[PP - F01] Cast the fear aside, onwards! <<The First Few Lessons>> /!\|2 years ago|/!\

[Avoryn 0]

The sun shines through a window of the room I was sat in, landing on my face and stirring me awake. Mumbling to myself, I come to my senses. A few voices can be heard around me as I straighten up, my back hurting a bit from my restless night against the hard surface of the wall. 
I had fallen asleep inside the Monument of Life, mourning the loss of numerous lives.
I cast one quick glance to the list of names, wiping my teary eyes before anything slid down my cheeks, realising that it was not a nightmare and what had happened a few days ago, had really happened. We were a bit under 10,000 people from all-around the world, trapped inside a deadly game until one of us destroys the final boss at the top of Aincrad's 100th floor. 
A daunting task for sure. But one that many of us were determined to achieve. I am one of those, not wanting to let any sacrifices go to waste. I knew I wouldn't be one of the top players, but I still wanted to thread among those that were destined to achieve greatness. It was for this purpose that we had joined this game with Leo, to try to complete the game.

I knew that some of us would be too terrified to go outside the first zone, but I am not one of them. I am terrified, of course, death is scary. But if I'd rather live on the edge doing something that moves me and makes me feel alive than sit on my butt wondering when will be the next time I could do anything at all without being scared shitless.

I stand up, dusting my pants and ruffling through my hair before walking over to the huge slab of cold stone. I let my eyes drift across the numerous names and let my hand glide over some that were barred, stopping on Olesa's and whispering a quick message to whomever might hear me from the other side.

— I promise that I won't let your death be in vain, love. I will free you from this world, and know that I will always keep on going forward. For you… For us. I'll come visit from time to time, I suppose. See you soon.

I let my hand fall down to my side, summoning the system and examining my starting inventory and stats.

Spoiler

Current level: 1
Total Experience: 0
To next Level: 500

SP: 1/5

HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 4 | MIT: 0 | ACC: 0 | EVA: 0 | LD: 0

(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

 

Current Col: 2500
Materials: 25

Hmm, I don't even have any way or form of fighting. As is, there is no way I survive my first encounter. I need some equipment first. Maybe a merchant could fix me something? I have a few mats and a bit of money on hand. Alright, first stop is a smithy!

I walk outside, shielding my eyes from the sun already beaming, and scan the paved ways of the Town of Beginnings. Truth be told, I had no idea where any good shop were, since I had spent my last days weeping at the monument of Life without exploring much of this bustling city.

Letting chance decide my course of action, I engage myself in one of the main roads, walking towards the other end and watching with an awe-struck eye every titbit of merchandise that could be bought.
A few players were gathered here and there around one stall, bartering for a few consumables or some pieces of gear. 

While I was strolling down the road, a voice boomed somewhere behind me.

— You there! Stop, please!

A man approaches me with long, purposeful strides. I point at myself, unsure if this was meant for me.

— Pardon me, but I am in need of some assistance, and you appear quite capable.

Taken by surprise, I look one last time around me to make sure I was the one being looked at, but his eyes interlocked with mine were not lying. He was flagged as an NPC, so I cleared my throat before answering, a bit of uncertainty in my wavering voice.

— Do… Do I now? I don't even have any equipments. I'm not sure if I'd be the best-

The man heaves a sigh, waving his hand as to dismiss my uncertainties.

— No matter, I'm sure you'll do splendidly. My name is Dorian, and I am the mayor of Tolbana. As part of those mayoral duties, I issued a small loan to a member of the community a few months ago. Well, the time to collect had come around and I-

Flustered, Dorian systematically runs his fingers over his perfect moustache.

— Yes? What is it? How can I help you, sir Dorian? And how come you're this far from your hometown?

— You see, I've forgotten who it was I loaned the money to. Terribly embarrassing, I know, but I am a very busy man, and I cannot keep track of everything that happens. I'm sure you understand.

With a wave of his hand, Dorian continues.

— Should you be willing to track down the loan recipient for me, and collect the col, I would be eternally grateful. Just, maybe don't let anyone else know I forgot who the loan went to?

Pondering for a moment, I rest my head over my wrist while considering his offer.

I suppose I could take this quest. After all, it should be a beginners quest and reward me with plenty of money or materials to get some better gear. There's no need to turn that down for now. And maybe that will teach me the lay of this land on top of that. All in all, that's a good idea.

I nod my head in agreement, taking him up on his offer.

— Alright, I'll find whoever owes you money. Would you have any idea of where to start, per chance?

The quest ||The First Few Lessons|| has been accepted.

— Excellent, I knew I could count on you! You might start with Zackariah, the alchemist of Tolbana. He's often doing projects for the town, so it may have been him that borrowed the money.

With that said, I wave him goodbye and go on the quest to find Zackariah. I have a map of the city but without any Points Of Interest marked except those that I had encountered, being the Teleport Plaza, one tavern where I had a drink with my late boyfriend and the Monument of Life. 
After a quick look-over at the rudimentary digital map I have, I sigh and start to jog, following the quest's indications that appeared on my HUD when I accepted it.

Unfortunately, Tolbana was beyond the safe borders of the Town, and that meant that I had to go there to start looking for the alchemist.
That also meant that to get there, I could need some help in case things went south.

Back-tracking towards the teleport plaza, where I thought most of the players would gather before going hunting or questing, I sat there, anxiety building up.
I was prepared to face monsters, but other players, not so much. And so, I keep twirling my hair around my fingers, a helpless expression on my face while I am scanning the crowd, searching for one or several adventurers that could help me on my journey.
I also knew that from an outside glance, I could be intimidating because of my stronger build. But I am also secretly hoping that some kind-hearted individual will jump towards me and offer their help, seeing a poor gal without any equipment to her name.

Spoiler

Word count: 1258
Post #1

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Avoryn

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari had just begun to pass through the main courtyard, when she heard a familiar voice. Not one of a player, but rather a voice that she had heard many weeks ago, when she had finally broken out of her own restrictive nature. A voice that brought up memories that were embarrassing, sweet, and a little bit...well, more than embarrassing. A face flashed before her eyes as she considered the awkward encounter, and the outcome of the whole thing - a face that had been etched into her memory. 

For a brief moment, Nari found herself unconsciously striding across the walkway, half expecting to see the girl she had encountered right after that voice had asked for help. She knew better, down in her heart - they'd completed the quest already, why would NIGHT still be around here? Yet, still she approached the area, her heart racing as she clutched her hands behind her. 

What she saw, when she did turn the corner, was another player. Not NIGHT, or Koga, or any of the others she'd come across in recent days. This was someone else entirely. Someone who stood in a way that made Nari hesitate - their entire body radiating a confidence that she didn't feel. It was clear that the other had just finished speaking with the mayor; no one else around, and the player looking at what appeared to be information regarding the quest itself. At least, what limited information the system would provide. 

A breath in, and Nari felt herself slowly beginning to turn away, to rush from the scene and pretend like she had never seen the other player. Instinctual, her old habits. The desire not to talk to people, to blend into the shadows and just...disappear. But maybe they need help...and...I can help? I mean I've done the quest before, so...maybe... She fought with the voice inside her head for longer than she'd like to admit, before forcing her feet forwards.

"Hey! It sounds like...you just...uhm...finished doing the mayor. I mean! Talking to the mayor! For the...quest..." She felt herself flush, her first impression far less impressive than she'd like it to be. Shaking her head, she looked at the wall beside the woman, her words squeaking slightly higher than they normally did as she tried to recover herself. "I've done the quest before, if you want some help and...err...guidance? I mean I can't really help too much, cause like the system won't let me gather the materials and stuff for you, but I can come along and like...keep you company. And watch over you. In a non-creepy way!"

Excellent...now she's going to think I'm some sort of weird, creepy stalker-person. Totally going to want my company now...Nari waited, her hands still clasped behind her back to hear what the other woman had to say. She didn't doubt that there would be a refusal, but she hoped that her less than impressive introduction wouldn't take away from her chance to help the other player out a bit.

Spoiler

Statblock

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 39 | HP: 820/820 | EN: 117/117 | ACC: 4 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 2 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+44] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 3 | Bld: 48
Tier 4 | Tier 8
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
Solitude's Sorrow [Scythe; Tier 4 Perfect] A long handled, two handed scythe with a curved blade. This piece contains a purple chain that wraps itself around where the shaft meets the blade, reminiscent of the weapon often pictured with the grim reapers of tales.
Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the BD when attacking. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit.
Enhancement: Bleed [1 Slots] | Effect: Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 (1 slot) or natural successful attack rolls of 8-10 (2 slots) deal (12 * Tier) unmitigated bleed damage each enemy turn for 2 turns. Bleed damage does not stack, but can be refreshed. The highest tier of Bleed damage overrides lower tier versions; cannot be overridden by lower-tier versions.

Reaper's Defence [Light Armour; Tier 4 Perfect] A full leather piece, this armour allows the user the freedom of movement while offering minimal protection from incoming attacks. Designed to replicate the scales of a dragon along the shoulders and lower torso, the piece provides no restriction to the flow of combat, with the flexibility of the leather allowing for further bending movements as required.
Enhancement: Evasion [2 Slots] | Effect: Reduces the die value by (1 per slot) on an enemy’s attack against you. Cannot be used to avoid a critical hit.
Enhancement: Light Momentum [1 Slots] | After an unsuccessful attack, gain +(1 per slot) to the BD until your next successful attack, at which point this bonus is removed. Another unsuccessful attack will reactivate this enhancement. Cannot be used to cause a critical hit. [For Area of Effect attacks: This effect only activates if you miss all enemies targeted by the attack.]

Music Box [Trinket; Tier 1 Perfect]
Enhancement: Loot Die [3 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the LD.

Battle-Ready Inventory
Teleport Crystal {3}
Starter Healing Potions {4} | Heals 50 HP
Divinity's Wait {5} | Tier 2; Perfect Potion | Mitigation III
Divinity's Protection {5} | Tier 3; Perfect Potion | Overhealth III
Cold Brew Coffee {4} | Tier 1; Perfect Potion | HP Recovery III
Percephonius Pyratius {11} | Tier 4; Perfect Potion | Damage 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.

Utility Skills
Extended Weight Limit [Active: Passive. Effect: +2 additional Battle-Ready inventory slots.

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

Weapon Skills
Polearm [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: +7 DMG]
[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina [Active: Passive. Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.]
[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision[Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 ACC.]
[Rank 5 Weapon Addon] <<Weapon Type>> Focus [Active: 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 [Active: Passive. Effect: For TECH Sword Arts, +4 to multipliers, +3 to EN cost. No other Shifts may be taken.]

Armour Skills

Light Armour [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: 30 MIT. Mitigation is capped at 2 slots.]
[Light Armour Mod] Meticulous [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 base Damage.]
[Light Armour Add-on] Resolve[Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 Accuracy and +10 * Tier HP.]

Active Extra Skills
Concentration [Active: 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 [Active: Post Action. Cooldown: 3 turns. Effect: Recover an additional (4 * Tier) energy.]

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 [Active: 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 [Active: Passive. Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.]

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 [-1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.]
Master Bathroom [The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down).]
Dining Room [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 [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 [Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.]
Attic (Storage) [+5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests]
Storage Closet [+1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot]

 

[Faerie 0]

Kas had left a few hours ago to get the pair some funds after having blown all of their starting funds on their gear. He was going on a simple quest in a nearby village, but the limit on the quest was one, so Fae wasn't able to join him. Left to wander the streets of the Town of Beginnings on her own Fae was walking close to the main courtyard when a man bumped into her. "Oh goodness me, I am so sorry." the man stopped in his tracks eyeing Fae. "I have just been so distracted you see." the man rubbed his mustache before continuing. "You seem to be capable. My name is Dorian, and I am the mayor of Tolbana, and well." the middle aged man paused looking around as if to make sure no one was listening. "Well I gave a loan out to someone in the community a few months back and, I am terribly embarrassed to admit, I seem to have forgotten who it was that I lent the money to. I am a terribly busy man you see and I cannot keep track of everything, I am sure you understand." Fae just nodded along as the man spoke "I would be eternally grateful if you would be willing to track down the missing payment, and even more so if you would keep this between us." 

The man fiddled with his mustache and looked around again. "I'd be happy to help, where should I start?" Fae gave a wide smile to the man, Tolbana wasn't far away at all, and it was an almost completely safe part of town, hopefully with this quest she would be able to help Kas get some Col without having to do anything dangerous. A screen popped up in front of Fae as she responded, a simple screen asking her if she wanted to accept the quest from Dorian. Pressing the blue circle the screen disappeared and Dorian continued "Thank you, I knew you would be perfect to help. You should start with Zackariah, the alchemist, he does a lot of projects for the town." Not waiting for Fae to respond the man walked off with as much purpose as he had came with. 

Shrugging Fae kept walking, she would make her way to Tolbana, and get this quest done before Kas got back and surprise him with lunch. Finding her way through the courtyard Fae paused, not helping but to overhear a conversation between two women by the monument of life. The purple haired woman stuttering as she explained that she would help the green haired woman with the quest from the mayor because she had already done it. This was a near perfect opportunity for Fae. Speeding up Fae stepped up behind and off to the side of the purple haired woman. "I am sorry, I couldn't help but overhear that you just spoke with Dorian." Fae smiled at the two women "I just got his quest too, I may not be of much help, but I know how to use this sword." Fae rubbed the back of her neck as she spoke. "If you wouldn't mind my joining. Of course, I mean, I wouldn't want to impose, I mean you don't have to." Fae nearly panicked rushing her words out as she realized that she didn't even know these people and she was just some random stranger.

Spoiler

Faerie,
Level: 2
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 40/40
EN: 22/22

Stats:
Damage: 7
Mitigation: 5
Loot Dice: 3

Consumables Used:

Sword Arts:
[x4] ST-I (4 EN) | A single-target sword art.
[x3] AOE-I (1 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
[x4] TECH-A (5 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Pixie's Greatsword [T1 | SS | DMG 3]
Armor: Fairy's Dance [T1 | Cloth Armor | LD 3]
Misc:

Custom Skill


Skills:
Straight Sword R1
Cloth Armor R1

Active Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Addons:

Active Extra Skills:

Inactive Extra Skills:

Battle Ready Inventory:
Starter Health pots | Heals 50 HP x5
An Mhaighdean Mhara | Familiars Sight x1
Spyglass x3

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

Loot Dice Breakdown:
Gathering: 3
Looting: 3
Finding Chests: 3
Looting Chests: 0
Finding Dungeons: 3
Finding Labyrinths: 3

Spoiler

Word Count: 571

 

[Avoryn 0]

As I kept shifting awkwardly from one foot to another and twirling my hair, I sighed. Half from the relief that I hadn't had to speak to anyone, half from the fact that I had to if I ever wanted to get some place in this world.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't muster the courage to take the few steps separating me from another group and asked them for help. I had almost given up hope that I could find someone to help me when a voice right besides me made me jump a bit.

Quote

— Hey! It sounds like...you just...uhm...finished doing the mayor. I mean! Talking to the mayor! For the...quest...

I spun around, my eyes meeting a green cursor hovering over a purple-haired woman, seemingly as uncomfortable as I was. Her eyes avoided mine, looking right besides me. I thought that because of my constant shifting, I had stumbled in-between her and someone else's conversation by inadvertence. I slid a bit on the side, taking a look behind me, and flashed an apologetic smile to whomever I had stepped in front of. But nobody was to be found.
A bit taken aback, I focused back my attention to the girl in front of me while she shook her head, collecting herself, before continuing her introduction.

Quote

— I've done the quest before, if you want some help and...err...guidance? I mean I can't really help too much, cause like the system won't let me gather the materials and stuff for you, but I can come along and like...keep you company. And watch over you. In a non-creepy way!

My throat was dry from the anxiety, and I'm pretty sure I was visibly drowning in stress, but I welcomed her with a slight wave of my hand and the warmest smile I could. She had gone out of her way to come and talk to me. Offering her help, even! I knew how words could mix and your tongue fumbling whenever in a tense situation, and looking at her body language, I knew she wasn't in her comfort zone at all.
 

— Hi! Hum, thank you for offering your help. I'm Avoryn and decided just now to start... well... playing the game. I'm all newb'd up and yeah... I took a deep breath and practically belched the last words of my sentence. I could use any help I can get, thankyouverymuch!

As if fates were meant to intertwine, a new figure approached with decided steps, almost running towards us.
Another purple-haired woman stood next to the first one, her voice unwavering, contrary to ours.

Quote

— I am sorry, I couldn't help but overhear that you just spoke with Dorian.

She smiled at us while probing the pommel of her sword.

Quote

— I just got his quest too, I may not be of much help, but I know how to use this sword.

Probably because she noticed how awkward the both of us were before she joined, she rubbed her neck and sped up her speech.

Quote

— If you wouldn't mind my joining. Of course, I mean, I wouldn't want to impose, I mean you don't have to.

I looked at the first woman, seizing her expression, before going back to the newly arrived lady.

— No, of course! I don't mind at all, on the contrary. I'd love to have any form of help, as I don't even know how to get to the quest objective all alone. I don't even have a starting weapon... That's how fresh of a meat I am.

An awkward laugh escaped my throat, before my eyes drifted towards the ground, a bit of shame taking over me.

Spoiler

Word count: 486

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Avoryn

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari had barely gotten her mind wrapped around the fact that she wasn't immediately being turned away, when another voice spoke out from beside her. Purple hair, cut short and eyes that seemed to carry a careful combination of enthusiasm and hesitation. The girl certainly seemed far more outgoing than Nari was, and from the limited interaction she'd just had, the girl who'd named herself as Avoryn-

"Oh! Shit! I'm Nari! Nari-Lanreth! It's a pleasure to meet you!" The words flowed from her suddenly as she realised the other had introduced themselves, and Nari had simply stared at them, smile plastered on her face as she tried not to feint from the interaction. The whole encounter was going...well, about as well as Nari had expected it to go. Her eyes drifting between the two, she quickly realised that she was somehow the most experienced player out of the two here. Well...no pressure. You just need to...guide them. And...keep them not dead. That should be easy. Totally easy. No concerns whatsoever...gods help me.

Aloud, she tried to make her appearance more appealing. She doubted that she gave off an air of confidence or general leadership, but she forced herself to stand straight and smile - hoping that it would alleviate any concerns they may have about her overall capabilities. "Right. Uhm...so to begin with, we're going to want to...head out into the wilds beyond the walls. We need to...to search for materials. Which we can do by gathering - which is like...searching through things! Like...looking into bushes and finding those materials there! That sort of thing!"

She paused, considering the little information she'd gone over so far. She doubted it would give them more than a beginning of a purpose, if even that. She remembered how confusing the quest had been for herself when she started; how she hadn't even known what to search for originally. "Basically...we need to go out into the field, and search for these...materials. Which kinda look different for each person? Like for me, they look like these metal bricks that you would use for...well, crafting. But like...you know those old gold bricks you used to see in movies? Kinda like that, but usually different colours...but yeah, it's different for everyone. The point is, you need to like search for them, like looking in the bushes and grasses and stuff...and sometimes you'll find them! Or, you could...fight stuff, and get them as part of the loot drop if you're really lucky. But fighting stuff can be dangerous sometimes. Especially at lower levels, so I would say that's more of a...well, a last ditch alternative."

She hesitated. Not because she was worried about heading out into the fields themselves, but because she wasn't sure if she'd made clear just how dangerous fighting could be. Their third individual had shown an almost affinity with the idea of fighting, and Nari wasn't sure if they would hold off on it, or jump straight to the finding something to attack. Well...I'm going with them, so it should be fine...should be. Her own confidence wasn't nearly as convincing as she would've liked it to be, and she hoped that the hesitation didn't show on her face. "Come on, for now let's get out to the fields, and from there we can figure out the best plan of action!"

She gave them one last smile before turning and heading towards the gates that lead out into the world beyond, stopping after a few steps as she suddenly realised that there was something that she had missed. Without turning around, she carefully spoke again, her face already flushed in embarrassment. "Uhm...but maybe we should uh...check in with the alchemist first...before we get ahead of ourselves..."

[Faerie 0]

Fae blushed in embarrassment as she smiled at the other purple haired lady's, the one who just introduced herself as Nari, outburst. "Oh, my name is Faerie (Fay.ree not fair.ee). It's nice to meet you guys." Fae dropped her hand off of the hilt of the sword on her lower back, most if not all of the confidence gone from her stance as she listened to the two women Avoryn and Nari. Clearly the group hadn't known each other before, and now Avoryn had accepted their help. 

Fae listened to Nari's explanation about the quest, confused, all that Dorian had mentioned was that they needed to find Zackariah. Fae's face blanched for a moment at the mention of how dangerous combat could be, thinking back to her first day in Sword Art Online, before she quickly turned to face the gates out of town with Nari. 

"I'll follow you, you definitely seem to know what you're doing more than I do." Fae fell into step a bit behind Nari completely missing how their new leader wasn't as confident as she seemed. Fae was more than happy to just follow along behind and provide whatever support she was capable of, though with how high level Nari seemed to be, she doubted she would really be of much help, even if Avoryn didn't have any equipment, there wasn't anything on this floor that Nari couldn't take on. 

Fae bumped into Nari as she suddenly stopped, telling them that they should probably speak to the alchemist first. Nari hadn't turned around to say anything so Fae was able to hide her embarrassment as she looked down at the floor. "Sorry I should have been paying more attention." Fae quickly took a few steps backward falling into line next to Avoryn. 'This was a mistake already, I am making a fool of myself.' Fae thought to herself as they continued walking.

Spoiler

Word Count: 317

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Faerie

[Avoryn 0]

As we were walking through the town, directed towards the exit gates, I couldn't help but marvel at the city we were travelling through. Sure, it was a video game and the starting settlement, but everything felt so real it was uncanny. 
As we passed before several shops and POIs, I logged them into my travelling journal as to remember when to go whenever I would be looking for them.
At one point, I noticed a blacksmith's shop and halted the group, pointing towards the forge.

— Hum, could you wait for me for a moment, please? I- I'm going to look in there if I can get something to... Well, be on par with both of you? I won't be long, I promise.

I practically ran inside, letting the two girls to each other.

After a few minutes, I came back outside, still empty-handed, but a happy expression on my face, before joining with my travelling companions.

— So, hum... They didn't have anything I wanted, so I placed a custom order. It should be available soon-ish, and I'll come back later to pick it up. I'm sure the both of you will be more than enough to take care of any danger we might encounter, you both look strong and reliable. I stretched my neck before twirling towards our destination, putting as much confidence I had into my voice. Well then, shall we continue? Onwards!

I took a few steps ahead before coming to a full-stop, knowing very well that I had no clue what to do and that my guides and bodyguards were right behind me, probably confused from my actions.

Great, once again, I show the world that I'm not the smartest tool in the shed. Let's just roll with it for now, I hope they won't notice that I'm lost.

Full of fake confidence, I puffed my chest and spun around. Inviting my teammates to follow me, I took a random direction, facing them while walking backwards, a stupid and innocent smile adorning my lips.

— Say, what are your objectives within the game? Do you intend to casually stroll through the floors, or are you running for the frontlines? What are your preferences? Tanking? DPS? Support maybe? Oh! And what about jobs? Do you intend to pick up one of them? Without taking the time to catch my breath, I continued, realising that I should start with me if I were to ask such questions. I'm still debating whether I would run for a Tank position or simply bruiser. I lean towards tanking. I also would love to join the frontlines, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't cut it. Battleaxes are my preferred weapon here. Taking a deep breath, I let my companions take in the amount of information I had thrust their way.

Shoot, I hope I'm not talking too much. They'll think I'm being weird and ditch me. I don't talk too much, do I? Oh, no...

Spoiler

Wordcount: 492

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari's head cocked slightly to the left as the green-haired woman pulled them to a complete stop, before disappearing into the blacksmith they had been passing. A few seconds went by, the two remaining in an uncomfortable silence as they waited, before Nari decided to say something - hoping to break the awkward air that seemed to hover over them. "Well, this was unexpected. I didn't think we'd be make stops for snacks on the way, otherwise I would've placed an order as well..."

She grinned in the hopes that her joke would be understood by the other. Sometimes her comments seemed to go above - or below - the heads of those she had spoken with, and after her recent encounter with the other players, she didn't want to...well, that was neither here nor there. Before too much more could be passed between them, the green-haired woman had returned - a smile upon her face and a slight explanation that seemed to sum up the experience that Nari had found across her own journeys. For better or for worse, custom orders seemed to be the common place occurrence for most pieces of gear. It meant that you got exactly what you were looking for, but definitely could take some time in many cases.

"Sounds good! We were just talking about ordering snacks on the way...although that seems a bit silly now. I mean it's not like we need to go far...anyways. We should, you know, get going..." She turned and began leading the group along their path again, listening as the green-haired woman began questioning them about their purpose in the game, their intents, and even their builds. Nari listened quietly for a few steps, before opening her mouth to speak. At first, her words came out soft, whispered under her breath. "I want to be on the frontlines, to make sure I fix what I caused..."

She shook her head, forcing a smile back upon her face before continuing - trying to leave the serious tone behind, hoping the others wouldn't press about it. "I'm actually focusing on tanking myself, or at least I plan on focusing on it. Right now I'm using a sword-" She lifted a one-handed blade, similar to a longsword, that was purple and black in colour. There was nothing fancy about the piece, but Nari had taken a liking to it, and had picked it up on instinct. "but who knows, maybe one day I'll switch out of the tank role, and maybe even take up something like a polearm! Ha! Imagine...something completely crazy like a scythe of all things! Wouldn't that be a sight!"

Her giggles carried on for a few moments, before she managed to get ahold of herself. The town of beginnings behind them, Nari felt that nervousness creep back into her spine. She fought against it, arguing that she was here to protect the other two, and that she was more than capable against anything on this floor. "Have either of you done any time outside the walls of the Town before? Or is this your first excursion? I know a lot of people got left behind in the initial rush..."

[Faerie 0]

Avoryn stopped their little trio as they passed by a blacksmith, claiming that she was going to head inside and get something, leaving her and Nari to talk on their own. Nari tried to break the ice with a joke, and Fae was glad for it, because she had absolutely no idea what to say, Kas had really been the only person she was able to talk to comfortably. "Hey, I mean the best part of the trip are always the random stops, though, I don't think I have ever bought a sword on vacation." Fae smiled at the purple haired woman next to her, hoping that her joke landed. The awkward encounter ended soon after with Avoryn stepping out and explaining how she had not found anything she liked, ordering a custom made sword commenting on how Nari and Fae were reliable to keep her safe. "That's more praise than I deserve, I'm not that much stronger than you." Fae rubbed the back of her neck again before quickly lowering it again, not wanting to look so insecure.

The group started walking again when Avoryn broke the silence with a question about what they planned to do in sword art online and what equipment they preferred. Fae listened to the other two explain their opinions before it was her turn. "Oh, Umm, I guess I never really thought about it. I'm just supporting Kas right now, I know he wants to go find the next floor with everyone else, but, well I guess I am holding him back." Fae's face became more sullen before she shook her head "I guess before long we are going to head out, I won't keep him here forever. I know that if anyone can get us out of this its him." Fae spoke more than she meant to, the adoration in her eyes clear as she spoke about Kas. "I just sort of grabbed what I thought was the lightest equipment I could find, I hate being bogged down by all that weight that comes with big swords and weapons. Right now I have a sword but, we'll see." Fae finished talking, and looked at the ground, embarrassed about how much she had overshared. 

Glad for the change in topic Fae looked at the current leader for their group, the much higher level purple haired woman named Nari. "Oh, I come out here every now and then, as scary as it is, the fields are beautiful, and so long as you stay in them it isn't too dangerous." Fae smiled "It was the exploring that brought me into this game in the first place, and I'm hoping to put that to use somehow." Fae wasn't that scared of fighting per say, she wasn't that bad at it, having Kas around to drill her over and over on how to fight had made her decent enough, but at the end of the day, her skills lay mostly in exploration.

Spoiler

Word Count: 495

 

[Avoryn 0]

As time went on, I slowly paced myself down as to let Nari take the lead of the group, hoping that my comrades would not notice it.

I diligently listened to my companions' answers to my questions, quietly snorting to repress my laugh when I heard our leader's jokes, cracking a feint smile. Truth be told, it felt good to be in such good company, reassuring even, even if I didn't know these persons an hour before.
I was scared of course, the promise of death if our HP reached 0 was terrifying, but I was sure that staying in good terms with other players could only be beneficial. I had to do my best to keep people by my side, I wouldn't know what to do if I ever were to be left alone.

Shaking the thoughts away, I raised my chin and looked ahead, noticing that we had reached the town's gates. Crossing beneath its tall arches, we ventured forth into the wilderness, forcing myself to keep a keen and discerning eye to avoid any unfortunate encounters.

While we were walking towards our destination, Nari spoke up once more.

Quote

—Have either of you done any time outside the walls of the Town before? Or is this your first excursion? I know a lot of people got left behind in the initial rush...

I pondered for a moment. I had gone outside the walls, it was true. But the mere thought of why, made me stop, my hand visibly shaking and my eyes watering. Reliving once more the last vision I had of my beloved falling to his death. I clutched my hand, trying to hide my distress and nervousness while wiping away the forming tears, and tried to regain a straight face with a reassuring smile, a slight pinch in my throat preventing me to sound as clear as I would like to.

— N- No, I have not yet. I spent the past few days in town. Not much has happened... I took a deep breath to calm myself down, trying to lighten up my speech. But I'm glad you know your way around those parts, and especially around your weapon. We shouldn't have any trouble getting where we're supposed to go, then!

After regaining my composure, I followed suit, catching up to speed with the ladies.

— It sure is good-looking out there. I really can't believe we're in a video game right now. Everything feels so... I don't know how to put it... Right? Alive? I inhaled deeply, letting my gaze meet the blue sky of the first floor. If there was not this HUD, I wouldn't be able to make a difference between reality and this. Well... I suppose this is our new reality for now... Stop being gloomy, you nounce. I slapped myself lightly as to shake me awake, a silly smile creeping in. We'll make it through and come back home sooner than we think! I approached the girl, reaching for their shoulder before stopping midway, feeling as it might come as too familiar and forceful. Say! How long do you think it'll take us to complete the game?

Spoiler

Wordcount: 492

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Avoryn

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The two shared their own ideals, experiences and thoughts. Nari listened quietly to each, noticing the difference in how they all approached their new reality - head-on, hesitantly, in the shadows of another. Each of them had their own way about it, their own considerations as to what needed to be done, and how they were going to do it. She had no idea if any of them were right, but there was one thing she knew for sure..."So long as we continue together, we'll be alright."

The words spoken aloud felt more promising, somehow. A confidence behind them that Nari wasn't even sure she believed in, herself. It didn't matter - not now, at least. For now they were together, working towards their final goal in a way that looked promising. What came next...could be dealt with, next. There was no point in focusing on anything beyond that - she had no control, right now, over what would happen in the future.

Her eyes shifted towards Avoryn as the voice trembled ever so slightly. Nari couldn't be sure, but something about the way they answered made her wonder if she was being entirely truthful; if there was something that the green-haired woman was hiding. She peered, for a second, before the words escaped her mouth. "Well, if you haven't been beyond the walls yet, then I guess you wouldn't have seen the beauty that is to be found in Aincrad. The rolling fields, sunsets, sunrises, monsters and conflict...although I guess those last two might not be as appealing, as of recent..."

Avoryn was quick to fill in the silence that followed, as Nari considered her approach more carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was cause any sort of concern with being out in the wilds - they needed to be out here to progress, and instilling any sort of fear in the others before they'd made any progress wouldn't be helpful. "How long...there's one hundred floors, and we need to clear them all. I've only done a bit around here, but the first floor is...well, bigger than you'd expect. If we have to clear more floors like this one, it could take a few months or more...depending on how hard those bosses are! I mean, maybe it'll be easier as we go, and we'll be done in a few more weeks!"

The confidence behind her words was false, Nari expected it to take much, much longer based on everything she'd heard of late from the information brokers. What little they'd learnt thus far hadn't been promising, aside from in a dark and negative way. Last she'd heard, they'd yet to even find the labyrinth that would lead to the first floor boss, much less make any actual progress in it. Her information was a bit outdated though, so perhaps there was something she'd missed? Hey...maybe stop guessing and dreaming, and instead focus on the quest we're trying to do... She smiled - hiding the cringe-like feelings she felt at having to correct herself, before speaking aloud. "It'll definitely go faster once we get this quest done, though!"

[Faerie 0]

Fae walked with the trio paying just as much attention to their surroundings as she did them. It was really astounding what was created here, she could feel the wind blowing across her face ruffling the cloth on her half cloak. "It really is hard to imagine that this is a video game, though I guess, you can respawn in video games. . ." Fae drifted off when she fully registered what she was saying, she was trying to make a good impression, and bringing up the fact that they would all probably die wasn't a good way to make friends. "I got this game because I couldn't believe that something fake could seem so real, and I almost still can't." Fae looked over at a nearby trees, each leaf swaying individually, clearly a lot of care had been put into this game Fae just wished it had been what it was promised to be.

Avoryn's second question pulled Fae out of her own head, 'we haven't found anything useful yet, not even a direction to start looking really. This place is massive, and if all of the floors are like this a couple weeks is a joke.' Fae didn't say any of this out loud as she listened to Nari speak, saying that it would only be a few more months, she knew that that was just wishful thinking, but Fae wouldn't say that, couldn't really. She hoped at the bottom of her heart that Nari was right.

"yeah, teamwork is going to be by far the biggest piece of all of this, I've heard stories already of how much worse things get in just the Stone Valley, let alone as the floors get harder and harder. Making it alone isn't going to be an option." Fae smiled at her companions as they closed in on the boundary of Tolbana, the small town didn't have a wall around it like the Town of Beginnings, and you could just walk directly into town from the fields, which is exactly what the trio did. It wasn't hard to find the alchemist at this point, his was the shop with the green smoke rising from its chimney. "Come on I bet that's it." Fae picked up her pace and made her way down the dirt paths of Tolbana until she reached the shop and swung the door open.

Upon opening the door Fae and the girls were met with a pungent smell of something almost impossible to place, just a chemical smell coming from all of the vials and potions that lined the shelves. "Oh Hello." The long white haired man called out as he turned away from the vial he was working on "If you are looking to order something, I have to apologize. I am out of supplies right now because of the flood of orders that just came in." His voice was surprisingly soft as he looked at the group, his eyes showing kindness before a light appeared in them. "Why don't you go out and gather materials from outside the city, anything works really, mushrooms, roots, flowers, just anything. I promise after you get the materials I will help you fulfill your order, hell I will teach you to do it yourself." The man smiled at the group as another screen appeared before the two who had not yet completed this quest 'Fetch materials for Zackariah in order to gain information on the loan.' Fae closed the pop up and smiled "Of course we would be glad to help, it would be amazing to learn from a master craftsman." Fae smiled and turned to her group, the quest seemed to be beginning for real.

Spoiler

Word Count: 614

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Faerie

[Avoryn 0]

Following our discussions, we finally arrived into the small township of Tolbana. It was a tiny settlement with a few erring NPC here and there, some players had already invested the city, going in and out of some shops or just relaxing by the shadow of a tree. We followed Nari up to a small abode and entered it.

The shop was dimly lit, the few sunshine rays shining through various vials stocked on several shelves and counters, casting coloured dancing shadows on the walls of the apothecary.
It smelled of weird concoction and old medicine with a hint of je ne sais quoi that was mostly pleasant. An old man was sat at a desk, Zackariah the alchemist was hard at work with his craft.

As I was examining some of the potions laid out for the world to see and buy, Faerie went ahead and activated the next steps of the quest, a warning pop-up appearing before my face.

The quest ||The First Few Lessons|| has been updated.
Get to Zackariah in the Town of Tolbana.
⇩
Fetch materials for Zackariah in order to gain information on the loan. (0/10)

I dismissed the box and straightened myself, stretching my shoulders and neck. I don't think there's any use to stretch or to warm up... But old habits die hard, heh? I turned to the ladies, gesturing at the door.

— Well, it appears that we must get to the wilderness and gather a few things.  I suppose it's as Nari described earlier? Explore until you see shinies and then pluck them? Shall we?

I flashed my sweetest smile while advancing towards the exit, making sure I was followed.
As the town was small, it was not hard at all to find the exit gates and make for the fields. No mob spawn was visible, but I kept my guard up and was on the edge. Ready to sprint away at the tiniest hint of aggression. 

We split to forage a slightly bigger area, all the while keeping in hearing distance, and I started scanning for materials. As I was circling around a thicket, a simple flash of light coming from inside some bushes caught my eyes and I approached my hand to pick it up.

Spoiler

Roll ID 210141 | Result LD: 4 ⇒ Failure

The material you tried to gather withered in your hands. 0/10

— Fuck... Do I really have to have a green thumb in the game as well? Argh... I'm no good with plants... 

Down, but not felled, I kept on searching for the next shiny I could find.

Spoiler

Word count: 424

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Avoryn

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari had stood back as the two made their way into the shop, memories of mumbled words, followed by slamming and yelling coming to the forefront of her mind. She felt herself blush in response to the memories, trying desperately to hide the expression as the other two returned - quest updated, and a look of readiness upon their faces. Nari nodded towards the gates that they had entered through, before grinning slightly. "Yeah, out there is probably best to begin. As soon as you two are ready...we can head out."

She fell in behind the other two, her sword on her hip bouncing slightly as she found herself skipping along. The smile plastered on her face as she nodded at the guard at the gate, Nari glanced over the open fields before them, watching as the two immediately rushed forwards to begin their search. Her smile disappeared slightly behind a wince as she watch Avoryn rushing through the grasses without success, reminding Nari of her first attempts.

"It, uh...can take some time...gathering stuff at first can be a bit of a hassle - but it'll come. Just have to keep going, and keep up the tempo! I mean, it took me some time, but I managed it! Helped that I had good company, too...I mean that always helps, right?" She wasn't sure if she made that qualification, but hoped that she at least brought some sort of happy spirit to the group. She glanced over towards Faerie for a moment, wondering if she should try to give the other two any advice, before realising how futile it was. Sometimes, you just had to go about things and hope for the best. "I will say, this quest is definitely a lot less fun than the next one...although the next one can be a bit scary at first..."

[Faerie 0]

Avoryn flashed a smile and Fae blushed as she followed suit behind the two women, "Yeah, I wasn't expecting this to really be a gathering mission, though it won't be too big of a deal for me, Fae twirled slightly letting the two pieces of cloth on her light pink and blue half cloak flow behind her, expanding to look like fairy wings. "This cloaks helps a bit with that." Fae proclaimed with a smile as she watched Avoryn run out to a nearby bush, the material she was trying to gather withering away in her hands as she failed to grab it.

Fae looked down at herself and back up at the crouching Avoryn while Nari spoke about how hard gathering could be. Taking the cloak off in one smooth movement while she walked dropping the cloak on Avoryn's head leaving her in nothing but her somewhat tight white pants and her light purple button up shirt. Fae looked back and winked at Avoryn "Keep that safe. I don't want to tear it." Fae made sure that she stayed in eye sight of both of the other women she was with as she walked out further into the open fields.

Pulling a whistle of sorts out of her inventory Fae waived back at Nari and blew it as loud as she could. No sound came out of the whistle, at least not that any of them could hear, but with a smug look on her face Fae placed it back into her inventory standing with her hands on her hips appearing to wait. 

Spoiler

Gave Avoryn (only the cloak portion which is where the enhancement is)

Fairy's Dance: [Cloth Armor; T1 Perfect] This cloth armor is kept light to make movement as easy as possible, almost as if the wearer were a fairy dancing through the air. The armor consists of a pair of tight, but not constricting white pants, a pastel purple shirt tucked into the pants somewhat loose for ease of movement. The selling point however is the half cloak, a mixture of pastel pink and blue this cloak has a hood and covers all of her body stopping at her mid stomach. The most important part of the cloak however are two pieces of cloth trailing from the shoulders and stopping at the lower back, when one moves in the cloak the cloth flutters giving the look of fairy wings.
Enhancement: Loot Die [3 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the LD

Spoiler

Word Count: 264

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Faerie

[Avoryn 0]

Disappointed at the withering of the first drop I managed to spot, I crawled myself back out the thicket, seeing Nari's amused face that disappeared quickly.

Quote

— It, uh...can take some time...gathering stuff at first can be a bit of a hassle - but it'll come. Just have to keep going, and keep up the tempo! I mean, it took me some time, but I managed it! Helped that I had good company, too... I mean that always helps, right

I stood up, brushing the dirt away from my pants before stretching my back.

— I mean, I kind of expected the quest to just hand the mats instantly, 100% of drop rate. It's supposed to be a beginner's quest after all, right? I sighed, shaking my head in disapproval. Obviously, the game master doesn't want us to clear things too easily. By the way, what do you think is he doing? Monitoring us? Netflix and chill?

A shadow passed behind me swiftly and in one smooth movement had deposited something on my shoulders. Some sort of wispy cloak, reminiscent of fairy wings, was adorning my back, courtesy of a winking Faerie that had just deposited the item for me to use.

Quote

— This cloaks helps a bit with that. Keep that safe, I don't want to tear it.

As the cloak had specially been crafted to be a loot goblin's best friend, I had absolutely no reasons not to equip it.

— I'll treasure it as my own, have no fear. And I'll give it back as soon as this gathering stuff is over, I'm not taking it with me, there's no way I do! My face blushing hard as I cross my arms in a cross shape.

Equipping Fairy's Dance: Enhancement: Loot Die [3 Slots] | Effect: Gain +(1 per slot) to the LD

— Thank you so much, both of you, for the all the help you're giving me. How does it look?

I twirled, giving the both of them a good 360° view of me with the cloak equipped.

Spoiler

Word count: 227

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari's smile had disappeared at the sight of the whistle, her frown only growing at the mention of the Game Master. She knew far too well what Faerie was doing, and unconsciously her hand hovered towards the sword on her hip, her eyes scanning the horizon even as she spoke in response. Her words carried a weight of distraction, as if accenting the fact that she was only partially paying attention to the conversation at hand. "I...don't know. I know some people have guessed that he's...I don't know, watching us from some sort of control room, somewhere...or perhaps he's left the game entirely. No one's seen him...not since the announcement. Who's to even say he's still here?"

She doubted that he would leave - not after everything that Kayaba had gone through to set this up. Still, she couldn't argue the fact that no one had seen the man who created the game since his big announcement. Although, she had an inkling that perhaps he wanted that - who knew what someone would try and do if they did see him. I know what I would try and do...Her hand gripped the pommel of her sword tightly, and her expression darkened in response. She doubted that facing the Game Master would be anything but futile, but...Rage solves nothing, only creating more conflict...it is the memories of peace that are needed to move forwards...

Words that were far easier to repeat in mantra, than to apply in reality. The sudden shift and twist of Avoryn caught Nari's gaze, and she nodded approvingly in response to the question. "It looks like you're ready to go searching for materials. Like a true contester in the game. You should definitely ask FaeFae if you can keep it, I think it looks better on you than it does on her." She accented the words with a wink, before flashing a grin towards the other purple-haired girl, a mischievous look in Nari's eyes. 

[Faerie 0]

Fae looked back at the other two people with her having to strain to hear what they were talking about. Avoryn had questioned something about Kayaba and Nari had given her an answer Fae couldn't quite hear it, but she thinks it was something along the lines of what he was doing now that he created this game and trapped them all inside. Fae didn't know how she should respond and with Nari's answer seeming to satisfy Avoryn she just chose to ignore it. 

Fae stopped looking back at her companions when she heard rumbling coming from in front of her. Looking ahead Fae could see four boars running towards her one pretty far in the lead. Fae didn't look surprised however, this was what she was hoping for, the whistle was an item that could make these enemies come running from a decent distance. Fae looked back again to see Avoryn twirl the cloth on the cloak fluttering as she twirled making her look more like a fairy than Fae ever did she gave Avoryn a big smile and a thumbs up. 

Turning her focus back to the boars Fae was about to unsheathe her sword when she heard Nari call something out, clearly meant for Fae. One word ringing clearly above the rest "FaeFae" looking back again Fae could see a mischievous look in Nari's eyes and caught a wink. Fae blushed at the nickname as she just stared, not expecting that to have come from the somewhat shy woman. 

Fae wasn't allowed to blush for much longer as the lead boar barreled into her stomach, launching her backward towards Nari when it hit her. Landing squarely on her back Fae gasped a weird sense of Deja Vu filling her mind before quickly passing. Fae didn't let herself lay there for long as she quickly scrambled back to her feet the blush returning for a different reason this time. quickly dusting off she pulled out her sword and squared herself towards the rushing enemies. "You didn't see that." Fae called out to the people behind her without looking back, trying not to let the embarrassment show.

Spoiler

Combat

Faerie | Lv. 2 | HP: 32/40 (-8) | EN: 14/22 (-8)| DMG: 7

Basic Boar 1 | HP: 24/24 | DMG: 8
Basic Boar 2 | HP: 24/24 | DMG: 8
Basic Boar 3 | HP: 24/24 | DMG: 8
Basic Boar 4 | HP: 24/24 | DMG: 8

Round 1

ID210172 | BD: 4 | <<AOE-1 vs. Basic Boar 1>> | Miss! | MD: 1 |  Miss!
ID210173 | BD: 3 | <<AOE-1 vs. Basic Boar 2>> | Miss! | MD: 7 | Hit! 8 DMG
ID210174 | BD: 2 | <<AOE-1 vs. Basic Boar 3>> | Miss! | MD: 3 | Miss!
ID210175 | BD: 1 | <<AOE-1 vs. Basic Boar 4>> | Critical Miss! | MD: 3 | Miss!

Spoiler

Word Count: 358

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Faerie

[Avoryn 0]

As I adjusted the cape on my shoulders, I smiled at my companions' answer.
I was about to go back to my searching when an approaching rumbling made me perk up my ears. 

— Hey, guys? Do you hear th- 

A stampeding boar rushed towards Fae, piercing her abdomen with its tusks and sent her tumbling down a few meters behind, around Nari's feet, rendering me speechless.
Faerie got up, clutching her sword in her hand, and prepared herself to give back what damage she took. A whole horde of boars arrived, totalling 4 opponents against 2 and one tenth.

I looked at Nari, a bit of fear in my eyes as our warring companion missed every single hit.

— You can do it, Fae! Nari's coming to help you. I mumbled to myself, disputing whether I should hop in despite my lack of armour. I mean, even if I can't fight properly, I can still soak up some damages. I have those starter potions hanging at my belt and I could split up aggro to help them? I watched as the boars ganged up on my quest mate, my legs feeling heavier to the thought of taking damage and possibly meeting a dire fate. I shook my head, backing away from the fight, my voice wavering a bit. N-Nari, you should help. Fae. You should help Fae. I'll be over there, somewhere safer. If you need help, shout, I'll come and... My throat tightened, making it harder to speak. I'll try to soak up damage while you finish them off.

On that, I left the two to their fighting task while I got back to scavenging a bit further, alas to no avail. I couldn't find any materials and could only hear the battle raging on, which made me peek way too often to make sure my friends-to-be were still kicking and alive.

Spoiler

Loot Dice: 3+3= 6 | Failure

Spoiler

Wordcount: 312

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by Avoryn

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The fight hadn't gone nearly as well in the beginning as Fae - or Nari, or likely anyone else watching - would've liked. The girl found herself thrown by the boar's charge, slamming into the ground in what Nari assumed was still painful, even with the pain dampener's in place. 

Her head turn to look at Avoryn as the green-haired woman seemed to become hysterical. For a moment, Nari stood still - recognising the concern, the way the voice almost broke. Everything sounded...familiar. As the images of scenes from before flowed through her mind, Nari couldn't help but freeze in place.

"She'll...she'll be fine. Really, if it gets more concerning I'll jump in...but for now...for now she's okay. One hit isn't an end-all, even if she missed everything to start..." The hesitation in her voice didn't come from uncertainty. Nari knew all too well that sometimes things looked dire, before they got better. Still, she kept her gaze on Fae, watching, waiting. But if she gets one more turn like that... She made her decision, knowing that Fae probably wouldn't agree - but not caring. She wasn't going to watch anyone else die before her.