Jae 0 Posted January 17 #1 Share Posted January 17 (edited) The forge's heavy door creaked on weary hinges, groaning like an old sentinel reluctant to admit visitors. As Jaelynn pushed it open, a wave of smoke and the sharp tang of molten metal spilled into the cool, forgiving air outside. Inside, the heat enveloped her like a living thing, suffocating and immediate, pressing against her skin in unwelcome intimacy. Each strike of the hammer on the anvil cast out a spray of sparks that flickered like fleeting stars, swallowed quickly by the murky haze. At the center of this inferno, a man worked with singular focus. The forge’s glow painted his face in copper and shadow, the interplay of light making him appear as much a creation of the flame as the tools he shaped. His hammer rose and fell with a rhythm that spoke of instinct, a silent conversation between him and the stubborn metal. *** "Can I help you with something?" he asked without looking up, his tone even but indifferent, as though the words themselves were as habitual as his labor. The question hung for a moment as Jaelynn shifted her weight, the atmosphere pressing harder now, as though the room itself was waiting for her answer. "I want to learn blacksmithing," she said finally, her voice steady, though an undercurrent of doubt tugged at its edges. *** A brief laugh escaped him, sharp and fleeting like the hiss of cooling steel. “I’m only just barely a blacksmith myself,” he admitted, his gaze flickering over her for the first time. “Took over after my father retired last month. But yes, I suppose I could pass on some of that knowledge." He paused his work long enough to glance around the chaotic space, where tools and materials seemed to fight for dominance. “Can’t spare our stock, though... Bring me something to work with, and I’ll teach you.” *** With that, he returned to his hammering, the conversation dismissed like a puff of smoke. Jaelynn lingered in the oppressive heat for a moment longer, her resolve quietly solidifying, before stepping back into the cooler air of Tolbana’s streets. The forge’s stifling warmth fell away, replaced by the bustling murmur of the town. *** Quote [Jae] | HP: 20/20 | EN: 20/20 | DMG: 1 (Paralyze|Accuracy) Skills: N/A Battle Equipment: Rare Longsword (Paralyze|Accuracy) (3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP) Black Cloak w/ Hood (Vanity Item | No Benefit) Edited January 17 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 17 Author #2 Share Posted January 17 (edited) The morning light broke over Tolbana like a hesitant promise, gilding the edges of rooftops and scattering golden coins across the streets below. Jaelynn, already far from the town’s waking bustle, moved with the silent purpose of a predator through the outskirts, where untamed nature lapped at the fringes of civilization. The weight of the blacksmith’s challenge hung in her chest like an anvil—a thing too heavy to carry yet impossible to set down. Her boots crunched over frost-tipped grass, a muted rhythm that matched the cadence of her thoughts. This wasn’t her first attempt at scavenging. Days like these had defined her existence, even before Aincrad. Her parents, with their restless energy and unrelenting drive, had taught her the art of making do, but never the grace of finding joy in it. Their voices lingered like ghosts, murmuring about self-reliance and determination, lessons she had embraced out of necessity rather than love. Ahead, the landscape sprawled in jagged defiance—a tangle of rocky outcrops and brittle trees clawing skyward. Somewhere in this wilderness lay what she needed: iron deposits to chip away at, raw materials to haul back to the forge. It was a simple task on paper, but simplicity had a way of dissolving under the weight of effort. Her first stop was a dried riverbed, its once-vital waters reduced to a vein of pale stones winding through the earth. She crouched low, fingers probing the jagged terrain with a precision born of practice. Each stone she overturned was a small betrayal, offering nothing but damp earth or brittle shale. The chill of the morning clung to her fingertips, biting through her thin gloves as though mocking her persistence. Minutes bled into an hour, and still her satchel hung empty at her side. Jaelynn straightened, her muscles protesting the motion, and let out a sharp breath that lingered in the cold air like a ghost. Frustration simmered at the edges of her composure, but she tamped it down, channeling it into movement. She adjusted the strap of her cloak and pressed on, her resolve as sharp as the blade slung across her back. The next site she chose was a rocky escarpment, its surface speckled with the promise of mineral deposits. She scaled it with care, her boots finding purchase on narrow ledges, her hands gripping stone polished smooth by time and weather. Each step upward was a silent argument against gravity, a refusal to yield. At the top, she paused to catch her breath, the town of Tolbana a distant smudge on the horizon below. She set to work, her pick striking stone with a steady rhythm that echoed through the stillness. Sparks flared briefly with each impact, tiny stars that vanished before they could fully form. But the rock refused to yield its secrets, offering only stubborn resistance and mocking silence. The futility of her efforts gnawed at her, a quiet frustration that felt as heavy as the blade on her back. By midmorning, the sun had risen high enough to burn away the last vestiges of frost, its warmth doing little to thaw her growing irritation. She descended the escarpment with careful precision, her body moving automatically even as her mind churned. Each failed attempt etched itself into her memory, a ledger of small defeats that weighed heavier than they should. Her final stop was a dense grove, the trees standing like sentinels in the quiet. Here, the ground was soft and loamy, scattered with fallen leaves that muffled her steps. Jaelynn moved with practiced ease, her eyes scanning for signs of disturbed earth, for the subtle gleam of iron-bearing stones. She crouched once more, her fingers digging into the soil, searching for a glimmer of hope in the dark. But hope, it seemed, was not hers to find that morning. By the time she rose, empty-handed and aching, the sun was climbing toward its zenith. Her cloak hung heavy on her shoulders, dusted with earth and the faint scent of pine. The weight of her failure pressed against her chest, not unbearable but persistent, a reminder of the effort spent for no reward. And yet, Jaelynn lingered in the wilderness, unwilling to turn back, unwilling to let the day end without something to show for it. Her breath was a whisper in the still air, her resolve tightening with each measured step. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240237 | LD 7 | Failure Edited January 18 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 18 Author #3 Share Posted January 18 (edited) The failure of the morning hung over Jaelynn like a storm cloud, trailing her steps as she pushed deeper into the wilderness beyond Tolbana. She clung to the mountain’s edge now, the land sloping steeply away beneath her boots. Here, where the ground was less forgiving, the forest thinned and gave way to jagged outcroppings of stone. The air was colder, sharper, cutting against her skin with every gust of wind. The whistle of it through the rocks sounded like some mournful lament, and Jaelynn couldn’t help but feel the world itself was mocking her perseverance. She adjusted the weight of the pickaxe slung across her back, its handle tapping rhythmically against her shoulder as she climbed. The path she followed wasn’t a path at all—just a precarious line of footing where dirt crumbled into scree and boulders loomed like sentinels. Her boots scraped against the rock face as she hauled herself upward, her breath coming in short bursts that fogged the chill air. The strain bit into her legs, and her arms burned from steadying herself against the rough stone, but she pressed on, her gaze fixed on the distant promise of iron veins tucked somewhere in these heights. At one point, the trail narrowed to little more than a ribbon of earth, bordered by a sheer drop on one side and an unforgiving rock wall on the other. Jaelynn’s heart pounded as she sidled along, one hand pressed flat against the stone for balance. Pebbles shifted and skittered down into the abyss with every careful step, their faint echoes a haunting reminder of how far there was to fall. The effort was maddening, the minutes stretching into an hour or more as the climb dragged on. Her body ached with the labor, and frustration simmered beneath her composure. This is ridiculous, she thought, biting back the urge to curse aloud. All this, for what? A few scraps of metal? But even as her resolve wavered, the flicker of something caught her eye. Up ahead, where the mountain curved away from the sun, a faint reddish-brown gleam emerged from the shadow of an overhanging ledge. Iron. The sight of it spurred her forward, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. Reaching the ledge meant clambering over an uneven tangle of rocks, each one slick with dew and treacherous beneath her weight. Her fingers sought purchase on the stone, the sharp edges biting into her skin as she hoisted herself up. Finally, she reached the small plateau, dropping to her knees to catch her breath. The iron vein stretched before her like a prize waiting to be claimed, its surface dull but unmistakable against the pale gray of the surrounding rock. Jaelynn unshouldered her pickaxe, her grip steady despite the trembling in her hands, and positioned herself to begin. The first strike echoed through the narrow gorge, a sharp crack that reverberated like a cry into the wilderness. The rock was stubborn, yielding only small fragments at a time, and each swing sent vibrations up her arms, compounding her fatigue. The sun crept higher overhead as she worked, the sky shifting to a pale, hazy blue. Time blurred into the rhythm of the pickaxe’s rise and fall, each impact scattering tiny shards of stone and dust into the air. She chipped away slowly, the iron revealing itself in slivers and chunks, until at last, her efforts bore fruit—a sizable piece breaking free and clattering to the ground. She stooped to retrieve it, turning the ore over in her hands. The rough, uneven surface was cool against her palm, its weight heavier than she’d expected. A small smile tugged at her lips, unbidden—a glimmer of satisfaction amidst the day’s toil. But her reprieve was short-lived. The ledge beneath her feet was not as stable as it appeared, and as she shifted her weight to pack the iron into her satchel, the ground gave a sudden, violent lurch. A crack split the air as a chunk of rock splintered away from the edge, taking her footing with it. Instinct took over as Jaelynn threw herself backward, her heart pounding in her chest as she scrambled for stability. The edge crumbled away into the ravine below, leaving her sprawled on her hands and knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The pickaxe had clattered out of reach, lying precariously close to the jagged drop. For a long moment, she simply knelt there, her body trembling with the aftershock of narrowly avoiding disaster. The iron in her satchel seemed impossibly heavy now, a weight both literal and symbolic of the cost of her ambition. Gathering herself, Jaelynn crawled forward on unsteady limbs, reclaiming her pickaxe with deliberate care. Her fingers brushed the edge of the handle, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she pulled it safely back. Her descent was cautious, each step measured as she retraced her way down the mountainside. The path was no less treacherous than before, but something in her had shifted—a renewed determination threading through her exhaustion. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240241 | LD 15 | Success 1/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 18 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 18 Author #4 Share Posted January 18 (edited) As the afternoon light bled slowly into the bruised hues of evening, Jaelynn found herself once again in the heart of Tolbana. The town seemed to breathe with a different rhythm now, a quiet hum that whispered secrets of forgotten corners and abandoned things. The market stalls had begun to shutter, their vibrant colors fading to muted tones beneath the oncoming shadow of dusk. The noise of bustling vendors and customers was replaced by the distant murmur of a few remaining stragglers, their voices lingering in the cool air like stray notes in an unfinished song. As the afternoon light bled slowly into the bruised hues of evening, Jaelynn found herself once again in the heart of Tolbana. The town seemed to breathe with a different rhythm now, a quiet hum that whispered secrets of forgotten corners and abandoned things. The market stalls had begun to shutter, their vibrant colors fading to muted tones beneath the oncoming shadow of dusk. The noise of bustling vendors and customers was replaced by the distant murmur of a few remaining stragglers, their voices lingering in the cool air like stray notes in an unfinished song. Jaelynn’s boots, worn and weathered, clicked against the cobbled streets with a quiet determination. The weight of her exhaustion pressed heavily on her shoulders, pulling at her resolve with each step. Her cloak, now dirtied from hours of travel, fluttered behind her like a tattered banner, the frayed edges trailing the ghost of her journey. The iron ore nestled in her satchel, its weight a reminder of her earlier success, but it felt like a burden now—its coldness seeping through the fabric, echoing her fatigue. She needed to find something. Anything. And so, with a silent promise to herself, she turned away from the main thoroughfare and ventured deeper into the winding alleys that wound like veins beneath the skin of the town. Here, the air was heavier, tinged with the scent of wet stone and forgotten wood. The buildings leaned in closer, their ancient faces weathered by time, their shutters drawn tight as though hiding from the encroaching darkness. Jaelynn’s eyes, sharp and keen, swept over the scattered debris at her feet—fragments of broken carts, rusted tools, shards of forgotten weapons. Each discarded item seemed to hold a story, a memory of lives lived and forgotten. She crouched, her hands brushing the rough cobblestones, her fingers trailing over the edges of shattered pottery and bent nails. She wasn’t looking for treasures; she was looking for something that could fulfill the blacksmith’s challenge—something usable, something that could be repurposed. The town, though seemingly deserted, was not without its remnants. She found the half-buried remnants of an old, rusted sword, its edge dulled by years of neglect. The hilt was chipped, but the metal still held a faint gleam beneath the grime. Jaelynn’s fingers curled around it, the cold of the iron biting into her skin as she carefully pulled it free from the earth. It was a crude thing, more a relic of a forgotten battle than a weapon of any real worth, but it was something. She weighed it in her hands, the silence of the town pressing in around her like the last exhale of a dying fire. A soft breeze stirred the fallen leaves at her feet, the sound of it like a whispered promise. Jaelynn stood, brushing the dirt from her knees, and looked around. There had to be more—something more. She shifted, her gaze flicking to a pile of old crates stacked haphazardly in a corner, their wood weathered by age and neglect. Her steps were measured as she approached, the scrape of her boots against the stone the only sound in the stillness. The crates were heavier than they looked, their edges splintered and worn from years of neglect. Jaelynn pried one open with careful hands, her fingers skimming over the rough surface. Inside, the scent of rotting wood and rusted nails filled the air. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as she peered inside, her eyes catching the glint of something buried beneath the debris. Metal, twisted and forgotten, hidden in plain sight. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, though it was faint and tinged with the weariness of the day. She pulled the metal free, her hands stained with dust and grime, but there was no hesitation in her movements now. She had found it. Not with strength or labor, but with patience and an eye for what others had overlooked. The material was rough, jagged, but it would do. It was a piece of Tolbana’s forgotten history, repurposed into something new. Jaelynn took a moment to catch her breath, her fingers still clutching the shard of metal. The weight in her satchel felt lighter now, the promise of completion within reach. Yet, the evening was closing in, the light fading with each passing moment, and she knew that her journey was far from over. The town, with its mysteries and discarded treasures, had given her what she needed for now. But the road ahead, darkening as the stars began to pierce the sky, would demand more than just metal—it would demand heart, and patience, and something far harder to find. With one last look at the alley, where shadows now curled like smoke, Jaelynn turned her back on the town and headed towards the Floor Gates. The weight of her victory still heavy in her hands, she felt the need to call it a night. The night sky stretched above her, and with a quiet sigh, she passed through the gates, leaving Tolbana behind as she made her way toward the safety of Floor 02. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240242 | LD 15 | Success 2/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 18 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 18 Author #5 Share Posted January 18 (edited) Emerald vision in a world of dusk Her descent from the branches of her secluded hollow was a delicate dance of balance and precision. The first rays of dawn hadn’t yet kissed the treetops, leaving the forest shrouded in deep blue shadow. Her boots met the mossy ground with a muted thud, the air cool and thick with the scent of damp earth. She adjusted the strap of her satchel, and began her trek toward the teleport gate. The journey to the First Floor was uneventful, the twisting paths of the Second Floor’s forest eerily silent. The occasional rustle in the underbrush sent her heart racing, but nothing emerged to challenge her. By the time the golden glow of the gate came into view, her shoulders had relaxed, though her mind was heavy with the task ahead. In Tolbana, the city felt quieter than usual, the early morning light casting long, sleepy shadows across the cobbled streets. Jaelynn retraced her steps to the outskirts of the town, where the blacksmith’s quest had pointed her: the ruins of an old forge just beyond the city walls. Here, the air seemed to hum with a faint memory of fire and steel, though the forge itself was long abandoned, its stone walls crumbled into the earth. She searched with care, her gloved hands sifting through piles of debris and rusted scrap. Broken tools lay scattered among the weeds, their edges dulled by time. A wheelbarrow sat overturned, its wooden frame splintered and worn. Jaelynn crouched, inspecting what looked like the remnants of a steel ingot, only to find it cracked and brittle beneath her touch. The minutes stretched into an hour. Every glint of metal in the rubble turned out to be useless—too corroded, too fragile, or too warped to be of any value. Frustration gnawed at her patience, but she pressed on, her movements methodical. She uncovered a bent horseshoe, its surface pocked with rust, and a set of nails so corroded they crumbled between her fingers. By the time the sun had climbed higher into the sky, Jaelynn’s satchel remained as empty as it had been when she started. She straightened with a sigh, brushing the dirt from her knees. The forge had given her nothing. Shaking her head, she adjusted the strap of her satchel and began the long walk back. Her pace was slower now, her steps heavier. Yet, as the wind stirred the tall grass and carried with it the faint scent of wildflowers, Jaelynn reminded herself that not every day would end in triumph. She stood for a moment in the stillness, listening to the faint calls of birds in the distance. The world moved on, indifferent to her small failure. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240244 | LD 5 | Failure 2/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 19 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 19 Author #6 Share Posted January 19 (edited) Jaelynn’s journey toward the Forgotten Mine began beneath the golden light of morning, the sun’s rays breaking through the thinning canopy of the Second Floor’s forest. The world was quiet save for the crunch of her boots against the loamy trail and the distant murmur of wind weaving through the trees. Shadows stretched long and languid over the path, painted in hues of green and amber. At the teleport gate, the brilliant hum of magic enveloped her. It shimmered and pulsed, a living heartbeat, before whisking her away. The world fragmented for a breath, a kaleidoscope of color and light, and when it reformed, Jaelynn stood on the First Floor. The air here was different—warmer, laden with the faintest trace of flowers blooming far off in hidden meadows. Her steps carried her beyond the bustling heart of Tolbana, where the town’s cheerful chaos dissolved into the wide expanse of rolling plains. The grasses, kissed by the morning dew, sparkled like a sea of emeralds in the sunlight. A cobbled path, worn smooth by countless travelers, stretched onward, winding through the landscape like a thread drawn through fabric. It led her deeper into the countryside, where the ruins of ancient outposts and forgotten altars rose like islands from the grassy tide. Jaelynn paused by a crumbling fountain, its once-majestic figures now weathered into faint impressions of their former glory. Water still trickled faintly from its center, pooling in a shallow basin coated with moss. The sound was soothing, a quiet rhythm that echoed her own breath. She crouched to fill her waterskin, her reflection flickering in the rippling surface—a pale figure framed by the soft glint of her silvery hair, her eyes twin emeralds glowing in the light. The path grew narrower as the day deepened, weaving through a stretch of woodland dense with birch and oak. Here, the air grew cooler, the light fractured by a latticework of leaves. The distant call of a bird rang out, its song weaving into the symphony of rustling branches and the occasional snap of a twig beneath her step. Eventually, the trees thinned, giving way to rocky foothills that loomed like sentinels over the plains below. Their gray faces bore the scars of time, deep fissures and jagged outcroppings cutting stark silhouettes against the sky. It was here, at the base of a weathered cliff, that she found the entrance to the Forgotten Mine. The opening yawned like a slumbering maw, framed by ancient timbers and clusters of wildflowers that crept stubbornly toward its edges. A faint breeze whispered from the depths, carrying with it the scent of damp stone and the faintest hint of decay. Jaelynn hesitated, the weight of the cavern’s forgotten history pressing against her chest. But she squared her shoulders, her satchel brushing against her side with a quiet rustle, and stepped forward. The threshold of shadow embraced her, and the light of the outside world faded into the soft, eerie glow of her lantern. Each step into the mine felt like a step into another world, a place where time had slowed to a crawl, where even her breath seemed loud against the whisper of the earth. Her task lay within, and the promise of discovery pulled her deeper into the dark. Jaelynn’s exploration of the Forgotten Mine began cautiously, her footsteps soft against the weathered stone, her senses sharp with anticipation. The mine’s entrance yawned like a jagged wound in the hillside, the air spilling from within cool and damp, tinged with an earthy metallic tang. The sunlight barely pierced the threshold, leaving the dark to reign unchallenged within its depths. She hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside, the shadows swallowing her whole. It was not long before faint glimmers began to punctuate the gloom, soft pinpricks of blue and green light dotting the walls and floor. The fungi clung to the rock in fragile clusters, their delicate glow like scattered stars against a midnight sky. Jaelynn’s breath caught as she adjusted to the faint, otherworldly illumination, her emerald eyes catching glints of reflected light. Without the means to carry a lantern, this silent constellation would be her guide. The narrow tunnel stretched onward, its walls rough-hewn and scarred by tools long since abandoned. As her boots pressed against the uneven ground, the faint crunch of gravel echoed softly, swallowed quickly by the mine’s suffocating silence. The glow of the fungi waxed and waned with her steps, a gentle rhythm of light and shadow. Occasionally, a small cascade of pebbles would tumble from above, disturbed by her passage, and each time her heart raced, her hand instinctively brushing against the hilt of her dagger. As she ventured deeper, the passage opened into a modest chamber, its high ceiling crisscrossed with beams of ancient, splintering wood. The fungi here were denser, their light pooling in strange ripples across the uneven stone, casting shadows that flickered and danced with her movements. The chamber bore the weight of a forgotten era: rusted tools lay scattered among shattered planks, their forms barely discernible beneath a fine coating of dust and decay. Jaelynn moved cautiously, her fingers brushing over an old, iron pickaxe leaning against the wall. The wood of its handle disintegrated at her touch, leaving behind only a hollowed shard of rusted metal. She frowned, brushing her gloved hands against her thighs, her sharp gaze sweeping the room for anything of value. It was then that she noticed it—a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer emanating from a crevice in the far wall. She approached it, her boots stirring up motes of dust that danced lazily in the bioluminescent glow. The light played tricks on her vision, but as she knelt to inspect the crevice, she saw veins of gold streaked through the rock, their surface glinting faintly in the soft light. Her breath caught. The shimmering vein was partially buried behind a pile of loose stones, their arrangement precarious and threatening to collapse with the slightest disturbance. Jaelynn surveyed the scene with care, her mind already working through the challenge. There were no tools here sturdy enough to aid her, no convenient means to pry the vein free. She flexed her fingers, setting to work with what she had. She worked slowly, her movements precise and deliberate, each shift of stone accompanied by the faint scrape of her gloves against the rock. Time seemed to stretch as the bioluminescent glow ebbed and flowed around her, the fungi casting an ethereal sheen across her dirt-smeared face. Her breathing grew heavier, beads of sweat gathering at her brow despite the chill in the air. At last, with one final effort, she dislodged a larger piece of the wall. The chunk of rock tumbled free, landing with a muted thud that sent faint vibrations through the floor. The sound echoed into the mine’s depths, and for a tense moment, Jaelynn froze, listening to the oppressive stillness for any sign of danger. The mine held its breath, and after several heartbeats, Jaelynn let out a quiet exhale. Her attention returned to the stone she had uncovered, its surface marbled with the gleaming veins of gold and steel. She brushed away the dust and grit, her fingertips tracing the edges of the material. This was more than she had hoped for—not merely iron or scrap, but a rare alloy known as Aursteel, prized for its unique resilience. A faint smile curved her lips, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten. She wrapped the precious find in a piece of cloth from her satchel, securing it carefully before tucking it away. The weight of it pressed reassuringly against her side—a reminder of her quiet triumph. The chamber seemed to exhale around her, the bioluminescent fungi pulsing gently in the stillness. The faint sound of dripping water echoed somewhere in the distance, a steady rhythm that accompanied her as she stood, brushing dust from her knees. She took a final glance at the chamber, its eerie beauty etched into her memory, before turning toward the tunnel that would lead her back to the surface. The path out of the mine felt lighter, though the shadows remained thick, and the bioluminescent glow continued to guide her steps. Each pool of light seemed like a small victory, illuminating her path forward even as the world around her remained steeped in darkness. By the time she reached the entrance, the pale glow of dawn had begun to seep through the forest, bathing the world outside in a soft, golden haze. Jaelynn stepped into the morning light, her satchel heavier but her heart lighter. The Forgotten Mine had relinquished its treasure, three down, two to go. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240264| LD 18 | Success 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 20 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 20 Author #7 Share Posted January 20 (edited) The faint glimmer of hope Jaelynn carried after finding the Aursteel began to wane as she pushed deeper into the forgotten mine. The bioluminescent fungi on the walls, once comforting with their soft, ethereal glow, seemed dimmer now, as though the mine itself was mocking her persistence. Her emerald eyes scanned every crevice and shadow, but the uneven stone walls offered only disappointment—a blank canvas where treasure should be hidden. She crouched near a jagged crack in the floor, the chill of the damp stone biting through the thin leather of her gloves. Her fingers traced the outline of the fissure, searching for the telltale shimmer of metal or the rough texture of usable ore. Nothing. Just cold, unyielding rock. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, and she sat back on her heels, letting her gaze wander over the desolate chamber. Broken tools, splintered wood, and piles of debris surrounded her—mute witnesses to an age of labor now lost to memory. The oppressive silence of the mine pressed down on her like a heavy cloak, amplifying the sound of her own breathing. “What’s even the point?” she muttered, her voice barely louder than a whisper. The words tumbled out unbidden, sharpened by the slow-burning anger simmering in her chest. “Digging through ruins for scraps like some scavenger. Is this really what they expect?” Her voice echoed faintly, the sound swallowed quickly by the mine’s unfeeling walls. She stood, brushing dirt from her knees with sharp, irritated movements. The strap of her satchel dug into her shoulder, the weight of the Aursteel she’d already collected now feeling more like a taunt than a triumph. One step forward, and still so far to go. Determined not to give up just yet, Jaelynn made her way into another tunnel, its entrance partially collapsed and framed by rotted wooden beams. The faint blue-green light of the fungi struggled to reach this far, leaving the passage steeped in deep shadow. She moved cautiously, her boots stirring up small clouds of dust with each step. Every few paces, she stopped to inspect the walls, her fingers brushing over the rough stone in search of anything promising. But all she found were jagged edges and the occasional flake of rust—evidence of tools or veins long since stripped bare. The frustration built in her like a rising tide, each fruitless search adding to the weight pressing against her resolve. By the time she reached the end of the tunnel, where the rock face loomed like a dead end to her hopes, her patience snapped. Jaelynn slammed her hand against the wall, the impact sending a sharp jolt through her arm. “Is this all this place has to offer? Shadows and dust?” she hissed through gritted teeth. “How could anyone leave so much behind and take everything worth having?” The mine answered her outburst with a faint groan, the ancient wood and stone shifting imperceptibly in the still air. She froze, holding her breath, waiting for the faint sound to subside. When it did, she let out a shaky exhale and turned away from the wall. The walk back to the mine’s main chamber felt longer than it should have, the weight of failure dragging at her every step. By the time she emerged into the relative openness of the glowing fungi, her anger had cooled, leaving behind a hollow ache. She dropped onto a nearby boulder, resting her elbows on her knees and burying her face in her hands. “Why does it have to be this hard?” she murmured to herself, the words muffled but heavy with doubt. Her mind flickered back to the blacksmith’s request, to the hope of earning a little coin and respect. But right now, the quest felt more like an endless punishment than an opportunity. For a long moment, she stayed there, letting the mine’s quiet seep into her bones. The faint luminescence around her painted her pale skin in ghostly hues, highlighting the furrow of her brow and the tight line of her mouth. Eventually, she pushed herself to her feet, her expression hardening. Failure or not, the mine wouldn’t keep her. Not today. Jaelynn adjusted her satchel, her fingers brushing the edges of the Aursteel tucked safely inside. It wasn’t enough—not by a long shot—but it was something. She would try again, somewhere else, some other time. For now, all she could do was leave this hollow place behind and hope that the world above ground offered a kinder fate. With a final glance at the softly glowing fungi, she turned and began the long walk back toward Floor 01. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240294 | LD 4 | Failure 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 20 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 20 Author #8 Share Posted January 20 (edited) Jaelynn’s steps were slow, the world around her stretching out in shades of soft amber and pale blue as dusk bled into the horizon. The outskirts of Tolbana were not far off, but she didn’t head toward the town. The call of the forge, the weight of the blacksmith’s task, still clung to her like a second skin, and she needed something—anything—to make this failure feel less like defeat. She walked, the earth soft beneath her boots, but the sense of direction had abandoned her. The hills were empty, the air still, save for the faint rustling of the grass beneath the gentle push of the wind. Her hands were empty, save for her satchel—too light to be satisfying, but far too heavy to ignore. The cloth strap dug into her shoulder, a constant reminder of her last futile attempt. The forest here was sparse, its trees scattered like broken thoughts, their branches thin and reaching toward a sky too distant to touch. The Emerald-starred nomad’s gaze scanned the ground as she moved through the wild underbrush. She bent low, fingers brushing the earth, combing through the patches of leaves and stones. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the occasional crunch of her own steps, the scrape of her hand as she shifted the debris in search of the materials that seemed forever out of reach. She paused, kneeling to inspect a patch of ground where tufts of grass and small rocks jutted from the soil. Her fingers brushed the tips of the grass, hoping to find something—anything—that might serve her cause. She picked up a shard of stone, its surface smooth and cool against her skin. It wasn’t what she was searching for. Not even close. "Tsk." But she held it for a moment, the weight of it reminding her of the old forges, of the fire and heat, the satisfaction of a task completed. It was nothing more than a memory now, a ghost of something she could never hold. The silver-lit specter let it fall from her hand, her gaze flicking toward the distant line of trees. Nothing here. Her frustration swirled like a storm cloud, the emptiness of the land mirroring the hollow feeling in her chest. Her thoughts turned inward, the weight of each failure adding another layer of cold to the night. She moved on, ignoring the ache in her legs, the tiredness settling like stone in her body. The world felt vast, impossibly so, and her tiny efforts seemed as insignificant as the fading stars above. There was no sound here, no sign of anything that might help. The land stretched on, indifferent to her attempts. Her search was an act of stubbornness now, driven by nothing more than the need to move, to do something. Yet with every step, every brush of her fingers against the earth, she found herself further from what she sought. The world was endless, and she—small, fragile Jaelynn—was just a fleeting shadow in it. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240295 | LD 3 | Failure 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 20 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 20 Author #9 Share Posted January 20 (edited) The world outside Tolbana’s borders was vast, and tonight, it felt like it mocked her. The sky hung heavy with stars, their brilliance indifferent to her failures. Jaelynn stood alone beneath the spindly limbs of a leafless tree, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. A low growl escaped her lips as she tilted her head back, staring into the void of the night. “Three tries. Three damned tries,” she muttered through gritted teeth. The bark of the tree before her seemed to leer, daring her to act. Without thinking, she slammed her head against it—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to rattle her focus. A dull thud echoed in her ears as the tree shivered faintly under the blow. She staggered back a step, the impact leaving her vision momentarily blurred with pixelated distortions dancing at the edges. She shook her head as if to clear them, scowling. “Get it together,” she hissed, dragging her hands through her hair in frustration. Then, like a broken marionette, Jaelynn lurched into motion. The rustling fields stretched before her like an endless sea, each blade of grass whispering cruel secrets in the breeze. She scoured the underbrush with frantic hands, each sweep of her fingers yielding only twigs and dirt. A rusted horseshoe discarded in the grass caught her eye, and she pounced on it as though it were treasure. But the moment she held it, its brittle edge crumbled, useless in her quest. She scaled a rocky incline next, her boots scraping against loose gravel. The jagged stones beneath her fingers bit into her palms, leaving shallow scratches that flickered into brief bursts of color before fading. When she reached the top, the barren plateau offered her nothing but silence. No hidden deposits, no glint of promise—only the wind, cold and taunting. At the edge of a shadowed pond, she crouched, peering into its still depths. The moon reflected back at her, pale and unwavering, as if daring her to break under the weight of another failure. Her fingers trailed along the water’s surface, disrupting the mirrored image. When her hands came up empty yet again, she let out a harsh exhale and turned away. By the time she reached the outskirts of Floor 2, the tension in her chest had dulled into weary resignation. She slumped against the trunk of a familiar tree, staring up at the network of branches that led to her hollow. “Tomorrow,” she murmured, her voice flat but resolute. “Tomorrow, I don’t stop until I find something.” With a final glance toward the distant horizon, she climbed back into the sanctuary of her hollow, her determination burning low but steady, like the faint flicker of her stolen lantern. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240296 | LD 3 | Failure 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 21 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 21 Author #10 Share Posted January 21 (edited) Under the pale gaze of the moon, the moon-borne seeker stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the ground as though it might offer some answer. She had failed again. The same miserable, rusted scraps littered her satchel, mocking her every step, each piece just another reminder of how she was falling short. Her breath came in sharp bursts, the cold air burning her lungs. The weight of failure was settling into her bones, heavier than the pack on her back, heavier than her frustration. She didn’t know when she had stopped caring whether the forest heard her muttered curses or not, but tonight, it felt like the trees themselves were laughing at her. She kicked a rock—hard—and watched it tumble into the darkness. It didn’t even make a satisfying sound when it hit the ground. Her chest tightened, frustration twisting deeper into her gut, and she slammed her fist against the nearest tree trunk. The force made her fingers sting, but there was no relief, no sudden burst of emotion that felt justifiable. Only a hollow ache. Her head hung low as she gazed at the ground, staring at nothing in particular. The quiet buzz of insects around her seemed to mock the stillness in her mind, the strange peace that persisted despite everything. Each step she had taken on this blasted quest was a step toward nothing. She had scoured the forests, searched caves that held nothing but dust and decay. She had found old, forgotten scraps and passed them over, wondering where the real materials were hiding. Was she simply not looking hard enough? Or was she just too weak? Too inexperienced? Jaelynn pressed her hand to her forehead, her thoughts racing, and before she realized it, her head collided with the rough bark of a nearby tree. The impact made her wince, no sting. Nothing but a dull, dead feeling that seemed to settle in her chest. She had expected more from herself. She had hoped for more. But tonight, her patience was spent. With a bitter sigh, Jaelynn turned on her heel and began walking back to the familiar shadows of Floor 2. She had pushed herself too far, and there was no use in forcing her luck any longer. Tomorrow would be a new day—tomorrow, she wouldn’t give up, not until she found something. The frustration simmered, but it didn’t extinguish the fire that burned within her. Jaelynn wasn’t done yet. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240361 | LD 9 | Failure 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 21 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 21 Author #11 Share Posted January 21 (edited) The air felt thicker this morning, the weight of her past failures lingering in the space between her breaths. Five. Five times now, Jaelynn had searched, strained, and fought for something to bring back. And five times, she had returned empty-handed. The thought gnawed at her insides, threatening to unbalance her, to drown her in frustration. She could feel the frustration like a knot in her chest as she stepped from the shelter of her hollow, the first light of dawn spilling over the forest in delicate threads of gold and lavender. The earth beneath her boots was cool, and the forest around her still hummed with the sleepy murmur of morning. She had failed five times—five bloody attempts—and yet here she was, staring into the quiet world before her, determined not to let the weight of the past drag her under. The dusk-bound wanderer’s eyes scanned the quiet forest. There was no rustling, no hint of movement in the branches above. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. She adjusted the strap of her satchel, the leather biting into her shoulder. Today, she wouldn’t allow herself to fall into the spiral of defeat. There was something raw, something real about today—something that made the desperation settle beneath the surface of her skin, but not take over. Not yet. She pressed on, her steps softer now, blending with the pulse of the forest. The deep green canopy above her seemed indifferent to her plight, casting its shadows with impassive calm. Her hands brushed against the bark of a familiar tree as she walked, the texture grounding her in the moment. But still, the weight of the previous failures clung to her like a second skin. Each step seemed more uncertain than the last, a question hanging in the air: “Would today be different?” A sharp cry from a bird above broke her thoughts, its wings cutting the morning air with a cry of defiance. Jae’s eyes flicked to the sky, watching the bird take flight, its wings slicing through the sky with effortless grace. She clenched her jaw, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the self-doubt that was creeping in like shadows at dusk. She had already failed five times, but she could not let that be the measure of her worth. No. She would keep going, if only because stopping would be a surrender. The forest opened before her, the path winding like a thread, pulling her deeper into the heart of it. She would keep searching. The trees whispered above her, their leaves rustling like soft laughter, as if mocking her persistence. But she wasn’t listening. The weight of five failures bore down on her, but she would carry it for as long as it took. She wasn’t stopping today. She couldn’t. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240362 | LD 5 | Failure 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 21 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 21 Author #12 Share Posted January 21 (edited) The sun had barely touched the sky when Jaelynn left her hollow, a quiet resolve in her chest. The morning air was sharp, the first breath of the day biting at her exposed skin. She marched, determined, to the edge of the forest where the tree line started to thin, leading her toward the edge of the jagged cliffs that flanked Floor 2. It was a location she hadn’t yet explored—a craggy expanse where the earth seemed to crumble and fall away into the abyss below. The cliffs were silent, save for the occasional screech of a distant bird, and the wind that swept over the stones with a haunting, low wail. The ground underfoot was uneven, jagged rocks and wild grasses growing in the cracks, a stark contrast to the smooth, undisturbed forests she knew so well. Jaelynn took steady steps, the morning sun slanting through the branches like silver knives, casting long shadows over the rough terrain. She was a starlit vigil with emerald fire burning inside of her. Her eyes scanned the area, tracing the sharp contours of the rock faces that loomed above her. There was little to see in this desolate landscape—nothing in the way of resources, no glint of metal or hint of ore. Just the jagged outcroppings of stone that mocked her with their silent emptiness. Her fingers grazed over a few crumbling rocks, brushing aside the dust, and her heart sank as she realized there was nothing here worth her time. The frustration rose again, hot and bitter in her chest, but she held it back. There was no place for it now, not when she was so close to something she needed. Her quest was not over. She wouldn’t let the failures define her. Jae paused for a moment, taking in the vast, open space before her. The air was still, the world holding its breath. She stared at the cliff's edge, the abyss below seemingly endless, and exhaled slowly. This was not her end, no matter how many times the rocks had laughed at her attempts. She wouldn’t be defeated. With a hard set of her jaw, she turned away from the cliffs, the wind stirring her ivory hair behind her like a banner. She wasn’t done yet. The search would continue—through the afternoon, through the night if she had to. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she would find what she needed. With a hard set of her jaw, Jaelynn turned away from the cliffs, the wind stirring her ivory hair like a banner in defiance. She wasn't done yet. The failures had accumulated, but they wouldn't halt her resolve. There would be no waiting for tomorrow. Her feet were already moving toward the path that led to Floor 1. She wouldn't stay in the city, no—she would find what she needed out there, among the wilds, where others hadn't tread. Her search was far from over. She would not be denied. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240363 | LD 5 | Failure 3/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 21 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 21 Author #13 Share Posted January 21 (edited) Jaelynn’s boots found purchase on the uneven terrain of Floor 1 as she descended from the cliffs, her mind fixed on a single thought: she wouldn’t stop. The sun had barely brushed the treetops when she left the canopy of her home behind, weaving her way toward the border between Floor 01 and Floor 02. It was a place where the land met the open sky, a place of possibility and failure. And now she would retrace her steps, stay near her home of humility. The jade-eyed sentinel moved through the forest like a shadow, determined, yet torn between the thin line of hope and the suffocating weight of frustration. The failure of her previous attempts clung to her, like the shadows that slipped between the trees, always just out of reach. The city, the crowded streets, the familiar safety of Tolbana felt miles away now, swallowed by the sprawling wilderness. Her thoughts churned, turning over the memories of each attempt—the slick walls of the caves, the faint glimmer of disappointment in her mind. Every twist, every turn of the path had seemed like a promise, only to dissolve like mist before her touch. Each failure was a stone in her chest, each rejection a reminder of what she lacked. Her fingers brushed against the rough bark of the nearest tree as if seeking answers in the ancient wood, but the forest offered nothing but silence. The silver-tressed sentinel moved with quiet intensity, her emerald gaze scanning the underbrush, her mind a storm of calculations. She had come here before, and the land still whispered of hidden treasures—gems and metals buried deep within the earth, waiting to be uncovered. Yet it felt as though the earth had closed its heart to her. She had missed something, she was certain of it. She had to keep moving, keep searching, lest the land betray her entirely. The trees grew taller as she moved deeper into the wilderness, their thick branches reaching out like the arms of forgotten giants. A cool breeze stirred the leaves, setting them dancing in a language only the forest knew. Midnight's daughter with emerald eyes felt the tension in the air as if the very earth were holding its breath. The forest was not simply a place—it was a living thing, a reflection of the desires and frustrations of those who walked its path. It had its own rhythm, its own beat, and for a fleeting moment, Jaelynn felt it synchronize with her own heart, a pulse that reverberated through the quiet world around her. She continued, her movements fluid, driven by something greater than the ache in her bones. The fox-eyed enigma knew this land as if it were part of her soul, and though the search had worn her thin, she would not be deterred. Her determination cut through the haze of frustration like a knife through fog. Her breath steadied as she moved, her eyes sharp, alert to every detail. Time bled into itself, hours passing like the quiet whispers of forgotten things. As she moved through the thickets, she began to retrace her steps, questioning the path she had taken. Had she missed something? Had she overlooked a glimmer? The cat-eyed princess paused, her gaze sweeping over the forest floor, her thoughts turning inward. The pattern of the earth, the shape of the trees, the subtle pull of the land—it all held a key, she was sure of it. There had to be something here, something she had failed to see before. A low murmur rose in her chest as she crouched down, her fingers brushing through the leaves. The wind stilled, and the world seemed to hold its breath. She let the rhythm of the forest guide her, each movement slow, deliberate. The pale-eyed prowler was no stranger to quiet moments like this—her hands gentle, feeling for something hidden beneath the surface. She uncovered a small stone, half-buried in the dirt. It wasn’t what she sought, but the earth seemed to sigh as she let it go, and her fingers moved on. She was near. Jaelynn could feel it. Her hand brushed against something hard, a small shard of metal nestled among the roots of an ancient tree, like a forgotten treasure. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes fell upon it—dull, worn, but unmistakable. The steel-clad siren rose to her feet, her pulse quickening as the realization hit her. The search had not been in vain. She had found what she needed. It wasn’t the gleaming treasure she had imagined, but it was enough to push her forward, enough to carry her through the rest of the journey. Her breath came in slow, steady intervals, her chest rising and falling as she held the material in her hand. The feeling of it—cold, unyielding—was a reminder of the persistence that had led her here. She had come close to giving up. She had been on the brink of retreating, of surrendering to the crushing weight of failure. But now, the alabaster-eyed huntress knew what it was to struggle, to fail, and to rise again. The shadows of doubt began to recede as she stood tall, the weight of the material heavy in her palm, yet lightening her spirit. The forest no longer seemed quite so indifferent. The land, with all its trials, had yielded. Her steps took on a new rhythm, a more certain cadence, as she turned back toward the familiar path that would lead her home. The moonlight-kissed shadow emerged from the depths of the woods, her body light but her heart full. There was still more to be done, more to find. But for now, this small victory was enough. And so, she continued on, her journey no longer defined by the weight of failure but by the quiet strength that she carried within her. Tomorrow would come, and with it, another chance. But tonight, the ivory-crowned wanderer let the forest breathe with her, letting the triumph of this moment settle into her bones. "Four down, one to go." Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240366 | LD 16 | Success 4/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 24 by Jae Spoke to Ciela Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 21 Author #14 Share Posted January 21 (edited) The forest stretched on, silent and inscrutable, as the emerald-eyed seeker pressed forward. The shard of metal from her earlier find rested securely in her pouch, but it felt like a hollow victory now. Her breaths came in steady pulls, misting faintly in the chill air, yet the tension clung to her like a shroud. Somewhere out there, hidden amidst the labyrinth of trees, lay the final piece she sought. But for now, the land offered her nothing but its endless, indifferent sprawl. The light began to fade as Jaelynn moved deeper into the wilderness. Shadows grew long and jagged, reaching out like claws from the underbrush, and the dim glow of the evening sun struggled to pierce the dense canopy. The trees whispered in low murmurs as the wind passed through them, a haunting melody that mirrored the flickering frustration in her chest. The forest was alive, vast and unyielding, and in its heart, she felt like a fleeting ember—burning brightly but easily extinguished. She veered north, toward a patch of rugged terrain where moss-covered stones jutted out from the earth like the ribs of some ancient beast. The air here was damp, carrying the scent of decaying wood and the faint metallic tang of iron. Her fingers brushed against the rough bark of a towering oak, its twisted branches clawing at the sky as if reaching for salvation. The moonlit wanderer paused beneath its sprawling limbs, her gaze sweeping the ground for any sign of what she sought. But there was only earth and shadow, mocking her with their silence. She crouched low, her hands sifting through the leaves and damp soil. Time seemed to stretch as she worked, each moment a cruel whisper in her ear: Not enough. Not here. Not yet. The weight of her failures pressed against her ribs, sharp and unforgiving. Her emerald gaze faltered for a moment, staring into the darkness between the trees. The forest felt endless, its secrets buried deeper than she could reach. Still, she pushed herself to her feet, her jaw tightening. The icy tendrils of doubt crept into her thoughts, but she crushed them beneath the resolve that had carried her this far. Her steps were heavier now, slower, but her spirit remained unbroken. She was the ivory-crowned sentinel, a creature of resilience forged in quiet battles against despair. She would not yield. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240367 | LD 2 | Failure 4/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 24 by Jae Spoke with Ciela Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 22 Author #15 Share Posted January 22 (edited) The sun dipped low as Jaelynn stepped away from her previous failure, her breath shallow and her resolve stretched thin. The path ahead led her into a secluded meadow where the light seemed eternal, caught in a perpetual embrace of dawn. She had no name for the place, only the awe it inspired—where wildflowers, splashed with a painter's palette of color, waved gently in the breeze, and the soft gurgle of a stream threaded through the air like a song. Her footsteps were quiet as the wind that tugged at her cloak, urging her onward—toward the wild expanse that awaited. The forest whispered its secrets, but there was a bite beneath its serenity today, a hunger gnawing at her gut, urging her on. She needed more than just this moment. She needed her place in the world, her survival, her future carved from the bones of the land itself. The sun had barely brushed the treetops when she left the canopy of her home behind, weaving her way toward the border between Floor 01 and Floor 02. It was a place where the land met the open sky, a place of possibility and failure. The jade-eyed sentinel moved through the forest like a shadow, determined, yet torn between the thin line of hope and the suffocating weight of frustration. The failure of her previous attempts clung to her, like the shadows that slipped between the trees, always just out of reach. Her thoughts churned, turning over the memories of each attempt—the slick walls of the caves, the faint glimmer of disappointment in her mind. Every twist, every turn of the path had seemed like a promise, only to dissolve like mist before her touch. Each failure was a stone in her chest, each rejection a reminder of what she lacked. Her fingers brushed against the rough bark of the nearest tree as if seeking answers in the ancient wood, but the forest offered nothing but silence. The silver-tressed sentinel moved with quiet intensity, her emerald gaze scanning the underbrush, her mind a storm of calculations. She hadn't come here before, and the land whispered of hidden treasures—gems and metals buried deep within the earth, waiting to be uncovered. Yet it felt as though the earth had closed its heart to her. Unlike the other players of SAO. She had missed something, she was certain of it. She had to keep moving, keep searching, lest the land betray her entirely. The trees grew taller as she moved deeper into the wilderness, their thick branches reaching out like the arms of forgotten giants. A cool breeze stirred the leaves, setting them dancing in a language only the forest knew. Midnight's daughter with emerald eyes felt the tension in the air as if the very earth were holding its breath. The forest was not simply a place—it was a living thing, a reflection of the desires and frustrations of those who walked its path. It had its own rhythm, its own beat, and for a fleeting moment, Jaelynn felt it synchronize with her own heart, a pulse that reverberated through the quiet world around her. She continued, her movements fluid, driven by something greater than the ache in her bones. The fox-eyed enigma knew this land as if it were part of her soul, and though the search had worn her thin, she would not be deterred. Her determination cut through the haze of frustration like a knife through fog. Her breath steadied as she moved, her eyes sharp, alert to every detail. Time bled into itself, hours passing like the quiet whispers of forgotten things. As she moved through the thickets, she began to retrace her steps, questioning the path she had taken. Had she missed something? Had she overlooked a glimmer? The cat-eyed princess paused, her gaze sweeping over the forest floor, her thoughts turning inward. The pattern of the earth, the shape of the trees, the subtle pull of the land—it all held a key, she was sure of it. There had to be something here, something she had failed to see before. A low murmur rose in her chest as she crouched down, her fingers brushing through the leaves. The wind stilled, and the world seemed to hold its breath. She let the rhythm of the forest guide her, each movement slow, deliberate. The pale-eyed prowler was no stranger to quiet moments like this—her hands gentle, feeling for something hidden beneath the surface. She uncovered a small stone, half-buried in the dirt. It wasn’t what she sought, but the earth seemed to sigh as she let it go, and her fingers moved on. She was near. Jaelynn could feel it. Her hand brushed against something hard, a small shard of metal nestled among the roots of an ancient tree, like a forgotten treasure. Her heart skipped a beat as her eyes fell upon it—dull, worn, but unmistakable. The steel-clad siren rose to her feet, her pulse quickening as the realization hit her. The search had not been in vain. She had found what she needed. It wasn’t the gleaming treasure she had imagined, but it was enough to push her forward, enough to carry her through the rest of the journey. Her breath came in slow, steady intervals, her chest rising and falling as she held the material in her hand. The feeling of it—cold, unyielding—was a reminder of the persistence that had led her here. She had come close to giving up. She had been on the brink of retreating, of surrendering to the crushing weight of failure. But now, the alabaster-eyed huntress knew what it was to struggle, to fail, and to rise again. The shadows of doubt began to recede as she stood tall, the weight of the material heavy in her palm, yet lightening her spirit. The forest no longer seemed quite so indifferent. The land, with all its trials, had yielded. Her steps took on a new rhythm, a more certain cadence, as she turned back toward the familiar path that would lead her home. The moonlight-kissed shadow emerged from the depths of the woods, her body light but her heart full. There was still more to be done, more to find. But for now, this small victory was enough. And so, she continued on, her journey no longer defined by the weight of failure but by the quiet strength that she carried within her. It was finally time to head back to the Blacksmith, her trotting accentuated by the jingling of the five ore that gleamed in her satchel. Quote Gathering Attempt ID 240372 | LD 15 | Success 5/5 Materials Gathered Edited January 24 by Jae Spoke to Ciela Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 23 Author #16 Share Posted January 23 (edited) The walk back to her hollow was unhurried, each step weighted with a quiet satisfaction. In her pack rested the fruits of her labor: five distinct ores, their edges sharp, surfaces uneven yet gleaming with potential. As the forest of Floor 2 welcomed her back, the thick branches overhead swayed in silent acknowledgment of her return. Reaching her hollow, Jaelynn climbed swiftly, her muscles aching but eager for rest. Once inside, she knelt and gently placed the ores on the woven mat near her lantern. They reflected its golden light, each unique in its composition. Aursteel, the rarest among them, glimmered with a faint iridescence, its surface like trapped sunlight. Beside it lay a deep, crimson-veined shard of bloodstone, a rugged piece of cobalt, a pale, ghostly mithril sliver, and a chunk of jet-black obsidian streaked with silvery veins. Together, they felt like a promise, a reward for her persistence. She ran her fingers over them, her touch lingering on the aursteel. “Tomorrow,” she murmured, “we’ll make something worthy of you.” The next morning came crisp and bright. Jaelynn descended from her hollow with purpose, the pack secured tightly against her back. Her path led her through familiar woods and across the rolling green of Floor 2. The journey to the blacksmith’s settlement passed in a steady rhythm, her boots crunching against the forest floor as sunlight dappled her path. By the time she approached the forge, its roaring fire was visible even from a distance. The surrounding air shimmered with heat, and the rhythmic clang of metal on metal echoed in greeting. The forge welcomed her like a dragon’s maw, blazing with life and power. Heat swelled around her, wrapping her in its embrace as Callum nodded in acknowledgment of her arrival. The emerald-eyed wanderer stepped forward, the weight of her hard-won materials heavy in her pack but lighter in her heart. She set them down with a reverence she hadn’t anticipated, each piece gleaming under the forge’s light—a testament to her tenacity. Callum looked up as she entered, his thick arms crossed over a soot-stained apron. His eyes lit with recognition. “You’ve returned,” he said, his voice tinged with curiosity. One by one, she drew out the ores, setting them down as if they were precious gems. “Five ores,” she said, her voice steady. “I gathered them myself.” Callum inspected them closely, his fingers tracing their rough edges. When he reached the aursteel, he paused, letting out a low whistle. “This here is special,” he said. “What do you plan to do with it?” She met his gaze, her emerald eyes gleaming. “Forge a blade. A perfect one. My blade.” Callum grinned, his expression approving. “Let’s make it happen.” The forge roared to life, its flames licking hungrily at the coals as if mirroring the fire in her chest. Callum stepped back, giving her space but watching with quiet intensity. Jaelynn’s hands trembled slightly as she laid the ores before her. They were not just materials; they were fragments of her resolve, the proof of her endurance. The aursteel gleamed at the center, its brilliance a beacon among the darkened shards. The heat enveloped her, suffusing her skin and drawing beads of sweat to her brow. Every movement became deliberate. Callum provided some aid; The bloodstone and cobalt went first, melting into rivulets of molten color, their hues mingling like veins of magma. The mithral joined next, brightening the mixture, and then the obsidian, adding depth and shadow. Finally, the aursteel, a slow surrender to the flames, its golden light radiating outward like a rising dawn. Jaelynn’s grip tightened on the tongs as she drew the glowing mixture from the forge, its surface a searing swirl of light and dark. She placed it on the anvil, the metal’s heat radiating like a heartbeat in her hands. The first strike of the hammer was tentative, a whisper against the symphony to come. She struck again, harder this time, and again, the clang ringing out in defiance of doubt. Sparks danced around her like falling stars, fleeting and brilliant. With every swing, she poured herself into the blade—her frustration, her hope, her unwavering determination. Each blow shaped the metal, coaxing it into form, the sharp rhythm echoing her own heartbeat. Time blurred. She lost herself in the process, the world narrowing to the glow of the forge, the weight of the hammer, and the fiery birth of something new. The blade began to take shape, its edge gleaming with promise, its spine strong and true. As the final quenching hissed through the air, Jaelynn stood motionless, staring at the weapon in her hands. It was perfect—a blade born of her struggles, its balance flawless, its edge razor-sharp. Callum’s voice broke the silence, low and reverent. “A first blade like that… You’ve outdone yourself.” But Jaelynn barely heard him. She wasn’t looking for approval; she was gazing at the sword, a reflection of her own journey. It was hers, entirely, and for the first time, since she started, a rarity, she allowed herself a small, triumphant smile. When the blade was cool enough to touch, she drew a slim etching tool from the forge bench and began carving symbols into its surface. Each line was purposeful, the blade’s aursteel sheen catching the light as she worked. She engraved flowing patterns along the fuller, curling into whorls that echoed the currents of wind through the trees. Near the hilt, she etched a small sigil—a crescent moon cradling a star—an emblem of her quiet resilience. These were not simply adornments; they were markers of her journey, whispers of meaning that extended beyond this world. As she ran her thumb along the etched grooves, she felt a quiet sense of completion. This was her blade and she whispered its name: "Veil-piercer." Quote Crafting Attempt ID 240394 | CD 12 | Success* 4/5 Materials *[12] = Perfect item (3 slots) Veilpiercer - Longsword (ACC III) Edited January 24 by Jae Spoke to Ciela Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 24 Author #17 Share Posted January 24 (edited) The forge was alive with heat and the roar of flame, but Jaelynn’s focus was sharper still. Her newly forged blade rested on the workbench behind her, a masterpiece of balance and power, its markings glinting like the constellations she often gazed upon from her hollow. She could still feel the hum of the perfect weapon in her hands, a creation born from sweat, determination and isolation. Yet, the perfection of that blade was not enough to satiate her hunger for mastery. She turned to the anvil again, untying her satchel to retrieve the next piece of raw material. Her fingers lingered over the remaining ores, their rough surfaces a stark contrast to the smooth edge of her first success. Aursteel was gone, spent in the making of her blade, but the others held promise—potential waiting to be unleashed. The rhythm of hammer and metal began anew, filling the space with its steady cadence. The firelight danced across her emerald eyes, now narrowed in concentration. Each strike felt deliberate, a conversation between her will and the unyielding steel. This time, though, the conversation did not flow. The material resisted her attempts, the alloy refusing to bind. Sparks flew in defiance as her hammer glanced off the surface, leaving shallow, meaningless impressions. The heat of the forge, so inviting moments before, now felt oppressive. A bead of sweat trailed down her temple as she redoubled her efforts, pouring her strength into each motion, every swing of the hammer. When she finally stepped back to inspect her work, her heart sank. What emerged was jagged, uneven—a cruel mockery of the blade she had crafted earlier. The weight of failure settled heavily on her shoulders, and for a moment, the fiery determination within her flickered. But she did not waver. Setting the failed weapon aside, Jaelynn wiped her brow with the back of her hand, streaking soot across her ivory skin. The forge would not defeat her—not tonight. This was her training ground, her proving ground, where skill was forged alongside steel. She reached for another piece of ore, resolve rekindling in her chest. Edited January 24 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 24 Author #18 Share Posted January 24 (edited) The anvil awaited her next attempt, and she would answer its call until her strength or her materials ran dry. The forge glowed like a sleeping dragon, its heat licking at her skin as Jaelynn spread the next material across the anvil—a piece of ore she hoped would bend to her vision. She wasn’t crafting for battle this time; she sought something protective, a second skin to shield her in the wilds where the wind bit and the shadows lingered. Light armor, she decided. Practical. Nimble. The tools in her hands felt heavier now, as if the weight of her recent triumph and subsequent failure pressed down on her arms. She breathed deeply, steadying herself, and began. The hiss of metal meeting fire filled the air, each step methodical. Heat, hammer, cool—repeat. But something felt off. The material didn’t sing beneath her strikes the way the aursteel had; it groaned instead, resisting her every effort. Sweat gathered at her brow, and frustration seeped into her movements. She pushed harder, forcing the ore to comply, her strikes becoming sharper, less measured. She imagined the armor taking shape: sleek, fitted, yet strong. But reality refused to align with her vision. The piece warped under her hands, buckling in places where it should have been smooth, thinning where it should have been sturdy. She worked feverishly to correct it, but her haste only compounded the errors. A sharp crack split the air, startling her into stillness. She stared down at the fractured remains of her work, the jagged edges a cruel reminder of her failure. The ore had snapped under the strain, ruined beyond salvage. She set the broken piece aside, her chest tight with the weight of her mistakes. The forge’s fire seemed dimmer now, its light muted as if mocking her efforts. She rubbed her hands together, calluses scraping against soot, and stared into the embers, searching for answers that didn’t come. Yet, even in the face of loss, she refused to retreat. Her failures were not endings but lessons etched in steel and sweat. She looked at the remaining materials in her satchel, weighing her dwindling options. There would be another attempt, another chance. For now, she turned back to the forge, the embers casting her shadow long against the walls. Edited January 24 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 24 Author #19 Share Posted January 24 (edited) The forge’s glow was a subdued ember, casting wavering shadows across the soot-streaked walls. The air within the smithy was heavy with the scent of iron and fire, a mixture that wrapped itself around Jaelynn as she stood before the anvil, the failed attempt still cooling in her hands. Her earlier triumph sat sheathed at her side—a reminder of her potential—but now, the twisted metal in her grip seemed to sneer at her ambition. The light armor she’d tried to craft lay misshapen, a haunting echo of what it might have been. Its surface bore the scars of uneven heating and a misaligned strike, its edges curled in defiance. But the warrior of the trees would not surrender to its mockery. She'd try again. And again another failure, but she would not allow it to define her. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the failed piece into the forge, watching as the flames embraced it, tongues of orange and white licking hungrily at its surface. The hiss of cooling metal gave way to the crackling heat, and Jaelynn’s emerald eyes narrowed, her focus sharpening to a singular point. The hammer was weighty in her hand, a tangible promise of transformation. As the metal softened, she pulled it from the inferno, placing it on the anvil with reverence. Each strike of her hammer was deliberate, a rhythmic cadence that seemed to match the beat of her heart. Sparks flew in radiant bursts, lighting her ivory hair in fleeting halos. She didn’t see the failures etched into the metal—she saw only possibilities. Heat, strike, and fold. Over and over, she worked, each cycle an alchemy of persistence and skill. The imperfections began to smooth, their jagged edges yielding to her vision. The piece still bore the memory of its flaws, but now they were veins of character rather than cracks of defeat. Sweat streaked her brow, and her muscles burned with effort, but she pressed on. The smithy felt alive around her, the flames singing with her determination, the anvil humming beneath her hands. When at last she quenched the metal in a barrel of water, the steam curled like a ghost, rising into the rafters. She held the piece aloft, its new form glinting in the forge light. It wasn’t perfect—not yet—but it was hers, reclaimed from failure and reforged into potential. A quiet smile touched her lips. This, too, was a victory. Edited January 24 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Jae 0 Posted January 24 Author #20 Share Posted January 24 (edited) "Fuck." Jae would exclaim after laying the saved piece to the side of the forge. Despite her momentary smile, she was still not any further in creating her armor. The air around her pulsed with the rhythmic beat of the forge, each strike on the anvil a declaration against the weight of failure. The flames crackled and swirled, their molten dance a wild, untamed force that mocked the stillness of the world beyond. In the quiet corners of her mind, the sprawling labyrinth of Aincrad seemed like another life, a faraway dream from a forgotten time. Here, within the forge's embrace, everything was distilled into the simple, brutal truth of metal and will—the ceaseless forging of something from the ashes of failure. Her form was a silhouette etched in the heat's glow, sweat tracing the lines of her determination, each breath a challenge to the surrounding firer. The world outside—its twists, turns, and endless sky—felt like a far-off thing, barely a whisper against the furnace of her focus. The anvil, the hammer, the heat—they were her only companions now, each a reminder of the price she had to pay for what she sought to create. The chaos outside was nothing compared to the chaos inside, where each strike against the metal felt like an echo of her growing frustration. She pulled her hair back into a tight knot, the ivory strands gleaming faintly; The forge’s glow was faintly oppressive, the heat rising like a stubborn sun that refused to set, bearing down on the one who labored beneath it. The emerald-eye'd squire, stood with shoulders squared, though shadows of doubt clouded her gaze. The tools she’d laid before her gleamed with a dull promise, betraying none of the failures she’d endured here. Two materials lay at her side—her final hopes, the remnants of her quest to create something more than a sword, something to shield her as well as her own resolve. She moved without hesitation, though her heart beat erratically, a constant reminder of the stakes. No second chances, no more ore to dig from the earth; this was it. The anvil stood like an altar, awaiting her offering, and Jaelynn approached it with the solemnity of a pilgrim. Her fingers curled around the first piece of metal, the surface cold despite the inferno raging around her. As she fed it to the forge, her mind burned with it, replaying every misstep. Sparks erupted in a chaotic dance, a mimicry of her frayed nerves. Each hammer strike that followed rang with echoes of her growing desperation. The rhythm faltered, lacking the precision she’d wielded when crafting her blade. Where before her strokes had sung with purpose, now they stumbled, a dissonance to her ambition. Her attempts to shape the material became a bitter game of chance, the edges cracking under her will rather than conforming to it. Her breathing grew heavier, and the muscles in her arms screamed their protest, but she refused to stop. She didn’t even glance at Callum, whose presence loomed in the periphery like a silent sentinel. No words passed between them, and she was grateful for it. This was her battle to lose, her burden to bear. Then it happened—a faint snap beneath the hammer, an unmistakable fracture in the cooling metal. Jaelynn froze, staring at the flaw as if she could will it away. But the truth settled into her gut like a stone: the first piece was lost. She set it aside with trembling hands, unwilling to let the weight of failure take her entirely. There was no time to mourn. The second material sat waiting, its dull sheen seeming to mock her. She drew it closer, determined to wrest success from the jaws of defeat. The process began anew—the forge roaring, the anvil ringing—but now doubt seeped into her technique like poison. Her strikes lacked conviction, her motions mechanical, as if her soul had slipped from the work entirely. Again, the metal resisted her. It twisted against her will, splintering under her strikes as though mocking her every attempt to tame it. When the final blow came, it was a shattering symphony. Shards skittered across the forge’s floor, gleaming like fragments of broken hope. Jaelynn stepped back, her chest heaving as she stared at the ruined piece. For a long moment, she didn’t move. The forge's heat wrapped around her like a suffocating cloak, the silence punctuated only by the faint hiss of cooling embers. Her eyes flicked to her satchel, now empty, and she clenched her fists at her sides. Every ounce of effort, every moment spent gathering those materials—gone. But something shifted in her then, a realization dawning amidst the despair. Failure wasn’t an end. The forge itself was a metaphor, its flames devouring imperfections and spitting out something stronger. If she let herself break here, she’d be no better than the shards scattered at her feet. She exhaled slowly, letting the tension bleed from her shoulders. Without a word to Callum or the silent forge, she began gathering the tools and clearing her space. There would be no victory this day, but the fire within her remained un-extinguished. If she couldn’t build armor now, she would build herself stronger instead. The Cardinal system popped up along with her first blade, the Veilpiercer, but she just noticed it within her drifting notice: Congratulations! You have now Unlocked Profession: Blacksmithing The words floated in her mind like ripples on a still lake. A momentary flicker, distant and hollow, but not without significance. She stood before the forge, not as a broken soul, but as one tempered by it. She had learned that strength wasn’t something you forged in metal. It was something you carved from the fire, from the failures. The shadows in the room seemed to lean in closer, the firelight catching the edges of her face as she looked down at the ruined shards. They gleamed, not as failures, but as the remnants of her transformation. A blacksmith did not simply shape the material—she shaped herself. Jaelynn turned her back on the dying embers, the forge still called to her, but this time it no longer felt like a place of defeat. It was a place of rebirth. Edited January 24 by Jae Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts