Exterminators #1

The First Battle

That morning began like so many others, with me loafing the morning away, asleep in my bed. Why shouldn't I? I had a tough week! Every waking hour spent working my knife arm, leveling my Thief skills from 30 to 40, just so I would be ready for my first static party ever... I was perfectly justified to be exhausted to the point of sleeping well past breakfast time. However, I did forget two important things :

• that day we were scheduled to meet at 9:00am;
• I forgot to tell Mogri to wake me up for that.

A soft knock came from the door

Kinah >> Coeurly? You there?

A harder, more insistant knock came from the door

Kinah >> Hey Coeurly! I can hear you!
Kinah >> Why won't you answer?

Kinah presses her Tarutaru ear to the door
Kinah can hear a faint snoring sound
Loud banging came from the door

Kinah >> C'mon sleepy head! Wake up!!!

Mithra snoring still faintly filled the room

Kinah >> ...
Kinah >> ...IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Kinah takes a deep breath
Kinah >> IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!

Coeurl >> =O.O=!!!
Coeurl >> EVERYONE ZONE!!!!

Coeurl clumsily falls down from her bed

Kinah >> Coeurly?!?
Coeurl >> I SAID RUN-?!?
Coeurl >> ...oh...
Kinah >> Coeurly? You ok?
Coeurl >> Who's there?
Kinah >> It's me, Kinah!
Coeurl >> Oh, hey there Kinah! What are you up to today?
Kinah >> Same thing you should be up to!
Coeurl >> Huh?

Coeurl ponders the sense of that last sentence...
Kinah looks at the time, waiting...

Coeurl >> OH SHIT!!! What time is it?!?
Kinah >> 30 past 9. We were getting worried!
Coeurl >> OMGOMGOMGOMGIOVERSLEPTDAMMIT!!!
Coeurl >> SORRYIKEPTYOUWAITINGIMGETTINGREADY!!!
Kinah >> Calm down Coeurly!
Coeurl >> I can't believe I'm late on my first day...
Coeurl >> What will they be thinking of me!
Coeurl >> Late on the job, talk about first impressions...
Kinah >> Coeurly! Don'taru worry about it!
Coeurl >> Not worry?! You guys have been waiting 30 minutes!!
Coeurl >> And I'm still not ready!
Kinah >> Coeurly! We're not ready yet!
Coeurl >> Dammit! MOGRI? WHERE DID I PUT MY ACID BOLTS?
Coeurl >> Where's my-huh?
Coeurl >> What do you mean Kinah?
Kinah >> Ruff hasn't arrived yet.
Kinah >> You still have time!
Coeurl >> Oh... so we're not departing yet?
Kinah >> We will soonish, he's on his way to Jeuno.
Coeurl >> Oh, ok... How long?
Kinah >> Take your time!
Kinah >> We don't want a sleepy Thief on the job!
Coeurl >> I'm so sorry Kinah! I'll be there in five minutes!
Kinah >> Okie! Meet us at the Lower Jeuno stables!

...yeah, sure. Doing my morning routine, including putting on make-up, took the best part of that five minutes. Add another eight for gathering my gear and getting dressed for the job, and I finally made it to the meeting point fifteen minutes late. Would have been fourteen if I hadn't forgotten I could Flee my way to the stables. What awaited me there was a rag tag group of adventurers, including Kinah. Besides here were two male Elvaans, a Galka and a Mithra.

Kinah >> Hey Coeurly! Meet the static!
Kinah >> You remember Cirdek, rightaru?
Coeurl >> Hey Cirdek, sorry I'm late...
Cirdek >> That looks promising... A Thief that's not in a hurry.
Kinah >> He's going to be our Paladin tank.

Kinah >> And here's our gruffy Bard, Ruffy...
Ruffntuff >> Hey there kitty! The more the merrier!
Coeurl >> Pleasure.

Coeurl bows courteously
Ruff laughs heavily

Ruff >> No need for formalities! We'll be good friends!
Miliel >> Yeah, and we know what *that's* supposed to mean...
Ruff >> Hey! Why can't I be friendly with the ladies?
Miliel >> Piece of advice rookie :
Miliel >> look out for Ruff's groping hands.
Coeurl >> =O.O=!!!
Ruff >> Hey! You look stiffened up!
Ruff >> Need a massage?

Coeurl panics!

Kinah >> Hehehe, don'taru worry Coeurl!
Kinah >> Ruff's not dangerous at all!
Coeurl >> ...who am I to believe?
Miliel >> Whoever you want, just sayin'.
Miliel >> Whatever he tried on me, he's sure to try on you.
Kinah >> And that's Miliel, our resident Black Mage!

Kinah >> Only one left to present is Shaddy!
Shadangel >> ...

Shad gently nods his head

Kinah >> C'mon Shaddy, say something!
Shad >> ...
Coeurl >> ...Is he mute or something?
Shad >> ...no.

Coeurl feels a cold breeze

Kinah >> Nah, Shaddy's just not know to be volubile.
Kinah >> But he's someone we can always count on!

Shad blinks in agreement

Cirdek >> Good thing, considering he's our White Mage.

Shad stares at Cirdek, disappointed

Exterminators rooster :

• Cirdek : Elvaan Paladin
• Kinah : Tarutaru Dragoon
• Ruff : Galka Bard
• Miliel : Mithra Black Mage
• Shad : Elvaan White Mage
• Coeurl : Mithra Thief

Kinah >> Alrightaru! Let's head for the Nest!
Ruff >> Hope everyone brought sandwiches!
Coeurl >> Um... what for?
Miliel >> We always take a break at noon
Miliel >> So we camp out and eat
Coeurl >> ...Isn't that a bit risky?
Kinah >> Nah, we'll be ok!
Kinah >> We'll be camping in the secret room.
Coeurl >> Secret room? ...never heard.
Cirdek >> Obviously. It's a secret room.
Ruff >> Won't be so secret for you after today!

We all purchased a ride so we could head post haste for the Crawler's Nest. I already ventured a bit in that area, though I never had to travel too far away from the entrance. The ride was eventless, though as we arrived near the cave's entrance, something was amiss...

Coeurl >> What are all those people doing there?
Cirdek >> Great. Just great. Crawler train no doubt.
Coeurl >> Crawler train?
Miliel >> Happens when someone flees to the zone
Miliel >> with a Soldier Crawler in tow.
Coeurl >> Oh... so what do we do?
Kinah >> Um... we'll have to sneak past them
Kinah >> Can someone check out if there's enough room?
Cirdek >> No way you're getting me to do that.
Ruff >> Mind if I do?
Cirdek >> By all means.
Miliel >> Yah, Galkas are expendable.
Ruff >> Hehe! Not this here specimen!

Shad puts his hand on Ruff's shoulder

Ruff >> Huh? What's up S-man?

Shad casts Reraise on Ruff
Ruff gains the effect of Reraise
Shad nods approovingly

Ruff >> Thanks pal, that's a good precaution

Ruff heads into the nest

Ruff >> ...
Ruff >> Looks like we can manage... no! wait!
Ruff >> The train's coming back!

Ruff runs out of the nest along with a Hume Dragoon female wearing full AF

Ruff >> Gosh, that was close!
DrgLady >> You tell me...
DrgLady >> Wish more people would try killing those pests
Kinah >> ...hey, you're rightaru!
Kinah >> I'll get some help on the way!

Kinah seems to concentrate on sending a private /tell to someone

Kinah >> Great! That train will be history in a short while!
DrgLady >> How many people are coming?
Kinah >> Oh, just one.
DrgLady >> Only one? I doubt that will do.
Kinah >> Don'taru worry, I got the best guy for the job.
Kinah >> Luckily he was in town, so he should be arriving soonish.

As more people progressively arrived, some heading into the trap without looking, I looked for some burly Galka Warrior that would brawl those bugs into submission. Eventually, Kinah waved to a lone rider. ...surely he wasn't the one she called...

Flaru >> Hiyataru Kinah!
Kinah >> Hey Flaru! What's up?
Flaru >> Defusing a crawler train apparently?
Coeurl >> You? Take care of that huge train?
Coeurl >> What level are you again? 60?
Flaru >> 63 to be exactaru.
Flaru >> That should be enough.
DrgLady >> So, you're a Beastmaster?
Flaru >> That's rightaru!
DrgLady >> Okay, just so you know, there are two Soldiers in the train
Flaru >> The rest are Workers?
DrgLady >> Yes, but there's a whole bunch of them
DrgLady >> about a dozen or so.
Flaru >> No sweataru! Is the entrance cleared?
DrgLady >> Wait, let me ask my friend who's inside
DrgLady >> ...yes, there's enough room for you to operate
DrgLady >> I'll come with you in case you need to buy time.
Flaru >> Much appreciated! Let's go in!

Flaru and DrgLady went in the Crawler's Nest

Ruff >> I gotta see that!
Cirdek >> Heh, your funeral.
Ruff >> Bah! I still got that Reraise on!
Ruff >> S-man? Wanna join?

Shad casts Reraise on himself
Shad gains the effect of Reraise
Ruff and Shad both head into the Nest

Miliel >> I'd go in, but Ruff's in there.
Coeurl >> ...I think I'll stay outside too.
Kinah >> Scaredy cats!
Miliel >> And why aren't you going in there Kin?
Kinah >> Well... you know me and bugs...
Miliel >> Poor excuse...
Kinah >> HEY!

Shad >> ...cleared.
Coeurl >> =o.O=!!!
Coeurl >> Already?!?

I reluctantly entered the Nest, however not for the same reason as Miliel or Kinah. The lack of sunlight already did nothing to appease my claustrophobia. I made it to the first bend and...

Coeurl >> =O.O=
Coeurl >> =>.<=
Coeurl >> =O.O=!!!
Coeurl >> OMGRUNFORTHEZONE!!!

Ruff grabs Coeurl by the nape of her neck

Ruff >> No worries there kitty! They're a docile bunch!
Coeurl >> But Flaru's still going at it!
Ruff >> Bah, he's just clearing the small fry
Ruff >> Those are measly Worker Crawlers
Ruff >> They won't go aggressive without Soldiers around.
Coeurl >> ...You sure?
Ruff >> Sure I'm sure! Let's get started already!
Ruff >> I need some workout before lunch!
Miliel >> So says the bard...
Ruff >> I'll let you know it involves lots of running.

There isn't much to write about the rest of our first day of training. We basically set up camp at the mouth of the large circular room in the basement since that camp was freed up. Must have been because those who were there before moved to the secret room in fear of a returning train of crawlers. Only to the exception of me getting aggro'ed by an Exoray and dying valiantly outside of aggressive range from my party, there was little trouble a pair of capable Black Mage and Bard couldn't handle.

T'was weird to hear a small britches of a Tarutaru like Flaru-Wuru single handedly took care of a bunch of crawlers. Watching a dozen of those bugs attacking simultaneously insipred a totally different fate in my mind. Later on, Flaru explained to me he was using the beasts' natural instincts to his advantage, charming one of them in the lot, assaulting another, have them gang-rape his pet, then he'd charm the one crawler coming at him. Basically a series of Carby-pulls until there were nothing left.

End result of our first outing : everyone made it to lv42. And to quote our PLD's compliment towards me :

Cirdek >> Any party in which I don't die is a good party.