[F5 - SP] Surviving the Sands | <<The Traveler>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari stepped off the teleporter pad, taking her first look over the settlement of Fortaleza. It was about what Nari had expected to find on a floor that was essentially one large desert. She could see tones of an Arabic theme, the vendors and stalls appearing to her as if some sort of Bazaar from a fantasy based game. It was tasteful, and fitting, but the heat pushed down on Nari, something that she didn’t enjoy in the least. Thankfully, she had decided not to wear her armour today – instead travelling in her violet dress with her spear held loosely in her arm. It felt odd to her to travel anywhere without the heavy plate and shield, but with the heat she was glad she had made the decision.

She gazed about the main area, looking for the golden shimmer that would signify her destination. It didn’t appear as if her companion had arrived yet, and so Nari busied herself wandering the market, looking at various goods for sale and just generally taking in the sights. Every once in a while she would glance back towards the teleporter pad, keeping an eye out for any sign of their arrival.

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 720/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Tier 4

Laurel Wreath (Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread). 

Equipped Items

Länn Síonnäch Gheímhrídh [Tier 4; Polearm [One-handed Assault Spear]; Demonic] Standing at nearly 120 cm in length from tip to tip, this short spear contains a metallic-appearing shaft of shifting dark and light violet, twirling in a mesmerising pattern. The blade - connected by a metal collar of a blackness similar to a void - glints with an ice blue colouring, a shift of light violet visible in the surface at the right angle. Twin wrapped lengths of cord - a combination of ice blue and dark violet - hang from the metal collar, intertwining in a mesmerising pattern when in movement. Both sides of the blade, just above the collar, contain a curled white fox, the dark black eyes staring outwards.

| Enhancement: Paralyze [2 Slots] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) remove the enemy’s action on their next turn. Paralyzed opponents lose any evasion properties.
| Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.

Dark Fox's Reckoning [Tier 4; Heavy/Plate Armour] Forged to be shapely, this piece appears thinner than most pieces of heavy armour - leaving what appear to be openings towards the neckline, and the sides of the torso. Smaller shoulders leave limited protection towards the neck, but allow for greater movement. Coloured a dark violet, the edges of the piece outlined in a shifting soft silver, orange and red colour. Upon the chest's centre stands a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred, black eyes staring out as if at the individual in front of the piece. 

| Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def.

| Enhancement: Heavy Momentum [1 Slot] | Effect: After an unsuccessful attack, gain +(1 per slot * Tier) base damage until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another unsuccessful attack will reactivate this enhancement. Must be using the Heavy Armor Skill for this enhancement to take effect. [For Area of Effect attacks: This effect only activates if you miss all enemies targeted by the attack.]

| Enhancement: Taunt [1 Slot] | Effect: +1 Hate generated from Howl, Focused Howl, and successful attacks.

Dark Fox's Retribution [Tier 4; Celtic Shield] Similar to a wall shield, this piece stands nearly 137cm tall, and nearly 76 cm wide - easily covering the form of a shorter individual. Tapered on the sides, the shield seems to bend inwards slightly on its edges, a perfect opening for an outwardly weapon to be levelled through. The top and bottom edges slightly bend inwards, giving the impression of a less than straight appearance. Coloured in a dark violet, with edges of dark forest green, a white fox, slightly cured with fangs barred is emblazoned on its centre, appearing as if ready to strike. 

| Enhancement: Recovery [1 Slot] | Effect: Before your post action, make a separate CD roll. On a natural CD7+, regain (1 per slot * Tier) additional energy. This CD roll may also apply to activating the effects of Vamp-Def.

| Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots] | 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

Teleport Crystal {3}
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III
Starter Healing Potions {5} | Heals 50 HP
Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 2
Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3

 

Inventory

T1 Uncommon Health Potions {5} | Heals 5% of Maximum HP
T1 Uncommon Damage Potion {1} | +1 DMG for an entire thread
T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread
T1 Rare Health Potions {1} | Heals 10% of Maximum HP
T1 Monkey Agility {2} | Evasion 1

 

Combat Skills

Battle Healing
Rank 2
Passive
Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.

 

Weapon Skills

Polearm
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: +7 DMG

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina
Passive
Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision
Passive
Effect: Gain +1 ACC.

[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus
Passive
Effect: Decreases minor critical threshold by 1. Also reduces DoT thresholds by 1. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.

[Rank 5 Shift] TECH Specialist
Passive
Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.

 

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.
[x16] TECH-A (16 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.
[x16] TECH-B (15 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.
[x16] TECH-C (15 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn.
[x16] TECH-D (15 EN) | SHATTER | A single-target sword art that applies [Shatter] to an enemy for 3 turns. [Shatter] is a debuff that can stack up to a cap of 3. Each stack of [Shatter] removes -20 MIT from an enemy, down to 0, if it has MIT. 
[x12] TECH-F (11 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned 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.

 

Armour Skills

Heavy Armor
Rank 5
Passive
Effect: MIT + 35. 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.

[Rank 5 Heavy Armor Addon] Iron Skin
Effect: Gain +15 Mitigation and +15 * Tier HP
 

Extra Skills

Parry
Active: Post action
Energy cost: 9 EN
Cooldown: 3 Turns
Effect: Apply the energy cost upon proc, not activation. Reduces the final damage of the next successful attack against you by 50% (rounded down) and negates stun/paralysis effects of that attack. If hit by multiple attacks, only apply parry to the first attack against you. Parry lasts for three turns. Cooldown starts when the player activates the Skill. If the player is hit when using Parry, the cooldown is reset to 3 turns.

[Parry Mod] Vengeful Riposte
Passive
Cooldown: 4 Turns
Effect: A successful Parry also returns 50% (rounded down) of the raw damage that would be dealt to you back to your opponent. The reflected damage can be mitigated by the opponent.
 

Block [Requires two Extra Skill slots]
Passive
Effect: Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants additional mitigation:
Rank 5: 25 MIT
Combat Mastery

 

Combat Mastery: Mitigation
[Expert] -> Rank 3
Passive
Effect: Gain +6*Tier Mitigation per rank. Ranks of this Skill apply to Mitigation enhancement caps.

 

Estate Buffs

Bedroom
Effect: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat

Storage Closet
Effect: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot

Spoiler

Word Count: 199

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

A shimmer in the corner of her eye caught her attention as the teleporter pad suddenly lit up. Nari pushed through the crowd with excitement as she saw the individual she had been waiting for. The golden hair streaked through the crowd, apparently having immediately caught sight of the purple haired woman in the group of people moving through the bazaar.

Nari gave a slight wave the moment she had broken away from the others nearby, calling out as she went. “Hey! Onóra! Glad you could make it!”

The woman smiled at back at Nari, her emerald coloured eyes glinting with a hint of laughter. “Were you starting to worry I wouldn’t show up?”

Nari stuck her tongue out at the question, a playful smile on her face. She glanced around, wondering what the plan for the day would be. She hadn’t really considered much about what there was to do on this floor, simply heading off as soon as the message from Onóra had arrived. Now, as she glanced around, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do.

“Did you…have something planned for today?” Her question hovered on the air for a single second before a soft laugh from her new companion broke the tension that had grown in Nari. Her face slightly flushed with embarrassment, Nari felt herself smile in return, taking the other woman’s jesting with humour.

“Oh, yes! I’ve got lots planned. Lots of shopping. And you’re coming with me. Like it or not!” A bit of back and forth, with Nari pretending to be resistant and general giggling between the two, and then they were off. Making their way through the bazaar, Nari watched as Onóra haggled her way from stall to stall, spending far less than Nari would’ve imagined possible.

‘I am definitely taking her shopping with me from now on.’

Spoiler

Word Count: 306

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

A voice at her side caught Nari’s attention, drawing her focus away from the carpets, shawls and other cloth pieces on display.

“Are you an adventurer?” The speaker appeared to be an elderly man, a flowing white beard hanging from his face. Nari glanced at him, noticing the NPC signifier and the name above his head. “I am terribly sorry to bother you but I need help. I-“

Nari felt herself pull back a little but at the coughing fit that ensued, Onóra at her side letting out a small squeak of surprise. Nari shifted herself slightly in front of the other woman – not quite pushing her out of the way, but making a slight slide in between the two of them.

A few visibly shaky breaths later the NPC carried on as if nothing had happened. “I have a treasure chest of sorts, buried in the desert, at the base of some uniquely shaped rocks. The contents are incredibly important to me, but I am too ill to make the journey alone. Would you escort me there? Though I cannot offer you much col.  But, should you offer your assistance, I would be eternally grateful.”

The dialogue box appeared before Nari, and she glanced at Onóra before hitting the accept button. A look of confusion on her face, she spoke almost hesitantly to her friend. “I guess… we’re going on an adventure?”

Onóra sighed, shaking her head slightly – but smiling at Nari’s comedic attempt. “Yeah, I guess… although…. I wasn’t entirely done shopping yet.”

Nari gave her a beaming smile, waving a hand towards the NPC. “With the treasure we’re apparently about to go get, maybe I can take you shopping again later today.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 285

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The shuffling, delayed pace of the man was slowly driving Nari to the edge of her sanity. They had only just managed to slide out of the main bazaar area, and were making their way down the main street towards the exit of the settlement. For the first time in a long time, Nari checked the time hovering in her display.

‘Ten minutes. Ten whole minutes to make it a grand total of maybe fifty metres. This… this is going to be painful.’ The glance that Onóra threw her way made her realise that the frustration must be showing on her face. Trying to dismiss any sort of concerns, she forced a smile on her face. Onóra immediately began giggling, and although Nari knew the attempt had failed, at least she could see the other woman happy.

Stepping back and leaning in close, the woman whispered into Nari’s ear. “Loosen up, you look like you’re going to try picking him up and sprinting to the hidden location with him.”

Nari held a hand up to her face, pretending to consider the idea. Onóra gave another laugh, and a soft push on her shoulder, causing Nari’s own sour mood to dissolve almost immediately. ‘Alright, maybe I can handle the slow pace with friends around. Even if it is infuriating.’

Spoiler

Word Count: 218

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The walk through the main street took almost half an hour – Nari knew this, because she constantly checked the time as they went along, desperately trying not to let the slow pace get to her. To distract herself, Nari started pestering her new friend with questions.

“So, why all the fabrics? Planning on making something fancy?” Her voice carried a combination of a teasing tone, as well as actual interest.

“Yes, actually. A few pieces of armour, and perhaps a little something for you.” A soft, devilish twinkle in Oróna’s eye caught Nari’s attention, and she wondered for a moment what the woman had planned.

She had just opened her mouth to protest when they suddenly hit a crossroads – forcing their NPC to stop, and Nari in turn to run into the poor man. A few passing words of apologies, and the trio was off again, making their way ever so slowly towards the exit of the city, and the deserts that lay beyond.

Spoiler

Word Count: 164

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The gates themselves were fairly inconspicuous compared to the rest of the little settlement. Nari felt they were somewhat of a disappointment, no flash, no appeal, nothing like the bazaar that she had left behind. Yet she could also see the advantage of that, keeping them more reserved in appearance – something that would likely allow them to be overlooked easily by possibly dangers to the area.

Onóra skipped passed, suddenly beaming with enthusiasm as she cast her gaze around at the wide open desert. In contrast, Nari felt herself become more alert – her shield clinking softly as it bounced off the armour she had re-donned. Her own gaze scoured the land, but not in admiration or excitement.

“Oh this is nice!” The voice was filled with joy, and Nari felt a slight smile break her otherwise serious look. Shaking her head, she started after the NPC – who had gotten all of twenty steps away.

“Don’t get out much, do you?” She threw back over her shoulder, ducking as a handful of sand slammed into her back.

Spoiler

Word Count: 176

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The chatter of the two women kept them busy as they slowly followed the NPC along, their walk taking far longer than it should’ve. Nari kept a careful watch out over the area, noticing a sudden brewing storm headed their way almost immediately after they had left the settlement itself. The further into the desert they had gone, the more the storm clouds, the winds and the shifting sands had grown. It was enough that Nari was starting to worry they might get caught in an actual sandstorm, if things kept going.

“It’s getting a little bit…stormish out, don’t you think?” She posed the question aloud, waiting to see what the NPC would say in response – or Onóra, for that matter. She wasn’t liking the changes in the sky that she was seeing, and she was just about to say they should turn back when Onóra spoke out, a cheerful tone on her tongue.

“It’s likely nothing, just a change in the weather. Maybe we’ll get a bit of rain?” There was a surety there that Nari felt was false, but the look on the other’s face spoke of wanting an adventure. Checking her status menu, she decided that it wouldn’t hurt them to get caught in a minor storm – they could take cover if they absolutely needed to, and Onóra seemed to be enjoying the time away from the settlement – something that Nari herself would normally agree with. ‘And yet…something feels off here, as if this is all a bad idea, and we should turn around now…’

Spoiler

Word Count: 258

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The storm hit so suddenly that Nari wasn’t entire sure where it had come from, slamming into them and buffeting them with strong winds, shifting sands and pelting rocks. She had immediately grabbed onto Onóra, pulling the girl underneath her shield in order to try and protect her. The NPC had continued to stumble onwards, apparently not at all bothered by the storm that had suddenly surrounded them – or more likely not noticing it at all.

“This is absurd, we need to get him out of this storm before something happens to him…You okay?” The question was added on as an almost after thought, her focus distracted by the NPC that carried on through the storm – slowly making headway even with the winds buffeting them all. Nari was impressed by the persistence, even if it would likely take them hours to reach the destination.

“I’m alright – but what about you? You don’t have any-“ A stone slammed into the side of Onóra, cutting her words short for a second and causing Nari to let out a small squeak of worry. “Protection. I was going to say. We should…find some cover somewhere…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 191

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She couldn’t deny the logic in that – but first they needed to catch the NPC. Which, shouldn’t be too much of a problem, so long as they could keep moving. Something that the winds and flying sands seemed determined to halt entirely. ‘This must be revenge of some sort for making fun of how slow the old man walked…or a test of patience, which I’m currently failing.’

Step by step Nari moved them closer to the NPC, slowly gaining ground on the man whom seemed to have no negative effects in the storm. Although not moving any faster than before, he also wasn’t being buffeted backwards – no hinderance in his slow shuffle, something that Nari had to admit was impressive. Annoying to her, but impressive nonetheless. Checking constantly to make sure that Onóra was handling the storm alright, she continued her advance.

“Are we…almost there…?” The words came through gritted teeth, and Nari knew immediately that they needed to find some sort of cover to wait out the storm. Glancing around, she saw a rock formation in the distance. Whispering a soft apology, she forced herself and Onóra to speed up a little bit, trying desperately to catch the NPC to direct him towards the simple cover.

Environmental Effect

ID204433 | CD: 1 | Sandstorm | Damage Taken [20]

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 700/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Spoiler

Word Count: 207

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“We need to stop! We can’t keep going in this, it’s going to…” Nari called out as she got closer to the NPC, but the man simply continued his slow gait forward, apparently not hearing her words, or choosing to ignore them. She wasn’t quite sure which it was, but she felt herself becoming more frustrated as the sands continued to buffet her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Onóra grit her teeth, a determined look on her face. Nari felt a moment of pride towards the woman – who had not spent a ton of time out in the field, now braving something that must’ve been somewhat terrifying to her.

Wondering again how she had come across such a person, Nari tilted her shield slightly, providing more protection to the woman beside her – taking more of the brunt of the storm herself, which had proven to be little more than a discomfort. “Come on, let’s catch him. We need to get to that cover…”

Environmental Effect

ID204434 | CD: 1 | Sandstorm | Damage Taken [20]

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 680/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Spoiler

Word Count: 167

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The slog through the sandstorm was becoming more and more difficult by the moment. Nari could feel as the blowing sands slammed into her – causing her health bar to drop bit by bit every once in a while. Beside her, Onóra seemed to be relatively protected from the buffeting winds – something Nari was glad for. She was far better off against the sands than her friend was, and so she used herself and her equipment as a protective cover for Onóra.

“I swear… when we catch him… I’m going to kill him… myself…” Nari’s words were strained against the slamming sands and rocks, coming out in gasps as she pulled them along. She could see the concerned look from Onóra beside her, and smiled back – teeth bared in what she hoped would be a relieving appearance. “I’m fine… I’m kidding… just… not liking the wind. And sand.”

Her words seemed to comfort Onóra a little bit, even bringing a slight smile to the woman’s face. Unable to do anything beyond that, Nari focused on the task that needed to be completed – catch the old man.

Environmental Effect

ID204445 | CD: 11 | Sandstorm | No Damage

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 680/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Spoiler

Word Count: 185

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

It took another few moments before they eventually caught up to the old man. Nari pulled them into close to the man, blocking his path so that he couldn’t shuffle forwards any further. She had to raise her voice in order to get his attention, and she found that speaking to him while keeping Onóra covered was far harder than she had anticipated.

“We need to find – oh! Onóra are you okay? Sorry! – we need to find cover from the storm! We can’t keep going in this!” Her yelling was interrupted midway as she realised she’d hit Onóra on the head with her shield, apologising quickly before turning her attention back to the NPC. “There’s some cover over there! We should make for it!”

The NPC followed Nari’s pointing, his eyes seeming to spot the location and a smile coming to his face. “Ah! Yes….where….headed. Perfect… to wait out… dreadful storm.”

Nari could only catch a collection of words on the wind, but it sounded to her like the NPC had agreed on their destination. Nodding, she moved out of his way, watching as the slow shuffling continued. She swore to herself that if he didn’t make his way towards the out cropping she’d pick him up and carry him there herself, the protection protocols be damned.

Environmental Effect

ID204446 | CD: 11 | Sandstorm | No Damage

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 680/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Spoiler

Word Count: 217

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Their movement was slow, made worse by the combination of the NPC, and the storm slamming into them constantly. Nari knew that things could be a lot worse, but she didn’t enjoy facing an enemy she couldn’t strike back at. There wasn’t much – if anything – that a spear could do against winds and sands.

“Are you doing okay?” She peered over at Onóra, checking on the woman huddled in against her side beneath the shield. As far as Nari could see, she seemed alright, if a little bit uncomfortable.

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you. You’ve got no protection from all of this…” A tint of concern in the words. Nari smiled at the woman, hoping to alleviate any worries.

“I’m alright. I’ve faced much worse than this. It takes more than some sand on the wind to bring me down.” Her words sounded confident to her ears – which was good, because the confidence was entirely feigned. The whole situation had Nari worried – worried that they were in a far more dangerous place than either of them could imagine.

Environmental Effect

ID204447 | CD: 9 | Sandstorm | No Damage

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 680/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Spoiler

Word Count: 180

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The going was slow, but as soon as they entered the out cropping, Nari felt the change in atmosphere immediately. The winds suddenly died down, the sands stopped slamming into her. It was like an entirely different world. Checking quickly on Onóra, she confirmed the other woman was okay before heading over to speak with the NPC.

“How much further away is the hiding spot?” Her voice was calm and controlled, but she worried for a moment that the NPC may read it as an aggressive statement. “Is it going to require waiting out the storm, or could we make it there if the storm itself doesn’t abide anytime soon?”

“Not much farther now! We could make it there quickly if we head out now!” The old man began shuffling towards the open areas again, and Nari had to step in his way to stop him.

“No. We need to rest for a bit, recover somewhat from the storm, before we even consider heading back out into it.” Nari glanced over at Onóra who had collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, taking the time to relax where she could. Nari felt a pang of regret having dragged the woman along into this. It wasn’t exactly going how she wanted. ‘She did come along willingly… but still…’

Spoiler

Word Count: 216

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The sound of scrapping rock drew Nari’s attention away from Onóra. Her spear flipped into the palm of her hand as she saw a group of armed and armoured individuals. All marked as NPCs, not a single one looked friendly. Taking a half sliding step towards Onóra, Nari readied herself for the conflict that was about to ensue.

“Did I hear correctly that you’re headed to some hidden spot?” The front man – and individual who was wrapped in red garments that covered his face, and tanned leather armour, with what appeared to be a slightly curved sabre in his hand – spoke. His voice had an accent that Nari couldn’t quite place, but would bet on being Middle Eastern or Northern African of some type. “That sounds to be like it could be something valuable… I like valuable things.”

Nari felt her teeth grind slightly as she saw exactly where this encounter was going. Sliding her right foot forwards, she lowered her spear slightly, bringing the shield towards her torso. She didn’t like the positioning at all – it favoured the bandits far more than it did her group, but there was little she could do about that right now.

Spoiler

Word Count: 198

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The group of bandits shifted slightly as Nari’s spear dropped into position. A sudden shift of movement to her left caught her attention as Onóra climbed to her feet.

Nari was just about to call out to her when the woman spoke, her voice steady as she addressed the bandits. “Trust me when I say you don’t want to do this. I’ve seen this woman personally take on some of the baddest creatures on this floor, she’s not to be lightly reckoned with.”

The bandit seemed to laugh, before turning his gaze towards Nari. Her face was stoic, devoid of any emotion as she waited for the group to move. Her weapon and shield held steady. The man seemed to pause, considering the words and the image he was seeing. Something about it all seemed to put a moment of doubt into his mind.

“Whatever you think we’re looking for, do you truly think it is worth your lives?” The question seemed to trigger something in the NPC’s subset, and Nari could see the resolve wavering.

Spoiler

Word Count: 176

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The bandit seemed to falter for a moment, before glancing back at his group. Clearly not ready to be talked out of a possible grand looting experience, he laughed at the words.

“You might be a good fighter, but you can’t take all of us on!” His laugh seemed to die on the air as he tried to perform his bravado, and Onóra’s response took even Nari by surprise.

“You’re welcome to find out. How would you like your grave markers to look?” There was no malice, no anger in her voice. It was a simple question of fact. And that would have scared Nari, if she hadn’t known the woman.

The surprise never showed on her face though, the only sign she’d noticed anything off was her eyes sliding over to Onóra before returning to the bandits. Nari waited patiently to see what they would do, how they would react to the subtle threat. Ready to rush forward and intercept the bandits should they suddenly become aggressive, or move in the wrong way.

Spoiler

Word Count: 174

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The leader of the group seemed to shift on his feet, a sudden decision made. He waved his hand towards the others, who immediately began to walk back to wherever they had originally came from.

“We’ll let you go, this time. But be warned – this is our territory, and if we find you here again…” The bandit leader took a moment to gaze over the party before following his companions away.

Nari waited a few moments, her muscles still tense, before relaxing. It appeared as if they had truly left the area, and without a fight. Nari shook her head, still trying to figure out exactly what had just happened. She was so sure that they were going to have to fight their way out of that mess.

“Remind me not to get on your bad side…” She tossed a smile over at Onóra as she said it, the other woman returning the smile before sticking her tongue out. Laughing, Nari turned to the older man. “I think it best if we head out of here… I don’t trust them not to return. How much farther do we have to go?”

“Oh! Not far at all, not far at all…” Another fit of coughing before the man turned and shuffled his way out towards the storm. “Come! Come! This way!”

Collecting Onóra, Nari followed the NPC, placing the woman into her side and lifting the shield once more over her.

Spoiler

Word Count: 240

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The sands slammed against her frame as she tried to keep Onóra protected from the environment itself. She felt herself grinding her teeth, frustrated beyond all belief as she followed the NPC further along the path they were taking. Time seemed to crawl by, and it was with sudden shock that Nari realised they had come to a stop behind a large rock.

The piece jutted into the sky, providing a small respite from the buffeting winds – just enough that she was able to hear the NPC’s voice as he spoke to them.

“Ah! Here it is, just beneath the sands! Would you mind…?” Nari glanced at Onóra before stepping away from the woman – leaving her with the shield to try and provide some further protection from the shadows at blowing sands that still struck out at them.

Kneeling down, she began digging, trying desperately to pull the sands away as more were pushed overtop. Her frustration rising with each passing moment, Nari dug furiously at the sands, determined to find whatever had been hidden beneath them.

 

Environmental Effect

ID204448 | CD: 9 | Sandstorm | No Damage

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 6 | HP: 680/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 3 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG]

Spoiler

Word Count: 177

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her hands hit something hard suddenly, and Nari frantically pulled out what appeared to be a smaller sized box. Lifting it up for the other two to see, Nari turned to the older man.

“Is this-“ Her words were cut off as he spoke overtop of her, his voice suddenly filled with excitement.

“Ah!  You find it! Perfect, thank you!” Suddenly he drops to his knees, continuing to dig through the sands, bringing up more pieces and explaining the value of each to the two women. Nari glanced at Oróna, making sure her friend was okay, and raising an eyebrow in question towards the old man. Only a raised shoulder was returned in response to her silent enquiry.

As the man gave his thanks for their assistance, Nari nodded to Oróna, before stepping towards her. “Seems like we’re all done here…”

The quest confirmation box appearing, Nari and Oróna accepted the rewards, before taking one last look at the NPC. Something almost human about his joy reached out to Nari, and she found herself filled with happiness at the sight. Turning, she grabbed Oróna’s hand, pulling her back towards the settlement. The winds slowly began dying down as they went, the storm seeming to dissipate.

Spoiler

Word Count: 205