[PP-F1] Are They Free? <<The First Few Lessons>>

[Omen 0]

When Omen dragged himself out of that ice, one of the first things that he did was compile a list of quests that he could take to get himself put back on track. He'd found quite a bit of them. Compared to when he was first grinding his way to the frontlines, there was a veritable feast of ways to accrue experience. One of them was the aptly named "The First Few Lessons." 

To start the quest, Omen had to talk to an NPC named Dorian in Tolbana. He introduced himself as the mayor and had found himself in the unfortunate predicament of not remembering who he'd lent money to. Omen snorted. It came as no surprise that The First Few Lessons were set up to be one giant fetch quest. From Dorian's suggestion he was sent to Zackariah, who, without giving Omen even a moment to reply, explained that his shop was low on supplies and that he would really appreciate it if he could go and gather some more materials for him. Omen started to decline, and then his Quest Log updated. It seemed that he had no choice; to the fields he went. 

*** 

Player Stats: 

Omen: 20/20 HP | 20/20 EN | 4 DMG

[Circe 0]

Things certainly hadn't gone to plan since she had arrived.  Despite having some of the niceties of reality, this world operated on its own rules.  With that in mind, Circe decided to play the game. If one could call it that, it would be their reality until they were freed.

As luck would habit, an NPC called out by the name of Dorian or something.  He went on about being the mayor and needing to collect a loan, but unfortunately, he did not remember who he gave the loan to.  What a joke, did they make this guy so dumb?  Whatever, it seemed like a boring quest to push through anyway, free money as far as she was aware.  Accepting, she moved on to Zackariah, who immediately sent her on a task to get supplies for his shop.  With instructions from Dorian and Zackariah given, the quest was updated and it would seem the fields were the next stop. 

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~Player Stats~

Circe  | HP:  20/20 | DMG:  4 | EN:  20/20

 

[Omen 0]

Omen stared long and hard at a shrubby little plant on the ground. Was this what Zackariah was looking for? He frowned. He had absolutely no idea if it was. Hopefully they weren't weeds. He reached down and collected it. The item was placed in his inventory, though he had absolutely no way of knowing whether or not it was real -- but it apparently counted towards his quest progress regardless. He moved on. 

As he stood, he noticed a woman in the distance. Another player? He lifted his hand in greeting. Ever since his stats were wiped, he'd been hesitant of other players outside of safe zones. At level one his life felt like a fragile thing. But Omen stood his ground in friendly greeting, waiting for her approach. 

***

Gathering Attempt [1/3]: ID#231279 LD: 19 (Success!) 

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe stared at a thick patch of grass, eyeing it up and down.  Was this it?  It didn't seem very special.  Plucking it didn't update the quest, so she supposed it wasn't what was need.  

"Man, this blows."  She blew out the words in an exasperated sigh.  How low had she fallen to be playing around in the dirt like this?  Well, not far given what she was doing before ending up here, but it didn't soothe her annoyance.

Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she looked around and noticed another bulky player, he waved at her.  She blinked a bit shocked at the hospitality given by the stranger, and slowly waved back.  An idea came to mind as she slowly sauntered over.

"Are you on the quest from Zackariah, too?"  Folding her hands behind her back, Circe kicked the grass in front of her dejectedly, "You wouldn't happen to know what they look like?  I'm having a hard time finding them."  And to top things off, she pouted pathetically.  If she played her cards right, she might be able to get this guy to speed things along.

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Gathering Attempt [1/3]:  ID#231283  LD:  4  (Failure)

Edited September 13 by Circe

[Omen 0]

"Hello," he said as she approached. "I am." His voice was deep and broad and like gravel, but his demeanor and speech were pleasant enough, if not to listen to. The young woman seemed to be on the same quest as him, which helped ease his worries a tad. She seemed just about at a loss as he was. Omen still tried, though. He looked carefully at the grass and plants at their feet, his hazel eyes meticulously combing through the smattering of plants, trying to identify which had the most unique, identifiable features. 

"No." 

They all just looked like plants. It seemed that botany was not either of their strong suits. On a whim he bent over and plucked a particularly long looking herb and was briefly surprised when it wouldn't come free. Omen gave it a harder tug and ended up ripping the entire plant from the ground, roots and all. He squinted. 

He shoved it into his inventory anyways. 

*** 

Gathering Attempt [2/3]: ID#231301 LD: 7 (Failure) 

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe watched the man struggle with the stubborn plant, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Perfect. She’d struck gold with this one. He seemed genuinely lost, which only made her job easier. Still, she had to play it right — no need to scare him off by being too obvious.

“Oh, so you’re in the same boat, huh?” She let her voice carry just the right amount of frustration, adding a little sigh for good measure. “I’m starting to think Zackariah just sent us on a wild goose chase... or maybe we’re just missing something.”

"Tell you what," she said with a sheepish grin, leaning a little closer, "How about we split up the search? We’ll cover more ground and get this over with quicker. Maybe between the two of us, we’ll actually find what Zackariah wants."

Her tone was light as if she were offering him a favor. In reality, she hoped he’d end up doing most of the work, while she could swoop in at the end to claim her share. Work smarter, not harder, after all.

As Circe shifted her weight, glancing down, she spotted something unusual at her feet—a strange plant that she had almost stepped on while walking over to Omen.

"Huh," she muttered, bending down to pluck it from the earth. As soon as her fingers wrapped around the stem and pulled, her quest log updated with a soft ding. The notification read: 1/3 Collected.

She stood up, dusting off her knees, and shot him a quick look. “Would you look at that,” she said, unable to hide the hint of satisfaction in her voice. “Looks like you are my lucky charm.".

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Gathering Attempt [2/3]: ID#231337 LD: 20 (SUCCESS)

 

Edited September 13 by Circe

[Omen 0]

Omen nodded. "It would appear so." Circe went on to add that she was beginning to think that Zackariah had sent them on a wild goose chase -- to which Omen nodded empathatically. Yes, he was almost certain of the same. Fetch quests, he knew all too well, would only lead to more fetch quests. He had a feeling they had quite a bit of work ahead of them. 

Circe seemed friendly enough, though it had been a long time since Omen had had the company of another player. Maybe it would be a welcome change. Going it alone definitely made things a lot more difficult than they had to be sometimes. "Alright," Omen agreed, "that sounds like a plan." They split up and went their separate ways for the moment, so as to better cover ground between the two of them. 

As he walked amongst the shrubbery, a specific plant caught his eye that looked quite similar to the plant he'd found earlier. Was this what Zackariah was after? He plucked the plant carefully this time, not wanting to destroy it in the process. At that point Circe joined him again, expressing that he might be her lucky charm after all. "And you may be mine," he said, showing her the herb he'd just found. "I'll try to help you find another." And Omen went straight back to looking. 

*** 

Gathering Attempt [3/3]: ID#231338 LD: 15 (Success) 

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe strolled away, determined to find the last two plants and eager to keep up her momentum. Lucky charm or not, let’s get this over with, she thought, scanning the ground for anything that stood out. But after several minutes of aimless searching, everything just started to blend together. Grass, weeds, shrubs—nothing looked like the plant she had found earlier.

With a groan of frustration, she crouched down and poked at a patch of overgrown weeds, hoping that maybe something was hiding beneath them. But no such luck. “Ugh, seriously?” she muttered under her breath, standing up and brushing her hands off. Her earlier smugness was slowly being replaced with irritation.

As she wandered back toward Omen, empty-handed, she couldn't help but shoot him a look of playful exasperation. “Well, guess I spoke too soon. Seems like my lucky streak just ran out.”

Omen, on the other hand, was still as calm and focused as ever. His quiet determination only made her more aware of how impatient she was getting. He’s really taking this seriously, she mused, watching as he held up yet another herb with careful precision. Circe crossed her arms, trying not to let her annoyance show. She didn’t like feeling outpaced, even in something as trivial as a fetch quest.

“Guess you’re carrying the team now,” she joked with a wry smile, masking her frustration with humor. “Maybe I should stick a little closer to you. Seems like you’re the one with all the luck after all.” Though her tone was light, there was a hint of genuine admiration in her voice. For all her tricks and shortcuts, sometimes it was the steady, methodical approach that got results. But that didn’t mean she’d stop trying to find a quicker way.

 

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Gathering Attempt [3/3]: ID#231339 LD: 6 (Failure) 

Edited September 13 by Circe

[Omen 0]

"Alright," Omen said. Luckily, it didn't matter if they succeeded or not. His quest tracker said to return to Zackariah, and so they would. While he was there, though, Omen sent an official party invite to Circe. If they were going to be questing together, it would helpful to be able to track each other's health and energy. It would also serve as a way of introducing themselves now that they were pretty far into conversation without telling each other their names. 

Omen would lead them to Zackariah, who accepted the materials and inspected them shrewdly. He accepted them kindly and turned back to his work. Omen stood quiet for a moment, until it was clear that Zackariah had forgotten why they were here in the first place. "And as for Dorian's loan?" Omen's voice filled the room, and Zackariah nearly jumped out of his skin. 

"Leave it to Dorian to forget something so important. No, I'm afraid it wasn't me that borrowed the col. You might try Lyle, the blacksmith. I've seen him talking with the mayor frequently the past month or so, and he's just up the road. I wish you luck!" Zackariah, with a smile, nodded at the two of them, and returned to his alchemical studies. 

Omen glowered and left the room. It was to Lyle Tealeaf's shop up the road, then. 

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe’s eyebrow quirked slightly when she saw the party invite pop up in her HUD. Interesting move. She hadn’t expected Omen to be the type to formalize their little partnership, but it made sense. Having access to each other's stats and health could be useful, especially if things got dicey later on. Without hesitation, she accepted the invite, and their names now appeared next to each other on the interface.

They made their way back to Zackariah, and Circe couldn’t help but roll her eyes as the NPC examined the materials with an almost comical level of scrutiny.

"Leave it to Dorian to forget something so important. No, I'm afraid it wasn't me that borrowed the col. You might try Lyle, the blacksmith. I've seen him talking with the mayor frequently the past month or so, and he's just up the road. I wish you luck!"

Typical. This whole thing had been a wild goose chase, and now, as she had expected, Zackariah didn’t even remember the loan they’d been sent for.  Omen was the first to leave, followed by Circe.

 Luckily the blacksmith was not far, but he certainly lacked the whimsy of the two before him.  

"I'm busy," was the greeting they were met with before they even spoke to him.

Circe's eyes narrowed as she took in the blacksmith’s gruff demeanor.  This was certainly becoming more annoying with each objective.  She glanced over at Omen, wondering how he was taking it, but didn’t bother trying to argue with the old man. NPCs like Lyle were never going to be swayed by words, no matter how much she’d like to try a different approach. Instead, Circe forced a smile,  "Sorry to be a bother, we were sent over by Zach-"

Cutting her off rudely the man waved them off, "I don't do anything without payment. Go deal with a few of those pesky boarlets for me, and bring them back whole or else just their tusks. I don’t care which.  They're pretty weak, so even you shouldn't have any trouble.  Do that, then I'll hear you out."

At least they were not left to deal with the boarlets with their fists.  Equipping a set of throwing knives, and stashing the bag of tranqs.  She threw Omen a sideways glance, curious as to what he chose, "Ready, Omen?"

 

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Equipping: 

• T1 Perfect Throwing Knives | ACC 2 | DMG 1

 

~Player Stats~

Circe  | HP:  20/20 | DMG:  5 | EN:  20/20  |  ACC:  2

[Omen 0]

A wild goose chase was probably the most apt description for the quest so far. But Omen had gone into it expecting one, and he wasn't so surprised when Zackariah had sent them off to one Lyle Tealeaf's shop down the road. Nor was he surprised when Lyle Tealeaf rudely waved them off to go kill baby boars for their tusks. While he briefly questioned the morality of slaughtering piglets, it was more out of curiosity than emotion. They offered a means to sedation, but it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Besides, was the choice between tranq darts and an axe really that difficult of a decision to make? Omen thought not. 

He took the axe. 

It was heavier and a reinforced, polished iron, and bore no signs of the rust on the weapon he'd been carrying around so far. It would do nicely. 

Omen nodded. "I'm ready." 

*** 

[Equipping] - [Vanity] Rusty Axe -> [T1 Perfect] Axe - ACC 2 | DMG 1 

Updated Stats: 

Omen - 20/20 HP | 5 DMG | 2 ACC 

[Circe 0]

Circe smirked as they entered the boarlet hunting grounds, her sharp eyes immediately spotting three plump targets huddled together, noses rooting through the dirt. Perfect, she thought. She’d be done with this boring quest in no time.

Without hesitating, three throwing knives materialized in her hand, spinning each between her fingers with practiced ease. “Let’s finish this quickly,” she muttered, taking aim. She threw all three knives in a quick, fluid motion, intending to wipe out the group in one fell swoop.

The first two boarlets went down instantly, her blades finding their mark with precision. Circe allowed herself a small grin of satisfaction as the third boarlet squealed and darted to the side just as the knife whizzed past it. Damn it, she cursed inwardly. The little beast had been quicker than she’d expected.

Before she could react, the surviving boarlet spun around and charged at her with surprising speed. Circe’s instincts kicked in, and she sidestepped with a quick pivot, narrowly avoiding the charge.

“Persistent little thing, aren’t you?” she growled under her breath, watching as the boarlet skidded to a halt and turned to face her again. She could see the fire in its tiny, beady eyes, as if it was determined to get revenge for its fallen comrades.

 

⋇⋇⋇⋇
Action Taken: [AOE-I] (-7 EN)
Boarlet 1: ID#231362 BD: 10+2=12  MD: 2  (5+2)*3= 21 DMG
Boarlet 2: ID#231363 BD: 4+2=6  MD: 1  5*3= 15 DMG
Boarlet 3: ID#231364 BD: 3+2=5  MD: 2 Miss/Miss

Circe: 20/20 HP | 13/20 EN | 5 DMG | 2 ACC

Boarlet 1: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 2: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 3: 5/5 HP | 3 DMG

Edited September 13 by Circe

[Omen 0]

He hefted his axe across his shoulders. There were a group of boarlets, placed convenienly besides one another. Circe took one group -- Omen took the other. He didn't have the patience to sit and pick them off one by one, so he did what Circe did, and activated an AoE Sword Art. Glowing with a piercing bright light, Omen's axe carried him violently into the group and cleaved two of the boarlets clean in half. He barely registered the pop-up telling him he'd received two of the three required tusks for Lyle Tealeaf. The third boarlet was a hair quicker, and having maneuvered out of range, charged Omen as the Sword Art and landed what surely would have been a devastating slam to his calf if he had been about ten times smaller. Unfortunately, Omen was 6'6 and had the mass to match. Also, and probably more importantly, the HP. Omen loomed over the final remaining boarlet with his axe in hand. 

*** 
Action Taken: [AOE-I] (-7 EN) 
Boarlet 1: ID#231365 BD: 7+2 (Hit) - 5*3 = 15 DMG 
Boarlet 2: ID#231366 BD: 6+2 (Hit) - 5*3 = 15 DMG 
Boarlet 3: ID# 231367 BD: 3+2 (Miss) MD: 8 - Omen takes 3 DMG 

Omen: 17/20 HP | 13/20 EN | 5 DMG | 2 ACC 

Boarlet 1: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 2: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 3: 5/5 HP | 3 DMG

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe threw her knife with deadly precision, fully expecting to finish off the boarlet in one clean strike. But once again, the little creature darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the blade as it embedded itself uselessly in the dirt.

Her eyes narrowed, and her jaw clenched in frustration. Are you kidding me? She felt her patience starting to fray at the edges. This was supposed to be a simple, mindless task—a quick hunt, not some drawn-out battle with a ridiculously agile piglet.

The boarlet charged again, its tiny hooves pounding against the ground as it barreled toward her with surprising speed. Circe sidestepped at the last second, but her movements were just a hair too slow this time. The boarlet brushed past her leg, not enough to cause any damage, but enough to make her lose her balance for a split second.

Circe stumbled back, cursing under her breath as she regained her footing. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered, her voice low and venomous. Her frustration was bubbling over now. It wasn’t the strength of the boarlet—it was the fact that it was making her look like an amateur.

 

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Action Taken: [Basic Attack] (-2 EN)
Boarlet 3: ID#231369 BD: 1   MD: 1  Crit Miss/ Crit Miss

Circe: 20/20 HP | 12/20 EN | 5 DMG | 2 ACC

Boarlet 1: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 2: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 3: 5/5 HP | 3 DMG

Edited September 13 by Circe

[Omen 0]

Omen had killed his remaining boarlet a while ago. Like a butcher, he had brought his axe down, striking the boarlet dead with a ruthless impunity. It didn't so much as have the time to squeal before it was struck down, exploding into a cloud of light and dust. A pop-up screen was Omen's reward. He'd collected the last tusk he needed for Lyle Tealeaf, and without too much trouble. He rested the axe across his shoulders, cherishing again the balance of a good weapon in his hands. It had been much too long, and then it hadn't felt like a long time at all. His thoughts wandered elsewhere. 

He watched Circe fight her remaining Boarlet. The little creature had spirit, for sure. The boarlet wasn't doing too bad either. Omen watched but said nothing, his face an indecipherable mask of neutrality. He wanted to help, but the quest's requirements stated that each player had to defeat their own set of mobs to progress. Also, from the way Circe was cursing under her breath, Omen had the feeling she might be the type to turn her knives on him if he embarrassed her through his intervention. And thus he remained silent. 

⋇⋇⋇⋇
Action Taken: [Basic Attack] (-1 EN)
Boarlet 3: ID#231370 BD: 6+2 (Hit) - 5 DMG 

Omen: 20/20 HP | 13/20 EN | 5 DMG | 2 ACC

Boarlet 1: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 2: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 3: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe gritted her teeth, feeling the heat of her frustration burning through her calm facade. The boarlet, still eyeing her with an almost mocking glint in its eyes, pawed the ground again, as if readying for another taunt of a charge.

Not this time.

Flipping the knife in her palm, she could feel its weight in her hand, the metal cool against her skin as she tightened her grip. With a sharp inhale, she focused her energy, locking her gaze onto the boarlet. She wasn’t going to let a tiny creature make a fool out of her any longer.

As the boarlet lunged forward, Circe waited, her heart pounding as she gauged its speed. The second it moved, she snapped into action, her body fluid and precise. With a quick flick of her wrist, she hurled the knife in a perfect arc, aiming straight for the boarlet’s neck.

This time, the blade found its mark.

The boarlet let out a final squeal as the knife embedded itself deep, and with a few staggering steps, the creature fell to the ground, then disappearing into dust.

A slow, triumphant smirk crept onto her lips.

With a quick glance toward Omen, who had been watching silently from a distance, she shrugged, trying to play it cool despite her earlier frustration. “Took longer than I expected, but hey, can’t argue with results, right?”  She kicked at the dirt where the boarlet was felled, giving it a dismissive grimace before rejoining Omen.  “Let’s get this over with and head back to Lyle before he sends us on another ridiculous errand."

 

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Action Taken: [Basic Attack] (-1 EN)
Boarlet 3: ID#231373 BD: 5+2=7   MD: 7  1+4= 5DMG

Circe: 20/20 HP | 12/20 EN | 5 DMG | 2 ACC

Boarlet 1: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 2: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG
Boarlet 3: 0/5 HP | 3 DMG

Edited September 13 by Circe

[Omen 0]

Omen nodded. The results showed themselves, clear as day. Circe kicked the dirt where the boarlet had been slain, and urged them to get a move on before Lyle sent them on another ridiculous errand.

"Agreed." Omen got the feeling that they weren't done just yet, but they made their way back to Lyle Tealeaf's shop anyways. 

They returned with the tusks and their borrowed weapons in tow. When Lyle received them, he simply nodded. "I use these on hilts," he explains simply, before setting any tusks aside. Unlike Zackariah, Lyle Tealeaf seemed a bit more present of mind, however gruff about it he may be. He continued, "Now, I'll have you know that I don't take loans from anyone, especially men the likes of Dorian White. You might try old Pete Larkin. He spends all his time fishing for river monsters or some such nonsense." With a scoff, he adds, "Without a real job, the man could probably use the charity." And then he returned to his work. 

Omen simply turned and headed out the door. Wasting a reply on the NPC was meaningless, as was despairing over how much of an asshole he was. They were off to old Pete Larkin down by the river. 

Edited September 13 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Of course Lyle sent them off to someone else.  Was this quest ever going to end?  Well, hopefully the docks will be their last stop.

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

Circe’s eyes narrowed as Pete’s hearty laugh echoed off the nearby water. Of course it wasn’t going to be simple, she thought bitterly, already regretting stepping foot near the docks. First boarlets, now pulling treasure from a lake? This was turning into one giant favor chain, and her patience was running thin.

Still, she couldn’t help but notice the glint of metal among the traps Pete was unloading. It wasn’t just a bunch of crabs and fish—there was actual loot mixed in. Her irritation wavered for a second, curiosity getting the better of her. What exactly has this old man been pulling out of the water?

Circe exhaled sharply, glancing at Omen beside her. “Well, looks like we’re professional errand runners now,” she muttered under her breath. She wasn’t thrilled, but at this point, she just wanted to get this ridiculous quest over with.

Circe crouched by the edge of the dock, eyeing the traps with mild disgust. This wasn’t exactly what she had signed up for when Dorian sent them on this wild goose chase, but here she was—waist-deep in grunt work for some old fisherman.

“Let’s just get this over with,” she muttered, rolling up her sleeves and plunging her hands into the first trap. The rope felt slimy and rough in her hands as she hauled the thing up onto the dock. She gave it a quick, cursory inspection.

“Junk,” she said flatly, shaking her head as she sifted through the contents. Rusted metal scraps, bits of rope, and soggy old debris. No treasure, no monsters, just pure disappointment.

She moved to the second trap, yanking it out with a bit more force, her irritation growing by the second. It was no better. A couple of battered fish, and what looked like the remnants of a broken lantern. She threw the trap down with a groan.

“I swear, if —”

Her complaint was cut short as her hands wrapped around the third trap. This one felt different—heavier, more solid. Circe furrowed her brow in suspicion as she slowly pulled it up, her muscles straining under the unexpected weight.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” she said, the frustration from earlier quickly fading into smug satisfaction. “Looks like old Pete’s been sitting on something valuable after all.” She straightened up, brushing the dirt from her knees as she proudly gestured toward the hefty treasure chest at her feet.

Circe turned to Omen with a sly grin. “Not bad, right? Maybe this errand wasn’t a complete waste of time.” She couldn’t hide the satisfaction in her voice as she gave the chest a playful kick, her mind already racing with thoughts of what might be inside.

⋇⋇⋇⋇
Action Taken: Looting for a Treasure Chest

LD 1 ID#231374: 5
LD 2 ID#231375: 4
LD 3 ID#231376: 16

 

Edited September 14 by Circe

[Omen 0]

Omen allowed Circe to take the lead, and down by the river they met Ol' Pete Larkin, as Lyle Tealeaf had referred to him. Omen watched with a blank expression as Pete laughed and Circe's irritability showed itself again. He let them dig through their boat, and Circe certainly dug -- he raised an eyebrow when, finally, she unearthed a treasure chest. Just what was Pete Larkin doing with that, the old fisherman? 

It was Omen's turn. He moved up to the boat and began to dig as well. Traps, barrels, discarded mugs, rods, line... the boat was chock-full of stuff you'd expect a fisherman to have. But what was this? His hands found the handle of a large wooden box. He pulled and lifted it onto the dock beside Circe's. He snorted at her response. He agreed. "I believe we're long overdue our rewards." He took a step back and looked to Circe with her treasure chest. He nodded and stood beside his own. She'd open hers first. 

*** 

Action(s) Taken: Searching for dat Treasure (yargh) 
Searching 1: ID#231379 LD: 4 (Fail) 
Searching 2: ID#231380 LD: 7 (Fail) 
Searching 3: ID#231381 LD: 15 (Success) 

Edited September 14 by Omen

[Circe 0]

Circe knelt down beside the treasure chest, her fingers itching with anticipation as she worked the latch open. The chest gave a satisfying creak as the lid lifted, revealing its contents. Her eyes gleamed as she took inventory of her loot: a sizable pile of currency, two unidentified weapons gleaming with potential, a handful of crafting material that might come in handy later, and a strange-looking consumable item that glowed faintly.

She picked up the consumable, turning it over in her hand. "What do you think this does?" she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. But she didn’t dwell on it too long. Whatever it was, she’d figure it out later. For now, she stuffed the items into her inventory with a self-satisfied smirk.

Before she could gloat too much, Pete ambled over, with a letter in hand.

Circe raised an eyebrow, taking the letter from him. "This’ll pay off the debt, then?"

Pete nodded and and wiped it against a stale barrel of old fish, “That should serve Dorian right, for how he treats his debtors,”

Holding it away from her between two fingers, Circe grimaced, "Yeah, thanks...".

She hadn’t expected to finish the quest with a decent haul, let alone some new gear and the satisfaction of seeing this ridiculous chain of errands finally coming to an end.

“Thanks for the help, by the way,” she said, her tone more genuine now as she glanced at Omen. “Maybe we can quest again in the future?  I'm always in need of a good luck charm.” She flashed him a brief, crooked smile before sending him a friend request with a quick tap of her menu. If they were going to be stuck in this world for a while, having someone competent around wasn’t the worst idea.

With a final nod to Omen, Circe straightened up, brushing the dust from her hands. “Time to get rid of this smelly letter and say good riddance to this awful fetch quest.  See ya around, Omen~”

Without another word, she turned on her heel and set off toward the quest turn in.

 

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Action Taken: Opening Treasure Chest

LD  ID#231382: 14

LOOT:

• 200 Col
• 10 Materials
• x2 Perfect T1 Unidentified Weapon - 231382-a, 231382-b
• x1 Perfect T1 Unidentified Consumable - 231382-c

Edited September 14 by Circe