2017-09-03: Today Is Warning Day
- Log: 2017-09-03: Today Is Warning Day
- Cast: Rose, Catenna, Sorey, Jacqueline Barber, Virginia Maxwell, Lily Keil
- Where: Gob's Hideout
- Date: 2017-09-03
- Summary: Rose gathers a party of Drifters to clear out an old manor possibly full of treasure (and bandits). What they find, instead, is someone much more valuable to the world.
===============================<* Gob's Hideout *>================================ To the south of the tiny town of Boot Hill lies a manor that hasn't been lived in by polite company for generations. A decrepit wooden structure that stubbornly refuses to buckle to the elements no matter how rough it gets out there, the name of its original occupant has been long lost to time. The nearby villagers have come to simply call it the Gob's Hideout, after a band of Gobs who nearly brought ruin to Boot Hill chose to use it as a base of operations. The locale has proven popular for just about any migratory band of thieves, murderers, and any other imaginable loosely organized group of individuals with loose morals. It's not hard to see why, as the manor is spacious and can hold a few dozen gang members - more if they're willing to forego comfortable space - and is reasonably fortified against outside intrusion. Drifters, especially those who prefer to seek bounties to make ends meet, are almost sure to find someone attemtping to escape the eye of the law within the chambers of the old manor... but they had best be prepared for a fight. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD2s1kx8ONQ
DC: Virginia Maxwell switches forms to Dark Dreamer Virginia!
DG: A party led by Rose is now entering Gob's Hideout. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
===============================<* Gob's Hideout *>================================ ==================<* CHALLENGE - When Trouble Comes Knockin' *>=================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | ----------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------- Your team comes across a door that refuses to budge open. The reason is revealed through chatter on the other side, some outlaws expressing relief that no one will get through all the debris they stacked on the other side of it. Their faith in the barricade only tempts fate to prove them wrong. (Once you're bored of waiting for fate to prove them wrong, it's your turn.) =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- There's a manor, Rose explains to Sorey, said to be abandoned down south. It's an old house, obviously it belonged to someone rich or famous, who knows how many years ago. It's gotten a lot of attention from Drifters these days seeking to plunder the mansion.
- And attention from bandits and other miscreants who want to make it their base of operations.
- She asked Sorey to come, you see, because everything about this screams HAUNTED HOUSE. And she is NOT putting up with that. C'mon Shepherd, come along, she'll share the loot, and you can deal with angry ghosts if there's any there. Maybe purify the house or something? Who knows there might be old books for you in there.
- Others were invited, and hired, because it's increasingly obvious from all the talk that this mansion isn't safe, and having more muscle available to deal with threats is just a smart idea.
- Arrival at the mansion goes well enough. It's raining, because of course it is. The ancient manor stands, still in mostly one piece, battered by time but resisting. It's ominous, and the occasional bolt of lightning gives it the worst vibe ever as far as Rose is concerned. Or maybe she's grumpy because she's wet.
- "Hey, can't Mikleo shield us from the rain?"
- That'd have been nice to ask half a hour ago.
- To make things worse, the front gates are barricaded. Entry into the manor is going to take a bit of muscle... but you can hear voices on the other side! Talking about what a GREAT job they did setting that barricade up.
DG: Rose has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, When Trouble Comes Knockin'.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Part of Catenna wishes Cyre was here right now.
Instead she came along with Jacqueline, but otherwise put enough faith in Rose to judge that working with her wouldn't lead her into too much frustration. The woman certainly seems competent enough. As such, she trails Rose towards the mansion door, in her new gear (bustier-style armor, pants, boots, short sword), her Mediums belted at her side for easy access.
Resting one hand at her hip, the Priestess of Celesdue squints as she takes stock of the door. "No... no, there is definitely someone on the other side," she murmurs, keeping her voice down in the hopes that it won't carry through the wood. She glances towards Rose, then towards Sorey, as though trying to convey visually the need to keep the noise down.
Of course, forcing the door won't be as quiet as she might like. She presses her lips together and considers. Gravity won't do much to it.
That leaves other things. Brushing her fingers over her second Medium, Catenna sinks slowly into a half-crouch, angling one knee forward. She's getting ready to draw on Lucadia's magic in the hopes of - when the time is right - Jumping herself into the door and kicking a big hole in it.
But not yet. Not until she's sure the others are ready for her.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, When Trouble Comes Knockin'.
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
Interestingly Sorey doesn't seem to notice the rain at this point - while it hits him, it never seems to soak in like you would expect rain to do. And at Rose's complaint, wondering if Mikloe can do something about it to shield them, he simply looks at the red haired merchant and smiles. "Well, 'us' is a subjective term. There's only so much a Water Seraph can do for someone he's not bonded with."
"Besides, you didn't ask," Mikleo comments from where he is riding behind Sorey on the cart. And he just smirks in amusement.
But Sorey was willing to come along because Rose thought there was something strange and different about this place... and the possibility of ghosts was something he definitely wanted to investigate. Sorey's not met many actual spirits on this world besides the Guardians, and he had promised them he would do what he could to help. So that meant gaining a greater understanding of the world, which was far more important to him than 'loot' as Rose put it.
"Well, if it's bandits and we're being paid to clean them out... I suppose we can just break them down at this point." The Shepherd considers the barrier for a moment, and raises one foot. "Edna, I'm going to be borrowing a bit of your power," he states to the (non-present) Seraph... and then stomps his boot down.
A shard of stone roughly the side of a person thrusts out of the ground a moment later, aiming to do quite a bit of damage to the barrier before anyone is able to respond, which should give folks the element of surprise so they can break through. It might even scare off the people on the other side.
DG: Sorey has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, When Trouble Comes Knockin'.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
When she heard Rose was looking for people to assist in a certain adventure, Jacqueline had made some recommendations of her own - reliable friends and allies that were always handy to have along. And, of course, she couldn't help but come along as well. She certainly wasn't going to miss out on something like this!
...Though...the conditions were less than ideal, and she couldn't help but feel that maybe it would've been better to stay in the Carakin. It was getting pretty cold from all the rain, so even if the mansion looked ominous, it was at least better than waiting outside and getting soaked.
...Just as long as it wasn't leaking or anything.
She observes Sorey assaulting the barrier with a shard of stone, and figuring that was a good idea, decides to follow suit.
"Stand back, everyone." She warns, drawing a Crest from her bag. An earthen pillar rises from the ground at high-speeds toward the door like a battering ram.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, When Trouble Comes Knockin'.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE START OF THE MUSH
- Virginia dusts her hands and sighs as the remaining villagers barge in through the door and clobber the everloving bejeesus out of the Gobs, looking towards the girl who's spearheaded the charge to save her against her reckless actions.
- "Ginny. Did you know that today is Premature Death Day? Rookie Drifters shouldn't wander off on their own before they're ready to spread their wings..."
- Virginia sulks. "Thanks, Armie."
- NOW
- Virginia's whistling as she takes a stroll down the countryside right outside of her hometown, before she stops and peers at where a couple of Drifters are standing at the front door of the manor she's convinced was cleared of bandits just a couple months ago! What the gob?!
- "Now waaait just one minute!"
- She peers and grins towards the rest as she puts her hands to her waist. "Hey, is someone holed up in there? I've got some experience spelunking here, you know! Ginny Maxwell, at your service!" she cheerfully says.
- Before walking towards the door after the Shepherd gives the door a boot, knockin' and saying, "Heeere's Ginnyyyy..." in a totally non-threatening voice, as if whoever's on the other side may just come and fear.
DG: Virginia Maxwell has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, When Trouble Comes Knockin'.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
The rain doesn't bother Lily Keil. She's dressed in obviously military clothing, all in black with solid boots and a weatherproof jacket, loose enough to deal with the desert heat but solid enough to stand up to... Well, all of this. Her black hair is loose, her golden eyes focused.
She's said maybe two words to the group as a whole since she met up with the others, but the ARM at her back is at least obvious. ...She has however been glancing at Sorey now and then. For her part, she exudes no aura of Malevolence whatsoever.
Not very friendly, though.
But seeing Virginia Maxwell gets a lifted eyebrow. The others all make their attempts at opening up the door and Lily, silent, steps up towards it, moving past debris and feet and people as she pulls something from her satchel.
"If whoever it is doesn't move," she comments, "It's about to be a haunted mansion."
Beat, "I recommend moving back."
It is not long before a red-orange explosion blasts straight at the door, because the ex-soldier straight up bombed the entryway.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Explosive Charges toward her party's challenge, When Trouble Comes Knockin'.
===============================<* Gob's Hideout *>================================ ==================<* CHALLENGE - When Trouble Comes Knockin' *>=================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | ----------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------- Your team comes across a door that refuses to budge open. The reason is revealed through chatter on the other side, some outlaws expressing relief that no one will get through all the debris they stacked on the other side of it. Their faith in the barricade only tempts fate to prove them wrong. (Once you're bored of waiting for fate to prove them wrong, it's your turn.) =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
==========================<* Gob's Hideout - Round 1 *>=========================== ====================< Results - When Trouble Comes Knockin' >===================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rose 0 --(4)--> 4 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catenna 0 --(5)--> 5 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorey 0 --(4)--> 4 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 0 --(4)--> 4 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 0 --(4)--> 4 Pass Explosive Charges 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virginia Maxwell 0 --(6)--> 6 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------- Leader: Rose 0 --(15)--> 15 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: The party led by Rose has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 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> Rose has posed.
- "I get a feeling you're enjoying egging me on, MEEBO," Rose says, not hostile, just prodding the Water Seraph for fun.
- But rain or not, that door is no match for the party that suddenly assembles itself. Rose has no idea who Virginia is - or perhaps, it would be more accurate to say last time they met, Rose couldn't perceive Malevolence, and was too busy with the Trial Knight and his giant... skeleton thing. Covered in Gear parts. Therefore, she's nice and chipper, greeting everyone with her usual smile!
- Predictably, the barricade goes from being present to being gone in an instant. Explosives, a slab of stone, a tackle, more explosives, another smash. It's not just the door that goes down, it's the two braggarts on the other side who were examining their handywork too.
- Well... they're not dead. Just solidly knocked out, and a bit scorched by the explosions. Some first aid would see them get out of this in one piece, if nobody goes out of their way to finish them off. Rose steps inside, hands on her hips. "Sheesh, who stands behind a door like that? That's just asking for this to happen. These bandits are NOT professionals! Well, big-name criminals or not, it's good to teach them a lesson so they stop picking on people."
- The interior lies ahead.
DG: Sorey has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Capricious Carpentry *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- A rickety staircase stands between you and the next leg of your journey. There's a group of bandits playing some card game or another using some of their ill-gained loot, but it seems more prudent to sneak on by rather than try to take them out. It takes special care to move without giving away your presence on to the way to the next floor, either from squeaky floorboards or the possibility that the aging wood under your feet could stand to give out. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
"Well, when you expect that the barricade is going to do some good, then you stand in front of it," Mikleo comments as the Seraph steps through the wreckage. He glances around for a moment and shrugs. "I think they'll live."
"We're here to make sure no one is using this place as a base, so if we can avoid casualties, then that's fine by me," Sorey comments as he crouches down to make sure that the people who are knocked out are going to be okay. As soon as he's sure that they are, the group is off and moving, although Sorey pauses and looks back at Virginia for a long moment. And he narrows his eyes for a second. "...excuse me, I don't think you were with us when we started out," he comments to Ginny for a moment. "We-"
And then there's the sound of people arguing up ahead, and Sorey turns to see a partially open door to one side, with a staircase running up the nearby wall. Trying to slip past the lit room with its poker game going on means that they'll be spotted and this batch of guards will probably raise the alarm.
Only the rain and thunder have covered the rather abrupt entry into the manor already.
Sorey points to the stairway, and then pulls out a couple ropes. He gestures to Mikleo, who immediately runs up the stairs (making no noise as he's a ghost) and sets the ropes onto the upper railing, wrapping them both over one shoulder to help support the weight of those who will be using them to ascend.
"Keep most of your weight on the ropes," Sorey comments quietly. "My partner will support you, and it should keep the noise we make down."
That said, Sorey adds some support towards the back - he'll be the last one up, and help catch anyone who slips. And possibly do something to delay the guards if things go poorly.
DG: Sorey has used his Tool Climbing Kit toward his party's challenge, Capricious Carpentry.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- There's a grin from Ginny back towards Sorey as she says, "Oh, I just saw that you were having some trouble!" She looks to Jay and Catenna, waving. "Hey there again, y'all!" as her Badlands valleygirl twang takes over just for a moment.
- Virginia stares towards the staircase with some distaste at the group of bandits playing cards. She'd rather just go barge in and blow them all up, but... she's curious about several other parts of the Mansion before the group goes to take 'em all out. Could be other traps or reinforcements, after all. But the staircase and floorboards seem quite dangerous, and where there's danger involved--
- With a snap of her fingers, Virginia summons what appears to be... a little portal? And out comes... a Skeleton, with a towel wrapped around its head. It jumps and covers itself in shame, despite it being all bone and no clothing, but there's something to be said for Skeleton modesty, you know?
- "Go, Skeleton!"
- Beleagueredly and with something approaching a lungless sigh, the Skeleton potters on ahead and up the stairs along with Mikleo's rope-- and promptly trips and falls down a rickety board that couldn't support its weight. A-aww, don't give up, Skeleton...!!
- "Hmm, good thing we didn't step on that..." Virginia sagenods with her arms folded, proud of her handiwork.
- Yep... just a... totally normal Drifter girl?
DG: Virginia Maxwell has used her Tool Don't Give Up Skeleton! toward her party's challenge, Capricious Carpentry.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Oh boy does Catenna recognize Virginia Maxwell. She peers at the arriving girl with a certain quiet wariness, remembering her all too well as Asteroid's dark mistress from the...
From the damn soccer game, damn you, Astie.
And then the door practically vanishes. Catenna doesn't even have to Jump. She just stands back, nodding appreciatively towards Lily. "Nice job," she understates.
Drawing the sword she's belted at her waist, Catenna moves forward with the rest of the group. The sight of the bandits ahead does cause her to pause, doubling back until she's hidden behind a pillar.
The sheeting rain drowns out the sound of her breathing - and the sound of any rustling as she uncoils her rope. Nodding to Sorey, she looks up towards the balcony overhead, then mouths something to him. It seems polite enough from her expression.
Sadly she's mouthing it in Zortroan. She might as well be telling him her hovercraft is full of eels.
Casting her grappling hook upwards, she lets the hook catch, the sound of it lost in the rain. Carefully, the priestess begins to climb up --
Halfway up the rope, Catenna pauses and stares at Ginny as if she's just grown two heads.
Rolling her eyes, she continues to clamber up the rope, content on getting to the upper level one way or the other without creating more work for Sorey's companions.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Grappling Hook toward her party's challenge, Capricious Carpentry.
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- For once, Rose won't disagree with Sorey. These are small-time bandits, they don't deserve to die. Not unless they've drawn blood themselves. That remains to be found out!
- For now, the way ahead seems to be to sneak. Rose stares a bit as Virginia conjures up a skeleton. She shudders, because she can't help it. Sorcery is weird, and she's never going to be used to ghosts and skeletons and spooky undead in general. She just hopes that's not some... enslaved skeleton or something like that. Maybe it's just a random skeleton and not a person proper.
- Rose shakes her head. Let's not think about it for now!
- Her own rope is thrown up for Mikleo to catch and secure, bringing the total up to three! That means more of them can climb and avoid the stairs, which are both exposed and kind of noisy.
- A brief look at Sorey while they climb, that seems to inquire about why he was prodding Virginia. Not much room to talk right now but they can chatter once they make it up.
DG: Rose has used her Tool Grappling Hook toward her party's challenge, Capricious Carpentry.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
For her part, Lily does not kneel down towards the fallen bandits. She considers finishing the job until Sorey checks them out, and shrugs. "Whatever," she suggests to whether the bandits will leave, whether they'd learn a lesson. "Maybe they'll learn to be better bandits."
She moves along with the others, carefully, quietly, because she does have training in stealth...
But moving across treacherous ground like this is not precisely her main area of expertise. "Convenient partner," Lily points out to Sorey; she's been wtching him for a while now. But abrubtly she is instead watching Virginia, who... conjures a skeleton. She lifts an eyebrow. She glances back to Catenna, and glances back to Virginia.
"...The dread puppy thief strikes again," Lily comments in her Kislevi accent.
At that, she moves to the rope. "It'd be faster to kill them," she points out, and starts climbing as best she can... Though she's wet from the rain, so it's anyone's guess whether she'll avoid slipping.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Capricious Carpentry.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"I agree, I would prefer to avoid-" Jacqueline starts. She was about to agree with Sorey, but theeen she spots Virginia. She quiets immediately. She glances at Virginia, then glances at Sorey.
...She doesn't say anything.
"D-don't worry, she's a...fffriend?" She says a bit uncertainly, looking back toward Sorey.
She then follows the others into the mansion, where they're stopped by the sounds of conversation.
She sends a quiet nod and a thumbs-up to Sorey, before she's suddenly distracted by the sight of one of those skeletons. She stares for a moment, then shakes her head and decides to focus on the task at hand. To facilitate this, she reaches into her bags and takes a quick drink of one of her elixirs, allowing her to move with a bit more speed. As she does so, though...
"P-puppy thief?" She whispers at Lily, just a bit confused.
Why did being around Virginia suddenly make things make much less sense...?
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Invigoration Elixir toward her party's challenge, Capricious Carpentry.
==============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Capricious Carpentry *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- A rickety staircase stands between you and the next leg of your journey. There's a group of bandits playing some card game or another using some of their ill-gained loot, but it seems more prudent to sneak on by rather than try to take them out. It takes special care to move without giving away your presence on to the way to the next floor, either from squeaky floorboards or the possibility that the aging wood under your feet could stand to give out. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
=========================<* Gob's Hideout - Round 2 *>========================== =======================< Results - Capricious Carpentry >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rose 4 --(2)--> 6 Pass Grappling Hook 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catenna 5 --(3)--> 8 Pass Grappling Hook 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorey 4 --(2)--> 6 Pass Climbing Kit 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 4 --(3)--> 7 Pass Invigoration Elixir 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 4 --(7)--> 11 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virginia Maxwell 6 --(2)--> 8 Pass Don't Give Up Skeleton! 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Rose 15 --(20)--> 35 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(1)|Injure(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)|Stalwart(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Rose has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 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> Sorey has posed.
Sorey is glad to see that despite the rather... enthusiastic entrance that everyone here had made, there was no real issue when it came to sneaking round as well. He looks at Lily for a moment, wondering why she's giving him such heavy looks. "While killing them might be faster, if we trigger the alarm and there's a large number of other bandits here, we'll be stuck with them shooting at us and have no place but to cause considerable extra damage. Or they all run off into the town nearby and possibly threaten the people there." Sorey would rather take out the main group in one swoop if possible, or at least make sure they were run off into the woods and not in some panicked mob.
Bandits could be a problem like that.
The group makes their way up the stairs with nary a sound, quietly slipping past the guards and their rather rambunctious poker game without anyone noticing that they are there. But Sorey pauses for a moment once they reach the top and someone mentions the 'puppy thief'.
He's seen that wanted poster, and wasn't the bounty for a lot more than just stealing a dog? He gives her another long look, and rests one hand on his wooden sword for a moment. And then states quietly, "Let's keep moving. We've still got a ways to go." To go until *what* he has no idea - hopefully Rose has a bit better handle on the overall mission than he does. Sorey is really sort of tagging along with the aptly named merchant for the moment.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Gob's Hideout *>============================== ===================<* CHALLENGE - Some Light Misreading *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The hideout used to be a wealthy family's home in times long past, and some chambers still retain items of value yet. Bookcases have remained largely undisturbed, full of interesting writings about Filgaia and even a few tips for novice Drifters. However, a few books seem out of place, their pages mostly blank save for vague commentary and strange symbols. Are they a series of hints pointing to some greater treasure hidden within the room? =Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The party continues along quietly...until something catches Jacqueline's eye. A worn plate, barely attached to a rotting, damaged door. The text on it was barely legible, but even through that she could read...
"Ahh...hold on a moment..." She murmurs. She very gently pushes open the door, and behind it...
Seemed to be what was left of the original family's personal library. Those who knew Jacqueline well enough would know that this place was basically like bait to her.
She wanders in in a bit of a trance and reaches for a book on the shelves and flips in a short ways. This particular book is blank.
"Hmm...I think they're trying to tell us something. Everyone, start taking a look around. There might be a hidden pathway." She says, looking back to the others. She then starts looking through other books, but...
"Hmm...these books...these ones are rare..."
"Oh, I didn't think there were any copies of this one left..."
"This one...I think it might be a first edition..."
...She might've lost track of why they were really here...
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Some Light Misreading.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- Virginia walks towards a room that she seems familiar with-- and squints quietly as she peers next to Jacqueline with a fold of her arms. "Hmm... a secret passage?" She glances towards the books. "Boring, boring, read it, boring, couldn't stand it..."
- A pause, as she lifts one particular book out. "Alan Smithy's guide to Becoming a Drifter? Let's see..."
- 'You should talk to townspeople so that you know where to go next!'
- "Ehhh, useless advice..."
- There's something to be said for how Maya tends to be the one to pick up the slack in their Drifting adventures, Ginny...
DG: Virginia Maxwell has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Some Light Misreading.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"Fair enough," Lily says lightly to Sorey, apparently not very invested in the safety or lack thereof of the bandits here--or of the building itself. It may sound callous. ...It more or less is. But it also isn't worth arguing; shesees the merit in sneaking, and so she does what she can, with help here.
...But Lily doesn't comment further on the wanted poster for now. Instead, she inclines her head... and keeps watching Sorey with his hand on his sword that way. Hrm.
But as they move into these bookshelves... Jay is losing track. Virginia is... Well. Virginia.
Lily shakes her head. "...Hold on," she says. "Some of these seem out of place." She pulls one of same, noting strange symbols. "These..."
The tall woman pulls a book of her own from her satchel, begins to consult her notes. "These symbols... I think there's something here. Let me keep looking..."
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Kislev Field Manual toward her party's challenge, Some Light Misreading.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna's decided at this point to just not think too hard about Virginia Maxwell. It'd only end in tears.
As she steps in behind Jacqueline, she rises on her toes to peer at the books over the woman's shoulder. The symbols leave her frowning slightly. "Those... do not ring much of a bell," she murmurs as she begins to sift through the bookcase in her own right, pausing after a couple of books.
Narrowing her eyes, she turns her attention to the spines of some of the books, as though checking to see if any of them show signs that resemble the symbols etched across those few sparsely-written-in times. "If there is a match," she muses, "then perhaps it is simply a matter of pulling the right books... or perhaps even pulling them in the proper order...." As she speaks, she reaches for a tome.
It slides from the bookcase with no resistance. With a frown, the Priestess of Celesdue holds it up, squnting at the writing along the leather-bound book's spine.
- THIS HOUR HAS 22 METAL DEMONS
Catenna narrows her eyes suspiciously.
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- Did someone say FIRST EDITION and RARE?
- Rose appears to blink out of existence and rematerializes behind Jacqueline, peering over her shoulders. "Whoa, really? I'm not familiar with Filgaia's literature but I know those words basically mean 'expensive' no matter the culture, so I'll consider that a win!"
- She begins going through the various volumes set out, grabbing a handful and setting them aside so that everyone doesn't have to overcrowd the booksheld itself. She flips through one and then blinks. "Hey, this one's titled Quotes From A Famous Person and it's just one page that says 'they get posted on the board every day' and then some three-hundred something blank pages. Really, who wastes so much paper on that?" Well, a blank book is still valuable, right...?
- Yeah Rose isn't going to be much help solving THIS puzzle, having so little interest in books. When Lily brings up some of them are out of place, she at least keeps an eye out for books with weird symbols in them.
DG: Rose has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Some Light Misreading. DG: Catenna has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Some Light Misreading.
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
The library is fascinating to Sorey, although he's been digging around in a bunch of libraries thus far and is able to recognize a good number of the volumes here. What does catch his attention is a subtle pattern in the room, something that teases the edge of his consciousness without really leaping out and screaming what it is.
Sorey knows that feeling, and he glances at Mikleo. "What do you think?"
"Hidden room, perhaps? This seems like the sort of place for it," the Seraph comments, growing about the edge of the room.
Sorey pulls out his Celestial Record and flips through the book until he comes to the section on 'The Common Forms of Secret Compartments Used in Libraries'. He fingers the paces for a moment, and then goes about manipulating a few of the books. "Yeah, I definitely agree that there's something here," he comments to Lily. "Might be worth seeing what we can find."
He is keeping an eye on Virginia as he moves around. There was... something there.
A subtle nod from his partner Seraphim confirms that he's feeling it too. And as Sorey walks past Rose, he comments, "So what do you think? A boring bunch of books, or hidden treasure for the taking?"
That might get her a bit more interested in looking around.
DG: Sorey has used his Tool Sorey's Celestial Record toward his party's challenge, Some Light Misreading.
=============================<* Gob's Hideout *>============================== ===================<* CHALLENGE - Some Light Misreading *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The hideout used to be a wealthy family's home in times long past, and some chambers still retain items of value yet. Bookcases have remained largely undisturbed, full of interesting writings about Filgaia and even a few tips for novice Drifters. However, a few books seem out of place, their pages mostly blank save for vague commentary and strange symbols. Are they a series of hints pointing to some greater treasure hidden within the room? =Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
========================<* Gob's Hideout - Round 3 *>========================= =====================< Results - Some Light Misreading >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rose 6 --(11)--> 17 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catenna 8 --(12)--> 20 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorey 6 --(9)--> 15 Fail Sorey's Celestial Record 1 Wits Effects: 4 and Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 7 --(12)--> 19 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 11 --(9)--> 20 Fail Kislev Field Manual 1 Wits Effects: Rally and Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Virginia Maxwell 8 --(13)--> 21 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Rose 35 --(10)--> 45 Fail Conditions: Secret(2) Effects: Cleanse|Stalwart(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Rose has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 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> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
They spend some time in the library, looking through the books on the library shelves.
...Some of them are more helpful at it than others.
As she continues searching, Jay's bags start getting...a little heavier. ...It wasn't stealing if the original owners weren't around anymore, right, and the only people around were bandits who weren't likely to recognize the proper value in them, right?
...Unfortunately, though they put a lot of effort into searching, in the end they don't find the secret behind the library.
"...I think at this point we should probably just move on..." Jacqueline admits, having already taken everything she thought was interesting.
Perhaps the real treasure was the books they found along the way?
(As it turns out...the original owner of this mansion considered himself an amateur writer. All of those strange phrases and unusual symbols? Creative exercises and attempts to come up with something interesting. He might find it amusing that so many years later, people thought they were actually clues to hidden treasure.)
DG: Virginia Maxwell has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Gob's Hideout *>============================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Crawling Out The Woodwork *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- It can't be much of a surprise that you'd just happen to run into three or four bandits en route to some other part of the hideout, can it? That's why you're here to begin with. Aggravatingly, at least one or two more show up while you're dealing with this group. They aren't that dangerous individually, but if this keeps up... you're going to be here for a while. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- Unfortunately, the time the group spends in the library allows for at least some of the sentries that're actually doing their job instead of... you know, spending their ill-gotten gains and playing cards... to suddenly turn a corner to go, "Hey! Who're you?! You shouldn't be in here!"
- There's a kind of grumpy look at Virginia as she finishes reading, and mumbles, "Can't Alan Smithy give me some useful advice, instead of lecturing me all day long?!" Ginny, it's... just a book. She stares towards the bandit and just kind of goes-- "Rauney!"
- Nothing happens.
- Then, there's a 'thoom' sound, like the earth rumbles. Jay and Catenna have seen this before.
- The 'THOOOM' redoubles, and the ground begins to shake.
- Finally, the bandits lets out a properly timed Wilhelm scream as a giant plantgirl makes her appearance from the corner of the doorway, angry at being awoken as she hucks the poor brigand clear off his feet and crashing out a window. "W-what is thiiiis?!"
- There's more on the way, though...! They start firing at you, with only the library as cover against their Gunsmoke ARMs!
DG: Virginia Maxwell has used her Tool Wake Up Alraune! toward her party's challenge, Crawling Out The Woodwork.
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- Sorey was right, taunting Rose about possible treasure got her searching harder than ever. Sadly, it was not enough, and while she found some interesting, expensive-looking volumes, she found no secret room. Much sadness.
- Hence, she turns to Sorey and asks: "Couldn't you just have Mikleo phase through the walls and check?" Is that how Seraphim work? Rose has no idea, let's find out.
- But before they can find out, bandits. And a giant plantgirl, courtesy of Virginia. Rose ducks behind cover, and immediatly regrets the decision as books are filled with holes. "No, no, that's going to make them impossible to resell! Dangit, take them out fast!"
- She pulls her knives out and dashes out of cover. She's fast - very fast, like she's being carried by the wind. She bounces off a wall, lands behind one of the bandits, and brings the pommel of one of her large daggers right to one of the bandits' head. Time for him to catch a harmless nap, followed by a headache!
DG: Rose has used her Tool Brad's Knives toward her party's challenge, Crawling Out The Woodwork.
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
Really they did spend way too long on this library, but it was interesting! A whole bunch of useful books, and Sorey was glad to see them. He makes notes on a few to locate later in a local library, or to return here once they clean the bandits out. What he's not going to do is try and steal the books, that would just be wrong.
What's worse is when there is a shout and some of the sentries move in as they discover the group. "Looks like we're done sneaking around!" Sorey calls out, and then...
...he staggers a step as a giant plant woman erupts from the ground. Again, Sorey's eyes narrow at this strange manifestation of power from someone in the group - more specifically the odd Virginia girl. Who was known as being a gunslinger.
The Shepherd draws his sword from its sheath in a single motion, although for those who have not seen the Shepherd in action before it might seem strange that he has a lacquered wooden blade with inlaid carvings rather than a weapon of iron or steel. But a moment later there is a flash of light... and Sorey's blade bursts into blue flames, the weapon shining with a heatless light as he brings it down and unleashes a wave of purifying fire towards the bandits.
Being stuck by it for a normal human is... technically harmless. Except for the fact that the power overloads their minds and causes them to collapse into unconsciousness after taking too much exposure.
A few weeks ago, Lily might have felt the heat from the blue silver flame. But now there's only one person in the room who will feel threatened by that blazing sword. How Ginny reacts to it will be... interesting.
DG: Sorey has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Crawling Out The Woodwork.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"Oh, for the love of Celesdue," Catenna sighs as Virginia starts summoning up her gigantic plantgirl friends. She raises her hand to her temple and touches two fingers delicately, rubbing in little circles.
She has no time to lament the absolutely terrible nonsense that seems to follow Asteroid's dark mistress, because there are bandits in the room blasting away. A few bullets whizz past where Catenna was standing a minute ago. She recovers just quickly enough to lunge behind a piece of furniture. Up-ending the plush chair she's behind, she elts it soak up a couple of bullets - barely, as she touches a hand to her waist and begins to cast.
She does, however, briefly look out from behind the chair first. "I feel like this has gone awry on us in some completely ridiculous way!" she shouts over the sound of ARMs being fired and plantgirls wreaking havoc.
Catenna plays her fingers over her oldest Medium. Chanting something quietly, she elts her spell go. The effects of gravity reverse themselves suddenly, hurling bandits up towards the ceiling, then slinging them back downward to slam into the floor, bouncing them around like pinballs. She's only adding to the chaos out there.
The pained look on her face suggests she's acutely aware of how silly this all is.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Celesdue Medium toward her party's challenge, Crawling Out The Woodwork.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline follows along behind the others feeling...just a little sheepish, admittedly, about the little detour. Unfortunately for her, however, there's not a whole lot of time for that - a group of bandits round the corner, and they don't look too pleased to see them here.
She backpedals quickly as they start firing and draws one of her Crests from her bags.
Before she can invoke it, however, she hears a familiar 'thoom' as the Alraune appears, looking particularly angry and hurling a bandit out of his window. Jacqueline winces. He'd...he'd survive the fall, right?
Well, there was no time to be concerned about that. She glances toward the bandits and invokes the Crest, sending lightning out toward them.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Crawling Out The Woodwork.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily doesn't take any books. ...Not that there are many left after the others. Instead, she puts away her notebook and shrugs. "Well, that was a waste of time." At least her hair is starting to dry, there's that.
She moves on without a word at Jay's recommendation, though she finds herself staring as Virginia summons something else. She has not seen this before. The ground shakes, and the huge plantgirl is suddenly... there. What?
But the bandits are firing and Lily... doesn't go for her ARM. She glances once at Sorey's weapon, which doesn't feel so much as warm to her, and sets her stance carefully. Maybe some in the group move for nonlethal approaches. ...Some.
Lily does not. Violet circles crackle to life in front of her outstretched, gloved hands and bursts of dark power crash into being before a pair of bandits, some awful dark radiance draining the color from their clothes and skin. It's... Not very pleasant to watch, actually, but it is mercifully brief if they don't escape. It is very lethal, assaulting life directly.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Crawling Out The Woodwork.
=============================<* Gob's Hideout *>============================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Crawling Out The Woodwork *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- It can't be much of a surprise that you'd just happen to run into three or four bandits en route to some other part of the hideout, can it? That's why you're here to begin with. Aggravatingly, at least one or two more show up while you're dealing with this group. They aren't that dangerous individually, but if this keeps up... you're going to be here for a while. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
========================<* Gob's Hideout - Round 4 *>========================= ===================< Results - Crawling Out The Woodwork >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rose 17 --(6)--> 23 Pass Brad's Knives 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catenna 20 --(6)--> 26 Pass Celesdue Medium 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorey 15 --(4)--> 19 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 19 --(5)--> 24 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 20 --(4)--> 24 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Virginia Maxwell 21 --(6)--> 27 Pass Wake Up Alraune! 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Rose 45 --(30)--> 75 Pass Conditions: Secret(1)|Tire(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Rose has passed this challenge! The party gained 30 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> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- The group quickly gets to work -- several of the bandits are caught in the wave of Sorey's purifying flame, their minds scorching for a moment as they safely collapse into unconsciousness. The gigantic plantgirl bashes through the hallway and, fortunately, also sucks up a lot of the bullets coming their way!
- She takes this chance to follow up on one of Catenna's pinball antics by slamming a bandit mid-bounce like she's continuing some kind of combo.
- Rose's daggers find their mark, and she subdues them in the wake of her agile wallbounce, and Jay's lightning similarly has enough purchase to fry the ARMs out of the bandits' hands! And, of course, Lily goes for the f a t a l i t y.
- "Ew," Virginia makes a face, totally hypocritically (??).
- Her job done, the Alraune... ... goes and dives right back into her nap, right on the spot. Zzz... zzz...
- M-maybe it's better to not harrass the hulking plantgirl who's clearly angry at being awoken. Onward!
DG: Catenna has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Just You And Me... *>======================= |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------- At last, you've come face to face with the head honcho of this illegal operation. Full of bravado and contempt, they're at least two cuts above anything else you've fought here before. They appear to be on their own, but they appear a match for any Drifter that dare defy them - and still stand as a threat to a party like yourselves. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
It occurs to Catenna that she has pinball antics now. She closes her eyes and bows her head in abject shame.
Climbing out from behind the chair, Catenna peers at the Alraune for a moment. Then she starts forward again, reaching for her sword and patting it against her opposite palm. "I truly hope that we find what we are seeking soon," she says levelly, shooting Rose a sidelong glance, then casting another, wary one towards Virginia.
"I'm gonna say y'ain't," drawls a rough male voice from behind the group.
Stepping out of a door just behind all the havoc comes a man who's obviously a cut above the average bandit, judging from the silver-trimmed overcoat, the large and elaborate ARM he's carrying and the over-the-top scar-and-eyepatch-with-cigarette combo he's toting. It's as if he's some kind of stereotypical bandit king. Patting the barrel of his rifle against a gloved hand, he takes aim at the group and sneers.
"Now I'ma gunna be takin' all'a yer gella now, kids," the man says with a sneer, lifting his chin. "Ah'ma gonna give ya to da count'a ten, before I pump yer guts fulla lead. One... two...."
The so-called bandit king pauses.
"...Aw, what the hell," he spits before firing away with a hail of bullets. The rifle's no ordinary rifle - it's got a rapid-fire mode, spewing bullets down the hallway.
Catenna yelps and ducks back behind her sheltering chair, quickly belting out a spell that briefly pins the bandit in place. "Quickly!" she shouts to the others.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Celesdue Medium toward her party's challenge, Just You And Me....
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- "Aww shucks! It was Gobs the other time, and now bandits, really! Boot Hill's got its work cut out for it," Virginia complains as the bandit king starts firing indiscriminately on the group. She kicks a nearby table and rolls back underneath it, as the bullets pepper the table and dint pockmarks upon it.
- There's also a particular danger to firing at the group right now, of course.
- Some of the bullets strike the sleeping Alraune, and you can just see the sequence of her sleep bubble popping--
- --and the angry vein mark appearing--
- --"Gruuuu...!!" and there goes the angry Alraune, who grabs her fists to try to just faceplant the bandit king into the ground with a mighty haymaker.
DG: Virginia Maxwell has used her Tool Wake Up Alraune! toward her party's challenge, Just You And Me....
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
It seems that fighting all the bandits means that they've attracted the big boss. Which is a hell of a thing - there's no way that this guy is going to go down easily. The fact that he's carrying some sort of rapid fire ARM is the biggest threat, because just hurling bullets down the hallway at considerable velocity is going to be a problem.
Sorey dives to the side, and Mikleo does the same, even as he raises one hand and causes several large blocks of ice to erupt from the floor, providing people with some cover that the bandit won't be able to shoot through right away. That doesn't mean that Sorey is just going to stay put. Instead he conjures several small flames - actual fire this time, rather than the raw Flame of Purification he had been using - and sends them lancing down the hallway towards the bandit chief.
"Why is it that bandits on Filgaia are usually lead by large men with equally large guns!?!" Mikleo calls out, as he takes cover behind one of the ice blocks, his staff held close.
"I guess bandits respect authority when they're bigger?" Sorey replies as he takes cover again... and the giant plant goes rumbling down the hallway to contribute to the carnage.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline follows along behind the others.
"Agreed. I-" She starts, but they're interrupted by the sight of a man who looks a bit more talented than the rest of the bunch. And that rifle...it looks serious. Jacqueline takes a step back, slowly reaching into her bags for a Crest.
She invokes it quickly, a pillar of earth rising up to absorb the bullets.
"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't quite agree with your demands!" She calls back, reaching into her bags to pull out a bottle of bright orange liquid. She takes a deep breath and hurls it behind her in the direction the sound of gunfire was coming from. If her aim was true, it would collide with his arm and splatter the contents all over it, letting the liquid soak in and temporarily jam up the works.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Reliable Repellant toward her party's challenge, Just You And Me....
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- Seeing Sorey's blue fire at work is always impressive. Rose is sharp enough to notice when people adjust their stances - maybe even avoid it, more than they'd avoid standard friendly fire. But she's not so sharp as to be able to get why.
- Not does she have time to talk with Sorey, what with MORE bandits appearing, hot on the tail of the previous wave. No, she doesn't even have time to ask Lily what kind of magic that was. It was Wrong, that's for sure.
- Rose's knives twirl in her hands, and she decides not to give these new bandits time to ready their weapons this time. The merchant slips into the fray with suspicious ease, passing through like shadows, hopping over a bandit and then swinging with both knives. She makes like Sorey and Mikleo - with ice! "Frozen Shade!"
- She doesn't cut directly, but rather, sends ripples of frost out like slashes that threaten to either slow the larger bandits down, and anchor the less impressive ones to the floor outright.
- She also asides to Catenna: "In a way, driving these guys out and making sure they stop stealing is what I'm after! We'll see what's behind door number one once we're not surrounded!"
DG: Rose has used her Tool Brad's Knives toward her party's challenge, Just You And Me.... DG: Sorey has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Just You And Me....
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily lifts an eyebrow at Alraune, making no particular response at all to Virginia's 'ew', before they start forward again. Catenna hopes they'll find it soon, but whatever Lily would have said--if anything--is cut off by that rough voice. Lily pauses, and looks over her shoulder to the man in silver with his ARM. Lily might've answered Rose's question about her magic, but then, her magic might've spoken for itself already.
"Hm." The man shoots, and Lily, too close to him to dodge, takes a few bullets outright while barely moving, the armor in her attire helping even as the sheer impact sends a shudder through her body.
"My turn," she says to him, and extends a hand which suddenly holds a sword made out of a pure, eye-searing darkness some six feet long. She takes it in both hands and charges, amidst the attacks of the others, aiming to cut the man straight in half with something exuding an inhuman chill.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Just You And Me....
===============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Just You And Me... *>======================= |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------- At last, you've come face to face with the head honcho of this illegal operation. Full of bravado and contempt, they're at least two cuts above anything else you've fought here before. They appear to be on their own, but they appear a match for any Drifter that dare defy them - and still stand as a threat to a party like yourselves. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
==========================<* Gob's Hideout - Round 5 *>========================== ========================< Results - Just You And Me... >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rose 23 --(9)--> 32 Pass Brad's Knives 2 Combat Effects: Embolden --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catenna 26 --(6)--> 32 Pass Celesdue Medium 2 Combat Effects: Embolden --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorey 19 --(9)--> 28 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 24 --(9)--> 33 Pass Reliable Repellant 2 Combat Effects: Embolden --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 24 --(11)--> 35 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virginia Maxwell 27 --(8)--> 35 Pass Wake Up Alraune! 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Rose 75 --(5)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Tire(1) Effects: Embolden(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Rose has passed this challenge! The party gained 5 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.
"Hell, missy, who ya even talkin' to!" the Bandit King mocks as he fires off another round of bullets.
Unfortunately it seems like 'missy' in this context is Sorey. Whoops.
The bandit king strains forward against the pull of Catenna's gravity. Firing off a few shots, mainly towards Lily, he shoulders through Sorey's flame, snarling as he's scorched by it - until the Alraune clobbers him in the face with a hard hit and plows him into the far wall. With a rumble, the lead ruffian surges forward again, aiming to kick the flower monster into the far wall and turn his rifle on Jacqueline.
Ms. Barber's magic potion quickly gunks up the man's ARM. Growling, he casts it aside and pulls out a pair of large knives, just in time for Lily to bear down on him. Her weapon's huge; he's able to roll away from a killing blow, taking a grazing wound along the side and attempting to slash at her in passing.
It's the combination of Sorey and Rose's fire and ice that take the man down - he's snared by the ice, and then the fire comes. With a yowl, he's set ablaze and crumples, struggling to roll away.
Catenna blinks and begins to rise from behind the chair. "I suppose our guts are not actually full of lead," she murmurs. "So... that is something...?"
DG: Lily Keil has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - ...And My Escape Plan! *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The boss is a smart one, and has decided it's time to try and escape while the going's good! Their underlings are doing their damndest to stop you from catching up. It's time for a good old-fashioned chase sequence, and hope you aren't about to be put into a clever ambush over it! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Slow===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Catenna's quip punctuates the moment that the boss pulls something frm his coat, having already suceeded at a slash at Lily in passing. There's a burst and a hissing noise before smoke crashes into the room, sending coughing and hacking...
And that's when the sound of boots on the ground running is audible, clear and obvious to the group who'd better move quickly if they want to catch up.
"Damn it, you assholes, double pay to whoever kills one!"
...And now there's gunfire for the group. This man has the answers they need; the goons are the ones in the way. And this place is not the most comfortable for a chase.
For her part, Lily dismisses her weapon and takes off, ignoring her own wounds for the moment as she brings up the rear of the group. "I'll watch your backs!"
She's not going to be the one to catch up, but she can shoot anyone who tries to slow the others down.
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- "And now, what's behind door number -" Nope, not even.
- Rose is interrupted by the swift realization the boss is FLEEING, after throwing a bomb down. Rose coughs and frowns, but she's used to the cover of smoke. There's even a flicker of green light around her, as a gust of wind blasts of the smoke away!
- She didn't do that.
- Is Dezel in there and keeping quiet?
- Don't bring it up, Sorey.
- Rose reaches for her trusty hook and rope, and just decides to do this the easy way. She twirls it in the air, and then hurls the thing towards the bandit boss like it's a lasso.
- "Everyone give me a hand, he's probably stronger than I am!"
- That's definitely right. If she manages to lasso him she's going to need some help holding him down. Maybe a second or a third lasso, courtesy of Catenna and Sorey?
DG: Rose has used her Tool Grappling Hook toward her party's challenge, ...And My Escape Plan!.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
The crack and hiss of the smoke bomb catches Catenna off guard. She'd thought for sure the bandit leader was down for the count.
The wounded man launches himself deeper into the hideout, sprinting away at top speed. Bullets rip through the area as more of those bandits attack. Ducking to the side to avoid the worst of it, Catenna lets out a hiss of breath, once more reaching for her coil of rope.
The priestess looks down to the mediums hanging from her belt. "Lucadia," she murmurs, "I will need your help with this one."
Whirling her grappling hook at her side, Catenna doesn't throw it. She just keeps twirling it as though she were getting ready to hook something that isn't there. Focusing, she slips into a crouch, lines herself up -
And she utters a few words in her own language.
With a sudden burst of movement, Catenna launches down the corridor like a shot. The first of Lucadia's arcana she's figured out is the Jump spell, one that vaults her across the battlefield by several hexes. She takes advantage. Boosting her speed radically, she hurtles down the corridor faster than the speed of foot.
It doesn't catch her up to the bandit leader. But it does put her in position to whip her grappling line towards him, aiming to snare him by the neck of his coat and drag him back, with Rose's help.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Grappling Hook toward her party's challenge, ...And My Escape Plan!.
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
Sorey nods once as Lily orders the rest of them to do what they can to take the boss down. "You've got it," he calls out, as Rose takes off in pursuit. Sorey is hardly going to let the gung-ho merchant deal with this on her own, of course.
Alisha would probably be really upset with him if the red haired girl got hurt, and Sorey really wasn't sure he could take dealing with an upset Alisha for very long.
But Sorey pulls out a rope of his own, launching it towards a nearby rafter in order to give himself a bit of a boost in the chase. But as Rose manages to get her hook around the enemy, it provides opportunities for others to strike! Catenna follows up with her own rope, and Sorey pulls out another, launching the grapple and using a small burst of air to help curve the line in mid-air to keep the bandit leader from being able to dodge the whirling coil. A moment later the grapple wraps around the original line, helping to provide Sorey with his own lasso.
"...I'm not sure what they're feeding people out here in the badlands!" Sorey shouts as he digs in and tries to help with the restraints. "...but I guess it's working a bit too well!"
DG: Sorey has used his Tool Climbing Kit toward his party's challenge, ...And My Escape Plan!.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline smirks slightly as she hears the tell-tale sign of glass shattering against an ARM. It was always a good sound to hear, at least for her - it meant her plan was going well. And indeed, she can hear the ARM being tossed aside.
She's about to rise up over her cover to invoke some lightning...but then she hears the obvious sound of the enemy...
...Running away!?
Jacqueline grimaces. If they didn't stop him quickly, they'd like the entire gang showing up. She vaults over her stone pillar, drawing out the bottle of elixir again and taking another drink. She speeds after him, brandishing her Crest. Rather than attacking him, however, she invokes pillars of earth to cut off possible escape routes...as well as cutting off possible reinforcements.
This way, no one would be able to show up to free him from those ropes.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Invigoration Elixir toward her party's challenge, ...And My Escape Plan!.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- WHILE THE GROUP WAS READING IN THE LIBRARY A WHILE BACK
- Skeleton whimpers as it lands onto a basement and rubs its pelvis from where its coccyx has totally taken a bit of a hit. Where'd it fall to? Mistress Ginny will be so upset if it doesn't get back to where it should beeee~!
- ...
- It's also missing its Head again, aww...
- The sound of a clunk of bone is heard, and the headless Skeleton Body haplessly chases as its Head starts to bounce and roll out of the storeroom!
- NOW
- Skeleton opens a door that just so happens to coincide with the boss brigand running straight towards it. "What in tarnation?!" he exclaims as he--
- --bowls straight over the Skeleton and sends it into a million individual boney pieces, with the Head suddenly shedding a single tear somewhere. Hopefully it's enough to hinder him a little, though.
- "Skeleton, nooo!" Virginia exclaims even as she's mid-chase.
- Skeleton is having a bad day.......
DG: Virginia Maxwell has used her Tool Don't Give Up Skeleton! toward her party's challenge, ...And My Escape Plan!. DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, ...And My Escape Plan!.
==============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - ...And My Escape Plan! *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The boss is a smart one, and has decided it's time to try and escape while the going's good! Their underlings are doing their damndest to stop you from catching up. It's time for a good old-fashioned chase sequence, and hope you aren't about to be put into a clever ambush over it! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Slow===========================================
=========================<* Gob's Hideout - Round 6 *>========================== ======================< Results - ...And My Escape Plan! >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rose 32 --(3)--> 35 Pass Grappling Hook 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catenna 32 --(4)--> 36 Pass Grappling Hook 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sorey 28 --(4)--> 32 Pass Climbing Kit 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 33 --(3)--> 36 Pass Invigoration Elixir 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 35 --(8)--> 43 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Virginia Maxwell 35 --(3)--> 38 Pass Don't Give Up Skeleton! 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Rose 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Injure(1)|Slow(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)|Stalwart(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Rose has successfully explored Gob's Hideout!
==============================<* Gob's Hideout *>=============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Today's Your Blank Day *>==================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- It would appear that the local ne'er-do-wells decided to try and extort the locals of Boot Hill for the well-being of a curious young girl who seems to have a lot to say about whatever day it is today. Enriched by the knowledge of what today represents across all of Filgaia, the small sacks of gella and produce procured seem a paltry prize compared to the gift of knowledge you have fought hard to win. Upon escorting her home, she promises to keep in touch to share all sorts of "wonderful" "facts" about the days you still cling to life upon this rotting planet. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
So the group works hard. Nobody gets double pay today; Rose moves for the easy way, and her first lasso gets down around him without any trouble... but he's strong, and rolling on adrenaline. Catenna's moves next, and grabs hold of him even as he keeps running.
Sorey pulls another, and now there are three as he keeps trying, and trying. Jay meanwhile cuts off reinforcements... and finally, steps and steps ahead, the bandit leader can't keepmoving any further forward and falls to the ground, hitting his head against a fallen beam.
Lily approaches from behind the group, but even as she arrives, another door creaks open.
A voice from within the room, "It's Warning Day..." Armengard is here.
So's a bunch of money and produce, though.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- Virginia's face just falls absolutely flat as she hears the door creak and the voice speak.
- "... Armie, what are you doing here?" she questions.
- She's interrupted with a Skeleton Head bonking against her a moment later.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline takes a deep breath and stows the Crest away. She can feel the effects of the elixir wearing off, but fortunately the bandit leader has already been dealt with. She turns to thank Lily for her help, when suddenly she hears a small voice from a nearby room.
...'Warning Day'?
Jay moves quickly, and she's about to speak when Virginia says something.
"Ah, you know her?" Jacqueline asks, curious. She glances toward the Skeleton Head as it bonks against Virginia, but quickly turns her head back toward Armengard.
"If I had to guess, they probably abducted her for ransom...she doesn't look hurt, thankfully..." She says.
Of course, knowing Armengard it was entirely possible that she'd wandered in her of her own accord. Jacqueline, however, did not know her.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- "Y-yeah, she's a childhood... friend," Virginia uses the word 'friend' possibly in the same tone that Jacqueline herself did earlier. Friend. Uh huh. She glances back towards Armengard inquisitively, before sighing to say, "She has a habit of just appearing in front of me to tell me what day it is... really, I don't know how she keeps sneaking into my house."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Warning Day?
Catenna peers towards the room ahead, but as it becomes clear Virginia knows whoever the hostage is, she frowns a little, throwing Jay a worried look. The priestess then kneels down over the fallen bandit leader. Reaching down to his neck, she checks his pulse, gauging whether or not they killed him without intenting to.
Hopefully not. Catenna prefers not to kill unless she absolutely must. Or unless it's a Metal Demon.*
Looking up again, she clears her throat. "We should at least get her back to her home village," she recommends in a quiet voice. "I would prefer that no more bandits get any ideas about taking an attempt at us."
* Except Riesenlied.
<Pose Tracker> Rose has posed.
- Phew. Rose slumps down the moment she can catch her breath, her arms about to give under the strength of the bandit leader. Really, it's the others who did all the work, her arms are actually noodles.
- With everything winding down, Rose finally gets to rest, and after a few moments, gets back up, catching up to the group at the sound of another voice. A hostage...?
- "I didn't expect them to have a hostage, I'd have been way more careful if I'd known! ... well, all's well that ends well, she isn't harmed!" And Virginia seems to know her? Rose sure doesn't.
- "Yeah, agreed. Let's rest up and round out the bandits, we're going to want to escort them to the city too. No use leaving them here, they'll just recover and keep doing their thing." Surely they can find somewhere in November City to dump them so they get questioned and all that.
- "Let's see who that money belongs to before we take it, it might belong to that lady's family. If so we should return it! Take the bandits' weapons as reward, and let's double-back for all those books in the library too."
<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.
Once they've taken down the bandit, Sorey joins Rose in resting for a moment. Since that was a heck of a struggle.
There were a few unusual things about this whole situation, and they did manage to recover a hostage. Something deep down, however, tells Sorey that Rose probably would have aimed for a different track if they knew that the money could have possibly belonged to someone.
"I agree with Rose, although since we've taken their boss down some of the other bandits might make a run for it. Let's try and grab them as quickly as we can." Just in case. Sorey didn't want anyone getting hurt just because there were bandits running around in a panic.
But while Rose is discussing how they should divide up the loot, Sorey turns his gaze to Virginia, his green eyes trying to discern if she is hiding something from him. The Shepherd's ability to sense malevolence is quite a bit better than anyone else's, and Ginny might feel a bit disconcerted by his attention.
<Pose Tracker> Virginia Maxwell has posed.
- Virginia looks just a little bit bemused at Sorey as she leans against Armengard, and then laughs as she pats her on the shoulder. "Hmm, well, I think I should probably take my exit here and take Armie back to town!"
- Armengard stares at Virginia to advise, "Did you know that today's the day train stations warn passengers not to chat with the conductors?" She sulks just a bit. "I'm not going to flirt with them or anything! Is the warning necessary?"
- "Well, that warning may not be, but I'm sure we've given those bandits a clear and present warning to not mess with us!" Virginia cheerfully says as she sliiiiiides out of frame, and goes, "Fancy working with you all! Toodles!"
- Wow, she went fast. That was definitely a tendril of Malevolence in the air at the end there, though...