[PP-F11] Clarity in Conflict, Perturbation in Peace (Nari)

[Alkor 0]

Taft - Floor 11 Settlement, the Weathered Wayfarer Tavern

Nestled in a far flung corner of the city stood the Weathered Wayfarer, a hovel so easy to miss that it often went forgotten by the many players who passed it by in their hurry toward the Frontlines. Alkor was one of its few frequent customers for that fact alone. The only real denizens were non-player characters who were programmed to know, and even then, their routine found them there at certain times of day. It was the perfect place to go when one wanted to be alone. He ordered his usual drink, a lighter pilsner hopped just right so that it was more refreshing than it had a bite. It seemed to always surprise him, the lengths with which developers had gone to get the precise details about even the smallest things to match up with real life. He'd had the genuine article only once in his life, and beyond that, no attempt to replicate it had ever been successful.

None of them, save for the distinct flavor notes programmed into this game.

Part of him felt at ease with the flavor that washed over his tongue, and he felt the urge to close his eyes and lose himself in the experience. It was always like that. There was a moment when he felt completely calm, without a single thought. Then the guilt struck, and everything that followed began to snowball. It prompted him to order another, just to try to replicate the initial response. The only thing he ever learned was that the law of Diminishing Returns held painfully true, especially when the alcohol brought with it no impairment. Yet again, he agonized over the loss of inebriation as a form of escape. It was like the world was designed to punish anyone who sought to run away from their problems by compounding them, over and over.

"Perfect design, if you were trying to get a bunch of gamers to commit suicide," he muttered offhand, to which one of the barmaids perked up curiously and examined him. It was like the word was enough to catch her attention, but not enough to prompt her to do anything about it. She slipped away just as Alkor noticed her gaze, and he sighed. "There's absolutely nothing more droll than a world that pretends to care about your well-being while actively trying to undermine it." That was something that everyone in this world could relate to, he imagined.

He just never saw a good reason to confirm the suspicion. His second drink arrived less quickly than the first, which gave him time to reflect on how sober he really was. After a gulp of the second serving, he didn't bother to reevaluate. He could tell that there was no change- there was never a change. "You know, people say its better when you drink with friends," one of the older members of the bar's retinue of servers leaned on the table suddenly, and Alkor glanced up at him. "You look like you could use the company. Why don't you call someone over?"

In retrospect, he probably could have. He did have friends- people actively online and available, who had told him that they would be there if he needed them. The problem went beyond that. He'd never been good at asking for help. He never asked for help. Alkor wasn't about to start now, in the middle of the Aincrad incident, all these years later. No- this was like every other problem. He'd find the solution. Alone.

Or at least, he thought he'd be alone. Bars were sort of unpredictable in terms of who was going to show up, and when.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Briefly, she hesitated on the exterior. She’d never once set foot inside a bar – not in the real world, nor the virtual. Yet, the message had directed her here – and like it or not, here was where she needed to be. She still wasn’t sure what she was looking for; as usual the directions were sublime, limited in directive and giving only enough to make the next step.

“One of these days…” She repeated the phrase that she constantly stated when she was tired of dealing with the messages. Not that she would actually act upon it, she knew that she would continue hounding down the missions, hoping that it would someday lead to their eventual escape.

Pushing open the entryway, she stepped inside. The place was more antique than she’d expected. Picture perfect, in a way, of what one would expect a bar to look like. A few patrons seated in the area bespoke of a quiet time of day. Her quick gaze over informed her that most were NPCs – the lone player seated at the bar seemingly intent on keeping to himself.

‘Right where I need to go.’ She thought to herself, before stepping across the area. Pulling the hood of her vest up, the fox ears and tail bouncing with the movement, she settled into a seat a few down from the other player, trying to catch the eyes of one of the servers. The man who approached smiled at her, but before he could speak Nari hissed out the phrase she’d been given. “Keepers of the dark, shine down the light.”

She hadn’t expected much from it, but as the man suddenly nodded and left, she wondered what exactly she’d gotten herself into. The directions themselves had been brief enough – provide the phrase, collect the package. She didn’t even know what to do with it beyond that, but here she was…

Unease, she cast a glance at the other individual, wondering if she should be concerned about his presence. The indicator glittered the typical green, but Nari had come to learn that didn’t always suggest safety. She ran her eyes over the man, trying to determine exactly who – and what – he was. Almost reflexively, she twirled the spear in her arm, causing the light to reflect off the blue blade and sparkle along the walls in an almost mesmerising way, if one paid attention to it’s movements.

-----

Spoiler

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 38 | 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
Blank Dungeon Map {4} | Tier 4
Caribou Stew {3} | Tier 4; Rare Meal | Protein II
Cànan nan Gàidheal {6} | Tier 2; Perfect Debuff Song | Incarceration
Siúil a Rún {4} | Tier 2; Perfect Support Song | HP Recovery III

Inventory

Monkey Agility {2} | Tier 1; Evasion 1
Dungeon Map: Cave of Wonders
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.
Big Bertha Braciole | Unique Consumable (Meal) | A fishy entree that restores +2 additional EN each turn in combat for one thread.
Boar Jerky | T1 Perfect Consumable (Meal) | MIT I
Ormi's Blessing | Silver Ring [Trinket] | Increases EVA by +2 for one post. Can be equipped outside 3 slot limit. Has a 5 post cooldown. Stacks with other EVA. Has 3 charges. Does not stack with other blessings. Not Transferrable.
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 {3} | 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 {5} | 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 {11} | Tier 4; Perfect Potion | Damage III
Axintori Alcemitanti {12} | 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]
Bothan Àirigh Am Bràigh Raithneach {1} | Tier 2; Uncommon Masterpiece Support Song | HP Recovery I
Siúil a Rún {3} | Tier 2; Uncommon Support Song | HP Recovery I
Siúil a Rún {3} | Tier 2; Rare Support Song | HP Recovery II
Cànan nan Gàidheal {1} | Tier 3; Uncommon Debuff Song | Lullaby I
Cànan nan Gàidheal {1} | Tier 3; Uncommon Masterpiece Debuff Song | Lullaby I [Instant]
Clann Ulaidh {1} | Tier 3; Uncommon Masterpiece Debuff Song | Lullaby I [Instant]
Clann Ulaidh {1} | Tier 3; Rare Debuff Song | Lullaby II
Clann Ulaidh {1} | Tier 3; Rare Masterpiece Debuff Song | Lullaby II [Instant]
Siúil a Rún {2} | Tier 3; Uncommon Support Song | HP Recovery I
Siúil a Rún {1} | Tier 3; Uncommon; Masterpiece Support Song | HP Recovery III [Mass]
Siúil a Rún {7} | Tier 3; Perfect Support Song | HP Recovery III
Siúil a Rún {2} | Tier 3; Perfect; Masterpiece Support Song | HP Recovery III [Mass]
Starter Healing Potions {4} | Heals 50 HP

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