2017-03-28: A Bunch Of Smart A-Lecks
- Log: 2017-03-28: A Bunch Of Smart A-Lecks
- Cast: Ida Everstead-Rey, Zed, Yarobeleedt, Riesenlied, Sephilia Lampbright, Kalve
- Where: Silver Coast
- Date: March 28, 2017
- Summary: A number of humans, unknowingly in the company of Metal Demons who are carefully biding their time before they take to the world stage for Mother's conquest, all head into the Leck Mines together. (This was Yarobeleedt's debut scene, the log having been found in late May of 2019!)
==============================<* Silver Coast *>============================== The Silver Coast is the name given to the northeastern coastline of Ignas. The origins of the name are lost to history, but residents of the area tend to assume it reflects either the famous white-sand beaches northeast of Lacour, or the region's distance from the desertification slowly spreading out from the continent's heart. The Coast and its surrounding territories are claimed by the Kingdom of Lacour, and contain a wide assortment of biomes, from plains to rocky hills and mountains to rolling beaches. Major roads between Lacour and its next two largest settlements - the Port City of Hilton and the Academy City of Linga - are heavily patrolled by the kingdom's soldiers, and are generally safe. The hinterlands, however, are plagued by monsters of all types; researchers in Linga can find a variety of uses for the body parts of monsters, and do a brisk trade with Adventurers seeking to protect the population and make a little coin to boot. BGM: https://www.ywww.youtube.com/watch?v=hYbFnoRSW6M
DG: A party led by Ida Everstead-Rey is now entering Leck Mines. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================================<* Leck Mines *>================================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - Sudden Drop *>========================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- When you enter the Leck Mines, you can see the start of the mining cart pathway. A switch lay ahead, though it looks thoroughly rusted. But, as you step closer, there is a tremor in the ground... and it gives way, plunging you down into the darkness! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
The last time Ida was in Leck Mines...
Ida and Cecilia stand in front of an enormous cave-in that has turned the tunnel ahead into a jumble of fallen rocks and twisted metal girders. Claude and Bart are rolling up their sleeves, exchanging cocky banter.
Five minutes after that...
Claude and Bart are getting a workout. Ida is offering encouragement, and water. Cecilia is staring at nothing, looking oddly distant.
Fifteen minutes after that...
Bart is seriously considering calling in some manner of ARM strike from his pirate ship. That's about when the group decides to call it.
NOW...
Ida's picked a different tunnel this time--the mines are nothing if not a twisty, torturous maze--but the general principle is the same. It's a hole in the rock, reinforced with steel girders, and it smells of dirt and cold, damp air. A minecart track runs down into the depths. "Watch your step," Ida says, as she leads the way in. "The ground here is--"
Something rumbles. Ida says something unladylike. She all but throws herself against the wall, clinging desperately to a support and hoping it doesn't give out.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Sudden Drop.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Meanwhile, in the space immediately next to Ida.
One split second, there is a Zed, arms crossed, falling vaguely downward.
The next, he's gone, vanished somewhere into the abyss.
...But his strange extendo-scarf is now occupying where he once was. At least that means it can probably be used as a rope to rappel down with! Maybe it got caught on something?
...Surely it can't just be... anchored in space. ...Right?
DG: Zed has used his Tool Grapple Scarf toward his party's challenge, Sudden Drop.
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
One of the gathered is kind of a... tall, spindly person? Is it a person? It's person-shaped, and it's wearing a robe like persons wear. So in the short term, a person. There's something kind of noxious about him, also very fidgety, but here he is, bravely braving the tunnels of the Leck Mines alongside some other people who are not as spindly and robed and fidgety as himself.
"So the ^Yawning Earth^ is...!" It sounds like a shriek. You know what, that is a shriek.
That is also the sight of him leaping up and clutching the ceiling above with exacting grip, laying his body flat up above. (The ceiling also cracks under his weight, so, uh, he'll probably be joining the rest of you very shortly.)
DG: Yarobeleedt has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Sudden Drop.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The sensation is...
Riese held her head and flinched for a moment. More than ever before, she hadn't been bothered by such a pressure in her head of this magnitude. Then, it's passed. Just... just what was that? She had to find out.
She nodded at Ida, as she describes how her last visit went and -- her eyes widen as the ground suddenly shakes. She's thrown her wings out in a rather rapid attempt to stop her descent, and also sweep for the nearest person she can catch -- which happens to be Ida.
P-Princess carry?!
"Careful, Miss Ida..."
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Angel Wings toward her party's challenge, Sudden Drop.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephilia is glad to be on a good old-fashioned EXPLORATION with Ida. She's been feeling...not exactly cooped up, but definitely a lot less carefree than she used to be. Being the target of the Pyre Witch will do that. She's at least had time to patch Chauncey up quite thoroughly, almost as well as the day he was first made.
And there was a RAILWAY ride on the way here. Sephy's never seen one of those before, and she was fascinated by the experience. She even made up a little song on the way.
Train, train, take us away
Take us away, far away
To the future we will go
Where it leads no one knows.
It seems the singing lessons with Talise have inspired the girl at least.
But then they got to the mines, and then the GROUND FALLS OUT FROM UNDER THEM.
"Why is it always a hole?!" she exclaims as she falls.
DG: Sephilia Lampbright has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Sudden Drop.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve is definitely a person. A person with an excellent sense of fashion. Ask any... ... ...Zed. Ask any Zed.
This does not contribute towards his ability to not fall into deep, dark pits.
Their twisty path leads to this point, and Ida's warning appears to coincide with finding exactly what she's worried about. The ground gives way while Kalve is halfway to the start of the Minecart Riding Minigame, and Kalve throws himself forward, making a desperate bid to fling himself towards the switch instead of straight into the depths! All he has to do is get near a surface, and --!
DG: Kalve has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Sudden Drop. DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 22 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. DG: Zed has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Leck Mines *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Rusty Steel Door *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A few doorways were installed by miners, even on the levels they abandoned. This one has swung shut - and rust has made it sealed tight. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Riesenlied grabs Ida out of the air, sparing her what could've been a nasty fall. She sees Zed's scarf tangled on the stalactites, reaches for it, and grabs tight. Thankfully, it's secure, and she slides down into the depths with little trouble. "It's all right, Kalve!" Ida says, realizing he's the only one still up there except for the cloaked guy Riesenlied brought with her. (Please don't be another Pyre Witch, Ida thinks.) "See? Zed was courteous enough to provide a way down! Isn't that right, Zed?"
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Gravity is a great and powerful force. It operates over distances unfathomable to the untrained mind, and ensnares all that is within its inescapable embrace. Zed is familiar with the touch of gravity. He knows its downward tug. He has felt its impact in his legs and spine.
And so he knows that, while his body may be drawn down by gravity... His soul never shall be.
Zed makes contact with the floor, and then immediately rebounds down a corridor. "Ahahaha! Yet another place with an ENORMOUS CLIFF that stands in the way of us and progress! I am noticing... A trend."
Also trends: Locked doors. In this case, a rusty old door.R
"Hm," Zed frowns, and then grabs the handle. "This door... Shall not stand in my way!" He pushes! WITH ALL HIS MIGHT!
COME, JOIN HIM FRIENDS!!
DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Rusty Steel Door.
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
A certain jerk by the name of Yarobeleedt doesn't take the scarf down. He takes the falling chunk of ceiling down. The bad news is that it lands heavy side down, leaving a flat-laying robed human (totally a human) resting against it as stone shards fly everwyehre.
"Keeeeehhhhh! St-stand assiiide!" The robed human bolts upright, their body bobbing up and down like the just might be hopping and skipping under there as they come across the rusted door. "The great Yarobeleedt shall destroy this obstrucshun faster than ^Silly Greenhead^!" ...'Obstruction.'
Rearing back one robed arm with a high-pitched squeal, he lunges it forward into one of the edges...
...and begins to gingerly scrape at it.
Pushing versus scraping. It is a contest. It is also telling that he keeps crowding his side of the door so that most really can't join in with the scraping.
DG: Yarobeleedt has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Rusty Steel Door.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephilia groans and lays on her back where she landed for a few minutes, catching her breath. Finally, she sits up, rubbing at her head with an expression of worry, though thankfully her hand does not come away bloody. She sighs in relief. "Holes are never fun," she says, "but they're everywhere. I don't get it."
She's still complaining about it when they come to the rusty door. "Can we find whoever invented holes and--oh, good."
Chauncey comes out, and once Sephy's carefully attached his digging claws, is made to do his big-size thing. "Both of you step aside," she commands from her perch hanging from Chauncey's neck. "Chauncey can handle something like this." The giant plush fox starts lumbering forward without waiting for them to get out of the way.
DG: Sephilia Lampbright has used her Tool Digging Claws toward her party's challenge, Rusty Steel Door.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Ah, really...
In some ways, perhaps Riesenlied had been feeling a bit generous and urged Yarobeleedt to try to regain some of his functions after his rather long period of torpor, following his injuries in Arctica Castle. But there had to be a measure of subtlety in place. 'Beastman!' only goes so far as an excuse, after all.
Not that she hadn't been running that one to the ground, nope.
"That was unpleasant," she says as she helps herself down, and helps Sephy to her feet to make sure the girl is doing okay. Odjn bobbles up to the task, slamming her tiny figure against it and pushing with all her might. "By the powers of Blackskull, I -- HAVE -- THE POWER!!"
It's actually a very considerable amount of might, given her actual nature.
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Tiny Odjn toward her party's challenge, Rusty Steel Door.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve manages to not fall down the hole by virtue of his finding a handhold. His poncho might be settling a little weirdly, but that's just because of the angle when you look at him from below. It's nothing to be concerned with. Maybe he's just wearing a backpack?
Kalve avails himself of Zed's scarf-grapnel to get to a lower point, then wall-slides down to the bottom like some kind of mega man. He lands and adjusts his screamingly bright poncho, glancing at their group to make sure everything's in order. He takes a breath. Nobody died. That's good. "Holes are part of the nature of the universe," Kalve observes. "It could not function without..." He trails off, looking up at Chauncey. "...that is a very large creature."
Kalve sidles around to the side of the mass of pushing, lumbering compatriots. He leans over to the door, examines it for a second, and hits it twice with an open palm. There's a 'clang-clang!!' of impact. He steps back, nodding a little, apparently content to let the more physically impressive do the rest of the work, after he's done, uh... whatever he did.
DG: Kalve has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Rusty Steel Door.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida offers Sephilia a hand up, should she need it, and takes stock. Everyone looks all right, that's good. Even the stranger seems all right, despite his rather alarming descent, and the way he's moving under that robe. Ida has no real way to gauge anything about the robed newcomer, aside from Riesenlied being a trustworthy, stand-up woman. "Good form, Sir Chauncey," Ida says, as Sephilia's ever-present sidekick does his thing. She looks remarkably unphased by the sight of the plush fox turning into a bigger, more powerful plush fox. Perhaps this has happened before. "This is Sephilia's companion, Lord Chauncey of Foxington. Sephilia can tell you more about him. Ah, Odjn, be careful!"
She offers water to those working at the door. This is her contribution.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Rusty Steel Door. DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 22 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> Zed has posed.
This door is mighty. This door is strong. This door is greater than Zed's strength alone...! "Push!" Zed yells, as he WILLS HIMSELF through the barrier. "WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAAAAVE!" The door creaks. It groans. Then... Somehow, by some miracle of brute force, pure moxy, a dragon headbutt and GIANT SUPER DOLLS, the door... Falls off its hinges.
No. That's not quite right. The door doesn't actually swing open. Instead, the entire metal framework gives way and tips onto the opposite side. Zed falls forward with a squawk, only bellyflopping on Yaro because there is someone in this world who has bad luck that can rival Zed's-- but otherwise, ends up under a big old pile of dragon and doll.
It's then the group can see...
This door was pull-open.
O-oops.
"O-onwards, friends!" Zed... Seems unperturbed. Has he even noticed!? (Probably not. This was just yet another victory notch for his belt)
DG: Kalve has drawn a new Challenge.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
The tunnel beyond the door straightens and then twists, worming like a snake cut into the ground. The ceiling is shored up but isn't very high, making it an uncomfortable trek to the next leg of their MINE ADVENTURE. It'll probably be worth it, though. There's bound to be winding in a different direction out of sight. There's a helpful sign on the wall between two tunnels, but the pool of water underneath it and the interesting-looking mushrooms that have encrusted it make its usefulness absolutely zero.
More useful is the skeleton opposite it, holding a rolled and tattered map in its bony grip. Kalve steps over and collects it, unrolling it carefully and finding it to be a mess of squiggles and scribbles. "This... could be the tunnels," he says, doubtfully, "but it's very, er..." He trails off.
Kalve starts going about cleaning it up and making it more legible so someone else can decipher it. He's producing an assortment of tiny tools for the job from... some... where, but it's awfully hard to tell where. He mumbles something while he's doing it. It might be 'are these marks even a language??' in a puzzled tone.
DG: Kalve has used his Tool Manipule Array toward his party's challenge, Crudely Drawn Map.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephilia looks at the map disapprovingly. "Whoever drew this map clearly didn't have the training a real explorer should have," she says haughtily. "My Dad taught me to draw better maps than that when I was seven."
Wait, does that mean Sephy's dad was bringing her into dungeons when she was seven?!
~~~
Years ago, on Lunar
"Who's my little mapmaker," George Lampbright says, proudly ruffling little Sephilia's hair. "Why, if not for her mapmaking, we'd have been lost in that labyrinth!" He laughs, and little Sephy looks up at him with an expression of pure admiration and adoration.
~~~
"There's not even a proper legend," she scoffs, back in the present. "Look, this is obviously supposed to be a fountain, and THIS is supposed to be...uh...are you holding that the right way up even?"
DG: Sephilia Lampbright has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Crudely Drawn Map.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks over Kalve's shoulder with a tap of her finger to her chin. "It is quite the perplexing maze, yes. It does not appear to adhere to any kind of sensical sense of spatial geometry or three-dimensional representation of space..."
Odjn bobbles up to go, "Hey, lemme take a look!"
"Odjn, what would you even--"
"Hey, this mushroom means go right, and when there's the squiggly line here, it means, look up and check for a hidden switch! Then, you backtrack a little to where that little outcropping is indicated by a blue skull, and then you're supposed to ramp your way through to the end as signified by the cute little drawing of the bees!"
A pause, as Riesenlied peers at the dragon.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Crudely Drawn Map.
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
"Fufufu! Pitiful pusher! The rust is also rust on-- BREAGHRBRE!!" Yaro is flattened underneath the dark hero... and then squirms and pulls himself out of the pile the very moment any part of that doll touches his body.
Oh, he's okay, then - physically - but he is now hiding his lack-of-visible-face behind his arms, a borderline silent whine on his person. He hangs around near Kalve when the group decides to move forward, doing the opposite of gracing his presence with his gracelessness as he will internalize being shown up yet again by Zed.
Which bodes well for no one, because now it's like he's hugging Kalve's shadow as they head on further down to the next thing of interest - Kalve and the odd map.
Then, his face leans not just over Kalve's shoulder, but into the very map - only to bolt and back away when Sephy comes in to weigh in on her extensive mapmaking experience, giving Kalve a time where he does not have to be within ten feet of Yarobeleedt - a treasure unto itself.
"Don't sneak up on me!" Pot, kettle, shake hands.
He just shuffles around the perimeter as everyone else crowds around at the map. He never really got a look at it...
...
They'll have made up his mind before he weighs in.
DG: Yarobeleedt has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Crudely Drawn Map.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed does not know the meaning of the strange symbols on this page. What he does, however, know, is that maps are maps, and that even a vague comprehension of one's contents is sure to lead to ADVENTURE of some kind. Whether it leads to treasure... That is something else entirely.
"Hey, Kalve," Zed peeks over his Best Buddy's shoulder. "Kaaaalve. I have an idea!" Oh no. "Just let me--!" There! He sees it. The image of the map. It's burned onto his VERY SOUL. "Yes. Good! I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"
Zed runs over to-- no! Odjn beat him to his plan! The mushrooms...! "Yes... Of course! They cannot lie! LET'S GOOOOO!"
Zed... Zooms off.
...
...
He'll... He'll probably be back, right?
DG: Zed has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Crudely Drawn Map.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
"That's not a mushroom, it's an umbrella! It means there's an acid trap or something. Probably. Oh gosh, there goes Zed...now I actually hope it's a mushroom," she says, looking worried.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Odjn gasps. "You're totally right!" A pause. "Ahh, Zed's had acid splashed into his face before and been fine."
Riese stares. "I don't think Mr. Saeed's lime taco sauce counts as acid, Odjn."
"He screamed that it burnt, okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida does not get a look at the hinges as the group passes through what used to be a door. The low ceiling is a little uncomfortable, but Ida's not as tall as Zed or Kalve, so it's not much of an issue.
"Goodness," Ida whispers, as she sees what Kalve stopped to look at. Who was that? What was that? Ida's lips tighten into a thin little line as Kalve and Sephilia do their thing. Ida goes for her trusty old standby: the weather-beaten journal with the sturdy lock on it. Flora compiled a list of markings she found in other people's maps, perhaps some of them match.
"Perhaps falling material of some sort, yes. And I believe that's--" Ida glances at something suspicious on the wall over there. "A hidden cache marking? It looks suspiciously like this..." Ida lowers the journal down so that the others can peruse it as their leisure.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Flora's Notebook toward her party's challenge, Crudely Drawn Map. DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey 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.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve feels his shoulders itch as he's crowded around for a look at the crude map. Actually, they did that before that -- thanks Yaro -- but he didn't want to question his proximity in mixed company. That is, with Ida here. Kalve straightens up, or maybe his poncho flattens around the back some, or... well, he does something, and part of that is holding the map where everyone can see it. "Are you certain this is a... bee? Or a mushroom? It could just be an error..."
Glance, glance. "That could be a cache. It matches, even if it is worn. Acid? Why would there be --" Zed promptly charges off down one of the tunnels. Kalve looks up, blinking into the distance. He waits.
A moment passes.
Zed charges back in from the opposite tunnel, followed by a deluge of what might be acid but is probably stagnant water. There was absolutely a load-bearing TREASURE CHEST in his path that had to be picked up, because you can't just jump over that sort of thing. Kalve looks at him for a second, and then points towards the middle tunnel.
"That way." Process of elimination, go!!
DG: Riesenlied has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Leck Mines *>=============================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Spilled Mine Cart *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Ricketty catwalks criss-cross the Leck Mines, and some are overhead. Here, one has fallen from up high, and spilled a load of iron ore all across the narrow path ahead. You need to move them to keep going. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
This job required a lot of strength.
But Zed proceeded with faith...
He found Treasure Chest!!
It was all thanks to Chauncey.
This is the way!
But, soon the group would find themselves on more perilous ground as the cavalcade of minecarts that look a little more suited to be someone's overtly complex attempt at solving a traffic problem and only making it worse has collapsed onto itself. The iron ore looks extremely dense, but at least the cart's there to just maybe make the process less tedious.
Riese sighs a little to gesture once more. Odjn flexes for a moment, tiny muscles ... uh ... let's be generous and say there might be a bit of a ripple there. "Where'd you be without me? A-one-a-Zed, a-two-a-Yaro, a-three-a-Kalve, a-four-a-Chauncey! Onward, hoooo~!"
The tiniest dragon sure is chipper today. Did she receive something nice? (the answer is yes.)
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Tiny Odjn toward her party's challenge, Spilled Mine Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
--MOMENTS AGO--
"Ahahaha! Do you see, everyone! I found it! This... TREASURE!" Zed bends over and yanks a cartoonishly cliche treasure chest off the ground, "IS MIIIIINE!"
Rumble.
...Rumble-rumble.
"W-what is that noise?" Zed asks the empty air. "Is it... Is that you, Filgai--" Suddenly the world is very, very wet.
Good thing Zed can run under water.
--NOW--
"I am wet," Zed declares, a treasure chest balanced upon his head, a spot normally reserved only for dragons. "But worry not, friends. It will take more than a bit of water to make me rust!!" Fleshy things do not normally rust. What is he even talking about?
Well.
At least no matter what, they have loot.
But then... Then, there are OVERTURNED MINECARTS. Zed regards them with a nod and a grin before he waltzes over, pops open his chest, and... Starts shoving lumps of iron ore on top of whatever treasure might be inside. Putting things inside boxes is a more efficient use of inventory gridspace, after all!
DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Spilled Mine Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
"Wh-what? He found thaaaaat?!" Yarobeleedt screeches in surprise and disgust (also shame), before sulking a bit in the corner while everyone else follows after Kalve's direction.
"I won't be showen up," he grouses and grumbles as he flees the rising water level into the next challenge before he was the darkened items won't appear. (What?)
"I-I'm two?" He grouses as Odjn goes to work upon the pile of iron ore ahead of them. "Keh! Yarobeleedt will not be detelled! You watch meee, Riese, you and your pet!!" His words screeched, he bounds past the pushing and shoving Zed.
"I will be the farthest along the far way!" Then, he proceeds to crawl all over the iron ore and just... goes past it??
...
Uh, buddy, this is a Brute challenge. Get back here!
...
...
There he goes. (Sigh. Sorry, folks.)
DG: Yarobeleedt has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Spilled Mine Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephy is glad she hasn't needed to take off Chauncey's digger claws. Not that there's any great rush, but it's a little fiddly and with Zed around she knows that if she wants to be useful she's gotta be ready to get in quickly or she'll look bad!
Chauncey lumbers forward moments later, while Sephy boggles at Yaro. "Zed...is your friend..." She realizes who she's about to ask, and just sighs. "Chauncey, go for it!" she cries instead.
===============================<* Leck Mines *>=============================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Spilled Mine Cart *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Ricketty catwalks criss-cross the Leck Mines, and some are overhead. Here, one has fallen from up high, and spilled a load of iron ore all across the narrow path ahead. You need to move them to keep going. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riese looks to Ida with a hand cupped to her cheek as Yaro bounds past the cart. "I do apologise for my acquaintance. He... means well. Just eccentric." To be fair, her other acquaintance is Zed. And Odjn.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida shuts her mother's notebook as Zed comes tearing out of a side pathway. "Sound," she remarks. She hangs back near Kalve as the group proceeds, content to let Zed take the lead. And then: minecarts. Ida's eyes narrow as Yaro just kind of... scuttles across the oreslide in a way that is frankly kind of unsettling. Thankfully, Riesenlied is less socially inept than her partner. "Riesenlied," Ida murmurs, "I appreciate it." And then Ida does the unthinkable--she starts chipping in, grabbing smaller ingots and adding them to Zed's chest. At least once she winces a little--too much weight on the bad shoulder--but she'd going better, at least as far as Riesenlied and Sephy can identify. To Kalve, she's... not terribly good at this whole 'upper body strength' thing, and seems to be favoring one arm over the other.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Spilled Mine Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed is shoved! But it's fine, because he's just shovelling iron right now, but... But...!! "Ahahaha! I don't know! He shows good initiative!"
DG: Sephilia Lampbright has used her Tool Digging Claws toward her party's challenge, Spilled Mine Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
"You cannot just --" Kalve starts, raising a hand as Yarobeleedt just... just goes for it. There he goes.
Sigh.
Kalve gives the tiniest dragon a curious look. He looks up to Riese and Ida, shrugs, and starts moving things. It's a little bit... weird, to him, that this just got left here, but it's probably too much to try to realistically haul out.
He gets a few out of the way, and then makes a little hand motion to get Ida's attention. Kalve picks up and moves one of the pieces of ore more slowly, silently demonstrating a better way for her to contribute without making any injuries worse or causing new ones. He watches her for a few seconds, then goes back to doing what he was doing and helping clear the path.
Inwardly, Kalve wonders if they should've just followed Yaro over. That probably wouldn't have gone wrong, right?
DG: Kalve has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Spilled Mine Cart. DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 37 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> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida sees Kalve's hand motion, and watches him carefully--he moves slowly and deliberately, using his back, and those 'core' muscles Claude was talking about. Right? "Thank you," she says, offering him a small, genuine little smile. "I was injured at a dig. I'm not certain if it will ever heal completely, but it serves." Wait, what's this not healing completely business?
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephy looks suddenly worried about her friend as Ida mentions her injury. "Wait, what?" she says. "You didn't tell me about that." Sure, Sephy, everything is your business.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
It doesn't take long, what with the tandem efforts of Zed, Odjn, Chauncey, Kalve and Ida (Riese, what are you doing!) to eventually organize the iron in such a way that the group can push the minecart over and secure passage to the other side. Though Yaro, wallhaxmeister that he is, has the advantage of merely skipping the challenge. Don't you know what happens to those that skip dungeon challenges?
Oh, you'll find out. You'll find oooou~t.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"Oh," Ida says. That's right, she didn't tell Sephilia, did she? "It was over a year ago, Sephy." These things happen, on digs.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riese blinks as well, tilting her head as she moves forward. "Won't heal...?" she tilts her head. "Please do not overstrain yourself, Miss Ida..."
Odjn flexes and says, "I'll do twice the strainin' for the both of us! Oooh, I'm a brickhouse (yeah!) She mighty-mighty, just lettin' it all hang out..." sings the dragon as she proceeds down the hallway.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
"Oh," Sephy says, still looking concerned. She bites her lower lip. "Maybe it'll heal...Oh! Wait! Odjn! You have your awesome healing power!" Wait, what?
Is Sephy talking about the time she started crying and Odjn kissed it better?!
DG: Yarobeleedt has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Leck Mines *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Gas-Crazed Miner *>====================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Occasionally, miners are blinded by darkness and sealed in by cave-ins. As you approach the deepest levels, a blast knocks out part of a wall, and then he emerges - a wild-eyed, bearded miner who screams loudly at you, declaring you to be some manner of demon. And then he leaps, laughing madly, and swings his lamp, his rock axe, and his pick with equal glee! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Pretty much, yep.
"It is no trouble," Kalve says. He didn't get much moved on account of being Instructor Guy, but that's okay. "You should not exacerbate your injury." He pauses a moment. "Why would it not heal? Have you had it properly treated?" Surely these people aren't such barbarians that this is actually a thing.
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
Their wiry strange 'friend' - who seems to be very flexible and not have many problems getting through the clearance space there was available among the spilled ore - has apparently decided the best way to communicate with the rest of the group about how things are up ahead is to do the following:
a) Not turn around and help clear the rubble for the rest.
b) Not wait around for them on the other side at all to begin with.
c) Also not yell back about what's ahead.
...
Nope, there's definitely a screechin' going on ahead, right after a giant explosion. Does that exclude point C from the list of incredible Yarobeleedt scouting party strategies that are sure-fire successes?
When the party catches up, they see someone - something - humongous. The upper-most limit biologically possible for a human being without falling over into their imbalanced weight. Well-muscled, grizzled, and altogether probably one of the single strongest human beings alive who clears away distressing amounts of rock with every swing of their pick.
Imagine what he might do with the axe that has a lamp dangling off of it.
"Gosh darn friggin' varmint worm! I stab ya ta heck I will for hecklin' me!!" He's currently wailing on a rough, bumpy metallic egg-shaped thing or another.
Zed, Kalve, Riese, and Odju can kind of glean what's going on right then and there, at least. Yaro has probably flopped over into a path that was never intended to be taken, probably into someone's spit bucket, and is now in the middle of hiding for his life into that protective little security blan-- I mean highly advanced shielding apparatus.
Before a miner.
A civilian, not at all a warrior--
The miner's eyes turn warily to the rest. "Ya braught yer dag gone colony wit' yas! Gonna hafta squash ALL of ya, where the daggun queen at, squish ya right under my boots--"
It's getting kind of hard to breathe, down here, to top things off.
DG: Yarobeleedt has used its Tool Sheet Cocoon toward its party's challenge, Gas-Crazed Miner.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's internal systems are starting to detect something amiss in the area, and her first instinct is to turn to Sephy and Ida. "Be careful, both of you, there's definitely something in the air." She proceeds forward in a bit of a hurry, her wings stretched as she winces and tries to just grab hold of the miner's arms to prevent him from doing something anyone would regret.
(Except stabbing Yaro, except Riese is enough of a bleeding heart to feel bad about that one, too.)
"We're not worms or varmints or anything you think we might be! Take a moment and centre your mind, sir!"
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Gas-Crazed Miner.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephilia lets out a yelp of surprise. What the heck--she didn't expect a poor lost miner! He can't even speak a proper language. As he spews gibberish, Sephy sadly brings Chauncey to fighting size.
She doesn't like hurting people, even as she enjoys smashing monsters on Chauncey's back. That doesn't mean she won't, when it's called for, she just doesn't approach it with any relish whatsoever. "Whoah!" she cries, dodging back from the man's lamp. "Watch out! Chauncey's no good with fire!" A large, black plush paw smashes down even as she protests. Not very fair, Sephy!
DG: Sephilia Lampbright has used her Tool Sewing Kit toward her party's challenge, Gas-Crazed Miner.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"I did, yes," Ida says. "I might not have survived otherwise--those things had venom, and it became infected. It's simply... more scar than muscle, in some places." And now Riesenlied is fretting, too. Ida smiles, just a little. "You sound like my mother." Does that... happen, to humans? Do parts of them just lose capability if they're injured badly enough?
Yaro might find this oddly comforting, if he hadn't gone on ahead like a filthy cheater.
Then, screaming, and the faint smell of something that probably isn't terribly healthy to inhale. Ida sucks in a quick breath, and pulls her scarf up over her mouth and nose--it probably won't do much good, but you never know. Her eyes widen at the sight of the crazed, screaming man; for a moment, she freezes, her reflexes running straight into her hesitation to kill another intelligent being. Her lungs start to hurt. Ida takes another breath, and makes every second count. She nods to Riesenlied, reaches behind her back, and draws Devil's Due. The Demon-bone barrel gleams in the light as she takes aim--not at the miner proper, but at his weapon. He might be swinging it around, but Ida seems to see a pattern in the frenzied movements. She fires a single shot, trying to disarm the man before anything unfortunate can happen. The weapon's discharge smells like hot metal.
Except to most of the party, to whom it has distinct undertones of superheated Metal Demon flesh.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Devil's Due toward her party's challenge, Gas-Crazed Miner.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
That sound... That unmistakable, grating, high-pitchd sound that sounds like someone was strangling some kind of chinchilla! It's... It can only be one thing so far underground!!
Yaro found something dangerous.
He's like a canary, except infinitely more likely to survive most encounters by virtue of also being like a cockroach.
But to Zed... To Zed...!
"WAIT THERE!" Zed roars, amidst clouds of blossoming, sparkly, technicolor smoke. "Do you hear us squeaking like vermin? Do you hear us scratching at doors like hungry dogs!? Do you hear us scrabbling over mounds of fallen earth like tiny little tailless geckos!?" All of these things apply to Yaro, Zed does not care. "No! But you assault a friend of ours none-the-less! Your mind...! You're leaping between dementia and senselessness! Your muscles...! From one macho man to another, I feel your pain! Sometimes, my muscles too overpower my mind! But do not worry... We will clear your head! NOW!"
Zed lunges! "LET US GO!" He grabs hold! "CLEAR!" Zed leaps! "YOUR!" He spirals up into the ceiling, climbing higher and higher with every moment! "HEEAAAAD!"
Zed... turns about, and goes to Izuna Drop the miner... Right into his open treasure chest.
Well.
That... might do it???
DG: Zed has used his Tool Smoke Bombs toward his party's challenge, Gas-Crazed Miner.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
A civilian. That's...
...hmmm.
Kalve has an interesting relationship with civilians. He doesn't really grok the concept, all told, but he's always interested to see what it is they do. In this case, this one seems to be attempting to crack an egg with a pick made for rock, and seems like he might have the raw, brute strength to pull it off.
Kalve moves in with Riesenlied, flickers of yellow-white light manifesting near the palms of his hands. His gauntlets are alight with weird luminescence, leaving faint trails where the motes pass through the air. He closes one hand into a fist, and the light spreads, pouring outward. He makes a flicking motion with that arm, flinging a whirling object into the miner's legs. It looks like bolas made of translucent glass. They're definitely strong enough to serve their purpose long enough for Zed and Riese to --
Ida fires. Kalve looks back. His nostrils flare. If he was going to do anything else, he's definitely too distracted to do it now.
DG: Kalve has used his Tool Silhouette Engine toward his party's challenge, Gas-Crazed Miner.
===============================<* Leck Mines *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Gas-Crazed Miner *>====================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Occasionally, miners are blinded by darkness and sealed in by cave-ins. As you approach the deepest levels, a blast knocks out part of a wall, and then he emerges - a wild-eyed, bearded miner who screams loudly at you, declaring you to be some manner of demon. And then he leaps, laughing madly, and swings his lamp, his rock axe, and his pick with equal glee! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
DG: Yarobeleedt is too exhausted to continue! DG: Riesenlied is too exhausted to continue! DG: Sephilia Lampbright is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ida Everstead-Rey is too exhausted to continue! DG: Zed is too exhausted to continue! DG: Kalve is too exhausted to continue! DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has successfully explored Leck Mines!
===============================<* Leck Mines *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Unprocessed Ore *>======================= |Type: Discover |Dungeon Ability: Discovery |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- While the Leck Mines have largely been cleared out, some caches at the lowest level include ore that was never brought to the surface. High quality iron, copper, and sometimes rarer elements can be found in these treasured rooms. Selling these could earn quite a few gella, though one should be mindful of Lacour's authorities when they try to fence this illegally-gotten ore. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
Whatever it is about this guy, for being someone padded largely in fat, muscle, denim, piss, and vinegar (some in greater amounts than others), he is not particularly for matters of fine detail like 'pain' and 'injuries' and 'not being hopped up on crazy gas.'
Riesenlied would find herself flung aside like she were paper. Paper! Odju would be swatted like a fly.
Lord Chauncey is batted aside like a ragdol-- like themselves.
Ida's mysterious ARM, grisly to those who are aware of what she wields, seems to pass into ignorance to the man's flesh even as shots burn and sear into fabric and flesh as she gets a pick swipe for her trouble.
The Silhouette Engine's bolas seem to snap right off as he kicks the nearest person aside them.
Even Zed, in his incredible might, struggles to lift the miner. If anything, it's going to end with poor Zed Izuna Dropped into the treasure chest in his place.
One of the earlier rock axe swings ruptures a pipeline somewhere. More gas floods in, noisily.
Just about everyone being dealt with, the miner guffaws as he places a big boot against the chest. "Haw! Still got it! Ol' Smasher Willy ain't gonna keel over to no varmint... d'aww, can't see a gol' durned blasted thing!!" The lamp is out. Inadvisedly, he gets out a match from inside his overalls.
"Figger I'll see all yer squished guts when I--"
Gas plus fire, equals...
b o o m
The mines shudder. Everyone is ejected, leaving behind comical smoking trails as they are reintroduced into the open air outside. A whole lot of very pretty rocks - oh, hey, unprocessed ores - shower all around the whole lot of them.
The miner takes off into the sky and becomes a twinkle. Perhaps that won't be the last of Ol' Smasher Willy??
Meanwhile, the cocoon opens up and folds away to reveal that same noxious cloaked figure that has not made anyone's lives any better this entire trip as they look unto the raining riches.
"Fufufufu! Now is Yarobeleedt's time to shine! He did it! He did i--"
He gets conked in the head by a very large piece of very interestingly-colored metal that Kalve might find useful for his studies. The side-effect of Yaro getting knocked unconscious is, in comparison, to everyone's benefit.
Also, free chest for Zed. (Someone should let him out.)
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"WHAT--" Zed yells moments before he's shoved into a chest.
In retrospect, this is probably the best possible outcome for him, as a few seconds later, everything explodes. Fire is everywhere. Smoke is even more everywhere. In all honesty, it's something that Zed would have very much been interested in witnessing with his own two eyes...!!
But instead, he's trapped in a treasure chest, sailing through the sky like the world's most auspicious meteor.
Auspicious, at least, for everyone but whatever it is he's about to land on. (Possibly Yaro. RIP Yaro)
For a moment, the box is still. And then it... Begins to wobble.
Wobble-wobble. Wobble-wobble.
Click.
ZED WAS CAUGHT!
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida's eyes widen. She moves quickly, switching up her grip on Devil's Due, and twisting the weapon's far more durable barrel around to catch the man's pickaxe. He still has her beat as far as brute force goes, though, and the force ends up wrenching her poor, bad arm and leaving a sizeable gouge in her exposed right forearm. She bites back a wince. She hears something hissing in the background, and then--
B O O M
Ida falls. Maybe she flies? It's hard to tell, because all she feels is the rush of air, and pain, and being unable to breathe. She hits something a bit softer than solid rock a moment later. When the ringing clears from her ears, she hears rockfalls, and distant birdsong.
Because this week clearly hates her, she's lying on top of Kalve, just kind of flopped over him.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Sephilia staggers back to her feet, dizzy, ears ringing, and panics. "Where's Chauncey?!" she gasps, looking around frantically. "I can't find Chauncey!" The girl is as upset as anyone here has ever seen her, but fortunately, it's not long before a very, very dusty Chauncey is located behind the chest that Zed was caught in, laying like a ragdoll, button eyes staring blankly.
"Oh, Chauncey," says Sephy, breathing easier now. "I thought I'd lost you, buddy!" She sits down on the chest absently, examining Lord Chauncey of Foxington thoroughly for damage. "That guy was pretty scary, huh, Chauncey?" she asks, dusting her companion off gently. "You look okay, though. Nothing too bad--nothing your old buddy Sephy can't fix up in no time!" Hugging the doll tightly, Sephilia suddenly realizes she's sitting on the chest that Zed is shut up in. Oops!
"Quick, Chauncey, let's open this box before Zed runs out of air and gets dumber!" she cries, then pauses. "Can that happen?" Chauncey pries open the chest--it's big enough to hold a Zed, so it's too big for a Sephy--without comment.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Chauncey undoes the lock--!!
OUT POPS ZED!
Wait, no, not... Not just a Zed. A Zed festooned with a veritable treasurey of sparkling trea-- wait no those are just an assortment of useless unpolished geodes. And lots of iron ore. And...
And... on his head.
...
Upon his head is a bucket. All craftsmanship is of the highest quality. The bucket is made of marble inlaid with filigree honoring Dinoginos the Mountain Guardian. The filigree is made of gold polished with gold polish by William Threshershire. This object is adorned with hanging buckets. One the buckets are images of more buckets.
"I have found treasure," Zed says.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
There is a moment where Kalve starts to rotate his wrist and the light in his free hand intensifies. He should stop playing around. The number of people here who are unaware of what he is actually capable of is minimal. If he increases power --
The match. Kalve smelled the gas. He covers his face --
-- and, next thing he knows, he's airborne. He blinks. He's approaching the ground, fast. Another blink. Less time. He uses the other flicker of light to project a quarter dome and ends up skipping instead of crashing down. It means he's only banged up when he comes to a halt, not seriously injured. Still, he just lays there for a minute or two, and... recovers.
When his head is back on straight, Kalve is aware of some weight on him. He looks down and sees... Ida. He blinks a couple of times. This is confusing for all kinds of reasons, most of which involve ballistic trajectory and a couple of which he'd never admit to. He turns his head, examining himself. He's a bit banged up, a bit burned --
Kalve extracts a shard of stone from his side. He takes a slow breath, tucking it away in a compartment hidden on his person. Something under him presses a piece of cloth into his hand, which he holds to the spot. He clears his throat. "Miss Ida," he says, a bit gently, "are you alright?"
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
That dome projection probably saved Ida some serious injury as well, though she's far less cognizant. After a moment, she mumbles something that could be Kalve's name, stirs, and opens her eyes. Everything hurts again, and she's bleeding from a couple small cuts on her face as well as the long gash on her arm. Her hair is a mess, having sprung out of its neat little bun at some point during the flight. She still looks dazed. "Are you--is everyone--" Ida coughs.
Head check: Sephi's fine, Zed's fine, Kalve appears fine, and the weirdo is out cold but still breathing. Perhaps that's for the best.
Ida pats herself down with her good hand, and before she notices something's missing, she finds herself reaching for Devil's Due, which is lying on the ground some distance away. "I wasn't expecting that," Ida says. She finally answers Kalve's question, then. "I'll be fine." Probably? She's bleeding, though, and she does have preexisting damage of some sort or other. "I don't have any berries left, though."
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
Chauncey's fine too! Sephy's cooing and prodding at him already, planning new repairs to her best buddy already with the money this stuff is going to bring in.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve looks around again. He checks everyone off his internal list as he spots them alive and more or less well (or, in the case of one particularly squirrley individual, out cold). It's a little surprising, but he assumes the various medicinal items they're carrying will take care of the worst of it. Sephilia and her odd... pet? Minion? Companion? Seem to be lively, at least, and Zed is... Zed.
"I do not think any of us were." He looks Ida over again. "Are you certain? You were already injured. If you have reopened an existing wound, you should take care of it. I have some medical supplies, if you require any. You're bleeding, in any case," Kalve points out. He holds out a cloth bandage with the hand that isn't already occupied. He has rudimentary knowledge of human physiology and how to treat it, medically speaking. Alhazred was very interested in seeing what made them tick, and he read the reports.
(uuugh)
There's a pause. Kalve asks, "Are you well enough to stand?" in as polite a tone as he's able.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida rolls off of Kalve, landing next to him with a graceless thump. Part of her wants to protest--she's fine, all she needs to do is bandage herself and endure the pain and maybe see if she can't buy a Berry on the way home.
And yet, Kalve is concerned. Ida has never seen him this concerned about anyone, not even Zed--at least, not in the same way. It feels... strange. "All right," she says. "I trust you."
Ida rises. It's a little difficult, and in the process, she discovers a smaller, subsidiary cut on the side of her knee, which probably hit a rock at some point. "I don't like these mines," Ida murmurs.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve sits up slowly. He moves his left hand off his side, examining it. He isn't bleeding. He wasn't for very long anyway, but he isn't now. That's good. He pockets the cloth, tucking it away with the shard of stone for disposal. His whole body feels like a rung gong.
Kalve gets to his knees, sitting back and breathing deeply. He looks, for a moment, like he's meditating. Really, it's because he is. He centers himself, pushing down the full-body ache from the concussive force of the blast. It lessens to the point of a dull throb, and he opens his eyes again, looking up at Ida, who has done what he asked and managed to get standing.
"Good; you are mobile. Nothing too vital is damaged. Take a moment and examine yourself for injury," he instructs, "and then sit and rest. We will have plenty of time to collect and divide the..." Kalve glances around. There are raw chunks of ore everywhere. He sees a particularly big one by a particularly unconscious sequence breaker. "...spoils, later."
Kalve reaches beneath his poncho and withdraws a long, flat-ish rectangular box. He lapses into silence while he opens it, revealing several rows of identical grey capsules and what looks like rolls of perfectly clean bandages. He's thinking while he goes over his inventory. She trusts him? She doesn't even know him. That trust is dangerous. He should disabuse her of that notion immediately.
Instead, Kalve selects one of the rolls and closes the rest of it up. "Neither do I," he says.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
"...and I even saw some really fluffy fuzzy fabric," Sephilia is telling Chauncey happily. "Do you wanna be fluffy and fuzzy, Chauncey?"
The doll doesn't answer. But...is that horror in his button eyes?
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida does as she's instructed. Once she's done checking herself over, she spots the chest, which is now reasonably Zed-free, and suitable for sitting on. She closes the lid, retrieves Devil's Due from its resting place, and takes a seat. "I don't think anything is broken, at least," she says. She watches Kalve for a moment as he sits there, completely silent and intensely focused. Ida seems to recognize it; she's seen her mother do it, after all. When he gets up, he finds her giving him a curious look. "Ah, pardon my curiosity," she says, even as she holds out her injured arm for inspection and triage. "But was that a breathing technique?" Ida is undoubtedly in pain, but appears to be at least partly functional despite it... and also despite her prior injury.
Humans are weird.
"Perhaps you should make him a different scarf," Ida adds, to Sephilia.
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
"Ooh, maybe I could make him a back pouch I could ride in, so I can point to stuff easier." Sephy lowers her voice to a stage whisper. "Sometimes he has to help my stand on his tail," she adds, expression serious.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
"Does it ever speak back to you?" Kalve asks over towards Sephilia, suddenly intensely curious.
Ida's question gets a surprised blink and a nod. "Of a sort. Yes. I am surprised you recognized it." He moves over next to her, taking her extended arm and examining it. Kalve momentarily considers using one of the capsules, but is fairly certain it would be poisonous to her. He'll have to do this the crude way until he's had an opportunity to learn more about human biology.
Kalve releases Ida's arm long enough to retrieve another square of cloth and a canteen. He dampens the cloth and starts to clean up the gash. "Do you practice martial arts?" he asks. "Zed did not immediately challenge you to a duel, so I assumed you did not."
<Pose Tracker> Sephilia Lampbright has posed.
"Only sometimes," Sephy says mysteriously, winking at Ida. "Mostly he just listens to what I have to say. He's a real good listener, Chauncey. He's known me longer than anyone, except my Dad and my Mom I guess, and he's good at making me feel like I'm not alone." The girl looks very young in that moment.
"I'm glad to have some other friends too, now!" she says after a moment, face suddenly cheerful once again. "Back home, well, there weren't that many people in our village."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida looks at Sephilia, too. She offers the young lady a reassuring smile, as if to remind her that she's still here, and evil witch or no, she's going to do her best to get Sephy home. She'd even consider offering a hug, if she weren't bleeding.
And ah, good, it seems like they've found something to discuss that's not the awful, painful thing that just happened. "I don't look it, do I?" Ida says. "My mother was an Etone. She left the priesthood long ago, but she passed a little on to me. It isn't much, but it's helped keep me alive so far. What about you, did you learn from your mother, or someone else?" She remembers either Zed or Kalve mentioning their mother, but she can't remember which.
<Pose Tracker> Kalve has posed.
Kalve eyes Sephilia for a long moment. She seems vulnerable. She isn't alone, of course; she's surrounded by people at this very moment -- or, at the very least, in the proximity of Ida. He assumes that there's something else to it. "Your... dad and mom and friends," Kalve says, after that moment, "they are back in your village?"
He finishes cleaning her up. Kalve starts to habitually stow the bloodied cloth, but sets it aside instead. He begins to wrap her arm with the bandage, shaking his head. "You look like a... civilian," he decides, "not a warrior. It is..." Wind, wind. He has to take a moment to think about it. "...good that you know how to fight. You were quick on the draw, back there."
The bandage is kinda... clingy. It feels like it's sticking to itself, and to a lesser extent, Ida. It's probably treated with something slightly adhesive. "Ah, no. Mother is not in a state to teach. I learned from a master of the Method some years ago. I am still learning," he adds, "but it holds the sorts of mysteries one will ponder for their whole life without ever finding a concrete answer."