[ST-SP-F03] Faultwarren Jailbreak | <<Captured>>

[Wulfrin 0]

<<Quest Details>>

The tranquil village of Flora is settled within the southern region of Floor 3. It's name comes from the fields of colorful delilahs that surround it, broken only by the barely cobbled roads that lead off towards other various points of interest on the floor. The village is reminicent of a quaint medieval village, with buildings tightly packed around a central square then becoming sparse quickly beyond. Most of the buildings are crafted from heavy timbers with aged stonework covered in vines. The rooves are commonly thatch with wattle and duabe sprinked throughout. The most important structures have clay tiles serving as shingles. Fae and Faune both live here, with most being exiles or descended from exiles of their ancestral homes. The Fae that dwell within Flora often keep to themselves, but are unsurprisingly among the wealthiest in town.

As of late, the peaceful town has become plagued with a menace. Talks of bandits based out of the nearby military fort, Fort Faultwarren, terrorizing the denizens and raiding caravans coming and going from Flora. Whilst traversing the cramped streets of Flora you hear the voice of a Fae woman calling out to you.

"Excuse me," The Fae woman speaks, though her expression is distraught. "You look like a capable warrior. Do you think I can maybe ask your assistance?"

* * *

[Storyteller System is in Effect]

Wulfrin is acting as Storyteller so his stats are omitted
True Tier: 6

[Ares-49789 0]

Ares was still thinking about the last quest he had realized, the one with Wulfrin and the others, it had been good, he had leveled up and gotten more than enough col and experience to make it worth it. Still he felt like he hadn't really earned that, he felt that he had just let the high level player carry the mission and had gotten away with the reward. And that made him feel bad. Which was the main reason he had arrived to the third floor, he wanted to do something by himself, not that he didn't like being in a party, it was just that he needed to know he could trust himself in battle and he hoped the next mission would make it clear.

He stepped into the village as he saved the guide on his inventory, checking his Status and inventory before letting out a sigh

Spoiler

Ares-49789 | HP: 200/200 | EN: 38/38 | DMG: 6 | MIT: 57 | ACC: 2

Equipment

Spoiler

   - Starting chestplate | T1 Rare Heavy Armor | 2 MIT
   - Initiate's Draw | T1 Perfect Mace | 2 ACC | DMG 1

Consumables

Spoiler

   - x3 Starter Healing Potion (50HP)
   - x5 Big Bertha Braciole T1 Rare Vitality Consumable (Snack)
   - Zachariah's special drought | Tierless Perfect HP recovery potion
   - x1 Terra Firma Scales | +18 Mitigation for one thread, can stack [238299d]

Skills

Spoiler

Hammer Skill (R3)

• Rank 3: +5 DMG

Heavy Armour (R5)

• Rank 5:  + 40 MIT -5 Stealth

Ares cracked his neck as he entered the village and was quickly stopped by a woman, a Fae woman "Yeah, what do you need?"  He asked, looking at the woman, she did look worried. It still looked uncanny, he knew those were NPCs, not real people, but they looked so damn realistic it was almost imposible to tell them apart from real people, well, other than the woman she was talking to was clearly not human. He wasn't that confident in his fighting skills yet, but he'd help her

[Wulfrin 0]

"It..." The Fae woman spoke sheepishly through welling tears. "It's my son, Kagamine. The Faultwarren Bandits broke into our home and kidnapped him. The only lead I have is this."

The Fae Woman proceeds to hand over a crumpled up piece of parchment that she had clutched in her hand. Unraveling the note reveals it to be a ransom note, likely from the kidnappers. It contains explicit details on how to arrive at the meeting point as well as dictating that a rather large sum of Col be brought for the exchange of her son. The location is in the heart of the Forest of Wavering Mist, a sprawling forest to the east of town that is constantly obscured by a dense fog.

"I have nowhere else to turn," She continued. "The ransom is far more than I have at my disposal. You are the last hope I have of returning my son to me. Please kind adventurer, will you rescue him?"

As soon as she finishes asking for your assistance a dialogue box appears before you:

<<Captured>> Issela needs you to rescue her kidnapped son from the Faultwarren Bandits. Will you help her? <<Accept>>                                   <<Decline>>

The Fae Woman, who's name, Issela, now appears under her yellow crystal, stands motionless awaiting your response.

[Ares-49789 0]

For a second Ares looked at the Fae woman, motionless awaiting his response, her face still dawned with sorrow, he could understand the pain of losing someone so dear as a son would be for a mother. He had lost his little brother in the way that he'd never see him again if he didn't fight. Ares licked his lips nervously as he raised his hand towards the system notification, he was doing this for his siblings, so that they wouldn't have to morn a brother, he was doing it for his parents so that they wouldn't have to organice the funeral of their son. He filled his lungs with air and looked at the Fae woman once again, reading her nametag and letting the air out he smiled

"Don't worry Issela" He said as he pressed the button accepting the mission, he had came to that place just to do that quest, well, not that one in specific, but he wanted to level up and the guide said that the village was a good place to do so and earn some money on the way. And he needed money to upgrade his equipment, that was something he desperately required "I'll get your son safe and sound back home, I promise" He didn't quite like the place where the meeting point was supposed to be, specially the fog part, but the mission was the mission and he was not one to judge for a good game design, even more when it fit the way everything was set

[Wulfrin 0]

"Oh thank you," Issela said as the dialogue box faded. "Travel safe, and bring my darling Kagamine home."

Issela waves as you leave the town of Flora. The barely cobbled road leading east extended for a ways before ending at the outskirts of the Forest of Wavering Mists. Somewhere inside this twisting maze of dense foliage, was a meeting spot that a defenseless mother was to collect her child from a group of bandits. As you press into the forest, the name becomes incredibly clear. Visibility drops to near zero as the encroaching mists engulf your form. The lack of visibility makes it hard to distinguish land mark, and too the unexperienced traveler, this could easily become a death sentence. The temperature has dropped significantly upon entering the forest, and the trees are occasionally littered with spider webs. One thing remains abundantly clear, you have officially left the safe zone of Flora.

Pressing deeper, you begin to see signs of more humanoid traffic, snapped twigs, stacked rocks, and even symbols carved into the bark of some trees. While the explicit meaning of these symbols is lost to you, it is clear someone has marked trails for easy traversal. The instructions state to follow the trees marked with arrows. One such tree lays before you, marked with an arrow pointing straight ahead.

[Ares-49789 0]

Ares let out a whistle as he entered deeper in the forest, his skin feeling the cold of the fog against his skin, or maybe it was just a placebo and such feeling was not even in the game, he had been to places with fog before, in fact, it was not strange for his hometown to rise up to a thick fog some days of the year, mostly in winter. Ares brushed his hand against the tree trunk and the arrow pointing straight ahead, he was not the best as trailing things or people, even traversing through a forest even without a compass or guide of any kind could prove a challenge for him when it was his first time in the place, so he kind of liked the arrows being there to guide him, even if they would just lead to a hard battle ahead, the guide was pretty unclear about the way combat worked in the quest, in fact, it barely even said about the details of it and the way to get it. That one being entering the village. Not even the name of the woman NPC who gave the quest was given as she'd come to the players automatically in order to give the quest to them and the players weren't to try and find her, maybe the guide had a limit in the words or things that could be written inside, maybe the level of the book was low so that it was also cheap to produce as it was free for every player in Aincrad

He took his mace out of his inventory and kept following the signaling towards the meeting point examining the weapon, it had helped him since the blacksmith had given it to him during the first lessons mission and had helped against terra firma, but to be honest he had to change it as soon as possible, still there were some priorities, those being a shield and a heavy armour better than the one he was wearing, not that he didn't like it, it was just that with the boss he had realized how hard he needed to be in order to mitigate the damage coming from one of those high level enemies, higher up into the castle he was bound to find enemies stronger than the sandshark not as bosses, but as cannon fodder for the front laners to kill and gain rewards for. Ares let out a sigh, he was still too weak to go there, he had already leveled up his Heavy Armor skill at it's maximum, but now he needed the equipment and level to go with it, maybe after that mission he could look for a party in need of a tank and level up what he needed to go up there... suddenly he felt his feet missing the ground under them

 

[Wulfrin 0]

Echoing throughout the Forest of Wavering Mist were sounds of various forest dwelling beasts, the howls of prowling wolves, the skittering of large spiders throughout the canopy, and even the occasional twig snap and bush rustle was enough to put anyone on edge. Following the obviously marked trees, you eventually come upon a break in the forest's dense canopy. The small clearing, no bigger than about ten feet across, was also notably without the obscuring mists. According to the ransom note, this was the supposed meeting place, and yet there was no welcoming party. Stepping further into the clearing and the chilling uncertainty that comes with the unexpected begins to crawl its way into your mind. Cautiously, mace in hand, your search comes to an abrupt end as the ground beneath you gives way, your vision cutting abruptly before you find the bottom.

When your vision finally returns, you are in a small ten foot by ten foot dungeon cell, dimly lit by the torch sconces in the corridor beyond the iron door before you. Your gear has not been taken and your HP remains unchanged, but you feel groggy, as if awakening from a deep sleep. Your back is haphazardly slumped against the worked stone wall, a small window, perforated by iron bars to prevent escape, provides the only view to the outside world. The sky is dark compared to the daylight you were in when the trap was sprung, suggesting several hours have passed. Looking out across the narrow corridor, you can see another cell. Obscured by near darkness, its denizen is currently huddled against the backwall with its head between its legs. You can hear the sounds of movement approaching from further down the corridor, possibly a guard patrolling for any unruly prisoners.

[Ares-49789 0]

"Fuck" Not only his head hurt now, but even his back as he gently examined it with his hand, his mother had always told him to be aware of his surroundings, that not because you know something is there you can avoid it, normally she meant that for moving cars or even the furniture of his house, the same furniture he used to hit when he was thinking of something else. Ares touched the stone wall of the dungeon, that couldn't be a normal dungeon, there weren't enemies, not that he was a skilled dungeon explorer, he hadn't stepped into one in his time inside Aincrad, but he had heard a lot of things about dungeons and one of them said that when a dungeon had no monsters it was the most dangerous because traps could appear anywhere. "Why would I just walk into a clearing without thinking first" He thought out loud, he never learned did he? Well, no use in crying over spilled milk like that, at least he had all his HP and his Equipment was intact, not that his Equipment was the best, it was just passable at the level he was in

Ares looked through the blocked window at the night sky and once again wondered if it was really a digital world created by some game developer genius or he had been transported to another reality, that could be fun, but no, this was a digital reality he was trapped in, such thoughts barely amounted to nothing more than time wasting. He shook his head before approaching carefully the door, he'd never know if some trap could be hidden in the handle, it wasn't that strange of a thought. He focused his sight in the darkness of the cell in front of his before the dark figure on the oposite end of the cell took form 

"Hey" He said, trying to get the attention of said figure "Where are we?" he asked

[Wulfrin 0]

"So they captured you too," The figure says in response. "Welcome to Fort Faultwarren's dungeon, aka hell and base of operations for the Faultwarren bandits. Word of advice, stay away from the door. The guards don't keep the cells locked since they have no keys, but they make regular rounds so escaping without a fight will be difficult. Best to just cut your loss and accept fate."

The young man's voice is devoid of positive emotion, resigning themselves to a fate that is yet to be written, but to them seems certain. The yellow crystal that hovers over their head signifies them as an NPC. As described by the young man, a burley, hide armored man rounds the corner to your right. They have a heavy club slung over their shoulder. As they near your cell, they spot you at the door and move towards you with a quicker pace.

"Away from the door!" The burley man ordered. With a heavy impact you are pushed to the ground and away from the narrow bars of the cell door. "Behave yourself prisoner!"

"Told you," The young man says as the burley individual leaves the vicinity of your cells. "Escape if not in the question for us."

[Ares-49789 0]

"Well, are you sure about that?" Ares asked, a sly grin spreading across his face. His mace materialized in his hand as he casually withdrew it from his inventory. The weight of the weapon felt familiar and reassuring, like an extension of himself. Cracking his neck and then his knuckles with deliberate ease, he turned his piercing gaze toward the NPC standing nearby. "Maybe we could have some fun with those bandits", he added, his tone almost playful but laced with an undercurrent of menace. "Don't you think?"

He studied the NPC for a moment, wondering. Was this the person he was looking for, the one who might be crucial to his mission? Or were they just another pawn—some assistant thrust into his path by circumstance? Ares didn’t care much either way. Whether they were vital or disposable, he would make use of them.

Without waiting for a response, he strode toward the door and rapped on it sharply with his fist. His voice carried a mocking edge as he called out, "Hey, guard! Want to get to know how badly someone with far too many siblings can behave?" Ares opened the door and stepped outside. His mace rested in his hand, maybe it was just the initial equipment, but he was sure it would make the job he needed to do easier than not having one. The sick grin on his face widened, and a glint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.

He scanned the surroundings looking for the idiot who had just pushed him. Then his eyes landed on the guard. Ares clenched his teeth, his grip tightening on the mace as he closed the distance, that grin never leaving his face.

[Wulfrin 0]

"Wait what are-" The young man tried to speak as you throw open the door to your cell.

The bandit that had put on the display of force wasn't too far down the hall. Upon your declaration of intent, they stopped in their tracks and turned to face you.  They discard the club in favor of a large greatsword on their back. They begin to roll their sword arm in preparation for a fight. Their red crystal hovering above their head projecting a green health bar as the Faultwarren Bandit approached.

"Someone's got some balls it seems," The bandit smirked as they cracked their various muscles in preparation for a fight. "Let's see if the little pup's bite is as strong as its bark."

"Be careful," The young man warned. "These guys mean business. They will kill you if given the opportunity."

The young man in the cell opposite yours watches intently, eyes filled with worry for your safety. One thing is clear from the posture of the bandit approaching you, this is fight is kill or be killed.

* * *

<<Combat Initiated>>

Ares-49789 | HP: 200/200 | EN: 38/38 | DMG: 6 | MIT: 57 | ACC: 2

Faultwarren Bandit | HP: 350/350 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1
Abilities:
Target Focus | On MD of 6-8, the Bandit will ignore hate values and focus the target with the least amount of current health points.

[Ares-49789 0]

Turn 1

Ares-49789's turn 

Ares faced the bandit as he walked up to him "As you will be not so happy to discover, you are facing no pup my dear brigand, but that, is something I'll enjoy in your instead" He was pissed and his eyes scorching with anger scanned the figure of the bandit as he assumed his fighting stance, maybe missing a shield a bit too much, the bandit seemed quite tough and that great sword looked a bit dangerous. He then remembered the existence of a certain boss drop in his inventory, ready to be used... damn he was a bit dumb, wasn't he? He should have taken the mitigation consumable before the fight started, shouldn't he?

Well, he'd better live to regret it, Ares sighed as he raised his mace, which illuminated with the sword art as it activated, His angry smirk still bright on his face as he raised his mace up to his shoulder's height, the weapon's head behind his own ready to hit with the upmost force Ares could muster

Then he charged, his mace falling upon the bandit with a swift motion. Ares could feel his attack connect as his target became stunned 

EN regen not needed

Post Action: TECH-A Vs Bandit -8EN

Spoiler

ID: 239016 | 9(+2) | Minor crit (+1 DMG) | (6+1)x8 = 56 -40 MIT = 16

Ares-49789P: 200/200 | EN: 38/38 | DMG: 6 | MIT: 57 | ACC: 2

Faultwarren Bandit | HP: 334(-16)/350 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 STUNNED

Abilities:

Target Focus | On MD of 6-8, the Bandit will ignore hate values and focus the target with the least amount of current health points.

 

Edited Monday at 02:59 PM by Ares-49789

[Wulfrin 0]

Your strike lands clean on the bandit's form. The damage was less than desirable, but the most important part did take hold. The bandit staggered from the blow disoriented. The bandit's sword lowered as they struggled to regain their focus. For now you have an opening but how long will your luck play out? Here in the carved stone dungeons of Fort Faultwarren, it was hard to tell. The deciding factor would be how hard these bandits will hit in return. The scale of Terra Firma weighs heavy within your virtual inventory. With any luck you may still get to use it.

Eventually the bandit regains their composure and prepares to retaliate. Their stance leaves them open for a follow up attack, though it is unlikely the same tactic will work twice. The bandit stands opposite you and readies its blade to strike.

"Cheap shot," The bandit sneered. "But that was a mere scratch. Let me show you what a real attack feels like."

* * *

Enemy Post Action: None. Mob is stunned.
Stun Fades becomes Player Stun Immunity

Ares-49789 | HP: 200/200 | EN: 38/38 | DMG: 6 | MIT: 57 | ACC: 2

Faultwarren Bandit | HP: 334/350 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | P. Stun Imm [1/3]
Abilities:
Target Focus | On MD of 6-8, the Bandit will ignore hate values and focus the target with the least amount of current health points.

Edited 23 hours ago by Wulfrin

[Ares-49789 0]

Turn 2

Ares-49789's turn

It seemed like his damage wasn't quite the necessary for him to take down the bandit in few exchanges of blows, Ares bit a bit of the inside of his cheek as his mind concentrated on the bandit in front of him and his threatening posture, well, if things were going to be difficult, might as well go all int. Something he should have been doing from the start. Ares felt his heart beating inside his chest as he opened quickly his inventory and took out the loot terra firma had given him, a scale able to give him more defense, and he was not in the situation to just risk his own live by not using the damn thing.

He saw the object light up and transform into particles that floated towards his chest, illuminating their way there and burying themselves into the body of the player, Ares let out a sigh and looked at the eyes of his enemy with a smile engraved in his face and his eyes light up with fire, he was angry with the digital brigand and he was not going to just walk it off

"Alright Bitch" He taunted the bandit "Come at me" As he said the last thing, he hit his chest with his left hand, free from his mace

* * * 
Energy Regeneration +1EN
Post action: Using: x1 Terra Firma Scales | +18 Mitigation for one thread, can stack
 

Ares-49789 | HP: 200/200 | EN: 30/38 | DMG: 6 | MIT: 57+18 = 75 | ACC: 2

Faultwarren Bandit | HP: 334/350 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | P. Stun Imm [1/3]
Abilities:
Target Focus | On MD of 6-8, the Bandit will ignore hate values and focus the target with the least amount of current health points.

[Wulfrin 0]

PH

* * *

Enemy Post Action: Attack -> Ares-49879
ID 239126 | BD 5+1=6 hit | 100-75=25 DMG to Ares-49789

Ares-49789 | HP: 175/200 | EN: 30/38 | DMG: 6 | MIT: 75 | ACC: 2

Faultwarren Bandit | HP: 334/350 | DMG: 100 | MIT: 40 | ACC: 1 | P. Stun Imm [2/3]
Abilities:
Target Focus | On MD of 6-8, the Bandit will ignore hate values and focus the target with the least amount of current health points.

Edited 15 hours ago by Wulfrin