2017-04-08: Wreckage of Lahan
- Log: Wreckage of Lahan
- Cast: Leon Albus, Bart Fatima, Catenna, Kourin, Zed, Cecilia Adlehyde
- Where: Ruins of Lahan
- Date: April 8, 2017
- Summary: Seeking to learn more about the man said to have demolished the village of Lahan, Leon Albus leads a small party to check out the devastation. Too bad he didn't bring people without noodle arms.
==============================<* Ruins of Lahan *>=============================== Lahan was once a medium-sized village of 50 or so residents. Now, however, it is a ruin, with buildings smashed and their remnants scattered and scorched. Large gouges have been torn out of the grounds, and chunks of metal lie in the small creaters dotting the landscape. To the trained eye, it is clear that the village was decimated by a battle between Gears, and a few dozen marked graves nearby indicate that someone, at least, survived it. But whoever they were, they are long gone. A short distance from Lahan, atop a jagged cliff separated from the village by a rope bridge (currently dangling broken), a small home sits. According to signage at the base of the cliff, this is where the town doctor can be found. So that is helpful. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPrm1nrkZ3k
DG: Leon Albus has created a party! To join, type +party/reset and then type +party/join Leon Albus. DG: Catenna has joined your party! DG: Zed has joined your party! DG: Kourin has joined your party! DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has joined your party! DG: A party led by Leon Albus is now entering Ruins of Lahan. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Obstructed Path *>======================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- A promising side path to the destroyed village of Lahan turns out to have its own difficulties. While the approach through the forest goes well enough, it turns out one of the massive indigenous creatures that lives here has blocked the road with several fallen trees and large rocks. The sight of giant claw marks on the bark and scratched into the rock suggests that the fastest way through might be to clear a path through the blockage - trying to clamber over might attract the attention of some beast when the party is in a less than ideal position. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon Albus is working with -- for? -- Bart, now. He isn't the sort of man who can work with someone without learning more... and in this case, he wants to learn more about a new ally before he meets him. He heard that Fei Fong Wong destroyed the village of Lahan and, perhaps, a Kislev incursion. He admits to some curiosity about that. Thus, he has come here with that exact purpose in mind. He did not, however, come alone.
The blonde-haired ex-soldier looks to the side, silver eyes regarding Bart Fatima calmly. He had gathered other Drifters, too, back in Adlehyde. Rumors of soldiers and worse prowling the ruins of Lahan had reached his ears. "We better have a look," he says. "I heard what that kid was said to have done to this place."
Albus frowns, sharper, at that. "...I want to see for myself, if I'm going to work with him."
Then, he looks over his shoulder, at the other Drifters that came with. He knows Catenna. He also knows... Zed. He nods, once, to them, before he looks at Cecilia and tilts his head curiously. "Be careful," he says, "and keep an eye out. I don't want any of us being taken by surprise. I want a good look at this place."
Then, he looks ahead, and lets out a long breath -- as he sees the way that several trees and rocks have fallen across the path. He rolls up the sleeves to his grey coat, then strides forward. Lily isn't here. They don't have bombs to clear the way. "Let's see what we can do," he says. He frowns at the huge claw marks slashed into the side. "I don't intend to let this slow me down."
He grabs onto a rock, then pulls, throwing it to the side of the path.
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
You know what was always good for supplies and parts? A big old battlefield. Someplace that had been utterly wrecked and had a bunch of Gears lying around, that sort of thing. There were always a few things to scavenge around those sorts of places.
And Bart has... acquired a bit of a different reason to go look the place over as well. A recent operation had allowed Bart to aquire one (supposed) ace pilot, the man who was apparently single handedly responsible for wiping out both of the Gear squadrons that had arrived in what had once been a peaceful little hamlet.
But Bart stops Leon and Cecilia a little before they reach the ruins and takes them aside. "Alright, reason I wanted to come along here is I wanted to see just... how bad it was out here. Supplies and such are good as far as the reason we're here, but Fei basically holds himself and his Gear single handedly responsible for the mess this town has become. Guy seems like he's not too bad, but... yeah, I agree with Leon. Let's have a look for ourselves. Difference between 'let's work with this guy' and 'let's keep a real close eye on him' and all that."
When they get back to the group, Bart announces, "Keep an eye out folks. I've heard that Gebler still sends patrols around these parts, and we've had some bandits prowling the area as well. Not looking for any unnecessary fights or anything. 'cept if I get bored, then we might."
But it's not a fight they find on the path, but instead a considerable amount of debris. Bart looks at it, then looks at the claw marks in the trees. And starts tossing stones and branches aside. "Right, let's... just clear something we can squeeze through. I'd rather not meet up with whatever decided that this was a good place to throw some crap it didn't like in its nest."
DG: Bart Fatima has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna has no idea who Bart is and only a basic concept of what Gebler is.
She does, however, know who Leon is. His objectives often seem to be at odds with hers and his respect for spiritual treasures appears to be minimal. But he also handled himself well last time she went into a dungeon with him, and that counts for something.
As such, she's come along for the ride. Giving her head a small toss to shake her hair out behind her, she momentarily checks her shotgun - yep, still loaded. Her left hand, meanwhile, remains curled beneath her cloak.
Her eyes narrow ever so slightly as Leon mentions why they're here.
The expression passes. She merely nods and keeps her opinions firmly locked up behind her face. But she does keep towards the rear of the party. It's up to Bart and Leon to walk into danger for the sake of someone who may or may not be a village-destroyer.
The sight of the downed trees leaves her closing her eyes for a moment. She's not going to be able to move them with her hands. Instead she shoulders her gun and reaches under her cloak.
Coming out with a small stone tablet, she cradles it in her hand, running her fingers across it and closing her eyes again as she focuses. A subtle air of power radiates around her before she utters a word in some language that isn't from around here.
There's no spectacular effect. But the weight of the trees Leon and Bart are pulling on suddenly seems much less, as if gravity has lost its grip on them.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin is among strangers here, by and large--Zed's was the only face she recognized. Fortunately, this means no one else has preconceptions about her, save Zed, and the change in her behaviour may go unnoticed. Specifically, Kourin has been ordered to stop avoiding people's eyes, as it may make the locals feel untrusting towards Althena's Guard.
Kourin finds this order extremely difficult to follow, but she's making an effort, and making an effort to leave a positive impression by helping out with this group's expedition. Spirit, for his part, may be making a more positive impression, since the dog is friendly and has enthusiastically greeted everyone in the group.
Unfortunately, Kourin's still shy and not very talkative herself, so beyond inquiring with Zed about "Sir Hiro"'s health, she's largely kept to herself so far. Even more unfortunately, the mage is slightly on the weedy side and not exactly well suited to shifting heavy rocks.
Still, that doesn't stop her from putting her all into it. She's here to make a positive impression for the Guard, after all.
DG: Kourin has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
The ground rumbles.
The group hears someone screaming somewhere in the distance. Behind them, in fact. But not too far in the distance-- no, that voice is still screaming, and it's coming closer. The doppler effect makes his voice sound more shrill than--
Wait. No. He's just screaming like a little girl.
"RUN!" Zed screams as he races /straight into/ the horrible debris field. "RUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN AWAAAAAY!"
...
The ground is still shaking.
A Tree sort of snaps in two, topples over, and reveals a GIANT GREEN DINOSAUR HEAD. The Rankar Dragon peers at the group with terrible yellow eyes, unhinges its jaw, and then goes--
SKREEEEEEOOOOOOOONK
...And proceeds to chase Zed right into the rubble-cluttered road.
Uh.
Huh.
DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Obstructed Path.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Cecilia has drifted past Lahan, once before; searching for answers to questions that were hot in her mind. She couldn't breach it alone.
Some of those questions are answered now, but her stomach still twists in an uncanny way when when Bart mentioned something about scavenging the site. When he mentioned he was heading out, she elected to come along, and that leads us here, with Cecilia accompanied by two strapping lads and some contractors.
During Bart's huddle, her eyes cast across the ruins with a deep frown. "Something is strange here, that much is certain. I feel..." .... "Yes." She shakes her head. Best not to talk too openly in front of unknown factors. "Let us be cautious."
"'Might' is an interesting way to pronounce 'absolutely will,' Bart," she muses, with a slightly teasing grin, and then saunters up to the debris and... ....
Looks at Bart.
It's rocks, it's not /her/ problem. But her eyes do snap over to Catenna at that brief spell. That's...not Crest Sorcery, she identifies. How peculiar--
And then, a man and a dragon. She lightly steps aside as Zed roars right on past.
"....well, how helpful," she muses. Things that aren't her problem: Rocks, and Zed.
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Obstructed Path. DG: The party led by Leon Albus has failed this challenge! The party gained 2 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> Leon Albus has posed.
"We'll lay low," Leon says. "I've ran into them before. There could be Aveh troops, here too." It is their territory, after all. There could be a Kislev incursion, he reasons, too -- but he stays silent on that, choosing to hope that it wouldn't be the case. He makes a surprised noise, though, as he finds one of the logs he grabs lighter than expected. He realizes why, though, and looks back at Catenna. He nods in her direction.
He doesn't know quite what to make of Kourin. A quiet one, but that doesn't mean much. He looks sideways at Cecilia -- and then he gawks, when Zed slams into the rocks. It had been slow-going, and Leon is sweating and breathing hard. But that doesn't matter -- because when Zed smashes into the rocks, they go /flying/, and shoot high into the air. And into them; one slams into Leon, bowling him over. He lands at Cecilia's feet and groans, before he stands up.
He looks /directly/ at Zed. "I. Column."
Then he sighs, and looks at the cleared path. "At least it's clear. I don't think we--" There is a terrifyingly loud, bestial roar from the woods. "--We should move. /Quickly/."
DG: Bart Fatima has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Ruined Buildings *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- It is difficult to tell how many buildings used to stand in this stretch of town, because they have all been blasted into pieces. Now only battered skeletons remain to testify to the presence of people's homes and lives in this area, some parts burned and others raked with gunfire and marred by explosions. However there are bits of treasure to be round - valued possessions hidden under rubble, or weapons and other military equipment abandoned or buried among the detritus - for those who are agile enough to reach them without causing the wrecked buildings to collapse. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
"Look I'm not looking to get into a fight with every single thing that pops up in front of me," Bart mutters to Cecilia. "I mean good lord, I don't even have my Gear with me. So I'll show just a little caution."
FIVE MINUTES LATER.
"WHY IS THERE A DINOSAUR! WHY IS THERE A GOD DAMN GIANT LIZARD THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A NICE QUAINT VILLAGE WHY DIDN'T THAT IDIOT MENTION THE GOD DAMN GIANT MONSTERS!"
Bart looks back, and then dives out of the way as the huge dinosaur just crushes the barricade and goes roaring off into the woods in pursuit of Zed. He gets up a moment later and groans. "...bringing my Gear next time," he mutters. "...no more taking chances, just... bringing my Gear..."
The outskirts of the town have been battered quite badly - what were once buildings have been reduced to battered, collapsed ruins of rock, wood, and roofing tile, and debris is strewn across the streets. Bart looks around for a moment, and whistles. "They definitely did a number on this place," he comments.
They don't need to actually cross these buildings, but the pirate pauses as his experienced eye catches sight of a pack of some sort of supplies hanging from a particularly tall piece of wall that is still standing.
Bart gets out his whip, and lashes out with it, trying to grab the pack. No luck, but he can at least hold it still so it might not fall off and smash it's contents. "Someone feeling limber enough to climb up and grab that? Might have something useful inside."
DG: Bart Fatima has used his Tool Bart's Whip toward his party's challenge, Ruined Buildings.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Catenna keeps track of Kourin. The woman is strange to her. She doesn't know much about Althena's Guard at all - only that they come from afar and worship a strange goddess.
If nothing else she was nice to Spirit - though she seems to always carry herself a certain way around Kourin's dog. Shoulders back, head slightly up, willing to pet or touch, but only if the dog is calm and submissive. As if she were the alpha, not the dog, and as if she didn't have to think about being so because that's just how beasts think.
Right now, though, she doesn't have much to say to dogs or anyone else; she's focusing on her spell.
Which she can't do when Zed comes screaming into the party thanks to a dinosaur. Her focus breaks and she clicks her teeth together, taking a step back and refocusing again as best she can, but it's already too late. She utters a short curse in some language not of this continent, unshouldering her shotgun and shooting Leon an apologetic look. Zed's fault. All Zed's fault.
She moves. It's fairly quick. Aware of Cecilia watching her, she glances at her for a moment, then hustles on, hopefully away from the dinosaur -
- And into desolation. Catenna pauses; a sick feeling builds in the pit of her stomach. The normally stoic expression she wears is briefly broken by a look of abject sadness, her eyes downcast.
She doesn't go for any of the fallen goods. She averts her eyes from it, in fact. Instead she focuses herself straight down what was once an old street. Bart gets a sidelong glance from her, before she turns to begin navigating her way along the street with care and grace, pausing to mark out hazards with small swipes of a piece of white chalk against stones.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Ruined Buildings.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin steps forward. It is not in her nature to be boastful, but she knows she is an agile climber. "I can try," she says. She keeps her gaze on the supplies, as though speculating on the best approach. She produces a rope and, with a whisper of magic it straightens and snakes toward the supplies.
As soon as the rope has extended to its full length, Kourin is up it, climbing towards the supplies with great efficiency.
DG: Kourin has used her Tool Trick Rope toward her party's challenge, Ruined Buildings.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
What, do you think dinosaurs are so easily dissuaded? Do you believe that they won't angrily chase a green-haired super ninja all the way into town just because!? WELL YOU'D USUALLY BE RIGHT. Except that Zed is a combination of: a) Blight against Filgaia and its natural order, b) Phenomenally unlucky.
The mossheaded swordsman only just barely notices the rest of the party as he explodes out of the woods, covered in branches, leaves, brambles and at least two spiderwebs. He yells as he approaches one of the ruined buildings and just kind of... Sprints /up/ the side.
He can do that.
He's running for his life, you can't tell him what he can and cannot do.
"AHAHAHAHA!" Zed says from inside his safe tower, which may incidentally be the one that Bart is Indiana Jonesing up to. Or maybe right next to it!? "You overgrown pond skink! Let's see you get me... IN HERE!!"
The Rankar gives Zed the evil eye.
And then starts chewing at the roof.
"No!" Zed protests. "THAT'S CHEATING!"
Dinosaur gonna dinosaur. Don't give even a single fuck.
Ida Everstead-Rey has arrived.
DG: Zed has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Ruined Buildings.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Cecilia takes the dinosaur in more stride than you'd think, considering. (Again: That's Zed's problem.)
She watches Leon and Bart scatter, and gently reaches to help Leon up. "Gears don't fit in ruins, Bart," she gently reminds him, because, well, Maison's not here to hold his leash, mostly. She scoots along after the group and...into the outskirts.
Her face falls. Some alien impulse runs through her nerves, and she finds her hand over the Teardrop. "...how horrid," she breathes.
Catenna and Kourin move for the bag, and Zed...
Cecilia watches him but her face just sort of doesn't move. She also doesn't. Is she...is she just here to observe (No) (but climbing is a subset of rocks) (which aren't her problem)
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Ruined Buildings.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon accepts the Princess's hand, and comes up, taking a few deep breaths. He frowns, once. "Thank. Cecilia, wasn't it?" Then, he looks back to Bart. "A question I would like an answer to as well."
He comes to a stop, breathing hard, and stares at the shattered remains of the village. His expression is measured; he fought long enough on the front that the sight of a damaged village is, by itself, not a great shock to him. But, he frowns nonetheless, and then he stops before one of the houses.
He stops in front of one of the doors, eyeing a locked chest inside. He pulls out his rope, then makes a loop with it; he swings it 'round a few times, before he encircles the chest, and then tries to tug it over.
That is when he catches sight of the dinosaur eating part of the roof that Zed is on. "You may want to get down from there," he says, a little flatly, before giving a final tug.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Climbing Rope toward his party's challenge, Ruined Buildings. DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Bart Fatima has posed.
Well, at least someone is willing to go for the loot. Bart would hate to have to climb up there himself. But Leon's help brings the chest down, and Bart holds out his hands to catch it, letting out an 'ooof!' as it lands in his arms. The pirate works with it for a moment, before popping it open. "Hmmm, these could be useful," he mutters, clearing out the chest and dumping the contents into his handy Loot Bag. Which every pirate should carry for the sake of dividing up the loot later on. "Nice job Leon!"
He does look up at the sound of the extremely large reptile chewing on a nearby roof. "I think... we need to keep moving," Bart declares. "Before that thing decides to venture into the rest of the town looking for something to snack on. Like us."
Catenna has done a nice job marking out a safe path, and Bart follows along confidently for the time being. He does pause for a moment as he walks by Cecilia, and grins. "Yeah, but imagine a ruin I COULD bring my Gear in. I'd be unstoppable! Bart the Gear Pirate!"
DG: Catenna has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* CHALLENGE - Buried Supplies *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------- A collapsed wall rests to the side of the road. While normally this sort of damage does not stand out from the rest of the town, a faint flash of metal catches the party's attention. Examination reveals that the fallen wall is covering some sort of cache of supplies, buried in the fighting. It could be a map of the town, canteens of water and food, or perhaps rope or tools that make traversing the ruined town easier, if only they can be uncovered. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna's being quick about it, sure, but she assumes the dinosaur is after Zed and not her. She knows how these things go - they go after the one who provoked them first. Until others catch their attention, anyway.
She marks a few more spots on the path, guiding the way around a few pieces of wreckage, and manages to get where she needs to go with little fanfare. As Bart saunters along behind her, she tilts her head back to nod to him once. "...Perhaps it would be better not to disturb them overmuch. Save to bury the fallen," she murmurs.
Throwing a look over her shoulder as if to keep tabs on the approaching dinosaur, she hustles forward, juking past a couple of fallen buildings she's marked out with white chalkmarks - only to turn a corner and find that a wall has collapsed up ahead. A sign still hangs from a standing pillar:
> BLACKSMITH
Clicking her teeth together, Catenna looks down at the rubble heap - at the visible glint of something metallic beneath it, and at the corner of a large anvil jutting from under the wreckage. Her conscience recoils at this because she knows the others are going to try and retrieve whatever's under there.
Turning back, she looks the group over. Her eyes find Cecilia and Kourin in particular.
She doesn't say anything, just starting forward - and beginning to move a couple of stones at the edge of the pile. She's not going to try for the cache of metal goods. Instead she's going to try and cut around it.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin, for her part, is content to follow Catenna's lead in this--she'd as soon not participate in scavenging from the victims of this poor town, if she's not asked to do so, in truth.
Spirit sniffs around curiously as Kourin helps Catenna moving the rocks, knowing enough to stay out of his mistress's way.
DG: Kourin has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
Bart looks around for a moment at the fallen wall, and considers the best way to approach this. Normally he wouldn't want to try and dig up someplace where people had died, and truth be told he wasn't after normal stuff. Gear parts and military supplies, on the other hand, that would be useful.
"Look, I'm not here to disturb the fallen," he grumbles. "Besides, I don't think we're gonna have a ton of help clearing something this big." They didn't exactly bring along the most muscular party, after all. And so Bart instead decides that the more appropriate thing to do is probably work to please the spirits or whatnot. They've got some crazy shaman, this other crazy shaman, someone who looks like a priest... and then Leon, Bart and Zed.
"Leon, let's at least pile up some of these rocks to make a marker!" the pirate calls. "If you ladies don't mind moving some of the stones as well, this won't take too long."
DG: Bart Fatima has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed peers down at Leon's sudden and utterly unsolicited advice. This is admittedly something of a risk, considering he's putting himself well within chomping distance of a tremendously overgrown lizard. But... There is wisdom in this. Especially since it sort of sounds like the whole building's about to come down on his head. "Yes," Zed says after a moment. "Yes, that sounds good and right. I will be right down! ONE MOMENT!"
Zed looks up at the Rankar, its tooth apparently stuck on some kind of very big, very important crossbeam. And... bites his thumb at it. "FIE UPON YOU! I WILL NOT BE CAUGHT HERE!" Zed leaps! Zed soars! Zed... Falls.
Onto his feet.
"Nyeheheh!" The Rankar roars, and the building begins to collapse behind him. "Let's go!"
And so Zed runs.
Right for that fallen-down blacksmith. "Oh! I remember something like this one. This one... Was a pain!" He bends over and begins diligently shuffling stones out of the way. "But also less of a pain than being eaten, so let's be quick!"
Something SKREEEEEONKS not far away. Zed pales.
"Yes. Very quick. Hello friends! How are all of you! I don't know... most of you! But that's fine. I'm Zed! Nice to meet you. Let's move fast before we're all eaten, yes?"
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
Bart looks at Zed, who is being loud. He looks at their current tasks, and then listens to the somewhat distant call of the giant lizard.
"SHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bart hisses.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"I have a real problem with this," Catenna says, but she's looking at Zed when she says it so it's presumably not about the bodies so much as it is about Zed inviting himself on the adventure with them.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin stares at Zed for a second. "Zed, did that thing that's chasing you eat Sir Hiro?" she asks, worried. Wait. That's what she's worried about?!
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
"My name is Cecilia, yes," the Princess supplies for Leon, before they're all moving along. She's quiet. This place...the most visible horrors are long gone, but nonetheless, she feels the Guardians' displeasure twisting through her. This kind of power...it could be a threat even to the world...?
She manages a little laugh at Bart's quip, though it's distant. "Oh, yes, I'm sure there wouldn't be any dinosaurs /there/," she supplies, before they slow again...this time before a ruined...business? Her lips flatten down. She actually does move, this time; Bart's right, this won't take too long. She first pulls out her magic staff, the weapon whirling around her in the air before she holds it aloft. "Hyper!"
Blasts of magic rush up around those working on the stones, filling their arms with strength.
With her important contribution done she just sort of looks at Zed for a long few seconds. "...hello," she declares, somewhat nonplussed, and then moves a rock.
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Supplies. DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"A pleasure," he says. "Leon Albus."
Hopefully she doesn't recognize the name. Leon's expression shifts, slowly, at 'Bart the Gear Pirate.' But, then he nods at him. "Of course," he says. "Hopefully that will help."
He keeps moving, to get away from the dinosaur, and then he sees the sign that reads 'Blacksmith.' Precious little remains of the shop. "We'll do what we can," he says. "The destruction here is immense. Did... one person truly cause all of this? Even in a Gear?" he asks, as he steps forward.
He rolls his sleeves up again. He looks at the anvil and frowns, before he steps forward. The dead are dead. He looted the bodies of Aveh soldiers he killed -- and this is only a little different. He starts to pry some stones free, with a frown on his face as he does.
And more at the shriek. "That thing is--yes. Be quiet," he says, with a sigh to Zed. "I am partial to /not/ being eaten, myself."
He pulls on another rock, this time with the enhanced strength of Cecilia's magic.
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Supplies. DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Catenna has posed.
Cecilia's strength suffuses the team. Stones are moved. Catenna looks back at her for a second and hefts another stone. Even this is enough to fill her with a kind of abiding discomfort. It's like every stone she touches, she wants to recoil from; she has to fight not to.
Her heart's not in it enough; she only manages to move a couple of stones before she recoils entirely to stand near Cecilia. The others - Leon and Bart especially - have more luck. Before long a path has been cleared around the obstruction. The anvil still sits there, but one can reach into the rubble and pull out a few items - simple things. A few metal stakes; a bent sword; a nice-looking spade that might be useful for doing some literal digging. But the way is clear nevertheless.
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Catenna looks up at Cecilia a moment; the woman's body language tells her the story.
"...I am Catenna," she murmurs a quiet greeting, before nodding and urging the group to bustle on.
DG: Bart Fatima has drawn a new Challenge.
======================<* CHALLENGE - Overgrown Pathway *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The ruins of Lahan are difficult to move around in, and sometimes the only way forward is to leave the town and circle around a bit until a new way forward becomes evident. Unfortunately that tactic hasn't worked here - the path has turned into an overgrown mess since the residents of Lahan had been chased off or killed, leaving a scrub infested trail filled with prickly plants, irritating ivy, and surprising amounts of serpents for those unlucky to enough to run into them. =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
The ruins of the town are harder to move around in, and as the party pushes forwards a series of collapsed buildings means that they can't move deeper into Lahan - instead they have to cut back outside, and the forest has slowly started to move back in and reclaim the outer areas.
Bart stops at the edge of the forested area, and holds up one hand. "Hang on folks," he states, and the looks into the path. And then he narrows his eyes for a moment.
Picks up a rock.
And throw it into the middle of the scrub filled path.
There is immediately a flurry of hissing, and then blunt, wedge nosed heads pop up through weeds and out of the nearby rocks. Probably a good twenty or so.
"I knew it. Rock Vipers," Bart declares. He pulls out his whip and cracks it experimentally. "I'm glad I wore my good boots on this trip."
And then with a whirl, he wraps the leather cord around a nearby tree. "We're gonna need to run up that bit of rock there..." He points at a nearby section of fallen building. "...to avoid em. I've done this a few times so I can help people who aren't confident about making it on their own."
He holds out his hand, looking first at Cecilia, then to the others. Because he knows the poor princess is probably mentally babbling about 'why did it have to be snakes'. And considering if she can just burn them all.
DG: Bart Fatima has used his Tool Bart's Whip toward his party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Gh," Leon grunts, when he sees the rock vipers go skittering away. He looks to the side at Bart. "Let's not get into those, then."
He watches as Bart uses his whip on the tree. "I can help some others," he says, as he uncoils his own rope. He slings it down, then strikes it out, winding the climbing rope across a treelimb. He gives a firm tug, and then he takes his swing -- and shoots towards the rock, before he bounces off it, and towards the other side.
The rope is passed along in turn. After all, they can do it twice as fast this way!
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Climbing Rope toward his party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"Oop--" Zed clasps his hands over his mouth, his eyes darting vaguely in the direction of the giant lizard that wants to eat them all, but him specifically. "Yes," he whispers. It's still loud, but this is Zed. At least he's trying!!! "Yes, this is a good idea. We must be... Quiet. But I was surprised to see you all here. I just came this way because I--"
--Was doing some snooping around the area to find that so-called Destroyer? Was looking to hijack a still-barely-functional giant robot 'cause it would be SO VERY COOL? "...I forgot something," Zed says, then. It's not a lie! "The last time I was in this place. But it's fine. Let's just keep move--"
Snakes.
So many snakes.
Zed narrows his eyes at these multitudinous serpents. So many snakes. So many, but...
"Come along then!" Zed says to the others, whipping his scarf around like a lassoo. He snags a hold of anyone who's (un??)fortunate enough to get in his way, and then takes to the stone path! "Let's go! Fast as a breeze. Quiet as a passing gale!"
DG: Zed has used his Tool Grapple Scarf toward his party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin's rope makes three! But before she swings, she turns and, with evident difficulty, orders Spirit away. "Go home," she tells the dog firmly, "Go home, and wait for me there."
Spirit is a good dog, and after a moment's hesitation, bolts off back the way they came.
Kourin says nothing more after she swings across. She can't hide how distraught she is with worry over her dog, however.
DG: Kourin has used her Tool Trick Rope toward her party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Catenna...a curious person, for a number of reaons. "Cecilia," she replies, by way of introduction. Cecilia follows along ably as they cut through the last of the rubble and move on to...even more rubble. It's expected, but some part of her keeps hoping for...something. Anything. Some sign, some glimmer...
All they find are snakes, and her lips curl down. Her eyes linger on the buildings they're skirting around, letting the scene print itself onto her.
She does not in fact lose her temper, although she's none too pleased, either. She gives Bart a look that probably does in fact translate to 'but I have all this fire', but accepts his hand just the same.
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna really wants to leave the dinosaur behind, as well as the bodies. She sticks close to Cecilia for now and bustles on, her shotgun clutched tightly in her hand.
The princess of Adlehyde gets a grave nod from her. "Hello," she murmurs, but there's less time to chit-chat than she'd like.
The heavier trees and undergrowth are somewhat easier to deal with. Slinging her gun, she fishes a coil of rope and a grappling hook out of her cloak and wheels it in the air over her head, building momentum behind it. Then she slings the rope up into the canopy. The weight of the hook catches across a branch, momentum carrying it around a few times before the hooks bite into the wood. Catenna tugs on it a couple of times to ensure the rope is solid. It is.
Then she heads for the nearest tree, climbs up a couple of branches, and /swings./ She sails across the thick of the underbrush like she's in some kind of Tarzan scene. A few snakes hiss in the weeds under her.
Her cloak streams behind her, the colourful patterns around its borders rippling distinctively.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Grappling Hook toward her party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway. DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Bart Fatima has posed.
It seems they are well equipped to deal with this particular challenge. Bart helps those across who need any assistance, but it seems they are making good progress. He'll even carry the dog if need be, although it seems that Kourin is willing to have her go back rather than deal with the viper pit.
But as Bart looks back at the overgrown area, he just sighs. "Amazing seeing things go back to nature this quickly. Although generally it's like... desert where I'm from." The sand sea expanded at a steady rate, and it wasn't too uncommon to watch a village at the edge be buried in a matter of weeks once the sand decided that it was going to push onwards.
He does look at Leon, and nods in thanks - the others also get an approving grin, and Bart looks onwards where the path curves back towards the town. "Well, at least there won't be quite that many snakes in the future," he comments. He hopes there won't be more snakes, at leat.
DG: Kourin has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* CHALLENGE - Giant Scavenger Birds *>=============================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | -------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >------------------------------------- The mountains close to Lahan are home to a species of giant birds which produce delicious eggs. However the razing of the town has left rotting food and the occasional body exposed to the sun, and the impressively sized scavengers will occasionally descend into town to feast. They aren't particularly picky about if their prey is alive or not, and the first warning of attack is a shadow of a ten foot wingspan from above and the screeching of the beasts as they go on the attack. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin readily accepts Bart's offer to carry Spirit across, calling the dog back to her. He's a good dog, so he comes when he's called!
"Thank you," she says, managing to look Bart in the eye--her gratitude is real, and not insignificant. Spirit licks the man happily and barks.
And keeps barking.
Eyes widening, Kourin realizes that the dog is warning of enemies, and she draws her rapier. "Attackers!" she cries, though she cannot see from where--and then, almost too late, she notices the shadow above her, growing larger by the second as the great bird swoops down to rake at her with beak and claws. Barely in time, Kourin hits the ground, rolling up into a crouch, and pulling a small blue sphere of clay out. "Above us!" she adds, hopefully unnecessarily, and hurls the ice grenade towards the bird that just tried to claw her face off.
Ice type attacks are super-effective against flying-type enemies, right?
DG: Kourin has used her Tool Rimebomb toward her party's challenge, Giant Scavenger Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
Awww, dogs are nice.
What are CONSIDERABLY LESS NICE are giant birds swooping down to attack them.
The huge birds come screaming down from above, letting out terrible screeches as they close in to attempt to tear apart the party that has dared to violate its territory. The pirate grunts, pulling out his whip as he watches the approaching creatures. "I've heard one of the local talk about these things. Apparently they live on the mountain where the local doctor lives. Apparently the local doctor is a madman who thinks that good medicine involves someone needing to climb a GIANT BIRD INFESTED MOUNTAIN to get help."
The pirate pulls out a vial of cologne, spinning it in his fingers before he uncaps it. "Maybe he just prefers house calls? Who knows..."
A spray of the sandlewood scented liquid is tossed into the air, and the magic charged into it covers the party, leaving them feeling charged up and ready to fight. Bart spins around and lashes out with his whip as one bird approaches, a grin on his face.
"Not gonna lie Leon, I prefer a straight up fight to sneaking around. I mean it's not bad sneaking around, but when push comes to shove I'll take a giant bird over moving rocks around."
DG: Bart Fatima has used his Tool White Cologne toward his party's challenge, Giant Scavenger Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Attackers!!
Zed looks... Maybe just a little bit too excited about this. Wasn't he just running away from a giant, hungry super lizard? Well! No matter! In a flash of movement and a sliver of time, Zed unsheathes his horrible, ultra-cursed, curved sword. Doom Bringer gleams hungrily in the waning daylight. "Attackers! Indeed! Overgrown birds they are. What luck! I've been trying to perfect my Counter-Cuccoo techniques!!"
But why though.
"First! En-garde!" Zed's offhand whips out from his side, and a cluster of brightly colored spheres... Smashes right into Bart's cologne bottle. Sandlewood scent mixes with a blast of thick smoke and ~gleaming glitter.~ Everyone not only smells fabulous, but now looks it, too! But more than that... It provides an appropriate stage.
For what, you might ask?
For Zed to leap into the air and try to use the back of his sword to steer one giant vulture into the other!
How is this... anti-cuccoo?
DG: Zed has used his Tool Smoke Bombs toward his party's challenge, Giant Scavenger Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon is relieved to land across the way, away from the snikes, only to find that they are still under attack. His eyes open up, sharply, silver staring up at the sky, as the huge birds come swinging in. "Are those--" No, he realizes, not cuccos. Not the things they faced in Adlehyde. He can call that a small victory. He reaches into his coat, pulling out his flare gun, and aims it upward. Even as the birds screech, it fires.
It leaves a snaking trail of light, before it explodes amidst the birds in a brilliant flash -- and sends some scattering. The white cologne does wonders, too, for him. He feels refreshed as Argent Divider swings free -- and he takes aim.
A single shot rips through a bird, a spray of feathers flying. Leon turns, firing again, and again, trying to shoot as many down as he can. "Vultures?" he asks Bart. "Here to feed on the dead?"
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Flare Gun toward his party's challenge, Giant Scavenger Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Cecilia grimaces at Bart's comments, an ambivalent feeling in her chest. "Yes...it seems the power that sustains the world is still holding on somewhere, at least." She assays a smile, and moves on, quietly looking around. She wants this sight in her memory. It seems this wasn't Demons, but...
It is a power just as dire. She finds her fingers quietly tightening around her staff, when a dog starts barking.
And Zed does...a thing. Or three. Cecilia watches him go. "How is that...anti-cucco?" she wonders aloud. Isn't that just swinging your sword like a loon! "Be careful!" she adds, before whipping her staff around; it leaves tracers of light in the air in front of her, forming a shining pentagram, before she thrusts the staff toward it, two-handed. "Lightning!" she cries out, and from the clear, blue sky, a bolt of lightning crashes down and turns a bird into dinner.
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Giant Scavenger Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
With grace, Catenna swoops across and touches down not far from Bart. She tosses her hair back with a little breath, then looks up to him, nodding gravely. "There is little that men can build that nature will not reclaim eventually," she says. "At least it is trees, and not desert." That's a novel idea on a dying world like Filgaia.
Then the dog starts barking. Catenna presses her lips together and watches Spirit first - and where he's looking. Immediately her eyes snap skyward.
The shadow of great avian wings arcs over her. She lets out a hiss of breath through her teeth and loads her shotgun, breaching it and popping a pair of shells into it.
As the scent of Bart's cologne washes over her, Catenna inhales it. She crinkles her nose but it's not the kind of pungent smell she finds /too/ vile, so that helps. Sprinting backwards a few metres, she drops to one knee and levels her gun in both hands, as if to force some of the birds to swoop after her - and then she fires her shells into them. She gives 'em both barrels.
The slugs break apart in the air, filling the air with a spray of ball-bearings. It's the sort of thing that might give birds a bad time.
"That is not anti-Cucco," she states, then, scowling irritably up at Zed.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Shrapnel Shell toward her party's challenge, Giant Scavenger Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"No! You see! If I use a cuccoo to attack a cuccoo... Then I effectively have half as many cuccoo to fight!" Zed grins from atop his MIGHTY STEED. "IT'S FOOLPROOF!"
(no it isn't)
DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Kourin has posed.
Feathers fly and squawks echo as the group competently dispatches the fowl menaces. Kourin, having switched to her own ice magic once the bomb had struck, looks at her companions quickly. "Is anyone injured?" she asks, concerned. Spirit paws at one of the fallen birds, till Kourin's "tch" calls him off.
DG: Zed has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Kobold Scavengers *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The damaged buildings have been quiet for a time, but a faint squeak reveals that the party is no longer alone. Kobolds are a small type of demi-human who generally avoid conflict when caught in the open, but this group seems to have discovered something in the ruins that they feel is worth fighting over. The kobolds tend to be cowardly, and attack with thrown stones and other crude projectiles unless they sense they have the upper hand, in which case they tend to charge in a rush. If the party doesn't scatter the vermin, they will likely harry the group for a time, trying to steal anything they can get their hands on. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
What is beyond the tumultuous skies? Beyond the squabbling of oversized vultures? Well, that's---
"YOU NO TAKE CABBAGE"
Yes, those.
Out from the ruins of a smoldering, ramshackle farmhouse comes what looks like an ambulatory rat in a pair of denim overalls. He brandishes a hoe with all the deft expertise of a novice farmer. There appears to be a... cabbage perched on his head. On closer inspection, it is in fact a cabbage-shaped candle. But this creature is not alone, for it is joined in battle by... A whole host of rat-men, all wielding a vast variety of farm tools. All of whom have some manner of vegetable-themed candle perched on their head. One is wearing a hat underneath his.
Behind them, neat rows of raised dirt have been ploughed into the earth, and are just showing the first signs of /something/ growing therein.
Zed just kind of stares at them, shrugs, and chucks down another smoke bomb.
M-maybe a non-lethal approach is called for?
DG: Zed has used his Tool Smoke Bombs toward his party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon shakes his head once at Kourin's question. "I'm fine. And--no, Zed, don't do that," he sighs. He starts to say more, when something accuses him of stealing its cabbage.
The silver-eyed man scowls.
He swings up the flare gun, squinting, and takes aim at the cabbage. "Not interested," he tells the kobold calmly. Then, he fires the flare gun right for the cabbage; the flare explodes into a shower of sparks that could well set the cabbage on fire.
His other hand snaps Argent Divider to his side. The blades fold in two, and the longsword-like blade swings out, glinting silver in the sun, before Leon jumps at the first kobold. He strikes quickly at it. "If it's all the same to you," he tells them. "I think you should run. We're not here for the vegetation."
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Flare Gun toward his party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"I am alright," Catenna assures Kourin with an incline of her head.
She starts forward again, slinging her shotgun behind her once more; she wants to hold her last shells in reserve. Instead she shifts her medium into her right hand.
For a moment, her gaze lingers on Cecilia. Curiosity dances like embers behind her eyes. "...Yes, it does. That power," she murmurs, her voice touched with a hint of something inquisitive. An unspoken question.
She has no time to pursue it. Chittering ratmen come scampering out of their little farms. Catenna takes a step back - and blinks as she realizes there is, in fact, a farm going on there.
Playing her left hand over the etchings of her stone tablet, she utters a few words in some language that's not normally spoken on Ignas. "Oalan." Her voice has a subtle resonance to it.
When Catenna casts, there's no flashy effect to it - only a barely-perceptible groan in the air, barely hearable by human ears. But there's a change - the onrushing kobolds are suddenly going to find it very, very hard to run forward and attack the group. It's as if gravity's grip on them is growing stronger and stronger. Doubling, tripling, quadrupling.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin closes her eyes for a moment--a brief moment, before the enemy is engaged. Then they snap open again. Her rapier is raised, as she judges that this may be a better match for blade than spell, since unlike the birds these kobolds are bound by gravity's pull. Her free hand pulls another of the clay ice grenades forth and tosses it at the feet of the nearest kobold. Then she charges, Spirit rushing in behind her, barking his own challenge.
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
Bart wasn't going to deny that this place was terrible - he agreed completely with the others about that. But he also didn't really think that Fei was the one who should bear all the blame either - he'd fought back when other people had attacked his home, and what had followed... had followed, really.
"All things considered, unless we find some horrible patch of dark energy here or something, I think this is just... war," he comments absently to Cecilia, although he does glance at Leon. He isn't sure what the former Kislev soldier thinks of all of this, and its worth asking later.
The kobolds, on the other hand, seem like more of an annoyance. Bart uses the last of his Ether charged bottle, and lashes out with a barrage of whip snaps that end right before they actually hit anyone. But the cracker on the end of his whip help make it seem like it's a wall of sound erupting in the air before the smaller creatures.
"And back off, or else I'll have to get really serious!" he growls.
A quick glance at the others. "I've seen these sorts of demi-humans before. Mischievous, but not violent. But if they think you're an easy mark they'll clean your camp out before the first watch is up if you're not careful."
DG: Bart Fatima has used his Tool White Cologne toward his party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
"Crest Sorcery," is all Cecilia has to say of her powers. They're no special thing. At least, that part isn't. The birds are dealt with and Cecilia marches on with the rest. A lot to think about. But no clues. Nothing...telling. "Yes," Cecilia says, quietly, fingers brieflyt racing the edge of the Teardrop's glittering pyroxene. It merely pulses its silent heartbeat. "This place is...tragic," The fact that that is not enough for her interest is galling, but she continues on: "But not twisted."
And that's only borne out. The kobolds, expanding their land, perhaps? She readies her staff again, mystic light pulsing around her. "Then let us give them something else to clean up!" Cecilia declares. "Vortex!"
Whirling up from a tiny dust devil into a vortex the size of a wagon, a twister forms, knocking over farm implements and sending the smaller kobolds flying. Just enough to ruffle feathers.
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers. DG: Kourin has used her Tool Rimebomb toward her party's challenge, Kobold Scavengers. DG: The party led by Leon Albus has passed this challenge! The party gained 27 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
There are many things more dangerous than a bunch of angry farmers. Especially when those farmers are something like three feet tall, maximum. Double especially when those farmers are being held down by the very forces of GRAVITY ITSELF. PLUS ICE. Gravity Ice! The kobold advance slows to a crawl, which makes Cecilia's onslaught of wind even more terrible. Glitter and smoke get everywhere. EVERYWHERE. You'll be getting ready for bed later and wonder how the blazes glitter got into your boots. THIS IS WHY.
At least your boots will smell nice, considering all that perfume getting everywhere, too. Between that and the fact that Leon just sort of casually snipes a cabbage-candle off the top of one's head means that it isn't long before the kobold horde breaks and retreats.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Even if the gravity spell is released, they're STILL kind of frozen in place. Good thing you guys took care of those birds earlier, huh!?
DG: Leon Albus has drawn a new Challenge.
======================<* CHALLENGE - The Central Plaza *>======================= |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The central plaza of Lahan is where the fighting was the worst - buildings around here are less ruined than they are shattered and reduced to walls of rubble that have been swept around in strange patterns. Great chunks of the road are thrust upwards, creating massive walls that restrict access to whatever lies in the center. Unfortunately there's little to be done - the damage here is severe, and the only way to reach the center of the town and the site of the true battle is to smash through rock and rubble and carve a path through what seems like near solid stone. But given the utter destruction of the town, a valuable reward must lie just ahead. =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon watches the kobolds retreat, if slowly. Gravity magic is surprising, sometimes. He looks sideways at Bart, then he nods. "I would call this an ordinary village destroyed by war, if it weren't for what I heard. That one man did this," he says. "Of course... it says too much about our world that a shattered village is ordinary."
He frowns, sadly, for a moment. Then, he looks ahead, and nods. "Let's go. We're near the center of the town, now," he says. "I want to see what we can learn if we get a good look."
He leads the way -- and finds that way is blocked by a final obstacle. A huge pile of debris, except that some of it is lifted from the ground. Huge chunks of stone that were pushed up -- either via sorcery or from some terrible impact. He finds his previous sentiment dies in his throat. "...this," he says. "This, however, is not ordinary."
He sheathes Argent Divider. Instead, he pulls out his climbing rope, and ties it around one of the huge chunks of stone. He gives a good tug -- then he starts to use it as a line to try to pull it down. "Hnrgh," he grunts. "This thing is tough!"
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Central Plaza.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin sighs and shakes her head, once again setting in to help. She's not much use when it comes to lifting things. Spirit, on the other hand, is a great encourager, barking happily beside his mistress.
DG: Kourin has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Central Plaza.
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
"Don't make the mistake of saying 'one man'. Sure he might have fought a lot of crap on his own, but this whole mess wouldn't be here if both Kislev and Aveh hadn't decided to pick a fight right on top of this village." Bart actually sounds a little annoyed at Leon's comment. "I'm not gonna blame a kid who wanted to stop two entire squadrons of Gears from fighting all on top of his village."
Bart looks at the debris, and starts grabbing rocks and pulling them out of the way. He pushes. He shoves. And he keeps chatting. "But he'd not have needed to fight if people hadn't brought the fight here. Still, that Gear of his must be a hell of a thing."
He just needs to convince Fei to pilot it again, and maybe they can productively put a stop to all this.
Bart stands atop one rock, and puts both feet on another, pushing it to roll the slab out of the way. "You want to blame one guy, look at monsters like Shakhan, or whoever's running things at Gebler. The people who actually send others out to fight in this damn war..."
DG: Bart Fatima has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Central Plaza.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna's decidedly not using Crest Sorcery. She's calling upon something else.
Holding the spell for that long took a little out of Catenna. She exhales, heavily, then clasps her hands around her medium and turns to follow Leon onwards. She'd rather think of it as following Leon. Following Zed is a terrifying thought.
"It is... very sad," she says with a slight bow of her head as Leon speaks of ruined villages. "I saw many places like this before I came here."
It may not be ordinary to Leon, but the level of ruin here is not as alien to Catenna as she would like.
With quiet eyes, she looks towards Bart, then exhales. She again plays her hand over her Medium, but even she isn't going to be able to do much to move these with just gravity magic. She's already tired.
She settles for helping Leon. Again she utters a few soft words, and the weight of the chunk of road bed he's pulling on begins to lighten a little - but she can't diminish all of its mass, nor the effect of gravity on something so immense.
As the spell takes effect, she lifts her head again and sighs softly. "...War is a sad thing," she murmurs as Bart lays blame. "I cannot blame a soldier who simply does what he is told... though I pray for those who are victims."
DG: Catenna has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Central Plaza.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed has seen many ruins in his day. He has only seen a town in about as much disrepair as Lahan only once... And in all honesty, it was at least partly his fault. Certainly, it was the cost of war; that's how one might rationalize the destruction of Arctica. But for Zed...
Well. Best not to dwell on it.
Some part of him does hope that this place was just another cost of yet another war. War makes things hurt less, in some ways. Death is just business in war, there's nothing personal about it. But if it was just the doing of... A single man. Or perhaps a force of nature, then...
There's something more tragic about that. Isn't there?
...Well.
Nothing to it right now!
"Alright! Let's get to digging!" And so Zed does! He smashes into rock and stone with his strange, black sword. Not once does the steel chip or dent. What a strange weapon.
DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Central Plaza.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
"...far too much," Cecilia says to Leon, her eyes deeply troubled. She watches them go, afflicted in a number of ways.
For...kind of a while. That's definitely not Crest Sorcery. She's not familiar enough with Symbology to write it off out of hand, either...but there's another source, too, that she knows.
For later. They come to the shattered ground, and Cecilia's eyes narrow. "No," she says, quietly, again to Leon. "No ordinary force could do something like this." She looks around. But the Guardians...
Human tragedy can stick in her gut, but the Guardians fear only that which threatens the world itself. Here she feels that more starkly than ever, at this place of atrocity where the Teardrop only faintly churns. "...Yes," she finally says, echoing Catenna. "It is very sad."
With nothing else to do she turns her eyes back to the stones. "Stand back," she finally says, and throws out her staff once more. It whirls in the air, her Crest Sorcery pentagram tracing itself in light. Then: "BREAK!"
The ground starts to rupture at her feet, racing toward the rubble and shooting upward as jagged spikes, hopefully destabilizing and crashing through the fallen barricade.
DG: Cecilia Adlehyde has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Central Plaza. DG: Leon Albus is too exhausted to continue! DG: Kourin is too exhausted to continue! DG: Bart Fatima is too exhausted to continue! DG: Catenna is too exhausted to continue! DG: Zed is too exhausted to continue! DG: Cecilia Adlehyde 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 Leon Albus has been fully Exhausted by Ruins of Lahan!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Mm. True enough," Leon says. "He was caught up in this mess, the same as anyone else." Except, of course, that Fei Fong Wong had a Gear that let him try to put a stop to whatever happened her. Even if Leon can see that it didn't end very well. "We can blame them, but... there is an entire echelon under them that uses the war for their own ends. We don't even know all of them."
His eyes harden, a moment. Such as whoever betrayed him and Lily -- and he still doesn't know who that might be.
He keeps tugging. And spells try to break the stone. And a sword that never dulls slams into it. And they push, pull, and do their best with gravity spells. The huge stone chunks, however, do not budge. Leon slumps against it, finally, breathing hard. "That... is going to take more than we have," he concludes.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin collapses, giving a sigh of relief at the end of the strenuous effort. "I am sorry," she pants. "I am...ill-suited to such work." She shakes her head sadly. "Or much of anything, it feels sometimes."
<Pose Tracker> Bart Fatima has posed.
Bart kicks the stone one last time, and shrugs. "We'll probably need to try again with heavier equipment or try and find another way around. " He doesn't sound too disappointed - instead he hefts the bag full of supplies and the like that they picked up. He turns to the rest of the party, and states, "I'll make sure the split ends up in your account at the Adventure's Guild. Was worth a shot seeing if we could make it to the center, but..."
He shrugs. "Wasn't meant to be. I think I've seen enough of this place for now anyways." The ruined village was depressing, but as Cecilia had said - it was sad, but this was war.
Bart had seen more than a little ever since he had started his fight against Shakhan. He sits down for a moment to catch his breath and rest, and mutters, "Bad as this is... I hope I never get used to sights like these..."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Part of Catenna knows that they're not going to be able to budge this much rock. She does her best anyway, belting out another gravity-reducing spell, but just as increasing gravity works better on a huge rock because gravity affects it more, so too do large rocks have that much more gravity to alleviate. It's harder; she tires herself out more.
Finally, breathing out heavily, she slumps to her knees, her medium still clutched tightly but her breath coming heavily with exhaustion. "They are too massive. I cannot do anything to them," she manages to puff out between breaths.
These tests of strength aren't her milieu, sadly.
Finally she lifts her head. Sad, quiet eyes settle on Leon. "...I know of some who fight in war because it is all they know how to do," she murmurs. "For profit, or for vengeance. Or politics. I..." She trails off, and her gaze shifts to Bart as he speaks.
"...have seen too many," she murmurs, voice quieter, drawn with exhaustion and a sadness she can't quite bury.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Cecilia's spell fails to break the line. It just...doesn't go. She puts all she has into it, and still...
She finds herself next to a broken slab of masonry that she plunks down on, eyes intense on the scarred soil. 'Wasn't meant to be' is comfort to someone, maybe, but for Cecilia it burns. Perhaps it shouldn't; this is hardly some destined struggle. But failing against so slight a task as breaking through a wall...
The Teardrop pulses and she feels it in her nerves. There are far more dire trials than this to come.