[F27-EVENT-2024] Diwali

[Iruma 0]

IRUMA | Lv.1 | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20

"oh yeah, they did!"

and tally cheered with a set of small hops as asura scooped up the die between them, giving her friend a smug smile. tally reviewed the board. jay hadn't gone too far, and in fact was lagging behind. it was clear to both of them that tally had the lead.

"watch me," jay had said, the die clasped in the palm of her hand as she showed it off. "i'm gonna catch up to you with this final roll!"

"you can do it!"

jay cast the die. she moved up six tiles. her piece, a red dog's head, had skipped past one of the greatest ladders on the way there. "no!" tally found herself crying, watching the dog take its walk. jay would've been in the lead otherwise.

"ah, darn!" and jay stuck out her tongue, in an abrupt, bashful pout. "so much for faith."

"doesn't that kind of mean we'll be farther apart if our luck stays this way?"

tally took her last turn, too, amidst their apparent unease. she moved up another six tiles, then counted the spaces between their pieces. there were seven gaps. when she looked up from the board, jay was giving her the signature look -- puppy dog eyes.

"you'll wait for me to catch up," she said, "won't you?"

"oh, jay!" and tally giggled. "of course i would! it's only another dice roll in between us. if we just had more turns..."

they went to the stall keeper hand in hand. the prizes? they were in the same bracket. as jay picked up a red crystal, tally decided she would do the same. "see?" she shook it in her grasp to show jay, pairing it with the one in her partner's hand. "look! we're matching!"

jay burst out laughing. "no way! why'd you pick that one?"

tally had many reasons. she just decided to choose the best line. "because it was red and reminded me of you?"

jay couldn't help a smile, and turned her head away so her counterpart couldn't see.

"haha! jay!"

Spoiler

GYAN CHAUPER.

236700 | cd5
236701 | cd11
236702 | cd6 | total: 22

• Bloodcrystal of War | Tier 2 Crystal | +4 DMG, -(20 * Player’s Tier) MIT. This item does not stack with other Protein consumables.

 

[Morningstar 0]

The old coordinate switcheroo--Morningstar's specialty. He recited the numbers in his head before typing in his own, nodding at Kali's comment. "Looks like Bistro and others are on their way over here. I'll meet you guys at snakes and ladders, if you do end up joining, and then I think I need dinner. Maybe we could all meetup for it?"

He departed, taking a few wrong turns and completely missing Bistro along the way. He wasn't sure he was in the right place until an encouraging voice called out through the crowds.

"Come one, come all! Try and see what fate has in store for you in the game of wisdom this year!!”

"What's this?" Morningstar asked rhetorically, eyeing over the game from a distance.

It looked like a much older version of snakes and ladders, confirming his whereabouts. "Nice."

Star approached the man. "Hi. Do you mind if I give it a go?"

---

ID236704 | cd5
ID236705 | cd10
ID236706 | cd1

5+10+1 = 16

Morningstar receives Shiva's Blessing

+1 Bloodcrystal of War | Tier 2 Crystal

[NIGHT 0]

they walked side by side despite the crowd. had to find a different light to stand next to, because amidst the crossing shadows, it was hard to understand the inscriptions. night wondered if someone who was blind could make it out just by running their hands across it, but then she realized the script would have needed to be in braille.

by a flame lamp, they were finally enlightened with the knowledge upon it. while night mouthed the words, day read them aloud.

"what do you think these were meant for?" asked night, her blinks slow, face scrunched, her silent protest made visible.

"night, i don't think i could tell you," day replied. her face was covered with a hand in consideration, the insider lost for information. "but maybe it's something to do with that hero?" and she gestured to the statue that was erected near the teleporter. "that, or wushen, likely."

night hummed, before nodding. they had retrieved five lamps. so she decided to mull over what she spotted from each of them.

-> DIYA LIGHTING: 5/5 PROMPTS ANSWERED.

Spoiler

"‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’"

they had taken a seat on a few stone ledges beside the light.

night set aside the lamp in her hands, and looked towards the statue that day had pointed out from moments prior. "'hero' is a specific title to use," she considered. "and for it to happen after wushen had been defeated..."

there was only one man present, however. if there were any others, she lacked the recognition to recall any companions present with the festival's introduction, from player discussions or floor history both. and it wasn't as though the library would be of any help either... would it?

"day," night spoke, after looking at the statue for some time. "do you really think heroes, glorified to that extent, are completely self-made?"

‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’

day tilted her head. she was thinking, and made night aware of that. the player had already moved onto reviewing the text on the next lamp, however, humming over the intent in speculation herself.

her companioned leaned in and read it aloud. "hey," she breathed, lips curling into a smile. "do you think i qualify for that?"

"no." night's voice soured, a disbelief present in her expression. "why would you? if anything it would have to be..."

she'd originally wanted to pull a name from her friends list. yuki? koga? there were a few others, but they fell from her tongue the moment her gaze went back to the statue again. day fit the bill just perfectly. she just couldn't bring herself to lie while looking at such a pretty face.

"it would have to be...?"

day had recited her line, past the player's distracted state. night faced her. "who's this hero, anyway?"

‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’

day raised a brow. "why're you so fixated on him, night?"

"it's just..."

and she paused. diwali was a festival, a celebration that was completely unfamiliar to her. the closest thing she could pair to it in her memory wasn't from a culture she had the privilege in getting to know. so, much like the lamp that day had ended up holding, narrating the words provided, she lacked a basis of understanding. the people, the culture--

-- how it was like to have to live with someone else you detested equally but had to care for in every measure.

night's fingers pinched the bridge of her own nose. she would get through this.

‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

there was another thing that irked her in a strange way, as day played text-to-speech on her behalf. the writing had used the word owe.

"i just think," night finally said, after moments of contemplation, "that whoever this person was to be distinguished in such a manner... he could only have become so legendary upon the backs of others." and she waved her hand thereafter. "that 'no man is an island', or something. but i don't see anything else talking about the people around him -- nor his achievements."

day stared at her, and then she gave the statue a glance. her sights finally settled on the lamp in her hand. "you've been thinking a lot about it, huh?" she said. "... why do you think that is?"

"‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’"

day was quiet, waiting for her player's response. so night read the last inscription aloud instead. "i only have a mom," she added bitterly with a broken smile shot to day. her construct tried to match it. night placed the lamp down. she had her guesses about feeling equally restless about the discussion these lights had brought up.

"it's just... beyond the talk about this," and night gestured to the pile of lamps they'd set aside, "before wushen, even, or maybe before that. the heart at why we as players are even trapped in here in the first place -- that's a question i've always wondered on my own. hasn't the thought ever occurred to you before, too? why make a virtual iron prison? ... why pull you out of your own slumber?" night looked to the statue again, against the thick silence that fell between them. "i... guess you could say i wrestle with that -- the intent that fashioned these goals. after all, why else..."

night fell quiet. day looked at her, unable to read the expression on her face. but with an utterance, it was as though the puzzle had already been solved.

"why step out of the first," day contemplated, "and fight your way out of the castle?"

"what makes a hero?" night returned, matching her companion's gaze. "and how many have we each taken for granted?"

including yourself, the player had thought, watching day hum and turn away, likely considering the implications for her question. the construct lacked an answer, so night, gingerly, picked up the last lamp and fumbled with it in her hands. the flame alight its wick but trailed and chased its agitated form. holding something so colorful, fragile yet meaningfully distant made her feel much like a kid again.

"for those we have lost," night found herself echoing, her eyes narrowed, the answer on her lips a foreign yet familiar quote. she wouldn't remember where it originated from. day picked up the slight shudders in her breath, her voice. "for those we can yet save."

and, though she'd mentioned it and chose to move on, she didn't feel the slightest bit of confidence in them at all.

 

[Wulfrin 0]

"Alright next game," Wulfrin sighed as he moved away from the cup game. "What's next?"

Wulfrin scanned the area before his eyes landed on another spread of games. This set up infinitely more familiar to him. Snakes and Ladders was a game he had played plenty of times before. Despite his best efforts, Wulfrin was unable to score top marks on this one. By the looks of it, the system was also forbidding him from participating any more. He collected his earning, a simple jewel with the image of a dragon's eye carved inside it. It was familiar to him as a drop from the dragon matriarch on floor 25. A foe he would like to face again someday, but this saved him a trip.

"Well that ends that little foray," Wulfrin sighed as he took his reward and moved on back into the crowded bazaar. "Guess I could drop off some more of those Samais."

* * *

Spoiler

ID: 236729 | CD: 9
ID: 236730 | CD: 5
ID: 236731 | CD: 12

9+5+12=26

Wulfrin receives Shiva's Blessing:

• Dragon’s Jewel | Tier 4 Unique Consumable | +5 DMG, but x2 duration on all negative non-disablement status effects. Lasts for one thread. Does not stack with crafted Damage-boosting consumables.

Festival Item Crafts: 10/16/24

Item Name: Ornamental Samai
Profession: Blacksmith
Quantity: 3
Craft IDs: 236301, 236302, 236303
Post Links: 

 

Total crafts for event: 16

Edited October 26 by Wulfrin

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus found herself drawn back to the lights and wonder of Ronbaru. The little game she’d played the other day interested her in particular—Pallankuli, was it? She dropped by the tables again to look over the board and make a move. Some of the kuli were starting to pile up, which irked Acanthus for some indescribable reason. She chose the largest pile on the board and spread it across the other kuli. She was reminded of dropping seeds in a garden.

Having partaken in her scheduled fun for the day, she moved back towards Hiten and his gathering pile of crafts. She nodded to a familiar player, empty-handed from his own delivery of Samai.

“Good to see you again!” Hiten moved around the counter to welcome her. “Did you bring more crafts for me? Every bit helps.” Acanthus dumped the armful of crafts on the table. “They’re similar to the ones from a few days ago, but the crafting instructions make it a little hard for me to improvise within the parameters. I’ll bring another batch tomorrow.”
 

GAME #1
Moving twelve (12) crystals from Row #1:

413   0(12)4   [7]
341   (11)13   [5]

* * *

Festival Item Crafts: 10/27/24

Item Name: Aarti
Profession: Performer
Quantity: 9 (Total: 19)
Craft IDs: 236938–40, 236942–43, 236945–48
Post Links: 

 

Edited October 27 by Acanthus

[Mishiro 0]

a corpse is talking.

Spoiler LEVEL 24: HP: 480/480 | EN: 66/66 | DMG: 19 | MIT: 36 | ACC: 4 | AA | EVA: 1 | FLN: 6 (6-8) | BH: 3% | VO: 10% SKILLS: Spoiler | skills mod count: 0/5 RAPIER | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] +7 DMG [ADDON: Ferocity] +2 DMG [ADDON: Precision] +1 ACC [ADDON: Stamina] Reduce EN of all attacks by 2. [SHIFT: ST Specialist] +3 to multipliers and +2 to EN cost; ST-I, ST-II, ST-B. COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 [BASE: Proficiency] +9 DMG BATTLE HEALING | RANK 3/5 [BASE: Proficiency] Regenerate +3% of max HP at the start of a turn. | extra skills [2] FIRST AID | RANK 5/5 [BASE: Proficiency] [PA, 15 EN] Single target heal: 20% of target max HP. [ADDON: Field Medic] [PA, 15 EN, 3 CD] AoE heal (including self): 25% of target(s) max HP. SURVIVAL | +10% received healing. Immunity to all damage dealing environmental attacks/effects. | expenditure Spoiler Total SP: 120 | Spent: 113 | Unspent: 7 SKILL: Rapier (30) ADDON: Stamina (4) ADDON: Precision (2) ADDON: Ferocity (4) SHIFT: ST Specialist (10) SKILL: Combat Mastery (13) EXTRA SKILL: First Aid (30) ADDON: Field Medic (6) SKILL: Battle Healing (14)  EQUIPMENT: Spoiler walpurgisnacht CURSED, FALLEN, VAMPIRIC (OFFENSIVE), ABSOLUTE ACCURACY TIER 3 DEMONIC RAPIER | [state]: crafted [ref] it is a talisman. your victory lies not in bloodshed, but in your own survival. do you understand? even if the skies are never rent open, roslyn, lyudochka, you will live another day to watch the falling snow gather on your hands. 'til the end of this holy night. white cloak MITIGATION II, EVADE TIER 3 PERFECT LIGHT ARMOR | [state]: crafted a white hooded cloak made for comfort. dioscuri ACCURACY III TIER 1 PERFECT JEWELRY | [state]: crafted a pair of earcuffs fashioned from precious stone.

two weeks.

two weeks since those messages. she was dizzy, sleepless, confused, paranoid, reading through a history that met its end two years ago that cardinal insists was hers. she could not trust her memories. at a certain point, this extends to her senses. is it the end or a portent? the loss tears at her. she hadn't left her house. had rifled through her planners, her records which she faithfully kept every day for years, duplicated the work she had done for fermata since she assumed her most recent position; spread it all out, the last two years, over one of sibyl's unused drafting tables. looked at it all over again with a sudden wave of despair. breakable reality over breakable reality. what was she thinking? no. no, she is missing the point. sword art online itself is the problem, and she had done nothing but deceive herself than face it outright like so many others already have. this was just another pitiful attempt at a detour. she abandons it all and heads to lhasri to look for a quest.

she doesn't get very far. she runs into sibyl, leaving the headquarters, and they both stop dead in their tracks.

(when had they left the house? she can't remember. is this another--)

"so you were alive in there. could i trouble you to step away from your project for a sec?"

 

 

sibyl's brilliant rationale for spiriting her away to floor 27 almost without warning is that she has quite the history with it. she gently turns them down once, but they insist -- today, they are in the mood to be inconsiderate. mishiro, begrudgingly, allows herself to be rerouted. it is also a truth that they have spent little time together lately. she expects to be unmoved, unimpressed, but when she hops off the teleporter, hundreds of lights reflect in her eyes, ronbaru as bright as it had never been before, and she halts her steps, her expression baring her disbelief. floor 27 had been: a tense populace, disagreeable leaders on a platform and a system begging outsider input to solve their problems, and five regions in the aftermath of disasters, betrayals, and political instability. she had never come back to check on how things were after the roundtable.

the teleporter flashes behind her, marking her companion's arrival. the girl, unaware, spins in a slow circle, following a stream of lanterns with her eyes to a thirty foot tall statue holding an undying flame. "it's..." lively, she thinks. beautiful. (because it is so easy to puppeteer her like this.) the air is colored with festive cheer. the thought suddenly occurs to her of how this would all look stripped down to the bone.

she is thinking about numbers and structures.

"different?" sibyl offers, gentle.

"different."

yes, that is simple enough. she can accept that. she marvels at the statue for a while longer, then she senses that sibyl had walked a short distance off and is only waiting for her, politely pretending to observe the stalls they had already visited a day prior. approaching, she jabs them on the elbow, freeing them of their vigil. "tell me about that game loth lost."

they grin, already turning to lead the way. "gladly!"

Edited October 28 by Mishiro

[Bee 0]

Bee | Lv.6 | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30

In Ronbaru, everything was pretty.

Loud explosions cast colours and patterns across the sky. Dresses, gowns, and robes of similar styles were donned; Bee had found a pastel pink saree embellished with stones and cut beads. Everyone looked so beautiful.

She stood off to the side of the Gyan Chauper, watching as a pair of girls finished a game. She was intrigued by both the game and by the closeness of the pair. They were basically interlocked while they took turns moving pieces across the board.

When they were done, and it came to her turn, she panicked. "Oh! Sorry--how do I play?"

"Well, start by rolling the die," said Jai.

She did so. The small, side-sided cube bounced across the board, falling on a three.

"Wonderful! Now, you may move your piece forward."

She shifted her tiny little trinket up the board, counting while tapping on each square. "Like this?"

"Exactly. That's all there is to it."

---

ID237023 cd6
ID237024 cd8
ID237025 cd7

6+8+7=21

Bee Receives Krishna's Blessing:

+1 King's Core

[Mishiro 0]

their honored guildmaster had been bested by a simple game of chance: he had ventured farther than most pieces in the game but was unfortunately brought back to the start by the snake of 'greed.' the stem of the peacock feather ends up woven into sibyl's hair. mishiro thinks he made far better use of his luck than they were giving him credit for. she moves her piece one tile forward, and to her surprise, sibyl asks for the die.

"another 'one'? really?"

sibyl hides a laugh behind a cough. "karma strikes the entire household--"

mishiro studies the prize list again, disappointedly crossing out any hope of earning the rarest items at the top. "eyes up." sibyl flicks the die back to her side and she races to catch it. across from her, their perspective of the board is upside down. this does not affect their counting at all because when she next turns the die over after scoring a 'four', their piece ends up beside hers once again.

she suddenly finds it fitting to review the most basic rules of snakes and ladders. "you are rolling the die, yes?"

"of course," sibyl returns simply. their index presses on the cube, slowly dragging it back towards their side. "'this game tests a person's karma.' aha. i get it." they pick up the die, and after examining it for a moment, drop it into mishiro's waiting palm. "cardinal is saying our fates are inseparable."

"our inseparable fates aren't getting us a decent prize, brother."

"alternatively, i can only mirror you because i don't count as a 'person' today."

"what?"

mishiro asks, then forgets.

she barely manages to salvage her game. sibyl's piece pulls ahead of her by three counts at the last second, but it awards them nothing more than bragging rights since they had ended up with the same prize. as she exits the stall after them, sibyl spins around and stuffs their winnings into mishiro's hands. they raise a finger to their lips. "let's not tell loth about this."

mishiro silently agrees.

 

-> gyan chauper: cd 8 | laddu (5)

Spoiler

Gyan Chauper
237036: CD 1
237037: CD 4
237038: CD 3
-- [Total]: CD 8 -- Laddu (5)

237051: CD 1
237052: CD 4
237053: CD 6
-- [Total]: CD 11 -- Laddu (5)

 

Edited October 29 by Mishiro

[iris 0]

IRIS | Lv.5 | HP: 100/100 | EN: 28/28

perhaps bistro hadn’t been lying when she said she’d joined a guild that would help her gain access to information quicker. iris hadn’t ever recognized the start of a festival before, but this time, she did. while there were many ronbaru residents wandering out in the streets, what gave her the tell was her quick scan of green crystals. there weren’t many — and the ones she did see were all unfamiliar faces.

demian had trailed in behind her through the teleporter. the lead was hers; she’d decided to give it a quick scout before handing the intel off to jean and hers. and there was their third man that he told her he was responsible for, gawking excitedly in her stead. not that iris minded. with a giggle, watching basuke cheer excitedly for the mass of people present, she turned to demian with a smile. “you really have your work cut out for you. how will you manage to pull it off?”

Spoiler

gyan chauper.

237054 | cd1
237055 | cd4
237056 | cd1

total: 6

Peacock Feather | Tier 1 Trinket | LD I

 

[Demian 0]

Demian | L18. | HP: 360/360 | EN: 64/64 | DMG: 16 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | MIT: 36 | LD: 3 | AA Spoiler equipped sword. ACC III, ABS. ACC armor. MIT III (36) phantom. EVA III br-inventory Teleport Crystal (1) Ordsea Crystal-B | FREE ACTION: +5 HATE/THREAD Fruit Juice (5) | [23/10/20] +10% HP RECOVERY Fruit Juice (5) | [23/10/20] +10% HP RECOVERY Fruit Juice (5) | [23/10/20] +10% HP RECOVERY skills Spoiler mods: 0/5 STRAIGHT SWORD R5 aoe-shift. stamina, precision, ferocity COMBAT MASTERY DMG R3 QUICK CHANGE ENERGIST data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs Spoiler   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts Spoiler ST | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x15 -> x18 TECH-A | x12 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x12 | DELAY TECH-F | x8 | AOE STUN  data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

demian’s expression hadn’t changed. “i have my ways,” he said, simply, before gesturing to an npc that was trying to catch their attention. “why don’t you just try to enjoy yourself while i settle the responsibilities?”

“this could hardly be considered a collaboration otherwise,” iris objected, approaching the stall keeper. she shot him a glance over her shoulder. “but, if you insist.”

the man shrugged. “well, one of us has got to gather the intel, right?” his words went unheard, however, the player immediately turning her attention over to the activity’s direction. his eyes were trained on iris for a short moment, ensuring nothing would go awry, before focus switched to looking around for basuke. now, where was he—

his hands moved quicker than his eyes could catch the sight of him. basuke had only been here a few seconds less than the tasked pair had, and already discovered where they were issuing out food from. demian grabbed the boy’s hoodie, nonchalant, eliciting a bark of surprise from his charge. he turned to his guardian, wordless, mouth stuffed with chakli and hands full of snacks to be able to salvage his speech.

Spoiler

gyan chauper.

237057 | cd9
237058 | cd4
237059 | cd1

total: 14

Laddu (5) | Tierless Snack | PROSP III

 

[Basuke 0]

Lv: 19 | Basuke | HP: 380/380 | EN: 56/56 | ACC: 4 | EVA: 3 | DMG: 16 | MIT: 20 | BRN: 28 | BLD: 24 Spoiler equipment. Tri-Hexagon Metal Pin +3 ACC Supreme Yeezyz Pen Ultim8 Shoez +3 EVA Blazing Heart BLD (24), BRN (28) battle-ready inventory. Teleport Crystal (1) buffs. Spoiler   skills. Spoiler mods: 0/5 Straight Sword R5 stamina, precision, ferocity Combat Mastery: DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5

“now how exactly did you move so fast? and why’re you trying to wear yourself out? we just got here.” demian blinked slow to basuke. “we will be taking our time.”

and basuke looked at him, confused. why wouldn’t he want to try everything out — party like there’s no tomorrow? he wasn’t sure if he should tell him about the years he spent punching a damn rock, and he was sure if there was anyone else who could resonate with that feeling of being trapped somewhere, they would understand. but then again, it wasn’t as though he could speak. the thought that they were all trapped in aincrad for that moment had completely slipped his mind, too.

his caretaker pointed towards their third. “iris is playing a game right now. do you want to join her after you finish your chakli?”

that earned a huff of excitement from him. basuke gupled down the food in his mouth before beaming brightly back at him. “all done! c’mon, let’s go!” and he raced out of demian’s grasp, partially through a vigorous expression of enthusiasm, and partially because once his friend understood their orders, demian had let him.

at the table with snakes and ladders, standing right next to iris, the two of them waved over to demian, inviting him into their fold.

Spoiler

gyan chauper.

237062 | cd9
237063 | cd10
237064 | cd12

total: 31

Gulab Jamun (1) | Tier 1 Dessert | Upon consumption, automatically completes the quest of the thread the user is participating for that user only.

 

[Acanthus 0]

Another day of crafts. Acanthus enjoyed the growing routine; she might even miss it over time. Ronbaru’s trappings changed slightly from day to day, ribbons and lights slowly changing color.

A young lady in light robes introduced herself as Dayanita. “I manage the lights of the festival, making sure they are ready to be replaced by others once they are extinguished. Would you be willing to help out? It would prove an excellent way to reflect on your journey leading up to this moment.”

Oh, a quest designed for self-reflection. “No thanks.” Acanthus moved on.

Emerging from Hiten’s tent one more time, she looked around at the activities. The Pallankuli tables looked full, so she decided to look around. Nearby she noticed another game with fewer attendants. She approached the man on duty and had him explain the game. It was one entirely of chance. Why not cast the dice?

Gyan Chauper
237067 CD 7
237068 CD 9
237069(nice) CD 3

Total: 19

Reward. Death’s Song | Tier 2 Debuff Song | Applies a debuff effect to a target that prevents them from recovering their HP for the next two turns. Removable with Purify. Unable to affect Floor/Event Bosses.

Festival Item Crafts: 10/27/24

Item Name: Aarti
Profession: Performer
Quantity: 10 (Total: 29)
Craft IDs: 2367040–43, 237045–50
Post Links: 

 

Edited October 31 by Acanthus

[Kingsley 0]

| KINGSLEY  | Lv. 9 >> P. 0, Lv. 9  | Status: [ // ]  Notes:  //

Hide contents Kingsley | HP: 185/185 | EN: 36/36 | DMG: 10 | ACC: 4 | PAR: 1 | LD: 1 | EVA: 1 equipped Herding Wolf DMG II, PAR I Basalt ACC III battle-ready inventory skills   Hide contents mod count: 0/5 POLEARMS | RANK 5/5 UNHINDERED extra # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs   Hide contents statue # | # consumables # # paragon # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== sword arts   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x8 -> x11 AOE | x7 TECH-A | x8 | STUN | 9EN data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== misc/housing buffs   Hide contents # fishing # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

Kingsley peered through oval-shaped reading glasses. He had seen the game twice before, and didn't care much for it. It was a festival, however, and he was festive. He moved his game piece up the board after rolling a decent number. "Aha! I've beat you again!"

"What? The game hasn't ended."

"Oh? I see. Perhaps not."

He didn't quite understand the rules of the game; nor did Warden, although he pretended he was much more "in tune" with the dice. Kingsley watched as the giant of a man took his turn. The roll was worse than his own, and that pleased the old fellow.

"You wouldn't have lasted a day at Ol' Jack's," Kingsley shook his head, chuckling.

"I don't even know what that means."

"Jack! Jack Smithfield!" Kingsley said, as if Jack Smithfield was a household name.

"Who...?"

Kingsley mumbled something inaudible. "Look, it's my turn again," he said, shaking the dice in his fist.

ID237082 CD8
ID237083 CD9
ID237084 CD11

8+9+11 = 28

Kingsley Receives Ganesha's Blessing:

+1 Gulab Jamun

[Warden 0]

[ lv. 2  ->   l. 2 / p. 0 ] Warden | HP: 40/40 | EN: 22/22 | DMG: 5 | ACC: 3 | THORNS: 18 | TAUNT   Hide contents notes. # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   Hide contents equipped Vanguard's Sword ACC III Vanguard's Heavy Plate MIT III Vanguard's Shield THORNS II, TAUNT battle-ready inventory # skills.   Hide contents mod count: 0/5 STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 2/5 extra # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs.   Hide contents statue # consumables  # paragon # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== arts.   Hide contents en cost matches multiplier unless stated otherwise. shift underlined. ST | x6 AOE | x5 TECH-A | x6 | STUN | 7 EN   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== misc.   Hide contents # housing secondary profession # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

# the other one that isn't an old man

ID237085 CD4
ID237086 CD10
ID237087 CD4

4+10+4 = 18

Warden Receives Krishna's Blessing:

+1 King's Core

[NIGHT 0]

they continued walking. their stroll was in silence. in the end, it wasn't so much that they found the person they needed to bequeath the lights to. rather, as they were wandering about the predetermined destination, night was suddenly stopped by a man who requested for them politely, draped in colorful robes that seemed befitting of a diwali host.

so she handed them off to him one at a time. day had continued along, slow, but ahead of her. night had felt a little impatient, wanting to chase after her doppel. but, before she left, she turned to the man, interrupting his work.

"out of curiosity," night asked, "what's with the inscriptions? what do they mean?"

the man looked confused, as he took the diya from her hands. "they've been known to be as signs for self-reflection," he answered, "in truth? the true meaning behind why these words specifically are to be considered above all others has been lost to time. one of the other great mysteries of our cultures united, according to some. but..."

he looked to the statue, however. and night followed his gaze, too.

"so you think so too," she said.

"i may not know much about him," he revealed, "but i cannot ignore the possibility that he's at the heart of all of this."

"cool," night shot back, looking around for her companion. she spotted her crystal first as the surrounding players tried to swallow her form up. "i'll think on it -- as much as i did with the journey that got me here. thanks!"

the player raced off afterwards, snuffing out a light nearby as she did.

-> DIYA LIGHTING: DEPOSITING FIVE DIYAS TO THE LAMPLIGHTER.

[Acanthus 0]

The Pallankuli tables called to Acanthus. She hopped over like a curious bird to see what had been done since the last time she’d been here. Crestfallen, she observed the stones in mostly the same places as before. Were other people not taking these games seriously? She reached for another large pile of stones. She’d prefer that every pocket have the exact same number of stones, but she knew that wasn’t the way the game was played. Some irrational part of her just liked the way everything looked so even on the board.

The tables began to crowd around her, she began to feel a little crowded. She quickly exited the throng forming around snakes and ladders. The Aarti weren’t going to deliver themselves, anyways.

The strange woman was still offering diya to passerbys. She noticed Freyd and NIGHT had already partaken in the duties. It surprised her. Acanthus regarded the festivities as enjoyable, but ultimately frivolous. Why would two of the most prominent frontliners be wasting their time here as well? Maybe there was a secret quest Acanthus was unaware of. She would have to ask NIGHT about it later. (Or Freyd—she just hadn’t run into him enough to feel confident in cold-calling the man.)

GAME #1
Moving twelve (12) crystals from Row #1:

524   1(0)5   [8]
452  (12)24   [5]

Item Name: Aarti
Profession: Performer
Quantity: 7 (Total: 36)
Craft IDs: 2367101–04, 2367107–10
Post Links: 

 

Edited October 30 by Acanthus

[3ulogy 0]

Eulogy hated crowds. But he loved free stuff even more. Using his small frame to navigate the bustling crowds, he cut through the line to gyan chauper. The name felt pretentious. It was just snakes and ladders. All chance, no skill. His luck was good enough. Pressing his way to the front of the line, he managed to sweet talk a few of the people into trying out some of the nearby games. Snakes and ladders would be waiting for them later, after all.

“Welcome! I’m Jai. This is—”

“Don’t care.” Eulogy was already rolling. Move, rinse, repeat. He made as many moves as he could before Jai’s monologue petered out.

“Hey, you got pretty far. Not bad, not bad.”

Eulogy secretly pouted. He knew the chances were next to nothing, but he wanted the platinum from making it all the way to the end. Stupid Cardinal couldn’t let him have anything. At least the Dragon’s Jewel would help out the next time he needed to kill a bunch of stuff.

Roll for Gyan Chauper
237117 | CD 5
237118 | CD 6
237119 | CD 7

Total: 18. Reward | Dragon's Jewel.

-> Receiving Diyas from Dayanita.

[Mishiro 0]

"two orders, coming up!"

"thank you."

the line moves forward. she has two drinks on a paper carrier, a bag of steaming hot samosas, and her earlier winnings. she shuffles the items around in her arms so that she is not being scalded by her newest purchase, and gently pushing her way out of the crowd surrounding the stall, she looks for sibyl. they are gone.

a dark blur crawls up the edges of her vision.

(if she lets this one out of her sight.)

she catches their silhouette, darkened underneath the shadow of the tent across. she hurries over, flooded by irrational relief, then angered with herself for it. is she going to question everything that she sees? sibyl, the chroma seeping out of their eyes, glances over their shoulder at her entry. they spread out a hand over the pallankuli board in front of them -- their current dilemma.

"you're playing row #1. how will you move?"

"first cup from the left," mishiro responds automatically. she glances down at her hands, too full; without question, sibyl scoops up the kuli's contents for her. "then fifth, then fourth..."

the first crystal had already dropped from the other's palm. they catch it mid-air. "hold on. pallankuli's rules are different."

her answer doesn't change once she's brought up to speed. sibyl follows her instructions and resolves the balance on their side after a moment's pause. the result is a fairly even spread across the board, one side ahead of the other by two counts and an advantage in free moves besides, and an out-of-place sense of satisfaction brimming from the player that attended to the losing half of the game.

she thinks she had missed something rather important.

GAME #1
Moving twelve (12) crystals from Row #2:

635   216   [8]
563  035   [6]

GAME #1
Moving six (6) crystals from Row #1:

046   327   [9]
563  035   [6]

GAME #1
Moving six (6) crystals from Row #2:

146   327   [9]
504  146   [7]

Edited October 31 by Mishiro

[Asura 0]

they had moved onto the next stall, and the one after that. jay had been offering tally to eat out of the paper wraps in her hand, holding onto some rasgulla. the stall owner had mentioned that it originated from one of the other settlements – not that either of them had been paying attention to these things lately. the floor was too new! 

past watching the swarm of players move about with enthusiasm, jay felt a shake on her shoulder as they peeled away from a store that was handing out chai. there was a game in the next, it seemed. "woah." and jay grinned. "there's another one!"

"and it's competitive!" tally pointed towards a table with two players, one on either side. her excitement folded into a sense of curiosity when she reviewed cardinal's explanations upon sitting down at an empty game. or was it half-played thus far? "or not? it's a co-op, apparently!"

GAME #1
Moving twelve (4) crystals from Row #2:

146   327   [9]
500  257   [8]

GAME #1
Moving five (5) crystals from Row #2:

257   327   [9]
500  208   [9]

GAME #1
Moving eight (8) crystals from Row #2:

368   438   [10]
500  200   [10]

[Iruma 0]

so jay slid into the seat across tally's, chowing down quick on what was left of their rasgulla. the cups of chai they carried were left to chill by the game board. "and here i was," jay considered, just as tally wiggled her fingers over the kulis, contemplating her next move. "thinking you would get a chance to show off to me how good you are at it."

"no way," tally hummed, grinning, "you're way better at these sorts of things!"

"says the one already starting," jay shot back. they both snickered, as jay began to review the board. "okay, so if the objective is to clear the whole thing, we should go like..."

tally was quiet, as jay picked up the crystals from a cup and dropped them into the next basin, one by one. she kept to herself, watching jay deliberate and continue making moves. on the last, her expression warmed again. "see? we didn't even need to calculate what the best option was, but you did it! only you would do such a thing!"

and jay laughed. "what? what are you talking about? i'm just playing it the way it was meant to be played!"

"no one else would do such a thing!" tally's teeth glistened under a passing candle's light. "look, we all see shiny rocks and we'd want to move them; there's no room for thought when the instinct is just to play!"

so tally took her moves, too. jay had scoffed at her words, but watched on relaxed, and with interest. on the last move, she pointed out to the cups with a small number of crystals in them. "oh, that one. that one's a cheap move."

"jay," tally shot back, trying to hold back her laughter as jay tried not to smirk.

"what?"

tally executed that suggested move, anyway, and fell into place beside jay as they began to leave, chai in hand. with a wave of her grasped cup, jay started to speak. 

"but you like me making all of the moves, right?"

tally just stuck out her tongue and booed her for the innuendo.

GAME #1
Moving eight (8) crystals from Row #1:

368   430   [11]
611  311   [11]

GAME #1
Moving six (6) crystals from Row #2:

368   430   [11]
022  422   [12]

GAME #1
Moving two (2) crystals from Row #2:

368   430   [11]
022  403   [13]