditation
Shatter

Inactive Extra Skills:
Forgotten King’s Authority
Brawler

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals: 15
Gungnir: T3 Perfect HP Rec [Instant]: 15
Mass HP Rec [Instant] (+30*Tier HP): 5
Antidote 3: 5
Golden Key (+2LD to open chests): 15
Spyglass (44/45): 15
Glowstones: 15
Rhino's Horn: 1

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
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 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 (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Master Angler: +1 CD/LD for fishing.  +2 Fishing EXP per attempt
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
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 Bamboo Tree]: 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.

Scents of the Wild:
Tanos Statue: +25 MIT for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited May 29, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

The brute was exactly where Montjoy had reported, Freyd having sent his dark herald ahead to scout for dangers while he followed its massive and obvious tracks.  

It seems doubtful that he even noticed the destruction he wrought.

"He never does.  Over and over again, the same mindless pattern repeats itself."  A grimace perched itself upon the Whispers lips as he considered options.  He couldn't keep Ugzeke down indefinitely, but he could literally give him a dose of his own medicine.  A small glass vial containing a viscus crimson liquid rolled languidly in his palm.  "Troll's blood is said to be a potent motivator in battle.  I've been hesitant to put it to the test, but directing its power back against its very source tickles my twisted sense of justice."

Montjoy offered neither advice, nor judgement.  The shadow just stared in its own silent manner.  Freyd hadn't waited anyway, and felt a twitching vein against his temple even as the empty container vanished in his hands.

Spoiler

Post Action | Odin's Wrath (CD 0/4) (x18 AoE, 16 EN +2/hit): 18 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 15 EN.  Charge (CD 0/3) (8 EN)
Free Action | Activate Grappling Familiar (CD 0/5)

ID #194715 | BD: 6+6-1+1=11 (Hit, Charge +5, Fallen +16).  DMG (18*47=846-160=686).  Ugzeke stunned.

ID #194715 | MD: 9 (Crit; Special).  Ugzeke stunned.

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 101/124 (124-15-8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 2414/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA -1 (3100-686)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Driven by a burning, liquid rage that washed over him in unanticipated and overwhelming waves, Freyd crashed against the unsuspecting troll's back.  Its face left a large Ugzeke-shaped crater in the rock face where it fell, stumbling back to its knees and looking about the cavern for the attack's origin.  Freyd overshot on his follow-up, smashing clean through a nearby field of phosphorescent mushrooms and sending up a cloud of luminescent spores that lit up the entire area.  Dull as he was, even Ugzeke could hardly fail to notice his assailant limning himself against the dark.  

Reaching to his right, the dullard titan grasped a giant mushroom stalk and ripped it from the ground.  It looked like an immense, glowing rubber mallet, even as it came down on the Whisper's frenzied frame.  Bracing his staff in both hands buffered against the attack, but the fungi fell apart around it and smooshed him like a ton of semi-solid pudding.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 6 (no proc)
Odin's Wrath (CD 1/4)
Charge (CD 1/3)
Grappling Familiar (CD 1/5)

Post Action | Fling (CD 0/3) (x12 EN): 12 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 9 EN.  Missed.  -2 EN
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (0/2) +1 DOTE

ID #194716 | BD: 1 (miss)

ID #194716 | MD: 10 (hit: special)  DMG (225-163=62) (CD: 6 Ugzeke acts normally).  Freyd Smashed (-1 ACC, 0/2)

Freyd | HP: 973/1035 (1035-62) | EN: 103/124 (101+4-2) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 (+1) | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 1 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 2414/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA -1 

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Spitting out the bits that made their way into his mouth, Freyd struggled to sense anything more than lethal focus against his chosen target.  All at once, his fighting instincts were harmoniously honed and uncontrollable.  A pulse of energy burst forth from his staff, pushing away the fragments of Ugzeke's improvised club.  It was like watching a foam-filled water balloon explode from the inside out.  Even as the troll grinned in admiration of the flying mass of gunk, Freyd hurtled upward and spun his staff to catch him solidly under the chin.

Two tons of troll flew suddenly upward and crashed into the cavern ceiling, fifty feet above.  He hung there, for a few preciously bizarre seconds, too stunned to do much of anything.  And then he fell, flailing and flopping about awkwardly as he landed a short distance from the ring of mushroom guts that littered the stony floor.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 11 (+8 EN from REcovery)
Freyd regains 51 HP from BH
Odin's Wrath (CD 2/4)
Charge (CD 2/3)
Grappling Familiar (CD 2/5)
Fling (CD 1/3)
Shades of the Gemini (1/2)

Post Action | Wallbreaker (CD 0/3) (x15 AoE, 14 EN +2/hit): 16 EN - (Stamina) = 14 EN.
Free Action | Shatter (CD 0/2) (5 EN)

ID #194717 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Holy +16, TRLBLD).  DMG (15*44=660*2=1320-145=1175).  TXV applied.

ID #194717 | MD: 6+2-3=5 (miss) (Ugzeke acts normally)

Freyd | HP: 1024/1035 (973+51) | EN: 96/124 (103+4+8-14-5) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 (-1, 1/2) | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 1 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD 

Ugzeke | HP: 1215/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA -1 | Shattered (1/3) | TXV 24 (1/3) (2414-1175-24) 

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Freyd said nothing.  He just glared at the battered troll as he pressed his unrelenting assault.  Blow after furious blow fell upon the mob, who struggled to do anything more than raise an arm to protect its face against the shadows seeking to cripple it.  A twist and snap against bone and jaw sent a fist-sized tooth flying through the air.  Clusters of bumps and bruised soon covered the troll's body, along with nasty-looking welts that shone with glowing orange-tinged cracks where the mob's surface mesh had been shattered by brutally delivered strikes.  

"Why small troll smash Zugziki?!"  The monster swatted ineffectually against the Whisper's form, even as it flittered between shadows.

"Because you need to feel what it is you do to others," came the seething response, from no particular direction. "You need to pay more attention when you walk, troll.  This reminder is provided on behalf of those who were trampled beneath your oblivious steps."

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 10 (+8 En from Recovery)
Freyd regains 51 HP from BH
Odin's Wrath (CD 3/4)
Charge (CD 3/3)
Grappling Familiar (CD 3/5)
Fling (CD 2/3)
Shades of the Gemini (2/2)
Wallbreaker (CD 1/3)
Shatter (CD 1/2)

Post Action | Ripple (CD 0/2) (x14, 12 EN): 12 EN - (Stamina) = 10 EN.
Free Action | None

ID #194718 | BD: 9 (Crit +1, Holy +16).  DMG (14*43=602-145=457).  TXV refreshed.

ID #194718 | MD: 3+1-3=1 (miss)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 (1024+51) | EN: 98/124 (96+4+8-10) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 (-1, 2/2) | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 1 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 758/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA 2 | Shattered (2/3) | TXV 24 (1/3) (1239-457-24) 

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

A broad, low sweep of its heavily muscled arm had hoped to catch something glimpsed from the corner of its eye.  Flensing its own skin against the ragged, broken ground, Ugzeke chased things that flew just beyond the edges of its vision, dancing in the dark.  They taunted and teased.  Worse, they struck painfully.  Most of him ached, his form having suffered grievously at the hands of this mysterious assailant.  Parts of his thickened hide were flaking off completely, exposing the orange lattice mesh beneath.

"What you talk about?  DON'T LIKE WORDS!!!"  What followed looked more like a tantrum than anything else, and was about as effective.

'Fool,' Freyd thought.  His shadows lurked all about, serving their master's purpose.  He darted in and out, striking at random and keeping his foe off balance.  Anger and frustration at the creature's casual destruction boiled behind his eyes.  He knew full well that it was just another mob acting as directed by Cardinal's strings.  It just wasn't part of anything he cared about, at present.  This was about something deeper lingering inside.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 2 (no REC proc)
Odin's Wrath (CD 4/4)
Grappling Familiar (CD 4/5)
Fling (CD 3/3)
Wallbreaker (CD 2/3)
Shatter (CD 2/2)
Ripple (CD 1/2) 

Post Action | Double or Nothing (CD 0/2) (x13 AoE, 11 EN +2/hit): 13 EN - (Stamina) = 11 EN.
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (0/2) +1 DOTE (2/3)

ID #194719 | BD: 7+5-2=10 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG  (13*42=546-145=401)

ID #194719 | MD: 4+1-3=2 (miss)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 91/124 (98+4-11) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 (+1) | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 2 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 333/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA 2 | Shattered (3/3) | TXV 24 (2/3) (758-401- 24)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Freyd strode purposefully, emerging from the shadows like a man on a mission.  Beneath his cowl, barely visible in the dim light of the moss and fungi strewn about the place, red eyes glared with something darker.  His control was still as precise as always, but Freyd felt a thrumming inside his head.  It pulsed like the beat of battle drums urging him onward, carrying an underlying hunger that felt both bottomless and ravenous.  

Was this why Ugzeke acted as it did?  Was it seeking to quench a thirst for mayhem or battle that could never be sated?  Power surged through his hands and into the deadly weapon they wielded.  With a force unlike he had ever felt, Freyd thrust the blunt end of the staff into the troll's chest and watched it compress inward.  The surface shattered and the mob actually gasped, though more likely out of surprise than pain.  Dull, black eyes stared silently back against the red.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 7 (+8 EN from REC)
Grappling Familiar (CD 5/5)
Wallbreaker (CD 3/3)
Ripple (CD 2/2) 
Double or Nothing (CD 1/2)
Shades of the Gemini (CD 1/2)

Post Action | Fling (CD 0/3) (x16, 12 EN): 12 EN - (Stamina) = 10 EN.
Free Action | Shatter (CD 0/2) (5 EN) 

ID #194720 | BD: 5+6-2=9 (hit). DMG (16*26=416-145=271)

ID #194720 | MD: 9 (Crit, special).  DMG (225-163=62).  <<SMASH>> (Freyd -1 ACC for 0/2)

Freyd | HP: 973/1035 (1035-62) | EN: 88/124 (91+4+8-10-5) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 2 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 38/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA 2 | Shattered (1/3) | TXV 24 (3/3) (333-271-24)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

"Now," the creature spoke, "you understand."

Without thinking, Freyd snapped the staff across the side of its head.  His instincts expected him to flinch, but nothing of the kind occurred.  Instead, Samael's Pride let loose its screeching wail as the seal containing its fearsome power peeled back.  What should have been a fulsome impact by a blunt instrument carved through Ugzeke's head like a rod-shaped eraser of reality.  The middle of the mob's face simply ceased to be, collapsing inward on itself before the rest of its giant body followed.

Memories swirled through Freyd's mind.  Flashes of past actions made without conscience or compassion floated to the surface.  Those were the days when the machine mind within him held sway over every action and decision.  Beneath it simmered the rage that had caused him so much grief throughout his youth.  He had learned to face it here, in SAO.  By doing so, he had mastered himself.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 7 (+8 from EN)
Freyd regains 51 HP from BH
Double or Nothing (CD 2/2)
Shades of the Gemini (CD 2/2)
Fling (CD 1/3)
Shatter (CD 1/2)

Post Action | Lift Asunder (CD 0/2) (x11, 9 EN): 9 EN - (Stamina) = 7 EN.
Free Action | None

ID #194721 | BD: 7+5-2=10 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (11*42=462-145=317)

Freyd | HP: 1024/1035 (973+51) | EN: 92/124 (88+4+8-7) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 (-1 ACC for 1/2) | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 2 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 0/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA 2 | Shattered (2/3) (38-317)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

Loot Ugzeke: ID #194722 | LD: 16+8=24 | CD:12

T3 Perfect Consumable [194722]
52080 col (HP[3100]*16 - incl. +4 CD/LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Edited May 30, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Turning away from the last few remnant wisps of the dissipating field boss, something caught his attention in the ruins through which he had just passed.  Shimmering in the darkness was the slim, barely perceptible outline of a building.  It was nearly ghostly in its outline.  A gesture was all Montjoy needed to investigate.

It is an echo.  There were once more structures here, though nothing now remains.  Ugzeke's death appears to have sent ripples throughout this area and triggered its partial manifestation.  Should we enter?

The Whisper approached, closing the distance with set determination and rigor.  The fire in his veins had strung him tight, like a coiled spring nearing its limit.  

"Yes."  A curt reply, brooking no lengthy debate or conversation.  It was declaratory; the choice had been made.  Pressing his gloved hand against the plane of the building's door, he watched with aggressive skepticism and total expectation that an attack was to follow.  There was none, but a room could be seen in the void beyond.  As soon as his boot pressed against the stone, the caverns behind him vanished.  Dungeon.  So be it.

***

Search for Dungeon: ID #194723 | LD: 19+8=27 (Dungeon Found!).  Entering.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
Freyd regains 12 HP from resting
Fling (CD 2/3)
Shatter (CD 2/2)

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

It took a moment for Freyd's eyes to adjust to the ambient lighting.  Everything about this place seemed inversed.  Where there should be darkness, there was a dull whiteness.  Where light should reign, things faded to charcoal black.  This place was an inverse to the normal world, lingering like a memory in the aftermath of Ugzeke's destruction.  Slim figures wavered at the edge of his sight.  The abundance of white in reverse to the underdark's normally dim context made it hard to see more than a few dozen feet.

Holding out a hand to shade his eyes, Freyd realized that his form had also flipped.  All of his clothes were arctic white, blending seamlessly into the bright, reverse dark.  His hand vanished, lost in the 'white shadow.'  The entire space was surreal and disorienting.  As the four slender figures closed, he realized that they were merely shades of the mobs that had once lived in this lost village.

***

Use spyglass (43/45 remaining).  Next field boss can appear on post 18.

Spoiler

EN refreshed
Fling (CD 3/3)

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

As one, the lingering spirits of the memory-village raced towards him.  Murderous intent was clear upon the white of their ashen face, made obvious where normal shadows would have concealed them.  Hatred twisted their features even as their hands warped and elongated into claws.  Fangs sprouted from gaping maws grown too wide for their faces.  Here were creatures that dwelled at the very heart of the uncanny valley, and Freyd followed his gut response.

With a single, wide swing, he swept them up against the far tip of this weapon, anchored there by a pulse of somehow-brilliant black.  Here, even his weapon was reverse: dark encapsulating light.  When the gaggle struck stone, all the mobs were smashed to smithereens, falling to the ground as a shower of black rain.  Before he could react, the moted swirled around his feet and merged to create two larger, whiter figures, both of which roared their displeasure directly into Freyd's face.

Spoiler

CD 7 (+8 EN from REC)

Post Action | Odin's Wrath (CD 0/4) (x18 AoE, 16 EN +2/hit): 24 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 21 EN.  Charge (CD 0/3) (8 EN)
Free Action | None

ID #194724 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Charge +5, Holy +16, TRLBLD).  DMG (18*49=882*2=1764)
ID #194725 | BD: 4+6=10 (hit, Charge +5, TRLBLD).  DMG (18*31=558*2=1116)
ID #194726 | BD: 4+6=10 (hit, Charge +5, TRLBLD).  DMG (18*31=558*2=1116)
ID #194727 | BD: 3+6=9 (hit, Charge +5, TRLBLD).  DMG (18*31=558*2=1116)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 101/124 (124-21-8+8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 3 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Risen Specter #1 | HP: 620/620 | DMG: 186
Risen Specter #2 | HP: 620/620 | DMG: 186
Risen Specter #3 | HP: 620/620 | DMG: 186
Risen Specter #4 | HP: 620/620 | DMG: 186

Loot Risen Specter #1: ID #194728 | LD: 15+8=23 | CD: 10

T3 Perfect Consumable [194728]
2 materials (+2 LD odd)
9114 col (HP[620]*14 - incl. +2 CD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Loot Risen Specter #2: ID #194729 | LD: 4+8=12 | CD: 7

T3 Rare Weapon [194729a]
T3 Uncommon Consumable [194729b]
2 materials (+2 CD odd)
5208 col (HP[620]*8 - incl. +2 LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Loot Risen Specter #3: ID #194730 | LD: 16+8=24 | CD: 1

T3 Perfect Trinket [194730a]
T3 Perfect Weapon [194730b]
2 materials (+2 CD odd)
3906 col (HP[620]*6 - incl. +2 LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Loot Risen Specter #4: ID #194731 | LD: 1+8=9 | CD: 11

T3 Rare Trinket [194731]
4 materials (+4 CD/LD odd)
4557 col (HP[620]*7 - incl. +5% Col Deposit)

Edited June 1, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Gripping the staff in a balanced stance between both hands, Freyd slammed it into both targets simultaneously.  The specter to his left tried blocking with one of its thick limbs, hoping to maintain its own attack in the process.  It missed, with contrailing claws sailing too high to find a mark.  Its partner attempted the same, only to flinch as Freyd's fingers twisted slightly.  The simple action peeled back the weapons ward, unleashing the darkness within.  A sound like a rotary saw blade cut through the air, followed by the sound of breaking glass.  One of the specter's limbs had been severed and fallen to the ground, shattering into a small cloud of sorrowful motes that vanished instantly upon the absent wind. 

Heaving forward, the Whisper threw both of the larger mobs off balance.  He felt a sneer crawling over his lips and a twitch in his jaw.  Hunger and anger mixed inside him, churning together to become something dark and terrifyingly dangerous.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 12 (+8 EN from REC)
Odin's Wrath (CD 1/4)
Charge (CD 1/3)

Post Action | Wallbreaker (CD 0/3) (x15 AoE, 14 EN +2/hit): 18 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 15 EN. 
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (CD 0/2), +1 DOTE (3/3)

ID #194736 | BD: 7+6=13 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (15*42=630-90=540)
ID #194742 | BD: 3+6=9 (hit).  DMG (15*26=390-90=300)

ID #194736 | MD: 1 (miss)
ID #194742 | MD: 4+1-3=2 (miss)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 98/124 (101+4-15+8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 (+1) | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 3 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Greater Specter #1 | HP: 80/620 | DMG: 225 | MIT 90 | ACC 1 (620-540)
Greater Specter #2 | HP: 320/620 | DMG: 225 | MIT 90 | ACC 1 (620-300)

Oops.  Forgot that this was supposed to be wave 2 in the dungeon.  Rolls 194736 and 194742 maintained.  Rolls 194743 and 194744 voided.   Roll targets incorrectly labeled as 'Risen Specters.'

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Rage poured from his lips as he threw himself recklessly against the wounded creature first, unleashing a flurry of brutal strikes meant not only to injure but moreso to maim.  Freyd's mind knew that the mobs would not feel pain.  If anything, they were near immune to it, even compared to the suppressive effect from which the players benefit.  But they were not necessarily immune to fear.  Both creatures fell back, seeking reprieve and finding none.  Freyd was in their faces, trashing their bodies and devastating their capacity to counter, or even resume their own attacks.  They had lost the initiative.  Rather, Freyd had ripped it from them and was beating them silly with the wet end.  The first figure fractured and folded into itself, spilling its motes across the stony floor.  Its partner looked down, returning its gaze to Freyd just in time to see his weapon land between its eyes.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 6 (no proc)
Odin's Wrath (CD 2/4)
Charge (CD 2/3)
Wallbreaker (CD 1/3)
Shades of the Gemini (CD 1/2)

Post Action | Double or Nothing (CD 0/2) (x13 AoE, 11 EN +2/hit): 17 EN - (Stamina) = 15 EN. 
Free Action | None

ID #194745 | BD: 2+6=8 (hit).  DMG (13*26=338-90=248)
ID #194746 | BD: 7+6=13 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (13*42=546-90=456)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 87/124 (98+4-15) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 (+1) | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 3 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Greater Specter #1 | HP: 0/620 | DMG: 225 | MIT 90 | ACC 1 (80-248)
Greater Specter #2 | HP: 0/620 | DMG: 225 | MIT 90 | ACC 1 (320-465)

Loot Greater Specter #1: ID #194747 | LD: 10+8=18 | CD: 6

T3 Rare Consumable [194747a]
T3 Rare Armor/Shield [194747b]
6510 col (HP[620]*10 - incl. +4 CD/LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Loot Greater Specter #2: ID #194748 | LD: 15+8=23 | CD: 9

T3 Perfect Consumable [194748]
4 materials (+4 CD/LD odd)
7812 col (HP[620]*12 - incl. +5% Col Deposit)

Edited June 3, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

The cloud of motes from both fallen specters swirled once more, rising up into the air and merging into a single, gigantic mass.  It swirled, angrily overhead threatening him with figures of malice and vengeance upon an ethereal face.  Finally, it bound itself together once more and touched its twisting whirlwind form upon the ground.  A maelstrom of back and fiery orange death spun before Freyd, angry orange eyes somehow visible upon its spinning surface.  The thing was both menacing and massive, threatening to swallow him whole.

Freyd just sneered back.  Grasping his staff firmly, on high, he stabbed the lower end down hard at the foot of the death cloud before him.  The impact sounded like a missile strike, sending stone shrapnel strewn with black and orange motes in every direction.  Dust choked the air.  When all finally settled, nothing remained of the dangerous mob.  He'd felled it in one blow.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 6 (no proc)
Odin's Wrath (CD 3/4)
Charge (CD 3/3)
Wallbreaker (CD 2/3)
Shades of the Gemini (CD 2/2)
Double or Nothing (CD 1/2)

Post Action | Fling (CD 0/3) (x16, 12 EN): 12 EN - (Rested 1/2, Stamina) = 9 EN. 
Free Action | Grappling Familiar (CD 0/5)

ID #194747 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Holy +16).  DMG (16*44=704*2=1408-150=1258)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 76/124 (87+4-15) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 (+1) | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | DOTE: 3 | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Nether Maelstrom: HP: 0/1200 | DMG: 270 | MIT: 150 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1 (1200-1258)

• Critical (MD 9): Deals (300) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (150) DMG to every other player.
• Critical (MD 10): Deals (330) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (225) DMG to every other player.

Loot Nether Maelstrom: ID #194753 | LD: 6+8=14 | CD: 11

T3 Rare Weapon [194753]
2 materials (+2 CD odd)
12600 col (HP[1200]*10 - incl. +2 LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Edited June 4, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

The inverted world melted around him, negative righting itself once more to the positive.  The dungeon's challenge had been met and overcome.  Everything slowly returned to its normal colour palette and contrast, and the village ruins reappeared.  Freyd's gaze turned to his own clothing and limbs, watching as inky black bled from his torso and oozed down his extremities.  The sight of it triggered so many memories: the recent battle with Shadow the Malevolent, carving through endless waves of dark gemini, and facing his own demons.  Standing across from him, Montjoy, his own shadow, underwent the same process in reverse.  Temporarily a being of light, darkness consumed him once more.  It felt like it was consuming them both and a slight chill traveled down Freyd's spine at the notion.  The troll's blood has drawn out darker impulses and underlying fury that had been left to simmer quietly in the recesses of his mind.  He realized, now, that they could not remain there indefinitely, and certainly without consequence.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
Odin's Wrath (CD 4/4)
Wallbreaker (CD 3/3)
Double or Nothing (CD 2/2)
Fling (CD 1/3)
Grappling Familiar (CD 1/5)

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

"I'm sorry, Montjoy."  Freyd gripped his weapon tightly, struggling against a sudden wave of emotion that swept over him.  

"I haven't been dealing with all of this very well, since we faced down Shadow."  Gazing into his own umbral casting, he recognized the irony but failed to find any humour in it.  Gritting his teeth, Freyd slammed the butt end of his weapon into the rock at his feet.  It fractured under the force, seething with barely contained anger and confusion so uncharacteristic to the man.

You need to go face her, Freyd.

Freyd seemed to compress into himself, as if attempting to withdraw himself from the world.  Truth burned in Montjoy's words, but he was afraid.

You're never afraid, to the point that you're often reckless in action despite your calculating mind.  Why is this so different?

"She fell.  I wasn't there.  I WASN'T THERE, MONTJOY!"  The outburst pulsed down the shaft in his hands, building in strength and unleashing itself as a radiant wave of energy that shook the surrounding geology to its base.  Even the digital world recoiled from that level of anger.

"How do I face her after that?"

Vanity Tag: @Elora

Spoiler

EN refreshed
Fling (CD 2/3)
Grappling Familiar (CD 2/5)

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Montjoy stood like some sort of snooty butler at a high end restaurant, his arms folded in front of him and an invisible imperious glare gazing into Freyd's soul from the nothingness of his body.  

With courage.  With faith.  With love, Freyd.

The voice in his mind was cold, but with softened edges.  Montjoy always knew the truths concealed within his heart.  He laid them bare and forced Freyd to see them plainly for what they were.  He couldn't think his way out of these problems.  Feelings were needed to guide him towards whatever conclusion or consequences lay ahead, and fate would not tolerate denial of its mandate.  Closing his eyes, Freyd nodded to his conscience given form.  He would go to her.  She would decide that fate, and he would abide.  Such was the price of being an emotional rock: you served as anchor and void all at once.

"Like I said: Thank you Montjoy."

You're welcome, dumbass.

Spoiler

Fling (CD 3/3)
Grappling Familiar (CD 3/5)

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Having the manifested reflection of your conscience bitch-slap you back into a reality check is surprisingly effective.  Freyd grinned back, wryly, at the familiar forms' taunt.  He was about to suggest that they should make back to Kalanaes when Montjoy was swallowed up by the sudden appearance of a much larger and disturbingly familiar shadow.   Slowly turning and craning his head, a single red eye peeped out from his cowl to gaze upon the giant, respawning form of the game's most notorious troll.  

Ugzeke was reborn, and once again stood, staring up at the cavern ceiling, as if some great epiphany awaited him in the steady drops of water falling from secret nooks and sources.  Freyd smiled.  The wielded black spun loose from beneath his arm and back into full grasp, ready to return to battle.  The void within was ever hungry for more.

Once more unto the breach, dear friend?

Sure.  Why not.

Spoiler

Grappling Familiar (CD 4/5)

Post Action | Odin's Wrath (CD 0/4) (x18 AoE, 16 EN +2/hit): 18 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 15 EN.  Charge (CD 0/3) (8 EN)
Free Action | Activate Grappling Familiar (CD 0/5)   [Disregard grappling.  Still on CD]

ID #194754 | BD: 4+6-1+1=10 (hit, Charge +5).  DMG (18*31=558-160=398).  

ID #194754 | MD: 8 (CD: 3.  Ugzeke is oblivious)  

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 101/124 (124-15-8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 2702/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA -1 (3100-398)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

Shadows travel against expectations.  So it was with one who fancied himself awakened to their natures.  The Whisper stepped backward, seeming to fall back into Montjoy's form and to be swallowed by it.  An instant later, he reappeared above their target's head, right where the mob's blank stare had been directed.  The black staff swung and flared a brilliantly blinding white.  It was as if the sun itself had fallen free of the sky and plummeted into the underdark, aimed right at the stupid troll's head.

*BOOM*

So great was the force of the impact that it created a gale-force gust of wind that blew through the silent darkness in every direction at once.  Ugzeke blinked, as if struck dumb... no, dumber... by the impact and stunned into recognition by the power of the blow.  His knees collapsed beneath him, even as Freyd rebounded and fell into another patch of dark spawned by the waning of his weapon's light.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 2(no proc)
Grappling Familiar (CD 5/5)
Odin's Wrath (CD 1/4)
Charge (CD 1/3)

Post Action | Fling (CD 0/3) (x16, 12 EN): 12 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 9 EN.  
Free Action | Shatter (CD 0/2) (5 EN)

ID #194755 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Holy +16).  DMG (16*44=704*2=1408-145=1263)  TXV Applied.

ID #194755 | MD: 8 (CD: 2.  Ugzeke is oblivious.)

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 91/124 (101+4-9-5) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 1415/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA -1 | Shatter (1/3) | TXV 24 (1/3) (2702-1263-24)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Freyd

[Freyd 0]

From below, Persi's inky, lethal maw raced upward, flensing the troll's digital flesh as it moved.  The little shadow mongoose was downright vicious when her ire was roused, and she'd already put the troll down once today.  His unwillingness to remain defeated drew her ire and a correspondingly scathing rebuke in the form of whirling teeth, slashing claws, and a paralyzing agony as she made her way up to Ugzeke's tenderer bits.

Freyd, meanwhile, emerged from a flock of frenzied shadows that assailed the field boss unrelentingly.  Each swipe of his staff shattered another section of its brutally beaten flesh and sent showing sparks of blue and orange fractal motes flying in all directions.  The Whispers face focused and callously dispassionate as he sought, once again, to dispatch this familiar foe.  Just like Montjoy and his brethren, he danced in darkness all around his victim, harassing with meticulous precision.  Ugzeke reeled and stumbled.  He howled in anguish and surprise.  What terrible dream was he waking from, he wondered, without reprieve.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD: 7 (+8 EN from REC)
Odin's Wrath (CD 2/4)
Charge (CD 2/3)
Fling (CD 1/3)
Shatter (CD 1/2)

Post Action | Wallbreaker (CD 0/3) (x15 AoE, 14 EN +2 EN/hit): 16 EN - (Stamina) = 14 EN.  
Free Action | Grappling Familiar (CD 0/5)

ID #194756 | BD: 7+6+1=14 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (15*42=630-145=485).  Ugzeke is stunned.

ID #194756 | MD: 7.  STUNNED.

Freyd | HP: 1035/1035 | EN: 89/124 (91+4-14+8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 163 | ACC: 6 | EVA: 3 | BH: 51 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 24/3 | PARA IMMUNE | REC: 8 | TRLBLD

Ugzeke | HP: 906/3100 | MIT: 160 (-15) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA 2 | Shatter (2/3) | TXV 24 (2/3) (1415-485-24)

• <<Oblivious>>: Every turn, unless <<Ugzeke>> rolls CD 5+, he will remain oblivious to the enemy party and refuse to attack. This skill is disabled once <<Ugzeke>> becomes <<In Pain>>.
• <<In Pain>>: Once <<Ugzeke’s>> health reaches 1200, he will become enraged as his skin turns red and he notices the party fully. His ACC is reduced to 1, but his EVA is increased to 2.
• <<Smash>>: On an MD 9-10, his attack will hit the entire party for 225 DMG, lowering everyone’s ACC by 1 for two turns.
• <<The Harder They Fall>>: Upon being hit with a Focus Sword Art, <<Ugzeke>> will falter and his next attack will have -2 ACC. This can only trigger every third turn.
• <<Hard Hitter>>: <<Ugzeke’s>> attacks cannot be parried.

 

Edited June 9, 2021 by Freyd