[F27 – PP] A Whisper in the Night

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari hadn’t slept well, and as she woke to the sound of her alarm, she could barely bring herself to roll out of bed. In an effort to enjoy the comfort of blankets and pillows for just a little while longer, she pulled up her menu, scrolling through her inventory, her status screen, even her messages – anything in an attempt to delay the inevitable. She smiled as she came across a message from Onóra, frowned at one from NIGHT – she’d deal with that later… but her hand froze mid swipe as her eyes took on a message from an info broker she had contacted just a few days prior.

Reading over the message twice, she confirmed the details, before deciding it was something worth looking into. Bringing up a group message, she decided to ping a few of her companions, seeing if any were available to follow up on it.

Quote

 

To: Astreya, Koga, NIGHT, Onóra, Raidou, Jomei

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: Just received confirmation of the rumour on floor twenty seven. Anyone interested in hunting it down, I’ll be at the Ronbaru teleporter in about three hours. Oh, and if you know anyone else who would be interested… maybe send them an invite too! Look forward to seeing you then!

 

Closing out the menu, she rolled out of bed with a groan, still sad at leaving behind all the comfort. She had a goal now though, and that gave her motivation to get moving. ‘This… this is my first real steps towards the front lines.’

Nari-Lanreth's Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 8 | 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
Starter Healing Potions {5} | Heals 50 HP
Blank Dungeon Map {4} | Tier 4
Immolation Potion {1} | Tier 4
Spyglass {3} | Use to reduce the number of posts required to search for a dungeon, familiar or field bosses by 5 posts. Effect lasts for one thread.

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
Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Antidote 2
Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III

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

Survival
Cost: Complete <<The Traveler>> with Unlock Conditions
Action: Passive
Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.

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

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: 254

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Battle-Inventory was screwed up.

[Astreya 0]

Morning.

The young woman was already up early, and while it posed absolutely no purpose in this world they were in, she was doing her morning stretches.  She shifted forward as she sat, one leg in front of her while the other straight behind, her bottom on the cool floor of her stop, where she had basically taken up residence.  She leaned forward, her entire body bending with the flexibility of a dancer as she closer her eyes, the long dark hair spilling over her shoulder and onto the ground for a long moment.

Eventually, she drew herself back and up, lifting her arms high up overhead, nearly completed when her UI gave a small 'ding' of notification and she blinked, seeing a message from Nari.  Rumors, eh?  She'd handled one with Hirru and Randall a long while ago, but another hadn't really popped up for her to see until now.  She blinked as she shifted her body to the side, swinging her rear leg around in front of her, taking a seat as she opened up her response.

Quote

From: Astreya
To: Nari-Lanreth
Message: Hey!!  You know I'm down!  I'll be there soon!  I'll send another message out to a friend!

Pausing then, she opened a new one.  She wasn't entirely sure if Freyd would be interested, but if he didn't have anything else going on, maybe?

Quote

From: Astreya
To: Freyd
Message: Hey!  A friend of mine might've happened upon something weird on Floor 27.  If you're free and wanna check out the new floor, you can come by!  

At that, she nodded, pulling her legs back inward before checking her inventory.  "All right.  Let's go check out something weird," she spoke to herself before the girl moved, the armor and weapon appearing on her person as she equipped them, the flowing cape alighting as well, leaving her put together as the door to her shop closed behind her.

--

Spoiler

Astreya
Level 32 / 11 | HP 740/740 | EN 106/106 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 122 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 0 | LD: 1 | BH: 37 | Taunt: 1 | Prosperity: 1

Equipment:
Glacial Blade - T4 | [ACC][DMG][DMG]
Battle Dress MK III - T4 | [MIT][MIT][MIT]
Glacial Mantle - T4 | [HeavyMomentum][HeavyMomentum][Recovery]

Skills:
Weapon Skill (R5) | 7 Damage
Battle Healing (R5) | 5% (37 HP)
Heavy Armor (R5) | 35 Mitigation

Mods:
Impetus | +1 Damage

Combat Masteries:
Accuracy (R3) | [ACC][ACC][ACC]

Add-ons:
Ferocity | +2 Damage
Precision | +1 Accuracy
Stamina | -2 Energy Consumption
Iron Skin | +15 Mitigation | +60 HP

Extra:
Concentration | Gain AA for 1 Attack | CD: 5

Familiar:
Hunting Familiar | Roll LD/CD without bonuses as if looting a loot-min Mob | CD: 5

Profession:
Forager (R3)  - 193/299 EXP

Items:
Frosted Mantle | T4 Armor | [Thorns][Thorns][Taunt]

 

[Freyd 0]

Could you even call it sleep?  Back pressed against the trunk of a twisted old cherry tree lost on a tiny island barely twenty feet across, cold vapours swirled around him descending into the bowl and writhing over the surrounding pond in a manner both ominous and sublime.  Miasmic fog covered every inch of floor thirteen, breathing back and forth across the landscape like the ragged gasps of some ailing deity whose whims no longer held any sway.  Something had tugged at him.   Blue eyes flickered, barely slivers beneath defiantly closed lids then further couched beneath that ever-present woolen cowl of black.  Gaze fallen upon the memento in his hands.  Grandfather or fish?  It could go either way.  The water in the pond remained still.  Not a fish.

What whispers had woken the Whisper from his reverie?  What dream given voice had reached out from the fog?  Meditation while fishing had its drawbacks.  So much for multitasking.

*Ping*

"Is someone trying to page me from the dead?"  His head still felt wooly.  Maybe the cowl was on too tight.  Fog made things damp and sticky, after all, but was also the perfect place for a slime farm.  Something blooped its agreement in the water.

"Astreya?  Not who I was expecting."  Peering through shadows for confirmation, her presence was visible through the void.  "Hrm.  Not on 27.  Wonder who the friend might be."  He had no idea who she associated with, other than Koga and his gaggly harem from Baldur's party.  A small black book materialized in his hand even as the fishing rod dismissed itself back to the ether - the soup of nothingness, probably a lot like this fog.  Jotting a quick note, the book followed the rod, and then the Whisper with it.  A crack of crystal signaling his shift.  Now he was sitting in middle of Ronbaru, back pressed against the arches of the teleporter in its central garden.  Slender, spider-like fingers flicked and clicked their tips against the air, ushering for a response.  Courtesies were required.

To: Astreya From: Freyd Already waiting.

A smirk rose, even as his head craned back to rest against the coolness of the stonework.  Looking into the shade, he'd watch her progress and maybe learn a few things.

***

Freyd | HP: 1120/1120 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 30 | MIT: 98 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 2 | BH: 61 | LD: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16 | TXV 32/3 | PARA IMMUNE | TRLBLD | REC: 8

Freyd offers: Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 | Feast (6/6) - takes 1 portion

Freyd consumes:

Spoiler

Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 (from feast)
Red Velvet Meringue (Snack) | Evasion 2 [179645]
Liquor of Light (Potion) | Damage 3 [178038-1]
Divinity's Wait (Meal)| T4 Mitigation 3 [190845]
Viperion | T4 Perfect (Salve) | Toxic Venom 3 [189852-2]
Breakfast Fry | Protein 2 [177723] + Filled
Troll's Blood [1/2 - https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/21110-f22-pp-double-wammy-witch-of-the-west/?do=findComment&comment=644634]
Berry Crumb Bars (Snack) | LOOT DIE 3 [195132-3]

 

Full Stats

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 110
HP: 1120/1120
EN: 146/146

Stats:
Damage: 24 (+3+2+1)
Mitigation: 78 (+60-40)
(Evasion: 2)
Accuracy: 5 (+2)
Battle Healing: 61
Loot Dice: 5 (+3)
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
(TXV: 32/3)
Paralytic Immunity
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: The Shadowed Rose (T3 Trinket | ACC 3 | Para Imm)

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
Frozen Hide

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: n/a

 

[Dustin 0]

Dustin had made his way so far from home, a task he dreaded to think of for the past few weeks. Roger, Dustin's only friend anymore, had moved his shop up to floor 27 and he was the only one the kid trusted to buy feed from. His slimes were stronger than ever, but Mr. Fluffy was still the smallest. It was whatever, Daria managed to take excellent care of the critters. Daria was the woman Dustin was lucky enough to marry, she was strong and smart. Her recklessness was comparable only to the boy brawler. How could he not fall head over heels for her?

While he was up on this floor, he wanted to buy her an expensive gift, so he decided to carry the heavy bag of feed around town in search of a great store. Maybe this high up he could get something beautiful and unique. The streets were practically dead this early, but Dustin grew up where being awake meant you could work, and that's what he liked to do. Why sleep the day away when instead you can get stuff done? Fighting and searching, the two things he was good at required tons of practice anyways.

As Dustin passed the teleporter, he noticed a figure that looked vaguely familiar. Perhaps it was someone he knew? What was his name? It didn't matter if they had met, because the definitely were about to. Completely captivated, Dustin would walk up to Freyd and say, "Hey, have we met before? I feel like I've seen you somewhere." The kid would say, racking his brain in an attempt to figure it out. The uniquely nondescript character had drawn him in and Dustin was ultimately too curious to let it go. "Either way, my name's Dustin." He would say, letting the sack fall to the ground with a loud thud as he held out his hand for a shake.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

took portion of: Gugnir’s Shard (Untradeable/Unique/Reusable Consumable): Crème Brûlée Tray | ACC 2 

Dustin's Stats:

Spoiler

Level 32

680 HP | 82 EN | 23 DMG | 78 MIT | 5 ACC | 1 EVA | 34 BH

Skills:

Martial Arts: Rank 5 (+7 DMG) [30 SP]

Light Armor: Rank 5 (+30 MIT -2 Stealth) [30 SP]

Battle Healing: Rank 5 (+5% HP per round until max) [30 SP]

<<Combat Mastery>> Damage: +12 DMG (Doesn't Stack with Weapon DMG) [15 SP]

<<Parry>> blocks 50% of damage upon use [10 SP]

<<Combat Shift: ST specialist>> +3 ST multipliers, +2 EN [10 SP]
Mods:

[addon] <<Martial Arts>> Ferocity: +2 DMG [6 SP]

<<Light Armor>> Meticulous: +1 DMG [4 SP]

[addon] <<Light Armor>> Resolve: +1 ACC +40 HP [6 SP]

<<Parry>> Vengeful Riposte: reflects 50% of damage [6 SP]

<<Parry>> Justified Riposte: Stuns enemy on a successful parry [5 SP]

Inventory:

[Equipped] Strength of Thor | Hand Wraps | Tier 4 | Perfect | 3x Damage (+12 DMG) | copper hand wraps that appear to be dragon scales, obsidian chips on the knuckles to symbolize dragon claws

[Equipped] Security Sweater | Light Armor | Tier 4 | Perfect | 1x EVA (+1 EVA), x2 MIT (+48 MIT) | A basic blue sweatshirt, though thicker than most

[Equipped] Oroboros | Jewelry | Tier 4 | Rare | 2x ACC | Silver ring with a dragon eating it’s tail on it.

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Dustin

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The drop of the sack hitting the floor pulled Nari’s attention. The square was empty at this time of day – empty, save for two individuals she’d never seen before who seemed to be keeping to themselves. She eyed them each, getting an odd vibe from the one currently seated on the ground, directly in the centre of the square near the teleport pad. Something about him…

She shook her head to rid herself of the feeling, it was likely nothing more than nerves at partaking in what was essential her first step towards the frontlines. ‘This rumour had better be worthwhile, otherwise...’

The thought left unfinished, Nari moved over towards the teleporter pad, giving the fox on her shoulder a soft scratch as she paced back and forth. “Astreya better not have gotten lost, or distracted. It would be like her to get distracted…”

Her impatience was clear as she spoke to the fox, her body unable to stay still. She was nervous – whether she’d admit it allowed or not. Before now, all that she had done was gain some levels. Now, the real game began…and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it or not.

Exchanging 
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
for
Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3

Spoiler

Word Count: 197

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Inventory exchange.

[Astreya 0]

The girl hummed to herself, getting herself into the thought and mindspace required.  She closed her eyes, knowing the path through the Town of Beginnings without any hesitation, by this point.  Hell, she even really knew the paths the NPCs took most of the time and so she idly shifted this way and that.  All of the information about the people, real or not, kept stored in her mind as she shifted around the NPCs, not even watching where she was going.  Nari, Freyd... and maybe some others?  She saw the other recipients in the list.  She'd just need to keep in mind exactly what she needed to present for herself.

Stepping into the teleporter, she selected the 27th Floor, and as she did so, the girl's face erupted into smiles as she half-stepped, half-hopped out of it, landing in the main town on the floor.  "Ooooh," she spoke, looking around as she came out, her gaze flickering this way and that.  As she did so, she took in the sights, and the players and NPCs both, in the area.  She noted there were few people here, but of them, two she recognized immediately.  

"Nari~!  Hey~!  Freyd!" she called, beaming a wide smile as she waved overhand at the both of them, moving forward toward Nari first, as Freyd already had someone else near him.  She didn't mind being loud and the center of attention as she drew closer toward the girl.  "Hey, have you met Freyd yet?" she asked, cocking her head to the side, even as she made absolutely no hesitation of (gently) taking the girl by the arm to bring her over toward the fellow.  "He's a really nice guy but kinda weird like Raidou.  Weird in a different way though," she spoke.

Of course, this was the first time she'd actually seen Freyd since the incident back with that early quest.  When he'd killed those two players who'd attacked them.  Of course, all of that concern was kept off of her face as she drew Nari forward.  "Freyyyyd!  This is  the friend I was like, talking about," she spoke, beaming a smile toward him.  "Who's your friend?"

---

CONSUME OFFERED FEASTTTT | ACC 2 Gained

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari waved as Astreya appeared, immediately calling out and introducing her to…someone. It took Nari a moment – and the momentum of being dragged towards the other two men in the square – to realise that she was gesturing to the seated man. She eyed Freyd up, not seeing the similarity to the Gardener in any avenue of the definition, but she assumed that there was more than met the eye here.

Half bowing towards the man, she’ll give a slight smile, nodding to the other individual whom hadn’t been introduced yet. “Nari-Lanreth, Nari for short. It’s a pleasure to meet…both of you. Are you both here to help search down this rumour?”

Casting an eye towards Astreya, she paused for a brief second before continuing. Something about the seated man gave her an uneasy feeling…and she wasn’t entirely sure why. “One of my contacts pinged me a little while ago, saying there was something odd within the Ming Garden. There’s reports of a ghostly woman causing…well, discomfort is what the reports say. My contact thinks it may be worth checking out, especially seeing as it has the local NPCs so rattled. Oh, and apparently it only started recently.”

---
Consume offerred Feast | ACC 2 Gained

Spoiler

Word Count: 197

 

[Freyd 0]

"Dustin?  Dustin.  Dustin?  Nope.  Nothing."  Freyd shrugged, unable to place the name. 

"Knew a kid named Dustin back in elementary school.  He was one of the glue-sniffers, and always had wisps of the gunk trailing out of his left nostril.  But I'm guessing that's not you.  He was shorter and a lot rounder, and black.  So, definitely not."  Leaning forward from his seated lotus, Freyd unfolded his legs beneath him to rise like some sort of humanoid scissor lift, all lanky and wiry beneath endless folds of dark cloth.  The man's face was pale and unremarkable, a pair of stormy blue eyes peering jovially from beneath the hood of a charcoal-coloured woolen cowl.  Most of him was covered in matt blacks and greys, in a patchwork of cloth and leather pieces best suited to slinking around in the shadows.

"Freyyyyd!"

That could only be one person.  Hands casually stuffed into a pair of previously hidden pockets, the man pivoted at the knee to crane his entire body around, in a Cosmo Kramer style of odd mannerisms.  One slender brow arched high as he watched Astreya approaching with her arms wrapped around some hapless victim's.

"Astreya," he replied, mutely by comparison.  His tone was friendly, carrying the hint of a chuckle.  "Ah, Nari.  The name sounds familiar.  Didn't you cause some sort of ruckus at Baldur's place?"  His delivery was polite, but also deadpan.  Details of the incident had eluded him, but he assumed that it had something to do with NIGHT's state of mind and her sudden, stressful departure with Koga.  Everything else during that outing had been relatively tame.  A twinkle in his eye as he glanced back to Astreya and taunted her to make good on her promise to get him back for their duel.

"Meet Dustin - not the glue-sniffing one," he offered with a wave at their final companion.  "We've also only just met."

Nari's mention of contacts immediately drew his interest.  Another broker, or amateur equivalent?  First Xena re-surfaces and now another potential link to that network of mixed repute.  A quick glance through the shadows confirmed that she was who she claimed, at least in so far as the system recognized.  

"The Ming Garden is not far from here, on the outskirts of Ronbaru, and considered to be a romantic hot spot, but it's also outside the safe zone." A pause let that sink in.  "My money's on 'NPC jilted lover' with a sprinkling of Lapis society connections for additional drama.  They're the local new-age priestly monk types.  Beware the offerings of free yoga lessons and back massages."  Reaching to connect his arms behind his back, a loud crack of bone implied that he'd not heeded his own warnings.

Vanity Tag: @Xena

[Dustin 0]

"I don't recall sniffing glue... I always spread it on my hands and peeled it off like skin to gross out the girls." He would say with a light chuckle. Those were the good ole days, when a little light pranking was still fun and not driven by hatred.

Not long after Freyd's comments, Dustin saw two women approaching. One seemed to know the guy, the other knew the former. It was complicated, but was worse was where Dustin fit into this little group. He had no previous connections to anyone here. How would he get along with them? Who knows? But the kid wanted to find out. Making friends was the easiest thing ever. As Freyd introduced the boy, he would raise his hand and smile real bright. "I might have, who knows?" Looking at the shortest woman as she spoke, Dustin's mind would think of all the lamest explanations. Maybe it's just a new field boss, or maybe it's a glitch. I don't think I've ever seen a player turn into a ghost, perhaps I don't want to. It wouldn't take long for Dustin's first new friend in a while to give his two cents. The only words that stood out were "Jilted Lover" and his warning about fee massages. "Wait..." The boy would remark, holding his hand up as if in class, "What's a 'Jilted lover'?" His raised hand would move to scratch the back of his head.

Jilted lover, field boss or glitch, didn't matter what it was to Dustin, one thought kept crossing his mind over and over. "Can I kill it?" His face would twist into an almost mischievous smile as his wrapped hands closed into a fist. He could've sworn it would've drawn blood had he squeezed any harder. Oh, if we're going to check out these rumors I should get dressed. His menu would open up and he would change out of his plain white shirt into his blue sweatshirt, and his pants would switch from blue jeans to a beige color. While in his menu he would send a message to Daria explaining he would be back late tonight.

[Astreya 0]

Astreya couldn't help but to be a little pleased to let one friend of hers meet another.  She knew that it wasn't always going to be people being nice to one another and that there might be some issues here and there, but Freyd was someone that had extended his hand when she'd first really needed help early on, even if it had mostly been accidentally through Marv.

Nari was being rather formal and polite, which she assumed was mostly just due to her own discomfort, but she didn't poke any fun at the girl for it- it was just an amusing sort of thing to see.  "What?  A ghost!  Oh man, that's, like, so cool!" she cheered, excited for something like that.  First Fey, now Ghosts?  What was up with this place?

Her gaze flickered over toward Freyd as the man mentioned a ruckus during Baldur's whole thing and she blinked.  She had missed that. She'd known that Nari had lost her fight against the other woman, NIGHT, and from there, she had left.  Astreya had just assumed that she'd been upset about her loss and the girl had been a little... busy with everything following and hadn't had a chance to follow up.  But she didn't ask Nari about it, not right yet.  Maybe later, when they had some time with just the two of them.

Astreya's gaze flickered back to Freyd, feeling his mischievous eyes on her and she gave him a smug little smirk.  She'd get him when he wasn't expecting it.

"Dustin?  Glue?" Astreya asked, tilting her head a little to the side before beaming at the fellow with a sunny smile.  "I'm Astreya!  Or Iris.  Whichever works," the girl spoke, waving a hand in front of her face as if to dispel something unpleasant.  

She gave a small 'hrm' of thought in response to Freyd's supposition, before a confused smile over at Dustin.  "Y'know, like 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' or like, something to that effect.  NPC that's dead but like, too angry to really die, y'know?"  She paused, considering his words for a moment.  "Not sure if like...you can kill something that's already dead..?"

"But anyway, like, let's go!  I'm ready for adventure!" she cheered, taking a few steps outward, before pausing.  "So like, which way's the garden again?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Turning towards the north, Nari will begin walking a path she had taken many times over the past number of days. She still couldn’t believe the rumour led to the Ming Garden. She could remember being there only days ago, moving through the walkways with…

“Come on, it’s this way. I’ve been there… recently. With a friend.” A brief pause as she seems to draw inwards, thinking about something. “I don’t remember seeing any… ghost… last time I was there, but perhaps it depends on the time of day, or the party in attendance… or some other initializing factor.”

A few steps before she turns, suddenly stopping. A serious look on her face she’ll eye the group up before speaking sternly. “I don’t know how you usually fight, what tactics you normally use. But Astreya and I are clearly the heaviest armoured – you two look like you can strike out the damage. With that being said… let anything we face focus on Astreya and I. If I can, I’ll try and set us all up, debuffing it. I don’t want anyone doing anything stupid. Is that understood?”

Softly, below her breath in the barest of whispers, she’ll add, “No one dies. Not today, not ever again.” Without another word she’ll turn around and continue walking, a tension in her shoulders that hadn’t been there before.

Spoiler

Word Count: 225

 

[Freyd 0]

Dustin immediately struck Freyd as another Gaius in the raw, rearing for a fight without needing to know why.  The act itself was enough.  So be it.  There was always a need for shock troops.  It was just unfortunate that their casualty rates tended to be so high.  Fixing the man's face in his memory, he made a mental note, in case his enthusiasm reduced him to mere pixels a few minutes from now.  One never really knew, in Aincrad.

Astreya, or Iris as now noted, was her usual whirlwind self, bubbly and eager, overflowing with so much energy that it couldn't possibly be real.  No, that wasn't it.  It might have been real, once.  But after so many years trapped in this world, watching numbers steadily dwindle as name kept getting added to the wall, Freyd didn't buy it.  No one could stay that perky for this long.  If it was a façade, then it was for her benefit, or for those around her.  Either option worked.  Everyone coped in their own ways.

"You can kill anything in this game, given the proper approach.  Even immortal objects have their flaws and vulnerabilities.  But I'd just as soon see if we can solve this mystery without needing to resort to violence at all.  Sometimes, a calm voice and steady hand can carry you a lot farther than just stabbing at everything.  Speaking from experience."

He looked over to Dustin, blue eyes peering from the shadows beneath his hood.

"Why don't you just give Nari a passionate kiss?  She slaps you.  We've set the proper mood and ghost comes looking to see who's stealing his or her shtick.  Don't try it on Iris, though, she'll just flatten you."

Pot stirred, Freyd refocused on Nari, who'd become all dark and brooding.  It was a state of being with which he was all too familiar.  Unlike bravos, like Dustin, brooders find trouble because they can't see things through any other lens.  They're self-destructive under the guise of being caution.  More familiar ground.  She bore watching for it, let they all get dragged along the same path.  But there was also no sense in feeding into it.  He'd simply wait and gauge her reactions.

[Dustin 0]

"Alright Astreya, Nari. Nice to meet you." He would say, smiling brightly and holding his hand out with a thumb up. Perhaps these players would get to see Dustin give something his all, even though it probably won't impress any of them. Astreya though, casted doubt in the boy's mind, something that got players like him killed all too often. "A ghost isn't necessarily dead, its body is dead. The soul is alive, and thus, can be killed." He would say, his hand coming up to pinch his chin. "Or maybe, the ghost isn't alive, but instead is undead. Undead can be killed." His hands would fall down and slide into his pockets. "Even if it was god I'd kill it." He'd mumble, kicking a rock and watching it bounce around the road.

Nari seemed a little too serious for Dustin's liking, but outside of deciding to never invite her to a party, he figured for now she was fine to help. She wasn't annoying, just kind of dull. She reminded him of someone else, A tank from way back. One he had ended up trying to date, but she married someone else. It was whatever though, Dustin had his own slice of happiness now.

Lastly, Freyd really came through for Dustin, agreeing with him when no one else explicitly would. Dustin's eyes brightened up once again as he caught up to the group once again with a quick burst of skipping. "I don't know about that second part though. Yeah sometimes peace is a good option, but fighting is so much more fun. I've killed so many things here and never had the option of talking through a fight." His mind rushes back to Greil and his crew. His eyes fall to the floor for a moment as his face levels out. Clearly something was bothering him. "I guess there was once." He'd say, his voice practically dead.

Next came Freyd's idea to draw the ghost in, it seemed simple enough. Dustin would roll his head, walking up behind Nari and tapping her on the shoulder. If she would turn around he would slowly start leaning in for the kiss, his eyes closed tightly as he kept telling himself "This is for the mission. You love Daria." He had prepared himself for a good slap, but was entirely unsure what exactly was to come.

[Astreya 0]

Dustin's response gave Astreya a wide grin- she liked that easy-going, heart-on-his-sleeve style.  He didn't really hold anything back, and just was very willing to put his thoughts out there.  She couldn't help but want to comment on it, regarding the fact around ghosts and spirits and undead in general, but it was then that Nari began to stand a little more upright.

Nari seemed to be the one leading the charge, as it were, and began to lead the group out toward the North.  There was something different in her countenance and the way she held herself, but Astreya herself didn't comment on such a thing, merely just giving her friend a small smile as she followed along, moving with her own steady gait.  She also didn't miss the small pause when it came to speaking on when she'd been to this place- and a curiosity rose inside of her.  

Astreya lingered closer as the violet guardian's words continued, and she was about to speak, to offer some thought on the matter and to inquire about this friend of hers.  But the large, almost silly smile that Astreya wore froze as Nari suddenly turned on a heel, addressing them all with a stern countenance.  The girl blinked in response, confusion mixing with indignation, uncertainty, sadness but most of all curiosity at what had happened that had caused this sudden paradigm shift within her.  Or perhaps this was just a new facet of her, like a newly-discovered gemstone that one turned this way and that, discovering new and different parts of it with each look.  

Her mind flickered to Freyd.  Their first meeting, he had been rather cheerful around them and Marv.  The second, he'd started much the same but a hair trigger had turned him into a killer...and then back to something a bit more silly against the Minotaur.  Then had been the tournament where he'd played the goofball.  Perhaps Nari was no different- quiet and shy like a mouse, with slowly gained confidence... only to show her fangs here, briefly.  How genuinely interesting.

All of that went on behind the slightly uncomfortable smile that Astreya wore in the wake of that announcement.  "Hey, Nari, you okay?" she spoke, frowning as she came closer to her friend, even as she could hear the boys talking behind her.  She blinked, casting an incredulous look at Freyd for his suggestion.  She supposed that maybe he was just trying to summon the ghost, but choosing Nari when she was clearly upset at the moment was a touch off-putting.

Being still right next to Nari in wanting to find out what was troubling her friend, she gave a small frown toward Dustin as he approached, and even as he tapped Nari on her shoulder, the raven-haired woman's eyes narrowed at the new individual that was coming forward to try to act on Freyd's words, before a gauntleted hand came forward, her mailed palm pressing against Dustin's face. "Back off," the girl spoke evenly, a slightly icy edge to her normally pleasant tone.  "Don't listen to bad ideas from Freyd," the girl continued, turning her look from Dustin to Freyd, shifting from annoyance to incredulity.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari turned her head, first at the question from Astreya, then at the tap on her shoulder. She saw Astreya grab the man’s hand, holding it in place. She could hear – as if in the distance, the words that Astreya spoke. However, something in her mind had changed, that same coolness coming over her that general took control during a fight. Her expression – once filled with a mixture of concern, a hint of distress, and possibly something else, suddenly melted away. Behind was left a face void of any emotion, the eyes empty, but focused on the man. Almost a whisper, the words slipped her lips.

“Have you made your peace with Death? For if you carry that action forward, I assure you will find your answer.” Almost as quickly, the void dropped, and Nari’s eyebrows furrowed inwards. Shaking her head, she looked at Astreya, a bit of awkwardness on her face as she answered the girl’s question. “I’m…we’ll talk about that after, okay?”

A single glance cast at Dustin and Freyd, before she turned and continued walking, her body tense as she tried to put distance between her and what had just occurred. It had been some time since those words had escaped her lips, and she didn’t like what that meant.

A dozen steps ahead, she called back to the group, her voice trying to echo an emotion of cheer. “Hey, if you three don’t hurry up I’m going to solve this all by myself!”

Spoiler

Word Count: 247

 

[Freyd 0]

Discord. Tension. Dark emotions and cross-wired intentions.  Freyd hadn't actually expected Dustin to follow through, but the end result was exactly what he had hoped.  The man known as the Whisper in Shadows was as slippery as he was unpredictable, and already two steps ahead of Nari by the time she uttered her threats.  Gaze locked forward, Freyd's form shimmered and wavered as they entered the formal grounds.  If he'd heard her words, he made no overt reaction.  Gone was the edgy darklord-wear, shed like a pixel-thin layer of skin and replaced by something much grander and more suitable to the mood and serene atmosphere of the hallowed gardens.  A long flowing robe and cloak in deep lapis blue replaced his former appearance, complete with hood and other assorted blingery, not immediately apparent.  Nor was the change in body form beneath all the layers of cloth.

"A woman was murdered here four nights ago."  The voice was definitely more feminine than Freyd's.  "Her body was found draped over some statuary at the centre of the gardens.  That it lingered was itself unusual, and suggestive that it was some sort of quest or event-related occurrence.  I keep an eye and ear out for such things."  A gentle, lilting laughter floated through the air, even as his head turned to reveal a pale, slender face with sharp, patrician features set around deeply insightful purple eyes.  They twinkles in an unexpectedly sultry manner beneath a carefully dressed coif of arctic white hair braided and slipping out at the edge of his... her... embroidered cloak.  The details were too fine to decipher at a distance.  Freyd's profile has also definitely shifted to match, taking on noticeably curvier proportions.

"Kindly remain mad at each other," he offered, completely seriously.  "It may help us prompt a response from said ghost and anyone else of interest who might still be around.  A dead woman's face might also do the same."

Silent footfalls gave way to the patterned clicking of heels as he strode forward, the cloak billowing behind suddenly purposeful strides.

***

Freyd uses Disguise

 

[Dustin 0]

As a hand pushed against his face, Cold steel would pull his eyes open and he would look into the almost dead eyes of the girl he tried to kiss. If that wouldn’t work, what next? Dustin had no intention of trying to push the issue. Hell, he had never wanted to kiss her anyways, but any idea is better than none. Looking back towards Freyd, Dustin would shrug and carry on about his business. Although Nari’s threat hadn’t gone unnoticed, Dustin never reacted. You see, he had come to terms with his death, long ago in the icy fields of floor four. ”Yes. I have.” Dustin had heard those words more times than he could count, his deadpan face switch to a smile and a thumbs up. ”But, I should apologize. I’m sorry!”

A little too chipper to sound like a genuine apology, but of course Dustin barely recognized the weight of the actions he took. It was for the mission, but even still he could’ve read the room so to speak. Astreya’s warning of Freyd’s bad ideas would be noted by a tongue poking out and open hands on his ears.

As he fell back towards Freyd, another form would be in its place. A confused Dustin would simply ignore the character and follow Nari with his eyes. He couldn’t help but still feel a bit bad for what he had done, but other than falling on his sword his only option was… OH YEAH!

Out of his pocket, cupcakes would take form. Dustin had formed a habit of carrying around snacks yet again, and he would continue to share them with everyone he met in Aincrad. ”I brought snacks if anyone wants any. I used to carry them for my brother but he can’t eat them anymore.” His offer came straight from the heart so there wasn’t a tinge of discomfort despite bringing up Kadin. ”Picked em up while grabbing some feed for my slimes, Roger’s a damn good cook.”

As nice as Astreya was, and thankful as Dustin was she’d stopped him from being stupid, Dustin still couldn’t help but feel a bit of disdain when he thought about her. Did she really think he couldn’t kill something that has already died? ”What’s it matter anyways? You’re stupid.” He would mumble, pulling his hood up over his brown mop of a hair do. The field around them would lead to a new area, one with an ultimately eerie feel. ”Freyja protect us.” The kids hand would grip the mjolnir necklace as tight as he could with his wedding ring glimmering in the light.

[Astreya 0]

Astreya could tell that Dustin wasn't really... intending to do this kiss.  He wasn't trying to actually try and be weird.  There hadn't been enough feeling or attempt in what he'd been trying, but that didn't mean that it hadn't been done.  She fixed him with an annoyed look after bringing her gaze back from Freyd, releasing him just in time for Nari to begin to speak.  

The cold, even tone was seemingly odd, to Astreya.  She wasn't used to seeing her violet-haired friend this way, but despite the fact that it was a stark contrast to the usual way the woman presented herself, Astreya wasn't put that much off-guard.  Part of the reason was the instigator to this whole debacle- Freyd.  The man had shown himself to be incredibly silly and fun... and at the same time, cold and distant as the night sky.  So to see Nari go through a similar sort of state almost just made her wonder how similar she was to the man.  But at her threat, Dustin seemed to answer with just as much as much lack of emotion.  

A void staring into a void.  

And then both were gone, Dustin giving a smile and a thumbs-up again, apologizing for his actions while Nari had indicated to Astreya that her issue would be something that they would talk about at a later time.  The raven-haired young woman exhaled slowly as she gave a smile toward them both, even as she took a step back away.  "Okay...we all good?" she asked, even as Nari went on ahead, calling on after them.  Astreya frowned as she looked after her friend, before the sound of a female voice caught her ears. 

She paused, realizing that Freyd was not with them anymore.  Or...was that...?

Confusion was met with confusion at the sudden change in the figure that she knew.  Just when she had thought she'd seen into the shallow end if the inky pool that was Freyd, she realized she was just looking at the misty spray.  This was a whole new bit of concern for her, but all the same... she was pretty sure it was still Freyd under all of that finery.  And curves.  And heels??

Taking a moment to process what was said by Frey(a?), Astreya glanced over to Dustin who seemed to have pulled quite a few sweets out of his inventory, and the girl, despite herself, was nonetheless happy to see such things as they followed along with Nari a bit further, but she merely returned the sticking out of the tongue at being called 'stupid' by Dustin, not entreating it with a response before she glanced back to the figure that had once been Freyd's.

"So, not to like, ruin anything but like... how do you know that?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.  Or maybe he (she?) didn't, and it was just setting the stage, to add in a sense of belief that such is what had occurred.  These rumors were weird enough that it very well might be the case- Astreya herself had no idea.  "Unless there's like... some big hints I'm totally missing?" she asked.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The cold, emotionless visage had dropped from Nari the moment Dustin had backed off. As she glanced a Freyd – now converted to…a woman?...she caught sight of Dustin pulling the treats out, and she had to resist the urge to rush over to grab one. The exchange between Astreya and Dustin went wholly ignored – although she did remember engaging in something similar recently with another.

“He doesn’t know for sure, he’s taking a guess, based on the facts that we do have. And likely correlating it with how these games usually work, pulling on lore and ideologies from real life, to integrate into a channel for a quest, or engagement.” She cast a gaze at Freyd, a bit of a smile on her face. “Isn’t it usually a scorned lover, come back from the world of spirits, who haunts the gardens – looking to make amends, or drag down others with it, in order to complete some outstanding worldly desires that it left unfinished?”

She wasn’t entirely sure the connection of the dead woman, other than possibly corresponding to the concept of a connection of loss, but the rest seemed pretty obvious to Nari. She glanced at Astreya again, wondering if she would get a chance to talk to the woman alone today, or if that would have to wait…

“Suffice to say, we don’t have much more to go on, for now. At least not until the woman appears – so perhaps the crazy crossdresser over there has a point.” She’ll cast another devilish grin towards Freyd as if to cement that she’s referencing him, before continuing. “Although, I don’t know how I can possibly stay mad at the Muffin Man…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 279

 

[Freyd 0]

"Lady Ladira?!  Wha... wha.... how... is this possible?"  The aging, balding attendant's face blanched at the sight of the approaching false Freyd, who'd spent enough time studying Simmoné to pull of a half decent courtesan schtick when he needed to.  A subtle shift in stance, hand placed on hip as he kept closing the distance, combined with carefree laughter that rang between the local sculptures and topiary with a certain arrogant amusement.

"Please!  Please!  I've heard the rumours, and you should take better care than to listen to such poppycock!  I'm absolutely fine, my dear."  The man positively shrunk as she neared, desperately seeking solace in his own matching robes, though his of much rougher cut and less magnificently maintained.  The lesser degree of embroidery also implied some sort of lesser rank, as the rest of the party observed that no small number of visitors around the garden wore the same manner of regalia.

"Go!"  Freyd clapped, making the man jump, while possibly also wetting himself at the prospect that he was facing an actual ghost in the flesh.  "Spread the word that I am here, well survived beyond the laughable attempts that were made on my life.  I expect order and harmony to be restored to these hallowed grounds, and this puerile gossiping to end immediately."  An ornately decorated paper fan flicked out from somewhere beneath 'Ladira's' robes to swath the man on the shoulder, not quite deigning to make actual contact.

"Begone," Freyd added, calmly, in the manner of other senior members.  The orderly bowed and retreated as swiftly as his sandled feet and addled wits would permit.

"There," he added, turning back to his companions and finally offering a full and proper view of his borrowed façade.  It was unexpectedly stunning, especially from a normally socially awkward lanky-looking layabout who seemed to vacillate between fool and sage on the flip of a coin.  Perhaps this was less of a disguise than the face and mannerisms that he normally wore?

"From what I've seen, the Ronbaruans... sounds like a liqueur... are very big on keeping up appearances.  This 'Lapis Society' cult carry a lot of prestige, but they're far better at looking all mystical and serene than they are at actually dealing with problems as and when they arise."  They all noticed that Freyd's eyes were looking behind them, and not at them directly.  "I've very likely just painted a large target on my back.  If the jilted lover find out that his mistress lives, he may return to finish the job.  A curfew was imposed after the murder, and should be coming into effect any minute.  The second option is considerably less romantic, and may have more to do with the fact that everything is less hunky-dory around here than everyone wants to let on.  I've seen enough of this floor already to know that there are different factions around and not all of them work as harmoniously at these Lapis looneys will let on.  The third option..."

Freyd's words were cut short by the sound of blades scraping against scabbards.  Four surly-looking fellows had entered their glade 

"Come on, boys.  Let's kill her again.  Wouldn't hurt to get paid a second time."

Chuckles echoed from his fellows as they spread out to cut off any avenues of escape.

Vanity Tag: @Simmone

***
Freyd uses Random Dungeon Map [198591]