[PP-F3] Labyrinthian Larks <<Search for the Hoya>>

[Yona 0]

              Aryut turned out to be a strange place. It was more nature than structure. Yona had heard rumors about something, though, so she had the full intent to investigate. However...the question was, where would she even start? Not only that, but the NPCs in this settlement didn't seem to be humans. Some of these NPCs looked at her with distain or prejudice, but the majority simply looked at her like she was an unusual sight, looking at her either curious or perplexed. Yona blinked as she began to feel a bit lost. This place wasn't exactly her cup of tea, but it sure was someone's. "If I could just find some semblance of a hint to that rumor..." She thought aloud. When there weren't many of these unusual NPCs around, the Binding Stone then shook, signaling that Shaxus wanted to talk. She tapped the stone a few times to signal that it was ok for him to come out.
                         Shaxus emerged from the Binding Stone, and the shadowy wisp seemed to have something important to say. "The air here...as normal as it may seem, I'm getting some kind of...familiar sense. It's coming from a certain direction. I can't quite place it, but if you're up for the task, I suppose you might be willing to do me a favor and search for whatever the source might be? I'm sure it's in this realm somewhere, so I doubt you'll be looking for too long."
                    Yona was nearly deadpanning. "Floor 3 is still a big place. If we happen to get warmer during my own search, just let me know...silently, if at all possible. I'm not about to look through this entire floor over a hunch." She replied. Shaxus wasn't able to shrug in his current form, but if he could, he would have done so. "Fair enough, but if you do want answers, or more helpful assistance, it would do you well to hold up your end of our little bargain..." Shaxus countered, before returning to the Binding Stone. Yona sighed, and continued wandering this Town. There had to be a clue somewhere...

                Yona's eyes darted left and right, looking for something, or someone, that was more out of place like herself. "There's gotta be something different around here..." She thought aloud.

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 15

 

HP: 300

Energy: 48

Base Damage: 15(CS R5[7], CM: Damage[6], Athletics[1])

Mitigation: 27(Moonsliver Veil[12], Cloth Armor Rank 3[15])

Accuracy: 1(Resplendent Falchion)

Evasion: 2(Moonsliver Veil)

Loot Die: 3(Thuban's Eye)

 

 

Equipment:

[T2]Resplendent Falchion(Curved Sword, Accuracy, Bleed, Paralyze)

[T2]Moonsliver Veil(Cloth Armor, 1 MIT, 2 EVA)

[T1]Thuban's eye(Trinket, 3 LD)

 

 

Consumables:

Teleport Crystal x1

Starter Healing Potion(Restores 50 HP) x3

 

 

Skills:

Curved Sword Rank 5(30 SP)

Cloth Armor Rank 3(14 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage(13 SP)

 

 

Mods:

Athletics(4 SP)

 

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin had heard tale of some quest that started up on floor 3. Something about a labyrinth? Details were unclear, except for that it started in Aryut. It was an odd place with many of the NPCs there taking the form of various forms of Faune. HE wandered aimlessly through the streets, receiving odd looks from the citizens. Being that he seemed to be the only "human" roaming the streets was only the start. His knee length red coat with its added metallic armor plates were doing him no favors. At his hip was a new blade he had recently forged, Thunder Fang, a longsword with a more lightning based theme given its ability to paralyze its targets. He was starting to get fed up with his luck, as when he would attempt to approach anyone, they tended to avoid him like the plague. He let out a sigh, his red eyes closing briefly in defeat.

"Once," Wulfrin said dejectedly. "Just once, can finding the start of these vague rumor quests be easy to find. I'm tired of wild goose chases. I don't even have a description of the quest giver." He continued to search the area for anyone who would at least give him the chance to ask some questions. Somewhere within these walls was someone who would point him in the right direction. Perhaps he could even find another player seeking to clear the same quest he could teem up with.

* * *

Stats:

Level 13 | HP 260/260 | EN 44/44 | DMG 16 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | REC 1 | LD 2 | Stealth: -2 | Stealth Detection: +2

Equipment:

Thunder Fang | Tier 2 One-Handed Straight Sword | Fusion ID: 219823 | DMG 1 | Bleed 1 | Paralyze 1
This longsword was crafted using a unique style of Damascus Steel. The pattern resembles arcs of lightning bolts moving up the flat of the blade towards the point. Just as it tears through it's targets, its properties sometimes also leaves the target paralyzed. Just above where the blade meets the ornate hilt is a phoenix with its wings outstretched in flight. The firebird also acts as the origin for the bolts that spiderweb outward towards the blade's edge.

Dioscuri. | TIER 1 JEWELRY | ACC III | ID:  #210452-5
[desc.]: a pair of ear cuffs fashioned from precious stone.

 

Hunter's Coat | T2 Perfect Light Armor | MIT 2, REC 1
Fusion ID 219737
A leather coat with attached armored plates at the shoulders and forearms. It's design offers plenty of protection while sacrificing very little of the wearer's mobility.

Skills:

• <<Straight Swords>> Rank 4 (+6 DMG) 22
• <<Light Armor>> Rank 4 (+20 MIT -2 Stealth) 26
  • R4 Mod: Meticulous (+1 DMG)
• <<Searching>> Rank 2 (+2 LD and +2 Stealth Detection) 11
  • R2 Mod: Night Vision (unaffected by low light and darkness penalties. Negates enemy bonus to stealth in low light or Darkness)
• <<Combat Mastery: Damage>> Rank 2 (+6 DMG [1+Tier per rank (+3 per rank)] Uses 2 DMG Enhancement Slots) 5

Battle ready inventory:

• 3 Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 hp each)
• 6 T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of Maximum HP.
• 4 Teleportation Crystals

[Yona 0]

    Yona would keep up her pace, until she spotted another human being. At first glance, he looked a bit like Vigilon, but the hair was too dark and the outfit the person wore didn't seem to match. Yona would then approach the player, who she now confirmed to be taller than Vigilon as well. Yeah, this guy was definitely different...but now she was curious as to what might happen if the two were ever to encounter each other.

         "You seen any NPC humans around here?" Yona began. "I've been looking for one for like, an hour, and at this rate I might just give that little dimwit a talking to for telling me the guy with the rumor was here when he really wasn't."
    Though, if the guy turned out to actually be a "Faune", then that might complicate things a bit differently...

                      Oddly enough, a great, booming voice proceeded to solve Yona's problem. "Hail, fellow travelers!"
           Yona nearly jumped, but it turns out that she wasn't the only one who was staring. The nearby Faune NPCs were more confused about this person than they were of Yona. The person in question, who was in fact human, began to approach the two players. "Speak of the devil..." Yona thought.
              The man, standing strong and tall, looked to the two players as he spoke. "You would not believe how rife with tales yet to be told these lands happen to be. One such being, have either of you heard the Legend of the Hoya?"

    Well, this was gonna be interesting...right? This had to be the rumor, right?

[Wulfrin 0]

"Sadly no," Wulfrin sighed not even having noticed the other player approaching. Finally he turned to where the voice had originated from. "I take it you're here for the same reason I am, overheard some rumor and are here to follow up? Seems we're both having bit of low luck going for us. Might be best we team up, we could likely cover more ground and our quest logs will also update at the same time."

As it turns out though, their luck might be turning around. A burly 6 foot 2 human, a stark contrast from the non-human races that populated the town. Hailed the duo and was asking about their knowledge of something called a Hoya. None of this info was covered by the NPCs Wulfrin had heard the rumor from, but that just helped grab his attention. He always leapt at the start of a new adventure, even more so if there was something new to learn or find.

 "Can't say I've heard that one," Wulfrin replied to their new NPC acquaintance. "Why don't you recount it to us?"

"Certainly!" The NPC beamed. "The Hoya is a hero of sorts amongst the Faune famous for their hunting of Minotaurs within the Forest of Wavering Mist. Supposedly there are two of those beasts still lurking within the Forest of Wavering Mist. Each of the beasts carries a pendant on them acting as a spoil of war."

Spoil of War, that was a term Wulfrin was very familiar with. Often times in mythologies, monsters or enemies defeated by heroes typically left behind something of theirs as a trophy. The closest thing within SAO proper was the loot panel that would show any item, col, crafting materials, and/or experience points awarded upon the monster's death. These however seemed like either high power unique drops or just a simple vanity item they might be picking up. Either way, Wulfrin's interest was peaked.

"What do you think?" Wulfrin asked the unacquainted player that had approached him not but a few short minutes before. "You up for a bit of monster seek and destroy?"

[Yona 0]

            The other player noted that he hadn't heard the legend of the Hoya. Before Yona could give her response, he asked the NPC to tell. From what Yona could gather, the Hoya was a local hero who fought minotaurs. Was this Faune Mythos, or were the minotaurs an actual species on this floor-
            Oh, never mind, they existed, and only two are left, according to public rumors. Well, in that case, the minotaurs must have done something awful if they nearly got their entire species wiped out by one Faune. Taking out the last two for a little experience...well, Yona was gonna need experience anyway, so why not finish the job?
   Yona looked to the other player. "I'm in." She decided. Even if this wasn't the rumor she was looking for, it was at least something she could do. "Anyway, before we start, I don't think we've met." She pointed out. "I go by Yona, what about you?"

[Wulfrin 0]

"I don't believe we have either," Wulfrin replied. "Name's Wulfrin. I specialize in front line fighting. For the most part I've built around a comfortable mix of offense and defense while traveling alone."

With the greetings exchanged, Wulfrin turned his gaze to the city before them, absent mindedly sending out a party invite to Yona. He hadn't the faintest clue where to start looking for their minotaur targets, but he at least had a rough idea of a route to the forest edge, as he had planned to go in anyway just to scout it out an maybe grind a few mobs for items. Now he at least had a more compelling reason to go in, as well as some unforseen company. What a day this was turning out to be.

"Best we stay close," Wulfrin said as the duo approached the gentle, yet unexpectedly thick, mist that engulfed the forest. "A forest like this could be a death sentence. There is a reason the forest got its name." 

Wulfrin was the first to push into the mists, his blade Thunder Fang sounding like sparking wires as it was drawn from its scabbard. He was ready for a fight but was keeping his head on a swivel, looking for any sign of their prey. Before long Wulfrin brought the duo to an archway roughly 15 feet wide that crated an opening in a rather ancient looking wall so tall that the mists concealed its top. Carefully he looked both ways down the corridor before them, both paths seemingly devoid of threats for now.

"Looks like we've found the maze," Wulfrin spoke with a quieted, not quite whisper, tone. "Figures as much. If there's one thing I've had drilled into me recently, it's that Aincrad likes ripping off myths and legends from the real world. That aside, I think it's best we travel with our hands on the left most wall at all times. It's a tactic I picked up playing other RPGs with mazes, Left is Law, but I'm also open to suggestions. What do you think?"

* * * 

Minotaur hunting posts (1/5) 

[Yona 0]

                What Yona found to be odd was the lack of monsters on the way. Maybe the two players were just too powerful for the common monsters of the floor so they just kept their distance? It seemed likely, for the moment. It wasn't long before the pair, as well as the NPC, reached the entrance to the labyrinth. But if even the forest itself was a natural labyrinth due to all the thick mist, then... "Hey, Wulfrin..." Yona began. "Have you been to this forest before, or do you just have a lucky sense of direction?" She asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
             When Wulfrin suggested an idea, Yona thought for a moment. "If we kept our hands on the walls, it can't guarantee we'll know where we're going, especially if we get caught in a fight, we might forget which direction we were going..." A few seconds later into thought and her eyes lit up. She rummaged through her inventory, then pulled out two pieces of chalk that she normally used for visualizing plans or ideas to herself or others. "We could use these! As we go along, we mark the walls with chalk as we go. That way, we'll be sure to know where we've been, and can trace it to leave once we're done!" She suggested. "Thoughts?" She asked.

 

Minotaur hunting posts: 2/5

[Wulfrin 0]

"That works too," Wulfrin shrugged as he pushed deeper into the maze. "As for your question about my sense of direction, let's just say I have practice."

As the two pressed deeper and deeper, Wulfrin occasionally would draw an arrow pointing the direction they came from if they came across an intersection. He still keeping his focus on traveling left when possible, as he didn't want to completely abandon a tactic. He had started noticing some oddities though. Scattered throughout the maze at random intervals were small round object that looked suspiciously like small golf balls one would see at a putt-putt course.

"Why in the hell are these here?" Wulfrin asked quizzically. "I didn't know Aincrad had a mini-golf course!"

Not far off he saw a makeshift putter leaned up against a near by wall. Not having anything better to do while strolling the maze, Wulfrin set the ball down and with a solid *plink* set it rolling further down the path they were traveling.

"Wanna give it a shot?" Wulfrin asked offering a ball and the club to Yona.

* * *

Minotaur hunting posts: 3/5

Edited Wednesday at 02:02 AM by Wulfrin

[Yona 0]

                              The search was starting to get a bit...boring. Unsure of what to do other than follow the standard maze procedure, she simply began following Wulfrin's lead at this point...
        Then came the unexpected. Little balls scattered around. This had to be a player's doing. When Wulfrin spotted the makeshift club, Yona was admittedly curious about it. When Wulfrin offered for her to give it a try, she thought about it...then smiled and nodded. "Eh, why not?" She remarked. She then placed the ball down, and began to examine the club. The NPC traveling with the two was very confused, but he didn't seem to have anything to say as of the moment. Yona then took position, and squinted her eyes as she calculated how hard she should swing, and in which direction. Nearly half a minute passed, but then...
         *PLACK!*
    Yona swung with considerable force, knocking the ball into the air, which then began practically zigzagging along the walls, before eventually bouncing off the floor a few times and rolling into an indent; a spot on the floor that lacked a brick. Yona then looked over to Wulfrin with a smug grin. "Well I'd say that went well, what do you think?"

 

          Not too far from the players' location, a creature was resting within the halls of the maze. The sounds of rapid clacking echoed through the maze, its ears twitched, and it awakened. It got up, lifted its weapon, and began to look around, hoping to find the source of the noise...

 

Minotaur hunting posts: 4/5

[Wulfrin 0]

A simple, yet respectful golf clap came from Wulfrin as he admired the shot.

"Wonderful shot," Wulfrin added as he began moving deeper into the maze. "Don't you agree Larbrook?"

Wulfrin looked back to their companion that was accompanying them. Larbrook looked less than pleased with the duos antics. An angry huff was all the two recieved.

"No need to be such a buzz kill bud," Wulfrin said lining up his next shot. *PLACK!* Wulfrin had lined up his shot in such a way that he had a clear line of sight to the makeshift "hole".  The shot however was interrupted midflight by a figure stepping out of an adjacent corridor. The little white ball ended up pegging the minotaur creature right between the eyes. The creature simply roared and charged the two of them.

Wulfrin casually set the club to the side and readied his blade. As the minotaur rushed towards them, Wulfrin unleashed a sword at in response. After a series of flashing lights, the minotaur was gone without dealing so much as a point of damage to the swords man. Wulfrin without missing a beat, picked back up his club and moved back up to where his ball lay, swiping the minotaur's amulet as he passed by.

"Guess I gotta play it where it lies. Kind of unfair though."

* * *

Minotaur hunting posts (5/5) -> Kantaras of the east has been found...and defeated.

Spoiler

Recovery?: Not needed
Wulfrin is at full energy.
Cooldowns:

Post Action | [x10]Tech-A (11 EN)
Free Action | None

ID: 229983 | BD: 3+3 = 6 Hit | CD: 11 | 16*10 = 160 DMG to Kantaras. Target is stunned. Target is also very dead. ST-B Unlocked.

Wulfrin | HP 260/260 | EN 44/44 | DMG 16 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | REC 2 | LD 2
Yona | HP 300/300 | EN 40/40 | DMG 15 | MIT 27 | ACC 1 | EVA 2 | LD 3

Kantaras, the Eastern Hoya Minotaur | HP: 0/150 (150-160) | DMG: 45 | ACC: 1

 

Edited Friday at 01:07 PM by Wulfrin

[Yona 0]

                                Wulfrin decided to try his hand at the makeshift golf, though it seemed that their target had found them in this very moment, interrupting Wulfrin's shot. It roared out and charged at the players, only to get one-shot by Wulfrin's attack. "That was...way too easy." Yona thought aloud. "There...there is another one out there, right?"
       Larbook nodded. "Indeed, the Minotaur you have slain was of the east, the Minotaur of the West remains, should you seek to challenge it." He revealed.
 Yona looked to Wulfrin. "Well, if we've been going left and reaching the East Minotaur, guess that means we'll need to start going right to find the West?" She guessed. It was a wild guess, but a guess nevertheless. At least it was a start, and the group still had plenty of uses remaining for the chalk. What was the harm in trying a different method for a different target?

Minotaur hunting posts: 1/5

Edited Friday at 04:00 PM by Yona

[Wulfrin 0]

"Also means we entered the maze from the north," Wulfrin said as he lined up his next shot. "I'm good with doubling back and taking another route. Besides not like we don't have something to make the walk interesting. Lord knows our tag a long ain't much of a talker."

*PWAK!*

Wulfrin placed his ball in the hole Yona had landed hers. He looked a bit upset as he picked up their balls from their make shift hole. He made his way back to Yona and tossed her one.

"I guess that's a three for me," He sighed as he started back the way they had come from. "Though I'd say it's a bit unfair, since I had some unintended interference."

Wulfrin carefully followed their chalk markings back to the entrance they had come in. The corridor continued past the entrance before turning deeper into the maze. Once they made it around the first corner, Wulfrin set his ball down and lined up a shot. There wasn't a "hole" in sight this time, so Wulfrin went for a bank shot around a nearby corner. The ball bounced around a bit before coming to a stop somewhere out of sight.

"Don't see a hole for this one," Wulfrin shrugged. "We'll call this a par five."

* * *

Minotaur Hunting posts (2/5)