[SP-23] Mired at the Edge of Self

[Freyd 0]

He wasn't quite sure how it had happened. 

Actually, her wasn't even sure quite where he was either.  

Layered on top of all that, was a distinct and obsessively predominant sensation that he no longer quite knew who or what he was, or wanted to be.

And so it was that Freyd found himself emerging from an unsolicited daydream, staring directly, albeit inverted, directly into Ugzeke's big, ugly mug.  Beady black eyes peered at him.  Each was about four inches in diameter, and pitch as the dead of night.  They were no more appealing or endearing at this close proximity than Freyd had imagined from a safer distance.  A viscous line of drool seemed to be slowly oozing upward towards the ceiling, at least from the Whisper's current perspective.

Looking 'up' he quickly processed that it was actually supposed to be 'down' and that he was dangling uncomfortably from the field boss' grasp, tightly bound around his left leg.

"So... well... this is a bit awkward.  Did you start this round, or did I?"

***

Freyd | HP: 1052/1052 | EN: 126/126 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

***

Mega-Slime Farm activated (last used June 18, 2021)

Freyd Consumes:

Spoiler

Gugnir Shard | ACC 2 | https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/19579-freyds-evaluations/?do=findComment&comment=642553

Liquor of Light (Potion) | Damage 3 [178038]
Smores (Snack) | Evasion 2 [175193]
Divinity's Wait (Meal)| T4 Mitigation 3 [190704-2]
Max Level Courage (Meal)| Over-Health 3 [197165]
Berry Crumb Bars (Snack) | LOOT DIE 3 [175912-2]
Mousse (Snack) | PROSPERITY 3 [176319]
Troll's Blood - https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/20987-ptppf23-checking-out/?do=findComment&comment=642876

***

Full Stats

Spoiler

Freyd, Firm Anima O&I Captain
Level: 31
Paragon Level: 65
HP: 1052/1052
EN: 126/126

Stats:
Damage: 26
Mitigation: 153
Evasion: 3
Accuracy: 8
Battle Healing: 57
Loot Dice: 8
Prosperity: 3
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
PARA IMMUNE
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T4 Hammer | Fln 2 | Holy 2)
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb (T4 LA | Mit 2 | Rec 2)
Misc: The Shadowed Rose (T4 Trinket | ACC 3, Para Imm)

Custom Skill:
Shades of the Gemini

Skills:
Hammer R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Battle Healing R5
Energist
Charge

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Untraceable

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Stamina
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Meditation
Forgotten King’s Authority

Inactive Extra Skills:
Hiding R3
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
T3 Probiotics 3 x2
n/a x
n/a x

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)
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt
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.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
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:

 

[Freyd 0]

A quick snatch and stab saw a flurry of shadows amidst the troll's grip, ending with an abrupt crunching sound as the end of Freyd's staff bopped his captor's already wide and oddly flat, misshapen nose.  Twin black orbs continued to glare, the expansive void behind them and between Ugzeke's ears finally coming around to the conclusion that the thing held was unfriendly.

"Awww, crap.  Not good."

A toothy smile and lungful of foul, tepid breath spewed from the giant's disgusting maw, nearly causing Freyd to wretch at the billowing cloud of stench.  Though, the odiferous prelude did nothing to improve what followed.  Still holding Freyd's elusive form by his ankle, Ugzeke swung in a wide arc and promptly smashed the still-confused player 'upward' into a bank of stalagmites.  Shards of shimmering minerals sprayed all over the cave, from the impact, and sent dark figure reeling into the recesses of the cave as his foot slipped from from his boot.

Spoiler

Post Action | AoE-I (x15 AoE, 11 EN, +2 AoE Shift, +2/hit,): 15 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 12 EN. 
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (CD 1/2, +1 Antidote)

ID #198470 | BD: 4+8+1=13 (hit).  DMG (15*26=390-160=230)

ID #198470 | CD: 5 (acts normally).  MD: 10 (Crit, Smash procs).  DMG (225-153=72)  Freyd suffers -1 debuff to ACC (0/2)

Freyd | HP: 980/1052 (1052-72) | EN: 114/126 (126-12) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 2870/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 (3100-230)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

Twisting in mid-air, likely some gangly, bipedal cat, Freyd snared his hand on a passing linked column where drippings and deposits forge stalagmite and stalactite into a proper pillar.  Thin enough to get his hand around, and smooth enough in surface to enable a spin, the slender spire had never really been meant to handle the load of a full grown male seeking to slingshot himself around it.  The column broke, but not before Freyd had managed most of his intended motion before his improvised gymastic apparatus gave way.

"Give me back my boot, you dimwit!"

Ugzeke, meanwhile, was still trying to process how 'the tiny man's foot had fallen off.'  His reward was a stinging gash and loss of the two digits that had held the waywarf footwear as Samael's Pride's keening screetch disintegrated the digital mesh that had once connected them to the same hand.  A single swift motion slipped his foot back into his boot even as he skidded to a stop on the rocky, uneven floor.  How had he even gotten here?  

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 1 (No REC proc) ID #198471
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
Disguise (CD 2/2)

Post Action | TECH-D (x12, 12 EN, Shatter): 12 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 9 EN.  
Free Action | None

ID #198471 | BD: 7+7+1=15 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (12*42=504-140=384)

ID #198471 | CD: 1 (Oblivious procs).  MD: n/a.  

Freyd | HP: 1037/1052 (980+57) | EN: 103/126 (108+4-9) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 (-1, 1/2) | BH: 57 | DOTE: 1 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 2486/3100 | MIT: 160 (-20, 1/3)  | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | Stun Imm (1/3) (2870-384)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

Farming Ugzeke's had become rather commonplace in the aftermath of Shadow's fall.  Troll's Blood had proven to be an effective consumable, even if not particularly plentiful.  Its telltale effects were already pounding in his ears and thrumming throughout his nervous system, confirming that he must have taken some before commencing this hunt. But Freyd couldn't even recall coming down to the Underdark.  Not that this place was unfamiliar, or that the ambient darkness was a problem.  His darkvision seemed to have finally righted itself, making it easy to see the beats coming.

Speaking of which, he'd faded a little too deep into thought once more, recognition dawning in the form of a giant fist smashing him across the entire front face of his body.  Once more, the Whisper sailed ignobly through the moist air before crashing into some inconveniently placed, and uncomfortably solid, cave wall or cliff face.  The distinction wasn't immediately relevant.  

"Hey!  Uggy!  Time out for a second.  Help me out.  Did you pick this fight, or did I?  I can't remember."  

A spear-like spike of stone clattered onto the rock face into which he'd been partially embedded.

Freyd sighed.

"Yeah.  You've never been much of a conversationalist, have you?  Pity."

Montjoy, standing in the clear and always flaunting his absence of injuries rolled his invisible eyes.  Freyd, at least, was sure that he had.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 12 (+8 En from REC proc) ID #198472
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH

Post Action | TECH-D (x12, 12 EN, Shatter): 12 EN - (Stamina) = 10 EN.  Charge (CD 1/3, 8 EN)
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (CD 1/2, +1 Antidote)

ID #198472 | BD: 4+7+1=13 (hit, Charge +5, Shatter).  DMG (12*31=372-120=252)

ID #198472 | CD: 12 (Acts normally).  MD: 9+2-4=7 (hit).  DMG (300-153=147) 

Freyd | HP: 905/1052 (1037+57-147) | EN: 97/126 (103+4+8-10-8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 8 (-1, 2/2) | BH: 57 | DOTE: 2 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 2204/3100 | MIT: 160 (-40, 2/3)  | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | Stun Imm (2/3) (2486-252)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

You're useless, sometimes, you know that?

Reaching down, Montjoy snared the shadow of Samael's Pride, cast upon the cavern floor by a series of dimly glowing fronts and mushrooms growing out of the rock face above his point of impact.  

Whipping the weapon around, it stretched several dozen feet before snaring itself like an inky black tendril around the troll's thuggishly thick neck.  A flick of the shadow's wrist pulled his prey forward and off balance, sending him crashing to the cave floor and gasping for breath.  Ugzeke's thick, sausage-like fingers failed to find purchase at the thing choking him, passing through the 

"What the... have you been holding out on me?  Since when can you pull that kind of stunt?!"

I can't, you idiot.  You're dreaming, or hallucinating, or doing whatever this god-forsaken system might actually allow you to do and still somehow earn EXP for it.

Freyd's eyes narrowed incredulously, red centres winked down to mere slivers.  Montjoy had always been irritatingly direct, and annoyingly correct, but never quite so fourth-wall-breaky before.

"What the heck is going on," he grumbled menacingly.  The Whisper didn't like this one bit, and now his own subconscious was messing with him... well, more than usual.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 12 (+8 En from REC proc) ID #198473
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
Shades of the Gemini (CD 2/2)
Charge (CD 2/3)

Post Action | ST-B (x20, 20 EN): 20 EN - (Stamina) = 18 EN.   (Previous SA: ID #198472 CD 12)
Free Action | None

ID #198473 | BD: 5+7+1=13 (hit).  DMG (20*26=520-120=400)

ID #198473 | CD: 12 (Acts normally).  MD: 6+2-3=5 (miss)

Freyd | HP: 962/1052 (905+57) | EN: 91/126 (97+4+8-18) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 2 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 1804/3100 | MIT: 160 (-40, 3/3)  | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | Stun Imm (3/3) (2204-400)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

Think of this as Calming The Soul, version 2.0.

Freyd dusted himself off as he rose from the broken crater of his own point of impact.  Ugzeke had paused again, captivated by a long trail of thick, slimy snot still tethering his nose to the point where his face had impacted the ground. A low, slow, endearingly stupid chuckle resounding off the cavern walls as he shared his amusement with the world, somehow immune to the realization that Freyd was actually trying to kill him.

"Seriously?  This?  Couldn't we have done it in Cancun, or some other less-gloomy place?"

You're not exactly Mr.Sunshine.  You know this, right?

A dismissive shrug was Freyd's only reply.  He didn't know who he was anymore, which likely had more to do with whatever this was than anything else.

A random, violent swing to the side of the troll's head fractured the thing's skin, spreading a spider-web of cracks in all directions from the point of impact.  Freyd stared at it with complete disinterest, like he'd just swung at a T-ball on its pedestal in the batting cages of his youth.  He's hated baseball, and still did.  It was utterly boring, constantly waiting for something to happen.  His father had loved the game, for some inexplicable reason, and always dragged him along like some sort of serial father-son bonding adventure that was doomed to failure.

Why did you do that?

"Dunno."  He looked down at the weapon in his hands, its power dimmed and dulled, like it was nothing more than a hollow metal bar for hitting balls.  "I just felt like it."

Because you were angry?

"No."

Because he's your enemy?

Another shrug.

You might want to figure that one out.

It wasn't, at all, like Freyd just to act without purpose.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 1 (No REC proc) ID #198500
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
Charge (CD 3/3)

Post Action | ST-B (x20, 20 EN): 20 EN - (Stamina) = 18 EN.  (Previous SA: ID #198473 CD 12)
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (CD 1/2, +1 DOTE)

ID #198500 | BD: 4+7+1=12 (hit).  DMG (20*26=520-160=360)

ID #198500 | CD: 1 (Oblivious procs).  MD: n/a

Freyd | HP: 1019/1052 (962+57) | EN: 77/126 (91+4-18) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 1444/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 (1804-360)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

A half-hearted swat bopped Ugzeke on the noggin.  The troll's eyes crossed, as if he'd expected the middle of his face to cave in, when nothing happened at all.  Freyd seemed equally disinterested.  His heart just wasn't in it, and his mind felt distracted.  How had he even come to this place?  What was the last thing he'd been doing.  Was this another of Cardinal's rapscallion pranks?  It didn't seem like one.  The entire scene was too familiar and his reactions too random.  The system preferred greater predictability.

"You lack focus today."

Freyd blinked.  Turning back towards his opponent, stunned by the calm baritone voice that had just escaped from his mouth.

"Normally, you'd have me down by now, or at least much closer.  What troubles you, player?"

Freyd just stared, dumbstruck to hear the sound of proper grammar escape the gargantuan moron's lips.

"Ummm..."  Blinking a few more times helped restart his brain, though the link to his mouth and vocal chords was still tenuous.  "I don't know?"

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 3 (No REC proc) ID #198501
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
Shades of the Gemini (CD 2/2)

Post Action | TECH-D (x12, 12 EN, Shatter): 12 EN - (Stamina) = 10 EN.  Charge (CD 1/3, 8 EN); Missed (-10 EN instead)
Free Action | None

ID #198501 | BD: 1 (miss)

ID #198501 | CD: 3 (Oblivious procs).  MD: n/a

Freyd | HP: 1052/1052 (1019+57) | EN: 71/126 (77+4-10) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 1444/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

"Now, now, Freyd," Ugzeke spoke, softly, "you know yourself better than that.  You're struggling with something, and it's eaten away at you enough to lead you here."

"Where is 'here', exactly?"  Surprise was replaced with wary probing.

"Nowhere, actually.  Likely, it mirrors your lack of progress with you dilemma."

"What?!"  Dropping his guard for a moment, incredulous that this numbskull dared to presume to lecture him about his own psychological state, he recognized the foolishness too late to block the giant foot that hoofed him three dozen yards away and into another rocky column.  This one, thicker and more solid than its kin, resisted the impact and dumped him into a sprawling roll as he tumbled back to the cavern floor.

"Never leave your guard down, Takeshi.  I've told you this a thousand times!  When will you listen?"  It was a familiar voice, instantly connected with the drone of endless, tiresome lectures about his lack of attention to the proper details, criticizing every fiber of his being for being outside the nominal range, whatever that was supposed to mean.  He was wrong just for being.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 10 (+8 EN from REC proc) ID #198502
Charge (CD 2/3)

Post Action | TECH-D (x12, 12 EN, Shatter): 12 EN - (Stamina) = 10 EN.  
Free Action | None

ID #198502 | BD: 4+8+1=13 (hit). DMG (12*26=312-140=172)

ID #198502 | CD: 10 (Oblivious procs).  MD: 10 (Smash Procs).  DMG (225-153=72)

Freyd | HP: 980/1052 (1052-72) | EN: 73/126 (71+4+8-10) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 (-1, 0/2) | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 1272/3100 | MIT: 160 (-20, 1/3) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 (1440-172)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

"No, no, NO!!!"  Slamming his staff into the ground whirled him with enough force that Freyd instantly regained his footing.  Rushing his foe with blind rage, he found Ugzeke doing the same.  Steam rose from the troll's back as his mottled greenish-brown skin darkened to that shade of red just beyond maroon, when things are considered to be so angry that they're never coming back to sanity.  

Colliding with each other, Freyd speared his foe with the blunt end of his staff, releasing its seal and unleashing the void within.  What should have been a breath-denying gut shot ate right through Ugzeke's gut, instead, leaving a gaping hole in his abdomen.  The grievous injury didn't stop the troll's own overcommitted assault, smashing Freyd in return.  It sent him reeling, head over heels, and rolling over the broken terrain.  Slowly lifting himself back to his feet, the Whisper's own anger surged.

"I already told you to stay the hell out of my life.  What are you doing here, dad?"

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 12 (+8 EN from REC proc) ID #198509
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
Charge (CD 3/3)

Post Action | ST-B (x20, 20 EN): 20 EN - (Stamina) = 18 EN.  (Previous SA: ID #198502 CD 10)
Free Action | None

ID #198509 | BD: 7+7+1=15 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (20*42=840-140=700).  In Pain procs.

ID #198509 | MD: 8+1-3=6 (hit).  DMG (300-153=147)

Freyd | HP: 890/1052 (980+57-147) | EN: 67/126 (73+4+8-18) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 (-1, 1/2) | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 572/3100 | MIT: 160 (-20, 2/3) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 (1272-700)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

Pulling the staff from his victim, Freyd spun to unleash a furious battery of strikes that whittled down the troll's already failing health.  Ugzeke's crimson rage was always a tell that his end was near.  One or three good blows would usually do him in.  The mere notion that the mob had spoken in his father's voice was even more reason to want to pummel the beast into the ground.  Freyd hated his father.  The man's grating, pedantic prattle and obsessive need to try and craft his son in his own image, by force, had created a monster.   Or, at least, such was what Freyd thought of himself.  Already innately detached, by nature, the added pressure had only compelled him to further isolate.  

A sneer curled the edge of his lips as he pictured his father's face overlaid onto Ugzeke's.  It was easy to picture that grotesquely exaggerated features twisting and morphing to match.  Nothing would grant him greater pleasure than forcibly wiping the smug look from the creature's face.  

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
CD 12 (+8 EN from REC proc) ID #198510

Post Action | ST-B (x20, 20 EN): 20 EN - (Stamina) = 18 EN.  (Previous SA: ID #198509 CD 12).  Charge (CD 1/3, 8 EN)
Free Action | None

ID #198510 | BD: 5+7-2-1=9 (hit, Charge +5).  DMG (20*31=620-140=480)

ID #198510 | MD: 2+1-3=0 (miss)

Freyd | HP: 947/1052 (890+57) | EN: 61/126 (67+4+8-18) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 (-1, 2/2) | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 92/3100 | MIT: 160 (-20, 3/3) | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 (572-480)

Abilities:

• 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.

 

[Freyd 0]

"I parted ways with you years ago, you creepy old bastard."

If the troll meant to offer protest, it was never given the chance.  With a brutal upward swing, Freyd hefted the mob clear off the ground and into the cavern ceiling with such force that it impaled itself upon the endless, tooth-like rows of stalagmites.  Ugzeke blinked, twice, struggling to process what had just occurred, then burst into a cloud of fractal shards that rained down below, along with a cloud of shrapnel from the broken ceiling.  A quick dive and tumble cleared sufficient distance for Freyd to reach safety, even as he still struggled to make sense of the scene.

Entering his periphery, Montjoy surveyed the battlefield with a less stressful bearing than his master.  Casual nonchalance oozed from his inky form.  

"What is happening?  None of this makes any sense."  

Dreams rarely do, if that's what this is.  But it seems like more than that, doesn't it?  You've been struggling with something, and pushed it down deep because of inconvenient timing.  Some matters choose to find their own voice, if otherwise ignored.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH
CD 12 (+8 EN from REC proc) ID #198511
Charge (CD 2/3)

Post Action | TECH-E (x12, 14 EN, Restorative Strike): 14 EN - (Stamina) = 12 EN.  
Free Action | None

ID #198511 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Holy +16, Troll's Blood).  DMG (12*44=528*2=1056-160=896).  Freyd regains 89 HP from Restorative Strike.

Freyd | HP: 1052/1052 (947+57+89) | EN: 61/126 (61+4+8-12) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Ugzeke | HP: 0/3100 | MIT: 160 | DMG: 300 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 2 (92-896)

Abilities:

• 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 #1: ID #198512 | LD: 16+8=24 | CD: 5

1x Troll's Blood
T4 Perfect Armor/Shield [198512a]
T4 Perfect Weapon [198512b]
T4 Perfect Weapon [198512c]
2 materials (+2 CD odd)
26040 col (HP[3100]*8 - incl. +2 LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

[Freyd 0]

"Speak plainly!"

I am.  You're just not used to hearing this part of yourself.  For too long, you've buried it beneath layers of obligation and priorities.  Now, it will make you hear it.

"Montjoy!"  Freyd was clearly exasperated and growing angry at the cryptic messaging.

You can't understand me because you can't understand the problem.  You can't explain it to yourself.  Therefore, I cannot explain it to you.  This is your subconscious, Takeshi.  It won't play by your rules, but speaks its lessons in its own language.  Your task is to decipher it.  Epiphanies don't just unravel themselves.

Palming his forehead with his free hand, a furrowed brow sough to stave off a full-fledge migraine.  Riddles of this type were always irksome to him.  

It's not a logic problem, Takeshi.  You need to use other tools to resolve this conflict.  Your lack of familiarity with those tools is the very nature of this problem, and why you struggle with it so strongly.

***

Rest 1/2

[Freyd 0]

Watching his own doppleganger, hearing him speaking directly into his mind, the thought occurred to him that he might finally have gone mad.  It wasn't unheard of, and more than a few players had turned suicidal or homicidal, or even both, since Kayaba's pronouncement of their doom.  For all of Cardinal's purported protections, could they truly rely upon their torturer's claims that the very tool of their imprisonment would also protect them?

Raising his hand, which was always glaringly wrong when a shadow moved independently from its casting source, Montjoy pointed at the impact crater made when Ugzeke had first tossed Freyd into the cave wall.  The crumpled surface had further collapsed and revealed a dimly lit passage beyond; a dungeon.  

"That's just a tad too convenient.  You know that, right?"  Sarcasm dripped from the Whisper's tongue, even as he admitted that loosing his venom against his own shadow wasn't likely to have much effect.

***

Search for Dungeon
ID#198513 | LD: 17+10 (incl. +2 for Reveal) = 27 (Dungeon Found!)

EN Fully Refreshed

[Freyd 0]

"I'm not going to have to carve open Darth Vader's mask to see myself inside, am I?  I swear, if Kayaba tries to tell me he's my dad, I'm gonna run him through - twice."

Montjoy just pointed at the opening, immune to Freyd's rambling taunts and attempts at distraction.  He saw right through them.  Ultimately, there was a point beyond which  no one could lie to themselves, and he'd crossed it long ago.  This entire delusion, if that's what it truly was, might well be self-inflicted.  It struck him as his mind's way of forcing him to face the undesirable quandary that had plagued him since before the raid.  

Muttering as he went, Freyd entered the dank cave, allowing himself a moment for his vision to re-adjust.  The smooth rock surfaces produced the ambient sheen that provided the glow he'd seen from outside.  Reminiscent of the lit walls of his post-modernist home, Freyd felt oddly comforted and creeped out at the same time.  Dungeons weren't supposed to be comfortable.  He was meant to be on edge.  

A multitude of pale shadows cast themselves upon the wall, hazy and poorly defined in the diffuse lighting that suffused the winding tunnel.  Mineral deposits, caked like muck upon the floor and walls gave the place an alien atmosphere, like the entire network of passageways was melting imperceptibly slowly.  Where a single Montjoy had accompanied him into the space, now there were dozens, cast as elongated copies of himself that loomed overhead from predominantly low sources of light.

"You're wasting your time!  Focus, Takeshi!  No, you're doing it wrong, again."  

The scorn of his father's unachievable expectations grated.

"What's the matter, four-eyes?  You too afraid to stand up for yourself?"

Kyle.  The moron.  Tolerances reached.  A limit broken.  Rage ensues.

"Your actions will be judged, and found wanting.  There is no adequate response.  Please, keep trying anyway.  More data is required."

Purpose enforced.  Humanity suppressed.  The machine speaks to its reflections in himself.  He recoils from both.

"Takeshi."  His own voice speaks to him, aloud.  "You're not supposed to be here.  You're not supposed to be, at all."

Freyd strikes them all down without hesitation or remorse.  Only the father, left crumpled at his feet, survives the initial onslaught.

"I've dealt with all of you before.  Nothing has changed."

"Should it?"  The image of his father stares defiantly into its son's.  Freyd sees himself in them.

Damn.

Spoiler

Post Action | AoE-I (x15 AoE, 11 EN, +2 AoE Shift, +2/hit,): 21 EN - (Rested 1/2; Stamina) = 18 EN. 
Free Action | None

ID #198515 | BD: 3+8-1=10 (hit).  DMG (15*26=390-60=330)
ID #198516 | BD: 9 (Crit +1, Holy +16, Troll's Blood).  DMG (15*43=645*2=1290-60=1290)
ID #198517 | BD: 7+8-1=14 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (15*42=630-60=570)
ID #198518 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Holy +16, Troll's Blood).  DMG (15*44=660*2=1320-60=1260)

ID #198515 | MD: 8+1-3=6 (hit).  DMG (180-153=27)

Freyd | HP: 1025/1052 (1052-27) | EN: 106/126 (126-18) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

1st Demon (Father - The Fear of Failure) | HP: 70/400 | DMG: 180 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 (400-330)
2nd Demon (Bully - Unbridled Rage Within) | HP: 0/400 | DMG: 180 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 (400-1290)
3rd Demon (Cardinal - The False Embodiment) | HP: 0/400 | DMG: 180 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 (400-570
4th Demon (Himself - Broken Truth Revealed) |  HP: 0/400 | DMG: 180 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 (400-1320)

Loot 2nd Demon (Bully - Unbridled Rage Within): ID #198519 | LD: 6+8=14 | CD: 10

T4 Rare Armor/Shield [198519]
5040 col (HP[400]*12 - incl. +4 CD/LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Loot 3rd Demon (Cardinal - The False Embodiment): ID #198520 | LD: 13+8=21 | CD: 12

T4 Perfect Trinket [198520]
2 materials (+2 LD odd)
5460 col (HP[400]*13 - incl. +2 CD even, +5% Col Deposit)

Loot 4th Demon (Himself - Broken Truth Revealed): ID #198521 | LD: 20+8=28 | CD: 7

T4 Perfect Weapon [198521a]
T4 Perfect Weapon [198521b]
T4 Perfect Weapon [198521c]
2 materials (+2 CD odd)
6,300 col (HP[400]*15 - incl. +2 LD even, +5% Col Deposit)

[Freyd 0]

Picking himself up off the floor, the shade wiped the corner of his mouth on his translucent sleeve, as if dismissing a trace of blood not in actual evidence.  

"You always were a violent child, Takeshi - impulsive, unpredictable and rash.  Even now, you rush to conflict as some sort of solution."  Shorter than his son, the man's smaller, slighter build only reinforced his words.  "Is this all you can manage?  Anguish between some teenaged infatuation, as compared to the stolid mindlessness of a drone?"

More figures emerged from the shadows, the first a hulking titan in gaudy, ceremonial armor, his face obscured beneath sheets of folded steel riveted into shape.  Freyd would recognize Marvin anywhere, his stoic confidant had heard his plight and stalwartly held his tongue against outpourings of criticism or judgement.  Not that he could, given his status as an NPC and gate guard for the Town of Beginnings.  That was what made him so special.  Freyd also found him strangely endearing, and chose to disgorge those many troublesome thoughts upon this immovable object.  He could bear any load without fear of reprisal.  He was Freyd's first Montjoy, in a way.  Marv didn't so much step from the shadows as they receded around him.  The mob never moved or acted in any way other than the occasional yawn.  

'Such a great listener,' Freyd admitted to himself, alone.

The other forms were more complex, and stood at the centre of his current dilemma.  There were two: a copy of his true self as he appeared before imprisonment in this cursed madhouse of a world, and a woman.  She was hazy.  Too hazy to make out any actual details or distinctions, though her nervous, lilting laughter swapped doubt for certainty.  Only Elora laughed like that.  It only followed that her true appearance was a blur.  He only knew her elfin avatar.  They looked happy and relaxed, enamored with each other's company.  Freyd's cheek twitched at the sight, unsure of whether to be happy or envious at the sight.

"Are these supposed to be my ghosts of Christmas future, or something?"  The taunt came out more like a bark.  'Father' had gotten under his skin, but he'd always been good at that.

"ENOUGH OF THESE GAMES!"

A single wide swipe meant to wipe them all away, and clear his troubles off the field.  Back into the banks of repressed emotion they must go, lest he actually have to confront and make a choice.  His father's form shattered instantly, one last defiant snort deriding Freyd for yet another failure.  Something inside forced his eyes shut as the staff whirled through to strike the happy couple.  He couldn't watch it happen.  

Fate intervened, interposing the immovable object.  Marvin took the blow instead.  It was like the mob could only act when no one was looking, and he had.  Shards of a broken shield scattered across the glowing cave floor, along with the lower half of the guardian's arm.  Somehow, he had taken the blow.  The other figures laughed, obliviously, behind him.

"Just let it go, Marv," Freyd pleaded, quietly, his eyes having opened when his weapon's motion halted.  "This isn't who I am.  It's who she needs, but I can never be."

Tears welled in the Whispers eyes.  Before him was the only thing in the world that he had ever wanted for himself, yet he feared that choosing this path would be akin to casting her loose into Shadow's flood.  Only the machine-monster could get her to safety.  Such was the lie he had fed himself to remain detached. 

Or, am I just too cowardly to face the risk of loss?

Facing the truth, at last, are we?  Took you long enough.

Vanity Tag: @Elora

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 1 (No REC proc) ID #198522
Freyd regains 57 HP from BH

Post Action | AoE-II (x18 AoE, 14 EN, +2 AoE Shift, +2/hit,): 20 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 17 EN.  Charge (CD 1/3, 8 EN)
Free Action | Shades of the Gemini (CD 1/2)

ID #198522 | BD: 10 (Crit +2, Charge +5, Holy +16, Troll's Blood).  DMG (18*49=882*2=1764-60=1704)
ID #198523 | BD: 1 (miss)
ID #198524 | BD: 5+8-2=11 (hit, Charge +5).  DMG (18*31=558-120=438)

ID #198523 | MD: 3+2-4=1 (miss)
ID #198524 | MD: 6+2-4=4 (miss)

Freyd | HP: 1052/1052 (1025+57) | EN: 85/126 (106+4-17-8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 (+1) | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

1st Demon (Father - The Fear of Failure) | HP: 0/400 | DMG: 180 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1 (70-1764)
Freylora | HP: 700/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2
Marvin | HP: 262/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 (700-438)

Loot 1st Demon (Father - The Fear of Failure) : ID #198525 | LD: 19+8=27 | CD: 6

T4 Perfect Weapon [198525a]
T4 Perfect Weapon [198525b]
T4 Perfect Weapon [198525c]
2 materials (+2 LD odd)
6300 col (HP[400]*15 - incl. +2 CD even, +5% Col Deposit)

[Freyd 0]

"GO AWAY!"

A second blow fell with less effort, but accompanied by that all-familiar screech.  Absence of force made no difference to the void.  It simply un-made whatever it touched, including those things most precious to him.  Fake Marvin didn't falter.  He simply fell apart, sundered into empty component pieces of armor that collapsed as Freyd swung through.

"Hey!  What the hell are you doing to my friend?"  Fake Takeshi had taken notice.  Pulling his hand away from his partner spawned a beam of light between them.  It promptly whirled and twirled and smashed into Freyd's elbow with a jarring strike.

"Do I have to kill myself too?  Is that your point, Montjoy?  That I'm doomed to kill myself, or anything that was and ever could be me?!  I'VE ALREADY ACCEPTED THAT!"

Trading blows, some parried and others dodged, Freyd danced in battle against himself.  He knew full well that this was Montjoy's point, and he was catering to it.  

You just need to stop fighting yourself and accept that there are possibilities beyond what you know.  

Freyd wanted to give in to the rage, letting loose the undercurrent of blinding red chaos that had churned within him in his youth.  Instead, he found only pangs of childish guilt and insecurity.

How do I do that, Montjoy?  How can I possibly just blindly trust?

This is what faith is, Takeshi.  It's what your grandfather tried so hard to teach you all those many times he took you fishing with him.  It was never about bait or pole or technique, but only raw belief that a fish would eventually find your hook.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 1 (No REC proc) ID #198563
Charge (CD 2/3)
Shades of the Gemini (CD 2/2)

Post Action | AoE-I (x15 AoE, 11 EN, +2 AoE Shift, +2/hit,): 17 EN - (Stamina) = 15 EN. 
Free Action | None

ID #198563 | BD: 6+8-2=12 (hit, Fallen +16).  DMG (15*42=630-120=510)
ID #198564 | BD: 2+8-2=8 (hit).  DMG (15*26=390-120=270)

ID #198563 | MD: 7+2-3=6 (hit).  DMG (280-153=127)

Freyd | HP: 925/1052 (1052-127) | EN: 74/126 (85+4-15) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Freylora | HP: 190/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 (700-510)
Marvin | HP: 0/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 (262-270)

Loot Marvin: ID #198565 | LD: 5+8=13 | CD: 4 

T4 Rare Trinket [198565]
2 materials (+2 LD odd)
5880 col (HP[700]*8 - incl. +2 CD even, +5% Col Deposit)

[Freyd 0]

Recollection was power enough, in this place, to spawn the image to which his father had directed his son's attentions.  The old man appeared, seated upon a stone that grew from the cave floor to support him.  A raspy cough as his cardigan-clad torso compressed painfully upon itself.  His back heaved, turned away as he was.  It was a sight Takeshi had seen countless times before the end.

"Keep away from him, you twisted monstrous thing!"  Fake Freyd interposed himself, his blade beaming brightly as it rose to guard its two companions.  "He never did anything except try to help you, and you repaid him by fleeing back to Japan.  HE DIED ALONE!"

Freyd's grip tightened even as pangs of guilt tore through his chest.  

Since when do I care about such things?!

Maybe it's long overdue that you should.

"Get out of my way, false hypocrite.  I know who he was, and what I did to him."  A vicious swing knocked Fake Freyd's defensive posture off balance and created the opening he required.  An instant later, Freyd passed through the second copy of himself in the same day.  He expected the hazy image to vanish, but she lingered, watching.  Maybe she was hoping for something that could not be.

Spoiler

Freyd regains +4 EN
CD 5 (No REC proc) ID #198581
Freyd regains +57 HP from BH
Charge (CD 3/3)

Post Action | TECH-E (x12, 14 EN, Restorative Strike): 14 EN - (Stamina) = 12 EN.   
Free Action | None

ID #198581 | BD: 5+8-2=11 (hit).  DMG (12*26=312-120=192).  Freyd regains 19 HP.

Freyd | HP: 1001/1052 (925+57+19) | EN: 66/126 (74+4-12) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Freylora | HP: 0/700 | DMG: 280 | MIT: 120 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 2 (190-192)

Loot Freylora ID #198582 | LD: 3+8=11 | CD: 8

T4 Rare Weapon [198582]
2 materials (+2 LD odd)
5880 col (HP[700]*8 - incl. +2 CD even, +5% Col Deposit)

[Freyd 0]

"Come, Takeshi.  Sit with me a while."  The hunched figure held a rod in its right hand, worn, paper-thin skin pulled taught over a withered frame of bone and veins.  His other hand patted the stone at his side - the same that he'd always reserved for their quiet chats.  If the mob was aware of Freyd's defeat of himself, he failed to show it.  

"I doubt if my bite could do much harm, even if I managed it.  These dentures are also just too troublesome for the effort."  Another raspy chuckle wracked his frail form.  

"You are not my grandfather."  

He'd wanted to spit those words directly into Cardinal's eye for forcing this encounter.  The level of access to his past and psyche that it implied was both deep and disturbing.  An equal part of him wanted to end the mob immediately, ending both of their miseries.

"No.  I suppose I'm not.  But you're not exactly your grandfather's grandson either, are you?  I think that makes us even."  

***

Rest 1/2
Freyd activates Tracking, reducing respawn cooldown on Ugzeke.  Field boss can now respawn on post #21.

[Freyd 0]

"What is it you want, figment?  What round of torture do you think you can inflict?  Am I to endure this time?"  A sneer remained cloaked behind the words, but even Freyd carried too much respect for the man's legacy to show his phantom such disrespect.  Here was the only man who had ever tried to reach out and understand him. 

How alike had they actually been?  What wisdom had the old fart garnered that granted him the patience of saints to reach out to such a troubled child.  He had never raised his voice, never judged or prodded.  He always managed to find just the right tone of voice, and say just the bare minimum required to coax his grandson to speak where silence met all others who attempted the same.  Some ethereal bond of kinship had always bound them, beyond blood.

Turning, the old man's sunken grey-blue eyes mirrored those he had seen in Simmone's mirror.  Heavily wrinkled angular eyes turned downward at the edges, partially concealed by a pair of bushy white brows that served as their own manner of cowl.

"Kiddo, I just want you to sit."

Vanity Tag: @Simmone

***

Rest 2/2.  EN fully refreshed.
Freyd regains +40 HP from passive healing (at cap).

[Freyd 0]

"I won't play any more of these games.  Begone, old man."

Confusion fell over his elder's face, blending his expression with just the right note of false yet mirthful sorrow.  

"Games?  You know very well that this is no mere game."  The old man gave a hint of crazed laughter.  "The eternal challenge between man and fish is an epic contest of wills, the likes of which can shatter the heavens and lay low those foolish enough to make mockery of its proud and ancient traditions!"  Splayed, spindly fingers waved around like kite strings dancing erratically in the wind at the man's exaggerated response.  'Too damned kooky', his father had always said, dismissing the older man's antics.  They made young Takeshi laugh - one of the few things that could.

"Besides," he added, the smile having returned to his visage, "I thought the whole point was for you NOT to sound like your old man."

Touché.

Shut up, Montjoy.

Spoiler

Post Action | TECH-A (x12, 13 EN, Stun): 13 EN - (Rested 1/2, Stamina) = 10 EN.   Charge (CD 1/3, 8 EN)
Free Action | None

ID #198583 | BD: 2+8-1-3=6 (hit, Charge +5).  DMG (12*31=372-160=212).  Grandad is stunned.

ID #198583 | MD: n/a.  STUNNED.

Freyd | HP: 1052/1052 | EN: 108/126 (126-10-8) | DMG: 26 | MIT: 153 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 8 | BH: 57 | DOTE: 3 | LD: 8 | PROS: 3 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | PARA IMMUNE | TROLL BLD | REC: 8

Grandad | HP: 1788/2000 | DMG: 360 | MIT: 160 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | STUN IMM (1/3) (2000-212)

• Critical (MD 9): Deals (400) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (240) DMG to every other player.
• Critical (MD 10): Deals (440) DMG to the target with the highest hate. Also deals (340) DMG to every other player.