2017-04-01: This is It, The Cuccocalypse
- Log: 17-04-07 - Digger - The Cuccocalypse
- Cast: Rosaline Calice, Parbody, Fei Fong Wong, Xantia
- Where: Adlehyde - Town Center
- Date: April 08, 2017
- Summary: An unlikely alliance is formed as Adlehyde faces its most terrible crisis yet, and surely ever.
=========================<* Adlehyde - Town Center *>========================= The centre of Adlehyde marks the intersection between the east-west and north-south roads that carve the city into near-quarters. Large shops are packed along both roads, offering goods and services of a variety rivaled only by the merchant republics of Aquvy. The intersection between the two roads is actually a large circle nearly a quarter-mile across, allowing wagons and other traffic to move with a minimum of collisions and profanity both. The area in the centre of the circle plays host to an informal gathering of food and drink vendors and other barkers, who ply their wares to merchants and wagoneers too busy to stop and rest. As a result of the considerable merchant traffic, the Circle and the major avenues are absolutely lousy with wagons from mid-morning into the early evening. The buildings throughout the rest of Adlehyde are built of stone and tile roofs, and are generally well kept; as one moves away from the major routes toward the walls, however, poorer and seedier enclaves have developed over time. Still, even the poorest resident of Adlehyde has an easier time of it than all but the nobility of Nortune or Bledavik, though only Drifters and other travelers would be able to make the comparison. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MQRL7xws7w
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Finally, it's taken Rosaline days, but she has finally found that ring she was looking for! Yes, now that man's marriage won't be ruined, and the reconstruction fund will be a whole 200 gella richer!
Small victories are still victories!
She's left her horse at a stable near the city's entrance, and is now making her way back into civilization. Her habit looks like it's seen better days, though physically she looks perfectly fine. One of the benefits to being a healer. She does, however, certainly look tired. But there's comfort in knowing that she can pay herself something to eat at the Starfall Saloon, and then find a spot to curl up on in the nearest church. Oh, she hopes they're serving chicken today.
There's a growing, rumbling sound in the distance. Her ears perk up, but she hasn't begun paying active attention to it yet.
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
Parbody emerges from a bank. Ironically, she was actually making a deposit. In the distance she does not stand out greatly from the crowd, save for her mask, which is less obvious since she is using the sunlight to settle up accounts in a little leather bound book.
At the sound of the rumbling her head raises upwards, tilting to the side. "...?"
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
LAST TIME ON YOU ARE A PIRATE INFORMANT, FEI FONG WONG
Fei Fong Wong: Look, I'm not going back to Gebler but you can't make me fight for you!
Bart Fatima: Okay I won't.
Fei Fong Wong: That's right you--wait what? *long pause* You sure?
NOW
Fei Fong Wong hasn't officially been asked to deal with the Cuccoo menace, but Fei Fong Wong is not going to take it lightly, no sir. He ain't chicken, his goose isn't cooked yet, and while birds of a feather may flock together, it's time for him to help a community instead of letting some horrible side effect (maybe the chickens freaked out because he blew up a city you never know).
He sits up from the rooftop where he's been painting and narrows his eyes.
"They come."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
If it happened a few minutes ago, that rumbling sound in the distance could have been Xantia's stomach. Of course, Xantia being hungry is hardly an uncommon occurance, and not really paying attention to the passage of time makes it difficult to tell the last time you ate. It always feels like it was forever ago!
Thankfully, she is not a picky eater. If it's at all possible to eat, she will eat it. It's certainly easiest to just go to an inn or a market stall and buy some food, but it's also not an uncommon occurance for Xantia to be short on cash. Anything that can serve as free food is therefore very welcome.
Chickens are food. Even if Xantia once knew the difference between chickens and Cuccos, her amnesia guarantees that she does not know it now.
To make a long story short... a red-haired girl is now fleeing in terror, a horde of Cuccos following close behind. "Why is this happeniiiiiiing?!"
DG: A party led by Rosaline Calice is now entering Cucco Invasion. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================<* CHALLENGE - One Flew Over the Cucco's Nest *>================ |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- A screech tears through the air, first. You can't see the offender, but you can see what is coming. The skies are filled with fat-bodied, fluffy white feathered harbingers of doom. Cuccos come in a great swarm -- and as the panic begins, they come sweeping down from the heavens, dive bombing the truly unfortunate! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Tire===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline isn't paying that much attention to her surroundings, which is good because if she spotted Parbody there might be words. Or more accurately, Rosaline might take a long detour to her destination.
The noise grows louder, coming from behind the nun. She finally turns around to see the source of it. Her pupils shrink. Oh! There's Xantia. She's odd but so nice. That may have been her stomach rumbling, just now. Maybe they could go to the Starfall together?
"Hi Xant... ia...?!"
Rosaline's eyes narrow, as the sea of white comes into view.
"Oooh, my Lord."
Passerbys dive for cover and find their way into buildings. Xantia runs past Rosaline. She dashes off after her, her freaky feline legs carrying her at an impressive sprint. She catches up to the younger girl quickly enough, and even gives her a little push in the back.
"Take me, not her!" she calls back to the inexplicable feathered swarm. "She's still innocent!"
DG: Rosaline Calice has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, One Flew Over the Cucco's Nest.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong looks down and sees a familiar person running for help. "Oh no--Xantia! I have to help her!"
And he bounces from roof top to roof top and then eventually down to the ground near the fleeing red-head. "Xantia! I'm here to help!" He says, looking back towards the cuccoo hold.
"...." He takes in a deep breath and then ALSO turns to run away from the cuccoo horde.
"I did not think this through!" He admits, not exactly grudgingly.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, One Flew Over the Cucco's Nest.
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
Parbody's immediate reaction when a bird flies right at her is to give it a solid kicking, punting it in the air as if it were a soccer ball. She does it to a second bird, a third, and a fourth before there is a sense, despite her gas mask, that she is frowning.
"If kicking doesn't work," she begins, but then someone leaps downwards. A cucco man?! No, a hero. "Good sir," she calls towards Fei as she puts her hands in her pockets, "If you sacrifice yourself, you'll just leave two dead instead of one. What in the name of Sophia's spoiled s-" BKAWK "is going on with all of THIS?"
Either way she moves towards Fei. Perhaps she hopes to use him as cover?
DG: Parbody has used her Tool Steel Boots toward her party's challenge, One Flew Over the Cucco's Nest.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia's panic seems to last right up until the moment she lays eyes on Rosaline. Nothing like seeing a familiar face! So she does what comes natural, she raises an arm and waves, while calling out with way too much cheer, "Hi Rosa! I think you should run!" And then sprints right on by, because increased cheerfulness or no, like heck is she slowing down for any reason!
Only for another familiar face to show up, who she greets in much the same fashion. "Oh, Fei, hi! I tried to find a Gear but--" Presumably she kept on talking after speeding on by, failing to consider that he can't hear her anymore. Well, until they catch up, since they join her in running soon enough.
This helps, though. Now others are involved, others she knows, which makes this no longer a crisis, but an adventure! She can't help but smile, even in the face of certain, feathery doom.
Oh, look, there's a fourth person now! ...a fourth person who she feels like she might remember seeing somewhere before. But she was distracted at the time, and she's certainly distracted now, so for the moment Parbody is merely a Mysterious Stranger.
"Come on everybody, let's keep running!" Why does she seem so happy about this all of a sudden?!
DG: Xantia has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, One Flew Over the Cucco's Nest. DG: The party led by Rosaline Calice has passed this challenge! The party gained 7 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> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline looks up to see a man drop from the rooftops! She gasps. A friend of Xantia's? Thank God, literally.
"Hello there!" she calls out, while fleeing for her life.
And then the chase causes a fourth member to be swept up into the group. Is this a Black Ties uniform? It is! It is!! Thank... Valmar, probably. Each day brings new trials, truly. Some of them are just more bizarre than others. Luckily, Rosaline's fight or flight instinct is solidly locked in at flight right now.
And so, in as in one blob of Hanna Barbera running animation, they remain ahead of the swarm... OR DO THEY?
DG: Parbody has drawn a new Challenge.
======================<* CHALLENGE - Kislev Fried Cucco *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Not even Gentleman's Aisle has been spared the rampage of the cuccos. A Black Tie that is sure to get an earful from Kent Hauch has lost his flamethrower -- because now this cucco is carrying it in its beak, and shooting gouts of flame out... to ward off the customers who were eating at a fried chicken stand. "BUCKAWW!!" it screams, in its terrible, terrible rage. But, its blasts of fire will also decimate the cart next to it, if action isn't taken -- and that will threaten the most important commodity of all: kegs of beer! =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
Parbody runs forwards. She is not inclined to pick fights with people right now. She's totally the sort who cuts open an entire classroom BUT was entirely peaceful until then, and fortunately there are better things to cut up, right now, right?
In a spirit of charity, she says aloud, "There is a place where you can shelter from this storm, though it wouldn't be f-"
A cucco busts out from a side space between buildings. Parbody almost audibly declares "!" as the thing lets out a shrieking spray of fire upon a fried chicken shack offering Kislev-seasoned skewers and so forth. "Tch--"
The beer kegs' lashings start to burn. Soon they will roll if not stopped. Parbody has a plan, though, and she unleashes it quickly; a small, thin-walled bottle of kerosene thrown at the bird. Yes: She intends to flame roast it.
But it won't go fast, will it? What does?
DG: Parbody has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Kislev Fried Cucco.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"I was thinking we could go to the nearest church!" Rosaline calls out, actually cutting Parbody off. How uncharacteristically, monstrously rude!
And suddenly, a lot of fire is happening all at once. Rosaline's eyes widen considerably, her pupils shrink, and...
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" she roars out, her two SMGs dropping from her sleeves, and into her hands. She proceeds to fire out more bullets than one chicken-like creature can possibly contain, albeit in an unfortunately erratic spray. At this rate she might shoot holes in the beer kegs!
DG: Rosaline Calice has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Kislev Fried Cucco.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"But it seems we found a ..." Fei hesitates, he can't recall the proper term for a flock of chickens. IS it flock? Or is there like a term for like a whole swarm like this? He's pretty sure it's a flock and he's about to say so when a--
Flamethrower. Fei thinks back to his poor village except instead of a gear destroying it all it's a giant cuccoo. No, no, it can't be. Fei grips his head--it's coming--it's coming!!
Oh wait, he realizes, he has the RPS Badge still. He immediately calms down and approaches the cuccoo confidently.
He gets right up close to it and shows the cuccoo his hand.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors." He says seriously.
"BUCCAWW!!" The chicken is ready for this challenge except--
"Aha! Paper!" Fei says. "I chose scissors... I win!"
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, Kislev Fried Cucco.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Success in escaping the wrath of the swarm! For now, at least. Xantia isn't known for her common sense, but choosing flight over fight was definitely the right move there. And she met up with friends! This day is so much better now.
...but she's still hungry. Her nose tells her there's something good up ahead, though! Perhaps in all this chaos, some food has ended up seperated from its stall. It's not right to steal, but if she just happened to find some food laying about, well, that would be okay, right?
Xantia's eyes light up when she sees the stall of fried chicken up ahead... only for the stall to get lit up by a chicken. The sound of breaking glass just now may have been Xantia's hopes shattering into pieces. Only to be replaced by righteous anger. "All that food... how dare you waste all that food!!"
Needless to say, there will be no tricks or minigames here. She's just going to rush that chicken and attempt to uppercut it into the stratosphere.
DG: Xantia has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Kislev Fried Cucco. DG: The party led by Rosaline Calice 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> Parbody has posed.
"A church?" Parbody says with tones of scoffing. But then
They are about to be massively -- FORCED TO GIVE UP: It's a Cucco atta-a-a-a-a-ack o/`
Bullets spray forwards as cuccos spread their wings and shed feathers in an artful way, rising into the dusty sunbeam in an incredibly cinematic way.
It's a cucco atta-a-a-a-a-ack o/`
Fei Fong Wong gathers himself and challenges a bird to RPS. When the chicken loses, it looks momentarily confused, and then explodes with a loud BANG for unclear reasons.
It's a cucco atta-a-a-a-ack o/`
Another bird ascends as Xantia shows Ryu Ken.
Watch your back
Before you fade to black
Parbody's targetted bird is flambeed with a horrid stink and flutters off to, presumably, self-roast elsewhere, burping fire as it goes. The stall owner is able to beat out the fires before all the strapping breaks loose, and taps the keg, leaving out glasses for the group to partake. The beer is a little warm now, obviously, but it's free. And wet!
Parbody does not parbodytake. "I'm not sure any shelter is going to be enough, much less the sort with giant, expensive windows," she says. To Xantia, she speculates, "I doubt you'd be happy to find an open-air crematorium yourself."
Beat. "Even so, lead on!!"
DG: Xantia has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Cluck Off *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You bolt around the corner, to find yourself face to facade with the Grand
Opera House of Adlehyde. The doors come open, and cuccos pour out. Each is
dressed in all of other peoples' finery: powdered wigs, opera glasses, fancy
dresses, suits, and fanciful outfits used on stage. One cucco trots forward,
then points a feathery wing at you.
"Buc-buc-BUCKAAAAWW!"
The others do the same, making various gang sign-like motions with their
wings. These cuccos are issuing you notice. You just got served, and the
only answer is a cucco singing contest. Of course, they aren't particular
about their music: loud belting, percussive instruments, and using
explosions to accompany your symphony will be acceptable.
And if not, they will fight you.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Looks like Team Cucco's blasting off again! Seeing friends isn't the only thing that immediately makes Xantia feel better. So does wanton violence upon evil-doers. Fighting's more fun than running! And with all the mess they're making of the city, these chickens surely had it coming.
"I'm not sure what that is," she cheerfully informs Parbody, before motioning the group to follow. "I don't know where's the best place to hide, but I know we'd better not keep standing here! Come on, this way!" She has no plan or anything, she's just picking the obvious direction: the one they just cleared through various gradations of violence. The Rock-Paper-Scissors match counts, that was just brutal.
Speaking of brutal, the next obstacle comes in the form of fancy-looking Cuccos bursting out from the opera house, issuing a challenge of song after delivering a particularly vicious chicken-burn! How will the group answer??
Somehow, Xantia's managed to understand the general idea, but she can only shrug, looking at the others and confessing, "I don't know anything about music." After a moment's thought, she adds, "But maybe... does this qualify?"
A large hammer, held fast to the girl's back with leather straps, is sloooowly removed from its bindings. Xantia holds it in both hands, focuses for a moment, and then swings forward. With a loud *CRASH*, a massive shockwave is created - it wasn't much in the way of music, but blowing the Cuccos away is a valid approach to this too, right?
DG: Xantia has used her Tool Megaton Hammer toward her party's challenge, Cluck Off.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong is...uh...is assuming that the bird exploded because the flamethrower was faulty. He picks up its remains to give to Citan later because that's the weorst possible solution to finding a faulty flamethrower.
He swings it over his shoulder and follows theo thers around a corner. "What--"
He looks around, confused. He turns towards Xantia for a moment who takes her hammer and--
--Fei covers his eyes. He can't watch. "This symphony..." Fei manages with tears in his eyes. "Is fowl!"
But it seems that everybody is trying to sing off so Fei takes the flamethrower and shoots it into the air to provide a pyrotechnic backdrop.
MAYBE HE IS SECRETLY ONE OF THE BLACK TIES???? fwoosh fwoosh. "Why is everything awful..." He laments.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Cluck Off.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
It's a shame that Rosaline doesn't have an RPS Badge. It would probably help her with problems, issues and other matters.
Her clips are empty, and a moment later she's back to looking mildly terrified of the whole situation. It's probably best not to dwell on what just came over her. It's probably never going to be important.
And then it's time for... very fancy chickens.
"No, these are not [chickens], she whispers. She may be a few rounds too late, but this is the closest to a breather they've had so far. These must be... [Cuccos]. I read about them. They come from a far-off land, and no one can survive their swarm. But... I thought they were only a legend!"
But of course, a singing contest. She read of these too. She has come prepared for this very day.
She drops a white stick of dynamite on the ground, not far behind the quartet. She turns around to face the flock and opens her mouth to sing. Her voice is merely all right, because she's got to have SOME traits that aren't obviously copy-pasted from Felicia, jeez.
And timed just right with Xantia's harmonious(?) hammer slam comes the Holy TNT's explosion, which bathes the quartet in dramatic light and sounds an alarming lot like a gregorian choir for a brief but moving moment.
DG: Rosaline Calice has used her Tool Holy TNT toward her party's challenge, Cluck Off.
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
Parbody takes off her gloves and begins snapping her fingers while tilting her head to the side in a steady rhythm. Her hips start moving at the same time, pivoting back and forth in a sinuous motion. She seems, at least, to be prepared for this.
She answers nothing about where to hide, or what a crematorium is. Not even when explosions start rocking.
DG: Parbody has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Cluck Off. DG: The party led by Rosaline Calice has failed this challenge! The party gained 4 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> Xantia has posed.
Xantia's hammer swing certainly succeeds in blowing the Cuccos out of the way, but the remaining ones cry fowl, clearly not appreciating the (lack of) musical prowess. Shameful display! Somehow, the party will have to survive the brutal dissing they receive and move on with their lives, accepting that they're not going to win any awards in this area.
Xantia is very unconcerned about this, merely replacing the hammer on her back and declaring, "I think that went well!" Yeah, no ear for music at all, just like she said.
Rosaline's remark is the only thing that does spark some concern about this. "No one survives...? That can't be right! If nobody ever survived them, nobody would be alive who could make legends about them!" She nods firmly, her logic is sound. Nobody's dying today!
DG: Fei Fong Wong has drawn a new Challenge.
==================<* CHALLENGE - All Out of Gysahl Greens *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The cuccos have brought even their fellows who cannot fly. One comes crashing down now: a huge cucco, easily the size of a sumo wrestler, who lands with a crunch on a cart. It splinters out into broken planks under it. Then, the Fat Cucco bellows a cluck, and begins to roll forward into battle! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Needless to say, Fei gets henpecked until he's a bloody mess on the ground. He may be crying a little.
That's when a giant bird comes down from the sky which lands on a nearby cart! It narrows its eyes and slaps its belly with its two wings and bears down on the team. Fei Fong Wong, who is fairly concussed, looks blearily towards the Fat Cucco.
"CUCCO! I WILL STORE YOUR ITEMS! CUCCO! CUCCO!*"
"Oh...Fat Cucco..." Fei says. "Why are there three of you...but...oh--yes... I can save my items here. They won't get stolen by pirates again. Haha. haha."
He runs towards the Fat Cuccco and offers him his RPS Badge. "Please...please keep this safe."
"CUCCO! Don't worry, I will keep this safe! CUCCO! But do you have any gyshal greens for me? CUCCO!**"
"What...what's that?" Fei asks, confused.
"NO GREENS NO STORAGE!***" The Fat Cucco says before belly bouncing Fei away to the back of the party, RPS badge spinning dramatically in the air as he does os.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Needless to say, Fei gets henpecked until he's a bloody mess on the ground. He may be crying a little.
That's when a giant bird comes down from the sky which lands on a nearby cart! It narrows its eyes and slaps its belly with its two wings and bears down on the team. Fei Fong Wong, who is fairly concussed, looks blearily towards the Fat Cucco.
"CUCCO! I WILL STORE YOUR ITEMS! CUCCO! CUCCO!*"
"Oh...Fat Cucco..." Fei says. "Why are there three of you...but...oh--yes... I can save my items here. They won't get stolen by pirates again. Haha. haha."
He runs towards the Fat Cuccco and offers him his RPS Badge. "Please...please keep this safe."
"CUCCO! Don't worry, I will keep this safe! CUCCO! But do you have any gyshal greens for me? CUCCO!**"
"What...what's that?" Fei asks, confused.
"NO GREENS NO STORAGE!***" The Fat Cucco says before belly bouncing Fei away to the back of the party, RPS badge spinning dramatically in the air as he does os.
- This is in Fei's mind
- Yep, still in his mind
- Fei has had a very bad day.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, All Out of Gysahl Greens.
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
"That's very true. Survival must be at least possible," Parbody says helpfully. Her masked face looks at the bloody mess of Fei, and she muses, "Here, do you need a" THUMP
"Well," Parbody says then, even as Fei attempts to proffer a precious badge to it. Looking towards Xantia and Rosaline, she asks, "Have you ever had rendered chicken fat? It's quite good, really, an effective substitute for butter. The reason I ask is--"
FWOWSH! A storm of shrieking, steel-hot sparks start flying as Parbody chain-casts a simple yet nasty Symbology trick directly at the fat bastard, hopefully before it can eat Fei. That's for them to do, later.
"WELL, you get the idea, I'm certain..."
DG: Parbody has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, All Out of Gysahl Greens.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Noooooooo......." Rosaline lets out as she falls to her knees, clutching her hands to her head while the fancy flock mercilessly disses their style. She takes double damage from self-esteem-affecting attacks! They also get pecked but that's not as important.
"That... actually makes a lot of sense," Rosaline answers Xantia when she explains her reasoning. The younger girl's logic may often be questionable, but Rosaline will take her hope where she can find it, thank you very much. The nun wipes the tears out of her eyes.
But their next detour takes them to a bird of gluttonous proportions. No bullets from Rosaline this time, which may be a pity because with a target this size she might actually be able to hit something. Instead, she holds up her cross and chases after Fei, projecting healing magic his way. "Please don't die, friend whose name I don't know!"
There will also be heals coming right up for Xantia if she steps up to the challenge. Parbody gets... NOTHING. >:|
DG: Rosaline Calice has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, All Out of Gysahl Greens.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia merely... blinks blankly at the arrival of the Fat Cucco. "That's... that's not a small bird. That's a big bird." Nothing wrong with her powers of deduction, she's as capable of stating the obvious as ever. She'd be more excited about this much larger specimen if she was still considering these birds as a potential food source, but... well, that previous attempt didn't work out too well.
She also gets beaten to the punch by Fei, at least she's assuming he's about to go punch the big bird. But then he doesn't, and gets bounced away instead, prompting her to helpfully provide the friend's name that Rosaline didn't know. "Fei! Why didn't you punch it?!" And where did he get all those wounds? Sometimes she fails to notice obvious things happening around her, this is not new.
Though she can't answer Parbody's question with a yes, it certainly draws Xantia's rapt attention, because it's about food, and that's the easiest way to ensure that will happen. "Oooh. I'll have to try that sometime." The chicken fat presumably, not the casting of fire spells. She's about as magical as a rock.
With the heals covered - not that Xantia notices - she is next up to face the fat bird, matching its sumo pose with one of her own. The pair then rushes forward, grappling for all they're worth! Xantia finds it hard to get a solid grip on the Cucco, finding it surprisingly slippery. Perhaps there's some of that chicken fat involved. Nevertheless, she's hanging in there, for now. If she can only manage to get a good hold of it, she certainly possesses the brute strength to toss the feathery fiend...
DG: Xantia has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, All Out of Gysahl Greens. DG: The party led by Rosaline Calice has failed this challenge! The party gained 29 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> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
The Sumo Cucco already bounced Fei away from him but it turns to look towards the others. Chain-cast spells bounce off the creature's hide. It wobbles towards her but Xantia reaches it first. It wobbles through Xantia, who is still holding on but is now going along for the ride as it picks up speed as it attempts to SUMO PARBODY with Xantia (attached) and keep on going into the distance to find some gyshal greens SINCE EVERYBODY HERE are TOTALLY CHEAP and he's hungry.
Fat Cucco is always hungry but doesn't like to advertise because it's negatively stereotyping.
DG: Rosaline Calice has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* CHALLENGE - This Is Not a Cucco *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Most people with common sense are fleeing, but a few are standing and
gawking at the feathered frenzy. The gentleman standing here is one of
those. His black, beady eyes stare up dully at the heavens. His belly
trembles, as if he is three birds standing atop one another, and his suit
shifts like that. His sleeves flap, emptily, in the wind.
His beak-like nose works, with jerk-like motions that are somehow bird-like
in their suddenness. When he sees you, he inquires in that distinctive and
slightly foreign accent: "Buc-buckaw?"
Maybe you should see if he needs help? He certainy isn't three cuccos
wearing a suit, top hat, and monocle, ready to claw your face off. Certainly
not.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Ah! His name is Fei. Thank you, Xantia.
"That's not funny," she mumbles in answer to Parbody, without looking at her directly.
Xantia attempts to engage the Fat Cucco on its own terms while Parbody attempts a weakness hit. Xantia gets taken for a chicken ride for her troubles! Oh no! Rosaline gives chase. On the upside, they're probably going in the right direction? Hopefully??
Finally, Xantia (and the rest of the group, who followed either out of altruism, or because there is strength in numbers) is dropped off in another street, where they meet... Could this be, another party member?
No, of course not. His character design is obviously too forgettable.
"Good sir, you should find shelter with us," Rosaline implores the foreign-looking man, reaching for an arm to take and grasping at a loose sleeve. Oh no. Is he losing all hope? Clearly what he needs are words of wisdom.
This... is a job for the Extreme Teen Bible. A moment later, Rosaline has produced it, and opened it to the Book of Revelations, which is obviously of great relevance right now.
"I'm breaking in, shaping up,
Then checking out on the prison bus,
This is it, the apocalypse,
Whoa-o-o"
She furrows her brow, trying to figure out what a prison bus might be. She looks back at the man intently. She has the nagging feeling she can't put her finger on...
DG: Rosaline Calice has used her Tool Extreme Teen Bible toward her party's challenge, This Is Not a Cucco.
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
Fei? Parbody thinks, but doesn't say. Her true dire problem and power - she can keep her mouth shut at times. Even so. Even so. She is slammed with sumo force, smashed against a building; her mask comes slightly askew, and she coughs wetly before she manages to get it properly strapped on again.
She coughs a few more times on the way forwards. And then she looks forwards at -
Hm.
Behind the mask she squints.
"That cut isn't doing you any favors, sir. The monocle's five years out of date, and that hat might as well say, Hello, I am an idiot, please rob me," Parbody informs the completely ordinary man. Yeah: She fell for it too.
DG: Parbody has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, This Is Not a Cucco.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia gets a little head start! Unfortunately, the reason for this is that she got flung ahead due to being out-sumo'd by the Fat Cucco. A yelp of surprise, a short flight and a loud thud later, she can only comment from her prone position: "...should stick to punching things." Or at least only wrestle things that don't obviously have more experience at it than she does.
Picking herself up, she looks miserable for exactly the amount of time it takes for the rest of the party to catch up. She's immediately able to smile again, and reassure, "I'm okay!" By some definition, at any rate. Even with a healer around, if she and other people are getting hurt, things rapidly become less fun.
The arrival of another Mysterious Stranger prompts a wave from Xantia, who looks pensive for a moment once they receive that... strange greeting. What dialect is this? She didn't understand a word. But a lone foreigner who approaches strangers in a question tone... "Are you asking for directions?" she ventures a guess. Directions to what, though?
While she's considering how to respond, Rosaline is looking through a book of some sort. That's a great idea! She produces her own favorite piece of literature: the Guide to Dungeoneering, perusing its pages of questionable wisdom for something that seems relevant to the situation at hand.
Eventually, she finds just the quote. "No matter how lost you feel, never ask for directions. Nobody ever made any grand discoveries by knowing exactly where they're going!" There! Xantia helped! As well as helped to explain something about herself, given that she follows that guide's advice to the letter.
DG: Xantia has used her Tool Guide to Dungeoneering toward her party's challenge, This Is Not a Cucco.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei looks up at Rosaline and says, "Oh--I can't. I got kidnapped by pirates and I have to keep a lookout now. But thanks. Uh. Maybe when I'm done." He rolls up to his feet and and hops to it. "You probably don't want to get too involved with me. I mean, to be totally honest, these rampaging cuccoos? This is basically my life every day."
She looks towards the man who surely isn't a chicken.
He draws out an anatomy sketch he did once, he looks back to the man, then back to the sketch.
"..."
It's a trap The voice whispers. They're chickens. Just like you.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool Artist's Toolkit toward his party's challenge, This Is Not a Cucco. DG: The party led by Rosaline Calice has passed this challenge! The party gained 26 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> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Oh, Xantia has a book too! That's nice. And... well, Rosaline feels a little bad for thinking it, but it's reassuring that at least she knows how to read.
"Don't mind her," Rosaline hurriedly whispers in the man's ear(?) "She's not just rude, she's probably pure evil." She tugs at the sleeve to turn the man away from such reprimands. Rosaline gets distracted by Fei's drawing, leaning in to look at it.
And the coat falls off.
"Oh no! Sorry! I apologize! I'm so sorry!"
The cucco pile teeters over. The hat and monocle roll away in opposite directions.
"Noooo... We've been tricked," she declares, betrayal clear in her voice. But at least those cuccos are clearing out...
OR ARE THEY?!
DG: Parbody has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* CHALLENGE - Motherclucker *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
One cucco is behind this: the Mother Cucco, a bird with bright red plumage
and fury in her black eyes. She drops down towards you as you make your
escape. She lets out a bellowing cry -- and her children come. Then, her
wings beat, and she takes off towards the skies -- but gives a final look at
you.
You don't have the sufficient level to fight her yet, but know this: she
will be back.
The horde comes at her call, though. Dozens of cuccos swarm, dive bombing,
scratching, pecking, and unleashing their terrifying martial arts upon you!
Feathers fly -- and so will you, if you're unlucky!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
Flap.
Flap.
Flap.
"Bkawk," says the Mother Cucco, proud and red and filled with fury. This massive bird has perhaps had any limitation on its potential unlocked, unsealed, the chains of genetic code burst asunder. Looking down balefully, it seems, for a passing moment, to recognize -
Parbody? No. Unless the black lenses of her mask remind it of its own kin.
Xantia? No. Her hammer may be powerful but it is as nothing to one who commands the skies.
Rosaline? No. The cuccos shun the wisdom of the Extreme Teen Bible.
Fei? YES...
But then she's gone.
The skies are white and fragrant, though.
"It was an honor to meet you all," Parbody says as the storm comes upon them, sweeping a hand around to call up a mist in front of her. This seems to be helpful in that it slows down the cuccos by disrupting their flight patterns - also, of course, it shows another form of Symbology at work, no doubt underneath that BLACK TIE suit of hers - but it means the PRESSURE has built up.
After this Parbody throws her sparks again.
It will not be enough.
DG: Parbody has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Motherclucker.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
That's right, Fei thinks, I'm a chicken. I am terrified to release my power for fear of what it can do. Terrified that those I killed might have been no accident at all, but some kind of--some kind of PLAN, some desire that I wasn't even concious of.
BUKAWWWW.
Oh, right, Fei thinks. He looks up and narrows his eyes at the Mother Cucco. Fei points a finger towards her. "There she is! The source of this evil!" He rushes forward but it's too late--the army of cuccoos is in the way and, besides, she's already taking off. Fei punches his fist into his palm, "Damn...!" He says before raising his arms to do battle.
"This time... I'm resolved....to fight!"
He starts to engage in ridiculously awesome kung fu. But will it be enough?
Or will the strength of man fail today?
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Motherclucker.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline looks up as the Mother Cucco makes herself known. "N-No...!" She experiences a brief, fleeting moment of Absolutely Terror. But no, the godless fowl flaps away.
The nightmarish swarm flying right towards the group seems like a relief by comparison. She looks up, fear making way for resignation.
"Xantia, Fei, I've known you all too briefly. I hope our souls will meet again in Heaven." She loads a clip into Esdras, then another into Judith.
Then, to Parbody, meekly: "I hope that, in my dying breaths, I can find it in my heart to forgive you." She probably won't.
She also won't explain what she's talking about. This might be an It Was Tuesday sort of scenario. And if Parbody is even inclined to ask, it's soon drowned out by the sound of ARMs fire. One silver lining to the size of the swarm bearing down upon them is that it renders Rosaline's terrible aim irrelevant.
DG: Rosaline Calice has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Motherclucker.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia is stunned, stunned by the revelation that this was a Cucco in people's clothing all along. Way to make her waste perfectly good well-meaning advice! Still, this seemed to be a straggler more than anything else. The Cucco horde has thinned considerably, and she allows herself a sigh of relief.
A bit too soon, as the Big Bad chooses this time to make its appearance. "It's... it's red!" Once again pointing out the obvious, Xantia sounds impressed by this more than anything else. She didn't know red chickens existed! She fails to see it for what it is, until Fei names it as the source of all of this. "What?! Then we have to beat it!"
She certainly doesn't understand what Parbody and Rosaline are talking about. She's never been very good at Despair, preferring to just rush into things and see what happens. And so, she rushes right along with Fei, getting cut off by the swarm in the same manner. Seeing him prepared to fight, she nods, raising her own fists. "I'm ready too! Come on, we'll beat them!"
And so, the two employ their martial arts right alongside each other. Xantia's fighting style is the more rough around the edges, more improvised, but in many ways... very, very similar to Fei's. It would be uncanny enough to wonder if the similarity is coincidence... but who has time to worry about that, in this chaotic, desperate situation?
DG: Xantia has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Motherclucker. DG: Parbody is too exhausted to continue! DG: Fei Fong Wong is too exhausted to continue! DG: Rosaline Calice is too exhausted to continue! DG: Xantia is too exhausted to continue! DG: The party has failed this challenge! All party members are now Exhausted. Your party can no longer continue and is forced to retreat! DG: The party led by Rosaline Calice has been fully Exhausted by Cucco Invasion!
<Pose Tracker> Parbody has posed.
"Nice Style... Fei," Parbody remarks to Fei along the way. Oh dear, she knows who you are. Is that important? It's unclear.
She can see that Xantia isn't fighting too differently from him, either. Same school? she wonders. But then Rosaline speaks to her and Parbody's head turns, gazing upon her with those flat lens-eyes.
"Have we met?" she asks Rosaline, AND THEN
The birds come.
When the avian tide has passed in all its filth and stink and peck and horror, Parbody is nowhere to be found, though there are a few smears of blood and scraps of fabric. Maybe... Maybe they ate her whole.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei looks towards the woman in the gas mask. "Oh shit--" He says because he knows he has a bounty on him. Luckily he has a flamethrower in his hands.
Which doesn't help. As the ride of feathers bears down upon them he says to Rosaline, "If I made it to Heaven," He tells her. "Then something's really screwed up over there."
CUCCOOED! Fei is lost amongst the horde.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline has nothing to answer to Fei. This was all the optimism she could muster. And then... her slit pupils narrow at Parbody's question.
Cuccos happen to them.
GAME OVER.
EPILOGUE - SIDE ROSALINE: Good thing Rosaline saved. When the dust clears, a fellow clergy member carries the nun (and maybe Xantia?) back to the aforementioned church, where she can be nursed back to enough health that she can take it from there and go work her magic on the other unlucky few to get a party wipe on this MOST SOMBER DAY IN ADLEHYDE'S HISTORY.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia is blissfully unaware of the trouble she may have caused Fei by mentioning his name. She even knows about the bounty on his head, yet failed to consider that publically identifying him might cause issues. Knowing Xantia can be problematic like that, even when she's on your side.
Pretty soon there's other things to worry about, however. Feathery things. Lots of them. Xantia fights valiantly, but is eventually overwhelmed.
When the dust settles, and the Cucco cloud clears, she remains collapsed in the dirt. Savagely chickenhandled, but alive. As she's taken away by friendly church people, she starts to mumble something, over and over, like a mantra.
"I'll never ignore Space Between Your Feet Day again."