[F21- PP] Disrupted Tranquility <<The Hidden Village>>

[Typhoonflame 0]

Charko was a village that didn't open up much to anyone. It was a recluse; the kind of place where people keep to themselves, in fear of drawing attention from adventurers and passersby.  Yet the strangest thing about it was the fact that someone had posted a request for help, unsigned at that. All Ty saw was that she was to venture into the wilds and find the village, then look for one of the council members. How she would recognize one, she had no idea...Yet that problem was soon solved.

When she arrived, she saw that one of the villagers had a quest marker above her head. She was dressed rather richly, in long, somewhat baggy red pants and a practical, yet fine cream tunic with yellow accents. She introduced herself as Ureka,saying she was responsible for maintaining community well-being and relations, and that recently one of her members have reported growing concerns of dragon knights near the borders of town.

Now Ty felt pretty incompetent, but she knew these people needed help. Quickly, she opened her menus and sent a message to someone she hadn't seen in a long time. His name was flashing green, so she hoped he truly wasn't busy. 

*Hey Morningstar...It's Ty. You know Charko? There's some trouble with some knights there. I'd ask my guild, but I think they're busy. Let me know if you can make it.* 


 

Spoiler

Typhoonflame | HP: 400/400 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 14 | MIT:54 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | PARA                                                                                                                            



SP: 5 available (75 total)

EXP:  8813, lv 19

Skills: 

Rapier Skill: 
PASSIVE, Rank 5
Effect: At Rank 1, gain +3 DMG. At Ranks 2-5, +1 per rank (max of +7 DMG for R5 Weapon Skill). At Rank 5, unlock the ability to specialize in a Combat Shift.

<<Forgotten King's Authority>> Extra Skill

Cost: Complete <<Betrayal of the King>> with Unlock Conditions
Action: Free Action
Energy Cost: 5 EN
Cooldown: 7 Turns
Effect: Dispel any disabling effects on yourself. This can be done while disabled.
Description: Through sheer force of will you can exhibit extraordinary command over your body.

 

► Light Armor- Rank 5
Passive
Effect: Gain Mitigation based on your rank in Light Armor. You can only benefit from one armor skill at a time (the respective armor type must be equipped). Your mitigation is capped at 2 enhancement slots and Your Evasion is capped at 2 enhancement slots.
Rank 5: 30 MIT
Description: You have become proficient in Light Armor with leather or scale armor and few metal plates, allowing you protection as well as some maneuverability.

 

Sword Arts:

[x12] ST-I (12 EN) | A single-target sword art.
[x15] ST-II (15 EN) | A powerful single-target sword art. Only available for use when ST-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if ST-II had been used and had missed the previous turn.
[x20] ST-B (20 EN) | A devastating single-target sword art. Can only be used if the sword art used the previous turn is not ST-B and had rolled a natural CD9+. When performing an AoE attack, use only the first roll.
[x11] AOE-I (11 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A sword art that strikes multiple targets at once.
[x14] AOE-II (14 + [2 * targets] EN) | AOE | A powerful sword art that strikes multiple targets at once. Only available for use when AOE-I was used and successfully struck an enemy the previous turn or if AOE-II had been used and had missed all intended targets the previous turn.
[x12] TECH-A (13 EN) | STUN | A single-target sword art that stuns an enemy.
[x12] TECH-B (12 EN) | DELAY | A single-target sword art that, on a successful strike, applies [Delay] on the enemy. [Delay] is a debuff that reduces the enemy’s ACC by 1 for one turn.

Inventory:

2 Guild Token [Firm Anima]

(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)
32850 Col
(36) Materials
Zachariah's Special Draught | Tierless Potion | HP Recovery III
Initiate's Draw | T1 Perfect Straight Sword | #, #, #
5x Big Bertha Braciole | T1 Rare Snack | Vitality II
Standard <<Alchemist>> Shop
[Rare] Crafting Salve

1x Glow Stone | While holding a Glow Stone, the area around you is illuminated. You and players near you do not suffer any penalties for darkness or low-light conditions. Cannot wield a weapon while holding a Glow Stone, but it can be swapped out and and back in to continue its effect. Effect lasts for one thread.

New Character Bundle: 
Support Package

Equipment

T4 Rare Weapon 223975a

Rapier (named Sparkflare) (Accuracy 1, Paralysis 2)

Glasses | T1 Perfect Jewelry | ID: #231543 | ACC III | A glasses frame lacking lenses.

Skirmisher’s Garb (T2 Perfect Light Armor – MIT 2, EVA 1) Acquisition ID: #154523 | Identification ID: #156208, #156209, #156210
Tight-fitting black traveling leathers with a weatherproof coat, designed to be worn by scouts at the forefront of battle, and the first into the fray.

Consumables: 
(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

T4 Rare Consumable 223975b
T4 Rare Consumable 223975c

 

Edited January 5 by Typhoonflame

[Morningstar 0]

He truly was busy.

It was Tuesday, and the guild hall was quiet. When he opened the Trackers Alliance, he did not realize it would come with so much paperwork. Contracts, invoices, leases—boring things that drove him batty. It needed to be done, of course, because his team needed to be protected and paid fairly (workplace rights and all that).

That being said, it was rather easy to put down his work when Typhoonflame came calling. Star looked over her message, surprised to see that she had moved up to the twenty-first floor. Charko wasn't somewhere Morningstar visited often, and so he was happy to join her. He sent a reply.

ms: charko's a bit of a walk. i'll be there in 30.
ms: good to hear from you.

Off he went.

 

He found Ty waiting near a villager with a quest marker. He was well aware of The Hidden Village, considering it was within his trade, but he had never completed it himself. "Afternoon. How've you been?" Star asked with a picturesque smile.

| MORNINGSTAR  | Lv. 73 >> P. 39, Lv. 34  | Status: [ // ]  Notes:  //

Hide contents Morningstar | HP: 840/840 | EN: 120/120 | DMG: 22 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 43 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V equipped Dying Sun FLN II, AA, PAR VEN Inner Focus EVA II, REC II Sapphire ACC III, EVA I battle-ready inventory Magdalyn's Cuckoo x2 teleport crystals skills   Hide contents mod count: 4/5 STRAIGHT SWORD | RANK 5/5 precision, stamina, ferocity shift: tech MARTIAL ARTS | RANK 5/5 precision COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3 SEARCHING | RANK 4/5 (5) night vision, detect, tracking, reveal BATTLE HEALING | RANK 5/5 UNHINDERED ENERGIST CHARGE extra (active) SURVIVAL FORGOTTEN KING'S AUTHORITY LADY LUCK DISGUISE data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== buffs   Hide contents statue # | # consumables # # paragon Lv. 5 | Gain additional col equivalent to 15% of EXP earned in that thread. Lv. 10 | +1 LD to looting. 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 | x12 -> x15 | x20 AOE | x11 -> x14 TECH-A | x16 | STUN | 13EN TECH-B | x16 | DELAY TECH-D | x16 | SHATTER TECH-F | x12 | AOE STUN TECH-G | x16 | BURN data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== misc/housing buffs   Hide contents Dimensional Backpack | +2 Battle-Ready Inventory Slots. Well Rested | -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat. Squeaky Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down). Filling | 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. Tasty | Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. A Lesser Feast contains 4 portions of the food items sacrificed. Lesser Feasts created this way cannot be used outside of the thread they are created. Limit 1 item created per thread. Relaxed | Increases out-of-combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll. Skylight (Searching) | +1 Expertise to declared utility skill.  fishing # data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==   data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==

 

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty was glad to see Star was willing to help. She decided not to fully start the quest until they were in a party and instead opted to just sit down nearby and wait. It wasn't like half an hour was a long wait anyway. 

She looked up when Star finally showed up. "Hey, Star! It's been a while! I'm doing okay, joined Firm Anima recently." she said proudly. "I randomly saw a flyer posted by someone on the Town of Beginnings' notice board, so I figured I'd check it out. I wasn't expecting a political problem, though, or a fight. I thought it'd be a fetch quest, where I could learn about a new area, but I guess not." She chuckled. "How've you been?" 

It really had been a long while since she'd quested with anyone outside her guild, and as much as she enjoyed it, she couldn't always bother them for help. she wasn't even going to ask Star for this,but this seemed very much beyond her skillset.

[Morningstar 0]

Did she say she'd joined Firm Anima?

"Trucking along," he told her, leaving out the endless details of his past week alone. If she were to look at his calendar, she'd probably have a heart attack. "Good for you--joining Firm Anima. I know quite a few of their members. Freyd, Raidou, Foyle--that lot."

It was clear that she had done some leveling since they last met. Her equipment was a level above baseline, and the rapier at her side looked quite nice. He set a mental reminder to ask who her blacksmith was. He reckoned Wulfrin, but without seeing the phoenix insignia, it could have just as easily been someone else.

"So, you mentioned trouble with knights? I take it we're doing The Hidden Village, then?" Star knew of three quests on Floor 21, and only one of them included knights. Dragon Knights, more specifically. He had notes on the quest back in his office, but little stood out in his memory. He did know, however, that it wasn't a simple combat quest. "We need to find an NPC, I think. Or have you already spoken to them?"

[Typhoonflame 0]

"Hope the trucking along's going well, would hate to see the guy who showed me the ropes have his truck stopped." She laughed. "And yep, I'm not quite the same scared girl you met down at the starting floor. Though, to be fair, I still get scared a lot, hah."

When he mentioned the village, Ty nodded. "Mhm, seems so. Spoke to the NPC over there, she seems to be someone of import, claims she's responsible for the community here. I didn't want to properly start the quest without yo, so I told her to wait until a friend came along." she explained quickly pointing at the woman with her thumb. "This place sure is odd, what do the knights want with it? What's the point of this quest?" 

So far, quests had given her items or abilities, so she had to wonder what she had to gain. But she also felt bad for the people here, experiencing these attacks by dragon knights every time they respawned. She wondered if the survivors remembered the past instances of attacks. 

[Morningstar 0]

"What's the point of this quest?" A brilliant question. What was the point of any quest? Plot? Lore? Experience? Items? The latter two were a direct route to the frontlines, which would in turn lead to the escape of the game's player base. It was the whole reason they played, and so one could argue that was the point of the quest. The former, on the other hand, made life interesting on the inside. That was important too.

"I don't know," Morningstar said. It was easier than monologuing. "I just do 'em."

"There's caves outside of Charko. What does the quest log say to do?" He asked, scanning through it himself. "Oh, okay. Seems simple enough. We'll complete some tasks, and probably fight some knights, and then call it a day."

He hoped it would go as smoothly as it went in his head.

 

In the caves, they schemed succinctly. As soon as they arrived, the clock began to tick. With the impending arrival of the Dragon Knights in the back of Morningstar's mind, he worked on interrupting their path to Charko.

Four tall torches illuminated the road. Without them, Morningstar figured the knights would have some trouble seeing where they were going. He did more than put them out--he severed them into pieces with carefully executed sword arts. After breaking them, he scattered them around the cave while keeping a watchful eye on Typhoonflame.

"How's it going over there?" He called. Then, he realized he had knocked out all of the lights that they were using to see. He clicked on his night vision.

---

ID 239460 | LD 10
Individual Total: 10 | Group Total: 10 | Threshold: 4

• Whiff out torches | 4/4
• Topple cairns | 0/4
• Plant rusted equipment | 0/4
• Plant Fool’s Gold | 0/1
• Plant Mushrooms | 0/~

Turn 1/5

[Typhoonflame 0]

"I don't know," Morningstar said, in answer to her question.

What a brilliant answer that made Ty want to groan. She supposed it was a fair answer, though. Did any of them really know the point of this and why they'd been forced to play this cruel game? None of it had ever made sense and it never would, no matter how hard some players tried to make it logical. 

Ty nodded, looking at the quest log herself. Fulfill these task requirements: [Whiff out torches], [Topple cairns], [Plant rusted equipment], [Plant Fool’s Gold], [Go into hiding], it said. She could do that, it wouldn't be that hard, surely?
"Let's get to it."

Ty was going to focus on the cairns, but as she was walking over, the light around her was extinguished. Ty yelped, then realized it had been Morningstar himself. "Well I'm in front of the first cairn, but I doubt my rapier can topple it, so I'll try my hands!" she called back, staring at the stone in front of her.

She pushed, and the stone fell.

 

Spoiler

Toppling a cairn

Roll ID: 239461| LD: 4|
Individual total: 4| Group total: 14| Threshold: 4|

 

• Whiff out torches | 4/4
• Topple cairns | 1/4
• Plant rusted equipment | 0/4
• Plant Fool’s Gold | 0/1
• Plant Mushrooms | 0/~

 

[Morningstar 0]

Ty was already using her head, opting to shove over a cairn rather than spamming sword arts in vain. Realizing that she was fine on her own, he moved on to his next task. He didn't question the container full of rusted equipment that had apparently been given to them at the start of the quest. It was the premise of their first trap: planting rusted equipment. What did it do exactly? He didn't know. Maybe in the dark, they would step on a rusty sword and contract an ancient disease. Long term ailments--a tactical maneuver.

He scattered the equipment along the path, making sure to place them where the Dragon Knights might walk, but keeping them out of sight as much as possible. In a dark cave, this was rather simple.

"Okay. We can finish of the cairns, and then move on to the fool's gold."

He looked again at his quest description. "Fool's gold? Really? Are the Dragon Knights stupid?"

---

ID 239465 | LD 13
Individual Total: 23 | Group Total: 27 | Threshold: 8

• Whiff out torches | 4/4
• Topple cairns | 1/4
• Plant rusted equipment | 4/4
• Plant Fool’s Gold | 0/1
• Plant Mushrooms | 0/~

Turn 2/5

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty heard the clatter of metals on the floor and jumped, thinking it was the Dragon Knights. Then, after a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it was still just her and Star here. The last thing she needed was for an enemy to find them in this darkness. She was stronger than before, but night vision wasn't one of her powers. She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out her Glow Stone. The stone illuminated an area around her, however, she knew that wouldn't be an option in a fight.

Ty turned her attention to the cairns again, studying them in the light. They looked slightly ornate, with text in a language she didn't understand on them. Well, it didn't really matter. THey had to go down. Focusing her strength, Ty put the Glow Stone in her pocket, still shining, and pushed one cairn, then another, and then the last one.

"Dunno what they want with fool's gold, but we can do that now!" she called out.

~*~

Typhoonflame uses Glow Stone | While holding a Glow Stone, the area around you is illuminated. You and players near you do not suffer any penalties for darkness or low-light conditions. Cannot wield a weapon while holding a Glow Stone, but it can be swapped out and and back in to continue its effect. Effect lasts for one thread.

 

ID 239531 | LD 12
Individual Total: 35 | Group Total: 39 | Threshold: 8

• Whiff out torches | 4/4
• Topple cairns | 4/4
• Plant rusted equipment | 4/4
• Plant Fool’s Gold | 0/1
• Plant Mushrooms | 0/~

Turn 2/5

 

[Morningstar 0]

The shine of a Glow Stone caught Star's attention. It messed with his night vision, so he shut it off. He didn't need to see for this next step anyway. From his inventory, he scattered Fool's Gold around the cave path, pushing them into small piles. At the same time, Ty was finishing with the cairns. They were just about finished and they had some time to kill. It was about time they found a place to hide.

Boulders near the cairns that Ty had toppled stuck out as a decent spot. He rushed to meet back up with her to strategize their next moves.

"Here's what I'm thinking. The quest will allow us to hide here for a bit and then head back to town, if you'd prefer; but, I think we'll get more experience if we fight the Dragon Knights. I think we should stealth behind these rocks and ambush the knights on their way through. We'll have the advantage. They won't see it coming."

—

ID 239541 | LD 15
Individual Total: 38 | Group Total: 54 | Threshold: 16

• Whiff out torches | 4/4
• Topple cairns | 4/4
• Plant rusted equipment | 4/4
• Plant fool’s gold | 1/1
• Plant Mushrooms | 0/~

Turn 3/5

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty looked up to see Star approaching after scattering Fool's Gold along the floor. She knew one of the tasks was to stay in stealth, and thankfully, she was already in a good position for that, so she nodded when he suggested they hide behind the rocks. It was the best place this area had to offer anyway.

However, his next suggestion caused her to frown. Combat again? Hadn't she had enough of that? 
"Do we really have to? I mean, you have a point and it would give us more experience...And I suppose it would protect The Hidden Village more than not...Fine, I guess we have to." She sighed, unsheathing her rapier, even though she didn't like this at all.

She extinguished her Glow Stone and crouched down to wait. All they had to do now was sit here and wait for the enemy to show up...and take them down. Simple, right? 


~*~

Stealth

ID: 239680 | LD: 4- Fail! | 

Edited January 1 by Typhoonflame

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar hid himself behind the boulders, and under the cover of darkness, he waited for the Dragon Knights to march by. "I mean, I guess we don't have to fight them. It's your call, really. They're no trouble though. Either way, we should let them pass."

He found her annoyance at the thought of fighting a bit silly, but not unreasonable. Just wait until you see the frontlines. 

She followed his lead, crouching behind the rocks; although it was a bit cramped for the two of them. They could fit comfortably enough, but fitting wasn't the issue--staying out of sight was. "I think your shoulder is sticking out," he told Ty. He tried to move over for her, but then his shoulder poked out as well. "Well, shit."

Star scanned popped on his night vision once more and scanned the room. "Over there," he pointed, "if you can see that. There's a little crevice in the wall. I think you could slip in there and hide, but you're going to need to crawl in."

"Sorry," he added with an awkward smile.

ID: 239681 LD: 10

Stealth successful

4/5

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty had become jaded towards combat recently, when she and Freyd encountered some Giant Bats while saving a little girl from a dark cave. Ever since then, after noticing how ready she was to kill them, she'd kind of flinched at the thought of herself fighting anything else, for fear of that bloodlust rearing its head again. 
"We can fight them if needed, what has to be done, has to be done." she said, shrugging. Inwardly, though, she prayed it wouldn't come to that. 

As she crouched behind the rocks, Star pointed out her shoulder was sticking out, then suggested she hide in a little crevice in the wall. She wanted to say he should go hide there, since he'd probably fit in there more easily and she may have issues due to her disability, but they didn't have time to argue. She stood up and hurried over to the crevice, trying to fit in there. she crouched in there, feeling squished.

~*~

Stealth

ID: 239695 | LD: 15 |

Stealth successful!

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar fiddled with a trade menu while Ty got comfortable in the crevice. He sent over a single teleport crystal, realizing that she may not have had one of her own. She had grown, but her level was still low and the Dragon Knights were strong. If worst came to worst, he wanted her to leave him there.

"Take this. Staying alive is priority number one for you. If you take a hit, and its looking bad, just teleport out. I'll manage."

He hushed his voice, hearing the clanks of armor echo from down the way. With each slow, manual breath, he waited for the knights to cross by. The poor attempts at distractions would, according to the quest, stop them from passing. When they stopped, Morningstar and Typhoonflame would ambush them.

He could see them now. Two Dragon Knights in red armor marched towards them. One held a spear and the other a shield. His quest log said four knights would come by--it occurred to Star that they would spawn in waves, with one on offense and their partner on defense. He hugged the boulder and waited for the right moment.

---

Trading Typhoonflame:

• x1 Teleport Crystal

Morningstar consumes:

• Elven Armor Salve | +1 hate to misses, +2 hate to hits, +3 hate to critical hits
• Imperial Quarter Blend | +3 DMG
• Breakfast Fry | +2 Protein
• Magical Yellow Potion | +3 Overhealth

Updated stats:

Morningstar | HP: 966/966 | EN: 120/120 | DMG: 27 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 43 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty blinked as a trade menu popped up in front of her. She groaned and wiggled in the small space of the crevice until she could poke her hand out enough to press the accept button. She honestly didn't know how she was going to draw her rapier at this rate...She just had to pray it wouldn't come to a fight.

Turning back to the trade window, Ty saw she'd just recieved a teleport crystal. Grabbing it in one hand, she stuffed it in a pocket, shaking her head at Star's suggestion. She couldn't just leave him here! Still, the Crystal could be useful in other instances and she was grateful for it.

Just as she was done pocketing it, she heard the clang of armor and stiffened. The knights were here...and they were roast if they found them. Ty pressed herself against the stone, letting the cool surface calm her emotions, but her heart still felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

*~*

Post action:

Moving teleport crystal to battle-ready inventory. 

[Morningstar 0]

The Dragon Knights took their place in front of their traps, silently inspecting the path ahead. One knelt down, lifting a rusted weapon. "We should turn back; take another route," one said to the other.

Before they could leave, Morningstar emerged from his hiding spot. He sped into them, impaling the lance-wielding knight with his longsword. The knight crumbled, a stun effect coursing through his body. His shield-bearing partner roared, slamming Morningstar off. Star stumbled back, unscathed other than light dizziness caused by the impact. This was Typhoonflame's queue to join the fight. The lancer lay flat, Dying Sun still sticking out of his chest. The shielder's attention was locked on the weaponless Morningstar, who had raised his fists in response.

Missing a proper martial arts weapon, he found himself at a disadvantage. He would have to wait and see what Ty could accomplish. Perhaps he could retrieve his sword after her attack was over.

Spoiler

POST ACTION | Charge + TECH-A vs Dragon Knight Lancer

Dragon Knight Shielder activates Pawn | ID239731 CD5 | -> Pawn fails

ID239732 | BD1+6+1=8 | (27+3)*16-50 = 430 DMG + STUN -> Dragon Knight Lancer

EN: -21

Morningstar | HP: 966/966 | EN: 99/120 | DMG: 27 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 43 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V
Typhoonflame | HP: 280/280 | EN: 46/46 | DMG: 8 | ACC: 4 | PAR: 2 | 32 MIT | EVA 1 

[1,0] Dragon Knight Lancer | HP: 220/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | STUNNED
[0,0] Dragon Knight Shielder | HP: 650/650 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 125 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1

Abilities:

• Formation | Dragon Knights oft work in teams, and must be spawned in groups of two or more. Their party will consist of every member being a Shielder save for one of them, who will assume the role of Lancer.
• Lancer | All Dragon Knights seen on patrol are lance users by nature of training. Only one Dragon Knight in battle will assume a lance weapon, gaining a 50 DMG buff and attacking on its turn. If a Lancer falls in battle with other Dragon Knights in its party, the healthiest Dragon Knight will assume the new role of Lancer.
• Critical Eye | A roll of 8 on their designated monster die will be considered a critical attack.
• Long Reach | The length of their weapons alongside the broad and swift movements of a trained warrior results in some of their attacks capable of cleaving through several players at once. On a critical attack against the primary threat target, roll for attacks against every other member in the player’s party.
• Shielder | If there are multiple Dragon Knights in combat, every other Dragon Knight except for one designated Lancer will carry a tower shield instead, incapable of attacking. Their MIT will increase by 75 whilst they are defending; they lose this bonus when they swap to a Lancer. 
• Pawn | On any attack against the Lancer, the player must make a separate roll to determine Pawn’s activation. Should that roll’s CD be 6+, the damage taken by the Lancer would instead be taken by the healthiest Dragon Knight in the enemy party.

 

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty held her breath. A knight was suggesting they turn back! Maybe they'd be safe! Maybe there'd have to be no fighting after all! 

However...Of course, not everything would go as she'd hoped. Before the duo could leave, Star jumped out from his cover and attacked, stunning one of the knights. The other one, however, slammed Star back, causing Star to stumble back, looking dizzy.
She wanted to yell at him and tell him he should've listened to her. 

Ty cursed quietly, drawing her rapier. Slowly, painfully slowly, she wiggled her way out from behind the rocks and leaped, aiaming to stun one of the knights. Come on Sparkflare, don't fail me now.... she begged the sword. Gritting her teeth, she slammed her rapier into the knight's right arm, trying to make him drop his shield. It fell with a clang as a stun effect coursed through his body too. They wouldn't go down easily, but at least this was a good start.

"We could've followed them to their base and reported back, gotten backup! Now we don't know where they're stationed! We really should've let them turn back!" she snapped, the adrenaline making her angrier.

 

Spoiler

Post Action:

[x12] TECH-A (13 EN) | STUN | vs Dragon Knight Shielder

ID: 239765| BD: 4+5=9 Hit!  Shielder Stunned!

EN: -13
168 dmg

Morningstar | HP: 966/966 | EN: 99/120 | DMG: 27 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 43 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V
Typhoonflame | HP: 400/400 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 14 | MIT:54 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | PARA  2 (had the wrong stats before mb)                                                                                                                          

[1,0] Dragon Knight Lancer | HP: 220/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | STUNNED
[0,1] Dragon Knight Shielder | HP: 482/650 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 125 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | STUNNED

Abilities:

Formation | Dragon Knights oft work in teams, and must be spawned in groups of two or more. Their party will consist of every member being a Shielder save for one of them, who will assume the role of Lancer.
Lancer | All Dragon Knights seen on patrol are lance users by nature of training. Only one Dragon Knight in battle will assume a lance weapon, gaining a 50 DMG buff and attacking on its turn. If a Lancer falls in battle with other Dragon Knights in its party, the healthiest Dragon Knight will assume the new role of Lancer.
Critical Eye | A roll of 8 on their designated monster die will be considered a critical attack.
Long Reach | The length of their weapons alongside the broad and swift movements of a trained warrior results in some of their attacks capable of cleaving through several players at once. On a critical attack against the primary threat target, roll for attacks against every other member in the player’s party.
Shielder | If there are multiple Dragon Knights in combat, every other Dragon Knight except for one designated Lancer will carry a tower shield instead, incapable of attacking. Their MIT will increase by 75 whilst they are defending; they lose this bonus when they swap to a Lancer. 
Pawn | On any attack against the Lancer, the player must make a separate roll to determine Pawn’s activation. Should that roll’s CD be 6+, the damage taken by the Lancer would instead be taken by the healthiest Dragon Knight in the enemy party.

 

[Morningstar 0]

He poised himself. His fist took on a golden aura as he prepared a stun for the shielded knight. A decrease in his damage meant nothing if he could buy himself some time to retrieve his weapon. He jetted towards the dragon knight, aiming directly at the body-length slab of metal it blocked with, but the knight folded before Morningstar could get close.

Typhoonflame stood over the limp dragon knight, rapier at the ready. Her own stun had procced faster than he could get activate his own. He ran through their situation in his head. The lancer would wake soon, its aggro set to Morningstar. He could take it down quickly, before the knight could even stand. The difficulty was the shielder. Its hate was directed at Ty now, and it would swap to offense as soon as its lancer was defeated.

Shit.

Quickly, he ran to his sword. Through his partner's shouting, he lifted it and hit the dragon knight shielder with everything he had. Fallen damage took effect, burning through the knight's remaining health like it was nothing.

It was funny, how quickly a battle could go from easy to stressful. The death of the shielder gave him some relief, at least. When Ty was finished, Star shot back. "There is no base to find. They're not stationed anywhere. This is just a repeatable quest with no stakes other than our own lives and time. Someone else will be here tomorrow and they'll do all of the same things we've done like clockwork. The mobs spawn in and we either kill them or leave them. That's it."

He concluded with an exasperated sigh. "Sorry. What I mean to say is that following them won't help anyone. They'll walk for a while and then despawn once they've left the quest area."

Spoiler

POST ACTION | TECH-A vs Dragon Knight Lancer
FREE ACTION | Lady Luck

Dragon Knight Shielder activates Pawn | ID240279 CD9 | -> Pawn succeeds

ID240280 | CD11 | Recovery +8 EN
ID240281 | LD5 | AA -> TAUNT
ID239732 | BD8+5+1=8 | (27+16)*16-105 = 583 DMG + PARA-V + SHATTER -> Dragon Knight Shielder

EN: -17

Morningstar | HP: 966/966 | EN: 90/120 | DMG: 27 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 43 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V
Typhoonflame | HP: 400/400 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 14 | MIT:54 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | PARA  2 (had the wrong stats before mb)                                                                                                                          

[1,0] Dragon Knight Lancer | HP: 220/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | STUNNED
[2,1] Dragon Knight Shielder | HP: 0/650 | DMG: 125 | MIT: 125 | ACC: 2 | EVA: -1 | STUNNED

Abilities:

Formation | Dragon Knights oft work in teams, and must be spawned in groups of two or more. Their party will consist of every member being a Shielder save for one of them, who will assume the role of Lancer.
Lancer | All Dragon Knights seen on patrol are lance users by nature of training. Only one Dragon Knight in battle will assume a lance weapon, gaining a 50 DMG buff and attacking on its turn. If a Lancer falls in battle with other Dragon Knights in its party, the healthiest Dragon Knight will assume the new role of Lancer.
Critical Eye | A roll of 8 on their designated monster die will be considered a critical attack.
Long Reach | The length of their weapons alongside the broad and swift movements of a trained warrior results in some of their attacks capable of cleaving through several players at once. On a critical attack against the primary threat target, roll for attacks against every other member in the player’s party.
Shielder | If there are multiple Dragon Knights in combat, every other Dragon Knight except for one designated Lancer will carry a tower shield instead, incapable of attacking. Their MIT will increase by 75 whilst they are defending; they lose this bonus when they swap to a Lancer. 
Pawn | On any attack against the Lancer, the player must make a separate roll to determine Pawn’s activation. Should that roll’s CD be 6+, the damage taken by the Lancer would instead be taken by the healthiest Dragon Knight in the enemy party.

 

[Typhoonflame 0]

Ty felt slightly ignored when Star focused on the enemy over her complaints, but she knew, in her mind, that thiswas no time for pettiness. In the next moment, Star had his sword and had already felled the Dragon Knight shielder in one deadly strike. She jumped slightly as the man exploded into smithereens, then exhaled. She really needed to stop getting scared so easily. 
 

Hearing that there was no base to find only made Ty angrier and she clutched her rapier to stop herself from screaming at hos annoying this was. Every quest she did just turned out to not matter. It was just a source of EXP and she wasn't really helping anyone but herself. She'd felt so selfless, helping this village, but now...It alll seemed like a waste. Still, Star had a point. THey had to make sure to stay alive for the sake of themselves and all the othet players. 

"Then what's the point of tactics, if nothing we do matters and everything repeats?" she asked, once again faced with her eternal dilemma about this game. "But you're right, we have to prioritize our lives." 

[Morningstar 0]

"I mean-" he paused, grunting as he stuck his blade into the chest of the struggling lancer, "not everything is meaningless. And not everything repeats. You've just gotta pick your battles. Following these guys may not have value, but scouting a boss room or a new floor does. We need quests like this to level; too keep ourselves strong for the things that really matter."

The body of the dragon knight fizzled away, but the marching of replacements left them no time to rest, nor a chance to re-use their hiding places. "One more wave and we're home free. Get ready."

The pair of soldiers were identical to their predecessors. On the left was a lance-wielder, gripping his weapon tight. On the right was a shield-bearer. Morningstar watched curiously as they approached. He found it likely they had yet to see all the tricks up their sleeves. Cautiously, he created a gap between himself and Ty, forcing the knights to go through him first.

Spoiler

ID240484 | MD: 2 | Dragon Knight Lancer misses

POST ACTION | TECH-A vs Dragon Knight Lancer
FREE ACTION |

ID240485 | CD9 | Recovery +8 EN
ID240486 | BD2+5+1-1=7 | 27*16-105 = 327 DMG -> Dragon Knight Lancer

EN: -12

Morningstar | HP: 966/966 | EN: 90/120 | DMG: 27 | EVA: 4 | ACC: 5 | BH: 43 | LD: 6 | REC: 8 | FLN: 16 | AA | PARA-V
Typhoonflame | HP: 400/400 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 14 | MIT:54 | ACC:5 | EVA:1 | PARA 2                                                                                                                 

[2,0] Dragon Knight Lancer | HP: 0/650 | DMG: 175 | MIT: 50 | ACC: 2 | EVA: 1

Abilities:

Formation | Dragon Knights oft work in teams, and must be spawned in groups of two or more. Their party will consist of every member being a Shielder save for one of them, who will assume the role of Lancer.
Lancer | All Dragon Knights seen on patrol are lance users by nature of training. Only one Dragon Knight in battle will assume a lance weapon, gaining a 50 DMG buff and attacking on its turn. If a Lancer falls in battle with other Dragon Knights in its party, the healthiest Dragon Knight will assume the new role of Lancer.
Critical Eye | A roll of 8 on their designated monster die will be considered a critical attack.
Long Reach | The length of their weapons alongside the broad and swift movements of a trained warrior results in some of their attacks capable of cleaving through several players at once. On a critical attack against the primary threat target, roll for attacks against every other member in the player’s party.
Shielder | If there are multiple Dragon Knights in combat, every other Dragon Knight except for one designated Lancer will carry a tower shield instead, incapable of attacking. Their MIT will increase by 75 whilst they are defending; they lose this bonus when they swap to a Lancer. 
Pawn | On any attack against the Lancer, the player must make a separate roll to determine Pawn’s activation. Should that roll’s CD be 6+, the damage taken by the Lancer would instead be taken by the healthiest Dragon Knight in the enemy party.

Looting Dragon Knight Lancer:
ID240487 CD: 1 LD: 8
3250 col
2 materials
T4 Uncommon Consumable 240487