[PP-F22] The Ivory Citadel

[Vigilon 0]

"You're kidding, right?" Vigilon asked.

Just another day at The Carefree Magpie.

"Nope." Shulko replied. "That's what I heard from a new regular. Can you believe it, the stuff of ghost stories, in Floor 22 of all places?" He added. Kanari chuckled. "I heard from the same dude that it was a woman's voice. Always a girl. Kinda typical, if you ask me, so there's only one way to make sense of it...and that is to see for yourself." She remarked, before taking a good swig of her liquor. Vigilon thought for a moment. "Fine, I'll investigate, but if I get lost to the point where I use a teleport crystal just because I got lost in the woods, I'm blaming you." He decided. Looks like it was off to Floor 22 for him...

 

Arriving at Coral's teleport gate, he wondered if there was anyone he could ally with for this investigation. Most creatures in this floor were neutral or benign endemic life, but when it comes to personally uncharted territory, you can never be too careful...

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Main Stats:

 

Level: 32
Paragon Level: 24(paragon stat bonus totals: +80 HP, +8 EN)

Paragon Rewards:

Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread.
Lv. 10 | +1 LD to loot and chest rolls

 

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 760(Base[720], Resolve[40])
Energy: 110(Base[90], Energist[20])
Base Damage: 23(SS R5[7], Combat Mastery: DMG[12], SS Ferocity[2], Meticulous[1])
Mitigation: 78(Silver Night[+48], Light Armor R5[+30])
Accuracy: 4(Draco Fury[2], SS Precision[1] Dragon's Eye[1])
Evasion: 2(Silver Night, Dragon's Eye)
Loot Die: 6(Searching R5[+5], Dragon's Eye[+1])

Additional conditions:
-2 on all stealth rolls(Light Armor Rank 5)

 

Equipment:

[T4]Draco Fury(2 ACC, PAR)

[T4]Silver Night(2 MIT, 1 EVA)

[T1]Dragon's Eye(1 ACC, 1 EVA, 1 LD)

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1

 

 

Skills:

Straight Sword Rank 5(30 SP)

Light Armor Rank 5(30 SP)

Searching Rank 5(30 SP)

Extended Mod Limit(10 SP)

Charge(10 SP)

 

 

Extra Skills:

Combat Mastery: Damage Rank 3(13 SP)

Familiar Mastery: Rending(10 SP)

Survival

Meditation

 

Mods:

Meticulous(4 SP)

Night Vision(3 SP)

Detect(4 SP)

 

 

Shift: AoE(10 SP)

 

 

Addons:

Resolve(6 SP)

SS Ferocity(6 SP)

SS Precision(2 SP)

SS Stamina(4 SP)

 

Edited September 12 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

Dazia entered the room, where Seline was waiting.

"Seline, I hear you'd like my help again?" She asked.

Seline turned around to see Dazia. "Yes, Raven. I do thank you for finding Ithena, my Guild's Owl. ...But the rest of those from said guild are still missing. I've managed to hear that my little Nightingale was last seen on this floor, and I doubt I'll be able to handle the task alone, even in this floor..." She explained.

"Find yourself an ally if you can, but please...return my dear Nightingale to me, I need to see her safe and sound..." She said, almost pleading.

Dazia had learned she could trust this woman, and that those under her guild were good people. She would support her. "I'll do what I can." She answered. "Also...have you thought about my suggestion? ...Regarding SkyBlastarr?" Dazia asked. Seline lifted her hand for one of the birds in the room to perch on her finger. "Ah, yes...the Mockingbird." She noted, as if reminiscing. "You need not worry about your friend, Raven. She has agreed to joining the Guild. I'll see to it that she is welcomed with open arms." She answered. "Thank you..." Dazia responded softly. "I...I should probably be off, hopefully I'll be back with your Nightingale...wait, may I ask, what was her username again?"

 

Seline:

Spoiler

 

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 32

Paragon: 9(Paragon stat changes: +20 HP, + 2 EN)

Paragon Level 5 - Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread)

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 660
EN: 84
DMG: 23(SS R5[7], Combat mastery: DMG[12], Athletics[1], SS Ferocity[2])
MIT: 44(Cloth Armor R5[20], Raven Shade[24])
ACC: 3(Shadow Fury[1], Soaring Shadow[2])
EVA: 4(Raven Shade[2], Soaring Shadow[1], Nimble[1])
LD: 1(Nimble)
Fallen: +8 DMG on nat BD 6-8

 

Additional Factors:

+5 LD on Stealth rolls(Hiding R5)

 

 

Equipment:

[T4] Shadow Fury(Fallen, ACC)

[T4] Raven Shade(1 MIT, 2 EVA)

[T1] Soaring Shadow(2 ACC, 1 EVA)

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1

 

 

 

Skills:

Straight Sword R5(30 SP)

Cloth Armor R5(30 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage(13 SP)

Extended Mod Limit(10 SP)

 

Shift: AoE(10 SP)

 

 

Extra Skills:

Hiding(30 SP)

Meditation

Survival

 

 

Mods:

Athletics(4 SP)

Untraceable(4 SP)

Blindside(4 SP)

Vanish(6 SP)

Surprise Attack: Assassin(6 SP)

 

 

 

Addons:

SS Ferocity(6 SP)

Nimble(6 SP)

 

Edited September 13 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

It had been some time since he'd been to this floor...when was the last time he'd been here again? Tanabata? Was that one year ago, or two?

Whatever the case, it was time to start looking around for rumors to confirm what he'd heard...and hopefully a giant Koi wouldn't try to eat his arm again.

Thirty minutes of asking around later, he'd come up empty, save for one dude who claimed he could see the top of a white structure when he found a place to get a good look at the floor's terrain from a bird's eye-view. He couldn't confirm it, but it was something he could go off of.

Top of a white structure...could it be the place he was looking for?

Vigilon would consider going up to the inn rooms of where he currently was, in case someone staying knew a thing or two. Only one room that was occupied had let him in. When he entered, he saw-

"Dazia??"

Some awkward silence followed.

"Heh...fancy meeting you here. I've...got some questions again, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important." He noted.

[Dazia 0]

"Her username is Shanno, though her current weapon and apparel, as well as her support-focused build, seem to have caused some to call her 'demon of light'. I do not understand why they thought such things, but if anything, it may be a term some might recognize." Seline explained. "I'm certain you can recognize her if you happen to see her, though."

Before anything else could happen, there was a knock on the door. Dazia sighed, but Seline seemed to be in the welcoming mood. "Come in."

Dazia turned around to see...Vigilon...figures, it was just her luck.

He admitted that he had some questions, but he hoped he wasn't interrupting anything. "I was just about to leave, anyway. We'll talk outside." Dazia decided, before grabbing Vigilon by the wrist and dragging him out of the room.

Once the two players were outside, Dazia took a deep breath, and positioned her fists on her hips. "Ok, I've got an agenda to get to, so what is it?" She asked.

Then another interruption came. "Heeeey! Dazia! Vigilon!"

Here we go... Dazia turned around to see SkyBlastarr coming. "Oh, Sky. What's going on?" She asked. "Just a heads up." Sky began. "While you're helping out my new guild master, I'm gonna be scouring the floors for a worthy familiar!" She said before pumping her fist into the air. "Seline's a really great person, you should consider joining too, Dazia!" She suggested, a bright smile on her face. Dazia seemed to be in thought for a moment. She'd never really considered joining a guild, she never really had that much trust in anyone...except maybe Benjamin, but for some reason he'd stopped responding to her messages.

 

SkyBlastarr:

Spoiler

 

Edited September 13 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

Dazia was clearly not in the mood for this, but she was...dragging Vigilon out the door? "But wait, I- I need- I need to ask-!"

Too late, the woman was already out of hearing range. Dazia had become stronger than Vigilon had last experienced. Once the two players were outside, Dazia somewhat aggressively asked what his questions were. "I was trying to ask for confirmation about some rumors involving this floor. I thought that whoever was in the room might know something." Vigilon stated.

   SkyBlastarr then called out to the two players as she came over. Dazia asked what was going on, and Sky gave the two players a heads up that she intended to search for a familiar. She also suggested that Dazia join a guild that she joined, and there was the mention of someone named Seline. Vigilon looked over to Sky, then looked over to Dazia. "I'm a little lost...care to give a little context, or is it too much of a personal matter?"

A little intel as to what's going on might help him understand what's going on.

Edited September 13 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

Vigilon asked for some context as to understand what he was hearing. "You wanna know the agenda? Fine." Dazia decided. She wasn't gonna put up with this, so she might as well get it over with. "Seline is the woman who was in that room I dragged you out of, and the leader of the Sky Swords guild. I helped her out over in the fourth floor by finding a missing member. ...I also happen to be on yet another missing person case from her. I found her strategist last time, but now I have to search for the Guild's main supporter." She explained. SkyBlastarr's eyes lit up. "Are...are you looking for the Nightingale? I mean, I have yet to be told of any other missing supporters...it's kinda like Seline and Ithena are the only ones around, though...I wonder what got everyone split up." She remarked.

That was reason enough to keep going. "...Then that probably means I'm going to have my hands full searching for the other missing members of the guild. If I remember correctly, a guild needs a minimum of four players. If it was formed before you even joined...there may be others out there..." She thought aloud.

Edited September 13 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

A search and rescue involving a whole guild. That would be a lot of work ahead for Dazia...but also a huge step for her! Instead of taking lives, she'll be saving them! "So you're looking for missing guild members? Hey, I totally support that." He remarked with a smile.

"Right...so I was trying to confirm rumors and stuff because some random dude told a friend of mine that there was some kind of white structure hidden in a um...was it called 'forest of memory'?" He attempted to recall. "Some claimed that some pretty strange stuff can be seen there, and few claim that they can hear a girl's voice from the structure's...tower? It's like a um...Citadel?" He continued, tilting his head as he scratched it, wondering why he'd forgotten so much of what he'd been told, the very reason he'd come to this floor today in the first place. "Well, basically, there's a place I was dared to investigate, so um, here I am." He thought for a moment before speaking again. "...I honestly don't know what I'll be getting into if I go alone, but at least I have a teleport crystal if something that's actually a threat happens to show up for some reason."

[Dazia 0]

Well, this narrowed down a potential location right away. "Well, isn't that a coincidence..." Dazia noted. She looked over to SkyBlastarr. "Is there anything else you want to add, or will we be on our separate ways for now?" She asked. Yinangi stood firm. "Prepped and ready for action! I'm considering starting my search in the sixth floor. Message me when you guys get done so I can introduce my new friend to you!" She said with a salute before running off towards the teleport gate. Literal teenager or no, despite being knowledgeable, Sky was still just a child at heart, and Dazia could tell.

She turned her gaze back to Vigilon. "It would seem that our goals happen to line up. The missing player I'm looking for was last seen on this floor. If people were barely able to explore this rumored area you speak of, she might be there...though I have no clue why a supporter would be there on her lonesome. Point is, while I usually don't care for partying up, I know it's necessary in many situations, especially since this death game is technically an MMO." She explained, before sending a party invite to Vigilon.

Edited September 14 by Dazia

[Vigilon 0]

"Well, isn't that a coincidence?" Vigilon remarked. "Sure, there's strength in numbers, we'll be more successful by working together."

Even if he failed in pushing Dazia to the right path, trips like these had some use...right? If Krysta was to ask why he worked alongside Dazia, should she find out...hmm...maybe subtle espionage was an option? Sure, Dazia had killed four players, but he was never there for those moments, and Dazia's cursor remained green. Therefore it was best to apply his homeland's take on accusations: Innocent until proven guilty. Unless he found solid evidence of malevolence in Dazia's kills, he would act as though the kills were of self-defense...funny, why has she ended up in four of those kill or be killed situations, whereas Vigilon only had to put up with one? "Hey, before we set out...have you ever considered bringing corridor crystals with you?" Vigilon asked.

Better safe than sorry, after all.

[Dazia 0]

Vigilon was going to accept the party invite, but it seemed he had one more thing to ask. "Corridor Crystals? Those are for transporting parties of players, aren't they? I don't have any, so don't expect me to save your ass just because you forgot a Teleport Crystal." Dazia answered.

Now then, it was time to head over to the specified location, now that there was one. "Let's try not to get lost in the woods on the way there."

First came the walk to the forest of memory. "So, anything keeping you busy, now that the overpopulation stopped so suddenly?" Dazia asked.

When was the last time Vigilon and Dazia working together had gone smoothly? Honestly, she couldn't remember...and it had her worried. There was the time with that one enemy who cut Dazia's HP in half, there was the time where the boats were set on fire and everyone had to swim to shore over in a starlit lake, and of course, there was the time during the overpopulation investigation where the two almost fell to their deaths because Vigilon couldn't see where they were going...

Constant problems. If it didn't stop here, she might stop partying up with him entirely.

[Vigilon 0]

"I said I had a Teleport Crystal." Vigilon said flatly. "Corridor crystals have more use than just helping allies flee. They can be used to capture hostile players." He explained. "If you're worried about getting captured yourself, you could just get the disguise skill, though I've only heard rumors about it...and something about it and floor 6? Whatever. Anyway, if Krysta's pursuits ever give you trouble, the disguise skill could help throw her off your trail...I think."

He shouldn't have said that. He should NOT have said that.

If Dazia does happen to go down the wrong path, the Disguise skill would make it much harder to deal with her. He'd just given her the means to turn the tide...so she'd better improve.

"Busy? well, not much, actually, save for some blacksmithing work. This is kind of a change in pace." Vigilon said in response to Dazia's question about what's been going on since the monster overpopulation crisis.

It was some time before the two players reached a forested area of the tranquil floor. If this was the rumored forest of memory...well, some had claimed that there is nothing to truly learn from this forest, but if there was a citadel within, he'd just have to go deep enough within...right?

[Dazia 0]

Now, just where would this trip lead?

Dazia knew what she was searching for, and Vigilon had a location to find and investigate. There was much to do, but the remaining time in this day wasn't long. Chances were, the two players might find themselves having to camp out. They at least have a common goal in mind, seeing that wherever the missing player could be linked to the mystery location Vigilon was talking about.

The trees hadn't changed much, and Dazia wasn't seeing anything. Nothing was happening...it was quiet...

Too quiet.

Dazia's eyes darted around, looking for any potential threats. However, there seemed to be nothing at all. She had to keep her eyes open, there was no telling when a threat might emerge...

Time passed, to the extent that it felt like an hour or more. The area slowly began to darken, and the sky began to change color. The forest still hadn't changed. "I wouldn't give up just yet, but we might need to stop for a bit." Dazia mentioned. "It's getting dark, so it might be harder to find something, or avoid getting lost."

Guess they would have to rest here, after all.

[Vigilon 0]

"Tired already?" Vigilon asked, confused.

Dazia then explained the sight issues that come with nightfall. "Ah, didn't get Night Vision, then? Looks like you've got some skills to invest in....is it level, or have you not been taking quests lately?" Vigilon asked in response, wondering how Dazia didn't have all these skills yet even though they would all be very beneficial for her and/or her build.

Vigilon looked up, he could barely see the sky poking through the branches of the trees. He then looked to where the game's time was. ...Wait, it was nighttime already?

...Well, here seemed like a fair enough spot to rest, although all that Vigilon had in terms of resting was a sleeping bag, a fluffy one made primarily of hide, though its fluffiness made it more suited for colder environments like floor 4. No tents that provided resting benefits. "I suppose I could turn in a bit early, might give me the chance to be awake at dawn...I'm not usually a morning person, unlike Krysta..."

Vigilon doubted that Dazia would turn down the opportunity to take first watch.

[Dazia 0]

"I'll take first watch, then." Dazia decided. She was too alert to really fall asleep, anyway.

She would keep her eyes open, looking to see if anything would ever try to get near. Dazia didn't exactly have Night Vision, but she could still respond quickly if a threat approached.

 

She began to wonder, how much danger would she have been in if Krysta hadn't found Dazia or became her worst enemy? Would she actually be safer, or would something she did still trigger aggression from others? Well, she did know that if she never had to kill Wardege, she wouldn't have had to kill that overzealous simp Derenze, either.

But what's in the past can't be changed. There was only the ever-growing conflict between Dazia and a vengeful Princess who just couldn't accept the truth. Dazia looked over to Vigilon, who at this point was now asleep in his bed roll, looking like a face slowly emerging from a cocoon of hide, despite the lack of movement. ...Wouldn't such a warm bag be more suitable for cold environments, though? Then again, it could have just been all he had in his inventory...now that she thought about it, Dazia didn't have a tent in her inventory...in fact, she didn't bring anything that could help her sleep. Figures.

Dazia mainly dwelt on things like what she might do next once this trip was finished, as well as some potential strategies to scout the other floors and know which ones to avoid until she got the survival skill. There was just so much she needed to get to, she just needed to get a move on and do it.

Hours passed, and Dazia eventually realized she was starting to feel drowsy. She then moved her hand to gently wake Vigilon up.

[Vigilon 0]

"Hmmmrrrn?"

Vigilon was gently awakened, something he never expected from Dazia, in all honesty. He got out of the bed roll, but he left it out in case Dazia wanted to use it. Now it was his turn to keep watch.

 

It's been too long since Vigilon played an actual game. This didn't count since it was a virtual prison full of would-be innocents...due to player-killing, obviously, this wasn't the case anymore. Just a bunch of people trying so hard not to die, fighting for the homes, friends, lives, and more that ended up being taken away as they were trapped in this place...oddly enough, how the heck could it drive people to insanity?

His thoughts would wander, but he wouldn't let that stop him from keeping an eye out for potential threats. However, only an occasional nocturnal animal would simply pass by. A few hours passed, and Vigilon looked back to see how his ally was doing. He was expecting some kind of sound, but there seemed to be silence, not even a snore, and-

?!?!?!?

Oh no, she's an adorable sleeper.

Vigilon's eyes widened in surprise as he saw Dazia sleeping peacefully, her expression shockingly sweet and serene, as she lay there, curled up and fast asleep. Was this a test, a sign of trust, or just how she usually sleeps? Vigilon didn't know, but he wasn't going to try and find out, best leave this as one of the greatest mysteries he'd ever known. Regardless, it was hard to believe she was such a sweet sleeper when she could be known by others as an incarnation of wrath when she was awake.

Well, the more you know...

[Dazia 0]

............

A woman walks along a path alone. No one cared for this road, nor did they dare to walk it, for it was hated and feared. The woman, however, was not tied down by social standards, so she could choose this path freely, regardless of its consequences.

A beast emerges from the trees, cloaked in shadows, three of its six eyes looking towards the woman. "You walk here." the creature spoke. As its tendrils stretched and flailed, the woman stood there, unafraid. It could have been childlike curiosity, or it could have been a belief that no harm would come to her. The beast would speak again, this time, its head turned to look at her with all six of its eyes. "Were you rejected by your people?" it asked. The woman calmly and simply answered, "They were never my people, I learned that a long time ago." She then looked up to where the moons shone, breaking through the clouds and illuminating the night. The creature was revealed by the luminosity of the five moons. It indeed had six eyes, glowing a bloody red. Its flesh was blanketed with both feathers and fur, and tendrils were connected to its nape. It also had razor sharp fangs, a single horn coming from its head, and it had eight legs with feet that resembled that of theropods. "Come." The creature spoke. "We will walk this road together."

The woman would climb upon the beast and ride it, until the two came upon a large manor, illuminated only by the slowly dimming moonlight. The gate would open on its own, as if inviting the two inside. "Is this where we part ways?" the woman asked. "No." The creature replied. "The road ends here, but our path; our journey, has not." The two would then make their way past the manor's courtyard, and the woman would dismount the beast. She would then walk up to the manor's door as to open it...and find only a soft glow of color, as if something was disrupting this reality...

 

Dazia opened her eyes to see the signs of dawn's approach. She slowly got up, and proceeded to stretch, suppressing a yawn as she did so. She looked beside her, and there Vigilon was, still keeping watch. It didn't look like he'd be awake for much longer, however. "Did you zone out or something? Please tell me you don't sleep like that or anything...you're pretty damn late for swapping shifts, it's already dawn." She questioned, genuinely curious as to how he managed to stay up this long. She would let out a sigh before speaking again. "...Never mind, just let me know when you're ready to continue. Just...don't take too long, will you?"

[Vigilon 0]

Vigilon could have sworn he'd almost dozed off there. Maybe he needed that "Energy Drink" in his inventory after all...especially now that Dazia was awake and probably hoping to get a move on. Vigilon had already decided quite a few hours ago to avoid an unnecessary cursor-affecting beating by not making any mentions of how Dazia was actually adorable when sleeping. He pulled out the "Energy Drink" from his inventory...

He actually had a problem getting it down. It tasted like old soda mixed with buttercream frosting that was a bit too buttery, maybe some kind of aftertaste was present, too... Just what the heck was used to make this stuff, anyway? Was Akudo getting his hands on weird ingredients again? Maybe he should stop getting stuff from that guy, unless it's intel. First the bear meat that was coated in beer cheese, and now this...what other sacrilege has that man done to the natural order of things?

After he'd managed to get it down, Vigilon got up, stretched, and turned to look at Dazia. "I'm on about four and a half hours sleep, along with what turned out to be an extremely questionable energy drink. Word of advice, never get consumables from a player named Akudo. Anyways, I should be ready enough for the coming trek, so whenever you're ready..."

Edited May 18, 2022 by Vigilon

[Dazia 0]

"In that case, we're leaving now." Dazia decided.

She only hoped that Vigilon was still a capable ally after having only four hours of sleep and what he'd described as "An extremely questionable energy drink". ...Honestly, it wasn't like energy drinks were helpful, anyway.

An hour would pass, and the grass on the forest floor began to lessen. Something strange might be going on...

It was dawn not too long ago, so why was it getting dark again? Dazia looked up to see that the trees' branches were taking up more and more of the open space as the players continued on. "The forest is getting thicker as we progress. Do you think we're heading in the right direction?" She asked Vigilon. She would pull up her map, and see that the two players were heading towards the edge of the floor, despite the fact that said edge was a fair distance away. The environment was getting darker, and it was clear that Dazia would need to remain alert. This floor was known for its tranquility, but Dazia couldn't shake off the feeling that there might actually be something hostile around this part of the floor...

[Vigilon 0]

"I'm not sure," Vigilon admitted. "We could be, but we might be walking into the wrong area."

The area darkened, the trees were thicker, taller, darker, and their branches all mingled and intertwined, seeking every available ray of light, leaving the forest floor below to be raw soil, fresh and potentially fertile, yet barren. Dazia was alert, which made sense, as the darker environment would be easier to hide within...and there was never any telling what might be hiding within the shadows...

Vigilon looked over to Dazia. "Concerned that something's watching us?" He asked. "...To be honest, so am I." He added, looking at his surroundings with a wary expression plastered onto his face. He couldn't help but feel like something was wrong, and yet there was nothing in sight.

How odd, usually he wasn't the luckiest. Was there actually nothing to worry about, or was the coming danger just biding its time? Well....there was only gonna be one way to find out, wasn't there?

[Dazia 0]

There was so little light that it was a false nighttime under the branches, the dirt was barren, save for the large tree trunks that grounded the sun-blocking treetops. Dazia could have sworn that she heard a voice...

But when she looked, there was nothing there. The only option left was to press on.

Time passed and the two players continued moving deeper into the forest, wary and ready to draw weapons at the slightest confirmation of any hostile presence. Such an ominous feeling there was within this area of the floor's forested region...there had to be an explanation for it. Despite having fought off all kinds of terrors within herself, they never truly died. This ominous feeling...seemed to resonate within Dazia herself. Why? What was the purpose of it all? Could this really be yet another inexplicable moment?

 

Before she could continue dwelling on this, she stopped, for there was some tall foliage clumped together, between what may have been a wall of trees. ...No, wait, there was something off about them. Dazia slowly began to move through the foliage, and ended up coming out to see a "Clearing".

Dazia was unsure of what to think, but maybe that rumor Vigilon was chasing might be a reality.

"Vigilon..." Dazia began. "Are you seeing the same thing I'm looking at right now?"