[F13 - SP] The Wasteland Secrets | <<Nature’s Treasures: Little Eden>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Leaving the small settlement of Breath of Life had been far easier than Nari had expected. Her first arrival had been met with a collection of NPCs warning her against breaking any rules – the typical guard response to a newcomer arriving at their doorstep. She had expected some sort of final words on her way out – but as she left the main area, and ventured into the wilds beyond, most of the NPCs had simply ignored her.

Which was, of course, fine with her. The less she had to stumble through words, the better. She had breathed a sigh of relief as she cleared the last line of militia that wandered around the edges of the small civilisation – if it could be called that in true earnest.

Now she could focus on finding this Nemo – someone who would apparently lead her to a secret dungeon that she could mine to her heart’s delight. The rumour had hit her ears and immediately driven out any other plans she had. She knew that this was far too good of an opportunity to pass up – especially if she wanted to truly perfect and move forward in her profession as a blacksmith.

The rumours had led her to Floor 13, and eventually to the small settlement of Breath of Life, before the trail had gone cold for a couple of days. Eventually, she had heard that the NPC had been spotted just beyond the edges of the territory, somewhere out near the edges of the northern fields.

Collecting herself and Yuki – and preparing as best as she could for the journey, Nari made her way out into the wild lands, ready to collect everything she could possibly find along the way.

The day passed relatively quickly, all things considered, and although she made a few stops and sidetracks along the way, she eventually found herself in an area covered in sickly moss and open rocks. She had spotted a form, humanoid in shape and slow moving, from a distance and had made her way towards it – her sword and shield at the ready, just in case there was some mistaking the possibilities.

Approaching the form, she called out, trying to announce herself as soon as she thought she could catch the figures attention. From her vantage point, she could only catch the form of a person within a set of plain clothes, a flash of a green apron on the forefront of them, and a straw sunhat that seemed to block the view of any facial features.

As the form stood up and turned to face Nari, she realised it was a man – who carried a kind face and a soft smile at her beckoning. She felt herself ease slightly at his appearance, noticing almost immediately that there was no sign of any weapons that could be considered a threat.

‘I wonder what he’s doing out here…’ Nari glanced around the area, trying to find any insight into what could possibly have brought the NPC this far away from any signs of civilisation. Her eyes were well trained to spot details, but nothing she saw gave her any insight into his possible motives.

“Oh, hello.” His voice sounded sweet and unafeared to her ears, and although it didn’t put her immediately at ease – something that likely would’ve also caused her mind to become immediately alert, in response – it didn’t have an edge to it that spoke of wanting to be undisturbed.

“Uhm, hello. Are you Nemo?” Her own voice carried a hint of uncertainty and restraint, an obvious sign to herself that she didn’t want to be here – but she figured that the NPC wouldn’t be able to catch or understand such emotions; at least she hoped that was the case.

“You must be here searching for something. I too, am looking for something…something very precious to me. I thought I would find it here, but…” He waved his arm at the area around him, pulling her attention to the soured vegetation and rot that seemed to be overwhelming any possible attempt at life returning to the land. His expression turned dark for a moment, and Nari felt a sudden jump in her heart, wondering if she had somehow triggered a dangerous situation. Almost immediately the soft smile returned, and the NPC continued his commentary. “Well, it wasn’t to be found here. Maybe one day, but not today.”

He stopped and smiled at Nari, waiting for her response. She hadn’t quite thought this far ahead, and was just trying to figure out exactly what she should ask in order to start the quest, when the words simply slipped out of her lips, breaking the silence that had been growing.

“I’m looking for a garden that provides the most wonderful resources – somewhere where one can find everything they’re ever looking for, and more. A place…of beauty.” Nari felt herself smile slightly at how well the words had come out, even though she hadn’t needed to think about them first. Maybe all her time with Iris was having an effect on her.

“I know of the place you speak of, and I could lead you there…if you wanted me to.” Something about his words had Nari hesitant. He didn’t sound…aggressive, but there was certainly something there that was setting off alarm bells in her mind.

Shrugging it aside as simply her being a nervous wreck around people of any sort – real or virtually creature – she nodded in response, waving a hand through the air. “I would appreciate that; I would love to see the place…to explore its many wonders. Assuming that you don’t mind leading me there, of course – I realise it’s a lot to ask…”

Nari's Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 260/260 | EN: 44/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

Tier 2 Level

Equipped Items

Wølf Fang Blade [One-Handed Straight Sword; Perfect] A hand and a half blade with a silver cross hilt, the blade itself is coloured a dark blood red that glimmers in the light. The hilt, wrapped in a black leather, is long enough for two hands to hold, with a small silver round pommel on its finishing end. | Enhancement: Keen [2 Slot] | Effect: After a successful attack, gain +(1 per slot) BD. Keen expires once you exit combat. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.) | Enhancement: Bleed [1 Slot] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 deal (12 * Tier) unmitigated bleed damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Bleed damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The highest tier of Bleed damage overrides lower tier versions; cannot be overridden by lower-tier versions.

Frost of Defiance [Heavy/Plate Armour] Glittering with a hint of ice blue colour, this plate armour has a near-frozen appearance to it, as if ice rests on its surface at all times. Along its edge lines are a shifting ice blue and dark purple colouring, seemingly drifting in and out between the two colours with no clear path. | Mitigation [2 Slots] | Effect:  Prevent (12 * Tier) damage from successful attacks against you.

Lanreth's Defender [Heater Shield] Black outline with a dark purple interior, red howling wolf painted in the centre. | Enhancement: Thorns [1 Slot] | Effect: Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (9 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Only activates on damage dealing, melee attacks.

Battle-Ready Inventory

Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III

Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III

Weapon Skills

Straight Sword Skill Rank 5 Passive Effect: +7 DMG

Sword Arts

[x12] ST-I (12 EN) | A single-target sword art.

[x15] ST-II (15 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.

[x20] ST-B (20 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll.

[x11] AOE-I (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.

[x14] AOE-II (14 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.

[x12] TECH-A (13 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

[x12] TECH-B (12 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a status condition that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn.

[x3] RAW-A (10 EN) | THORNS | A single-target sword art that utilizes the [Thorns] of the individual against the enemy. Other types of enhancements that apply damage upon contact with the individual are also considered in improving the damage of this sword art (eg. Immolation Potion, Flame/Frost Aura, etc). Outgoing damage is considered mitigatable.  Must have a weapon equipped to activate this sword art. Unlock Condition: Have the skill [Heavy Armor].

Armour Skills

Heavy Armor Rank 2 Passive Effect: MIT + 12. You can only benefit from one armour skill at a time (the respective armour type must be equipped). Your evasion is capped at 1 enhancement slot and you take -1 to Stealth Rating per rank.

Combat Mastery

Combat Mastery: Mitigation Rank 1 Passive Effect: Gain +12 Mitigation.

Spoiler

Word Count: 950

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nemo seemed to look at the area around him, as if not sure whether or not he was ready to lead Nari, before suddenly nodding and turning in a more northward direction. He called back to her as he began heading off, casting his voice over his shoulder as he went.

“Come, it’s this way. It’s a bit of a journey, though. I hope you don’t mind walking a bit.”

Nari quickly followed after him, hopping from rock to rock where the ground itself was less than passable for her nimble feet. She admired the way that he moved so fluidly through the area, obviously not limited by its broken and torn terrain. It took her a moment to catch up enough to provide her response, but when she did so, she noticed that she was already starting to like this NPC – it reminded her of someone else she had met a while ago.

“I don’t mind a little bit of walking, it helps keep the body prepared and in good shape.” Her mind thought back to her real world form, which had been laying prone for years now – and wondered for a moment what it would look like from the lack of exercise, or just general movement. She felt herself shudder at the thought, as she realised that most of her muscle would have been lost – if not all of it. A sickly image drove to the fore of her mind, and Nari had to fight to push it away, feeling a sickness coming to her stomach.

She tried not to think about the real world too much – other than to keep it in mind as her goal through all of this. It hurt far too much to consider what was happening out there, while she was trapped in here.

“So…uhm…Nemo, what were you doing out here, anyways?” Nari asked, trying to drive away the thoughts of the real world by engaging the NPC in a bit of conversation as she followed him through the corrupted undergrowth. She was curious as well, but hadn’t planned on asking until her mind had decided to betray her with those ugly images.

“Hmm…? Oh, I was examining the lands to see if there was any way to stop the corrupting that was spreading across it all. So far all that has happened is a minor stall of its progression, but perhaps one day, maybe, we can bring this land back to life in entirety.” The guide turned to Nari as he spoke, maintaining his forward movement without any appearance of trouble even though he was not completely paying attention to where he was stepping. The smile returned to the NPC’s face, as if he were imagining just such a day in his mind.

Nari nodded, understanding his desire to bring beauty back to such an ugly world – a world that had been destroyed through no fault of its own. She wished to see that day as well, when the corruption was pushed back and beauty flowed freely again into all the lands – but she knew that would never happen here. The Cardinal system would make sure of that.

Spoiler

Word Count: 526

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The two walked a few moments in silence as Nari tried imagining the land around her lush and beautiful once more – something that proved far harder than she had ever expected. Although she tried, she could only see the corrupted slime that covered everything, the broke and jagged rocks that appeared within the split ground. None of the beauty of natural growth appeared before her nor in her mind’s eye, and she felt a pang of regret. She wished that she too, could imagine such a nice place, but it just wasn’t to be.

“I…think that’s a beautiful ideal, Nemo. I’ll admit I can’t envision it myself, but I would love to one day see that come to reality…if it ever does.” Nari’s voice was tinged with sadness as she knew that she likely wouldn’t be around for such a day – she was sure it would either occur once they cleared the game, or long after the game had consumed her entirely. Either way, it was a nice sentimental, and she hoped that the NPC could hear the honesty in her voice.

“I hope for that too, if only because it means that the lands are recovering from the blight that had spread across them. They say that nature will always find a way, but…I fear that in this case, its only way may be death in finality. I fear that one day I shall awaken to find all is lost, that the corruption has spread too far and consumed all that once lived upon these lands.” She wasn’t sure, but she felt as though she could almost hear the sadness in his voice – as if he truly were despairing the loss of the natural world that had been slowly dying off on this floor. If so, Nari had to admit that she was impressed – it was unlike an NPC to show such emotion, such connection, with the world – and bring it to words that carried more than just a scripted feeling to them.

“That would be a horrible thing to find…” Nari let the silence consume them for a few moments as she continued to follow the man along the path he was making. She had drawn into herself, but, realising there was more to say, shook off the feeling. “I don’t think I could stand that – I think I would do anything to prevent it. If I were given the option…”

Nemo came to a sudden stop, and Nari looked around, expecting to see that they had reached their destination. Her eyes flicked back to the NPC, who was staring at her, an expression of confusion and…something else, on his face. She felt herself naturally reach towards the sword that she had sheathed as she began following Nemo, readying herself in case things suddenly turned violent.

‘Did I…misread him? Did I upset him somehow? I…I don’t think I said anything wrong…but…why is he staring at me like that? Something about his stance made her question what was going on – he didn’t appear ready to strike out at her by any means, and as she glanced around she saw no obvious signs of a trap. Yet his entire body showed a tension that hadn’t been there moments before. Realising she had no choice but to wait for his response, she remained silent, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything else coming towards them, her hand not drifting far from the hilt of her weapon, and her shield twitching as her own muscles prepared to launch into action if she needed them.

Spoiler

Word Count: 593

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The wind seemed to pick up slightly as Nari and the NPC eyed each other, neither moving. The tingling feeling in her spine, near her lower back, had begun to spread throughout her body as the entire frozen scenario continued – something about the whole setting off her internal alarms. She knew that some of the NPCs acted different from the typical ones you came across constantly, but everything about this Nemo character was far beyond what she had expected – even from something as advanced as the Cardinal system.

Eventually, Nemo seemed to break from his trance as he turned back towards the direction they had been heading, slowly making his way along the terrain once more. He called back to Nari, not turning around. “Would you give everything, if you could save but a small amount of something?”

The words shocked Nari, and she felt herself stumble as she trailed after the man. Her mind raced for a moment – wondering if he had somehow looked into her soul, and seen what had been hidden away there. She shook herself at the thought – before tossing it aside as impossible. ‘Even the Cardinal system isn’t that advanced…it couldn’t pierce into ones very soul and see what was hiding there, no matter how advanced the AIs might be.’

Even though she knew it wasn’t possible, she still felt uncomfortable with the words that the man had spoken. They had been far too close to a mindset that she had been considering, especially lately. It was just…too much, too soon.

‘Would you give everything, if you could save but a small amount of something?’ The words echoed in her mind as she followed the man along his path, trying to determine the answer for herself. She had long dwelled on this, trying to determine who she was as a player – as a person. ‘Would I give everything…? Would I be willing to end it all, to save others…?’

“I have an answer…to your question.” Her words once again broke the silence that had fallen between them, and Nemo turned to look at her, coming to a stop again. Nari fumbled for a moment, trying to organise her response as he stared at her, patiently waiting. “You asked if I would give everything, to save a small amount of something…And I would. I would give everything to save the people trapped here – the people like me. I would be willing to give myself, if it meant that they continued on…”

A smiling face of a young girl flashed through Nari’s mind as her words drifted off, a face she had come to miss so much. She felt her heart tighten as the face shifted through her mind, the smile echoed by a laugh, something that she had also come to enjoy hearing. ‘I would give it all, if only to allow them to continue…’

Spoiler

Word Count: 479

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nemo seemed content with the answer, and nodded as the words left her mouth and reached his ears. A small, sad smile appeared on his face – as if he knew the feelings that were running through her heart at that very moment. And perhaps he did, Nari couldn’t very well say for sure – but for the briefest of moments, she felt a connection with this man she had never before met. A connection bonded between a willingness to die for what you loved.

“Come, it is not much farther now, and then you will see the gardens of Little Eden. I believe it will fill your heart with joy, and take away the sadness and despair that seems to linger there now.” Without waiting for a response from her, Nemo continued onwards, leading her further and further into the wild lands. Nari felt an excitement at the prospect of a garden named Little Eden – wondering if it was a representation of the gardens found in the holy texts of many religions. Although she herself was not a believer, she had read many of those texts, and had always enjoyed the idea of such gardens. They always seemed so peaceful, so relaxing – somewhere where one did not have to worry about the terrible things found in the real world.

She followed the man in silence for a while, her thoughts turned inwards once more as she considered everything they had discussed during their walk to this point. She was still trying to figure out exactly how an NPC could create such connection and dialogue, when she suddenly noticed that they had both stopped moving. Nemo stood before what appeared to be two standing stones, smiling slightly at her in a welcoming way.

As soon as Nari’s eyes focused on him, the NPC spoke. “We’ve arrived. I would like to welcome you to Little Eden, my own little paradise within this land of disease and despair. Please, follow me, I’ll show you around.”

With that Nemo turned and walked between the two stones, a sudden flash of blue light as the teleportation gate activated, taking the NPC to the next area. Nari hesitated – not quite ready to just wander into somewhere she wasn’t familiar with, but also realising that forward was the only way to go if she was ever planning on finding this garden…this Little Eden.

Heaving a sigh, she decided that there was no other choice, and reaching up to give Yuki a slight pat of comfort – for herself or the fox she wasn’t quite sure – she stepped towards the teleporter. Closing her eyes as she stepped in, she heard the hum of the air around her, and the sudden flash of light against her closed eyes as the pad activated, taking her from her current location to wherever she was bound to end up.

Spoiler

Word Count: 475

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The view that greeted her was beyond what she had expected – lush gardens roaming as far as the eye could see. Animals of various designs roamed, none similar to anything she had seen before. She felt herself transfixed by the visage before her, and only shook herself free at the sudden sound of Nemo’s voice before her.

“Welcome, to my garden. Little Eden. The beauty and splendor here is...something I have come to adore, and love – with all of my being.” His voice carried that odd tone again, and Nari wondered once more what about him was so comforting and alarming at the same time. She couldn’t place her finger on it, and deciding that there was no unravelling the mystery – at least not yet – she began to move throughout the paths in the garden, looking for anything that stood out against the lush gardens.

‘I did come here for a specific purpose, after all…’

ID203529 | LD: 8 | Material Search | Failure [+3EXP; 85/149]

Spoiler

Word Count: 155

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her eyes constantly drawn back to the numerous flora and fauna that roamed across the terrain before her, Nari found herself unable to properly focus on finding anything of value. Her eyes trailed behind some wolflike creatures that seemed to almost...frolic…through the numerous plants a distance away. Engorged in the scenery, she found herself simply standing and watching the environment around her, taking it all in.

Eventually – after some time, she knew not how long – she shook herself back to consciousness. She decided that she would continue searching this place, collect as much as she could, and then inform the Gardener about it – just in case he was not already aware of this place, or to reminisce about what she had found here.

Her eyes swung over the many plants along the side of the trail, trying to pick out the materials that always appeared as a shiny metallic feature to her eyes. She found herself having to constantly force her focus back as it attempted to drift, the entire area drawing her focus far too often as if mesmerised by everything here.

ID203531 | LD: 1 | Material Search | Failure [+3EXP; 88/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 183

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t break the fascination that was overpowering her. She wondered if this is how the Gardener had viewed the plants within his own garden, with such wonder and amazement at everything that was to be found – he certainly had been focused on them with what Nari had almost viewed as a reverence towards the plants. She made a mental note to ask him about it the next time they met, should they ever meet again.

Shaking herself, she turned back and realised that she had strayed from the path every so slightly, towards one of the groups of wolflike creatures. Seeing them up closer, she saw how their forms seemed to be covered in the very nature of this garden itself – grasses, vines and flowers seeming to sprout from their very form as if a second coat. The imagery was both beautiful, and somehow disturbing – as if the world itself was trying to consume them and return them to the earth that they had risen from.

Forcing her eyes downwards, Nari tried to once again return to her search, knowing that she could spend forever here and never find all the answers she was searching for. But maybe, just maybe she could find some of those materials she needed – or so she hoped, at least.

ID203533 | LD: 10 | Material Search | Failure [+3EXP; 91/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 222

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She felt the frustration rising within her as her search once again turned up nothing of consequence. Although the areas themselves were truly breathtaking, she was starting to wonder if the rumours about the materials to be found here were just that – rumours, with no truth behind them, no actual worth. She felt herself cursing the words that had sent her upon this path, rushing forwards without any hesitation or insight into their value, their validity. She had been foolish to just rush off.

‘Next time, I’ll scout the situation out better. I promise. I won’t just rush off anymore without any sort of preparation, without any real consideration behind the rumours themselves. That’s just…foolish.’

While she continued to curse inwardly at herself, she began pulling back some of the plants along the side of the path, careful not to damage them in any way, but looking beneath them for any signs of what she was searching for.

ID203535 | LD: 4 | Material Search | Failure [+3EXP; 94/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 158

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She found nothing beneath the plants, which wasn’t too surprising – she hadn’t actually expected it to be that easy, seeing as it had refused to behave for her thus far. Giving a few choice curses towards the Cardinal system itself, Nari collected herself, deciding that there would only be one way to solve this issue. Closing her eyes, she spun on her heels, snapping them open again as she came to a stop, and walking in the direction she faced for sixteen paces. When she reached the point, she turned suddenly, walking to the left for another six paces, before beginning her search once more, hoping that she would have more success in a new, random position.

‘Worst comes to worst, I could look towards the creatures…I’m sure they’d have materials to drop if I could take one of them on…’ She didn’t like the idea of attacking the creatures – she was confident she could hold her own, but the creatures themselves seemed to like to remain together, and as a pack they appeared capable and dangerous. Something that she wasn’t willing to risk, at least not yet.

ID203536 | LD: 13 | CD: 4 | Material Search | Success (1 Material) [+5EXP; 99/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 188

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

‘Ha! Found one!’ Nari picked up the shining material, bringing it up to her face to inspect closer. She felt herself smile, it was a small success, but a success nonetheless. Turning to face back towards the pad she had arrived on, she showed the material to Nemo, calling out to him.

“Take a look at what I found! It’s…” The words died in her throat as his face turned slightly darker, clearly not sharing her enthusiasm for the materials she had found. She wasn’t sure what to make of the sudden shift in pleasantness on his face, but she knew that something had clearly upset the man. ‘Maybe he doesn’t like me rummaging through his flowers?’

Deciding to be more careful, Nari made her way back to the pathway, determined to keep out of the gardens themselves as she continued her search, hoping that she would find something along the edges – if only in the hopes to keep Nemo from being upset with her. She felt like she owed him that much, at least, seeing as he had showed her the way here. It would be rude not to show a small amount of kindness, considering that one minor detail.

ID203538 | LD: 15 | CD: 7 | Material Search | Success (3/4 Materials) [+8EXP; 107/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 201

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari felt herself beaming at her recent find – she went from absolutely nothing, to well, everything almost all at once. She knew that the foraging skills were helping her beyond anything, but still – it felt great to actually have success. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she could see the growing annoyance of Nemo. His face was slowly becoming darker by the minute as she continued her search, and Nari started to wonder if she was doing something…wrong.

‘I…he brought me here, isn’t this why we’re here…?’ She began playing over everything that had occurred on their trip here. She had informed him the purpose of what she was looking for, hadn’t she? Thinking back over it all, she tried to remember if she had explicatively told him the reason she was looking for the garden – her hands continuing to push through the foliage as she did so, maintaining their constant search for those shiny metal bars that were like a treasure find to her.

ID203541 | LD: 11 | CD: 6 | Material Search | Success (2/6 Materials) [+8EXP; 115/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 167

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her unconscious searched turn up more of the shiny bars, her collection quickly growing now that she was starting to have some success – it seemed like this trip wouldn’t be a waste after all, at least not entirely. She wondered just how long she could stay here, looking for the materials that were clearly more well hidden than she had originally expected. Glancing about, she took note of the positions of the nearest mobs of creatures, adjusting her own path to stay well away from them.

Making sure to stay on the path itself, Nari continued her slow search along the edges, her eyes constantly roaming around – not just watching for dangers, but also keeping an eye on the landscape itself. She had to admit that the area was absolutely breathtaking, even if it had caused her some frustration. She admitted to herself that even had she not have found the materials themselves, just being able to come and see this place would’ve been well worth the trip – or at least, in time, once she had gotten over her anger at failure.

ID203543 | LD: 13 | CD: 11 | Material Search | Success (2/8 Materials) [+8EXP; 123/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 182

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

As she found yet another collection of items, her grin split the entirety of her face – beaming with joy at the success she was now having. She felt as though that high from her first time out searching with Yuki was returning – that feeling of unsuppressed elation at having so much luck. She knew that she shouldn’t let it consume her – that it would hurt much more when she did eventually fail to find something, yet she couldn’t quite push the feeling away entirely.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nemo standing off in the distance, his appearance getting more and more angry as she continued her search. She found herself wondering again what could possibly have upset the man that she felt she had connected well with on the walk over – and yet, nothing came to mind. Putting it aside, if only for the moment, she returned to her task at hand, carefully palming aside the plants in her search, trying desperately to leave as little trace of her time there as possible. Maybe that would make Nemo happier – if she left the place as she had found it?

ID203545 | LD: 17 | CD: 11 | Material Search | Success (3/11 Materials) [+8EXP; 131/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 193

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

This time she found three of the bars buried just beneath the roots of a tall plant that reminded her of an overgrown lily – the petals a soft blue against the otherwise green backdrop. Nari had to admit that the colour was a nice contrast, and truly eye catching. Tempted to pick the flower to retain for later, she reminded herself that likely Nemo would find that truly offensive, and decided against the action – instead focusing on it for a few moments longer to ensure that it was trapped within her memory.

Not yet content with her finds, Nari pushed onwards, trying to mimic the movements and carefulness that the Gardener had portrayed during the meeting they had had in the garden of his design. She moved her fingers gracefully, so as not to damage any part of the plant, allowing her touch to glide along the stem and roots, shifting away whenever the plant seemed to resist her push.

ID203546 | LD: 19 | CD: 11 | Material Search | Success (3/14 Materials) [+8EXP; 139/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 160

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Turning her face to the sky – basking in the artificial light that sprawled down upon her face, Nari couldn’t help but beam. Her trip was turning out to be a large success, far greater than she had ever expected – and she was almost content with what she had found so far. Laying her head against Yuki’s small frame on her shoulders, she decided that she would give one final push for anything that could be found, before thanking Nemo and making her way back towards civilisation once more.

At the thought of the NPC, Nari’s gaze shifted across the garden, back to where the man stood near the teleport pad. His expression was only turning darker the longer they stayed here, and Nari began to wonder if maybe it was the place itself that was causing such anger within the man – perhaps it was anger directed towards the reminder that such a garden had once survived beyond the portal, covering the floor outside as lushly as it did here. Whatever the reason, she felt a sudden chill down her spine, and rushed to do her final collections before leaving this place behind.

ID203547 | LD: 14 | CD: 6 | Material Search | Success (2/16 Materials) [+8EXP; 147/149EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 192

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Storing away the materials she had gathered, Nari dusted herself off – patting her hands against her body to wipe away the dirt and grime that she had managed to collect in her slow search throughout the garden. She felt the smile spread across her face as she realised just how successful she’d been – she would certainly have to return here with the Gardener one day, once she was able to find him again.

Turning, she made her way back towards the teleporter pad, glancing about as she went just in case anything else stood out to her. The closer she got, the greater the view of Nemo’s face she got, and she began to truly become worried – the man truly seemed to be losing his patience here. Nari quickened her step, determined to get him back out into the other lands, away from what was clearly causing him some sort of distress – although she wasn’t entirely sure why he would be so upset in such a beautiful place.

As she approached the man, she raised a hand to wave in greeting, but she came to a sudden stop as the man’s voice echoed across the garden towards her, booming over the otherwise quiet area.

“You dare to defile this sacred place, by thieving from it?” Nari hesitated, unsure what the man was talking about. She stared at him for a moment before managing to bring a response to her lips, her voice full of confusion.

“I-I..I didn’t-thieving? I’m not thieving. I’m just collecting things, so that I can help people…by…making them…” Her voice faltered as she saw the growing anger on the man’s face, the sudden rage taking over the once-happy and welcoming expression. She felt herself backing up slightly, trying to put distance between them. ‘What…what is going on here?’

ID203548 | LD: 12 | CD: 7 | Material Search | Success (2/18 Materials) [+8EXP; 155/299EXP]

Spoiler

Word Count: 301

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari watched in horror as the man before her began to morph and change, his shape shifting away from the humanoid male whom had stood before her just a moment ago. As the light faded away, Nari took in Nemo’s true form – seeing the creature before her glimmering against the sunlight above. She felt her throat catch – not in fear, but in awe of the thing before her. Green scales covered an immense body, the wings unfurling along what would likely be its arms. Nari almost failed to notice the sudden change in health and details that appeared above the head of what she had just known as Nemo.

“You have dared to defile my lands, my hoards. I will not allow you to leave this place, ever. You shall fall, as others before you have fallen.” Nari glanced up at the health bar and name – which read as Nemo the Wind of Gaia – suddenly realising that she may have made a grave mistake getting involved in this quest.

She knew that there was only one thing to do now – to fight, as though her life depended on it. Which, at this point, she was fairly certain it did. Drawing her sword, she readied herself into her standard stance, bringing her shield out before her as she waited for an opening in the dragon’s defences to show itself.

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 260/260 | EN: 44/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

 

Nemo, the Wind of Gaia | HP: 206/206 | DMG: 72 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

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.

Combat Start

Round One

ID203550 | BD: 3 | <<ST-I vs. Nemo the Wind of Gaia>>

The strike misses! (-2 EN)

ID203551 | BD: 8 | <<Nemo the Wind of Gaia vs. Nari>>

The strike hits!

| 72 - 36 = 36 DMG

|Thorns = 9 DMG
 

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 224/260 | EN: 42/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

 

Nemo, the Wind of Gaia | HP: 197/206 | DMG: 72 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

Spoiler

Word Count: 228

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari’s form hesitated as she stared up at the large dragon descending on her – too late, she remembered to strike out with her blade, attempting to slash across the dragon’s feet as it lowered itself for an attack. She felt the blade slide across the hard scales, catching on a toe nail before bouncing off harmlessly. She felt herself brace against the attack she knew was coming, bringing her shield up in a play to put it between herself and the claws that were descending towards her.

She felt the impact as the dragon lashed out against her – tossing her backwards into the dirt, the impact forcing her to exhale forcefully. The impact drove her senses from her for a moment – and she wondered suddenly as the dragon reared back, before realising that her shield had come to her rescue – not so much dampening the blow, but striking back as she took the brunt of the dragon’s strike. It wasn’t much, but it gave her some breathing room.

Pulling herself to her feet, she readied herself again – the blade pointed directly at the dragon as she prepared for its next strike. ‘You’re going down here, Nemo…You shit faced traitor.’

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 224/260 | EN: 44/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

 

Nemo, the Wind of Gaia | HP: 197/206 | DMG: 72 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

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.

 

Round Two

ID203552 | BD: 2 | <<ST-I vs. Nemo the Wind of Gaia>>

The strike misses! (-2 EN)

ID203553 | BD: 1 | <<Nemo the Wind of Gaia vs. Nari>>

The strike misses!

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 224/260 | EN: 42/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

 

Nemo, the Wind of Gaia | HP: 197/206 | DMG: 72 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

Spoiler

Word Count: 199

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She was ready this time as the dragon rushed towards her, the claws raking forward in another attempt to slam into her. At the last second, Nari spun on her heels, twisting around the side and out of reach of the dragon – but also managing to miss the connection with her own backswing as she did so. Unphased – sometimes things just didn’t work out – she returned herself to a ready position, tracking the beast as it moved through the sky, before landing several paces away.

“Is that the best you’ve got? If so, this is going to end very quickly, and not in your favour. I’m coming for you.” Her voice rang out, surprisingly cool considering that things were not looking in her favour at the moment. Her heart, however, remained as calm as it always did in such scenarios, and she felt no fear running through her mind, nor her body. Everything felt…right.

The dragon gave a slightly roar – either in annoyance, or just because it was readying itself to tear her to pieces – whatever the cause, Nari stood her ground. As the beast came closer, she felt time slow down, things moving in an odd pattern.

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 224/260 | EN: 44/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

 

Nemo, the Wind of Gaia | HP: 197/206 | DMG: 72 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

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.

 

Round Three

ID203554 | BD: 10 | <<ST-I vs. Nemo the Wind of Gaia>>

The strike hits! Major critical hit! (+2 DMG)

| 96 - 50 + 2 = 48 DMG

| Keen (+2 BD)

ID203555 | BD: 7 | <<Nemo the Wind of Gaia vs. Nari>>

The strike hits!

| 72 - 36 = 36 DMG

| Thorns = 9 DMG

| Bleed 12 unmitigated damage (1/2 turns)

Nari-Lanreth| Lv. 13 | HP: 188/260 | EN: 32/44 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 |

| STH: -2 | KEEN [+2BD] | BLEED [12 DMG] | THORNS [9 DMG]

 

Nemo, the Wind of Gaia | HP: 128/206 | DMG: 72 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 50

Spoiler

Word Count: 198

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results