[CLOSED] Ransom for Horunka!

[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ Round 2! Isley Lv1 Availability: Janeiro and Quantum Notes: Awakening after a night of introductions and finally locating the all-imporant area quest, the trio are finally awakening to move forward in search of the troop of kobolds that have caused so much misfortune. Isley had awoken long before the sun rose, head still laying on the hard pillow…His hand graced the empty space where his absent wife would have rested, the faint light of the rising just beginning to lighten the darkened sky in the worn window. He remained in his newbie armors all night, not bothering to make himself comfortable on top of the patched quilt that covered the small bed. The Swede took a deep breath, a silent curse leaving his mouth as he failed to wake up from the nightmare that all of them were still trapped in. His grey eyes blinked as he studied the room in the rapidly growing light, the furnishings, much like the rest of the inn, well-aged and practical…only the bed and a nearby desk/chair in the corner, free of decoration and luxury. He turned the heavy brass knob with a click, taking care once more not to alert the others to his restlessness, his boots tapping softly on the hardwood of the hallway before finally moving downstairs. The young-woman from the night before greeted him with a silent wave, engrossed in her morning chores…the smell of fresh toast and boiled sausages simmering away doing well to clear his troubled head. He scooted up to the worn dark-wood of the nearby bar, the chamber vacant aside from the pair, stools to the either side of him remaining empty. He briefly mulled over which of the pair, if either, would decide to continue forward, mentally placing his bet on what he assumed about Janeiro and Quantum…his quiet thought exiting quickly as a small ceramic cup of nettle tea was placed in front of him while he waited.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv1

With a jolt Quantum rose quickly from where he had falled asleep. The dreams that had taken him were far from peaceful, filled to the edge of his sanity with images of pain and death and the accusations of the one he lost. He shook clear that and tried to forget everything that his mind had created to torment his sleep, to little avail. What did eventually help was the cracking open of one of the window shutters, allowing the mornings warm rays of light to seep into the room and upon the white haired man's face. He had the idea to leap out of the window now, and sprint as fast as his avatar could and for as long as it could back towards the safer havens of the level. He did not think the thought as of a matter of abandoning the quest or group completely, but to return with an army of players to stand by their side. Quantum did nothing of the sort, knowing that the trip would easily take an entire day to get there, and another to get back. That did not count the time that he would need to convince anyone to join him. No, they would have to make do with the three of them here and now or they might never get around to completing it themselves. With an exagerrated moan of effort, he closed the shutter and made his own bed as was a habit before venturing down the stairs into the main room. With a few practiced swipes of his fingers, his battle equipment was once again ready to use and he sat with a clutter next to Isley at the bar. His own cup of tea was brought out after a short wait with which he gave his thanks to the woman. Rather than drink the liquid, Quantum held the back of his neck in interlocked hands while leaning over the counter, still trying to wrest his mind awake to full. "You know what I miss?" He said suddenly. "My damned glasses. Sure the game gives me perfect vision, but it just does not feel right you know? That and my favorite coat and scarf." He was rambling about useless things at this point. "You think a tailor would be able to make something to our specifics?" He asked for no reason besides not caring if his moving mouth bothered the other.

MADE BY ?MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

Janeiro needed a while before she came downstairs herself, fully prepared in her gear, sword equipped and her hair up in a high ponytail, not entirely unlike Isley, while her bangs almost reached down to her eyes. Seeing how the morning was not treating her companions well she just sat down next to them without unnecessary greetings. "One tea, please." She took out her comb and brushed her hair, her eyes focussing on Quantum. "I am not expecting it right now, especially since you look like... you did not sleep much, but I just wanted you to know that if you ever want to continue that lecture about how the game probably affects and stimulates our brains I am still interested. Thanks" The last word was said to the woman who had brought her cup of tea, which Janeiro brought to her lips but then noticed that she would have to let it cool down for a minute first.
Thinking about the quest her pulse accelerated slightly. She was lucky to be alive after her first encounter with kobolds. But this time she had a party, two people who would back her up and who she would look out for as well. It should go well. Even though her appearance was calm, one could feel that Janeiro wanted to leave as quickly as possible. To be too occupied with her mind and the dangers of the mission would not be helpful.

[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv1 Isley offered a quick yawn as Quantum appeared, a soft chuckle escaping him as he lost the silent bet against himself. He hunched over his own beverage tiredly, finally reaching back to tighten the thin bow on his hair. He brought the cup to his lips, tensing his jaw slightly as the sharp taste of ginger and herbs hit his tongue. As Quantum spoke for the sake of speaking, Isley seemed to not mind the familiarity of it all…not much of a talker himself, for some reason the teacher’s speech seemed comforting, if only just to remind him of that he ultimately wasn’t alone here. The ceramic cup was sat back on the bar as the professional offered a nod of agreeance to the physicist, “Naa…I would still give anything to get a good cup of coffee…little bit of milk, no sugar…” The Swede said, highlighting the importance of the morning ritual in his particular part of the world, not to mention his own near fanatical attachment to it. “Hopefully we find a desert floor or something that may have it…I’d never leave…” Isley mulled over the question of clothing a moment before turning his eyes to Janeiro’s arrival at the bottom of the stairs, the girl obviously looking in much better condition than the two older men. The financier had always envied morning people, able to get up at a moment’s notice and get down to business…the energy of youth most likely didn’t hinder that situation either. “We do have a tailor in our midst…may as well ask her while we have the free moment…” The quiet swordsman suggested, verbally prodding Quantum while he nursed the tea in front of him, finally leaning back in the stool to relax. The cook placed a small wooden platter in front of the trio, prompted by Janeiro’s arrival…a rather large bit of boiled sausage, died into small pieces to go with a piece of warm toasted bread for each of them. Isley didn’t hesitate since the smell of breakfast had been teasing him for several hours, pulling the large spoon from the platter and placing a few pieces of the meat onto the pillow of bread. Again it was simple fare, but hearty enough to fill the void in his stomach for the time being…the warmth spreading through his body from the first bite. There was no butter or mustard to speak of, most likely other casualties of the ongoing blockade, but the overall comfort of the meal offered little opportunity for complaint. He passed the spoon to each of them, leaning back slightly to give them both room to get their fill.

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv1

"Coffee would be good, but I think I'm growing fond of the tea here." Quantum said as he raised his head and finally took a drink from his cup. "We do have ninety nine more floors to go. Honestly I'm hoping for one that's nothing but a giant mass of islands and water. I wonder if the Kraken is a thing here." He continued without much of a pause. He was surely still scared of everything within the game, but if he could see some giant mythological beasts from a safe distance, the physicist would become ecstatic. Of course as a potential floor clearer he also understood that he would be in charge of killing said creatures, and that thought as well made him a little more dissapointed with thier situation. As Janeiro came to join them, Quantum gave a small wave of greeting. "I think I'll wait until we get back from this mission." He told Isley about asking the girl about the tailoring skill. "I barely have enough col to keep my gear maintained at the moment, no point worrying about something I would not be able to afford." It was a sad reality when money was such an important thing even in a digital world. He muttered about guessing that at least there was a consistency in that matter to himself, more of a random complaint under his breath than aloud to the others. When the food came Quantum was reluctant to actually eat anything, his nerves shaking a great deal more than he was letting on. Simple biology won out, and knowing that he would need the strength began eating a small amount as well. "We'll save that for when we all come back alive." He promised Janeiro. The teacher spoke again after everyone had finished eating and he thought that it was time to begin actually dealing with the matter at hand. "So. Kobolds. What information do we have on them?" He asked looking at the younger girl who said that she fought them before. "Do you know how many we are looking at having to fight? We should ask for anything he can tell us as well." Quantum hated taking point in conversations, but what he needed was to focus otherwise he might start to ignore the quest they had accepted.

MADE BY ?MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

Janeiro breathed out slowly, closing her eyes for a moment. She was ready to go, but the other two were not, and that was okay. Patience. It would be a valuable skill later in life anyway. And discussing a few things beforehand was not dumb either. She was not hungry, so she ate her breakfast unenthusiastically, paying so little attention that later she would not even be able to remember what she had. With a short nod she agreed to Quantum's words.
"We should save some money first and I also need materials, also remember that I did not have much time honing my skills yet. Should we still form a party in the future I would be happy to help out, though." For the moment she did not care too much how long they would venture together after the quest was completed. They had not formed something anybody could call a friendship yet, but she trusted both of them to have good intents and respected them.

Of course she knew that people had died. Lots of people. And that every quest was a risk now that real death was enabled. But this was Floor 1 of 100, and her consciousness as well as her subconscious both agreed that it would be pathetic to lose her life here. She had higher standards than that, and was confident that she would survive it.
"They are tough. High stats. And they use strategy. Don't let them surround you. Not much more than that. But I've only had one encounter with them."

[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv1 Isley nodded in agreeance with Quantum as he drained the final bit form his cup, making short order of the small breakfast. “Yeah…who knows what’s ahead of us now…” The swordsman observed, barely even able to fathom the massive distance that they had left to transverse…the man rubbing his chin softly before scooting the remains of the platter and his beverage away from him. He actually had no problem eating, putting him slightly at odds with the others…After-all he had a morning of waiting and smelling the cooking, along with a night filled with tossing and turning, doing well to grant him an appetite. He appreciated Janeiro’s offer, softening his features at her words in quiet thanks, implying by its nature that they would not only live, but run into one another again down the road. The Swedes eyes narrowed almost immediately after however as the conversation turned serious…the consideration of creatures at this low level being able to behave strategically giving him plenty of reason to be concerned, at any rate his mind was still made up. The swordsman scooted off of the stool suddenly, a light cough escaping him as he forced his feet to move…turning to the door. His inventory menu appeared with a flick of his thin wrist, his fingers scrolling silently until a curved scimitar appeared at his side…He dwelled a moment in the menu, studying it for a short second…finally making one final tap, prompting a small pile of Col to appear on the bar close to the generous cook…the amount silently implying that he paid for the party… (-30 Col) “Well, shall we get going?” Isley asked, resting his forearm on the pommel of his blade, “Don’t have all day…” The sunlight shone brightly through the windows, bringing a rush of warmth to the small inn…the beauty of the day would suit them well in what was to come. ((After this next round of responses I’ll fast/forward the thread to the combat zone ^_^))

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv1

There were a thousand things that Quantum could have said about the possibility of partying together further down the line. His first thought was one that if they were too meet again, it would more likely be in the clearing party for the labyrinths on each floor. No, Quantum did not want to see either of them doing something such as that. However he never said anything along those lines. "Well it was more of a personal request anyways, not very important in the long run." The little info she was able to provide about their enemy was not looking all to optimistic. He wanted to say that since it was still the first floor that it could not be all that hard. However there were people who had been killed by wolves and boars, so Quantum thought that the more cautious they were the better. "Go ahead and lead the way." The teacher said as he rose from the stool, looking at Janeiro. The system already had the sword well secured to his back with the rough leather bound handle peeking over his right shoulder, but Quantum gave a tug at the harness anyways letting the twenty something pound sword shift for comfort. "Think we should see Rob first before actually heading out?" He asked as a final thought.

MADE BY ?MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

"Maybe he has something else to say. Even if not, it won't hurt us." Janeiro agreed. That she was supposed to lead the way did not come unexpected, but it was still strange to her. In group projects she had often assumed a leading position, but she was more of a strategist than a field tactician. Time pressure did not always make her choose the wisest decisions, she would rather acquire more data first and analyze it thoroughly. This, of course, would be impossible in a fight. Maybe then someone else would take over, or they would each just kind of do their own thing. She did not like the thought of being such a chaotic band, but none of them were really skilled fighters so even if there would be somebody to give orders it might cause confusion or they could be carried out imperfectly. Both scenarios were probably worse than just everybody going with their gut. Which was something Janeiro was not really good at.

[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv1 Isley lifted his bottom lip slightly in consideration, finally offering a nod, Janeiro’s addition to Quantum’s request convincing him that seeing the older man couldn’t hurt in the grand scheme of things. As he paced out of the heavy door, he held it open for his comrades, the sunlight washing over the pale Swede in an instant. A soft smile escaped him, lifting his head slightly to admire the clear day…the radiant sky a bright blue with the occasional white pillow of a cloud perched in the distance. The square was as clear and deserted as they has left it, looking altogether in worse condition than the night before…the light of day not doing the place justice, the night doing well to have covered the age of Horunka so well. The dust of the square kicked up slightly with a soft puff of a breeze streaming past the party as Isley’s boots rapped softly on the wooden porch of the inn…his grey eyes shifting side to side in search of their quest-trigger turned host for the evening. The swordsman’s eyes narrowed in confusion as his cursory search turned up empty, the ground-in tracks of the rickety horse-drawn cart leading off into the distance, obviously fresh from their depth and wear… “Crazy old-man left without us…” The financier said, shaking his head, taking the first few steps to follow the tracks, a sudden urgent speed in his movements. ((Since we wanted to go see Rob I delayed the fast forward a turn. Ill push the button as soon as everyone responds to this. ^_^ ))

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv1

Quantum stepped out as Isley held the door wide, having to lean into the sunlight to prevent his overly large sword from bumping the handle against the top of the exit. Much as his Swedish companion enjoyed the bright of the day, the teacher bathed in the light but was to far lost in his thoughts to actually enjoy the moment. What he missed at night he now noticed today, and the small porch of the inn was riddled with cracks and dry as a bone in the desert. How long had the Kobolds been demanding ransom? He asked himself. Maybe Rob just never put the effort forth into really keeping the place in good condition. "Was not the old man supposed to tell us where to go?" Quantum asked aloud after finding him nowhere nearby. That was an inconsistency with the quest right there, or more likely with the emotional programing designed by the game makers. Rob had made some remarks about not wanting to let them go off, so maybe this was his way of keeping them safe. It was a bother, especially since they knew where to go anyways thank to Janeiro. "I guess you really will have to lead the way Janeiro, sorry." He said to the girl, the apology directed more towards his having to rely upon someone the age of his students than any other reason.

MADE BY ?MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

Janeiro was already used to seeing Horunka by day, to her seeing the sunlight point out how barren the slowly decaying place was not a big reveal. Gardens had dried out and withered, houses of which one did not know whether the inhabitants had fled or still hid inside urgently needed to be repaired but there was barely any material to fix them left.
She did not feel like Quantum had to apologize. "Rob said that he was packing his cart with the kobold's tribute, right? So if we follow his tracks we should be able to find them. Last time I tried it was a little different. Seems like the game likes to change things a little, maybe so that players who already solved repeatable quests can't give perfect walkthroughs. It makes sense." Janeiro had mixed feelings about that. It meant there were more unknown variables. But having a golden thread like the cart tracks was also more reassuring than searching for the kobolds themselves. "Let's go."

[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv1 ((Fast Forward!)) The tracks had led for several miles outside of town, the brightness of the hot day turning the trek into a decent sized burden. Isley had a quickness to his step, realizing long before that the older man had left on his way without their company, however whether out of concern for the party or simply out of duty to his town had remained to be seen. The tracks were clear, the dirt scooped out of the way by the thin wagon wheels that scraped along the dirt, numerous stones and potholes scattered along the path stubbing the occasional toe and punishing the inattentive footstep. The Swede rested his hand on his weapon, taking each step with a purpose, splitting his attention between the trail that they were following and the horizon in the distance. The occasional grasshopper popped up along their trip, jumping forward and then fluttering down with a series of clicks… Eventually the road seemed to change rapidly, the flat parched land transforming into a dry forest…mesquite trees and other thorny brush littering the side of the road, concealing who knows what in the outer reaches of civilization. As they moved, the sounds of distant chattering were finally heard…words accented with the occasional growl and high pitched screech… Isley lifted his eyebrow as he held his hand out to stop the others, bending low beside a nearby tree surrounded by a rather large thistle patch…the sound of the older merchant of Horunka’s voice finally carrying over the soft breeze that greeted them… “No, no, no…The town has dried up, this is all we have left!” The old man exclaimed, three Kobolds now visible, their reddish figures seen through the brush…obviously looming over Rob in a show of intimidation. The largest of the three let off another growl, as they inched closer to the old man, the shocks of their footsteps felt through the parched earth. “Do what you want? You have already taken everything!” Rob defended, still perched high in his wagon, the old horse neighing nervously as the presence of the monsters spooked her, the merchant holding tightly to the reins in an effort to hold her steady. The smell of a smoldering campfire drifted over to the party, the sharp scent irritating the nostrils…Isley turned to the others as the scene played out, his eyes narrowing as Rob repeatedly attempted to negotiate for the freedom of his town…and as time went on, perhaps his own freedom too…The Swede held strongly to his weapon, his knuckles white from the emotion running through him from the simulation…still unsure of why exactly he felt this way about the NPC, the cardinal system of the game tugging so easily on his heart strings. The monsters looked strong from their size, armed with an assortment of weapons…however their armor was piece-meal, only serving a decorative purpose at most, showing their lower status in the social hierarchy. However, Janeiro would quickly notice that several of the creatures she had encountered earlier were missing… (Kobold Patrolman L2– 45 HP) - Axe (Kobold Patrolman L2– 45 HP) - Spear (Kobold Patrolman L2– 45 HP) – Morning Star

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv1

Watching as each blade of grass flowed in the wind, Quantum was drawn in by the sights as they followed the cart's path. He left most of the tracking up to the other two, leaving his mind to wander and fade to actually just soaking in the scenery rather than succumb to the worry that plagued him. The physicist had taken his blade out of the overly large scabbard, resting the weapon upon his shoulder as they walked. Occasionally he would switch which side he carried it on to keep his arms from getting stiff, but it took too long to ready his weapon in a hurry if it was put away. It would seem they had come to their destination, and taking a kneel beside Isley, Quantum watched over the scene at hand. He was no strategist, his field of science working mainly in the theoretical side of research. With his voice just above a whisper as the dry wind blew in their faces away from the kobolds, he tried to piece together the best plan that he could. "I think we need to get Rob out of there first and fast." Was his only comment, how the others would devise a way to do that was up to them.

MADE BY ?MEULK OF GS

[Janeiro]

While walking Janeiro always kept an eye out for ambushes or other oddities and made sure they would walk in open spaces without much to hide behind when possible. But she had to admit, she did like the landscape. In a way it was stunning. She decided that once she had a higher level she would just sit down in the shade of one of the crooked trees and take it all in. In such a moment one would not even mind being trapped here.

Then they saw Rob arguing with the kobolds.
Janeiro gave Quantum an agreeing nod. She wasn't sure what the game was willing to do to NPCs like Rob if they let the scene continue, but not getting involved would most likely not be to their advantage in the long run. She almost wished that they had hurried up a bit - although it was entirely possible that the confrontation between the merchant and the monsters was triggered by them entering the area in the first place. The party had to act, but also be careful. If the situation became too dangerous fleeing and leaving the NPC behind would be their only option. She quickly looked over her shoulder, almost expecting another kobold to launch a sneak attack on them. "Two of us should intervene before they slaughter Rob. One stays here for a few seconds or... I don't know how long, the person should watch the scene and see if there are others jumping out of the bushes and warn the other two if they don't notice it, and then engange as well, I guess." She would have liked to discuss it more, but it really felt like time ran out for Rob, so she drew her sword, scooted a few meters to the side and then charged towards the spear-wielding kobold, hoping to come close enough to be behind his effective range, thrusting right into his belly and not even noticing that she screamed while doing so.