[F03;PP] Whirlwind | <<DHA 3: Lost Blessings and Ancient Evils>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

How long had it been? Days, weeks, months? Nari wasn't quite sure. It felt like years - but then again, everything in this game felt like years. Not that it really mattered, in the end. The length of time had little impact on the actual effect - an effect that had been made clear during the scouting mission.

Her eyes hovered over the message. It was short, brief, emotionless. Everything her messages usually weren't. But what more was there to say? What was important to say couldn't go into a typed display, it needed to be vocalised. 

To: @NIGHT From: @Nari-Lanreth Message: Hey. Need to chat. Meet on third floor. Dragon quest rumours.

Short. To the point. There was nothing more to be said, at least not yet. She could go into detail once - if - NIGHT showed up. If not...well, then she would know the answer immediately. Either way...

She moved to the front door, Yuki following at her heel as she always did. The cold outside didn't bother either of them as they made their way towards the floor's teleporter. She passed a few players she'd become acquainted with on the floor, waving briefly before passing on. A few steps up to the platform, and then she was disappearing in a flash of light.

---

 

Statblock

Spoiler notes -- Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 41 | HP: 840/840 | EN: 98/98 | ACC: 4 | DMG: 20 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 30 | B.Healing [+46] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 4 | Bld: 48 Tier 4 | Tier 8 equipped Solitude's Sorrow [Scythe; Tier 4 Perfect] Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots] Enhancement: Bleed [1 Slots]  Reaper's Defence  [Light Armour; Tier 4 Perfect] Enhancement: Evasion [2 Slots] Enhancement: Light Momentum [1 Slots] Twin-Fox Bracelet [Tier 4 Perfect Jewellery] Enhancement: Recovery [2 Slots] Enhancement: Evasion [1 Slot]   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 {3} | Tier 1; Perfect Potion | HP Recovery III Percephonius Pyratius {11} | Tier 4; Perfect Potion | Damage III Ketchup Chips {3} | Tier 4; Perfect Snacks| Probiotics III Siúil a Rún {2} | Tier 3; Perfect; Masterpiece Support Song | HP Recovery III [Mass] skills Spoiler Utility Skills Extended Weight Limit [Active: Passive. Effect: +2 additional Battle-Ready inventory slots.] Searching [Rank: 4. Active: Passive. Effect: +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank.] [Rank 3 Searching Mod] Detect [Active: Passive. Effect: Grants +2 Stealth Detection. Grants +1 LD when searching for dungeons and labyrinths.] 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%.] data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts Spoiler [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. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler 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] data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

Quest

 

[NIGHT 0]

there wasn't much else to say.

night: ok

so she started on her way instead.

the third floor was rife with wildlife and vegetation, the likes of which night detested. there were beastmen, sure, but then there was fae, as far as her intel on the update was concerned, and she'd hated knowing there was trickery afoot as she blanked into their destination. she remembered this floor from before it had changed -- a different place altogether, despite the similar themes in a forest. now, for any new swordsman coming into their own player, heading towards the frontlines, the third would look something like a minefield.

night took one shallow sigh, eyes sweeping the front of the entrance portal, set upon one large entangled root. sword set on her shoulder, she hopped off it, as were the faune were to do by her guess, and started to walk, aimless, typing upon a tiny menu by the corner of her eye.

night: whr r u

| NIGHT | Lv. 138 >> P. 105, Lv. 33 | notes: n/a Spoiler NIGHT | HP: 1080/1080 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 21 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 4 | MIT: 44 | LD: 14 | BH: 55 | VAMP-D: 55 | FS | AA | Stealth Rating: 6 equipped Cosmic Devourer+1  ABS. ACC, ACC III rider.  LOOT DIE III, VAMP-D feather. EVA III battle-ready inventory Jack's Executioner BLIGHT (32, -20MIT), BLEED (48), FROSTBITE (40, -1ACC), STATIC (40, 24 SPLASH) pretense. VAMP-D II, HB II Silver Crescent Necklace ACC II, EVA II skills. Spoiler mod count: 7/7 2HSS | RANK 5/5 focus, stamina, precision shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4+1/5 reveal, tracking, detect, night vision BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST FIGHTING SPIRIT QUICK CHANGE CHARGE EXTENDED MOD LIMIT extra SURVIVAL CONCENTRATION HIDING untraceable, vanish, surprise attack-t buffs. Spoiler statue OROCHI | +1 LD consumables Crème Brûlée (1) | ACC II | [x] Berry Crumb Bars | LD IVfilling | [x] paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. sword arts. Spoiler en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-G | x12 | BURN misc. Spoiler housing Dimensional Backpack, Item Stash | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat.  Relaxed | +(5 * Tier) HP per out-of-combat post. Full energy restoration occurs after two turns out of combat. Squeaky Clean | -25% DoT damage taken from the first DoT applied to this player in a thread. Skylight: Searching | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cooldown of 30 days to reassign. Multipurpose | +1 LD/Prosperity/Stealth/Detection to one post per thread. Can be applied after a roll. Filling | +1 T1 slot to a food consumed by this player in a thread. Can exceed Cook enhancement caps. Col Deposit | +5% col from loot-minimum mobs, +10% col from treasure chests. gathering Greenhouse | +2 G.EXP, +1 CD&LD to gathering attempts. Familiar: Profession | +2 G.EXP Demeter's Cornucopia | +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by NIGHT

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Her arrival didn't take long, and Nari found herself waiting for a few minutes before @NIGHT arrived. The familiar face seemed to glance around, as if searching for Nari, before sending out a quick message. Standing from the small local she'd snuggled into - likely hiding her from view unintentionally - Nari walked up behind NIGHT, giving a slight cough as she approached before speaking softly. The ding of the message drawing her attention, already knowing what it was. "Here. I've only been waiting for a few moments."

She glanced around the floor, before waving a hand in the direction towards the exterior. They had a bit of a walk ahead of them, and Nari figured it was best to get started. She didn't wait to see if NIGHT would follow, knowing that the other would - if only out of curiosity, or...well, she couldn't quite say what. Guilt? Maybe. Her face remained stoic as she fought not to let her emotions through. She wasn't angry, or upset by any means, and she didn't want NIGHT to think she was. She didn't want there to be any misunderstandings. 

She kept quiet, until they were out past the gate, and when she did speak, she kept her voice lowered. Not that she was worried about being overheard, but private conversations tended towards old habits. "I wanted to talk, and I figured the Dragon quest would be the perfect lure out. About us. The talking, I mean."

A slight pause as she tried to collect her thoughts into words. No matter how she said it, it was going to hurt. Herself or NIGHT, she wasn't sure which would feel it more. But it needed to be said. "We're over, aren't we?"

It was a question, and yet Nari felt she already knew the answer. Felt like she was just looking for validation. Something had changed, in the days that had passed. Now, there was just...confirmation. Confirmation that she was reading the situation correctly, that she was understanding...everything.

[NIGHT 0]

night followed without question, after her eyes had left the familiar hand wave. hand on her sword, she was more certain the blade was for her own, now, instead of in defense. because--

"I wanted to talk, and I figured the Dragon quest would be the perfect lure out. About us. The talking, I mean."

-- she didn't come expecting a lack of pretense. had expected the issue to be addressed earlier. had expected to bury misgivings where she couldn't see them, in the footsteps left behind as they walked.

"We're over, aren't we?"

past the gate, it was only night's eyes to nari's back. and the player stayed silent, considering their journey for the quest ahead instead. because she didn't have much else she did want to say. she vanished for a reason in the first place, after all.

"you know," night started, after immeasurable silence, eyes to the plants about them. as though her awareness shouldn't have been heightened enough. "you didn't have to take me on an excursion to hunt a dragon for the sake of talking. lunch would've been fine."

seconds passed, before she continued, voice giving way to deeper tones. "... yeah. i'm bad at promises, it seems. ...sorry."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She almost laughed at the joke. If it even was a joke; Nari couldn't be entirely sure. She'd managed to stifle the reaction either way, shaking her head in exchange and response. It hadn't been her most impressive attempt at covering the topic, but at least she had said it without any breakdowns. "You don't need to be sorry. I may have lost...well, I've gained a good friend. One who I can trust with my life, and whom I hope can trust mine with theirs in turn. I would say that's a fair trade, and better than any worse outcomes, wouldn't you?"

She considered mentioning more, about things that had developed, before realising the pointlessness in the actions. There was no need to bring up things that might prove problematic when problems had already been dealt with. It was far better to simply let things settle, and deal with those other problems later. Besides, she had intended to actually complete the quest - talk or not. Shrugging visibly, Nari turned to smile at NIGHT, the expression likely less than deceiving to the other's eyes.

"Plus, if I was really angry I'd do something like feed you to a dragon. So you've nothing to worry about." A moment of blankness, and then Nari remembered the quest they were about to undertake. "Err...if I was planning to do that, I probably wouldn't have told you we're doing the Dragon Hunting quest. So...like I said, no worries."

Turning away, she continued leading them down the pathway from the central settlement. They had a lengthy walk ahead of them, and Nari preferred the idea of getting this all over before night had fallen. Irony in that. She found herself giggling aloud at the intrusive thought, the timing likely off considering everything. Trying to cover it up, she decided to attempt at least a semi-comfortable conversation, especially seeing as NIGHT had already thrown a joke out. "Besides, would you have come if I told you I wanted to take you out to dinner again? I mean, remember that one dinner, and how poorly that went? I'm amazed you didn't just stab me right then and there..."

[NIGHT 0]

so optimistic. night stayed silent through that part, but bowed her head all the same, because she found that she couldn't disagree. and as they walked, finally then, side by side, her brows furrowed at the comment thrown out about their upcoming quest.

"Plus, if I was really angry I'd do something like feed you to a dragon. So you've nothing to worry about."

there was some hesitation in her return. "so much for trusting my life to yours."

"Err...if I was planning to do that, I probably wouldn't have told you we're doing the Dragon Hunting quest. So...like I said, no worries."

a hand brushed over some of her fringe as night considered further, hiding her shudder and brief discontent behind her sword. "no, i don't buy that for a second. you likely would've decided to rip my heart out yourself." then, she sighed -- grinning there would've been insensitive, she was sure. "no offense."

and she wasn't certain if it was her retort landing, or if it had been something else. night took the moment to review the quest specifics by the corner of her eye, listening, quiet.

right.

about that dinner.

"we had multiple afterwards that went smoothly enough," the player returned, letting her menu close once her fingers were relaxed. "besides, a conversation's meant to be held with words, not swords and dinner forks."

and night let that sit in the air, her mind on a memory she wasn't sure she was about to share yet.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari bit her tongue, hard. Hard enough that she likely would've drawn blood, had they been in the real world. The dragon comment had been far worse than she'd realised at first, and her attempt to cover it up...well, she had no one but herself to blame.

She considered the comment about swords and forks, her mind trying to figure out what hidden message there was there. It had seemed forthright at first, but something about it felt deeper; a story hidden behind the thoughts themselves. She'd thought about asking outright at first, before deciding it was better to just push it aside as something she'd likely never solve. 

Instead, she turned her attention towards the quest, the one thing they could still do - hopefully without any animosity or awkwardness. "We're supposed to catch some rumours in the nearby village that activate the quest. From there, at least according to the broker I...err...know...we head out in search of a drake that - and I quote - 'thrives beneath the surface of the water'. Which likely means we're going to get wet. Yay..." What enthusiasm she'd had for the quest had died away with that information. Enough so she'd been putting this quest off for far too long. Had she not been searching for an excuse to drag NIGHT out, it likely would've stayed untouched even longer. 

[NIGHT 0]

"...really?"

the player only rubbed the back of her neck, giving her companion a side-eye. even if nari hadn't meant to, night definitely felt the mood sour -- but only because the waters were mentioned. "you should've told me sooner. i would've brought a swimsuit."

but in reality, night was better prepared for the fight, at least inventory wise, given her stock of spare clothes. the comment made for small talk, at least, while her mind was still set on what needed to be done. "well, these quests always start out with looking for the dragon's nest, too, of some sort. if we look out for it on the walk, we might be able to skip out of searching for it in earnest later."

and so the theory with night was thus: if the dragon they were going to fight was to be underwater, surely it made sense that the nest they would look for was also around such an area, supposedly. except since these were the woods of the trees (and fae)...

"how many bodies of water do you think this floor has?"

ID210763 | LD19 | wow an old school mmo that is totally not defunct now i cannot read.

Edited December 27, 2022 by NIGHT

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

"A few, if the information is to be believed..." Her voice seemed distant as she pulled up her menu, checking the messages again. Her brow furrowed as she realised that she'd missed a key point, the insight bringing her to a complete stop as she pulled up her map instead. "Looks like we can skip the whole 'listen to the locals gossip' bit, though...so long as I have...ha! There."

She keyed in the pinpoint for the forest, before turning to her left and leading down another path. According to her source, if they arrived in the forest itself, what little Nari had heard from the original NPCs should kickstart the quest. Here's hoping they're still on a kick for being right. She glanced over at NIGHT, figuring the girl required at least some sort of explanation. "The broker I use sent an encoded message. They always do. Anyways, it says that the quest should start if we enter the Forest of Wavering Mists...assuming I've done the pre-reqs correctly...which I think I have. Should take some time off completing this, with any luck..."

She continued glancing over the messages as they walked, making sure she had everything understood correctly. One caught her eye, and she felt herself staring at it with a frown as she tried to figure out its meaning. Sometimes, she truly hated the detail that the sender went through in order to make sure their information was protected.

To: Nar[unreadable]th From: [Unknown Source] Should one look, beneath the waters of life, they will find that which has aged beyond the flow of time. A power, unbetold with a history of fear and violence - a story unlike any other. Deep within the roots of the Wavering, wherein dark and everlasting light come together in support of the flow of giving, one finds the start of your story. Such should be taken, upon with caution lest you remain forever a name upon a grave. Here lie the Pillars of support, giving to that which must hold upon its shoulders the very strength of time eternal. While standing, erect and controlling, foreboding and despairing, ever lasting strife and danger. Crumble upon, and find oneself buried within the loss of all. And so in treasure, should one find solitude. A freedom to search, to find, to reward. Slain only in anger, in retribution, in carelessness. Ever toil in regret. Beware the vortex of aggression, lest it draw you in with its fiery desires - a trap that all should fear, for the final moments of darkness plunge.

"Helpful as always..." She muttered to herself, crossing her arms behind her and glaring at the text. Some of it was obvious - a lake beneath the Forest of Wavering Mist, and a vortex, likely an attack that the creature had which could be dangerous. The pillars could be anything, from a platform that it stood upon, to a way to end the fight by burying the dragon. What she couldn't figure out, is how taking out such things would bring about treasure - none of the other information had hinted at extra rewards for the quest itself. "Mysteries...gotta love them..."

She checked her map again, seeing that they were slowly coming up to the forest itself. She figured they'd be at its base in another fifteen minutes, so long as nothing jumped out at them or slowed them down. "Well, we're almost there...now's the time to down anything you think would be worth taking to help us out...I doubt this coming adventure is going to be fun."

---

Nari consumes one (1) Percephonius Pyratius, Divinity's Wait and Divinity's Protection

Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 41 | HP: 966/966 | EN: 98/98 | ACC: 4 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 60 | B.Healing [+46] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 4 | Bld: 48

[NIGHT 0]

limiting their search to a specific region on the floor narrowed their destination choices. night wanted to look over nari's messages, too, but thought it impolite. instead, eyes glued to the map, she simply drew over the interface, circling out the lakes within the forest, before shifting perspective over to the route ahead. fifteen minutes wasn't going to cut it. the nest could take all day to look for if they let the game decide its location.

"i don't need to take anything," night stated, closing her map. a shifted gaze examined their surroundings, comparing it to the charted path in her mind. "there should be a shortcut this way. c'mon. the forest itself will be harder to traverse."

she didn't turn around to check on her friend. the player simply hurried her steps, eyes scanning the forest floor, searching for the growing roots of the large boundary trees containing the puzzling mists.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Distant, for sure. Maybe NIGHT had come expecting something else? Maybe I...too late, for that now. Nari stepped after NIGHT, having to lengthen her paces to keep up with the taller girl. She trusted that NIGHT knew where they were going, the girl far more experienced in this game than Nari herself was.

"Any idea what this line could mean? I've been struggling with it for a while now..." Nari flipped the message around for NIGHT to view after they had been walking for a while, partially to get the girl's insight - but also to start up a conversation. "Most of it is fairly clear...but this one line of 'Pillars of support'...I mean at first I assumed it was actual pillars, but now I'm wondering if it isn't something less obvious...I hate when they do this..."

Nari glanced around, taking in the sudden shift in terrain as they had entered the forest while her nose had been stuck in the messages. She shook her head at the realisation, cursing herself softly for falling into a lull of disregard in a place that could be dangerous. Her eyes returned to NIGHT as she waited to see if the other had anything that would help them on their path to deciphering the information that had been sent to Nari.

[NIGHT 0]

she slowed her brisk pace once nari got her attention. and the block of text on the interface -- night nearly stopped in entirety just to read it, pace to a snail's crawl. all she could do was squint, eyes running over words and tripping. mostly clear? half of it read of emotion, which only distilled to confusion in the player, and a few ounces of annoyance.

two fingers pinched the bridge of her nose.

"no," night concluded quickly, brows furrowed, eyes shut tight as realization of how little information she'd absorbed from the text washed over her. what was even the point of such obfuscation by words? "i'm surprised you even got anything out of that. where did you get that from, anyway?"

the player was about to fire off another question, before she remembered they had to get to the forest in the message first. "let's just walk and take it from there," she offered, turning, her front facing the path they would head down. "who knows? that dark and light thing may as well be sunrays through the canopy or whatever. flow of giving? some stream or other's my guess. but why even talk about these things in a woods that ever shifting?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari glanced at the message again, before closing it. She followed along behind NIGHT, taking a few extra steps to get beside the girl again before answering the question that was likely rhetorical. "From an information broker that I...well, I don't know them, really...in fact I've never actually m-err...anyways. They always send messages like this. The thing is...they've never been wrong. Once I decipher them, that is. One hundred percent accuracy, if you can figure out the messages within the message."

As the two continued along the pathway they'd been following - or at least, Nari thought it was a pathway - she considered the events that had unfolded over the past while. The consistent changes in her life, and the people who had come and gone. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again, deciding to simply say what was on her mind. "I'm uh...seeing someone."

She waited, partially curious, partially scared to see how NIGHT would respond. Anger, resentment, or even just a calm acceptance. Either way, she knew it was going to create an awkwardness - she only hoped that it wouldn't severe what little friendship they still had between them.

[NIGHT 0]

never been wrong, once she'd deciphered them? wasn't that a fallacy, given that there could have been a bias at play? "oh, tell me you know about the death of the author," night tossed behind her shoulder, uncertain which between the mix of loss and concern she should lean towards regarding the message. "i'd say have more faith in yourself than the message, but i'd be more adverse to them given that you don't even know of them in the first place."

then quiet settled between them, giving night the time to navigate through the woods. if only they'd started walking sooner, perhaps they'd be in the midst right then and there. for what she did stew on the thought of being slowed down in progress, however, faded upon the sight of the first few trails of vapor along the mossy forest floor, faint and out of place. they weren't as behind as she'd thought.

"we're getting close. let's try not to wander too far away from each other."

"I'm uh...seeing someone."

that made night stop in her tracks instead. a clear head, with just a bout of questions fired off in her head. eventually, when she settled on one, turning around with a stern look, she finally knew which way to lean on her emotions.

"please tell me they're not the one sending you those messages. you can do better than that."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

"I just told you I've never met-no. It's...Onóra...uhm, I think you two met once?" Her response came automatically, even as her eyes shot up towards the canopy above them, refusing to look at NIGHT while she spoke. She waited, tensely, for any sort of response, before carrying on with her words. "And you shouldn't knock the info broker too much. They've saved my life far more than I care to admit."

Unable to restrain herself, Nari continued walking, heading straight forward as she continued looking up at the canopy. She wasn't sure what she had expected from NIGHT, but she wasn't surprised by the joke. Still, she would've likely been more content if NIGHT had gotten upset - at least then she'd get to see some sort of emotional response. A sign that there was...something more. Not that Nari doubted it was there, just that it was hidden from sight. As if you're one to judge...

"You said we're...getting close?" Nari didn't look back, didn't want to look back. She realised how she'd just ruined the atmosphere - something she seemed good at doing, and realising later. Some would call it a talent...some can go shove it.

[NIGHT 0]

the housemate?

"we did."

if night could grow extra eyebags there and then, perhaps she would've. now she would've had to consider if that match up was by accident, or coincidence (and she wasn't sure if either was any better). the lack of eye contact meant that they were both liable to stew in the information, both at their own pace with incredibly different reads of the situation, before nari retorted back about the broker. night only snorted, turning back down the path. "a better one would've spelled out what was to come for you instead of giving you a riddle," she clarified, before moving on.

but then nari overtook her in pace, eyes glued to the leaf-littered ceiling. night shot the darkened shadows overhead a look. muttering inaudible -- "what are you looking at...?"

"You said we're...getting close?"

"yeah, we are." in coming out here, she'd expected to trade the weight of one guilt on her shoulders for another -- yet now it seemed she was balancing different problems, entangled, all at once. she eyed the growing fog ahead, resisting to acknowledge her compounding problems and age -- "remember not to separate, and look out for the nest. since you're in front, i'll tail you."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari huffed, but didn't acknowledge the jab at her information broker. Riddles or not, they'd proven reliable - far more so than some of the others she'd attempted using. Instead, she decided to answer the one question that was something she could answer - at least, more so than anything else that had been brought up. "I'm trying to track out position based upon the sky, beyond the forest itself. Light and dark. Wavering. It's one way to try and keep track of where you are in the forest, albeit not easy...the forest may waver but the sky doesn't."

At the mention of the nest, Nari realised there was another problem - they needed to track their progress and look for the nest itself. Taking one last look at the sky, before sighing to herself, Nari turned her eyes and focus to the path around her. The forest seemed calm, almost eerily so. It reminded her of a few places she'd visited in the real world, years ago. 

"Right. Nest...how hard could it be to find a dragon's nest? I mean the thing must be huge, right?" She didn't laugh at the joke herself, something unnerving causing a tremor down her spine. "I wonder if it's going to be like the last one, where we just...stumbled upon it entirely by accident."

---

ID211271 | LD: 19+4=23 | Search for the Nest | WE FOUND A DRAGON NEST.

 

[NIGHT 0]

if they were venturing out within the night, perhaps she would've agreed, somewhat. because didn't clouds move? and beyond them, a vast blue, colors remaining the same unevenly throughout the floor? the player shook her head when nari couldn't see her -- no, she wouldn't get it the way her companion did, after all -- and was only a tad relieved when her sights were taken off the canopy. that was her cue, too, to search for the nest as well.

"I wonder if it's going to be like the last one, where we just...stumbled upon it entirely by accident."

so they did stumble upon it entirely by accident this time. but it wasn't obvious that it was a nest at all. with the faint sound of a stream through the mist, their surroundings void of signs of movement, the player had little intuition on her relation to the environment. she was caught by surprise, then, when the silhouette of something large, resting on the floor came into view. it was that, its shadow growing bigger as they approached, and upon heightened definition as night ushered the party towards it, the mist first revealed a dislocated paw.

more followed. scales that failed to shimmer on a body mostly coated with blue skin. protrusions through it, unnaturally, as its surface was pulled taut to follow. skin that folded in on itself, afterwards, as night studied the pile further -- until she could finally find eyes and a melting snout.

add one more to the list of burdens weighed on her mind.

the player turned away, trying not to look, catching an approaching shadow in the fog instead.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari stood still as she gazed over the massacre that was once a nest. The gore before her was far beyond anything else that she had ever seen in Aincrad, and for the moment she couldn't look away - her eyes focused on the horror. When the voice spoke from behind them, it took Nari by surprise, causing her to spin and whip the scythe around into a ready stance behind her, before she'd even laid eyes on the dragon itself. "Why have you come here, little ones? Do you desire further bloodshed, further death?"

Nari stepped back at the fury in the voice, her mind racing as she tried to find the right words. Slowly, carefully, she lowered her raised right hand, letting her guard slip enough to appear less threatening. Not that she likely appeared very threatening to a dragon to begin with. "Bloodshed? Err...no...not...well, we're looking for...a dragon...err..." She glanced towards NIGHT for a single second, unsure of what else to say. She had limited information about the quest, and she suddenly realised that skipping scenes may not have been the best idea. "What...what happened here?"

The dragon seemed to eye the two of them for a few seconds, before turning away and calling back to them, telling the two how it would explain things as they walked. Cautiously, not trusting what was happening, Nari fell in behind the dragon before casting a look of doubt towards NIGHT. Neither could get out a word though, as the dragon began explaining the horrors of the Fae, and the experiments they were conducting. The way that the dragon and her mate had fought to protect their young, and the eventual outcome. As the story continued, Nari felt herself throwing confused looks at NIGHT, trying to figure out what it was this quest expected of them. The answer, however, came quickly as the dragon suddenly explained how their cousin, a larger adult dragon, was trying to escape its containment area beneath the city of Aruyt - and how it desired their help in ensuring that would not happen.

Confused, Nari gave a quick comment of agreement - at least they had a path forwards now? - before obtaining what could barely be considered directions from the dragon. With the directions memorised as much as possible, the dragon dismissed them, sending them off to search through the forest for an underground cavern, in order to face the dragon alone. As they walked away from the secondary nesting area, Nari turned to NIGHT with a confused look, before whispering to the girl. "I'm fucking confused...the Fae obliterated her family, but we need to...go stop its cousin from breaking house arrest?"

Shaking her head, she led the way into the forest, leading the two on a wandering path for what felt like an hour, before eventually finding the entrance into the lake beneath the ground. Scythe at the ready, she led the way below, ready to be done with this odd quest - and more importantly, return to the fresh air above the ground.

[NIGHT 0]

"hey, i won't ask if you wont."

and of course they'd wandered for what seemed like ages. because -- directions be damned, in a forest where everything shifted as the fog willed, only landmarks and approximate steps could've been taken before either of them found a blockade. night huffed as they'd found the lake underground -- a horrid dwelling, to her estimates, and likely an even worse fight to be had in the depths. so gingerly, she lowered herself into the water, before pushing off a nearby wall to swim forth.

before she'd seen the dragon, she found the crumbling pillars instead. and sure, they were able to breathe underwater, but nukal never said anything about talking. had there been time before their foe glided out from the lakebed to communicate of their targets to nari, night would've done so.

it was too bad, then, that the party of players got unlucky.

night chose to do best with her actions -- striking the white rocks, stacked upon each other, surely it would've conveyed enough to her friend. right?

Spoiler

> POST ACTION: AoE-I 

ID211579 | BD7+7 = 14 | -> vs Pillar of Support #1
ID211580 | BD3+7 = 10 | -> vs Pillar of Support #2
ID211581 | BD5+7 = 12 | -> vs Pillar of Support #3
ID211582 | BD9 | -> vs Pillar of Support #4

21 * 15 = 315 DMG
315 - 100 = 215 DMG

(21+1) * 15 = 330 DMG
330 - 100 = 230 DMG

---

Pillar of Support #1 | HP: 135/350 | MIT: 100
Pillar of Support #2 | HP: 135/350 | MIT: 100
Pillar of Support #3 | HP: 135/350 | MIT: 100
Pillar of Support #4 | HP: 120/350 | MIT: 100

Qeozze the Deep Dweller | HP: 650/650 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 85 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | BD9+: Breath Attack | HP <= 325: Vortex | HP == 0: You'll Never Take Me Alive
 | Natural Predator: x2 attacks per player.
 | Breath Attack: Player Armor (med -> LD17+), (light -> LD13+); else -100 HP (unmitigatable), -75 next turn (mitigatable).
 | Vortex: Player Post Action -> LD15+, add EVA; else Lose Turn, -75 HP for 2 turns (mitigatable).
 | You'll Never Take Me Alive: no blessing. :(

NIGHT | HP: 1080/1080 | EN: 146/146 | DMG: 21 | ACC: 7 | EVA: 4 | MIT: 44 | LD: 13 | BH: 55 | VAMP-D: 55 | FS | AA | Stealth Rating: 6
Nari-Lanreth | HP: 966/966 | EN: 98/98 | ACC: 4 | DMG: 23 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 60 | B.Healing [+46] | L.Momentum: 1 | LD: 4 | Bld: 48

 

Edited January 2, 2023 by NIGHT