[PP-F22] Training Montage <<Training Your Friend>> (Nari)

[Oji 0]

It was another bright and sunny day on the twenty-second floor, and Oji was fixing up his fence in front of his house. a player's familiar had crashed into it on accident while he was out walking, and Oji, after receiving a profuse apology, said it was no problem and asked the young man where he got the power. He was then told about the quest to train his familiar. He went to the quest discovery tab and sure enough, it was there in his "available" tab, since he had met the requirements to take it on. Oji was ecstatic, seeing that he could help Soup with some training. He might be able to wrangle him better when it came to going out in public, as he mostly had to keep him on his shoulder to prevent him from running off too far. But, he realized that it would probably be a little boring to do alone.

He opened his fairly short friends list. Oscar seemed to busy, and he hadn't heard from him in awhile and didn't want to feel like a bother. Koga seemed like a prime choice, he would be able to spend time with him and maybe make some soup within his home that they could enjoy. He almost clicked on his name, but the third name, Nari, caught his eye. He hadn't heard from the young girl in awhile, and he was curious as to how she was doing. Maybe after the training, he could invite her in for some tea and chatting time. It wouldn't hurt to shoot her a message and see, and if she wasn't available he could always see if Koga wanted some more soup time. He opened up the message option, and started to type a small message.

Quote

To: Nari-Lanreth

From: Oji

Message: Hi miss Nari, it's Oji. I hope you are well. I wanted to invite you to help me with a simple quest, and perhaps some coffee and catch-up time if you are interested! My home is on the 22nd floor, and you can find it here. If you can't make it, I understand and I will not be offended if the answer is no, but I felt it would be a good chance to talk. I await your reply when you get around to it. Cheers.

Once he sent the message, he went inside and started a half-pot of coffee, grabbing his mug and filling it with the black liquid. He fixed it with a dash of dream and a spoonful of sugar, and stirred it with a bronze spoon. He took a sip, and he sighed happily, just the way he liked it. He then took his mug and went to sit on his porch swing, opening his HUD and reading the daily newspaper, doing his best to stay up to date with the happenings of the game.

Stats:

Spoiler

Oji, The Uncle of Aincrad
Level: 15
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 300/300
EN: 48/48

Stats:
Damage: 1
Evasion: 3
Loot Dice: 3

Equipped Gear:
Weapon:
Armor:
Misc: Jigen kōtai [3 EVA]

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Searching R3

Active Mods:
Energize

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Field Medic
Hyperactive

Active Extra Skills:
First Aid R5

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
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

Quest:

Spoiler

Any Floor
<<Training Your Friend>>
Party Limit: 2 | 20+ Posts
Prerequisite: Must have completed <<Feeding Your Enemy>> and have a familiar eligible to receive training
Two players may train their familiars at the same time, or a second player may accompany the first to provide company.  
Repeatable for standard thread rewards.

Quest Rewards:

• 300 Experience Points
• Each eligible player receives:
  • Familiar Skill of your choosing. (Only one Familiar Skill may be unlocked at a time. SP will still need to be paid to activate the skill. If one wishes to retrain their familiar, they must first refund the skill, then take this quest to train their familiar a second time.)

Requirements:

• Roleplay training your Familiar. The training should relate to the Familiar Skill you are attempting to unlock.
• SP must be spent to obtain the preferred Familiar Skill.  You may only have one Familiar Skill at a time.

Summary:

You have succeeded in taming a familiar with the aid of the <<Traveling Gypsy>>. Now that it has chosen to join you on your journey, you are burdened with training it to survive the throes of battle. There are many ways to train your familiar, and each familiar is unique in the way that they will learn. It is up to you as its master to work around its strengths and weaknesses to bring out its true power. This is the responsibility you have chosen to carry. 

Players that train their familiars together have found it much easier to unlock their respective skills. By being around their peers and picking up techniques from two players, familiars seem to be capable of learning at a faster rate. As a result, it has become commonplace for players to pair up to help familiars realize their full potential. Getting in groups larger than two players often seems to prove overwhelming for the familiars, and little progress can be made.

Outline: 

Solo

Every 5th post (post #5, post #10, post #15, etc), the player may roll to train their familiar as a post action. On a roll of CD 7+, the player succeeds in teaching their familiar something related to the Familiar Skill they are attempting to unlock. Because even failed attempts possess glimmers of insight, for every failed attempt to train the Familiar, the CD requirement is reduced by 2.

After 3 successful successes, the Familiar will be considered trained.

Party

Every 3rd and 4th post (posts #3 & #4, posts #6 & #7, posts #9 & #10, etc) of the party leader and their companion respectively, the players roll to train their familiars as post actions. On a roll of CD 7+, the player rolling will succeed in teaching their familiar something related to the Familiar Skill the individual player and familiar pair are attempting to unlock. Because even failed attempts possess glimmers of insight, for every failed attempt to train a familiar, the CD requirement for its respective player is reduced by 2.

After 3 successful successes, the Familiar will be considered trained.

Other players who may have their Familiar already trained may attempt to roll for successes as well. These rolls will not count towards the successes of Players who are attempting to unlock a Familiar Skill. However, failed attempts from trained Familiar/Player pairs will reduce the CD requirement for other Players attempting to unlock a Familiar Skill. Players will only need to keep count of their successful training attempts should they want to unlock a Familiar Skill.

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her message to Onóra complete, Nari palmed the send key gingerly, wondering what the woman would think of her request. She knew it was completely out of the blue, and likely might cause some confusion – or worse…

The sudden alert of an incoming message startled her from her thoughts. She quickly keyed open the menu, amazed at how quickly the reply had come – even a simple yes should’ve taken longer with how much she’d written. ‘Unless she didn’t read it all…’

Heart suddenly constricting, she frantically opened the message, her eyes drifting over it so quickly that words almost seemed to blur together. A moment later she read the whole thing again, completely baffled by the words in front of her. Glancing up at the top of the message, she suddenly realised her error.

Slamming her head into her workshop table, scaring the poor fox that had been resting on it, Nari mumbled into the air. “I’m an idiot…”

Realising Oji would be waiting for a response, Nari brought up the reply menu, quickly typing a reply to the man. Even through her embarrassment a smile had broken out on her face.

To: Oji

From: Nari-Lanreth

Message: I would love to come! I’ve done the quest once before, back when I first connected with Yuki. But I’ve been considering changing out her abilities to something more… well, in line with our goals to join the frontline. I’ll be there in about an hour, if that’s okay? I’ll see you then!

Firing off the message, she’ll clean up the few tools and diagrams she had out in the workshop, before politely informing the two players in the storefront that she had something come up and would need to close the store for the day. Promising to contact them later, once she was open again, she took their names down in her ledger, before waving them politely out and locking the door behind her.

Making sure Yuki was comfortable on her shoulder, Nari made her way down to the teleporter pad, giving one final glance at the ever-night floor she called home. A quick command and she was transported away from the dark of her home, and onto a bright, sunny local that reminded her of home in the real world, in a way.

Following the directions that Oji had provided, Nari made her way of the pad and down the walkway, humming softly to herself and Yuki as she went. It wasn’t long before she found the place itself, knocking gently on the entrance. Smoothing the front of her dress – her armour and shield stored away in favour of the new piece that Onóra had made for her, the spear casually leaned in the crook of her left arm – Nari put on a truly happy smile.

Nari’s Outfit

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth's Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 10 | HP: 720/720 | EN: 84/84 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | ACC: 1 | REC: 8 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0 | STH: -5 | THORNS [72 DMG] | FROSTBITE [30 DMG]
Tier 4

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

Equipped Items

Síonnách Geímhrídh | [T3 Polearm [One-Handed Assault Spear]; Perfect] 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.

Enhancement: Freeze [1 Slot] | 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 as a Frost effect. Frozen opponents have their Evasion set to -1. Striking a frozen enemy before the effect ends deal an extra (16 * Tier) unmitigatable damage. [Must hit to activate the status condition.]
Enhancement: Paralyse [1 Slot] | 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: Frostbite [1 Slot] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) deal (10 * Tier) unmitigated Frost damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. In addition, anyone with Frostbite receives a -1 Accuracy debuff until the effect wears off.  Frostbite damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The highest tier of Frost damage overrides lower tier versions; cannot be overridden by lower-tier versions. [Must hit to activate the status condition.]

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}
Pure Unadulterated Rage (Meals) | Mitigation 3
Starter Healing Potions {5} | Heals 50 HP
Blank Dungeon Map {4} | Tier 4
Immolation Potion {1} | Tier 4; When used, successful non-critical attacks against you deal (10 * Tier) unmitigated damage to the attacking enemy. Must be of the appropriate tier to use. Effect lasts for one thread.
T1 Uncommon Damage Potion {1} | +1 DMG for an entire thread

Inventory

T1 Uncommon Health Potions {5} | Heals 5% of Maximum HP
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
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.
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III
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.

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

Active 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

Inactive Extra Skills

 

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: 465

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth

[Oji 0]

Oji finished his cup of coffee as the sun streaked over the horizon. Soup was sunbathing on the steps of the deck, his small breathing being competed only by the chirps and tweets of birds. As Oji enjoyed his morning, he could hear the sounds of walking up his road. Soup picked his head up, and saw the person coming, a young lady. The small sable instantly recognized her, and chirped in excitement. Soup had met her when they went into the desert, and had become good friends with her. Oji looked up and saw Soup was excited, and he chuckled. "Come here you little rascal." He said. The sable ignored him for a moment, but then he looked at him, and gave a sad coo, then came over. He pet the sable on the head as he waited for Nari to notice him.

But, as she came to his door, she knocked and did not notice him. He chuckled quietly, then cleared his throat till she looked at him. "I've been sitting he the entire time young lady, do I really blend into the background that bad?" He jested, then he let Soup go and he came over to her, giving happy chirps and coming close to receive some pets. Oji stood up with a groan, then came over to her and Soup, a small smile. "Glad to see my instructions were clear. Would you like some coffee before we get started?" he offered, unlocking his door and motioning for her to enter the home. Soup chirped a bit, then crawled up Oji's leg and onto his shoulder, wrapping himself around his shoulders.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She physically jumped at the voice, suddenly realising that the man had been seated beside her. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed him at first. As he stepped up to open the door, Nari backed off to give him space, bowing slightly before entering the home.

“Thank you, but no to the coffee. I think I’ve had a little too much caffeine lately…Any more and I may not sleep before we clear the hundredth floor…” She noticed suddenly that she had been petting a small furry head, one slightly smaller than the head of the winter fox that was curled on her shoulders. Glancing at the sable, she let out a small squeak of surprise and joy. “Well aren’t you just adorable!”

A few moments of frantic playing later, she remembered why she had come, and looked at to Oji, a broad smile of content on her face. “I know you must be… enthusiastic to get the quest started, but before we do so, I just want to say thank you. For what you did on the beach, that day. I… I’ve been working to make amends, as much as possible. And… well, I’ve not completed my promise yet, but I will shortly. I hope. I just wanted you to know that, and that I can never repay the kindness, and guidance you gave.”

A slightly sadder smile as she looked down at the sable, giving it a final scratch on the head. Straightening, she’ll fluffy out the front of her dress slightly, pulling it into place a bit more. “He’s – he? – they’re gorgeous. A good friend to have. I’ve learnt the comfort that they can provide…”

The white fox on her shoulder seemed to snuggle into her neck slightly at her words, as if somehow understanding the meaning behind them, or the emotions that were conveyed. Nari reached up and ran her left hand along its head softly, a touch of compassion passed between her and her companion. The smile of joy had returned, and she turned to face Oji, her blissful expression showing something she hadn’t felt in many weeks, if not longer – hope.

“Shall we get started then?”

Spoiler

Word Count: 366

 

[Oji 0]

Oji smiled as she politely declined, and nodded. "Of course, no trouble at all. Let me just take care of my cup and we'll get started." He spoke, he quickly went in and put it in his sink, then came back to Nari, who then thanked him for his guidance. He just laughed a tad awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down. "I wouldn't call it guidance, I just told you a story that spoke to your soul. Just wise words from an old man." He laughed. Soup was enjoying the attention, but once Nari was done petting him he crawled up Oji's leg onto his shoulders, chirping and making cute sounds.

Nari asked his familiar's gender, trying to be polite and he just laughed. "Soup is a boy yes, I thought you had seen him when we went on that quest with Jomei and Astreya, did you not?" He asked. Soup looked a tad hurt if she forgot who he was. He liked that small group, and had played with all of them quite a bit while in the sands of the desert. "But, lets get started. I'm going to try to teach soup here how to heal, do you plan to teach your familiar something as well? The quest says I can help a friend alongside teaching my own familiar, if you need help from an old man like me." He said with a laugh.

ID: 205338 CD: 2 (Reduced CD 7 requirement for Oji to 5) This roll is useless, did it on the wrong post (Putting it here for proof that it's a donk up)

Edited March 8, 2022 by Oji

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari flushed slightly, remember the time in the sands. She had noticed the sable then, but everything had been so… well, she’d been distracted. Unaware of her surroundings for the most part. “If I’m being honest, I… wasn’t really paying attention during the quest. I was… focused. It happens… when people can get hurt.”

She remembered the many similar occasions, where her focus had been on protecting those around her. A twitch on her face, as she thought back to events from long ago, some with less pleasant endings than others. “I’m… yes, I’m retraining Yuki. She did an amazing job at helping me in the forge, but… I think it’s time we focus on what is truly meant to be our path – protecting those around us. Our friends, and our friend’s friends. And… even those whom we may not enjoy the presence of, but who deserve to live all the same.”

Giving the fox a small prod, she’ll force the little creature from her shoulder, holding up a single treat – pulled from a pocket, hidden away until now. “Alright Yuki, we’re going to work on getting you engaged in blocking attacks.”

Suddenly pulling back her arm, she’ll launch the treat directly at the fox, trying to put as much energy behind it as possible.

 ID205378 | CD: 5 | Training Familiar | Failure

Spoiler

Word Count: 215

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Oji 0]

Oji nodded in understanding. He had noticed how she had a change in demeanor that day, but he decided not to question it too much, since it wasn't his place nor the right time to talk about something like that. Soup, a bit hurt, just whined a small bit. Oji scratched under his chin. "It's okay Soup, don't be offended, she has her reasons." He says quietly to his familiar. He looked as Nari explained what her plan was, and he smiled.

"Perfect, I wanted to teach soup how to heal, so if there are any actual damages, I can show him how to patch it up." He set soup down on the ground, while he leaned on his railing and watched both Nari and her familiar, who's name he heard was Yuki, prepare to try and teach. He was unsure which mastery she was going for, but it was either to damage, or to block attacks, both of which would damage. "Now watch closely soup, we're going to show you how to heal today alright?" He spoke, and Soup chirped, sitting on the step and watching the two of them intently, his little eyes darting back and forth in anticipation of what was going to happen.

ID: 205380 CD: 5 (Reduced CD 7 requirement for Oji to 5)

Edited March 9, 2022 by Oji

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari cocked her head in surprise as the little piece of food bounced off Yuki’s face, a moment later the fox scooping it up and chirping in a mixture of discontent at being hit, and happiness at having found food. She glanced at Oji, a smile on her face.

“That uh…didn’t go as planned…” Grabbing another piece from her pouch – affixed to her lower back, well hidden from sight as it blended in with the dress she was wearing – she prepared another throw. “Alright, Yuki. This time I want you to block the piece – not with your face. With your body, or tail, or paws…or…something. Maybe your face. But just…don’t just stand there. Okay?”

Pulling her arm back, she paused for a moment, waiting until the little fox was paying attention to her, and appeared to crouch down in preparedness. Once she was sure that the little fox was watching, she began her throw, lightly tossing it towards the fox and letting it attempt to deflect it. She watched as the fox raised its snout, catching the treat midair, before glancing at her with what she assumed was supposed to be a look of gratitude, mixed with an impressed reaction to what it had done.

“No you’re supposed to…ah, whatever. Good catch…let’s try again…” She sighed, realizing that chastising the creature would get her nowhere.

Spoiler

Word Count: 225

 

[Oji 0]

Oji watched with curiosity as Nari attempted to teach her familiar how to dodge some pieces of food. His arms crossed as he learned against his deck, he was trying to figure out how to teach Soup to heal along with him. He was at a standstill, if he was honest. Sure it was easy to teach a familiar to attack, or to defend against attacks. But to teach them how to use a skill alongside you? It seemed a bit more difficult than it should have been, for him at least. Using a healing skill was simple. Put your hands on an injured person, expend some energy, and then bam! They're healed. But for Soup to do that... he looked at the small familiar, who's head darted left to right watching the food fly.

"Soup, that food isn't for you." He said with a smile. Soup looked at him, a big dejected that the delicious looking food wouldn't be his. Suddenly, Oji had an idea. He quickly went inside to get some of Soup's favorite treats, some Boar Jerky, and came back out. With a small sack of food, Soup's nose sniffed the air and caught the whiff of the food, and turned to Oji with a sparkle in his eyes. "Now boy, we're gonna teach you how to heal. You do it correctly, you get a treat. Deal?" He asked. Soup made an almost purr-like sound, and wiggled happily.

"Now, hold on." He said, and took his arm and scraped it against the wood of the house. The "Immortal Object" screen came up, but it still caused an abrasion, in which he leaned down and showed it to Soup. "Now, see this? I need you to heal this, like so." He said as he half-covered the abrasion and used his First Aid skill, healing half the wound. Soup, a tad curious, licked the abrasion. Oji was about to pull away and tell him no, but soon a small glow overtook the abrasion, and it was healed. Oji blinked, a bit curious, but he gave him a treat which he ate happily. "Good boy."

ID: 205411 CD: 5 (1/3 Successes)

Edited March 9, 2022 by Oji

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari felt her actions were making little headway. The little fox seemed more content to catch the treats out of the air, rather than deflect them. She sighed, stopping her arm mid throw as she realized that her tactics weren’t working. She needed something…something else. Cocking her head, she saw the sable in the distance, licking Oji’s self-inflicted wound. An idea slowly crawled into her head, and she felt a devilish grin spread across her face.

“Hey, soup. Catch.” She said it just loud enough that Yuki would hear it, but hopefully not the sable, before launching the treat across the open area. Almost immediately Yuki launched herself in front of the treat, slamming it with her paw before scrounging to pick it up from the floor. Nari smiled, more than content with the outcome. “There we go…just needed some incentive, eh? Maybe Soup would like some more treats…if I can get them by you, that its…”

ID205412 | CD: 7 | Training Familiar | Success (1/3 attempts; CD 5+ required)

Spoiler

Word Count: 157

 

Edited March 9, 2022 by Nari-Lanreth
Dice Roll Results

[Oji 0]

Oji fed the sable a few small treats quietly, making small abrasions on his arms and having him lick the wounds. Some would heal, some would not, but the more he did it, the more that it worked and he was healed. It was a nice flow that they were getting into, and he was proud of the little sable. But, he knew that he was starting to run a little low on treats, and he saw that Nari was doing her own little tricks for her familiar. He had heard her say something, and saw a treat flying towards Soup, and her familiar swatted it and ate it, a bit besmirched that her owner would betray her and try to feed her treats to another creature.

"Clever." He muttered, then he slowly gave her a thumbs up, as to not alert Soup to their shenanigans. The small familiar finished his treats happily, proud of himself for learning the thing that Oji wanted him to do. He was healing things, little things. But healing things nonetheless. He looked up to Oji expectantly, but Oji shook his head. "We're gonna take a small break, go for a quick run." he said to Soup. The familiar squeaked happily and ran a few quick laps around the house, running up and down rocks and small bushes, getting his excess energy out. Oji sat down on the step and watched him, a pleasant smile on his face.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari was already impressed with the progress she had made with Yuki. It wasn’t as quick as she would have liked it to be, but the little fox had already gotten the basics down. She glanced beyond Yuki, and noticed that Oji and Soup had decided to take a break from the rigorous training to relax a bit – or in Soup’s case, run off a ton of energy that had been pent up.

Smiling as she rose, she held out her hand for Yuki to leap into, the fox quickly snuggling into her shoulders, settling into its general curled form. Wandering towards the bench Oji was sitting on, she’ll lean against the house, staring out at the expanse beyond.

“It’s a lovely spot, albeit far brighter and… more cheery, than in used to. But it fits you.” Casting her gaze around, she’ll smile slightly. “It’s no sake on the beach, but it’s definitely home.”

ID205446 | CD: 6 | Training Familiar | Success (2/3 attempts; CD 5+ required)

Spoiler

Word Count: 154

 

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

[Oji 0]

Oji let Soup run around the house for quite a few laps, getting the energy that had been pent up from sitting so still. The creature did not like to remain in a neutral state for long. The only time that Soup would sit still was when he was sleeping, and even then he would have dreams where he was running, and his legs would kick Oji's back in the night, and it got to the point where Oji had to get him his separate bed for a week or so. So when the creature ran, he would run until he was told to stop, or until he eventually grew tired.

As Soup went for his fourth lap, Oji looked at Nari who was approaching with her familiar on her shoulder, joining him in the break time. She complimented his home, and that is "suited" him. He didn't quite get what she meant by that, but he assumed it was a compliment and gave a light laugh. "Thanks, as much as I love the city, I felt my home should be away from the hustle and bustle. Call it homesickness, but this home feels a lot like the one I grew up in decades ago." He patted the railing. "Once I saw it when I went house hunting, I knew I had to make it mine."

Soup approached the group, but tripped and fell on a rock. Oji quickly ran over to the small sable and picked him up, cradling him like a baby. Soup was squeaking in pain, and Oji just chuckled. "You little drama queen, lick your wound." Oji told his dramatic little tree-bear. Soup eventually calmed down, and licked his wound, which lightly glowed with a green light and healed itself. After this, Oji let down the small creature, and Soup went for another run, to Oji's dismay. "He never sits still, I don't know how I could keep up with him."

ID: 205448 CD: 11 2/3 Successes

Photo of Home:

Spoiler

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by Oji

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“I don’t think we’re meant to keep up with them. I think that’s the key, to the familiars. They correspond with our personalities on exact opposites – fitting, in a way. I don’t know that I could ever relax like Yuki does, she sleeps most of her days away – or pretends to. All the while, I’m about doing something, either working in the forge, questing, levelling…anything to keep myself moving.” She’ll reach up and scratch the fox on the top of the head, a squeak of annoyance, followed by a chirp of acceptance the only response from the fox. “But I think that’s why we work so well together…I learn from her what it means to calm myself, to take some time to relax…something I’m admittedly not great at.”

Glancing around, she’ll smile again, before her eyes catch the sable zooming past. “And maybe it’s the same for you, and Soup. You’re always so calm, so…peaceful. He’s like your energetic little side, bringing out the playfulness, the excitement – the energy. He balances you out, the Ying to your Yang, so to speak.”

A slight smile will spread across her face as she watches the sable go sliding past again, barely making it around the corner with its speed. She wondered, what it would be like, to be so innocent in such a game – or in life in general. To simply…enjoy the activity of just running, all the time.

Spoiler

Word Count: 237

 

[Oji 0]

Oji listened to Nari's thoughts on familairs with an open mind, and he couldn't help but agree with her logic. Soup was definitely full of that young-person vigor and energy that he had lost a few decades ago. The sable had kept him on his toes the past few weeks that he's been with the older man, but it had brought a new breath of life into his daily activities. While he's enjoyed his sedentary lifestyle with mostly keeping to himself, Soup had helped him to grow more, to get out of his shell, if not always intentional.

"Well, who's the one being wise now?" He jested to the young girl, a bit proud of her insight. "I'd never thought of familiars like that Nari, that's pretty insightful." He spoke with a sincere tone. Soup was finishing up his last lap, when he tumbled on a rock and scraped up his legs. Oji was about to come help, but the familiar licked his wounds without being told, and instantly his wounds healed. After a moment, Soup glowed with a white light, and a box reading [Quest Complete] appeared in front of Oji, he smiled. "Well, my quest has been completed, good job Soup."

ID: 205455 CD: 9 (3/3 Successes, 10 SP Placed into Healing Familiar)

Edited March 10, 2022 by Oji

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari blushed at the older man’s words. She hadn’t considered those words to be filled with wisdom, they had just seemed logical to her – obvious, in a way. Bowing her head slightly, she’ll nudge Yuki, bringing the fox to wakeful attention before nodding towards the open area beyond the front porch.

“Ready for this?” She’ll pull another treat out of her pouch, holding it up towards the fox’s nose. Giving her a moment to sniff it, she’ll wait until the fox begins to pull its head forward in an attempt to grab the treat, before tossing it into the grass. Watching as the fox goes to collect it, Nari will toss another treat towards Soup’s general direction, watching as the fox launched itself in front of the treat, knocking it to the ground with her tail before collecting her reward.

“Looks like I’m done too, at least for now.” She’ll give Yuki a beaming smile as the quest completion dialogue box appears, before turning to Oji. “Seems like it took no time at all, doesn’t it?”

ID205498 | CD: 11 | Training Familiar | Success (3/3 attempts; 10 SP towards Protection Familiar) 

Spoiler

Word Count: 176

 

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

[Oji 0]

Oji watched quietly as Yuki, Nari's familiar yoinked one more treat away from Soup, who was still oblivious to their little game, and she completed the quest as quickly as he had. He gave a smile and a thumbs up as Soup, finally done with his run, came over to the steps and rested for a moment. "Well then, I suppose we're both one step closer to the frontlines." He said, feeling a bit proud of their accomplishments. He was closer to helping others, getting to meet Koga, Oscar and all the others at the frontlines, where he might be of use to them. He turned back to Nari after his personal moment "If that's your end goal anyways, yours might not be the same as mine."

After Soup was done with a short rest, he got up and came over to Yuki, giving her a curious sniff. He hadn't paid too much mind to her once the treats had come out, but he had grown curious about the little fox, and attempted to try and play with her, nipping lightly towards her tail as to instigate a play time, and Oji chuckled. "Play nice Soup, she might nip you back." But Soup paid no heed to the warning, giving little yips and chirps as he ran around the fox, his entire body wiggling with anticipation of play time, now that they were done the quest.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari settled down next to Oji, leaning back to enjoy the warmth of the day’s sunlight – something she didn’t normally get to do on her own home floor. She wondered if she missed it, enough to move somewhere with a nicer climate. But the thought didn’t last long, she knew the twenty-seventh was her home, at least for now.

“The front lines are indeed my goal. And you’re right – we are definitely one step closer, to helping those already there. I…well, I’m both excited, and afeard to make my way there. I know that it’s my goal, and I want to be up front, protecting those beside and behind me – but…the thought of what could happen, it’s enough to make one hesitate. If only for a moment.” She watched as Yuki stared at the sable for a few seconds, timing her movement before suddenly leaping forward and jumping over the little creature, her body movement causing it to begin its race around the house once more – this time with the slightly larger white fox racing after it. The entire sight caused Nari to laugh. “Well, that’s certainly a first…”

Spoiler

Word Count: 189

 

[Oji 0]

Oji listened to Nari speak as Soup and Yuki played and chased one another, leaving the two of them to their conversation. Nari spoke of what she feared, and he nodded in understanding. "Sometimes, I feel that is humanity's greatest fear, and what's driven us forwards. The fear of the unknown, not knowing what's going to happen in the next few moments of our short lives, at the end of it all." He leaned against the railing, looking down the road where the sun shone brightly. "But, that fear is what's driven us as humans farther than out ancestors could have ever believed. Could you imagine telling a man from the Edo period that we would play games on a screen and can fly in the sky like birds? He'd call you a man who's drank too much sake, or a sorcerer." He chuckled.

"What I'm saying is, try to use that fear that's in your heart, and let it become energy for you to use on the frontlines. Become stronger, become better. You will make mistakes, as you have in your life. But mistakes only lead to growth, they will hurt for a time but you will become better because of them." He smiled and turned to her. "As you and I already know from before." Soup and Yuki appeared from the corner and sat in front of them. Soup came and sat between him and Nari, turning onto his back as Oji rubbed his belly. "Let the fear drive you forward, but don't allow it to control your actions. When you feel that happening, remind yourself that you are strong enough to control your fear."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Letting her head fall backwards, she’ll close her eyes. Considering the words that Oji had said, she’ll toss a few responses around in her head – none of them quite capturing what she wanted to say. Eventually, settling on a single phrase, she’ll speak the words aloud – a tone as of one reciting something heard long ago on her tongue.

“Fear not that which stands in your way, but rather than which drives you backwards.” Her eyes still closed; she’ll sigh a bit before continuing. “My Sempai taught us that phrase many years ago – that we shouldn’t allow fear of the thing before us to hinder our progress – although, I think she was speaking more about fear of failure in the terms of testing. But I know what you mean, in that sense. We cannot abide fear, but instead use it to gain the traction we need to succeed, to overcome.”

She’ll raise her hands upwards, palms facing away from her, her eyes shut tight but a small smile on her face. “It’s funny, you know? I don’t fear dying. I don’t fear fighting on the front lines. What I fear is…those who aren’t there, being left behind.”

Her hands will drop with a thud as she opens her eyes, the smile gone now, replaced with a look of sadness. Staring at the porch’s cover above, her words will come out a bit shaky. “I…don’t want to be the cause of loss for others. And that is what I’m afeared of, of leaving them behind.”

Spoiler

Word Count: 254