[F08-PP] Of Wilting Willows | <<Rumour>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The ding, followed by the flashing icon caught her attention. Her fingers hovering over the piano keys, she cocked her head towards the icon. She knew NIGHT was asleep, so the message couldn’t have come from her. The few others wouldn’t likely be messaging her about anything important – but the icon contained the urgent notification.

Curiosity coming over her, she flipped a finger over the notification, bringing up the message in its entirety. Her eyes cast over it quickly, before stopping midway and starting from the beginning.

To: Nari-Lanreth
From: [redacted]
Message: New urgent matter. Rumours abound that flowers at the Graveyard of the Willowed (Floor 08, North of Settlement) have begun dying off. Concerns around Cardinal oversight. Possible major event, or decaying system. Requesting assistance with information gathering. Rewards available upon retrieval of sufficient information. Limit player engagement, safety concerns viable.

“What in the…” Usually the information within the messages were limited, details specific to the quest, or objective. This…this was different. The tone itself contained and almost…pleading side to it – far removed from her usual messaging with the individual. Her entire body had frozen as she considered the situation, knowing that something was amiss.

Snapping back to reality, and realising that it clearly brought up some kind of urgency, she turned her attention towards the task at hand. She knew that NIGHT was currently unavailable, her day ahead containing some key events that couldn’t be ignored or set aside. Pulling through her friend’s list, a few names stood out to her, few of which she thought met the criteria. ‘Safety concerns viable…? That’s…’

Not finishing the thought, she opened up the messaging system, choosing a few individuals that she’d gone on quests with before – knowing that they were capable.

To: Koga, Them
From: Nari-Lanreth
Message: Just received a message containing…information. Something up on Floor 8. Graveyard of the Willowed. Possible intervention required, if you’re available meet me at the teleporter pad in Ellesmera. Be prepared for anything…message said there could be danger.

Determined to be the first to arrive, she flicked the message off before rising from the piano bench. A quick moment to shuffle everything away, before she left the studio behind and made her way out of the house to the teleporter pad.

-------

The evening sun still shone down upon Ellesmera, the main courtyard with the pad relatively empty. The few players still gathered nearby seemed intent upon making their way home, and the NPCs seemed focused on selling off whatever goods they had, before closing up shop for the evening – a routine they likely repeated every single day, over and over again.

“Cardinal doesn’t often change things…so why the sudden loss of the Graveyard? It doesn’t make sense…is Cardinal breaking down? Or maybe there’s restructuring going on? I just…” She hadn’t even realised she’d spoke aloud until the white fox on her shoulder chittered, either in agreement or annoyance at being disturbed. Her right hand reaching up, she gave the little fox a pat on the head, still deep in thought.

-------

Word Count: 507

Nari-Lanreth's Statblock

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 36 | HP: 840/840 | EN: 96/96 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 8 | MIT: 147 | F. Aura: 32 MIT; 16 FRST | Thorns [72 DMG] | Frostbite [40 DMG; -1 ACC] | Battle Healing [+25] | Heavy Momentum: [+4 DMG] | Paralyse | Taunt | STH: -5

Tier 4 | Tier 7

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

+1 LD (This bonus only applies to looting, searching for and opening chests).

 

Equipped Items

Póg Deiridh [Tier 4; Polearm [One-handed Assault Spear]; Demonic] A metre and a half in length, the short spear contains a shaft of polished wood with a twisting combination of light and dark violet, with a single line of black separating the colours. The thin blade itself is coloured lavender, with a heart of royal purple. Attached at the connection between shaft and blade, are twisting tassels of violet and ice blue.
Enhancement: Frostbite [2 Slots] | 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.]
Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.

Glacadh Morríghan [Tier 4; Heavy/Plate Armour] Designed as form fitting half-plate armour, this piece has an open chest area, designed to adjust based on the wearer. Small pauldrons protect the shoulders and neck, while light greaves cover the arms. Coloured in a shifting of soft violet and ice blue, the bottom left front of the torso contains a small curled fox.
Enhancement: Frost Aura [2 Slots] | Effect: Prevent (4 per slot * Tier) damage per slot from successful attacks against you. Successful non-critical attacks against you deal (2 per slot * Tier) unmitigated Frost damage to the attacking enemy.
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.]

Póg an Gheimhridh [Tier 4; Heater Shield] A smaller heater shield, this piece contains the typical heater shape, with a bouche edge on the left hand upper corner, and a tear drop tail that curls towards the right on the bottom edge. Coloured a shifting soft violet and ice blue, a small white fox appears on the forefront, the ideas staring outwards and the mouth pulled back in a snarl.
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: Taunt [1 Slot] | Effect: +1 Hate generated from Howl, Focused Howl, and successful attacks.
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) | Tier 1; Mitigation 3
Starter Healing Potions {4} | 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.
Caribou Stew {3} | Tier 4; Rare Meal | Protein II

Inventory

Monkey Agility {2} | Tier 1; Evasion 1
Super-Duper Anti Snake Sauce (Salve) | Tier 1; 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.
Uncommon Health Potions {5} | Tier 1; Heals 5% of Maximum HP
Uncommon Overhealth Potion {1} | Tier 1; Adds 5% of Maximum HP to users Maximum HP for a thread
Rare Health Potions {1} | Tier 1; Heals 10% of Maximum HP
Arrowhead Brooch | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | Accuracy III
Music Box | Tier 1 Perfect Trinket | LD III
Ketchup Chips {4} | Tier 4; Perfect Snacks| Probiotics III
Poutine {3} | Tier 4; Uncommon Meal | Overhealth I
Cheesecake {3} | Tier 4; Perfect Dessert | Loot Dice III
Divinity's Wait {6} | Tier 2; Perfect Potion | Mitigation III
Divinity's Protection {5} | Tier 3; Perfect Potion | Overhealth III
Fruit Infused Tea {3} | Tier 3; Perfect Potion | HP Recovery III
Cold Brew Coffee {4} | Tier 1; Perfect Potion | HP Recovery III
Percephonius Pyratius {14} | Tier 4; Perfect Potion | Damage III
Axintori Alcemitanti {15} | Tier 4; Perfect Potion | Overhealth III
Eleanór a Rún {1} | Tier 1; Uncommon Support Song | HP Recovery I
Fill-iù Oro Hù Ò {1} | Tier 1; Rare Support Song | HP Recovery II
Clann Ulaidh {1} | Tier 2; Uncommon Debuff Song | Lullaby I
Clann Ulaidh {1} | Tier 2; Uncommon Masterpiece Debuff Song | Lullaby I [Instant]
Cànan nan Gàidheal {1} | Tier 2; Perfect Debuff Song | Incarceration
Bothan Àirigh Am Bràigh Raithneach {1} | Tier 2; Uncommon Masterpiece Support Song | HP Recovery I
Siúil a Rún {1} | Tier 2; Uncommon Support Song | HP Recovery I
Siúil a Rún {2} | Tier 2; Rare Support Song | HP Recovery II
Siúil a Rún {2} | Tier 2; Perfect Support Song | HP Recovery III

Sword Arts

[x12] ST-I (12 10 EN) | A single-target sword art.
[x15] ST-II (15 13 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 18 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 9 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
[x14] AOE-II (14 12 + 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 14 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.
[x16] TECH-B (15 13 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 13 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 13 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 9 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn.
[x16] TECH-G (15 13 EN) | BURN | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Burn] on the enemy. [Burn] is a DoT ailment that deals [14 * Player Tier] unmitigated Burn damage for 2 turns.
[x2] RAW-A (10 8 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.

Combat Skills

Battle Healing
Rank 3
Passive
Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.

Fighting Spirit
Passive
Effect: Attacking and using Howl or Focused Howl generates +1 additional Hate. (Ex. Generate 1/2/3 Hate on a Miss/Hit/Critical attack. Generate 5 Hate when using Focused Howl.)

Howl
Active: Post Action
Energy Cost: 2 EN
Effect: Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets.

[Howl Addon] Focused Howl
Active: Post Action
Energy Cost: 4 EN
Cooldown: 4 Turns
Effect: Adds +4 Hate against a single target.

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.

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

Block
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

Frozen Hide
Active: Free Action
Energy Cost: 5 EN
Cooldown: 4 Turns
Effect: As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn.

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.

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.

Inactive Extra Skills 

Concentration
Cost: Complete <<The Gemini>> with Unlock Conditions
Action: Free Action
Cooldown: 5 turns
Effect: As a free action, gain Absolute Accuracy on your next attack. In the case Absolute Accuracy is already present, increase your Accuracy by 1 instead. Effect lasts until the start of next turn.

Meditation
Action: Post Action
Cooldown: 3 turns
Effect: Recover an additional (4 * Tier) energy. 

Combat Mastery

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

Familiar Skills

Protector Familiar
Active: Free Action
Cooldown: 3 Posts
Effect: The next time you would take damage, your familiar rushes to your aid, reducing the final damage by 10%.

Estate Buffs

Master Bedroom
Effect: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
Master Bathroom
Effect: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down).
Dining Room
Effect: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
Basic Kitchen
Effect: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
Living Room
Effect: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Attic (Storage)
Effect: +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
Storage Closet
Effect: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot

 

[Koga 0]

k o g a the elder wolf Spoiler notes: none Koga, Lvl 32/55 | HP: 900 | EN: 124 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | ACC: 5 | LD: 3 | BRN: 56 | FALN: 16 | VD: 99 | B.HEALING: 49/99 equipped battle-ready inventory Tsuki no Hikari | Demonic T4 Katana [ CRSD // FALN II // BRN ] Shuku-ro Coat | Demonic T4 Light Armor [ EVA II // VAMP-D. II ] lupine. | Demonic T4 Trinket [ ACC III // EVA ] none   skills Spoiler | UTILITY Gathering: Fishing I | Successfully forage for materials on a LD 14+ | 0/49 EXP  Searching III | +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank. | 14 SP Night Vision | Ignores any penalties from low light or darkness. Negates the bonus Stealth Rating from low light or darkness. | 3 SP | COMBAT Combat Shift: Single Target | For the following Sword Arts, +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. No other Shifts may be taken. | 10 SP Mastery: Damage III | Gain 1 * Tier Damage per rank | 13 SP Battle Healing V | Recover 5% (rounded down) of your maximum HP at the start of your turn | 30 SP Emergency Recovery | When non-fatal damage would leave you with 25% or less of your maximum HP, recover 10% of your maximum HP after the attack resolves. Effect cannot occur more than once per thread.  When activated if the player has lower than 10 energy remaining, simply reduce the player's energy to 0. | 6 SP EN Cost: 10 Energist | Increase Base Energy by 5 * Tier | 8 SP Charge | Perform a single attack/Sword Art with +5 base damage. Charge attacks have a -1 Accuracy debuff and cannot be affected by any auto-hit effects. | 10 SP Cooldown: 3 Posts Howl | Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets. | 10 SP EN Cost: 2, Cooldown: 2 posts | WEAPON Katana V | +7 DMG when equipped with a Katana | 30 SP Stamina | Reduces the energy of all Katana attacks by 2 EN | 4 SP Precision | Gain +1 ACC. | 2 SP Ferocity | +2 DMG when using Katana Sword Arts | 4 SP | ARMOR Light Armor V | +30 MIT when equipped with Light Armor, -2 Stealth | 30 SP Meticulous | +1 DMG when equipped with Light Armor | 4 SP Resolve | +1 ACC and +10 * Tier HP when equipped with Light Armor | 6 SP | EXTRAS Familiar Master: Rending | You and your familiar attack in tandem, applying Rend [7*tier unmitigatable damage] to the target that lasts for two turns. | 10 SP Cooldown: 5 Turns Survival | Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | 0 SP Parry | 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. | 10 SP 9 EN, Cooldown: 3 Turns Vengeful Riposte | 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. | 6 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Justified Riposte | A successful Parry also stuns the target for 1 turn. | 5 SP Cooldown: 4 Turns Frozen Hide | As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn. | 0 SP 5 EN, Cooldown: 4 Turns buffs Spoiler | PARAGON REWARDS Lv. 5 | Earn Col equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to Looting | BUFFS <<Well Rested>> | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. <<Squeaky Clean>> | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). <<Filling>> | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. <<Item Stash>> | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot <<Tasty>> | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. <<Relaxed>> | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. <<Multipurpose>> | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. <<Practiced Angler>> | +2 Fishing EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to fishing attempts.

Though it still could not be said that Koga was getting a good night's rest, he was getting a bit more of it, and of better quality. That being said, Koga could still feel that constant exhaustion gnawing away at him as he worked the forge in the early hours of the morning. One hammer strike after another clanged within the small structure, the orange glow of the forge's flames illuminating his work. For once, it came along nicely. Call it inspiration, hard work, whatever. All Koga really knew was that he'd felt better as of late. Maybe that was in thanks to Calming the Soul. Maybe it was something else.

A familiar ding drew Koga's attention, just as he delivered one last blow of the hammer. The ingot glowed light blue before morphing and taking its final shape, that of a katana with blue cotton wrapped tightly around it's hilt, a chrysanthemum flower guard, and small plum flower engraved along it's furnishings. The man picked up the weapon and examined the blade, the tempering line. Like rolling waves crashing onto the shore.

Dispersing the weapon, Koga turned his attention to his new notification, a message from Nari.

"Well that's...ominous..." the man muttered, staring at the message for a moment longer before swiping the window closed. Best to get going.

---

Appearing in Ellesmera, crisp fresh air filled Koga's lung as he materialized. It had been a long time since he'd been to Floor Eight. In fact he couldn't even recall...had it been with Yukiro? Or had he returned afterwards with NIGHT? He couldn't remember, not that it mattered.

The man searched the plaza of the Elven city, taking in the sights and searching for Nari. Okami was the first to lay eyes on her, letting out a gruff grunt before walking in her direction, not bothering to wait his master.

"Hey," the man greeted Nari as he approached, following just behind Okami. "what's going on, Nari, your message was...vague..."

Edited April 15, 2022 by Koga

[Them 0]

"He's totally into you!" exclaimed Cruscius, a clean-shaven man with flowing brown hair wearing a grey sweater-blue jean combo.

Cleo stifled her snort and pat the taller friend's shoulder. "Then why couldn't he keep his eyes away from you? Face it; you're a total smoke show."

The pair of friends laughed together, shuffling through the busy streets of the Town of Beginnings as they went about their day after one of their typical lunch meetups. A casual affair turned daily ritual as of late, Cleo cherished the one thing that remained an every-day constant in an ever-changing life. With plans to hunker down in a newly opened fourth-floor café and shoot the shit for a while longer, Cleo was midway through equipping a coat when she received a concerning call to arms, the first she'd ever had. "Crap. Sorry Cruscius, just got a message through from a friend. I think she needs help with something."

Though disheartened by the news, Cruscius quickly grew curious, a suggestive smirk warping his lips. "Oh, Cleo."

"Not like that!" After a swift slap on Cruscius' arm—which only made him burst into laughter—Cleo sent a quick reply to let Nari know she'd be there. "It looks serious. We'll catch up tomorrow?"

"Oh, we definitely will." Still missing the lack of humor on Cleo's face, Cruscius waved his friend a dramatic goodbye. Cleo didn't watch as he disappeared on the teleporter pad, and she went about swapping her casual gear for more combat-focused armaments, ready for whatever was about to go down.

---

Materializing in Ellesmera alongside Éli, who immediately took point on Cleo's shoulder, she spent a second adjusting to the change in environment. As luck would have it, she was already facing the right direction to see Nari and a man beside her; more backup? Not wasting any time, she moved closer to find out.

"Hey," Cleo called from afar, jogging up to the pair of players. "I came as fast as I could. What's going on?" A quick look at the man confirmed she and he were unacquainted. "Not sure we've met before? I'm Cleo." Having introduced herself, she sent the red-eyed man a hastened nod to keep things short, hoping to get to the bottom of just what was going on.

 

Spoiler

Them
Level 20 | HP 400 | EN 68 | DMG: 17 | MIT: 24 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 2

Equipment:

Heart's Bane (T2 Perfect Dagger - Bleed 2 / Paralyze 1) | A steel dagger stained a rich purple. The blade is lined with deep-set serrations on one side and a masterfully sharpened edge on the other.
Investigator's Jacket (T2 Perfect Cloth Armor - Mitigation 1 / Evasion 2) | A dark blue double-breasted jacket with white lining. Sleek and slim, it offers mild protection and a good deal of mobility to the wearer.
Arrowhead Broach (T1 Perfect Trinket - Accuracy 3) | A golden arrow-head with a pin fastened to it. It's modern and minimalistic.

Skills:

Dagger R5
> Stamina
> Precision
> Ferocity

Cloth Armor R3
> Athletics

Energist

Familiar Mastery: Rending
Combat Mastery: Damage R3
Combat Shift: AOE

Extra Skills:

Meditation
Concentration

Familiar:

Éli

> The feline's beige fur serves as camouflage in the desert, where the only thing that could give the creature's position away is a tail that burns furiously in daylight. Both the cat's ears and his wavy chin hair flow freely, akin to wisps of smoke in the wind. He glares at both players and familiars alike with his piercing blue eyes, judging them silently through the windows to their souls.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Them

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nodding to Koga, and a moment later to Cleo as they both stepped down off the teleporter, Nari stood up from the ledge she’d been leaning against – her face stoic as she glanced between the two of them, her eyes cast upwards at their faces.

“Thanks for coming. I received this not too long ago –“ A flick of her hand and the message spun for both to read, the redacted name from the sender standing out against the rest of the message. She still hadn’t learnt anything about how that was possible, nor had her attempts to squeeze anything of use out of the personal contact led to anything. “I’ve never received anything like this from them before. Usually it’s bare minimums required to find the quest, or whatever it is being chased down. And they’ve never requested that something be completed. Nor have they ever stated the concern about danger…something is off about this, and I don’t know what to think about it – other than that it must be serious if they’re actually calling for help on it.”

She wasn’t sure if her voice was carrying the calmness she wanted in it, or if her own personal worry was cutting through. The one thing she knew, was that she was truly troubled by it. The message, the behaviour, all of it atypical to the general actions. It stood out, and not in a good way.

“The graveyard is this way.” She pointed her spear to the northern side of the settlement, before taking the first few steps – turning back to add to her statement. “I’m hoping you two will come…but I’m going either way. I owe them…and I’d appreciate your help.”

Without another word she continued along the path, her worry obvious in the set of her stance, the hurried pace she held. Jostled on her shoulders, Yuki leapt to the ground, forced to canter alongside her as Nari pushed their pace. Her glance held forwards, she barely noticed whether the other two were coming along behind her or not, her mind already considering the possibilities of what could possibly go wrong in a graveyard, of all places. ‘I don’t think cardinal has a necromantic system in place…’

---------

Word Count: 370

[Koga 0]

"Koga, good to meet you," the swordsman said with a nod as an unfamiliar girl approached them, before turning his attention back to Nari...an action he immediately regretted. The man's facial expression shifted concerned, to confused, to 'what-in the fuck???', each state lasting all of about three seconds, before finally settling on the latter. The man groaned as he closed his eyes pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to make sense of what he understood only as complete and utter stupidity, recklessness, and a general lack of regard for ones own well-being.

"Hold on, let me get this straight," he said, still massaging the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb. "So you've been getting mysterious messages from an unknown sender, who may or may not have ulterior motives, and for all you know, could just be playing the long con, and you're going along with it!?" Seriously, if they weren't stuck in the game, and Koga was strapped for money, Nari would've been one of the first people he targeted for a phishing expedition. People like her were easy prey if they just went along with clearly sketchy mysterious missives like that.

Koga looked over at Cleo, "Like, I'm not the only one here that thinks that a stupid move, right?" Not that it mattered, because Koga was at least going to be one of the stupid mooks that followed Nari into what could very well be a death trap. "Fuck me in the ass..." the man groaned once more before chasing after the woman.

[Them 0]

As Koga started to lay down some hard truths, Cleo echoed his concerns to a lesser degree, her eyes tense with uncertainty. "It's a little sketchy, Nari. You sure about this?" For all they knew, the source could be leading them straight into a trap. Of course, any attempt to try and reason with the purple-haired woman would fall on deaf ears, and Cleo hurried along quickly to catch up with the others—stifling her amusement of Koga's frustration. Though it wasn't the time nor place to smirk, she couldn't prevent the tiniest one from breaking through. "Stupid? Possibly." She glanced at the woman in question before looking back to Koga. "Regardless, you still followed her. Doesn't that mean you trust her?"

When they would catch up to Nari, the question remained as to what they were truly expecting to find once they arrived, and Cleo raised an elementary question. "If the place is called <<Graveyard of the Willowed>>, why should we be worried about dead flowers, of all things?" A straightforward question, but a good one. Nothing indicated that the source could be trusted besides the woman's blind faith in them. As they pressed on, the graveyard drew into existence a few hundred yards away, the sepulcher visible through glimpses of light in the treeline.

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

When the two had caught up, Nari gave a small nod towards them, before answering the questions each had posed. She knew the risks, she knew the way that it had all seemed. How it appeared foolish. “I don’t know that I trust them. I don’t even know them, not truly. But they’ve never provided false or dangerous information. In fact…I would say what they have provided has been invaluable previously.”

A few further steps, before she turned to the others – her forward movement shifted to a backward as she continued to walk while facing the pair. Her smile had been wiped from her face as she suddenly turned serious. “Trust them or not, as information brokers they’ve proved undoubtable. And if they desired my end, well…they could’ve had that long ago. If they were that good at the long con, then I doubt my avoiding their advice would actually serve me any better – they’d just adjust what they were doing in order to play me into their trap.”

A small shrug, and then she turned her attention towards Cleo’s question, shaking her head before answering. “Honestly? I wouldn’t normally be worried. From what little I know of the place, the flowers represent the dead and gone – something about Elves having passed on from the world. What’s concerning, is this is the first time it’s happened. Which means that either some sort of weird event is up…or something is wrong with Cardinal in general.”

She turned back to face the direction they were heading, her face brooding as she considered either possibility. An event could mean danger, or reward. But if there was something wrong with Cardinal itself…

-----

Word Count: 278

[Koga 0]

Nothing that Nari said reassured Koga in the slightest. Probably because the man was a cynic at heart. And frankly, he was currently accompanying one of the reasons he was a cynic in the first place on a skeptical at best quest from some mysterious, anonymous 'benefactor'. Call him jaded.

"Stupid? Possibly. Regardless, you still followed her. Doesn't that mean you trust her?" Cleo said as she caught up to them, to which Koga scowled. "No, I don't," he said tersely, a hint of anger hiding beneath the surface of his words. "But someone I care about cares about her. So I gotta look out for her too," the man said loud enough to be certain that Nari heard. He was helping her because of NIGHT. Simple as that. He trusted Nari about as far as he could through her while she was in full plate. But NIGHT? Koga trusted NIGHT. And that was the only reason he was willing to follow Nari into what could potentially be their dooms.

The question then became why dead flowers even mattered in the first place, and while what Nari had said made sense within the context of lore..."I'd like to also point out, when was the last time you saw a dead fucking flower on this floor?" Koga added. "Hell, I don't think I've even seen a blade of dry grass here before. Dead flowers are a bad sign no matter how we look at it. It being a scripted event is the best case scenario, I think."

[Them 0]

"How sweet of you." Koga's reason for coming along didn't wholly convince Cleo, a sentiment reflected in her folded arms and furrowed brow. As far as she knew, Nari wasn't somebody that needed chaperoning. The woman had—obviously—done something to piss him off in the past, and there seemed to be a lot to unpack with his animosity. What struck her as even more interesting was that a certain somebody actively kept their lives intertwined. Did love play into it somehow? As much as she yearned to be nosy and find out more, matters of grave importance were still afoot.

Nari seemed to know a good deal about the Graveyard's backstory, and, having dropped knowledge that the flowers housed the souls of departed Elves, Cleo started to realize why the woman's distress was warranted. Meanwhile, her eyebrows scrunched together at Koga's manner of speech. Perhaps he was just an angry man in general? In any case, he wasn't wrong. Death and decay seemed to elude the floor, save for whatever was going on wherever they were going. "Hm... I think you're right," she said, gesturing to Nari. "This is much too elaborate to be a set-up. The amount of effort they've gone through to kill somebody off seems unlikely. Plus, if Cardinal actually is shitting the bed..."

What if Cardinal was breaking down? How could anybody pretend to know what the consequences of that would be?

She moved to walk by Nari's side, casting a sober look back at Koga. "I don't know what bad blood you have but try not to let it cloud your judgment. This might be bigger than us three." Her features reflected the panic slowly setting in over the last few minutes.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

“If Cardinal is glitching, it is definitely bigger than us three.” She spoke the words without turning to the other two, not minding the side conversation in the least – but wanting to make sure they were both aware she was far from deaf. If anything, she had tried hard to ignore them as she considered the possibilities.

As they passed into the area known as the Graveyard, Nari let her eyes wander in appreciate of the area – the oversized willow trees blocking out the sun had an almost magical feel to them. Letting her feet guide her, she wandered through the area, almost immediately spotting numerous areas of obviously deceased flora, appearing like a plague upon the otherwise magnificent scene.

She made her way across to one such area, a collection of fifteen or twenty different flowers having wilted away. Kneeling down, she let her hands sift through the dirt, checking the roots, the stems, even the soil itself for any obvious signs of damage or danger.

“Nothing…there’s nothing here that should denote any sort of reason as to why the flowers are dying. The soil is excellent. The stems unbroken, no signs of any substance having burned them away – nor any signs of change in the collection here, versus the ones…” She waved a hand towards the collection of nearby flowers that were still abloom against the will of the ones directly before her. “I don’t see any reason for them to have died…at least, nothing from the land here – perhaps there’s something else going on. But what it is, I haven’t the faintest idea…”

Leaning back on her heels, furrowed brow staring down at the ground before her as she considered other possibilities. ‘Perhaps some sort of toxin…but no burn marks, no signs of contamination – no spread. Maybe a herbicide that limits its range…but no pattern to it.’

-----

Word Count: 310

[Koga 0]

"I don't know what bad blood you have but try not to let it cloud your judgment. This might be bigger than us three."

The words were stern. But a glance at the woman's face, the words didn't seem to be as brave as they sounded. Worry, fear clouded Cleo's features. Was she afraid for herself, or for others?

"Don't worry about me," Koga replied, his hand moving towards his katana's saya and gripping it. "The job comes first." The man turned to follow after Nari, a slightly more leisurely pace than before. "C'mon. The sooner we figure out what's going on, the sooner we can start working on a solution."

While Nari seemed relaxed enough to wander near carelessly towards their objective, Koga was less so. His eyes searched back and forth, peering between trees, always on alert. Mobs, others players with less than valiant intentions, Cardinal itself, Koga did not know what dangers might present themselves, but he'd rather be ready for them than be caught unawares.

When the trio finally did come upon the field of dried dead flowers, the gears of the man's mind began to turn. What could cause this. Why?

“I don’t see any reason for them to have died…at least, nothing from the land here – perhaps there’s something else going on. But what it is, I haven’t the faintest idea…” Nari said. And she was right. There wasn't a single sign as to what had caused so many of these flowers to suddenly shrivel up brown and black.

Then a thought hit him.

"Cardinal is self-correcting," Koga pointed out. "Do you guys remember a year or two ago, when the Frontline was fighting the Floor 25 boss, the rest of Aincrad was drowning. A lot of players died. Myself included. But then we were brought back. Cardinal had no reason to do that, unless it wasn't meant to occur. Ever." The man walked to the other side of the patch of dry dead flowers. "So, if Cardinal is self-correcting, and this was a glitch, it follows that Cardinal would patch the error." The man knelt down and peered more closely at the flowers. "But it hasn't. I imagine fixing some scenery is a lot easier than bringing back thousands of dead players." The man looked up at Nari and Cleo. "So, that would have to mean this is all intentional, correct? So, we're left with either this is a player's doing, or this is part of some...event, or quest or something." The man gestured at the flowers, "Except players can't do this, as far as I know. Not without leaving behind some evidence. Like you said, Nari. Burn marks, footprints, something. So maybe this is Cardinal's doing. Nari, what was it you were saying again about these flowers being representative of dead elves?"

Edited April 29, 2022 by Koga

[Bahr 0]

It was almost amusing how unaware they were. And loud. If they had any intention of concealing themselves, they were doing a piss-poor job of it. But something told Bahr that they hadn't the faintest care in the world. After all, it was only the eighth floor, right? It couldn't possibly be that dangerous, right?

Bahr could have struck them all down where they stood. Not that he had any intention of doing so - it was just the fact that he could. Player Killers didn't abide by the guidelines of system-sanctioned duels. There was nothing here protecting them from someone like Bahr other than his own conscience. What if he'd been someone else?

A familiar face softened Bahr's criticisms. Koga, a man he'd met before. A man he'd fought, and who'd fought back against him. Well. If nothing else, this was a party that was in good hands. And if Koga's skill and power was any indicator of the company he kept, Bahr bargained that the rest of these misfits likely had tricks up their sleeves as well. Bahr still wasn't pleased with the nonchalant attitude they carried as a group, but tried to remind himself that not everyone had the same temperament he did. Possibly, Bahr was overthinking the whole situation anyways.

It was time to make himself known.

He silently strode up alongside Koga, looking outward over the flower bed parallel to him. "You're right to be cautious," he reassured the swordsman, polygonal panels slowly unfurling around his frame to change him from translucent to solid. Tangerine and obsidian covered his visage, masking his features from the party. Rather than giving the party time to adjust to his impromptu appearance, he barreled ahead. "As you've already deduced, this is more than likely Cardinal's doing. Take a look at these."

He held out his left palm before Koga, revealing a pair of simple knitting pins. Black. He nodded toward the others to come and take a look as well. "I found these while searching the flower bed. They're an item unlike any I've seen." To make the elaboration easier, he tapped on the artifact with his right index finger. In accordance with the prompt, a panel materialized that divulged more information.
 

Quote

<<Mother Nature's Knitting Pins>>
Tier 4 - Legendary
Two-Handed Weapon

"When I wielded them, I was unable to activate any Sword Arts. It doesn't even denote the weapon type, and it's labeled "Legendary" rather than Rare, Perfect, or even Demonic. I don't know what to make of it."

His voice probably sounded more intimidating than it should have, modulated through the mask that he'd still neglected to take off. While he knew Koga, he was still unfamiliar with the others. He wasn't keen on revealing himself to them just yet.

"It can't be a coincidence that these appeared here, where all of this is happening," he postulated, gesturing to the slowly dying flower bed. "But this is as far as I got before the three of you came along."
 

Spoiler

STATS

LEVEL - 32
PARAGON LEVEL - 51
HP - 880
EN - 122
DMG - 20
MIT - 103
ACC - 4
EVA - 3
STEALTH - 4
FALLEN - 8
BLEED - 48
BURN - 56
BLIGHT - 32 | (-20)
BH - 44
HB - 17

TANOS TOTEM ACTIVE - +25 MIT
DIMENSIONAL BACKPACK ACTIVE - +1 Battle-Ready Inventory slot

HOME BUFFS
» WELL RESTED
     ➥ -1 EN FOR THE FIRST THREE TURNS OF COMBAT
» RELAXED
     ➥ +15 TO OUT OF COMBAT HP REGENERATION
     ➥ FULL ENERGY REGENERATION AFTER TWO POSTS OUT OF COMBAT
» SQUEAKY CLEAN
     ➥ REDUCE INCOMING DOT DAMAGE BY 25% FOR FIRST INCOMING DOT INFLICTED IN THREAD
» FILLING
     ➥ INCREASE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SINGLE CONSUMED FOOD ITEM IN A THREAD BY +1 T1 SLOT
» ITEM STASH
     ➥ +1 BATTLE-READY INVENTORY SLOT
» DELICIOUS
     ➥ COMBINE 3 IDENTICAL FOOD ITEMS INTO A FEAST ONCE PER THREAD
» SKYLIGHT SEARCHING
     ➥ [CURRENTLY UNASSIGNED]
» ANGLER
     ➥ +1 MATERIAL GAINED WHILE FISHING
» MULTIPURPOSE
     ➥ GAIN +1 TO LD, STEALTH RATING, STEALTH DETECTION, OR PROSPERITY TO ONE POST IN A THREAD
     ➥ CAN BE APPLIED AFTER THE ROLL
» DECOR: <<SPOOKY AMENITY>>
     ➥ REDUCE INCOMING DOT DAMAGE BY 5% FOR FIRST INCOMING DOT INFLICTED IN THREAD

SKILLS

COMBAT SKILLS
» BATTLE HEALING R5
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ WHILE IN COMBAT, USER HEALS FOR 5% (44 HP) OF THEIR MAX HP EACH TURN
» ENERGIST
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +20 EN

EXTRA SKILLS
» CONCENTRATION
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ GAIN ABSOLUTE ACCURACY ON NEXT ATTACK
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 5 TURNS
» DISGUISE
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ +1 EVA UNTIL START OF YOUR NEXT TURN
     ➥ MINOR CRITICALS DO NOT AUTOHIT DURING DURATION
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 5 TURNS
» MEDITATION
     ➥ POST ACTION
     ➥ RECOVER AN ADDITIONAL 16 ENERGY
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
» FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ DISPEL ANY DISABLING EFFECTS ON THE USER
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 7 TURNS
          ➥ COST: 5 EN
» PHOTOSYNTHESIZE
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ IMPROVE THE EFFECTS OF ANY HEALING THE USER DOES (DISREGARDING PASSIVE) UNTIL START OF NEXT TURN BY 20%
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 5 TURNS
          ➥ COST: 5 EN
» ASSAULT MODE
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ SWITCH ACCURACY AND EVASION VALUES UNTIL START OF NEXT TURN
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 4 TURNS
          ➥ COST: 5 EN
» FROZEN HIDE
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ APPLY ONE SLOT OF FROST AURA AND ONE SLOT OF FROST THORNS EQUAL TO TIER OF USER UNTIL START OF NEXT TURN
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 4 TURNS
          ➥ COST: 5 EN
» HIDING R5
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +5 STEALTH

COMBAT MASTERY
» DAMAGE R3
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +12 DMG

WEAPON SKILLS
» STRAIGHT SWORD R5
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +7 DMG WHEN STRAIGHT SWORD IS EQUIPPED
          ➥ STAMINA ADDON: REDUCES EN EXPENDITURE OF ALL ATTACKS BY 2
          ➥ PRECISION ADDON: +1 ACC
          ➥ FOCUS ADDON: REDUCES CRITICAL HIT AND DOT THRESHOLDS BY 1

ARMOR SKILLS
» LIGHT ARMOR R5
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +30 MIT
     ➥ -2 STEALTH
          ➥ RESOLVE ADDON: +1 ACC AND +40 HP WHEN WEARING LIGHT ARMOR

COMBAT SHIFT
» ST SPECIALIST
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ ST-I, ST-II, AND ST-B ENHANCED
          ➥ +3 TO MULTIPLIERS
          ➥ +2 TO EN EXPENDITURE

MODS
» BATTLE HEALING MOD: EMERGENCY RECOVERY
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ NON-FATAL DAMAGE THAT LEAVES USER BELOW 25% OF THEIR MAX HP ACTIVATES A 10% OF MAX HP REPLENISHMENT AFTER ATTACK RESOLVES
     ➥ CANNOT APPLY MORE THAN ONCE PER THREAD
» HIDING MOD: UNTRACEABLE
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ NEGATES THE EFFECTS OF TRACKING SKILL AGAINST THE USER
» HIDING MOD: UNTRACEABLE
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ +1 STEALTH
     ➥ NEGATES THE EFFECTS OF TRACKING SKILL AGAINST THE USER
» HIDING MOD: VANISH
     ➥ POST/FREE ACTION
     ➥ ALLOWS USER TO ENTER STEALTH DURING COMBAT
          ➥ CAN ACTIVATE AS REACTIVE FREE ACTION UPON COMPLETING LAST HIT AGAINST A FOE
          ➥ COST: 5 EN
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 3 TURNS
               ➥ COOLDOWN BEGINS UPON EXITING STEALTH
» HIDING MOD: SURPRISE ATTACK (TRICKSTER)
     ➥ PASSIVE
     ➥ ATTACKS MADE FROM STEALTH CANNOT MISS
     ➥ ATTACKS MADE FROM STEALTH REDUCE FINAL DMG BY 50% AND AUTOMATICALLY APPLY ALL STATUS EFFECTS
          ➥ COST: 8 EN

EQUIPMENT

WEAPON
» [EQUIPPED] "FORGOTTEN KING'S SPITE" - STRAIGHT SWORD (T4 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ FALLEN
          ➥ +8 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 6-8
     ➥ BLEED
          ➥ DEALS 48 UNMITIGATABLE DMG FOR TWO TURNS ON NATURAL CRITICAL HITS
     ➥ BURN
          ➥ DEALS 56 UNMITIGATABLE DMG FOR TWO TURNS ON NATURAL CRITICAL HITS
     ➥ BLIGHT
          ➥ DEALS 32 UNMITIGATABLE DMG FOR TWO TURNS ON NATURAL CRITICAL HITS
          ➥ BLIGHT-AFFLICTED TARGETS SUFFER -20 MIT PENALTY DURING STATUS DURATION

ARMOR
» [EQUIPPED] "BLOODSTAINED COAT" - LIGHT ARMOR (T4 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +48 MIT
     ➥ +1 EVA
     ➥ HOLY BLESSING
          ➥ AFTER TAKING DAMAGE, USER HEALS 2% (17 HP) OF MAX HP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FOLLOWING TURN

TRINKET
» [EQUIPPED] "EAGLE'S EYE" - TRINKET (T1 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ +2 EVA
     ➥ +2 ACC

FAMILIAR
» [EQUIPPED] SWINE BAJESUS - RENDING FAMILIAR FAMILIAR
     ➥ FREE ACTION
     ➥ USER AND FAMILIAR ATTACK IN TANDEM, DEALING REND [28 UNMITIGATABLE DMG] TO THE TARGET THAT LASTS 2 TURNS
          ➥ COOLDOWN: 5 TURNS

BATTLE-READY INVENTORY

» [ON STANDBY] "DAWN'S DEMISE" - STRAIGHT SWORD (T4 - DEMONIC)
     ➥ HOLY II
          ➥ +16 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER
     ➥ FALLEN
          ➥ +8 TO BASE DAMAGE ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 6-8
     ➥ PHASE
          ➥ IGNORES 50% OF MIT ON NATURAL ROLLS OF 9 OR HIGHER
» [x5] VITALITY II SNACKS (T4 - RARE)
     ➥ RESTORES 16 EN
     ➥ ID: 188417 | 188419-A | 188419-B | 188420-A | 188420-B
» [x5] VITALITY II SNACKS (T4 - RARE)
     ➥ RESTORES 16 EN
     ➥ ID: 188423-A | 188423-B | 188423-C | 188423-D | 188426
» [x5] VITALITY II SNACKS (T4 - RARE)
     ➥ RESTORES 16 EN
     ➥ ID: 188427-A | 188427-B | 188429 | 188466-C | 188466-D
» [x5] VITALITY II SNACKS (T4 - RARE)
     ➥ RESTORES 16 EN
     ➥ ID: 188691 | 188692-A | 188692-B | 188697-A | 188697-B
» [x4] VITALITY II SNACKS (T4 - RARE)
     ➥ RESTORES 16 EN
     ➥ ID: 188699 | 188700 | 188702 | 188703
» [x2]TELEPORTATION CRYSTAL 
     ➥ INSTANTLY TRANSPORTS THE USER TO A TELEPORT LOCATION OF THEIR CHOOSING

 

[Them 0]

Once the three arrived at the graveyard, Nari was first to separate from the group, Koga following suit. Cleo watched the man survey the area similarly to how a critic would scour the page of a novel, with eagle eyes to pick out even the slightest discrepency. She wanted to know how the other two could remain so calm. Her nerves were getting the better of her, rotten thoughts spiralling around in her mind; what if this were an ambush, a setup? She knew Nari was a tough nut to crack and Koga carried himself with a confidence which screamed 'front-liner', but she had neither raw power nor experience to survive an encounter with a seasoned player-killer. To her credit, she was fast, but fast enough to get to safety in the blink of an eye? Probably not.

Far too pre-occupied with her inhibitions to carry out any true detective work, one thing caught her eye mid-downward spiral; the hardwood graves nearby. The Elven glyphs etched into the graves were as good as gibberish to the non-Elven speaker, but the names were written in a human tongue; Lúthien, Mithrandir, Aeverie... the list went on. Nothing jumped out about them, no obvious connection the withering flowers, and when Koga addressed herself and Nari, she left them alone to hear the man better.

"So this must be intentional then?" The revelation relieved some of her worries; Cardinal was unlikely to be breaking down and they'd no reason to suspect an ambush, hence there was only a slight threat of mortal danger. "I didn't find anything by the graves, no disturbed grass or signs of tampering. If this is a quest, Cardinal isn't making it easy."

"You're right to be cautious."

"@$%*!"

She darted away from wherever the McFuck the disembodied voice had come from. A human-like figure revealed themselves next to Koga, bearing more resemblance to machine than man, a point accentuated by their modulated voice. The player's lack of action indicated they were neutral, if not friendly, but the bold manner in which they'd conducted introductions led her to err on the extreme side of caution.

Silently sliding a hand over dagger's handle, she tried to be inconspicuous in looking to both Koga and Nari, gauging their reactions to inform her own. The knitting pins piqued her curiousity but nothing he said ruled out malicious intent; he'd had to have known about the Graveyard somehow, and Cleo was under the impression that, besides the three of them, only Nari's broker knew about it. "Did you invite this guy?" she whispered to the purple-haired woman, hoping to evade notice of the masked man.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She nodded, more to herself than to the others, as Koga spoke about Cardinal’s self-correcting nature. It was true, the program would correct any errors it was able to find – eliminating any signs of decay or otherwise rampant coding before it could truly become problematic. Assuming it could locate the code to begin with.

She hadn’t quite ruled out the possibility, and was about to open her mouth to counter Koga’s argument, when another voice spoke from beside Koga – one that she didn’t recognise, only to be followed by a helmed face that was even less recognisable.

Her bodily shift was slight, but she was sure the others picked up the sudden change – her weight shifting onto her right side, the shield coming up between herself and the new comer a few millimetres, and the spear’s tip dipping slightly in her grasp as her arm loosened. Everything in her stance bespoke a defensive posture, but a sign of readiness to conflict.

Her eyes narrowed as the newcomer provided what insight they had, including the concept that they had already been searching the area – before presenting the pieces they had found. Her hand twitched as she forced herself not to immediately reach out and grab the pieces, instead allowing her eyes to glance over the information icon that the player provided.

“Mother Nature’s Knitting Pins…ironic.” The mumbled words escaped before she could stop herself, and she quickly continued in an attempt to cover them up. “And there’s nothing further to obtain from them – no hidden menus, details within descriptions? Not much to go on…but I would say you’re right. They’re likely connected to what is occurring here…”

She glanced at Koga before continuing, wondering if the man had chosen to approach Koga at random, or if there was already a connection there. She hardly knew the life of the man in detail, but she was surprised he’d never mentioned someone of this…appearance, before.

“I’m Nari-Lanreth, by the way. I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting before…” She strode forward, nudging Koga and Cleo aside as she pushed herself between the others and the newcomer – careful to be gentle, but forcing enough to make her point. “Assuming you don’t know the other two, this is Koga, and Them. I’m guessing you were sent here by another to investigate the dying flowers? I don’t remember my contact mentioning that another would be joining us…”

She was careful to keep her tone stoic – not unwelcoming by any means, but showing no signs of joy for the appearance either, what she hoped was a warning sign that their attendance would be tolerated if they could be trusted. She waited for the other to speak, careful to keep an eye on their smaller bodily movements, watching for any sign of aggression.

-----

Word Count: 467

[Koga 0]

The sound of a voice suddenly coming up from behind him had Koga quickly grasping his weapon. He was already halfway through drawing it and whirling around to slash whoever had crept up on him when he finally recognized the mask.

"Jesus Christ!" Koga explained, slamming his sword back into it's scabbard. "Fuck, dude, don't sneak up on people like that!" Just one more reason for Koga to dislike stealth players. They sneak up on you, and then you accidently kill them, and who's to blame? No, not the idiot who did the sneaking but the idiot who reacted.

The man then began to show the party what he'd found before their arrival, a peculiar set of knitting pins. Koga looked at the items with confusion. "Legendary?" Koga said, eyebrows furrowed together. "What the hell is 'Legendary'?" As far as the man knew, such a tier had never existed in the game.

The man looked between those present, hoping that they might have a clue as to what the meaning or purpose of the peculiar items were, but instead noticed the unease in the air as Cleo's hand drifted to her dagger.

"Assuming you don’t know the other two, this is Koga, and Them. I’m guessing you were sent here by another to investigate the dying flowers? I don’t remember my contact mentioning that another would be joining us…"

"We've met before, actually," Koga interrupted for a moment. "Everyone, this is..." Koga paused, realizing he didn't actually know the other man's name. When they'd dueled, Koga hadn't paid much attention to the player's actual username, he'd been to focused on the challenge. Koga turned to look at their newest, masked, arrival. "Actually, I don't think I ever got your name?"