[F21;PP] Silent Pillars | <<The Hidden Village>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The mirror showed her a reflection that, somehow, didn't seem like her. She'd made the change with the expectation of becoming something, or someone, new. The shimmer of red that greeted her, however, made her question the decision. At first, the idea had been grand - new year, new her, after all - but as time went on she realised that changing her appearance wasn't changing who she was, not really. 

She heaved another sigh, before placing the dye into her menu, the shift in her hair colour coming almost instantly. The red disappeared, in its place the typical purple hue that she had come to associate with herself during her time in Aincrad, and many years past. She gave her hair a quick shake before stepping away from the mirror and out into the hallway. Onora had left earlier in the day, and Nari had found herself without any plans for the time being. Almost as if through boredom, she'd opened her menu and begun glancing through the various quests that were still labelled as incomplete. Most she had little desire or interest in attending, but as she scrolled she saw one stand out due to the name. The Hidden Village.

"Now that sounds...ominous..." She mumbled aloud to herself. Rising from the couch she had slumped into during her exploration of quests, she made her way towards the front entryway, donning the gear that she always wore now when she was getting ready to hit the field. "The twenty-first floor...been a while since I've gone underground. I wonder what's there..."

The winding path from her doorway, out into the wildlands that made up floor twenty-seven's path between her home and the main teleporter were filled with darkness - a darkness that Nari had come to enjoy, in a sense. It didn't take her long to cross the teleporter herself, a mere half hour at most, before she was calling out the twenty-first floor's main settlement, disappearing in a dazzling display of colours and shards as she shifted between the floors themselves.

---

 

 

  

Statblock

Spoiler notes [Theme] Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 32 | P. 53 | HP: 900/900 | EN: 102/102 | ACC: 4 | DMG: 9 | MIT: 179 | F.AURA [32 MIT; 16 DMG] B.Healing [+49] | STEALTH: -5 |  FRSTBT: 40 [2 TRN; -1 ACC] | THORNS: 72 DMG | PARA: 8+ | HM: +4 B.DMG Tier 4 | Tier 9 [Laurel Wreath] equipped Póg Deiridh [One-Handed Assault Spear; Tier 4 Daemonic] Enhancement: Frostbite [2 Slots] Enhancement: Accuracy [2 Slots]  Glacadh Morríghan  [Heavy Armour; Tier 4 Perfect] Enhancement: Frost Aura [2 Slots] Enhancement: Heavy Momentum [1 Slot] Póg an Gheimhridh [Tier 4 Daemonic Heater Shield] Enhancement: Paralyse [1 Slot] Enhancement: Taunt [1 Slot] Enhancement: Thorns [2 Slots]   battle-ready inventory Teleport Crystal {3} Starter Healing Potions {4} | Heals 50 HP Siúil a Rún {5} | Tier 3; Perfect Support Song | HP Recovery III Sí do Mhaimeo Í {1} | Tier 4; Rare; Support Song | Monsters’ Fortune II Níl Sé'n Lá {1} | Tier 4; Perfect; Masterpiece Support Song | Monsters’ Favor III [Instant] skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills Battle Healing [Rank: 5. 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.)] Howl [Active: Post Action. Energy: 2 EN. Cooldown: 2 turns. Effect: Adds +2 Hate each against up to 4 targets.] [Howl Add-on] Focused Howl [Active: Post Action. Energy: 4 EN. Cooldown: 4 turns. Effect: Adds +4 Hate against a single target.] 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 Heavy Armour [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: 35 MIT. Evasion is capped at 1 slot; -5 Stealth Rating.] [Heavy Armour Mod] Impetus [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 base Damage.] [Heavy Armour Add-on] Iron Skin [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +15 Mitigation and +15 x 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.] Frozen Hide [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect: As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn.] Block [Active: Passive. Effect: Requires an equipped shield. User’s evasion cannot be greater than 0 (can still be negative). Grants additional mitigation: 25 MIT.] [Rank 3 Block Mod] Shield Bash [Active: Post Action. Energy: 6 EN. Cooldown: 2 Turns. Effect: Make an attack with an equipped shield. On a hit, deals (Base * 10) damage, stuns the enemy for one turn, and applies status and thorns (and variants)  enhancements present on the shield. Note: When calculating Base Damage for Shield Bash, Weapon Skills do not apply.] [Rank 5 Block Addon] Rampart [Active: Free Action. Energy: 10 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Reduce final damage that would be dealt to you by 25% (rounded down). Effect lasts until the beginning of your next turn.] Survival [Active: Passive. Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.] Inactive Extra Skills  Assault Mode [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 Turns. Effect: As a free action, switch your accuracy and evasion values until the start of your next turn.] Brawler [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Increase mitigation by 10*tier until the start of your next turn.] Lady Luck [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Replace a single enhancement slot on your weapon with a random enhancement using the Appraiser’s Identification roll until the start of your next turn.] Meditation [Active: Post Action. Cooldown: 3 turns. Effect: Recover an additional (4 * Tier) energy.] Combat Mastery Mitigation [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +6*tier Mitigation per rank. Ranks of this Skill obey Mitigation enhancement caps.] Familiar Skills Protector Familiar [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 3 Posts; Effect: The next time you would take damage, your familiar rushes to your aid, reducing the final damage by 10%.] data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== 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. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler Estate Buffs Bedroom [-1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat.] Living Room [Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.] Storage Closet [+1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot] Basement [Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.] Extended Workshop [+2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt & +1 crafting attempt per day.] Greenhouse [+2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.] data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

[Jevi 0]

Against her better judgement, she went searching after him. That damned, white haired menace that had stolen her heart, vanished from her life, reappeared without a word, and disappeared again. She had half a mind to just wipe his name from her friends list, and from her life completely. Yet, she found herself climbing the hidden steps, carved into the mountainside outside of Floor Two's settlement, where she knew - or had strategically found out - he had spent some time training. 

Of course, he wasn't there. Which sent a menagerie of emotions running through her mind; disappointment, frustration, and fear for her friend. The only person she had managed to find was an NPC, a familiar one at that. The same old geezer who passed out the Martial Arts quest. Only this time, he wasn't hunting down Jevi to pass on this skill. No, instead, he simply meditated atop a just as familiar large boulder. The peace, the quiet. A perfect place to train and meditate. She could see why Grave chose this spot to hide away and better himself - center himself. Jevi had been doing the same, though physically for the most part. She hadn't given her mind or body the rest it needed in God knows how long.. she owed that to herself. 

---

After some asking around, she found one of the best places to try and mediate were on the Twenty-First floor, and following the usual cliché, it was under one of the waterfalls. She had visited a few, in search of the perfect one, though most of them had other players canoodling or just taking in the views. She didn't want any distractions.. so following a path close to the settlement of Charko, she found the perfect falls just off the beaten path of the city. She stared at the water for a moment, illuminated by a series of lavender crystals just behind the falls, and took a deep breath. Unequipping most of her equipment, she waded forth in the water wearing a pair of shorts and a top that looked more like bandages wrapping around her chest. There was no perfectly placed, flat rock, or anything for her to rest on, but she did manage to find a bit of shallow water that she could kneel under. That should do the trick. 

It took her awhile to get used to the pressure of the falls on her back and shoulders, but as she found her center of balance, it didn't phase her. She kneeled in the calf deep water for maybe ten, fifteen minutes before coming from her trance. "Hm..I can see why people do that now." she said to herself, her voice calm and quiet. Returning to the smooth path around the edge of the pool below the falls, she slowly walked the path, keeping her gaze on her silhouetted reflection in the water. 

Spoiler

Jevi | HP: 680/680 | EN: 82/82 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 2 | BH: 30 | KEEN: 2 | PARA | REC: 4

Jevi,
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 5
HP: 700/700
EN: 84/84

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 2
Evasion: 3
Battle Healing: 29
Keen: 2
Rec: 4
PARA

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Maelstrom Bracers -  Keen | Keen | Para
Armor: Brawler's Respite - Mit | Mit | Recovery
Trinket: Fancy Footwork - Eva | Eva | Eva

Skills:
Combat Mastery: Damage R3
Specialization: AoE
Martial Arts R5
Light Armor R5
Fighting Spirit
Lock Picking R3
Battle Healing R4

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Addons:
Stamina x
Precision x
Ferocity x
Resolve x
Dismantling

Active Extra Skills:
Survival 

Buffs: 
Rested | -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20%
Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll    
Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.    
Meticulous | +1 CD when crafting in one’s workshop.
Working | +2 EXP per crafting attempt
Forager | +2 Gathering EXP per gathering attempt    

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She'd definitely take a wrong turn somewhere. There was no doubt in her mind, as she stared at the waterfall, that this was not the village she'd been looking for. The heavy sigh that had escaped her lips, alongside the slumped shoulders, would only further signify Nari's frustration in the moment. You're lost, and you have no one to ask for directions. Brilliant.

As if in response to her whining, or perhaps directly due to the whining, Nari's eyes spotted movement around the corner of the pathway. She felt herself tense, and her hand twitched in the air, bringing up her menu as she waited to see what was approaching. She could feel her breathing coming in softer - an automated response to the increase in adrenaline that she was feeling - and her muscles tightening in preparation.

"Oh. Hello." The words were out before Nari could stop herself, the tanned woman's appearance taking her entirely by surprise. The individual seemed lost in thought, staring towards the waterfall as she moved around it. For a few seconds Nari almost felt guilt at having interrupted whatever moment the woman was having, but she pushed through the feeling and redirected her focus onto the problem at hand. "You...wouldn't happen to know where the village of....Charka? Charkuuu? Charko? Yeah, Charko, that. You wouldn't happen to know where the village is, would you?"

Even as she asked the question, she kept her hand posed to open the menu. She still wasn't sure who this woman was, and if she was alone or not, but she figured there was more harm in jumping to conclusions of aggression and hurt, than of taking a risk and being polite. Besides, she may be just as innocent as you are. Or maybe a bit more, all things considered...

[Jevi 0]

Honestly, she knew it was too good to be true to have complete isolation. Golden eyes peeled from the warbled visage of herself in the pool of water at her feet to the source of the voice. A shorter figure, long purple hair, armored from head to toe. They both kind of stood there in silence for a moment, catching each other's gaze before Jevi slowly lifted a hand to offer a small wave-less gesture. "Hey."

The individual spoke up, mostly asking for directions to the nearest settlement. As she spoke, Jevi's head tilted slightly. The voice was familiar.. a recent meeting perhaps. As the woman took a few tires to get the right name of the city of Charko, Jevi took it upon herself to dress herself a bit more appropriately - rather than standing there in a pair of wet shorts and wraps for a bra. The stale air of the cave was getting a bit cold anyway. So with a few swipes of her hand, she summoned her menus, and instantly dressed herself in a gray, sleeveless martial arts top, some black pants, and a blue, yukata-like robe that hung off of her shoulders. 

"Oh yeah, you're pretty close." Jevi said with a few small steps, moving in the stranger's(?) direction. She pointed off to her right, a trail that moved around the shore of the waterfall and up the side of a cavern wall. "If you just follow that path, you should come to a fork. There's a sign post there that'll send you the right way."

Before they parted ways, Jevi lowered herself slightly to get a better look at the lavender haired woman. "We've met before, haven't we? That gala turned pirate rain on the airship? Nari right?" Jevi would let out a small chuckle as she righted herself, crossing her arms with a smirk. "If I remember correctly, you ambushed me as soon as I got there and pulled me into a group to socialize.. called me 'another victim.'

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She'd almost taken a step away after the directions had been given, stopping only as the woman continued speaking. Nari's head ducked slightly, a small tinge of colour coming to her cheeks as the other individual reminded Nari of the event. She had, in fact, drawn the woman in and made a presumption - something that she had forgotten about for the time, and had hoped everyone else would've forgotten. Wishful thinking it would seem...

"Ah...about that...it...it was a joke, mostly? I think. I mean, you're beautiful and all, but..." She bit her tongue, hard, suddenly as she realised what she'd already said - and what more she could've accidentally said. Shaking her head slightly, she forced a smile on her face and tried to change the topic away from what she'd just said. "You said it was...this way?"

She pointed casually in the original directions that the woman had given, taking a couple of steps before coming to a stop once more. "Ah...you wouldn't happen to want to come with me, would you? I've a bad habit for getting lost, and...well, it would be nice to have some company. It's been...lonely, as of late. I promise I'm not going to try anything weird! It's just...well, I don't see too many players anymore, and when you do see someone, you kinda want to...grab on? Hold tight? I don't know, it's just lonely."

She'd said more than she meant to, and realised it belatedly. Biting her tongue, she spun on her heel and began stepping off in the direction she'd been heading. She had no expectations of being followed, especially not after her weird behaviours. Who would follow that? Weirdo. Absolute weirdo. I mean, come on! 'Grab on, hold on tight!' That's total creeper talk. Super weird. The voice inside her head berated her in response, ignorant of Nari's attempt to push it aside and ignore it.

[Jevi 0]

A tiny smirk crept across the brunette's lips. Some flattering words spewed from the babbling Nari as she tried to defend her actions as if they had offended Jevi in some sort of way. It felt nice to be called beautiful, she had to admit, even if it was a slip of the tongue. She felt it better to not press the woman and embarrass her any further - her lack of direction had already done enough damage in that aspect. 

"No worries, really" she said with a dismissing hand. "Honestly, if it wasn't for you, I probably would have found some corner to sit quietly in until I died, or someone else tried talking to me."  Before any further conversation would be shared, Nari was double checking the directions Jevi had given her. "Oh, yeah that way." she confirmed. Pursing her lips, she turned her back to the road, summoning her menus without any real purpose. Perhaps she did it to just make herself seem busier than she really was. 

That was, until, Nari spoke up again. She invited Jevi along on whatever quest she was about to partake in, going off on a tangent about 'not being weird' and rightfully failing at that job. "Story of my life." the woman said through a sad scoff. Loneliness was probably one of the oldest acquaintances she could always count on, and she continuously kicked herself in the ass for giving the cold shoulder and not keeping up with any friends she had made. Swiping a clawed hand through the translucent menus before her would distort them for a brief moment before erasing them from her field of view. She would turn back once again to face the shorter girl, "Yeah sure, I'm just about done here anyway. It's been a minute since I've gone on a quest." 

Stepping away from the pool, cautious with each step on the slick, wet ground, she would join Nari on the road towards Charko. "So, any idea what we're in for? I'm not too quest savvy, so I don't have that insider info some others have."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Surprise was the first thing Nari registered when the woman accepted her offering to tag along. Somehow, through even her most positive glimmer of hopeful thoughts, Nari had never actually expected the brunette to decide to accompany the bubbling mess that was the armoured knightess - if she could even be called a knightess, in truth. Pausing in her stride as she tried to take in the reality of the other's acceptance, Nari held her entire form motionless for a few breaths, mouth agape and a look of pure surprise on her face as she considered her response.

"Oh...the quest...yeah, I have a bit...a bit of an ide-are you really coming?" Her voice was filled with excitement even as she stumbled over her own words. Shaking her head to clear her broken train of thought, she forced herself to continue speaking before the other could answer in earnest, trying to collect herself as much as she could. Her manner changing slightly, she spoke again in a calm tone, forcing the emotion from her voice as she recited what little she knew of the quest ahead. "Right. The Hidden Village - the named quest - is located in Char...Charko...a village that doesn't really open itself to outsiders. Supposedly, in this event, players are welcomed in to assist...well, actually it doesn't really tell us what with. My info broker stated it's some nearby knights, and maybe a dragon...? Or was it dragon knights?...some dangers near the village had become more and more common, and so there was a quest giver - a woman, I think - who is asking for help of those who pass nearby. Supposedly it's a semi-dangerous quest. Or so the information said, but no need to worry, I'm quite good at protecting people."

She gave a slight nod in the direct that the other had begun heading, as if suggesting that they continue onwards. Nari made it all of seven steps before she stopped again, her face filled with a look of horror and her voice hitting a higher pitch than it normally did. "Oh, I'm Nari by the way! It's a meet you to pleasure you! Pleasure to meet you!"

She felt her face burn as the embarrassment rushed through her, and she couldn't help but turn away suddenly and begin walking with a stiffened measure to her form. Eyes wide and mouth snapped shut, she continued down the path without looking behind her, deciding that whatever the other chose to do now, she'd deal with in the moments that followed.

[Jevi 0]

This one was a strange one, no denying that. Nari seemed in utter shock that Jevi had agreed to tag along on this quest of hers.. Whether it was because of the quest's details or a possible reoccurring lack of companionship, she wasn't sure. 

"Y-Yeah I said so, didn't I?" she replied, a bit taken aback by the sudden outburst, "Unless you're trying to convince me to change my mind?" The smile she wore on her face faded for a moment, before closing her eyes and recomposing herself. "Anyway, so like I said, what do you know about what we are getting into?" 

Jevi couldn't exactly complain about Nari's botched understanding of the quest and the info she was given, since it was already more than she knew regarding it. Perhaps she just wasn't good at conveying information. But for someone trying to plead their case to get a fellow player - practically a stranger - to tag along with them into the unknown.. she wasn't doing the best job. Though despite it all, it gave Jevi a good chuckle.

"I'll greatly appreciate your support then." she would add with a slight nod, "I'm not exactly frontline fighter material.. probably wouldn't dare try to take this without any help. So I think we'll make a good team." 

As the two began their walk away from the pool beneath the waterfall, Nari suddenly spun on her heels to introduce herself.. as if she had not done so already. "I know... we've met before." she said with a scoff, though friendly in nature rather than condescending. "Not for long, but I still got your name.. And its Jevi, just in case you had forgotten that too. What's got you so nervous?"

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She could feel the heat on her face as the embarrassment became more than just a feeling inside of her, and she found herself looking away in an attempt to calm herself as Jevi questioned her unease. Taking a few seconds to collect herself, when Nari did respond, it was with her eyes averted, and a somewhat uncalm tone in her voice; the words quivering as if she were on the verge of laughing, or tears. "I get nervous around...certain people. Like you. I, uhm, yeah...nervous. Because...anyways, the quest!"

She tried to forget the moment that had passed, the unease she'd felt and the overall way in which Jevi was clearly effecting her. Instead, she turned to the one thing she could - the task ahead of them. Bringing up her menu in a manner that kept herself from looking in Jevi's direction, Nari focused on reading what she had obtained, and what she could correlate together. "We're supposed to go meet...this woman, who should give us the quest. And then we're essentially saving the village from...danger. A local band of armed warriors, from the sounds of everything...it's your basic protection quest...nothing too complicated, and I doubt you'd be in any real danger, but I'll definitely make sure to shield you from any harm. We wouldn't want that beauti-"

She stopped as she realised what she'd been about to say, her face going a darker shade of red as her eyes stared at the menu in front of her and she felt the desire to crawl into herself and disappear from existence. Thankfully she found herself being saved by a voice off to the side, speaking suddenly and from the shadows. "I believe that would be me, who you're talking about...my name's Ureka."

Nari glanced up to see a dark haired woman standing off to the side of the path, noticing the somewhat agitated mannerism of their stance. Almost immediately the woman launched into a request for help, explaining how the village - Charko - had become concerned about a collection of dragon knights along the border that had begun to move closer and closer to the village. "...we don't have much in the way of combative measures, and I don't think these dragon knights mean to be peaceful...so, we were hoping that perhaps some adventurers would be willing to assist us...all we want is for them to leave us alone, in peace..."

Nari glanced towards Jevi, her eyes meeting the woman for the first time since they'd left behind the waterfall and pool. "I think we can help with that, right?"

[Jevi 0]

"People like me.. hm?"

Jevi questioned the vague statement - if she could even call Nari's stammering that - with a cautious glance and a sharp, cocked brow. Following a stranger into the dark on a quest that even they weren't entirely sure of the details on should have been enough to turn her away, let alone the awkward exchanges the two were having. The much shorter woman having a young, cute face was no excuse for that either. But this was a world of swords and skills she once only dreamed of having, so she knew she could defend herself - if the need arose. Not only that, but she knew if she took every awkward encounter as a bad sign, she would never make any new friends. 

And the prospect of even one friend, after all this time, outweighed the negative.

With eyes glancing down at the lightly armored bracers encompassing her forearms, she would pull at the straps to make sure they fit snugly. Finding that perfect balance between range of motion, and the ability to throw a good punch. Her head nodded along with Nari's voice as she went over additional details about what they should expect, who to meet with, and how Nari would protect Jevi if the need arose.. Though the additional reasoning caused her to slow in her step. "Is that what the awkwardness is abo-" 

Her addressing of Nari's slip-of-the-tongue compliment was cut short by a figure standing just off the side of the road. Another woman, dark hair, this one not a player however. In fact, they were, coincidentally, just who they needed to meet. Falling into the usual, quest-giver programming, Ureka went on about the village being threatened by dragon knights, and how they were a peaceful people and blah blah. 

Seemed straight forward enough.

Glancing over at her companion for the day, the two players exchanged a glance, the so-far awkwardness from Nari's blue eyes fading for the moment. "Of course." Jevi would respond with a nod of her head, before turning back to Ureka. "Just tell us exactly what you need from us."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Once the two had agreed to help, Ureka's demeanor had changed immensely. The once apprehensive, standoffish woman now seemed more comfortable and relaxed, more welcome to the idea of providing the two adventurers with some guidance and information - and direction. Nari shifted as the idea of changing the appearance of the route towards the village was explained, trying to decipher how they could help. It was only once Ureka had finished speaking, that she herself spoke up, her voice carry a tone of curiosity and surprise as she attempted to reword everything she'd just heard.

"So the plan...essentially...is to redirect them? By hiding the pathway...or pathways?...to the village? Which means dousing out the torches that light the way...toppling the cairns along the path that make it stand out...planting rusted equipment? Not gonna lie that one seems...odd...and what's this about fools gold? Is that really going to distract them?" She found herself biting one of her nails, a nervous habit that was coming to the forefront - and one that she hadn't displayed in many years. "I mean I guess we can do that easy enough...let's see here..."

She glanced around the area, noticing for the first time that the path was lined by various torches and cairns, as if coaxing them in a specific direction. I really missed this? Wow... Nodding towards the features along the side of the route, she moved towards the first of the nearest items, deciding that she would at least get started on the task given to them, no matter how weird it may have seemed when explained. "Here...think you can help out with a couple of these...? They look heavy..."

---

ID221460 | LD: 9 | Result: Whiff out torches {2/4}
Topple Cairns {0/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {0/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {0/1}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 0/5 turns

 

[Jevi 0]

"So the plan...essentially...is to redirect them?"

The woman looked ahead them, eyes tracing the path that would lead them to Charko. She then followed suit, turning a chin over her shoulder and looking back the way they had came. It was a narrow tunnel that they really would not have found, if not for torches and rock formations revealing the path to them. Ureka gave them a couple of suggestions to hide their path. "There's some old broken pickaxes that we can place near the entrance to the tunnel.. Add in some of the rocks from the cairn, and they might think its just an old mining tunnel that caved in. Pair that with some of the fake gold going the opposite way, and I think we could really pull this off." 

Nari went for the torches, extinguishing the engulfed wood and rags to not even a smoldering ember, and then removing the spoke from the rocky earth to hide its presence. Jevi, while they still had light to work, decided to start setting the scene. A well crafted tower make of perfectly balanced, smooth stones to some may not seem like much to some, but to those familiar with this land could possibly read the messages intended. Sad that she would be the one to destroy it. With a swift, precise kick to the bottom of the stack, the cairn came tumbling down and scattering like a bag of dropped marbles. 

"Oh, I forgot, there's a signpost back the way we came. I'll go see what I can do about that." 

 

---

ID221820  | LD: 9 | Total: 18
Result: Whiff out torches {2/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {0/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {0/1}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 0/5 turns

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Almost immediately they'd begun moving, their actions a response to having a somewhat clear directive on what needed to be done. As Nari had rushed to quell the first pair of torches, Jevi had begun her work on toppling the nearby sign leading into the pathway, laying out a plan of action even as she went to work. Nari paused only long enough to listen to it, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, that should work. It'll definitely make them pause, at least...and if we have some extra time once this is all done, there may be a bit more work that can be done here..."

She moved over to glance down the side of the pathway, noting a collection of various vegetation that was growing. Although the light was dim now, she could make out the various forms of familiar plants, and smiled broadly as she considered the possibilities. Putting the thought aside for the moment, she returned to the pathway itself, looking towards the final pair of torches in the distance, as well as the entrance to the cavernous tunnel itself. 

"Alright, it's going to get dark here...careful where you step." She moved across to the torches, dousing one, and then the other and leaving them in a semi-dark state. "Once we get all of this done, maybe we can extract some of the vegetation in area and...sort of transplant it onto the pathway, make it look overgrown and unused. That may help with our abandoned mine idea?"

---

ID221948  | LD: 15 | LD Threshold: 8 | Result: Whiff out torches {4/4} | LD Threshold met; we don't fail yet.
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {0/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {0/1}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 1/5 turns

 

[Jevi 0]

A short jog back towards the waterfall, and just where the tunnel forked off into another direction, pointed, wooden slats of wood pointed in the direction of Charko and Tomoika. A couple of attempts to push and pull to dislodge the sign post, the marker eventually came undone. Discarding to post into a small, dark crevice in the tunnel wall, she hurridly made her way back to where Nari was hiding the trace of Charko. Suddenly, with the light of the last torch being snuffed out, almost complete darkness overtook them. 

"Woah. Alright, I'll be careful." Golden eyes blinked a couple of times to see if she could adjust to the crippling darkness. Eventually, she was able to focus enough to see shapes and outlines.. but no real details. Maybe they should have taken out the torches after doing everything that required beingabletosee. 

"Shit" she cursed under her breath, nearly stumbling as her toe caught onto an upturned piece of the cavern. "... Not my fault, I'm being careful... Trying"  Eventually, after dirtying her hands feeling for the pile of rusted shovels, dulled swords, and chipped pickaxes, she was able to get to work scattering them about. A pick or two by the "cave in" , maybe a shovel. Another pickaxed lodged into the cavern wall at the fork, and some well placed swords lining the path away from Charko. "They're knights.. maybe they'll ignore what they think is an old mining cave in and follow what looks like a warpath. Running towards danger-sorta vibe, y'know?" 

"That's a good idea, thought I saw some mushrooms around here.. some back towards the waterfall too. Think we can pull that off"

 

---

ID222060  | LD 8 | Individual Total 17 | Group Total 41
Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {0/1}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 1/5 turns

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She was happy to hear Jevi's tone of agreement, and as she glanced around and saw the amount that they had already completed, she couldn't help but smile in anticipation and excitement. In only a matter of moments, they'd managed to hide the majority of the trail, leaving it looking like a deserted path already, compared to what it had been when they had first arrived. Still, she could see that there was at least one or two more touches that they could put into it, and as she turned to grab a bag of fake gold that Ureka had procured, she decided that they had already done more than enough.

"Hey, I'm going to plant some of this fake gold stuff...did you want to grab some of the mushrooms that you were mentioning? Just...be careful not to hurt yourself. Once you come back with that, then maybe we can find a place to hide and make sure those knights do end up going on past." She glanced about, noticing for the first time just how dark it had gotten. "Once we've done that, we can find a place nearby to...err...sink into, where we can watch the area and make sure that they head right on past. Somewhere close enough that we can...pop out and redirect them, if need be..."

---

 

ID222164 | LD: 17 | Total LD Threshold: 17/16 | Result: Plant Fool's Gold | Threshold Met

Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {1/1}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 3/5 turns (PST Note: Just noticed we were on turn 3, not 2)

[Jevi 0]

"Got it" Jevi responded with a confident nod. Carefully stepping over the fallen arms and equipment, and being careful not to slip on any of the fallen stones, she followed the path back towards the waterfall once again. The trip was much more difficult, given the lack of light from behind her. Luckily, there was a couple of torches set up at the upcoming fork - and even more close to the perimeter of the crystal pool. Despite the crashing of water masking each of her steps, she still took caution with moving, lowering her body to become a smaller, less easily seen target. For all she knew, the Dragon Knights could have already passed the falls.. and she would be walking right into them.

Lucky enough for her, that was not the case. However, she did not know how long she would have to work.. and a green thumb was a skill she did not have. A small cluster of the fungi clung to the cavern wall just off to the side of the waterfall. "How the hell do you pick mushrooms.. with the thought of replanting them?"  She thought to herself, stressing over the idea for a moment before reality hit her, and made her a fool in her own mind.

Gently tapping the head of the mushroom, she would place the item into her inventory. Of course, without the proper skills equipped, she was not able to claim all of the fungi, and only a small handful. "This should be enough", she said to herself. Heading back once more, she regrouped with Nari, and knelt down right at the tunnel entrance leading to Charko. "Alright, I've got a couple of mushrooms.. not sure this alone will sell it, but lets hope it does the trick." Back into her inventory, she would easily replace the mushrooms into the ground, trying to make it look as natural as she could. 

---

ID 222305 | LD 16  | Group Total 74
Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {1/1}
EXTRA Plant Mushrooms {1}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 3/5 turns

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The gold had been planted, the entire area rearranged to look relatively abandoned, and as Jevi came back with the small collection of mushrooms, Nari couldn't help but think they had an actual chance of completing the task at hand. Everything was lining up nearly perfectly, and although she felt like they'd already done more than enough, there was a small itching in the back of her mind. There's more we can do...maybe a few more of the mushrooms? That would definitely make it look older, and more abandoned, wouldn't it? Or is that too much...?

"Hey, I'm gonna go grab a few more, make it look really abandoned, yeah? I'll be back in a moment!" She didn't wait for a reply from Jevi, simply dashing off into the distance where she had last seen a handle of the mushrooms tucked into a darker area. Her hands moved quickly, gathering up the mushrooms before dashing back towards where she'd left Jevi and Ureka. In a rush, but careful not to damage the mushrooms themselves, she transplanted the pieces with a care that had come from her experience working and gathering from the natural world - while not a green thumb by any means, it was a skill that had enough practice behind it that it was able to be completed without destroying anything vital. "There, that should do it...now we need to find a place to hide out and wait..."

---

ID 222403 | LD 12/32  | Planting Mushrooms!
Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {1/1}
EXTRA Plant Mushrooms {3}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 4/5 turns

 

[Jevi 0]

Nari was pretty quick to come back, and was obviously worlds more efficient with digging up the mushrooms and replanting them. Either way, the scene was set - or so they could hope, with what little they could see - and all that was left was to hide and make sure that the Dragon Knights took the bait. This was the first time Jevi had taken a quest like this.. where they weren't simply fighting monsters or fetching something to bring back to the quest giver. This took actual skill and cunning, and put the livelihood of Charko on the line. Feeling nervous was an understatement. She rubbed her palms together, wiping away the sweat that had begun to gather. With a breathy "Okay." ,she began to look around.

There were not many places to hide, at least so they could keep the Knights and the entrance to Charko in sight. They could simply retreat back to the settlement and just hope the patrol didn't see through their plan, but they needed to be sure it worked. And in the case it did not, they needed to be the first line of defense in case things got ugly. "Uh.. any ideas? I can't really find anywhere to hide." 

A few stalagmites jutted up from the ground, but not large enough for her to properly keep hidden behind. She tried to squeeze herself into a small alcove, but the fear of not being able to get herself back out stopped her from trying any farther. 

---

ID 222483  | LD 7  | Total 86 | Failed to go into hiding
Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {1/1}
EXTRA Plant Mushrooms {3}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 4/5 turns

 

 

 

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

She could hear the sounds of the knights approaching, a soft thumping in the distance that had been growing ever more loudly in the past few seconds. Nari watched, in a mixture of confusion and amusement, as Jevi seemed to scramble about, looking for somewhere to hide herself. She repressed the need to burst out into laughter, walking over to the girl and grabbing her on the shoulders before pushing her towards a divot in roadway that seemed to be well covered in shadows.

"As adorable as it is to watch you bluster about...try hiding here. The less you move, the more concealed you're going to be, so just...you know, lay still?" She turned and looked about the area for herself, noticing that the nearby tunnel entrance held a number of shadowed areas that could work for her own hiding spot. She was worried about moving too far away from Jevi, however, and paused as she considered her options. Not that there were many - her bulkier build meant that she required a lot more concealment than her companion.

Sighing, realising that she had little choice in the matter, she ducked into an alcove that provided her a decent view over the area, and the ability to launch herself from it should the knights get too close, or discover Jevi hiding...well, wherever she ended up hiding herself.

---

ID 222689  | LD 16  | Total 102 | Hidden!
Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {1/1}
EXTRA Plant Mushrooms {3}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 5/5 turns

[Jevi 0]

Nari had to step in to help her out, pointing out a hiding space that could suit her size and stature. She could not help but feel embarrassed, grumbling something to herself under her breath. A piece of the cavern floor that was upturned, creating somewhat of a shelf just off the side of the beaten path. Beside it, a stalagmite that assisted in providing even more cover. She could only hope that the Dragon Knights weren't carrying any torches, or at least didn't look too hard in her direction. It was a bit of a tight spot, definitely not going to be comfortable. But with the imposing sound of armored boots pounding against the ground with each step looming ever closer, desperate times called for desperate measures. 

One last look around, Jevi would grab onto the rock formation and use it to lower herself into position. Finding a handhold for her fingers to securely grip, she hopes that it was strong enough to hold her weight...

..She was sadly mistaken..

As the majority of her weight pulled on the rocks under her fingertips, she felt an all to sudden snap and crumple as the weak outer layer of the stalagmite cracked. Her shoulder hit the ground - hard - and the rocks she had pulled loose fell to the ground around her. Definitely not inconspicuous or quiet. Everything had gone silent in that moment that felt as thought it had lasted a lifetime, even the steps of the platoon of knights had slowed to a dead halt.. before picking up again at an even faster pace. 

Her golden eyes glanced in the direction she believed Nari was hiding, an expression that painted utter disappointment in herself. "I'm sorry." she mouthed.. though she probably couldn't see it. 

She had failed them, and Charko.

---

ID 22702  | LD 1 | Failed
Whiff out torches {4/4}
Topple Cairns {1/1}
Plant Rusted Equipment {1/1}
Plant Fool's Gold {1/1}
EXTRA Plant Mushrooms {3}
Dragon Knight Arrival: 5/5 turns