[PP-F??] Garden Frenzy <<Nature's Treasure>>

[Vigilon 0]

So, it turned out that the Alpha was smarter than expected.

It tried to Disarm Krysta, and after getting hit by Astralin, it was now trying to disarm Dazia. No one managed to finish off the Alpha, and if Vigilon didn't do something soon, the Alpha would hurt someone and the players would need to recover more than just energy. Vigilon sighed, took a deep breath, and readied his sword art. He attacked swiftly, before the Alpha Mossy Wolf had a chance to react, and he finished the battle there.

Vigilon looked around after the last wolf shattered. "Are there any more wolves out there, itching for a fight?" He called out.

Five seconds of awkward silence passed. It was like the silence itself was the answer. "Yeah, I didn't think so!" Vigilon said as he sheathed his weapon. Now there was a non-combat matter to handle. "Right...so Dazia wants a ceasefire that will last until we leave, and I'm pretty sure Krysta doesn't want to agree...do we put this to a vote, flip a coin on the likely chance it will be a tie on the voting end anyway, or do we find another non-combat method for deciding this?" Vigilon asked the players around him.

ID# 202492 BD: 4+4=8(hit), MD: 1(Crit. Miss)

Wyrmslash(ST-I): 21x12=252 Damage to Mossy Wolf 22!

 

ID# 202502 CD: 4, LD: 1+7=8(3348 Col, 2 Materials, <<Unidentified T4 Uncommon Consumable>>)

 

 

Vigilon: HP 740/740, EN 6/88 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD | 3 Prosperity

Krysta: HP 660/660, EN 18/86 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 LD | 3 Prosperity | Holy: 8 | T4 Bleed

Astralin: HP 480/480, EN 11/66 | 20 DMG | 45 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 EVA | 3 Prosperity | Freeze: 9-10

Dazia: HP 620/620, EN 14/80 | 21 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 LD | 3 Prosperity | Fallen: 8

 

           Enemies:

Mossy Wolf 22: HP 0/372, 124 DMG, Leeching Fang | On a natural MD of 9 or 10, this mob heals for 10% of the final damage dealt to its target.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Vigilon

[Krysta 0]

All three of the other players did what they could to handle the four wolves after Krysta's attempt, and Vigilon dealt the final blow against the Alpha. Vigilon seemed irritated at the sheer number of enemies that had come after the players during this battle. He then sheathed his weapon and seemed to be hoping for a peaceful method of deciding whether or not Dazia would tag along under a ceasefire. Astralin knew little of Dazia and her deeds, so she was likely to give the monster a chance. Krysta and Vigilon, on the other hand, would be suspicious of her presence at the very least.... "Surely it would be a tie if we voted. Dazia would vote for the sake of her own safety, and Astralin might want to give her a chance. Against our votes, that would be a tie." Krysta explained. "I'm not certain about a coin toss, but I cannot seem to come up with anything else on the top of my head...aside from..." Krysta looked back over to Dazia. "Were you saying something about a culprit before the interruption? Not that I'd take your word for it, at least not alone...but who would you suggest is the reason why the Monster Overpopulation isn't as noticeable as it should be?" She asked. "Anyone else have any clues?"

[Astralin 0]

Dazia tried to take on both of the Mossy Wolves, but the Alpha caught the blade. Vigilon finished off the Alpha, and now all that was left...is the situation that was the sudden arrival who wanted a ceasefire. Vigilon gave a few suggestions for how to decide, but it seemed that Krysta was on the full belief that it would be a tie if it was put to a vote. Krysta returned to the conversation that was going on in the middle of the fight, but maybe there was some value to it. "That's actually a bit of a good question there. I'm about as lost as you are, Krysta, but um...Vigilon? ...Dazia? Do either of you know anything about what's even going on here?" Astralin asked. Asking questions might go somewhere good....or bad, it wasn't like it was possible to tell very easily when two enemies were in slashing distance of each other. "I know that Vigilon said that back at the ruins, it looked like someone had already been there...but who could it have been?"

[Dazia 0]

Vigilon finished off the Alpha Mossy Wolf, and the battle was over. His next words were like Dazia's mood: Irritated.

Once he put his weapon away, he seemed to look for a fair method of deciding whether a ceasefire would happen, or if Dazia should be running right now. Krysta gave her reasons why a vote would end in a tie. Krysta was right, but not in the way she probably thought. "Oh, you clueless Princess..." Dazia thought. "You have no idea that Vigilon and I were working together over at the ruins before you showed up." She suppressed a smile at the thought.

Krysta then brought up the argument that happened in combat, mentioning what Dazia was coming up to before Astralin's outburst. "The Culprit you are talking about...is my sister. One sister in particular, actually. I don't think you've ever seen her...no, I'm not talking about Valna, I'm talking about someone else entirely. Even I think you should avoid her. She's batshit crazy, and already has an orange cursor, though I haven't seen any player kills caused by her on the monument." Dazia explained. "Then again, I haven't managed to learn her username yet. She never gave that information to me when I encountered her in the ruins."

[Vigilon 0]

"I'm about as lost as you, Astralin. I've already told you what I knew." Vigilon answered with a shrug.

Dazia began to explain about her...sister. Another sister, to be precise. Dazia had also mentioned the player who cleared out the monsters in the ruins...that player in question was...her sister? Vigilon let out an exasperated groan. "You have got to be kidding me." He began. "First there was Valna, then that Galen person, and now whoever that's supposed to be? How many siblings do you have??" He asked, wondering what this world was coming to. "Are they even all in this game? Is there anyone else who we should probably know about by now?" He was about to lose it. "Man, now I'm really thinking that-"

Vigilon stopped, and took a deep breath. This was already going too deep. He should just tell Krysta...

"Krysta...there's something I should tell you." He began. "Should have told you before, but I got distracted by present issues."

He took another deep breath. "Some time ago, I tried to make a subtle interrogation on Dazia. She managed to get me sidetracked...but in the process, we both kinda stumbled upon something neither of us expected. Dazia and I...are related. My father was her uncle, but I'd never seen her before until this game. He didn't want me to meet his side of the family, and the more I encounter or learn about the few among them, the more I learn why he did that. Yes, we're cousins. No, this does not give me an inclination to take her side." He rambled, revealing the once unknown connection between the two players.

[Krysta 0]

Dazia claimed that she had another sister, and that said sister was the culprit, although she'd never managed to get a username from the player. "Such a serious lack of information leads me to not trust your words. At least give a description if anything." Krysta noted. If Dazia had an immediate response, the claims may actually be true...though without a username, it would definitely be hard to track down an orange player. Vigilon seemed to wonder how many siblings Dazia truly had. There was the mention of a "Galen" individual, but without more information it was just a name.

Vigilon then looked over to Krysta, claiming that there was something he should have told her a while ago. "What....what are you talking about, Alex?" Krysta asked. This seemed like a serious matter.

Vigilon then revealed the answer. He and Dazia were cousins, having never known each other due to the choices of Vigilon's father. "..."

Krysta would need some time to herself to process all of this, for if this was true, not only was Vigilon the cousin of a monster, but all of the monster's siblings as well. "I...." This was already quite difficult to hear, but it was good to know that it did not affect Vigilon's loyalty. "Thank you for telling me this...I do believe your father was doing what he believed was right." She added.

Her expression was both calm and surprised, but within Krysta's mind was anything but calm.

[Astralin 0]

Hoo, boy...Astralin expected NONE of this.

None of this. At all.

Dazia had siblings, one of those siblings was a crazy sister with an orange cursor, and Vigilon and Dazia were cousins??

Astralin simply stood there, wide eyed, staring at the three players as the revelations unfolded. She stood there in silence as Vigilon explained how his father kept him from seeing his side of the family, for what seemed to be good reason. Krysta trusted that Vigilon's dad knew what he was doing...and that could mean anything at this rate, for Astralin knew too little to make a proper judgement on that.

"Ohhhhh-kay, I'm gonna need waaaaay more info to understand anything that's going on here so uhhh, maybe there's something else we can discuss? Unless you're actually willing to vent it out or something? Just....no Edgy Rogue Backstories, okay?" Astralin said, after about ten seconds of what was awkward silence to her.

[Dazia 0]

Figures that Princess wouldn't believe Dazia...but she asked for a description, so she might as well. "She wears a set of cloth armor with a cowl. Primarily black in color, but there are quite a few extra designs on it. ...like whenever she's not sneaking around, her getup screams 'hey, look at me!' ...How she was even able to hide from me is beyond me." She explained.

"Six." Dazia replied to Vigilon's question of how many siblings Dazia had, and if they were all in this game. "I only lack evidence of one, the rest I've all confirmed are in this game...I'm pretty sure you don't want to meet them." She added.

Vigilon looked over to Krysta, like he was about to say something serious...oh, oh he was gonna tell her. Dazia was suppressing a smile, she wanted to see the look on Princess's face when he told her. Vigilon then revealed that he and Dazia were cousins.

Oh, the look on her face was priceless. Dazia was unable to suppress her smile this time, but hopefully it might be concealed by her cowl if she just looked down... Vigilon and Krysta believed that Vigilon's father was doing what he believed was right. Now, that was just laughable. "Ah ha ha ha, please, try and tell me separating family and turning them against each other is a good thing." Dazia responded. "I know you'd never think that, just because he was your father...but your father was a coward. He sowed seeds of doubt in his sister, and they both left their other siblings behind. That sister then wanted to stand up to her family head on, but what did your father do? He ran. You're already braver than your father ever was, Vigilon. It's time you figured that out."

[Vigilon 0]

Dazia said she had six siblings.

Six siblings...that's like, seven kids that her parents had. Not that it was a bad thing, just an...interesting number, seeing how both Dazia and that Galen person had...particular problems....

Wait a minute.

Krysta's response seemed to tell Vigilon she would need some time to take it all in and process. His thoughts drifted away from the um, possibility, and back to the matter he spoke of. "I understand that it's a lot to take in. Take as much time as you need." He said to Krysta after she'd given her response. Dazia dared to laugh about the two players agreeing that Vigilon's father was doing the right thing. "Hey, my father was a great man." Vigilon shot back. Dazia then claimed that even if Vigilon didn't believe it just because the man was his father, that he was a coward who did nothing but run. "My dad had a valid reason for everything he did. He's no coward, and he stood up to protect me to the very end!" He declared. "So what if he had to run once? He was a good person and a great father! We were devastated when we lost him!"

[Krysta 0]

A dark yet flashy set of cloth armor...wait, perhaps Krysta did know of this player. "Shadowed yet flashy...hmm...AH!" Krysta managed to recall the description. There was only one player who wore such a set of gear that Krysta had seen. "I've seen such a set of armor before. It was on a thief who had stolen our supplies when our backs were turned, do you remember that, Vigilon?" She realized. "She was swift, and I was only able to reach her with my blade. My intention was to stop her, but my base damage was dealt upon the weapon's contact, and I could see the username before she got away. If I recall, the thief's username was... 'RavenHarpy'?"

It was almost as if the players had forgotten Astralin was there. There was some awkward silence before she asked for the topic to change, unless Vigilon or Dazia were willing to explain more, the condition being "No Edgy Rogue Backstories"...or whatever she meant by that. Dazia found the beliefs of Vigilon's father doing the right thing to be laughable, and she claimed that his father was a coward who ran and tore apart his family. Vigilon then declared that his father was a great man who stood up for him until the very end...and...he had lost his father?

Vigilon wasn't the only one who had experienced the loss of a parent. "..."

Krysta placed her hand in Vigilon's. "I...had no idea your father had perished... I lost my mother when I was but a child...My father and I were devastated by the loss, and I had no siblings to share my grief with...only a cousin..." She then looked over to Dazia. "A Cousin who you had murdered."

[Astralin 0]

Ah, yes, the players decided to go deeper into backstories. Astralin listened to what was all going on.

Dazia had six siblings, meaning her parents had seven children. Kind of a nice number, it would be a shame if there were easily seen flaws all around, instead of properly balanced personalities...little did Astralin know that such was exactly the case. Dazia then said that the players wouldn't want to meet them. "Um...why not?" Astralin asked. "There's gotta be something good about them, right?" A family can't possibly be all bad... "Someone kind? Sincere? Generous?"

Dazia described the armor of the player in question, and Krysta recognized the description, revealing a potential username. "There, a lead we can work with! A name can be very helpful in cases like these!" Astralin pointed out.

Dazia and Vigilon continued explaining their beliefs and opinions on Vigilon's father. Dazia believed he was a coward, while Vigilon claimed he was a great man. Before Astralin could add "Well, your families had probably given you biased opinions, maybe we could check our facts when we get out of Aincrad!", Vigilon revealed that his father was...dead. Wait, isn't that-

Oh, Krysta's Mother was dead too...and her cousin, apparently killed by Dazia...

This was already dipping down into... "Nope, that's Edgy Rogue territory, we're stopping there! Subject change!" Astralin decided.

"So....Dazia, we were here to try and investigate the whole Monster Overpopulation thing." Astralin explained. "We've come up empty so far, but have you managed to find anything?" She asked. "Also, on the off chance you know something we don't..." She pulled out the <<Purple Essence>> from her inventory. "What do you think this is supposed to be?"

[Dazia 0]

Here we go.

"...You tried to stop my sister from stealing your supplies?" Dazia asked. "You would have to have left them out in the open to catch her stealing them." Dazia pointed out. Astralin remarked that it was still a lead, due to a possible username being revealed. "Hmph...true. It does kind of sound like a name she'd choose...it's a small chance, based on what you described, but that might actually be her." Dazia noted. "I've had enough of your little games, Haimi..." Dazia thought. "Once I confirm your in-game identity, all I will need is an expert searcher, and then there's nowhere you can hide from me."

Astralin was...a bit too optimistic about Dazia's siblings. "No, you don't understand, my siblings are generally among the worst people to be around." Dazia warned. "One has an ulterior motive of always being the best, another has ridiculous excuses for his actions...well, two of them have ridiculous excuses. One sister of mine has some kind of dragon fever, and I already told you about the crazy one...if you really want genuine kindness, that would be the Player going by the username Valna. Yes, she's kind and means well, but she has trouble telling if a guy is currently dating someone. She's...oh forget it, you get the point by now..."

Vigilon claimed his father was a great man who stood up for him until the very end. "And you think that's enough to make him a genuinely good person? My father might have not been the best one around, but at least he stayed for the sake of his family, and tried to stay among us before my mother pushed him out of my life. My father was braver than yours would have ever been. If you think the family's crazy, you're probably thinking about Aunt Rebecca, though I doubt you've even heard of her." Dazia responded.

Krysta mentioned that she'd lost her mother, but without a proper mention of how she died, there was no telling if she'd been through worse than Vigilon had. "Oh? but had you watched your beloved parent die in front of you, as your boyfriend had?" She asked. "Speaking of which...Vigilon, you literally had an opportunity to take down the man who murdered your father, you said the killer left the weapons behind, why'd you do nothing?"

 

Astralin changed the subject, claiming that the players' backstories were going into "Edgy Rogue Territory". This was reality, not Dungeons and Dragons. Life was never fair. Astralin then revealed that the players intended to investigate the Monster Overpopulation. "Funny you would say that, my crazy sister decided that she and I should solve the phenomenon...and in case you haven't figured out already, her answer was to kill them all off." Dazia answered. It was no clue that would help them make any proper investigations...but it was better than saying nothing. Astralin then pulled out the Purple Essence, asking what it was. In response, Dazia pulled out the <<Red Essence>>. "Honestly..." She began. "When it comes to these things, I'm just about as lost as you are."

[Vigilon 0]

Krysta revealed a potential username for the sister Dazia had mentioned, due to recognition of the armor the player wore. "Yeah, that's right, we did kinda get stolen from...I should have kept an eye on the supplies, I don't think we would have lost them if I just stayed there with them. Safe Zone or no, it's a bad idea to just leave stuff." Vigilon remarked, putting the blame on himself.

Dazia began to explain a few details about her siblings to Astralin, and Vigilon began to count up something that led to a pattern... "Galen, Sloth. Another sibling, Pride. Yet Another sibling, Greed? Valna...Lust?" He then looked over to Dazia. "...Wrath."

...

"Wait a minute." Vigilon said as the realization hit him. He had The Seven Deadly Sins for cousins.

Krysta mentioned that she'd lost her mother, and how it devastated her and her father...not to mention the fact that she was apparently an only child. No siblings. That must have been rough. "Jewel, I'm so sorry you had to go through all that..." He said as he placed his other hand over Krysta's, which was gripping his main hand at this moment. "Maybe one day, all this death can just end, and we can live our lives peacefully..."

Dazia pushed Vigilon's point aside, starting to speak of her own...and it seemed that he ended up out of Dazia's life, too, except death wasn't the one who did it. She claimed that if Vigilon thought the family was crazy, that he was probably thinking about their Aunt Rebecca...and Dazia was right that he hadn't heard of her. Maybe from Tara, but his memory on his conversations with Tara were fuzzy these days. Dazia revealed to Krysta that Vigilon had witnessed his father's murder, and done nothing about it. "I was young and scared, what would you expect me to do about it when I just witnessed a traumatic moment in my life, worsen it further?" Vigilon shot back.

 

Astralin changed the subject over to the reason the players were in the garden to begin with. There didn't seem to be enough intel around to confirm anything, and Dazia didn't have any clues, but she did reveal what the crazy sister had planned. Vigilon couldn't help but imagine a crazy rogue-looking monster killer just waltzing right into the monsters' dens saying "I've come to cure your existence".

Astralin wondered if Dazia knew anything about the essences...she did not, though she did reveal to the players that she had the Red Essence.

"Those Wolves really did a number on our energy, and there's likely to be more monsters lurking about. There's not enough of us to raid the place efficiently, so we need to get out of here and regroup." Vigilon decided.

[Krysta 0]

Dazia spoke of her siblings, and why it would be a bad idea to meet them. For a monster, she was good at warning others about her associates...how odd. "And I suppose Valna's behavior explains her rather suggestive outfit?" Krysta asked, though the players would all know the answer at this point. "Not to mention, she actively tried to save your life back on the fourth floor, or do you not remember that night?" Krysta asked, wondering if the monster could truly see past her own hatred.

Vigilon counted up the flaws he'd discovered and heard regarding Dazia and her siblings, and managed to piece together....

"Seven Deadly Sins." Krysta said, as the realization hit Vigilon as well. "Vigilon, I offer you my sincere condolences."

Dazia pushed away Vigilon's point, and began to speak of her own father as if that man had done better than Vigilon's. She also mentioned this "Aunt Rebecca" of hers, though this knowledge was known only to Dazia for the time being. Finally, she revealed that Vigilon's father was...murdered. Vigilon gave his reasons for why he did nothing, that he was too young to properly handle the moment. Krysta couldn't possibly blame Vigilon for that.

Astralin changed the subject, probably for good reason, and the players began to admit they all knew nothing. Dazia also revealed herself to be the bearer of the Red Essence.

Vigilon suggested that the players retreat and regroup, due to the fact that they are likely to become swarmed more times than they can handle if they remained in the garden. "...Perhaps you're right, we need to get out of here...and the way we came was right behind us, so let's move."

 

Krysta followed the way the players came, but there was no way out in sight. Something was wrong here, and there were some monsters in view...many of them, in fact. Krysta looked around, there had to be another way. Perhaps there was something deeper in the garden that might give a clue as to how the players could leave?

About half an hour of fruitless searching later, the players found Nemo standing in their path, and he did not look very happy. "Stop right there, all of you! Your actions have not gone unnoticed, now had over everything you've stolen!" He declared.

"...Stolen?" Krysta asked, confused. She looked around her, trying to find any cursor marked with an infraction. "I do not see any evidence that we have stolen anything, what are you talking about?"

Her words fell on deaf ears. "Don't play dumb with me, I know what you did!" Nemo shot back. With that, his form began to change. Before Krysta knew it, the NPC's true form emerged, a dragon of winds. "Now return what you have stolen, or suffer the consequences!" Nemo threatened.

Nemo's cursor changed from Yellow to Red. This was a fight she could not avoid. "If hostility is the course of action you persist..." Krysta began. "I shall not fall so easily!"

Krysta attempted to attack with her sword art, Radiant Strike, but the dragon was swifter than she'd anticipated.

ID# 202677 BD: 2+3-2=3(miss)

 

[0]Vigilon: HP 740/740, EN 88/88 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD | 3 Prosperity

[0]Krysta: HP 660/660, EN 86/86 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 LD | 3 Prosperity | Holy: 8 | T4 Bleed

[0]Astralin: HP 480/480, EN 66/66 | 20 DMG | 45 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 EVA | 3 Prosperity | Freeze: 9-10

[0]Dazia: HP 620/620, EN 80/80 | 21 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 LD | 3 Prosperity | Fallen: 8

 

           Enemies:

Nemo, Wind of Gaia:

Spoiler

 HP 472/472, 164 DMG, 2 EVA, 100 MIT

Abilities:

• Twin Fangs | On a natural BD of 9 with a CD of 8+, the boss tears into the player with razor sharp fangs, inflicting 35*Tier unmitigatable damage.
• Nature’s Roar | On a natural BD of 10, Nemo unleashes a gust of wind on the player, inflicting 65*Tier mitigatable damage.
• Gaia’s Protection | Nemo cannot be reduced below 10 HP, and the fight ends once the player reduces his health to this level.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Krysta

[Astralin 0]

Astralin still ended up with far more than she needed to know.

Dazia and her siblings had the Seven deadly Sins as prominent flaws.... "Um...that's a coincidence...right?"

Vigilon and the family he and Dazia shared seemed...interesting, to say the least, though at this point, given the actions of Vigilon's father and the warnings given by Dazia herself, she might have to just avoid them...but if she did meet Valna, maybe she could keep the player in touch about if Astralin was to find someone? it might reduce the chances of accidental relationship theft, since it all seemed accidental, based on what Dazia had said...right?

Vigilon and Krysta decided it was time to leave and regroup, due to the swarming that occurred earlier, which all the players could easily agree on not wanted to get swarmed too much. "Yeah, getting out of here sounds like a good idea at this point." Astralin agreed.

 

Half an hour later, and she would find herself in a difficult situation. Nemo claimed that the players had stolen something, and...turned into a dragon?? The dragon was indeed hostile, and Krysta attempted to attack. "So, we have no choice in the matter, do we?" Astralin realized. She hated it when entities that could be reasoned with chose only violence, as if it was the Cardinal pulling all the strings...oh, wait...

Astralin readied her sword art. "Arrekona!"

She missed.

 

ID# 202678 BD: 2+5-2=5(miss)

[0]Vigilon: HP 740/740, EN 88/88 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD | 3 Prosperity

[0]Krysta: HP 660/660, EN 84/86 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 LD | 3 Prosperity | Holy: 8 | T4 Bleed

[0]Astralin: HP 480/480, EN 64/66 | 20 DMG | 45 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 EVA | 3 Prosperity | Freeze: 9-10

[0]Dazia: HP 620/620, EN 80/80 | 21 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 LD | 3 Prosperity | Fallen: 8

 

           Enemies:

Nemo, Wind of Gaia:

Spoiler

 HP 472/472, 164 DMG, 2 EVA, 100 MIT

Abilities:

• Twin Fangs | On a natural BD of 9 with a CD of 8+, the boss tears into the player with razor sharp fangs, inflicting 35*Tier unmitigatable damage.
• Nature’s Roar | On a natural BD of 10, Nemo unleashes a gust of wind on the player, inflicting 65*Tier mitigatable damage.
• Gaia’s Protection | Nemo cannot be reduced below 10 HP, and the fight ends once the player reduces his health to this level.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Astralin

[Dazia 0]

Wonderful, they found the pattern. That did nothing good for Dazia's mood. "You're not the first ones to call us that." Dazia remarked.

Vigilon claimed he was too young, scared, and traumatized to be able to end his father's killer. "Well, you're clearly different than your younger self, then. Nice to see that you've grown and all, but honestly you could still use some improvement. Why? Sometimes I can't tell if you are a genius or an absolute dimwit. Hell, you could be both at the same time, and I wouldn't be surprised." She noted.

The players decided to leave the garden, and Dazia found herself unable to leave. Something was wrong. Half an hour later, the party found Nemo, but he didn't look happy...something was definitely wrong.

He demanded that the players "Return what they'd stolen". ...ah, the loot from the wolves....

When Nemo transformed into a dragon, Dazia could only assume the garden and everything in it was his hoard. If she defeated Nemo here, any treasures here could be retrieved without excessive resistance. She had a new target, and it was time to take an advantage of this opportunity. Krysta and Astralin missed their attacks, giving Dazia enough time to figure out how and when to strike. She rushed in and attacked with Shadow Cutter, and the boss's HP was...disappointing, to be honest.

ID# 202679 BD: 6+3-2=7(hit, Fallen Activates!)

Shadow Cutter(ST-I): (21+8)x12-100=248 Damage to Nemo

 

[0]Vigilon: HP 740/740, EN 88/88 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD | 3 Prosperity

[0]Krysta: HP 660/660, EN 84/86 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 LD | 3 Prosperity | Holy: 8 | T4 Bleed

[0]Astralin: HP 480/480, EN 64/66 | 20 DMG | 45 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 EVA | 3 Prosperity | Freeze: 9-10

[1]Dazia: HP 620/620, EN 68/80 | 21 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 LD | 3 Prosperity | Fallen: 8

 

           Enemies:

Nemo, Wind of Gaia:

Spoiler

HP 224/472, 164 DMG, 2 EVA, 100 MIT

Abilities:

• Twin Fangs | On a natural BD of 9 with a CD of 8+, the boss tears into the player with razor sharp fangs, inflicting 35*Tier unmitigatable damage.
• Nature’s Roar | On a natural BD of 10, Nemo unleashes a gust of wind on the player, inflicting 65*Tier mitigatable damage.
• Gaia’s Protection | Nemo cannot be reduced below 10 HP, and the fight ends once the player reduces his health to this level.

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

The players would attempt to leave the garden, but something wasn't right. Going back the way they came apparently led deeper into the garden, so apparently that wasn't an option.

Half an hour of wandering around like clueless chickens later, the players would find Nemo again...but he didn't seem to be in a good mood. He claimed to know what the players did, and demanded that they return everything they'd stolen. The players, of course, were obviously confused. Not one of them had stolen anything...but they did loot some dead wolves.

Oh, crap, so that's where this was going. Nemo transformed into a dragon, and it all began to make sense. This Garden was property of whoever this "Gaia" was, and Nemo was both its caretaker and its guardian. Thus, by looting the wolves, they'd unwittingly stolen from Gaia's creatures. It was in self-defense though, right? ...Right?

"Aw, crap, here we go again." Vigilon said to himself as the ethical dilemma showed up in his mind again, but this time there was nothing that could be done about it, and it was time to fight an angry dragon.

Krysta and Astralin missed their attacks, and Dazia managed to deal fallen damage to Nemo. Now it was Vigilon's time to act. He readied his Sword Art, Draco Rend, and reduced Nemo's HP down to the red. The Dragon cried out in the heavy damage it had received from the two hits Dazia and Vigilon had made against him.

Vigilon held out his blade to block Dazia. "Hold." He commanded.

 

Nemo began to revert to the human form, and he was clearly exhausted. "You really didn't give me a chance to fight back, you guys are skilled, I'll give you that, too..." He remarked. "Sorry if there was any misunderstanding between us, we really had no idea there were some unspoken rules around here." Vigilon added. Nemo had a half-smile on his face. "It's alright...all is forgiven, I suppose. I did kind of tell you, but maybe you guys were too into that chat of yours, so...I'll let you off this time. Come, I'll guide you to the exit."

 

Nemo would lead the party over to a panel of sorts in the center of the Garden. He then turned to the party, a dejected look on his face. "Despite all the creatures that roam, it gets kind of lonely around this Garden...that's actually why I bring people here." He admitted. "I'd be glad if you could visit from time to time, you can come back if you want, even if you can't stay for very long. ...You can do that, can't you?" He asked. Vigilon thought for a moment. "I'll see what I can do." He answered. Nemo smiled. "Thanks, that means a lot to me." He said. "...Oh, before I forget, here!" He gave each of the players a crystal that was bluish-green in color. "If you have those, you can use this panel to return to Aincrad. Try not to lose them if you intend to go back during your next visit. Again, you can come back if you want...all I ask is that you clean up any messes you make, and uh..." Nemo looked over to Dazia. "Try not to overdo those antics of yours, Nature has a balance, and kind of needs its creatures if it's going to thrive." He added, as if his point was directed mainly to her, even if it was for the entire party. Vigilon looked to Nemo. "Thanks, I'll do what I can to keep that in mind."

 

 

ID# 202680 BD: 5+4-2=7(hit)

ID#

Draco Rend(AoE-I): 21x15-100=215 Damage to Nemo

-Gaia's Protection Activates, the battle is over!

 

[1]Vigilon: HP 740/740, EN 73/88 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 4 ACC | 2 EVA | PAR | 6 LD | 3 Prosperity

[0]Krysta: HP 660/660, EN 84/86 | 21 DMG | 78 MIT | 3 ACC | 3 LD | 3 Prosperity | Holy: 8 | T4 Bleed

[0]Astralin: HP 480/480, EN 64/66 | 20 DMG | 45 MIT | 5 ACC | 2 EVA | 3 Prosperity | Freeze: 9-10

[1]Dazia: HP 620/620, EN 68/80 | 21 DMG | 44 MIT | 3 ACC | 4 EVA | 1 LD | 3 Prosperity | Fallen: 8

 

           Enemies:

Nemo, Wind of Gaia: Defeated

Spoiler

HP 10/472, 164 DMG, 2 EVA, 100 MIT

Abilities:

• Twin Fangs | On a natural BD of 9 with a CD of 8+, the boss tears into the player with razor sharp fangs, inflicting 35*Tier unmitigatable damage.
• Nature’s Roar | On a natural BD of 10, Nemo unleashes a gust of wind on the player, inflicting 65*Tier mitigatable damage.
• Gaia’s Protection | Nemo cannot be reduced below 10 HP, and the fight ends once the player reduces his health to this level.

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Vigilon

[Krysta 0]

Astralin, like Krysta, had missed their attacks. However, Dazia and Vigilon proved to be too much for the Wind Dragon to handle. Nemo reverted to a human form, and his true intentions were revealed as he led the players over to the Garden's Warp Panel. Krysta pitied the Dragon, it must not have been easy being a lonesome guardian. Nemo chose to permit the players' actions, as long as they were cleaned up after and done in moderation, which was understandable, to say the least. It was doable, too. "Thank you, Nemo. It was a pleasure to meet you. I'll be sure to return someday." Krysta said, accepting the Warp Crystal.

Once the players were gone, there was one last unexpected matter to deal with.

"see? i knew you could find a non-lethal alternative."

The Skeleton was here.

"I'll have you know, I am more prepared than I was last time." Krysta declared.

"...seriously? come on, you just learned how to play nice, can't you let a guy be?" The Skeleton asked. Krysta, not understanding where the Skeleton was coming from, readied her attack anyway. She prepared herself to get past the Skeleton's onslaught of using the environment to try and push her away. She dodged and leaped, this was an evasive challenge for her as it was for the skeleton. Krysta activated her Sword Art when the time was right. It worked, and she moved immediately, and whether it was by luck or by paying attention, Krysta managed to avoid attacks and deal two more of her own. The skeleton had proven to be sturdy, however. "huh, guess you were right there. ...maybe i should have stopped going easy on you." The skeleton noted. "tell me, have I done anything against you that provoked your attack?"

The skeleton had a good point...

 

ID# 202681 CD: 10(Tag successful)

ID# 202682 CD: 10(Tag successful)

ID# 202683 CD: 9(Tag successful)

Tags Acquired: 3!(10 Materials, +5% Exp. for the thread, <<Unidentified T4 Perfect Straight Sword>> x3, <<Unidentified T4 Demonic Straight Sword>> x1)

Edited December 1, 2021 by Krysta

[Astralin 0]

With Nemo defeated by Dazia and Vigilon, and the way back shown by the defeated guardian, it was time to go back. Perhaps Little Eden's bounty could be studied later. Nemo explained the reasons for his actions, and it was actually really sad. He wanted to know people, and have sentient company around him...poor guy, he had to live such a lonely existence... But since Astralin would return to research the place later, it wasn't all that bad, he'd be seeing Astralin again later on!

With a smile on her face, Astralin made a friendly wave to the Wind Dragon before leaving. 

 

The players returned to see that skeleton again. Krysta managed to get three good hits on the skeleton, and then it was Astralin's turn. "Arrekona!"

A swing and a miss.

"Kiherrei!"

Once again, a miss.

Astralin had to get the timing right, and be able to avoid all the incoming "I'm gonna push you away" movements of the environment around her. Just about anything would be a hazard if not dealt with correctly. One more time, this had to be it. "Kalkeiala!!"

Finally, she landed a hit.

The skeleton looked unamused. "word of advice, if your opponent can think for themselves, speaking before attacking generally isn't the best idea." He remarked. He then proceeded to make a really good point to both Astralin and Krysta. "I was...just scared." Astralin admitted.

ID# 202687 CD: 8(miss)

ID# 202688 CD: 7(miss)

ID# 202689 CD: 11(tag.)

Tags Acquired: 1(10 materials, +5% Exp for the thread)

Edited December 1, 2021 by Astralin

[Dazia 0]

Finally, that whole fiasco was over. Nemo explained that he was feeling lonesome, and that led to all of his actions. Dazia, in all honesty, didn't care. If she could have done so, she would have taken advantage of the opportunity, but it seemed that Vigilon thought it was best to spare Nemo. Regardless of all this, it was best to focus on the present, rather than what could have been, but wasn't.

When Dazia left the Garden, one target of hers was right in front of her. Krysta and Astralin took the initiative to attack, and it was likely that Vigilon would, too. "Stand back, this one's my target." Dazia claimed. She quickly rushed in to attack, and managed to strike her target.

"what is it with you people? can't a guy catch a break around here?" The skeleton spoke.

"Oh, you'll get a break..." Dazia began, before attacking again. "...in your bones."

The Skeleton waved his hand, and Dazia was flung away. "you've got a real sick, twisted sense of humor there, lady. you're not nearly as crazy as that one kid, but you're starting to remind me of them..."

Dazia got up, but the skeleton was now gone.

ID# 202708 CD: 10(HIT!)

ID# 202709 CD: 11(HIT!)

ID# 202710 CD: 8(miss)

Tags Acquired: 2(10 Materials, +5% Exp. for the thread, <<Unidentified T4 Perfect Straight Sword>> x3)

Edited December 1, 2021 by Dazia