Acanthus' Journal

[Acanthus 0]

 

Profile Username: Acanthus Real name: Haru Masuda Age: 28 Gender: Female Height: 180cm Country: Japan

Link to Character Spreadsheet

Background

Before Sword Art Online, Haru Masuda was nobody in particular, and that was just how she liked it. The eldest daughter of a doctor, Haru lived through a quiet childhood, both literally and figuratively. There were no major traumatic events in her childhood to speak of, and the house was silent during her father's frequent business trips. In the silence, Haru took to her studies and excelled: she attended University of Tokyo and achieved top marks on her civil service exams. She was offered a prestigious job researching and writing policy at the National Diet. Unfortunately, this required her to move from Nagasaki to Tokyo, away from her family. This move ultimately led to her place among the 10,000.

Haru never cared for videogames. She had always been content to play them vicariously through her younger brother, Koji. But with her move on the horizon, Haru wanted to surprise Koji by finding a game they could play together. Haru chose Sword Art Online after seeing Koji's rampant obsession with the game. Although Koji was unable to secure a copy, Haru was able to leverage what few connections she had to procure the game at the last minute.

Haru's excitement turned to fear once Kayaba revealed the true purpose of the game. Unlike the brave men and women of the vanguard, Haru spent the first few months sequestered in the starting town. She had difficulty making friends, and those she befriended would always move on. Haru, ever afraid of the risks, languished on the first floor while the vanguard climbed the tower. Only after all this time did she work up the courage to climb the tower herself.

Virtues

1. Calm. Haru has always been calm, from her first playground dispute to her civil service examinations. Despite her tendency to avoid risk, she prides herself on being able to handle herself in the most stressful of situations. Even when she is well over her head, Haru keeps her feet on the ground and her words level.
2. Caring. Haru inserted herself into caregiver roles throughout her life. She took care of her brother while her parents traveled. At University, it was Haru's meticulous notes that her friends shared to cram for all the missed classes. Trapped in an unfamiliar world, Haru promised herself to treat everyone as a brother or sister.
3. Methodical. Haru's competitive work placement was the result of equal parts intelligence and persistence. While Haru would be the first to admit she's failed, she has never failed the same way twice. Given enough time, there isn't a problem that Haru can't solve—but in SAO, time is a luxury.

Flaws

1. Risk-avoidant. When method is your armor, uncertainty is the sharpest spear. Haru's methodical nature served her well before SAO. But that was when research was the product of days, and failure resulted in a stern warning. With her life on the line, Haru avoids even the faintest possibility of death.
2. Aloof. Sometimes, Haru's calmness manifests as a detached demeanor. Conversations often wilt under her kind but brief responses. Her brevity is never intended as rudeness; Haru takes great pains to recognize when she needs to speak up and engage with others.
3. Dismissive. Haru is not necessarily confrontational, but she can be quick to dismiss outside perspectives. She is not stubborn just to be stubborn; rather, it is her confidence in herself and her methods that can lead her to refuse others. At its worst, Haru's dismissiveness comes from a desire to prove herself right, even if she might concede that others have good points.

 

The Story so far...

Frozen Heart, Thawing Courage Days 702–769 After two years despairing, Haru adopts the adventuring persona of Acanthus in the name of clearing the game. As fantasy and reality intertwine, she begins to question what it will take to return home.

Roleplay Logs Spoiler [F01 | SP] Coming to Terms | <<The First Few Lessons>> [F01 | SP] Demonic Quarry | <<Earning a Living | Forager>> [F01 | SP] An Unfamiliar Refrain | <<Earning a Living | Performer>> [F01 | PP] I'll Love it, No Matter the Shape | <<Feeding Your Enemy> [SP | F17] Perfection is Overrated | <<Challenge of Olympus | Performer>> [F02 | SP] Why? Because I Can. | <<Breaking the Unbreakable>> [F05 | PP] Sharkbait, the Third? <<Bloodstained Land>> [SP | F02] Bravery is Just a Face | <<Let There Be Light>> [PP | F1] Sniffing Wilds or Something <<Scents of the Wild: Keepers of Nature>> [SP | F17] A Kernel of Truth and Doubt | <<Challenge of Olympus | Forager>> [PP-F08] Bear Down for Boss Fights | <<Scents of the Wild: Ferocious Foe>> [F08 | PP] Grains to Gemstones | <<Nature's Treasure>> [PP-F08] You Can Hear it in the Trees <<Treant Rivalries>> [PP-F10] Down by the River <<Scents of the Wild: Leeching Nightmare>> [F8|PP] Ape Shit <<Monkey King>> [F03 | SP] Nobody's at Faultwarren | <<Captured>> [F05 | SP] Past the Limit | <<The Traveler>> [F06 | SP] The Girl from the Other Side | <<The Gemini>> [PP-F21] BORGOTTEN BIME BING <<BoTK>> [PP-F4] Another Repetition of History [PP-F19-PT] Kalamata Calamity, Part II <<Ki'Raion>> [F24-OP] Something rotten, must be Denmark <<Floor 28 Pre-Raid Meeting>> [PP-F4] The Battle of Snowfrost

Starting Thread: [F01 | SP] Coming to Terms | <<The First Few Lessons>> Ending Thread: [F06 | SP] The Girl from the Other Side | <<The Gemini>>

 

Starting Thread: [PP-F19-PT] Kalamata Calamity, Part II <<Ki'Raion>> Ending Thread: [BR-F28] Paving the Way to Floor 29 [Team 1: Yuki]

Roleplay Logs Spoiler [F05 | SP] A Test of Her Reflexes | <<The Butcher in the Sands>> [PP-F09] Through Fire and Flames | <<Into the Fire: Guardian of Fire>> [F01-PP] Starin' at you with my Big ol' Eyes <<Earning a Living>> [F03 | SP] No Greater Love | <<The Search for Hoya>> [F16 | PP] Fishing for Answers | <<Scents of the Wild: Part Four>> [OP-F24] Everyone needs a break in the summer! Open for everyone. [PP-F01] Bears and Otters | <<Training Your Friend>> [F19 | PP] A Rocky Start | <<Scent of the Wild: The Colossal Shadow>> [F24 | SP] Hell is One Long Unskippable Cutscene | <<Incognito Antics: Assassination>> [F09 | SP] The Coming Hellstorm | <<Field Boss: Phoenix>> [F25 | SP] ThREad TiTle NOT fOUnd | <<Down The Rabbit Hole>> [PT][F24/PP] - In Too Deep]Legendary Ingredient Hunting - Crack a Crab [F13 | SP] Involuntary Mobslaughter - Blade of a Dying World [F17-PP] lion's wake. [F27-EVENT-2024] Diwali [F27 | PP] Helping Hands | <<Purusartha>> [F07 | SP] The Quest was Rigged from the Start | <<Case of Wurms>> [F21 | PP] Mined Your Own Business | <<Trouble in the Mines>> [BR-F28] Paving the Way to Floor 29 [BR-F28] Paving the Way to Floor 29 [Team 1: Yuki]

Kindness Unpaid Days 771–?? Having literally slain her doubts, Acanthus redoubles her efforts at the cost of her health. New friends leave in more ways than one.

 

 

[I haven't titled this arc yet] Days ??–?? [I also don't have a description yet q.q]

Roleplay Logs Spoiler [OP-F29] Ope wide the gates! (Post Raid Thread) [PP-F9] <<Bandit Camp>> Cut to the Chase [F01 | PP] Tutelage Among the Skies | <<Training Your Friend>> [F06 | SP] The Girl from the Other Side, Pt. 2 | <<The Gemini(?)>> [F01 | SP] Perennial Tragedies [F01-PP] What makes a person? (Wildfire, Acanthus, Nymoria) <<DHA 1: Diary of the Dragon Huntsman>> [F09 | PP] Bandits Below | <<Bandit Camp>>

Starting Thread: [OP-F29] Ope wide the gates! (Post Raid Thread) Ending Thread: [Active Story Arc]

 

Sword Arts:

Spoiler

[x12] ST-I (12 EN) | A single-target sword art.
[x15] ST-II (15 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
[x20] ST-B (20 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll.
[x11 x15] AOE-I (11 13 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
[x14 x18] AOE-II (14 16 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn.
[x12] TECH-A (13 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.
[x12] TECH-B (12 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn.
-----
[x12] TECH-C (12 EN) | COUNTER | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, places [Counter] around the player. [Counter] is a buff that reduces the final damage taken by its user by 25% (rounded down) for one turn.
[x12] TECH-D (12 EN) | SHATTER | A single-target sword art that applies a stack of [Shatter] to an enemy for 3 turns. [Shatter] is a debuff that can stack up to a cap of 3, taking immediate effect on the attack it was applied on. Each stack of [Shatter] removes -20 MIT from an enemy, down to 0, if it has MIT. 
[x12] TECH-F (8 + 2 * targets EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn.

Foraging Table

Spoiler

 

Lvl 5 Forager

Find Materials on LD 10+
[1-4] = No additonal materials.
[5-6] = 1 additional material & 1,000col.
[7-9] = 2 additional materials & 2,500col.
[10+] = 3 additional materials & 3,000col.
LD 17+ and CD 12+: Demonic Shard

 

Housing

Spoiler

 

House Name: Villa of Coruscating Flowers (The Villa)
Location: Floor 24 - Paradise Islands
Description: See above
Plot Size: Estate - PK Accessible
Rooms: Listed below. All rooms are assigned to Acanthus.

• Master Bedroom (25,000 col)
  • Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
• Greenhouse (25,000 col)
  • Green Thumb | +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.
• Extended Workshop: Recording Studio (25,000 col)
  • Hard Working | +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day.
• Mega Slime Farm (25,000 col)
  • 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.
• Living Room: (10,000 col)
  • Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
• Attic (Bedroom) (10,000 col)
  • Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill (Searching). Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
• Basement: (10,000 col)
  • Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.

 

 

 

Edited March 13 by Acanthus

[Morningstar 0]

Approved.

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus | Lvl 66 (34/32) | Acanthus | HP: 840/840 | EN: 98/98 | DMG: 23 | MIT:95 | ACC:5 | AA  | BRN-IM  | FL.AURA: 8 | BH:46 | HB: 37 | VAMP-D: 46 | REC: 4 | LD:5

 

Spoiler

Equipment and Consumables

Spoiler

All enhancements reflected in the stat block unless otherwise specified.

Equipment
Weapon. botan. AA | ACC 3
Armor. Enduring Thistle VAMP-D | MIT | REC | FIREPROOF
Trinket. Fractured Heart | Holy Blessing 2 | Flame Aura

Consumables
TEXT

Abilities (Skills, Shifts, Masteries, Add-ons, and Mods)

Spoiler

Combat Mastery and Shift
Combat Mastery: Damage R3
TECH Shift

Skills

• Battle Healing R5
• Light Armor R5
  • Addon: Precision
  • Addon: Resolve
  • Mod: Meticulous (1/5)
• Searching R4 + 1 (Skylight: Searching)
  • Mod: Night Vision (2/5)
  • Mod: Tracking (3/5)
• Straight Sword R5
  • Addon: Ferocity
  • Addon: Stamina

Extra Skills

• Forgotten King's Authority
• Survival
• Photosynthesize
• Block
  • Mod: Shield Bash (4/5)

Inactive Extra Skills

• Assault Mode
• Disguise

Addons

• Ferocity
• Precision
• Resolve
• Stamina

Mods

• Shield Bash
• Meticulous
• Night Vision
• Tracking

Battle Ready Inventory (7 Slots)
Dimensional Backpack + Item Stash

Spoiler

1. Lama Sabachthani | 236687 | Consumable - Soundtrack | Hypnosis 2 | Lullaby 2 (Instant)
   Pain deeper than words, engraved by a hand that does not know its own heart.
2. Edict's Threnody | 236686 | Consumable - Soundtrack | Perpetuate (Instant)
   If my suffering will not end, then neither will yours.
3. [Empty]
4. [Empty]
5. [Empty]
6. [Empty]
7. [Empty]

Housing

Spoiler

House Name: Villa of Coruscating Flowers (The Villa)
Location: Floor 24 - Paradise Islands
Description: See above
Plot Size: Estate - PK Accessible
Rooms: Listed below. All rooms are assigned to Acanthus.

• Master Bedroom
  • Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat.
• Greenhouse
  • Green Thumb | +2 Gathering EXP per Attempt and additional +1 LD & CD to gathering attempts.
• Extended Workshop: Recording Studio (25,000 col)
  • Hard Working | +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day.
• Mega Slime Farm
  • 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.
• Living Room:
  • Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
• Attic (Bedroom)
  • Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill (Searching). Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
• Basement:
  • Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll.
• Storage Closet: (10,000 col)
  • Item Stash | +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
• Master Bathroom: (25,000 col)
  • Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)

Crafting and Gathering

Spoiler

Performer | Rank 5
Apollo’s Metronome | Crafting Tool | Meticulous: +1 CD when crafting in one’s workshop.

Forager | Rank 5
Demeter's Cornucopia | Gathering Tool | Bountiful: +1 CD to gathering attempts.

 

 

Edited February 10 by Acanthus