[VA]The Sword Saint

[Luiniel]

The desire for power was something that no one could out run. Ever present in even the best of us even if the reason for that strength was different. Some chose to use it to harm others, some to protect others and for Lulu it was the later. Though there was a second reason she sought the power to fight in this world; she wanted to become reknown. She wanted to be the first to see and complete new dungeons and raids. She wanted to be a part of the landers high courts, to be a real fixture in this land and potentially become a part of the history of this server one day. That was a lot to live up to and even more to strive for but she was confident that she could do it. It was surreal, starting from the bottom once more after having climbed to the top of the ranks. She was giddy as it was like experiencing a brand new game all over again and she yearned to figure out every secret this world had to offer.

"Young Pittered Boar level one." she read aloud as she read the game interface. It was strange that even though this world felt entirely real the UI from the game persisted which turned this into more of a VR experience than anything in her mind. Such a low level monster should not prove to be such a challenge for her surely, she happened to be one of the three main tank classes. Luckily she chose the class with one of the highest damage outputs for it's type so she could dispatch her foes quickly enough when playing solo. While Lulu hated the idea of playing solo in the long run she understood it's neccessity. You could not bother or count on other players to be by your side all of the time. There were some things you had to do for yourself despite your disdain for such things.

Closing her eyes for a moment the samurai drew a deep breath to center herself. While she had no real training with a sword in the real world she was an avid action movie fan. By herself in her own room she would practice the motions, study online all of the texts and even pretend she was a samurai. When she found out the game could react to the motion of your swords to activate your skills she was quite pleased. She would have no trouble at all then manipulatinig the system to her advantage and chaining together deadly combos. Without having to rely on a hotbar or macros this was going to be very easy. "Kyah!" she shouted aloud as she charged the boar with a determined expression on her face; this was it!

Before she even finished drawing her first blade she could feel the power coursing through her body. This was the skill "Bushido: Iaido" which increased the power of her first attack from the draw of her blades. Luin had carefully picked this one to start her chain as she felt it was quite important to all samurai. It had zero mana cost and could be used to great effect even if you were not going to follow it up with a chain. To her surprise she was much faster than she was in the real world; indeed she almost over shot the boar as she drew her blades all the way from their saya. Coming to a stop, her feet slid through the grass as she quickly adjusted her angle. If only the boar was aware of what was about to happen to it- it almost felt wrong fighting something that was so passive.

But the illusion of that would be shattered the moment her blades sunk into it's flesh. Sure she delivered a rather strong blow but that only succeeded in making it squeal. Judging from the pitch it was in pain and with a shout like that more would come flocking to the boar's side. "C-crap. I didn't think they would be linked since this was no longer a game.." she said to herself as she took a step back. Now battle was joined by four boars instead of the original that she struck which could have become a problem for anyone else. Lulu however was more determined to over come such a challenge now more than ever. Pushing your limits was the only way to ensure that you reached new peaks in this world and the real one.

"You brought friends huh. No fair! I guess I'll have to get serious then." she said with mischevious grin spreading over her expression. There was a dark gleam in her eyes as she prepared herself. Combat changed her that was for sure, she became focused and rather dark when she fought. The one she struck moved back while the new boars moved in front of it to protect it from the samurai. They thought their new formation was enough to keep her out; how cute that seemed to her. If she could not go straight then she would go up and over her target to get a new angle on them. Stupid beats only battled in a rather two dimensional way, where were the more intelligent monsters that she could have a true battle with?

Resheathing her blades seemed to do exactly what she hoped it would do. The motion threatened the beasts into a charge which caused her to laugh aloud, a truly terrifying giggle as she drew her blades once more with a flash from their respective saya. It seemed she was going to rush them head on until the very last moment where she clearly confused the creatures. Her tiny feet pushed against the ground, launching the four tailed fox girl through the air and over the charging lines. "Ichi." she said calmly as she sliced through the wounded creature and watched him explode into data and coins.

His friends wasted no time in course correcting and coming back for the samurai who was definitely prepared for such an event. "Ace Move: Shunsen!" she said as she crossed both blades before her and waited for them to move into range. The very wind would swirl around her blades as she swung them, cutting through the very air and dealing heavy damage to her foes. Though the battle did not end there, there was still one more step in this deadly dance. Something she could activate by simply willing herself to move faster- and they would become so confused there was nothing they could do to stop her.

The final move in this deadly dance was known as "Tsurugi Bunshin" which allowed her to move quick enough to blur her very form confusing the opponent. While they tried to track the samurai's movements it was too late for the poor unfortunate creatures. Her blades sunk into their flesh one after another as they could not dodge the swings when they could not determine the true placement of her sword. It was a bit of an overkill but she never took chances when it came to a fight. Such an easy battle but then again what did anyone expect when facing such an easy foe? Tossing one sword into the air, she resheathed one and then spun around to catch the other in it's sheath.

"Ahhhh. How boring. I wonder if there are any real monsters out here." she mused aloud. Something like goblins that could actually use some form of battle tactics to make this a real challenge. Placing her hands on the hilts of both blades, the tiny samurai marched on deeper into the woods in search of some sort of fight worthy of her time. The over sized coat swished behind her in the breeze as she went and her eyes closed to take in such a lovely feeling.

The path to power begins now.

WC - 1326

[Zarsyth]

  'What have I gotten myself into?' He'd think to himself as he sat, looking into the sky. Just before this he was sitting at his computer, creating the perfect character to start his adventures with his friend, Frederick. Looking down at himself, he'd realize that not only was he not at home, but he had a tail. 'Where did this come from?'  Stroking his tail gently, he following it from his body. It was a dark brown just like his hair, and it faded from brown into a silver tip. Birds could be heard singing a song in the background, adding a calm atmosphere to his pondering; however, the sound of the birds appeared to him to be resonating from a different.. a different direction, almost. It sounded to him like it was higher than usual. Reaching up to the side of his head the low-leveled Fox-Tail would soon figure out that he was missing ears. Zarsyth would feel the soft fox-like ears on the top of his head and nearly jumped as it was unexpected.

  "My ears!" Zarsyth yells. Concerned, he quickly grabbed a small bit of his skin and pinched it as hard as he could. "I must be asleep. I'm not a wolf or fox!" After a failed attempt at waking himself up a thought came to his head after thinking it over some more. 'I'm in the game.. That had to be it, but if I'm inside of the game... Does that mean I can level up?' Zarsyth stands up slowly and looks around, finding that a Dull Green Slime (Lv. 1) had found its way over to his side. It jumps curiously at his leg. Startling him, he would thrust his hands out in a somewhat vain attempt to protect himself and his hands begin to feel colder. The surface of his right hand would frost over and a shard of ice would begin to form. Staring in astonishment, he realizes what just happened. 'That's right. I'm the Sorcerer class. This is one of the starting abilities I took, Frost Spear.' Pulling his right arm back and then thrusting it back out, the icicle would launch itself and impale the side of the slime. The green shade of the slime would gain a blue tint to it as the blob started to move slower. Gaining some confidence, Zarsyth runs forward and bludgeons it with his staff. Observing the slime as it contorted while being hit, the sorcerer looks up at the slime's HP bar. He smacks it again and laughs from enjoyment as it dissolves into data.


  Zarsyth feels a rush of excitement, running forward and stopping when he caught sight of the Samurai of his kin. Deciding to ignore his introverted ways as adrenaline still pumped through his veins, he steps forward and boldly introduces himself. "Hello! I was walking by and noticed you standing here. I'm Zarsyth, a level one sorcerer." He extends his hand out for a handshake, a drop of sweat dripping from his forehead. His excitement was slowly diminishing, making him more nervous the more time spent standing there. 'I hadn't even thought to use my sub-class skill. I could have learned more about what I was fighting instead of jumping straight into it.' He smiles, happy to already be thinking of this like a game instead of like it was real life. In fact, he almost feels as though he were a new man.


WC: 575

[Luiniel]

By lovely did she forget to mention cold?

The air was not exactly what others might have found to be inviting but she loved it all the same. There was no snow on the ground or anything but it was not paticularly warm either this time of day. Yet she did not let that stop her as the will to level drove her ever forward. Lulu was determined to travel across the land and slay whatever stood in her way as she did so- be it monsters or PKer. There was no rest until she had equipped herself with rare items that others could never possess and until she reached the new level one hundred cap. It was a lofty goal but with the strength of her spirit she knew that she could do it if she wanted it badly enough. Perhaps though she was setting her sights a bit high right now and she should just focus on trying to hit level twenty.

A chuckle escaped her lips, amused by her own thoughts as she wandered in search of that challenge. That was when she would happen upon someone else out here in the greatwoods, though she was not entirely surprised. This was a low level zone so she expected to see many adventurers out here going about their daily grind. Yet none of them seemed to be the least bit interested in stopping to chat until this one. As usual she was curious as the look on his face matched that of someone who was pleased to be stuck here in this world. Coming to a halt she paused for only a moment to take in the boys appearance; a fox tail like she was.

"More like almost trampled me." she said with a look of false horror on her face. It was in her nature to tease everyone and that even seemed to include complete strangers. Pointing above her own head she chuckled as he continued to make his introduction. All the information he would need to know was floating somewhere around there if he chose to access the player UI. It would read "Luiniel: Level One Fox Tail Samurai" though all other information was set to private. Of course she was sure that most were not able to easily forsake the manners they had learned back in the real world. Noticing the sweat on his forehead she assumed he was either nervous or running from something out here which piqued her interest if it was the later.

Taking his hand lightly she let out a playful chuckle as she continued to size the guy up. "You look as though you are running from something." she said with a smirk on her face; though she doubted he would admit it even if he was. Forgetting that she never truly introduced herself other than her rude method of pointing to the UI she rubbed the back of her head and laughed at her own forgetfulness. "You can call me Lulu if you like, Zarsyth." she said trying to pronounce the name. She probably butchered that but close enough- she couldn't be expected to be able to say every weird name she would read in a video game.

WC - 539

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

"Gah," Saskia frowned with an irritable little exclamation, cringing as her boot cracked its way through a brittle skull. She gave another small groan as he knocked the side of the skull, still stuck to her foot, against part of the ruin wall. The bleached bone broke and fell away, and he made care to step around the rest of the remains cluttering the stone floor.



Skeletons didn't really prove much of a hassle to take care of. Brittle and not really held together by much, a few hits and they were done with. The trick though was hitting them. More than a few bolts had slipped between the ribs – fatal enough to anything with flesh, but less so when they merely passed through the air between the bones and clattered on the wall behind.



Saskia slung her sword over her shoulder and made off on her way back towards Whiterun. It had been a week since she'd last had the pleasure of civilized rest, and most of her gear was in need of a good wash.



Back at the Drowsy Drifter Inn, Saskia rented out her usual room, and at the risk of being called a alcoholic – not that there was any actual way to get drunk as a brewer – she passed up on the ale and took a mug of wine instead. Having to represent a guild , it wasn't much to her benefit to get drunk, not that she'd ever been partial to such things to start with. At the bar, Ishra leaned over and gained his attention.



"Heard Annanias was asking around about someone willing to go into the catacombs for him. Something about skeletons," she told Saskia.



Saskia gave her a thankful nod. "I'll be sure to see to it first thing in the morning." That was her thing now, wandering from village to village, taking care of any ungodly business that presented itself. The incident with the Heretics had inspired him to do something a little more worthwhile with his time than chopping wood, though she didn't consider herself part of the Wardens.



"You heading out after that?"



"To Londiminium, and on from there. Should be three weeks before I'm back in ." Ishra nodded, and went back to wiping down the bar.



As a lone force, it was difficult for those in need of Saskia's services to get a hold of her, particularly when she moved about so frequently. Partly it was to make sure trouble was low in all the surrounding towns, and partly it was to make sure nobody caught on to who she really was. She always checked in at the taverns in each major city, and left them news of where he would be heading next, should an urgent need for her arise and a courier have to be sent out to look for him. Not that they couldn't just go to the royal guard, or general mercenaries, but Saskia never charged a single septim for her work, and offered repentance where it was worth. Where the Stratford Wardens might strike down a Heretic, she would never raise his weapon against someone who wasn't hostile. She was all for second chances. She had always been of the belief that, no matter what the offense, a reformed man was better than a dead one.



For what seemed like the first time in far too long – and in part, it was – Saskia slept a night in a soft bed – an actual bed – and ate some proper food in the morning. She couldn't help feeling a pang of homesickness as she left the inn in the early morning hours, feeling fresh and washed and well rested. Setting out each morning promised endless problems all to do with dead things, and she missed greatly the routine of the military, not to mention the warmth.



The need for her at the Hall of Woe was over pretty fast. Two feebly armed skeletons in a confined space weren't exactly difficult to deal with, and the amulet the old priest had misplaced was fast returned to him. Denying any reward the man had to offer, Saskia set out for Londiminium.



At the crack of dawn, she had already eaten breakfast before any of the other patrons awoke and secured her warhorse from the stables, and was already progressing through the western regions of the Windsor Greatwood. Sleep deprivation would adminster weary and a restless expression as the corners of her eyes began to burn. Still, fervent in her willpower, she snapped the reigns of her gallant steed and pressed ever onward. Vigilant gaze cast over the shrubbery for sight of possible garden snakes in the area caused Saskia to be very wary through her travels, as she avoided taking shortcuts through the woods and maintain the longer path upon the dirt roads. After an hour of travel, she encroached upon a group of adventurers and had slowed herself down to a slow trot as she approached. The wind was chilling, but she remained quite warm as she sweated through her heavy platemail. With sweat dripping from her brow, she paused by the woods, and rode onward towards a river. only a few meters away.



After much travel, it time to take a small break. Her shield clammered against her back, as it was strapped tightly to secure it. She glanced over at the adventurers for a moment before wiping her brow, and unscrewing the cap of a canteen. She took a swig from the container, and then dismounted her steed before hanging along the riverbed and refilling her canteen.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED: None.
Words: 940
Post Theme Song: Timeout




TAGS: Zarsyth Luiniel

template by caesar

[Zarsyth]

  Looking on at the samurai, Zarsyth decides that it would be best to call her by the name she has requested to be called by. "Then call you by Lulu I shall." He studies the katana with slight awe. 'I forgot that those were in the game.' Mixed in with his thoughts was the idea to correct Lulu. Zarsyth chuckles as he says, "Oh, I was just nervous is all." Putting a smile on his face is going to give him the best turn out in this conversation is what he figures. While he could most likely do without the smile, it helped to ease his nerves. Even if this easing was slight, it made all the difference in the world to our young sorcerer. Looking over the interface, it would not have taken long to figure out that Lulu was a level one, the same as he. This was great! Not only had he just defeated his first enemy, but met someone he could potentially adventure and level with. Speaking of partners to adventure with, what ever happened to Frederick? Ah, that will come across Zarsyth's mind eventually. For now, he was focused on the fox-tail in front of him. "So you're just starting out as well, I see. Tell me, why did you pick the samurai class?" He wondered what her response would be. He failed to muster an answer in his head before hand, curious to hear her reply.

  Zarsyth just so happens to notice the maiden filling her canteen out of the corner of his eye. Now this was something. From what he could see, it was a level twenty-two in the level one zone. 'Now why is that?' He ponders. It seemed to strange to him that somebody so far ahead of the level requirement would come back. It hit him. 'There's a city near by.' Of course! That was it, this person was on their way to the city, but what is that by which said individual has with them? "A horse? Now how do you get one of those?" Ouch, now he sounds crazy. He just said his thoughts out loud. 'That's embarrassing.' Perhaps it was not so bad. 'I can drag something out of this..' He thought for a moment, planning out how he should go about this conversation. "It sure would be nice to cast from the back of one of those." That should suffice. After all, it drags the attention off of this potential case of insanity to a respectable idea. Surely no comment to come back at that could be bad. Standing for just a moment longer, another thought popped into his head. 'Wait, why is she filling a canteen? Is this not a game? Why does she need water?' An understandable concern for sure. It is not often when an individual is to be worried about dying of starvation or thirst while playing a game. While some games back in the day did have that feature, Zarysth never dove too much into them. He in place of constant gaming chose to study and make his parents proud of him in his academic studies. His friend had just so happened to have convinced him to play this game on his nineteenth birthday and now here he is. Talking to a fox about a horse. It is time for the fun to begin.

WC - 562

[Luiniel]

Simply nervous?

She could not fathom such a thing being as outgoing as she was. If it had a pulse and showed that it was listening she would blabber on and on to it. Sometimes she forgot that there was a such thing as a shy person in the world. Shaking her head at him she laughed at his plight which might have seemed somewhat insensitive but she didn't really think much of it. "There is no need to be nervous. It's not like I am going to pick apart the words and actions of a stranger." she said with a reassuring grin. She was never rude to someone intentionally unless there was a reason for such a reaction. Perhaps this one before her had experienced such a bad bunch of social interactions in life that he was left with zero confidence in himself?

Not only did he stumble upon her suddenly which was blind siding enough- but now he was asking for an explaination of her class choice too? Yeesh, she would find no break out here in the wilds from beast or man. She gave pause for a moment to consider her words, why exactly had she chosen this class? It reminded her of home, it had an interesting combat system and she liked that she could tank but still push out decent damage numbers. "I chose to be a samurai because it reminded me of home. Just before all of this happened I was in the middle of a move." she said. While she told her tale she did not lose that smirk despite most people probably finding her choice to be quite sad. "On top of that it has the best damage numbers of any tank." she said.

Just as she went to continue with her little story the sound of hooves filled the air. A woman rode past them upon the back of the beast though it seemed her objective was the stream nearby and not them. How curious this was as most adventurers always seemed to be interested in everyone around them since all of this happened. Then again she was several levels over them and probably felt that they had nothing to offer her. Puffing up her cheeks she grumbled at her level before she realized that her thoughts were manifesting physically on her face and went back to smiling.

"I am unsure. Why don't we ask her?" she offered gesturing towards the woman. She would even be so kind as to take the lead for the nervous man, coming to a stop just shy of the guardian who seemed preoccupied. "Hello there. I was wondering if you could help my friend. He was wondering how you go about obtaining a mount in this game." she said pointing to the man. Unfortunately she had just dragged him into the spotlight where she was pretty sure he did not want to be. No one liked to be put on the spot but she would probably find the interaction amusing if he floundered.

WC - 508

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

____________________________________________________

 With slender fingers grasped around her canteen, Saskia dipped the next canteen into the, her eyes glancing slighty into the crystal clear depths, as she felt herself succumbing to a twing of exasperation cross her chest. It was not serious enough for her to fall out from exhaustion, however it did cause her to grip the bridge of her nose in irritation. She blinked hard at several times, trying to regain focus as she started to see several radiant spots across her vision, trying to snap out of her weary trance as she embraced the slight daze. Her energy levels were being depleted, but she did not feel the sudden singe of hunger take her over, which made her concerned. She dove the container under the water and beneath the water and darted her attention to the time that radiated in a bright vibrant light that made her pupils dilate.



It was almost the token hour for lunch, Saskia sat there staring blankly, after traveling for so long she had almost forgotten to settle down to enjoy a good meal. The last time that she was near a river and feeling her canteen, she was with a mysterious man named Saber who had offered to help here with a supply of food, after her mischievous horse had eaten all the food in her pack. A miserable misfortune, that was as she was far too exhausted at the time to go back out hunting again. She decided that if she was going to take the time out to grab a bite to eat, that she would have to hurry and make it a light meal. She was burning daylight and it would still be several hours for her to reach the city, gather information, sell off a few wares, and head back to the next town that had need of her. Maybe she would settle for a snack, possibly an apple or something to sustain her. She was reluctant to do no because she was no five star chef, being a high class society music idol in the real world with an all too glamorous and pampered lifestyle. She could try to cook something, but it would most likely end up tasting like charred meat or a smoked log with a hint of salt for flavor. A truly unappetizing meal, but nutrition nonetheless and therefore able to sustain her enough to survive just a little while longer.



As she got lost in thought she began to let her mind wander to suppressed memories of home. What kind of person was she before she entered this new realm? Before she got trapped in this meager existence? She had been traveling for so many months, barely scarping by, her soft delicate fingers, growing more calloused as the months passed by. In her previous life, people used to worship the ground she walked on, fame and fortune were her closest friends and glamour was her best friend forever. She lived in the lap of luxury and took scented baths and on occasion sat in her jacuzzi and sip from a glass of champagne after a rough day’s work of signing autographs for an hour and doing photoshoots for another hour. She missed her swiss masseuse with the washboard abs that gave her gentle massages and they would have scandalous dates before her boyfriend in the real world got home from after three weeks of rigorous labor in the oil fields. She missed the crazy and wild parties. The spice of life. Celebrity V.I.P. Clubs and the like. She missed the fun times she had playing with her prized shitzu, Penelope. The nights she and her sister Lacey slept in the same bed and tickled each other and watched late night anime movies. When she’d come from a world tour after not seeing her family for almost half a year, then treating them to a wondrous breakfast at the roof top of an exquisite restaurant.



These days, she lived her days as the violent aggressor, sword unsheathed and splattering itself against sword and shield. She could still hear the crack of cold steel colliding amidst a brutal winter and chilling blizzard. She had been drowned in the immersion of the world that somewhere along the way she had lost her soul. She spent so much time suppressing her emotions, the any notion of the old “Hope MacLaren” had been lost in the pages of an ancient book from another time. Hell...she wasn’t sure if she ever told Bailin her real name and they had been dating for quite some time. It was pathetic. She looked at her reflection in the pool of water. Her faced was caked in a mixture of light brown dirt, and and ash white crust of sweat that form a salty crust over her forehead and cheeks. A slight inhalation produced the odor of sweat, far from the floral fragrance she used to have when she lived as a pampered princess high upon the skyline. Her eyes looked slightly bloodshot, she was ragged and her armor was time-worn, as it held a few cracks in it’s plating and chinks from when it was dented in with a hammer.



As her bloodshot eyes glanced through the looking glass, she felt her heart tighten as she was struck with overwhelming grief. Her stomache convulsed as she dipped her head down in sorrow. Her shoulders shrugged up as she hiccuped a slight cry, as her face melted into a deep frown of despair. Her cheeks trembled as she knelt there by the water’s edge and her chest heaved as she began to slowly shed tears, she heard voices in the distance muttering and footsteps growing closer. She looked like a miserable mess. In an effort to hide her tears, she set aside the bottle and dipped her hands into the freezing water and cupped the water before splashing it on her face, rubbing her hands across to wipe away the dirt and sweaty salt that adorned her face.

Crap, people are coming! I've got to clean myself up!

She turned her wet face towards the approaching woman as she sat on her ankles, with water dripping from her pink cherry blossom strands of hair. She seemed to be a bit startled as she was surprised to have company. She had become a bit more reclusive in nature after the death of her Lander friend, Hanna. She almost began to neglect other players in general, though she and Bailin made it somewhat of a mission to help other players in the region whenever possible.



“Hm?” She blinked in subtle curiosity, taking several seconds to registered what was being said. “Oh...uhm, are you guys new to the game? Well, let’s see...I started out with the subclass Cavalier. I used to ride horses in the real world and I thought it’d be fun to have one here in Elder Tales as well. We start off with horses and we’re actually one of the few classes that can fight on our mounts. As far as getting a horse, being a cavalier is the only way I am aware of, besides possibly purchasing a mount. Rumor has it that there are even other mounts one can ride besides horses....even flying ones!” Saskia exclaimed as she tried to force a weak smile.



She felt a little bit better being in the company of others. It helped her forget the twinge of pain she surpressed in her heart. Her eyes glanced over the Samurai studying her facial features. She noticed the waving tails that wagged slightly behind her and she leaned back to glance over at her companion who was also yet another fox tail. They reminded her of her first Fox tail friend she encountered. A vibrant cleric, named Kitty who was part of her allied guild, House of Crowns. She smiled warmly at the duo before introducing herself.



“I’m Saskia Steelheart. It’s a pleasure to meet you both. If you ever have a question or need for anything, feel free to ask. I’ll being in the area for a while before I must be off. Don’t want to waste good daylight. All types of nasty creatures come out at night.” Saskia warned as she smirked confidently at the others.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED: None.
Words: 1411
Post Theme Song: Listen to this for emotional scene for Saskia's memories




TAGS: Zarsyth Luiniel Ilya

template by caesar

[Ilya]

Ilya let out a heavy sigh as she mindlessly stumbles upon the area where the two Fox Tails and single Wolf Hair had gathered, though she was unaware that there were any adventurers nearby. She was more focused on whether or not there were any monsters nearby. She was still pretty low-level, so there was only so much she could do. This was especially true because of her class; a magic-based class with spells that primarily focus on healing can only do so much on their own. Granted, she still had access to the spear and at least one offensive spell, but that could only do so much with her low stats.

Either way, grinding by herself was proving to be a long and difficult process. Thanks to her healing, she wasn't in any danger of losing all of her HP. In fact, it was almost full. Her MP, on the other hand, were almost completely depleted. For a class that focuses on magic, that was pretty bad. Especially since she didn't have any MP-restoring items on hand. As such, she was hoping to find a safe place to rest up so it could replenish. This particular area seemed safe enough to at least sit for a spell and try to catch her breath. It was rather tiring, fighting all of these monsters. Especially when you're not that physically adept.

It was in this moment that she unknowingly approached the group, her mind a bit too distracted to pay attention to what she was doing or where she was going. When she did finally notice the other three Adventurers (and the horse that one of them apparently owned), she jumped back a bit. Thankfully, it only took her a few seconds that this wasn't another monster encounter. Just a group of adventurers. Of course, now, it was probably too late to not interact with them. Not after that little display she just put on. Great. It was especially embarrassing since it would have been impossible to not notice her. Being over six feet tall kind sucked in that regard.

Looking over the group, she noticed that two of them were Fox Tails; one male and one female. Based on their equipment, one of them appeared to be a Samurai, and the other...well, one of the mage-type classes. It was kinda hard to tell just by looking at them. The other person was a Wolf Hair, and was definitely a Guardian. Of the classes, it was usually easiest to pick them out due to the bulky armor and usually large shields. Looking between the Guardian and Samurai, she couldn't help but blush a little; they were rather nice to look at. Though, given her overall disposition, it would be easy to mistake this for overall shyness.

Finally steeling her nerves, she let out a heavy sigh, before finally speaking "I-I...um...s-sorry if I interrupted anything. I...I was looking for a place to rest...and...I didn't know there was anybody out here. Um...if you don't mind, would it be okay if I hung around here for a bit? I-if not, that's fine...I don't want to be a bother or anything..." It would be pretty obvious how shy she was. She didn't do well around people she'd never met. But, it didn't make her any less willing to actually meet people. Hence, while her greeting might have seemed a bit forced, it was still a genuine one. At this point, all she could do was hope they were friendly. They seemed friendly enough, though. Probably.

WC: 600

[Zarsyth]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Fox-Tail  Sorcerer ~ Scribe ~ Scholar

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  It had not even crossed his mind once that you might be able to purchase mounts. The thought of it excited him  a bit. Flying mounts as well brought question to his mind. If only he were able to access these now. How much ease it would bring to traveling could he soar across the skies. He would look down at those walking and feel pity for them. Down at the trees he would gaze and mock their tall-standing leaves. That would be great. Zarsyth here would dawn a gryphon for his travels. Not much else earns you more style points than a gryphon or a dragon. Perhaps he could even start some sort of taxi service. Oh! The point of the courier is clear once you have a flying mount. Fast transportation of letters would be nice. This was not his most important concern, however, as it was just a side idea. This adventurer seemed so exhausted. This brought the thought back to his mind. 'Why does she need water? If this is a game then none of the real world necessities would be required right?' Peculiar he thought it to be. It may be that he needs water and food as well. That was not fun to ponder.

  In the midst of his pondering of simple game mechanics a newcomer stumbles from the bushes. He had to look up at her in order to see her face. Great, more embarrassment by height for him. Just like in the real world all the girls he knows just so happen to be taller than he. She appeared to be holding a spear, an unusual choice for sure. What was also unusual was her height. It has been made known once before, but it just merits repeating. The female before him was possibly one of the tallest of women he has met. She seems startled by our presence here. "Were you not expecting to find others of the living classification?" Zarsyth let out his low, rumbling voice in question to this newcomer. She also seemed to be blushing. 'Nervous.. Or is it something else?' Studying her face, expression and more specifically her eyes he might have been able to make out the fact that she was looking at the others and not himself. Then he though about responding to her plea of assurance that she would be able to stay within them. "You need not worry for you whom appears to be humble of all people may rest here among us. All I request from you is a simple introduction." Zarsyth would take a glance at the interface and would have received his answer that way. Looking at the others, he was certain that they would allow this mysterious woman from the dark bushes to remain among them. These were good people and he had decided it to be such. Scanning his gaze across their eyes he would ask them a question. "Am I wrong in suggesting that she may be invited her to rest here and join in merry conversation with those of us here?"
  

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Cloth Armor, Starter Staff

ABILITIES USED: None.

Words: 514

Post Theme Song: This is the music for such simple thoughts.









TAGS: [Saskia], [Ilya], [@luniel]

template by caesar

[Luiniel]

Today was going to be busy.

As the two of them made their way towards the stream Luiniel began to wonder just what sort of people she was about to surround herself with. Zarsyth seemed nice on the outside but then again there were people in the world that could use that to manipulate you. The young samurai had a lot to consider since she was outside of the city safe zones and was not going to be able to defend herself as well as she liked. Even if she was generally pleasant on the outside didn't mean that even she didn't harbor such dark thoughts. Perhaps this was why she didn't have too many friends back on the other side of things. She had a nasty habit of suspecting the worst of everyone until the situation gave her a reason not to. Even worse she felt like she was two faced; being kind to someone on the surface but suspecting them of treachery.

Once they were next to her the guardian quickly turned to face them- water dripping from her face. Perhaps she was hot though that seemed quite unlikely in this cool breeze that filtered down through the trees. Lulu tried her best not to laugh at her as she seemed to answer them with a straight face in what seemed like to her such a goofy moment. Normally she would have taken offense to this question but she kept forgetting that here she was simply a level one. Blinking when asked if she was a new player she almost auto responded with no but then she corrected herself by nodding. "Yes, we are new I suppose you could say." she replied with a smirk. Perhaps there was something to gain from keeping quiet and letting a higher level player make assumptions.

Turning to Zar she smirked and threw her hands into the air playfully. "There you have it. Though does that mean we are unable to obtain them in this world like you would in the real world? I wonder if this world is bound to all of the games rules and laws.." she said thoughtfully. It used to be a program but now she could feel the wind and dare say it she was starting to become hungry for the first time since arriving. Perhaps in her haste to level up she had forgotten that she would need to have something to eat to keep herself going. It was a hard thing to adjust to the fact that this was no longer a game.

"Considering that you're a higher level I have a question for you," she started trying to word it. How did you straight up ask someone if they had died yet? It seemed like the kind of question that not even the most rude of people should ask directly. Still she had no words that she felt could disguise it enough so she just sort of came out with it. "..I've noticed that we still level up and gain skills. Does that mean the game systems are still in place and that if I were to perish in battle I would return?" she asked. Was it truly such an inappropriate question now that she thought about it? It was something practical that they all needed to know if they were going to survive in this world.

While she waited for a response from the guardian it would seem their position had a magnetic pull. The bushes nearby rustled which caused the small samurai to turn and draw her katana. Once more the familiar feeling of power coursed through her arm as she prepared to strike only to find that it was a rather busty Elf that came through the bushes. Of course that was the first thing a person like her would notice. Despite the fact that she liked to call herself the "Sword Saint" she was far from being a saint and it was merely a fancy title she gave to herself. Sighing aloud, she quickly flipped the katana over and returned it to it's saya with a clicking sound. "That could have been a close call." she said letting out a sigh of relief as she bowed to the newcomer. "Apologies. There are monsters about out here, I am on guard." she said.

Luiniel offered a shrug to Zar when he asked if she was fine to hang out with them. "I don't own the great woods, it's fine by me." she said moving forward towards the elf. There was a smirk on her face as she took in the sight. This was not unlike the Japanese server where almost every female avatar looked like this anyway but she saw the opportunity for many chances to tease someone. Bowing she put on her best grin and decided that it was probably best to introduce herself before she stared and made herself seem like some sort of creeper. "You can call me Luiniel, miss?" she asked. It would be a shame to pass up an opportunity to speak with such an extravagant looking person such as herself.

Once her introduction had been made she would turn her attention back to Saskia as she didn't wish to seem rude. "I appreciate the offer of assistance. If you do not mind I think I have a list of things I might need answers to. Namely; where does one go to get food around here?!" she asked. Her stomach whined comically as if it was waiting for the que from it's master to do so.

WC - 909

[Saskia]

HP 100% | MP 100%

Guardian - Cavalier - Brewer

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Saskia smiled sweetly as she heard the pleasant sword saint speak with a confident smirk. She judged that by the way she said it, that they might have been in the game for at least a week. She seemed to be a bit more knowledgeable than her companion or at least had a more bold nature. She definitely struck Saskia as someone who was direct in her approach. Saskia appreciated this as she didn’t really care that much for beating around the bush. She exhaled a yawn, and closed her eyes momentarily, her hand covering her mouth. Wiping a tear from her right eye, that was produced from the yawn rather than her crying, she listened as she spoke about the mounts.



“Well, I’m sure in addition to purchasing them, there is also that Animal Trainer subclass to be considered. I met a woman that had control over a 4 meter long centipede. Damn thing freaking tore through the city, a lot of collateral damage just to catch a purse thief if you ask me...but we got to do what we got to do, I suppose...Isn’t that right, Icarus?” Saskia replied smiling affectionately at her horse and petting him gently, running her fingers through his soft golden mane.





The Samurai’s next inquiry had stated that since Saskia was a higher level, she might possibly know a bit about the revival system. Saskia didn’t seem to take any offense as the girl made a tactful question and Saskia loved to educate people on the new world.



“Excellent question, I’ve died plenty of times. Squashed by boars, nommed by snakes, splattered against a tree by Iron tusked Gerald, shanked by skeletons, and smashed across the face by goblins...Yeah, I’d say I had some pretty interesting goof ups in my early days. But then again I never played an MMO..I kind od had to learn the hard way about fall damage...you can say the Cathedral was my home away from home for a good while.” Saskia chuckled.



“However, I’m a bit more sturdier now. “ Saskia smiled as she tapped on the chest of her platemail.



Saskia’s eyes quivered as she saw something come out of the push which alerted her, unlike her friend who decided to unsheath first and ask questions later, Saskia merely rested a firm palm on the hilt of her sword. All it took was a brief whistle for her to send her horse in to backkick the shit out whatever wild creature was lurking in the forest. A nice perk to having a traveling companion for her journey. The beast could a couple of hits, and she could instantly respawn it after battle. Her blue scabbard shimmered with threads of gold lacing as she noticed the elvish woman emerge.



She was delicate, beautiful, and sublime in her cosmetic features, looking like a child of the forest. She seemed to be a bit bashful in nature and shy. She was like Saskia and was just stopping to take a quick rest in the woods. Saskia glanced up at the HUD and took notice of her class and smiled.



“So...a Druid? Well, that’s definitely interesting. I don’t believe I’ve met very many in my day, though I have read up on them. A great asset to have in combat due to their healing over time effects.” Saskia stated as she nodded to herself.



The sorceror and the samurai greeted her which prompted Saskia to as well.



“Hello there miss, I’m Saskia Steelheart, founder of the Vylbrand Academy. Just stopping her for a drink as well and like the foxy lady to my left says, I don’t own the forest, and even if I did, you’d be more than welcome.”



Saskia grinned warmly. She then turned to the Samurai after she asked about food.



“Ah, so I take it the hungers starting to finally settle in huh? Yeah, it sucks pretty bad. Sucks even worse when you can’t cook because you aren’t a chef...most of the food in the game tastes like burned meat or salty crackers...if you’re lucky enough to find some fruit then you’ve got gold in my eyes. Now if you’re looking to sustain yourself before that singe of starvation settles in, I suggest we party up maybe and start clearing out some pittered boars, they typically drop a few pounds of meat. Going to have to maybe take it to a chef in the city, unless one of you guys have got some hidden cards up your sleeves..”



Saskia chuckled as she initiated sending friend requests to all of them.

INVENTORY

EQUIPMENT: Starter Platemail, Starter Great Shield, Starter Longsword
ABILITIES USED: None.
Words: 770
Post Theme Song: Fly Beyond the Limit



TAGS: Zarsyth Luiniel Ilya

template by caesar

[Ilya]

Well, at the very least, these people seemed to be really nice. Aside from initially catching them off guard, which really made her wish she had thought her approach through a bit more, they didn't seem to mind her presence there. More importantly, they seemed willing to let her rest with them, which came as a great relief to her. Her coming out of the blue like that probably didn't leave the best of first impressions, after all. But, it seemed to be a case of "no harm, no foul". Either way, she was slowly but steadily calming down now; still shy and timid, but not quite as nervous.

As the two females in the group introduced themselves, Ilya smiled softly. "N-nice to meet you...I guess I should have introduced myself first, so I'm sorry...but I'm Ilya." She then turned to Saskia "Pardon me if this seems rude, but I don't think I've heard of your academy...I...well, I only just became active as an Adventurer...it...took me a while to come to terms with what had happened." It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was referring to the so-called "Catastrophe" that resulted in everyone being stuck in this strange world. Several adjusted right away, while others, like Ilya...well, not so much.

She then listened quietly as the others spoke among themselves, keeping quite for the time being. Then, when the subject of food came up, her full attention returned to the conversation. She hesitated to mention it, largely because she had done next to nothing to raise either of her sub-classes, but she decided to speak up. "Um...actually, I have Chef as one of of my subclasses...and if there are any lakes or rivers nearby, I have Fisherman as my other. Though, they're only still at Level 1, so I don't know how useful I would be in preparing anything...besides, it's kinda hard to motivate myself to cook..."

Once again, it didn't take a genius to figure out what she meant. Everything she had eaten so far not only tasted awful, but everything tasted the same. It was like trying to chew a mouthful of soggy crackers. As someone whose entire life, even before coming to this strange world, revolved around cooking, it was an understandably discouraging twist. She thought maybe that being a chef would allow her to make food that actually tasted like something, but it was no different. It made it all the harder to motivate herself to do...anything, really. That is, until she got tired of sitting around like a lump and actively forced herself to go out and do something. Though it was still proving to be easier said than done.

She took a peek at her gauges, noticing that her MP was nearly full once more. "Well...either way, if you'll have me, I wouldn't mind forming a party and doing some hunting. I...well, I don't know if I'll be of any use, but I'll do my best to keep everyone's health up." She was so far out of her comfort zone that it wasn't even funny, but that was precisely what she needed. If she was going to have any hope of accomplishing anything in this weird world, she was going to have to level up and get stronger. And, needless to say, she was starting to see that it would be a hard and long road if she tried to go at it alone. Still, to think she'd already be forming a party. Nothing like a trial by fire, eh?

WC: 604
((Sorry this took so long. Been a bit distracted x.x ))