[PP-F9] Necessary Treachery | <<The Iron Guardian>>

[Morningstar 0]

Quest

Star flipped through his journal, reminiscing while he picked his next adventure. He kept a list of quests written down, and marked them off after he completed them. He was consistent, and took pride in his recordkeeping. He had a dozen notebooks and entries that dated back to the very beginning (more accurately, a week after the very beginning). Some days, when he felt nostalgic, or when he missed the old days, he would look back at old notes and drawings. It made him happy, and it made him sad.

 

By now, not many quests were left incomplete. Among the few that were was the Iron Guardian.

 

Star had never looked into the quest before, lumping it in with the rest of the low tier quests that he tended to ignore. The completionist in him wanted the entire list scratched out, however, so he forced himself to research it.

 

A broker told him to head to Floor Nine, where he could talk to another broker that would take him to the Iron Guardian. Supposedly, it was a simple quest without much risk, assuming that players didn't walk in severely under leveled. With the intention of doing a quick solo run, he teleported to Yōgan Village.

 

| MORNINGSTAR  | Lv. 64 >> P. 31, Lv. 33  | Status: [ alexa play the roblox theme song ]  Notes:  //

Hide contents Morningstar | HP: 780/780 | EN: 116/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN equipped Dying Sun FLN II, AA, PAR VEN Inner Focus EVA II, REC II Sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo x1 teleport crystal skills   Hide contents mod count: 4/5 2HSS | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: aoe CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5 athletics, nimble COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect, tracking, reveal BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 ENERGIST CHARGE extra (active) SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs   Hide contents statue # | # consumables # # paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-D | x12 | SHATTER TECH-F | x12 | AOE STUN TECH-G | x12 | BURN data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== misc/housing buffs   Hide contents Dimensional Backpack | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. 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. 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.  fishing # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

 

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria wasn’t sure what had drawn her attention towards the quest, it was far beyond anything else she had ever done before. Higher in the floors than even her recent adventures into the fifth floor’s desert. A memory that she wanted nothing more than to forget about, and possibly a reason for her sudden desire to leap into something new. She’d thought, perhaps foolishly, that she would take some time away from heading into the world in order to calm and control herself, but the next day she’d headed out in search of something to distract herself. An action that had brought only an irked attitude out of Musei; her weasel familiar anything but pleased at being dragged back into the world.

She’d gathered only a meagre amount of information about the quest in her hopping around the Town of Beginnings, the few brokers still around well beyond the price she was willing to pay for any useful information. What little she had learnt, however, gave her only a smidge more insight than the quest’s information in her own menu. Attitude already soured from the experience of searching, without success, for intel she’d entered the teleportation pad with reluctance before activating it and heading up towards the beginning of what would, likely, become a very frustrating day.

Her arrival only seemed to confirm her attitude, as she stepped off the platform and directly into the form of a yellow-haired man who seemed well put together. Bouncing off him, Nymoria shot her gave to the ground, her bowing coming natural even as she placed the edge of her hand against her forehead before cutting downwards with it sharply, the sign clear and the monotonous words likely echoing in the player’s mind as soon as they saw it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

------

  

Statblock

Spoiler Notes [Theme] Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [460/460] | EN [64/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6] Tier 3 | Tier 3 Equipment Silence [Rapier | Tier 3 | Bleed I | Keen II] Enhancement: Bleed [1 Slot] Enhancement: Keen [2 Slots] Suppression [Light Armour | Tier 3 | Mitigation I | Recovery II] Enhancement: Mitigation [1 Slot]  Enhancement: Recovery [2 Slots]  Hearing Aid [Trinket | Tier 1] Enhancement: Accuracy [3 Slots] Battle-Ready Inventory Uncommon Health Potion {5} [Potion | Tier 1 | Heals 5% Maximum HP] Spyglass {2} | Reduce Search Posts x5 [Dungeon, Familiar, Field Boss] for one thread bento {2} [Meal | Tierless | Oveerhealth III] Teleport Crystal {1} Honey Cookie {20} [Snack | Tier 1 | Vitality II] Skills Spoiler Utility Skills N/A Combat Skills Battle Healing [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP (rounded down) at the beginning of your turn.] Rapiers [Rank: 5. Active: Passive. Effect: +7 DMG] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Stamina [Active: Passive. Effect: Reduces EN of all attacks by 2.] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Precision [Active: Passive. Effect: +1 ACC.] [Rank 5 Weapon Addon] Rapier Ferocity [Active: Passive. Effect: +2 DMG when using the weapon of your choice. Players cannot use Focus and Ferocity at the same time for the same Weapon Type.] Armour Skills Light Armour [Rank: 3. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain Mitigation based on your rank in Light Armor. You can only benefit from one armor skill at a time (the respective armor type must be equipped). Your mitigation is capped at 2 enhancement slots.] [Rank 3 Armour Mod] Meticulous [Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 base Damage.] Active Extra Skills Leadership [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain access to Leadership Arts every rank. In order to use a Leadership Art, it must take up a mod slot. Each Leadership Art takes up a different mod slot. Leadership Arts from different sources do not stack.] [Rank 1 Leadership Art] Elusive [Active: Post Action. Energy: 4 EN. Cooldown: 2 turns. Effect: Increase the Evasion of all players in your party by 1 for a single turn.] Survival [Active: Passive. Effect: Increases Healing effects received from all sources by 10%. Grants immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects.] Inactive Extra Skills  Concentration [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 5 turns. Effect: As a free action, gain Absolute Accuracy on your next attack. In the case Absolute Accuracy is already present, increase your Accuracy by 1 instead. Effect lasts until the start of next turn.] Frozen Hide [Active: Free Action. Energy: 5 EN. Cooldown: 4 turns. Effect: As a free action, apply one slot of Frost Aura and one slot of Frost Thorns equal to your tier to yourself until the start of your next turn.] Combat Mastery Damage [Rank: 1. Active: Passive. Effect: Gain +1 * Tier additional Base Damage per rank. Ranks of this Skill obey Damage enhancement caps.] Familiar Skills Hunting Familiar [Active: Free Action. Cooldown: 5 turns. : Effect: Your familiar has a nose for treasure. Roll LD/CD (without bonuses) as if you had slain a loot-minimum mob.] Estate Buffs N/A data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Sword Arts Spoiler [x12] ST-I (12 10 EN) | A single-target sword art. [x15] ST-II (15 13EN) | 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 18 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, this CD check applies to only the first roll. [x11] AOE-I (11 9 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. [x14] AOE-II (14 12 + [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 11 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy. [x12] TECH-B (13 11 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. [x8] TECH-F (8 6 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE STUN | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. All struck targets are stunned for one turn. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Estate Buffs Spoiler N/A data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

[Morningstar 0]

Only a few steps into the village and Morningstar was already running into people. In a brief state of confusion, he bounced back, trying to orient himself. Light hair and weird psychic mind-link powers clued him into the girl's identity.

"Oh, hi."

He couldn't remember her name off the top of his head (which he felt bad for; they had killed Absolute Zero together only a short time prior). Nym-something, he thought. Nymolia? Nymonia? Nymoria? That was it—Nymoria. 

"My fault. Should have stepped off the pad quicker," he admitted. He did as he said and moved to the left, avoiding another collision. "What brings you to Yōgan?"

He asked because it was a hell hole—literally. There wasn't much to it, aside from dwarves, ores, and extreme temperatures (none of which suited Star's fancy). He liked warm climates, but preferred them near beaches and not volcanos. "I'm looking for a quest. Wanna come?"

[Nymoria 0]

The voice came a few seconds later, and although it didn’t seem familiar to Nymoria, a glance towards the speaker’s face brought a soft smile to her expression as she remembered the blonde haired man from the snowscapes of the fourth floor. Shaking her head slightly, she gave another bow, before greeting him in kind.

It is good to see you again, Star. The sign that she used for his name was odd, a combination of both hands brought into the form of an actual star; in turn causing the system to pause in its translation for a singular moment as it associated the action with an actual word.

She glanced around the area at Star’s question, her expression suddenly becoming more reserved and a little befuddled. It took her a moment to answer, her hands moving slowly in a way that seemed to only enhance her uncertainty.

There’s a quest. Here somewhere, I think. Iron Guardian? She suddenly looked over to Star, her smile sheepish as she asked her question. You wouldn’t happen to know about it? Or where to find it?

She shifted on the spot, clearly uncomfortable asking for help yet again. She realised that she was falling back into old habits, but figured that in this specific case it would be fine; she was only asking for directions, anyways.

[Morningstar 0]

The Iron Guardian. Yep. That was what he was looking for too.

"All I know is that it's in the area. Not really sure where, though," he replied, glancing about at the wandering passersby. None of them looked quite like quest givers. A few steps took him further from the teleport pad, and suddenly a notification appeared before him.

"Found it," he announced, surprised. The pop-up prompted him to either accept or deny the quest, and seeing as it was the reason for him coming, he chose the former. It didn't take long for an NPC to find them. Dressed in black garbs, a hooded figure approached the pair. "Are you the ones that accepted the quest to kill the Guardian?” they asked. A name materialized above their head. They were called "Mysterious Broker," apparently. Fitting.

"That's us."

The broker smiled beneath his cowl. "Wonderful. I'd be happy to broker you some information to help you get started... for a small price."

"What's your rate?" Star asked. Brokers were all scammers.

"Half of whatever the Guardian drops."

He hesitated at first, but the odds of it dropping anything useful were low anyway. "Fine. Deal."

"Nice," said the broker. "West of here, there's a grotto. That's where you'll find the Guardian. Good luck."

Without a hint of what they were walking into, the broker disappeared back into the shadows, leaving the players to fend for themselves.

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria had remained silent as the prompt had appeared before Star and herself. Like Star, she’d been quick to accept the quest, her main reason for having attended the floor, and saw no reason to have denied the request. Unlike Star, however, she’d jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of the broker’s form, not having seen the man approaching them a small time later, and caught by surprise by their sudden appearance before them.

She glanced back and forth between Star and the broker as she waited for the exchange to finish, not commenting as her companion agreed to the share of the loot that they may have found when they defeated the final guardian. Not that Nymoria would have argued, either, but she did find it funny that the blonde man put up little in the way of disagreement. I guess he figures there’s not going to be anything of value…that, or we’re going to just not give the NPC half of whatever we get… She shook the thought away. Star didn’t seem like the type to try and cheat the system, at least not when it came to agreements like this.

Hey, looks like it’s this way. She motioned in the direction that her map was displaying, the quest having updated with their agreement. Once she’d confirmed that Star was following, she made her way towards their destination, her steps sped up to keep up with the taller player as she followed alongside him. She kept relatively quiet, only answering questions and passing back signs as the conversation came around, and it wasn’t long before they saw the tall gates leading towards their final destination.

There’s a pair of guards out front. They look heavily armoured…and not overly nice. She eyed them carefully, before drawing her sabre and throwing a grin towards Star. I’ll stun them to make it easier for you, okay?

She rushed off down the path toward the pair, noticing that they remained stoic to her approach until she had reached their area of influence, their stance suddenly changing as they lifted heavy broadswords in preparation to meet her charge. Nymoria pushed off at the last second, forcing herself into a shallow roll in the hopes of passing right by their forms and springing up on the other side, aiming for the backs of both in a wide swing.

----

Combat

Morningstar | HP: 780/780 | EN: 116/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [412/460] | EN [54/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6] | -10 EN -48 HP
Iron Knight 1 | HP: 238/250 | DMG: 100 | THORNS 24 | BLEED 24 | Stunned
Iron Knight 2 | HP: 238/250 | DMG: 100 | THORNS 24 | BLEED 24 | Stunned

ID230843 | BD: 6+4=10 | <<Tech-F vs. Iron Knight 1>> | Hit: [14x8-100] = 12 | Stunned | Thorns [24] 
ID230844 | BD: 8+4=12 | <<Tech-F vs. Iron Knight 2>> | Hit: [14x8-100] = 12 | Stunned | Thorns [24] 
Error on roller: Tech-A is noted when should be Tech-F.

[Morningstar 0]

It took them little time to find the grotto that the NPC broker had directed them towards. Two guards stood out front, knights in iron armor. What exactly they were guarding, he couldn't tell. The context of the quest was vague, and its value undetermined.

"Okay," he stood back, allowing Nymoria to take the lead. She was a strange one—so nervous in conversation but so capable of sprinting straight forward towards a pair of metal giants that intended on squishing her like a bug.

She did as she said, and both knights stumbled over, stunned. Morningstar sprung forwards, circling around and past Nym. His swing was quick, and left behind an impossibly circular arc and a pair of dead warriors. They shattered, but no loot remained.

"Damn. Unlucky. Nice stun, though."

Morningstar peered into the grotto, unsure of why there were knights protecting such a place. "In we go?"

---

Morningstar | HP: 732/780 | EN: 99/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [412/460] | EN [54/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6]
Iron Knight 1 | HP: 0/250 | DMG: 100 | THORNS 24 | BLEED 24 | Stunned
Iron Knight 2 | HP: 0/250 | DMG: 100 | THORNS 24 | BLEED 24 | Stunned

ID231245 | BD: 4+4=8 | <<AOE-I vs. Iron Knight 1>> | Hit: [23x15] = 345 | Thorns [24] 
ID231246 | BD: 10+4=14 | <<AOE-I vs. Iron Knight 2>> | Hit: [25x15] = 375 | Thorns [24]

Mobs are below loot minimum.

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria glanced into the grotto as well, trying to decipher why the whole thing felt so…underwhelming. The guards at the forefront of the area had been easily defeated between her own stunning strike, and Star’s follow up attack. She knew that the pair of them were strong, stronger than the pair of knights that had easily fallen, for sure. Yet somehow it felt oddly easy, as if there was something hidden in the shadows that would leap out and change their fortunes in an instant.

She gave a quick glance at Morningstar before shrugging slightly, her hand moving in affirmation of the decision even as she stepped into the grotto itself. I can lead if you’re scared.

A quick step and she was in front of her companion again, leading the way into the area that appeared more run down than impressive to Nymoria’s eyes. She still felt the tingling feeling in the back of her neck, as though there was something watching them, just waiting for them to make the wrong move and leap at them with the intent of…well, she wasn’t entirely sure, but it couldn’t be anything good. Maybe it’s an assassin, hunting us down and planning to kill us and steal all our goods. The thought made her shiver slightly, and she turned away from it to stare at the large thing in the centre of the room, seated upon a throne made of stone and iron, that was clearly waiting for them to approach. Best not keep him waiting then.

Nymoria approach the throne, sabre still in hand as she glanced back to make sure Star was following along behind her. A shift of movement caught her eye, and she turned back to see the large form stumble to its feet, preparing to greet the two of them – except not in welcome. Nymoria saw the blade lift in its hand, and the intent became clear even as she suddenly threw herself into motion, deciding it was best to rush the thing as its health bars appeared, rather than await its eventual strike upon them.

----

Combat

Morningstar | HP: 780/780 | EN: 99/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [402/460] | EN [57/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6] | +3 EN +14 HP | -10 EN -24 HP
Iron Guardian | HP: 432/600 | DMG: 150 | THORNS 24 | BLEED 24 | Stunned

ID231292 | BD: 4+4=8 | <<Tech-A vs. Iron Guardian>> | Hit: [14x12] = 168 | Stunned | Thorns [24] 

[Morningstar 0]

"Please do. I'm absolutely shaking in my boots," Star said, straight-faced.

Nymoria went first, as she'd offered. They were greeted inside the grotto by the Iron Guardian. Star was unimpressed. He was bigger, and maybe a little scarier than the last two knights, but it was all a mirage; the same fight with a different title, really.

His partner stunned the guardian with ease, and it collapsed back onto its thrown, limp. "Okay then. Too easy, no?" Star asked, clicking on Charge and crashing through the rest of the mobs fragile health bar.

"That can't be it. What's next? Shouldn't the 'Iron Guardian' be guarding something?"

He turned to Nym, startled by the knife gently poking into her neck. The shady broker from before stood behind her, a smirk poking out from his obstructing hood. Star weighed the risks of attacking while Nym was beneath the blade. It was difficult to gauge the damage of a neck wound. What sorts of enhancements were on the knife? He would have wagered something toxic.

---

Morningstar | HP: 747/780 | EN: 89/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN | +12 EN +39 HP | -22 EN -24 HP
Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [402/460] | EN [57/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6] | +3 EN +14 HP | -10 EN -24 HP
Iron Guardian | HP: 0/600 | DMG: 150 | THORNS 24 | BLEED 24 | Stunned

ID231447 | CD: 12 | Recovery: +8 EN
ID231446 | BD: 7+4-1=10 | <<Charge + AOE I vs. Iron Guardian>> | Hit: [(23+3+16)x15] = 630 | Thorns [24] 

Looting Iron Guardian:

ID231448 | LD: 4+6=10 | CD: 3
3000 col | 1800+1200
2 materials
T4 Uncommon Consumable 231448

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria raised her left eyebrow in question as Star turned to face her, his expression one of confusion mixed with a hint of concern. She could see his hand quiver slightly, and she found herself even more befuddled. She almost raised a hand to try and ask what was wrong, when she felt the sudden touch of something cold and sharp against her neck. It took only a moment for her to realise the blade was a danger, and she cursed herself once more for being so easy to sneak up on.

If only I could have heard them coming…then we wouldn’t be in this mess. She’d frozen in place, not wanting to give whatever was behind her the opportunity to use her movements as an excuse. The fact that they hadn’t already harmed her meant they likely wanted to bargain, but with her eyes focused on Star, she couldn’t hear anything that was being said – if anything was being said at all. Seconds passed as she tried to figure out what to do, before she eventually gave in and simply did what came naturally – act.

Her sabre came forward slightly, before driving backwards into the form behind her in an attempt to dislodge their centre of balance, and give herself a chance to back away and out. She knew it was a risk – the backward force could draw the knife along her neck, causing severe damage if she wasn’t lucky – but remaining in place, held hostage, only put herself and Star at a disadvantage. Besides, if I act maybe Star can at least save himself. It was enough reasoning for her, and so Nymoria followed through with the action, pushing herself to her left even as she slammed the pommel of the sabre backwards, hoping one of the two movements would free her from whatever had her in a deadly position.

----

Combat

Morningstar | HP: 780/780 | EN: 89/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [302/460] | EN [60/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6] | +3 EN +14 HP | -10 EN -114 HP
Mysterious Broker | HP: 282/450 | DMG: 150 | Paralyze | Stunned
Battle Healing | On a CD of 10+, the <<Mysterious Broker>> heals himself for 100 HP.
First Strike | The <<Mysterious Broker>> has the element of surprise, and will strike first in every rotation.  Its first attack of the battle will automatically hit.

ID233647 | BD: 6 | <<Mysterious Broker vs. Nymoria>> | Hit: [150-36] = 114
ID231876 | BD: 2+4=6 | <<Tech-A vs. Mysterious Broker>> | Hit: [14x12] = 168 | Stunned

Edited September 26 by Nymoria

[Morningstar 0]

Nym struggled, escaping the broker's grip but being cut by his dagger in the process. Star moved like lightning, darting between them and separating the broker's hand from his wrist. Star rotated, drawing back his sword and plunging it into their adversary's chest. The venom of Dying Sun crept into his body, shutting down his motor functions. His body crumpled to the ground, and his health dropped to a sliver. Odd. He should have done enough damage to kill him with that last blow.

With the broker incapable of striking again, Star's priority returned to Nymoria. "You okay? I have potions if you need."

The dagger had dragged across her neck, leaving behind a long, straight cut. Red flowed out from it; thankfully, wounds of that sort were not as deadly in this world. His gaze flipped back to their paralyzed friend, and a sigh escaped his lips. He had to be more careful, more aware.

---

Morningstar | HP: 780/780 | EN: 79/116 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 4 | BH: 39 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | Lv. 23 | P. 0 | HP [302/460] | EN [60/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6] | +3 EN +14 HP | -10 EN -0 HP
Mysterious Broker | HP: 1/450 | DMG: 150 | Paralyze | Stunned
Battle Healing | On a CD of 10+, the <<Mysterious Broker>> heals himself for 100 HP.
First Strike | The <<Mysterious Broker>> has the element of surprise, and will strike first in every rotation.  Its first attack of the battle will automatically hit.

ID233648 | CD: 5 | Recovery Failed
ID233646 | BD: 10 | <<AOE-I vs. Mysterious Broker>> | Hit: (23+2)*15 = 375 | PARA-V

[Nymoria 0]

Nymoria blinked in surprise as the broker’s form settled into view, the man’s frame both familiar and oddly unfamiliar as the hood continued to cover its face. She glanced quickly at Star, signing a simple thank you, before her expression returned to confusion as he asked if she was alright, or if she needed any potions. She quickly glanced up towards her health bar, noticing – with a measure of shock – for the first time that it had dipped.

I’m okay, thank you. I must have taken a hit and not noticed it. But I’m fine now. She glanced back at the broker, her eyes squinting slightly as she stared down at the figure and tried to decide what they should do with the man. Can you do to him what he wanted to do to you? Of course you can’t, you’re a coward. A weakling. That’s why you’re going to end up dead, just like everyone wants. The words ran through her mind like an ice pick, suddenly washing over her. A sudden flick of her hand caused her sabre to surge forward, the point stabbing through the man’s eye socket and out the back of his head, causing the remainder of the health bar to drop.

A sudden lurch caused Nymoria to pull the blade back and out, her eyes and mouth going wide even as the sabre fell from her grasp. She turned to Star with a look of fear and shock, her hands shaking as she began fumbling her motions, trying to say something. I didn’t mean…he tried to…I didn’t!

[Morningstar 0]

Star peered at the Crystal of Support dropped by the Iron Guardian. It glowed faintly in his palm, and was clearly more powerful than your average health recovery item. "Guess he was trying to steal these off us. Close-"

His thought was interrupted by the swish of Nym's sabre. Star's jaw dropped as the needle-like blade entered the broker's skull, killing him instantly. He juggled words in his brain, unsure how to react. He had never seen her act so coldly towards another, even someone who was their enemy. The broker's remains vanished, and the quest finished.

He saw the panic in her eyes, and in her shaking body. It was like she'd lost control for a brief, terrifying second. He looked back at her like she was a mirror and saw himself, years younger, with a blade in the back of a man he once called friend. And he understood.

He reached out, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and guided her to the grotto's exit. "It's okay," he assured her.

[Nymoria 0]

It’s okay. Words that Nymoria had heard before, but in a far different setting. They didn’t calm her, but they did break through the haze that had begun to settle over her. She fought against the panic, barely pushing it aside – the internal toil likely visible on her face as she fought against every natural urge to cry, to scream, to do something in response. Slowly, carefully, she forced herself to conceal it all away, to deal with it later. She wasn’t sure how long it took, minutes, hours, days, it all felt the same to her in that specific period, and yet it seemed to somehow settle quickly at the same time.

I’ll…be okay. Her fingers moved in a manner that clearly showed she wasn’t okay, their flow jerky and barely controlled. In her mind, she knew she would be anything but okay, but for the moment she needed to calm herself, for Star’s sake. They had to finish the quest, and get back home without her having any further trouble. Should we…are we done here?

It was all she could manage to ask the question, and yet her hands were moving again as more words poured out, as if through some desire to show that she was alright. There was a measure of void to her expressions; where once there was a smile that was professional, albeit a bit warm to the eyes, now there was simply a blank stare. No smile broke the stoic look, no attempt at being pleasant that was clearly a façade meant to make others feel better. Now, only emptiness stared at Star as she waited for his response, even as she asked more questions. I have nothing else planned after this, if you wanted to…find a dungeon, or something?

[Morningstar 0]

He glanced back at the scene, where the body once was. The broker started it. He was just another mob in what was just another quest. An NPC that would probably respawn before the day ended. He didn't matter.

But those were only excuses. They would get him through the day, even if he didn't fully believe them. He flicked back to Nym, who was signing to him. "Yeah. Yeah, we're done here."

To do a dungeon seemed irresponsible, yet he obliged. Maybe he should have walked her back to Yōgan, far away from the hidden grotto; but, for whatever reason, he nodded. "We could do a dungeon. There's probably one nearby." He materialized a small vial of dark elixir and sprinkled droplets onto his clothes. Elven Armor Salve. He hoped it would be enough to get them through the worst of whatever dungeon they came upon. He summoned a few more potions, and just in case, he chugged them as well.

---

+ 1 Elven Armor Salve | 1 bonus hate to actions
+ 1 Monkey Agility | +1 EVA
+ 1 Shadows Withal | +117 HP
+ 1 Breakfast Fry (filled) | +3 DMG, -60 MIT
+ 1 Creme Brulee | +2 ACC

New Stats

Morningstar | HP: 897/897 | EN: 116/116 | DMG: 26 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 48 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN

[Nymoria 0]

She was shaken, there was no denying that. Yet Nymoria chose to ignore it. It was a problem for later, and while pushing forwards may not have been the best idea she could have had, she felt it was the only decision nonetheless. Which was why she smiled gently when Star agreed to engaging in a quick dungeon crawl with her – something that she had yet to do. Not that she would admit it to the other player, unless he directly asked her. But it would be her very first time doing one, and she realised there was the slightest amount of trepidation in her at the thought of it all.

She watched as Star took a few moments to prepare, Nymoria left to do nothing but wait as her companion sprinkled droplets of something onto his clothing, before consuming a collection of various other goods. It was only once she had begun to step forward that she remembered the one thing that she had to give to this entire endeavour. A quick flash of her hands, and she brought forth a small, curled parchment that she had collection some time ago. Here. This should make it easier to find one! I managed to get this not too long ago, but haven’t used it yet!

She handed the map over to Star even as she unrolled it, hoping that it would somehow magically teleport them to a new location, and disappointed when she noticed it only marked a nearby location on her mini-map – a flash that drew her eyes as she cocked her head slightly. That way, I guess?

------

Nymoria uses Dungeon Map {1} | T3 Unique Consumable | ID228292 | Located on Floor Five

[Morningstar 0]

Oh. She had a map. That was nice. Star was so used to hunting down random dungeons that he had forgotten they were storable on maps. "Lead the way," he said.

They came upon a large camp, far off into the flatlands. Tents were held up by large black poles, forming a semi circle around a giant bonfire. Four masked figures clad in short, tattered robes roasted the meat of some big salamander-looking thing. They didn't notice the pair approaching.

"Cool. They're like, barbarians or something. Volcano barbarians."

He crept up on the four bandits, and as soon as he was spotted, charged in. One by one, he tore through the mobs, only slightly peeved by the fact that he was gaining no loot from any of them. He figured that the rest of the dungeon would be easy enough, though. "Who's next?" He shouted into the camp, hoping to draw aggro from someone a little stronger.

Spoiler

Post Action | AOE-I

ID234558 | bd7+7-1=13 | 42*15-45 = 585 DMG -> Bandit 1
ID234559 | bd7+7-1=13 | 42*15-45 = 585 DMG -> Bandit 2
ID234560 | bd1+7-1=7 | 26*15-45 = 345 DMG -> Bandit 3
ID234561 | bd8+7-1=14 | 42*15-45 = 585 DMG -> Bandit 4

11+8+2-3 = 18 EN

Morningstar | HP: 897/897 | EN: 98/116 | DMG: 26 | EVA: 5 | ACC: 6 | BH: 48 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PAR VEN
Nymoria | HP [460/460] | EN [64/64] | ACC [4] | DMG [14] | MIT [36] | BH [+14] | Bleed [36] | Keen [+2 BD] | Recovery [6]

Bandit 1 | HP: 0/300 | DMG: 135 | MIT: 45 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1
Bandit 1 | HP: 0/300 | DMG: 135 | MIT: 45 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1
Bandit 1 | HP: 0/300 | DMG: 135 | MIT: 45 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1
Bandit 1 | HP: 0/300 | DMG: 135 | MIT: 45 | ACC: 1 | EVA: 1

Mobs are not lootable.