Total rooms: 4 Total open land: 4 Total size: 8 List of rooms:
1. Large Tinkerer's Forge A Forge expertly crafted from some unknown metal. The Forge has a small chest on top. This chest functions as a storage device, and can only hold other forges. The Tinkerer's Forge functions at the same Level as the highest Level forge in the chest. Using this Forge grants +5 to all work that involves the forge and anvil. This includes the casting and forging of metal. Rota Tinkerer's Anvil: An anvil expertly crafted from hardened steel. When placed in a (must be a forge you have permission to alter) grants +5 to all crafting that uses the anvil. This may include metal armor or metal weapons. Rota Large Tinkerer's Workbench: A workbench outfitted with masterful tools. Can be used as a station for Carpentry or Jewelrycraft, with a +5 to quality rolls. Has a small chest that holds other workbenches, and functions at the highest level present in that chest. Large Furniture. Rota 2. Large Witch's Cauldron: A or item, this Cauldron can be brought along and placed at any location to cook soups, stews, broths, pot-roasts or to make drinks. Can also be used as a portable station. Functions as a Level 1 and Level 2 station in both cases. Can alternatively be placed in a room in a house, granting a bonus of +5 to all soups, stews, broths, drinks or potions made in the room. Alyx Large Tinkerer's Workbench: A workbench outfitted with masterful tools. Can be used as a station for Carpentry, Alchemy or Jewelrycraft, with a +5 to quality rolls. Has a small chest that holds other workbenches, and functions at the highest level present in that chest. Large Furniture. Alyx 3. Large Tinkerer's Tanning Rack: A tanning rack with adjustable straps. Grants a bonus of +5 to all leatherworking that takes place in the same room. Large Furniture. Rota Large Tinkerer's Loom: A masterfully crafted loom. Grants a bonus of +5 to all tailoring and some medium armorcrafting that takes place in the same room. Has a small chest in the base that holds other looms, and will function at the highest level of the Looms currently in that chest. Large Furniture. Rota 4. Large Tinkerer's Lightforge: An incredibly intricate Lightforge, three feet in diameter. Has a small chest built into the base. This chest stores lightforges. The Tinkerer's Lightforge will function at the Level of the highest level lightforge in this chest, and grants +5 to all rolls that use the lightforge. Large Furniture. Rota Large Tinkerer's Workbench: A workbench outfitted with masterful tools. Can be used as a station for Carpentry, Alchemy or Jewelrycraft, with a +5 to quality rolls. Has a small chest that holds other workbenches, and functions at the highest level present in that chest. Large Furniture. Alyx List of land: 1. Large Witch's Bonfire (furniture): A piece of furniture that can be placed on a plot of land (takes up the same space as 1 tree) The flame flickers in many colors, and gathering around it will grant all (who are allowed to be on the premises) present a buff, which gives a bonus of 25% to roll1 and roll2 (after all bonuses) for 5 posts, beginning at the time of the next combat. Feel free to ignore the tall stake standing in the center of the flames. Alyx 2.large beast enclosure: An enclosure that can be used to hold two creatures of the same species. Used to store pets that are not being used, or for breeding. 3. 4.
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. +25% after all bonuses from egg nog.
spending 34 gloombeetle carapace to refine 17 times. Drinking 3 egg nog
Monstersmith Arte: refine monster material 2 monster materials produce 1 refined monster material in 1 post at a level 1 forge))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 18 HP: 422 AP: 23 LP: 2
Alyx looked around their new home. It was an incredible feeling, finally having a place to call their own. It was nothing spectacular, of course, but it was certainly special, since it was all theirs. Since they'd taken the time to set it all up, Alyx had several advantages that a new monstercraft would otherwise possess. So it was time to get down to business. If he really wanted the best start possible, he'd throw back an egg nog, but he felt that it might be a better option to take it slow and see if this crafting system even liked him. He settled into the forge room, and decided that now was the time to start learning another new skill. Either way that it went, he would learn something new and be able to figure out where in life his crafting skills were going to take him. He rather hoped that he would find some crafting to his liking, though, since it seemed that putting in real effort to craft was as good as or better than putting in that same effort to combat in terms of power return.
The system would have to run things for a little bit, at least until Alyx had gotten the hang of this particular arte. With one of the recent updates, weapon and armorsmithing had been further specialized. Now there were metalworkers and monstercrafters, opening the door for artisans to truly focus on what they felt was right for them. There was an arte in Alyx' haphazard assortment of abilities that would allow him to refine monster parts --of which he had plenty-- into components more suited to crafting. From what he understood, if he was reading things correctly, these components would function somethign like the ingots from which Gloomshard and Neo Abyssian were forged, and paved the way for players to craft weapons like Illfang and Gloomfang with enough dedication. Alyx wasn't too worried about making the greatest weapon ever known yet (though he would not turn such a weapon down were it offered to him) Instead, he sought merely to upgrade the equipment that he already possessed. If he had any knack at all for this sort of thing, he woudl be able at the very least to upgrade his current equipment to an acceptable level, and once again be a match on the battlefield with his sword brother.
Looking around, Alyx marvelled at what the two had accomplished thus far. They were among the first players in the entire game to own a home, and possibly the owners of the largest home in the Gloomwood, with plenty of room to expand if they so desired. Alyx had been diving into some of the admin notes, and balances for carpentry were in the works to make carpenters useful beyond just cheap housing providers. Once those updates went live, Alyx and Rota could begin expanding their home in earnest.
As it stood, the house was not terrible. So far, they had four rooms, and limited space in each. Still, they had a room for blacksmithing, one for cooking and alchemy, and two others that held the stations that were not of use yet. They had no room for trophies or furniture yet, but such things would come in time. For now, the important things were covered, and they would make due.
Alyx exmined his inventory, trying to decide what would be best to begin experimenting with, and he settled on using the gloombeetle carapaces as his first material. He had more shields than swords, so it made sense in a way to work on buffing those first, so that he would have a considerable amount of practice when he finally decided to begin pumping up Gloomfang. Plus, this would let him practice upgrading his armor, too, and recent events had reinforced his desires to see his protective equipment strengthened. Matter of fact, that should be the first thing that he focused on, before anything else. The gloombeetle armor that he had equipped under his vanity gloomweave suit was woefully inadequate against mobs of his own level. This shouldn't really be a huge surprise, honestly: the armor had been obtained in a dungeon that he had soloed at level 10, and it had not even been obtained by Alyx, instead having been looted from Achan's corpse. That playerkiller had probably stolen it himself, and who knows what it had gone through before that. Suddenly, the sickening sense of revulsion that crawled through his spine when he thought of Achain passed across his skin and he was filled with the conviction to be rid of this armor as soon as possible. He had given thought to upgrading it, but now he would almost rather throw it away than benefit further from the blood on Achan's hands. So what was he to do, then? He could upgrade the gloomweave armor that he was wearing in his vanity slot. It was not very high quality, but he might be able to tweak it into something that could help him survive the next floor. Otherwise, he would have to try and create something from scratch. How would that work? He could refine the materials, but he would still be completely new when it came time to forge them into something wearable. He needed to figure this out, though, before he made any real decisions on the matter. Without a good, sturdy suit of armor, it didn't much matter what kind of shield or sword he was sporting; the first hit that got through would liquefy him. He stepped back and examined closely everything that he had to make heavy armor from. Unfortunately, this was also the pool from which his shield materials were being selected, but he set that aside for a moment. Spiders, boars, Dire Wolves, beetles, and the Gloomqueen. The Gloomqueen sounded like the most regal suit of armor, but materials were difficult to acquire. He supposed that he could go challenge the Gloomking again, but the thought of trekking through that dungeon again filled him with dread. Spider carapace was the most plentiful material by far, and Alyx could certainly benefit from it, but he worried that four separate pieces of his equipment would be made from them. The min-maxer in him was concerned about veering too far away from the pure material. Boars. Boars provide bleed resistance, which could be incredibly handy or completely useless, as the situation changed. Perhaps he could bolster his equipment with bleed resistance. But he didn't think that it would be perfect for him. Dire wolves seemed to have some natural affinity to Arte Points, and Alyx could imagine that being very helpful, but not necessarily something to build a character around. That brought him to beetles. He had a set of beetle armor. He was wearing it only because he reluctantly acknowledged the need to do so. This very armor had been equipped on Achan when Alyx and Rota had dispatched him, and as Achan had murdered innocent, helpless players using the power that he'd gotten from hacking the system. The fact that both pieces of armor had come into their possession meant that Achan had taken it from other players... Which was not Alyx' favorite thought.
Beetle armor had the innate ability to offer damage reduction, in addition to its natural damage mitigation, so Alyx had to admit that as much as he disliked the idea, this suit was the best armor that he had, if only for the moment. Even if he made spider armor in the future, though, it wouldn't protect him as much as a set of gloombeetle plate. Maybe he could have the best of both worlds, though. If he built up the gloombeetle plate armor, he might be able to create a suit with the power of both creatures. Maybe he could hold on to those combinations and infuse them into a better suit of armor at a later date. If that idea worked --which the forums seemed to support-- then he could just buff the spider armor he had now if nothing else came of any of this. Hell, he might go hunt the Gloomqueen for a while and see if anything came of that. If he could get a piece of armor from her, he wouldn't have to upgrade the level one gear that he had had for the whole game.Either way, it had been too long since he'd visited his Queen, so it might not be a bad thing anyway. A little extra experience, a bit of her crafting materials, and another few chances at rare loot; what was the downside? So that clinched it. He would go visit the Gloomqueen and see what came of it. But first, he would refine and upgrade the beetle armor that he had. If he got lucky, he would have the materials to craft some Gloomqueen armor. If he got exceptionally lucky, he would get some free Gloomqueen armor. Either of those things would help him tier up. If he got that new set, he could max upgrade both suits that he had now and then put those into the Gloomqueen set, so that they would be infused more completely into that rare armor. The elitest in him yearned for legendary armor, but the chances of that were infinitesimal. The idea that he'd encountered three pieces of legendary equipment in the entire length of the beta was testament to their rarity. Rota had, to Alyx' knowledge, created two legendary items, and Alyx hadn't seen evidence of any others. So what Alyx had to do was settle for the best armor that he could get his hands on, and then compensate for his vanity. The Gloomweave Queen's cavern was where he'd first earned his stripes. Maybe it was there that he would best prepare himself for the battles of the future. Plus, there was the added masturbatory thrill of wearing nothing but spider corpses into battle to draw him in that direction. He would focus on refining beetle carapaces until he'd met his quota, and then, wearing a suit of maxed out armor, he would raid the Queen's cavern once more. Maybe more than once more. He wanted to get a full set of Queen armor before he figured out his next move, which could very well be another day of crafting; he did still need to upgrade Gloomfang and Aegis of the Usurper, which were both deserving of whatever effort he could muster to empower them. At this particular moment, though, they (his sword and shield) were both powerful enough that when he mentored down they were capped. His armor, sadly, was not, and that was what he wanted to focus on first.
With a clear plan of action in mind, Alyx set about his work with determination. It was simply a matter of laying out his materials and clearly imagining what it was that he was trying to do to get the system assist to engage and walk him through the routine. Alyx placed the gloombeetle parts on the anvil that Rota had acquired from the Tinkerer. Lifting his hammer (which Alyx had also obtained from the Tinkerer), Alyx struck the component, cracking it. Another strike spread the cracks, which spiderwebbed across the glossy surface of the beetle's shell. One last strike shattered the component, which turned into purple light and flowed to form a shimmering aura around the Gloomking's hammer. Placing the next piece of carapace on the anvil, Alyx raised his glowing hammer and dropped it on the shell. The purple light from the previous component began to flow into the new piece. After a few strikes, the process was complete. More concerned with quantity than quality at this point, Alyx did not pause to appraise his new creation. Instead, he simply continued until he figured that he'd refined enough carapaces to completely upgrade his armor. Deciding that he wasn't totally hating this task, he continued further, refining even more gloombeetle carapaces just because he could. Once he'd gotten enough of the beetle shells completed, he gave some thought to migrating over to work on spider carapaces, but he decided that he should see this through to the end first, and start playing around after he had a new, shiny suit of armor, lest he begin careening off the path into the realms reserved for men with libraries of books and no glasses to read them through.
Current skills in use: Monstercraft: 0 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
Armorsmith Arte: Rookie Monster Heavy Upper using the necessary amount of refined monster materials from Floor 1-5 and 1 post of work, one can create a Rookie Heavy Upper at a level 1 Forge.
Armorsmith Arte: Rookie Monster Heavy Lower using the necessary amount of refined monster materials from Floor 1-5 and 1 post of work, one can create a Rookie Heavy Lower at a level 1 Forge.))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 18 HP: 422 AP: 23 LP: 2
Alyx was now armed with the materials to complete his task, but not with the skills which he required to actually begin the task. For that, he required experience enough in armorcrafting that he could upgrade his equipment . Lacking the arte to actually perform the upgrades, Alyx settled in to begin crafting suits of armor using the refined materials, until he had gone far enough that he could begin actually upgrading. If his first attempts were anything worth writing home about, he would simply select the best pieces and use those as the seeds from which his legend would grow. He could stomach this whole thing better if he used Achan's armor as little as possible. Once he had destroyed it, it would be over, though, and he could look past the armor's previous ownership. So a little harmless crafting and he'd be well on his way to having armor he could wear into any sort of battle the first floor could throw at him, even if he mentored down. And that was the goal, really. He grew tired of being able to walk through the game without being challenged. It was one thing to struggle against the world until you had mastered it, and it was fun to be a God for while, but eventually, Alyx Alyx grew tired of being untouchable, and yearned for the feeling of impending doom that had made his time with ALICE so memorable. He wanted the struggle back. True, he wouldn't be just a regular level 5 again, but it would feel much more satisfying. Hell, as it stood, experience wasn't even an incentive anymore; he didn't get any. He'd taken on eighteen gloomweave spiders and barely earned enough points to level up, and he had been mentored down to level 5. Was he going to have to mentor even lower? To ditch his equipment? There had to be some way to do this, right? What was the point in leveling up? That was stupid. Of course the point was to get to the next floor. But there was still so much left to explore on the first floor. What was the event quest Alyx had received? Were there other event quests? New skills and artes were being uncovered every day, and if they left the Gloomwood behind, they may never be here to see it grow. Who knows; if they move forward in the game, how difficult will it be to come back. Presumably, all one had to do to move forward in the game was beat the dungeon. No one ever said what had to happen to bring a player back to a previous floor. Now that housing had been implemented, one could assume that there would be a system in place to return to the Gloomwood, but would there be? Really? Did the explorers of a new land build houses halfway along their trails? If they did, they certainly didn't keep moving. Oh, God, what had they done? They'd just spent their combined life's savings on a house that they might never get to come back to. Sometimes Alyx wished he was a dev, so that he knew these things.
Now there was an enigma. The game developers that designed and implemented ALICE. Who were they? Rumors abounded, but none were backed up by any evidence. It was impossible to even find anyone who worked for the Corporation, so specific were their contracts to secrecy. Alyx had more contact with the Corporation than most people, and he still had no idea who they were. Still, though, he was playing the greatest game in the world; who cared what the names of the people running the show were? They had given him special privileges and the discretion to use them. Alyx had never been more honored. Sure, it may 'just be a game,' but to him it was the world.
He officially had what he needed. The arte that allowed him to upgrade armor. Hell yes. His eyes combed the clutter that was the workshop and he took a breath. Suits of armor and pieces of beetle were scattered around, and he added his original rookie set of armor to the pile. From what he understood, each time you upgraded a piece of equipment, you took a portion of the sacrificed material's stats and infused them into the final product. So what he should do is start infusing things. But then the part of him that overdid everything woke up. Surely, with all this fancy equipment, he'd be better off crafting all of these materials into armor and then using that to upgrade, right? That sounded like the perfect plan. He would be here all day, but he would have a ludicrous suit of armor by the end of things. Who knows? Maybe he'd get a legendary piece of equipment out of the experience, and could fill that with twenty other pieces of equipment until he found the perfect armor to feed that to. Would the RPG player in him actually be willing to destroy a legendary item just to power up another item just because he liked the look of the latter piece more? He wasn't sure. But the MMO player in him sure as hell would, and that guy would do it for a damned Kit-Kat. Alyx' character was as much vanity as anything else, and he was able to accept that. That's why Cthaer was such a fun break sometimes; Alyx was always bold and strong, but Cthaer lived in the shadows, where nothing could see him until it was too late. It was cathartic to just play the game with no pretense. Still, Alyx got off on being important. He loved being part of a team, because that meant he had a job to do, and people counted on him to do it. That's the whole reason that he had started this particular venture: it was his job not to die. As long as he could take the hits that other players couldn't, he was useful. He had purpose. He was shifting an unfair portion of the work to Rota, and he was going to start making up for that right now. With a suit of unique and incomparable armor, Alyx hoped to stand apart from the crowd, and to also lead the pack. If anything at all went his way about this, he would be a force to be reckoned with again.
To be honest, a significant part of his motivation for this drive was inadequacy. Not necessarily in a pathetic way; he did not need to be better that Rota, but the thought had again crossed his mind: If Rota was as strong as Rota was legitimately, what could a cheater be capable of? And if Alyx couldn't stand against Rota, what use would he be against that cheater? It was his job to protect others, but if he was not able to do that, then he wouldn't deserve the responsibility. So he needed power, and he needed it quickly. The quickest way to get anything in this world was to buckle down and earn it. So that's where he was. Hammering tirelessly at a veritable mountain of materials, hoping to make enough of a difference in his spec that he'd be back on top. Then he could worry about making other changes to find the fun in the life of a God. His greatest opponent at this point is ennui, and sometimes he found himself losing that battle.
He was most of the way through his beetle equipment, having created enough armor to fit a small army, but he wasn't quite done yet. Just a few more pieces, and he'd be ready to really earn the title . It doesn't get much more metal than wearing seventeen suits of armor and stabbing people with a legendary giant spider's teeth. He could damn near taste the fat stat bonus that he was going to get from this crafting session. This may very well be the longest that Alyx had spent doing anything non-combat related since he'd started playing ALICE, and he had to admit that it was fairly intoxicating. Sure, you got stronger if you trained your combat skills, but if Rota was indicative of the norm, then training your out-of-combat skills could have just as much --if not more-- impact on your survivability. Just look at Neo Abyssian! That sword was an actual legend! The amount of work put into it to get it to that point must have been obscene, but the results were incredible. Alyx wanted something like that. He wanted to have some sort of emblem for his cause. Right now, the closest thing that he had to that was a rather nice silk cloak. Maybe he wouldn't have something on par with Rota's legendary blade, but he might be able to get something together that would make him as recognizable as that runed blade made Rota.
Alyx though about it. Honestly, he liked the relationship that he and Rota had; they complemented each other, and the motivated each other. Together, they had risen from nothings to gods, and were poised to blaze a trail through to the end of the game, and he had little doubt that their motivations to help each other were a significant factor in that ascension. Hell, Alyx had come over again as far since he'd met Rota as he had the entire length of play he had endured before then. Alyx was literally more than twice the man that he'd been as a solo player. True, he still soloed quite a bit, but who could blame him? He liked taking on challenges that were dangerous: borderline insane. He couldn't drag someone else into every one of those suicide runs. Man, he really seemed like he wanted to die. Every week he was getting into some new and infinitely crazier scheme, and it seemed less and less likely that he was going to survive. Yet survive he did, and often with a new toy or two. It probably wasn't the best long-term strategy, but it had an incredible track record thus far, and no one could argue that. Maybe this was just an extension of that hobby. Maybe he could look at this as a way to prepare for the crazy/insane stunts. Like a pregame.
So where was he? Well, he was somewhere on the journey to fortune and fame, but it felt like he was destitute and languishing in obscurity. Making invisible armor probably wasn't going to help that much, but he could definitely count on getting a little extra utility out of the armor, and could get back to making his name the way he always had: murdering things. Murdering things despite the longest of odds, and destroying all expectations that anyone had in the process. So what was next, then? After all this? He'd finish crafting these suits, and then start merging them into a single super suit. Then he would hide that suit away from prying eyes and dress like a homeless person while he soloed bosses.
Alyx returned to the task at hand, lifting one of the pieces of carapace and placing a metal chisel against it. With regular, sharp strikes, Alyx chiseled a seam in the shell, and split it down the middle. A few more strikes and he broke it into even smaller pieces, rearranging them to form a facsimile of a pair of greaves. He began linking the pieces together with riveted pieces of beetle wing folded over and over again to thicken and strengthen the material. The work was slow, but it was calming and he enjoyed it. Once he'd finished the greaves, he began work on the boots. Shaping the shell was a matter of calm and deliberate strikes with a hammer, bending the shell around the horn of the anvil to form the top of the arch. He had to flatten one of the pieces and shape it to form the outsole. He surveyed the completed lower, and made sure there were no gaps that weren't covered in wing, and filled in the empty spaces as well as he could with shell.
The upper was easier. Fewer moving parts. The breastplate was made of two large pieces that interlocked to protect the chest. Smaller plates covered the abdomen and you could use the horn of the beetle to form a pretty impressive spaulder. The arms were pretty cut and dry, as armor went, and, once again, the whole thing was held together with wing material stitched and riveted to bind the armor to itself. He was almost completely done with this adventure, and then he could move on to the actual moneyshot of crafting: powering up the best armor that he could find.
Current skills in use: Armorsmith: 0 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. egg nog
refining 2 sets for medium gloombeetle armor.
2 gloombeetle carapace 2 gloombeetle wings
Monstersmith Arte: masterwork refine monster material 2 monster materials produce 1 refined monster material, with +15 to the quality roll, in 1 post at a level 1 forge ))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 18 HP: 422 AP: 23 LP: 2
Well. That had turned out ludicrously well. He supposed he should get started planning for the next next stage, since he was having so much fun crafting. That stage was making Rota a new set of armor. The armor he had was nice, but Alyx might be able to do better with all this shiny new equipment they had. He'd already gotten equipment crafted for him by Rota, and, while he may have eventually gotten better armaments, he had deeply appreciated the sentiment, and that sword and shield had gotten him through quite a lot of trouble. So maybe it was time to return the favor, and give Rota what he could. A suit of armor that was better than what Alyx as a heavy was wearing should be able to get the job done. Even if it wasn't incredible, maybe Rota could still benefit from it. Alyx could upgrade what the swordsman had, or even replace them if that proved a better option. If he could give the demon even the slightest leg up, it made them as a unit more powerful. Alyx was somewhat saddened by the fact that he couldn't help Rota's weapon in the same ways he could help his own. Maybe he could give Rota a couple of choice food pieces for Neo Abyssian, but he wasn't going to be able to give the blade the abilities of the monsters of the Gloomwood. He shuddered to think of what that legendary blade could be capable of if it could poison or bloodlet.
Current skills in use: Monstercraft: 17 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. under influence of egg nog
crafting two medium gloombeetle lowers
Armorsmith Arte: Rookie Monster Medium Lower using the necessary amount of refined monster materials from Floor 1-5 and 1 post of work, one can create a Rookie Medium Lower at a level 1 Forge. ))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 19 HP: 442 AP: 23 LP: 2
Two decent-quality beetle armor sets. So he could get started on a replacement lower for Rota. The upper that the demon wore was from a special, radiant gloombeetle, so Alyx wasn't going to be able to beat the strength of its natural ability, but he could certainly upgrade Rota's lower, and could then further refine the special upper that Rota had. As long as it was made out of monsters, it seemed like Alyx had a new superpower. He smiled and set his materials out to work on them. He was going to craft two medium beetle lowers, and then feed the lesser to the greater. Hopefully they'd get a good lower out of it, and then they could worry about Rota's upper. He wasn't totally sure how much better he could make it, but he was sure that he could at least do something.
Medium armor was just as labor-intensive as heavy armor, but in a different way. There was a lot more movement in it, so that meant a lot more wing than carapace, which meant a lot more stitching. He couldn't even make the wing fabric as thick, because it needed more flexibility than his platemail did. Altogether, it was a reasonably entertaining little experience, and Alyx was able to find the fun in it. Hopefully, he'd get something Rota could use out of it, and he'd be able to go to him with something that he could actually use.
Current skills in use: Monstercraft: 17 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. Under influence of egg nog
Refining Rota's exquisite beetle upper, with his permission, using
rookie gloombeetle heavy upper: 72+25 10/10
Armorsmith Arte: Refine Armor Paying either the ingot/monster part cost of crafting the target armor or sacrificing a whole armor, one can strengthen the target armor at a level 1 Forge. The equipment does not need to be the same type to be combined in this way, and no special qualities will be carried from the sacrificed armor to the target armor. ))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 23 LP: 2
Alyx had made an incredible pair of pants. He left for a bit and chatted with Rota for a moment. He'd borrowed Rota's exquisite beetle upper and brought it back to their home to refine it and see what damage he could do. He marveled at the power of a medium piece of armor. It was even better than the heavy equipment that he'd been wearing. He wasn't going to go through the million year mission to make the greatest beetle upper in the universe, but he was going to get it somewhere in the realm of not holding his new lower back. Alyx was mostly concerned with getting a workable set of armor on everyone involved in their party, so that they could explore and gather their resources securely. It was going to be the work of a lifetime to get ready for that damned Halloween dungeon. He would not be humiliated again.
Current skills in use: Armorsmith: 17 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. +19 monstercraft. Drinking an egg nog
Monstercraft Arte: masterwork refine monster material 2 monster materials produce 1 refined monster material, with +15 to the quality roll, in 1 post at a level 1 forge))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 23 LP: 2
Rota's armor was even better than the platemail that Alyx was sporting. They probably had the egg nog to thank for that. Alyx didn't mind; he had materials enough to power their armor up to the point of insanity if he chose to do so, and he probably would, soon enough. But for now, they were wearing armor that they could grow in. Alyx needed a weapon that he could handle high-level combat with. He would need to craft some OHSS' just to familiarize himself with the ins and outs of weaponsmithing, and then he'd put all of those into Gloomfang. Once Gloomfang was sufficiently powered up, he'd be ready to move on to his next task, which he was fairly certain should be learning another not-completely-useless skill. He had a character build in mind that he felt would make his gaming all the more satisfying. He had been a swordsman since the world of ALICE had accepted him. He became a knight shortly after that, and assumed the mantle of the Gloomking. But he wanted to surpass even that. He wanted to truly embody the power of light and the spirit of teamwork. He was to become a paladin. A white knight, wielding a gleaming sword, capable of healing his allies and smiting his foes. That sounded like a fun profession.
Now, since there was no class system in ALICE, it was up to the players to shape their characters to better fit their chosen niche. Rota had gone the route of a blacksmith with a minor in swordplay, and it suited the demon well. Alyx was just a guy with a sword and a shield. Up until today, he didn't even have any marketable skills. So he had somewhat remedied that deficiency, but he was by no means a smith. He had spent one day tinkering with a new system and had enjoyed it, but he didn't craft to make a living, he crafted so that he could better pursue his true passions: combat and exploration. The equipment that he had manufactured would certainly assist in his ongoing effort to die in glorious battle, but it really only helped him. It was fine if he didn't die, or if he could take a hit, but not everyone was as high-level as Rota and himself. There would need to be something that he could do if someone was injured beyond just laying down on the wire and trying to ride out the fight. Healing a couple of hit points was useless in the amounts that he could manage with their current supplies: rookie healing potions and rookie healing crystals just didn't cut it, and Alyx hadn't spent enough time grinding his healing skill, so he couldn't get the results out of those that he'd need to make them worth it. It seemed that the last skill that Alyx would work on today was lightsmithing. They hadn't found healing items that could handle the task of supporting characters of their levels, so Alyx would have to see if he could manufacture anything better. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult.
Alyx looked at the neat arrangements of materials that he had put together. Yeah, this should do. Material enough for five OHSS', made from gloomweave spider fangs. He felt confident that he'd be able to make a significant upgrade to Gloomfang with these. He may even throw in a couple of his spare weapons to sweeten the pot, since they were just gathering dust at this point. They probably wouldn't do a whole hell of a lot, seeing how painfully low-leveled they were, but if he was going to be filling an upgrade slot on Gloomfang, he could afford to spend a couple extra minutes squeezing an extra point or two out of the deal. It's not like it would hurt anything. Well, with the obvious exception of everything that those extra points were going to hurt, of course.
Current skills in use: Monstercraft: 19 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. +1 weaponsmith. Drinking an egg nog
crafting 5 gloomweave spider OHSS
Weaponsmith Arte: Rookie Monster One Hand Weapon using one refined monster weapon materials from Floor 1-5 and 1 post of work, one can create a One Handed Weapon at a level 1 Forge. ))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 23 LP: 2
Alyx was beginning to fall in love with crafting. He looked at the materials laid out before him. Each bundle was ready to become a sword, and each of those swords had the potential to outshine any weapon Alyx had ever held. Each blade could be sent into the game in the hands of a player, and could protect and guide them through the hazards of the Gloomwood. Each weapon had the potential to strike down the floor boss, or to parry the blow that would have ended the life of player who had come to the end of their luck. He was creating lives. He was creating hope. He was doing more than just helping people to survive; he was doing more than just helping people to survive; he was helping them help themselves survive. Giving them the tools and knowledge to succeed was infinitely more useful than just giving them their lives and a pat on the back.
Alyx almost felt guilty about what he was going to do next; feeding these weapons to Gloomfang. He would be taking the endless opportunities away from these weapons and giving all those options --all those hopes and dreams-- to his own blade. To himself. He pondered that for a moment, and came to a conclusion that he could live with: true, he was strengthening his own weapon at the expense of other weapons, and true, those other weapons could help other people, but he would use his own weapon to help countless people, and those actions would carry on the spirits of these swords, ensuring that they did not die in vain. Plus, if you wanted to make an omelette, you had to crack a few eggs. Which were, in this case, coated in venom and capable of cutting a man in half. So, you know, not quite your typical easter eggs.
Alyx had two swords done, and he was feeling pretty good about them. He wasn't going to take a break and look at them too closely yet, but he had a feeling that they'd serve their purposes just fine. By the end of the day, he wanted a sword that could rival even Abyssian in splendor. Alyx wanted to be able to stand at Rota's side as his equal. Sometimes it felt like Alyx was just along for the ride, holding the demon artisan back more than helping push him along. No longer. Alyx had the ability now to give Rota armor. Alyx had the ability to give himself the strength to support Rota. He realized now that this game could not be played to its full potential without player crafters. Without the supplies to forge ahead, the strongest characters were helpless against the true terrors of ALICE Online, and so Alyx owed it to himself to be able to equip himself and those that he meets, to give them a chance to survive. More than anything else, thought, he owed it to Rota to not be a weight dragging them down by the ankles. At the least his inadequacy was slowing them down. At worst, it would end up getting them killed.
Alyx took a breath. That was all in the past. It was a new day, and Alyx had new skills. So he would never fall so painfully behind again. With that thought, he'd finished crafting the last sword. Now it was time to get down to business.
Current skills in use: Weaponsmith: 1 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
Emily Marneth
Captain
Offline
rotabyss Crew
Offline
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:34 am
Rota entered his joint home for the first time since he got it. He loved having a proper forge of his own finally. He looked over to Little One. "Now that we have a place, I need you to stay here. I need you to stay safe above all else." He patted Little One on the head, and turned back to his forge. He pulled out the note and something about it was sticking in his craw. Everything else in that cave was well decayed, but this paper wasn't despite all odds. He sucked in a lot of air and exhaled as evenly as he could to distribute heat on both sides of the parchment. He refused to let a single ember escape his lips. It was a long shot, but it was worth a shot regardless.
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:37 am
You exhale on the parchment.
Nothing happens.
Emily Marneth
Captain
Offline
rotabyss Crew
Offline
Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:55 am
feeling marginally defeated, Rota sat and wracked his brain a bit before recovering from the biggest bout of arguable retardation of his life. He rolled up the warmed parchment and took off with the sphere and his pickaxe.
((crafting: +5 from Tinkerer's Ring, +5 from Tinkerer's hammer, +5 from tinkerer's forge, +5 from tinkerer's anvil. +1 weaponsmith. Drinking two egg nogs, for the last ten rolls
Name:Gloomweave Greatsword Type: Two hand straight sword Durability: 3 Stats: +4 damage A greatsword with a pale, sickly looking blade. The hilt is wrapped in spider silk and the crossguard is a Gloomweave Spider's head, the blade emerging from the space directly inbetween the fangs of the spider, which drip venom that flows along the blood grooves that run the length of the blade. Any attack on an enemy will deal 1 point of damage per turn for three turns. Multiple doses of venom stack
Name: Gloomweave Nodachi Durability: 3 Stats: +4 damage, +1 poison damage for 3 rounds Description: A large, Two Handed Curved Sword made from pieces of a Gloomweave Spider. The blade appears to be crafted from the long, barbed leg of a spider, sharpened to a vicious edge. The blade is permanently coated in venom, and the hilt is wrapped in fine spider silk. Upgrade: 0/9
Name: Spider's fang. Type: One hand straight sword Durability: 3 Stats: +2 damage a One hand short sword permanently coated in spider venom. Any attack on an enemy will deal 1 point of damage per turn for three turns. Multiple doses of venom stack.
into the best newly crafted OHSS, and then putting that into
Name: Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54
Weaponsmith Arte: Refine Weapon Paying either the ingot/monster part cost of crafting the target weapon or sacrificing a whole weapon, one can strengthen the target weapon at a level 1 Forge. The weapons do not need to be the same type to be combined in this way, and no special qualities will be carried from the sacrificed weapon to the target weapon. ))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 23 LP: 2
Alyx checked out the products of his labors. Five swords that would make many warriors proud, were they destined to go to many warriors. But they were not destined for distribution; instead they were destined for a purpose perhaps more noble: assimilation. These weapons were destined to be combined into Gloomfang, and their power would help blaze the trail to the second floor and beyond. Using the strength of so many fine weapons in the body of Gloomfang, Alyx couldn't lose. He may yet upgrade the Aegis of the Usurper, but he wasn't too worried about that just yet. He certainly had the materials, but his mind was too focused on his other tasks at the moment. First he'd finish his sword work, and then he'd try out lightsmithing, and then he might circle back around to armorsmithing, working on his shield and armor.
For now, his weaponsmithing was enough of a task, and he was happy to have it. When he had downtime, he did stupid things like challenge a score of monsters to a fight, or walk into a boss room by himself.
He didn't have a good track record of making responsible decisions by himself, is kinda the gist of it.
But nwo that he had crafting equipment as a hobby, he could... Well, he wasn't going to stop going on suicidal runs, but at least he'd have some big plans for the future, now, too. An unexpected trip to a mysterious merchant had yielded strange and wonderful rewards. He was rich in unknown materials, and powerful tools. With those tools, he could go on some truly insane quests, and he could face some truly suicidal odds. But if he survived those challenges, he'd have... Well, he'd have a hell of a story, at the very least. He may well have some interesting toys, too, but he wasn't going to count on that as incentive. Alyx was the kind of person who enjoyed being at his vacation spot more than he enjoyed the souvenirs that he picked up there. He had fun, anyway. With any luck, these new stats on his gear would let him tackle some of the crazier s**t that he had planned. And then, if he survived all that, he could go forward with the craziest plan of all.
He just needed the money. Fifteen spectrum was a huge amount of cash. In all his time playing ALICE, he'd only gained thirty. And ten of those had been a gift from the system. Alyx wanted them, though, and he was actively pursuing spectrum as a goal now.
He knew that tough challenges earned spectrum, so he'd start taking on radical obstacles and hope to earn enough money to throw a party. Alyx' life was ridiculous: he seemed to always be trying to die, but he'd use suicidal errands to raise funds to bankroll his truly bizarre schemes. If he wasn't sure what was real, he might imagine that some poor, lifeless b*****d was writing all this as some sort of crazy story, and Alyx' life was the only excitement that that a*****e ever had. But that would be crazy, right?
...Right?
Alyx had all of the freshly crafted swords put where they needed to be. While he was at it, though, he figured that he could clean out his inventory a little bit. He had some extra weapons that were just clutter at this point. They weren't even good enough to hand to a level one. Sure, they were level one weapons, but if Alyx was able to make better ones this easily, then he had little reason to hold on to these old drops.
He'd go ahead and put, at the very least, his old spider drops into this project, and he'd hold off making those 2nd floor materials into anything until he was sure that he could make them count. Once he was comfortable with weapon and armorcraft, he'd buckle down and make something really special. The best thing about picking up that grab bag was that it had given him a glimpse at what was in store for the next floor.
Suddenly, the second floor seemed more real. It was almost like he could reach out and touch it, and he had a feeling that he was going to love it. But there was no reason to get ahead of himself; there was much yet to do, and lots of almost dying to have done with before he and Rota destroyed the second floor. He worried that he might forget the Gloomwood, though. He wondered what kind of meaning his titles would have in the world outside the first floor. Would anyone care about the Gloomking once the Gloomweave and the Gloomcourt were left behind? All of his image was built around those spiders. What did he have after he left that?
Alyx had grown to love his place in this game, and felt like he truly belonged, but he feared that he might not have that same sense of home when he continued on. That was probably a large part of what had been keeping him from pushing forward, if he was going to be completely honest with himself. He probably could have cleared the first floor forever ago, but he was too scared to leave what was familiar to him. It was strange to think about, but it was true. He was afraid of the unknown floors to come, not because he would be unable to handle the combat, but because he, without the Gloomcourt, would be alone. A king without a throne. A king without a home.
He had spent so long building a world around himself that he'd forgotten to figure out who he really was. Alyxandeyr the Gloomking. Alyxandeyr the Usurper. All of who he was was built upon his relationship with others, on what he was capable of doing. None of it was based on who he himself was as a person. Was he having an existential crisis? What was going on? he was making accurate assessments about his person, but it wasn't going anywhere. He breathed deep and exhaled slowly. There was no point in agonizing over what he had done with his time in the past. He was giving himself the tools that he needed to make a difference in his future. He could start down a path today that would help him figure out who he really was, and to craft an identity that he could call his own, independent of anyone else, arachnid or undead.
His task was proceeding nicely. He had buried nine of his weapons into the best example of his crafted work, and was gearing up for the big finale, when he would deposit this amalgam of death into Gloomfang, ushering forth a new era of destructive capability for himself and his weapon. He wondered what kind of power the blade would have after all this. What would it be capable of? He had seen the power of Neo Abyssian after Rota had put so much work into it. What amount of work would it take to rival that with an OHSS? Alyx pondered that thought for a time, as he worked. A one-handed sword as powerful as a two-hander... Of course it had to be possible; a level 20 OHSS was likely to be many times more powerful than a level 1 THSS. But what level wasNeo Abyssian? What level was Gloomfang!?
Well... That wouldn't be completely impossible to figure out, would it? If Alyx mentored down, and his equipment was de-leveled with him, then it was higher level than his mentored level. So all that he had to do then was walk his way up until he saw Gloomfang at its full power. Taking a short break, he did just that. He kept an eye on his skills, stats, and equipment, plotting out how they grew as he leveled. It seemed to be a fairly straightforward scale, and he discovered that Gloomfang appeared to be roughly level 10. He'd keep that in mind, and would check its level again after he was done, just to see if all of this was really worth it or not. He couldn't imagine all of this work not paying off, but miracles did happen, even if they were bad miracles. He liked knowing the math of things, just to have the comfort of numbers.
Something about numbers was soothing to Alyx. He didn't really know what the cause of it was, but something about the cold science of math made him feel at home. Like he was among old friends.
He was there. The moment of truth was upon him, and he paused to savor it. All he had to do was put this sword into Gloomfang, and reap the fruits of his labor. This would be the most powerful weapon that he'd held in this game. Hell, if he got really lucky, this might just be the most powerful weapon in the game. But there was an element of risk involved: from what he'd seen, upgrading was a real wildcard. It could go either really well, really poorly, or anywhere in between, and very little could control that. This was the most dangerous part of this task: you could gain a huge increase in power using only one upgrade slot, or you could destroy a dozen weapons with a single roll. Alyx prayed to RNGeesus to be kind as he prepared for the final strike. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. Like his luck had finally run out. There was nothing but the light of the working, and he closed his eyes.
Current skills in use: Weaponsmith: 1 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
Name: Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Chroma: 0/1
Armorsmith Arte: Refine Armor Paying either the ingot/monster part cost of crafting the target armor or sacrificing a whole armor, one can strengthen the target armor at a level 1 Forge. The equipment does not need to be the same type to be combined in this way, and no special qualities will be carried from the sacrificed armor to the target armor. ))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 23 LP: 2
Alyx' sword had quadrupled in power, going all the way from a comfortably level 10 weapon to pushing the boundaries of what level 20 was capable of. He gawped at the weapon in his hand, marveling at the sheer destructive capabilities of the blade. There was no excuse, then. In one day he had strengthened his weapon to heretofore unheard of levels; Alyx had no choice but to do the same for his shield. As gratitude for Alyx' help, and as fuel for Alyx' armorsmithing fire, Rota had given the Gloomking a large supply of gloomiron shields that the half-demon had crafted with intent to upgrdade gloomguard. Rota had figured, apparently, that Alyx would do more armorsmithing than himself, so he could use the opportunity to get some practice in on refining/upgrading shields. Alyx would do just that.
Searching through his inventory, Alyx began extracting all of the shields that he had. He would leave the gloombeetle mutant shield out of this round of work, since it was special. In fact, he would leave all monster shields out, and only work on metal ones. That left him about twenty, and with the magic that he'd been witness to with just 13 swords, he wondered what could be possible with almost two dozen shields. His plan was to do the same thing that he'd done before: upgrade a few shields as high as possible, and then transfer those into Aegis of the Usurper. He wanted to get his equipment put as well together as he could, and then there'd be time for his other hobbies --or, hobbies-to-be, as it were--
Working shields was the same basic process as weapons, apparently. Alyx broke the weak shield down and then infused its essence into the stronger one. No big hassle. He wasn't sure how many of these he was actually going to break down at this moment, but he figured that he could always stop when he got bored. Hell, no one was holding a gun to his head; he was free to stop crafting any time that he wanted, it was simply a matter of walking away. With his sword doing enough damage to one-hit almost anything he could want to fight, though, Alyx wasn't in too much of a hurry to go out and start slaughtering, so he may as well get this knocked out before moving on to some other distraction. He knew that he should get started on lightsmithing soon, so he promised himself that that would be his next task. He owed it to himself and anyone who he saw to be able to heal and protect them. His shield could protect them, but he had no way to heal them as yet. Alyx exhaled and frowned. He was just hiding from it. No longer. The Gloomking finished infusing this latest shield into the best gloomiron shield that he had, and began to put away his tools. He hesitated for a moment as he looked at Aegis of the Usurper. Was he hiding from lightforging or running from armorsmithing? If he left now, would he come back to finish the job? Could he trust himself not to abandon this task if it was interrupted.
The answer was no. He could not trust himself. He would finish before he left to do anything else. There were rumors of another playerkiller out there. Alyx really should be ready to deal with him in case they met somewhere. Alyx' shield wasn't able to handle monsters at his level, he certainly couldn't trust it to handle monsters at his level, if indeed there were any players at his level. He'd gotten lucky last time, and he and Rota had been together to hunt Achan down, and when they'd found him, the two of them were more than a match for the hacker. Alyx had been at peak form then, though. He was slacking lately, and a similar fight may not go as well for him. So he owed it to himself to get this taken care of before gallivanting off to play with rocks, no matter how shiny they were.
He decided that he'd fill this shield to capacity, and then he'd infuse that product into the Aegis of the Usurper, and only then would he be allowed to begin learning how to lightsmith. He only had a few more shields to break down before he was done. What was a few more minutes of work if it ended up saving his life? Or, better, someone else's life? Sure, crafting wasn't combat. But he needed to accept that crafting was an important and necessary part of this game. You literally couldn't continue to level unless you had an assortment of skills, and Alyx was not keen on leveling another combat skill in order to diversify. His evasion was already awful because he didn't use it. He would either have to give up his shield (which sacrificed his utility and survivability) or his OHSS (which sacrificed all of his damage). It just wasn't worth it, despite his early attempts to do both of those things. It just was not worth his time to train multiple combat skills if he couldn't keep them both capped, and he clearly couldn't do that. So he must craft. If he didn't like crafting as much as exploring, then he would just level more slowly, and he'd have as much time to explore as he wanted, since he'd never level up again.
Alyx needed something. He needed some reason to remember that the game was called ALICE, not . He was starting to realize just how the NPCs had lost their names. It was easy to get lost here. To forget that you were supposed to be trying to find a way out, and just learn to live here. How long would it be before he stopped being Alyx, and just became ? The thought disturbed him. Could it actually be possible? For a player to become an NPC? Well, if not in form, in function. He would forget about beating the game. He would stay here forever, doing what interested him and helping new players get their starts in an alien and hostile world, in the off chance that they survive long enough to make a difference. He would cease to be a raid character, and begin to be a guide. What scared him most about it was that it didn't sound totally horrible. It took away all the stress. It took away all the pressure. He would be free to explore and discover everything for as long as he wanted to... All that he would have to do is lose his name. What was in a name, anyway? The title meant more than his name did. He wouldn't be losing much, really. He had trouble trying to think of good reasons not to do it. Reasons not to give up. He just say down on the workbench and stared at the anvil for a while. Trying to think. He would just be able to fade into the background and relax. He wouldn't have to be the best or the brightest. He could just... Be.
Minutes passed, with Alyx sort of emptying out. Just drifting into a state of nothing in particular. All his thoughts seemed to empty and disappear, and he was left not even looking at anything. His consciousness ceased to be, and he was, for a time, no one. Nothing.
A lone thought came trickling into the silence, as one always does; what does it take to be nothing? It echoed in the silence for a moment, until that silence answered it. It takes nothing. You cannot want or do anything. You cannot simply do nothing, though. You must actively do nothing. You must strive for nothingness. Alyx pondered for a time if he was truly capable of that. Of being a character instead of being a player. He thought not. He felt that he just wasn't able to give up who he was, even if it took less work. More than that, though; he did not want to. He actively wanted not to give up who he was. His eyes grew sharp and his jaw grew steel. Alyx would not give up. There was a whole world to be explored. Dozens of them, in fact, and he wanted to see them. But he accepted that who he was now would not be enough to carry him through the whole game. The Gloomking was not the character to storm the world of ALICE. Alyx needed more. He had taken the seed planted by the Gloomqueen and grown it into an entire character identity. Now he needed to separate those pieces from the others, and grow one of those seeds into a new character that was based on Alyx, and not the first monster that he saw. As Alyx stood and faced the anvil, hammer in hand, he began his work anew upgrading his equipment and forging himself with each clash of light against light.
Current skills in use: Weaponsmith: 1 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +50 roll1 +16 damage +2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 16/16 Upgrade: 0/54 Off-hand:Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +44 roll1 damage capacity: 26 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 22/22 Upgrade: 0/54 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Beetle Carapace Cuirass Type: upper Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Lower armor: Beetle Carapace Greaves Type: lower Grade: heavy Stats: when worn as a set, provides a maximum of 15 damage reduction via heavy armor skill. by itself, mitigates a maximum of 7 damage via heavy armor skill Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Tinkerer's Ring: A ring made from a polished gear. Wearing this ring grants the user +5 to crafting rolls. Can only wear one of these rings. Ring3: Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/1
working in room 1. +5 forge, +5 anvil, +5 Tinkerer's Hammer, +5 Tinkerer's Ring
Monstersmith Arte: Artisan refine monster material 2 monster materials produce 1 refined monster material, with +20 to the quality roll, in 1 post at a level 1 forge))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 25 LP: 2
Alyx was ready to go back into the smithy. He was going to spin himself up to speed, and then he'd down an egg nog to get him through the later work. He only had four leech fangs, so he'd have to make sure to take his time and do those right. He laid out his materials: 12 gloomcat claws and 4 leech fangs. He had an idea that the leech fangs would grant some form of damage over time, or at least some special effect, but he couldn't be sure until he'd gone through the whole process of crafting them into a weapon. He had an idea that he would most likely be giving them to Cthaer, though. The Shade had more use of something as pragmatic as life drain than Alyx did. The Gloomking was attempting to follow a higher path. But the Shade was focused enough on his mission that the means justified the ends. That was just the way that he was.
Alyx began his work, starting with the gloomcat fangs before he'd get anything done on the leech front. It was no complicated matter to put the packages together for making the weapons later. Which meant that his mind was completely free to wander. He thought back on previous events. Backstory and all that. The story of how he'd met Cthaer. How had it gone?
Alyx had been working, as was his wont, as a bounty hunter. He'd been pursuing a mark for some time, and he was growing ever more frustrated, as several of his previous targets had been done in before he'd ever arrived. They weren't captured; there wasn't even an attempt at taking them alive, it seemed. They were simply murdered. One of them had been killed so unexpectedly at his dinner table that he was still holding his knife and fork. Alyx lacked the finesse necessary for an operation like that, but he typically brought his targets in alive so that his hands could remain relatively clean. But this new player had no such compunctions about claiming the money in a more direct way.
Alyx had rushed this job, in an attempt to beat his competitor to the newest target. As a result of this, he kicked the door down to the house he'd confirmed was the hiding place for his target, and was working through the lackeys as one does. When he'd finished the three lackeys, he turned to his target. The man fell to his knees, a vicious knife wound in his chest, cutting his ribcage open and exposing his heart and lungs to the air. The flesh was already acrid, the poison on the weapon's blade eating the body of its victim as soon as it made contact. Behind the target was a young boy, with skin the color of ash, and hair a wispy sort of black that disturbed the person looking at it. The glint of the boy's yellow eyes shone from the shadows behind his victim, and pointed teeth showed through the Shade's grin. Without a sound, the boy slashed through the target's ear to get his proof of kill, and vanished without a trace. Somehow, without Alyx knowing, this assassin had entered the hut and killed his target without ever being spotted by anyone inside the hut, and had exited without Alyx being able to follow him.
Alyx had left that night and set up camp, eating a meager ration as he contemplated the situation that he was in. He had no more money. Tracking people was expensive. Bribes to find informants, friends, families. Supplies for the trip, all sorts of expenses were accrued in the course of a single hunt, and he'd had several jobs in a row now that had been foiled at their latest stages by this assassin. As he watched the fire, he thought about what he would do next, and he drew a blank. He supposed that he could just start taking jobs that needed a live delivery, but they almost inevitably paid less, and cost just as much to complete. Sometimes they actually cost more, since people were less polarized by a fugitive that was wanted alive.
As Alyx sat, a voice emerged from the silence of the night. "I have to thank you. I'd been waiting for them to open that door for the entire night." Alyx bolted to his feet and hefted his greatsword, looking around, but unable to discover the source of the voice. "Reveal yourself!"
"Alright, alright. Chill. No need to blow an aneurysm." the boy appeared from the shadows on the opposite side of the campfire, his hands held open away from his waist, to show that he wasn't armed. His golden eyes watched Alyx closely. "Better? Now, as I was saying, thank you for opening that door for me. There was only one way into that hut, and they were determined not to let anyone in. Contrary to popular belief, I can't actually walk through walls."
Current skills in use: Monstercraft: 23 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +1 to OHSS and block rolls : +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Name: Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +198 roll1 (196.88 ) +153.89 damage +15.2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 100/100.14 Upgrade: 1/55 (+1.25 roll1) Chroma: 0/1 Off-hand: Name: Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +66.65 roll1 damage capacity: 57.98 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 46/46.15 Upgrade: 1/54 Chroma: 0/1 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Heavy Gloombeetle Upper Crafted by: Alyxandeyr stat: damage mitigation: 24 | 54 damage reduction: 1 | 3 upgrade: 0/14 Lower armor: Heavy Gloombeetle Lower Crafted by: Alyxandeyr stat: damage mitigation: 22 | 49 damage reduction: 1 | 3 upgrade: 0/11 Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Gloomrat Ring: Type: Ring +2 poison damage per round per attack while worn Ring3: Bone Ring: A ring made of bone. Wearing this ring allows the player to transform into a skeleton for 5 posts at a time, once per battle. As a skeleton, the player is immune to , , any blood-borne effects (such as paralysis from a bite attack). However, the player will take 25% additional damage from crushing weapons, and will be treated as . Can only wear one Bone Ring at a time. Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/11
working in room 1. +5 forge, +5 anvil, +5 Tinkerer's Hammer, +5 Tinkerer's Ring
Monstersmith Arte: Artisan refine monster material 2 monster materials produce 1 refined monster material, with +20 to the quality roll, in 1 post at a level 1 forge))
Name: Alyxandeyr Level: 20 HP: 462 AP: 25 LP: 2
Alyx had watched the boy cautiously, as his body seemed to whisper in and out of existence as if it were trying to be absorbed into the shadows around it. "I suppose you're welcome." Alyx kept his eyes fixed on the assassin's own eyes, ready for anything.
The boy didn't seem to mind Alyx' unease. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it. "It's nice to finally meet the guy doing my legwork. You save me a lot of time tracking these guys down."
Alyx furrowed his brow. "Wait. You've been following me?" This explained everything. The boy wasn't tracking the marks down faster than Alyx. He was just getting their sooner. While Alyx was dealing with flunkies, this kid was bypassing the entire ordeal and picking off the actual moneymaker. Alyx' blood was boiling.
"Woah, woah. Simmer down, pops. I got you a present." The boy tossed something at Alyx' feet. It was the target's ear. "I figure I owe you for helping me out."
Alyx looked at the flesh at his feet. "I don't need your charity." He kicked it away.
"You got me all wrong. I'm not giving it to you because I feel bad for you. It's an investment. You do good legwork, and I do good knifework. You put us together and we make a decent team. Our last few jobs have demonstrated that."
"You mean my last few jobs."
"I don't know. All I'm saying is that you're not the one that turned them in." He cracked a cocky grin, flashing those teeth again. "But what's to say you don't get to turn them in in the future. Twenty-five percent is better than nothing, isn't it?"
Alyx could split the cocky b*****d in half. "You want to sell me my own work at a seventy-five percent loss!?"
"Hey, I'm the one taking all the risk here. Do you know what could happen if I got caught?"
"No more than what would happen to me if I ever lost a fight, I imagine."
"Exactly. So you don't even have to fight anymore. You're practically getting money for free."
"Do you have any idea how much it costs to get the information I need to even find the target!? I'd be losing money. At best, I'd be breaking even. I don't need a partner, I need to stop having a leech!"
"Okay, okay... I see your point. Twenty-six percent."
Alyx had had enough of this. He lifted his sword "Get out of here."
The boy stepped back once and disappeared from view. Alyx felt ice on his throat. How-? "You know, if you had a cooler head, you might not need to spend so much money getting people to talk. I'll tell you what. We can split it fifty-fifty. You track the target down, and I'll take them out. I see you'll need time to think on the proposal, so I'll let you have some time to think. This is the part where I take my knife off your throat. You'll try to turn around and hit me. You might as well not bother. I'm going to be gone before you can even move."
Alyx felt the blade leave his throat and swung his sword in a circle, slashing through the air behind him. He met no resistance. He heard a voice in his ear from behind. "See? Told ya." Alyx whirled again, but met the same emptiness. This time, the voice came, chuckling, as a whisper on the wind. "You just don't learn, do you?"
Current skills in use: Monstercraft: 23 Evasion: 23 Heavy armor: 23 Endurance: 62 Current active titles:
: +1 to OHSS and block rolls : +2 to all rolls while in groups, +2 to all crafting rolls
Current equipment:
Main hand:Name: Gloomfang Description: A legendary straight sword harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from slaying a Gloomweave Spider. The blade, which sprouts from the mouth of a small gloomweave spider, glistens with a sickening sheen, venom permanently coating its silvery-purple edge. The hilt of the sword features a sickly crossguard, the legs of the spider curling upward toward the blade. When Alyx wraps his fingers around the silk-covered hilt, the legs of the spider constrict with the crepitant sound of old bones to secure the weapon to his fist. Dropped by: Gloomweave Spider Type: One Hand Straight Sword +198 roll1 (196.88 ) +153.89 damage +15.2 poison for 6 rounds durability: 100/100.14 Upgrade: 1/55 (+1.25 roll1) Chroma: 0/1 Off-hand: Name: Aegis of the Usurper Description: A legendary shield harvested by Alyxandeyr, the Gloomking, from a gloomweave spider. The shield is a preserved gloomweave spider carapace. The fangs of the spider thrust forward past the wearer's fist, and the spinneret extends to protect Alyxandeyr past his left elbow. When held at rest, the point of the shield rises almost to Alyx' shoulder. The eyes of the spider shine softly, watching his enemies, and the fangs glisten with venom. Type: shield +66.65 roll1 damage capacity: 57.98 poison: +2 for 6 rounds Durability: 46/46.15 Upgrade: 1/54 Chroma: 0/1 Head: Mantle of the Gloomking Type: Helmet (cloak) Stats: immunity to effects Upper armor: Heavy Gloombeetle Upper Crafted by: Alyxandeyr stat: damage mitigation: 24 | 54 damage reduction: 1 | 3 upgrade: 0/14 Lower armor: Heavy Gloombeetle Lower Crafted by: Alyxandeyr stat: damage mitigation: 22 | 49 damage reduction: 1 | 3 upgrade: 0/11 Ring1: Gloombeetle Ring: Type: Ring +1 damage reduction per attack while worn. Ring2: Gloomrat Ring: Type: Ring +2 poison damage per round per attack while worn Ring3: Bone Ring: A ring made of bone. Wearing this ring allows the player to transform into a skeleton for 5 posts at a time, once per battle. As a skeleton, the player is immune to , , any blood-borne effects (such as paralysis from a bite attack). However, the player will take 25% additional damage from crushing weapons, and will be treated as . Can only wear one Bone Ring at a time. Ring4: Necklace: Trophy: Dire Wolf Trophy (stage 1): The massive paw of a Dire Wolf preserved with techniques that infused Light into the material. While active, this trophy grants the user +5 to their base AP. Combat pet: Utility pet:
Second set:
Main hand: Name: Gloomshard Description: An elegant One Hand Straight Sword that has a white hilt and an almost white pale blade that seems to softly glow from within. It is adorned with brightly polished silver fittings, including a straight, broad crossguard and a small, crown-shaped pommel. It is named because it is as though a shard of light has been made physical and forged into a weapon. Crafted By: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: One Hand Straight Sword Durability: 10 Stats: +6 roll1 +10 damage Upgrade: 0/26 Off-hand Name: Gloomguard Crafted by: Rota Emptiet Abyssian Type: shield Durability: 12/13 Stats: +10 roll1 15 damage capacity Upgrade: 0/11
