Newoz

**Newoz** is a wandering Minstrel that has a deep love for meat. He has a poor sense of direction, but cares for his friends very much. According to Mingmin, he's very attached to Roter.

## Story

**SPOILER WARNING:** Plot and/or ending details follow.
About 2 years ago, Newoz became lost and eventually ended up in Alfheim. He discovered the Bifrost Tower and thought it would be fun to explore it despite warnings from a Laphine name Fili.

After about a month after getting lost within the tower, an adventurer manages to find Newoz on the third floor of the tower fading away from extreme hunger. He explains his plight and the adventurer goes to bring him some Meat and Acorn Piles. Newoz stuffs himself silly and explains to the adventurer how he came to be in the tower. He asks the adventurer to get rid of Ceneres, which he claims was clouding his sight and hindering his ability to find his way out of the tower. The adventurer is skeptical, but fulfills the request anyways.

Newoz didn't want to leave the tower just yet as he wanted to get some souvenirs for his friends, seeing as how he doesn't plan to return to the tower anytime soon. The adventurer suggests getting unique loot from the local monsters and helps Newoz get some Leaf Bookmarks.

It's later revealed that Newoz joined a club with Roter and Mingmin for the sole purpose of researching rare monsters. The club eventually turned into a guild with Newoz as the guildleader. They recruited Aigu of the Dandelion band, which included Melody-Jack. Somewhere along the way Newoz met Arang and Ari and recruited Arang into the guild.

Eventually, members of White Wings track down Newoz to a space in the Dimensional Gap. Roter seemed relieved to finally find the Minstrel while Mingmin could think nothing more but to feed Newoz a basket full of poisonous mushrooms for costing the guild so much time and money to find him. Newoz promises to explain himself and remarks that he can't eat mushrooms at all. Aigu mentions that Newoz can't eat anything but meat, but she's glad he's safe regardless. Gelka greets Newoz enthusiastically, saying that her master told her many great things about him. Feeling embarrassed, Roter tells her to stop and says that Newoz is nothing more than an idiot with no sense of direction. Arang notes that Newoz's eyes look puffier than usual, suggesting that he hasn't been getting much sleep. Newoz greets her back and asks her about Ari until he is interrupted by Roter telling him how they've recruited new guildmembers to find him and that he has been gone for a very long time. Runane quickly introduces herself and expresses how honored she is to finally meet the famous Newoz in person. Roel chimes in his own greeting and mentions that he joined the guild along with Runane.

After all the introductions and reunion remarks were done with, Roter boastfully asserts that according to the guild's policy, he is now the guildleader and Newoz has been demoted to mere member status. Without missing a beat, Newoz happily congratulates Roter on his promotion, which disappoints Roter as he wanted to upset the Minstrel. Just then, a voice chimes in saying that Newoz wouldn't be fazed by such a thing as all he's interested in are adventure, monsters, and treasure. Newoz wonders if the voice is a ghost and then greets Melody-Jack properly. While still in Hiding status, Melody-Jack warns that he senses something coming from the ground where Newoz was standing. Arang jokingly asks if that's why Melody-Jack is hiding like a coward, to which the Shadow Chaser responds that it is natural for veteran thieves like him to hide themselves in potential enemy territory. Mingmin agrees with Melody-Jack and says that the area simply screams that it's unnatural. Bragi suggests that perhaps the place was supernatural. Noticing the Bard, Newoz asks if his name was Bragi and that he'd love to work with him sometime.

Just then, Runane asserts that she joined the guild in order to meet Newoz and asks the Minstrel if he has a girlfriend. Aigu quickly yells out that she has dibs on him first, to which Runane counters if Newoz knows that. Aigu sheepishly admits she never confessed to him and Runane declares that the Minstrel is fair game. Gelka begins to feel uncomfortable about the conversation as Arang expresses that she wants in on the fight over Newoz's affection as well. Suddenly, Mingmin notes that something is in the distance and Runane quickly volunteers to go check it out. Aigu runs after her to Bragi's chagrin. Roter exclaims that Newoz is a magnet for crazy and Gelka says she understands why the Minstrel bothers him so. Mingmin chimes in saying that Roter is always irritable and Arang agrees, adding that he's violent and dirty. Roter tells them to shut up and Newoz decides to bring up a memory and refers to Roter as "Rot." Gelka is surprised by the nickname and asks the Archbishop if they're actually friends. Roter becomes fed up and begins to stomp off. Mingmin advises him that the Dimensional Gap that they came through has disappeared and that it would be best to follow after Aigu. This makes Roter even more upset, accusing the Geneticist of pretending to care about him and that he can take care of himself. One by one, the rest of the guild leaves until the only ones left was the newest guild recruit and Melody-Jack. After some awkward silence, Melody-Jack suggests that they get a move on, lest they get left behind.

Aigu, Arang, and the recruit manage to find Newoz, who complains that the area is like a maze with so many offshoots and clearing. He began to fill with dread as memories of Bifrost Tower came to him. Arang snorts, saying that he thought the same of Prontera Culverts, which was nothing compared to this. Aigu couldn't understand why it was so difficult for Newoz to follow them and notices that Runane is not with them anymore. Suddenly, a girl in black points out Newoz as the "man with the singing voice" and introduces herself as Shaloshi. Newoz thinks she's cute and promises to sing for her later. Suddenly, monsters start appearing around them and Aigu begins to worry. Arang assures her that they'll be okay as long as they stick together, until she notices that everyone else is gone. Newoz tells them not to worry as he'll protect them. Arang expresses her love for him, but Aigu notes that Newoz is more likely to run and suggests that they get a move on.

Newoz, Mingmin, and Shaloshi meet up with the new recruit some time later. Mingmin asks Newoz who the girl is and wonders if she belongs to him. Newoz stutters at the question and asserts that he just met her. Mingmin is suspicious of the girl being in such a strange place by herself. Shaloshi calls Mingmin strange in response, which upsets the Geneticist. Just then, monsters begin closing in on them and Mingmin vows to study the girl later.

Newoz, Shaloshi, and the recruit end up losing Mingmin and find Bragi instead. The Bard notes that they meet again and Newoz compliments him on his choice of words. He suddenly thinks of lyrics and begins to sing them out with Bragi filling some in. Newoz says he would make a great Clown, but Bragi prefers to remain a Bard for a while. Shaloshi comments that she loves the song they came up with and Newoz asks her what favorite song is. Shaloshi instead mentions that Runane can sing and whistle well and tries to whistle herself. Seeing her unable to do so, Newoz promises to teach her how to whistle later and asks the recruit what his/her favorite song is. After he/she answers, more monsters show up and Newoz begins to feel hungry. He takes Shaloshi's hand and runs off with her with Bragi chasing after to not get left behind again.

Unfortunately, Newoz, Shaloshi, and the recruit lose sight of Bragi and end up running into Runane and Roel who had just dispatched the monsters. Newoz acts disappointed that he missed out on fighting the monsters and Roel notes that they're cute, but ferocious. Shaloshi reiterates that the small friends that follow them are not cute. Runane emphasizes that they're monsters, not friends, and that they should be careful. Roel wonders if Shaloshi lost her memory since she doesn't seem to understand danger.

While wandering through the area, Newoz was feeling worried that he's lost the others yet again and runs into the new recruit. Suddenly, Melody-Jack's voice sounds out, scaring Newoz. The Minstrel wonders if they're still in danger since Melody-Jack was still hiding. Melody-Jack supposes so and points out that they've been wandering around the same place. Newoz begins getting hungry again and Melody-Jack says that he's been waiting for an opportunity to talk to him. He goes on to affirms that their contract expired as soon as Newoz returned to the guild, but his promise with Newoz still stands due to their current situation. Newoz is relieved that his contingency plan was still intact.

Newoz and the recruit eventually meet up with Mingmin again along with Aigu, Bragi, Roel, and Shaloshi. Shaloshi mentions that she suddenly remembers a few things and Newoz and Bragi initiate an inappropriate joke in response, earning them slaps from Mingmin and Aigu. After chastising them, Aigu asks Shaloshi to elaborate on what she remembers. Shaloshi recalls hearing a voice in darkness that was low and ringing. She then heard Newoz singing while waiting for his friends and his voice warmed her. She didn't understand what friends were, but she wanted it. In doing so, Aigu and Runane showed up as if someone granted her wish. Newoz is curious that Shaloshi would remember darkness as the area they're in has always been brightly lit aside from the fog that separated them earlier. He theorizes there may be someone else in the area along with them.

Just then, the group encounters Roter, Gelka, Arang, and Runane being accosted by monsters. Newoz is worried for Arang and Shaloshi, but the Taekwon girl assures him that they're fine. Newoz mentions that his instincts told him to slow down due to danger ahead and Gelka mistakens it for the instincts of a great adventurer. Arang asserts that Newoz's instincts have gotten rusty and Roter adds that the Minstrel is just being lazy. Shaloshi mentions that her instincts tell her that Newoz is not strong and that he thinks everyone except Roter is mediocre. Mingmin concludes that Shaloshi's instincts are actually an ability to hear thoughts. Runane becomes upset and orders everyone to stop being disrespectful to the Minstrel. Roel intervenes and says that comrades should not be fighting each other. Runane scoffs at the statement, saying that they're all just a bunch of strangers trying to save a lost girl. Roel's heart is aflutter hearing Runane be angry.

While away from everyone else, Newoz tells Roter and Mingmin that having them with him brings back a lot of memories. Roter admits that he was very stubborn and busy pretending that he knew what he was doing. Mingmin brings up how the two of them fought over a florist girl at Prontera's southern gate and that they got punished by the doll merchant at Prontera's eastern gate for driving his customers away with their arguments. Roter becomes more irritated by the recollection as Mingmin reminds them of the time they played with Dead Branches until they died and how they got killed from their Sorcerer friends' Hocus Pocus. Newoz goes on to remind them of how he tricked Mingmin into drinking a Poison Bottle he found on the street by telling her it was expensive, but doesn't mention it being good for her health. The Geneticist recalls dying from that, but thinks it funny while Roter becomes more frustrated.

Back with the rest of the guild, Newoz notices that the atmosphere of the area has changed. Mingmin and Roter point out the air smelling different and it seems as though they're underwater but they're not. Melody-Jack emphasizes that the guild has been circling around the same place since they arrived. Mingmin equates the drastic environmental changes being rather similar to the mood swings of a bipolar person. Melody-Jack adds that as the environment changed, the foreign energy he's been sensing has been growing stronger. As the group talks about what they'll do if a monster appears before them, Arang notices that Shaloshi isn't with them. Newoz suggests they find her and the group goes deeper into the area.

At long last, the entire guild was finally together again with the addition of Shaloshi. Melody-Jack notes that the area is falling apart around them and Shaloshi explains that the Ferres are angry. Mingmin is astonished that the girl can also hear the thoughts of monsters and Shaloshi asserts that they're her friends. Runane argues that friends wouldn't attack each other and Shaloshi goes on to explain that the Ferres are attacking the guild because they're trying to protect Shaloshi from Roter's thoughts. With that, they teleport her away. Roter suggests they find a way out before the place collapses on them, but Newoz insists that they find Shaloshi. When the rest of the guild protests against it, Newoz decides to go look for her on his own. He reminds them that he's not their guildleader anymore and that they don't have to follow him if they don't want to. Aigu quickly goes with the Minstrel while the rest of the guild look to Roter for guidance.

Newoz manages to catch up to Shaloshi, but angers Ferre in doing so. The Minstrel tries to tell the Ferre that he's not there to take the girl away, but the monster becomes so furious that it transforms into its true form: a monstrous grand piano. Shaloshi tries to get Ferre to not attack Newoz, but her words fell on deaf ears. Newoz resigns himself to battling the creature and seeks aid from the new recruit who managed to find him. He proceeds to use Frost Joker, which not only succeeds in freezing the Ferre, but the recruit as well (to his/her dismay).

After they exhausted Ferre, Roter and the others catch up to them. Melody-Jack asserts that they need to get rid of Ferre quickly as the ground was shaking violently. Shaloshi opposes vehemently, revealing that Ferre created this space in the Dimensional Gap for her. If Ferre was to be destroyed or loses its mind, then the space will disappear along with everything inside. Mingmin points out that Shaloshi would be fine though, which causes the girl to fall silent in response. Hearing this, Roter declares that he has plenty of time before the space collapses to get rid of Shaloshi if that's the case. Shaloshi suggests that if she takes Ferre with her to a different space in the Dimensional Gap, then exits will appear due to the rift loosening up. However, Melody-Jack remarks that Shaloshi is too dangerous to let go as she is smart and capable of teleportation. Saddened by the turn of events, Shaloshi admits that she shouldn't have led the guild into that space, but she really wanted some friends. Newoz assures her that she now has friends with the White Wings guild.

Upon hearing this, Shaloshi thanks the Minstrel and admits that she has been leading them on. She reintroduces herself as a demon mind-reader and the third agent of Surt. Although she is free from Surt's control, it doesn't change the fact that she's a demon. She tells them that she enjoyed their company and wonders if they'll be enemies the next time they meet. Newoz assures her that she is a member of his White Wings guild. Roter protests the declaration and refuses to accept a demon into the guild. Despite that, Shaloshi thanks Newoz for the invitation and says she wants to invite him over if she finds an interesting place. She explains that she has the ability to take people with her anywhere she goes and asserts that they wouldn't have followed her as far as they have unless she wanted it. Runane opposes Shaloshi taking away Newoz, but Shaloshi reveals that the High Priestess would like to come along as well.

With that, Shaloshi bades the guild farewell and disappears into the Dimensional Gap with Ferre. The guild regroups and Newoz is ecstatic to have adventured with his old friends again after so long. He hopes that they can adventure together again soon. Roter asserts that the guild was no longer called White Wings and quickly renames it Super Critical as the new guildleader. Aigu thinks the new name sounds lame and Runane agrees that it's dorky. Mingmin exclaims that Roter can keep the name as she's decided to leave the guild because of it. Melody-Jack affirms that although he's not a guildmember, he thinks the new name is undesirable as well. Bragi is uncomfortable being in a guild with that name and asks Aigu if she's willing to stick around under that name. Aigu responds that she doesn't care what the guild's name is as long as she can be with Newoz. Runane is hesitant to stay with the guild if its name is going to be Super Critical instead of White Wings. Roter silences the protest and concludes the adventure of his Super Critical guild.

Newoz receives a letter from Shaloshi and somehow travels to the past along with Aigu to when the Charleston Factory when it was still functioning. Newoz is confused but accepts his circumstances and decides to write a song, even after the factory goes into Rank B security alert.

## Memorable Quotes

>
> **Bragi:** "She said she did."
>
> **Newoz:** "Right, that's what she said."
>
> **Bragi & Newoz:** "?!"
>
> **Bragi & Newoz:** "Gimme five!"
>
> (Aigu and Mingmin slap them)
>
>
>
>

## Gallery

* Newoz's sprite as seen in RO.
* jRO art of Newoz.

## References

1. ↑ Food Supply
2. ↑ Lost Adventurers
3. ↑ Food Supply
4. ↑ Dusting Off
5. ↑ Collecting Souvenirs
6. ↑ Jitterbug Nightmare
7. ↑ Charleston Crisis