-Delcastle-
Day 16 / Midday / LVL 12

Everything was going smoothly as he skimmed through orders coming in, having already talked to a few merchants at the usual spots it was now all a matter of organizing a direct path. Requests were changing, new items were going to become high demand when the crafters got to that area. A majority of players were taking things very slowly and safely so when the time came to buy gear it would be at a discounted rate, no money to be made at that point. Instead of the heavily forested area to the north it was time to have World Walkers take the path less traveled and go into what players had begun to refer to as 'the dark'. The tunnels of Garumns gorge were lightly traveled, nobody had made it to the end and the mountain terrain that split the floor in half was not capable of being traversed. So far it was either a tedious and long journey north east through the forests or risk the gorge.

According to brokers who talked regularily to the rumor loving Delcastle, the gorge was overflowing with untouched treasures to find. Mountain boars and burrowing insects were abundant in that area and materials that grew in the cavernous depths were becoming in-demand. Already 3 separate merchants wanted crafting ore and stone that was easier to find in that part of the map. All of the relevant information was stored away on a note in Delcastles menu as he entered the Inn at Bulls run. Same old business, same old home. For now.
Delcastle took a seat at the opposite end of the room in the corner and ordered himself a drink and a light snack as a PM from Cinera popped into view.
"Can't wait to see you.. Hmm.." he scratched his chin in thought over the wording. Hadn't been all that long since they had been in the group farming the forest bears but it sounded as if she missed being alone with him. Something that would not happen if he knew Bulwar, that 7 foot tall juggernaut. Big man was getting a lot of attention from groups looking for a dedicated tank and very few could miss his 'little' brother in a crowd with two slabs of steel strapped to his shoulders.
Delcastle smiled at the thought of Bulwar helping out other groups. His brother had the choice to work alone whenever he wanted and was positive that he had from time to time, using his sheer size like a billboard for the services of World Walkers. Maybe later floors he could get a new crew together to help run low level players through dungeons for a nominal fee and first choice on Rares. Win win situation, that.
JUST GOT TO THE INN
ORDERED A LIGHT SNACK, STARVING
BUT I GOT A SURPRISE
FOUND A GREAT PICNIC SPOT. SEE YOU SOON
The PM pinged away to Cinera as the food arrived at the table, Delcastle promptly paid in advance and thanked the hostess before digging in to the simple bread and a bit of ale. Even as he ate, his finger swiped through menu after menu. The work never ended but it was Delcastles secret joy to keep the ship sailing smoothly. If only they could find Mai'lo.
@sif@Destinystar@Pockets

-Indominus-
Day 16 / Midday / LVL 16

The gorge spread out before him, deep and vast beyond imagination and tunneling likely inches away from the ocean in the distance, shimmering in the light, all watched by the impassive stare of a white bearded old man staring fondly from his seat enjoying the moment. Over two weeks he had been trapped in this confounded digital prison but it was unlike any jail sentence he had ever served in his youth. This one had a view that stole his breath every morning as he stretched in the first lights of the day. Right before going to bed, that is. Indominus was a man of advanced years who had come to SAO with his granddaughter in the hopes of spending a little quality time with her, only to find that he could not find the blasted girl for the first little while. It was only by dumb luck the impetuous little rugrat had spotted the familiar features of her elderly grandfather and confronted him.
That had been close to 5 days ago he imagined. Indominus had spent that time carving out a path forward so he hoped as he stared back at the gorge. Not infront of him, but behind, having found the correct tunnel after nearly 3 days of grinding random mobs looking for a present for "Scarletrain" as the lass had asked to be referred to. he still asked to be called Grandpa, but the girl was feisty. She'd call him whatever she wanted.

"Well. Better get back to work then." He stood up and his seat groaned. "Stop your bellyaching, Brat. Not my fault you lost." Indominus stretched his back with a satisfying little crack. Unlike his real body, this virtual one was the same as everyone elses. Unrestricted by his own physical limits. Two forms lay on the ground groaning, recovering their HP slowly. It had all happened so quickly, with Inominus just exiting the caves when these two had come from behind and issued a challenge. Many players were turning desperate and tried to pick on older, younger, or lower level characters for a bit of coin or an item to leave them alone. Neither of these two realized that Indominus was not to be trifled with.
The thrashing had been thorough as both reached for axe or sword and charged the grumpy hunchback, expecting to overpower him in combat and force a trade for his own life. Level 9's pushing around a level 16 was never a good idea, even two vs one. The first swing sealed the whole fight. A nimble fighter, Indominus had retaliated with a weapon-skill that stopped the axe wielder in his tracks, a follow up from his right fist took him under the chin. A few more punches took both of them down to the red. Indominus had been using them as a seat ever since.
"Alright, alright, stop your grumblin'. I'm old not deaf. Sick of it already. Get outta here before I give you uppity punks something to REALLY cry about." He gave the bigger one a light kick in the rump for incentive as they both crystal ported back to bulls run. Indominus just scratched his bearded chin and stared off into the distance. "Wonder where I should camp.." he mumbled.

Mai'lo grunted, bringing his hands up to ward off a wolf. Two swift punches as he spun to avoid the beast and it burst into a million notes of light. He stopped, head swiveling left and right in search of further targets but there were none to be seen so he straightened from his combative stance and his knuckled hands fell to his sides.

"There's really not much worth fighting out here anymore," he muttered to himself. He started walking back to builds run, the brass knuckles still on his hands ad he opened his menu and started sifting through messages and inventory.

"World Walkers, business as usual... nothing else. I've really got to make some friends." He read through the messages as he walked and his brow rise slowly. "An archer, huh? That could be really helpful." The thought made him wonder about Tailpin, the archer they'd met back on that first day in the game when... He shrugged, settling the still empty scabbard that rested on his back. Death happened, no sense dwelling on it.

"Say's the guy still wearing an empty scabbard after more than two weeks," he said with a derisive snort. "I really should just toss the damn thing and break out Wodin. Really do some damage." But like the hundred other times he'd said nearly the same thing to himself in the past two weeks, he kept the scabbard, and left Wodin in his inventory.

Eventually, the town of Bull's Run came into view in the distance and Mai'lo did his best to push all difficult thoughts from his mind, focusing more on the immediate. Like food and drink. He glanced at his health bar as he entered the town and his feet started carrying him in the direction of the same Inn he'd been living at for the last sixteen days. Full health and he'd grown to level 8. Not bad considering the level of the monsters in the area, but he wasn't going to be increasing his level by much or with any kind of speed by staying in this area. He needed to move on. They needed to move on. Find new territory, new opponents. Something.

Pushing open the Inn door he glanced around the room and immediately spied Delcastle sitting in the far corner, menus open in front of him, as per usual. He flagged down a server and ordered some food and Ale before stomping his way up to the table and sitting down across from the big entrepreneur.

"Afternoon," he said in a low grunt and went to rest his hands on the table in front of him. There was a loud clacking sound and he blinked, glancing down to find that he was still wearing the knuckles that he'd forgotten to remove after he entered town. The towns were safe areas, so weapons weren't needed at the ready like they were outside. He shrugged and pulled the knuckles off, dropping them into his pockets without a thought. "Anything interesting going on?"

@Zelosse

Ikanus watches Edgar attack the beetle and sees how badly the fight is going. He puts his hand out, pointing to Edgar. Anubis runs over and does a healing move.
Ikanus then charges his scythe blade turning blue as he swings it under so that it strikes the underneath of the beetle. He then swings again and his scythe comes down on the part of the beetle where the head meets the back. The beetle shatters into shards as he straightens and nods to Edgar. "Beetles have a softer underbelly" he then tilts his head. "Weak points should be underneath, neck area, and the part where the wings are attached" he nods again then waves his hand at Anubis who runs back to him. He then opens up a trade with Edgar, several bandages appear in it. "Here"
@Tracyarmav

@Zelosse
Smarter'n'me
Day 14 Sunset

The sunset was splendid. It looked like the sun was setting an ocean of diamonds on fire. Gorgeous crimson and violet danced with ruddy orange and the purest gold over the deep lake that covered the southern portion of the first floor. Such a magnificent view, only good company could make it better. It was a pity that the only company around were the snakes, lizards and flies. Still, it had been a grand day for hunting.

This player had been keeping the snakes, in particular, company for a day or two. He had seen a few other players come across the bridge to this island. He had seen some run back toward Bull's Run and some died before having the chance to teleport. One managed to craft some good armor for him before returning to town. But, the others just kept picking fights without learning how to dodge properly first. It was a shame that so many of the young were being cut down, but it was their own choice to ignore how far they were from town and their arrogance that led to them underestimating their enemies. The worst sign of their weakness was that they didn't know how to watch and wait before attacking.

Sadly, many of those who underestimated the giant snakes did so because they saw an old man beating them. They didn't wait and watch. They didn't stop to think about the gear the old man had or how he fought. They simply assumed that the old couldn't fight well. Thinking like that, their guard was down when they encountered their first one. Several hadn't lived long enough to even get their guard back up. Yet, to a man, they had all moved away from where this old man was before picking a fight. This world was taking a toll in blood that was far too high. But, life did the same to those who took its dangers lightly. There really was no difference.

The old man on the island stood up straight and as tall as his six feet could handle and spotted two large water snakes that had just respawned about ten meters ahead of him. Their bodies were about a foot wide and they had pronounced fangs. They were about twenty feet long too and they liked to spring out of the water in sudden lunges. They were also level 13 monsters. Though, they were tricky too. They only attacked when prompted by loud noises. Until then they stayed just under the water surface and blended in with the large floating lilypads that hugged the shoreline on the whole south side of the island.

He cried out his challenge, the third version of it since he started that morning. "Do you measly spam-bots know why you can't beat an old man? It's cause you're not smarter'n'me. Why is that? I'm Smarter'n'me! That's why!" He finished with a derisive cackle, finding his own joke too funny to ignore.

The serpents began to move, reducing their visibility from the surface, as they coiled underwater. Then they lunged, snapping forward one after the other, breaking the surface of the water with a violent explosion of spray. Then they slid to a stop on land. The first one to lunge stayed still for a moment before dissolving into azure sparkles. The other one looked around for its prey, swinging its head right and left. Then it was driven into the dust by a blunt skill from above and decapitated by a sword skill before it could recover. A moment later it joined its companion in the twinkling blue of destiny's middle finger, raised high with its back to the world.

Smarter'n'me was done here. Those were the last two that he intended to fight for awhile. He wanted to check out this gorge to the north. Fast and tricky enemies were one thing he was used to. Up there, there were supposed to be armored enemies with high hit points. That would be more interesting than this place. It was becoming depressing since he never saw anyone pass him victoriously on the way back to town from that second island. He turned to the north and began to lope along toward the bridge. His strides were gentle jumps and they each carried him about eight feet or so at a swift ground eating pace. He wasn't interested in the end of the gorge close to town. He was guaranteed to be too strong for that bunch. He had heard about more powerful monsters at the eastern end of the gorge but that the place was a little bit of a maze and people kept getting lost. He didn't have the time for that.

---------------------------
Day 16 Sunset
---------------------------

Smarter was living up to his name. He had managed to find a route through the rough cliffs and jagged mountains that seperated the gorge from the lake. There was a mountain path but it was rugged and only went to the middle of the gorge. After that he had to swing around a mountain and follow the edge of the gorge east. The ground was loose in places and the going would have been really slow if he wasn't jumping the whole way. There were monsters there, annoying flying versions of a giant ant that kept trying to mess up his landings and a bunch of crawling beasties that weren't fast enough to catch up. But, he made it through without too much trouble. The poor things were only level six or seven after all for the first half of the trip.

The journey through that rough terrain took a couple days but it would probably have taken another few if he had tried to go through the gorge like everyone else. Still, it was hard going. Even in his prime Smarter would have been unable to maintain this pace. This VR gaming had some serious perks. It was a pity that so many young brats were cluttering it up.

He avoided battles as much as possible and only slept a few hours. He hadn't been able to sleep for more than four or five in years anyway. And so, he arrived at the eastern end of the gorge as another magnificent sunset was painting the land with its glory. It was a beautiful sight and he still had some stamina left so it was time to go looking for what kind of prey was to be found. He jumped on top of a tall boulder to survey the landscape and took a searching look around, for all the world looking like a spindly scarecrow in snake leather tights trying to do interpretive dance... or yoga.

Smarter'n'me finally spotted something interesting. Not pleasant, but interesting. That beard was visible even at this distance and only one person in this whole binary world would dare wear it. It had to be him. That goat-faced-rat-nibbling-son-of-a-barber's-jilted-teenager was in for it now! Beating him here. Pah! Smarter jumped down and fell into a leaping run, headed straight toward the other old man, his own beard rippling in the wind in spite of being shorter and better trimmed than that of his quarry.

From a long distance off he could be faintly heard shouting. As he came bounding closer his endless stream of improvised profanity could be heard quite clearly. "You claim-jumping-son-of-a-bird-dog! You're so dumb that you licked a fire hydrant with your back end by mistake and still got stuck! How did you get the first three horrors of the world free long enough to get here before me you jack-rabbit-kissing-sack-of-excrement-water!"

==============================================================================

Tailpin
Day 16 Afternoon

So, Tailpin moved through the market, stall by stall. He bought a little here and a little there. When it came to antidotes and other remedy items he stuck with venders since the quality was always stable and reliable. For healing potions, though, he went with players. Those who seemed to be more established as business owners but had lower quality potions didn't claim much of his coin even though he never just window shopped. He managed to locate a small stall with above average potions that had been pushed out of the best spots and just inside the mouth of an alley by other player stalls. The stall owner, Frag'u'Berrymuch, knew a lot more about potions than about business.

Their conversation was brief but by the end of it the name of World Walkers was known to the shopkeeper and more than fifty potions had changed hands along with a sizeable pouch of coin. Tailpin didn't know enough about business management to advise the shopkeeper much but he did drop a hint about his name's marketability. The shopkeeper, an avid player of first person shooters before falling for the hype about SAO, decided to go by a couple nicknames and get a sign for his stall. And so, as the archer walked away with the highest quality potions he could find, Frag and his newly named store "Fragberry's" were hard at work with a future that might be a little brighter.

Tailpin was not confident in his advice but making a contact for World Walkers was always something that the Guild Leader should know about. Especially since the potions were about 50% better than standard and only cost 110% of the vendor version price. He paid 120% without Frag noticing. He racked off a PM.

DELCASTLE, NEW BUSINESS CONTACT.
PROMISING POTION BREWER
NO BUSINESS SENSE. GETTING PUSHED OUT
"Frag'u'Berrymuch", GOES BY FRAGBERRY OR FRAG
ALLEY MOUTH MARKET STALL ALCHEMIST SQUARE NORTH SIDE
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK QUALITY WE CAN MEET UP ANYWHERE YOU WANT.
I HAVE SAMPLES.

Tailpin moved on, purchasing a number of teleport crystals and other simple supplies. He also purchased some player made travel rations. It seemed that they were large crackers but they had a number of flavors that was ridiculous. The man had actually managed a celery flavored cracker. It was odd. Still, he purchased a number of the snacks that looked to be more satisfying flavors and then moved to the central square to take stock. He still had a serviceable amount of coin left but not enough for more arrows or anything like that. JIC supplies were still pricey. But, he still had a lot of unsold loot. Hopefully, Delcastle would find a good value buyer or a craft that needed that kind of material. Though he had little faith when it came to the hide. "Dirty Dog Fur" didn't look like it had much real value. Though it did seem to have an attribute. "Greasy" didn't sound very beneficial but it might have some use elsewhere.

With that thought slowly taking root in his mind, Tailpin sat on the ground with his back to a building and began to think. His skills were most of what was on his mind. Refining hadn't proven very useful yet, though it probably would later. He hadn't even tried Synthesis since he had only been collecting the two types of component. He pulled out a piece of Poisoned Flesh and took another look at its description.

"Toxic, huh." He mumbled aloud as he held the rigid lump of green material in his hand. "Toxic and Greasy." Maybe those would make for some authentic American food. The thought made him grin. But there had to be a use for them. He just had to find out what.

-Indominus-
Day 16 / Midday / LVL 16

From a long distance off he could be faintly heard shouting. As he came bounding closer his endless stream of improvised profanity could be heard quite clearly. "You claim-jumping-son-of-a-bird-dog! You're so dumb that you licked a fire hydrant with your back end by mistake and still got stuck! How did you get the first three horrors of the world free long enough to get here before me you jack-rabbit-kissing-sack-of-excrement-water!"

Dom turned at the sound of an oh so familiar shouting and felt his mouth fill with bile at the sight of the dirtiest, most uncouth, outright disrespectful son a lepers mule that had ever traversed the world. The insults from his 'dear' companion fell on deaf ears as Dom just stared at him with a confused look of annoyance, familiar with the verbal aspect of their long standing friendship but still refusing to to be treated like that. "You WHAT, you filthy rag-dolled sack'a crap? I couldn't hear your fond hello over the sound of your unceasing verbal diarrhea but you're used to the sound of waste escaping that rats nest you call a beard. You long-necked scrawny halitosis-riddled twig I ought to send you back to the devil." Every word was accompanied by a bit of froth as Dom and Smart got closer and closer until they were practically screaming it in each others face.
A party players had come out of a tunnel on the opposite end of the cave and caught sight of the two elderly men having a screaming match, an tirade of insults as dusty and out of date as the two themselves. To a one, the party turned and fled back into the caves preferring the echo of their own heart beat to the archaic slurs.
Dom and Smart butted heads and shoved like children as they bickered. "You son a goat I said meet me at the town when you got in and you weren't there! Found my granddaughter, who wants nothing to do with me, before I found your stupid arse? What do you have to say for yourself!" Rage clear as day over his face overwhelmed good sense, not even bothering to listen to a reply. Doms right hand glowed black as his left hand grabbed Smarts beard, yanking it down violently into his rising fist.
Doms smart-ass reply was cut short as a blunt tonfa smashed into his jaw with the same force his punch had, stumbling him back and rubbing his jaw. "You wanna go, tricky dick, fine." Dom spat into the dirt and put his dukes up.

-Delcastle-
Day 16 / Midday / LVL 12

Delcastle smiled at the company, shaking Mai'los' hand and gesturing to a seat in the booth that was free. "Do scooch over a bit, I'm expecting more company." He left unsaid who it was but obviously it was another of their crew. A quick swipe put away the menu as Mai'lo took his seat. Delcastle dug into the bread with fervor and washed it down with a bit of ale. A sigh of bliss escaped his lips as he quaffed his drink, wiping away a tiny bit on his lips. "Nothing definitive. We're wasting our time if we stay in the forest, all of us know that, so I've decided to move on." Another swipe brought out the menu, Cinera joined them as he swiped and brought out a map for the others to see. It hadn't cost him much for the map, a promise of a favor of some sort for all available detail of the gorge, and was not disappointed. Players had apparently gotten through the tunnels, though they were few and a bit unwilling to share which tunnels, but that wasn't important. Not right now atleast.
On the map was a painted little route but it only went halfway through the gorge before running in a circle overtop itself.
Delcastle moved over a bit and Cinera sat down, to which he planted a light kiss on her cheek and gave a wink. "As I was telling Mai'lo, I found a tip about an untouched treasure. In the middle of the gorge is supposed to be a big crack on the ground, barely noticeable but distinguished enough to be found by someone looking. Someone says they stepped on it and opened a spiraling path into the earth but nobody else has bothered to check it out, either by not finding the entrance or not bothering at all. Before we take out the Rock Tusks and the Devil Beetles I was hoping to find the rumor." He closed the menu and leaned in close to the table and whispered, "If memory serves, this is the entrance to a mini-dungeon. Supposedly its an 'abandoned mine' with an exclusive weapon at the end."

Day 16 midday- Level 12
@DestinyStar@Zelosse

Mai'lo's thoughts immediately turned to his own special weapon at the mention of one in this new mini dungeon. "There anything to indicate what kind of weapon it might be? Or what level monsters we might have to face? I'm not certain that my knuckles will be up to the job." He frowned, pausing in the consumption of his meal as he considered the situation.

Wodin would probably be of great benefit to the group in this situation. If there was room enough for him to use the weapon. That was the biggest problem with Wodin. It performed exceptionally well in the field the few times he went out alone and equipped it, but in close confines it would be useless.

"Del, would you happen to have any weapons I might be able to purchase if the knuckles are no good and conditions won't allow for... other weapons?" He attempted to hedge his way, awkwardly around the topic, paying his friend wouldn't probe too deeply on the matter. He'd show the weapon if he had to but he still wanted to avoid it for a time if he could.

Day 16 | Midday | Lvl: 11

Emperor yawned loudly as he strolled into the tavern, he looked around and adjusted his bandana. He had been spending the day strolling around and looking out for rumors or teams needing help, he hadn't had much luck with either of these so far. He had at least managed to make a bit of gold by designing a nice looking cloak for some chaps guild and he'd been able to use the money from that to pick up more supplies and such.

It had been over 2 weeks and Emperor was still adjusting to this world, He was often plagued with thoughts of his own mortality in his evenings but even so he knew he had to go out into danger in order to get stronger so that he would survive and make it out of here. All he wanted right now was some friends, people he could use to help him forget about the problems and the fear. He let out a sigh as he walked further into the tavern.

A voice amongst the din suddenly caught his attention 'Wait...' he thought 'Did I just hear... untouched treasure? Hidden location? Oh christ this sounds like an adventure if I ever heard one!'. As Emperor looked over to the voice he noticed it came from a group of three people talking in a booth, they all looked kinda tough and well equipped. Nerves hit Emperor 'Jeeze I can't just go and tell some folks I was eavesdropping on them... can i? Shit I'm gonna have to... no chance of getting anywhere without trying... well here goes nothing i guess...'. Emperor hesitated for a few moments before swallowing his fears and approaching the three players placing his hands down on the table and leaning into it a little, trying his best at doing a disarming smile.

"Hey sorry I couldn't help overhearing... there was mentions of a path hidden in the gorge? You guys want some extra help with it at all?" he said, trying his best to keep nerves out of his voice. He was very unsure how they would react he figured he'd either get told to piss off or get punched in the face. But what was life without a little risk?

@pockets@DestinyStar@Zelosse

Day 16 ][ Midday ][ Level up!: 14

Bulwar pondered as to where he could go. He didn't have any business left for the day, so hanging around the marketplace was nigh pointless. He could have gone back to the inn to meet up with the others, but since he already knew the full plan from last night there was no need, as he had nothing to add to the situation at present. Guess that leaves heading out into the field for a bit, and I could use a bit of activity today, so why not. He got prepped for some solo hunting and headed out the main gate to the forest.

As he made his way to the front gate, he pulled up his notes on material orders, and noted on one of his orders in the folder labelled ORES that at the bottom of the list there was a special ore. "Luminite? Must be a blacksmith-only ore, that would explain why he waited to talk to me and not Delcastle about it." Bulwar was a blacksmith, an armorsmith more specifically, as he found it was more efficient monetarily and material-wise to forge his own armor and go out and buy shields, as it took a lot more to buy a set of armor than it did a couple of shields. Guess if I come across it I'll be fortunate, thankfully it's optional and not required as part of the order.

Bulwar wasn't far off from level 14, as he did a lot of field work while Delcastle did most of the dealing and information gathering, so he decided to set a bit into his next level as his goal for the afternoon. He made his way to the level 11-12 mobs, mostly alpha wolves with a dire bear or two. At first glance one would not expect Bulwar to be an efficient solo player, as his signature was the twin tower shields. A quick inventory flick and one of his shields vanished, only to be replaced by a one-handed sword. He looked down at the sword and smirked, thinking wryly Pretty sure Delcastle is the only one who knows about this sword, I've made sure to only use it during solo missions when noone's around. He set off to one of the alpha wolves, slamming into it with his shield and quickly spinning to slash it in the legs with his sword to hamstring it. The alpha whimpered but it grew into a growl, howling to the forest, summoning three lesser level 8 wolves. "Really..." He sighed and set himself into position. The alpha stayed back while the three lessers lunged at once. Bulwar carefully timed his attacks by turning his shield sideways to slam two of the wolves, and as he followed through with that to turn his blade into the throat of the third, all three shattering into pixels instantaneously. He wiped his brow as the alpha lunged. He angled his shield so he could force the alpha to the ground, pinning it under the shield and slitting its throat with the sword, causing it to shatter into pixels as well. He stood up and glanced at his exp bar, seeing the last kill fill it up and...

Ding! Congratulations on gaining level 14! Followed by his stat increases. He was happy and decided to take a small break to see if there was anyone in the area who wanted to party up.

@DestinyStar@Zelosse

Tailpin
Lvl 11
Day 16 Afternoon

There was nothing to do until he received a reply from the Guild Leader. So, Tailpin stood up again and took a look around. He didn't want to try anything experimental with loot that he already thought of as belonging more to the guild so he had to find things that he could test the limits of his remaining abilities with. He had never gotten around to testing his Synthesis skill and now he had earned a Fletching skill when he hit level ten. He hadn't been hunting in a place that gave materials for that skill so he had put it out of his mind. Specifically, when he tried to use it there had been a request for an item he didn't have. Now, though, he had idle time and a little money to spare. Maybe he could find one of these "Attribute Prism" items.

There was a part of town that wasn't very busy or loud. It was just an intersection of back streets with some empty storefronts and blank signs. While one of the streets connected to the market, it was far enough away that few people thought it would be a good place to start a shop. Besides, buying an actual store was a lot more expensive than just a stall. Still, there were two big benefits to this area. One was a single, slightly shady looking, merchant vendor who hung out in a dark doorway in this part of town. The other was the fact that unpurchased business buildings could be entered by anyone.

You couldn't change anything about the building's interior or conduct a trade within the building but you could do your own crafting in privacy or get a little safe zone swordsmanship practice in, for those who knew real sword forms. Eventually, Tailpin intended to buy a storefront like this. It would make for a good place to store and organize any crafting he did, along with the large amount of materials that he tended to accumulate.

For now, though, he had business with that shady vendor. The guy stored his merchandise in a hidden room under a loose paving stone and it took a few minutes for him to get the items you bought and bring them up to you. But, this guy carried a random inventory. Tailpin had visited him twice before. Between those visits he had seen equipment up to level twenty, but never more than one piece at each level, random potions and crystals, and the occasional rare component material. But, one of the things that he always seemed to have was crafting equipment. Nothing for blacksmiths or leatherworking, he only carried equipment that matched uncommon crafting skills.

As tailpin quietly entered this derelict part of town and spotted the vendor, the shady NPC greeted him with a furtive grin and a glance from side to side. He approached and the vendor spoke in a raspy whisper.
"Welcome back."
Then the shop window popped up with the list of what he had in stock. Tailpin paged through the list in silence, marking several items that caught his eye, and then hit the bottom of the list. There was one left. Last time there were two. Still, it was here. There was a single unit complete set of fletching tools. It was low level equipment but it was a travel set and didn't require a building to use it. The price had gone down too. He selected it and ran some quick totals before completing the transaction. He was almost out of money now. He looked at the list again and spotted something that hadn't been there before. This time, the shady fellow had an "Attribute Prism" in stock.

Actually, the vendor had three and they were very inexpensive for an item with no level that was required by a skill. He purchased them all and concluded the transaction. He turned away and jogged to a nearby empty storefront, without listening to the vendor's vaguely creepy come-again line, opened the door and headed inside without hesitation. As the door closed behind him the open space fell silent.

Here was true silence, a thing that few people ever really heard. He stood still and softly held his breath for a moment, feeling that silence settle like a shroud in the dusty building. Here he could work in peace until he received a reply from Delcastle. Tailpin took a deep breath and let it out slowly in a sigh. Then he walked quietly to the back of the room and opened a door there. Stairs led down into a room that could serve as a forge or a storage room, depending on the equipment the owner wanted to install.

Tailpin just needed the floor. He pulled his newly purchased set of tools out of his inventory. It was a rolled sheet of thick leather bound by a cord. He lay it down and sat in front of it before undoing the cord. The "Traveler's Fletching Set" rolled open in front of him. It had a wide variety of tools divided by four categories. The categories seemed to be fletching, shaft, head, and assembly. Next he pulled out some of the miscellaneous crafting materials that he had purchased. An iron sword blank, a couple stout sticks, a chicken's tail, two boar tusks, and a rough rock. These weren't just random items, they were random items that Tailpin knew a little bit about. The sword blank was a sword smithing material, the sticks seemed to have a number of crafting uses, the boar tusks could be made into weak dagger blades, and he had heard that rocks could become whetstones. The chicken's tail he just thought sounded funny and it might be interesting to see what it could do.

He started with his Refining skill since none of these items had attributes as they were. The stout sticks surprised him by refining into different items, a "Maple Switch" and a "Thorny Branch". The iron sword blank just gained an attribute, "Heavy". The tusks both gained the same attribute, "Hardened". The rough rock became a "Crystal Ore", whatever that was supposed to be good for. At least it had an attribute, "Refined". The chicken's tail actually did something rational. It refined into ten "Short Feathers" with no attributes.

Now, the Synthesis skill worked with attributes, according to its description. It allowed the attribute of one item to be transferred to another. However, it only worked on components and the component from which the attribute was drawn was sacrificed. He decided to start with what he could tell about potential. The items in front of him could easily be sorted if he just checked whether or not they were components for his Fletching skill. There were only a few. The "Hardened Boar Tusks", "Thorny Branch", and the "Short Feathers" were compatible with Fletching. The others were not so he set them aside as sacrificial items. With the items sorted it was time to get a handle on this skill.

He set one of the tusks and the sword blank in front of him and pulled up the joint menu that popped up when he selected Synthesis. There was that red space again, a gap between the two items that indicated the need for another component. He placed one of the "Attribute Prism" items in that spot and it turned white, no problems. Then he confirmed his selections. The sword blank and the prism glowed before shattering into nothingness, only the tusk remained. He pulled up its information. It now said that it was a "Heavy Hardened Boar Tusk". Picking it up, he could tell the difference. It was a couple times heavier than it had been before.

"So, that's the balance." He whispered into the silence.

From that point, the rest was simple. He sacrificed the "Crystal Ore" and added "Refined" to the "Thorny Branch" then tried to use his Fletching skill to make an arrow. The "Heavy Hardened Boar Tusk" was converted into five heavy arrowheads with very sharp, hard edges. The "Refined Thorny Branch" became five shafts of dark wood with what looked like a fine grain to its surface. Upon closer inspection, Tailpin saw that the whole surface of the shaft was covered with thorns that were much like quills. The feathers were simple and simply became twenty "Fletch Feathers", ready for attaching to an arrow shaft. After crafting was complete, he looked at the specifics of the arrow that resulted.

He spoke its name aloud for the feel of the sound. "Hedge Boar's Resentment." It was an arrow that could penetrate armor and would remain stuck, causing continuous damage, because of the quills which were placed to spread out and pierce the target after passing the armor. This would be useful but the process to make it was a little expensive. It had cost one Attribute Prism per attribute transferred and then the final product had produced only five arrows worth of materials. Still, it would be worth something. A specialty arrow like this could fetch money if he couldn't use it.

Though, he checked the level of the arrow. It had no level marker and no specific damage stats. He checked again. Still nothing. Maybe it did damage based on the bow used... so, if that was the case then the damage he could do would be relative to his new bow. It would scale with his level, so long as he could find and refine the components. Useful, but it did have a range modifier. 50% Reduction. So, he had to get close. Even with his Longshot skill he'd only get this arrow out to an average range.

He took a breath and prepared a summary of his findings in a small message field and then saved it. He was still waiting on a reply from Delcastle so there was no point inundating him with messages. Besides, he didn't know if Delcastle had even found a market for those components yet, never mind a trick arrow that required Refined components and probably an archer to craft it. He could experiment more once he had more money to throw away or more component loot from the field. For now, he had his proof of concept and understood what he would need for both Synthesis and Fletching.

That was enough progress for now. He packed up his tools and items and sat against the wall. There was time yet to enjoy the quiet before heading back out. Besides, he was so tired. He'd gone almost twenty hours without sleep and he had been hunting or running around town for most of that time. His eyes slipped closed and he rested.

===========================================================
Smarter'n'me
Lvl 15
Day 16 Sunset

Smarter'n'me found himself facing the same set of fists he had faced before. But now, oh ho hoo hee, now they were so much more fun. But boxing wasn't for the scrawny old man in snake tights, oh no. He lunged low and right, using a strong high kick to the face as a feint, and came up behind his oldest acquaintance. Then he grabbed him into a headlock and forced his wrinkled snub nose into Smarter's armpit.

"You calling me late?!" He shrieked. "You ulcerous hemorrhoid of a pus-laden-pre-pubescent-crocodile! I had things to do, you lazy sack of depleted gamete jelly!"

He jumped in surprise when he heard the brat's voice. Literally, he jumped about ten feet up in the air with that itchy set of yard-long nose hairs still held to his armpit. Then he flipped over and delivered the head that belonged to those nose hairs to the digital stones, hard. Why? Why not? Then he scampered away before the dust settled and jumped up to where that brat's voice came from.

He saw her. He saw her outfit. The bridge of his nose turned just a little red. Then he slipped backward and fell back down to where he had been in a plume of dust. Out of that plume of dust came a thin voice, trembling with righteous anger, among other things.

"You decrepit old wretched bag of unmentionables! How did you let her wear that thing! Isn't there some kind of age restriction on dressing like a cosplay hooker!"

@Tracyarmav
Ikanus weighs the options, the mask hiding most facial expression making his silent thinking statuesque. He eventually nods.
"I believe if I have Anubis fight with us we can attack quicker. With the three of us attacking we should be able to take on two at a time." He goes quite thinking for a few more moments. "Or I could have him on heal and the both of us could attack" he looks at Edgar. "I think we could do it. However, we should plan for attacks." He rests his free hand on the jackal's head, glad he went for the heart of the Phoenix ability so as not to lose him. The jackal was a rare pet and very difficult to tame. His other hand holds his scythe, making him look very dangerous.

-Indominus-
Day 16 / Afternoon / LVL 16

Dom sputtered in protest at the rough treatment at the hands of Smart, struggling to escape the wretched stench of the filthy old mans armpit before realizing the end result was well on its way to completion. Too occupied with the smell he had not noticed Scarlet. Dom turned to apologize to his sweet grandchild but was quickly made aware of a very different problem as Smart flattened him into the dirt in an undignified heap. Unlike some of the younger generation unused to getting their hands dirty or their faces hit, the older man got up in record time and smashed his fist into Smarts knee as they tangled again in a heap of grey facial hair and testosterone. "Why you filthy piss-stained pea-brained horse-faced hawk-nosed bastard, I'll show you a thing or two." Where Smart had displayed a rather effective style of combat that brought Finesse and talent to the forefront, Dom brought savagery and brute force to play as he quickly pinned the wiry old man to the ground.
And bit him as hard as he could in the nose.
Smart howled and struggled until Dom let go and socked him square in the jaw as Smart got a foot up into Doms jaw at the same time, returning the two to a stale mate. "You tighty-whitey yoga pants wearin' wuss, you're gonna lecture her about how she dresses when you're running around like that?! Good thing your privates shriveled up like you, pruney, or you might have a squeaky voice all over again." Dom did not return to the offensive but pulled himself off the dirt and whiped away the dust with a growl, his forest green cloak was dirty and his shoes had rocks in them. Again!
He turned his attention to Scarlet and admitted to himself, not out loud of course, that Scarlet was dressed rather inappropriately and her father would have a fit if he saw but that wasn't really his business. If someone made a pass at the young girl she would have to race to beat Dom to the literal punch. Dom spat in the dirt and rubbed his jaw as he dropped the offensive posture and softened his voice. "You know better'n any that it's not up ta me what she wears. Gonna shame her for being comfortable in 'er own body? I respect her right to do as she pleases." He leaned in a bit and whispered so she couldn't hear, covering his mouth with his hands incase Scarlet could read lips. "Don't mean I won't crack a boys skull for gettin' the wrong idea." Dom dusted off the front of his shirt and yelled out to Scarlet. "I ain't YOUR boss, you ain't MINE. Respect your elders now, Y'hear me? I tanned your fathers arse don't think I won't tan yours." Like a petulant child he crossed his arms and waited for her to come over, while keeping an eye on Smart. Silently he wondered if he had been a little harsh to both of them just now. One glance at smart convinced him that the beating there had been just.

========================

-Delcastle-
Day 16 / Midday / LVL 12

Delcastle glanced at the newcomer, a stern look taking in every detail of the player who had forced their way into a conversation not meant for them, but the look softened almost instantly when his once-over was finished. Usually he would not involve someone like this in his dealings but a dungeon was a place of random encounters and traps, so maybe another body pumping out damage was necessary. As for the loot, that was something he had to consider. Allowing this person in might likely take away a valuable asset to his crew and weaken the operation ever so slightly, but getting the word out for World Walkers won out over that petty greed every time. A quick flick swiped the menu and shot the fellow a friend request. "We leave tomorrow, first light, you don't show you don't go. Potions will be provided for you, along with food buffs and equipment if you are inadequately geared, depending on the level of monsters in the instance." Delcastle was about to dismiss him when he noticed the players outfit a little bit further, something ever so slightly different to an item he had seen many times since the game had started. The equipment worn by this lad had been personalized, nothing serious but it was marking him as different. Unique.
"Tell me, friend, did you alter that gear yourself?" Delcastle shuffled out of the booth, Cinera obliging him by exiting first before re-sitting down, as Del got a closer look. "I'm in the market for alterations to guild equipment, a patch or badge of some sort with the World Walker symbol on it." Reaching into the inventory screen he pulled forth a badge given to him by another client who had paid with a symbol over monetary coin. The symbol itself was very standard, a picture of planet earth with a boot print over it. "Tell you what. If you can, or you find me someone who can, I'll bring you along no restrictions."

A new PM popped up on his screen as he shook hands with Emperor, inviting him to enjoy a meal on Dels coin. A short goodbye to Mai'lo had Cinera and Delcastle leaving the inn just as the sun was on the wane in the sky, likely another few hours of sunlight before the night came. True to his word, Delcastle escorted Cinera from Bulls Run and out into the field to the north and stuck close to the fence, retracing his steps diligently to the designated spot. They spoke briefly of the gorge, both eager to begin a new chapter for the guild and discussed fight or flight plans for the likely crowded tunnel scenarios before they reached the spot.
A large tree stood defiant over the landscape offering shade and comfort, the grass was green and the view overlooked a good part of the hill. A few stragglers still ventured out in an attempt to get in a bit more exp, but it was quiet and peaceful with just the two of them. Delcastle unrolled a small piece of cloth and laid in on the ground for Cinera to sit on while he lounged on the grass with a contented sigh. A wicker basket, bought by Bulwar and filled with food by Bulwar, shimmered into existence between the two. Two cups followed along with a bottle. Nothing fancy but it was passable enough as drinks went.
The PM blinked at him from the corner of his eye but he resisted the urge to open it. Instead he stared out at the forest and raised his cup in salute. "To the end of a line, and the beginnings of another. Here on this spot we pledged fealty to each other and the Guild. It was here we found courage to stand against this world and claim it as our own." A large Denmother padded along in the distance, the landscape becoming very familiar. It was here Delcastle had taken a near fatal blow in her stead and taken the first step to making amends. Subconciously his hand flicked the screen and brought out the PM, if only to stop the incessant beeping, and scanned the contents before firing one off back to Tailpin.

I AM AN ALCHEMIST. NO NEED FOR OTHERS
FRAG WILL BE RUN OUT BUT HE WILL NOT QUIT
PLEASE REMIND ME; WHAT IS YOUR CRAFTING SKILLS
WILL HELP YOU LEVEL IT IF POSSIBLE

The PM was sent with a slight 'ping' noise as Delcastles attention snapped back to Cinera. As always, he chose business over pleasure. Del hoped she understood, even if she did not like it. "Apologies.."

Tailpin
Lvl 11
Day 16 Afternoon

The beep of a new PM roused Tailpin from his light nap before he could really sink into sleep. He read it quickly and raised one eyebrow. No need for others. So this guild was going to follow an aggressive business model with minimal personelle. That was a solid option. A soft hand in a brutal world could lead to death and bankruptcy. It did have one major weakness though. There was no redundancy. If something went terribly wrong during a hunt or Kayaba changed something unexpectedly then they could lose people in spite of their best preparations. With this business model they would have no backups to replace those lost skills. The guild would be crippled unless it could lure in replacement talent from a weakened position.

Still, it was Delcastle's guild in the end. Tailpin was just a member. He sent off a response. It was to the point and brief as before.

UNDERSTOOD. PASSIVE AND CRAFTING SKILLS FOLLOW.
COLD BLOODED, SOFT SOUL : REFINING, SYNTHESIS, ELITE FLETCHING
DO YOU NEED ME ON DAYS OR NIGHTS?

He had rested enough. It wasn't really safe to rest in an unsecured place like this, anyway. People were always people and that meant that they could suprise or horrify you without warning. He got up and checked the room to make sure there was no sign of his presence. Then he went back up the stairs, closed the stair door behind him, and exited the building. He made sure that there were no players in sight but didn't linger in the doorway, gently kicking the door shut behind him. He didn't always use the same building but he did frequent certain ones and didn't want to set himself up as prey due to excessive carelessness.

He needed to know whether he should rest for the rest of the day and hunt tonight or stay awake and work himself back onto a daytime schedule. He didn't have enough coin left for more experimentation but he could always go hunting for materials. Still, it depended on what Delcastle wanted. In the mean time, Tailpin started heading toward the part of town that held residences for player purchase. He wanted to get a feel for the price range involved. Eventually, the guild would likely need a headquarters and preparing early couldn't hurt.

===================================================================

Smarter'n'me
Lvl 15
Day 16 Sunset

Smarter'n'me got up, rubbing his red nose indignantly. This was beyond the pale. His silver hair started rising up along with his ire at being the recipient of such insinuations.

"You ungrateful brat! This nose has suffered your cooking and your feet, though which is worse is beyond me! You should show more respect!" Smarter was the older of the two, after all, and had his own standards. He continued screeching, waving one pointing finger dramatically at the unfortunately dressed young lady and then turning it on the wretched sack of muscle-puss that was at fault. "I said nothing about her body, you ignoble-muffin-poker! Her body's beautiful as always! It's the bloody armor in these games that I'm going after, and the unfit geezers that should be looking out for their grandkids more!"

He paused long enough to listen to the whisper before retorting in a harsh whisper of his own, with equal caution. "You'd better. If I do it, it'll be with a blade."

Smarter snorted at his long time acquaintence's beratement of his grand daughter. Brushing dust off of his armor and looking at his housemate with a wry, and vaguely cruel, smile, he began to laugh. The buffoon was totally wrapped around his granddaughter's little finger. She didn't know it and he wouldn't admit it but it was obvious to someone who had known the tail-licker for as long as Smarter had.

"You're one to talk. Where do you think she gets her 'respect for elders' from, anyway?" He bent backwards in a stretch and his head almost touched his calves. Games like this were awesome. "I'm older than you, remember. Maybe you should show her a decent example for a change."

Emperor was quite taken aback by how readily Delcastle shot him a friend request and accepted him onto the mission, he thought he'd at least have to try and big up his combat skills. He accepted the friend request as Delcastle stood up and asked him about his gear

"Y-yeah I'm a tailor... can make little edits to pre-existing armour and gear and such too..." he replied a little awkwardly as Delcastly pulled out a symbol "Yeah I could probably whip something like that up. Just pm me when ya got time to sit down and discuss things I guess". He then thanked Delcastle for the offer of a meal as Delcastle and the Woman then left. He then sat down at the table in front of the remaining man.

"Hey have... have we met before?" He asked the familiar looking man.

@Zelosse@pockets

@Tracyarmav
Ikanus shakes his head. "Anubis doesn't have a stun ability yet, I worked him up with his damage and healing." He tilts his head as he thinks. "Anubis can take a lot of hits...especially with heart of the Phoenix. So I could have him act as tank...that could help with that situation as well" he nods again. "I understand not wanting to fight for that long." He gives a small smile. "So we can go for as long as you want to"
Once Ikanus sees Edgar start to eat he opens up then menu and tosses meat at Anubis who catches it and eats it. He then starts eating what looks like cooked leg from some animal. He then swigs down some liquid giving him a good balance of stats and giving Anubis stats geared toward tanking.
Ikanus has to admit...he likes this guy. Maybe he has another possible friend. That could prove good for the future, since he most likely can't continue for much longer as a solo player.