[F27- PP] A Journey of a Thousand Miles... <<The Mysterious Divide, Part 1: Dagan>>

[Koga 0]

k o g a the elder wolf Spoiler notes: none   Koga, Lvl 32 / 33 | HP: 800/800 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 30 | ACC: 5 | LD: 3 | BRN: 56 | BLT: 32/20 | FALN: 8 | B.HEALING: 44/88   equipped battle-ready inventory T4 Demonic Katana <<Tsuki no Hikari>> [ CRSED // BRN I // BLT I // FALN I ] T4 Perfect Light Armor <<Shadow Chance Coat>> [ EVA II // REGN I ] T1 Perfect Trinket <<Kashira Cable - Wolf>> [ ACC III ] none   skills Spoiler | UTILITY Searching III | +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank. | 14 SP Night Vision | Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness. | 3 SP | COMBAT Combat Shift: Single Target | For the following Sword Arts, +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. No other Shifts may be taken. | 10 SP Mastery: Damage III | Gain 1 * Tier Damage per rank | 13 SP Battle Healing V | Recover 5% (rounded down) of your maximum HP at the start of your turn | 30 SP Emergency Recovery | When non-fatal damage would leave you with 25% or less of your maximum HP, recover 10% of your maximum HP after the attack resolves. Effect cannot occur more than once per thread.  When activated if the player has lower than 10 energy remaining, simply reduce the player's energy to 0. | 6 SP EN Cost: 10 Energist | Increase Base Energy by 5 * Tier | 8 SP Charge | Perform a single attack/Sword Art with +5 base damage. Charge attacks have a -1 Accuracy debuff and cannot be affected by any auto-hit effects. | 10 SP Cooldown: 3 Posts | WEAPON Katana V | +7 DMG when equipped with a Katana | 30 SP Stamina | Reduces the energy of all Katana attacks by 2 EN | 4 SP Precision | Gain +1 ACC. | 2 SP Ferocity | +2 DMG when using Katana Sword Arts | 4 SP | ARMOR Light Armor V | +30 MIT when equipped with Light Armor, -2 Stealth | 30 SP Meticulous | +1 DMG when equipped with Light Armor | 4 SP Resolve | +1 ACC and +10 * Tier HP when equipped with Light Armor | 6 SP | EXTRAS Familiar Master: Rending | You and your familiar attack in tandem, applying Rend [7*tier unmitigatable damage] to the target that lasts for two turns. | 10 SP Cooldown: 5 Posts Survival | Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | 0 SP buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 10% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +3% EXP Gain. | BUFFS <<Well Rested>> | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. <<Squeaky Clean>> | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). <<Item Stash>> | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot <<Relaxed>> | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. <<Multipurpose>> | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

Floor 27, 1:36pm

A new floor meant new lands to explore, new settlements, enemies, and, of course, new quests. It was this reason, that had brought the two to the 27th Floor. The quest meant experience, col, items, everything one might need to advance. And of course, the chance to be the first to finish the new quest brought a particular tingle of joy and adventure to the endeavor.

The old man in his brown cloak paced back and forth before his long and numerous shelves stuffed full of book excitedly, practically lecturing the players on what he painted as an potential discovery of incredible importance. Before long, the cloaked man realized he might have gone on just a tad too long and apologized. "Don't be," Koga said, with a grin. He had always loved learning about the lore and history of a game's setting, and SAO's numerous floors were no exception. The man did love living in fantasy.

The old man went on to explain his task in detail, after which, Koga looked over at his partner in crime. "What do you think?" he asked. "You up for trouncing around the Floor looking for a secret phrase that may or may not lead to unleashing some terrible big bad that'll kill us all?"

Edited February 8, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

<<The Mysterious Divide: Dagan>>

"You put that in a way that makes us seem responsible!"

Her arms were folded underneath that white mantle. DAY had on a satisfactory grin; looking towards the outskirts of the settlement, a knowing look to her eyes. That quests followed a regimented rule -- sure, certainty, and she wouldn't be caught surprised by anything the content generator had to throw at her. But so too did she glance back at her partner, behind the two leading adventurers, a sullen and dark look on the player's face.

NIGHT was more than unamused by the setup, despite the fact that she'd been given the heads up just before.

One tab switched to another on the interface the woman had open -- once was a message to Bistro, notifying the broker of her leave. The other...

Spoiler

DAY: hey night~
DAY: guess who's going out on a date!

NIGHT: what
DAY: koga invited me out on an expedition around the 27th floor!
DAY: apparently it's to explore all different quadrants of the continent.
DAY: so i'll be out for a few days.

NIGHT: a few days
NIGHT: with koga?
DAY: yep!
NIGHT: i'm objecting to it.

DAY is typing...

NIGHT: i'm coming with you.
NIGHT: you can't stop me
NIGHT: i'll fight you on this one

...

DAY: well, if you're insisting on coming along, then no objections here.
DAY: ^^
NIGHT: good

And she wondered if the excursion's scale should've been believed. The Town of Beginnings was still the largest floor to date; the physical make of the iron citadel meant floors were meant to decrease in size as they ascended past each barricade, each boss.

But virtual spaces were misleading, and hence the trip could've taken anywhere between an hour to several months. If this was the start of a new precedent, NIGHT should come prepared.

Her inventory was stuffed full of items: rations, clothing, hygiene products and tools for travelling. She might've fit her entire house in there, if her menus had the space for it. Alas, they did not, and it would be remiss to fill it up to the brim. The portable cookery and ingredients were left to her retainer, the glow of whom was formidable, and did not seem to be losing her luster any time soon.

After all, this was the first time DAY had been noticed and taken into consideration first and foremost. And though NIGHT had to admit she was envious, even a little raged at her friend for having failed to prioritize the player...

"Should it come down to that, NIGHT can take the fall for us."

The player only turned away, and sulked harder at her other's commentary. Damn that Gemini. DAY was only so lucky she'd chosen the appearance of someone so cute.

"I resent that. Now, Koga." A summon of a small col pouch, and she looked around the settlement they were in. Ronbaru, they were in. "Did you happen to hire a travelling wagon of some kind, or do we have to search for one ourselves?"

| NIGHT  | Lv. 105 >> P. 73, Lv. 32  | Status: smh smh.  Notes:  //

Spoiler NIGHT | HP: 920/920 | EN: 130/130 | DMG: 22 | ACC: 3 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 44 | LM: 2 | HLY: 8 | PHASE | LD: 5 | BH: 38 | Stealth Rating: 6 equipped Orgoth's Legacy ACC, PHASE, HOLY (8) Tracksuit of Unfathomable Fashionability MIT (24), LM II Silver Crescent Necklace ACC II, EVA II battle-ready inventory // skills Spoiler mod count: 4/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4+1/5 BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 EXTENDED MOD LIMIT ENERGIST FAMILIAR: PROFESSION QUICK CHANGE extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING blindside, vanish, surprise attack-t buffs Spoiler statue KUMATETSU | +1 DMG consumables - - - - - - paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc. Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. gathering Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

[Koga 0]

"I mean...it kinda would be," Koga replied. They would be the one finding the potentially world-ending evil after all. They could've said 'no' at any time, presumably. Or done something to prevent it. But if the world did end, that would mean they failed, in which case, they would be responsible. Was there some flaw to his logic he wasn't seeing?

At the mention of their mutual friend's name, Koga took a knowing glance over his shoulder at the woman, a knowing and amused grin plastered across his smug face. "Mm, yeah, she seems like she'd make a good fall-person." Was she probably furious with him and absolutely seething? Oh, he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears right now. But, both he and DAY appeared to take some kind perverse pleasure in teasing the woman. Besides, he knew if he asked DAY, she'd tell NIGHT, and NIGHT would insist on coming along. Really, he'd just asked NIGHT with an extra step.

NIGHT summoned out a small pouch full of col, clinking gently in her hand. "Uh...I was actually planning on just walking. I didn't even know wagons were in the game. I didn't even know horses were a thing till, like, last week, actually." Seriously...did NIGHT expect him to actually be informed? Did she know him?

[NIGHT 0]

"really? in most scenarios, people would rather blame cardinal than themselves..."

a biased statement, though day shrugged afterwards. "not that i've got an agenda or anything. if you players think you did it, then fault away."

and from behind, night only managed to hiss even more, picking up on koga's off-handed comment. "i'm not your fall-person. i'm not anyone's fall-person and you two should cut it out. also, what's this about not knowing horses existed since the beginning of the game. did you just walk everywhere? koga!"

night couldn't even stomach the thought of such a long trek. around the floor? and she thought the days of getting to cerberus were long over. it was with a resolute shake of her head and a tighter clutch of her makeshift coin purse that night started off in one direction of town. she knew where the stables would be. they were always so close to the exits, after all.

"well we're not walking to the ends of the earth like imbecils. c'mon; we should be able to reach our destination by at least dusk."

"even if it means spending more time together outside?"

for a moment, the player stopped in her tracks. she threw a tepid gaze over her shoulder, and day warmed to the woman with a smile.

"nice try," night finally shot back after two skips of a heartbeat. "koga's present. now c'mon -- floors are already big enough as they are, and we're burning daylight over here."

the entity's response was a shrug and a sigh, turning over to koga with a tilt of her head. "well, what do you want to do, koga? i figured it should be asked, at least, since you're the quest leader here, after all."

[Koga 0]

"Shifting the blame to an uncaring third party when you knew you could do something about it is like seeing a wave coming at your face, and then not moving and complaining you got wet. It's your own damn fault at that point," Koga said with a shrug of his shoulders. He wasn't a big fan of passing the buck to someone else, and if he could stop others from being hurt and fucked it up, then that was on him. Plain and simple.

Koga glanced back at NIGHT again as she complained about being their fall-person should the world burn in the burning fires of an apocalypse, and then addressed the matter of his ignorance. "Uh, yeah? Well, that or TP crystals. Believe me, if I knew about the horses, I woulda used them." Oh, how much time he could have saved...days, weeks, months, maybe even years? Well, nothing he could do about it now.

The player followed his companion and her original as they moved to exit the library, hands going to his pockets as was the usual for him. The two women bickered back and forth. NIGHT being so vocal had become a phenomena Koga realized only DAY could conjure forth, and one he was becoming far more accustomed to as he spent more time with the both of them.

"Like hell if I'm walking across four different nations. Caravan ho, and I don't even mind footing the bill for us all. I'll save a fortune in blister ointments and new boots."

[NIGHT 0]

So they got a wagon. It was an easy hitch, inventory not needing to be unloaded in Aincrad, and a trip back to Dagan for a food supply fetch was already necessary for the stables. A quick hop onto the wooden cart, players and entity both, and they were off towards the mountains in the distance.

Though for one reason or another, NIGHT hadn't let go of the hand in her own as she sat down to wait out the journey. An almost tight grip around DAY's; the construct got help after the players had bordered, not that she needed it, and still fingers clung onto fingers tight once the act of chivalry was complete. And the entity was wearing a grateful, knowing look of confusion, for once.

DAY flexed her digits upon the brooding woman's, once she'd taken a seat. "NIGHT, is there something you want to tell us~?"

A cold stare, though wimpy, was returned in defiance. And no third party present would've needed to look too hard to see the beginnings of a pout wear on the woman's face, mixed with faded blush. "Koga is footing the bill on this journey," NIGHT stated. "He offered."

The construct only squeezed the player's palm tighter, speaking of nothing in response to the switch in topic. Especially once NIGHT had turned away in a mild sulk, though her eyes were on the road ahead, watching out for their destination.

"Well, you heard her," DAY said, in jest, looking in the man's direction. A scenery of rocky green plains passed beyond him. "Though it's surprising you hadn't seen the caravans or wagons before, Koga. Did no player ever pass you by on one of them before?"

[Koga 0]

The wagon creaked as the three passengers boarded and took their seats. Before long, they had embarked on their rickety, rocky journey, NIGHT and DAY seated beside each other, with Koga across from the. Ever since they had sat down, NIGHT had refused to let go of her partner's hand. A cocked eye brow as Koga's eyes flicked between the two, and their joined hands. Normally, he wouldn't think twice about such a display of affection, but with NIGHT? You couldn't even touch the woman's shoulder without her jumping out of her skin.

The way NIGHT lamely replied to DAY, again pushing the expenses onto him earned her a quiet, amused scoff. He had learned more about NIGHT in these last few minutes than he had the entirety of their friendship. The price of this journey was a small price to pay for such closely kept secrets.

Koga smiled in the construct's direction as she asked him a question. "DAY, I spend most of my time avoiding people," he told her. "I hardly see players outside of towns to begin with, so no, they actually weren't on my radar until recently." The man leaned back in his seat and turned to look behind him at the scenery as they passed by. "Sure as hell wish I had though."

A few moments of silence passed by before Koga turned back towards the others. "So who do you guys think we should go and ask about this secret phrase once we get to Dagan?" he asked, figuring now was as good a time as any to come up with some sort of game plan.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

If there had been silence in the space where there should've been an answer, it was in part from the entity waiting for a response from her player instead. NIGHT seem to have paid Koga's words no attention, and that left DAY looking towards the woman before returning her sights to their friend. "That should belong to the man that handed you the quest, shouldn't it? If there was someone else to report to at the end of the journey, we should be able to identify them in Dagan."

"We're looking to rescue some farmers that got trapped somewhere, aren't we? No doubt resolving it would require a variety of skills; what sort of route are we taking with them?"

Discreetly, fingers played in their hold as DAY continued to review the details of their assigned duty. Almost as though the entity was trying to wriggle free, though to no urgent avail. The construct kept a watch on her jailor just as she continued contemplating their plan of action.

"Naturally, I'm sure I can cover some bases. Just point me where you need me, and you can be sure it'll be taken care of."

When NIGHT's grip was loosened, there was a slight tug of DAY's fingers outwards. But the clasp was instantly tightened, and the player's gaze switched from the road to the retainer.

DAY seemed none the less perturbed by the frown that was shot back. Rather, the entity returned a relaxed smile. "What is it?"

"..."

Pads of the construct's fingers were played with, idly, just as they continued their exchanged looks. The longer their silent staring match, the further NIGHT's toying reached the tips of DAY's digits. And DAY leaned in closer, slightly, just to whisper a rhetorical query.

"What?"

"..."

The glare went back towards Koga, just as NIGHT completed her act of tracing out DAY's short nails, and the woman fell closer backwards to her construct. Her scalp barely touched the front of DAY's neck. Their breaths were harsher, for a moment, in response.

A shadow fell over the wagon, as it passed through a crevice in the mountains. NIGHT muttered an answer, dark, eyes still fixated on Koga's seated position.

"It's nothing."

Light of the outdoors returned to view, as NIGHT drew away from her other. Her grasp was reduced to a hook of her finger in the other's; standard, practiced, expected. A non-deviation from their previous expeditions.

The player rose from her seat abruptly, facing out towards the village coming into view. "We're here," she stated plainly, before nodding towards the vehicle's exit. "So? Where to?"

[Koga 0]

Koga would have replied to DAY, primarily to ask how she knew any of this, it wasn't in the quest log, but it didn't take a social butterfly to realize that the two women were having some semblance of a private moment. The toying of their hands and fingers with each other and silent looks was enough to tell Koga he was better off just letting them do their thing. He turned back craning his neck to look out at whatever lay beyond the confines of their wagon, even when they passed between the cracks of some mountain or another.

As they finally came out from the mountain embrace, NIGHT suddenly stood and spoke. The thatched roofing, wattle and daub walls clearly within their view now. The caravan came to a gently stop, rocking only slightly and Koga allowed the two women to exit ahead of him, before jumping down from the wagon as well. "I mean, at this point, I say we follow DAY. She seems to know more about this quest than I do anyways."

Edited February 10, 2022 by Koga

[NIGHT 0]

"And I thought you'd wanted to pick up the quest," NIGHT returned, slipping down onto coarse dirt. So much for preparations. The player did expect Koga to get the details down, but if they had to rely on supporting systems, that took out half the adventure.

Her pinky was still tight upon her dopple's, the moment she looked out towards the village in search for their next objective. And what drew her attention wasn't the appearance of something gone awry, but the sounds of it coming from the Town Hall. A quick point of the building to her party members was enough in NIGHT's opinion, and she took off in large strides afterwards. Chaos was afoot.

"... And you sit here doing nothing?!"
"You have to help them -- they can't stay there for long!"
"These are your people!"
"... Please! My husband..."

--And what a cacophony it was. NIGHT grimaced hearing tale of the outcries from the company of folk gathered round, and released her hold on the construct as she got in close to the crowd. So many people, so loud-- so troublesome. Though she searched the gaps between the taller figures ahead of her, it was only a slap to her back and a point to the corner that a door was the focus of the villagers' outcries.

So she weaseled her way in.

Saddled at the desk was a rugged looking man. Stout, bearded; the hemp of his clothes were fraying at the edges. NIGHT spotted the plaque by the corner of his workstation, and concluded of a worn shell unbefitting of his position at the office.

"Excuse me."

Though DAY's mouth had been open to speak, it was only at the player's initiation of events that the man had decided to take notice. A loud exhale and a shift of his figure upwards -- the man seemed to huddle over his table, and his rise from it was only slight. Tiberius peeked through the gaps in between his fingers, as though hoping for the worst, before registering the faces foreign from whom he had expected. With a dreadful squeak of the aging wood he sat on, the man leaned back, and placed his fingers on the table's edge.

"What is it you want...?"

[Koga 0]

No sooner had the trio entered the village proper did the chaos of distress reach their ears. 'Right into the thick of it,' the Wolf thought grimly as they scanned the crowd for...something...anything to indicate what their objective was. Because at the end of the day, these ones. They weren't real, as real as their wails seemed. They weren't like the sunny blonde walking aside NIGHT, and they weren't like Gabrandr. It was hard to remember sometimes.

NIGHT was the one to find their point of ingress. DAY followed, and Koga as close as he could manage, shoving his way between the tightly packed bodies, each jostling each other to have their voices, their pleas heard.

The man could hear his friend's voice just ahead, somehow through all the noise, and he joined her at the table, practically slamming his hand down as another NPC pushed him from behind.

"We were sent by the Lapis Society in Ranbaru!" Koga said, almost shouting just to be heard over the cacophony behind him. "We're looking for some kinda...secret phrase or something."

The rugged man sighed and gave the players a tired, dismissive look. "Listen here, boy, I have my hands full here as it is. If you wanna chase fairy tales and 'secret passwords' like children, be my guest. Just do it far from here."

Koga scowled at the man before looking at NIGHT, then back at the crowd. Objective found, he supposed. "Alright, fine, how 'bout this? We help clean up whatever mess you got going on out there, and then you help us, ey?"

[NIGHT 0]

('Ey?' Where'd that accent come from?)

Tiberius scoffed and rolled his eyes. "As if any of us has time to play as fools like that." His thumb fumbled with his index, rubbing the two together -- dry skin. The man was in contemplation.

"But we're not above refusing an offer of help," he decided, after a beat of silence. A hand to the hood upon his head, and he stood up to rise. Upon the wall was a map, hatched with gridlines, and the informant tapped at a location on it, northwest of a large red pin near its center. "There was an operation to expand our territory here -- reaping crops on the mountains where the soil is rich with minerals is how we keep our families fed, you see. So not too long ago there happened to be a cave in -- and on journeys like those, we take our best workers to set up our foundations."

The man pulled away from his diagram, huffing and rubbing a side of his jaw with the back of his thumb. "And now these best workers are trapped somewhere over there. A big loss for the community if they return injured, but that's much better than the news of their return dead, lifeless bodies on cartwheels. Sad to say we don't have enough manpower to fish them out at the moment -- and not for a lack of trying, either." He shakes his head, regret somewhere in his irises, before looking up towards the players in a slow turn of his gaze.

"That's where you two can come in, I suppose. Not that we trust you foreigners, but we're out of options over here. Now, I don't like the sounds of this fairy tale hunt of yours, but we'll see what we can do for you two once you get our workers home. No promises, though. And the route towards those mountains may be obvious, but you need questions about their whereabouts, just ask. Not too far of a trek from Dagan, I assure you."

A hearty sigh, and the man slumps back down upon his seat.

In response, NIGHT says nothing, but pulls DAY out of the office with a kind and firm tug.

[Koga 0]

Koga straightened his back and crossed his arms as the...what was this guy? The mayor? A foreman? As the guy stood up from his seat and moved towards the map on the wall behind him, pointing to a particular point marked in red with his forefinger.

Koga wanted to scoff. First, at the strange implication that farmers were working in a cave, like miners, but then again, that was kind of how this Floor worked. Then at the comment about foreigners. He'd heard something like that plenty of times. Either at home where some were less than friendly to those who they considered to be elsewhere, or on his travels.

Who knew that such mindsets could exist in Aincrad too.

Koga nodded as the man finished outlining what he needed them to help with and said, "We'll see what we can do," before turning around to find NIGHT and DAY already making their escape through the crowd.

When he'd finally caught up to them, he wordlessly motioned to start walking in the direction of the not too distant cavern where the unfortunate farmers were trapped.

[NIGHT 0]

"So this quest chain takes us around the floor, right?"

They headed northwest, just as Koga had gestured off to. And the trek towards it was contemplative; somehow, the party had been shunned to silence after the interaction with the scripted man. NIGHT wasn't the type to say much after requests like those -- what was more common to the woman was quipping something to the construct, if she was present, once they'd left the vicinity of said personnel. Say something about them she disliked, or other.

This seemed pretty normal fare and reasonable, by far.

With company present, a tight lip wasn't going to do the the players any good. And so DAY raced along the dirt path, keeping a distance ahead of the duo, walking backwards, hand clasped just below the small of her back. "Although, this way seems to be in a specific corner of the map. I don't think there's anything we can unleash by rescuing a couple of farmers at a loss for rescue."

"Unleash the farmers, maybe." Dry words to the entity. Travelling through caverns was nothing the party hadn't been through, and neither did rescuing people in need pose a problem. NIGHT hummed, considering, and a shared look to the construct told her enough that they'd came to the same crossroads in conversation.

So NIGHT turned away, just as DAY looked to Koga. "Quests haven't usually been this easy, as far as I remember, at least. Very rarely -- so do you think this could be a new precedent for Cardinal?"

[Koga 0]

It wasn't so much party banter, so much as it was thoughtful discussion. DAY was right, quests thus far hadn't been this easy. Well, at least if you weren't entirely overleveled they weren't. But this sounded like a cakewalk, by far. That alone didn't really sit right with Koga.

"No, I don't think so," the swordsman replied to the construct. "Cardinal is probably just slowly ramping up the difficulty on us." That felt like a reasonable assumption to the man. Cardinal had never been one to go easy on the players, not in the long run at least. "My guess, we either get caved in as well, or something further down the line is there to try to kick us in the ass." The only thing they could really hope for for now was that Cardinal wouldn't decide to turn on 'Dante Must Die' mode on them. "We won't know until we clear the quest though."

It was a surprisingly short trek the rest of the way to the cavern. A small encampment had been set up to provide some food and shelter for the farmers when they weren't hard at work, away from their homes. For some reason the presence of a small crowd of farmers, and some of what Koga could only assume was their families had assembled, surprised him. one by one doing their best to pull rocks from the cave.

Off to one side of the encampment a table had been set up, with three men huddled around it, peering at what was probably a map. "We should probably go ask them where they need us," Koga said to the other two before approaching himself.

The three men, farmers, all looked up as the party approached. "Your...mayor, or whatever he is, sent us to help," Koga informed them. Their faces did seem anymore relieved.

"I don't know that you'll be enough, be we'll take as much help as we can get," the first, a blonde haired man says, his face covered in dirt just like the others. "We're worried that the part of the cave that collapsed is the only thing keeping the rest of the tunnel from falling in on itself. We've trying to move the debris, little by little, but..." The worry in their eyes said enough.

Koga's eyes drifted over to the cave, men, women, children, all hauling as much heavy stone as they could manage. The swordsman looked at his compatriots. "Well, I guess the first thing we should do is figure out the damage, and see what we can do about making it stable," he suggested.

[NIGHT 0]

Seeing the crowd of people at the cavern's entrance answered one of NIGHT's many questions regarding the riot near Dagan's Town Square. After all, if there were idle hands working to protest, surely there would be enough to help the victims, too. The player nodded to Koga's confrontation with the farmers, before examining the families scooping up boulder after boulder.

"That's odd."

"Hm?"

DAY's gaze was fixated on another point of the cavern instead. She gestured towards it, locking NIGHT's pinky as a call for the player's attention. She obliged.

"I think there's another path down that route. Their voices are echoing off the walls." Another tilt of her head signaled pause, before the woman turned to the party. "Of course, since this is a cave, it's got to be dark. The crystals around here that keep it illuminated might've been broken by the cave-in."

"The crystals?"

NIGHT barely paid the environment much attention, and so only took notice with the light sources once DAY had pointed it out. The player hummed, moving towards the signaled crevice, eyes searching for any trace of the opening from where she was standing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And there was hesitancy to approach it further once Koga returned to DAY's side.

So she returned, with no luck in tow.

"Sure, but I think it would be better if we can move the targets out of the way." The woman looked towards the quarry, considering. If that seemed to be the damage, then removing what they could from the area would cause it to be unstable. Perhaps the construct had a point.

"We can ask around for supplies if we're leaning towards stability," NIGHT added, folding her arms. "But if you're keen on following DAY's suggestion, there might be something down that way." Her thumb stuck out of a fist, NIGHT pointed down her path from earlier, though doubt could be seen behind her sights. "Think you can spot a way in?"

ID203574 | LD8 | n/a.

Make a Searching or Lockpicking roll with a result of at least LD 14. (totems and consumable apply, but mods, addons and other buffs do not)

[Koga 0]

Koga considered what the AI had said. On one hand, if there was another entrance just outside the farmers' reach, it could save them the trouble of having to stabilize the entire cave, and the ability to communicate with them regardless would be helpful regardless. On the other, they hand no clue what the extend of the damage was to the cave's structural integrity.

"Let's see if we can find another way in," Koga finally said after a moment's thought. "Tell the others to stop moving the rocks. Let's not make things any worse than they already are, not until we know more at least," he told the trio of farmers. Quickly, they scurried off to do as Koga had instructed.

The party proceeded down the path that DAY had signaled earlier. At first, Koga could not hear a thing. But then...

"Is anyone out there!?"

The sound of feet shuffling along the dirt started and stopped quickly as Koga took a short sprint to where the voice was coming from. Sliding to his knees before a small hole in the side of a hill, it was hardly large enough for man to fit through.

"Hey! Can you hear us!?"

The world became a wash of desaturated colors, the contrast between them all sharpening as Koga's night vision activated as he peered into the hole. A small group of huddled together, dirty men, staring up at him. "Yeah! We hear you!"

Provide guidance to others by having the Night Vision mod active

[NIGHT 0]

"So they're behind this section of the cave?" NIGHT knocked on the rock wall with the curl of her fingers. Not that it was easy to see without what advantage Koga seemed to have -- she knew the man had slid down, and tried to avoid where he could've been besides. If anything was guiding her through the void, it was the sheer shine of her doppel's eyes -- a light in the darkness that, when the player felt a finger curl around her index once more, she knew wouldn't leave her for naught.

"Quieter," DAY had replied, though a nod of her head seemed to convey another message. Huddling close to the player, she shuffled through the crevice, one hand extended to the wall, thumb gliding across granite. NIGHT paced herself, following along, close enough that she could make out the construct's white mantle, but only slight. "You just need to find a way in. Somewhere around..."

Their voices faded, footsteps becoming soft. And almost as though taking advantage of a heightened sense, she could hear the shuffles of the farmers trapped within, the whispers of discussion as they attempted to rally each other. That hope was finally here.

NIGHT closed her eyes, letting herself tail the entity in spirit, and only opened them on instinct once she felt the construct push her against an edge. Not particularly sharp, but neither were natural formations gentle -- a breath on her skin, held so close made her want to rethink the efficacy of coming along for the questline.

She felt a tap on her left hand, and the warmth of DAY's figure. "Down this way," came the instruction, and so NIGHT followed, finding stale, cool air in the direction she was pointed to. Pressed tight against her environments, she couldn't tell if it was getting hard to breathe from the pressure or the tight clasp of her duplicate's hand, but felt it released once she'd eased her way through the gap, and a soft palm rubbed away at her own fingers.

An exhale was welcome for comfort.

They were headed downwards in the direction she was pointed towards. And NIGHT didn't understand how it had happened, but she did try to echo back to Koga with a sharp "Hey--"

"Shh."

Smooth skin, the space between one's index and thumb wrapped around NIGHT's mouth. A falter, and a low groan -- the entity was keeping watch on her with a look that could've matched a frown, if she could make out more details than just half-lidded eyes. For a moment, the player wondered if her lips had anything to do with the matter, before one of her hands were guided to open up the chat window via her shortcut. She followed, brain still hazy from the directions of her other, chopping up a reply* to Koga.

NIGHT: whrr u
NIGHT: i thnik rwer in
NIGHT: can u see me

* Note: A half-readable reply to Koga.

Navigate tight and narrow openings to help open a passage [Nimble addon].

[Koga 0]

The sound of NIGHT and DAY entering the cavern through the hole behind him caused the man to glance back. They would follow. Koga gestured for the farmers to start leading the way. Their sight within this dark place was better than most, probably accustomed to the near blackness after however many hours or days. Koga at least had the benefit of his night vision. He took frequent glances over his shoulder to ensure that NIGHT and DAY were keeping up. For some reason, he had thought that NIGHT had a the Night Vision mod as well, but as DAY lead her through the winding stone passage, he realized that that might not be the case. Hopefully she didn't bump her head.

Just a bit further ahead, Koga came upon the other farmers, each sitting on the ground, dusty, dirty. Some clutched their sides in pain, one's leg seemed to be a bloodied red, likely not noticeable to the others in this darkness. Not good.

A sharp call the Koga recognized as NIGHT came from behind, followed by a message appearing on his HUD.

Koga: Yes
Koga: Just ahead of you
Koga: Stay there i'll bring them to you

Koga began to get each of the farmers up, and one by one made them form a line, each a hand on the shoulder of the person ahead, those in middle helping those who had trouble walking. He then guided them all towards NIGHT.

"Let's get them through that hole, we came in through," he said softly once he was close enough. "I'll boost you and DAY up first, and then you guys help the others. I should be able to make it out on my own."

Navigate tight and narrow openings to help open a passage [Athletics].

[NIGHT 0]

"Oh, this is the tall factor, isn't it."

"I'll get her."

Two arms wrapped themselves around NIGHT's waist, and she'd nearly squeaked in the surprise.

"Be quiet," the entity hissed.

In the dark, she couldn't see anything -- and it was even worse looking at Koga and only identifying cryptid-light eyes as an indicator for her friend. At least DAY's own seemed familiar, and now they were behind her. NIGHT struggled to stay still as she felt herself lifted through the void, and only simmered once the corner of her foot hit an unseen edge. "Up you go," she heard her other breathe, and leaned forward to grapple onto flat rock mixed with gravel. She toppled onto it.

"I don't think she's able to see where the farmers are coming from." For some reason, all the player found herself capable of doing was making noise and being a literal weight. And she wasn't going to try and peer over the ledge she knew she was dangerously still on, for fear of falling or worse. Her heart nearly sank at incompetence, before DAY added, her blue eyes directed NIGHT's way, "But the farmers will listen to you. Direct them to block my line of sight while hoisting them up, and NIGHT should be able to see where to haul them up from."

In that moment, she couldn't tell if the entity was taking advantage of her affection for better or worse.

"You heard that, right?" DAY's head was bobbing in the darkness, and so NIGHT returned her own nod, knowing it would be visible in their vision.

One by one, she scooped up the farmers where she found them present, searching fervently in the dark for traces of their figure. Behind their silhouettes, NIGHT wondered if the construct was silently judging her, efficiency weakened by the hindrance of sight. It was only when they were on the last few of the troupe that DAY began to speak up.

"Be careful with that one. Injuries on their knees."

So she was careful and delicate, though not unalarmed. The next came with broken ribs, and the last two with bruised sides. Had NIGHT been stronger, perhaps the lifting would have gone without complaint. And the shifting of earth as the farmers cried out an objection, breaths seething low at the pain only reminded her of how DAY had told her to stay quiet from moments before. It wasn't without reason.

She hated when the entity was right.

As the party scrambled to the elevated platform, NIGHT looked over where she believed the bodies of the farmers to be. She knew she couldn't see them, nor check on the state of their injuries for the time being, but knowing they were in pain and they had to move quickly wasn't a good position to themselves in. She turned back to where DAY's pupils were, bright as a lantern, and queried in a whisper. "You'd benefit from a Mass Healing Crystal, wouldn't you?"

The construct paused, almost lost for a second, before nodding back slowly. That was enough confirmation for her, even if DAY wasn't sure of the outcome.

A click of her inventory, and a small orb came to be. Almost like a projector, though it didn't give off a bright enough glow to light up the cavern, it still pictured a cluster of stars upon the uneven walls. Speckles of white and gold, a sight she could barely behold.

If Bistro had been an artisan, surely her craftsmanship would've bested her own.

With a powerful force, she crushed Imugi's Inspiration in her hands. The orb shattered, like glass, and a ripple of its insides spilled what looked to be sand into air. In a whirl, they drifted towards the farmers, outlining their shapes in the dark, falling to where their injuries would've been.

NIGHT supposed the woman she detested with great reverence should have her appreciation repaid twofold, somehow soon.

Use First Aid or a healing consumable [Imugi's Inspiration; #174002-1].