[SP-F11] Finding Nemo

Morningstar · February 20, 2024

Wind cut across Morningstar's face like ice cold daggers. The sound of clomping hooves was muffled by dirt, grass and moss. His cloak blew like a curtain in the breeze as he and his horse wound around trees and over fallen logs. He held his sword out as far as he could, the sharp edge of the blade pointed outward. The scout antman had not the chance to fight back. Its head separated from its body, dropping to the ground with a thud.

His horse leaped over a patch of tall bushes, crashing through the tree line and into a large field. On the opposite side from him was Taft, the primary settlement of the eleventh floor. He could see the white cathedral even at a distance, shimmering brilliantly in the harsh sunlight.

He passed through the gate and raced to the stables, where he was due to return his horse. The stablekeeper huffed, his arms crossed and a piece of wheat sticking out of his mouth. His beard had grown haggard and his bandana needed replacing.

"You're late," Morningstar heard the stablekeeper say. He dismounted the rental horse and walked it back into its stall.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Ran into an antman... herd? Troop? Platoon? What do you call a group of ants?

In lieu of an answer, the stablekeeper grunted. "It'll be an extra 500 col."

Morningstar sighed. "What, really? How late was I, ten minutes?"

"Three hours."

The swordsman looked surprised. "Oh, I see," he tapped away at the menu that had popped up, requesting his payment. "Very well, 500 col it is."

[ lv. 48 -> l. 33 / p. 15 ]

MORNINGSTAR | HP: 720/720 | EN: 110/110 | DMG: 26 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 6 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 8 (9) | FROSTBITE: 1 | BLD: 1 | REC: 4 | Prosperity: 3

Reveal hidden contents

equipped

bleeding giant
BLD I, ACC I, FROSTBITE I
red longcoat
EVA II, REC I
sapphire
ACC III, EVA I

battle-ready inventory

n/a

skills.

Reveal hidden contents

buffs.

Reveal hidden contents

arts.

Reveal hidden contents

misc.

Reveal hidden contents

Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down).
Filling | Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Advanced Training | +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.
Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.
Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.
Working | +2 EXP per crafting attempt

gathering

n/a

Morningstar · February 20, 2024

He sat in the center of town, upon a bench made from wood. His mind had wandered away from the annoyance of handing over an extra sum of col. Now, he thought only of what was next. Bleeding Giant leaned against the side of the bench. From time to time, the swordsman would look down at it, frown, and then switch his gaze back to the townsfolk. His eyes were frequently drawn to a man across the way, who dressed strangely like a pirate and did not fit the atmosphere of Taft in the slightest. But that's the game, he thought, crossing a leg.

People watching had stunted his awareness. He almost had not noticed a person sit down beside him. He cocked his head, confused but not displeased. It was a man with silver hair. He dressed in classic gardening clothes, including a dirt-splotched apron, gloves, and a sunhat.

"Hello," Morningstar said politely.

The man smiled, partially blinded by the sunlight. "Good afternoon."

"Name's Star. Great weather, hey?"

"Perfect weather. I'm Nemo."

"Like the fish? Nevermind," he added, realizing that he was talking to an NPC. "What brings you to Taft?"

The man spoke softly. "I've come to purchase supplies for my plants. I have a garden, but it's quite far from here. It takes me quite a while to walk back and forth, so I tend to stay in town sometimes."

"Oh, yeah?" He said, unaware of any notable gardens on the eleventh floor. "Is it a big garden?"

"Yes, it spans quite far. Would you like to see it?"

Honored (and perhaps a bit baffled by the sudden invitation), he accepted.

Edited February 21, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

The stableman was less than happy to see Morningstar return so soon. He scowled at the swordsman, puffing smoke from a hand-crafted pipe. Morningstar grinned toothily.

"Your rate is double now," the stablekeeper huffed, choosing not to stand from his rocking chair.

"Double!? C'mon, mate, it won't happen again," Morningstar pleaded.

"Triple."

Morningstar made a sound similar to a dying bird. A prompt appeared for his rental agreement. He signed his name under the terms and made the purchase for two horses. He looked around for Nemo, momentarily thinking that the man had run off. But, there he was, petting one of the horses. They seemed to get along rather well.

"He'll take that one," Star said. The stableman grumbled in response, kicking back in his chair.

Nemo confessed to never having ridden a horse before, so Morningstar helped him mount and taught him the basics.

"Take the reins like this... yeah, and hold on tight."

And off they went, to the edge of the floor.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 21, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

They rode at a slow pace, since Nemo was new to horseback riding and it also gave them the opportunity to talk on the way to the garden. Even still, it was far quicker than walking would have been. Morningstar kept Bleeding Giant at his waist, and an eye out for any nearby antmen patrols or scouts. If there was one thing he disliked about the eleventh floor, it was the insects. Their caves existed all throughout the Reverent Forest, spanning deep beneath the surface and out of sight from passersby. He had accidentally stumbled across one once and found himself utterly disgusted by the existence of it. He vowed never to enter.

"You travel from your garden to Taft all by yourself? Through the forest?" Morningstar asked.

"Yes," Nemo smiled, looking up to the trees, "although, I'm not entirely alone, am I?"

Morningstar did not understand. He changed the direction of the conversation. "What do you grow in your garden?"

"Oh, all kinds of things. Flowers, ferns, mosses. Fruits and vegetables. Trees."

"Are there others there? That tend the garden, I mean."

"It's just me."

"Does that ever get lonely?"

"Sometimes," Nemo smiled sadly, "but I have the animals."

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 21, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

The songs of birds resonated throughout the cool forest breeze. The city, basking in sunlight, was hardly bearable; however, the forest was much more temperate. He recalled his early days in the game and the time he had spent in places similar to it. Mind you, without all of the ants. The Forest of the Great Tree was a favorite of his, as were the multitude of smaller woodlands on the first floor.

They rode quietly for a while. Morningstar constantly thought up questions in his head, debating with himself whether they were too strange or personal to ask a stranger. It was strange; he wasn't often like that. His thoughts were interrupted by a lone spear whizzing through the air, passing by their heads and sticking into a tree. To their right, an antman emerged from the bushes, a crude dagger in hand.

Morningstar noticed immediately, drawing his sword and swinging up in time with the scout's attack. He sliced through it in a single vertical motion, cutting it cleanly in half. It shattered like glass.

They continued to ride without interruption. The swordsman had not taken notice of the horror that grew upon the gardener's face.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited March 13, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

To him, such events were the status quo. A monster would jump out at him, and he would kill it. There was little thought involved in the matter, for he knew that common monsters had no choice in the matter. To hunt was in their nature; to slay was in his best interest.

To Nemo, life was sacred. Not only the lives of humans, but of all creatures. Morningstar would not have understood. "It was going to kill us," he would have said. "I only acted in self-defense."

And Nemo would not have had a shred of an argument against him. All he had were values and beliefs.

They rode until they reached the end of the forest. They could see it now, the garden. It was beautiful, even from the outside. Gigantic bushes covered with blooming flora lined the tall fences, keeping everything within the garden's boundaries. Birds and large bugs flew from plant to plant, harvesting what they could.

"This," Nemo smiled, "is Little Eden."

Reveal hidden contents

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

A sweet wave of lilacs and roses washed over Morningstar and Nemo. They tied their horses to the gate out front and waltzed into Little Eden. There, the sun was comfortable, not scalding like it had been in Taft. Nemo pointed out some of his favorite plant-life, which appeared to be just about all of it. What he called a "snapping tiger lily" devoured a large bird whole, spitting out its bones carnivorously. Morningstar thought it was cool.

From out of no where, four disgusting insects buzzed out of the bushes, their small wings flicking at the air. They swarmed Morningstar and he swatted at them instinctively. When one bit his hand, he ripped out Bleeding Giant, slashing them in a wide arc.

Too busy with the mobs at hand, Morningstar missed Nemo's look of annoyance. He struck down the first of the orchid nymphs, leaving three to continue their buzzing.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited March 13, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

A page full of loot appeared before Morningstar's eyes. After a quick read of the summary, he swiped it away. Little Eden was plentiful when it came to mobs. Not only that, but it appeared he was gaining more col from each kill than usual. It was a prime grinding spot.

He and Nemo continued through the garden, the latter giving lectures on many of the things being grown their. While many may have rolled their eyes and ignored Nemo, Morningstar was wholeheartedly interested in the plants.

"What's the deal with this guy?" Morningstar asked, his studious side showing.

"That's a snapdragon nest. I'd be careful getting too close to it, if I were you. They're known to be quite hostile when resting."

Morningstar, however, had already gotten too close. They were beautiful, the little creatures. Their scales were a gradient of pink and white and their eyes crystal blue. Long feathers grew from the center of their backs to the bottom of their tails. They looked almost flower-like.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 24, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

One snapdragon, clearly awake, peered up at Morningstar. It made a mix between a screech and a hiss and then lunged at him. He flinched as its fangs dug into his wrist, shaking it until it eventually let go. The others awoke from their slumber, pissed off and ready to attack. Morningstar swung at the creatures (that were no longer very cute), trying to keep them at bay.

He almost felt bad for killing them. Then again, it was them who started it and one had bit him. "Apologies," he called out to Nemo, who was shaking his head, "I should have listened to your warning."

With the flat of his sword, he swatted a snapdragon to the ground. He smacked another back to its nest; however, neither stayed down for very long. They were persistent little buggers, if nothing else. His sword burned yellow and he cut through three in a single swipe.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 24, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

"I'd really prefer it if you left the animals alone," Nemo stated.

"It's not like they're giving me much choice!" Morningstar replied, in his defense.

Nemo neglected to respond, instead kneeling down and pouring water on a pair of weary flowers. Star didn't question where the pail had come from. His focus was too enthralled by the remaining snapdragon. It dove as he swung, gliding beneath his blade and snapping its jaw onto his tricep. He smacked it with his free hand. "Hey!" He shouted at the tiny devil.

"Can't you tell these things to leave me be?"

"I have no power over the animals who have chosen Little Eden as their home. We live harmoniously; unfortunately, they do not always take kindly to strangers," Nemo said frankly.

"Thanks for letting me know."

It's teeth were small and yet the little pricks in his arm stung badly. He prayed that they weren't venomous.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 24, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

He cut down the last snapdragon, its body crashing to the ground, a mess of blue crystals. He lifted the sleeve of his jacket, taking a look at the small marks left behind by the creature's fangs. Neither poison nor paralysis took effect, and the wounds were healing up rather quickly. Nemo passed him, finished with his watering.

"Shall we continue?"

"Let's."

They came to a region of the garden that was darker than the rest, and packed with tall trees. Inside, little pink and purple flowers glowed, illuminating the path. The trees were almost like pines, but they had full on leaves rather than prickly needles. Mushrooms huddled closely to their trunks, varying in size and colour. Trusting that Nemo would guide the way, Morningstar's eyes were locked on the roof of the wooded path. Tree tops blocked out the sky entirely. He noticed a group of birds nesting above them. It looked like one was feeding the rest.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 25, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

From the edge of the path, Morningstar heard rustling. Nemo took no notice. Or, perhaps he simply did not care. They kept walking, but the rustling would appear again and again. Morningstar had to question it.

"Nemo," he asked, "what is that in the bushes?"

"Wolves, most likely. Why do you ask?"

"Uh, they're probably hunting me?"

One of the mossy wolves jolted out of the nearest bush, its jaw primed for Morningstar's throat. Swiftly, he stepped out of its path, parrying with his blade. Another came from the other side, clawing his leg. He winced, swiping at it. Two more wolves entered the fight. Nemo only walked on, continuing his obliviousness or carelessness.

"This is just great," Morningstar muttered.

The wolves circled him, leaving no opening to run. He swung, exhaling on the release of his sword art. It rang like a chime in the wind, contacting all but one of the wolves. The unscathed wolf glared at Morningstar, its fangs on display. It growled, and Morningstar took a defensive stance in preparation for its attack.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 25, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

They danced, the two adversaries. The wolf pounced on Morningstar, grazing his shoulder, but the swordsman had anticipated it. He caught it with his sword's edge on the way down, cutting it gravely. The other wolves took to its side, attacking Star in unison. He slew the beasts until he was left with only one opponent. It was severely injured, while he still had plenty of health points to play around with.

"Okay, buddy. My guide is walking away right now. I need to rejoin him otherwise I'll probably never get out of here. So I'm going to request that you back up and leave me be."

Rather than listening to his ceasefire, the wolf lunged at him, swatting with sharp claws. He dodged, kicking it across the jaw. That only made it more angry. Its growls grew fiercer, angrier. With a short burst of speed, it circled him, diving jaw first at his leg.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 25, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

A final upward slash through the beast's jaw killed it before Morningstar's heart could beat twice. More loot flooded his inventory, including numerous unidentified weapons, trinkets, and the sort. He'd have to take them back to his shop to work on them. Jogging for a moment, he caught up to Nemo, who was continuing his brisk walk through the forest without Morningstar. He wanted to jab playfully at the fellow, to sarcastically thank him for waiting, but he wasn't sure that Nemo would understand the humor. Instead, he asked another question about the garden.

"Have you lived here your whole life?"

"Oh, yes. For as long as I can recall, anyway," Nemo replied, a hint of nostalgia in his words.

"It's not a bad place to live. It seems peaceful, for you at least. Nothing here seems to attack you like they do me."

"They and I are one in the same. They see you as an outsider, a threat."

"I see. Why bring me here if it upsets the animals?"

"By neglecting to share my home, its beauty loses meaning."

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited February 28, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

"Understanding comes with time and openness. Perhaps, someday, you'll see the garden not as a threat, but as a place worth protecting."

Morningstar blinked. He did see the garden as a place worth protecting. At least, he thought he did. After all, it was beautiful and full of life. Unsure of what to say, he neglected to respond. Instead, he stared down at the flowers that hugged the edge of the path. He was curious about each and every plant he saw but hesitated to pick them, nervous about the backlash he would receive from Nemo. He, instead, appreciated them from afar.

They came to a river that flowed down a hill and into a large pond. In its center was a fountain covered in bathing birds. The fountain was shaped like a feathered dragon, crafted with exceptional stone working skills. "What's the inspiration for that statue?"

"The Wind of Gaia," Nemo said. "The garden's protector."

***

recovering energy 1/2

Edited February 29, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

Morningstar's interest piqued at Nemo's words. He looked at the statue with newfound reverence, noticing intricate details etched into the stone. The Wind of Gaia stood tall and majestic, its wings spread wide as if embracing the entirety of the garden.

"Is it real? The dragon, I mean."

Nemo took a moment before finally replying to his question. "Yes," he said, "he is."

Morningstar nodded, looking at the statue once more. "Will we see him?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Nemo said cryptically.

They stood the pond for some time, watching fish swim down the river and flow into its body. He read the words etched into the stone of the statue. "In the heart of the garden, amidst the whispers of the wind and the song of the river, the greatest of discoveries awaits those with heart of gold."

"What's it mean?" Morningstar asked.

"It's for you to ponder yourself," Nemo answered.

***

# recovering 2/2

Edited March 2, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

Morningstar turned to look at Nemo, only to find that the gardener had disappeared.

He was alone now.

He took another glance at the statue depicting the Wind of Gaia. The words slithered into his mind and sat there a while, unanswerable and confusing. Before he could take much time to think, he felt something long and sharp swipe his back. Then, he felt it again. His health bar ticked down quite a bit, barely hovering above its midway point. He spun, gripping the hilt of his sword. With sparks, it flew from its metal scabbard.

Now facing his opponents, he felt even more confused. What was it that he was looking at exactly?

Above their health bars, the monsters' names were listed as Knights of Gaia. He rushed in, eager to take on what he imagined were the foot soldiers of the Wind of Gaia. Perhaps the protector of the garden was testing his skill or strength, thus it sent forth its knights.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited March 10, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

With little more than a scratch, he wiped out all four of the Knights of Gaia, their black and green alien-like bodies fizzling away with the subtle breeze. He continued through the garden, confused as to where Nemo could have gone.

He stopped in his tracks upon hearing a familiar voice. "Stephen?" It called.

Morningstar spun around, met with the face of his long-time friend, Joaquin. "Uh, is this an illusion?"

"No?"

"Then how am I seeing you right now?"

"I'm real?"

"That doesn't make sense?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know?"

Coming to the conclusion that it was perfectly within reason for Joaquin to have followed Nemo to the garden as well, Morningstar brushed it aside. Joaquin had been lost there for a few hours longer than the blonde and frankly, it was getting old for him.

"Weird place. Nemo's a weird guy, too. Dragged me here and then just up and left. Haven't seen him since," Joaquin stated plainly.

"He seemed so nice when I met him in Taft... I don't get it," Morningstar sighed.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited March 13, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

"How'd he know we were friends?" Joaquin asked.

Morningstar shrugged. "Coincidence, maybe? I didn't even know you were on the eleventh floor. He probably just picked two people at random. Maybe he does this a lot."

"Still, freaky."

They shared their thoughts on the garden, discovering that both had similar opinions. Despite being lost and led astray by their host, the garden was actually quite pretty and aside from the mobs, their time there had been relaxing. Also, there was the fact that their loot seemed to be enhanced while they were within its borders. Each of them was gaining for more col, materials, and items than they normally would. Perhaps it was simply luck, but it seemed unlikely to the pair.

Joaquin showed off some of the flowers he had picked, as well as (for some reason) a bottle full of river water.

"What'll you use that for?" Morningstar looked at him skeptically.

"I don't know. A potion?"

"You're not an alchemist."

"Yeah, but I know a guy."

"You're going to give your alchemist a bottle of water? And ask him to make a potion?"

"Alright, alright. I get it," he said, taking a sip and then spitting it out in horror.

***

Reveal hidden contents

Edited March 13, 2024 by Morningstar

Morningstar · February 21, 2024

Morningstar knelt down. A feather had fallen from the sky and onto their path, landing right in front of Morningstar's feet. It was pastel green and longer than an eagles. What it could have come from, Morningstar had little idea. He had heard of feathered dragons and large birds, but was unaware of any within that area. That being said, the garden of Little Eden was home to many creatures that he had never encountered before. Snapdragons, moss wolves, hell, knights of Gaia. None of them were anticipated when he had set foot in the garden.

Joaquin seemed to think the same thing, even saying aloud that it might have been a giant bird of some sort. They had not seen any fly by, though, so it was questionable. Morningstar tucked it away in inventory, curious as to what it could do for him. Joaquin mocked him for this, telling him that it was pretty much the equivalent of bottling river water to make a potion.

Reveal hidden contents

Edited March 13, 2024 by Morningstar

Linked Accounts

[SP-F11] Finding Nemo

Recommended Posts

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites

Morningstar 0

Link to post

Share on other sites