[F01-PP] Starin' at you with my Big ol' Eyes <<Earning a Living: Performer>>

[Tiye 0]

Tiye found herself somewhat disappointed as she left the performer’s shop– Landon Axel was his name… or something like that. She wasn’t expecting much considering <<Earning a Living>> was one of the most basic of quests out there, likely second to the introductory quest, but Tiye’s letdown wasn’t with the quest itself surprisingly. 

“Was it a lute..?” she asked herself as she stood outside the steps to the NPC’s abode. “No, it’s way too long to be considered one. Perhaps a bouzouki?” Tanned fingers opened the game menu as Tiye continued to mutter in thought, oblivious to the odd looks passing strangers would give her. The woman had spent more time worrying about the possible historical inaccuracies that Landon Axel’s character and his stupid instrument had presented than with the contents of the quest itself. Not that she was really paying attention anyway– something about retrieving materials and bringing them back. “... No, the bouzouki wasn’t made until the 20th century.” Tiye sighed, swiping her menu away in frustration. Her gaze shifted over to the stony walls and storied buildings that littered the streets of the Town of Beginnings. 

What kind of idiot even made this quest? Who approved this?

She huffed, already feeling resignation override her drive to do anything for the rest of the day. “Perhaps it is a modified lute, however dumb that sounds. This is certainly reminiscent of Middle Age Carcassonne…” Tiye tapped her fingers against her chin as she absentmindedly strolled towards the entrance of the town. It was unfortunate that she was too up her own ass to notice the incoming player a few paces ahead of her. Will there or will there not be a collision?

Find out next time on–

Spoiler

Tiye | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 | +1 LD

EQUIPPED GEAR:

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SKILLS:

> R1 Searching
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EXTRA SKILLS:

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MODS:

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CONSUMABLES USED:

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Edited September 27 by Tiye

[Acanthus 0]

It was frustrating: why was it that recording crystal refreshers could only be found on the first floor? She had enough on her schedule already; having to travel back down to Landon’s shop was just a pain in the—

Acanthus came to on the cobblestone, senses pulling back into focus. Rubbing her head gently, she looked over at the other woman. She fought down a sharp retort after gauging the poor girl’s clothes. She appeared new. Even after all this time, fresh, first-level players were appearing from the woodwork. “Pardon me,” she said with an unconvincing air. Acanthus stood and dusted herself off. “I really have to get going, I have quite a schedule…”

It was about then that Acanthus realized Landon’s shop was framed perfectly behind the girl. She must have just been leaving. No time to reminisce, you’ve got errands to run and crystals to craft. But Acanthus couldn’t help herself.

“Did you just leave Landon’s shop? I don’t mean to pry, but are you looking at becoming a performer? I’m something of a performer myself. Let me know if you have any questions. I’m Acanthus, by the way.” She gave the girl a quick, informal bow.

Spoiler

 

Acanthus | HP: 740/740 | EN: 88/88 | DMG: 21 | MIT:78 | ACC:2 | REC: 4 | BLD: 48  | PARA | LD:8
Forager Rank 5 | Greenhouse (+2EXP and +1 CD/LD to foraging attempts)

Equipment Ajisai | T4 Bastard Sword | BLD 1 | PARA 2 Resilient Thistle | T4 Light Armor | MIT 2 | REC 1 Locating Charm | Trinket | LD 3	Skills Straight Sword R5 Addon: Focus Addon: Precision Light Armor R5 Addon: Resolve Mod: Meticulous Searching R5 Mod: Night Vision Hiding R5 Addon: Surprise Attack: Trickster First Aid R1 Combat Mastery: Damage R3 TECH Shift
Battle-Ready Inventory None Consumables Used None taken	Skills Unlocked <<Disguise>> <<Assault Mode>> <<Photosynthesize>> <<Survival>>

 

 

Edited September 27 by Acanthus

[Tiye 0]

Perhaps it was due to both parties’ carelessness that they each failed to discern each other before the impact. Nonetheless, Tiye stumbled backward as she was momentarily thrown off her train of thought. Looking down, she was surprised to see a fairly high-level player in her midst– if their gear was anything to go off of, anyway. It was hard not to be surprised when she had gotten so used to this town being mostly home to moping players who had nothing better to do than sulk in their dark corners. She blinked, suddenly remembering her manners. Her hand stretched out to help the stranger up, but the gesture was either ignored or brushed aside. A mean one, Tiye mused wistfully, not completely oblivious to Acanthus' attitude. 

Unfortunately, her look of intrigue fell flat at the sudden mention of Landon. “That mess of a character?” She pointed a thumb behind her towards the performer’s shop while her other hand came to rest on her hip. Tiye couldn’t help but let an exasperated expression make its way onto her face. She rolled her eyes, gaze settling at a corner stall at the edge of her peripherals. “I was too wound up in how utterly stupid his instrument looked to properly get the details of the quest,” she retorted, words clipped yet simultaneously dull.

Her posture shifted subtly at the other's almost begrudging proposition, and she’d lean her weight onto a single leg in sudden interest. “... Although –” Emerald eyes flickered over to the now-named Acanthus. “– If you’re offering some help, I’m not opposed,” she replied with a lazy smile, tilting her head to give the other woman a wink. 

“To answer your question though,” Tiye began, waving away her previous comment with a flick of a hand, “I am looking to become one. Figured it’s time to stop sitting on my ass and actually do something to help out.” She failed to mention how her act of so-called compassion was born off the fact that she was starting to run out of things to occupy her time with. The Town of Beginnings– and every other main settlement on the other floors, for that matter– have gotten painfully stale. The luster this world had to offer in its prime had started to lose its sheen, so she figured there's no better time than now to start something fresh and new. 

“... And the name’s Tiye.” Her eyes narrowed as she smiled, and she’d offer her hand out once more. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Acanthus.”

[Acanthus 0]

Tiye stuck her hand out. Acanthus grasped it firmly, like she was closing a deal. “I can spare some time. It would be nice to have some other performers as well. I believe the quest just has you gather some materials for your first craft, right? There are some good foraging sports just outside the Town of Beginnings. Why don’t we head that way now?”

She didn’t want to tell Tiye that she was rushing them because she wanted to make sure she had time to go back to the shop and craft. It would be rude to foist that hurry off to the girl. Besides, she owed a lot to the veterans that had helped her come this far. She could afford to pay it forward.

* * *

Outside the walls of the town, Acanthus scoured the landscape for nodes. “Now, performers have it easy and hard in a lot of ways. We use quite a wide array of materials to make performance crystals. You can find crystals themselves,” she pulled up some crystals from a nearby foraging node, “or you can find plants or minerals that can be crafted into recording crystals.” She gestured to some nearby tall grass and a vein of black, sparkling ore. “It really just depends on the kind of music you want to write. Personally, I’ve found that plants like songwheat and whistlegrass are better for recordings that use lots of strings and woodwinds. Rock, on the other hand, it’s good for… Well, rock, if you can believe it.” By this time, Acanthus had a handful of materials to show to Tiye. “At the end of the day, materials are materials. But sometimes, having a style or preference can make the difference between your next craft being perfect, or just being salvage.”
 

Spoiler

Posting Action: Gathering Materials
233749| LD 4 + 1 | CD 4 + 2. Failure.

Acanthus' Loot Totals (to be divided)
nutin q.q

 

Edited October 4 by Acanthus

[Tiye 0]

“You look like an experienced forager,” Tiye observed as she watched Acanthus work her magic. While she had to admit the other woman made it look easy, the idea of constantly gathering her own materials for crafting didn’t exactly pique her interest- but she made a note to level up her <<Searching>> regardless. It’s not like she was going to invest in anything combat-related anyway. Might as well put her skill points into something that actually mattered. At least this way, Tiye reasoned, she would have an easier time getting some Col in her pockets. It beats having to slave away grinding for shitty loot on mobs. 

By the end of Acanthus’ explanation, Tiye had already made several other dozen mental notes; Songwheat and whistlegrass… If I ever want to freshen up my lyre and harp skills, I suppose those could work, she thought. Her eyes drifted over to the rocks the other woman had managed to scrounge up in their short time together… and it’s best to avoid those. Tiye looked up from the small bounty and shot Acanthus a pleased smile. "This has been informative," she said earnestly, "thanks for the help, truly."

She crouched down low, gaze trained on the rolling fields as if she was expecting something. After a short while, Tiye idly plucked the stem of some random plant that littered the field and rolled it between her fingers. “Anyway, what about you, Ms. Acanthus?” she murmured, flicking the weed away when she failed to see any value in it. Her elbows came to rest on her knees as she peered up at Acanthus' face expectantly. “Do you specialize in a specific genre of music– or an instrument perhaps?”
 

---

 

Spoiler ID: 233751 | LD: 4+1= 5, fail 0/5

Edited September 27 by Tiye

[Acanthus 0]

"I try to stick with what I know: classical music.” Which isn’t much. “When I was younger, I took viola and composition lessons for about four or five years. I ended up quitting after… After a disagreement with my parents.” Acanthus moved to where Tiye had found the weeds. She had a good eye for foraging—all she was missing was the experience. “Four or five years of lessons won’t make you a professional, but I remember enough to write and perform. Cardinal’s instrument assist also makes it easier to play instruments you don’t have any practical experience with. Which is good, because some of the instruments in this game are nonsensical. I don’t believe the developers really staffed any music historians when they designed the game.”

Returning to foraging, she picked up some of the weeds Tiye had thrown to the side. “You did good to find these. They look like common weeds, but if you can pull them up whole and trim the delicate roots, they add a very interesting effect to the recording crystals. Similar to a reverb or echo.” She pulled some up to make a point, and ran her fingers through its roots, pale and thin as spiderwebs. “It can take quite a bit of experience to retrieve these roots, so don’t overwork yourself on them. There are some fields to the south with easier foraging opportunities.” Pocketing the materials, she returned Tiye’s initial question. “What kind of performance interests you? Most people have something specific that draws them to this craft; the rest end up blacksmiths and alchemists.”

Post Action: Gathering Materials
233801 | LD 4 + 1 | CD 11 + 2 Failure

Acanthus' Loot Totals (to be divided)
q.q

Edited October 4 by Acanthus

[Tiye 0]

Tiye fiddled with a blade of grass as her head nodded along to the conversation. She didn’t expect to hear so much about a stranger’s life when she woke up today, but she supposed it was better than the typical sob stories that have been circling around the Town of Beginnings. It’s a nice change. “That’s unfortunate,” she said absentmindedly before sobering up a clarification, “that you had to stop, that is.” Her fingers twirled around the strip of grass a little more before she abruptly dropped it. It fizzled into fragments of blue before it even touched the ground. “Not too many people have the right mindset to learn an instrument,” Tiye sighed, though it sounded more nonchalant than anything. She stood back up to her full height, brushing off her lap while doing so. “Much less music composition.”

It was a miracle there wasn’t an audible snap with how fast she turned her head. For a moment, she just stared. Stared with her big ol’ eyes. “You’re right!” Tiye exclaimed, suddenly lurching forward to grab Acanthus’ hands. “Two years I’ve been in this God-forsaken game. I’ve been to every discovered major town and city and it still baffles me how many historical inaccuracies there are in this game’s development! It’s like they searched up ‘most stereotypical fantasy locations’ into a browser without even considering the rich culture that actual fantasy is based on– as a scholar of the arts, I find it completely offensive!” Her entire body shook as she spoke– as if animated by an unknown force. It was so unlike her earlier demeanor, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. “You’re the first person I’ve met who actually acknowledges how completely ridiculous this game is in terms of their inspiration!”

Her now wide emerald eyes blinked expectantly, as if waiting for Acanthus to agree with her once again. 

Her enthusiasm wavered as the conversation shifted back to the quest at hand, but the fifteen seconds she had to ramble was more than enough to satiate that itching feeling in her head. For now.

“I’m actually not too interested in performance all that much,” Tiye admitted shamelessly, leaning back on her heels as her shoulders gradually relaxed again. “I have some experience with a couple of string instruments… but nothing that would constitute choosing this route. Ideally, I’d want to be an artisan,” she began, picking at her nails with a tilt of her head, “but a performer aligns with what I want to do with myself in the future. I’d be saving myself a lot of time and Col investing into this profession instead.” Logic and reason. Wants and needs. Passion and purpose. For how simple Tiye described it to be, too many factors played out in her decision. It was a rare moment where she realized she had truly wasted the last two years of her life, watching the days go by. At least, this way, she'll have some sort of purpose, however little it matters.
 

---

 

Spoiler ID: 233811| LD: 11+1= 13, fail 0/5

 

Edited September 28 by Tiye

[Acanthus 0]

Some distant part of Acanthus warmed up as Tiye began gushing about the inaccuracies of the game. The energy and exuberance reminded her of the time she confided in Nymoria about wanting to create a codex of the plants in Aincrad. A CHILDISH DREAM, she told herself. It would only have delayed her progress in the game. She did her best to return Tiye's excitement, but even she could tell that her response was lukewarm. “It is ridiculous. I will have to admit that history is not my strong suit. I remember a little bit about instruments, but I am uninformed about the accuracy of this floor.” As an apology, she added, “I would be happy for you to note them as you observe them. Feel free to share your interests.”

When Tiye admitted why she chose the performer profession, Acanthus merely shrugged. “There’s no shame in being uninterested,” Acanthus told her. “I can understand the desire to be self-sufficient. But if your stock ever runs short, please come and visit my shop. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

As they were walking, a sharp pain shot through her left foot. Picking up her boot, she saw a bag of col half-buried in the ground, along with a crop of crystals. She grabbed the shard and stuffed it into her inventory quickly.

Post Action: Gathering Materials
233881 | LD 12 + 1 | CD 11 + 2 Critical Success! (4) materials and 3,000 col gained.

Acanthus' Loot Totals (to be divided)
3000 col
(4) materials

Edited October 25 by Acanthus

[Tiye 0]

If she noticed Acanthus’ lukewarm response, she didn’t make a point of commenting on it. How could she when when the first chance she had in years to talk about her career was layed out in front of her, ready for the taking? “I’m not as well versed in the history of European art and architecture,” she admitted begrudgingly. “My concentration usually lies with that of Africa and Asia.” Tiye turned to look behind them, nose pointed towards the Town of Beginnings. “But from what I can tell, it’s very obvious that the main city is based on Vatican City. The high walls aren’t very accurate, however, which is why I presumed they also took inspiration from the city of Carcassone, with it being fortress-like and all.”

Tiye placed her hands on her hips. “This would mean that Floor One is based on or just a few centuries before the Middle Ages, so somewhere between 300 and 700 A.D. What is modern-day France and Rome is probably what they were going for; with the mountain range that splits this floor, it’s hard not to see the resemblance it has with the French Alps,” she said with a hum of affirmation. 

She turned back to face Acanthus, still giddy from the information blurb. “Of course, it’s the least I can do for your assistance.”

  

---

 

Spoiler ID: 233882 | LD: 2+1= 3, fail FREE ME FROM MY CHAINS 0/5

Edited September 28 by Tiye

[Wulfrin 0]

"Pardon me," A voice echoed from another player as they passed by. Their gear suggested a frontliner, battle hardened by countless battles. They wore a cowl obscuring most of their features. Most would simply mistake them as the rumored Gemini from Floor 6. "I noticed you seem to be on a first outing of sorts. From the looks of it you're either starting a profession or gathering materials for First Lessons. Either way their collection requirements can be grueling." A small gift box appeared in the player's hand. They simply handed it over before stuffing their hands back into their deep pockets. "Consider those items a gift. All I ask in return is you pay it forward the next time you see a player out there in a similar situation. Ciao." 

Just as quickly as they had shown up, they had vanished. The only remnants of their presence was the lingering chill in the air from the icy mist that trailed around their form.

 * * *

Wulfrin gives Tiye

Crystal | TIER 1 TRINKET | LD III | ID: #205224
[desc.]: a blue crystal. scraps of a larger crafting component.

Jackpot Pretzel | T1 Snack | LD 3 | ID: 222304
[desc.] A salty pretzel that is fresh from the oven and has been made with love. It has been shaped into the form of a heart, each pretzel having a small FI branded on it for Fondante's Inferno.

[Acanthus 0]

It never ceased to amaze her how much help the other players of the floor were to new players. Another player had dropped by, ready to offer an item and some encouraging words without a second thought. She was trying to be like that. But she hadn’t even thought to offer Tiye her own locating charm, or offering to go back to town and shop for some food. She would have been perfectly content to simply gather away, all while Tiye struggled for her five materials. Acanthus burned with embarrassment.

Eager to get away from the town, she returned to Tiye with a fresh set of foraged goods. “That was very kind of him. Did he give you his name? I was off gathering up a few more crystals while he came by.” Putting away the crystals, she moved on. “I think the fields south of the town of beginnings are a good place to find materials. I can’t remember everything on the list from when I did the quest, but I recall most of it being pretty close together. Though it took me a while to find the materials myself. It can be hard without the ranks. Have you considered picking up a gathering profession?”

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials
233889 | LD 5 + 1 | CD 6 + 2 Failure

Acanthus' Loot Totals (to be divided)
3000 col
(4) materials

 

 

Edited October 4 by Acanthus

[Tiye 0]

Tiye blinked incredulously as a random person forced a box of goods into her hands before disappearing in the blink of an eye. It all happened so fast that she barely had a good look at the guy before he was gone, and frankly, she wasn't even sure if they were a player or an NPC. Regardless, Tiye was truly at a loss for words. It wasn't often she was out of her element, but her gaping mouth was more than enough to signify that this was exactly the last thing she expected when going out on a simple quest. 

"I..." Her words faltered as they came out of her mouth, but she quickly schooled her expression back to what it was before. Tiye glanced at Acanthus, shrugging helplessly. "Not sure. He came by so fast that I couldn't even catch his face," she mumbled, tapping on the box to open the menu. In a flash of blue, the items from within it appeared in her hands, replacing the packaging. "It's... a pretzel and a blue crystal." Her words fell flat the longer she examined the box's contents. "This isn't even the kind of crystal you could consume." She held up the blue gem to her eyes, and it was clearly evident that these weren't the typical crystals you'd find in a performer or alchemist's shop. Pulling up its stats revealed that it was actually a charm meant to boost her luck, which was strangely convenient but helpful nonetheless. 

From her menu in the corner of her eye, a glint in the grass caught her attention. Kneeling down, she’d tug up a stray rock to reveal a shining crystal buried under the dirt. “Just when I get help, I find one all by myself.” She rolled her eyes. “Typical.”

Tiye pocketed the precious stone before turning back to Acanthus. “Sounds good. It doesn’t really matter to me where we go.” She stood back up, shooting the woman a lazy thumbs up. “I planned on it,” Tiye said breezily, “but for now I’m just focusing on getting my levels up to even afford utility skills.”

 

Tiye Accepts:

> Crystal | TIER 1 TRINKET | LD III | ID: #205224
[desc.]: a blue crystal. scraps of a larger crafting component.
> Jackpot Pretzel | T1 Snack | LD 3 | ID: 222304
[desc.] A salty pretzel that is fresh from the oven and has been made with love. It has been shaped into the form of a heart, each pretzel having a small FI branded on it for Fondante's Inferno.

---

Spoiler ID: 234434 | LD: 17 1/5

 

Edited October 24 by Tiye

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus smiled. She remembered how much of a struggle her first attempt at gathering had been. It was strange to feel nostalgic over something so recent, but in many ways it felt like a lifetime ago.

She watched as Tiye pulled up a rock and found a crystal. “Just when I get help, I find one all by myself.” The girl rolled her eyes. "Typical."

“Sometimes, it feels like Cardinal has a sense of humor that way. I’m sure if that man hadn’t come along, you’d still be looking for your first crystal. But you’ve got one down already, and that’s really good. I think I took quite a while for my first find. But it gets better, I promise.”

Acanthus waded through some bushes, looking for any other materials. The first floor didn’t have much to offer—lower levels were often like that. But the higher floors were often dangerous or difficult.

“Have you been to any of the higher floors yet? I’m curious if those floors are also based on liberties taken with historical material. I’m not sure that I’ve been to any floors with African or Asian architecture though. You said that was your specialty, correct?”

Spoiler

 

Post Action: Gathering Materials
236395 | LD 16 + 1 | CD 1 + 2 Success! (1) material found.

Acanthus' Loot Totals (to be divided)
3000 col
(5) materials

 

 

Edited October 25 by Acanthus