[PP-01] The Good Old Days, Redux <<DHA 1>>

[Freyd 0]

Flipping the item over every which way, Freyd honestly couldn't recall where he'd picked up the heavy tome.  It was found, buried in one of many piles of junk that Quip kept threatening to set ablaze if he didn't get around to sorting or purging on his own.

"It kinda looks like a colouring book," he muttered trying to open it with one hand while the other struggled to simultaneously help him sip at his coffee.  He'd already spilled a cup of the precious, life-giving fluid, staining a dozen pages and spilling more all over the ground.

"Marv, do me a favour and just..."  Tucking what should more accurately be called a folio than a proper manuscript under the NPC's arm, it was sheer convenient coincidence that the gate guards were posed in the proper manner to do so.  Thinking it balanced, Freyd quickly gathered up all the sheets he'd already dropped.  

Meanwhile, all around, dozens of players puttered while pretending hard that they weren't watching the comical scene where one of the most powerful of their kin couldn't manage to keep his papers in order.  Persi, busy preening herself on the ledge next to Marv's back simply rolled her slotted azure eyes at the great lummox's incompetence and pressed down on the extra pages he'd left at her side before they blew away in a sudden breeze.

Truth be told, Freyd was more nervous about giving Elora her gift, long awaited, so that they could return to their adventures, just like back in the good old days.  His present fuss was focused around the fact that this assemblage of parchment offered clues to some new version of the Dragon Hunter quests, which she and Katoka and once worked on with him, until... until time and Shadow got in the way.

@Elora@Katoka

***

Freyd | HP: 1100/1100 | EN: 144/144 | DMG: 24 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 7 | BH: 60 | LD: 5 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8

Freyd shares: Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (6/6) - takes one piece + filled

Full Stats:

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 106
HP: 1100/1100
EN: 144/144

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 78
Evasion: 2
Accuracy: 4 (+3)
Battle Healing: 60
Loot Dice: 5
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T4 MA | HLY 2 | FLN 2)
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb (T4 LA | Mit 2 | Rec 2)
Misc: Fight O'er Flight (T4 Trinket - ACC 2 | EVA 2)

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Martial Arts R5
Battle Healing R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Charge
Energist
Quick Change
Extended Mod Limit

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Untraceable
Vanish
Surprise Attack (Assassin)

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Hiding R5

Inactive Extra Skills:
Meditation
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk: The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 Demonic WH, AA, Blight, Static, Para.Ven (Off)) x1

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited July 15, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

"It doesn't seem right.", she remarked to the tainted mirror's distorted reflection of her likeness, "What's the point of having gigantic sleeves if it doesn't even cover my chest?!" Her eyes glanced downwards and over to Borris, her familiar, as the tiny rock golem teetered and spun in confused circles between her feet. "I swear, people wear the weirdest sh*t in this game...I really should see if there's a way to get something more, well, 'me' made for me.", she paused for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe I should go back to that haunted cabin with all of the creepy mannequins?" The dull rumblings of stones rolling over wood stopped abruptly as Borris expressed his disagreement. "You're right -- that's probably not the best idea." Twisting to regard her posterior, she sighed, "I just feel like I should wear something special for getting my new spear, and my old outfit just felt -- like it belonged with my rookie weapon, I guess. I'm TIER 4 now! Doesn't that mean it's time for change?" 

Borris offered no response. She sometimes despised his stoic nature.

"Well, whatever, it'll have to do for now. Freyd and Katoka are supposed to be in town any minute now, and I don't wanna keep 'em waiting. We can save wardrobe wandering and spirit searching for some other time --." Crouching down, she offered a gauntleted arm to Borris, who contently clambered around her right wrist. With a heft, lift, and skidding of an unhinged doorway, she headed to the famed rendezvous spot of a familiar shadow.

"Using Marv as your personal coffee table again, are you?", she joked during her approach "This poor man has had to spectate so many of your shenanigans." With a tap to her 'bracelet', Borris broke his magnetic bonds and scattered across the cobblestone street. His rogue stones rolled to a rest atop multiple unsupervised manuscripts, acting as a paperweight until Elora had the time to collect and stack them up.

"Mark my words, he's gonna be the next NPC to develop AI JUST SO THAT he can finally abandon this post!", she laughed as she handed the papers to him. After a moment's hesitation, Elora added, "It's nice to see you again. Sorry I've been a bit...reclusive these past few weeks. I'm still trying to sort through everything that's happened. And --", she glanced down briefly, "Trying to figure out what to make of this..."

"Well, this!", she said, vaguely gesturing to all of her. I'm sure he'll understand what to make of all of that..., she reassured herself.

***

Elora | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 66 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 6 | BH: 35 | LD: 3 | AA | BLGT: 32 | FLN: 8 | REC: 3 | STK: 40

Elora consumes 1 portion of Freyd's ACC feasts

Spoiler

Elora
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 5
HP: 700/700
EN: 104/104

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 66
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 4 (+2)
Battle Healing: 35
Loot Dice: 3
AA
BLGT: 32
FLN: 8
REC: 3
STK: 40

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Essential Verdigris (T4 Dem Polearm | AA | Blgt | FLN | STK)
Armor: Skirmisher's Garb (T3 Perf LA | MIT 2 | EVA 1)
Misc: Black Zephyr's Zeal (T3 Perf Trinket | ACC 2 | REC 1)

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Polearm R5
Light Armor R5
Battle Healing R5
Charge
Energist
Searching R3

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Stamina
Precision
Focus
Resolve

Active Extra Skills:
Concentration

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
ITEM x1

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

It wasn't often that Katoka got down to the first floor anymore. She walked slowly from the teleport gate towards Freyd's favorite meet up spot, near Marv the guard. She decided that she would take her time today and take in the sights of the various players and NPCs going about their business. It was always nice to see that despite being trapped in this virtual world, people could still live their lives as normally as possible.

Rounding a corner the samurai saw her two friends, the cowled Freyd and the green haired Elora, picking up various pieces of paper from the ground while balancing items on the poor guard nearby. "I take my time and don't arrive first and they decide to litter." she shook her head as a smile pulled at the corner of her lips, "Honestly Hanami, what am I going to do with the two of them?" Her familiar, a while furred dragon with sakura wood horns, curled out from around her neck and purred in her ear. 

"Yeah, we gave them enough alone time." Kat pet the dragon as it chirped in delight, it's body beginning to radiate with light before shooting down he front of her clothes and wrapping around her upper arm to rest in it's tattoo form. Katoka took a quick glance over her new outfit, smoothing some of the wrinkles out. It seemed like she wasn't the only one with a wardrobe change. Advancing towards the two and called out, "You two done flirting or do you need more alone time?"

Taking a look over the two she arched a brow, "Wow Elora, interesting wardrobe choice. Really accentuates the assets." she grinned and looked own at her new clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---
Katoka | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 6 | BH: 30 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 3 | STK: 40

Katoka Consumes: Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (6/6) - One Piece + Filling

Spoiler

Katoka, The Cerulean Storm
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 7
HP: 700/700
EN: 104/104

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Evasion: 1
Accuracy: 6
Battle Healing: 30
AA
BLGT: 32
P.V.O
REC: 3
STK: 40

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Raijin's Corruption (T4/Demonic/Katana) | Abs.Acc, Blight, Para.Ven (off), Static
Armor: Bushido Haori (T4/Perfect/Light Armor) | MIT 2, EVA 1
Misc: Black Zephyr’s Zeal (T3/Perfect/Trinket) | ACC 2, REC 1

Custom Skill:

Skills:
Battle Healing R4
Katana R5
Light Armor R5
Energist

Active Mods:
Meticulous
Vengeful Riposte

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Stamina
Resolve
Precision

Active Extra Skills:
Survival
Concentration
Parry

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleportation Crystal x5
Starter Healing Potion x3

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Col Stash: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
Basic Training: +5% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

[Freyd 0]

"Using Marv as your personal coffee table again, are you?"

"Actually, if you must know, he volunteered.  Just ask him!"  Marv just yawned.  Because that was about all Marv ever did, or probably could do.  Freyd still had his eyes to the ground, his higher brain functions having realized that another person was nearby, but not quite who, or the significance of that, or the social niceties that should probably have followed.  Because Freyd.

"Mark my words, he's gonna be the next NPC to develop AI JUST SO THAT he can finally abandon this post!"

Freyd halted his collection, his head perking up and eyes looking confused for a moment.  Lips parted as if about to speak, when his grey-matter gears finally clicked and lurched forward out of idle.  Still on his hands and knees, a bundled stack of loose sheets thrust into his face.  Grasping them gently, blue eyes rose like twin moons, brows arching high over head.  All natural sense of edge bled from his features, replaced by... joy?

"It's nice to see you again. Sorry I've been a bit...reclusive these past few weeks. I'm still trying to sort through everything that's happened. And --", she hesitated, glancing down briefly at herself, "Trying to figure out what to make of this..."Well, this!"

Freyd followed her gaze, his mental processes addle by the view, until that inner machine-mind thing rolled its eyes and kicked him out of his hormone-infused haze. 

Cognitive recalibration complete.

"I...erm...yes.  Hi."  Hamster gaining speed. 

"I missed you too."  She hadn't actually said that, but sure, why not. 

"You looks lovely," he finally added, regaining some semblance of senses.  "I love what you've done with your..."  His finger twirled, as if indicating all of her.  Salvation came in the form of familiar electrified sarcasm.

"You two done flirting or do you need more alone time?"

It was just what Freyd needed to jolt him back to reality, albeit with an uncharacteristic blush.  Gathering all of his pages, he looked sheepishly apologetic to each of his companions in turn before collecting everything on the nearby crates.  Persi promptly flopped over top of them to prevent a repeat of the previous embarrassment.

"Before I forget, there was something I was meaning to share.  Katoka has already received her little surprise.  But if we're going dragon hunting again, you're going to want something a little bit more substantial than that starting spear.  Call it an accessory to help bedazzle that fantastic new outfit."

***

Freyd gives Elora:

Essential Verdigris +4 (T4 Demonic Weapon (Polearm) - Abs.Acc. Blight, Fallen, Static)
Fusion ID: 204192
A sage-tinted silver spear with a long and twisted staff resembling vines. Its arrow-headed tip stretches further than a normal spear, brandishing a series of fine serrations down the length of its razor edge. Two large barbs protrude from beneath its blades, offering extra stabby-stabby potential if Elora gets bored with using it normally.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

"I love what you've done with your...", began Freyd after he'd bid her greeting.

"My what?", Elora probed bluntly before Katoka called out from around a corner.

"You two done flirting or do you need more alone time?"

"Actually, I hadn't --", she started with a turn.

"Wow Elora, Interesting wardrobe choice. Really accentuates the assets.", the small samurai added as she finished approaching the two of them.

A potent blush quickly crept from chin to forehead as her flustered eyes flitted and looked away. "O-oh -- I --", she coughed awkwardly in an attempt to stifle the rising embarrassment, "It's just a thing that I'm trying out! I've been looking for -- for some new armor to wear! So I'm just exploring different styles, matching different colors, and I honestly have no idea what I'm doing...", she admitted with an expedited murmur. "ANYWAYS!", she proclaimed with the clap of her hands. Blessedly, Freyd offered a timely follow-up to the unanticipated stretch of silence.

"You're going to want something a little bit more substantial than that starting spear.  Call it an accessory to help bedazzle that fantastic new outfit."

"Eeee!!", Elora squealed, extending her arms and eagerly snatching the spear from his hands. "Freyd, it's amazing, I LOVE IT SO MUCH!", she feigned surprise for his sake. Truthfully, she had suspicions that he had set out to craft this for her, what with how often he'd tease her for combating with a rudimentary twig. "I'll be sure to put it to good use!", she reassured him with a devious smile -- maybe a little two devious. Diverting her attention to it's staff, she lifted her eyes to wander up it's woven ornamentation and inspect the serrated blades as they glistened elegantly in the morning light. With a deep inhale, she allowed herself to feel pride, and to bask in the significance of what this moment really represented.

Change. Thrilling and terrifying change, she realized with a sting of worry. This is a big step. You'll need to prove you're ready to handle it, she cautioned herself.

"I'm ready", she said with a nod to the others, "--to go find the dragon, I mean. Is it where we last encountered it?"

Edited February 27, 2022 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

It was hard for Katoka not to laugh. The energy she felt when meeting up with Freyd and Elora again, it felt good. She watched her green haired friend get excited  over her new weapon. She watched as Freyd smiled genuinely at her delight. These were the moments that kept her going. What got her out of bed in the morning and made her look forward to her day.

"I'm not actually sure if it's in the same spot or not." Kat replied, "I think the entire quest line as changed. At least that's what I've heard through the grapevine. Do you know anything Freyd?"

After what seemed like years the three of them were back at the Dragon Hunter quest line. It made Katoka excited again. After taking a peak at the guild's information archive she was certain that the three of them wouldn't be shooting straight through the story as quickly as last time, then again Elora and Kat were both stronger than before. A small smile formed on her face as she remembered the dance offs, slips ups, and loony adventures from their past.

"Well? Shall we walk and talk gang?"

[Freyd 0]

In the absence of knowing what to say, Freyd simply elected to keep his mouth shut, his head desperately searching for additional space to retreat back into the depths of his cowl.  Katoka's timing was impeccable.  Promptly sticking the spear in Elora's hands also helped to dodge and diffuse a potentially awkward conversation, for which he was ill-prepared.  When the freshly dubbed and now appropriately armed Cerulean Storm steered them back towards their pretext for meeting, Freyd jumped all over it.

"Yeah.  Yeah... I... uh..."  Padding countless invisible pockets, it wasn't until Persi bopped him on the back of the head with her tail that he remembered the folio. 

"Oh.  Right.  Thanks."  Retrieving the files, he started babbling on about how he'd found it among a pile of unidentified items in the back of his shop, all the while turning and sorting the pages back into some semblance of sequence and order.  

"Erm... so, it's a bit of a mess at the moment, but I've managed to piece together that there's a dragon lair somewhere near the edge of the floor, at the far end of the Stone Valley.  Not much there to threaten us, but the game has a bad habit of dumping high level content right under our noses, so we'd best be careful."  His cowl swiveled around like a wind sock for a moment. 

"That way," he finally stated, finding grounding and crafting purpose in the vague goals of the mysterious journal.  "We'll need to travel round to the far side of Titan's Peak in order to reach the valley.  Might have some fodder to clear out, just to clear a path.  It would be a good opportunity for both of you to stretch your legs a bit with those new toys."

A hand waved them forward towards an unknown destination, his papers dismissed to some ephemeral Elsewhere until he had a better chance to review and re-organize.

"Take care, Marv," Freyd added, patting the giant guard's shoulder as he passed, barely able to reach high enough to do so.  "Don't do anything that I would probably do."

His hands immediately stuffed themselves into a pair of inscrutable pockets as they passed through the arched gate and began a journey that had brought them to so many shared shenanigans before.  Freyd looked pensive, but also much happier than before.  There was actually a hint of colour in his skin and the slimmest of smiles upon his lips.  Persi hopped down and scampered playfully between their feet, giving chase to her counterparts to help pass the time.

"It's..." 

Freyd hesitated, as if saying the words might convey the wrong impression, or that he might fudge it up out of inexperience.  But the sentiment was real.

"It's good to be with you both again.  I've missed this."

Edited July 15, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

 

Elora observed as Katoka and Freyd reviewed the details of the quest; she couldn't help but scoff at the mention of the game's tendency to spawn challenging enemies in seemingly innocuous areas. "You're right. It's best to stay on our guard", she agreed with Freyd, And I could probably stand to learn some restraint, she added internally. 

Before long, the trio found themselves striding along a sequence of dirt paths that crisscrossed expansive grasslands speckled by semi-sunken stones. Elora had to will herself to not pick out and select every stray pebble she happened upon as candidate for kicking. It was so easy to search for distraction when no one else was talking. Not long after rapid boredom had claimed her mind, Freyd began to offer some fodder for conversation. 

"It's...It's good to be with you both again.  I've missed this.", he mentioned with a tinge of hesitancy.

Remaining quiet for only a moment, she allowed herself to echo the sentimentality, "Yeah...It's nice to be back to how things were." Elora paused before finding it best to contribute a jest, "Before the entire world was on fire -- well, under water -- I guess" She administered a heavy, conscious inhalation as her mind attempted to savor and commemorate the nostalgic experience. "It's so easy for everything to disappear in an instant", she remarked without realizing. The words hung in the air as she struggled to follow-up their implications with a desperate string of satire. An accompanying sigh coaxed her to admit, "I don't want to lose this all again..."

Edited August 1, 2023 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

"If anything happens I think we're all strong enough now to put up a fight. I don't plan on going down without taking anything with me."

Katoka observed their surroundings, the trio seemed to be getting close to the edge of the floor as Freyd had mentioned. Despite traveling around extensively as a lower level player, Kat was certain that she had never really been this close to the floor's edge as they were now. There was a fair amount of greenery and various mobs that could be aggroed in the distance, but they were far enough away that they didn't notice them.

"It's oddly quite out here." the samurai said aloud to her companions, "It's kind of... unsettling." she rubbed her arm nervously. She knew deep down that she was safe with Freyd and Elora with her, but she couldn't help but feel odd. She was used to at least seeing passing players or NPC's in certain areas that she travelled, out here there weren't even players farming.

"Are we in the right area? I don't see anyone around." her voice had a tinge of nervousness to it that she wasn't able to hide.

[Freyd 0]

Freyd felt like he was missing some important queue to comfort Elora, but he didn't know the words.  These were unfamiliar steps, and he never really learned to dance, or even carry a tune.  She was also difficult to read.  Or was she?  Maybe he needed to just learn a new language.  It wouldn't be the first time, would it?  A hand gently placed on her shoulder.  Fleeting only.  Was it comforting?  He wasn't sure.

"I think you've both proven your mettle, Katoka.  Let's hope none of us ever have to face that sort of situation again."  Memories flooded back.  So many faces in the water.  So many voices calling out, all at once.  Every frontliner seeing and hearing those they cared about the most, vanish into shadow.  It was torture, pure and simply.  A twitch in Freyd's jaw line was all that made it to the surface.  Even that was significant.  Few things could pierce those endlessly layered masks, except perhaps when he was with those closest to him.

"Have you never been to the edge?" He asked, gauging her reactions.  "It can be a bit daunting to look out into the endless void.  We're not accustomed to seeing forever sky beneath us."

Following the shorter woman's gaze, Freyd gazed about the landscape.  "This is the right area. We just need to find the lair."

***

Searching for Fuzziel's Lair (ID #205517 | LD: 6+5=11 (fail) - attempt 1 of 5

Edited July 15, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

Elora spared an appreciative glance toward Freyd before nodding in solemn agreement. "Yeah. Even if I don't feel all that much stronger, I do feel a bit more prepared to handle -- I don't know what you'd call it -- a crisis? Sticking together and keeping a level head seems to be the most important thing to survive."

"It's oddly quite out here. It's kind of... unsettling.", remarked Katoka as the three of them began to encroach on a formation of stones.

"No kidding", agreed Elora, "It's not really helping to take my mind off of what happened on Floor 7" A sudden and sharp constriction of her wrist caused her to yell in correction, "N-not that event, Borris!" Through gritted teeth, she added, "Believe me, I am so grateful to have you." With tension releasing, she shook her hand to ward off any dull and lingering discomfort. "Well if it makes you feel any better", she started, "I haven't been to the end either. Never needed to climb the stairs or anything like that. I just teleport to wherever I need to go and basically just stick to a tight circumference around the towns."

"Seems safer that way, but I guess both of us can afford to take some more risks now!", she smirked at Kat with a jestful jab of the elbow. Her banter fizzled away as Freyd's stride came to abrupt stop before a sizable outcropping.

"This is the right area. We just need to find the lair.", he noted keenly.

"Alright!", she cheered enthusiastically, "Dragon's lair...dragon's lair...what would a dragon's lair look like?" Her heels carried her around a precarious rock formation that she could only assume was the result of a cataclysmic rockslide -- or, you know, -- the game developers playing Jenga. Crouching down, she tried her best to search between the spacious foundations of several large slabs of stone that rested atop one another. "Nope -- nothing here", she declared, "I don't suppose we know if were looking for hatchlings this time around?"

***

Searching for Fuzziel's Lair (ID #205569 | LD: 10+3=13 (fail) - attempt 2 of 5

Edited August 1, 2023 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

 

"I can't say I've ever been to the edge. It's kind of... Weird." she made disgusted face as she thought about it, "I don't think I could look over the edge. I feel like vertigo would kick in pretty heavy." 

Elora's playful elbow jab gave her a bit more reassurance. The samurai shook her head and looked around expectantly, "Right, dragon lair." She walked in a separate direction from her friends in an attempt to widen their search area. She looked under a fallen log, in a few bushes, and even around a few piles of stones that seemed to be prominent in the area.

"I don't suppose we know if were looking for hatchlings this time around?" Elora's voice rang from some rock slabs she was looking beneath.

Katoka looked up from the new bush she was in, a few leaves and sticks in her hair, "Freyd? We lookin' for big dragons or baby dragons?"

The blonde continued her investigation of the area, not really finding much other than more rocks and even more foliage. She groaned and attempted to kick a smaller rock in frustration, realizing afterward as her foot collided with the object and a recreation of pain shot up her leg that it was in fact buried deeper in the ground.

"Fffffu--" she cursed as she hopped on one foot in a dance of discomfort.

***

Searching for Fuzziel's Lair (ID #206351 | LD: 4 (FAIL) - attempt 3 of 5

Edited March 17, 2022 by Katoka

[Freyd 0]

"Freyd? We lookin' for big dragons or baby dragons?"

He had no idea.  Why should he?  It wasn't like Cardinal spilled its secrets before releasing new content, though now he wondered whether some of the brokers somehow had an inside track.  The corresponding conspiracy theory was instantly filed away for later brooding...er, consideration.

"Not really sure," he mumbled, climbing a nearby tree with disturbing ease and vanishing into the colourful canopy.  A few startled and angrily chirping birds scattered at his passage while branches creaked as he approached the top.  Like some sort of cowled, spoopy marmot, his countenance pierced the sanctity of the sky normally off limits for ground pounders like themselves.  In addition to revealing a beautiful landscape, it also provided a practical vantage point over most of the surrounding areas.  The trees were fairly sparse nearby, so much of the ground remained visible.  

"There," came Freyd's disembodied voice from somewhere overhead.  A flash of shadow and he was standing behind them, having traveled with a disconcerting lack of sound.  "There's a small ravine just over this rise with a cave mouth.  Water runs into it from above, but only as a trickle.  It looks like an ideal lair to me." 

Freyd had been to the edge many times, but the grandeur and terror of it waned by comparison to the notion that he might fall into the oblivion carried by his own hands and shadows at any moment.  Borris' reaction to Elora's words had not gone unnoticed and provided a preferable conversational respite.  "What was that about floor 7?"

***

Searching for Fuzziel's Lair (ID #213166 | LD: 13+5=18 (Success!) - attempt 4 of 5

@Elora (then @Katoka)

Edited July 15, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

"Oh, he's just bothered because he thinks I'm talking about capturing him -- not the Storm of Shadows.", she paused before adding, "Though that was a bit traumatic in it's own way. I wonder what came of that diva delinquent." Maybe she died during the cataclysm., Elora considered, I don't know what the orange players were doing while everyone else was scaling mountains or battling the boss.

Skidding down a shallow slope, Elora traversed the length of the stream's sandy shoreline in search of the supposed entrance. Sure enough, the trio soon found themselves overlooking a craggy passageway that twisted into darkness below. "Huh. That would be a cave alright.", she remarked rather plainly.

Placing one foot in front of the other, she began to scale her way down. The sound of falling waterdrops echoed throughout the cavern as Elora did her best to weave around the slimy strands of algae which seemed to dangle from every stalactite. Occasionally, she'd need to sweep an especially dense clump clear from her path with the length of her spear, not paying any mind to the way they'd immediately slosh back and trash into anyone trailing closely behind. 

Turning a particularly tight corner, Elora proudly exclaimed, "Oh! Found it!" Without hesitation, the excitable player leapt from a final ledge and into the brightly-lit basin below. Verdant vines ran and coiled above them, turning deep scarlet as they became bathed by a golden glow. Before she'd broken her fixation on the breath-taking scene, a powerful roar resounded from a room to her right. Elora practically flew out of her own skin as she startled with a shrill scream. Clutching her heart to subside the shock, she shakily declared, "B -- Big dragon!!"

[Katoka 0]

Kat followed Elora as she made her decent down the ravine and into the mouth of the cave Freyd has pointed out. As the group entered the samurai noticed gouges and scratches in the walls and floor of the stone, this definitely looked like the right the right way. As the elven woman descended deeper into the cave Katoka made note of the greenery and various bits of plant life that still managed to thrive underground here. "Life finds a way" to quote a famous movie involving other large scaley creatures.

Kat notice Elora stop suddenly and before she could ask why she heard a roar and then she yelled, "B -- Big dragon!!"

The samurai charged forward, her hand on her sword mid draw as she saw the beast before them. A name appeared above her head <<Fuzziel>> but not in the usual color of an enemy mob needing to be attacked. Kat left her hand on the hilt of her sword cautiously as she spoke. "Don't attack yet! I don't think it's hostile." she looked under the dragon, taking in the sight of broken egg shells and the wounds on it's belly. "I don't think she is hostile. Look, she had defensive wounds on her underside and she's guarding a nest of broken egg shells."

Fuzziel turned her head towards Katoka and tilted it to he side for a moment before she spoke, "The little one is correct, I mean you no harm."

"WAH SHE SPEAKS?!"

[Freyd 0]

Freyd was already skulking in the shadows lining the outer nooks of the cavern, watching and listening as his companions exchanged words with Fuzziel.  He'd meant to circle around and catch the dragon by the flank, if combat had been required.  That no longer seemed to be the case.  Still wary, it was his duty to see danger and evaluate the risks of betrayal.  Given what he saw of her condition and the evidence of struggle throughout the cave complex, it seemed likely that they'd arrived in the aftermath of a bigger battle.  Everywhere he turned, the deep rending grooves of large claws marred the stone.  

"Your mate," Freyd asked, bluntly, revealing himself and pointing at the deceased dragon behind her.  The golden creature bowed, expressing a level of grief for which the Whisper was not prepared.  "Was it a raid by another dragon?  All I see are marks consistent with your kind, and your wounds look to be purely defensive."  By comparison, her companion's throat had been ripped out with a degree of brutality consistent with a feral animal.

"Carsar," she replied, struggling with the language.  To be fair, her mouth was hardly shaped for our words.  

The broken eggs were all that Freyd needed to see, both of his companions noting how his fists clenched at the sight.  He'd always had a soft spot for kids, reserving an especially vicious form of wrath for anyone who dared to malign them.  It mattered not one bit that these weren't even human.

"What can you tell us about him?"  An open-ended question.  Her choice of response would tell him everything he needed.

"Our kind call him Egg-Snatcher.  He is a brute and a coward, and he has our children." Fuzziel made to stand and collapsed under the weight of her injuries. 

"Rest."  Freyd had that look in his eyes that usually meant one or more things were about to die by extreme and likely excessive means.  "We will return them to you and make Carsar pay for his actions.  I..." the Whisper's gaze drifted to the slain dragon, watching as its corpse slowly began to dissipate into component motes.  "I'm sorry for your loss."  Blue eyes drifted towards Elora, but swiveled past.  He wouldn't allow himself to be distracted.

"We have his name.  That's all I need."  Turning away from Katoka and Elora, Freyd's eyes turned black as pitch as he peered through the abyss to find their prey.  "I have him.  Follow me.  No matter what, we're not letting him get off the ground."  Both of his friends would recognized the cold, calculating tone in his voice.  His murder-hobo mode was active and ready to rage.  Freyd wasn't normally prone to such impassioned responses.  Something about this particular scene must have gotten under his skin.

***

Freyd uses Tracking on Carsar.

[Elora 0]

Something seemed to synch in Elora's chest as her eyes darted between the different forms in the room. The hulking monster -- mother -- before them sounded beside herself with grief. What she'd only expected to be a typical fight was quickly recontextualized into desperate cry for help. Her hyperactive body tensed, appearing statuesque as her mind tried to make sense of it all. Memories of caged creatures, mutilated beyond recognition, came to the forefront of her mind. Floor 7. For as tough as she thought she was, she wasn't used to witnessing cruelty like this. Nails dug into the surface of crossed arms, reintroducing warmth to a soul that felt cold. 

"I have him.  Follow me.  No matter what, we're not letting him get off the ground." 

A tug at her core beckoned her to follow, to choose the path of least resistance. This was the natural order of things. People got hurt all of the time. She got hurt all the time. It wasn't her job to care for others. Blurred blinks began to frame scenes from her childhood -- of her mom teaching her how to ride her bike, patching up her cuts and bruises no matter how many times she happened to fall. Why did she give up? An accompanying ache seemed to thrum across her head. She managed to stifle a staggered exhale by sinking teeth into her lower lip. 

I can help this time.

A golden shadow stretching across her vision was enough to judge that she had come close enough. Despite the dragon's wounded appearance, Elora was scared shitless. For once in her life, a sensory overload was proving to be a hidden grace. The necessary materials took a moment to locate, their application thankfully much faster to complete. With shaking hands, she administered one bottle, than another, until nothing remained in her UI except the shell of an empty slot. The deed completed, Elora fiercely turned on one heel, making haste to catch up with Freyd in his effort to leave.

 

***

Elora administers x8 T1 Healing Potions to Fuzziel | Effect: Heals 50 HP each

Edited August 15, 2023 by Elora

[Katoka 0]

Fuzziel's story was scripted to be sad, Katoka knew this to be true, but it didn't stop at just a sad story. You could hear the anguish in the dragon's voice, see the hurt in her eyes, and feel the hatred in the air. Kat's grip tightened on her weapon's hilt, the fabric creaking under the strain. She knew Freyd didn't see her as he turned to step into the shadows but she nodded to him in acknowledgment regardless. Just before she turned to follow she saw Elora step forward, giving the anguished mother her healing potions. Her grip loosened a bit at the sight. Taking a deep breath and releasing it she walked up to the two and placed a hand on Elora's shoulder when she finished.

"We will bring them back, just like our friend said. This I promise you." she nodded to Elora as well. "Together we can help."

Even though she didn't have lips in the same way that they did, Fuzziel managed to smile down at the two women. She took a deep breath and let it out over them, the air she released seeming to be willed with sparkling lights. A window popped up in front of them:

Fuzziel's Blessing Received: +1 EVA

"Go little ones, and be safe."

Katoka nodded and led Elora to the exit, being sure to pick up the pace so that they didn't fall too far behind Freyd.

[Freyd 0]

It took every ounce of willpower the Whisper had at his disposal not to just slip through shadow to reach his intended target.  Few had ever seen or understood the consequences of his anger.  No one here truly knew the depths to which his wrath could actually reach.  Seeing the broken egg shells and mauled mother were all that had been required.  The machine-like half of his mind had automatically performed all necessary checks and balances.  The evidence immediately pointed to Carsar's guilt.  No hairs were left to split, so he'd split the assailant instead.  Even with their own speed and prowess, Katoka and Elora would struggle to keep up with the speed of a vengeful shadow.  The sun itself couldn't catch him in his fury, if it tried.

Zipping between the boulders littering the approach to the beast's lair, Freyd caught sight of his enemy while its back was turned to him.  It was flicking Fuzziel's young around like coins in a game of table footballs, rumbling in low laughter as the whelps cried for their mother or in pain as their tiny forms impacted the far wall.  That only made Freyd madder. Calling to the void in Samael's Pride, he willed the seals to part and embraced the pain as nothingness sought to devour his hands.  Carsar's only warning was the keening banshee's wail of suddenly unleashed oblivion right behind his ears.  The nothingness surrounding Freyd's fist passed right through the giant mob's head like a hot knife through butter.  There was no resistance.  Carsar's head just disintegrated on one side, the other exploding outward at the instant loss of integrity.

Landing on the far side, and skittering to a stop after a tumble and roll, Freyd's back heaved as he struggled to draw breath and calm the thrumming thunder pounding through his ears.  It took a moment longer to re-establish the seals and smother the void's wails.  No one could see his hands still shaking with rage, or the darkness threatening to overflow from within.  No one could ever see that anger get loose, or the monster behind it.  A few breaths later, everything faded to normal.  His pulse was what it should be and eyes were back to normal.  Only the memory remained, safely under lock and key.

"Are the younglings safe?"  His gaze landed on the one remaining unhatched egg, the other half-dozen wyrmlings slow waddling awkwardly back towards it protectively.  Even they knew that Carsar's actions were wrong.   

***

Spoiler

Post Action | AoE-I (x15, 11 EN, +2 Shift, +2/hit): 15 EN - (Rested 2/2; Stamina) = 12 EN.  
Free Action | Crystal of Divine Light

ID #215298 | BD:7+7=14 (hit, Fallen +24).  DMG (15*48=720-40=680)

Freyd | HP: 1100/1100 | EN: 132/144 (144-12) | DMG: 24 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 7 | BH: 60 | LD: 5 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | REC: 8
Elora | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 66 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 6 | BH: 35 | LD: 3 | AA | BLGT: 32 | FLN: 8 | REC: 3 | STK: 40
Katoka | HP: 700/700 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 1 | ACC: 6 | BH: 30 | AA | BLGT: 32 | P.V.O | REC: 3 | STK: 40

(3,0,0) Carsar the Egg Snatcher | HP: 0/350 | DMG: 65 | MIT: 40 (350-680)
This boss uses its own BD roll when attacking. - Dude never got the chance.

Abilities: (Irrelevant.  Boss go *SPLAT*)

• Natural Fighter| Carsar can make three attacks in one round; once with his maw, once with his tail, and once with his claws. All deal the same damage.  If fighting against a party of three, each player will be targeted by an individual attack. Against a party of two, each will be targeted once, followed by an AoE attack that targets both. Against a solo party, the player will be targeted by all three attacks.
• Aerial Combat | At any time Carsar feels overly threatened (losing more than 100 points of his health in one round) he takes to the skies to increase his mobility. While airborne he has +2 EVA, with a penalty of -1 ACC (-2 ACC at 200 or less HP, and -3 ACC at 100 or less HP). Carsar will land, ending this effect, if he takes 50 damage or less over two rounds. 
• Breath Attack | Activates on an BD 9-10.  Carsar has the ability to use a breath attack which emits a large paralytic gas. The attack gains +35 DMG (replacing crit bonus) with this attack and targets all players in the battlefield, inflicting Paralyze on contact. Make separate attack rolls for each additional target beyond the first.  Carsar he can only use this twice in a single battle before he cannot do so anymore.

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by Freyd

[Elora 0]

She was practically sprinting, ducking and dodging between overhanging rockfaces and the occasional tree. Freyd bolted ahead of them like a bloodthirsty hound in pursuit of its next prey. His demeanor became feral, shifting from subdued frustration to outright fury before she even had the chance to recognize it. A quick glance to her side was enough to confirm that Katoka was keeping pace with her. For such a clumsy person, she had remarkable footwork when the occasion called for impeccable precision. With every passing second, her companion became more of a smudge than the shape of an actual person. 

"Jesus, Freyd!", she called ahead in a voice mixed with anger and concern, "Slow down already, we're not able to keep up!"

Either he was already out of earshot, or he had stubbornly chosen to ignore her. It wouldn't make a difference at this point. Freyd had already vanished completely among the many twists and turns that snaked their way between scattered stalagmites and precarious boulders. "Fucking hell--", Elora cussed beneath her breath as she and the samurai attempted to discern which direction he'd gone. A not-so-distant commotion quickly provided their answer. "That way!", she attempted to gesture to Kat with her spear.

It was an awkward climb to scale the sheer wall of stones which seemed to encompass his liar. Strewn across the field like toppled dominos, Elora first needed to take a running start, then fumble until her fingers found their way into a convenient hold. A series of successful hops and hoists eventually positioned her on the other side of the formidable formation. From such a height, it was easy to see the aftermath of the attack that had just transpired. She had just barely managed to make out the form of the sinister egg-snatcher as his haunted features crumpled, then exploded to dust. Strewn across the field below laid the dilapidated figures of what she could only assume to be the hatchlings. Wasting no time, Elora dropped from the perch above and hurried over to assist the creatures.

"Are the younglings safe?" 

"I-I don't know --", she stammered as her hands frantically resolved to overturn any that had been hurled by the beast. "This one's hurt!", she suddenly stated as her sights settled on a deep laceration carved through its side. Throwing open her menu, Elora scoured her inventory in search of remediation. "Dammit--", she spat, "I don't have anything to heal -- I used all my potions back there like a total dumbass!" Pointed breaths struggled to dispel the self-loathing she felt. Instead, she turned to Katoka in search of reprieve, "You've got healing potions?" The statement-question came out more like a plea than a candid curiosity.

 

***

ID# 215750 LD 9+3 = 12 Failed to find Carsar's treasure trove

Edited August 25, 2023 by Elora