[F01;PP] Nature's Secrets | <<Scents of the Wild: Keepers of Nature>>

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

It had been a long time since Nari had entered the confines and streets of the Town of Beginning, but as she stepped off the teleporter pad she couldn't help but wonder at the immense size of the cityscape that lay before her. A small tickle of surprise, one that she had felt long ago, when she'd first entered the world of Sword Art Online, reached into her heart and mind, and she found herself marvelling at it all once again. The spell broke quickly, however, as she spotted the towering pillar that signified the area where they had been told their fates. Bitter memories washed over those of a purer nature, and Nari found her mood soiling immediately, her step taking a much more aggressive manner as she moved away from the sights she had stopped before.

"It's time that I took up this questline, Mio...I mean it's been years since it was released, and...well, I've been putting it off. But no more. I need to get this one done, if I'm going to be serious about frontlining. And no, this isn't just some OCD measure of checking off all the boxes...entirely. But it needs to be done, and you'll just have to suffer alongside me." She spoke to the kitsune at her feet, her voice filled with a mixture of light playfulness and joy in complete contrast to how her expression had seemed mere moments ago. She made her way through semi-familiar streets, noting a few old shops that she had once favoured, before moving upwards in the world. "It's almost like it's frozen in time...so much hasn't changed..."

Her eyes passed over a familiar coffee shop, and she felt her mood shift again, turning away from it quickly as she realised just where she was. "And some things have changed. Alright...it's about time we head out of this city and really start on this quest. The information broker said something about a cavern outside the city proper, somewhere near the edge of the floor itself, but I need to find something first to initialise it...The sooner we find it, the better. I hear this one is...well, a pain, truly."

She'd made her way towards the gates leading out of the city, spotting the familiar guard that she'd waved at every time she'd gone through them before. Ever vigilant, on guard, and a sour reminder of just how much this game didn't change. She pushed the thoughts aside, instead deciding to focus on the wonders that could still be found within the world. "And if we finish this fast enough, maybe we can even hit one of those new bakeries on the way out, hey? I promise you this time I'll even consider buying you one of those tarts. Yeah, I thought you'd like that..."

---

 

  

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Spoiler notes [Theme] Nari-Lanreth | Lv. 33 | P. 54 | HP [940/940] | EN [106/106] | ACC [4] | DMG [9] | MIT [179] | F.AURA [32 MIT; 16 DMG] B.Healing [+51] | STEALTH [-5] |  FRSTBT [40 DMG; -1 ACC] | THORNS [72] | PARA [8+] | HM [+4 B.DMG] Tier 4 | Tier 10 [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 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.] 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.] Brawler [Active: Free Action. Energy Cost: 5 EN. Cooldown: 5 Turns. Effect: Increase mitigation by 10*tier until the start of your next turn.] 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.] 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  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.] 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.] 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==

[Wulfrin 0]

"Later Marv!" Wulfrin waved to the guard at the gates. Being only the second time he had left a city, it felt kind of rewarding. He had info from the info broker page that there was a cave on the outer edge of the floor. "While Freyd is busy I may as well check it out that cave." This of course was after the advice he had been given to start gathering equipment. He looked less like a newbie, but it wasn't all concealed. In actuality all he had managed to round up was a crystal to help him out with searching for things and a pair of ear cuff to boost his weapon accuracy. Now it was just a waiting game for the weapon and armor he had requested. In the mean time a quest. When searching for materials to complete <<The First Lesson>>, he had found the mouth of a cave. Freyd and him were were close to the edge of the floor so, secretly he hoped it was the same one. Wulfrin didn't ever enter, since he was still uncomfortable with risks, but since he knew at least the area around the cave was relatively safe, he decided to investigate. "Worst case scenario, I leave." Wulfrin said to himself. "Maybe I'll get lucky and someone else would be headed to the same place."

That was when he saw the other player. They had made it about half way to the same cave Wulfrin assumed the quest was talking about. "Pardon me," Wulfrin was careful not to sneak up. He wanted to impose as little threat as possible. He approached carefully with his hands raised in surrender. "But you wouldn't happen to be attempting <<Scents of the Wild>> are you?" He felt very exposed considering she was clad in full plate armor and he assumed she could end him instantly if he made the wrong moves. "If you are, would it be okay if I accompany you? I'm still fairly new as far as level is concerned, but I've at least done a thorough run through this area only a few days ago." There was something else though. A slight hint of disgust maybe? It seemed that Wulfrin may have mouthed something like, "Unfortunately" perhaps that <<First Lesson>> quest left him with a sour taste for the area.

* * *

Wulfrin | Lvl: 2 | HP: 40/40 | EN: 22/22 | ACC: 3 | DMG: 4 | LD: 3

Equipped Items:

• Rare one-handed straight sword: ACC: 2
• Dioscuri. | TIER 1 JEWELRY | ACC 3
• Crystal. | TIER 1 TRINKET | LD 3

Battle Ready Items:

• 3 Starter Healing potions (Heals 50 hp each)
• 1 T1 Uncommon Overhealth potion
• 1 T1 Uncommon Damage Potion

Skills:

• Straight Swords Rank 1/5
• Light Armor Rank 1/5

Edited February 13 by Wulfrin

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The walk had been pleasant enough, giving her time to stretch her legs and talk aloud with Mio without the constant questioning looks of those around her, or the consistent laughter that came from Onora whenever she did it in the blonde's presence. Her pleasant walk was, eventually, interrupted by a voice calling out from behind her, however. Nari turned reflexively, her hand shifting slightly as she reacted, pausing only once she heard the words of the other player. She listened, calmly, to his explanation and purpose, noting that he was headed in the same direction and for the exact same quest. Hesitation still in her eyes, Nari gave a slight nod towards the cave, forcing a smile that appeared hollow onto her face.

"You're in luck, I was actually headed out to the Scents of the Wilds questline. If you're interested, we could hit it up together...I've heard there's little in the way of danger, but that the quest itself is easier completed with...acquaintances." She'd paused when she'd almost said 'friends', realising that the word wouldn't be fitting for the current situation. Still, she was quickly to bring up her menu, hand hovering over the invite for a few seconds before sending it off towards the individual. "That said, I've been putting this one off for too long, so I figured I'd come back down and complete it."

She paused, glancing over the player's appearance and realising just how new to the game they appeared. Nari couldn't help but wonder at that, but she pushed aside the questions that bubbled to the surface, instead focusing on the fact that she would - for better or for worse - possibly be required to accept the other player's life under her guidance and protection. "Assuming you're interested, I will say...If I say run, you run. There's no unnecessary heroics or deaths. Is that clear?"

[Wulfrin 0]

"Yes ma'am," Wulfrin replied with a nod. "Let's be honest," Wulfrin uttered a nervous chuckle. "If you're saying run, I'm probably a dead man." It actually seemed to way on him quite a bit, as a depressed expression fell across his face. He accepted the invite. The suspicions of his level were correct, almost as novice as could be. Wulfrin was still uncertain about the current intentions. He had been warned to be careful just asking people in the wilderness, as PKers were a problem. Since her cursor was green, he assumed it should be fine. Together the pair continued on their adventure towards the cave. "I'm not planning any heroics," Wulfrin sighed. "I'm still not sure if I'd even stay and fight if it came to it. I've kind of been putting off actual combat until I can get some better gear." 

"Not to over reach or anything," Wulfrin spoke with an air of genuine curiosity. "But I'm trying to collect as much advice as possible before I set out on my own. You got any you'd like to donate?" He truly was curious. Wulfrin wanted to gather as much info as he could. He had already been scouring what was available for free by the info brokers, but he always found the veteran players had the best advice. Judging by the high quality gear of his new adventuring companion, they might have some of their own. "Quest recommendations wouldn't hurt either. I'm struggling with discerning difficulty levels."

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari was pleased to note that the player's intellectual awareness of the situation was at least realistic. They were very clearly fresh to the experience - something that she put aside for later review - but they were also aware of their limitations and capabilities. She nodded as the player spoke, feeling slightly more relaxed as they explained their lack of desire to face any dangers. Questions turned towards recommendations, and Nari found herself speaking almost immediately, old memories coming to mind even as she listed off the various information that she'd learnt throughout her time in Aincrad.

"There's always the foundational questions - The First Lessons Trio, I believe they're known as - which set you up with a basic understanding of how all of this works. Combat is...dangerous. Necessary, but dangerous. You won't survive thoroughly and advance without it, but you need to do so with caution and care. Mistakes can be the end, permanently. Beyond that, there's a handful of useful quests - those focused around technical skills and weapon attacks, which I would recommend. Perhaps maybe not the vampire quest yet, as that one's...difficult, to say the least." She paused to look over the individual before continuing her commentary, as if trying to gauge their personality or outfit. "The other advice depends on what role you're planning on taking within your party, or parties as it may be. For example..."

She waved a hand over herself as she began walking again, moving towards the cave and leading them towards the actual quest itself. "...I play the role of a technical-expert tank, designed to draw attention - known as Hate - away from others and onto myself, while also causing status ailments and damage over time effects on enemies that benefit the remainder of the party. There's a number of different aspects, although they boil down to tank, damage focused, or supportive roles. Any idea which you're planning on heading into? As that'll effect how you build yourself, and what sort of equipment or specifics you focus on."

The cave was slow to swallow them, the light shifting from the bright sunlight that had lit the exterior, to a dull darkness that cut away most vision. Nari was surprised that it didn't entirely blind her, but rather simply seemed to cut her vision down to half it's normal length. In a moment of comforting herself, she pulled up her menu and drew her shield and spear into existence, spinning the weapon in her left hand with a method of ease and comfort. She turned and smiled at the other player, hoping to alleviate any fear that might arise by the sudden action. "I like to be prepared, just in case. Areas like this can be...well, dangerous. It's never a good idea to wander into these possible dungeons unarmed or unarmoured. If anything appears - and I don't care how friendly it looks - stay behind me. If nothing else, I can give you a better chance of escaping."

She paused suddenly, a surprised look crossing her face before she held her right hand out, offering it to the other player. "Nari-Lanreth, by the way. But you can call me Nari."

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin listened intently eager to grab as much intel as he could. The mention of the First Few Lessons questline wasn't a shocker, but he had already started those. This quest was just a short detour before his next quest in the chain. He made a mental note to track down the technical skills and weapon attack focused quests. Perhaps they could help round out his toolbelt. The way his companion faltered at the mention of a vampire quest was slightly concerning, but since it was followed with a warning to avoid it for now, he decided that was in his best interest.

Wulfrin followed the player's gesture. She definitely fit the role she described. Her armor was on the heavier side compared to his own preference, but if she chose to tank the defense definitely served a purpose.  "Normally I'd gravitate towards DPS I guess," Wulfrin answered with a hint of uncertainty. "But in a game like SAO, its probably not best to just focus that to start. Maybe as I grow a party of regulars that I run with that can help fill out the weaknesses I can afford to focus more on it."

The cave was just as he remembered cold, dark, and damp. He drew his short sword with his right hand. It was too short and light to wield two handed like he normally would when on the defensive, but he did his best. He readied himself to march deeper into the cave. Nari was right places like this could easily become death traps if you weren't careful or even lost your way. Wulfrin didn't know if the system would correct it or not, but as a safety measure, he arranged a few small rocks with his feet into a larger cluster just beyond where the light began to fade. "Don't know how many twits and turns we might have to make," He said cautiously. "But I'll do my best to mark the places we've already been." After a few more adjustments the cluster resembled a rough arrow that pointed in the direction of the exit.

"Wulfrin," Wulfrin replied. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nari." Her confidence was reassuring. Wulfrin shook Nari's hand in affirmation. Then they began to press deeper into the bowels of the cave. Memories began to surface. His childhood had consisted of many outdoor activities, such as camping and cave delving. He hadn't done much in the form of trailblazing into caves, but he definitely knew he shouldn't be able to see. Luckily that didn't seem to be the problem as visibility was only dropped to about half. He couldn't damage the walls, since they were immortal objects, so his little rock piles would have to do.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

He's aware of the foundations of gaming, and the essence of each role's perspective within the greater world. Nari's thoughts passed through like a flicker of waves as she listened to his voice and explanation, nodding in appreciation as he made arrow markers with the rocks. She didn't doubt the idea, but even as she watched, she lifted a hand to point just above her head, signalling to the mini-map that hovered just on the edge of her vision - and she assumed his, as well. "The idea is smart, but...the mapping software will lead us back, if required. Which is not to discourage your efforts in any way, but...sometimes things aren't necessary, is all."

She led them onwards even as she continued focusing on providing advice, her voice soft enough to not carry too far ahead, and yet just loud enough that the other player would be able to hear without the necessity to come closer or strain themselves to listen. "If your intent is to go the path of DPS, I would recommend focusing on it from the get-go. You can, in future, repeal and reassign your skill points if you so desire, of course. But there's no point in taking skills that you don't necessarily need. For example, you could at lower levels take light or heavy armour skills, and refund them at a later time in order to take, say cloth...but why bother? It's a different form of fighting altogether, and you'll have to adjust your own actions, reactions and capabilities to deal with the change...rather than just going for it at the beginning."

She turned into a side alley, coming to a stop before a large stone doorway and frowning slightly. Her eyes passed over it, taking in the form and realising that no obvious handles, or other signs of openings appeared upon it. Tsking gently into the air, she turned around and led them down another pathway that she'd spotted, one which carried a soft glow - a glow that she'd wanted to avoid, if at all possible. "If you're worried about safety and the possibility of danger...well, then it's best just to find others to travel with. It doesn't always have to be higher level players either; a group of four level ones in this area are almost as safe as a single level thirty three player. Almost."

She flashed a smile back at the other player, meant to ease any discomfort or concern they may have been feeling. Although they were headed into a relatively new area - or new to Nari, at least - she was confident in her capabilities. I faced down a floor boss, didn't I? What sort of dangers could this cave throw at us that we couldn't at least escape from.. The sudden thought hit her, and she stopped and turned to the other player, her face serious. "Do you have any teleportation crystals?

[Wulfrin 0]

"Old habits," Wulfrin shrugged finally taking note of the minimap. He still hadn't fully adapted to the contextual design of the UI. He abandoned his original plan and focused more on covering the rear of their small party, always keeping an eye out behind the duo for any unwelcomed surprises that may attempt to block their escape route. "I was already planning on focusing DPS as much as I could, but I haven't seen many level ones running around. Its kind of just been a few higher levels here and there. I guess they are still hiding out and waiting for the game to be cleared." He thought back to how he had felt the same way until recently. He was glad he eventually got over that fear, as anymore waiting around would have just driven him insane.

They came to a stop just before a stone door. It had no visible ways of opening it, be it handles or even an inscription as a hint. "Most likely the final destination," Wulfrin said with a bit of disappointment. "There's likely something else we've missed. Best that we backtrack a bit." He wasn't surprised. These kind of roadblocks were all over RPGs. Wulfrin fell in behind Nari as they backtracked to the small corridor. The faint light made him nervous as it was the only source of light he had seen since they entered. Either it was a monster ambush, another exit, or more of a puzzle room. If it was the latter, he hoped it wasn't deadly.

"Do you have any teleportation crystals?" Nari stopped and turned to him a few meters into the tunnel.

"No," Wulfrin sighed. "I was too focused on my other gear I forgot to pick some up." Now he looked slightly defeated like he was mentally thrashing himself for such a rookie mistake. Ultimately it didn't make a difference. Wulfrin shrugged. "Too late to go back. I did bring most of my accumulated potions though, so I should be alright to get away at least." The cave hadn't posed any danger so far, but the sense of being unprepared hit him like a truck. All he could do was hope there wasn't a need for one as they pushed into the light at the end of their narrow tunnel.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The room that they entered wasn't entirely what Nari had been expecting. A small area, the roof had long since worn away due to the elements or some other means, allowing a flow of sunlight into the area that seemed to glow with the intensity of some beacon or spotlight - lighting upon the natural area in a way that normally would've seemed illogical or improbable. Her eyes hovered on the tree in the centre of the room, having grown beyond the expanse of the roof itself and into the air beyond, towering in an area where it should not have been able to grow to begin with. Her sight passing onwards, however, noticed the tablet situated at it's base - standing upon podium designed to display it's existence, and a clear intention in it's presence.

"Puzzles..." Nari sighed in response to the obvious design of the room. She was decent enough at puzzles - enough to match the most common of gamers in the world - but she was far from the strongest, and preferred to test her skills with the spear over the skills of her mind. She pulled up her inventory again, quickly pulling out an item before proffering it to the other player. "Here. Once you get back to town, I'd recommend heading to a local shop and buying a few of these...they're important to carry on you - even if they seem unnecessary, like in situations here...you never know what may leap out of the shadows at you, and try and end your life."

Once the teleportation crystal had been taken, Nari turned her attention back to the tablet, striding the few steps across the room to bring herself before it, and staring at it intently. There were clear etchings in the stone's face, but as Nari stared at it, she realised that she was incapable of understanding any of it. Her eyes lifted to the area around her, noticing small etchings in the trees bark - some of which seemed to match those on the tablet itself. "Gods strike me down...it looks like a project, of some sort. How are your ciphering skills? I hope they're up to the task at hand..."

---

ID219007 | LD: 10 | Ciphering Attempt | LD Total: 10/60

[Wulfrin 0]

Definitely a puzzle room. Wulfrin thought to himself. A sigh of relief escaped him. At the moment they were still safe but who knows what else awaited them after this. The doors they had left lingered in his mind. What secrets lay behind them. The first thing Wulfrin noticed was the inscription. He couldn't identify the language being used, if it was an actual language at all. Then he began to scan the rocky walls. The brighter light didn't reveal anything at a cursory glance, but he was sure there was an answer somewhere nearby.

Nari affirmed what he was thinking before opening her menu and offering Wulfrin a teleport crystal. "Thanks," He replied as he took it and stashed it within his inventory and focused on the tablet. "Should we not need it, I'll return it. If they are that valuable I wouldn't want to take away from your stores. Besides I was already planning a massive shopping spree once I got the easy quests out of the way." His gears began to turn. Was it a cipher of some kind? Maybe, but he didn't see a key anywhere. Perhaps a translation? It wasn't in any language he could understand. He went into a flow state; he was in his element. He was no stranger after all he had written plenty himself back when he was a DM for his group.

"Usually," Wulfrin spoke up. "Challenges like this aren't without some kind of hit as to where to start. If we can find that we may have an easier time. To answer your question about my puzzle solving abilities, I'm fairly confident in them, but I just haven't had much of a chance to utilize them yet." He pointed to one of the symbols. "Just a hunch, but I'm like 90% sure this is a vowel. It's frequency within the words is quite high. An E maybe?"

* * *

ID: 219008 | LD: 7+3=10 | Ciphering Attempt | LD Total: 20/60

Wulfrin received 1 teleportation crystal

Edited February 13 by Wulfrin
Forgot OOC info for receiving teleport crystal

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari sidestepped to allow Wulfrin more room to engage with the tablet, taking a standoffish approach as the other showed a greater aptitude for the situation at hand. She smiled to herself, almost laughing as she realised that she'd been ready to attempt this alone. She didn't doubt that'd she'd figure it out eventually, but she knew that it would've taken forever if she'd come at this without the assistance that the other player was providing. He's as much a help as I am a protector.

Her eyes flitted to the directed symbol as the player pointed out a possible vowel among the tablet itself. It took Nari a few seconds to catch on to what they were suggesting, but she noticed the pattern after examining a few other portions of the scrawling, smiling softly. "Alright, you are definitely better at this than I am. I hate to admit it, but I may be a bit of dead weight here...I'll try not to hinder you too much though."

Her eyes spanned over the area, noticing other, perceivable repetitions. Differing symbols which clearly repeated in a manner that was meant to show their importance to whatever was being displayed. Nari checked the tree's bark, comparing the small notations in it's flesh to those on the tablet, before giggling in response. "I may be wrong...but this word looks like 'seeking', if you follow the cipher here, and the obvious signs of the 'ing' ending in a few of these areas..."

Her finger moved to trace a few other areas that seemed to host the same combination of scrawling, an ending to a word that clearly seemed to hold a more definitive expression. Her eyes passed back and forth between tablet and tree as she tried to line up aspects of the information given, hoping to at least prove somewhat useful in determining the finality of the message presented before them - although she was sure that the other player would finalise the actual message itself.

---

ID219012 | LD: 4 | Ciphering | 24/60

**Notation: Nari provides one (1) teleportation crystal to Wulfin in previous post. Out of Character notation forgotten.**

[Wulfrin 0]

"Good eye," Wulfrin acknowledged the new found runes. The runes corresponding to a common suffix like -ing was good find as its very common. "If this one is seeking, that means this is most likely Stygian. If I'm remembering that typically refers to the area around the River Styx." He was big into various mythologies in the real world. As he continued to pick out key words and phrases, he began to feel fatigued just staring at various portions of words. The info was becoming a jumbled mess. What he wouldn't give for a pen and a pad for tracking the progress. From his best guess they were about halfway through a full decipher. "Let's see, I've managed one sentence, so far." Wulfrin pointed to a good portion of the inscription. "This says something about a sentinel of the afterlife bound by the Stygian River. If we work with the Greek, or possibly Roman since they somewhat share a pantheon, the subject could be Charon. He is the ferryman that would take the deceased across the River Styx. Other contenders could be Thanatos or Cerberus, The God of Death and the three headed hound that guards the gates of Hades, but until we can translate some more its hard to tell if they are related." He was very intruiged but need a break so he pressed his back against the cavern wall and lost him self in his thoughts.

* * *

ID: 219008 | LD: 8+3=11 | Ciphering Attempt | LD Total: 35/60

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari's head may have bobbed in agreement or acknowledgement of the commentary that Wulfrin was providing, but she found herself lost in the sense of the words themselves. She'd quickly failed to keep track of his ideologies and mumblings, and as he leaned back to break away from the tablet itself, she found herself giggling slightly. Shaking her head, she took her own turn over the tablet, looking for anything obvious that would stand out to her eyes, letting them range over the surface in what felt like a desperate attempt at being helpful.

"The unmoved titan who is callous and free...the unmoved titan...who was the unmoved titan?" Her brow scrunched ever so slightly as she considered the phrase, wondering at it's hidden meanings. She'd never been strong on Greek mythology - or the related Roman mythologies, if she were being entirely honest - and although names popped into her mind, she wasn't sure if any of them were even remotely correct. "Oceanus? Tethys? Uhm...Pallan? No, wait...Pallar? Pallas? Are any of these sounding familiar in any way whatsoever?"

She glanced over at Wulfrin, an almost desperate and defeated look on her face as she realised that she was doing a very small amount to help out. Sighing heavily, she pushed the tablet back towards him, shaking her head and giving out a defeated laugh in correlation with the movement. "This is definitely smarter than I am. Anything standing out to you? Cause in all honesty...I feel like I'm staring at advanced calculus mixed with irrational numerical cartography."

---

ID219017 | LD: 17 | Ciphering | LD Total: 52/60

 

[Wulfrin 0]

"I've got it!" Wulfrin exclaimed. "The titan and the sentinel aren't speaking directly about mythologies, but are instead are describing the bosses one has to face to complete the quest!" Wulfrin made his way towards the tablet and began to read the translated script. “If seeking power, wisdom and resilience, find ye those which embody nature’s graces: The fiercest of beasts with unmatched strength; a sentinel to the afterlife bound by the Stygian river; a wise and wily water-borne predator; the unmoved titan who is callous and free; a sly shadow high in the branches of the forest; and lastly, that which prowls and safeguards the sky. Only once vanquished will you harness their power to your benefit. These are the Keepers of Nature.” As he spoke the words the script on the tablet began to shift into more legible text. A small panel alerting the two players a new item was added to their inventories. It was a tablet similar to the one they had been translating with the deciphered script. 

"This is more what I expected," Wulfrin gestured to the tablet. "Initial gaming instincts says, keep the tablet on you and as you beat the bosses, the door we came to before will get closer to opening. Beat them all and the rewards inside are yours."

* * *

ID: 219008 | LD: 9+3=12 | Ciphering Attempt | LD Total: 64/60 | Tablet Deciphered!

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

Nari couldn't help the squeak of surprise at Wulfrin's findings. She felt a moment of excitement as she realised they'd successfully come to a conclusion on the puzzle's secrets, deciphering it as a team far faster than Nari would've ever been able to do alone - something that she found was a wondrous experience for herself, if not the other player. But as the other explained the, obvious now that she considered it, expansion upon the singular quest which would lead them into sequels and continuations, she couldn't help but release a sudden squeak of frustration.

"I shouldn't be surprised...Cardinal does love to take us on longer and longer journeys as of late..." She heaved a soft sigh, gathering up the tablet piece that would be associated with her success, and placing it into her inventory with care. Her eyes flitted back towards the stone doorway they had found earlier, well out of sight but still in her mind's eye. She felt the frown cross her face as she considered the questline, wondering just how difficult it would get as time went on, and uncertain whether it would be problematic for the other player or not. Turning back to Wulfrin, she forced a smile onto her face, deciding that worry wasn't necessary, yet. "We managed this all together, you and I. I would say we work well together, but I wouldn't want to be presumptuous. That said..."

She glanced back towards the out of sight doorway, her smile faltering slightly even as her mind considered everything, and a few breaths of silence passed before she continued speaking once more. "...I worry about what the future questline has in store, and the dangers that could be facing us. I wouldn't want to pressure you into something that could be deadly, so while I'll extend an invitation to join the secondary line, I don't want you to feel as though you need to come. If you want to focus on some other issues, to build yourself up and strengthen your capabilities, before tackling it - that's entirely fine. I'm in no rush."

She stepped forwards, bringing up her menu and sending the friend request with a few swipes of her hand. She smiled again, cocking her head to the left slightly as she did so. "If for no other reason than to let me know when you finally join the frontlines."

 

[Wulfrin 0]

"I'm not opposed to continuing the quest line," Wulfrin replied hesitantly, "However, in my current state I would likely just be a hinderance." Wulfrin put his hand up to his chin becoming lost in thought, almost like he was planning something. "If my gear that I ordered is finished soon, I would stand a better chance in combat. That said my level is still a problem, but I've got someone looking to carry me through <<Bloodstained Lands>> up on Floor 5. I think they called it a 'Shark Bait Training Program' or something like that. Perhaps after I go through that I could maybe start tackling the follow ups." He turned his attention back to Nari. He waved through the air as if to dismiss the possibility. "I don't have a time frame so don't feel pressured to wait, if you have someone else you can travel with." He grinded at his traveling companion as the friend request hit his menu. With no hesitation he accepted the request. He had intended to send one when they got back, but this worked just as well.

As the pair started out of the cavern Wulfrin made one final turn toward the door that barred their progression. With the tablet in hand he made a silent vow to clear this quest; whether that be with Nari, another player, or if it came to it solo. The latter was a last resort and would likely never happen but was still an option.

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The mention of someone willing to drag the lower levelled player through the fifth floor sounded familiar to Nari, and gave her pause. She found herself thinking over the possibilities, before shaking her head as she settled on the most obvious of them all. "Freyd? He does love to get involved with new arrivals, wherever he can. Assuming it is him, he's a good mentor. Take what you can from him. He understands things that go beyond anything I could teach...although I'm not the most capable instructor myself."

Her eyes shifted towards the pathway leading to the door as they passed it, before she turned her attention back to the other player, nodding slightly as if having decided something during their short jaunt through the area. She had little doubt in the future to come, but she decided that there would be no secrets. "There's no pressure at all. If I'm being entirely honest, a lot of my old...contacts...have gone dark. Not dead, per se, but dark...a lot of people have felt the pressure of life getting to them, I guess, and have chosen to become a bit more reclusive. I can't blame them, mind you...I've been struck by a desire to retreat once in a while myself. It's just..."

She paused in her words, as if considering how to approach the topic. Eventually she seemed to shrug, and continued her line of thought as if she'd come to a decision about the information. "...just that there's far fewer people around lately. They come out for floor bosses and such, but the general, day to day stuff...well, that's on those few of us still pushing to handle. And we handle it as best we can."

She hated the way it sounded as if there were frontliners of old who had simply given up - she knew that wasn't the case. She couldn't, however, think of any other way of putting it. They'd retreated to their comforts, to try and enjoy what life they could until such time as their skills were required. Nari couldn't, or wouldn't, fault them for the decision. 

[Wulfrin 0]

"Yep," Wulfrin affirmed. "Freyd's been showing me around. He had something else to handle, so I decided to go looking for adventure myself." He listened intently to Nari as she explained her situation. He continued keeping an eye out for anything that may jump out, but it wasn't as thorough as he had been. He didn't want to press but he could hear the hint of tiredness in her voice. She was the second to mention how the frontlines were dwindling more and more lately. He hoped to fight along side them, they were the reason picked his sword after all. People like Freyd and Nari had been fighting since day one to get everyone out, but progress had seemed to almost halt entirely.

"Alright," Wulfrin chimed in as they reached the cavern mouth. "I'll message you once I've finished up with Tera Firma. If you haven't already started chasing down the first target, The Fierce Beast, if we go by the inscription, I'd be happy to take it on with you. Maybe if you can tank the hits I can help out, but it wholly depends on how much I gain from going through Freyd's training." Wulfrin surrounded training in air quotes. "Oh before I forget," Wulfrin opened his inventory up and retrieved the crystal he was given before. He held out the crystal to Nari as they prepared to head back to town. "Like I said, we didn't need it so here's your crystal back. The trip back to the Town of Beginnings shouldn't be too dangerous."

* * *

Wulfrin offer's 1x Teleport Crystal to Nari-Lanreth

[Nari-Lanreth 0]

The walk back to the entrance of the cavern had been, thankfully, uneventful. She could see Wulfrin's eyes darting around as he kept a watch for anything of danger, and she couldn't help but smile at the action. It was a sign of someone setting out on their adventures for the first time, a leeriness of the surrounding areas and the danger they presented. She could still remember her original walks through areas like these - reflecting on how different things were now, and she found her smile broadening naturally.

"Consider yourself wholly invited. I've enough other things to keep myself busy while I await, and knowing how Freyd's training normally goes...well, you should be more than ready once you arrive. As to the tanking...so long as the thing isn't AoE focused, I can make sure it doesn't even glance your way." She waved a hand towards the proffered crystal, the individual offering it in return seeing as they'd made it away safely and without the necessity of using it. "Keep it. At least this way you'll always have one on you, even if you forget to hit up a store on the way to the fifth. And...maybe it'll bring fond memories."

She gave a soft shrug before stepping towards the direct of the Town of Beginnings. There was still a number of hours left in the day, a broad period before she'd be expected home. She intended to make use of those hours, now that there was purpose once more. Turning and giving a soft wave back towards Wulfrin, Nari threw one last smile at her newfound friend, hoping that this one would stick around for some time yet. "I'll see you around, hey Wulfrin? And next time we meet, I hope to hear all the stories about how you brought down that scaled beast and took Freyd's breath away with your amazing aptitude and skills, cool?"

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin stowed away the crystal. "In that case look out for a message from me." Wulfrin said as his companion began their trip back to town. With the dissolving of the party for now, the two parted ways. For Wulfrin this meant returning to Tolbana with tablet in hand to regroup with Freyd. On his way back a message appeared in his inbox from the blacksmith he had placed his order at. At last his new items were ready. He was one step closer to keeping his word to face down the rest of the questline with Nari. "Look out Aincrad!" Wulfrin said with excitement to himself. "I'm going to make it to your Ruby Palace and get these people out." With his Nature's Tablet in hand, he started into the familiar wilds towards Tolbana. After he cleaned up with <<The First Few Lessons>>, it would be time for the fight with Tera Firma.

* * *

Thread Closing:

Wulfrin receives:

547 971 EXP (Word Count [6741/10*1*0.7] + Quest [500]) Calculation Note: 6,741 / 10 = 674.1 (round down to 674) x 1 = 674 x 0.7 (70%) = 471.8 (round down to 471) + 500 [Quest] = 971 EXP total.
200 400 col (1 page [400] / 2 players) Nari donates.

Nature's Tablet

Unlock <<Scents of the Wild: Ferocious Foe>> quest

Nari-Lanreth receives:

783 EXP (Word Count [6741/10*6*0.7] + Quest [500]) 5,218 EXP [Total] | 6,741/10x10x0.7 [Thread Progression] + 500 [Quest]
200 0 col (1 page [400] / 2 players) 

Nature's Tablet

Unlock <<Scents of the Wild: Ferocious Foe>> quest