2017-03-17: All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses a Knee
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- Log: All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses a Knee
- Cast: Jacqueline Barber, Rudy Roughnight, Xantia
- Where: Ruins of Lahan
- Date: March 17, 2017
- Summary: Rudy and Jay visit the ruins of Lahan on a mission of altruism. Xantia has her own reasons for being there. All goes well until... well, see the title.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. "Nothing left in that town. Nothing but the dead and the scars of battle." "But you want someone to go there?" "I do, my daughter, I gave her a gift very precious to me. My wife's wedding ring. After my wife passed, I gave it to her to remember her mother by. But now she's gone too..." The broken sobs of the man fill the tavern in Adlehyde before people begins to try and console the man and tell him that the trouble isn't work a ring and certainly not worth hiring a Drifter for. Perhaps there are some that are willing to take the old man's offer for coin in exchange for solace. There is one blue haired boy that calmly makes his way out of the building. He plans to do this job for free. The wind blows against Rudy Roughnight's form, the air chilled as if to mark that this a place of death. His hair and bandana waver in the breeze, but his brown eyes are dead set on the silhouette of a destroyed community. He doesn't know what caused this place to be destroyed at the moment, but if there are answers to be found along the way of the quest, then so be it.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia actually didn't hear the story of the man and the missing wedding ring at all. She's already there when Rudy arrives, standing amid the evidence of destruction, eyes closed. The breeze messes up the redhead's hair up even more than it already is, but other than that, she remains motionless. Doing her best to try and recall something, anything. She'd heard of Lahan's tragic fate through another source, including the rumor that Gears were involved with its destruction. That was plenty of reason to want to go here - she has reason to believe that her past could have involved Gears in some capacity. It's a long shot, but perhaps visiting a place where there were Gears in the recent past will make her remember something. So far, no such luck. With a sigh, she slowly opens her eyes. It was easier to be here with her eyes closed. This place doesn't offer much reason for feeling particularly cheerful. So naturally, when she sees Rudy approaching, she immediately turns cheerful, waving enthusiastically. "Hi! Are you exploring, too?"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. She had been there when the man told his tale. It sent a sharp pang through her heart. It had been ages since she had called Adlehyde home, but she still considered herself a citizen, even thirteen years after she had left. She hadn't known him personally, but she felt as if she had a responsibility to make things at least somewhat right. And so, after making some preparations, she set out for Lahan at once. Some time later, a wagon - once bearing garish colors that had since faded with time - drew close to the ruins of what was once Lahan. Sitting at the front was Jacqueline, a grim look on her face as she looked over the scene before her. She had heard the rumors, but it couldn't prepare her for the reality. It was a terrible sight. What could have possibly driven anyone to do this to such a peaceful village? Lahan had been keen on keeping to itself, but it seemed the world had finally caught up to it with tragic results. She had expected she might have to search alone, but when she arrived she noticed that she was not alone. Already there were a red-headed girl she thought she had seen before and a young man. She didn't know if they were here together, but if they were investigating as well she figured she might should offer her services. "Awful sight, ain't it? If I find whoever's responsible for this, I....well, I think I got a few choice words for 'em." She says, dismounting and approaching the two of them. And perhaps a potion or too that she needed to try out. They couldn't complain about being used as a guinea pig after what they'd done.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As Rudy considers the town, he soon finds that he is not alone. A look is given toward Xantia, taking in her appearance before settling his muddy brown upon her vibrant blues. "Just looking for a ring," he states simply, figuring that there really isn't much more of it than that. The boy then looks over toward the woman to behind him, who appears to have a wagon. He left a bit before her, but if he knew she was coming? a wagon ride would have been nice. That's what a person gets for being a lone wolf though, one could suppose. The woman blessed with visible signs of experience is also studied briefly before saying "I've seen you before". Not really interacted with, but seen. A glance is given toward the pair before Rudy inclines his head toward the ruins. "I take it you both have business there as well? If you do, suppose we could travel together and see what we find."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia blinks at Rudy's response. "A ring? You lost a ring? Here?" That could mean a lot of things. Maybe he's a survivor of whatever happened here? Either way, she briefly looks at the floor in her directly vicinity. When that doesn't immediately yield results, she notes, "Well, I don't think it's around here!" Xantia is helping. Another person approaches the pair at this point. There's no immediate recognition in Xantia's eyes, but when Rudy mentions having seen this woman before, she gives it a bit more thought. Has she also seen her before? A moment later, she snaps a finger, looking that much more the brighter. "That's right! The town that got set on fire! You did something to that man's ARM, didn't you? I think that probably saved me from getting set on fire even worse than I was, thank you!" Rudy's suggestion seems sensible enough to her, and she nods enthusiastically. "Sure, I can help look for your ring! And who knows, maybe we'll find something else!" She completely neglects to mention her own business here, and may actually have already forgotten about it in the face of a new objective. "I don't know what I can do, but if you need something smashed, leave it to me!" The large metal hammer strapped to her back should be proof enough that she came prepared for smashing things.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. He'd seen her before? Jacqueline frowned and considered this for a moment. Now that he mentioned it...he was right, though she'd mistaken him for a lost child at the time. Now, however, his calm but determined look made it difficult to make the same mistake again. And it looked like he was here for the same reason she was, too. That would certainly make things a lot easier. Her expression eases into a smile at Xantia's thanks. "Don't mention it." She says with a chuckle, then looks between the two of them. It would be a lot easier with people she knew at least somewhat than with complete strangers, so she was somewhat relieved. She also nods at Rudy's suggestion. "A fine idea." She agrees, then extends a hand. "I'm Jay. 'Fraid I never caught your names before." She says with a smile. Xantia's enthusiasm was a little infectious.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. "Not my ring, someone else's," the boy replies with a slightly chagrined look. A hand moves to a small device that he holds in his hand. It gives off a ping and he shakes his head before he puts it away once more. "Yeah, not here." As the two women speak of dealing with someone's ARM, fire, and so on, Rudy doesn't say a word. He just listens calmly until Barber speaks to him once more. "I'm Rudy," he replies simply, taking the offered hand to give a shake. It's an odd shake, Rudy's grip somewhat soft, but if Jacqueline's grip is firm, she will find that there is a strength there that is clearly not being used. Xantia also is offered a shake as well. While Roughnight's an individual of few words, the meek but honest smile shows there is a warmth to him as well. As Jacqueline has observed, the boy's clearly a mix of some sort of strength and tenderness, anxiety and courage. Perhaps that makes him like most boys his age. "Well, if that's done, I suppose we should get going," Rudy concludes before he starts making his way toward the Ruins.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Introductions! Xantia has her standard one ready. "I'm Xantia!" Which sounds like Zantia, so she adds, "Spelled with an X!" Very important to always note that little detail. "Nice to meet you, Rudy! Nice to see you again, Jay!" She shakes hands readily enough, with the same enthusiasm she does everything. She has quite the firm grip on her, which will probably not surprise Jacqueline, who's already seen her taking her fists to a firefight. There's an odd pause upon shaking hands with Rudy, Xantia giving him a curious look for a moment. Nothing like a person who's constantly holding back her full strength to recognize when someone else is doing the same thing. The bright smile returns quickly enough however, if anything this only encourages Xantia more. Like she needs any more encouragement. "Alright then, let's go!" She happily follows along, hands behind her head, humming a tune that she's making up on the fly. A beacon of positivity in this dreary place.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. Jacqueline couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She could tell that these two, despite being somewhat on the smaller side, had a lot of strength behind them that they had to show, strength that put her own to shame. Physical strength wasn't really a specialty of hers. She was glad, at least, that they would be there to make up for it. Once the round of handshakes and introductions are over, Jay nods in agreement. "Glad to meet ya, then." She says with a nod to both of them before doing a quick once-over of the potions in her bags to make sure that everything is where it should be. "Looks like everythin's where it should be. I'm right behind ya." She says and sets off, following along behind them.
=============================<* Ruins of Lahan *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Obstructed Path *>======================= |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A promising side path to the destroyed village of Lahan turns out to have its own difficulties. While the approach through the forest goes well enough, it turns out one of the massive indigenous creatures that lives here has blocked the road with several fallen trees and large rocks. The sight of giant claw marks on the bark and scratched into the rock suggests that the fastest way through might be to clear a path through the blockage - trying to clamber over might attract the attention of some beast when the party is in a less than ideal position. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. It doesn't take long before the way is blocked, a swift discovery when the other two come up to where Rudy is. He's already looking at the mess of trees and rocks. A small frown shows his concern, but being the mute man he can be, doesn't say a word on it. Instead, he merely pulls out a small square shaped device, clearly a bomb meant for clearing out blockades and barriers. Calmly, he puts it down, but not before he gives a nod toward Xantia to make her move if she wishes. Until he's sure that people have made their mark with the hammer or other means, Rudy won't start it. However, once people are cleared and done anything they want to do, he puts the timed charge down and takes a few steps away, merely letting the explosion rocket behind him, dramatically lighting the area behind him as his bandana slams against his cheek in angry protest.
DG: Rudy Roughnight has used its Tool Excavation Charges toward its party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. The first obstacle happens quickly, but this is right up Xantia's alley, so it doesn't dampen her spirits in the slightest. In fact, this is a promising start, as far as she's concerned. Any excuse to actually use all that brute strength she has is welcome. She takes that nod Rudy gives the way it was intended, agreeing, "Right! Leave it to me!" With ease, Xantia pulls the large hammer free of its leather bindings and approaches the large boulders ahead. She pauses a moment, dropping the hammer beside her so she can flex her muscles a bit, and rub her hands together. That's when it becomes obvious that the tool is massively heavy, leaving a small crater where the head impacts the ground. Still, Xantia makes it look easy, having little trouble lifting the hammer once more. She takes the hilt in both hands, pauses to decide her exact target - dead center for the largest boulder of the bunch - then emits a loud cry as she puts her full strength behind the swing. That may have been a sight to behold, but Xantia simply replaces the hammer afterwards, and merrily skips moreso than walks away to make way for whatever the others are planning on doing. Apparently carrying the hammer on her back is no big deal either.
DG: Xantia has used her Tool Megaton Hammer toward her party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. "This is a problem." Jacqueline mutters with a frown, staring up at the debris that blocked their way. It looked like something had been here recently, with its passing preventing easy access. They were too heavy for her to move personally. She was glad that Xantia seemed to be enjoying herself, but Jay herself wasn't thrilled. She removes a Crest from her bag and looks over the blockage distastefully. It didn't seem like there was a simpler way through this. Crest Sorcery was a useful tool, but it had its drawbacks. The only thing she could control was the strength. If she wasn't careful, she might accidentally bar their way completely. Still, it was the only way she could contribute here. The particular Crest she had in her hand now was inscribed with a spell for hurling stones at a target. She sets her sights on an area a fair away from them and invokes it once Xantia and her hammer are clear. Perhaps it'll make a dent, or perhaps it'll only make things worse. She can't tell right away, as she has turned around to shield her eyes from Rudy's explosive.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
DG: The party led by Rudy Roughnight has passed this challenge! The party gained 12 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
=============================<* Ruins of Lahan *>============================= =====================<* CHALLENGE - Kobold Scavengers *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The damaged buildings have been quiet for a time, but a faint squeak reveals that the party is no longer alone. Kobolds are a small type of demi-human who generally avoid conflict when caught in the open, but this group seems to have discovered something in the ruins that they feel is worth fighting over. The kobolds tend to be cowardly, and attack with thrown stones and other crude projectiles unless they sense they have the upper hand, in which case they tend to charge in a rush. If the party doesn't scatter the vermin, they will likely harry the group for a time, trying to steal anything they can get their hands on. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia smashes the largest boulder, Jacqueline clears away the rubble, and Rudy blasts away what's left. Xantia is pleased with the results. "That was easy!" Really, just having gotten to smash something has already made her day. She has simple needs. The search of the area ahead is stopped cold, however, due to there being company about. Though not immediately visible, Xantia notices right away. "Wait. Do you hear that?" Suddenly, kobolds! And they're throwing everything that they can get their hands on! Pelted by rocks and other random debris, Xantia complains, "Ow! Quit it!" The critters won't listen, and she just gets bombarded even more for a trouble. "Oww! I asked you nicely... you asked for it!" This will be a familiar sight for Jacqueline. Xantia just rushing straight at someone who's using a ranged weapon, powering through until getting them in range of her fists. Any kobolds she manages to reach are going to have a very bad day, likely to be sent flying several feet by the angry redhead's punches.
DG: Xantia has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. Xantia is the one who hears it first. Jacqueline stops in her tracks with a frown, and casts her gaze about. She recognizes the sound as soon as she hears it, however. "Kobolds." She mutters, raising a pillar of earth with a Crest to shield herself from assault by the demi-humans. She uses this time to remove a bottle from the bandolier over her chest. This particular bottle was filled with a foul-smelling black liquid. Monster repellent. Most common monsters hated the scent and fled before, though she had recently learned that it apparently worked on moles and pigeons as well. If they were in the mood for throwing things, however, then she would throw something right back. She peeks around her conjured cover to note that Xantia had charged in. Fortunately, having fought alongside her once before, Jay was used to and had expected this. "Miss Xantia, incoming!" She shouts as a warning, then hurls the entire bottle towards one of the larger ones. It shatters once it reaches its destination, splashing the liquid inside over the area. With any luck it would chase some of them away, giving Xantia and Rudy an easier time of handling the leftovers.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Repellant Vial toward her party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As the group continues past the blockade, the boy gives a smirk. There is something that he enjoys about the destruction. At least destruction that doesn't involve a loss of life. "That was easy enough," he admits as he looks over to Xantia with a thumbs up. But the mission for a ring soon complicates as little beasts start to move about. They are given a name: Kobolds. Barber does her part and Rudy merely has one thing to offer on this. "I got left," before he takes out a weapon from over his shoulder. The leather wrap unveils itself to show an ARM, shaped like an odd mix between a pistol and a rifle. Without any explanation, the gun is leveled and with a trio of blasts, the young boy shows that he can kill... And a fact that may frighten, he seems to be quite good at it.
DG: Rudy Roughnight has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
DG: The party led by Rudy Roughnight has passed this challenge! The party gained 27 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
=============================<* Ruins of Lahan *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Untriggered Trap *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A good eye and careful progression means that the explosives that are carefully packed into a low ruined wall and the tripwire that would set them off are not going to be a problem - but then again, there's also a whole bunch of explosives that could be defused and sold for a pretty penny to a mining concern... or anyone else who might have an interest in causing a good sized mess somewhere. Of course, it's going to take a bit of wit and ingenuity to disarm the trap without it going off, but the reward could be well worth it. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. The sound of gunfire echoes. The kobolds that haven't been scared off by the sound, the repellent, or the sight of a terrifying girl charging at them with reckless abandon are torn apart by the shots or laid low by Xantia's fists. In short order, the way ahead was cleared of threats. To Jacqueline, it was both impressive and frightening to see the two of them wade into battle so readily. Just who were these children? A normal child, even one as skilled as they were, would show at least some hesitation. She frowned slightly, but put the thought into the back of her head. Now wasn't the time to think of such things. With the path ahead clear she began to continue forward once more. Though her thoughts were distracted, she still kept focus enough to spot the tripwire in their way. Her first instinct was to step over it and continue on, but the moral part of her began to argue against that thought. "We probably shouldn't just leave these laying around." She mutters with a frown, looking between Xantia and Rudy. She begins to study the workings of the trap, going through it in her as she tries to figure out just how they would be able to safely disarm it and remove the explosives...without blowing themselves up in the process.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Untriggered Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. "Thanks for your help," Rudy says with a small smile toward Xantia, knowing that her might was likely what turned the tide in the struggle. As the lone male of the group continues, the gun is calmly held in front of him, still smoking as he pulls out some equipment to clean the weapon, a swab moves up and down the barrel. The eyes are still ahead while he pulls out a rag to clean off the side of the weapon until the weapon looks as pristine as when he pulled it out. It's automatic as if second nature. It's only when the weapon is put away and he looks over toward Barber. The look in her eyes. Rudy's eyes gravitate toward the frown and his humanity is shown in the shame. But he merely clears his throat and moves forward. There is nothing that he can do now to change what he did, just show that he's still a decent person. As the talk of dealing with the trip wire begins, the device that Rudy had brought out previously is pulled out again. Slowly, he moves down to one knee and as he does, a green sphere that is grid like appears and bellows out. As he does, there are a few pings here and there. They are clues that he points to. Perhaps things that can be interacted with to help deal with the trip wire: Ends of the wire, tools that might be lying around to assist... Somehow the Radar knows what is needed and it shows it.
DG: Rudy Roughnight has used its Tool Portable Radar toward its party's challenge, Untriggered Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia could be described as many things, but 'normal' is not commonly among them. She certainly had no trouble punching kobolds into next week until they were wise enough to flee. Xantia doesn't actively pursue, only shaking her fist and calling after the creatures, "And don't come back!" There's no more anger visible in her expression by the time she turns to her companions again to offer her thoughts on the situation. "That was great! We sure showed them!" She doesn't seem the slightest bit concerned about Rudy's actions - birds of a feather, perhaps? If she noticed Jacqueline's judgement, that doesn't bother her either. What does bother her is Jacqueline's concoction, Xantia suddenly covering her nose and mouth when she realizes, "Ugh, wow, that stuff really /stinks/!" No wonder they ran, this makes her be in a hurry to move on as well. Only to be stopped when the presence of a tripwire is made clear, causing her to let out a 'wah' in surprise. She'd failed to notice there was a trap here at all. This is why it's smart to travel with others! While Jacqueline and Rudy work on disarming the trap, Xantia just... stands there. Until awkwardly admitting what may be obvious at that point: "Sorry, I... don't know anything about this stuff." The brief downer immediately passes, and she perks up, realizing, "But I do have something that can help!" She reaches for her cloak's inner pocket, to withdraw her most commonly consulted piece of literature when dealing with anything that she doesn't know about. It's a thick tome claiming to be the 'Guide to Dungeoneering', full of questionably useful advice by various not-so-famous explorers. It doesn't take her long to find something on the subject. "'There are few problems that can't be solved by the proper amount of explosives.' ...That doesn't help at all!" She continues to flip pages, until coming across something else that seems relevant. "'Any explosive situation can be dealt with using extreme patience. Don't lose your head, and you won't lose your head.'" Xantia ponders this one a moment. Then she shakes her head and shrugs, placing the book back in her cloak's pocket. "I don't get it. But it sounded helpful. Was that helpful?"
DG: Xantia has used her Tool Guide to Dungeoneering toward her party's challenge, Untriggered Trap.
DG: The party led by Rudy Roughnight has passed this challenge! The party gained 27 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As the group finds the trip wire, Xantia attempts to find wisdom in her book as Jacqueline begins to look through the trap. As the words are mulled over, it is then that Rudy's Radar picks up some things that Jacqueline is able to see when the 'obvious' is pointed out: connections for the trip wire, what it's connected to, and more. It is her steady hands and wisdom that ultimately sees the group through and soon they are walking on. Rudy offers a simple thumbs up as a response with a small smile, clearly approving of the apparent success of the group. As the trio moves toward the collapsed wall, Rudy's brown eyes look over it. "Huh, I think the ring might be there," he replies, pulling out another charge. He's making adjustments to it, putting down smaller charges to help clear out the debris and make it easier for the others to get to the treasures underneath. It seems like he knows a lot more than his age should suggest, but clearly still waters run deep.
DG: Rudy Roughnight has used its Tool Excavation Charges toward its party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Yay, Xantia helped! Well, she's convinced that the advice she found was helpful, anyway, and isn't that what really matters? Moving on, she agrees with Rudy's assessment, nodding vigorously upon seeing glimpses of what's beyond the wall. "Sure looks like a place where people stored stuff! Or... maybe the kobolds stored stuff that they stole here." It might seem like an unusually insightful thing for Xantia to say, but she's not completely inexperienced where it comes to monsters. Welp, she sees no reason to hold back on this. Time to break out the Megaton Hammer once again. With her spirits as high as they are, she's feeling extra chatty, sharing the tool's origin story while she lines up her swing. "I got this for free, y'know. Blacksmith said he made a mistake, said he made a hammer nobody could use. So he said I could have it, if I could lift it. He made a funny face when I did." And there's swing number two of the day, aimed to do the heavy work in knocking out the wall since, well, it's probably obvious by now that the more delicate debris-clearing work is best left to somebody else. Xantia smash!
DG: Xantia has used her Tool Megaton Hammer toward her party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. It was a remarkable device, that radar of Rudy's. It seemed to point out everything they needed to safely disarm the tripwire and remove the explosives connected to it. In fact, it pointed out a few things she wouldn't have noticed easily at first. Things obscured were uncovered and dealt with in short order. And Xantia...well, she was trying, bless her. It was that earnest attempt more than the actual guide that encouraged Jacqueline throughout the process. "Of course, thank you. They were invaluable." She replies with a smile towards Xantia, and returns Rudy's thumbs-up with a nod. Jacqueline was about ready to continue on when Rudy stopped them. It seemed that there was a possibility that the ring was here. She turned her eyes onto the collapsed wall, looking it over before glancing back to Rudy. "Good thing we found those explosives." She comments with a slight smirk. They would probably help to replenish the supplies he was using up. Still, that left the problem of the wall itself. She couldn't cast here without risk of scattering the ring to who-knows-where. She moved in to help, but with her relative lack of strength compared to the other two her only real contributions were moving smaller objects and providing guidance. She chuckles as Xantia provides the story of her hammer, though it mostly serves to 'hammer' in the fact that she is decidedly not normal. At least they were on the same side.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
DG: The party led by Rudy Roughnight has passed this challenge! The party gained 17 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
=============================<* Ruins of Lahan *>============================= ==================<* CHALLENGE - The Shattered Cliffside *>=================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The path through Lahan's ruins has been difficult, and getting to the center of town doesn't seem possible along this route. This doesn't mean that all hope is lost, however - because along the north edge of the town lies a cliff face that appears to have been broken and shattered by the fighting. Large craters pocket its face, with strange glass-like ribbons of rock running down to pool at the bottom of the cliff - testament to the power that had launched several Gears into the cliff side. Their shattered forms protrude from the rocks, while another lies atop the cliff, seemingly in better shape than the others. It is a formidable climb, but rewards await those who can assail the cliff and succeed. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. The storage room is breached without too much difficulty, although between the hammering and the explosives, a bit more of the wall came tumbling down than the party intended. Whoops. Now, is the ring there...? Don't look to Xantia to find out. She suddenly finds herself distracted by the sight uncovered by the collapse of this large section of wall. The wreckages of Gears, embedded in the cliffside further ahead. The normally chatty girl falls completely silent at the sight, seemingly in awe. She had indeed forgotten that this is the sort of thing that she came here to look for, until now. Now, she seems to have forgotten about her companions, suddenly breaking into a run for the cliffs. Through executing formidable jumps where she can, and climbing conventionally where she can't, she wordlessly and desperately attempts to reach the top, trying to get to the Gear she spotted there that looks like it might still be mostly in one piece. True, she was pretty excited for this from the beginning, but her motivation seems to have abruptly increased manifold, not showing any care at all for the danger in the feat she's attempting to perform.
DG: Xantia has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As the group looks through the supplies, the radar device is pulled out again, using it once more to let out a ping. As the read-out makes itself known, Rudy gives a firm nod, digging through some rubble to find a charred remain of a hand. There is a moment of silence as he looks to the ring toward it. Those that look to him see the eyes water, but he merely gets the ring off, wipes the tears before they fall, and quietly and solemnly bury the hand once more. He gives a sniff as he rises, offering it for Jacqueline, as if some attempt to buy her approval. Regardless whether or not it does, the blue haired boy looks toward the cliffs. He doesn't admire them. Instead, he sees Xantia's initiative and follows suit. Rudy runs toward the wall of stone and leaps for it. His gloves dig for purchase and though the ascent is slow and painful with constant slides back, he tries to overcome, making sure that he's bottom so that if people fall they will have someone to catch them at best or land on at worst. While he came here for the ring that he has gotten, there is more to this and if those that have come with him this far has offered their aid for the ring, he can offer his strength for this.
DG: Rudy Roughnight has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward its party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. Jacqueline helps root through the rubble. While she doesn't find the ring, she does find a few other things of use. "Sorry. Hope you'll forgive me." She says to no one in particular, wrapping a length of rope around one arm and picking out a few other useful items as well. It was only a modest amount, with the rest left for Rudy and Xantia to divide between themselves. "Nothin' here. What about you guys?" She asks, and smiles as it seems that Rudy has found it. She's surprised that he offers it to her, however, and she feels a slight stab to her heart as she realizes that he must have noticed the concerned looks she was giving off. Yet again, it seemed like she had made him feel bad about himself. Though he was a bit unusual, the gesture helps to assure her that he is still, in some manner, the kind boy he appears to be. She closes his hand around the ring with a nod and a smile, hoping to reassure him. "You hold onto it. Think I'd trust it more with you." She says. With the matter of the ring settled she looks to see how Xantia's work is coming along, only to find that she is no longer with them. With a frown she glances around, and with a curse spots her running towards a treacherous cliff-side as if possessed. "Don't run off alone!" She shouts, chasing after Xantia with Rudy alongside her. Unfortunately, Xantia had started up the cliff before they could stop her. Jacqueline removes another bottle from her bandolier, this one filled with a pale-green liquid, and downs it. Her movement almost seems to accelerate as she begins to scale the wall after her, using a Crest to conjure small pillars of earth to serve as footing. Whatever was in that bottle, it had her moving more quickly and accurately than before.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Invigoration Elixir toward her party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside.
DG: The party has failed this challenge! All party members are now Exhausted. Your party can no longer continue and is forced to retreat!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia got overeager, and she pays for it. Landing from a jump upon one of the broken Gears stuck within the cliff, intending to use it as a springboard, she overestimates how well-anchored the wreckage actually was. With the terrifying sound of rupturing metal, the entire section of twisted metal that she landed on snaps right off, and goes plummeting into the depths. It all happens so quickly that instinct takes over. With a yelp in panic, Xantia leaps off the falling debris, towards where she was vaguely aware someone else was climbing after her. Hopefully Rudy was prepared for a falling chunk of metal, and to catch somebody actively jumping towards him from it.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As the three are moving up the wall, Roughnight continues his climb. He knows that this stuff is not his strong suit, but he has to push on. He won't be defeated by such simple things like climbing. His position in the rear seems to grow despite Barber starting the same time as him. He might be stronger, but she seems far more graceful. But it seems like success is in sight. The trio seems to climb and while Rudy might not be graceful perhaps... But he can't keep it up, his handholds continue to not find purchase and in frustration he merely slides down to the bottom of the hill. Perhaps one of them can get where he could not. But that's when life continues to get more difficult. "Watch out!" he warns Barber, in case she is not able to see the metal or it comes too close for her. Rudy, already toward the bottom, he able to barely avoid the metal by running out of the way and continues to run toward where the falling Xantia is going to land. While she might hit the cliffside some on the way down, the final impact won't be on ground, but instead it will be in Rudy's arms as he cradles her in a catch. There is a sickening thud that occurs due to this, due to the heavy impact of two people's weight on one knee, resulting in a pool of crimson forming where it slammed into the ground. Gently, Rudy sets Xantia either on the ground or if she has the strength to stand on her feet. His eyes are still where Jacqueline is, making sure she doesn't need someone else and willing to catch again if the strong red-haired warrior is not able to. Even if it costs him temporary loss of the other knee.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. The sound of metal breaking above her alerts Jacqueline to the dangers that were about to come crashing down. She freezes in place, but Rudy's warning kicks her mind into gear once more. She leaps to the side and summons another foothold to avoid the largest piece of debris as it comes crashing down to the surface. Stone and metal shards fall down towards her, and though they manage to draw some blood she comes out relatively unscathed, considering the alternatives. "Rudy? Xantia? Are you alright?" She asks, glancing down at the two of them. She lets out a gasp and hurriedly makes her way to their level, her face slightly pale. "Rudy, can you move it? Is it broken?" She asks hurriedly, her voice full of concern. She couldn't get a good enough look at it from here, she'd have to get closer to see what the extent of the damage was. As she made her way down, she began to root through her bags for another potion.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia is barely able to process what just happened, wide-eyed and breathing heavily as Rudy sets her down. It takes her a moment to get her bearings again, blinking a few times as she slowly starts to realize where she is again. Shortly after, she abruptly lurches upright, laying eyes on Rudy, and being vaguely aware of Jay's voice calling out her name. So they're still here. That's good. Since everything is a blur right now, the first words out of her mouth are "What happened?" Then, very soon after, "You're hurt." She immediately moves to get to her feet, grimacing as she does. She didn't come out of this unhurt herself, having cut and bruised herself on the rock face and metal debris in several areas during the whole ordeal. She only just now started to notice this, but it doesn't deter her from moving to Rudy's side. Her wounds are altogether minor, his looks more serious, and more deserving of concern. Of course, now that she went over to him, she has no idea how she can actually help, just sort of moving her hands in the air around the wounded knee, wondering if she should be touching it, and if so how. A first aid expert, she is not. "Ah, oh no, there's so much blood, what do I do?"
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As Jacqueline inquires as to the state of his emergency and Xantia comments on his injury, Rudy replies with a simple "I'm fine" as he tries to push himself up. Slowly he gets up, but only gets about three or four inches higher before silent suffering forces him back down, having to use a hand for support. "I'm /fine/," Rudy repeats, as if trying to repeat history again by pushing himself up in the hopes of a different result. This time, the pain is enough to cause him to cry out and fall to his side. The cause of the injury is clear as rolls over, one of the jagged pieces of metal that has fallen as lodged itself into his knee in some way. If he was your average adventurer, this might be the end of his traveling days. Maybe have to settle down in a town to be a guard. Thankfully, he's not, but it's enough to keep him down for awhile and definitely in need some medical attention if not a lot of heal berries. Frustration mingles with pain, as the triumph of past victories goes swiftly to self-loathing for mistakes. "You both keep going. I messed up, but you ladies can still get whatever's up there if you can," Roughnight offers quietly, just trying to regulate his breathing to help manage the pain.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. Jacqueline sighs, and shakes her head. He said he was fine, but he was clearly too injured to carry on. She walks over to him, kneeling down by his side. "Absolutely not. After that collapse, that cliffside ain't gonna be stable to climb for a good while. And, more importantly, it /weren't your fault/. 'Magine whatever jokers were here last did a good number on it 'fore we did." She says. A stern edge enters her voice as she speaks, though it is not devoid of kindness. It probably wasn't entirely true, but she was saying it for his benefit. A few white lies could be excused. A gentle hand rests on his shoulder, and she looks back at Xantia. "I'm gonna need your help, Xantia. Saw some medical supplies in that room we were in, with the wall. Couldja go grab 'em for me? Just grab whatever looks good." She asks, then hands Rudy the potion she had procured. "Here. This oughta dull the pain, at least for now." She says. She wasn't a doctor, but she knew a thing or two about first aid. She wanted to get him back to the wagon so that they could get someone to look at him properly, but it didn't seem like a good idea to move him before they got that shrapnel out of his leg. They'd have to deal with that first.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Twice over, Rudy attempts to stand. Twice over, Xantia makes a move as if to stop him, but stops short of actually restraining him both times. She wants to let him try, but can't hide her concern that a wound like that is going to make it impossible. She lets out a pained whine when she finally sees how bad the injury actually is. Now it makes sense, of course nobody can stand like that. And yet... he encourages them to still keep going. "What?! No! I don't care what's up there!" It's a complete 180 from how badly Xantia seemed to want to get up there earlier. It's debatable if she fully realizes that her desire to climb the cliff is how they got into this situation to begin with, but whatever the case may be... Rudy is seriously hurt, and she's not about to leave anybody behind in that state. That's all that matters right now. Besides, it's slowly starting to dawn on her, "You... saved me, right? This... this is my fault." Jay tells her something that she can do, so she nods eagerly, rushing back to the storeroom. It's hard to tell that she even has any injuries of her own, seeing her run like that. It's not without pain for her, but that too is something she really doesn't care about right now. If this is her fault, then she has to make it right, and get this stuff as soon as possible. Bandages are easy enough to retrive, but she isn't able to tell what vials of ointment are useful for treating wounds and which are just to treat dried skin. So she takes all of them, soon returning with her arms full of various bottles, definitely not all useful, but she figures there has to be something in there that they can use. "Does this help?"
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. As the potion expert offers her thoughts on the situation, Rudy just looks down. On one hand, it's clear she's lying to Rudy, who feels that they could get up there if they wanted. On the other, it's touching to him that they actually care. Other drifters have left him to get the reward themselves, citing excuses from 'I really need the money thanks' to 'you're lucky we don't take what /you/ have'. But she and Xantia are offering to help, to make sure he's okay, in a world that seems to be filled with failures, heartless souls, and rejection, it's more of a balm to his hurts than the medical treatment they are trying to offer to him now. Rudy takes the potion and drinking it, apparently agreeing to treatment now as the two insist. "Thank you," he says softly to the two as they work. As Xantia speaks of it being her fault, Rudy shakes his head. "We did our best and mistakes happen. We just learn and do better when we have the next challenge, that's all," he states as he looks toward the ground, still barely above a whisper, his tone spoken as if quoting someone.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed. "That's right. Can't get too worked up about it." Jacqueline agrees. She wondered who Rudy had heard that from. Whoever they were, they sounded pretty smart. Unfortunately, she didn't notice Xantia's own injuries. Jacqueline would feel terrible about it if she knew, but right now the severity of Rudy's kept her focus. When Xantia returned, Jacqueline took a quick look over the vials she had brought with her. Xantia's thoughts were on the mark. Not all of them were relevant but there were enough useful ones there that, along with what Jacqueline had on her, they would at least be able to get him to a point where they could safely transfer him back to her wagon. "That's perfect, thank you." She says with a nod and a smile, and accepts the supplies from her. The ones she didn't need were set aside, and after some initial preparation she focuses on Rudy. "Okay, starting now. Try to stay still for me, alright?" She says and, after waiting for confirmation from him, gets to work.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed. Xantia didn't have any words in response to Rudy's words of wisdom, or Jay's confirmation. They may be right, but it doesn't feel right, not right now. She looks relieved upon receiving confirmation that the stuff she brought helped, she really wants sure about anything but the bandages. Then she kneels beside Rudy, guessing, "You need to get the metal out, right? I'll make sure he stays still, then." Not accepting any objections, Xantia places her hands on Rudy's leg, on opposite sides of the wound. Injured or not, her grip isn't any less firm for it. It'll be worse if he moves during this, her aim is to make sure that he couldn't move his leg much if he wanted to. Which doesn't mean that she doesn't feel bad about doing this. She feels terrible. In an effort to do something, anything more to help, she closes her eyes when Jacqueline starts to do her thing, and starts to repeat two words over and over as if it were a mantra. "Feel better. Feel better. Feel better." It may look a little silly, but it's well-intentioned. ...it also appears to be helping. What may have appeared as a child-like attempt to make someone's pain go away ends up being some kind of actual power, if the soft glow and warmth that starts coming from Xantia's hands after a while is any indication. This isn't sorcery, at least not any kind known on Filgaia, or Lunar for that matter. This is something different. Whatever it is she's doing, it doesn't actively heal the wound, but it is stimulating the natural healing process. It won't heal the injury outright, but it may end up helping recovery time along a bit. With a sudden shudder, Xantia removes her hands, looking a little confused. "Something felt strange," she says to no one in particular. Not for the first time, she has absolutely no idea what she just did, or indeed that she just did something at all.
<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed. There is a brief pause as Rudy is held still by Xantia and Jacqueline does her thing. Rudy takes off his glove, learning to bite it to help manage the pain as the shard of metal is taken out. Once that is done and Xantia is done with her thing, the young man offers a simple "Thank you" unsure why Xantia helped him feel better as well as Jacqueline, but easing to a fugue-ish state due to the blood loss and over exertion. Still, at least he can kinda be of an aid walking back using his good leg to limp back to the wagon slowly when leaded there by Barber. The important mission was done, getting the man his ring. The money and supplies might be nice, but they can always be acquired other places. Finding people who seem to be trustworthy and good people? Well, that is another issue all together and perhaps a far more worthwhile gift to the somewhat shy Rudy Roughnight.