[SP-F17] A Goddess' Challenge | <<Challenge of Olympus: Artisan>>

[Oji 0]

Oji's business had been in the gutter ever since he started. It hadn't helped that he had an on and off relationship with the crafting skill, but ever since the Roundtable he'd not been feeling himself. He had not only felt as if he'd failed as a mediator, but he in fact almost caused the entire meeting to end because of his wording. He set off one of the councilmen, and they had almost stormed off if not for the assistance of another one of the council speaking. After that, he clammed up and was only another body in the background, muttering thoughts and comments about things happening in the foreground. Ever since then, he had felt like a failure. All the times he had helped others, he had been able to help them with some of their grievances. Nari came to mind, how he helped her that day on the beach. But this time he had failed, and colossally at that.

Even Soup, the small adorable creature, had done his best to cheer up his master. Making cute noises, nudging him out of his chair to go on walks, making messes and acting as if he didn't do it. But none of them seemed to work. He would cheer up for a few moments, then the glazed look in his eye would take over. The sable was frustrated, but wouldn't give up. He nudged Oji for the third time, and finally the tall man looked down from his chair at the table

"Oh, sorry Soup, did you want anything?" He asked in a low tone. The creature scurried over to the bucket of feed for the slimes, and Oji just nodded. "Right, it's feeding day." He responded. He took the pail and followed the creature to the small gated area, swung it open wide and started to feed the multicolored array of slimes he kept. Most of them has seen him as their food supplier, but some very few saw him as a food source, and he had to stay on his toes around them.

After thirty minutes, all slimes were fed, groomed -which entailed large slime resistant gloves and a large bucket for bones- and pampered. After this, Oji wiped a bead of sweat off of his brow and smiled. "There, they should be good for a few days." He smiled. As he made his way back towards the entrance of his home, he noticed something amiss that hadn't been there before, a red letter with gold lettering, and a silver wax stamp on the back with a lightning bolt.

"Curious."

Used Expanded Slime Farm, 10% EXP Gain for thread

Quest:

Spoiler

Floor 17
<<Challenge of Olympus: Artisan>>

Quest Rewards:

• 500 Experience Points
• Aphrodite’s Magnifier | Crafting Tool | Meticulous: +1 CD when crafting in one’s workshop.

Requirements:

• Player must be at least a Rank 2 Artisan.
• Roleplay the following:
  • Receiving an invitation to visit Olympus, on Floor 17.
  • Meeting a satyr guard, often acting as an escort for the player.
  • Speaking with Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.
  • Initiating a challenge set out by Aphrodite.
  • Overcoming said challenge.
• Players are given reign to craft the challenge on their own accord. They are also welcome to alter Aphrodite's demeanor and appearance to better fit the story they want to tell.
• Players are encouraged to set a difficult challenge for their characters to overcome, be it through wit, strength or sheer willpower.
• Gods in these quests are NPCs solely for RP flavour. They are unable to engage in combat nor affect the setting of Aincrad in any way.

Summary:

Most players receive a message in their system mail at the ding of their profession reaching Rank 2. Sent on behalf of his pantheon by ‘Zeus’, players around Aincrad are invited to visit Olympus on Floor 17 to test their skills against the gods of their respective crafts themselves. Succeed and receive a limited edition trophy that’s guaranteed to boost your skills even further. Fail, and…

Well, Zeus was occasionally known to waste one’s time, now wasn’t he? 

The road to Olympus is guaranteed to be safe when undertaking this quest. A ‘Blessing of Olympus’ buff seems to repel most monsters away from the player, should they stick to the main road leading to the mountain. And as though that wasn’t enough, the gods have sent a satyr to lead them to their abode, ‘just in case’ the player got lost. Anyone even remotely versed in Greek mythology might be able to tell that it is Hera’s handiwork that lends them safe passage. Zeus isn’t the kind of entity to have taken precautions.

Out of all the gods of the primary pantheon, Aphrodite is the most likely to seek the player once they arrive at Olympus. Call it her overzealousness or an attempt to better her first impressions to the challenger; the goddess always greets the player with a warm and cheery smile. Some have described her as being too air-headed and bubbly. Others find solace in her heartfelt conversation and eagerness to welcome strangers to her own abode.

Each god’s challenge differs from player to player, so rarely would one’s preparation lend them aid in the upcoming trial. For Aphrodite, her challenges are almost always half-hearted and unrefined with regards to their rules and regulations. Most of the time, her tasks are centered on the goddess’ or the player’s personal aesthetics; rarely would she test her challengers of how their craft might benefit their users. With the judge not appearing to take the trial too seriously, then, what players offer the goddess might come across as a formality. However, Aphrodite is just as likely to turn her nose up at the offering should it not fall within her personal qualifications of ‘fashion’. 

Should any win her approval, they are awarded a golden magnifier, alongside the goddess’ own blessing and favor.

Outline:

This quest is strictly a roleplaying exercise.  There are no mandatory mechanics, save the general rules of the game.
 

---

NPCs:

<<Aphrodite>>
An excitable and curious entity, Aphrodite is talkative, and just as graceful with words as she is with her poise. She revels in the discourse of personal and intimate affairs, emotions and assorted fancies of mortals, and the expressions of such are the means of her challenges.   The more original the medium, the more likely she is to be impressed, for the span of Aphrodite's attention is known to be fleeting.

Stats:

Spoiler

Oji, The Uncle of Aincrad
Level: 26
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 520/520
EN: 70/70

Stats:
Damage: 1
Mitigation: 20
Evasion: 4
Loot Dice: 6
MENDING: 2
REC: 6

Equipped Gear:
Weapon:
Armor: Field Medic Camoflage [LM 1, REC 2]
Misc: Kerykeion Kit [LD 1, LM 1]

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Searching R4
Cloth Armor R5


Active Mods:
Energize

Inactive Mods:


Addons:
Field Medic
Hyperactive
Nimble

Active Extra Skills:
First Aid R5

Inactive Extra Skills:
Survival
Assault Mode

Battle Ready Inventory:
Dagan Crystal B x1 (Reuseable)

Housing Buffs:
Hard Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [1/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild:

Wedding Ring:

 

Edited October 14, 2023 by Oji
Forgot to add my stats

[Oji 0]

Oji slowly wandered over to his mailbox, the red letter shimmering with power. He reached out and took it in his hands, and a popup window appeared as his fingers brushed the rough paper. It was apparently a quest of some kind, named 'Challenge of Olympus' and he was a tad confused. What kind of quest showed up in your mail box? He popped open he letter, being delicate with the wax stamp, and tentatively took out the piece of paper within.

The paper was soft, supple to the touch and the lettering was in a cursive that took years to learn and master. I was beautiful, and the sold and silver ink made the words almost pop off of the paper. He grabbed his glasses out of his pocket and read the letter in silence.

Quote

To the Artisan known as "Oji"

Congratulations on your feats as a craftsman, I, Zeus of Olympus, have seen your growth and I believe you are worthy of the Challenge of us, the Gods of Olympus!

Come to the 17th Floor, where you shall meet with one of the Gods or Goddesses, who shall give you the challenge of a lifetime! If you succeed, you shall be given a reward worthy of such a man, but if you fail... Well, lets hope you don't shall we?

- Zeus, King of the Gods, God of the Sky, Lightning, Thunder, Law, and Order
Member of the Twelve Olympians

Oji was a bit taken aback by not only the contents of the letter, but by the astounding number of Titles Zeus had given himself. From his very limited knowledge of... Greek Mythology? Maybe it made sense. A lot of the Leading Gods of any culture were a bit full of themselves. But him? Worthy of a Challenge? He didn't believe it, but he had the letter within his hands that proved the call. He was a bit worried, but honestly, why not? He needed to get out of his funk, and maybe some new scenery and a challenge would get his mind off things.

[Oji 0]

Oji packed away a few things into his inventory before heading o the 17th floor. A bit of spare food for him and Soup, since he had no idea how long this would take him, his artisan tool, Hādowāku. And finally, his backpack he wore that comfortably held Soup. He set it on the ground with the top open, and the sable gladly hopped in, getting comfortable on the soft blanket and peering out the bubble-like window, where he could watch things safely. Oji zipped the top and put it on, shifting to find a comfortable way for him to wear the sable-weighing backpack.

He locked his door and headed through the thick woods, waving at some NPC's and passing players, Soup taking a small nap within the backpack-carrier. As he approached the floor's main town, he found himself doubting his abilities as an artisan. Was he really worthy of this quest, or did he just meet prerequisites to take the quest? He hadn't even sold a single trinket and yet he was somehow worthy? It didn't click in his mind. The word 'Worthy' rang in his head as he stepped onto the Teleport Pad

"Floor 17" He spoke in a defeated tone, and with a shimmer he was whisked away from home, and onto an adventure.

[Oji 0]

As he squinted his eyes at the sudden, bright shining light that the 17th floor seemed to give off, Oji found himself within a very Greek-themed floor. Gleaming white marble pillars and buildings with stone and sandstone intertwined. It was breathtaking, but it took him a minute to get used to how bright everything seemed to be. On the floor his home was located on, a lot of it was darker tones, as the sun couldn't pierce every inch of the dense foliage of the forest, so it gave a luminous glow to everything. This light was striking, making everything seem to radiate with the power of the sun.

"Well, we're definitely in the right place." He spoke to no one in particular. He opened his map and saw that Olympus was up a giant staircase a ways away. He slowly made the trek, his eyes adjusting and he started appreciating the structural sophistication that this town had. All of it was beautifully made, and had he not enjoyed his own home, he would enjoy having a home here. Soon after, he found the staircase and began the perilous climb up.

After almost an hour of climbing vertically, he made it to the foot of Mount Olympus, and his weary legs almost collapsed from the ascension. He heaved over for a minute and held himself aloft through sheer will power, his breaths ragged and strained. "I am.... Never.... Climbing Here... Again..." He panted out, and he only heard Soup squeak from the backpack. He took the backpack off and opened the case, where Soup climbed out and started to explore the surrounding area.

The base floor of this grand piece or architecture had a lot of vegetation. Differing trees, flowers and shrubs all dotted the area, giving a floral aroma that coated the senses. Soup found a fruit tree and climbed up, grabbing a small apple and nibbled on it. Tree-like creatures appeared from these, but did not seem hostile in the least. They waved politely and Oji waved back. What were they called again? Dryads or Nymphs? He couldn't remember specifics, but as long as you didn't chop down trees he would be fine.

[Oji 0]

After a few moments of recovery, Oji was up and wandering the area for a few minutes, enjoying the rich-looking fruits and speaking to the different NPC; who all seemed to be minor 'gods' and differing nature creatures. They were all polite and taught him about Olympus. Soup enjoyed the attention of the differing nature creatures, who all cooed him and gave him small berries to munch on, which he did happily. Soon after, Oji gave a small whistle and Soup looked over. Oji was ready to go and he finished off his last berry before scurrying to him, climbing up his leg and perching on his shoulder.

"Alright, now who do I talk to..." He muttered to himself. He saw another large staircase, guarded by two Satyr guards, creatures with the torso of a man, but the legs of a goat. He came close to the staircase, when they both blocked his entry with their large glaives. "Halt, by the decree of Zeus, none shall pass without being summoned." The one on the left spoke. "Please leave the staircase immediately, and make your way back down to the mortal realm." the one on the right said. Oji held up his hands in defense.

"Sirs, sirs, I was summoned by Zeus for a challenge." He said respectfully. The two Satyrs looked at one another, then the one on the left held out his hand. "Please give proof of the summons." Oji was confused for a second, but then remembered the red envelope. He grabbed it from the inventory, with the letter inside. The satyr took the red envelope and procured the letter from within, scanning the contents, then nodding to himself and putting the letter back. "Alright, it checks out." He spoke as he handed the letter back. "STIG!" he shouted, and a small Satyr in armor that barely fit came running over from out of view. His green eyes peered through the helmet, his legs trembling and the glaive in his hands barely being held up.

"Y-yes sir?" He squeaked out, and Oji's heart hurt. This was a small kid, even if he was just an NPC, he barely had any horns sprouting from his head. "Please take this mortal to the Olympians, they have summoned him. I can trust you with that, cant I?" He said, and Stig quickly nodded his head. "Good, now get moving." The two guards uncrossed their glaives and stood at attention, starting straight ahead. Stig came to Oji and did his best to salute him, but the helmet fell from his head and his eyes disappeared from view. Oji held back a laugh as he re-adjusted the helmet, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "Right this way sir." He spoke, and they started their ascent.

[Oji 0]

Oji followed behind the young stayr in silence for a long while, the ascent taking awhile longer than he was expecting. The footsteps echoed off the clouded pathway in mute tones, making it feel as if he was in a void where no sound could escape from this accursed staircase. After a few moments, he awkwardly cleared his throat to help break the ice.

"So, how long have you been a soldier?" He quizzically asked. The stayr did not turn around, but kept his head high and weapon in hand. "I'm sorry, but I am not supposed to speak to those who are summoned. You are greater than I." He said, a bit higher in pitch. Oji only smiled. "I can believe that, but the silence of these stairs is driving me mad. Plus, I will not tell if you dont." He said to the young goat lad. The stayr once again held his head high and did not even look his way.

"I'm sorry, but once again I cannot speak to those who are summoned." He spoke, a bit solemn. "Besides, I am but a low ranked stayr who's horns have barely grown in. I'm sure there are better guards to converse with." Oji frowned a bit at that. This young NPCs view on himself was very low, and maybe Oji could help fix this and not screw it up. He stopped climbing the stairs, and soon the stayr noticed and stopped at attention.

"Listen, Stig, can I call you that?" He questionably asked. He got no response back, so he took that as a yes. "Stig, you are here with me, and you are being a very good soldier. You are standing tall with pride, and with time I'm sure you'll grow into those horns in no time." He said, taking a small step forward. The young stayr faltered, and he turned slightly to Oji, and he could see the tinge of a blush on his furry cheeks. "T-thank you sir..." He said sheepishly, or goatishly in this case. "I can... conversate, but only about myself. I will not disclose anything about our forces or our people." Oji laughed at this, and the stayr had a hint of a smile too. "Well, I didn't want to talk about those things so that works great for me."