Post by Saber on Oct 27, 2016 1:57:12 GMT
Saber
[attr="class","sumBox"]
Real Name: Darius Stratis
Real Gender: (Male)
Game Gender: (Male)
Age: (18)
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Race: Half-Alv
Faction: Adventurer
Face-Claim: Luke Ainsworth, The Sacred Blacksmith
Played By: Saber
Real Name: Darius Stratis
Real Gender: (Male)
Game Gender: (Male)
Age: (18)
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Race: Half-Alv
Faction: Adventurer
Face-Claim: Luke Ainsworth, The Sacred Blacksmith
Played By: Saber
[attr="class","tempo"] [attr="class","appbox1"]  Most people want to stand out and be flashy, some want to be heroes and look the part, and others want to be pretty and be the center of the world. Darius doesn't much care for any of that, as the attention it all brings just isn't his cup of tea. Instead, he chooses to be himself. Upon being tossed into the world of Elder Tale and during character creation, Darius went through quite a bit of effort in order to make his avatar look like himself in the real world. He kept his simple height of five-foot-seven-inches and even adjusted the avatar to match the exact lengths of his limbs (or he at least made them close enough). It took quite a bit of time and some measuring in the computer arcade he was at, but he made due. He adjusted the avatar's hairstyle to be similar to his own and added a fun looking ponytail to it. He didn't have one himself, but he always considered the idea of growing a lock of hair out just for the visual appeal... and so he could have something to toy with when he was bored. With his basic character model set, Darius adjusted the face to be closer to his and also adjusted the voice of the avatar. Unfortunately his voicing choices weren't exactly perfect in the least but it was enough. He didn't plan to play Elder Tale religiously but seeing himself doing cool things interested him greatly. After nearly an hour, he was content. Five-foot-seven-inches tall, one-hundred and 150 pounds of well-toned muscle, dark brown glossy hair neatly gathered into several small spikes around his head, a long ponytail which past his waist, and his sharp blue eyes. He loved it, all of it. It was almost like looking into a mirror and it made him happy. Comfortable, Darius created Saber the Summoner. | [attr="class","tempo"] [attr="class","appbox1"]  The blood which courses through Darius's veins is a thread of life that reaches years into the past, beyond the words written into the history books. Born out of a lineage of warriors, Darius's threads of life run hot and boil at the simple idea of war and combat. As a child, his blood urged him to be bold and brave. Nothing stopped him, nothing phased him, and he never quit. He never gave in and always did what he willed. Though, he was instilled with respect and learned his place quickly after being reprimanded for some his foolery. Yet these developments in his personality and actions did not fully bloom as he was taken from his homeland before they could form who he was. But they laid a foundation. Instead of becoming a warrior with a mouth who was a man of war, Darius learned how to be a cool, calm, and collected successor to an enterprise. He learned to be analytical and how to read through the lines. He was taught how to be a tactician and how to plan out his progress and organize what needed to be done. Darius learned what it meant to put in hard work into whatever he did and was taught that if he wanted to better himself, he had to practice and train. If he wanted to be stronger, he needed to train. If he wanted to be smarter, he needed to study. And there wouldn't be anyone to hold his hand, they would only guide him. With this mentality, Darius developed into a man who takes what he does seriously. He understands right and wrong, he understands the concept of hard work and what it means to bleed for what you love. And he also understands what it means to care and tend to those you love. He is a semi-quiet person, keeping to himself most of the time just so he can enjoy his passions and his life, but he always thinking and his eyes are always analyzing the situation. He always takes in every detail he can before processing a response, and he does so quickly to keep himself ready. He isn't afraid of being uncomfortable and excels when under pressure, almost as though it is a drug he's addicted to. He walks with his head held high but speaks with modesty, doing so with the understanding that being humble can gets you farther than being bigger. He was taught to work in tandem with his partner in order to perform his duties well, and he keeps this in mind whenever he works with someone else towards a goal. When alone, he is a lot less cautious and reverts to his old Spartan ways somewhat and tends to use less finesse. After being introduced to Martial Arts and Swordplay, Darius added two ideals to his repertoire. One; when you have to fight, do so with everything you have and don't come out a loser, even if it means there is no winner. And two; fight only as a last resort. Even though your weapons are made to kill, life is not yours to take unless it is absolutely necessary. Darius follows these ideals closely when it comes to fighting other people and when it comes to hunting. He picks his targets carefully when hunting, striking only the weak and old while leaving the young to grow and reproduce. When dealing with people, he is more likely to cause submission rather than cause death. However, the blood in his veins is not to be ignored. The cool blue eyes he has may seem kind and gentle, but their sharpness is not something to be taken lightly. |
[attr="class","tempo"]
[attr="class","appbox2"]
Young, sharp, and clean, like the edge of the blade he carries. A young man, born into the blood line of killers and warriors was born into the world by a very prideful mother and a strong hearted father. Their child, the first after three attempts, came to being on February 14th of 2000. His eyes were a cool blue, he weighed average for a newborn, but the heart which pulsed in his chest carried a destiny, a curse he would be burdened with for the rest of his life. His name was Darius and his family name was Stratis. His father, Jake, and his mother Rose, brought forth a young man who would carry their name and etch their family into the history books. Yet, not any books they would see. No because he was not a being like they were, but because he was better.
Born on the Greek Island of Sparta, Darius lived a tough young childhood in near poverty. His father, a man with land to his name only because of the amount of blood his ancestors spilled for the country, worked himself to the bone as a craftsman and made barely enough wages to put food on the table and pay taxes on his land. He worked long hours, traveled often, and was at home for only short periods of times. His mother was a teacher at a poor school and was often busy with her work. Thus, Darius was left to his own devices once he passed the initial baby phase. As a young child, he went to school for a few hours a day and then wandered his city the rest of the time, occupying himself anyways possible to keep him from remembering that he was hungry.
For the first few months, Darius entertained himself with small games in the streets; kicking cans, toying in the mud, picking through garbage to find some interesting toys, and chasing small animals around. He was known in the nearby market as the “Wandering Toddler”, and when he first started to come around he was shooed away. But eventually, the merchants began to keep an eye on him until his mother rang her bell. The bell was the signal for Darius to return home, and it resonated quite loudly through their neighborhood. The few times he wandered out of ear range of the bell, he was punished heavily, thus ending his long adventures. The market, the streets around his home, the small field behind the house, and school were his playground. They were home. For most, home was everything a child knew and everything they would ever know until their early teens. But for Darius, home was a term he would keep closer than most. It would be a term that would remind him of the days without worries and the days without care. Because for Darius, home was a distant place he would not see for a long, long time.
After graduating his first two years of school, Darius began his third as all children did. Two months into the new year, Darius found himself returning to a home filled with more bodies than he was used to; Mom, Dad, two men standing and wearing oddly professional suits, and an old man. The old man sat on a pillow on the floor, his legs crossed. He wore a robe like piece of clothing, had a long and well-groomed white beard, bushy white eyebrows, and white hair that was pulled back tight into a very organized bun. Two needles were stuck through the bun, holding it together somehow. Darius was introduced to a man called Mr. Tomohiro.
Mr. Tomohiro was introduced to Darius as a wealthy Japanese man who knew their family and would be taking Darius for a little while. Darius refused and said that he would run away before he would leave home. Before he could run, he was scooped up from behind and held by a man even bigger than the other two. Darius’s parents apologized to their son and said that it was for the best. His parents had already packed his things and they were already loaded into the car Darius was carried into. Mr. Tomohiro entered the vehicle and the car drove off. Darius looked back and saw his mother on her knees and his father comforting her. When the car turned the corner, Darius realized that would be the last time he would see his parents for a long, long time.
A long trip later, Darius found himself in the mountains of Japan. He was led by Mr. Tomohiro and his entourage of bodyguards through a long passage out away from the city of Mutsu. The home was built near the Buddist temple and Lake Usori, but further away from the road. The home was large and isolated, surrounded by trees and a very low fence to create a boundary around the home. Guard dogs and body guards loitered the grounds, keeping watch. Maids and Servants greeted Mr. Tomohiro back and addressed Darius as ‘Young Lord’. It was odd, and Darius did not respond well at first. He was shown his room, given his things, and two maids were assigned to take care of him. He was fed, bathed, shown around the small complex, and introduced to three other children and a young woman. The children were in the same boat as he was and he was told to make friends with them. For them, it was easy as they were already comfortable with one another. Darius was less receptive and instead asked to just return to his room. It was the only night he would get to spend missing his home.
The first weeks in the new house were relatively easy. Darius was introduced to the new cuisine of Japan and the maids brought him around the complex so that he could help with cleaning duties. His education was continued from where he left off but it was all done in the complex. He was not allowed to leave and any time he tried, the guards turned him back. It was rough for him to remain stuck in one place at first, but slowly he grew used to it. Darius was fed better, slept on a comfy futon instead of the hard floor, and his teacher was a beautiful woman. He didn’t have a large place to play in but even when he did play, it wasn’t for long as there were always things to do; cleaning, organizing, cooking, and learning were the big four. Darius was taught everything possible about how to maintain a home and once he learned the basic mathematics, how to read simple texts of Japanese and English, and how to write both languages, the maid teaching Darius turned him over to a new instructor the next day. The new instructor began to teach him basic survival skills and how to work with his hands. Along with more advanced concepts of language, science, and math, Darius was introduced to real world concepts of building, fixing, maintaining, and living.
The young boy was so busy he didn’t even have time to think about his home, and the few times he did he found himself quite lonely. In the mornings, he was woken up quickly and hurried into his first tasks of the day. During the day, he never stopped and was always busy with something unless it was meal time. When night time came, he was too tired to think and went to sleep quickly. His faint memories of home generally came during the meal times when he sat alone with a few servants and the three other boys. The young woman and Mr. Tomohiro never sat down during these times and Darius rarely saw them after his first day. When he did, it was in glimpses.
Eight months went by in a blink, and Darius became very content with his new life. The people were kind, treated him well, and he had nothing to complain about. At the end of the eight months, however, Darius was sat down in front of Mr. Tomohiro and the young woman. He was joined by the other boys and beside them, the boys were partnered up with a different animal. Mr. Tomohiro told the boys that their new duty was not only to take care of the complex as they had been doing, but it was also to take care of the young creatures beside them. The boy named Thomas was given a young pup, a German Shepard, Narrick was given a bear cub, Shiro was given a cat, and Darius was given a small red fox. The dog was quiet, refined, and sat beside Thomas with dignity, the bear cub rested in a ball on Narrick’s lap, and the cat lazed on its stomach with its eyes half open. But Darius’s fox lay on its paws a bit more of a distance from Darius with its fiery eyes stuck on the young boy. It looked angry, upset, and as though it was going to have to put up with something tiresome. Darius named the fox Hono, after that fiery look.
Hono was troublesome and ran off often. Darius attempted to discipline the fox a few times but each time he tried, Hono slipped away and fled out of sight. For most of the days, Hono only appeared for food and to sleep in the room. During the day, Darius had no idea where his pet had gone. The other children didn’t have as many problems with theirs. The dog followed Thomas closely and the two played around often. The bear cup Narrick watched over was just as playful, in its slightly less nimble fashion, and actually carried Narrick around on its back sometimes. Shiro and his cat wandered around the complex, climbed trees and the buildings, and were found sleeping all over the place. It was rare for Darius to find Hono doing anything more than sitting on a high place, watching him from a distance.
At first, Darius was angered by the fox and hated the creature. He hated the fact that the others were doing better than he was. He hated that the others were getting more attention by their pets, and he hated that Hono always abandoned him. In the beginning, Darius worried for his fox and always found himself looking for the animal to make sure Hono was okay. But after a while, he stopped looking. He stopped caring for where Hono went and focused on his chores and his education. When he did see the fox, he never lingered and sucked his teeth. At night, Darius used to wait for Hono before he went to sleep. Later on, he simply left the window open and closed his eyes. Eventually, Hono stopped returning to the room.
Six months passed, the pets for the other boys grew, and the relationship between Darius and Hono declined. Darius steadily began to forget about Hono and acknowledged the fox less and less during meal time. When the fox appeared for food, taking its spot beside Darius, Darius rarely looked over unless he needed to reach for something. The maids saw the development and approached Darius, but the young boy had none of it. He avoided the problem and continued with his own education, until Mr. Tomohiro summoned him. For the first time, Darius was brought before Mr. Tomohiro and the young woman alone. He sat down on his cushion and after a few moments, Hono joined them.
Darius didn’t acknowledge the fox when Hono appeared and Hono pulled his cushion away from the boy before climbing into it. Mr. Tomohiro did not speak, but instead, the young woman did.
“Darius.” Her voice was soft, sweet, and flowed like the wind.
“You do not look at your friend, let alone greet them. Why?”
“He was my pet but never wanted anything to do with me.” Darius answered. He shot a hard look towards Hono, but the fox simply lay with his head on his paws. His eyes stared at Darius, unblinking for long periods of time. There was a fire in them again. Darius didn’t stare for long.
“You believe them to be a pet?” The young woman turned her eyes to Mr. Tomohiro. The old man closed his eyes and sighed heavily. When he opened them, he looked softly at Darius.
“Young man, you misunderstand. Hono is not your pet, she is your partner.” She?
Darius looked over at Hono, confused. Hono seemed to sigh and adjusted the way she sat, raising up her front legs and sitting in a more refined way. She looked towards the young woman and shook her head lightly. The young woman grimaced and then faced Mr. Tomohiro. He raised a hand.
“You have two months, Darius. Two months to become close enough to Hono so that she will not bite you when you reach for her. If you cannot do that, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave my home.”
Two months was what he was given, but in six months he eventually broke every potential for a relationship with Hono. How was he to do that? When Darius looked at Hono and she looked at him with those hot eyes, he felt it impossible. But, it would be his task. Hono would not make it easy either.
The two were dismissed and Darius returned to his room. Hono took her own route back and returned several minutes after Darius. They sat across from each other, staring at one another for several hours. Darius did not say a word and Hono never turned her eyes away from him. Until Darius finally opened his mouth. Something was bothering him, something that made him feel not uneasy, but very sad. He realized that Hono wasn’t looking at him with a glare, but with sadness. She was looking at him with pity.
“Why do you look at me like that..?” Darius asked. Hono lifted her head off the floor. She didn’t answer, of course she didn’t.
“Is it because you would rather be with one of the others?” Silence.
“If you hate me, then why haven’t you just left? Why do you come back?” Silence. Darius frowned and as he received nothing in response to his questions, he found all of his sadness slowly creep up from his core. He remembered his home, remembered how he was almost always alone and how his parents were always busy, and remembered the few times he was able to spend time with them. He missed the market, his few friends, and he missed the smell of the Greek air. Faint memories of home, and faint memories of days where he wasn’t worked to exhaustion. Hono stared at him with those eyes of pity and it made the boy feel like he was nothing.
He curled his knees to his chest and began to cry. He wanted to go home. That night, he slept in the corner of the room. When he awoke, he found himself covered by a blanket. Hono was gone.
Darius continued with his daily life, cleaning, cooking, and learning. When he had free time, he began to look for Hono but she was nowhere to be found. Before, there were traces of the fox and on occasion he could find her in some high places. He had figured out where her favorite spots were but she was in none of them. He began to call for her, cooked extra meaty portions and carried them around the complex in hopes to find her, and even stayed up late into the night in hopes that she would come back. She never did. Her spot in his room remained undisturbed. The first month passed and Darius began to feel as though Hono had abandoned him for good, but he never gave up. There were times he spent all night searching the complex for Hono, nights where he sat outside in a blanket with hopes that he would see her come trotting back towards where the window ways. Whenever he was allowed out into the surrounding forest area to practice his gathering skills, he searched for traces of her presence. In the first few days, he found a few prints and some fur, but those vanished quickly.
Not wanting to leave the complex and afraid that he would be forced to, Darius sat down on a large rock by a small river and curled up. He stared at his reflection in the water. He considered the thought of jumping into the river and letting himself get washed away. It would have been much better than being thrown out of the complex. If he was home, he could survive by asking the merchants for food. Here, he had no idea how to even leave the forest.
Shortly after his thoughts, he looked up and across the river to see a familiar face. Hono. She sat on her hind legs and rested her fluffy tail beside her. She looked dignified and oddly enough, she looked clean. No, clean wasn’t the right word; she looked beautiful. From the distance, Darius could see how much of a little fire she was. But his next thought wasn’t how she looked. Instead, it was to go get her. He jumped into the river without thinking. The only problem? He had never learned how to swim.
Darius was pulled under the water by the small current and carried down the stream. He floundered and flopped, struggled for air and fought to stay afloat. Hono followed him on the other side of the river in silence, watching as the young boy fought the water. Dogs began to bark loudly in the distance and the body guards rushed out into the forest at the sound of the splash. Yet, by the time they arrived, Darius had fought his way across the water. He rolled out of the river and onto his back into a patch of mud. He coughed up water, struggled to breathe, and his consciousness was fading. Hono sat down beside him, staring at him with those pitiful eyes. But Darius didn’t care. He reached up and placed his soaked, tired hand on her head. He gave her three light pets before he fainted.
When Darius awoke, it was early morning. He lay in the futon in his room and stared at the ceiling. His body felt heavy and he ached all over. He still had some problems breathing and his vision was a bit off for a few moments, but he was alive. A maid sat beside him with a small table next to her that had come towels and a few cups of cold water on it. His first instinct was to ask for Hono. His answer was the feeling of a small tail brushing up against his cheek. He turned his head to see the red fox lying beside him. He smiled and reached over to her. He placed his hand softly on the top of her head and pet Hono gently behind her ears, scratching at her gently. She lowered her head down to the floor and nestled in.
Two weeks passed, two months came, and Darius found himself sitting before Mr. Tomohiro and the woman once more. This time, Hono sat right beside the young boy. There was an eerie silence in the room for a short time before Mr. Tomohiro finally spoke up.
“Boy, do you believe in God?” Darius stared at the Japanese man, confused. God? What God would separate a child from his parents? What God would leave people in poverty?
“No, sir.” His answer was short, straight, and true. Hono’s eyes flicked to Darius and then to the woman. The woman opened a fan, covered her mouth, and whispered to Mr. Tomohiro as he eyes stared at Darius. After a few moments of whispers, Mr. Tomohiro sighed and the woman’s eyes narrowed.
“Boy, there are things in this world that you could not comprehend at your age and things you will never understand. Tales and stories of ancient beings, of great men, and of miracles. They will test your ability to separate truth from tale, and will make you wonder of things that may make you small. You may not always find your answers in your travels and even as you live, there will be things that elude you, but these things will teach you wisdom beyond anything your hands can learn.” Mr. Tomohiro looked to the woman beside him, and then towards Hono. The red fox swished her tail.
“I did not pick you by random, child. I came to you because of the fox beside you. She believes that you are someone with a destiny that will cause you to question who you are, and you may find yourself shaping this world in the near future. You are here because I am to provide you with the tools you need to fulfill that destiny.”
“I do not know what that destiny is and I do not know what I must teach you. But, I will teach you as much as possible to ensure that you are ready. When your time comes, you will know, and you will be ready. For the last year you have become comfortable here. Your hands have felt pain and you have learned the embrace of a warm night after a hard day. Your eyes are young, but your mind is growing quickly. The other boys are growing too, but you already understand something more than they do and the last two months have shown me that. I have watched you, closely, child. And you will be my successor.”
Darius grimaced at the words and gripped at his pants, the same pants he had been given when he had come to the complex. They were dirty, ripped, cut, torn, and had stains from the messes he had made. He was only eight years old at the time, but with those words, he had a feeling that his life was about to change. Before he could open his mouth, Hono placed her head in his lap and stared up at him. He held his tongue, and readied his heart. There wasn’t a choice. This complex was his new home.
“What should I do?” Darius looked up into Mr. Tomohiro’s eyes and watched that old, aged face put on a new expression; a smile.
For the next ten years, Darius found himself under constant pressure from Mr. Tomohiro and the servants. The other three boys continued to live with Darius but their duties were performed separately from Darius, as their chance at being successors had been taken. Instead of being trained like Darius, they instead were taught how to be his body guards. Darius didn’t pay them any mind though. His focus was on his own training. Mr. Tomohiro was a business man who owned several hot springs, forges, and tailoring shops. He was a master blacksmith, a master tailor, and knew several high ranking martial artists. All of whom Darius became to know very well.
The ten years were not easy for Darius. He learned how to fight, how to kill, how to mend metal, and how to create a masterpiece with thread. Mr. Tomohiro kept a close eye on the boy, nurturing him and always giving him advise. Sometimes, it made little sense and Darius was forced to think long about what he had been told. Other times it was so obvious that Darius had to figure out if it was a lie or not. For ten years, Darius underwent a gauntlet of pressure that never let up. The expectations of Mr. Tomohiro were high and meeting them meant nothing less than death. After the first month of Darius’s training, Mr. Tomohiro introduced Darius to the term seppuku and placed a ceremonial katana at the front of the dojo. Should Darius ever fail or feel as though he cannot meet the expectations, he was ordered to commit suicide.
The thought crossed his mind three times. The first was when he had nearly been cast off by his Kendo teacher for being terrible with swords. Darius took it as a challenge and practiced day in and day out, focusing on his footwork and the foundations of the art. He proved his teacher wrong and survived for quite a while. The second time occurred when Hono snapped at Darius for the way he had been treating her. Due to his studies and his duties, Darius had begun neglecting his partner. Upon noticing, he felt terrible and nearly went for the sword. The third time was when he turned sixteen. He remembered his family, remembered where he had come from, and remembered how he missed his mother. In that brief moment, he was struck with grief and his mind nearly collapsed as the stress of his new life tugged on him.
All three times, failure and doubt crept into the mind of the young soul and he found himself leaning into the darkness of his disbelief. These days were the cloudiest and he lived them in a fog. And all three times, as the embrace seemed too tight, Hono gave Darius a soft brush of her tail and reminded the boy of what he was doing. Preparation was key, and after spending most of his life readying for whatever Hono had in store for him there was no going back. Quitting would only mean he was weak and that everything he had done was for naught. He couldn’t live with that kind of ideal. No, no he would succeed and he would be ready for the day the world called upon him.
For his eighteenth birthday, Darius and Hono left the complex and took a small plane back to Sparta. Darius returned to the place he was born, only to find that his parents were gone. The land was different and instead of just one home on the plot, there were now two. The grass was cut to nothing but stubs, the land beyond was fenced off, and two new families occupied his house. Darius did not cry, no he did not have time to. He was led across the city to a small nursing home. Inside he was led to his father. The man was old, fragile, and his eyes looked lost. Darius’s mother had been killed four years after he had been taken by Mr. Tomohiro by a serial killer, a man who was given the death penalty for his heinous crimes. His father, with no reason to live now that his wife and son were gone from him, turned to alcohol and drugs. He was saved from an overdose but was now living his life as a vegetable. Until Darius returned.
He grabbed onto his father’s old hand and the eyes which had not seen the light of day for years came back into focus. He smiled, weakly, and grasped for Darius as though it was the only thing he could do. On that day, Darius listened to his father as the man wept in his arms. Darius introduced his father to Hono, the three others he had lived with, and told his father of his life. He told of his journey under Mr. Tomohiro’s hand and of all the things he had learned. He told his father of all the things he had learned and how much of a man he had become, all because they had given him the opportunity. He told his father everything, from when times were hard to when they were easy, he told the man about his thoughts of suicide and of his doubts but also the ambition he felt burning in his core. All because they had given him a chance. Darius thanked his father and told him the three words he never got the chance to say to his mother, the words of love.
Darius left his father once more and followed directions to see his mother’s grave. It was a beautiful place. Her headstone was placed at the top of a hill, overlooking the sea and facing the morning horizon. Darius stood by the stone for a long time in silence, staring at the headstone without words to say. He wanted to show her who he was, who he had turned into just like he had done with his father. But he would never get that opportunity, and he quickly accepted that fact. Instead of crying, instead of praying for another chance, and instead of begging for the impossible, Darius smiled and placed a purple rose at the base of the headstone.
“Goodbye, mom.” Darius whispered before he kissed the stone. He stood up, stared for a few more seconds, and then left. The group returned to Mr. Tomohiro’s complex and three days after returning, news came that Darius’s father had passed. By then, however, it was too late.
Darius left the complex on his own with the intent of taking some time to himself as to let himself cope with the loss of his mother and the condition of his father. During the day, he searched the nearby city and found and internet café. In it, he decided to sit down and play a new game that was being released known as Elder Tale. He was not much of a gamer but he had overheard quite a bit about the game in his travels. It was something he was interested in, but not as much as some others. Unfortunately for him, that decision to sit down at the computer would be his last one in the real world. Upon turning on the computer and starting up the game, he became one of The Ascended. A cruel fate, and a cruel destiny as there was nothing which could truly prepare him for what awaited him.
Young, sharp, and clean, like the edge of the blade he carries. A young man, born into the blood line of killers and warriors was born into the world by a very prideful mother and a strong hearted father. Their child, the first after three attempts, came to being on February 14th of 2000. His eyes were a cool blue, he weighed average for a newborn, but the heart which pulsed in his chest carried a destiny, a curse he would be burdened with for the rest of his life. His name was Darius and his family name was Stratis. His father, Jake, and his mother Rose, brought forth a young man who would carry their name and etch their family into the history books. Yet, not any books they would see. No because he was not a being like they were, but because he was better.
Born on the Greek Island of Sparta, Darius lived a tough young childhood in near poverty. His father, a man with land to his name only because of the amount of blood his ancestors spilled for the country, worked himself to the bone as a craftsman and made barely enough wages to put food on the table and pay taxes on his land. He worked long hours, traveled often, and was at home for only short periods of times. His mother was a teacher at a poor school and was often busy with her work. Thus, Darius was left to his own devices once he passed the initial baby phase. As a young child, he went to school for a few hours a day and then wandered his city the rest of the time, occupying himself anyways possible to keep him from remembering that he was hungry.
For the first few months, Darius entertained himself with small games in the streets; kicking cans, toying in the mud, picking through garbage to find some interesting toys, and chasing small animals around. He was known in the nearby market as the “Wandering Toddler”, and when he first started to come around he was shooed away. But eventually, the merchants began to keep an eye on him until his mother rang her bell. The bell was the signal for Darius to return home, and it resonated quite loudly through their neighborhood. The few times he wandered out of ear range of the bell, he was punished heavily, thus ending his long adventures. The market, the streets around his home, the small field behind the house, and school were his playground. They were home. For most, home was everything a child knew and everything they would ever know until their early teens. But for Darius, home was a term he would keep closer than most. It would be a term that would remind him of the days without worries and the days without care. Because for Darius, home was a distant place he would not see for a long, long time.
After graduating his first two years of school, Darius began his third as all children did. Two months into the new year, Darius found himself returning to a home filled with more bodies than he was used to; Mom, Dad, two men standing and wearing oddly professional suits, and an old man. The old man sat on a pillow on the floor, his legs crossed. He wore a robe like piece of clothing, had a long and well-groomed white beard, bushy white eyebrows, and white hair that was pulled back tight into a very organized bun. Two needles were stuck through the bun, holding it together somehow. Darius was introduced to a man called Mr. Tomohiro.
Mr. Tomohiro was introduced to Darius as a wealthy Japanese man who knew their family and would be taking Darius for a little while. Darius refused and said that he would run away before he would leave home. Before he could run, he was scooped up from behind and held by a man even bigger than the other two. Darius’s parents apologized to their son and said that it was for the best. His parents had already packed his things and they were already loaded into the car Darius was carried into. Mr. Tomohiro entered the vehicle and the car drove off. Darius looked back and saw his mother on her knees and his father comforting her. When the car turned the corner, Darius realized that would be the last time he would see his parents for a long, long time.
A long trip later, Darius found himself in the mountains of Japan. He was led by Mr. Tomohiro and his entourage of bodyguards through a long passage out away from the city of Mutsu. The home was built near the Buddist temple and Lake Usori, but further away from the road. The home was large and isolated, surrounded by trees and a very low fence to create a boundary around the home. Guard dogs and body guards loitered the grounds, keeping watch. Maids and Servants greeted Mr. Tomohiro back and addressed Darius as ‘Young Lord’. It was odd, and Darius did not respond well at first. He was shown his room, given his things, and two maids were assigned to take care of him. He was fed, bathed, shown around the small complex, and introduced to three other children and a young woman. The children were in the same boat as he was and he was told to make friends with them. For them, it was easy as they were already comfortable with one another. Darius was less receptive and instead asked to just return to his room. It was the only night he would get to spend missing his home.
The first weeks in the new house were relatively easy. Darius was introduced to the new cuisine of Japan and the maids brought him around the complex so that he could help with cleaning duties. His education was continued from where he left off but it was all done in the complex. He was not allowed to leave and any time he tried, the guards turned him back. It was rough for him to remain stuck in one place at first, but slowly he grew used to it. Darius was fed better, slept on a comfy futon instead of the hard floor, and his teacher was a beautiful woman. He didn’t have a large place to play in but even when he did play, it wasn’t for long as there were always things to do; cleaning, organizing, cooking, and learning were the big four. Darius was taught everything possible about how to maintain a home and once he learned the basic mathematics, how to read simple texts of Japanese and English, and how to write both languages, the maid teaching Darius turned him over to a new instructor the next day. The new instructor began to teach him basic survival skills and how to work with his hands. Along with more advanced concepts of language, science, and math, Darius was introduced to real world concepts of building, fixing, maintaining, and living.
The young boy was so busy he didn’t even have time to think about his home, and the few times he did he found himself quite lonely. In the mornings, he was woken up quickly and hurried into his first tasks of the day. During the day, he never stopped and was always busy with something unless it was meal time. When night time came, he was too tired to think and went to sleep quickly. His faint memories of home generally came during the meal times when he sat alone with a few servants and the three other boys. The young woman and Mr. Tomohiro never sat down during these times and Darius rarely saw them after his first day. When he did, it was in glimpses.
Eight months went by in a blink, and Darius became very content with his new life. The people were kind, treated him well, and he had nothing to complain about. At the end of the eight months, however, Darius was sat down in front of Mr. Tomohiro and the young woman. He was joined by the other boys and beside them, the boys were partnered up with a different animal. Mr. Tomohiro told the boys that their new duty was not only to take care of the complex as they had been doing, but it was also to take care of the young creatures beside them. The boy named Thomas was given a young pup, a German Shepard, Narrick was given a bear cub, Shiro was given a cat, and Darius was given a small red fox. The dog was quiet, refined, and sat beside Thomas with dignity, the bear cub rested in a ball on Narrick’s lap, and the cat lazed on its stomach with its eyes half open. But Darius’s fox lay on its paws a bit more of a distance from Darius with its fiery eyes stuck on the young boy. It looked angry, upset, and as though it was going to have to put up with something tiresome. Darius named the fox Hono, after that fiery look.
Hono was troublesome and ran off often. Darius attempted to discipline the fox a few times but each time he tried, Hono slipped away and fled out of sight. For most of the days, Hono only appeared for food and to sleep in the room. During the day, Darius had no idea where his pet had gone. The other children didn’t have as many problems with theirs. The dog followed Thomas closely and the two played around often. The bear cup Narrick watched over was just as playful, in its slightly less nimble fashion, and actually carried Narrick around on its back sometimes. Shiro and his cat wandered around the complex, climbed trees and the buildings, and were found sleeping all over the place. It was rare for Darius to find Hono doing anything more than sitting on a high place, watching him from a distance.
At first, Darius was angered by the fox and hated the creature. He hated the fact that the others were doing better than he was. He hated that the others were getting more attention by their pets, and he hated that Hono always abandoned him. In the beginning, Darius worried for his fox and always found himself looking for the animal to make sure Hono was okay. But after a while, he stopped looking. He stopped caring for where Hono went and focused on his chores and his education. When he did see the fox, he never lingered and sucked his teeth. At night, Darius used to wait for Hono before he went to sleep. Later on, he simply left the window open and closed his eyes. Eventually, Hono stopped returning to the room.
Six months passed, the pets for the other boys grew, and the relationship between Darius and Hono declined. Darius steadily began to forget about Hono and acknowledged the fox less and less during meal time. When the fox appeared for food, taking its spot beside Darius, Darius rarely looked over unless he needed to reach for something. The maids saw the development and approached Darius, but the young boy had none of it. He avoided the problem and continued with his own education, until Mr. Tomohiro summoned him. For the first time, Darius was brought before Mr. Tomohiro and the young woman alone. He sat down on his cushion and after a few moments, Hono joined them.
Darius didn’t acknowledge the fox when Hono appeared and Hono pulled his cushion away from the boy before climbing into it. Mr. Tomohiro did not speak, but instead, the young woman did.
“Darius.” Her voice was soft, sweet, and flowed like the wind.
“You do not look at your friend, let alone greet them. Why?”
“He was my pet but never wanted anything to do with me.” Darius answered. He shot a hard look towards Hono, but the fox simply lay with his head on his paws. His eyes stared at Darius, unblinking for long periods of time. There was a fire in them again. Darius didn’t stare for long.
“You believe them to be a pet?” The young woman turned her eyes to Mr. Tomohiro. The old man closed his eyes and sighed heavily. When he opened them, he looked softly at Darius.
“Young man, you misunderstand. Hono is not your pet, she is your partner.” She?
Darius looked over at Hono, confused. Hono seemed to sigh and adjusted the way she sat, raising up her front legs and sitting in a more refined way. She looked towards the young woman and shook her head lightly. The young woman grimaced and then faced Mr. Tomohiro. He raised a hand.
“You have two months, Darius. Two months to become close enough to Hono so that she will not bite you when you reach for her. If you cannot do that, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave my home.”
Two months was what he was given, but in six months he eventually broke every potential for a relationship with Hono. How was he to do that? When Darius looked at Hono and she looked at him with those hot eyes, he felt it impossible. But, it would be his task. Hono would not make it easy either.
The two were dismissed and Darius returned to his room. Hono took her own route back and returned several minutes after Darius. They sat across from each other, staring at one another for several hours. Darius did not say a word and Hono never turned her eyes away from him. Until Darius finally opened his mouth. Something was bothering him, something that made him feel not uneasy, but very sad. He realized that Hono wasn’t looking at him with a glare, but with sadness. She was looking at him with pity.
“Why do you look at me like that..?” Darius asked. Hono lifted her head off the floor. She didn’t answer, of course she didn’t.
“Is it because you would rather be with one of the others?” Silence.
“If you hate me, then why haven’t you just left? Why do you come back?” Silence. Darius frowned and as he received nothing in response to his questions, he found all of his sadness slowly creep up from his core. He remembered his home, remembered how he was almost always alone and how his parents were always busy, and remembered the few times he was able to spend time with them. He missed the market, his few friends, and he missed the smell of the Greek air. Faint memories of home, and faint memories of days where he wasn’t worked to exhaustion. Hono stared at him with those eyes of pity and it made the boy feel like he was nothing.
He curled his knees to his chest and began to cry. He wanted to go home. That night, he slept in the corner of the room. When he awoke, he found himself covered by a blanket. Hono was gone.
Darius continued with his daily life, cleaning, cooking, and learning. When he had free time, he began to look for Hono but she was nowhere to be found. Before, there were traces of the fox and on occasion he could find her in some high places. He had figured out where her favorite spots were but she was in none of them. He began to call for her, cooked extra meaty portions and carried them around the complex in hopes to find her, and even stayed up late into the night in hopes that she would come back. She never did. Her spot in his room remained undisturbed. The first month passed and Darius began to feel as though Hono had abandoned him for good, but he never gave up. There were times he spent all night searching the complex for Hono, nights where he sat outside in a blanket with hopes that he would see her come trotting back towards where the window ways. Whenever he was allowed out into the surrounding forest area to practice his gathering skills, he searched for traces of her presence. In the first few days, he found a few prints and some fur, but those vanished quickly.
Not wanting to leave the complex and afraid that he would be forced to, Darius sat down on a large rock by a small river and curled up. He stared at his reflection in the water. He considered the thought of jumping into the river and letting himself get washed away. It would have been much better than being thrown out of the complex. If he was home, he could survive by asking the merchants for food. Here, he had no idea how to even leave the forest.
Shortly after his thoughts, he looked up and across the river to see a familiar face. Hono. She sat on her hind legs and rested her fluffy tail beside her. She looked dignified and oddly enough, she looked clean. No, clean wasn’t the right word; she looked beautiful. From the distance, Darius could see how much of a little fire she was. But his next thought wasn’t how she looked. Instead, it was to go get her. He jumped into the river without thinking. The only problem? He had never learned how to swim.
Darius was pulled under the water by the small current and carried down the stream. He floundered and flopped, struggled for air and fought to stay afloat. Hono followed him on the other side of the river in silence, watching as the young boy fought the water. Dogs began to bark loudly in the distance and the body guards rushed out into the forest at the sound of the splash. Yet, by the time they arrived, Darius had fought his way across the water. He rolled out of the river and onto his back into a patch of mud. He coughed up water, struggled to breathe, and his consciousness was fading. Hono sat down beside him, staring at him with those pitiful eyes. But Darius didn’t care. He reached up and placed his soaked, tired hand on her head. He gave her three light pets before he fainted.
When Darius awoke, it was early morning. He lay in the futon in his room and stared at the ceiling. His body felt heavy and he ached all over. He still had some problems breathing and his vision was a bit off for a few moments, but he was alive. A maid sat beside him with a small table next to her that had come towels and a few cups of cold water on it. His first instinct was to ask for Hono. His answer was the feeling of a small tail brushing up against his cheek. He turned his head to see the red fox lying beside him. He smiled and reached over to her. He placed his hand softly on the top of her head and pet Hono gently behind her ears, scratching at her gently. She lowered her head down to the floor and nestled in.
Two weeks passed, two months came, and Darius found himself sitting before Mr. Tomohiro and the woman once more. This time, Hono sat right beside the young boy. There was an eerie silence in the room for a short time before Mr. Tomohiro finally spoke up.
“Boy, do you believe in God?” Darius stared at the Japanese man, confused. God? What God would separate a child from his parents? What God would leave people in poverty?
“No, sir.” His answer was short, straight, and true. Hono’s eyes flicked to Darius and then to the woman. The woman opened a fan, covered her mouth, and whispered to Mr. Tomohiro as he eyes stared at Darius. After a few moments of whispers, Mr. Tomohiro sighed and the woman’s eyes narrowed.
“Boy, there are things in this world that you could not comprehend at your age and things you will never understand. Tales and stories of ancient beings, of great men, and of miracles. They will test your ability to separate truth from tale, and will make you wonder of things that may make you small. You may not always find your answers in your travels and even as you live, there will be things that elude you, but these things will teach you wisdom beyond anything your hands can learn.” Mr. Tomohiro looked to the woman beside him, and then towards Hono. The red fox swished her tail.
“I did not pick you by random, child. I came to you because of the fox beside you. She believes that you are someone with a destiny that will cause you to question who you are, and you may find yourself shaping this world in the near future. You are here because I am to provide you with the tools you need to fulfill that destiny.”
“I do not know what that destiny is and I do not know what I must teach you. But, I will teach you as much as possible to ensure that you are ready. When your time comes, you will know, and you will be ready. For the last year you have become comfortable here. Your hands have felt pain and you have learned the embrace of a warm night after a hard day. Your eyes are young, but your mind is growing quickly. The other boys are growing too, but you already understand something more than they do and the last two months have shown me that. I have watched you, closely, child. And you will be my successor.”
Darius grimaced at the words and gripped at his pants, the same pants he had been given when he had come to the complex. They were dirty, ripped, cut, torn, and had stains from the messes he had made. He was only eight years old at the time, but with those words, he had a feeling that his life was about to change. Before he could open his mouth, Hono placed her head in his lap and stared up at him. He held his tongue, and readied his heart. There wasn’t a choice. This complex was his new home.
“What should I do?” Darius looked up into Mr. Tomohiro’s eyes and watched that old, aged face put on a new expression; a smile.
For the next ten years, Darius found himself under constant pressure from Mr. Tomohiro and the servants. The other three boys continued to live with Darius but their duties were performed separately from Darius, as their chance at being successors had been taken. Instead of being trained like Darius, they instead were taught how to be his body guards. Darius didn’t pay them any mind though. His focus was on his own training. Mr. Tomohiro was a business man who owned several hot springs, forges, and tailoring shops. He was a master blacksmith, a master tailor, and knew several high ranking martial artists. All of whom Darius became to know very well.
The ten years were not easy for Darius. He learned how to fight, how to kill, how to mend metal, and how to create a masterpiece with thread. Mr. Tomohiro kept a close eye on the boy, nurturing him and always giving him advise. Sometimes, it made little sense and Darius was forced to think long about what he had been told. Other times it was so obvious that Darius had to figure out if it was a lie or not. For ten years, Darius underwent a gauntlet of pressure that never let up. The expectations of Mr. Tomohiro were high and meeting them meant nothing less than death. After the first month of Darius’s training, Mr. Tomohiro introduced Darius to the term seppuku and placed a ceremonial katana at the front of the dojo. Should Darius ever fail or feel as though he cannot meet the expectations, he was ordered to commit suicide.
The thought crossed his mind three times. The first was when he had nearly been cast off by his Kendo teacher for being terrible with swords. Darius took it as a challenge and practiced day in and day out, focusing on his footwork and the foundations of the art. He proved his teacher wrong and survived for quite a while. The second time occurred when Hono snapped at Darius for the way he had been treating her. Due to his studies and his duties, Darius had begun neglecting his partner. Upon noticing, he felt terrible and nearly went for the sword. The third time was when he turned sixteen. He remembered his family, remembered where he had come from, and remembered how he missed his mother. In that brief moment, he was struck with grief and his mind nearly collapsed as the stress of his new life tugged on him.
All three times, failure and doubt crept into the mind of the young soul and he found himself leaning into the darkness of his disbelief. These days were the cloudiest and he lived them in a fog. And all three times, as the embrace seemed too tight, Hono gave Darius a soft brush of her tail and reminded the boy of what he was doing. Preparation was key, and after spending most of his life readying for whatever Hono had in store for him there was no going back. Quitting would only mean he was weak and that everything he had done was for naught. He couldn’t live with that kind of ideal. No, no he would succeed and he would be ready for the day the world called upon him.
For his eighteenth birthday, Darius and Hono left the complex and took a small plane back to Sparta. Darius returned to the place he was born, only to find that his parents were gone. The land was different and instead of just one home on the plot, there were now two. The grass was cut to nothing but stubs, the land beyond was fenced off, and two new families occupied his house. Darius did not cry, no he did not have time to. He was led across the city to a small nursing home. Inside he was led to his father. The man was old, fragile, and his eyes looked lost. Darius’s mother had been killed four years after he had been taken by Mr. Tomohiro by a serial killer, a man who was given the death penalty for his heinous crimes. His father, with no reason to live now that his wife and son were gone from him, turned to alcohol and drugs. He was saved from an overdose but was now living his life as a vegetable. Until Darius returned.
He grabbed onto his father’s old hand and the eyes which had not seen the light of day for years came back into focus. He smiled, weakly, and grasped for Darius as though it was the only thing he could do. On that day, Darius listened to his father as the man wept in his arms. Darius introduced his father to Hono, the three others he had lived with, and told his father of his life. He told of his journey under Mr. Tomohiro’s hand and of all the things he had learned. He told his father of all the things he had learned and how much of a man he had become, all because they had given him the opportunity. He told his father everything, from when times were hard to when they were easy, he told the man about his thoughts of suicide and of his doubts but also the ambition he felt burning in his core. All because they had given him a chance. Darius thanked his father and told him the three words he never got the chance to say to his mother, the words of love.
Darius left his father once more and followed directions to see his mother’s grave. It was a beautiful place. Her headstone was placed at the top of a hill, overlooking the sea and facing the morning horizon. Darius stood by the stone for a long time in silence, staring at the headstone without words to say. He wanted to show her who he was, who he had turned into just like he had done with his father. But he would never get that opportunity, and he quickly accepted that fact. Instead of crying, instead of praying for another chance, and instead of begging for the impossible, Darius smiled and placed a purple rose at the base of the headstone.
“Goodbye, mom.” Darius whispered before he kissed the stone. He stood up, stared for a few more seconds, and then left. The group returned to Mr. Tomohiro’s complex and three days after returning, news came that Darius’s father had passed. By then, however, it was too late.
Darius left the complex on his own with the intent of taking some time to himself as to let himself cope with the loss of his mother and the condition of his father. During the day, he searched the nearby city and found and internet café. In it, he decided to sit down and play a new game that was being released known as Elder Tale. He was not much of a gamer but he had overheard quite a bit about the game in his travels. It was something he was interested in, but not as much as some others. Unfortunately for him, that decision to sit down at the computer would be his last one in the real world. Upon turning on the computer and starting up the game, he became one of The Ascended. A cruel fate, and a cruel destiny as there was nothing which could truly prepare him for what awaited him.
February 14th, 2018; Darius Stratis goes missing from the real world and appears in the Unfounded Kingdom.
[attr="class","tempo"]
[attr="class","appbox3"]
Armor:
Left Arm:
Right Arm:
Accessory Slot 1:
Accessory Slot 2:
Accessory Slot 3:
Accessory Slot 4:
Vanity Slot 1:
Vanity Slot 2:
Vanity Slot 3:
Armor:
[attr="class","equip1"]Starter Cloth Armor - A basic set of cloth armor made from cheap fabric. They are not really protective, but they are better than going naked—probably. You probably do want to replace these asap, when you think about it.
Left Arm:
[attr="class","equip1"]Starter Katana - A traditional Japanese weapon with a single edge. A starter weapon designed for novice adventurers, made out of cheap iron. It is well-balanced and easy to use but doesn’t hit particularly hard at all. You probably should get this replaced as soon as you can.
Right Arm:
[attr="class","equip1"]Empty
Accessory Slot 1:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
Accessory Slot 2:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
Accessory Slot 3:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
Accessory Slot 4:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
Vanity Slot 1:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
Vanity Slot 2:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
Vanity Slot 3:
[attr="class","equip2"]Empty
[attr="class","tempo"]
[attr="class","appbox4"]
x4 Basic Material Voucher (pittered boars)
x1 Dungeon Unlock Ticket
x1 Baby Dragon Mount (Upgradeable)
x1 Medium-Quality Weapon Skin
x1 Medium-Quality Vanity Set Effect
x2 Half-Revive Dolls
x1 Medium-Quality Crafting Tool
x3 LQ Accessories (5% Reforges towards your Main Class).
x4 LQ Crafting Tools
x4 Full Sets of LQ Vanity Gear
x2 Combat Wolf Whistle
x2 Defensive Bear Whistle
x2 Vanity Chicken Whistle
x2 Level 5 Weapon and Armor Set with a Reforge
x2 Level 10 Weapon and Armor Set with a Reforge
x2 Level 15 Weapon and Armor Set with a reforge
x100 LQ Health Potions
x101 LQ Mana Potions
x140 LQ Crafting Materials,
x4 Quest Bonus Tickets
x4 NPC Medallion - Decreases NPC Costs to a 1.10x Modifier until you reach the normal modifier via the REP Tree.
x12 Free NPC Item Tickets
x1 Frenmic Rabbit Foot: Isn't there some superstition about rabbit's feet and luck? Probably, but not here. This item is a foot of a rabbit but its realy use comes out only when in the hands of a Pharmacist.
x2 Frenmic Rabbit Fur: A furry skin dropped when a Frenmic Rabbit is killed. It looks a bit worn and used but you could still use it, in a pinch.
x2 Tough Meat: Dropped after killing a meaty beast or animal of some kind. Make sure you use this soon before it rots!
x4 Pittered Boar Hide: A piece of boar hide dropped from low level pittered boars. It seems a bit rough but it's usable.
x1 Pittered Boar Tusk: Broken probably during combat, this is a piece of a boar tusk. It could be turned into a necklace, or you could give it to a Pharmacist like a helpful player.
x2 Nectar Basin: A heavy pot of thick, green plant material with remnants of an acid at the bottom. The basin seems well insulated, and also water tight. Even it's durability seems quite high! You might be able to use this for something.
x2 Flower Membrane: The core of a flower. It's sticky and has remnants of some kind of nectar along its edges. The nectar from the flower remains and it smells a bit like honey.
x4 Basic Material Voucher (pittered boars)
x1 Dungeon Unlock Ticket
x1 Baby Dragon Mount (Upgradeable)
x1 Medium-Quality Weapon Skin
x1 Medium-Quality Vanity Set Effect
x2 Half-Revive Dolls
x1 Medium-Quality Crafting Tool
x3 LQ Accessories (5% Reforges towards your Main Class).
x4 LQ Crafting Tools
x4 Full Sets of LQ Vanity Gear
x2 Combat Wolf Whistle
x2 Defensive Bear Whistle
x2 Vanity Chicken Whistle
x2 Level 5 Weapon and Armor Set with a Reforge
x2 Level 10 Weapon and Armor Set with a Reforge
x2 Level 15 Weapon and Armor Set with a reforge
x100 LQ Health Potions
x101 LQ Mana Potions
x140 LQ Crafting Materials,
x4 Quest Bonus Tickets
x4 NPC Medallion - Decreases NPC Costs to a 1.10x Modifier until you reach the normal modifier via the REP Tree.
x12 Free NPC Item Tickets
x1 Frenmic Rabbit Foot: Isn't there some superstition about rabbit's feet and luck? Probably, but not here. This item is a foot of a rabbit but its realy use comes out only when in the hands of a Pharmacist.
x2 Frenmic Rabbit Fur: A furry skin dropped when a Frenmic Rabbit is killed. It looks a bit worn and used but you could still use it, in a pinch.
x2 Tough Meat: Dropped after killing a meaty beast or animal of some kind. Make sure you use this soon before it rots!
x4 Pittered Boar Hide: A piece of boar hide dropped from low level pittered boars. It seems a bit rough but it's usable.
x1 Pittered Boar Tusk: Broken probably during combat, this is a piece of a boar tusk. It could be turned into a necklace, or you could give it to a Pharmacist like a helpful player.
x2 Nectar Basin: A heavy pot of thick, green plant material with remnants of an acid at the bottom. The basin seems well insulated, and also water tight. Even it's durability seems quite high! You might be able to use this for something.
x2 Flower Membrane: The core of a flower. It's sticky and has remnants of some kind of nectar along its edges. The nectar from the flower remains and it smells a bit like honey.
[attr="class","tempo"]
[attr="class","appbox3"]
Main Class: Summoner
Roleplay Class: Animal Trainer
Crafting Class:
Main Class: Summoner
[attr="class","skillbox1"]
Summon Follower - Salamander - Tier 1 - Reptile-type Fire elemental follower. Summons forth a reptilian spirit cloaked in a burning aura. Damages targets with burning fangs, claws, and a magic fire breath attack. It requires a source of ignition to be summoned at its full power, common sources include camp/cooking fires and even torches. Otherwise, it is summoned at roughly half of its power. Salamander's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Wary toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Elemental Bolt - Tier 1 - The Summoner borrows the physical properties of their follower to generate an energy bolt projectile. The projectile copies the attribute of the follower, so a bolt created from Salamander will deal fire-based damage. As this skill derives itself from the energy of the follower, it reduces the follower's damage potential by a small amount for about 10 seconds. In exchange, the bolt itself deals a respectable amount of damage for its tier. This skill has a casting time of 2 seconds and a cooldown time of 5 seconds.
Castling - Tier 1 - Much as one would protect one's own king by switching its position with a nearby rook in a game of chess, Castling follows a similar convention. It is an emergency skill that instantly switches the places of a Follower and the Summoner. There have been anecdotes of Castling being used with Soul Possession for quicker travel time. Castling may not be used in combination with a summon that is classified as an Entity. This skill has a casting time of 1.5 seconds and a cooldown time of 10 seconds.
Netherrealm Regen - - The Summoner taps into the power of the Spirit Realms in order to hasten the Follower's health regeneration in battle. The targeted Follower will regenerate 5% of its HP every three seconds. This skill is particularly important for Summoners whose Followers take on the role of a tank; however, it is still highly recommended that supplemental healing is paired with this skill in order to sustain the Follower's health during long battles. This skill has a casting time of 2 seconds and a duration of 30 seconds. It has a cooldown of 5 seconds. If a Follower currently affected by this skill is targeted again by this skill, then its duration is reset.
Reinforcements - Tier 1 - Considering the intricate contract that binds a Follower to a Summoner, the conjuring of these mystical creatures takes some time. Naturally, while in the heat of battle, this necessary time can feel like an eternity. Reinforcements is a skill that was designed to ease this wait time and quickly summon a new Follower during urgent situations. The next "Summon Follower" skill cast by the Summoner will have an instant cast time. However, the summoned Follower's stats will be reduced by 25% for the first 10 seconds after it is summoned. This skill has no cast time and has a cooldown of 60 seconds.
Scape-doll - Tier 1 - A skill that targets a single allied Follower. At this moment, the Summoner and the Follower's body is connected by a short blue string of mana. All damage taken by the Summoner is split evenly between themselves and the Familiar. This allows the Summoner to gain a decent level of defensive bulk, but the Summoner's naturally low HP means that this skill should not be overestimated. This skill has a casting time of 1.5 seconds. It inflicts a small MP drain on the summoner and can be manually canceled. As soon as it is canceled, this skill goes into cooldown for 10 seconds.
Summoner's Gambit - Tier 1 - The Summoner riles up the Follower into a frenzy, increasing its physical and magical damage by 20%. During the duration of this skill, the follower will be less responsive to the Summoner's commands and will prioritize on offensively defeating its enemies. As a result, it will take 25% extra damage from any incoming attacks while affected by this skill. This skill has an casting time of 1 second, a duration of 20 seconds, and a cooldown of 45 seconds.
Auto-Attack - Beginner Skill - A basic toggle command that controls the user's body and allows them to automatically target a monster and attempt to attack. After the system launches an attack and the animation time of swinging the weapon is resolved, there is a 2 second delay before the next attack is queued. Any skills or movements that the user may manually perform will take priority over this status, but the system will generally try to aim for an accurate hit. It was a staple among players in the original Elder Tale game, but since the Apocalypse, its use has taken a drastic drop. Due to this world allowing for manual combat much like in the real world, queued auto attacks are often seen as too slow for practical use. Still, for those who do not have the adequate combat training, is there any other option?
Tongue of Nature - Tier 1 - It's often said that certain people seem to have an affinity toward interacting with nature and communicating with animals. With this skill, the Adventurer's natural affinity is idealized into a tangible form. While this toggle skill is active, the character will be able to communicate with animals and monsters. Incoming speech by monsters will also appear as subtitles at the bottom of the user's vision. There is a huge variance between being able to notice this effect and actually using it effectively, however. "Nice to meet you" is not the same thing as "Look, fresh meat", for example. At lower levels, the user of this skill will very often mishear monsters' speech and mispronounce their own words, mistakes that might cause hostility if used incorrectly. However, as the user gradually gains experience, they will be able to negotiate with monsters more easily. The Animal Trainer, Fisherman, Druid classes are more aligned with the power of nature and thus higher success rates are gained if the user is one or more of these classes. Monsters at a lower level compared to the user's highest class level also are easier to communicate with.
Summon Follower - Skeleton - Tier 1 - Undead-type Earth elemental follower. Summons a skeleton soldier which appear to bubble up from the very earth. Deals physical damage and are equipped with shields, weapons, and partially armored in rusty gear. It is possible to equip the skeleton with better weapons and shields that remains equipped when desummoned. Skeletons may also be equipped with vanity wear, for customization purposes. Skeleton's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Aggressive toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Summon Follower - Golem - Tier 1 - Artificial/Rock-type Earth elemental familiar. Summons a large guardian composed of the surrounding material. If the material that the Summoner desires the Golem to be made out of is not around, they pay a higher price in mana to summon a golem of that type. Soil Golems are weaker in attack and health but are faster and regenerate quickly. Stone has decent attack, health, speed, and regeneration. Iron Golems are extremely strong in attack and health but lack speed and regenerative abilities. Its size starts at 1 meter, but grows an additional meter every 30 levels. Golem's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Wary toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Summon Follower - Phantom - Tier 1 - Spirit-type Darkness elemental follower. The Summoner calls forth a ghost-like servant that has low attack power but high evasion and magic resistance. This entity has a number of forms but usually appears as a miniature reaper-like creature with a violet cloak-like body and a simplified skull-like face. It is effective for diverting attention and performing recon duties. Phantom's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Curious toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Summon Follower - Salamander - Tier 1 - Reptile-type Fire elemental follower. Summons forth a reptilian spirit cloaked in a burning aura. Damages targets with burning fangs, claws, and a magic fire breath attack. It requires a source of ignition to be summoned at its full power, common sources include camp/cooking fires and even torches. Otherwise, it is summoned at roughly half of its power. Salamander's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Wary toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Elemental Bolt - Tier 1 - The Summoner borrows the physical properties of their follower to generate an energy bolt projectile. The projectile copies the attribute of the follower, so a bolt created from Salamander will deal fire-based damage. As this skill derives itself from the energy of the follower, it reduces the follower's damage potential by a small amount for about 10 seconds. In exchange, the bolt itself deals a respectable amount of damage for its tier. This skill has a casting time of 2 seconds and a cooldown time of 5 seconds.
Castling - Tier 1 - Much as one would protect one's own king by switching its position with a nearby rook in a game of chess, Castling follows a similar convention. It is an emergency skill that instantly switches the places of a Follower and the Summoner. There have been anecdotes of Castling being used with Soul Possession for quicker travel time. Castling may not be used in combination with a summon that is classified as an Entity. This skill has a casting time of 1.5 seconds and a cooldown time of 10 seconds.
Netherrealm Regen - - The Summoner taps into the power of the Spirit Realms in order to hasten the Follower's health regeneration in battle. The targeted Follower will regenerate 5% of its HP every three seconds. This skill is particularly important for Summoners whose Followers take on the role of a tank; however, it is still highly recommended that supplemental healing is paired with this skill in order to sustain the Follower's health during long battles. This skill has a casting time of 2 seconds and a duration of 30 seconds. It has a cooldown of 5 seconds. If a Follower currently affected by this skill is targeted again by this skill, then its duration is reset.
Reinforcements - Tier 1 - Considering the intricate contract that binds a Follower to a Summoner, the conjuring of these mystical creatures takes some time. Naturally, while in the heat of battle, this necessary time can feel like an eternity. Reinforcements is a skill that was designed to ease this wait time and quickly summon a new Follower during urgent situations. The next "Summon Follower" skill cast by the Summoner will have an instant cast time. However, the summoned Follower's stats will be reduced by 25% for the first 10 seconds after it is summoned. This skill has no cast time and has a cooldown of 60 seconds.
Scape-doll - Tier 1 - A skill that targets a single allied Follower. At this moment, the Summoner and the Follower's body is connected by a short blue string of mana. All damage taken by the Summoner is split evenly between themselves and the Familiar. This allows the Summoner to gain a decent level of defensive bulk, but the Summoner's naturally low HP means that this skill should not be overestimated. This skill has a casting time of 1.5 seconds. It inflicts a small MP drain on the summoner and can be manually canceled. As soon as it is canceled, this skill goes into cooldown for 10 seconds.
Summoner's Gambit - Tier 1 - The Summoner riles up the Follower into a frenzy, increasing its physical and magical damage by 20%. During the duration of this skill, the follower will be less responsive to the Summoner's commands and will prioritize on offensively defeating its enemies. As a result, it will take 25% extra damage from any incoming attacks while affected by this skill. This skill has an casting time of 1 second, a duration of 20 seconds, and a cooldown of 45 seconds.
Auto-Attack - Beginner Skill - A basic toggle command that controls the user's body and allows them to automatically target a monster and attempt to attack. After the system launches an attack and the animation time of swinging the weapon is resolved, there is a 2 second delay before the next attack is queued. Any skills or movements that the user may manually perform will take priority over this status, but the system will generally try to aim for an accurate hit. It was a staple among players in the original Elder Tale game, but since the Apocalypse, its use has taken a drastic drop. Due to this world allowing for manual combat much like in the real world, queued auto attacks are often seen as too slow for practical use. Still, for those who do not have the adequate combat training, is there any other option?
Tongue of Nature - Tier 1 - It's often said that certain people seem to have an affinity toward interacting with nature and communicating with animals. With this skill, the Adventurer's natural affinity is idealized into a tangible form. While this toggle skill is active, the character will be able to communicate with animals and monsters. Incoming speech by monsters will also appear as subtitles at the bottom of the user's vision. There is a huge variance between being able to notice this effect and actually using it effectively, however. "Nice to meet you" is not the same thing as "Look, fresh meat", for example. At lower levels, the user of this skill will very often mishear monsters' speech and mispronounce their own words, mistakes that might cause hostility if used incorrectly. However, as the user gradually gains experience, they will be able to negotiate with monsters more easily. The Animal Trainer, Fisherman, Druid classes are more aligned with the power of nature and thus higher success rates are gained if the user is one or more of these classes. Monsters at a lower level compared to the user's highest class level also are easier to communicate with.
Summon Follower - Skeleton - Tier 1 - Undead-type Earth elemental follower. Summons a skeleton soldier which appear to bubble up from the very earth. Deals physical damage and are equipped with shields, weapons, and partially armored in rusty gear. It is possible to equip the skeleton with better weapons and shields that remains equipped when desummoned. Skeletons may also be equipped with vanity wear, for customization purposes. Skeleton's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Aggressive toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Summon Follower - Golem - Tier 1 - Artificial/Rock-type Earth elemental familiar. Summons a large guardian composed of the surrounding material. If the material that the Summoner desires the Golem to be made out of is not around, they pay a higher price in mana to summon a golem of that type. Soil Golems are weaker in attack and health but are faster and regenerate quickly. Stone has decent attack, health, speed, and regeneration. Iron Golems are extremely strong in attack and health but lack speed and regenerative abilities. Its size starts at 1 meter, but grows an additional meter every 30 levels. Golem's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Wary toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Summon Follower - Phantom - Tier 1 - Spirit-type Darkness elemental follower. The Summoner calls forth a ghost-like servant that has low attack power but high evasion and magic resistance. This entity has a number of forms but usually appears as a miniature reaper-like creature with a violet cloak-like body and a simplified skull-like face. It is effective for diverting attention and performing recon duties. Phantom's personality type is Docile toward its Summoner and Curious toward all enemies. This follower takes 2 seconds of cast time to summon.
Roleplay Class: Animal Trainer
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Scout - Level 1 - The Animal Trainer attempts to recruit a monster to their cause in order to create a temporary partner. This is often done by approaching the monster without startling or aggravating it. If performed successfully, a tamed monster will fight by the Trainer's side for a few minutes before control is lost and the monster returns to the environment. Certain situations might make this duration last longer or shorter; acts of kindness toward the tamed monster will make it stick around for longer, while excessive demand will make the Trainer quickly lose favor with the monster. Only one monster can be tamed at a time at the early levels.
Scout - Level 1 - The Animal Trainer attempts to recruit a monster to their cause in order to create a temporary partner. This is often done by approaching the monster without startling or aggravating it. If performed successfully, a tamed monster will fight by the Trainer's side for a few minutes before control is lost and the monster returns to the environment. Certain situations might make this duration last longer or shorter; acts of kindness toward the tamed monster will make it stick around for longer, while excessive demand will make the Trainer quickly lose favor with the monster. Only one monster can be tamed at a time at the early levels.
Crafting Class:
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Heatsink - Level 1 - Blacksmiths are able to wear chain armor without penalties if they are normally unable to wear chain armor. They are able to wear plate armor without penalties if they are normally able to wear chain armor but not plate armor. Also a toggle skill. Through their skills at working around a forge, blacksmiths have developed a slight tolerance toward heat. They take reduced damage of 10% from fire-based attacks.
Heatsink - Level 1 - Blacksmiths are able to wear chain armor without penalties if they are normally unable to wear chain armor. They are able to wear plate armor without penalties if they are normally able to wear chain armor but not plate armor. Also a toggle skill. Through their skills at working around a forge, blacksmiths have developed a slight tolerance toward heat. They take reduced damage of 10% from fire-based attacks.
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10/31/16: Added quest rewards
01/22/17: Added quest rewards
02/01/17: Added quest rewards
02/06/17: Added quest rewards
03/11/17: Added quest rewards
03/11/17: Added quest rewards
10/31/16: Added quest rewards
01/22/17: Added quest rewards
02/01/17: Added quest rewards
02/06/17: Added quest rewards
03/11/17: Added quest rewards
03/11/17: Added quest rewards
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Coded by Saber of L33T Team
Graphics by Evelyn, Scrollbars by Benetnasch
Graphics by Evelyn, Scrollbars by Benetnasch
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