[CLOSED] [PRIVATE] Riches for Horunka!

[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv1 (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Double-Ax *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 35HP) – Rusted Longsword *Held in Cave* (Kobold Patrolman: 39HP) – Primitive Spear *Held in Cave* (Kobold Patrolman: 27HP) – Black Pike (Kobold Trooper [Quest Boss!]: 26HP) – Steel 2H Sword *In Front* Isley was too busy to mind Quantum taking over the lead, the curved-swordsman darting back and forth in an effort to dodge the massive blade of the quest boss. His jaw was frozen shut as the flat of his weapon connected with the steel blade of his opponent. He was mostly harassing for the time being, keeping his focus on defense while the party fought to reclaim their previous advantage. His weapon rang out in a high pitch as the two forces clashed once more, the hardened blades flashing as the bright light of a spark flew off from the strength of the two foes. The feminine looking professional looked almost helpless against the sheer size of the Trooper, the creature roaring in anger at every failed strike…the pair looking like opposites on both ends of the spectrum. The financier rolled his body to the side just as another attack sailed by him, his grey eyes opening wide as the wind from the slash flew past him. He managed to get lucky that instant, moving in to the opening in the Kobold’s defense to sneak in a quick shallow cut on the boss’s chest…A loud howl was heard, the success sending the monster reeling back a step, the sound making the ground shake with its power. Isley fought to maintain his footing, the look of unshakable focus on his sharpened features. The trooper answered back with a flash, it blade raining down once more onto the Swede with unrelenting fury. The professional’s blade was held upward in a guard, the hammering strikes forcing him to his knee, pinning him to the ground…the relentless assault sounding like a hammer on an anvil as his legs gave out for a moment. (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Double-Ax *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 35HP) – Rusted Longsword *Held in Cave* (Kobold Patrolman: 39HP) – Primitive Spear *Held in Cave* (Kobold Patrolman: 27HP) – Black Pike (Kobold Trooper [Quest Boss!]: 15HP) – Steel 2H Sword *In Front* Despite his kneeling position, a weak grin grew on his features as Quantum managed to wedge his own opponent back into the whole beside him, their strategy once more coming into being. He heard Janeiro causing even more trouble behind him for the escaped pikeman that challenged their backs, his mind contented for the moment that as long as they held that line it the fight would remain in their favor for the time being. The Swede rose, pushing his weapon into the next strike, buying him a moment to push himself upwards, sending a quick kick into the Trooper to give himself enough breathing room to consider his next action…

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[Janeiro]

Janeiro did not like using skills with cooldowns or consumables prematurely, sometimes displaying that behavior to a fault. She was definitely no hardcome gamer, but in those she played if it was an RPG she would have tons of items left over even after beating the game, because she thought she 'might need them afterwards'. In shmups she would hoard bombs and usually die without using them. But here she would not have another life. Hearing Quantum's advice she hesitated for a bit, looking over to her friends. One was on his knees. What they needed now was a quick reduction of the number of enemies, so Janeiro sheathed her sword, a move the pike kobold saw as an invitation to attack her. She dodged the long weapon closing in with another step, turned the sheath and a bright golden trail of energy appeared as she slashed the reptile again, dazzling it for just one moment, long enough to ram her sword through its chest and throwing the gargling monster to the ground in the process, where it shattered to pixels. With no time to waste Janeiro ran forwards to aid Isley, attempting to attack the big trooper who was forced into defense long enough to secure the financier's comeback.

[Quantum]

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

With a flash of light behind him from his party member's art, Quantum smiled. His smile was beyond the realm of his normal attitude, a darkness seeping from it that mirrored his easy going attitude. This smile was directed towards the the kobold with the single had sword, and the way the shadows of his prematurely grey hair cut across his face would have sent shivers up the spines of those whom could hold fear. The teacher stepped foward in one step slowly, and watched as the kobold took one back into the cave. Quantum took another, and the lizard did the same. With a dart, slow as he was compared to many of the other players with his minimum movement speed the sudden pressing of his attack seemed to startle the lizard man, who retaliated. Taking the slash of the sword across the chest, Quantum paid back the damage he took with a strike of his own. A two handed thrust drove the weapon through the kobold's skull, dropping it far into the red area of it's health meter. Most creatures grew fiercer as they neared death, but this one seemed different. The kobold turned tail, trying to run back into the cave. However it had another member of its race behind it, one whom took no kind to traitors and cowards. It was not Quantum's wounds that would kill the sword kobold, but rather a thrust from the spear wielding creature still in the cave. "Savage animals." Quantum muttered as he once again held his sword forward as a bladed shield.

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[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv2 (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Double-Ax *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Rusted Longsword *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 39HP) – Primitive Spear (Kobold Patrolman: 27HP) – Black Pike *DEAD!* (Kobold Trooper [Quest Boss!]: 15HP) – Steel 2H Sword *In Front* A wide grin from Isley couldn’t be helped as two flashes of pixels showered over the financier, the Swede’s blade dancing two and fro to attempt to dash the dreams that the massive trooper had of taking his life. His prone position left him out of witnessing Janeiro’s sword art, but the rapidly depleting heath bars of their enemies left him with little doubt as to the amount of power the teen had at her disposal when the time called for it. A soft laugh seemed to come from the professional which each hit that rang through his blade, the metal chiming away like a twisted bell at the top of a dilapidated church, today wasn’t they day they would fall…and the tide had finally turned for the better like a new sunrise coming across the horizon… The Trooper reared back to unleash a final onslaught just as Janeiro rushed to Isley’s aid, the 2-handed blade instantly switching to defense to fend off the swordswoman, buying enough time for Isley to rise to his feet. Fear seemed to cross the quest boss’s features for the first time as soon as it realized that it now had two players to contend with as Quantum had the cruel spearman all to himself. Isley exhaled softly, finally shifting his neck slightly to relax now that he found himself out of the dangerous situation of having to play at being a tank for the first time. He pulled his blade up into a low stance, dipping the blade behind him for a quick moment, silently waiting…his grey eyes focusing on Janeiro’s attack patterns waiting for an opening until finally he snapped his body forward…his blade digging into the center of the trooper’s stomach…the tip barely visible on the other side of the creature for a single second…His unflinching eyes met the black globes of the Kobold coldly, staring unceasingly as its body went limp…until finally, it too exploded into data like its smaller comrades, leaving them with only one foe left to deal with. (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Double-Ax *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Rusted Longsword *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 39HP) – Primitive Spear (Kobold Patrolman: 27HP) – Black Pike *DEAD!* (Kobold Trooper [Quest Boss!]: 15HP) – Steel 2H Sword *DEAD!*

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[Janeiro]

Janeiro could not help but smile at the lithe financier and the powerful teacher. The tide had finally turned, with their health bars showing that they could still take a few hits. Before she had not realized it, but in this battle Janeiro had been the luckiest so far due to the others' voluntary tanking. She positioned herself next to Quantum. This time they wouldn't spare an enemy - but the spear-wielding kobold did not look like he wanted to give up anyway. She wondered whether Quantum was still dissatisfied that they let one run away in the last battle. In a moment of inattention the spearman hit her in the leg. Tch, thanks for the reminder. She focused on her foe again and fought alongside the teacher, the kobold finding himself in deep trouble, exposed to an onslaught of two restless blades. They were so close to finishing the quest. Rescuing Rob, and Horunka. Maybe instead of creating another monster nest a few days or weeks later it would actually make the town more lively again.

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv2

The death throes of the enemies screeched out from behind him, and before Quantum stood the last of the kobolds. The spear wielding lizard creature seemed to have been driven mad, backed into a corner as it was with it's life on the line. A few stabs of its spear were parried aside easily by the two fighters, but the ferocity and speed with which the creature attacked kept Quantum from pressing on in his assault. A deep draw of breath was the only sign for what the teacher was about to do, running strait at the monster with no focus on maintaining his defense. Dropping the large beginner's blade, Quantum rushed right at the iron point. The kobold retailiated as was the plan, and the physicist took the stab. A red mark appeared and throbbed on his side, a cut that brought down his health by another seventeen percent to rest just below half. With another tackle reflecting what he saw from the the linebackers of the local high school team, Quantum wrabbed his arms around the waist of the kobold and dragged it to the ground. Quickly he positioned himself to hold the beastman by its neck, feeling as it thrashed and wrestled to through him off. His strength was not great, but with the majority of his weight holding the creature down it did not need to be. "Someone kill the damn thing please." He said wishing it to be over quickly, "I did not want to drag this out longer than it needed, sorry if I frightened anyone." He appologized as he stared at the snapping scaley jaw of the kobold. (not bothering to change the hp bar at this time, sorry)

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[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv2 Isley looked on curiously as Quantum seemed to throw caution to the wind, the lingering pain still slowing on the Swedish man’s feminine features. He sheathed his weapon as soon as he saw Quantum collide with the beast-man, the pair falling to the mass of dirt and stone at their feet, rolling in the unarmed scuffle until the teacher had the monster pinned. The financier blinked his grey eyes a moment, seemingly confused at the teacher’s request to end the Kobold quickly…the creature using every attempt to snap its sharp teeth at its new wrestling opponent. He paced over slowly, the traces of a grin escaping his sharpened jawline, one for their victory despite the odds that were heavily weight against them, but for the town that they now can say that they had a hand in improving for the better…despite the fact that said town was only virtual in its presence. Regardless they had something to be proud of, an accomplishment of seeing something through to the end. Despite all of this, they had started out as strangers, and now it seemed they were something more. He choked a bit as he allowed a hearty laugh to escape him, despite the struggle still unfolding under his nose, “Are you still apologizing when you have a Kobold pinned to the ground, that would just as easily take your life from you if it had a choice?” The joke had turned serious in a quick instant, but the professional could none-the-less see the humor in it however dark it may be. The proud kobold fought until the end, it maintaining its struggle despite its rapidly waning strength in the face of facing down three experienced players…its threatening nature almost becoming comical despite the heavily stacked odds against it. Isley shook his head finally answering the physicist request, turning his gaze to Janeiro as he had done so…just in case if the girl wanted to turn her head…despite all of the battle she had seen thus far… His curved sword came out quickly, both hands gripping its solidly as he lined up the shot…the sharpened point of the scimitar hovering just over the creatures chest, staying there a moment as both human and monster’s eyes met once more…Isley almost carried a sorrowful demeanor as he looked at the creature…if he was ending the life of an innocent creature, putting it out of its misery…The professional dwelled there for several seconds before bringing the blade down hard. The hardened metal sticking into the ground on the other side of the beast before the pixels spontaneously detonated around the weapon. Isley looked to his companions as he held out a hand to lift Quantum to his feet…his blade still placed in the damp earth as he offered them both a nod, the quick ding of a bell from his GUI indicating that the questline finally lay complete… (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Double-Ax *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Rusted Longsword *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 39HP) – Primitive Spear *DEAD!* (Kobold Patrolman: 0HP) – Black Pike *DEAD!* (Kobold Trooper [Quest Boss!]: 0HP) – Steel 2H Sword *DEAD!* ((One round of posts before close? We definitely gotta make awesome posts about Horunka being recovered! ^_^ ))

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[Janeiro]

Janeiro caught her breath, grateful that the game did not have realistic wounds and corpses lying around. Instinctively she made a short swing with her longsword, stopping abruptly to shake any blood off the blade, of which of course there was none. Together with Isley she helped Quantum stand up and showed the same relief while looking at them. She looked at her own interface, with under the [Current] quest tab being just a blank sheet of pale grey, but the [Completed]  lighting up softly to indicate a change. From outside the cave they could hear a few birds and the light breeze flowing through the trees, inside only the sounds originating from themselves.
Curious Janeiro explored the depths leisurely, finding bunks, a few spare kobold arms unusable for players and finally opened a makeshift wooden door to a chamber containing a big pile of the ransom the reptiles had collected, going all the way to the ceiling. If they had a cart the party would have been able to transport a large chunk of it back immediately, but as it was the villagers would have to get it back themselves.

One day later there was a celebration for the party in the inn they had stayed in before. It still felt like too much for Janeiro and she was uncomfortable, trying to avoid attention as much as possible and silently enjoying the food. Being called the savior of Horunka... were there really people who liked that? She wanted to get her reward and then move on, but the NPCs insisted, and even though they were just lines of code it was very hard to turn them down. Life slowly returned to the streets of Horunka, house ruins being finally fixed, people daring to go out even at night and not pinching pennies worrying about survival.

After the villagers finally left them alone for a moment, Janeiro turned towards her two companions.
"So... I'm going to the dungeon next. Maybe even join the boss raid. I kind of hope to see you there," she said. A few days ago it was just a makeshift alliance, but the quest had shown how reliable they were. "If not, I'll still search your names from time to time to make sure you're not dead."

[Quantum]

"Your weakness shall be revealed as if I was watching through a magnifying glass." ? @tagged ? 000 ? notes Quantum Lv2

Accepting that hands of both his party members as he stood, Quantum laughed away the entire fight. "Was he struggling that much?" He asked Isley jokingly. "Couldn't really tell." In honesty Quantum had lost himself in the midst of that moment, feeling the need to overwhelm his opponent and make it realize the fear that the players could provide. Pointless now that it could not tell others and that the next batch would respond without those memories. After their brief exploration of the caves, they exited. Quantum may have been the only one among them to realize exactly how much blood had been around the cooking spit inside, but kept that fact to himself. Moving on to the next day, during the celebration one could easily find Quantum in the middle of the crowd. A wooden mug in his hand as he cheered and told exagerrated stories of the party's exploits to the npc's who gathered around him. It was no matter that they were not real, at the moment they were as real as any other player. Here he grew hushed as the teacher described Isley's art, growing louder and louder with each few words until he reached the climax of that kill, bringing out a round of cheers and applause. The party quieted down as time grew on and many of the revelers decided that they should head back home to start everything back to normal. From the windows, lights flickered on in about half of the abandoned houses and here and there you could see people carrying food, lumber, and other commodities to and fro between the wagons that had brought back everything that could be salvaged from the kobold hoard. Quantum drew near with his teammates and listened to Janeiro speak. With his face red from the alcohol that he had consumed, something that he would later come to realize had consequences akin to real life as well, he spoke up. "Why do you think that I would not go?" He asked in a semi drunken stupor. He grinned something fierce, betraying the normal calmness that he had acquired through years of learned patience. "Whatever lies in store behind those boss doors will not be able to keep me from reaching that next floor." He said said with a confidence brought out by the liquid.

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[Isley]

"Just finding poetry in the fallen snow…" ☒ @tagged ✐ 000 ✉ notes Isley Lv2 Isley stood in the crowded inn as the discovered hoard of Kobold wealth was distributed in the town…almost overnight the bar was a crowded space filled with excitement and most of all, hope. People began returning in droves almost the second that the players arrived to pass around the news of the villains’ fall, the landscape changing to reflect the choices and heroism of the players that resided with in. The system seemed to tailor the environments to these events, the town seemingly growing much more cared for and lively just from the small task of completing this questline, one could hardly recognize the shabby town when they arrived. The financier almost lost himself in the amount of calculations that such things would take…his smile fading somewhat when he considered what would have happened to the area if players would have sided with the creatures…or if they had failed and fallen. The older Rob reappeared with a shout, a deep belly laugh escaping him as he caught bits and pieces from Quantum’s stories, the professional remaining silent and humble despite the scientist embellishments and hints at creative freedom with the tale. The Swede smiled at the pretty cook, the young NPC offering a grin to her quiet company as the party raged around them…a large plate of roast chicken and beef placed in front of him and Janeiro along with a fresh loaf of whole wheat bread…the scent of the meal filling the air around them. Isley’s stomach growled slightly, a soft shyness taking over the feminine swordsman for the time being as he finally turned to pile a bit of the various offerings on a small bit of bread and taking a bite, with a satisfied grown escaping him. He wasn’t a people person after all, a soft blush escaping him as his sword art was mentioned, however the promise of good food and drinks made the atmosphere worth it despite his misgivings. Rob seemed to be drunker than Quantum at the moment, the older man’s cheeks flushed with blood as he turned to slap the financier and the highschool student on the back, placing a small tumble of grain spirits in front of them…hardly an ounce of liquid present but it smelled like distilled paint thinner. Isley shook his head rather quickly as the strong scent of the drink hit his nostrils, his shoulder slumping over slightly as he just as easily chose to give into the hospitality of the cheerful NPCS. The swordsman grinned as he lifted the glass to Janeiro in a toast, tipping back the liquid in his throat… “Ugh…” The sound escaping him as the old merchant cackled with glee at Isley’s response beginning to fade away with the other residents of the town, both new and old, as the party began to wind down hours later… Janeiro was quick and to the point, his respect for the girl growing just as a visibly intoxicated Quantum came to join them in the final stages of revelry…their future as a party hanging in the balance. “Yeah…that seems to be the next step doesn’t it at any rate I wouldn’t mind seeing what this boss is about…can’t let anyone else die on account of breaking me free.” The curved swordsman stated in his heavy accented speech…the remains of his meal growing cold in front of him, his hand softly pushing it away to be picked up by the kind hearted cook turned waitress…”Well either way, I guess I’ll see you there and if not…here…” He added, his thin fingertips tapping a short friend request the send button pressed with a quick flourish of his manicured nails… ((Do we want to do one more round for the sake of development or kill it here? Im good either way ^_^))

MADE BY ★MEULK OF GS