Baldur 0 Posted March 8, 2022 #1 Share Posted March 8, 2022 (edited) Quest: Spoiler Floor 8 <<Monkey King>> Party Limit: 3 | 20+ Posts Repeatable for standard thread rewards and <<Monkey Agility>> Quest Rewards: 1000 Experience Points Each player receives: Monkey Agility (Uncommon Consumable [potion]) A strange potion that boosts the user's Evasion by 1. Lasts for one thread. POTENTIAL REWARD | If Sewallus accompanies the party and survives Unlock <<TECH-D>> collected sword art. Requirements: Roleplay speaking with Remington. Roleplay speaking with Sewallus. Accept or reject Sewallus' offer to join the party for the quest. Defeat the Monkey King. Summary: For years, the residents of Florenthia Village have feared a legendary creature that skulks about the forest below. Dubbed the Monkey King, this monster has claimed the forest as its own, its territory stretching far and wide. It is rumored to be utterly gigantic, with glowing scarlet eyes and intimidating musculature. Its menacing appearance isn't just for show - the Monkey King is capable of striking with such force and tenacity that the denizens of the floor built their homes into the canopy of the forest, lest it find their camp and decimate it in a furious rage. When the citizens of Florenthia caught wind that powerful travelers had their made way into the eighth floor, they reached out for help. Though they imagined even the most powerful of warriors would succumb to the likes of the Monkey King, their desperation forced them to swallow back their morals and ask the unthinkable; go out and risk death to bring about peace for our people. Will you accept the challenge and put your longevity at stake for the NPCs of Florenthia? Outline: NPCs: <<Remington>> Remington is the zoologist of Florenthia, tasked with studying and categorizing the seemingly endless fauna that populates the eighth floor. While Remington is sarcastic and will usually act as though the Player is wasting his time, he is actually quite talkative and enjoys the rare company. He is a habitual smoker, and will puff away regardless of whoever it may annoy. He is intelligent, but has taken this to mean he is always the smartest person in the room. He will explain to the character his encounter with the Monkey King alongside Sewallus, and his observations of the oversized ape as they fled. The Monkey King's behaviors can be best described as ape-like and overly aggressive. When it has a target in its sights, it will not relent under any circumstances, and will let nothing stand in its way. If asked how strong or fast the Monkey King was, Remington will always reply with, "All I know is no matter how far or fast we ran, it was never enough. There are now craters instead of trees where we were attacked, and rivers instead of forest where it moved." Remington will make it abundantly clear to the players that he refuses to leave the village while the beast still lives, which has put his very important research on hold. He urges the players to discover the Monkey King's weakness - or better yet, put it to an end. Only then will the citizens of Florenthia know peace, and he will be able to return to his passion. When his dialogue has been exhausted, Remington will direct the players to Sewallus for more information. Allies: <<Sewallus>> Sewallus is charged with the duty of acting as the leader of Florenthia's Guard. Though not rude in his speech or mannerisms, he is not overly friendly, and will always stick to the point. A man of few words, he'd rather save his breath for combat than waste it chattering away with the citizens or players. He wields a two-handed battle axe as his weapon, and those with a high aptitude for speech and clever dialogue navigation will prompt Sewallus to reveal that he was a lumberjack before being convinced to join the Guard. His pride and sense of responsibility won't allow him to say so, but he secretly wishes he could return to those simpler times. If the players asks Sewallus how he and Remington escaped from the Monkey King, he will reply with, "It is difficult to say. It was not by the grace of our fleet feet, that much is certain. The beast either became distracted, or was otherwise disrupted in some way." He will leave it at that, offering no more details. Sewallus will offer to aid the players in their hunt for the Monkey King, expressing shame for having fled originally, and a desire to extract revenge from the creature. The Player(s) may either accept or deny adding Sewallus to their party. If they choose to accept, Sewallus will not engage in combat with any mobs aside from the Monkey King, and will use Florenthian Howl as a post action for his first turn. He will attack any turns he is not using Florenthian Howl. Should he become stunned at any point, he will resume his order with the action that would have occurred on his stunned turn. HP: 400/400 | DMG: 75 (100 on crit) | MIT: 50 | EVA: -1 Abilities: Florenthian Howl | Grants Sewallus +5 Hate against the Monkey King. Requires a Post Action. Sewallus will use this ability on his first turn, and every second post thereafter. Shatter | Upon a successful attack, reduce target's Mitigation by 15 before damage is calculated. This effect can stack up to three times. Shatter from outside sources will not increase the stack count, but will refresh the duration. Effect lasts three turns. Enemies: <<Monkey King>> Players don't find the Monkey King - the Monkey King finds them. It is aggressively protective of its domain, and will ferociously hunt down any entities that trespass within its territory. Once it has its prey in its sights, it will stop at virtually nothing in its pursuit to annihilate them. So fearful of this creature are the residents of the eighth floor that not even mobs are willing to exist in any locale in which the Monkey King claims ownership. Wild and animalistic, this boss seems to go full offensive with wild abandon. HP: 650/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 Abilities: If a Tree Falls | On MD rolls of 9 or 10, the Monkey King will pick up a large tree and throw it at the party. This replaces the Monkey King's normal attack, automatically dealing 120 unmitigatable damage and inflicting stun to each target. Baldur: Spoiler » Baldur, The Gaijin Samurai » Base Stats Base HP: 920 Base EN: 126 (includes 20 for Energist) Base MIT: 78 Base ACC: 5 (includes AA and does not automatically miss on 1s) Base DMG: 23 Base EVA: 3 Battle Heal: 46 HP Keen: +1 Recovery: +4 EN » Items Equipped: Warden's Fury - Absolute Accuracy/2 Paralyze Muramasa - Absolute Accuracy/Fallen/Blight/Burn Ethereal Tether - Zanshin - Absolute Accuracy/Keen/Freeze/Burn Montsuki haori - 48 DMG MIT/+1 EVASION/+4 EN RECOVERY Emerald Teardrop - +2 ACC/+2 EVASION Hammerspace Backpack (HB) +1 BR item (allows stacks up to 7) » Battle-Ready Inventory: Medium Damage Potion x7 | Rare T2 Item | +2 Damage Basic Teleportation Crystal x1 | Good Item | Teleports player to the Town of Beginnings Max Mass HP Recovery Crystal x7 | Perfect T2 Item | +30*Target Tier (30/60/90) Max T2 HP Recovery Crystal II x4 | Perfect T2 Item | +180 HP Safeguard Potion x3 | Perfect Tier 1 | Safeguard HB: Max Vitality Snack x2 | Rare Tier 2 | Grants +12 Energy EWL: Medium Antidote Potion x1 | Rare Tier 2 | Immune to negative status effects for 2 turns EWL: Muramasa or Warden's Fury EWL: SC: » Skills: One Hand Curved Sword | Rank 1/5 | Katana | Rank 5/5 | Battle Healing | Rank 5/5 | Light Armor | Rank 5/5 | Charge | Purchased | Quick Change | Purchased Extended Weight Limit | Purchased Energist | Purchased Combat Shift | ST Specialist Searching| Rank 3/5 » Extra Skills: Concentration | Equipped Survival | Un-equipped Meditation | Equipped Parry | Equipped Forgotten King's Authority | Equipped Shatter | Not Yet Unlocked » Mods: Meticulous: Equipped Emergency Recovery: Equipped [Mod Slot Empty [Mod Slot Empty] [Mod Slot Empty] ADD-ON Ferocity: Equipped ADD-ON Stamina: Equipped ADD-ON: Precision: Equipped ADD-ON: Resolve: Equipped » Housing Bonuses: Rested: -1 EN on first 2 uses Tasty: Turns 2 food into feast for 4 Advanced Training: +2 SP to a thread 1/month Filling: Add 1 extra tier 1 slot to food Item Stash: +1 BR item slot Relaxed: OOC regen 5*tier, recover EN out of combat after 2 turns in lieu of 3 Angler: +1 Mat when fishing After the events of the Floor 26 Boss Fight/Event, post Sunshine, post Fishing "The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one. Always the next step," "All I know is no matter how far or fast we ran, it was never enough. There are now craters instead of trees where we were attacked, and rivers instead of forest where it moved." Remington pantomimed moving like a giant gorilla. It was something straight out of what Baldur imagined an old black and white silent film movie would try to do. The laughter of human, elven, and treant children rang through the little square of the sleepy forest town. It was a bit of a bridge between the two peoples, one separated from the war in a way that made it seem both a remote, outskirt rural village, but also metropolitan in a way more homogenous cities just couldn't replicate. Sure, you might have more fancy, urban cities in some of the more monoculture Main Settlements, but there was a power to accepting those different from you, from welcoming all those disparate points of view. This sleepy little village tucked away in a forest along a river and a waterfall embodied aspects of that. If only it had been more on the main path. There was little reason to come here anymore. Perhaps the odd player had a home here, or needed to do this quest, but people were not coming here for the quests and the resource farming or the beauty. There were higher, sexier floors to go to for that. The lower floors did not have the same draw. But this floor was special to Baldur. There were three reasons he had brought Snow here. The first, was to take her on this quest, to help her get her combat feet under her, and help her feel more comfortable with combat and in control. The second was that if they kept an NPC alive through this quest, he granted them a special Sword Art which would be useful to them both. The third reason, the reason why they chose this floor, chose this quest, chose this sword art to start on, was because it was precious. He had met Oikawa on this floor. He had met Crowzeph on this floor. He had met Ariel on this floor. Those three, plus Baldur, Tyger, and Rayliff, had gone on a quest together deep into the forest to find a hidden temple. The search of it had been the hardest they had ever pushed themselves, on what at the time was the second highest floor. Their levels had all been in the single digits at the time, and it had forged an eternal bond between them. Even to this day, Baldur knew in his bones, that none of them would ever betray him, no matter what happened. Snow was now a part of the guild that many of them had helped forge. And so now, he wanted to bring snow here, and go on this journey with her, to help build not just the bond between the two of them, but between her and the group. A shared experience, forged on this floor, in these forests. He turned and smiled at the slight blonde woman beside him. He had told her they were going on a quest which would help her out, and help her get her levels and push her forward, but Baldur had not given her more details than that. "Are you ready Snow? He told us to go and speak with Captain Sewallus. You'll need to convince him to come with us, and we'll need to keep him alive to unlock a special sword art for you." The gaijin samurai smiled at her, his steel blue eyes hinting at a bit of excitement at taking Snow along on this adventure with him. @Snow Edited March 11, 2022 by Baldur Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted March 10, 2022 #2 Share Posted March 10, 2022 Spoiler Housing Buffs: || Rested || Relaxed || Clean || Tasty || Angler || Hard Working || Combat. The word shook a nerve deep down in her bones. Her last experience with combat involved a sand worm that knocked the wind out of her and nearly zeroed her. Thankfully, Lessa and Alkor arrived just in time to brunt the attack. It was in that experience she saw what she could be and what drove her to the state she existed in today. Lessa, with a single swing of her massive blade, cleaved the monster in twain as Alkor's deft footwork danced around the beast. Even his blade carved shaped into the monster's hide but it was the confidence of Lessa on the battlefield that lit and ideal in Snow. She wanted that confidence. She wanted that control. She wanted that power. Combat was not something she wanted to hear from Baldur's message to join him. She would have preferred fishing, but as one of the only people she felt she could confide in, Snow trusted Baldur. She knew him for his calmness. She knew him for his resolve. She knew him for his composure. Yet, she never knew him for his prowess in battle. As much as the idea of true combat rattled her to the core, she felt an odd curiosity to see why so many people chose to train underneath him. Why would they want to learn from a failure? No, behind the still oceans of his eyes was an ever distant storm. Somewhere in that calm, composed, and disciplined man was a squall. Tempered by time and experiences that formed a man into a samurai, Snow wondered what she would see-- what she would learn from him. As he looked at her, her mind wondered this. She heard his question but it drowned out in the several that she harbored herself. Snow nodded. "Captain Sewallus," she repeated. "Keep him alive. Got it." She nodded again. Snow had no idea what she was doing but she looked confident doing it. Brows scrunched, jaw tight, she nodded. Captain Sewallus... Where to start... Snow's sight broke from her partner and became awash in the sea of green that was the canopy city of Florenthia. Light danced between leaves and fell upon the moss laden, wooden walkways and twisted abodes formed from lashed branches. People casually played out their lives just like the first floor. Their lifestyle high above the threat below seemed pure and innocent. It exuded the blissful ignorance Snow knew so very much about. "Okay then," she said aloud with her eyes fixed on a guard. "He's supposed to be a captain right?" The young wannabe Valkyrie ventured up the the guardsman directly. Her heart began to speed up. She felt the nerves of expectation from Baldur. She had to prove herself more capable than her foray into fishing and the failure that ensued. "Excuse me!" She shouted with a wave of her hand. "Hey! I need to speak to the Captain of the Guard. Do you know where he might be?" Like a statue, the guard's eyes remained fixed at some distant object as though Snow did not exist. "Hello?" The guard turned his head sharply to meet her gaze. "Follow the path that way. You'll see a knotted longhouse at the end of the way. Captain Sewallus should be nearby." The guard pointed abruptly long enough for the girl to follow its direction then snapped back to the guard's side. Again, his eyes fixed on some distant object. "Huh. Well thanks i guess?" She turned to Baldur. "What rigid people. You think it's because of this 'Monkey King'?" she asked in air quotes. She doubted Mr. Statue would have any commentary to add against her. Sure enough, no reply. "Well, let's go see Captain Sewalla... Sewallus? Heck. The Captain." She struggled with the name. Snow always seemed to struggle with Names and dates. Especially those that fail to flow off the tongue. @Baldur Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted March 10, 2022 Author #3 Share Posted March 10, 2022 "It's a bit tricky on the tongue, isn't it?" Baldur mused with wry smile, intentionally saying the name as infrequently as possible. Together, they walked through the small town towards the knotted longhouse that doubled as the city hall and guard post. It was not a large town, but there was something pleasant about the way the sunlight filtered down through the branches and the leaves. He cast a sideway glance at Snow, appraising her and her demeanor. He detected a bit of nervousness in her, but she seemed to be trying to psyche herself up for this as well. "Relax, Snow-san." Baldur tried to give her a knowing, encouraging smile. "I have done this quest before, and fought the Monkey king. Well, not since this was all changed and updated, but at your level everything will be fine. I'm still going to make you do the hard part, but I'm here to help. And once we get the unlockable sword art from here, and the levels this quest should grant you, I'll take you down to meet Costo-san, and help you plan out the next tier of equipment." As they reached the door of the longhouse, Baldur pulled open the elaborately carved wood. Carved? No, it's... grown that way. Baldur ran an appreciative hand over the detail in the wood, then returned his attention to the woman at his side. "I've tried to start a tab with him, but he insists it works better on an IOU basis. So since we have a partnership with Firm Anima, they take our orders as a priority, and then bill the guild. It's an arrangement we've set up to help the entirety of the frontlines. Even though Firm Anima is probably the single wealthiest conglomeration in Aincrad, I think mine and Shield's requests helped give them a direction. Regardless, unless you have a preference of crafters, we can order your whole new set of gear from them." A few more steps, and there was an NPC, imposing for one of this floor, standing off to one side. "Ah... Captain S... Captain, nice to meet you." Sewallus appeared to be a stern, rigid man. Not unfriendly, but obviously not a people person, at least when he wasn't on duty... which as a quest giver was never. The Elven man appraised the snow of them, giving them a nod of his head. "What can I do to help human adventurers such as yourselves. Have you come about my monkey business?" The NPC seemed unaware of his phrasing, and it caught Baldur off guard, only managing to keep his face from moving through complete and total will power, only being betrayed by a slight raising of the corner of his lips, and the humor in his eyes only someone who watched him closely over many months would recognize. "Indeed, Captain. What can you tell us about the Monkey King?" "It was not by the grace of our fleet feet that we escaped with our lives, that much is certain. The beast either became distracted, or was otherwise disrupted in some way." "Well then, Captain, could you join us and lead the way to the monkey's lair? We don't want to barrel through the forest blindly." The severe man nodded to the two of them and then made to leave without another word. Baldur raised a eyebrow as he shared a look with Snow. He was somehow less chatty than your typical NPC. "Just remember, focus on hate and staying alive, and I'll handle the DPS. Once you've got a solid threat lead, feel free to try out anything you want. If things get too dangerous, I'll end them, but otherwise I want you to learn to feel comfortable, to get hit. I'll wait for your signal before ending the fight." With that, he gestured for for Snow to take the lead following after Sewallus. Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted March 11, 2022 #4 Share Posted March 11, 2022 (edited) Costco-san? Snow thought to herself at the name. Why does that sound both familiar and strange? Regardless of the name, Snow learned about the guild's affiliation to Firm Anima. She also learned her leader's plan to yet again spoil her with goods. The weight of repayment weighed at the back of her mind. For Snow, gifts never came free and accepting them always proved difficult. Someway or another, she needed to justify the gift or think of ways to repay the giver. It became a poor habit of the girl in a desperate attempt to avoid being a burden on another's way of life. She felt she needed to earn everything. Despite what Baldur may think about her actions, she felt it paled in comparison to a new set of gear. "O-ok," she stammered. Her mind raced with reasons for the gesture and ways to repay them. "I don't have a preference really..." To get her mind on other things, Snow took in the sights as they made their way to the longhouse at the end of the walkway. There, they met Captain Sewallus where thankfully, Baldur did most of the speaking. When he stuttered on the man's name, Snow couldn't help but stifle a laugh with her hand. Embarrassment quickly flushed her cheeks and she turned laugh into clearing of her throat. Feeling she narrowly saved herself from further embarrassment, Snow let out a relieved sigh and the two men continued. After a brief and poignant exchange, Baldur convinced the Captain to aid them in finding this Monkey King. He wasted no time in his motions by brushing right past the two of them and leading them to the lift out of the city. The moment they left the city, Snow's nerves spiked. Her hands wrenched on the shaft of her spear despite her conscious telling her to keep calm. Snow felt that fighting things smaller than her posed little risk but anything bigger, like the sand worm, would bat her around like a limp noodle until she sprayed against a rock or wall in a flurry of glittering fragments. She swallowed hard as she followed behind the stoic NPC. "Can I be honest?" She asked Baldur without turning to face him behind her. "I'm kind of freaking out..." She heard a grumble from the man at the head of the party. "My last fight with something big didn't... go so well." "Just don't get in my way then," barked the Captain from the front of the line. "We're here." If Snow's anxiety were on scale of one to ten, her nine just shot up to the fifteen. Before them, a large lair made from dead and fallen trees created a pitch darkness. The gentle breeze beneath the canopy of the massive trees overhead wafted a most unpleasant aroma toward the group. To Snow, it almost felt as though the breeze itself came from the lair's opening as if the darkness itself was breathing. Perhaps it was. "Get ready," the Captain warned. "It knows we're here." IT WHAT?! From the cover of the boulder the group hid behind, Captain Sewallus emerged and faced the opening of the later. From within, an eerie set of glowing red circles peered out several lengths higher than Sewallus himself. "Come on you oaf!" the Captain roared. "Come finish what you started!" Spoiler Monkey King: ID 205568 6 9 15 MD 9 Yeets a tree. 120 Damage to all + stun. Sewallus: Stunned Snow: Stunned <+29 HP via BH> Baldur: Stunned Results: <0> Sewallus: 280/400 HP <0> Snow: 489/580HP 76/76EN <0> Baldur: 800/920HP 126/126EN Monkey King: HP: 650/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 And from the darkness emerged a massive ape looking monster with large, sharp horns. In its hand, dragged behind him, it carried a large, dead tree. The tree soon found itself airborne. As the shadow of the falling lumber loomed overhead of Snow and the boulder they hid behind, her eyes narrowed. CRASH! Wood splintered. Rock shattered. All three of the dwarfed combatants scattered with the various pieces of debris. Just like her foray with the Sand Worm, Snow found herself tumbling head over foot until a tree was so kind enough to abruptly stop her in place using her back. The wind left her chest and attempts to breathe were null and void under the spasms of her muscles. Finally, after what felt like hours, she drew a sharp breath that stung her lungs so terribly, it devolved into a sputtering cough. "What the--" she coughed, gulped, and found another breath. "Are you trying to get us all killed?!" Panicked eyes scanned around them. Sewallus's armor looked like the trees and moss. So, Snow found it less shocking she couldn't find him in the resulting carnage. What she desperately wanted to see was a blue haori. Something her frantic eyes failed to acquire. "Baldur?! Baldur!!" Snow shouted still too rattled to find her footing. As if to muffle her cries, the Monkey King slammed his fists into his chests in a series of thunderous booms before releasing and ear piercing roar. The beast's cries rattled through her body and shook her spine. Through it all, she watched as the little green bar in the corner of her vision slid lower and lower. It provided her only a moment of relief to watch it inch back from her newly acquired battle healing skill. Edited March 11, 2022 by Snow Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted March 11, 2022 Author #5 Share Posted March 11, 2022 (edited) Before Baldur had a chance to respond to Snow and calm her nerves, the Captain warned them that they were there. The three quickly turned to take cover behind a boulder, but they were not fast enough. Sewallus stepped out to taunt the giant Monkey, but the creature threw at tree at them so large it was impossible to dodge. Tsk. Baldur cursed as he found himself airborne and stunned. I let the mob get the initiative on us, and now we're all stunned. This is not going to do well for Snow's comfort in fighting these things. While still in the air, Baldur noticed some vines hanging around them and willed his body to move. A buff began to appear near his name, and then he forced the movement further, the icon for <<Forgotten King's Authority>> appeared, and then shattered before going to the cooldown area of his hud. Lightning struck the ground, and before Baldur could grab a vine, he found himself doing a superhero pose on the ground, kneeling with one fist striking the ground. So that's how that skill works. He had never been in a situation where he needed it, but he would always accept a little bit of system assisted bravado. "Now now, curious george. It's not nice to fling your [censored]" The Monkey King roared, and then turned around to face Baldur. It had been facing Snow and Sewallus, since its attack had sent him into the air and split the party. Raising its two massive hands in the air and moving to strike down at them Baldur stepped forward, his Katana shot out, a line of power striking like a thrust from his sword and into the gut of the Monkey King, stunning him and causing him to collapse onto hands and knees, coughing. Baldur took the moment to run around to the other side and rejoin the party, his katana still sheathed at his side. "Sorry about that." He said a bit embarrassed. He had heard Snow shouting for him, but the monkey was too big and too loud for either of them to have been able to see the other. Still, the ever present HP bars hung in the corner of their vision. "Alright Snow, remember the plan. You've got this!" Note: Everyone was stunned by the boss, but Baldur used <<Forgotten King's Authority>> to break free and attack ID#205572 BD:1+5=6 (hit) Tech-A (x12) Stun, 23*12=276 RAW - 60 MIT = 216 DMG Dealt Forgotten King's Authority -5EN, Tech-A -13 EN, CD: 10 ST-B unlocked, +46HP from Battle Healing ID#205573 CD: 11 Recovery +4 Turn Order: Monkey King | HP: 434/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 [STUNNED] [0] Snow | HP: 489/580 | EN: 76/76 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 71 | ACC: 1 | BH: 29 | BLD: 36 | REGEN: 23 | THRNS: 27 | Stun Immune (0/3) [0] Sewallus | 280/400 HP | Howl: 0/2 | Shatter | Stun Immune (0/3) [1] Baldur | HP: 846/920 | EN: 112/126 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 5 | BH: 46 | LD: 3 | AA | BRN: 56 | | KEEN: 1 | REC: 4 | Stun Immune (1/3) Edited March 11, 2022 by Baldur Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted March 11, 2022 #6 Share Posted March 11, 2022 What just happened? thought the girl as what she could have sworn was a flash of lighting struck the King in the stomach, doubling him over. The culprit, awash in his blue haori, rushed to join Snow. Meanwhile, she caught a glimpse of moving rubble where Cpt. Sewallus moved a chunk of tree off his body. Quote "Sorry about that." He said a bit embarrassed. "Alright Snow, remember the plan. You've got this!" The plan... the plan... WHAT PLAN?! The only plan solidly formed in her mind was to catch her breath and get back to her feet. All the conversations from earlier seemed a distant whisper compared to the pounding of her heart and ringing in her ears. Shock gripped her strongly. "Aurgh..." Sewallus groaned. He too struggled to get to his feet but managed it with far more resolve than his blonde party member. Sewallus seemed laser focused on the Monkey King, not even sparing a glance to see if Baldur and Snow were even alive. Was he so cold hearted? Or was his experience in combat so honed he knew they were fine? "Eyes over here!" Sewallus howled, slamming the hilt of his sword into his chest. Coughing, sputtering, and reeling from Baldur's single blow, the Monkey King managed a fierce stare at his old foe. Red eyes met the steeled gaze of a veteran warrior and it looked as if the two were ready to square off without Baldur and Snow even being there. Plan... Plan... Plan... Thump THUMP Thump THUMP Quote "Just remember, focus on hate and staying alive, and I'll handle the DPS. Once you've got a solid threat lead, feel free to try out anything you want. If things get too dangerous, I'll end them, but otherwise I want you to learn to feel comfortable, to get hit. I'll wait for your signal before ending the fight." Hate... Comfortable... Signal...? "You just going to sit there or are you going to finish this?!" Sewallus roared, again thundering his weapon against his chest. The words drifted into Snow's ears as if they were meant for her. Her chest heaved with the pressure of anxiety and fear. Her thoughts started to gather. "Listen, Alyssa..." came a faint voice from a distant memory. "If anything happens to me, promise me that you'll live for the both of us..." The blonde clenched her teeth and rose to her feet. Her hands trembled and eyes shimmered. "Okay," she replied to the memory. With spear in hand, Snow stumbled forward and planted the butt of her weapon into the dark earth below. She drew in a deep breath, the system flagging to activate her own howl ability. Then, with a shrill loud enough to shatter glass, the petite girl unleashed a sharp whistle. Both Sewallus and the Monkey King adverted their locked gaze to the small girl. "Over here!" she shouted with a slight tremble in her voice. "Come and hit me!" Her knuckles grew white in tension on her weapon and a smattering of red pixels fell from the grip of her free hand. Though partially convincing in appearance, the girl's heart drummed loudly in her chest. Then, she watched as another little jump of green increased in the corner of her eyes. A feint wash of calm flushed over her. It's okay... It's okay... You're almost back up to full health. Baldur's here. You're fine. Focus... Spoiler Sewallus: Stun Recovered. Florenthian Howl used. +5 Hate. Snow: Stun Recovered. Focused Howl used. +4 Hate. < - 4 EN 2 EN > RESTED ACTIVATES! (1/2) <+29 HP BH> Turn Order: Monkey King | HP: 434/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 [STUNNED] [4] Snow | HP: 518/580 | EN: 74/76 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 71 | ACC: 1 | BH: 29 | BLD: 36 | REGEN: 23 | THRNS: 27 | Stun Immune (1/3) [5] Sewallus | 280/400 HP | Howl: 1/2 | Shatter | Stun Immune (1/3) [1] Baldur | HP: 846/920 | EN: 112/126 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 5 | BH: 46 | LD: 3 | AA | BRN: 56 | | KEEN: 1 | REC: 4 | Stun Immune (1/3) Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted March 19, 2022 Author #7 Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) There you go, you're getting this. He could see the battle shock in her eyes when he had walked back to them, but Snow was able to pull herself through, focus returning to her eyes even as the Monkey King slowly came out of his stun. As she found herself, she released her howl. It wasn't quite there yet, where it needed to be, and he saw that the hate hadn't transferred from Sewallus to Snow yet, but that could still change. If the Monkey King hit Sewallus again, he may day, or he may not, it was too close to call, however if Snow stopped to heal him, she wouldn't pick up hate. If they both hit, they may still be tied. Still, he didn't want the battle to be over already, Snow had only just gotten her feet under her, and he was rooting for her to do more. The best thing he could do would be to delay the find, go give Snow a chance. If the odds were with her and she was able to land a crit, then she could still get hate back. He would let this round play itself out now that she had forward moment. He drew his katana, and assumed the stance for <<Tech-B>>, he was carried forward by the system, and as he slashed his sword, the inky darkness of night followed the blade as if it cut through the word, revealing the night-time sky box behind the world itself, stars and nebula visible where Baldur had swung his sword, and as the night time arc of the sword art struck the Monkey King, rings of thorned vines seemed to appear around the limbs of the king, slowing his movements just a bit as the accuracy debuffing <<Delay>> took hold. "You've got this Snow, strike him with your ST-1 sword art!" Spoiler ID#206424 BD: 7 (hit) ID#206425 CD: 7 (Recover) +4 EN Tech-B: 23*12=276 RAW - 60 MIT = 216 DMG Dealt -11 EN (Rested 1/2), +4 Recovery, +4 EN Regen, +46 HP Turn Order: Monkey King | HP: 218/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | ACC 1 (Stun Immune 0/3) [4] Snow | HP: 518/580 | EN: 74/76 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 71 | ACC: 1 | BH: 29 | BLD: 36 | REGEN: 23 | THRNS: 27 | Stun Immune (1/3) [5] Sewallus | 280/400 HP | Howl: 1/2 | Shatter | Stun Immune (1/3) [2] Baldur | HP: 892/920 | EN: 109/126 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 5 | BH: 46 | LD: 3 | AA | BRN: 56 | | KEEN: 1 | REC: 4 | Stun Immune (2/3) Edited March 19, 2022 by Baldur Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted March 21, 2022 #8 Share Posted March 21, 2022 (edited) Spoiler >> Snow: ID#206672 BD 3 <MISS> +1 EN +29 HP <Battle Healin> - 1 EN (RESTED 2/2) >> Sewallus: ID#206673 BD 10 <CRITICAL HIT> 100 DMG + 15 SHATTER 50 DMG to Monkey King. Turn Order: Monkey King | HP: 168/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | ACC 1 (Stun Immune 0/3) [4] Snow | HP: 547/580 | EN: 74/76 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 71 | ACC: 1 | BH: 29 | BLD: 36 | REGEN: 23 | THRNS: 27 | Stun Immune (2/3) | F-Howl (2/4) [7] Sewallus | 280/400 HP | Howl: 2/2 | Shatter | Stun Immune (2/3) [2] Baldur | HP: 892/920 | EN: 109/126 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 5 | BH: 46 | LD: 3 | AA | BRN: 56 | | KEEN: 1 | REC: 4 | Stun Immune (2/3) The moment of distraction only broke the tension between ape and man for a moment. In this small fraction of time, Sewallus took his opportunity. The Florenthian snapped his attention back to the Monkey King and with no ceremony or flair, slammed the length of his blade into the dead center of the King's chest. Were this any other reality, the beast would have reeled back, maybe coughed a final breath, and dropped. Here, in the virtual world of the game, the King only returned the critical blow with a fierce gaze. A boulder of a paw rose high and swung for Sewallus. The knight disengaged and put just enough space between the two for the blow to miss armor by less than a hair's breadth. In there exchange, Snow shot a glance to Baldur. As if on cue, he barked an encouraging order to attack: a new sword art she had not yet used in the field of battle. Snow swallowed, dropped into an attacking stance and felt the tension of Cardinal grip her body. Just as she felt the urge to release herself into the motion of her sword art, the feeling vanished as if the tension sharply broke and shattered. Thrown off by this feeling, Snow staggered forward and nearly lost her balance were it not for her throwing her weight against her spear. "Come on you buffoon!" Sewallus roared. Snow's eyes met the captain of the guard to realize the words were not meant for her. He instead, openly mocked and pulled the attention of the King away from the others. Still, the words stung her none the less. Damn it... Edited March 21, 2022 by Snow Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted March 24, 2022 Author #9 Share Posted March 24, 2022 (edited) Quote The Monkey King should have attacked based on Snow's MD roll in her previous post ID#206672 MD10 - all participants are still stun immune "Sit down, you stuffy old fool before you get yourself killed!" Baldur barked at the NPC, but it was too late. The Monkey King had uprooted another tree and swung it at the three of them like a baseball bat and there was nothing they could do, all three of them were sent flying back into the dense forest like they were served on a t-ball stand to a major league hitter. The dense foliage and branches quickly rose up to meet them as the fell to the ground, taking fall damage on top of the tree. As they hit the ground, Baldur rolled to his feet. He wasn't in any danger as Sewallus had a commanding lead on the hate gain, and he would continue to be until Snow had a chance to adjust her build and some of her gear. He looked around for Snow and saw the frustration on her face, but determination still held in her eyes. It was time to reset. Baldur sheathed his blade and ran in the direction of Sewallus. He was easy to find as a the giant Monkey King was barreling towards him, trees and brush be damned. The fool of an NPC wasn't even trying to get out of the way. Baldur didn't pause, he didn't need to anymore. He had practiced this for so long he could enter the zone at will. He practiced what he taught and sought the flame and the void. The fire welled up within him, the fury that burned, the grief that smoldered, the warm light of his friends, and the love he had to share with those around him. The world didn't fade away to nothingness like he would have expected to see in an anime, instead the world brightened. It was his focus that sharpened. Gone were his worries, gone were his distractions and doubts. They were fed to the fire. His purpose was singular. End the fight now. Complete the quest. Deal with the rest later. There was no pause, suddenly power welled up around Baldur. He had learned to incorporate the premotion of his sword arts into a charge, there was a slight stutter to his step, like a pitcher getting ready to throw, and then Baldur became a streak of blue haori, shot like an arrow through the sky towards the Monkey King. Mid flight, a tremendous arc of light exploded forth as Baldur drew <<Ethereal Tether -Zanshin>> from its saya, a swath of the night sky cut through the forest and through the Monkey King and the trees around him. Everything the night touched was covered in ice, and yet still somehow burning inside. For a moment, all was quiet in the forest. Baldur appeared, slowly sheathing his sword. And just as the katana clicked back into its saya, as if rehearsed and practiced to perfection, the Monkey King shattered into millions of glittering polygons and the trees, suddenly free of the ice, collapsed to the ground around the gaijin samurai. His face was solumn as he complted his ritual, slowly drawing his hand down the handle of the katana as if he was having a hard time letting go, and then he made a gesture as if throwing away the feelings of battle like discarded tissue. And then the man suddenly pumped a fist into the sky in triumph. "I did it! Did you see that? I timed it perfectly that time! Oh man! It feels so good. You have no idea how much I practice that." The man walked over to Snow with a smile, completely unconcerned with either of their health bars or the rush of battle that abruptly ended. "Sorry, I got a little carried away there." He rubbed the back of his neck with a bit of embarrassment. "How are you feeling?" Quote Monkey King MD:10 120 unmit to everyone, no stun due to immunity Baldur: ID#206741 BD: 10 CD 10 (ST-B Unlock) Crit +2 DMG, Burn Proc, Freeze Proc ID#206742 CD: 10 (Recovery Proc) +4EN, +46HP Battle healing 23DMG *15 ST-1 = 345 RAW - 60 MIT = 285 DMG Dealt Turn Order: Monkey King | HP: -120/650 | DMG: 150 | MIT: 60 | ACC: 2 | ACC 1 (Stun Immune 1/3) [4] Snow | HP: 427/580 | EN: 74/76 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 71 | ACC: 1 | BH: 29 | BLD: 36 | REGEN: 23 | THRNS: 27 | Stun Immune (2/3) | F-Howl (2/4) [7] Sewallus | 160/400 HP | Howl: 2/2 | Shatter | Stun Immune (2/3) [4] Baldur | HP: 818/920 | EN: 109/126 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 2 | ACC: 5 | BH: 46 | LD: 3 | AA | BRN: 56 | | KEEN: 1 | REC: 4 | Stun Immune (3/3) Edited March 24, 2022 by Baldur Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted March 24, 2022 #10 Share Posted March 24, 2022 Snow bit at her lip from the failure to execute her sword art. She tried to cut herself some slack in the heat of a fight. What did she expect? Unleash her rank five attack for the first time when she could barely focus on keeping the enemy's attention? For only a moment, Snow closed her eyes and tried to forgive herself. At the moment her eyes opened, she witnessed the roots of a tree barreling at her. There was no time. The improvised weapon bludgeoned into her with such force, her lithe frame shot into the woods like a thrown rag doll. Her body hit brush, sapling, and tree alike until it halted against a hearty trunk. Pain limiters be damned, Snow saw stars and ached from each glowing red point of impact. Limp, on the ground, she groaned. Anger? Embarrassment? Frustration from failure? Her fists balled with handfuls of dirt and leaves. Her teeth clenched but all the while, tears welled in her eyes. The little green bar in the corner of her clouded vision drained slowly and stopped another chunk lower than full. How do they do this? she cried out in her mind. How do they take hits like this and still keep going back to the front lines?! Her fist pounded against the forest floor. How did you do this? Snow asked her late best friend. The girl pressed her head into the ground. Strands of blonde, knotted from being thrown through the woods like a plinko ball, tangled themselves with sticks and dead leaves. Again, her fists thudded into the soil. You have to get up... she reminded herself. You have to. Despite her welled frustration, she willed herself to lift her head up. In that moment, the forest lit with a flash of blue that seemed to tear the air. Thunderous calamity rang out from the sheer speed of it. Her eyes followed the tear in space where fire and ice looked as though they met. Like a speck in the distance, there he sat like something from a show. Baldur paused, then with a faint movement, the world exploded into a shower of the Monkey King's fragmented remains. Even the trees that Snow thought to be infallible groaned, splintered, and bowed to her guild leader's blow. The world around her rattled, cracked, and hissed. Then silence. Snow felt the shock and awe melt away. It left behind bitterness. Quote "I did it! Did you see that? I timed it perfectly that time! Oh man! It feels so good. You have no idea how much I practice that." The man walked over to Snow with a smile, completely unconcerned with either of their health bars or the rush of battle that abruptly ended. "Sorry, I got a little carried away there." He rubbed the back of his neck with a bit of embarrassment. "How are you feeling?" "Angry," she replied bluntly. A quip of pain left her lips as she struggled to stand. She put her hand up as if to interject any offers of help Baldur might offer. With the help of the tree who left a radiating wound in her side, she managed to purchase an upright position. Her hair looked like a nest for birds, her armor glowed red from deep gouges sustained from the two blows, her spear was missing somewhere in the fallout of the fight, and her eyes sparkled with tears of mixed emotions. "I don't know how you do it," she spoke sharply, bitterly. "I didn't do a thing. I was just in the way. I'm always just..." The spiral of self loathing deepened. The few words became too many to speak coherently. In the corner of her sight, the little green bar once again ticked toward full. As frightening as the combat was, it looked as though she could have sustained many more of the same invalidating, unavoidable, and brutal blows. This little, subtle fact did little, but helped to quell the negativity that tightly bound her. "Whatever." Snow smeared her tears away with a muddy sleeve. She looked up to Baldur, but the usual glow of her demeanor struggled to shine beneath the weight of her failures. Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted March 24, 2022 Author #11 Share Posted March 24, 2022 "Good." Baldur said half leaning, half sitting on a bit of a large fallen tree behind him as he saw Snow struggle with the feelings raging inside of her. He had to be careful here, she needed to redirect those feelings toward growth instead of towards self pity. He hoped that this combat would put a bit of shock into her, though perhaps with the hate shenanigans he chose a quest poorly. The girl did seem surprised at his choice of words, perhaps she was expecting more empathy from him, but while he did empathize with her, his heart aching at seeing her distraught, he was here to build her up, to turn her into who she wanted to be. "You should be angry, or frustrated, or both." His eyes were still steel, his words firm, but calm. "But be angry for good reasons, and let it drive you forward." A bit of of a smile curled the edge of his lip, breaking for a moment the sterm mentor face he had going on. "You know how I do it? Get knocked around a lot? I got knocked around a lot until I was tired enough to do something about it." He gestured at the trees behind himself, "And as you see I still get knocked around a lot, I'm use used to it now." His eyes got distant for a moment, "I was flung through the air, taking what seemed like forever to fall when a friend of mine died." He could remember the sight of Azide shattering in his mind's eye like it was yesterday. "But what are you, Alyssa, Snow, going to do about it? I'm ready if you are. I saw what I needed to see in that battle, but I doubt it's the same as what you saw." Baldur stood up to his full height, and took a couple paces forward, just enough to stand in the middle of where the two of them have been. "Snow, you are here because you deserve to be. Because we want you to be. Because Shield, and I, and Mari, and Oikawa, and Calrex all agreed you had what it takes." He jabbed himself in the chest. "What is takes is the will to not give up, to stand back up, and have the back of the person next to you." There was a bit of fire in his voice as he spoke those words. "If you tell me right now, you've had enough of fighting, that this is as far as the fire that burns inside of you will go, I'll think you're lying to yourself, but we will find a way to make use of you outside of combat, and make sure that you're contributing to keep people alive and pushing the frontline forward anyways. But I don't think you can look me in the eyes and say those words." He let a moment of silence hang, hoping she would meet his gaze. "But I think you're going to look me in the eyes, full of anger at yourself, full of frustration, but with that fire inside of you telling you that you can do better, that this isn't enough." He spoke with passion appealing to the heart he knew was inside of her, "then we will take that, and we, as a guild, will work with you and build you up, stand with you should to shoulder, and help you become the woman I know you are." He let out a breath, he had been building and building up, and he needed to release some of the emotion like a tea kettle. "I bought you out here so that you could see where the rubber meets the road. The anger and frustration mean you have room to grow. You needed to get a feel for what combat felt like again. I wanted something that was sufficiently... real, but not dangerous. You are stronger than you know. I promise you this." He held out his hand to her. Not as someone helping another person stand, but as one warrior holds out his hand to acknowledge another. "So look me in the eyes Alyssa, take my hand, and tell me you're ready for the most important step anyone can ever take." He paused for dramatic effect. "The next one." Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted March 29, 2022 #12 Share Posted March 29, 2022 (edited) Good?! She shot her eyes up at him with intent to strike burning in her eyes. Snow harbored so much frustration and worthlessness that any outlet would do. Would striking him accomplish anything other than a moment of catharsis? Would she even be able to after what she knew and witnessed he was capable of? She stared into those steeled eyes of his and balled her fists. He continued. His words came out blunt, almost unfeeling. Until, that was, he mentioned the death of a former comrade. Her mind simmered to a different mental image. She saw him kneeling in front of the Monument of Life. She could faintly smell the incense as he lit it and the sound of sake being poured out in honor and respect. The biting grip of her fists loosened. She continued to listen, the iron of her anger still hot to be tempered. Next came the validation she wanted to hear. The named of her guild mates hammered against her stubbornness. His words which offered her an out from all the fighting cooled her. By now, her hands were slack and the tension in her shoulders sagged. Again, she watched a fraction of her health return in the corner of her eyes. By now, she had nearly a full bar. The images of the angry monkey king, trees that swatted her like a fly, and the rush of colors as she cascaded through the woods began to evaporate. Her gaze drifted off as he continued. Did she have a place on the battlefield? Would it be better for her to just hide from it all at the guild and serve them as some emotional support animal? Could she live with herself if she fell back into such a passive role as those she cared about risked life and limb for her-- for everyone? Snow swallowed the complicated emotions that swelled in her throat. These questions weighed as heavy if not heavier than the loss of those she cared about. Guilt, an emotion that always lingered, threatened to blame her for their deaths if she chose safety again over retribution. Quote ...You are stronger than you know. I promise you this." He held out his hand to her. Not as someone helping another person stand, but as one warrior holds out his hand to acknowledge another. "So look me in the eyes Alyssa, take my hand, and tell me you're ready for the most important step anyone can ever take." He paused for dramatic effect. "The next one." She turned her reddened eyes to his hand and stared. Snow rummaged around in her mind for the resolve. The heat of her anger lingered only as steam, but the well of frustration had dissipated. Was she mad at her inability? Was she mad at him for putting her through this? Was she mad at Kayaba for subjecting all of them to this in the first place? Maybe she was mad at Daire for going off and getting herself killed. No... Snow shook her head. I'm mad I tried to give up... I would let down Daire, Calrex, Shield, Mari, Opal... Everyone that has helped me so far. I owe it to them. I owe it to myself to try. Her hand lifted reluctantly. She took a deep breath. "I'm..." A pause of uncertainty. "I'm trusting my life to you..." He hadn't let her down yet. If anything, Jason always tried to build her up. "I'll take that next step..." She took his hand. "For me and for those I want to protect..." She tried to speak with resolve, but the words seemingly left her lips with the lack luster of a dull blade. In her eyes, her fear and nervousness hid. She could feel a faint courage warm her chest. These steps needed to be the first. They needed to be the ones to pick her back up. She needed to hear what Baldur said. She nodded with more conviction this time. Her grip tightened. "Yeah, I'm ready." Edited March 29, 2022 by Snow Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted March 29, 2022 Author #13 Share Posted March 29, 2022 Quote "I'm..." A pause of uncertainty. "I'm trusting my life to you... I'll take that next step..." She took his hand. "For me and for those I want to protect..." She tried to speak with resolve, but the words seemingly left her lips with the lack luster of a dull blade. In her eyes, her fear and nervousness hid. She nodded with more conviction this time. Her grip tightened. "Yeah, I'm ready." Baldur squeezed her hand back. If glory and pride could have been made manifest, they would have erupted around the two of them. Pride for what Baldur felt for Snow, taking his hand and taking the next step forward. Always so hard. She pushed through her fear and frustration and guilt and all the emotions holding her back, but she made the choice with a purpose. The steel melted slightly as her resolve took hold, and she could see the pride in her eyes. Glory surged within him at the feeling of relief and exultation at his words seeming to reach her and have the desired effect. "I promise you this, Alyssa. I will treasure your life, I will be by your side, all of Jacob's Ladder will. But even as people come and go, as guilds come and go, I will always be in your corners and help you out. I can't promise there won't be danger ahead, but I can promise that you won't have to face it alone, that I won't put you in a fight I don't think we can win, and that I will always steak my life next to yours. I will honor your determination and sacrifice alongside my own. We're in this together now, come what may." His smile was fierce, and proud, and strong. "Together, we are more than the sum of our parts. That's what Jacob's Ladder is all about." He let out a sigh, a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding as the steel in his eyes settled to ocean blues. "I feel like celebrating now, but we have so much work left to do. We need to turn in this quest, we need to talk about builds and equipment. We need to talk about quests, unlockable skills, and combat practice." He had taken a few steps forward, back in the direction of town. His excitement and energy was enough to sweep people up and carry them along with him, but he suddenly stopped. He turned around, suddenly... not solemn, but there. Firmly in this moment right here, right now, with her. "Before all of that, Alyssa. What do you need. We can take a break, it's been a busy day, and we can go get something to eat and just crash from the emotion of the day. Or if you've got momentum under your feet, we can blaze ahead." His previous words, his excitement, may have made someone guess that he wanted her to blaze ahead, but there was something about the change in him when he turned back to her. It was the eyes. The clear pools of Jason. He spoke directly to Alyssa's heart, acknowledging her as a person, and what she needed. "The choice is always yours. No reason we can't start that stuff tomorrow." And then he gave her an earnest, peaceful smile. Link to post Share on other sites
Snow 0 Posted April 4, 2022 #14 Share Posted April 4, 2022 (edited) Why did he always say these things with such conviction? She met his eyes with hers as he spoke about treasuring her life. The uncertainty and caution that embodied her fears almost melted away and that same heat warmed her cheeks into a rosy hue. His words continued on to elaborate more about their part in Jacob's Ladder, their guild, and Snow swallowed the ball of unknown emotions that welled at the back of her throat. She breathed a tempered sigh of relief. Right, the guild. Jacob's Ladder. This is about everyone. Still, her cheeks remained warmed by his words and actions. When he stepped away, a new breath of life surged into him. Baldur whirred with electricity and rattled off about the next steps as though a child excitedly described what would happen on Christmas morning. His little tirade reminded Snow of the quest, they weren't alone afterall. "Oh my god-- Sewallus!" She spat with wide eyes. They shot beyond Baldur and his roughed up haori to the scene of uprooted trees, fresh turned up dirt, and the faint remnant sparkles of scattered data fragments. In the motionless carnage, she saw no signs of Sewallus. "Sewallus!" she shouted through cupped hands. "Sewallus!" "Hnnngh... Easy with the shouting..." groaned a nearby tree that lifted then thudded to the ground. Under it, a badly damaged and worn captain of the guard struggled to his feet. Snow rushed over to help the NPC gain his footing. Begrudgingly, the captain accepted her hand and together they rose. "Well," Sewallus began as the two limped over to Baldur. "Looks like the right people came to help me with my revenge. My only regret is not striking the final blow. Well met stranger." Sewallus extended his hand to Baldur. Snow looked to her guild leader with a faint smile indicative of an apologetic expression. "We should probably get him back to town. We can talk more after that." @Baldur Edited April 4, 2022 by Snow Link to post Share on other sites
Baldur 0 Posted April 18, 2022 Author #15 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Baldur noticed Snow blushing prettily at his words, but he didn't let that stop him. Too often people were afraid or embarrassed of what needed to be said. The important words. People should be complimented, praised, encouraged, and friends should know you love them. Baldur wasn't afraid to say any of these words, or to say them with conviction. It was, perhaps, even more illusion breaking about him being a gaijin samurai than his being a gaijin. Contrary to popular belief, Baldur was not trying to be Japanese, nor was he role-playing at being a Samurai. Indeed, he had never once referred to himself as either. He merely used the situation they're in to reinvent himself, to be the him he could never have the courage to be outside of Aincrad. Perhaps, had the death game never taken place and it had been a true MMO, Baldur would have been a role-player, and played an actual Samurai, but this was something different. Then Snow shot off past him, and dug their NPC companion out of the rubble and brought the trio back together. Baldur looked at the NPC, surprised when he extended his hand to Baldur. Not surprise at the handshake, but as if he had completely forgotten about the NPC at all. The quest was complete whether they escorted him back to town or not, but it had never occurred to do anything of the sort. It was an NPC. Still, Snow looked up at him with a bit of pride on her face, and so Baldur took the NPC's hand. He had done a bit of role-playing in his day. "Yes, well, we'll let you get the killing blow on the next giant rampaging ape." he gave the NPC a half hearted smile. "But yes, Snow-dono is right. We should get back to town. You can let your people know that they are safe once again." The NPC's health was low, perhaps roughly a quarter or a tad more. They had come closer to losing him than Baldur had originally expected, but the thing's taunt was more annoying than Baldur remembered. And this was a quest I used to do regularly for the drops. The unlocked sword art and the drop from this quest would be useful for both him and Snow. As they walked towards town, Baldur smiled sideways at Snow, "Sorry I got caught up in the moment there. I'm excited for your potential." His lopsided smile seemed a bit sheepish. "Do you have any questions for me?" Link to post Share on other sites
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