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Season: Summer
Number of Days Since Game Start: 1
Time Of Day: 5:00 pm
General Ambiance: Fear, Disbelief
Location: Level 1 - Town of Beginnings

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It is the first day since the game launch of Sword Art Online. The attitude is a complete juxtaposition with the previous day. Everyone had been excited for the start of the game, for the virtual reality experience open to all--and now, now their mirth has been replaced with fear and terror. A video game has become a death game.

Everyone is still standing in the center of the town, and several people are either crying or are scared of what might happen. How were they going to survive? Several people have already died since the game started earlier that day. No one could tell what to do, and several people walked towards the front of the crowd, they turned to face the crowd. Everyone quieted down when they saw them, and the one in the front shouted to everyone.

"If we are to survive, we need to work together. We are some of the Beta Testers and want to help in everyway we can. We are going to hold a meeting at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon to see if we can figure out a way to beat this game. Everyone is welcome to come, either to provide help in creating a plan, or to provide their battle assistance. We hope to see some of you there." he said, and he and his companions leave. Heading away from the big crowd, with everyone watching them go.

That leaves a few questions, and a few for you. What do you do, there are several hours until the meeting. Are you going to go after monsters to level up? Are you going to see about forming a Guild with others? Or are you just going to wait and see what tomorrow brings?

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Kyasarin scowled a bit, hanging towards the back of the crowd. She leaned childishly up against her sword, practically using the thing like a cane. If she wasn't careful, she'd cause the thing to break. The novice swords weren't exactly known for their durability. In the beta, she'd had a far nicer weapon to use--the Ice Blade--but as far as she could tell, her inventory had been wiped clean.

Still, even Kyasarin was able to see the various feelings of discontent weaving their way through the crowd. While not personally understanding them, she knew enough about human beings to see what would happen next: they'd begin to blame the beta testers. There was strength in numbers, and she had intended on joining a guild at some point. It wouldn't be too bad to go join up with some of the more experienced players.

Rushing through the crowd, Kyasarin jostled her way through dozens of hopeless looking faces, before making her way up to the beta testers. Standing at a hardly impressive 5'0", she crossed her arms, her sword at her side. "Hey! I want to join you guys," Kyasarin said plainly. "Name's Kyasarin -- beta tester. You know, the one who made it to floor seven."

She puffed out her chest a bit, trying to emphasize the accomplishment. Of course, there had been one player who made it farther than her, a strange boy who reached floor eight. She tried to not think about him often. They'd met on a few occasions, and he'd made it quite clear that he'd only play solo.

"So? What'd you say? We got a deal?" Kyasarin pressed, a wide grin, or was it a smirk?, crossing her face.

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Starkette picked at her nails the entire time, wishing desperately that the standard armor had come with some sort of a hood. Her avatar had been removed by the horrible mirrors, leaving her feeling exposed. Already, she had caught someone staring at her, on the verge of recognition. Being trapped in this death game was awful, sure...

...but she wasn't certain it was any more horrible than people knowing her as Guinevere Stark. Her entire life, that was what she had been known for. No one judged her by her merits, only seeing her last name, and the shadows of her parents. She gulped, attempting to calm down, and instead found herself hyperventilating. There had to be someway to get a disguise, to do something to ensure she wouldn't be recognized...

Though, with a bead of sweat falling from her forehead, she realized that the gamemaker wasn't a reasonable person. Reasonable people don't create death games. The odds of him acquiescing to her request and changing her avatar up would thus be incredibly minimal. Glancing around at the crowd, Starkette resolved that her best bet would be to get as far away from the crowds as possible, and once she'd earned enough gold, purchase armor with a decent hood.

Maybe I can chop my hair off with this sword... she pondered, before seeing a rather short black-haired girl burst through the crowd, cockily waltzing up to the beta testers. Her eyes widened, however, when she realized she didn't catch the location of the meeting--just the time.

"How are we supposed to go to a meeting when we don't know where it is?" Starkette scoffed, her prickly outer shell coming to the rescue. Leaving the crowd, she glanced around for any players that looked like they were heading out of the town to level up. If she was going to go with the beta testers and try to clear the floor, she'd need to know how to do more than just hold a sword.

Unable to find anyone, Starkette sighed a bit, and resolved to set out on her own. If she ran into anyone trustworthy, she'd join up with them. If not, she'd try to do her best not to get killed. At least she'd die as Starkette, for the moment.

Location: Floor 1 - Town of Beginnings, obtaining leather[interacting with Starkette @Morose

Elou's tail swished softly as the creator told them that they were all going to die, they couldn't get out, the game was now on hardcore mode, and he was basically a colossal prick. The last one might have been a bit of paraphrasing, or putting words in his mouth, but Elou didn't really care. Panic and disbondancy could work, in this situation, but she was reminded of her friend's comment about worrying. 'Why worry? If you can do something about it, then do it, instead of fretting. If you can't, then why worry?' It was certainly an interesting point of view, but she could see where it was coming from, and tried to live by it. To some limited sucess.

Not being a Beta tester, or confident enough in her skills to try stepping up to them, she took off to the plains outside of the town, to go kill some boars. Maybe they would drop some leather and she could make something out of it? She had looked at the crafting system and it seemed pretty indepth, so she was interested to see what she could churn out. While wandering, she saw a rather cute girl with flowing white hair and a decently customized starter gear, so she ran over to her, waving rather manically and exclaiming loudly to get her attention. "Hallo! White haired girl!"

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Nobu sat somewhere near the back of the crowd studying all that lay before him. Panic and fear. So many people who didn't have sense enough to make a plan or to do at least something other than show how much cowardice they had. Freaking out would do them no good. Only select few seemed to realize this. As Nobu started to think of his various options, one of his best friends inside of SAO came up to him, "So, it's true huh. You're abandoning us just because of this crap." Nobu didn't want to admit it to his friend, but it was true. Soon after the news was released Nobu sent a message to all the people he had a guild with saying that he was closing the guild. "Yeah. I'm abandoning the guild, but not completely because of this."

"Then if it's not all about this then why?" Nobu couldn't tell him. Well, not that he couldn't tell him he just didn't want to tell him. "Look, I closed the guild for reasons that I don't feel like disclosing to you. The bottom line is I have to get out of here and can't risk becoming attached to this world, and don't pull the bull crap that no one wants to stay here. It may be like that for now, but I know you're smarter than that. The longer we're here the more people will become fine with staying here. I don't want to risk that so I have to cut off anyone that might make me want to stay here." It was a harsh move to cut off ties to his friends, but in order to escape he couldn't have any distractions. "Fine. If that's how you want it. Just know if you ever need us we are still your friends."

With that Nobu considered every social tie he had in this world gone. He had to rely on himself to get out of here. That's when he decided his best plan was to lend his aid to the other beta-testers who tried to rally others to join them. He walked up to the group that called for the meeting just as a shorter girl finished asking to join. "You know. It's great and all that y'all are beta testers, but don't you think it's unnecessary to mention that in public. As soon as the first death in the floor dungeons happens people are gonna look for someone to take their frustration out on. Anyway, username's KasaiSenshi. No need to reveal names. I plan on helping, but I need to know more about the people before I know the best way to help." To some what Nobu said may have seemed cocky, but to the beta-testers his name would be mostly recognized. Not as one who went through floors like some, but for his ability to strategize plans and tactics to conquer whatever stood in his way. His guild was one of the more prominent ones not for its size but for the fact that despite being small they were one of the best fighters among beta-testers for how well they executed in battle due to the leadership of Nobu. Nobu could find the best way to use a players skill, and practically anyone he wanted in the guild joined. Except for a few who didn't seem to want to work with others.

One moment, he was farming boars like a fiend. The next, he was suddenly back at square one. The boy watched in amiable silence as the cried uncontrollably. Its vermilion tears coalesced into what was later introduced as the Game Master, who with his appearance carried a revelation for all players to bear witness to. With his departure, the duty of crying then befell the players themselves. To his two, three, five, seven, and practically every other direction was incessant wailing. As soon as the invisible barrier dropped, people shoved and paved their way through others in the midst of the turmoil, meanwhile Campanella stood idly in place, his expression still deadpan. To be frank, he wasn't all too surprised by this development. The device was willingly given complete presidence over one's body upon full dive, so conceptualizing how this whole tumult had been allowed to happen was nowhere near a strenuous feat. Rather than adding to the cacophony and have his voice ultimately be drowned out, he saved his breath and took in his assets. Those being a few pig hides and his stock blade. Not a whole lot to gawk at in awe, but it was at least something.

To many, this happening must have been considered the end of their world. But to Campanella, and hopefully many more over time, it was a new beginning. A new horizon, a clean slate, a fresh start. Rather than celebrating change, a meek sigh escaped his lips instead. Oh how much he wanted to have that last bite of vanilla bean bundt cake hiding in the back of his fridge. Jeez, sacrifices were already being made and he had yet to take a single step within the post-tutorial game. Onyx eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in the scene in its fullest. His attention was automatically drawn to the coalition of publicly announced Beta Testers, bastions of hope in the maelstrom of discord. The player mentally jotted the time down. Although the gathering's location wasn't explicitly announced, there was a high chance it was going to be held in a high population area.

With his first directive to escape the constricting mayhem of players, Campanella weaved his way through the crowd towards the gate. Stray players leaked through the open entranced and walked off aimlessly for resources. He felt his hand subconsciously move for his blade's grip. In the Beta, he learned to be always prepared for the sporadic nature of this game, entailing all of the obstacles it chucked at its players, in addition to the crazed mind. And right now, not everybody was exactly in the most peaceful mentality. But without a doubt the official launch brought with it a fair amount of nuances, as was the trend during the transition from Beta to Full Launch.He cast his gaze to his sides before continuing down the dirt path. After a stretch of paces, the swordsman discerned the form of to individuals before him. One stood with a complete grasp on her disposition and integrity, whilst the other ha-

Holy Sugar Honey Iced Tea were those cat ears and a tail? Campanella broke free of his momentary trance as the latter called out to catch the white-haired girl's attention. The player resumed his trek which just so happened to have the same trajectory as the two, and in a nonchalant manner he walked over to the two. "Farming?" He asked brusquely. Hopefully these two weren't freaking out like the thousands of players in disorder within the city to his back.

Location: floor 1: town of beginnings
Konoha sighed as she saw the crowd panic after the announcement. She felt a pang of panic as well, but there was no use in running around. It could only get you so far, or killed. She checked her inventory, but nothing new had popped up. Only her basic gear was in her list.

Basics to survive, what did she needed to do. First she needed to get food and healing stones. They were escential to have.Second better gear, prefferably a katana. And third, she needed allies. How much she hated teamwork, right no going solo was like suicide. She did not know her surroundings. She was not familiar with the monsters that roamed around the place. She needed info, and the Beta-testers meet was the perfect place to gain such a thing. She made her way to the testers and listened to a young man who introduced himself as KasaiSenshi. From the sound of it he was a exerianced beta tester.

''then what do you want to know, KasaiSenshi? I want to help if I can, I do not plan to stick around in this world for very long''She offered her help. Even if she disliked working together with people, right now she really had no other choice, and this young man seemed to know what he was talking about.
@alexfangtalon

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Alek had become a part of this fantastic virtual reality to avoid tragedy, suffering, and death. Now it seemed to be the name of the game. He stood beside the other players, a face in the crowd, as the gigantic game master explained his clever ploy. The only thing Alek could wonder was why. A terrible fear gripped him. Localized panic quickly turned to mass hysteria all around. Screams could be heard, though so numerous that detecting a source was impossible. Though, for Alek, the more the realization sank in, the more his fear slipped away. What started as immobilizing dismay turned quickly into... bliss. For, as of now, he was free.

As if in answer to a prayer, the game master had given Alek a new life. He reveled in this second chance, the chance to forget his previous life entirely. As far as he was concerned, the risk of death was no greater than his life outside the game; a combat zone for a battlefield seemed a fair trade. Alek breathed lightly, smiling in a sea of grimaces. At that moment, his and everyone else's attention turned to a group of beta testers calling for support in the coming task of taking on the game. They wished to end the predicament as quickly as possible. As the Betas ended their speech, Alek saw a few players exiting the city, presumably going to bolster their strength.

For the first time in quite a while Alek could make his own decision, decide his own destiny. Help the scared and weak majority and leave this perfect world, or set out on his own and enjoy a revitalized life while it lasted. Alek felt not even slightly selfish as he turned his back to the crowd and followed those few first adventurers out of the town. As he confidently -happily- strode out of the gates, he noticed a small group congregating nearby. He was sure that almost everyone would be dead-set on ending the game as soon as possible. Despite that, it just wouldn't do to spend the entirety of his new life alone. In fact, the thought horrified him. Besides, for all Alek knew, these few could be the one percent who saw the situation as he did. A girl with white hair, a kid, and a woman with...cat ears, he thought, A strange group, but perhaps better friends than none.

He approached them with caution, careful to make sure they wouldn't bite. As he neared he moved his hands upward -beginning to wave- before remembering his own voice. "Farming is best done in group," Alek said in a low voice with a thick Russian accent. "Perhaps we should team up, for safety."

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Jace watched as the people around him started panicking. The crowd was getting unruly and he started getting pulled by it. He felt Janelle leave his side, and he wound up in a side street. Where's Jan? Where did she go? I have to find her right now!he thought to himself as he dove right back in the crowd. Janelle was looking for him, even though she couldn't really shout at him. When Jace finally saw her, he ran up to her and grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her towards the side, and looked her straight in the eye.

"We need to keep moving. There are some easy monsters on the border of town. We can go get experience with them and have an easier time on some of the other letters." he signed to her, hoping that she was up for it.

"Alright, lead the way." she said simply, waiting for him.

They walked away from the crowd, eventually finding their way out of town. There were a few other people scattered around the outskirts of town, hoping to gain some easy experience. Janelle just stood there, still marveling at the world around her. Jace was worrying about his sister and what had happened in the game so far. What if other things have changed since Beta Testing ended? Well, there is only one way to find out, he thought as he lead Janelle away from town.

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Season: Summer
Number of Days Since Game Start: 1
Time Of Day: 5:45 pm
General Ambiance: Fear, Disbelief, Slowly Recovering
Location: Level 1 - Town of Beginnings

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@Morose@Ojo chan 42@alexfangtalon

They look at each of you, then they huddle up together, whispering. After a few minutes, they turn back towards all three of you. One of them pulls out a bag from their inventory.

"Alright, if the three of you want to help out, you can. First of all though, you need better equipment. We've been collecting gold to help others out, we were planning on handing some out tomorrow.Get yourselves some better equipment, and meet us back here at around 7. See you then." the leader of the group said.

He went to you one by one, handing you some gold. When you counted it, you realized that he gave each of you 50 gold. Now what do you do with it?

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@KabenSaal@Jedly@Morose@sMoKe

The four of you head off to gain experience. Inadvertently making a small, unofficial group. Heading into the forest, you start looking for monsters to kill. Hoping to gain some experience. After 10 minutes, you find no monsters, and it is starting to get dark outside. When the four of you look down, you see that the path you had been on was no longer there. The forest around you is looking a lot darker, more menacing. As the four of you look for the path, you hear the sounds of swords. Someone is nearby, and fighting off monsters. What do you do?

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Jace and Janelle find their way into the forest. Deep into the woods they go, trying to find some monsters. Soon, Jace hears the sound of wings, coming from behind the two. Three large vampire bats appear, and they don't appear friendly. The two of you pull out your swords, Janelle's is a little shaky. The fight starts, what do you do?

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The system provided most of the support currently in terms of selling wares and goods. Individuals would be able to become blacksmiths later on, so for now, the swords and armor that could be purchased randomly spawned. The individual behind the counter always looked the same, unwilling to bargain on prices. Should you at any point interact with a blacksmith in the Town of New Beginnings, heed this! For below you may find a listing of the wares, and due to the nature of this town, all of these wares are continually restocked...

Assorted weapons and daggers are not available due to the floor level. This shop does not complete custom orders.

Swords
Sword 017 - unnamed - 26 Gold Pieces
Sword 110 - unnamed - 43 Gold Pieces
Sword 023 - unnamed - 50 Gold Pieces
Sword 016 - unnamed - 38 Gold Pieces
Sword 054 - unnamed - 47 Gold Pieces
Sword 059 - unnamed - 39 Gold Pieces
Sword 089 - unnamed - 42 Gold Pieces
Sword 003 - unnamed - 42 Gold Pieces

Armor Sets
Ordain Robes - 34 Gold Pieces
Gown of the Faes - 49 Gold Pieces
Altair Et Al - 34 Gold Pieces

If you would like to inquire about the strength or benefits of any of this armor, simply inquire at the shop! You'll then receive an answer.

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Kyasarin's eyes flashed with awareness as KasaiSenshi introduced himself. His guild had been rather prominent, a force to be reckoned with. At one point, another beta tester had attempted to recruit her to join it, but given that she almost never stopped playing, she didn't enjoy the idea of waiting around for everyone to log online. Crippled in real life, it wasn't like she had anything better to do than escape to a reality where walking was not only possible, but easy.

Glancing over at a new girl, Kyasarin instantly saw that she didn't belong. "Never saw your username around before," Kyasarin commented idly, she leaned up against her sword, using it practically as a crutch against the ground. Another advantage of practically never logging off of Sword Art--Kyasarin knew almost every beta tester. Only ones who never showed up in the end evaded her knowledge.

However, before she could antagonize the stranger any further, the lead beta tester handed her fifty gold pieces. Her smirk widened into an honest grin as the money was added to her inventory. Perhaps the sword she'd used during beta testing was still available--surely they hadn't deleted it and gone with something else? Already musing of the upgrades she would buy, Kyasarin hardly paid much attention to the rest of his speech.

"Right," Kyasarin confidently stated, pulling up the drop down menu and sending a friend request to the top beta tester. "I'll message you once I've got better gear, and then we should talk strategy. Namely, guilds."

Hardly waiting for anyone to respond, Kyasarin made her way to the alley she remembered one of the less popular blacksmith shops being located in. It wasn't as if the quality was bad--it was a little more out of the way than most would like. However, less people used it, causing it to be far easier to get the weapons she'd want and need. If anyone watched Kyasarin as she went, they'd likely notice the ease with which she navigated the virtual world.

It was almost as if she was meant to be there.

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Starkette froze, her world going dark as her worst fears were realized. They recognize me! She groaned a bit, slowly turning to face...a cat. She blinked, attempting to figure out what was going on, when the individual practically bounced over to her. From what she could tell, they also must have been on their way out to hunt some monsters and to farm.

"Erm, hi..." Starkette greeted. "My name's Starkette...I was going out to farm if you want to join me."

A much more normal looking individual came over, and again, Starkette felt her nerves escalate. How many people are going to come over here, really? she sighed to herself, hoping desperately that one of the monsters would drop some sort of mask. "Yeah, experience is going to be key to survival, it seems. Farming makes sense if you don't like dying."

Of course, another individual approached her. Starkette wanted to slap her hand against her forehead in agony, but with the death game, she wasn't going to take a chance that that action would cause her to lose some of her precious CP. Her nerves shot up once more as the boy waved at them, though his thick accent reassured her. As far as she could tell, all of her anxiety was merely baseless paranoia. No one recognized her as Guinevere Stark.

"The more the merrier," Starkette replied with a smile. "I'm Starkette."

After all of the introductions, the group set off. Heading north, they didn't encounter too many other players on the way. Starkette bit her lip a bit, pondering whether or not that was for good reason. She'd never played this game before, and while she supposed most of the players could have been freaking out still in the Town of Beginnings, she couldn't help but be wary. The forest only grew thicker and thicker, and the game began to simulate darkness. Glancing over at her companions, she attempted to keep up her composure, while becoming more and more worried.

"I think we've gone in circles..." Starkette admitted. "We've gone past this boulder before."

She looked downward, realizing that the path was missing. No matter which direction she looked, there seemed to be nothing. However, Starkette could hear the clashing of swords, the screams of players, and the screech of a monster. Someone's being attacked, she realized. "This way. Be ready, I expect there are multiple monsters--XP and items to go around."

Starkette drew her sword, and pushing through the bushes, she stumbled upon a clearing. Two players had fallen into combat with three vicious looking bats, and Starkette bit her lip. This was it....Time to learn how to fight or die trying.

The casual chatter exchanged between the four filled the gap formed by the lack of mobs. Albeit Campanella wasn't that much of a talkative fellow, he chimed in once in a while to show that he bore a measure of sentience. Their most recent addition, a young adult with a heavy Russian accent who at least had a fair grasp on the mechanics of MMO's. As they continued to speak, he got a relatively strong understanding of their playstyles and the archetypes they would most likely follow later on, should they survive that is. Even though he was walking in tandem with the others, his gaze still attentively surveyed their surroundings in hopes of something popping up. Hell, even a mere boar would be a blessing at this point. But as he soon found out, it was his mistake for following rather than at least taking part in leading.

"I think we've gone in circles..." Starkette spoke, angst written as clear as day on her complexion. The swordsman let out a slightly peeved sigh at the announcement. It was only now did he realize that their path had been lost as he traced her gaze to the forest floor. But before he could question anything, the sound of combat reverberated in the distance. Guess somebody was luckier than them. The source seemed to be close by, just within a few paces. Campanella had already concluded as much as Starkette had announced. The teen glanced between Elouviana and Stone before he followed suit and drew his sword. He soon found himself near the front of the group, yet his stature remained calm but poised for a fight. Campanella covertly pushed a tree branch to the side to clear his line of sight. His eyes fell upon two players plunged into conflict with three oversized bats. Even though they were surely low level foes, they leaned heavily on strength in numbers. But now unbeknownst to the mobs, the tables had turned.

"Two-player teams. Make sure to call out when you're ready for a Switch." His tone carried a faint tinge of urgency, but for the most part was relaxed, as if the sight of two humans fighting for their lives wasn't rattling in the slightest. Better get used to it fast. He glanced back from the bush and met three pairs of eyes, mixed extents of understanding displayed within them. "Erm... As in, if you need a breather, alert your teammate beforehand." The player shifted his attention back onto the scene and readied his sword. Frankly, it felt too light. He needed something he could put his weight and soul behind. But it would have to suffice for now. "I'll create some space for those two. Get ready." He brandished the blade as a sign of preparation and broke through the greenery at a cursory speed.

Ender Yoshido has been an existence that's continued the trek of like sans damns to give. Even now, he wasn't rushing out towards a number of assailants out of the kindness of his walled off heart. The potential EXP and loot definitely had a hand in propelling him forward, but even that didn't deserve a majority of the credit. It just felt like the right thing to do, despite how inaccurate his moral compass was.

Campanella slipped in through the gap between a bat and one of the players. With his sword readied by the left side of his waist, the swordsman had successfully completed the Pre-Motion for Slant, signified by the weapon that glowed with a cerulean hue. From there he drove the skill home. On a forty-five degree angle guided by the game's engine, the blade sailed upwards and finally ended past the upper-right air over the bat's wing. A deep ravine of vibrant vermilion was the product of the skill. That, and a temporarily frozen Campanella, ensnared by the subsequent Post-Motion mechanic. Luckily, the bat he had sunk his blade's tip into decided to increase the space between them rather than sneak in a counter-attack. The wound was detrimental for sure. Another hit would surely do the fiend in. But before he could advance, another bat flew at him at an alarming rate, fangs bared in thirst of his succulent fabricated blood. Campanella just barely managed to guide his sword's edge against its teeth, grinding metal against bolstered calcium. The boy gritted his teeth as he forced the beast back, creating an opening for a teammate to take point. "Switch!" He called out to whoever had decided to come to his aid.

Hopefully the other two players were appreciating the helping hand.

Elouviana Zashira!

Location: Floor 1 - Deep forest - Interacting with Starkette, Campanella.

Elou grinned as the white haired girl spoke a lot, in a tone that made it hard to really understand her. So she fell back on what she knew.
"Hallo" she repeated, then another man came in, and spoke as well, before they all started heading off. She had no idea what they were actually talking about, but they seemed to know what they were doing, so she followed them. Into the jungle, it got thicker, the path grew less defined, until it vanished entirely, and they did not find a single monster to kill. Maybe this was normal though, so Elou just stood and smiled and generally looked totally out of place.

After a bit, sounds of clashing swords were heard, players in need of help, apparently.They had a plan, and Elou caught snippits of it, before the man rushed in. Elou followed her, having not the mind for tactics or really understanding the concept of this switching business. She just swung her sword at the bat, and hoped for the best.

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Deep Forest

Alek listened to the sounds of the forest as the group trekked in deeper and deeper. The simulated night wind felt almost real. Almost, he thought, gazing up at the quiet whispering leaves quivering on their branches. The light of the sun had all but disappeared now, replaced by the moon. Everything in sight bathed in its pale glow: the trees, the leaves, the...path. Alek looked down to realize the pathway they had been following had disappeared. That's new, he thought as the rest of his companions came to the same realization. Panic came as a result of this new development, followed by frustration emanated in the form of a single sigh. Alek himself had wondered why they had yet to come upon any monsters, as it had been quite some time since their journey began. Before Alek could again wonder why no creatures had shown themselves, he heard the distinct sound of steel.

When the four players tracked down the sounds of combat, Alek saw two strangers outnumbered by three low level bats. By the time he drew his sword, Campanella had already rushed to their aid. Elouviana, though seemingly out of place in combat, looked to be trying her best to assist him. With two bats thoroughly entertained, the third fell to Alek and Starkette. His partner's face showed an unmistakable weariness. "I will engage first," he decided quickly, "We will fight as Campanella said. If I need you I call." When he had explained the battle strategy, he turned to face the third bat. It eyed him devilishly, ready to drink his blood should he make a mistake. With his blade's tip hovering inches above the ground, Alek rushed in.

Though the bats had an obvious advantage in mobility, Alek had fought such low-level creatures before and was prepared for its usual tricks. As Alek picked up speed, running headlong at the enemy, his target began to flap its wings, picking up off the ground. Alek ignored it and continued forward, blade now pointing at the bat's midsection. A few meters before impact the bat, as predicted, dodged left. Too soon. Alek thought as he skidded to a halt, all the while bringing his blade up above his right shoulder. He grabbed the hilt with both hands, bringing his steel down across the creature's neck. As his attack landed, Alek watched for a health bar to appear. His expectations were met as a bar above the bat's head appeared and steadily decreased until stopping just before its light completely extinguished. Rather than continue the engagement, the creature flew backwards, fervently trying to escape certain death.

Alek's rush left him turned around, his right flank open to the creature Campanella had almost dispelled. It moved swiftly at the opportunity, thinking the foolish player had left himself unguarded. Fortunately, Alek was slightly more experienced than that. He used his sword's momentum, continuing his slashing motion until the blade rested between him and the advancing creature. A clash rang out as the bat's large fangs met with Alek's steel. Putting all his strength into his hilt, he pushed the monster back, before calling to his teammate, "Switch!"

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Once KasaiSenshi finished introducing himself another young woman came up stating something that seemed somewhat obvious. They should all want to get out and anyone who came to this group obviously wanted to help. Then the other girl commented on lack of remembering the newcomer. Somewhat unnecessary of a comment. KasaiSenshi thought it wouldn't be a good idea to even accidentally make an enemy through an off hand comment. Before KasaiSenshi could add anything to the conversation the other beta-testers handed out gold to the three of them. Nobu counted 50 gold each. Enough to get something good, but not much. KasaiSenshi would have to at some point get a hold of some more later.

Once the younger girl left, KasaiSenshi turned to the other woman. "Basically I want to know everyone's skills and abilities. Once I know what everyone can do I can come up with the best plan of action for conquering this floors dungeon. As of right now we need to gear up. I know a small shop that many people don't occupy due to most not even noticing it. If you want you can come with me and I can help you if you wish." Once KasaiSenshi finished speaking he turned and left. One hour and fifteen minutes until they were to meet up with the other fighters to come up with a plan.

As he arrived at the shop he noticed the girl from before. He hadn't caught her name. Only the tail end of her introduction. So he could easily make an estimated guess of who she was. "How convenient running into you again. Now to the equipment." KasaiSenshi quickly looked over the various wares in the small shop. He then looked to the shopkeep and asked, "Shopkeep, what are the effects of the Altair Et Al?"

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Janelle's sword shook, she wasn't able to hold it steady for she was afraid of the bats. It would be one thing if she only could hear the bats, but now she was able to see them, and she froze up. Jace stood near her, pulling out his own sword. He started striking at the bats, keeping them at bay, but they were out numbered. There was no way they could win, even if the monsters were weak. Jace couldn't fight them on his own, and Janelle was too scared to move.

Suddenly a group of people came bursting through the trees into the clearing. Several of them paired up and started slicing at some of the bats. Yelling out to each other. Jace looked at Janelle, and he came up with an idea. She was afraid, but this world was new, she had never used her eyes before, but what if she couldn't see them. She practically had a sixth sense in her ability to find creatures and differentiate them from others. He tapped her on the arm, while the others kept the bats at bay.

"Try closing your eyes. It might help you if you can't see them," he said, and went back into the fight.

She just stared at him, and nodded. Janelle took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, giving herself up to the darkness once more. Her arm steadied, and she listened to the beating of their wings. Janelle charged at the nearest bat, striking at it, Jace was surprised at how quickly she had responded to his idea. She was knocking it down, quite thouroughly.

Wow, this just got interesting, he thought.

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Season: Summer
Number of Days Since Game Start: 1
Time Of Day: 7:00 pm
General Ambiance: Fear, Disbelief, Slowly Recovering
Location: Level 1 - Town of Beginnings

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@Morose@alexfangtalon

The Blacksmith turned towards KasaiSenshi and smiled.

"That armor simply lessens the damage that you receive from attacks. Cost is 34 gold if your interested." the blacksmith said, and turned towards Kyasarin, "Anything interest you darling?"

Suddenly, the door opened and the other girl who had been with you earlier, Konoha, walked in behind you. She walked up to the Blacksmith, and was about to ask something, when she fell to the floor holding her head. The game had just begun, many people were dying from family members who unplugged the NerveGears. Her health bar could be seen, she let out a cry, then went silent. She disappeared, having died and lost the game.

The Blacksmith just went on looking at the two of you expectantly. "So are you going to buy anything?"

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@KabenSaal@Jedly@Morose@sMoKe@BlueSky44

Your two groups meet up, fighting the three bats. Each person paired with someone else so you were able to switch out. Campanella's sword strikes, gravely wounding the bat, with Elouviana being able to finish it off. Stone went after another one of the bats, he managed to hit it, but got damaged before he switched with Starkette, who managed to get the bat, but also received damage from it before it went down. Jace and Janelle went after another bat, Jace managing to hold it off until Janelle pulled her head together. She struck the final blow, but Jace had been injured while trying to protect her.

The six of you were now tired, there was not another sound in the forest. It was safe, for now. None of you knew where you were, what were you going to do now that there was a larger group. Stick together or split up as you venture deeper into the forest.

It was almost completely dark by the time your fight was over, what do you do?

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Sayuki rolled her eyes at the program. It seemed even the virtual men were scum. She sighed, before sweeping her eyes over the swords. Most would assume that the best equipment would be the most expensive--yet this was floor one. Nothing she'd be able to purchase here would last longer than another floor or two. A blue sword for sale stuck out to her, however.

"I'll take sword model 110, thanks," Kyasarin said, producing the 43 gold pieces. "I'd like to name it Glacius," she added.

Glancing over at the commotion, she saw the irritating girl from before. Of course, practically everyone irritated Kyasarin. With disinterest, she watched as her health bar appeared and quickly drained, the girl shattering into blue crystalline pieces. Kyasarin would have been lying if it didn't shock her. Her eyes widened briefly, seeing confirmation of the new deadly nature of the game.

"I suppose that confirms what the Gamemaster said," Kyasarin mused. Her face was one of indifference, as if she too were merely just a computer program, unable to comprehend death. "Are you planning on joining a guild, by any chance?"

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At her partner's command, Starkette switched in, slashing diagonally up at the bat. It took decent damage, only to charge at her, knocking her to the ground. Her health bar dwindled slightly, and motivated by her fear, she slashed up at the bat, and finished it. It was hardly a heroic display, but to Starkette, she felt like she had just fought to the death, rather than take care of a low level monster.

"Did we lose anyone?" Starkette asked, her body tense, as she glanced around at the clearing. Everyone seemed to be accounted for, yet her eyes widened as she noticed the dark set in. In every game she ever played, darkness meant danger. Night was when the monsters grew stronger, when they attacked with less worry and fear of being killed.

"We need to get to a safe zone," Starkette murmured, pinching her lip with her fingers. "We could get killed out here like this..."

Starkette then looked at the newcomers to their group. A small girl and someone she took to be her brother. Starkette frowned a bit, pacing back and forth. If they weren't able to make it back to town, they'd be able to survive likely on a rotated watch system--provided no one had been too badly hurt in the battle. If someone was in need of healing, she doubted that anyone had a potion with them.

"Who are you?" Starkette asked, looking at Jace and Janelle. "My name's Gui...I mean, Starkette."

Campanella had his sword at the ready, prepared to take Elouviana's place just as she did for him, but soon realized that she had already dispatched the bat. Even though she charged in without a surefire chance of hitting the mob, turns out fate was feeling benevolent today. That, or the under-paid workers under Kayaba's command were indolent with the AI pathing for the first floor. Hell, starter enemies usually turned themselves belly-up and asked the players to stab them. At least the boars proved a challenge and assisted SAO players by easing them into the groove of combat mechanics. So when the young adult witnessed his comrade fly into the fray with her eyes practically shut, he was more than surprised at the end result.

Two sighs of relief escaped his lips. One for the fact that not a single player was heavily wounded, or worse, felled. And the other because he didn't need to save anybody from near-death situations. All in all, the mini entourage formulated of newbs and vets performed quite well for a group engagement. He quickly glazed his eyes over the pop-up screen displaying his earnings from the battle and pressed down the accept button while he was already turning to face his allies.

Campanella instinctively narrowed his eyes at the two players they had saved. He wasn't a skeptic nor a cynic, just a realist. And a realist needs reasons, which they usually extrapolate themselves. After sheathing his blade, the youth crossed his arms as Starkette broke the ice and made a few powerful observations. He too had noticed about the darkness swooping over them like a shroud. When engulfed in darkness, one bends to the insatiable need to find the light, safety they could confide in. While the white-haired girl eased into a muse over their next choice of action, Campanella offered the two players a curt nod, ”Campanella.” He panned his gaze through the treeline, watching as the sun was chased over the far off horizon. ”Well, we’re at a crossroads…” He began as he returned his attention to the group unsure of which side of the fence to lean towards, ”We could go back to the Town of Beginnings and crash at an inn. But I have the slight feeling we’re at the midpoint between there and the next town over. Then again, our navigational skills thus far haven’t proven to be too accurate, so the former may be the safer choice.”

The boy was surely not the leader of this now slightly larger group, so he wasn’t the who was going to make the final call. The Russian struck or Starkette struck him as better fits for the bill. While the rest of their numbers conversed among themselves and put their collective minds together to come to a decision, Camp shifted his eyes over to the girl by his side. ”Good job.” His voice lacked anything bearing a close resemblance to honest praise, but its cool nature meant well. He brought his open palm over the girl’s head, drawn in by the feline attachments she donned, but stilled his hand and reeled it back in with self-deprecation.

”Okay. That was too close. Damn cat ears. He mentally slapped his wrist after having almost stepped on a landmine. His adoration of cats would prove to be a challenge to quell. The young adult awkwardly turned away from Elouviana in internal fluster and stared at the others, ”Our decision will control the outcome. Everybody’s incite is more than welcome.

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KasaiSenshi usually would have gotten armor during the beginnings of any RPG he played, but the armor choices in front of him were no good. He turned to see Kyasarin buy sword 110. He looked back at the available swords and there were only two that interested him.

One, however, seemed as if it may not fit his preferred style of combat. Although once he had decided, the girl from earlier came into the store and fell to her knees with her health bar showing. As her health bar depleted and she vanished KasaiSenshi grimaced and took a step back. He thought to himself that he could never let that happen to himself or anyone around him. He had to escape from this game of death.

When Kyasarin spoke KasaiSenshi broke out of his dazed state. He turned to her and replied, "At the moment I have no desire to be in a guild. I don't need any reason to want to stay here. Anyway what is with you asking that kind of question? I thought you were opposed to guilds. Mine asked you to join many times and you refused each occurance." As she gave her response KasaiSenshi turned to the shopkeeper and bought sword model #003 and name it Cursed Edge.

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Janelle looked over at the other players who had come through the woods to help them. She stared at them, and moved behind her brother. She just stared at them, not sure what to do. She started motioning with her hands, and talking to Jace.

"What should we do?"

Jace looked over at the others, wondering how they came to be lost in this forest. He was curious, and yet he was still wary of these strangers. He recognized one of them, a reality star from TV, but it looked like she was trying to hide who she was. He wasn't going to blow her secret if she wanted to keep it. He looked over at Janelle, then back at the group.

"Uh, hi. I'm Jace, and this is my younger sister, Janelle." he said to the group.

Janelle looked at him, wondering why he would tell them who they were. She didn't trust them, then again, she didn't trust anyone except for her brother. She wondered who these people were. The girl who first spoke, her voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. Janelle looked over at her brother again, and asked him her question again, using her hands.

"What should we do? It's getting dark, and I don't think anyone here knows where we are or how to get back to town."

One of those who were there had suggested either trying to head back to the Town of Beginnings, or keep going on to the next one. Jace figured that they were pretty far from the first town, but if they kept going, they could be stuck wandering forever. Jace, pulls down the game menu and has the field map of the floor they are on.

"Well, that guy said that we might be halfway to the next town. According to this, we all somehow ended up halfway to the next town. That is still a ways away, so either we keep going towards that town, head back to the Town of Beginnings, or see about trying to find another smaller town thats in between. We have to rest no matter what though. So I'm open to any suggestions." he said to the group, hoping that someone can come up with a plan to get them to a safe zone soon.