[F25 - PP] So This Is How I Die <<Essence of Titanium>>

[Oz 0]

So this is how I die.

The phrase echoed endlessly, a record on loop occupying every corner of thought. He could hardly believe it. He'd known the risks associated with coming to such a high floor just to chase down a rumor, but he'd thought he came prepared. He was nimble, stealthy. He'd retrieved the chalk from the creepy old man. He'd taken every precaution to ensure he wouldn't end up just another name on that damned Monument. But when the river came, and he'd revealed his hand, he'd been dealt three of a kind. The Maze had ended up with a straight flush.

A spider found him. A small one, at first. Small never necessarily meant "safe" in Aincrad, but it's name hadn't indicated an <<Unknown>> level. Usually he didn't start to sweat until that happened, because it meant whatever he'd come across was well and truly able to put him in peril. What he hadn't expected was for that little shit to go crying home to momma. When the larger arachnid began to bear down on him, he had no choice but to flee.

Keeping the chalk against the wall while sprinting full tilt was difficult. It slowed him down. It distracted him. And two legs were no match for eight. That hairy abomination had chased him through twisting halls for what felt like miles, closing the distance all the while. At a certain point, the viridescent scout realized he'd have no choice but to resort to his Teleport Crystal to escape the situation. But between his waning stamina, his attempts to keep the chalk against the wall, and the sheer terror of the entire situation, Oz hadn't noticed the rubble as he rounded a corner.

He went tumbling. The chalk left the wall, and both it and the Teleport Crystal he'd palmed went flying. They had landed some distance away from him, and by the time he scrambled to his feet, they were nowhere to be found. Eaten by the Maze, and its revolving, ever-shifting corridors. Now he stood, staring into the abyss, seeing nothing where there had once been something, feeling that horrendous monster approaching from behind, and wondering how it had all gone wrong so fast.

So this is how I die.

Turned out even his luck had an expiration date. This was it.

Endless Maze roll result:

Spoiler

Rolling for encounter in Endless Maze.
ID: 227668 | CD: 6
No encounter.

Stats:

Spoiler

Oz | HP: 60/60 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 6 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
Level: 3

---

Equipped.

• Loathsome Lullaby. [T1 Demonic Throwing Knives - ID: 226394]
  • Vampiric Offensive II | Paralytic Venom II
     
• Oath Raiment. [T1 Perfect Cloth Armor - ID: 226417]
  • Vampiric Defensive I | Holy Blessing II
     
• Laurel Earcuffs. [T1 Perfect Jewelry - ID: 220923]
  • LD III

 

Battle-Ready Inventory.

• (5) Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde.
  • Tierless Mass Healing Crystals - Heals user and each member of Party for 10% of Max HP
  • IDs: 222918, 222918-1, 222929, 222930, 222931
• (5) Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde.
  • Tierless Mass Healing Crystals - Heals user and each member of Party for 10% of Max HP
  • IDs: 222932, 222933, 222934, 222935, 222936
• (5) Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde.
  • Tierless Mass Healing Crystals - Heals user and each member of Party for 10% of Max HP
  • IDs: 222937, 223187, 223187-1, 223187-2, 223185
• (5) Potion of Oh God Oh God Oh God.
  • Tierless Perfect HP Recovery Potions - Heals user for 15% of Max HP
  • IDs: Unknown - acquired here.
• (5) Potion of Oh God Oh God Oh God.
  • Tierless Perfect HP Recovery Potions - Heals user for 15% of Max HP
  • IDs: Unknown - acquired here.

---

Skills.

Spoiler

• Searching [Rank 3]
  • +3 LD
  • +3 Stealth Detection
• Throwing Knives. [Rank 1]
  • +3 DMG when wielding Throwing Knives

Guild Buffs.

Spoiler

• Lucrative.
  • Reduce LD needed for Salvage rolls by 5
  • +2 Alchemist crafting EXP per crafting attempt
  • +1 crafting attempt per day at Rank 9
  • +2 crafting attempts per day at Rank 10
• Col Deposit.
  • +5% bonus col from mob loot
  • +10% bonus col from treasure chests

Housing Buffs.

Spoiler

• Well Rested.
  • -1 EN for the first three expenditures of each combat
• Squeaky Clean.
  • First time suffering DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
• Hard Working (Alchemist).
  • +2 Alchemist crafting EXP per crafting attempt
  • +1 crafting attempt per day
• Filling.
  • Increase effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot
• Storage Closet.
  • +1 Battle-Ready Inventory slot
• Dining Hall.
  • Turn 3 identical food items into a Feast, containing 6 portions for party members to partake in
• Living Room.
  • Increases out of combat HP regen by 5xTier
  • Reduces full EN regen to 2 out of combat posts
• Skylight (Searching).
  • +1 Expertise to Searching
• Practiced Angler.
  • +2 Fishing EXP per fishing attempt
  • +1 LD and +1 CD to fishing attempts
• Advanced Training.
  • +10% EXP to a thread once per month
• Multipurpose.
  • +1 LD to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post per thread, applied retroactive to the roll

Consumable Buffs.

Spoiler

Consuming:
Gelato. - Tierless Perfect Loot Die Dessert: +3 LD [ID: unknown - acquired here.]
Shadows Withal. - Tierless Perfect Overhealth Potion: +9 to Max HP [ID: unknown - acquired here.]

Resolved Stats:
Oz | HP: 69/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2

 

 

Edited August 22 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

The Endless Maze was a sprawling labyrinth. It was a horrible trap in and of itself; it was filled with powerful monsters, traps, and more dead ends than you could count. Oh, and from what he understood, its layout was also constantly changing. What a fucking headache, right? 

He'd not been in the maze for long before he saw it. A giant spider, mean and hungry, bearing down on its prey. Normally, Pinball would have slipped away then and there. Where mobs were, players were. And he didn't like being around other players if he could help it. But between its many scuttling legs, and beneath its hairy body, Pinball caught a glimpse of a vaguely familiar face, beneath an all too familiar hat. 

From behind Oz, there'd be a flash of light, a screech, and the sound of a mob exploding into digital bits and pieces every player trapped on Aincrad knew intimately. 

"Oz." Where the spider had once cornered him, now stood Pinball, cloaked and hooded, his icy eyes cutting through the gloom of his face. He tossed Oz a piece of chalk. Pinball had gone to great lengths, as a PKer, to get a piece of that chalk from the local NPCs... but he figured he probably needed it more than him now. Besides, it wasn't like Oz was going to be leaving without him now. "What are you doing here?" 

*** 

Endless Maze Roll: ID#227772 CD: 10 - No Encounter 

Player Stats: 

Spoiler

Level: 33 (Paragon Level 40)
Health: 820 | Energy: 120
DMG: 20  | ACC: 4  | EVA: 3  | BH: 45 | LD: 5 
Shift: Tech

Skills:

Combat Skills:
► Battle Healing [30/30]
► Energist [8/8]
► Combat Mastery: Damage [13/13]

Weapon Skills:
► Thrown Weapons [30/30] 
    Add Ons: 
►Focus 
►Precision 
►Stamina 

Utility Skills:
► Quick Change [8/8] 
► Searching: [22/30] -> (Skylight: R5) 

Extra Skills:
► Disguise
► Survival
► Forgotten King’s Authority 
► Hiding [30/30]

Familiar Skill: 
► Rending Familiar [10/10]

Armor Skills:
►N/A

Modifiers:
► Sneak Attack: Trickster 
► Vanish 
► Tracking
► Untraceable

Miscellaneous: 
► +1 LD to Looting, Searching for/Opening Treasure Chests (Paragon) 
► Earn Col Equivalent to 15% of player’s EXP earned in a thread (Paragon) 

Inventory:
»[Equipped] [Demonic] Hellfire: Bleed, Blight, Burn, Static 
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Warrior’s Focus: +3 ACC
»[Equipped] [Perfect] Black Cloak: +3 EVA 

Battle Ready: 
» [Reusable Consumable] Rhino’s Horn 
» [2x] Teleportation Crystal 
» [x3] Lacrimosa - HP Recovery III Crystal {Instant}
» [Demonic TW] Cold Fervor: Freeze 2, Phase, Cursed 
» [Demonic TW] Astral Blade: Holy, Fallen, Phase, Damage
» [Uncommon TW] Tyrfing: Absolute Accuracy 
» [Perfect Cloth] Cloak of the Harbingers: +3 LD

Housing Buffs: 

Spoiler

Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)
Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat
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.
Relaxed: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Item Stash: +1 BR Slot 
Skylight (Searching): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. 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.
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt

 

Edited August 22 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

An unexpected flash of multicolored light painted the walls before Oz in a brilliant smattering of hues, the shadow cast by his unmoving form carving a dark cavity into the kaleidoscopic mosaic. It lasted for but a moment, the smooth surfaces that stretched out before him returning to their original dull, monotone grey just as quickly as they'd been illuminated. Oz's slow turn to look over his shoulder and investigate the source of the mottled glow would reveal an interloper with an orange cursor and a familiar black cloak, obfuscated behind a pall of glimmering fractal shards. It was difficult to identify his icy glare amid the sea of identically colored digital fragments at first, but they cut through like nothing else could. Cold, calculating. Judging.

"Oz. What are you doing here?" He tossed a replacement chalk. Oz caught it and broke it in two, tossed one of the halves back to his surprise guest. There was plenty to go around - the magical artifact never diminished. 

The monster which had been terrorizing him was nowhere to be found - unless the pixels shrinking away into the ether counted. Oz's emotionless muted grey hues offered a stark juxtaposition to Pinball's blues as he stared into them, each interlocutor reflected in the orbs of their other. It seemed that his reluctant acquaintance had opted to make yet another surprise appearance. Two days, three encounters with people who had connections to Bahr.

Now wasn't that something.

"I find it strange you care to know," Oz shot back, the tension in his shoulders ebbing away as he assumed a slightly more relaxed demeanor. While he wasn't willing to put the terror he'd felt only a moment earlier on display, it seemed he still hadn't gotten himself back to a point where he could be his carefree self. That, and it was weirding him out that he had all of these connections to Bahr suddenly in his orbit after threatening the guy. Especially now, alone with an orange Player in a labyrinth in the middle of nowhere. Bahr had made it clear in that thousand-yard stare that he'd have killed Oz in that very moment, if given the opportunity. Was this the Kingslayer's way of making good on that unspoken declaration? "I should be asking you the same, honestly."

There was a brief pause between the pair. You could hear a pin drop.

"You expecting a 'thank you' or something?" Oz chided. "Not really one for expressing my gratitude to stalkers." A perhaps ironic statement, given his line of work. He waved his has as though to wave away the thought. "I'll be on my way, now. Watch your back out here."

Endless Maze roll result:

Spoiler

Rolling for encounter in Endless Maze.
ID: 227785 | CD: 12
No encounter.

 

Edited August 23 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Pinball stared right back at him. Why the hostility? He hadn't taken Oz for the type to get hung up over an orange cursor -- but Pinball had been wrong before, and he had no right to complain if he was. Pinball was, after all, a rightfully branded murderer. There'd be no changing that. He wouldn't change it if he had the choice to (and he did).That being said, he was about to tell him exactly why he was here, when Oz began to chide and dismiss him entirely. 

"Stalkers...?"  If Oz wanted to leave, he wouldn't try to stop him. But Pinball's normally stoic expression betrayed genuine confusion. "Uh, okay. You too." 

Pinball would remain where he stood, brow furrowed. Stalker? Did he think that he was following him? Why? He could have asked. But he figured that it was maybe better if he didn't. Instead, he'd leave him with a warning. The Endless Maze was a dangerous place. Especially for somebody like Oz, who seemed to Pinball as someone who hadn't gotten a lot of combat experience yet. Where there was the one spider, there would almost assuredly be more. 

"Watch out for the Titanium Warden. You should have a straight shot out of the maze, but..." 

His eyes darted down a corridor, where a dead-end slid away, revealing another set of twists and turns where there had just been none. Pinball frowned.

"Never know with this place." 

*** 

Endless Maze encounter: 

ID#228209 CD: 12 (No mobs. Would have been a scale/shard roll too. kms.) 

Edited August 25 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

"Watch out for the Titanium Warden."

God, the shiver that sent up Oz's spine. He'd heard tale of the massive hulking brute and what it had managed to do to unprepared Players, and those were the ones that were a high enough level to actually justify perusing a floor such as this. Considering he'd lost his Teleport Crystal, he'd be well and truly fucked if he came across something like that. Not like he'd fare much better against the other creepy crawlies this floor featured. His saunter slowed to a halt, and he took a moment to mull over just what he could do given his lack of options.

He turned, a crooked beam replacing the scowl he'd masked himself with only moments before. "Pinball, old buddy, old pal, I think I have a solution to my- I mean our quandary." Was he really going to do this? Team up with a guy who may have been there to kill him? What other choice did he have? "I'm without my Teleport Crystal, and I see that I'm clearly outmatched by the mobs of this floor. Admittedly, I'm not confident I could make it back to the entrance without a bit of extra muscle."

He approached his interlocutor and wrapped an arm around his shoulders in faux camaraderie. "That's where you come in! My instinct tells me you're here for that lunk of scrap, right?" He'd crane his head to the side to gauge Pinball's reaction, see if there was anything that might indicate in the affirmative or negative. Pinball's visage remained unchanged. "That expression tells me yes!" A small fib. "You see, in exchange for the protection only you could provide, I'm willing to part with my boss drop - should we encounter the thing. But, I need some assurances..."

"You're not here on behalf of someone else, are you?"

Endless Maze roll result:

Spoiler

Searching for Titanium Warden.
ID: 228262 | CD: 5, no encounter, no Warden | LD: 6+9=15

 

Edited August 25 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Oz switched up very quickly. It was enough to make Pinball squint -- he wasn't totally oblivious to the scraggly man's theatrics, and even less so to what type of person he was. He didn't like being touched though. He'd slide Oz's arm off from around his shoulder nearly as soon as it was wrapped around his neck, but let him continue otherwise uninterrupted. 

He was essentially asking Pinball for protection in exchange for his boss drop. Truth be told, he would have escorted him out for free if he'd asked him to. But Pinball wanted the boss drop, and Oz didn't seem like the type that would trust anybody who worked for free. "Alright," Pinball agreed. "And no, I'm not here on behalf of anyone else." 

Pinball tilted his head. "Who would I be here for?"

Whether or not he should answer, Pinball would continue into the maze. He'd enter stealth, but Oz would be able to keep track of him very easily -- it wasn't Oz that Pinball was hiding from. "Stay close," he said, "and keep an eye out for the Warden." 

*** 

Endless Maze Roll: 
ID#228306 CD: 8 (No encounter) 

Entering Stealth
ID#228306 LD: 5+6= 11 Stealth Rating 

Edited August 26 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

When he asked, Oz didn't answer. Cards close to the vest and all that.

It seemed Pinball was properly (and likely rightfully) repulsed by Oz at this point, but he paid it no mind. What he was more interested in was that smoky cat thing that had enveloped Pinball and caused him to vanish without a trace. That's fucking dope, Oz thought to himself. I want a pet as cool as that.

Whimsically, Oz placed the chalk within the already existing line left by Pinball against the corridor's wall and began moseying along in no particular direction, whistling all the while. Truth be told, the end goal was to somehow make his way back to the entrance and go, 'Oops! Sorry! Looks like we didn't find the Warden this time. Rats.' The trick was to make it not so obvious. If he merely started to follow the line back to the entrance, Pinball would realize what he was doing right away. No, he had to see if he figure out how to beat this maze's winding paths to navigate back to the entrance, avoiding the Titanium Warden all the while. 

And if they did happen upon the Warden? Pinball could handle it. That was, assuming if the youth truly even did remain by his side at all.

Endless Maze roll result:

Spoiler

Searching for Titanium Warden.
ID: 228497 | CD: 5, no encounter, no Warden | LD: 17+9=26

 

Edited August 26 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Oz went whistling along. Pinball kept his eye out for the warden. He knew that he was close. In truth, he had no reason to believe that he was -- the Endless Maze was just that... an endless maze. There was no right direction here, and the distinction between things like close and far was hazy at best. But there was a weird intuition that came with years of experience doing things like this. 

His hunch was proven correct when he heard the rumbling. The walls beside them shifted and slid apart. The path directly ahead of them led not into another series of walls and dead ends, but a wide open room, almost like a miniature boss arena.

Pinball remained hidden. The Titanium Warden stood directly ahead of them. He was a hulking mass of heat and molten metal. Here, so close to the quest boss, the temperature seemed to rise and fall based on proximity alone. Pinball's eyes flicked to Oz. He'd stand invisible behind him. 

"On your mark," he murmured. 

*** 

Maintaining Stealth: ID#228528 LD: 10+6= 16 Stealth Rating 

Endless Maze Roll: ID#228529 CD: 12 (No Mobs) 
Searching for Titanium Warden: ID#228529 CD: 12 LD: 14+5= 19 (Titanium Warden found) 

Edited August 27 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

Oh, son of a bitch.

Despite his hopes to the contrary, it appeared they'd managed to find the fucking thing after all. There it stood, in all its monstrous, shitty glory, gleaming in whatever tepid light could be squeezed from betwixt the gloomy overcast that blanketed the entire floor. Or was that simply scintillation cast by the fiery hot magma pumping through its veins and across its skin? There was no telling, really. All Oz could really know for certain was that he had no business fighting this thing.

"On your mark," came a murmur from behind. Great, his interloper was indeed still with him. Wonderful.

"Sure, yeah. Fighting... that thing. Yeah. Right. Okay." His monosyllable sentences totally weren't just efforts made in vain to put off engaging with the inevitable. The hulking metal golem had noticed him by now, the thuds produced by its ever-nearing footsteps shaking the earth beneath Oz's boots. A good bit of that shaking was his own, mind you, but the raw magnitude of the thing's awesome size and weight was undeniable. Oz rose one hand up by his ear, a blade materializing between his digits in a ribbon of light. He took aim at the creature. Some might even describe it as a 'long' aim. An aiming process which took so long that one might assume he were merely dawdling. An aim that, to the untrained eye, may have appeared- okay yeah he was just dawdling.

"On second thought, why don't you take the first shot?" Oz suggested, the throwing knife in his fingers disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared. "Show me how it's done, and all of that jazz."

Spoiler

[0] Oz | HP: 69/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[0] Pinball | HP: 820/820 | EN: 120/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | BLD: 48 | BLGT: 32 | BRN: 54 | STC: 40 | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Oz takes no action.

Titanium Warden | HP: 1250/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 200 | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

[Pinball 1]

 "On second thought, why don't you take the first shot?"

He didn't wait to let him finish. When he reappeared he was several yards ahead of Oz. Pinball's knives soared through the air, glowing a fiery crimson in the maze's low light. They landed in rapid succession, with definite impact -- but the Titanium Warden hardly stumbled. In fact, it leaned into the attack, walking slowly and confidently towards them. With each thundering footstep, the warden drew closer, and Pinball could see he'd hardly put a dent in the quest boss's HP value. 

Okay, DoTs weren't working. It was time to bring out the big guns. In a flash of blue light, Pinball replaced the deep crimson-black blades with a set of ornate looking knives that glittered gold and red and blue. He hopped back once, twice, to match the pace the Titanium Warden was setting. He didn't look back at Oz, and he said nothing, but he was aware of the player's presence behind him, and all too aware of the possible danger that the warden presented. 

*** 

Spoiler

Maintaining Stealth: ID#228679 LD: 18+6= 24 Stealth Rating 
Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-A] [-10 EN]
ID#228680 BD: 7 - 20*16= 320/2= 160-200= 1 DMG, [DoTs Applied]
Free Action: [Quick Change] - {Hellfire} -> {Astral Blade} 

Titanium Warden is {Stunned} 

[0] Oz | HP: 69/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[1] Pinball | HP: 770/820 | EN: 110/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Titanium Warden | HP: 1102/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 180 (-20) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | {STUNNED} | [48 BLD 1/2] [32 BLGT 1/2] 
[40 STC 1/2] [28 RND 1/2] 

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

Edited August 28 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

My, he’s an impatient one. Of course, Oz wasn’t putting much thought into how he may have been playing into that fact.

He watched in bewilderment as the youth charged forth and unleashed a flurry of blades, not unlike the weapon type he himself was using. The main difference was, it seemed that when Pinball deigned to use his weapons, they actually found their mark. Oz, on the other hand, was still struggling to strike immobile plants. No sooner had the attack connected than he watched the knives in Pinball’s hand evaporate, replaced instantaneously by another set. These seemed higher in quality - detailed with a unique concoction of hues which drew Oz’s attention away from the lumbering behemoth staring them down. He’d always been a sucker for shiny things, and those certainly looked like a delectable piece of ornate cutlery.

“Uhh…” he stammered. “Is there something wrong with it?” As though suddenly struck by swine flu, the Warden slowed in its approach and clambered down on one knee, taking deep breaths as it started off into the middle distance. “Ohhh wait, this is like what happened with Terra Firma, right?”

Not one to pass up an opportunity to get a closer look at a fearsome foe, Oz sauntered forward and began to inspect the brute with curiosity gleaming in his eye. His face came so close to the elbow joint of the creature that it felt like the heat radiating from its massive form could melt the very skin off his face. “Tsk… Ol’ Loafy here has good armor. I can’t see where one plate ends and another begins. I don’t know that we’ll be able to take advantage of any weak points like we did with Toothy Wonder in the desert.”

His grey orbs flickered back to his partner, who looked none too amused with his antics. “What?” he questioned. “Ain’t like he’s just gonna spring to life and-”

Unfortunately for Oz, that’s exactly what it intended to do. Its old joints creaked and groaned as it gained mobility once more, the light in its eyes flaring as its head turned to peer down at the verdant vandal. Oz took a clumsy step backward as it silently rose to its feet, his heel catching on a wayward rock that slipped out from under and sent him tumbling backward onto his boney rump. He helped in the manliest way he could muster on his way down (which was not manly in the slightest), the shriek punctuated by an abrupt expulsion of volume that coincided with his contact with the ground.

Now it stood over him, starting down at puny prey it could delete with a single misplaced step, the stun having fully worn off and nothing anymore protecting Oz from his doom. Nothing, that is, except for Pinball.

Spoiler

[0] Oz | HP: 69/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[1] Pinball | HP: 770/820 | EN: 110/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Oz takes no action.

Titanium Warden | HP: 1152/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 180 (-20) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | {STUNNED} | [48 BLD 1/2] [32 BLGT 1/2] 
[40 STC 1/2] [28 RND 1/2] 

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

Edited August 29 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Oz seemed surprised, asking if there was something wrong with it. 

"Yes, it's stunned." 

Oz moved to inspect the creature. He poked and prodded at its armor. Pinball could practically feel the heat from the distance he was standing at. He could only imagine how hot it must be in such close proximity to it. Oz was inspecting it for weak points, but stuns didn't last forever. Pinball frowned. 

"I really wouldn't get that close to it." 

As if on cue the Titanium Warden seemed to recover, pushing itself to its feet, eyes flaring, shooting gusts of steam from the glowing cracks in its armor. It towered over the cowering info-broker. Pinball closed the distance in an instant. In a flash he was between them, blades reflecting the light emanating from the warden's molten core. Oz had been prodding it for any vulnerabilities -- Pinball had found them. With deadly precision, his knives decorated the warden's chest and tore through the weakened plate. With the screeching sound of metal on metal it recoiled, its defenses compromised. 

Pinball stood between them now, a blade in each hand. He exhaled. 

He hadn't done as much damage as he'd hoped. He'd heard that the Titanium Warden was a tanky beast, but he had slightly underestimated just how durable it truly was. If he couldn't finish up in time... 

Pinball glanced at Oz. "Try to stay behind." 

***

Spoiler

Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-D] [-9 EN] 
ID#228691 BD: 9 - 20+1+8= 29*16= 464-110/2= 409 DMG

[0] Oz | HP: 69/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[3] Pinball | HP: 815/820 | EN: 105/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Titanium Warden is Methodical

Titanium Warden | HP: 545/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 110 (-20, -20, -50) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | [SHATTER: 1/3] [48 BLD 2/2] [32 BLGT 2/2] [40 STC 2/2] [28 RND 2/2]

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

Edited August 28 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

This guy was the real deal.

In a flash, Pinball had closed the distance, placing himself between Oz and his untimely death and tearing into the beast’s impenetrable hide with another flurry of blades like molten shrapnel through a wet paper bag. All at once, the battleplate upon its chest contorted into a twisted concave, molten ooze seeping from the newly formed cracks and dripping to the ground where it sizzled on contact. The deafening crack from the impact could have led one to surmise that the very fabric of reality itself had shattered. By comparison, the Warden’s armor was no match. For a moment, Oz could almost feel himself gaping in awe, starstruck by the alluring power he had just witnessed unfurl before him.

For a moment.

"Try to stay behind." 

In a pitiful and clumsy display, Oz began attempting to scramble to his feet, nodding in the affirmative. The Warden roared, its booming baritone drowning any and all competing sounds that would have been produced by their surroundings. The deafening disruption caused Oz to lose his footing again and tumble downward once more, a face-full of hard stone greeting his visage upon impact.

As impressive as Pinball was, Oz didn’t like his odds in this position. One good strike could bat away the lighter combatant in an instant, leaving Oz sprawled out and vulnerable once more. That is, if that initial strike didn’t connect with him where he lay in the same moment, anyway. He clambered to take a knee and, in a fluid motion, let loose a volley of his own knives toward the now damaged chestplate. None of the blades connected where he’d hoped, all bouncing flippantly from the monster’s legs, arms, or skull. And as they made contact, Oz felt something grip his senses - a pins-and-needles sensation that started at the base of his skull and pervaded through the entirety of his nervous system. 

“What the hell,” he managed through gritted teeth as the Warden’s thorns took their toll, draining the majority of Oz's HP and leaving him firmly in the red by the time they’d had their fill. Frantic glances alternated between the health bar in his HUD and the pissed off giant in front of them, panic setting in as he considered any and all options at his disposal. By the time he’d come up with any semblance of a plan, it was too late to do much.

A crystal materialized in his hand and was crushed just as soon as it did, an ameliorating aura washing over the duo in a vain effort to replenish some meager measure of HP before their time was up. Or, more specifically, when Oz's time was up. Pinball, who’d hardly taken a scratch, would likely remain fine either way.

Spoiler

[1] Oz | HP: 25/69 | EN: 23/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[3] Pinball | HP: 820/820 | EN: 105/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Oz uses [x1] Basic Attack vs Titanium Warden.
ID: 228692 | BD: 6, Hit for 4-130=1 DMG

Free Action: Oz uses Crystal Dragon of the Blood Horde (Perfect Mass HP Recovery Crystal), healing himself and allies for 10% of their maximum HP.

Titanium Warden | HP: 644/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 130 (-20, -50) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | [SHATTER: 1/3]

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

 

Edited August 29 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Oz moved in to attack -- didn't he just tell him to stay back? -- and paid for it. Pinball watched the broker's health plummet and grit his teeth hard. Damn it. He really didn't want to watch this guy die. He wasn't sure how he would react to it. He barely knew the guy. But regardless of how Pinball may or may not feel about it, he knew that he didn't want his death tracing back to him. He wasn't exactly ready to deal with that whole song and dance again. 

Pinball charged forward, a far cry from what he was comfortable doing. He saw the molten fist barreling towards him before it hit him -- but Pinball figured he could take a hit to give a hit, just this once. His blades struck true and Pinball was hit square in the chest, sent flying across the boss room. He hit the ground on his feet and slid a few feet back when he landed. The Warden had a laughable amount of health left -- and if its attack pattern was consistent, they'd now have the perfect opportunity to finish it off. 

***

Spoiler

Action Taken: {Well Rested} [TECH-D] [-9 EN] 
ID#228693 BD: 7 - 20+8= 28*16= 448-110= 348 DMG 

[1] Oz | HP: 25/69 | EN: 23/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[4] Pinball | HP: 620/820 | EN: 100/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Titanium Warden attacks. 
ID#228694 BD: 8+3-3= 8 - 200 DMG to Pinball 

Titanium Warden | HP: 196/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 110 (-20, -50, -20) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | [SHATTER: 1/3]

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

Edited August 29 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

Just as Oz had suspected, the Warden moved in for the kill. Luckily, it seemed Pinball had opted to serve as an impromptu meat shield, absorbing the burnt of a blow that sent him sailing back toward the edge of the battlefield. Instinctively, Oz searched for the boy’s health bar in his HUD, but found it absent. Eyes widened as, for a moment, he assumed the worst. But just as soon as he’d reached the hasty realization, he remember the duo had never actually gotten themselves organized into a proper party. Grey orbs darted back and connected with Pinball’s unmoving frame as it lay prone on the ground, an incomplete health bar hovering overhead so as to indicate he still had fight left in him.

Good.

He exhaled a sigh of relief. But why had he felt so invested in Pinball’s safety, to begin with? For all he knew, the little assassin still planned to murder him the moment it became convenient to do so. Not that he hadn’t had several opportunities already. Had Oz actually developed some sort of weird attachment to the weirdo?

No. He still needed a meat shield to beat this hulking asshole and make it out of the maze. That had to be it.

Eyes flickering back to their shared adversary, Oz finally noticed the minuscule sliver of red that still clung to its health bar. Seemed Pinball had dished out just as much as he’d taken. Oz moved to ready his knives once more, but stopped as shooting numbness reminded him of what had happened the last time he’d deigned to attack. Must be thorns, he thought to himself, the very same way he’d slaughtered that horde of boar. Wasn’t as fun to be on this side.

Instead, he opted to open his battle-ready inventory. Oz was many things, and unprepared was probably among them. That being said, he was content with being the most prepared unprepared guy in Aincrad. He selected a few options from the panel and hastily dismissed it, items materializing in each of his palms. The first was a potion, which he popped the cork off of and downed in an instant. The other, a crystal, which he shattered in the other palm. Each worked in its own way to ameliorate a portion of the damage he’d taken, alongside the Enhancements on his armor, and one even served to patch up his reluctant companion to some degree.

As the Warden dawdled, he rose to his feet and dashed back to Pinball, creating some distance between them and their would-be assailant. “I’m not really a combat guy,” he admitted, though he sure it came as no surprise, “but I’m thinking now would be a good time to kill the thing."
 

Spoiler

[1] Oz | HP: 43/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[4] Pinball | HP: 702/820 | EN: 100/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Roll check against Vampiric (Defensive).
ID: 228854 | CD: 5 | Fail

Holy Blessing restores 2 HP to Oz.
Post Action: Oz uses Potion of Oh God Oh God Oh God, restoring 10 HP.
Free Action: Oz uses Crystal Dragon of the Blood Horde (Perfect Mass HP Recovery Crystal), healing himself and allies for 10% of their maximum HP. (6 HP to Oz, 82 HP to Pinball)

Titanium Warden | HP: 346/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 110 (-20, -50, -20) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | [SHATTER: 1/3]

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

 

Edited August 29 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

“I’m not really a combat guy,” Oz admitted, coming as no surprise, “but I’m thinking now would be a good time to kill the thing."

"Yeah," Pinball replied. 

The Titanium Warden, having briefly taken a knee, slowly began to rise. The magma bubbled and burst from its exposed chest, where Pinball had torn its armor apart. It spit steam through the glowing cracks of what armor remained, its eyes a boiling red. Pinball flipped his knives into his hand. He didn't close the distance this time. One after another, he let the blades fly. One landed heavy in its shoulder, sinking deep into its reinforced armor. The other landed where its eye would be, and its head rocked back from the recoil. Almost as soon as the blade entered its skull, it burst into a million little shiny pieces, and was gone. 

Pinball's hands -- and knives -- disappeared beneath his cloak. He looked over at Oz to make sure he was still alright with an expression that definitely did not make it seem as though he were checking to see if he was alright. 

***

Spoiler

Action Taken: [TECH-D] [-10 EN] 
ID#228859 BD: 6 - 20+8= 28*16= 448-90= 358 DMG 

[1] Oz | HP: 43/69 | EN: 24/24 | DMG: 4 | LD: 9 | VampOff 2 | VampDef 1 | ParaVen 2 | HB: 2
[5] Pinball | HP: 652/820 | EN: 94/120 | DMG: 20 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | HLY: 8 | FLN: 8 | Phase | BH: 45 | LD: 5

Titanium Warden is Methodical

Titanium Warden | HP: 0/1250 | DMG: 200 | MIT: 90(-20, -50, -20, -20) | ACC: 3 | EVA: -3 | BH: 50 | THNS: 50 | Fireproof | [SHATTER: 3/3]

• Methodical | The <<Titanium Warden>> is in no rush, only attacking once every other turn. During the turns that it does not attack, any debuffs active on the creature are ineffective.
• Magma Jolt | On attack rolls of BD 9+ and CD 9+, this boss will issue an AoE attack that fires a blast of molten steel at each player for 175 damage, ignoring 50% of Mitigation. Additional rolls for this AoE are unnecessary - it will strike each target without fail.
• Deteriorate | For each critical hit dealt to this boss, its Mitigation is permanently reduced by 50.

Looting:
Titanium Warden: ID: 228860 | LD: 17 (11, +6) | CD: 9 (9, +0) | 7500col, Materials (4), Tier 4 Rare Trinket (1)

Edited August 29 by Pinball

[Oz 0]

Just like that, the battle was over. Ol' Lunky burst into a miasma of pixels and panels populated before the two men, herlading the success of their endeavor against the quest as well as the rewards gleaned. Among them, Oz spotted the Essence of Titanium, the very boss drop he'd promised he'd hand over to Pinball as payment for his protection through the labyrinth. Truthfully, it did cross Oz's mind to pretend as though he'd never made the agreement in the first place, or otherwise simply not mention it and see if the youth forgot. But if he was already worried the kid might kill him at the slightest provocation, probably wasn't smart to sit there and tempt fate.

"This is yours," he said flatly, sending the item Pinball's way. The blue-eyed wonder would see it populate amongst the rest of his rewards. "Let's get out of here."

As they traced their line of chalk back to the labyrinth's entrance, Oz couldn't help but feel slight disappointment in his inability to unearth the truth behind the rumor he'd chased this high into the castle. Instead he'd found himself teaming up with a murderer to fight an enemy he had no business fighting. The trip back was quiet enough to make room for these thoughts, no further mobs or creepy-crawlies interrupting their navigation. Eventually, they did find their way out of the maze.

At the floor's main settlement, Oz discarded the chalk, lit up one of his tea leaf cigarettes, and took a long drag. "I need a drink," he decided aloud between drags, his feet beginning to carry him toward the teleportation plaza before his mind even willed them to. He'd leave it up to the kid to decide whether or not he wanted to follow.

Floor 13.

Even after the corruption had been purified, the thirteenth floor still had the stink of defilement and rot around every corner. Restoration was sparse and slow-going, but they had managed to get a singular town outside the capital up and running. Breath of Life, they called it, a name which harbored hope in stark juxtaposition to the resigned dilapidation the town still faced. Buildings loomed haphazardly over the residents, cracks in their foundations signaling impending collapse at any moment, while perpetual overcast conditions hung in the air and painted everything with a gray tinge. Though, oddly, they still remained standing, day after day, not much unlike the hopes of its denizens. Sometimes Oz envied their resolve.

Before long they'd come upon a little hole-in-the-wall establishment, a hanging green sign outside designating it as a the 'Sour Rumor,' though filth clung to the signage and made parsing the characters a tad difficult. Oz would take a key from his sleeve and plunge it into the keyhole, giving the doorknob a sharp twist and leaning the weight of his body against it. Eventually, it would give, and the duo would be allowed inside.

Candles illuminated on their own as though spurred by the pair's arrival as the entered, casting a dull glow against the mismatched tables and chairs that filled the claustrophobic venue. Oz took his place behind the bar, snatching a particularly bougie-looking bottle from one of the shelves as well as a small glass. The glass made a loud clank as it was dropped onto the polished wooden countertop, the sound filling the otherwise silent abode as it had no other sounds to compete against. The cork being plucked from the bottle similarly echoed through the room, as well as the siren sound of its liquid contents being emptied into the vessel he'd prepared for them.

He has a glance up toward Pinball - who still had yet to take a seat - eye barely visible beneath the brim of his bucket hat and the shadow it cast over his visage. "You much of a drinker?" He guessed not, but he wasn't going to just guzzle down an entire handle of booze in front of the kid without offering him any. Especially after saving his ass from that golem. And spider.

Oz gives his Essence of Titanium boss drop to Pinball.

Endless Maze roll result:

Spoiler

Rolling for encounter in Endless Maze.
ID: 229115 | CD: 2
No encounter.

 

Edited August 31 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Oz sent the item his way, as promised. Pinball would have sent it back -- he'd only come expecting the one -- but he also wasn't against pocketing something that'd make his life easier later. Pinball acknowledged the reward with a nod and dismissed his inventory. It was time for them to go. This time, Oz led the way. Out of the maze, back to the settlement, where Pinball clung to the shadows and watched carefully for wandering eyes. 

"I need a drink," Oz decided between drags of a fresh cigarette. 

A drink didn't sound too bad.

- 

He didn't pay much attention to the thirteenth floor's main settlement. Not that there was much to pay attention to. The whole city was rather drab and dreary, and Pinball wasn't at all affected by the hardship the township may have had to endure. He stuck close to Oz, hugging the darker places tightly, and miraculously, made it to Oz's bar without having been discovered. 

Pinball stood in the doorway, soaking in the interior. Seedy, was his first thought, not entirely unlike its owner.

He slipped into a barstool seat. "Not really," he said. He was suddenly hit with an intense sense of deja-vu. His face darkened. After a moment's consideration, he added, "Honey mead." It was the only drink he'd tried (ages ago at that), other than water. Pinball wasn't the type to hang around bars. He also wasn't the type to hold conversation with strangers. Sitting there, Pinball quietly stared at the strange man who'd seemed a little too suspicious of him for his liking. Maybe he stared a little too intensely. Pinball was used to people being nervous around him -- to people being scared of him -- but Oz didn't seem like he was just afraid of him. They were in a safe zone now, though, and Oz no longer had a reason to fear Pinball slipping a dagger between his ribs.

Pinball waited patiently for what the man might have to say. 

Why else would he have led him there? 

[Oz 0]

Honey mead, huh? Guess it suits the kid's adolescent appearance. Though, he wasn't actually a child, anymore. None of them were. Even those kids at the orphanages creeped Oz out these days; teenagers in children's bodies, roleplaying as helpless delinquents who required the guidance of proper adults to carry them afloat. How many of them were faking, and how many had simply had their development stunted by being chronically regarded as little boys and girls? It was impossible to tell, and the whole thing just freaked him out.

Almost as much as the way this kid was looking at him.

He shrugged and turned around once more, rifling through dusty bottles until he came upon one such delectable treat as the youth desired. He retrieved it, wiped away the filth, and pulled the cork before placing it in front of Pinball. His own drink still at the ready, he strode around to take his seat next to the boy at the bar, holding up his glass for a celebratory cheers to cement their victory. Though, the energy was admittedly weak in the gesture.

Their respective vessels clinked, and Oz took a large swig.

Hard to drink booze without a cigarette, especially when the booze didn't actually do anything in the way of providing a buzz. The ornate aluminum can that housed his tea leaf cigarettes made yet another appearance, a fluid motion with one hand prying open the container and raising it to his jaws. He'd lower the can and clasp its clamshell shape shut once he'd managed to wrestle one of the death nails from its clutches with his lips. "You won't find anything weird with the mead," Oz assured him as a match caught flame and cast a wayward glow against the duo. Once it had ignited the cigarette, he shook the flame out and took a long drag, a noxious cloud pouring over the countertop and filling the bar with the smell of burnt Earl Gray. "Not really into the whole poison thing."

There was a bit of silence, the occasional swig or drag of the a cigarette breaking up the stillness that had settled over the tavern. A welcome stillness, when juxtaposed against the ferocious battle they'd been embroiled in only a short while before. 

"It was a nice thing you did," Oz stated nonchalantly. "Helping me like that." He'd already stated he wouldn't be giving any 'thank yous,' so this was as close as he'd let it get. "I'll admit that, at first, I took you to be an assassin sent after me. I've made a few powerful enemies, you know. Or, at least they fancy themselves powerful."

Another beat of silence.

"I got the wrong impression. Shouldn't have treated you that way."

There really wasn't much left to say, at that point. He didn't expect them to magically become friends just because they did a quest together. But a free mead and a moment of respite would hopefully serve as adequate payment for the favor of having his life saved. He didn't really have much else to give.

Edited September 1 by Oz

[Pinball 1]

Oz drank. Pinball stared. 

He wasn't worried about poison. But even as his hand firmly grasped the mug's handle, he didn't lift it to drink, either. 

Eventually his stare dropped and his gaze fell to his cup, where he watched the drink stir and still. 

Honey mead. It seemed like such a long time ago... 

Finally, Oz spoke, and Pinball lifted his eyes to meet him. He thanked him. Pinball's frowned. That wasn't it, surely. Pinball was even more put off by what sounded to him like appreciation. He hadn't taken him for the type. He didn't respond. Oz continued, and finally the air was cleared. There was another beat of silence. 

Pinball lifted his mug and drank. 

"Don't worry about it," he said, and stood. He left the mug on the countertop, hardly touched. The drink (or the memories it recalled) -- and the conversation, really -- were of a softness he didn't quite allow himself to engage with. On principle. An assassin? Well, he'd been called weirder things. And less fitting ones, too. Pinball slipped out of the chair, the whisper of his cloak dragging across the stool's cushioned seat behind him. He made his way to the door. 

"Shoot me a message if any of your 'enemies' give you trouble." 

Pinball pushed outside and vanished. The door closed behind him.