[PP-F1] Reflection & People-Watching | <<The First Few Lessons>>

[Morningstar 0]

Lyle grumbled inaudibly as they left, and Star imagined it wasn't anything Ty would deem respectful. At least he was as Morningstar remembered. Ungrateful, harsh, and not so fun to be around. They left Lyle's shop behind them and returned to the slightly less irritating city.

"I don't know about bugged, but something's definitely different. I'm wondering if the quest was updated. I can't think of another reason why Zackariah wouldn't train you," he said. "And, actually, Lyle never loaned me a sword. I've never heard of tranquilizer truffles either. It's your lucky day, apparently," Star chuckled.

The first floor's plains were the best place for hunting boars. No where else in Aincrad would you find a field so full of weak mobs. It was prime for training and leveling. He had started there, as had the rest of the frontliners. Now, Typhoonflame would too.

"There," Star pointed. "Start with that one. Pick your poison: sword or tranquilizer."

Spoiler

I'm going to spawn this one for you since it's your first time, but I'll let you do it in the future. You can copy my rolling format from the last fight. Again, lmk if you have questions

POST ACTION | ?

ID: ? | BD: ? | MD: (assuming you don't use and hit tranquilizer)

Boarlet takes ? DMG. Typhoonflame loses ? EN

Typhoonflame takes ? DMG.

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

 

[Typhoonflame 0]

"That can't be, are updates being released while we're trapped here?  I was under the impression that stopped when we entered, no?" she asked, confused, her brow furrowed in thought. "I will say that the blacksmith guy was a total prick, can't believe he even gets any money with how he acts...Some people..." she added. 

However, she followed Star to the plains without further complaints, although he could probably tell she was nervous by the way she held her new sword's hilt. She gripped it tightly as she imagined the upcoming fight with the boars. 

Ty was tempted to start with the tranquillizer, but she knew that would teach her nothing and would leave her defenseless if she ever ran into an enemy that wouldn't just fall asleep from some mushrooms. So she clenched her fists, clutched the sword tighter...and charged towards a boar, ready to slay it. Whether she'd manage, that was a worry for later. 

However,  in her haste...she struck in a wide arc and missed the boar. When the boar charged, she barely managed to dodge it by jumping away. "Oh come on!" she hissed.

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION | Basic attack 

ID: 223761| BD: 1 I MD: 4

Boarlet takes 0 DMG. Typhoonflame loses 2 EN

Typhoonflame takes 0 DMG.

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

 

[Morningstar 0]

"Oh, yeah. Updates happen. New quests appear out of the blue. Field bosses too. Who knows how or why. Keeps things interesting, I guess," Star shrugged, curious as to where the updates came from as well. He had thought about it once or twice, but couldn't decide whether somebody on the outside was still pushing buttons or if the system had become fully automated. It probably didn't matter either way.

Ty came face to face with her first boarlet. She hesitated whilst choosing her weapon, but settled with the straight sword. Her swing was far off its mark, but lucky for her, so was the boar's charge. "Nice try," Star said. "You'll get the next one."

He kept Dying Sun close, for if Typhoon lost control of the fight, he would be forced to step in. Unfortunately, it meant ruining the loot drop. The quest had strict rules about escorts helping with combat.

Spoiler

 

POST ACTION | N/A

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 18/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

 

 

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty didn't particularly like the sound of new field bosses appearing in the game and trying to kill players. It was so sad, actually. In another time, she would've loved having a new update to mess around with. New items, areas, mounts...she'd always loved collecting mounts. But now...she had to rely on her own two legs and this sword to kill this boarlet. 

With encouragement from Star, she struck again, trying to aim better this time, face set in a determined expression...Only to miss again, as the boar dodged to the side and then tried to attack her with its tusks. She let out a yelp and stepped back, narrowly avoiding the sharp points of the tusks. Breathing heavily, she hung her head, still clutching her sword. Why was she so bad at this? It couldn't be that hard, could it?

"Well, I tried! Guess third time's the charm, right?" she commented. 

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION | Basic attack 

ID: 223874| BD: 3 I MD: 5

Boarlet takes 0 DMG. Typhoonflame loses 2 EN

Typhoonflame takes 0 DMG.

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 16/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

 

[Morningstar 0]

Her second miss wasn't unexpected. She was learning a new skill, and swinging a sword was more difficult than it looked. Morningstar watched closely as the boar charged, and was thankful that she evaded its tiny tusks. At least she had the sense to get out of the way.

"Keep your back straight," Star advised. "It's like you said, third time's the charm."

Morningstar stood by in case of emergency, but was determined to let her figure it out on her own. She needed to learn what it was like to fight by herself. There wouldn't always be a group available to back her up; Star had experienced that countless times.

Was it too late for her to swap between tools? Her arsenal had another, he recalled: the tranquilizer truffles. If she could put the boar to sleep, they could take a tusk and be on their way. Another boar stood off in the distance, taking no notice of them. It would be their next target.

Spoiler

POST ACTION | N/A

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 16/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3

 

[Typhoonflame 0]

"Back straight, right!" she called back, nodding and trying to straighten her back as Star instructed. However, it was hard for her to focus on that when she had a boar in front of her who could actually manage to hit her any second. She had to act before she got hurt, no matter what. Time to change tactics.

She knew she could use the tranquilizer...Maybe she could learn to use her sword on some target dummies later, or ask Star to spar with her. There was no point in getting hurt if she couldn't hit this little creature now, it was simply too nimble. 

With a grumble, she picked up one of the tranquilizers and tossed it at the boarlet. Somehow, thank the gods, she managed to hit that one and the boarlet blinked a few times, then collapsed, snoring. 

"I did it Star, come on, let's get a tusk!" she whisper-yelled. 

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION | Tranquilizer (success on BD 5+

ID: 223875| BD: 6 I MD: 5

Boarlet takes 0 DMG. Falls asleep.

Typhoonflame takes 0 DMG.

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 16/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3 (Asleep)

 

[Morningstar 0]

The boar became more and more agitated the longer the fight went on. Even at a young age, it was a beast full of anger and rage. Ty pulled the truffle from her inventory and lobbed it at the boarlet, and Morningstar was happy to see that it hit. She had a good throw; he wondered if she was an athlete back in the real world.

"With an arm like that, you should consider throwing weapons. Replace that truffle with a knife and that boar's as good as dead, I'd bet." Star drew his sword and bent down. He took a look at the boarlet's tusks, reminded of the time he took the quest, all those years ago. They were small, and it always surprised him that Lyle could find a use for them in his crafting. He may have been unfriendly, but he was good at his job. With the edge of his blade, he sawed off the boar's tusks, tossing them to Ty.

"Next," he said, using his sword to point to the boar in the distance.

(1/3 boars sedated)

[Typhoonflame 0]

 

Ty chuckled when Star suggested throwing weapons. Honestly, it wasn't illogical, even if she'd never thought about it. It was a lot like magic, whether she slung a dagger or a spell, it required the same amount of accuracy to be successful. "I'll keep that in mind when choosing my next weapon." she said. It could be the solution she'd been looking for.

She caught the tusks Star tossed her and put them in her backpack. "Well, that's one down...Time to get that guy next, right?" she asked, following Star's pointing finger with her gaze to find her next target. 

Without wasting any time, she walked towards it, preparing her next truffle. she didn't get fully close to it, however, but stayed at a slight distance, some twenty meters away, and chucked the truffle at the creature. It hit it square on the head and this one, too, began to snore. "Mine!" Ty cheered.

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION | Tranquilizer (success on BD 5+)

ID: 223910| BD: 8 I MD: 6

Boarlet takes 0 DMG. Falls asleep.

Typhoonflame takes 0 DMG.

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 16/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3 (Asleep)

 

[Morningstar 0]

Before Star knew it, Typhoon had caught herself another boarlet. He wished he could throw that well. "Well done. You've earned yourself another boar tusk," he chuckled. With two boars down, they'd almost completed Lyle's portion of the questline. One last boarlet waddled near them, and Morningstar pointed it out to her. "Might as well get this guy if he's going to waltz right up to us."

Star was happy to see Ty coming along so quickly. Sometimes, the fresh players he'd meet were afraid of the wilds, and for good reason. To him, she seemed accustomed to leaving her comfort zone. Combat, with tranquilizers at least, was becoming second nature to her, and soon enough she would replace them with real weapons. He hoped that Wulfrin would have something usable for her, something that suited her style.

"We'll head back afterwards. I think some fisherman needs our help next and Lyle's probably not one I want to keep waiting," Star snickered, imagining how the blacksmith would react to them returning at nightfall.

(2/3 boars sedated)

[Typhoonflame 0]

"Oh hello little guy, what brings you my way...? Don't worry, I just need a tusk of yours and I'll let you sleep!" she told the little boarlet before throwing another truffle at it. It bonked it on the side and the creature collapsed. Ty grinned and gestured for Star to saw a tusk off, since she herself didn't have the means to do so. 

She felt like she was going to collapse as the adrenaline left her body, making her have to sit on the ground and breathe deeply. She'd actually done it! Ventured out and even tranquilized not one, not two, but three boarlets! WIth a bit of help, of course, but there was no shame in that. 

"Come on, let's bring these back before the smith gets so annoyed at us that he won't help us." she joked as she stood again, readjusted her balance and headed back to town. 

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION | Tranquilizer (success on BD 5+)

ID: 223964| BD: 6 I MD: 1

Boarlet takes 0 DMG. Falls asleep.

Typhoonflame takes 0 DMG.

Typhoonflame | HP: 20/20 | EN: 16/20 | DMG: 2 | ACC: 2

Boarlet | HP: 5/5 | DMG: 3 (Asleep)

 

[Morningstar 0]

With three boars defeated, and their tusks gathered, their job was done. They headed back to town and returned to Lyle's shop. He was still at the anvil, smashing away at a different weapon. This one was a a curved sword. He was bending the blade as they waltzed in, announcing their entrance with a simple greeting.

He turned to them, rolling his eyes. "Oh, you're back. Bring 'em here, then."

They handed over the tusks they had gathered, and Lyle gave a curt nod of approval. "I use these on hilts," he explains simply, before setting the tusks aside. "Now, I've got to get back to work. Why don't you go bother ol' Pete Larkin by the docks. He spends all his time fishing for river monsters or some such nonsense."

"Oh, and take some gear, if you need. Call it a reward for picking up these tusks for me," he added.

---

Typhoonflame receives the following (you can dm me if you need help):

• Initiate’s Draw
  • A mundane but reliable bit of gear provided by Lyle Tealeaf for services rendered.
  • T1 Perfect [Weapon of Choice], [Armor of Choice] or [Trinket of Choice] - type and standard enhancements (i.e. no unique enhancements) must be specified in thread closing.

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty didn't expect any thanks from Lyle, the guy was too self-centered and rude to do that. She gave him the tusks and stepped back, grinning. "Told ya we'd get it done, hah!" However, for all her enthusiasm, Lyle just grunted about what he used the tusks for, which was apparently for sword hilts, and sent them on their way. 

At least she'd gotten something out of this, Ty reasoned, thanking Lyle for the weapon he'd given her. She hadn't even expected that much. 

Ty left the smithy after that and turned to Star. "Who's the guy Lyle mentioned? He sounds like just your average fisherman?"
However, she knew most NPCs were far from average, and everyone had a part to play in some way or another. "What do you think we'll have to do? Catch more fish?" She'd never really fished in games, or in real life, so that would be a new experience as well. 

[Morningstar 0]

"Pete Larkin is my favorite of the bunch. He's just a fisherman, basically. Back when I did this quest, he took us out onto the water and had us fight a giant swordfish. These days, who knows. So far, this quest has changed a lot. I'd expect this last part to do the same."

They arrived at the docks and found Pete sitting in a chair with his rod in hand. Judging by his empty bucket, it had been a quiet day. "Fish not biting?" Morningstar asked.

Pete looked over, scowling at the players who had disturbed his peace. "Not yet. But they'll come around. They always do."

"We've been sent by the mayor to collect your debt."

Pete loosed a deep, hearty belly-laugh. "Yer tellin' me Mayor Dorian's taken to sending players to do his dirty work? Fine, fine, he’ll get his money, as soon as ye help me finish pulling it out of the drink!”

He pointed down to a the pile of metal and scraps next to the empty bucket, and Morningstar sighed. He knelt down and began scavenging through the trash. "This does not beat fishing."

[Typhoonflame 0]

This very much reminded Ty of a game she'd played as a kid, where the player had to catch fish as they were coming in and avoid eels. She'd been absolutely terrible at it, but the game still held a special place in her heart for its soundtrack and characters...so maybe she could do this, even if it was slightly annoying.

Ty rolled her eyes at Pete's complaint about the mayor. "You have no idea, sir. He's taken to screaming about needing help for all to hear. Took this quest to shut him up, really." She laughed. "I'm not much good at fishing though, but...how did whatever you owed the mayor end up in the water?" she asked, squinting down at it. Was it money? Did the man mistake his fishing hole for a wishing fountain? No way, right? It had to be something else...only one way to find out. 

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION |Scavenging for Pete's stuff  (success on LD 15+)

ID: 223973| LD: 19 I

Found one chest!

 

 

 

 

Edited August 3 by Typhoonflame
added roll

[Morningstar 0]

Pete laughed at her apt description of Mayor Dorian. He looked confused at her following question, though. "It didn't. It ended up right here," he raised his fishing rod. "It ain't just fish that live at the bottom of the ocean. Plenty of treasure to pull up, if you're patient and ya know where to look."

Somehow, through the junk and scraps, Ty pulled out a treasure chest. Morningstar had not seen one in a while. It was a bit smaller than the ones he was used to finding in dungeons and such, but loot was loot at the end of the day.

"Open 'er up," Pete said with a grin. "Whaddaya say we see what's inside."

Morningstar gestured for Ty to do the honors. It was her quest, after all, and whatever treasure was inside should have been hers. He only hoped that Pete wouldn't want a cut of whatever was inside.

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty wondered if Pete spent all day just waiting for a random treasure to pop up and get caught on his fishing rod's hook. That would be a really funny thing to imagine, and she had to suppress a laugh. "Sure, I suppose that's true, but it's rare." she commented, turning to the pile of things near Pete to search it for anything valuable. 

To her surprise, as she was digging through the pile, she felt wood under her hands. It felt slightly old and moldy, but she tugged at it anyway. Her efforts were rewarded with a small chest, and when she glanced at Star and Pete, she saw they were both surprised. Apparently, she'd found a rare treasure chest!

"Wow, that's sure neat, huh? How did you not know this was here?" she asked Pete, getting a firm hold on the chest and prying it open, smiling as she imagined what it contained. 

 

Spoiler

POST ACTION |Opening treasure chest 

ID: 223975 LD: 10 I

Contents of chest:
100 Col
5 Materials
Rare Weapon
2 Rare Consumables


 

 

[Morningstar 0]

"Well, I'll be... You've found yourself a weapon there, ay? Keep it—and the rest of the loot, too. Consider it my thanks for delivering this to Dorian for me." With a grin so bright it rivaled the sun, Pete bestowed upon Ty a sealed letter for Dorian, saying that its contents will more than settle his debts.  He wiped it against a stale barrel of day-old catch before handing over to her.  “That should serve Dorian right, for how he treats his debtors,” he spat into the lake to accentuate his dislike.

They returned to town square, where Dorian was still calling for players to help him out. "Never gets old, I guess."

"Ah, you're back! And with my money, I expect?"

Star nudged Ty to hand over the envelope, and she did. With a furrowed brow, he cracked open the seal and peeked inside. "Well, yes," he stammered, "I suppose that's a fair trade. Truth be told, I don't quite remember how much we loaned him, anyway." Delicately, with two fingers, Dorian set the parchment aside. "Uh, alright, that's all, then. Thank you for your help. If you ever need anything in this town, do not hesitate to drop my name. I'm sure that's far more valuable than any monetary reward I could offer you, anyway."

With that, the quest had been completed.

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty physically cringed when Pete wiped the letter on his barrel. Really, he0d decided to be that petty over this? One would think he had more wisdom at his age...but nope. She suppressed a sigh, and her gag reflex, as she gingerly held the letter. She carried it like that all the way to Dorian, and handed it to him like one would hand over a tissue full of snot. 

"Here, I know it's not clean, but there was nothing I could do. I hope it will suffice." she said to the mayor. 

Relieved that she was allowed to keep her weapon and get some kind of clout from the mayor with this, Ty sighed as Dorian returned to his shouting.

"I don't think his name carries that much weight." she whispered to Star, referencing what he'd just told them. "Don't think he's liked much....Not that I blame anyone. Not the biggest fan either. Anyway! Thank you for your help, I owe you. If there's anything I can do to repay you, let me know." she told Star, dipping her head in gratitude. 

Edited August 4 by Typhoonflame

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar stifled a laugh at Typhoon's remark. He also didn't think Dorian's name carried weight, but didn't want to say anything aloud.

"My pleasure. No debts, don't worry. If you need anything, just shoot a message my way," he smiled, sending a friend request. Then, he went on his way. He had enjoyed his time as a guide. He'd also had more than enough of Floor 1 for a single day. He crushed a shiny blue crystal in his grip and teleported elsewhere.

---

He swore he had sent himself home. What should have been a blue sky was a layer of smokey clouds. Smog polluted his senses, slowly suffocating him. Around him were crags of black stone and the cries of monsters. Rivers of magma flowed and fell over the edges of the cliffs, and he could feel the heat emanating from them. A castle, shrouded in shadows, vile and demonic, stood before him.

He was expected.

[Morningstar 0]

Thread Closing:

Morningstar receives:

6,484 EXP (Word Count [7720/10*6*0.7] + Recruitment Drive [3242*2])
2,952 col (Loot [1,980] + 15% P5 Reward [972])
2 Materials (Loot [2])
T4 Uncommon Consumable 223701

Typhoonflame receives:

2,680 EXP (Word Count [7720/10*1*0.7] + Quest [800] + Recruitment Drive [1340*2])
2,500 col (1 page [400] + Loot [100] + Quest [2000])
6 materials (Loot [5] + Quest [1])
Zachariah's Special Draught | Tierless Potion | HP Recovery III
Initiate's Draw | T1 Perfect Rapier | PAR II, ACC I
5x Big Bertha Braciole | T1 Rare Snack | Vitality II
T4 Rare Weapon 223975a
T4 Rare Consumable 223975b
T4 Rare Consumable 223975c