[F27-EVENT-2024] Diwali

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus knelt for a long time, pondering the lightness of the candle. Her mind wandered back to her parents, as the prompt commanded.

To say her parents guided was… a kind way to think about it. They had loved in their own ways, but they seemed to adopt opposite, equally ineffective approaches to her childhood. Thoughts of her father barking at her like a drill sergeant invaded her mind. 

Quote

He would take one look at her gi and say, “Don’t dress in rags.” Crack.
He would look at the sweat rolling off of her and say, “Don’t exert yourself—allow me.” Crack.
He would look at her knuckles, red and bare, and say “You are ruining yourself.” Crack.

Her mother's quiet acceptance.

Quote

“Your garden looks beautiful, Haru.” Now it was Haru’s turn to look puzzled. “Mama, that’s your garden.”

Regardless of how she felt, it would be rude to not offer them both a blessing. “To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.” She lit the diya.

* * *

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited November 17 by Acanthus

[3ulogy 0]

“Fuck, that last blessing sucked, man. Who even came up with all of these?” Eulogy stomped over to the next set of blessings, where the lamplighter waited obediently.
“Partners, huh? Trick question. Never really had any partners. Oh yeah,” Eulogy scanned over the NPC. “You’re probably checking the dialogue for keywords. Hm, love, acceptance, appreciate, gracious, forgiving… C'mon, you stupid—” Eulogy caught himself. Another group of players were making their approach, and almost within earshot.

“I guess I did have a partner. Kohitsuji was there for me right at the beginning. She really embodied all of those kind words I was… reciting… in that moment.” The words coming out of his mouth were true, but the emotion behind them was lacking. For whatever reason, the lamplighter remained impassive. “You’re kinda demanding, aren’t you?” The boy grumbled. He searched for something authentic. “Kohitsuji… deserved better than what I had to offer. She was too kind. She trusted everyone. And she stayed with me. And that’s why she’s not here anymore.”

The crowd began to gather around him. He knew that they weren’t there to listen in, but his guard raised instinctively. It would be bad to run into someone here that recognized him. Drawing a cloak around his head, he had the sudden desire to melt into the crowd. More and more people arrived, and large groups always set him on edge. He hated it.

The lamplighter lit the penultimate candle. Eulogy scoffed quietly before leaving. This stupid game got him monologuing yet again. Maybe this hadn’t been worth the experience.

* * *

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited December 1 by 3ulogy

[Scarlet Firefly 0]

After her last turn in the cup game, Firefly found herself alone. That didn’t bother her though! That meant more time to wander and witness all the lovely sights at her own pace without anyone feeling restless. Firefly would do just that, wandering the event grounds taking in all the smells and sights that she could.

Sooner or later she would find herself in front of a man named Jai. He would offer her a chance to play a board game called Gyan Chauper. “I’ve never heard of it before, but I would be glad to give it a try if you could teach me!”

Some time spent engaging with the rules was not enough to nail down strategy, however. She was beat rather soundly in the three games played but Jai was nice enough to still give her rewards for her efforts: A small bag of candy was her consolation prize. She would stow it away for a later indulgence. “Thank you sir!” The woman would say before being on her way.

---

ID#237724-6

CD: 2, 4 and 3 = 9

Prize Won: Landu(5) Prosp III

Edited November 18 by Scarlet Firefly

[Mishiro 0]

her hand drops from his sleeve when the moment has been quietly tucked away.

she listens.

the strange truth is, she knows so little of pinball outside of their shared history. pinball begins and ends on the day she dropped him a generous change for knife tricks and on everything she has seen and heard from him since. there is a name she mutters into the air between them. (she decides: not today.) there are questions she thinks she’ll receive answers to if she asks. but aren’t ten years more than enough? she thinks, they ought to be. ‘before’ is a momentous breach.

she listens, anyway. asks, “did your parents buy you the nervegear?” because in this, she could return an answer.

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

“i wanted to walk again.”

she confesses. (she told him all this years before.)

“so sibyl bought ours.” her index raises to her lips. “don’t tell him i said so. my asks and his answers -- neither of us would have been here without. he said, it was senseless to measure the weight of our blames. to feel guilt at all because neither of us could have guessed what would happen. but i feel sometimes that we have never stopped apologizing.”

she returns her hand to the diya and her request for secrecy dispels. “from another perspective, many people were separated from their families when the servers locked. or had them here… and lost them. i think -- i’ve always thought -- that i’m incredibly fortunate to be one of the few who has never gone through such a thing.”

she imagines a dead woman’s memory knocking. she imagines gently setting it aside for just another sentence. in the half-light, her lashes are lowered, her words delicate. “if this even raises our chances by the smallest percentage, i pray that my brother and i both reach the end.”

the diya warms.

even mishiro isn't naive enough to interpret this response in any way other than the system's indication that she had received the promised reward for the required outpouring of sentiment. numbers for numbers, down to the smallest binary. it is all this world amounts to. but before she gently settles the lamp back into the basket, her gaze lingers on the inscription.

Edited November 20 by Mishiro

[Andromeda 0]

--They did go for another round because Arabelle refused to leave with the knowledge that she had accidentally taken An’s just reward. An, tragically, liked her even more for it. They took ten lamps from Dayanita the second time, just to be sure, realized that staring intensely at the inscriptions didn’t count, then talked it all through once again. By the end of the lamplighting activity, the horses safely returned to the stables, An was physically and mentally exhausted. But she was grateful.

Arabelle left first. “All this riding in the dark has left me feeling drowsy. Text me when you get home! …Though I might be asleep for it.” She floated off and hardly spared a glance over her shoulder at An, waving her goodbye with a smile.

An, for some reason, didn’t want to leave yet.

She wandered over to the pallankuli tables and had the rules explained to her. A group of friends had crowded this same stall earlier, sparking her curiosity for the game, but she had thought it was rude to peek inside while they were still playing. Thrice, she slid the shells into their respective counters, evening the count for both sides. She went to play a fourth time but a system notification barred her from accessing the board. In the end, she didn’t understand what made it so fun.

An went home.

GAME #1
Moving nine (9) crystals from Row #1:

400  651  [14]
133  124  [14]

GAME #1
Moving one (1) crystals from Row #1:

400  650  [15]
133  124  [14]

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

400  650  [15]
133  105  [15]

Edited November 21 by Andromeda

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus glided through the streets silently in her Saree. She did her best to avoid eye contact. It seemed that everywhere she went, she accidentally locked eyes with a stranger. Eye contact meant conversations with strangers—or even worse, a conversation with someone she knew. It would be just like the raid planning session, with her wardrobe drastically out of place. She’d already envisioned the scenario; she meet a friend; there would be a quick glance up, and a quick glance down, the universal signal for “oh, I see. You’re wearing that.” The conversation would continue on, while Acanthus was forced through an obstacle course of small talk while being silently ridiculed by anybody with a modicum of fashion sense.

In a brief moment of clarity, she recognized her thoughts. You’re just being anxious, she told herself dismissively. Nobody cares that you’re wearing a saree. Half the people here are in a similar outfit. If you’d picked your usual gear, you’d be stressing out about the people wearing all these beautiful outfits.

Acanthus ran a finger along the deep blue hem. It really was a beautiful outfit. It would be a shame to pack it up after this. Maybe this would be an event next year as well?

Next year. Her stomach dropped.

The next station was lightly populated by a few groups of players. They lit candles in twos and threes, talking amongst themselves. Acanthus threaded through the crowd to reach the candles, kneeling to contemplate. As one of the few players alone at the station, different worries began to surface in Acanthus’ mind.

What is a friend exactly? If I see them once, is that enough? What if they only barely tolerated me in return? Or what if they don’t even remember me at all? Is that enough to be a friend? Do they have to call me a friend in return?

A voice in the back of her mind echoed through the anxiety. What do you want to call them?

After a brief, meditative pause, she recalled all the quests she had accomplished, and she pictured each of the names and faces that had walked alongside her. No matter how short their journey had been, it was enough to call them friends.

“Freyd. TyphoonFlame. Edict. Pinball. Ciela. Nymoria. NIGHT. Titania. Cordelia. Shay. Oz. Omen. Morningstar. Ren. Ara. Wulfrin. Tiye. Eliseris. Oscar.”

“To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.”

-----

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited December 1 by Acanthus

[Acanthus 0]

Acanthus watched as the lamplighter burned the blessing. She visualized the flame driving off the fears and worries inside her. In some small way, it worked. When she focused on the flames in front of her, she felt a sense of peace that had felt rare over the last few months. Taking a deep breath of the perfumed air, she rose and exhaled, mentally preparing herself for the next blessing. She gently smoothed out her saree to buy herself some time before she turned her mind to siblings.

A warm wave of emotions turned hot and rancid as she approached the third station.

Siblings. She was here because of siblings. She knew it wasn’t Koji’s fault. That wasn’t exactly right—it *was* his fault. She would not have tried this game had he not been obsessed with it himself. But Koji had done nothing to encourage her to buy the game. It was her secret, a way to surprise him when she had to move away. Instead, the surprise had been all hers. She wondered how Koji was faring in the real world. As much as he loved games, she wondered if he wished their places were switched. Because sometimes, she did.

The reality of her thoughts washed over her, and her building frustration gave way to horror. Wishing this on her brother was awful. How could she even think something that awful? It wasn’t her. The stress of the last few months was taxing, that’s all.

Still, she would have given anything for Koji to be here with her. 

----

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited December 2 by Acanthus

[3ulogy 0]

Eulogy brushed by Acanthus on his way to the final station. Of all people, why did *she* have to be here? It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t even supposed to be here. This whole thing didn’t seem her speed anyways. Even a sideways glance told him that she was miserable. Not that it’s my problem, he quickly reminded himself.

But she was making herself his problem more each and every day. Over the last few weeks, she had pushed him to get back into crafting, and a whole host of other things that he really hadn’t cared enough to do before she came along. He liked being in the thick of combat, fighting, killing, testing the limits of the game in any conceivable way. She had always been a rule-follower.

Speaking of appraisals, the last thing he needed was to have her notice him and ask how the appraising job was going. (It wasn’t.) So without a word, he slipped right by the poor girl without so much as a second glance.

The last station was almost empty. Not a lot of people participating today. Not that it mattered to Eulogy.

“To those who come after us?...” What kind of blessing was that? No one was going to come after them. Once they cleared the game, the servers would wipe everything. There would be nothing left to bless. This wasn’t real life, where they were building some great generational thing for someone else to pick up and continue. It was a video game. There would be no one coming, no responsibilities to bestow or blessings to owe. That thought was the light in Eulogy’s life.

The final diya flickered weakly, then lit at last.

-----

COMPLETE
‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited December 1 by 3ulogy

[Acanthus 0]

The next station was almost too much for Acanthus. Just like the “friend” station was populated with groups of friends, the partner station was overrun with pairs of sickly-sweet players making awful, trite confessions to each other. Acanthus set her features to neutral before slipping through the crowd. She reflected in front of the closest lamplighter.

“I’ve never really had—or wanted—a partner. It vexed dad to no end, but I never found anyone I *liked* liked. It just wasn’t on my mind very much. Either I was working to take care of the family, or I was trying to get ahead at work. There wasn’t much time for personal relationships, but if I’m being honest with myself, I was grateful for the excuse. I just can’t imagine spending that much time with a single person.”

That wasn’t entirely true. She’d enjoyed her time with Edict. Maybe it was more accurate to say that being around people for too long made her nervous, but Edict hadn’t made her nervous. It was the closest she could imagine to a “partner.”

But it didn't matter; she couldn’t offer him a blessing anyways. The wording of the blessing specified partners that stayed with you, and Edict had run off—not once, but twice. The first time to be some unnecessary martyr, and the second when confronted with the possibility of addressing his feelings.

“I’ll grant the blessing when that self-important idiot comes back.” To her surprise, the lamplighter accepted her words.

----

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited November 23 by Acanthus

[Freyd 0]

Wandering through the festival as if he were no more than one of its many maintenance workers, busily buzzing back and forth like an armada of bees keeping affairs in order and no one any the wiser.  He'd considered donning a disguise to match, but it wasn't necessary.  It was also nice to be seen, yet not be seen, despite the awkward clanking of heavy armor.  People were too busy, the ambient music and droning chatter suppressing any one person's contribution to the whole.  Jeers and cheers rang out with laughter throughout, and was comforting.

A white-haired man called out at one point, encouraging him to play some children's game laid out on a wooden crate.  The pieces were crudely carved from wood to mimic figures from Ronbaru's history and folklore, or so Freyd had managed to gather in his short sojourn.  Local children watched with rapt attention as the pieces moved, eager to have a turn themselves.  

Sparing a moment and tucking the lanterns he'd collected safely under his arm, Freyd took a turn too.  Each time, he'd ask the children for advice, letting them feel like his play was theirs - parents smiling on appreciably in the background for the momentary reprieve.

***

ID 237773 | CD 3
ID 237774 | CD 4
ID 237775 | CD 2

Total: CD 9 | Laddu (5) | Tierless Snack | PROSP III

Edited November 24 by Freyd

[Foyle 0]

"Are you sure there isn't a mahjong table nearby?"  A simple, wistful smile graced the old man's face when invited to partake. The game was a trifling too simple for his tastes, but reminded him of his granddaughter.  That may have been the problem.  How long had it been since the two of them had last chosen to play a game together.  A simple game.  She'd laughed with glee while placing the helmet on his head, giggling madly.  He'd just let her do it, wondering what he was getting himself into.  But it didn't matter.  She was happy, and that was all that mattered.

Tears inexplicably pooled at the edges of the old man's eyes as he collected his prize, false smile affixed to the creases of his weathered face.  The NPC running it uncertain as to why.  Foyle, ever formal and courteous, thanked him before turning and walking away, the pangs of the last game's loss still fresh in his heart.

Just say 'Link Start' grandpa...

***

ID 237776 | CD 12
ID 237777 | CD 7
ID 237778 | CD 7

Total: CD 26 | Padma | Raises the tier of an item by 1. This item must be submitted for evaluation upon its use.

***

Foyle | HP: 340/340 | EN: 52/52 | DMG: 15 | MIT:42 | ACC:4 | REC: 2 | BLD: 24  | PARA                              

Spoiler

Name: Foyle
True Tier: 2
Level: 17
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 340/340
EN: 52/52

Stats:
Damage: 15
Mitigation: 42
Accuracy: 4
Stealth Rating: -1
REC: 2
BLD: 24 
PARA

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Humble Origins | T2 Perfect Weapon (Projectile) | PARA 2 | BLD 1
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Ashigaru's Bond | T1 Perfect Light Armor | MIT II, REC I
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - basalt. | TIER 1 JEWELRY | ACC III 

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - ST Shift

Skills:
  - Light Armor R3
  - Projectile Weaponry R5

Extra Skills:
  - Assault Mode

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Precision
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Meticulous

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - laurel earcuffs. | TIER 1 JEWELRY | LD III x1
  - Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP) x3

 

Edited November 24 by Foyle

[Freyd 0]

Twin statues, soaring high above the nearest tents and booths, facing each other in their loving embrace while smaller versions dance a played around them.  It was a lovely sentiment, played out repeatedly throughout the festival as families wandered to and fro.  More mischievous youngsters wove and darted beyond their parents' warding gaze, slipping the leash of authority to run amok with gleeful exuberance.  Some would laugh it off, while others yelled ineffectively for them to return, their frustrations lost amidst the teeming throng.

Freyd had met with the lamplighter; a frazzled youngster struggling to be in fifty places at once and desperate for any semblance of help.

"They lit all the lanterns at once, and now they're all going out at the same time!  Take yours and cover the eastern side of the festival.  I'll head Braso's way.  We'll rotate clockwise from there, yeah?"  He'd scampered off before Freyd could point out that he was only given five lights.  

Staring at the effigy of familial bliss evoked little empathy, not that he was generally good at that sort of thing to begin with.  Freyd's father was an autocratic academic tyrant who could have given a certain fellow with a highly trimmed mustache a run for his money. They'd never gotten along.  His mother was equally cold and distant, lost in daydreams connected to lectures and abstract lessons over cultural studies from which he'd been excluded.  She cared more for the scribblings of ancient dead people than her own offspring.  Only his grandfather had ever made time and taken the effort, though too late for the boy to recognize it for what it was.  

Stepping away from the monument, Freyd found a solitary lamp hanging over the edge of a still fountain, koi circling slowly in the still waters without a hint of ripples reaching the surface.  Subtle and serene, they reminded him of the only man who'd ever given a damn, and deserved the respect Freyd had been too obstinate and dumb to ever repay his grace in life.

"Screw them," Freyd spat, replacing his first lantern.  "Grandpa.  This one's for you, alone.  I'm sorry I was always such an awful little shit... and... thank you for never giving up on me.  I'm just sorry I never got to say this to you in person, and let you know how much you made a difference."

***

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited November 28 by Freyd

[Rencesvals 0]

Stopping at every single stall as he went along, Ren was having a great time just chatting up the vendors and networking with them.  He'd been touting his idea of formalizing a crafter's union for some time as a means of helping players get ahead without slaving away at the game's imposed economy.  Cardinal's system was meant to divide and encourage competition, which only placed players at odds with each other over often inconsequential matters.  Like the PvP elements of the game hadn't done enough damage on their own.

Arriving at the Gyan Chauper tables, he was only too eager to participate, gleefully engaging with the game and its other participants to rousing rounds of encouragement and mutual laughter.  The only a glimpse, it gave him hope that moments such as these still abound in the world.  Diwali itself was a welcome reprieve and reminder of the light in this world, and that they all needed to let themselves rekindle it every once in awhile.

***

ID 237781 | CD 6
ID 237782 | CD 6
ID 237783 | CD 11

Total: CD 23 | Blessing of Barkskin | Tier 1 Unique Consumable | +25 MIT. Stacks with other existing Mitigation effects. Has three (3) charges, and will be destroyed upon its last use. 

***

Rencesvals | HP: 410/410 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 13 | MIT:91 | ACC:4 | EVA:1 | BLD: 24  | PARA

Spoiler

Name: Rencesvals
True Tier: 2
Level: 19
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 410/410
EN: 56/56

Stats:
Damage: 13
Mitigation: 91
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 1
Stealth Rating: -5
BLD: 24 
PARA

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Durendal (v.III) | T2 Perfect | BLD I | PARA II
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Black Regalia (v.II) | T2 MIT III | THORNS I
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Lark & Nightingale Pin | ACC 3 | EVA 1

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R2

Combat Shift:
  - TECH Shift

Skills:
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Straight Sword R5

Extra Skills:
  - Survival

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Iron Skin
  - Precision
  - Stamina

Mods:
  - Impetus

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Starter Healing Potion x2

Housing Buffs:
  - Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
  - Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
  - Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
  - Storage Closet: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
  - Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
  - Attic (Bedroom): +1 Expertise to declared utility skill. Cannot boost a skill without ranks, or increase a skill past its maximum rank. Cannot boost a skill the user has not learned yet. Ranks obtained using this buff will make the mods of that rank available for purchase. Mods obtained this way are unusable if this buff is removed until the skill is returned to the appropriate rank by way of SP purchase.
  - Basement: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Dining Hall: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed. Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread.
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Crafting Profession:
 - Blacksmith[1817exp] R8
Gathering Profession:
 - Forager[508exp] R5                                                                                                                        

 

Edited November 24 by Rencesvals

[Freyd 0]

Wandering the busy streets, it was soon apparent that Dayanita had successfully enlisted others to the cause.  Players carrying similar trays chased after flickering lanterns all over the grounds, some turning it into just another source of fun, racing to reach the next in need of rekindling.  Light was hope, and this subtle task, quest or otherwise, gave their thirsty souls a drink of that ambrosial emotion - just enough to keep them going awhile longer.  

A few familiar faces passed among the crowds, greeted with smiles and nods corresponding to levels of familiarity.  Freyd was hardly a social butterfly, and quite content to keep to his task while others frolicked about the place.

"Let them dance, laugh and sing to their hearts' content," he mused to himself.  "We don't let it happen enough."  He could already feel Montjoy's piercing, absent stare drilling into him from within his own shadow, calling out perceived hypocrisy.  "Not all of us need to cheer and gyrate to be happy, my friend."

Then it hit him.  The very nagging conscience that had literally followed him in every step of his journey.  What better gift to give to a shade than that which grants its existence in the first place.  Finding another dimmed lantern, Freyd replaced it then turned his back to the lamp, staring at the elongated form of his own shadow - the very embodiment of his better self that had kept him from sinking into the depths of darkness itself.

"Thank you, Montjoy."  The rarest of rare praises.

Shut up, Freyd.  And, you're welcome.

***

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited November 28 by Freyd

[Jeeves 0]

Jeeves had been starting at the game for hours, attempting to devise some stratagem by which to guarantee success.  Surely, there had to be some combination of moves or timing

"Hey, kid.  You want to try?  You've been watching forever.  Why not have a go?"

His eye twitched at the reference.  Nothing irked him more than when people referred to him as a child.  Short? Yes. Youthful? Sure.  A kid?  Murder was a viable retort.  He'd settle for slaying this upstart's dreams and smearing them all over his game board instead, reserving the bolt up his sleeve as a backup.  Fortunately for the NPC, there were too many witnesses for Jeeves to actually try anything so overt.  

In the dozens of games played that day, none were quite so overtly aggressive as the one that followed.  Death stares cast from behind a pair of weathered aviator goggles eventually compelled the man to forfeit the game, just to get rid of him, to Jeeves' great personal satisfaction, departing victorious with prize in hand.

***

ID 237784 | CD 12
ID 237785 | CD 2
ID 237786 | CD 10

Total: CD 24 | Blessing of Barkskin | Tier 1 Unique Consumable | +25 MIT. Stacks with other existing Mitigation effects. Has three (3) charges, and will be destroyed upon its last use. 

***

Jeeves | HP: 280/280 | EN: 46/46 | DMG: 14 | MIT:12 | ACC:4 | EVA:3 | BLD: 24  | PARA

Spoiler

Name: Jeeves
True Tier: 2
Level: 14
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 280/280
EN: 46/46

Stats:
Damage: 14
Mitigation: 12
Accuracy: 4
Evasion: 3
BLD: 24 
PARA

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Prototype v.17 | T2 Weapon (Projectile) | BLD II | PARA I
Armor/Trinket: 
  - tomochi. | EVA 3
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Dioscuri | ACC 3

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Skills:
  - Cloth Armor R3
  - Thrown Weaponry R5

Addons:
  - Focus
  - Precision
  - Stamina

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Music Box | LD 3 x3
  - Starter Healing Potions (50 HP) x1

 

Edited November 24 by Jeeves

[Freyd 0]

The outskirts having been dealt with, at least for a time, Freyd drifted deeper into the grounds where many were jeering and taunting each other over games of Pallankuli.  Not overly familiar with its rules, he kept to the periphery and watched the action play out at a distance.  It seemed simple enough, once he'd watched a few moves, his eyes eventually snaring upon a familiar face.

Wulfrin was just departing a table, politely excusing himself to explore the rest of the event to the playful dismay of the other participants.  He hadn't know the man long, but had grown to admire his persistence and good nature.  Maybe it was just the red coat?  A chuckle drawn, Freyd felt another bit of precious red cloth calling to him from his inventory.  Kinship followed those who chose the way of the wanderer, or so it seemed.  

While Freyd had no siblings of his own, he'd grown to appreciate the bond that came with likeness of thought and action.  Two merited that title - to be called brother.  It was no small feat, and worthy of note, though none of them were the type to be overt about such things.  A lantern would do quite nicely instead.

He considered placing a distinct pair of black-rimmed glasses on it, but that would just look weird.  Purchasing a strand of ribbon, blood red in colour and sentiment, he used it to lash the lantern to its cradle more securely.

"Such bonds are not easily dislodged, or inflicting a bitter cut."  Considering deeper significance, he chose to let it be at the gesture given.  It was only that, though the meaning was real.

***

@Wulfrin @Raidou

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited November 28 by Freyd

[Jeeves 0]

Straying away from the main thoroughfare, Jeeves was drawn to the edges of a park, where dozens of trays, tables and crates had been laid out, each adorned with a vast assortment of lamps and lanterns.   A young woman wrapped in light fabric curated the remaining lamps, setting them on trays for others to collect and distribute throughout the grounds.  Watching her from afar, for a time, Jeeves became that the whole thing was a scam.

Pffft.  She's just getting everyone else to do her job for her.  That's either lazy or utterly brilliant.  Look at them all lined up to volunteer, like it's actually some sort of civic service.  Sheep.  All of them.

His left hand twitched, impulse pulling him to loose a bolt in her direction, just to see what might happen.  Beneath his calm, expressionless exterior, and diminutive frame, something dark and terrible burned in simmering darkness.  Aimless rage stoked by petty sentiments left to fester too long were nearing a boiling point, and all this happiness and cheer only egged it to surface.

Even as he suppressed a sneer, revolted by the brazen act under the guise of helpless need, part of him admired the perceived manipulation.  It was artistic, in its own way - a master stroke of social engineering preying upon the impulse to keep up appearances and claim praise by conforming to peer pressure for the sake of acceptance.  He loved and hated it at the same time.

"Oh, hello there.  Did you come to help?"

When had she snuck up on him?!  Staring up at the young beauty, he was momentarily snared by the depth of her hazel eyes, wondering if he'd just depressed the trigger on the same landmine he'd just derided.

"Uh... no.  I'm good.  Great, actually.  Just fine, yeah.  Thanks."

Slipping his goggles down to better hide his face, Jeeves stuffed his oversized work gloves into his overcoat and shuffled away with awkward haste.

***

[angry kid chooses not to play]

Edited November 27 by Jeeves

[Freyd 0]

Ronbaru boasted a number of hidden garden glades sprinkled about its city centre like gems waiting to be discovered, preferably in pairs.  These secluded islands of solace often attracted couples of all ages.  Some came to fondly recall first visits while others forged fledgling bonds into burgeoning relationships to match the wide assortment of flowers, some of which inexplicably always seemed to be in bloom.  

Freyd was down to his last two lanterns as he wandered into the area, completely unaware that such a place even existed.  It wasn't exactly the type of demesne on his usual list of haunts, unless someone was about to be stabbed or needed stabbing.  His lot was more commonly aligned with tragedy than romance, but Fate had a quirky sense of humour.  Bitch.

Careful what you call her.  She has ears everywhere.

He'd long ago accepted that his own ears might be hers in disguise, and so had never minced his words around the goddess, or whatever she actually was.  Drawn by nature and other more disputable forces towards a darkened corner where the path wound tightly round a trellis arch wreathed in tangled vines, he was surprised to find another lantern hung within.  Raising and replacing it with one of his two remaining lights revealed myriad clustered rose buds, each barely begun to bloom.

"Of course..."   The smile of pleasant irony finding perch upon his lips.

Stoic cynicism and pragmatism actually loosened their grip upon the Whisper, the combination having been deciphered by another who occupied his thoughts in this moment, and his heart.  His shadowed rose, blooming into herself more with every passing day.  Fingers tracing the edges of petals still waiting to unfurl, Freyd knew well the importance of patience in such things.  Life taught lessons, after all.

However many more tomorrow's it might take.  You have to reach them all, if only to see where it might lead.

"I know," he replied aloud, to his shadow and the buds alike. "She taught me why that matters."

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

***

@Elora @Raidou

‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

Edited November 27 by Freyd

[Acanthus 0]

The final station lay ahead. To Acanthus, it felt ominous. The air around the last lamplighter lay heavy with anticipation of great revelations and thoughtful insights. But trying to grasp at them as they flowed around her, Acanthus felt like a bare-handed fisher. Other players came and went, leaving Acanthus stuck at the final station by herself.

“To those that come after us, we will owe you this blessing.” Acanthus looked at her unlit candle. What could she do to pay a blessing forward? It ought to be more than empty words. But who would be coming after them? A virtual world without generations. Whether they lived or died, Aincrad would not persist.

“Excuse me.” Acanthus looked up, startled by the interruption. An older woman looked pleadingly at her. Judging by her equipment, she likely hadn’t ventured past the first ten floors. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, but… I just arrived here. I’ve seen a fair number of players walking along this street lighting candles. I would like to participate, but I’m not sure how to start the quest.”

Acanthus straightened up, her candle forgotten. “You’re looking for Dayanita. She’s usually north of the town square. She is pretty quick to approach people that haven’t started the quest.”

“I see.” The woman remained still. Acanthus recognized the reluctance to move in a heartbeat. “I had a hard time finding her the first time around,” she lied. “Why don’t we go and find her together?”

“Oh, no, I won’t trouble you anymore. I just needed a directions, that’s all.” The woman played with her thumbs, looking down different streets. She’s lost, Acanthus realized.

“It’s no trouble at all. I love getting to explore the city.” Acanthus could lie to herself long enough to make sure this woman was taken care of. “Let’s make sure you’re taken care of. I’m Acanthus. What’s your name?”

The two struck up a warm conversation as they left the station. As they disappeared into the crowd, the final lamplighter reached down and lit the final diya with a smile.

----

COMPLETE
‘To our parents who guide our journey, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our friends who walk alongside us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our siblings who stand with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To our partners who stay with us, we grant of you this blessing.’
‘To those who will come after us, we will owe to you this blessing.’

[Katoka 0]

Taking the time to take in the sights, Katoka felt her self smiling as she walked around Ronbaru. She didn't spend much time on this floor aside from fighting Wushen, therefore she enjoyed this event much more. She found herself thinking back to the first event she had stepped into. Tanabata had seemed like it was so long ago.

Kat saw Freyd at one point, she said her hellos and exchanged pleasantries with one of her closest friends before she made an excuse to slip back into the crowd. She saw more people that the recognized here and there, waving, talking, enjoying themselves. This evening she felt like being alone. Soaking as much in as she could before the lot of them stepped into the proverbial lion's den that was the next boss fight. The samurai felt a strange sense of tranquility now. Things felt as though they were frozen in time, that there wasn't any sort of doom looming over their heads like it seemed more recently.

The blonde stopped at a stall and played a board game, she didn't do as well as she had hoped but she still managed to walk away with a prize. She stopped in various places to grab stall food when something caught her eye. After purchasing a rather interesting meat kabob Kat stopped to sit on a bench, happily munching away as she watched people go by.

"Things aren't so bad." she said to no one in particular. "I think everything is going to be just fine."

----

ID#: 238016 | CD: 7
ID#: 238017 | CD: 3
ID#: 238018 | CD: 3

Total CD: 13

Reward:

Laddu (5) | Tierless Snack | PROSP III
Sweets, made from sugar, nuts and beans, hoping the deity of new beginnings and good luck smiles upon you in fate’s stead.

----

Katoka | HP: 800/800 | EN: 114/114 | DMG: 23 | MIT:78 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | BH:44 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 16

Spoiler

Name: Katoka, The Cerulean Storm True Tier: 6
Level: 33
Paragon Level: 27
HP: 800/800
EN: 114/114

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 5
Evasion: 1
Battle Healing:
Stealth Rating: -2
REC: 8
FLN: 16 HLY: 16
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
- Muramasa's Legacy | T4/Demonic/Katana | Holy II, Fallen II
Armor/Trinket:
- Oni Haori | T4/Demonic/Light Armor | MIT 2, REC 2
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
- Aquamarine | T4 Demonic Trinket | ACC III, EVA I

Combat Mastery:
- Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
- ST Shift

Familiar Skill:
- Rending Familiar

Custom Skill:
-

Skills:
- Battle Healing R5
- Energist
- Extended Weight Limit
- Katana R5
- Light Armor R5

Extra Skills:
- Concentration
- Forgotten King's Authority
- Frozen Hide
- Parry
- Photosynthesize

Inactive Extra Skills:
- Survival

Addons:
- Ferocity
- Precision
- Resolve
- Stamina

Mods:
- Meticulous
- Vengeful Riposte

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
- Crystal of the Blood Dragon Horde | Mass HP recovery 10% x
- Rhino's Horn | 235487c x
- Teleportation Crystal x
- Tincture of Recovery | HP Recovery 15% x

Housing Buffs:
- Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
- Bathroom: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
- Basic Kitchen: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps. Ex: A perfect T2 MIT food gives 35 MIT instead of 30.
- Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
- Attic (Storage): +5% bonus col from monster kills and treasure chests
- Slime Farm: +5% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:
- Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.
- Treasury: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
- Alchemist[1817exp] R8
Gathering Profession:

 

Edited November 27 by Katoka