[PP-F01] The First Few Lessons Are Free? Training Montage <<The First Few Lessons>>

[KnightessCiela 0]

Ciela strolled through the Town of Beginnings, her steps unhurried as she took in the familiar sights and sounds. The town had become her usual haunt. A comforting place that was humming with players and NPCs alike. She gravitated toward her favorite cafe, the one tucked into a quiet corner with a view of the bustling square. Sliding into her usual seat, she let out a content sigh. Almost as if clockwork, the NPC waitress brought the usual to her table, a simple but delicious mug of coffee. Another content sigh escaped her lips as her fingers curled around the mug of coffee, slowly sipping it, as if savoring the moment.

The cafe's warm, inviting aroma mingled with the lively chatter of players and NPCs. She watched the fresh-faced adventurers muster up the courage to leave the safe zone of the town walls. As she watched, she was filled with nostalgia and pride. She could still remember her own hesitant first steps beyond this place. How Wulfrin's guidance turned her fear into determination. Back then, she never would've imagined that she'd be here now, today, not only venturing beyond safe zones, but laser focusing her sights on the front lines.

Her gaze dropped to the table where her coffee sat, now lukewarm from neglect. Lost in thought, she absentmindedly sipped it, her mind wandering to the cupcakes that she baked earlier, now sat in front of her on the table. A tray of perfectly frosted treats sat there, each one made with love and care. They weren't unlike the ones she usually made for Wulfrin to take on his adventures. This time however, they weren't for him and his team of newbies. They were for her, and her own group of newbies. She made them specifically for anyone who'd join her.

Ciela's eyes flickered around the town. She posted a simple offer on the player request board offering guidance for people just now venturing out. It wasn't much but she wanted to give back in any way she could. Her goal wasn't just to become a frontline tank, but to help others find their own footing in this vast and dangerous world. She knew all too well how daunting those first steps could be.

The First Lessons Are Truly Free!

Are you venturing out into the great unknown that is the world of Aincrad? Are you terrified? Well, I might be of assistance! I can help you gain a few levels before heading out into the world! Find me at the cafe near the square. Look for the red haired woman in the golden armor, if you can't seem to find me, ask Beatrice inside. She knows everything. Toodaloo, hope to help you along your journey!

 

* * *

Ciela offers: 

Celestial Swirl Cupcake Platter | T1 Perfect Feast | ACC II | EVA I | ID: 239161
[desc.] These beautifully decorated cupcakes will not only make things a little easier to hit but will also boost your morale. The frosting looks as if you're looking directly into a galaxy. The cupcakes are arranged in a perfect heart and served on a pink platter with the signature FD in an emblazoned heart.

* * *

Quest:

* * *

Spoiler

Stats:

KnightessCiela | HP: 545/545 | EN: 68/68 | DMG: 11 | MIT:121 | ACC:2 | TAUNT | THORNS:27 | REGEN: 24 | REC: 3

Spoiler

"Name: KnightessCiela
True Tier: 3
Level: 25
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 545/545
EN: 68/68

Stats:
Damage: 11
Mitigation: 121
Accuracy: 2
Stealth Rating: -5
TAUNT REGEN: 24
REC: 3

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Defender's Longsword | T3 Perfect Straight Sword | ACC II | DMG I
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Frightening Rosethorn | T3 Perfect Heavy Armor | Taunt | Thorns II
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Rejuvenating Kite Shield | T3 Perfect Shield | Recovery | Regen II

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Mitigation R3

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - Protector Familiar

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Howl
  - Straight Sword R5

Extra Skills:
  - Block R3
  - Forgotten King's Authority
  - Survival
  - Frozen Hide

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
  - Focused Howl
  - Iron Skin

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:
  - Nepent's Ovule x3
  - T1 Rare Health Potion: Heals 10% MAX HP x5
  - T1 Uncommon Health Potions: Heals 5% of MAX HP x1
  - T1 Uncommon Overhealth Potion: Adds 5% of MAX HP to users x1
  - Teleport Crystal x1

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
 - Cooking[519exp] R6
Gathering Profession:
 - Forager[66exp] R2"                                                                                                                            

 

* * *

Spoiler

                 

 

Edited December 23, 2024 by KnightessCiela

[KnightinGale 0]

"Guess it's time to get the tutorial quest out of the way," Eve sighed as she strolled through the town of beginnings. She hadn't donned her armor yet, thankfully that was an issue she could solve with a few gestures on the holographic interface. "Too bad they don't teach you how to operate the menus."

Surprisingly she was already somewhat seasoned, having just wrapped up a quest up on the dessert floor. She was still knocking sand out of her armor. The Sharkbait Training Program was a breeze, mostly due to the pajama man running around punching sharks in the face. An admirable quality in her eyes, who knows maybe she could try the bare knuckle brawler approach once she was out of the early game. For now though the heavy armor and shield style was her go to. Her sister had already found some semblance of safety and had basically left her to venture on her own. What a way to be forced into a game of swords and non-existent sorcery.

"You the one leading the tutorial quest?" Eve said to the red-head sipping on a coffee. "I'd like to sign up. Need to get my feet off the ground if I'm ever gunna make headway in this... prison."

Eve was dressed in her usual black crop top and tattered trousers that she had done her best to make look like the roughed up jean shorts she would wear in real life. Her body was a canvas of intricate tattooed designs giving the immediate air of a confident and rebellious nature. She was definitely a girl on a mission. Her silvery hair was tied back in a messy ponytail and her emerald eyes drifted over the spread before her before taking a bite from the provided platter.

* * *

KnightinGale consumes 1 portion of: Celestial Swirl Cupcake Platter | T1 Perfect Feast | ACC II | EVA I | ID: 239161 (5/6 Remain)

KnightinGale | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30 | DMG: 4 | MIT:31 | ACC:5 | TAUNT | F-SPIRIT | EVA:1 | THORNS:18 | BH:2                                                                                                                            

Spoiler

"Name: KnightinGale
True Tier: 1
Level: 6
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 120/120
EN: 30/30

Stats:
Damage: 4
Mitigation: 31
Accuracy: 5
Evasion: 1
Battle Healing: 2
Stealth Rating: -1
TAUNT
Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Vanguard's Hammer | T1 Hammer | ACC 3
Armor/Trinket: 
  - Vanguard's Shield | T1 Shield | Taunt | Thorns 2
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - Vanguard's Heavy Plate | T1 Heavy Armor | MIT 3

Combat Mastery:
  - 

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Battle Healing R2
  - Fighting Spirit
  - Hammer R1
  - Heavy Armor R1

Extra Skills:
  - Block R1

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by Wulfrin

[Salem 0]

Squinting at the bright and bubbly pink text before him, Salem struggled to discern whether or not the notice was a genuine invitation or some sort of recruitment scheme. After all, the writer's tone came off as obnoxiously sweet, deceptively helpful. Eyes continued scanning the text until they came to settle on two final details: a red-haired woman at a cafe in town. 

This couldn't have been posted by Nymoria, could it...?, he wondered as memories of their their breakfast together vignetted his judgement. No, he decided with little more hesitation, This doesn't sound like her at all. She's too shy to ask for help in this way.

Still, rekindled smells of roasted coffee in the crisp spring air beckoned him back to the patio of that familiar street corner. Learning how to gather and level up in combat would be crucial to his effort of becoming stronger. Whether feigned through ignorance or unimportance, no one need know his desperation for achieving those goals. Motivations spoken aloud carried with them the means of control, and Salem wasn't willing to play the pawn.

Stepping through a lopsided wooden door, he made his way toward the counter to order a coffee. Eyes scanned the room as he waited, his senses open to receiving any information indicative of their meeting place. 

The roar of a grinder subsided just in time for him to catch the tail-end of an introduction. "...Need to get my feet off the ground if I'm ever gunna make headway in this... prison.", said a woman with more ink than skin.

That would seem the place., he quietly inferred. Grabbing his drink, he gave a curt nod to the barista and made his way over toward the group.

"Got room for one more?", he asked with a lackadaisical sip from his mug. The red-haired woman appeared enthusiastic, her hands gesturing toward the platter of desserts before her. At least, that's what he'd hoped they were. She couldn't honestly expect him to eat something that looked like unicorn vomit whipped into icing.

And yet, the woman beside him reached forward, grabbing and biting into one of the morsels with little concern. A faint chime and fountain of shimmer seemed to indicate they'd granted her a bonus.

Some sort of status item...?, he wondered to himself. Another sip of coffee disguised a nervous gulp. Hesitantly, he accepted a cake and swallowed it as quickly as he could manage. Whatever intoxicating tsunami of sugar had ensued was immediately chased by another swing of bitter bean juice.


***

Vanity tag: @Nymoria

Salem consumes 1 portion of: Celestial Swirl Cupcake Platter | T1 Perfect Feast | ACC II | EVA I | ID: 239161 (4/6 Remain)

Salem | HP: 100/100 | EN: 28/28 | DMG:4 | ACC:4 (+2) | EVA: 1 (+1)

Spoiler

LEVEL - 5

HP - 100

EN - 28

DMG - 4

ACC - 2

 

SKILLS

Non-combat:

Passive:

Combat:

Weapon Skills: Claws R1

 

INVENTORY

Weapons: [Equipped] Claws R1 (Rare) with 2 slots of Accuracy

+4 DMG

+2 ACC

Attacks:

Spoiler

Rank 1

• [x4] ST-I (4 EN) | A single-target sword art.
• [x3] AOE-I (1 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
• [x4] TECH-A (5 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

Equipped Items:

(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

 

Edited December 29, 2024 by Salem

[Bleak 0]

His expression was vapid as he gazed into the water at himself. 

All the time he'd spent carefully crafting an alternative persona so that he could roleplay as something other than himself in this world had been for naught. The world was a cold place, even more so when he thought about the pure logic and digits that now comprised his body, the water, even the air that he was "breathing" in this simulation. The last few moments before the dive played back in his head, the affectionate smile of a mother who just wanted him to live better, to get away from the terrible friends he'd made and his bad habits. Her assurance that things would get better, the love he'd always wanted at a time that felt far too late. It was numbing.

The feeling of pulling the NerveGear overhead was only slightly ablative. He could still feel the scathing heat of bitterness and rage licking at him as the system pulled his mind from his body and animated a vessel that he'd given a name congruent with all of those emotions. "Bleak" still found himself shell-shocked with the menu open, staring at the vacant spot where the log out function should have been. 

In the moments where he felt halfway lucid, he had managed to drag himself around the town. He had slowly begun to pick up on the layout, the various places to shop, to eat, and the inn to rest at. There were still places he had yet to see, because in the midst of his depression, he found himself non-functional on some days. Unfortunately, not having an income made it difficult to sustain a "sleep all day" living situation, so he'd inevitably been forced to look for work.

So much for living in a fantasy world. The whole experience, right down to his reflect, felt like a heinous mockery. The wretched stain that was an act of rebellion still stained his otherwise black hair. When he stared at it for too long, he could still feel the sting of his father's palm across his face. Oh, he fucking hated this.

But hating it wasn't making it go away.

With the missive logged in his journal and the relevant information queued up in his inventory, Bleak resolved to head for the meeting place designated by the Player Request Board. It had promised vital information and strategies for survival inside of Aincrad, as well as money and items he would desperately need in order to get anywhere. As he trekked toward the gathering of what now appeared to be several players, the youth grimaced. He hadn't anticipated there being a whole cadre of people to deal with. He really wasn't great with first impressions... or, really, getting along with them. It took him time to warm to anyone, and not many people gave him a chance to get that far.

Maybe this time would be different. How many times had he said that and been disappointed? Yet still, how many times had he wanted it to truly be different?

Maybe if it had, he would have found better friends. Maybe he would have made his parents proud. Maybe he wouldn't have ended up in this world.

Maybe.

"What a loaded word," he muttered as he approached the group, eyes darting between one person and the next suspiciously. He seldom trusted people he didn't know, especially the first time meeting them. It was one of those many bad habits he'd picked up. His father had always said to them as kids, 'a little faith goes a long way'- something he'd picked up in the business world, no doubt. These people were selling something he actually needed. Maybe it was time to take that leap of faith his father talked about.

Maybe.

He found himself in the small crowd gathering, eyes drawn to the cupcakes. They were probably some kind of gesture, an icebreaker, something like that- but as of yet, no one had offered him one, and he wasn't the type to be overly presumptuous. "...sup?" he asked, greeting the other Players awkwardly.

Spoiler

 

Bleak

Level 1
HP: 20/20 EN: 20
Damage: 3

SKILLS

Non-combat:
Passive:
Combat:
Weapon Skills: Polearms R1

INVENTORY

Weapons: [Equipped] Weathered Polearm (Uncommon) with 1 slot of Damage
+1 DMG
Armor: [Equipped] Tattered Haori (Uncommon) with 1 slot of Mitigation
+1 MIT

Attacks

Spoiler

• [x4] ST-I (4 EN) | A single-target sword art.
• [x3] AOE-I (1 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
• [x4] TECH-A (5 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.

Equipped Items

(5) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)