[SP-F05] The Flames of Solaris <<Feeding Your Enemy>>

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin found himself back in the sandy, Arabian Desert themed area of Floor 5. The floor was as desolate as ever. It's only major attraction being the lively bazaar of Fortaleza, acting as one of the few safe places of respite on the floor. The sandy wastes wasn't his first choice to return to, as his last trip consisted of a boss fight and getting jumped by the local rich asshole Abdullah. He and Freyd were ambushed shortly after their fight with Terra Firma had ended during what Freyd dubbed, The Shark Bait Training Program. Freyd had taken on the visage of one of the fallen guards and rooted himself into Abdullah's men, likely to get under the aristocrat's skin even more than they had.

The goal today was the Traveling Gypsy, an NPC that handed out the quest and necessary items for finding a familiar. There had been sightings of her within the bazaar, so Wulfrin reluctantly made the trek to seek her out. He had seen the effectiveness Persi had provided to Freyd in combat and thought it in his own best intrest to find a small companion for himself. At the very least it would give him some company whenever he went out hunting for materials solo. As he made his way through the bazzar, Wulfrin felt more at ease. Today all the merchants were out heckling for sales. The atmosphere was completely different, but he air seemed off. As he passed by many of the guards, they seemed to glare at him. Most likely they were under Abdullah. Eventually Wulfrin found his mark. A simple pop up stand that served as one of the few spots of greenery in the city.

"Hello my dear," The Traveling Gypsy said, as she turned to face Wulfrin. Her attention drawn from a small bird cage hanging off the right corner of her wagon. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking to hunt a familiar," Wulfrin responded.

"Oh dear," She said with a slight sigh of disappointment. "Hunt is such a strong word. It implies an intent to kill. I prefer search for."

"I apologize," Wulfrin replied with a slight bow. "I do not intend to harm the creature. I seek a companion to accompany my on my adventures."

"That I can help with dear," The beautiful young woman stepped within her covered wagon. When she returned, she held a small bundle that radiated a sweet arouma. "The hard part will be tracking down a familiar. Once found this special food will help you gain their trust. Make sure you bring back what you don't use; that is a complicated and expensive formula."

"I will," Wulfrin said accepting the bundle. "Thank you ma'am."

"My pleasure dear," The young lady smiled and returned to her various small cages. There was an odd aura about her that made Wulfrin uneasy. There wasn't a mention of payment, let alone quest requirements. Then a quest panel appeared. Wulfrin pushed the accept button and headed back into the bazaar.

* * *

Stats:
Wulfrin | Level 15 | HP 300/300 | EN 48/48 | DMG 15 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | LD 2 | BLD 24 | PARA | REC 2

Equipment:
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.

Thunder Fang | 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.

Battle ready Inventory:
3 Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 hp each)
6 T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of Maximum HP.
2 Teleportation Crystals
Protein Pancakes | [ID #219428a] | TIERLESS RARE MEAL | PROTEIN II
[desc.]: They're a little dry but they do the trick.
Terra Firma Scale (equivalent to T3 MIT 1)

 

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin wandered the bazaar. He had no clue where to begin. As far as he could tell, there were no passive wildlife on the floor. Wulfrin debated heading to another floor to search, but he figured a pass through the crowds may provide at least a starting point. He weaved in and out of the crowded shops, listening to every bit of gossip he could grab from the various NPCs going about their daily lives. Nothing was turning up despite his best efforts, he was turning up short. A small cafe was set up in one of the adobe buildings. The heat was rough, so a quick pit stop was made.

"Did you see that arc of flame the other day?" An NPC said to his buddy sitting across from him at the table adjacent to Wulfrin.

"Yeah I saw it," The other NPC responded. "Looked like it was coming form a bird. Don't see those too often 'round here."

A bird trailed by fire? Wulfrin thought to himself. Might be worth a look into.

"It was flying from east to west just like the sun," The first NPC stated as he pulled out a set of playing cards. 

That was all Wulfrin needed to hear. He had a rough idea of where to head, but it was just a direction. He sat and enjoyed what he assumed would be his last decent meal before his expedition into the desert, mulling over what he might be looking for.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

"Alright," Wulfrin said to himself. "This floor is based on Arabia, so that puts a few things into options. The Greeks believed that a phoenix could be located in Arabia. Wouldn't that be a coincidence, considering your own coat of arms for your shop."

Wulfrin dug into his repertoire of ancient Greek myths. There was a phoenix that made an appearance in a fragment of the Percepts of Chiron by Hesiod, but that was simply a description of their lifespan from the centaur to the young hero, Achilles. More likely he would have to go deeper. The Egyptian's maybe? Those myths were never his interest, but he did dabble a bit in them. One of their sacred birds was a phoenix. One thing all the myths had in common was the bird's connection to the sun. In many depictions, it is given a halo to represent this connection.

"It flying east to west supports the idea," Wulfrin said. "Now I just need to figure out where it was headed."

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

As his meal made its way to his table, Wulfrin opened his map. He figured it was better to go in at least somewhat prepared. He focused his attention to the key features on the map to the west of Fortazela. What he had going for him was the floor was finite. One could easily search a floor in 1-2 days in game. Who knew how long that was in the real world, the days had kind of blurred together, so it was hard to tell. There were a few key features, a handfull of mountains near the edge, an oasis, and a single well of on its own.

"Wait," Wulfrin said focusing on the well. "Apollo used to stop his sun chariot and listen to a phoenix's song at dawn near a cool well in Arabia. Everything I've seen about Aincrad suggests a connection to ancient Greek Myths. Looks as good a place as any to start."

Wulfirn judged the distance from Fortazela to the well. By best estimate it would take him a few hours to get there, and it was well past dawn. He decided he'd wait until the evening and start the trip well before dawn to ensure he was present for the bird's song. If it was indeed a phoenix, he held no doubt that the bird would be present.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Arriving super early, maybe two to three in the morning, made for just as rough a trek as going during the mid day. The desert was cold, and not a pleasant cold either. Floor Five's environment settings were quite possibly the worst Wulfrin had faced out of the Twenty-Eight floors available to him. Determination served as his fire as he crossed through Fortaleza towards its western gate. Several guards still clocked his every move.

"Really even this early?" Wulfrin said to himself as he traveled the city streets. "Usually you don't get this much stink form NPC guards unless you have an Orange Cursor."

Wulfrin briefly glanced above his own head. His cursor was still green, so something must have flipped in Abdullah. The NPC's shouldn't be able to hold grudges, but if this one can, Wulfrin would need to be on his game. He was supposed to be dead, as that was what Freyd had told Abdullah. Wulfrin had made it a point to not return to Floor Five for that very reason, but this was a special case. It was unlikely for them to attack him within the city gates, but once he was outside he was fair game.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

"Where you think you're goin'?" One of the guards at the western gate stopped Wulfrin as he attempted to leave.

"Look," Wulfrin said with a stern voice. "I'm not looking for trouble. I am simply a passerby. Can't you just let me past."

"Not gunna happen," The guard said. "Boss is looking for someone wit yer mug."

"I assure you," Wulfrin said. "You've got me confused with someone else."

Wulfrin really hoped that it was far to early for the guard to care about his job that much. The NPC let out the trademark yawn that they all do every so often, and Wulfrin seized the opportunity. Before the guard could even finish, Wulfrin was bolting full speed into the freezing cold and pitch dark dessert, his Night Vision mod taking over. He had a long trip ahead of him and could not afford any set backs. He only had about four hours to find the well.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

The desert was harsh. The air was dry and frigidly cold. Thankfully his body was virtual or he probably wouldn't have made it as far as he did. He had been in a heavy sprint for a good handful of minutes trying to put as much distance between himself and the city of Fortazela. He found a small rock that looked inviting enough for a short break. He caught his breath and double checked his map. His run had gone a bit off course but nothing he couldn't correct. He was well outside the safe zone now, if Abdullah wanted to send his men to kill him, he could. No more running, if it came down to it, Wulfrin would fight. However, this time he didn't have Freyd to help carry him through the fight. This would be all him. Wulfrin pulled out a small waterskin and gulped down some of the liquid. He had tried his best to stock up for the trip, but nothing could have prepared him for the harsh environment. With his break concluded, Wulfrin started off for a more focused hunt for the well.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

About an hour into his journey, Wulfrin began to feel a chill down his spine like he was being watched. That can't be right. He thought to himself as he pushed through the heart of El Perdido. In the time he had traversed this torturous area, he had seen numerous giant rattlesnakes and scorpions. He made sure to avoid the groups as best he could, partly because he hated snakes to begin with, doubly so for ones that were two to three times bigger than himself. The scorpions were just more of a nuisance than anything, and would serve no purpose other than to slow his travel. Then again if I can do it I guess they can too. Wulfrin continued plotting to himself ways to escape whatever was following him, but there was little in the way of cover where he currently was. All he could do was hope his luck would change as his journey continued.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Not too much deeper into El Perdido, Wulfrin found a small cave out cropping that he could duck into. As he hid in silence waiting for his pursuers to close in, he prepared himself for an attack. He really didn't want to fight, as it could take more time away form his goal. That and he had to preserve his HP and EN, as there was no way to tell what lay in store for him at the end of it all. Wulfrin hid within a crevice as footsteps approached.

"I thought you said he went this way?" One of the pursuers spoke.

"I did," Another replied. "He's got to be here somewhere. Spread out and find him."

Wulfrin peeked briefly from his hiding spot at his unwelcomed tag a longs. Not to far from his position were four men dressed in black clothing with black red wraps. A single red sash was tied around each of their waists and supported a kopesh, ready for battle. Wulfrin watched as they began to scour the area looking for him.

"Abdullah's men no doubt," Wulfrin whispered to himself. "He must really be after me if he sent men this far out."

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin waited for the perfect opening to make his escape. Once the four had split form each other and had their backs turned, Wulfrin darted back into the open and broke into a sprint. Rocks dislodged around him causing the attention to focus back on him. He looked back to see the four had spotted him and begun to give chase. Desperately Wulfrin looked left and right for a way out of the predicament.

"Need something to slow them down," Wulfrin said under his deep breaths.

Wulfrin spotted another narrow passage off to his right. He quickly changed directions to go into the narrow passage. Please don't be a dead end. Wulfrin found himself barely able to navigate his way through the narrow pass. As he looked up he saw a few boulders that looked ready to fall. Not only that, he noticed some burrows that looked like snake dens. Perhaps the sounds of the rocks could make the snakes angry enough to lash out. The heat wasn't there for the cold blooded reptiles to be actively out, but a disturbed nest was not something they would take lightly. As his assailants followed him into the passage, Wulfrin stopped and grinned.

"End of the road boys," Wulfrin taunted as he threw a large rock towards one of the looser sections of stone.

Thankfully the virtual world didn't care about real life ability or that throw would not have been as effective. The passage began to collapse stopping the henchmen in their tracks. Giving Wulfrin the opening he needed to escape.

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

The sounds of hissing sent shivers down Wulfrin's spine as he dashed through the passage eventually coming to an opening into the wider open areas of El Perdido. Then came the screams. The sounds of the four men who were following him echoed through the canyon like an eerie wail. He had just left those people to die, but at the same time they were after him. He didn't stop for a break until he was well and truly clear from the chaos. At the exit of the canyon, he sat on a small boulder to catch his breath. That made twice in just a handful of hours he had to evade some of Abdullah's men. That NPC really had it out for him. One day Wulfrin would return to this floor and search through every nook and cranny to find Abdullah's base of operations. Freyd had said it was most likely in a dungeon, but after his last bout in the Cave of Wonders, Wulfrin was hesitant to go searching without a full team of allies.

"Well," Wulfrin said to himself. "I doubt that was all the men Abdullah sent, so I better get moving."

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Two hours to dawn, and Wulfrin felt like he was making no progress. After his brief run in with Abdullah's men he kept constantly looking over his shoulder. He knew there had to be more, but with the scattered bits of cover all around him it was hard to tell. The darkness didn't help either. Thankfully his night vision mod was working overtime this morning by helping him spot dangers long before they became a problem. Wulfrin stopped briefly to check his map. The good news is he hadn't lost too much time, but the bad news was he had missed his next proper rest point. He had planned to stop at the oasis on the way to restock on water and food, but he had over shot it trying to put distance between the canyon and himself. All he could do was hope that the well had water in it when he arrived. Too be fair if it didn't it was likely the legend was a bust anyway, or at the very least it could be the wrong desert well.

"Onward I suppose," Wulfrin said returning to his trek. "I'm burning moonlight."

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

As time crept forward, so did Wulfrin. He was nearing the end of his trek in the waning hours of darkness. He hoped he hadn't gone through all of this for nothing. There were only a couple ways this could go wrong. The first was if the phoenix couldn't be tamed. He had read up on the size requirements before coming, and if it were bigger than three feet, it would be a no go and he would have to start from scratch. The second was just as bad. It was wholly possible that Cardinal had not included this particular myth in its quest databanks, especially since it didn't have a proper quest tied to it. If that were the case, then again he would have to start from scratch. The third was he simply had the wrong location. This was unlikely based off the evidence he had, but an option that still lingered in his mind. He pressed on not wanting to give up on the goal he had gone so far out of his way to reach.

"For once Cardinal," Wulfrin said out to the dark void around him. "Please just work in my favor."

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

At last his goal was in reach. Before him a sandstone, whose walls came up just high enough to sit on like a bench. It was roughly ten feet in diameter and filled to only a few inches shy of the top with cold to the touch water. About eight feet from the surface of the pool was an ornate gazebo roof that in the heat of the day could serve as a nice bit of shade. Wulfrin cupped a bit of the water in his ands and sipped it. It felt like near ice cold water fresh from the cooler on a hot day. It was extremely refreshing. Wulfrin looked up to the horizon in the East. He could barely make out Fortazela from here, as it was a mere speck of light on the horizon that was quickly fading with the shifting colors of the approaching dawn. He had made it in time. Wulfrin made another scan of the area to ensure he wasn't followed and for the moment he seemed to be in the clear.

"Now I wait," Wulfrin said as he relaxed at the edge of the pool. "I just wait and hope my hunch was correct."

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

As the sun began to peak up above the horizon, Wulfrin grew more anxious. The well was a welcome respite, but the view of the rising sun behind it was breath taking. This was a deliberate move on his part, as he would be facing in the direction of Fortazela, and just to see the view itself. Not only that, but the phoenix flew from East to West according to the NPCs so this positioning held the best chance at watching the arrival of the majestic bird.

Wulfrin didn't have to wait long. As the sun completed its rising, a streak of fire began to soar over head. Above him a majestic eagle with a white underbelly, and plumage of various reds, oranges, and golds that reminded Wulfrin of a raging fire. Its eyes pierced into his form, their flaming iris as active as the sun itself. The phoenix landed on the edge of the sandstone well and eyed Wulfrin as if gauging whether he was friend or foe. Then it began to bathe itself in the cooling waters of the well.

* * *

Familiar Hunting Attempt
ID: 220607 | LD 18 + 2 | Familiar Found

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

As the creature bathed in the waters, Wulfrin approached with caution. He pulled the small pouch of Familiar Food from his extradimensional inventory space. He placed a small handful on the edge of the well. The Phoenix kept its eyes trained on Wulfrin the entire time. Wulfrin was taken aback being this close to such a legendary creature. He assumed they would be massive creatures that brought destruction and carnage where ever they roost. Instead it was almost exactly the same shape as an adult eagle. It eyed the offering as Wulfrin backed away, giving it space to continue its morning routine. The phoenix started pecking at the food offering with great interest. In a few seconds the majestic creature perched itself on top the well, having finished both its morning meal and bath. It out stretched its wings as if demanding a bow, which Wulfrin couldn't help but provide. Then the creature began to sing a beautiful tune. No wonder Apollo had found this creature to be so mesmerizing.

"So dis is what you's was up to?" A voice said from behind Wulfrin.

In one motion Wulfrin spun one hundred eighty degrees and drew his blade. Before him stood four of Abdullah's men. He was right. They had been following him. He was both impressed and angry that they would come to such a sacred place.

"Dat boid will make da boss very happy," One of the thugs said. "Almost as happy as gettin' yer head."

The Phoenix eyed Wulfrin with deadly intent as if to say, "You want to tame me, prove you are worthy of my assistance. Rid my sacred spa of this filth."

"You want this sacred beast?" Wulfrin replied forcefully as he leveled his blade preparing to attack. "You'll have to go through me."

* * *

Familiar Taming Attempt (1/4)

ID: 220608 | CD 11 | Taming Success

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin darted forward and swiped his blade towards the henchmen that had oh so neatly grouped up. They were far mor prepared for him this time as two of them broke off and flanked Wulfrin. The two Wulfrin di hit found a sizeable dent in their HP gauges, and the stun from his tech art pulse through them. The second of which doubled over with excruciating pain, the bleed enhancement of his sword taking affect. 

The final two unharmed henchmen pincered Wulfrin and both laid into him with their kopesh. Each blow was absorbed by the plates of his armor, but Wulfrin still saw his HP start to drop. So long as he maintained control over the field, he could win. However, one wrong step and it could all be over.

"What's wrong little red?" One of the henchmen mocked. "Yer edgy friend not here to save you?"

"I don't need help," Wulfrin retorted through gritted teeth. "Especially not for taking down lowlifes like you."

* * *

Combat

Recovery Roll: Not Needed
Energy Regained: none

Post Action: Tech-F (-16 EN, x8)
Free Action: none

ID: 220610 | BD 2 + 3 = 5 | miss
ID: 220611 | BD 8+3=11 | DMG 15*8 = 120 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #2 | Stun Proc
ID: 220612 | BD 2 + 3=5 | miss
ID: 220613 | BD 9 (+1 DMG) | DMG 16*8 = 128 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #4 | Bleed Proc | Stun Proc | Para Proc

Wulfrin | Level 15 | HP 300/300 | EN 32/48 | DMG 15 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | LD 2 | BLD 24 | PARA | REC 2

Abdullah Henchman #1 | HP 180/180 | DMG 60
Abdullah Henchman #2 | HP 60/180 | DMG 60 | (180-120) | STUNNED | P.StunImm. (0/3)
Abdullah Henchman #3 | HP 180/180 | DMG 60
Abdullah Henchman #4 | HP 52/180 | DMG 60 | (180-128) | STUNNED | P.StunImm. (0/3) | BLD -24 (0/2) | PARA

Henchmen turns

ID: 220614 | MD 7 | DMG 60-44 = 16 DMG to Wulfrin
Abdullah Henchman #2 is stunned
ID: 220615 | MD 8 | DMG 60-44 = 16 DMG to Wulfrin
Abdullah Henchman #4 is Stunned

Wulfrin | Level 15 | HP 284/300 | EN 32/48 | DMG 15 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | LD 2 | BLD 24 | PARA | REC 2

Abdullah Henchman #1 | HP 180/180 | DMG 60
Abdullah Henchman #2 | HP 60/180 | DMG 60 | (180-120) | P.StunImm. (1/3)
Abdullah Henchman #3 | HP 180/180 | DMG 60
Abdullah Henchman #4 | HP 28/180 | DMG 60 | (52-24) | P.StunImm. (1/3) | BLD -24 (1/2)

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin took offense to being called little red. These NPCs were really getting under his skin. At least he had their full attention. The phoenix watched from its high perch, its eyes fixed on Wulfrin. It was judging every move, every attack, and more importantly every misstep. Wulfrin regained his composure and prepared another attack. No more slacking, it was time for the real damage. He unleashed his Horizontal Square skill with speed and accuracy. Rage filling every move. He managed to cleave off massive chunks of the Health Bars of the two he had missed and cut clean through another, causing them to shatter into a thousand fractal motes. 

"Come on!" Wulfrin shouted planting his feet in a defensive position. "I can do this all day!"

"Yeah?" One of the henchmen mocked. "We'lls just see 'bout dat."

Wulfrin was charged by the three remaining henchmen. Two of them managed to cut into Wulfrin's HP a bit, but nothing serious. The third coughed up a bit of blood, the bleed enchantment doing its job. This gave Wulfrin enough time to counter the strike sending the attack wide.

* * *

Combat

Recovery Roll: ID 220616 | CD 4 | fail
Energy Regained: 2 EN

Post Action: AoE-I (-17 EN, x9)
Free Action: none

ID: 220617 | BD 4 + 3 = 7 | DMG 15*9 = 135 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #1
ID: 220618 | BD 10 (+2 DMG) | DMG 17*9 = 153 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #2 | Bleed Proc | Para Proc
ID: 220619 | BD 6 + 3=9 | DMG 15*9 = 135 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #3
ID: 220620 | BD 2+3=5 | miss

Wulfrin | Level 15 | HP 284/300 | EN 17/48 | DMG 15 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | LD 2 | BLD 24 | PARA | REC 2

Abdullah Henchman #1 | HP 45/180 | DMG 60 | (180-135)
Abdullah Henchman #2 | HP 0/180 | DMG 60 | (60-153) | P.StunImm. (1/3) | BLD -24 (0/2) | PARA | dead
Abdullah Henchman #3 | HP 45/180 | DMG 60 | (180-135)
Abdullah Henchman #4 | HP 52/180 | DMG 60 | P.StunImm. (1/3) | BLD -24 (1/2)

Henchmen turns

ID: 220623 | MD 9 (+1 DMG) | DMG 61-44 = 17 DMG to Wulfrin
Abdullah Henchman #2 is dead
ID: 220624 | MD 8 | DMG 60-44 = 16 DMG to Wulfrin
ID: 220625 | MD 5 | miss

Wulfrin | Level 15 | HP 251/300 | EN 17/48 | DMG 15 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | LD 2 | BLD 24 | PARA | REC 2

Abdullah Henchman #1 | HP 45/180 | DMG 60 | (180-135)
Abdullah Henchman #2 | HP 0/180 | DMG 60 | (60-153) | P.StunImm. (1/3) | BLD -24 (0/2) | PARA | dead
Abdullah Henchman #3 | HP 45/180 | DMG 60 | (180-135)
Abdullah Henchman #4 | HP 28/180 | DMG 60 | P.StunImm. (2/3) | BLD -24 (2/2)

* * *

Looting

Abdullah Henchman #2
ID 220626 | CD 8 | LD 15+2=17
Col: 900 + 600 (CD Even) = 1,500
Mats: 2 (LD Odd)
Items:

T2 Rare Consumable 220626a
T2 Rare Armor/Shield 220626b

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

At last the stage was set. Wulfrin recovered from the blows and let loose his Horizontal Square sword art one final time. This time each strike found its mark leaving a trail of blue light in the shape of a square moving outward in four directions. The three remaining henchmen shattered into millions of tiny polygons. Wulfrin briefly glanced above his head. No cursor change, so this vendetta must be something the system deems acceptable. The phoenix eyed Wulfrin with admiration. He had fought bravely and earned its trust. It began to sing its song once again, and Wulfrin just sat back and marveled at the view of such a mighty creature framed perfectly in front of the rising sun. Wulfrin sat on the edge of the well and cupped some of the water in his hands. The water was refreshing. Even as the sun rose and with it the temperature, the water stayed pleasantly cool.

Once the phoenix had finished its pleasant tune, it landed next to Wulfrin. This was the first time the creature wasn't looking towards him with disdain or an air of royalty, but as an equal. A name appeared in front of it on an info panel.

"Solaris," Wulfrin said with a pleased tone. "Fitting name for a bird that represents the sun. Care to accompany my on my adventures?"

Wulfrin held out his armored forearm. Without hesitation the eagle found purchase on its partner's arm. Wulfrin couldn't come to call himself Solaris's master. He saw the creature as his partner, and now the two simply needed to train together in combat.

* * *

Combat

Recovery Roll: ID 220627 | CD 12 | +2 EN
Energy Regained: 4 EN

Post Action: AoE-I (-15 EN, x9)
Free Action: none

ID: 220628 | BD 9 (+1 DMG) | DMG 16*9 = 144 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #1 | BLD Proc | Para Proc
ID: 220629 | BD 9 (+1 DMG) | DMG 16*9 = 144 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #3 | BLD Proc | Para Proc
ID: 220630 | BD 7+3=10 | DMG 15*9 = 135 DMG to Abdullah Henchman #4

Wulfrin | Level 15 | HP 251/300 | EN 6/48 | DMG 15 | MIT 44 | ACC 3 | LD 2 | BLD 24 | PARA | REC 2

Abdullah Henchman #1 | HP 45/180 | DMG 60 | (45-144) | BLD -24 (0/2) | PARA | dead
Abdullah Henchman #2 | HP 0/180 | DMG 60 | (60-153) | P.StunImm. (1/3) | BLD -24 (0/2) | PARA | dead
Abdullah Henchman #3 | HP 45/180 | DMG 60 | (45-144) | BLD -24 (0/2) | PARA | dead
Abdullah Henchman #4 | HP 28/180 | DMG 60 | (28-135) | P.StunImm. (2/3) | dead

* * *

Looting

Abdullah Henchman #1
ID 220631 | CD 3 | LD 7+2=9
Col: 900
Mats: 4 (LD+CD Odd)
Items:

T2 Uncommon Consumable 220631

Abdullah Henchman #3
ID 220632 | CD 7 | LD 7+2=9
Col: 900 + 300 (CD=7) = 1,200
Mats: 4 (LD+CD Odd)
Items:

T2 Rare Trinket 220632

Abdullah Henchman #4
ID 220633 | CD 3 | LD 4+2=6
Col: 900 + 600 (LD Even) = 1,500
Mats: 2 (CD Odd)
Items:

T2 Uncommon Consumable 220633

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin

[Wulfrin 0]

Wulfrin returned back to Fortazela. He did his best to avoid the guards on the way in, but he still got scowls. He returned to The Traveling Gypsy just as she was packing up her cart. On his shoulder perched Solaris. HIs regal stare had kept the guards from coming too close, and even some of the NPCs had stopped to gawk as the duo passed. The Gypsy turned at their arrival and smiled from ear to ear.

"My my," She said examining the phoenix. "What an interesting find, dear. What is this majestic creature's name?"

"Solaris," Wulfrin said. Solaris extended its wings and let out a loud eagle screech. "Here are the leftovers from your special formula."

"I appreciate it dear," The gypsy eyed Wulfrin up and down. There was an air of anticipation starting to pool around her. Wulfrin could tell she was expecting payment, but nothing was discussed before. Just as Wulfrin was about to ask, the gypsy spoke. "Take care of that majestic friend of yours. I sense they will be a great asset to you."

In the blink of an eye, the Gypsy and her cart were gone. Wulfrin was left standing alone in a deserted alley way, not at all the place he was moments ago. Solaris looked just as confused; then with a flap of its wings took off into the sky, an arc of flames following behind like the chem trails of a plane. The two made there way to the teleport gate and left the scorching desert behind for the more relaxing calm of Floor Twenty-Two.

* * *

Thread Closing

Wulfrin Receives

1,192 EXP: ([4,463/10]*2*1 + [300] quest)
5,100 Col: (Loot)
12 Materials: (Loot)

New Familiar: Solaris
A phoenix the size and shape of an Adult Eagle. It's feathers are an assortment of reds, oranges, and golds mimicking a raging fire. As it flies, it generates a trail of fire.

Unlocked <<Training Your Friend>>

Items

T2 Rare Consumable [220626a]
T2 Rare Armor/Shield [220626b]
T2 Uncommon Consumable [220631] [220633]
T2 Rare Trinket [220632]

Edited March 24 by Wulfrin