Duty Session 555: Sher Kar Challenge
The Holy Empire Westelande has a proud tradition, the Trial of Honor, where young people go into a nest, and those that come out have proven themselves to be stout-hearted and valorous. But recently, something has happened. It seems that somehow, giant ants have colonized Sher Kar - The Sher Kar nesting areas underground, and they are a threat to both Sher Kar - The Sher Kar and the Westelanders as well. So, a hunt has been organized through the Guild to cull these ants, so the ceremony can be held in its accustomed gravity. This is an obsidian-level quest for three or more offered through the Guild, Completion will make the site of Sher Kar - The Sher Kar ritual less dangerous to the Landers who have used it for their coming of age tradition for many years.
Difficulty: Moderate
Rec. Party: 3+
Rewards: 2
World Rewards: Westeland's gratitude.
Thalia Maxwell
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
THALIA MAXERLL, Nero Idol and adventurer, picked up a job. A job to go beat up giant ants in their tunnels. For some reason. Whatever, they're paying her. She ended up with a small party too, which is good because doing this solo, as she sees when she gets close enough, would be really tough.
The Spriggan woman frowns down at the milling ants, hands resting on the hilts of the swords at her waist. "Uh. Any ideas? My usual go to of 'Jump in and hit it til it stops moving' is probably not a fantastic one. Though, you know what? ... I think I will anyway." She looks at the others with her, smirking. "Just call me a dodge-tank, I guess!"
And down she goes, sprinting down the path to get the attention of the Big Bugs and make them pay attention to her while her new friends murder them from afar.
The Spriggan woman frowns down at the milling ants, hands resting on the hilts of the swords at her waist. "Uh. Any ideas? My usual go to of 'Jump in and hit it til it stops moving' is probably not a fantastic one. Though, you know what? ... I think I will anyway." She looks at the others with her, smirking. "Just call me a dodge-tank, I guess!"
And down she goes, sprinting down the path to get the attention of the Big Bugs and make them pay attention to her while her new friends murder them from afar.
Erufu
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Erufu has heard tell of a few names she'd not heard of much heading out on a quest. So the Ranger got it into her head to join them on this adventure. Right? What could go wrong here? As they reach the pit's edge the Elf will peer over as well.
"I could lend support from up here I am a ranger after all." She'll draw her bow and will take aim lending Thalia covering fire as she goes.
Her eyes are keen as she picks out targets trying to pick them off before they can menaces Thalia from a flank she's not facing.
There is something about this nest however that bothers her but she can't put her finger on it at the moment.
"I could lend support from up here I am a ranger after all." She'll draw her bow and will take aim lending Thalia covering fire as she goes.
Her eyes are keen as she picks out targets trying to pick them off before they can menaces Thalia from a flank she's not facing.
There is something about this nest however that bothers her but she can't put her finger on it at the moment.
Ameia
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Ameia had also never met either of these two adventurers, well, players, before however that wasn't unexpected given how far they are from Aincrad. It didn't bother her enough to not take the quest, though. She was interested in what rewards would be offered.
"I'm not much good up close, so I can just provide support from here," she says.
Standing on the ledge with Erufu, she casts several buffs on Thalia, helping her clear out the ants faster.
"I'm not much good up close, so I can just provide support from here," she says.
Standing on the ledge with Erufu, she casts several buffs on Thalia, helping her clear out the ants faster.
Thalia Maxwell
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Thalia lives up to her promise, keeping the ants bysy while her two new besties rain down the pain from above. Or rather, Erufu does that and Ameia makes Thalia stronger. Her violet eyes shining, her blades flash as she carves through the ants like, well, ants.
Red lines appear on the giant insects in rapid succession until, finally, they shatter to motes. She pants heavily, waving the two down to follow. "Good workout."
As they start to troop into the tunnels, Thalia's wings droop a bit as she seems a little out of her element, trying to find a way through the tunnels to not get stuck down here. She runs her fingers along the walls, trying to use what little sense she has for the Earth to figure this out.
Red lines appear on the giant insects in rapid succession until, finally, they shatter to motes. She pants heavily, waving the two down to follow. "Good workout."
As they start to troop into the tunnels, Thalia's wings droop a bit as she seems a little out of her element, trying to find a way through the tunnels to not get stuck down here. She runs her fingers along the walls, trying to use what little sense she has for the Earth to figure this out.
Erufu
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Erufu seems pretty pleased and calls out.
"Very nice job Thalia."
She looks over to Ameia for a moment and grins ears wiggling a little.
"Good job as well!"
Erufu smirks.
"When this is over we should go get something to eat!"
She pushes on and pauses as they hit the tunnels. She'll kneel down and start looking around, her eyes darting about, ears twitching. Though no sniffing at least she's not Shiruba after all. She seems to be trying to find the trail given her skill set she should be able to do something about this.
"I think it's this way..."
"Very nice job Thalia."
She looks over to Ameia for a moment and grins ears wiggling a little.
"Good job as well!"
Erufu smirks.
"When this is over we should go get something to eat!"
She pushes on and pauses as they hit the tunnels. She'll kneel down and start looking around, her eyes darting about, ears twitching. Though no sniffing at least she's not Shiruba after all. She seems to be trying to find the trail given her skill set she should be able to do something about this.
"I think it's this way..."
Ameia
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Ameia enters the nest with Thalia and Erufu and looks around. She doesn't know a lot about ants, however she suspects that like animals, they can be tracked using spells made for hunting.
"I think I can help." She casts a spell over the area ahead of them, lightly revealing insect-foot-marks of ants that have passed through previously. While she's not sure how to interpret them herself, it should make Erufu's life a little easier.
"I think I can help." She casts a spell over the area ahead of them, lightly revealing insect-foot-marks of ants that have passed through previously. While she's not sure how to interpret them herself, it should make Erufu's life a little easier.
Thalia Maxwell
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Thalia's handling of the tunnel walls get them nowhere. Luckily, she's with actual skilled people. That only gets them so far.
The encounter with the Sher Kar goes badly. Real badly. She just can't seem to keep them from hitting her, no matter how much she tries to evade and block. Her health starts to dip into Uncomfortable ranges, so she calls out. "Run! We can't win this fight!"
She then runs like hell.
The encounter with the Sher Kar goes badly. Real badly. She just can't seem to keep them from hitting her, no matter how much she tries to evade and block. Her health starts to dip into Uncomfortable ranges, so she calls out. "Run! We can't win this fight!"
She then runs like hell.
Ameia
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
In this enclosed space, there's no way for Ameia to deal with these enemies. They can't go back, either, so the only solution is to, well, tank the Sher Kars' attacks on the way through.
"Ow, ow, ow-"
She ends up basically crawling over the Sher Kar as they batter her body, wards only doing so much to help her, as a glass-cannon type. By the time she gets free, she's down more than she'd like on both health and mana.
"Ow, ow, ow-"
She ends up basically crawling over the Sher Kar as they batter her body, wards only doing so much to help her, as a glass-cannon type. By the time she gets free, she's down more than she'd like on both health and mana.
Erufu
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Things are not going so well either for the party. The Pooka on the other hand? She fairs a bit better she will make use of stealth to sneak by things when they go bad. She's not bailing on her companions, but she does avoid getting hurt and taxing their supplies further.
"Ugg that could have gone better, is everyone still alive?"
"Ugg that could have gone better, is everyone still alive?"
Thalia Maxwell
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
"Still alive. For now!" Thalia calls out as they move forward into the ant den. Her swords haven't left her hands, and she draws a deep breath. She really has no choice. Running on fumes and not really having much left in her, she throws herself at the giant guard ants anyway.
Her swords flicker, and she jukes and weaves as she can, but the space is tight and she's getting wrecked over here. Nothing to be done about it.
Her swords flicker, and she jukes and weaves as she can, but the space is tight and she's getting wrecked over here. Nothing to be done about it.
Erufu
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Erufu is glad to be alive but it seems their trials are not yet over as the party is attacked. She'll be forced to make use of her hunting knife to fight rather than her bow given how close quarters things are. While she's fought goblins like this? She hasn't done so with things like this and it gets rather rough.
Thalia Maxwell
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Somehow, Thalia is still up. She is dutifully not paying attention to her health. It'd just cause more anxiety. As the troupe slips away from the last bad fight and into the egg chamber, she takes a deep breath.
Until the guards come.
"Aw man, not again! I'm never coming here again!" Thalia just moves, her body reacting as the ants come for her, weaving and darting between them, concentrating on dodging more than anything else.
Until the guards come.
"Aw man, not again! I'm never coming here again!" Thalia just moves, her body reacting as the ants come for her, weaving and darting between them, concentrating on dodging more than anything else.
Ameia
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Amelia brushes off the dust from her dress, following the other two into the main chamber, where they're greeted by a swarm of grubs. Since she'd been low on mana in that last fight, she was forced to conserve it, only providing minimal shielding to the other two as they fought off those guard ants.
However, in this open space with a large number of small enemies, it's basically perfect for the magus to use her offensive spells.
With Thalia acting as bait, she blasts the grubs with shadow and fire, whittling them down until there aren't any left.
"There's no queen in this chamber," she says as they deal with the grubs. "Maybe we took a wrong turn?"
However, in this open space with a large number of small enemies, it's basically perfect for the magus to use her offensive spells.
With Thalia acting as bait, she blasts the grubs with shadow and fire, whittling them down until there aren't any left.
"There's no queen in this chamber," she says as they deal with the grubs. "Maybe we took a wrong turn?"
Erufu
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Erufu is alive as they get out of it she's a bit beat up, but hey they all made it out. She dusts herself off for a moment then grins.
"Sounds good, oh you do know I own an Inn with a pub?" She grins even wider at this. "It likely so we need to find the queen to end this, but we did thing things out for whoever goes in next! Come lets go!"
"Sounds good, oh you do know I own an Inn with a pub?" She grins even wider at this. "It likely so we need to find the queen to end this, but we did thing things out for whoever goes in next! Come lets go!"
Thalia Maxwell
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
Yamato - 1 - 5 - 0
They did it. Somehow. It was real rough in there, but nobody died or got super maimed, so, bonus? Thalia limps out of the ant nest, their job done, carrying a mandible piece from one of the ants. "Wonder what this is good for," she muses to herself, secreting it into her inventory.
"Thanks for the help, it was still a good time, even if it was rough." She pauses. "Let's go get some food and maybe some drinks!"
"Thanks for the help, it was still a good time, even if it was rough." She pauses. "Let's go get some food and maybe some drinks!"