2017-09-13: Scorpions and Puppies
- Log: 2017-09-13: Scorpions and Puppies
- Cast: Elena, Riesenlied, Jacqueline Barber, Seraph Mirielle, Morgan Newkirk, Amelia Theodore, Lily Keil
- Where: Great Aveh Desert
- Date: 2017-09-13
- Summary: The Church of Granas wished to map out the Stone Forest in the hopes of finding relevant religious artifacts. The party instead found puppies. And treasure I guess.
=============================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================== The heart of the Republic of Aveh is its great desert. The rolling dones and blistering heat here are infamous, and all but the most foolhardy would ever dare to cross it on foot. Most do so via the great rail lines running north to south, east to west, leading as far as Krosse and Adlehyde. The ones who do cross it on foot will find the heat isn't the only danger. Mirages can lead men astray, oases are few, and great and terrible beasts sink beneath the sands until they find their prey. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ddOSJ8571M
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
An unusual request rang through the Adventurer's Guild on this day; the Church of Granas is sending a priestess out along with a Cathedral Knight as escort to explore the 'Stone Forest' found in the Great Aveh Desert. They are paying fairly well for the job - but in counterpart, any religious artifacts found are the property of the Church. They don't define very well what constitutes religious artifacts but one assume it isn't some absurd all-encompassing terminology and mostly refers to things like tablets, books, murals or sacred objects, and not things like ARMs. Either way payment is expected to rise in the event of a major discovery.
And so the party has gathered (or has met through random chance otherwise, if you aren't along for the job), having ridden a small wagon driven by only one horse all the way from November City as far as they felt comfortable taking it, which the two generic priestly men in robes judged to be 'until we can see the spires'.
And what spires, indeed. Large towers of shining crystal that rise out of the sand, telegraphing to all 'here be ruins and treasure' with no difficulty. You'll have to walk from the wagon to the entrance of the ruins, but it's not too bad. The wagon, and the two robed priests, will patiently await your return with good news.
And so Elena hops out of the wagon, wiping sweat from her forehead. "It is hot today... everyone, please make sure you take a bottle of water from our supplies! We would not wish to become dehydrated!" Bottled water is indeed available.
"Are we all ready?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied... ...is not amongst those that answered the call to the Church of Granas, perhaps for good reason. She is a wanted criminal, after all, as the 'Deceiver', for nearly half a million Gella at this point.
But she has had a particularly interesting and painful day after meeting with Lily, when the echoes particularly gripped her--
What... what are you trying to tell me? I don't understand...
The trance is both painful and ringing, and the crystals that echo and emanate from within the forest just seem to draw her closer and closer as she wanders through the desert in a glassy-eyed trance. It isn't until she's nearby that she seems to just-- snap out of it, blinking as she stares towards the structure with an anxious and uncomfortable look.
"Further in...?" The echo seems to linger in the air, painfully dragging at the corners of her mind.
She bites her lip, glancing towards the group that has also gathered nearby. She can't possibly wander in on her own. "... are you..." A pause. "Oh, Miss Elena! Are you planning on entering the Ruin?" She hesitates. "May I join your expedition...?"
Riesenlied could probably be passed for a Beastwoman, if particularly an odd one -- twisted, metallic horns protrude from either side of her head, running down the side of her cheeks with particularly prominent scales that have emerged over her skin; she's wearing a Ellurian tribal cloak atop a cream-colored dress with dark brown sleeves and leggings. The metallic, scale-like growths appear to have overtaken one of her hands as well.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline had not heard of the 'Stone Forest' before, but being fairly new to the region that was to be expected. While her work these days was primarily as a merchant, it was important that she keep her other talents fresh, as well.
She didn't particularly have much interest in the Church of Granas, admittedly. To her, they were like any other client. She was here for the work, and to lend a helping hand however she could. In this case, that meant bringing along some potions she had prepared for desert travel.
She emerges from the wagon shortly after Elena does and reaches into her bags. She rummages around a bit, before producing blue potion. There was something about it that looked cold to the touch, though it was only pleasantly cool.
"Yes...everyone, be sure to take one of these, as well. It should help regulate your temperature your temperature and keep you cool while we're at work." She says.
Her attention turns toward Riesenlied as she approaches, though. She doesn't say anything, primarily because she's unsure if Riesenlied is here as herself or 'Nazgul'.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Life is a series of wonderful coincidences and exciting opportunities for those willing to accept the former and embrace the latter. For example, having been searching for the 'right' church in this very strange land had drawn Mirielle to town after town, asking a simple question. "Excuse me, hello, is there a church nearby?" The only problem being: Most people cannot see the white-haired and black-robed Mirielle to answer her question! Humans were truly insensitive sorts. Spending centuries answering their questions as best she could, and now they snubbed her! Snubbed!
No, no. No. It's fine. Everything is fine. And everything was! For the spooky Seraph had found a Guild of Adventurers with at least one person who could see her! A coup if there ever was one. However, when asking about 'the church', she was shoved in the direction of the counter, and then the expedition.
After the journey, passed at the back of the wagon kicking her feet into the air and thinking about spooky ghost stuff, the black-robed seraph disembarked, looking up into the sweltering sun and frowning. "I hope the ruin is indoors. That would be very agreeable."
She flits up to the priestess and Cathedral Knight, smiling her brightest smile. "Ah, so, what brings the Church out this far? Can you see me? If not, that's fine! I will bless all of the faithful with the boons due to them!"
She leans into the Cathedral Knight's ear. "Excuse me, yes, hello? What's a Granas?"
Oh, they have water in soft, glassy containers! How queer! Well, no offering given in good faith would be denied.
Mirielle spends at least a minute turning the bottle of water around in her hands curiously.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan Newkirk has always been one to be intrested in well paying jobs. When said well paying job comes from this mysterious 'Church of Granas' well the foxes curiousity is awoken, and at that point its only natural for the Beastman of the Adventurer's Guild to show up on a little excursion like this.
Sans hat, the long eared fox of the badlands is smiling as he and his lazy horse amble to a stop alongside the wagon that has come with them.
One hand shields his eyes as he glances up at the massive spires before swinging down off of his seat. A soft chuckle and a slight shake of his head comes as his boots hit the dirt.
"As long as I've been here, this rock still finds ways of suprising me." He adds with a smirk as he turns to adjust something on his ARM.
The Gauntlet hums, lines of power etching their way into the silver metal as he flexes his fingers and looks towards the entrence.
"Ready here." He calls out a moment before he hears a different voice.
Turning towards Riese the fox raises an eyebrow. The smile doesn't fade though, instead he just lazily offers an easy wave towards her. "I don't mind much." He says, which does say something. Considering he knows just who and what she is. But it would be rude to ruin that now wouldn't it?
Jay at least gets a grin as the fox turns towards the merchant as he reaches for the offered potion. Only to watch one of those ghost type people float over and grab one as well. A twitch of a smile as he just shakes his head. "Well, this'll be an intrestin' trip."
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Amelia Theodore is a woman who does not move without a purpose or an intent. And when told to 'go somewhere' and 'do something' by the appropriate members of clergy, she is a woman who goes where she is told. It's all in the line of duty, after all.
As it stands, among the members of the Granas church present, Elena is the priestess, the two men driving the cart are priests. So the woman in the white surcoat and cloak worn over chain and plate must be the Cathedral Knight.
She's nowhere near as young as Elena, either, but the woman is at least pleasant enough presence in the company for the ride. Talkative when talked to, mostly easy smiles, in spite of her scarred features and grizzled appearance.
So the wagon comes to a halt, and she eases herself off, strapping an aged but well maintained and loved heater shield to her arm and fastening her blade at her side. It's not an easy feat to quirk a brow when you have but one eye to work with, but somehow. Somehow Amelia pulls it off.
"An acquaintance, Elena?" She is referring to Riesenlied when asking this. If the wanted woman is familiar to her at all, she shows no sign of it, while helping herself to take two bottles of water and stow them away. Hydration will be needed in heavier armor, of course.
Then there is a voice in her ear. A talkative one, asking her about Granas.
Amelia turns, seeing only a bottle of water floating in the air. She is paused entirely for a long moment.
"How long is it usually before the mirages set in?"
This is a very important question right now, and anyone with an answer will have the Lady Theodore's gratitude.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily, for her part, arrives not that far after Riesenlied, just a little ways back, boots trudging through the sand after her with a shake of her head. She sighs, her black hair trailing behind her in the wind, golden eyes shifting to look upward at the strange stones and spires before them all...and incidentally, the wagon with the priests.
The echo may linger, but Lily Keil is still on her way in, moving forward. The high collar of her open jacket--black, of military cut, with an undone belt at the waist contrasts her pale skin, the barrel of the ARM slung over her shoulder. Overall she is in gray and black in military style, and shaking her head. "Are you finally awake, Riesenlied?" the sorceress asks, shifting her medical satchel and looking around at the others. Elena herself, who she regards a moment, Jay, who gets a nod, Morgan, who she recognizes, with a lifted eyebrow...
Mirielle also gets a raised eyebrow, but it's Amelia Theodora who gets her attention for a few more moments than that. The shield in particular she appreciates.
She stops short of actually entering the circle though, looking to Elena rather than the priests, "I'll help your expedition for a share of what's found. Mostly..." Lily leisurely lifts a hand and points one finger at Riesenlied, "I'm here to guard that one in whatever trouble she's walking into."
Lily didn't sign up for the Dig either... In part because she is also a very wanted woman with posters all over this close to Kislev and Aveh.
"My name is Lily Keil."
DG: A party led by Elena is now entering Stone Forest. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - A Bridge To Somewhere *>======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
Ahead of you lies the natural structure called the Stone Forest by the
locals, a densely-packed and difficult-to-enter maze of stone pillars
interspaced with glowing crystal spires. It's incredibly hot out.
On the approach from outside, a broken-off slanted stone pillar provides a
handy bridge up past the still-standing spires out here. It's a bit of a
drop down on the other side though, so agile footwork is a must.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"Oh, hello Lady Riesenlied!" Elena exclaims - catching herself from looking too excited at the sight of... well, a METAL DEMON. The demon had made a good impression on Elena helping deal with bandits that one time - resulting in saved lives - and talking of how some Metal Demons just want coexistence. Of course, the presence of a Cathedral Knight makes the Songstress a bit more contained about such. "Of course, we would welcome any and all assistance. But I must warn you we are on a holy mission to look for artifacts, so I must request you leave those to us."
Jay gets a nod, Elena pocketing the blue potion offered, and at the sight of Mirielle prodding Amelia, Elena steps in closer to answer her fellow sister. "It is not a mirage! It is a Seraph, a a sacred elemental being from Lunar. I do not fully grasp their nature or their significance, but I have heard they are major figures in the faith of Althena's Guard." In other words, more or less religious stuff from another world. "I could not see or hear them very well at first, either, but over time your mind and eyes should adapt to their presence if you seek them out!"
Is Riese an acquaintance, though? Elena laughs nervously. "In... in a matter of speaking, yes, she has helped me save some poor people from bandits not that long ago."
Lily is a criminal! Elena... does not keep up with wanted posters much. As such, she smiles and politely bows to Lily. "Thank you! We appreciate all the help we can get!" This, surely, won't be awkward later on.
Everyone is here! It's time to go. The party leaves the safety and shade of the wagon behind, heading towards the towers of crystal and the quickly multiplying stone pillars.
But entry into the area one might call the ruins proper is done through a massive, fallen pillar that acts as a bridge over a chasm. A chasm full of shining, brilliant crystal spires. POINTED crystal spires. Essentially it's a very fancy spike pit. Bad to fall into.
Elena, bravely, takes the lead onto the fallen pillar and watches her footing carefully. "It is a wonder people have not flocked to this location already. It stands out so much in the desert."
DG: Elena has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks just a bit surprised at the white-haired girl in the black robes, who asks if they can see her -- for a moment, something twinges at the back of her mind, though she isn't certain that she's seeing a Seraphim -- there's not much to distinguish them from how finely-tuned her senses have become. "Ah... it would normally take a very long time for hallucinations to set in, as well as dehydration... but there is a girl--" Elena explains, and confirms her suspicions. "I see..."
She nods gently at Morgan and bows her head. "Mister Morgan..." She remembered his grace in letting her take Ida to safety during the battle of the Temple, and she's still glad for his gratitude. "I--"
Lily enters, and asks the all-important question, as she bites her lip and looks rather embarrassed. "I-- I am sorry, Miss Lily... the echoes called to me again, it seems..." They've been getting stronger, as she's told Lily; apparently, this isn't the first time she's gotten into trouble like this. Noeline was right -- she's a difficult one to keep safe.
She winces in pain as another sharp twang drags her gaze in the direction of the Forest.
She flutters her wings outwards -- without the feathers, they're ragged and leathery, revealing them for the wings that they are underneath, but she pumps them to the best of her ability to try to lift herself to the top of the bridge. "... what could have caused this, I wonder?"
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
...A Seraph, here? Jacqueline was a bit surprised to see one. And...she didn't quite seem to know what she was doing here, either.
"...Like this." Jacqueline says. She brings a water bottle into her hand and demonstrates how to open it properly. As she didn't need any right away, though, she replaces the top and returns it to her bags.
She then follows the others toward the entrance of the ruins. She had to admit...it was a pretty fascinating sight. She's quiet for a moment as she takes it all in, before clearing her throat.
"Perhaps something occurred only recently to make it accessible...? I'm not from around here, so I don't know for sure." She suggests with a shrug. With that said, she draws a bottle of pale green liquid from her bags.
"I'll go on ahead. I might be able to to get some earth pillars up to make some bridges..." She says. She undoes the cork and takes a dose of the potion before rushing ahead. She moves a lot more quickly and efficiently than before as she tries to make it across.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Invigoration Elixir toward her party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"Lily! I see ya ain't dead yet. Lucky that." Morgan calls with a laugh to yet another figure he knows. The fox seems to know a lot of people. Or at the very least know of a lot of people. Comes from working in the Guild? Maybe. Or maybe he just likes people. Hard to tell with him really.
"Just Morgan will do fine, lil' darlin'." The fox drawls towards Riesenlied with his habitual grin flashing towards her as he turns his eyes towards the bridge. Again he flexes the silvery fingers of his gauntlet before rolling his wrist. As he does so blue energy spills out of the device so as he snaps his wrist forwards a lasso of blue-white energy flies forth to catch on the upper portion of the bridge.
A guideline for the others to work with.
"Seems like that might be right, Jay. Powers know that there has been enough rumblin' due to half a dozen reasons lately for this to open up. Ruins shift like that all the time, never know just what you might find in the new ones. Thats why I love my job."
And really. He does.
DG: Morgan Newkirk has used his Tool Force Lash toward his party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Ah, the blessings of Althena rain down today as someone can see Mirielle. Multiple people! There's so much spiritual presence here, that...
Oh no! She's not presentable!
Mirielle goes through a few moments de-sadako'ing her long bangs and adjusting her hood to keep out the sun, brushing down the legs of her robe to make sure that it's all straight and nice for all the people who can see her, using the water bottle as a useful rollerbit to assist her smoothing. "Yes, from Lunar! Althena's Blessing upon all of you. Uhm... I'm not used to so many people... ... ..."
"Is this not Lunar? I was wondering why everything was so different, I walked into one forest and came out another and have been terribly, awfully lost ever since." She admits, looking up to the spires.
"This seems incredibly dangerous. But do not worry! I will bring the blessings of Althena to all of you in this endeavor as..." Mirielle glares up at the sun as she frowns. "As soon as we're indoors? This dreadful heat and terrible light, of course I should have known it was another planet..."
The explanation of 'water bottle' gets her fiddling with the top with a series of 'crk-crk-pop!' of the retaining plastic-y bits. "Ah! A clear canteen, how novel. Thank you!"
To those that cannot see spirits: A water bottle waves around strangely in the air, opens itself while a disembodied voice narrates, and then begins floating up the spires. Truly, this was the most adventurous bottle on Filgaia. All they needed now was an unplugged sentient toaster and a quest to return to an owner and they would be well on their way to beloved childhood movie landmark.
DG: Seraph Mirielle has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Jacqueline producing the blue potion is appreciated. And Amelia does in fact take one, but there is still the issue in which she must come to terms with her new onset of floating bottle related schizophrena. Until Mirielle's presence is explained to her, at least.
"Oh."
That is all of her reply, at first; lone eye squinting at the space where she assumes her to be, now.
What is a Granas, though? That much she can explain. "Granas is the symbol of our faith." Our being she and Elena, she means. "Who fended off Valmar from this world." It's a very simple explanation that spares the Seraph any long winded preaching.
For now.
... For now...
Amelia chooses to conserve her energy and not spend it on talking, when the party should be moving, and instead offers a mild smile- again at where she ASSUMES Mirielle to be. But her eye is upon Lily next, and her gaze lingers. She just may have seen one of those very posters, but if she has, Amelia chooses this moment to exercise discretion and not raise fuss.
"I see. Then I'd be glad to have her along." She does reply to Elena's telling of bandits and hanging out with Metal Demons.
Onward and upward though. The best she can do is try to maintain her balance in that armor and hope that handy blue lasso can help her along too.
DG: Amelia Theodore has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily is simply thanked for her help and she dips her head Elena's way. "Thank you... Sister?" She isn't inclined to argue about a holy mission, for varying reasons. Instead she focuses on those nearby at first. Riesenlied first, who she greets again with, "Don't worry about it. If I hadn't been willing to follow you, I wouldn't have. ...And I'm a little wondering myself what these echoes are trying to tell you today."
Morgan pipes up and Lily grins back at him briefly. "Not yet, but not for lack of trying," she replies to him. It's... well, not the sort of expression he'd seen on her in their last acquaintance, ever.
Mirielle... Ah. "You're a..." She looks surprised. "It's an honor to meet you, Seraph."
Appaently adorable Seraph. She adds, "Is this not a sort of place you'd find on Lunar?" out of curiousity.
Lily can see and hear spirits! She can also see Amelia's gaze lingering on her, and Lily herself meets it without rancor but without looking quickly aay.
But they move on ahead, this approach maing something of a bridge, and she sighs. "Always something like this," she murmurs, and then speaks up in her smooth voice, "If you need it getting over this, I'm a healer. Since I'm signed on, I'll help you."
She moves up the pillar... and looks to that loop, too. She's not that quick. Her boots immediately skid a bit on the crystals.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Bridge To Somewhere.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - A Bridge To Somewhere *>======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
Ahead of you lies the natural structure called the Stone Forest by the
locals, a densely-packed and difficult-to-enter maze of stone pillars
interspaced with glowing crystal spires. It's incredibly hot out.
On the approach from outside, a broken-off slanted stone pillar provides a
handy bridge up past the still-standing spires out here. It's a bit of a
drop down on the other side though, so agile footwork is a must.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
===========================<* Stone Forest - Round 1 *>=========================== =======================< Results - A Bridge To Somewhere >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elena 0 --(17)--> 17 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Newkirk 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Force Lash 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 0 --(9)--> 9 Pass Invigoration Elixir 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amelia Theodore 0 --(15)--> 15 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Mirielle 0 --(16)--> 16 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 0 --(14)--> 14 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 0 --(16)--> 16 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------- Leader: Elena 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Conditions: Injure(2) Effects: Stalwart(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: The party led by Elena 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> Elena has posed.
"I do not know... but we did not have any records of any ruins in this area that I am aware of," Elena answers, "And so it must mean that whatever occured occured such a long time ago that we do not even remember what this place was called." Indeed, usually ruins have names that carried through history. Not this place. Weird. "All we know is that there is a connection with this site and the Guardians." That, she was less pleased about.
Footing is hard to come by on the broken pillar; cracks spread everywhere under the simple weight of the adventurers, and it's obvious the bridge hasn't seen use in a while. Until, suddenly --!
"Eeek!" Elena yelps, as stone shatters underfoot and the party goes pluging down towards their imminent doom! ... well, not really. Morgan's lasso remains, and it's onto him that Elena has found safety, clinging to one of his legs.
Perhaps the others did so as well (poor Morgan), or found grips to hold onto on the pillar. No one's getting impaled today, but it's a bad start for sure. Except for Jacqueline, who, rushing ahead, avoided this awful turn of fate.
And is probably the best-placed to help others. Riesenlied might not have fallen thanks to her wings, but she's probably got someone hanging off her leg too.
DG: Riesenlied has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Stone Forest *>==============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - A Big Stupid Scorpion *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
A chitinous creaking combined with the sound of many delicate feet on stone
is your first and only warning that big trouble looms.
Literally.
From above, it's a gigantic scorpion, crawling down towards you! With claws
clicking and stinger twitching, it's clear that it intends nothing good. No
choice then but to beat it back!
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a startled yelp from Riesenlied as she hears the first crack, and the bridge reveals itself to be particularly less sturdy and resolute than it really seemed like at first. "A-ah!" she fortunately grasps onto a ledge and throws her hand out to the nearest person to try to grasp -- probably Lily, judging from how they were moving at the time and how the Kislevi operative was keeping an eye out for her.
"M-Miss Jacqueline, could you bring some earth pillars for--"
And then they all hear the chitinous creaking from above. They stare up...
...and a giant scorpion is staring down at them.
"Uhh--"
The Metal Demon springs to action without thought, and winds up straining herself as she pushes herself off the cliff, likely dragging Lily and anyone under her with her; it's a particularly pathetic attempt at flight with how haphazard her pattern is, but hopefully they'll get to some solid ground, quick enough for her to draw a particularly odd-looking winged bow from underneath her cloak. She doesn't draw an arrow, though--
--she draws a line of light to loose, which flies straight towards the scorpion and gives the group a bit of time to, well, regroup.
The scorpion raises its tail up menacingly in response.
The only question is:
Will it counterattack with its laser while it's tail is up?
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Fereshte Bullet-Bow toward her party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"M-My apologies!" Elena repeatedly tells Morgan, anticipating he might not like having people hanging off him for safety. Sadly, before they have a time to climb back up, there's a giant scorpion looming overhead. What. Why!!
Elena barely manages to reach one of her pockets, clinging as she is to her foxy savior. She withdraws from it a brilliant blue gem, which immediatly starts glowing. "O light, reinforce my comrades that we may reach safety once more!" Then the Mana Egg pulses, spreading helpful magic across the party.
While the healing isn't strictly necessary right that moment, the sudden increase in strength and agility might please people. It should be enough to let them hold on better - climb back up faster - fight that scorpion off harder - or all three of those at once.
DG: Elena has used her Tool Mist Egg toward her party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
From Jacqueline's position at the front, she's able to call up a series of earth pillars to catch anyone who might be in danger of falling. It might not be a pleasant landing, but it would be at least far more pleasant than falling into the fancy spike pit below...and would at least require less walking back.
Unfortunately, her position at the front also means that, at least for now, she's been cut off from the others as a giant scorpion crawls down to menace them. Jacqueline backpedals quickly, reaching into her bags and pulling out a bottle of black, foul-smelling liquid. Fortunately, Riesenlied's attack drew the scorpion's attention away from her, allowing her to hurl bottle into the creature's face.
This repellant was one of Jacqueline's specialties, having a tendency to confuse or incite retreat in creatures it affected...
...People donn't find it all too pleasant either, though, as it happens...
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Reliable Repellant toward her party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Granas sounds like a great god, who punched out <s>Satan</s>Valmar and doesn't afraid of anything. That's really the best qualification for a god - 'I beat back evil and then told my followers to be helpful sorts', isn't it? It is. It's why Althena is so great!
Nevermind that whole 'Malevolence is caused by having fun' and 'no dancing or drinking or having fun, no fun allowed'. Maybe fun was evil! It wasn't for Mirielle to judge.
"Oh... Is it? I suppose it is!" Mirielle replies, her expression wavering between jovial explorer and cryptic spooky ghost spirit. "Don't worry too much about it..." She adds, with a spooky giggle. It seems totally normal for her, but it's the sort that haunted houses have lilting through them. "Well, Lunar probably does - but it's not really 'in my element' to..."
Mirielle is cut off from her cryptic explanation of how this is totally different when she takes a poor step to an ill-timed crumble farther up, and takes a spill over the side. It's a tumble of robes and skirts and white hair and lengthening shadows and...
Wait, lengthening shadows? A rather solid-looking shadow drops off the side of the entrance pillar after Mirielle, catching her by the anlke and leaving her dangling there, swinging slowly. "I find myself offput by this ruin. I won't hold it against the planet." She mutters. Reeling herself in with the shadowy tendril, everything's fine and great. Until there's a GIANT KILLER SCORPION at the top, CHITTERING AND AWFUL. It's frankly a little terrifying.
That's MIRIELLE's gig, stupid chitinous hack! Drawing a wicked black-iron dagger from her robe which drips a wet, black ink and glows with an ominous red aura that is frankly inspiring in its ominousity, Mirielle's eyes narrow. "Terror and darkness are my domain, foul hellion."
For the Non-Ghostularly Inclined: The water bottle exchanges pleasantries as it floats along, before it takes a zip off the pillar, only for an overwhelming curtain of shadow overlarge for its size (or clear construction) to grab... nowhere near it.
And then the water bottle is joined by the shadiest knife you ever did see. Sweet Althena, the bottle has a KNIFE. THINGS HAVE TAKEN A TURN FOR THE WORSE!
DG: Seraph Mirielle has used her Tool Extremely Shady Knife toward her party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Onward and upward turns into rocks fall, everyone dies.
Or that is to say the cracking pillar gives and that sick plunging feeling of Amelia's stomach rushing up into her throat follows there after. She falls without so much as a cry, it's more of a vaguely startled grunt, as the old Cathedral Knight reveals she too can fly! ... About as well as a cinder block. Straight downward.
YOU DIED--
No, that's wrong, ignore that, she does not die. Not when a secondary grunt as she manages to catch herself with one hand and keep from plummeting. Still a bad start indeed, but she begins hoisting herself up. If anyone needs a hand, she even offers it. Only to begin climbing and-...
"Ah. That's just unfortunate."
Misfortune comes in the form of a giant arachnid. Amelia however will not look a gift laser in the beam, when Riesenlied fires on it, and pulls herself up the rest of the way. Her shield is brought to the fore and her blade is drawn. Her approach cautious, and trying to keep herself between the scorpion and others still making their way up or already engaging.
DG: Amelia Theodore has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan can hear it even as he climbs. That cracking of stone. The sudden shifting of weight. He can tell its happening but not do much to stop it. His ears pin back against his skull as he wraps the end of the energy rope around his arm.
"Well hell," He sighs as the entire thing gives way. And he has a priestess dangling from one leg over a very long drop.
"Double hell." He states as he fells his arm and leg both start to strain. His frame shifts as he uses a suprising amount of strength, disproportionate to what his frame might suggest, to hold on to both priestess and his rope.
"Just hold on there!" He calls down as he shifts his weight forwards and swings towards the pillar they were attempting to climb.
This might just worry Elena as they are now swinging towards a stone wall.
But the fox's other leg snaps out to catch them against the stone before it crawls. The brittle surface spiderwebs under the impact but holds as Morgan glances up to see...
"Really?" He calls out to no one in perticular.
His free hand reaches down to offer Elena a hand further up. Giving her a Morgan to climb up to the dubious safty of the next platform. While also attempting not to put said hand anywhere that might get him shield slammed by the Priestess' Guardian.
Because he wouldn't like that.
As he attempts the rescue though his ARM has other ideas and that rope of his suddenly brightens with glowing energy as shields spin off to offer both Morgan and others places to hide behind.
"Ya know," This is towards the floating bottle and knife. "I was gonna ask if this was a good Althena or a 'no fun on pain of death Althena' but I think we can discuss religious sects later." A longer pause. "Also its not a hellion its just a big stupid angry bug!"
DG: Morgan Newkirk has used his Tool Shield Gauntlet toward his party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily was already slipping before the bridge broke; she starts to shift directly over towards the spikes until Riesenlied grabs out at her, and Lily's fingers close tightly around her arm as he own is held. For her part, she doesn't cry out, but she does look sharply to the ground before suddenly she heas it.
"...Well that's interesting," she says loudly enough for probably only Riesenlied to hear. The terrifying scorpion looms up before them, and Lily narrows her golden eyes at it--
Riesenlied gets to solid ground and Lily rolls back to her feet in a spare moment, but she doesn't draw her weapon.
Instead, as she feels the light of a prayer and sees the light of Riesenlied's attack, she lifts her gloved hands and lets her eyes go wide. There is a pulse of magic as two violet circles, inscribed with strange symbols, appear before her hands and then tiny balls of pure darkness pop up around the Scorpion, each exploding in violet and black and white like a reversed photograph but infinitely more oppressive. "Not interesting enough to stay alive past us."
She can't help but notice the Seraph's maneuver though...
"Darkness, hm?"
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Big Stupid Scorpion.
==============================<* Stone Forest *>==============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - A Big Stupid Scorpion *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
A chitinous creaking combined with the sound of many delicate feet on stone
is your first and only warning that big trouble looms.
Literally.
From above, it's a gigantic scorpion, crawling down towards you! With claws
clicking and stinger twitching, it's clear that it intends nothing good. No
choice then but to beat it back!
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright===================================================
=========================<* Stone Forest - Round 2 *>========================= =====================< Results - A Big Stupid Scorpion >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elena 17 --(0)--> 17 Pass Mist Egg 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Shield Gauntlet 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 9 --(0)--> 9 Pass Reliable Repellant 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amelia Theodore 15 --(0)--> 15 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Mirielle 16 --(0)--> 16 Pass Extremely Shady Knife 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 14 --(0)--> 14 Pass Fereshte Bullet-Bow 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 16 --(0)--> 16 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elena 10 --(20)--> 30 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(1) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elena 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> Riesenlied has posed.
The Scorpion flinches back at the light-arrow, which when you think about it is perhaps like the most literal expression of hitscanning that can possibly exist... but it doesn't do much more than deter it from immediately attacking. Fortunately, it does give Jacqueline time to toss her bottle forward, which causes the scorpion to kind of...
... wiggle in place and approximate something like a retching expression, as best as a giant scorpion can. It doesn't seem to terribly enjoy the noxious odours that Jacqueline's concocted in there.
It does get the chance to at least finally lash out, however, swinging its massive tail in an approximation of a sweeping strike as best it can -- but Elena's Mist Egg is there to protect the party from undue damage and more importantly get themselves to better position so that they're not knocked back down... and again...
Lady Theodore, however, charges inward and draws the scorpion's attention after that strike and deters it from taking undue action, the better for Morgan to get into position with his shields and give his teammates more cover. Cover that's necessary for...
...the water bottle to draw the most insidious knife and...
...let's just say, scorpion, ya shouldn't wander into a back alley at night with a shady lookin' water bottle like that, y'know?
-SHANK-
I tells ya, water bottle crime rates just keep goin' up round these here parts...
The last thing the shanked scorpion sees are two bombardments of pure darkness, and it gets to review its life choices in a negative polarity. And that's a wrap, folks!
DG: Amelia Theodore has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Stone Forest *>==============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Temperature Rising *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
One might assume that because of the many shadows cast by the stone pillars,
it would be cooler in here than the desert outside.
Unfortunately, the rock pillars have spent a very long time absorbing the
sun's heat, and the light (and heat) that's been absorbed by the few
brilliant crystalline spires here isn't helping matters. To wit, it's an
oven in here. Time to figure out some way to cope with the rising heat
before it cuts your expedition a bit short.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
There is now a floating bottle brandishing a floating knife. If anyone other than Elena had explained the Seraphim to Amelia she may have thought them mad, daft, touched in the head, or all three. As far as she knows, never before in all her years has she seen an inanimate object willfully shiv giant scorpions. Speaking of.
The scorpion is dealt with. And a good thing too, as Amelia wipes the sweat building on her brow. And so the journey continues onwards. Regardless of marching order, however, everyone begins to face a foe far worse than the scorpion. The desert heat itself. And the pillars, staying out in the heat as long as they have, soaking it up, soon makes the rising temperatures borderline unbearable.
It's like the sun is just plain angry at everyone, level bad. We're talking a hot temper.
Amelia considers her water bottles. And she definitely loosens her surcoat before rummaging among her possessions. It is not for her water she reaches, but for a battered and travel worn old book, which she holds in hand, but recites from memory...
"Know ye that long before the present age, man dwelled amidst the Light, and that Light was love, and man called the Light Granas. The earth was filled with exceeding bounty; honey and milk issued from its secret founts."
Sadly the earth does not sprout fountains. But it is meant to be a show of resolve; and to try and bolster the others and raise morale through inspiration as she does.
Amelia will not let this heat beat her down, and she's old. Like we're talking as old as the sand here. So you youngn's shouldn't have a problem right?
DG: Amelia Theodore has used her Tool Holy Book of Granas toward her party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied starts to shudder, which is probably not a good sign when you start to feel cold because it's so hot. She wipes at her brow and starts to flinch a little at how warm it's getting... and she notices that it's because of the heat the crystals have gathered over a very long time. Despite being a Metal Demon, she's by far from the hardiest adventurer around, and it shows. "... the echoes are coming in from deeper, but... I'm not quite sure where..."
She listens to Amelia's sermon. The light was love...
...
Well, she can manipulate light, right? It's worth a try.
Elena can see the same brooch-encrusted gem that she saw Riesenlied use during their time chasing bandits, the one that produced the empathy field. It's tarnished silver, and has the look of a dragon coiled about it. As she gathers the Dragon's Tear around her palms, it shimmers with an array of colours ranging from orange to red to blue.
The field spreads in a gently sparkling array of ambient photons around the group. A gentle and soothing sensation flows in, one focused around calming the aggravating emotions that the heat is inflicting upon their senses.
It's not foolproof, but it'll give them time to think and chart their way around the area, at least.
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Dragon's Tear toward her party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
They're finally in the ruins proper. Only problem was...it was so darn hot in here!!
"You know...I've heard of stone ovens before..." Jacqueline murmurs. This was what pretty much came to her mind when she thought of that. She reaches into her bags, pulling out one of the potions she had showed off earlier and downing the lot.
"Don't forget the potions I gave you before, everyone...and the water bottles as well, of course." She says. Who could forget the water bottles, really, when one of them was floating about and stabbing scorpions?
...Jacqueline could see the Seraph responsible for this madness, of course, but when she thought about how it must look fronm With any luck, the potions should help keep them cool throughout the ruins.
She'd invoke some wind or some ice with a Crest to help out...but she had a feeling they wouldn't be very helpful right now.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
They're finally in the ruins proper. Only problem was...it was so darn hot in here!!
"You know...I've heard of stone ovens before..." Jacqueline murmurs. This was what pretty much came to her mind when she thought of that. She reaches into her bags, pulling out one of the potions she had showed off earlier and downing the lot.
"Don't forget the potions I gave you before, everyone...and the water bottles as well, of course." She says. Who could forget the water bottles, really, when one of them was floating about and stabbing scorpions?
...Jacqueline could see the Seraph responsible for this madness, of course, but when she thought about how it must look from the outside, well...she couldn't help but be amused.
With any luck, the potions should help keep them cool throughout the ruins. She'd invoke some wind or some ice with a Crest to help out...but she had a feeling they wouldn't be very helpful right now.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan's ears are perked up, trying to get rid of that body head. His tail though droops as he starts to tromp though this sauna level of heat. Its stifieling down here as he looks up towards one of the crystal pillars. "Huh, darkening those things might give us a bit of a relief." He calls out as he runs one hand though sweat drenched hair.
Then Riesenlied starts up her little field. The words she speaks, well that causes him to quirk an eyebrow. "You hear somethin' here, little dragon?" He says with a smirk towards her before looking up towards the field.
A frown of thought.
"Hey Jay, can you use one of those cooling potions on her field? See if you can use the energy to spread it across the length of it all. Could give us a bit of a shield."
Every little bit helps right?
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
Thanks to Morgan, Elena regains the safety of the massive stone pillar. To think, they had not gotten far past the entrance so far! She bows to the fox politely, thanking him repeatedly for his help like a nice, polite priestess should.
Elena does not have clothing she can loosen, wearing rather loose clothes to begin with. Also it's basically a dress and you can't just loosen that. She's quite happy to remember that blue bottle Jacqueline provided, though, and gulps the contents down hoping for an immediate effect.
It helps when Riesenlied generates soothing light, and the familiarity of the words spoken by Amelia is never unwelcome.
"One would think with all this shade this place would not be so hot. Sister Amelia, are you alright with all that armor on?" Certainly the answer would probably be yes even if she wasn't, but Elena cares!
"Do not forget about the water as well!" she tells the party, although it's quite obvious the Seraph amongst them has not forgotten in the slightest.
DG: Elena has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline glances toward Morgan.
"Well, that's not really how they're meant to be used, but I could give it a try..." She replies. She brings out one of her spares, looks down at it, then looks over to Riesenlied.
"...Here, you might be able to manage it better than I could." Jacqueline says, handing it over to Riesenlied. She felt a little uncomfortable just splashing it at her. She...actually wasn't sure how this would work, but it was better than nothing!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
IN THE BOTTLEVERSE: There's a cut in and a BGM swell, as a bust of Water Bottle flashes in with action lines streaking past it, before Floating Bottle dramatically stabs the Scorpion with an extremely shady and equally floating knife. The screen goes dark, red with black outlines, as more black liquid sprays everywhere in a dramatic and rather overbudgeted display. An experience screen comes up, featuring a bust of everyone (and also a plastic water bottle now covered in scorpion ichor) and meaningless numbers increasing. You get 31 Gil and an Iron Bangle!
WHAT THE HECK IS GIL? LIKE ON A FISH?! WHY DOES A SCORPION HAVE A BANGLE? WHERE DID IT KEEP A BANGLE?!!?!?
In "Reality": Mirielle aggressivly waggles (she does not Anime Flick, she is not an anime assassin, she is a spooky ghost) the ichor off of her knife and bottle. It requires a VIGOROUS shaking to get the goopy guck off of both.
Then, they continue! Into THE LITERAL WORST AREA. "The light... is so oppressive... Like every shadow, every secret revealt under the sweltering and unblest heat. Were this a shaded glen or a ruin underground, succor would be simple, but all things pale befo-"
Mirielle is cut off by Riesenlied using a magic light-creating crystal. She shies away at first, but the Dragon Tear is a soothing and pleasant kaleidoscope rather than the awfulness caused by the scouring daystar's uninhibited radiance.
Putting her knife away, Mirielle draws out a shard of what appears to be obsidian, before raising it up. There is a tugging sensation, though more like a 'gentle breeze' towards the crystal, before it glimmers slightly. "I am unsure if my artes will help in a place so bereft of shade, but..." She gives a helpless smile to the rest of the party. SOME OF YOU CAN'T SEE IT.
FOR THE LESS GHOSTULARLY INCLINED: The bottle SHAKES WITH A VIGOROUS AND MURDEROUS FURY after slaying the hated scorpion, sending ichor spilling to the skilletlike earth. Trading out its wicked knife for a magical crystal, something that MAY IN FACT BE YOUR SOUL* is drawn into its obsidian depths.
(* It's totally not.)
DG: Seraph Mirielle has used her Tool Containment Crystal toward her party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
With Scorpion down, Lily looks at its body briefly, before sending a lance of darkness straight through its head as it stays fallen. It's a fairly casual motion except for the sharp focus she keeps doing it.
Better not to risk it following them, if it somehow survived all of that.
Then she's walking with the others, and for marching order she stays in the back, careful to monitor the group and whatever might come from here at them. But it's hot here; too hot. Lily keeps moving, her hair partly flattened against her forehead with sweat as she follows the others. "Mm..." But Amelia pulls a book and reads scriptures, and Lily glances to the side. Her hand shifts over to the Medium at her side... and decides against pulling it out.
Riese's light is interesting to her, each approach is brought up by the others and Lily actually stops to pull out a battered notebook from her satchel instead. She flips it open and scans a few pages. "Hold on... I think... With these calculations..."
Riesenlied's light helps her think. Lily puts away the book. She comments, adding, "Watch out, I'm going to try something. It... shouldn't cause any of the pillars to fracture."
Lily lifts one hand and a blue magical circle rotates about her fingers, before she closes her hand and her eyes in concentration.
Suddenly, a frigid mist whirls from around her about the whole group, making their environs a little more translucent. She keeps her teeth gritted as she conjures it out.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Kislev Field Manual toward her party's challenge, Temperature Rising.
==============================<* Stone Forest *>==============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Temperature Rising *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
One might assume that because of the many shadows cast by the stone pillars,
it would be cooler in here than the desert outside.
Unfortunately, the rock pillars have spent a very long time absorbing the
sun's heat, and the light (and heat) that's been absorbed by the few
brilliant crystalline spires here isn't helping matters. To wit, it's an
oven in here. Time to figure out some way to cope with the rising heat
before it cuts your expedition a bit short.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
=========================<* Stone Forest - Round 3 *>========================= =======================< Results - Temperature Rising >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elena 17 --(0)--> 17 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 20 --(0)--> 20 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 9 --(0)--> 9 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amelia Theodore 15 --(0)--> 15 Pass Holy Book of Granas 3 Wits Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Mirielle 16 --(0)--> 16 Fail Containment Crystal 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 14 --(0)--> 14 Pass Dragon's Tear 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 16 --(0)--> 16 Fail Kislev Field Manual 1 Wits Effects: Rally and Stalwart ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elena 30 --(20)--> 50 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Cleanse|Stalwart(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elena 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> Amelia Theodore has posed.
The heat is just plain oppressive, yes. It's bad, but Amelia turns toward the bottle with a soft, if heat-strained smile. But everyone trudges on.
"Consider it a test, perhaps."
A test made easier. The light is love, she said, and Riesenlied's soothing light isn't going to be turned away in this time of need. Nor will suggestions for creative potion use, reminders of drinking water, or generally soldiering on.
It's not easy, but the stone pillars eventually thin out and the heat should hopefully decrease by at least one order of magnitude.
With a sigh, Amelia puts the old book back in her pouch, its purpose of keeping her mind on other things served with one last murmur.
"This was paradise. The Light of Peace is Granas..."
Practically mopping the sweat from her brow, it is one of those very potions that she produces from her pack and drinks down slowly to rehydrate and cool.
DG: Lily Keil has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Stone Forest *>===============================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Pillarfall *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
A short distance away, there is the deep grinding sound of rock-on-rock,
followed by the bone-rattling vibration of rock hitting rock very nearby
indeed. Followed by the awful crack of stone, and the slow dip of a shadow
right overhead.
Somewhere in the maze, a chain reaction of collapsing pillars began, and
it's ending right here as one comes tumbling down where you stand. It's time
make tracks, lest you be crushed!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Amelia suggests that they consider it a test, and Lily considers, before looking up to the bare sky. Why not? But maybe a different kind of test than she has in mind. Lily shakes her head and keeps going, walking... and walking... and walking, until they're at least out of that part of the oven and into something almost tolerable. Almost. But then there is grinding, and rock hits rock. The group has a chance to move... If they're quick about it, as this shadow falls. The stone maze looms up around them and this particular pillar--
"Shit--" Lily is caught on her feet and abrubtly turns to the side mid-fall and a huge burst of fire erupts from her hands that rockets her backward hopefully out of the shadow of that pillar.
Anybody else??
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Pillarfall.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline can feel the rumbling in her body, a warning of what was about to occur. It was like the medium in her bags was reacting to the situation, warning her as to the danger.
Before the pillar falls completely, she reaches into her pouch quickly and draws forth a Crest, raising an earth pillar from the ground to intercept it. It probably wouldn't last long...but long enough, hopefully, to let everyone get past.
"Let's move!" Jacqueline urges, another bottle of pale green liquid coming out. She downs the lot and moves quickly, attempting to get out of the area before more of them started falling.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Invigoration Elixir toward her party's challenge, Pillarfall.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
By hook, by crook, by freezing potion and by strange magic fields they make it though. The fox at this point has his coat thrown over one shoulder and is seriously considering the removal of more articles of clothing.
Because its freeking hot.
Before the shirt can come off to entirely scandalize those he might be around though they are past the heat and into something like a corridor.
And that familair crack of stone comes again.
"Man," He says almost casually. "Gravity really hates us today."
Then he's running. The energy bindings spooling out once more. Of course there isn't anything to climb but...well...there all things to lasso.
"Run for it!" He calls out as he flings out his line towards an opposite pillar, one not in the path of the falling titan as he tries to pull himself and anyone else he can help with it out of harms way.
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
So moving along, everything is all well and good. The potion brings respite from the heat and Amelia is looking all the better for it. It was a test, yes, and the group passing in simply not turning around and giving up, or collapsing is good enough for her.
It's when the grinding reaches her ears that she pauses. Glancing over shoulder. A pillar falls. Then another. Then they bring down one more. Then a fourth.
The chain reaction of watching heavy slabs of stone fall like dominos is fascinating. Up until it comes to an end with the final pillar beginning to tip and...
"... This too, is a test."
This too shall pass, though whether or not everyone doesn't get flattened is another story.
Amelia breaks into a sprint. It's the best she can do. But her armor is weighty. It's not the fastest sprint. She intends to get as near to clearing the pillar as she can. But she may not make it...
And this is why she whirls around, shield beared and raised.
The intent is doggedly, grudgingly, unrelentingly simple. To catch the damned thing and hold it up and hope to Granas she doesn't squish or it doesn't squish someone else. If all else fails maybe Morgan can bail her out.
DG: Amelia Theodore has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Pillarfall.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a little jolt from Riesenlied as Morgan asks her the question, but she does nod in turn to say, "... it often happens, but I can't often say I'm certain of what or who is calling me," while perhaps not minding the little nickname he's come up for her, aww. "And at times, it can... override me, it seems."
She still feels guilty for bringing Lily here, all because she was looking out for her... but she's also really glad she came. It felt like a-- comfort, knowing how far they've come on their bond as kindred spirits.
The pillars rumble and start to fall in a cascade, however, and she yelps as she springs up into the air, carried on her little fluttery wings as before. "This way!" she tries to call out in the midst of the chaos, trying to use her aerial vantage point to try to guide the group somewhere safer. She drinks one of Jacqueline's potions to try to accelerate her further.
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Pillarfall.
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"A test... of course!" Elena replies, one to take words spoken by her fellow members of the Church very seriously. And just like that she can steel on all the more - especially thanks to Jay's potion.
But then pillars start falling. Is this another test, too? ... unlikely. Gravity just hates them, Morgan suggests. Elena would be bound to agree, after the almost-fall earlier.
As Elena begins running, she also begins lecturing Mirielle. Oh no. "The Light is NOT oppressive! Only those with something to hide need to fear the Light, especially the Light of Granas! The shadows are where the dark god has the most influence, one should not hold on to them for too long without protection from his influence!"
It's pretty predictable she wouldn't get entirely along with a shadow-elemental Seraph. What's more amazing is that she has the breath to run and still lecture. And she does her best to follow after Riesenlied, as she calls a direction.
And to best make use of the time bought for them by Amelia.
DG: Elena has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Pillarfall.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Mirielle had never understood the greater wisdom of Althena's decrees, though she accepted them. No dancing? No singing? No alcohol? Well, the first two were a little sad but she never found those activities drawing. Alcohol was not a large loss, and she reasoned that something that lowered inhibitions would also increase Malevolence. It was not until she looked up to the creaking pillars and the crashing falling bits of masonry.
"The pillars dance and sing in their own way, a symphony of destruction and portented doom! See now the shadows they cast beneath, a harbinger of a dark demise!" She calls, needlessly cryptic. "This must be what Althena forbade! The wisdom!"
Falling rocks, though, isn't that a stretch?
Mirielle books it, trailing behind a bit behind Riesenlied and Lily. "Oh no! That's not a good shadow! Trust me, it is a heavy and bad shadow portending a sharp and sudden weight!"
Oh sweet Althena she did it anyway. Well, all the better to bail, but there's a twinge of... something. Like SHE should be the one there, protecting all the humans from the badness.
IN THE BOTTLEVERSE: Cryptic babbling and strange musings on the nature of a pretty universally frowned upon command? Is the bottle an ALTHENAN APOLOGIST TOO?
DG: Seraph Mirielle has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Pillarfall. DG: Morgan Newkirk has used his Tool Force Lash toward his party's challenge, Pillarfall.
===============================<* Stone Forest *>===============================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Pillarfall *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
A short distance away, there is the deep grinding sound of rock-on-rock,
followed by the bone-rattling vibration of rock hitting rock very nearby
indeed. Followed by the awful crack of stone, and the slow dip of a shadow
right overhead.
Somewhere in the maze, a chain reaction of collapsing pillars began, and
it's ending right here as one comes tumbling down where you stand. It's time
make tracks, lest you be crushed!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
==========================<* Stone Forest - Round 4 *>========================== ============================< Results - Pillarfall >============================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elena 17 --(15)--> 32 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Newkirk 20 --(13)--> 33 Fail Force Lash 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 9 --(12)--> 21 Pass Invigoration Elixir 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amelia Theodore 15 --(12)--> 27 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Mirielle 16 --(9)--> 25 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 14 --(10)--> 24 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 16 --(11)--> 27 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Elena 50 --(10)--> 60 Fail Conditions: Wound(2) Effects: Stalwart(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Elena 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> Lily Keil has posed.
The rumble continues in the moments of the great pillar falling, wide enough to crash any of them easily. Maybe gravity really does hate the group today, but regardless everyone moves. Jay's potion gets her moving more than fast enough to get out. Morgan, still fully dressed, flings out his line and gets himself out of there, but not while keeping his balance in the process. Riesenlied meanwhile, there with Lily and working together on this dig, pushes into the air... but the debris of the other falls is still up in the air, making her flight difficult.
And Elena, while lecturing, is running, and barely makes it out in time. The bottle...
The bottle--and Mirielle--are entirely safe. It's not even a problem. And Amelia Theodore?
Well, she tanks the pillar. It hurts, and the angle of the pillar's fall forces her backward with an awful grinding noise on her shield, but she lives.
...Lily hits a still-standing pillar after having thrown herself, wincing as she starts to get to her feet, and then the dust begins to settle and there is quiet again. She shakes her head, and then adds in, "I wouldn't knock shadow too much," she says. "It's done a lot for me before."
She looks around, and checks her gear so that they can go.
DG: Seraph Mirielle has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Stone Forest *>==============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - An Obvious Trap *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The embankment between the pillars ahead has a few holes in it -- possibly
animal dens. Something sparkles tantalizingly from the depths of one of the
dens, out of easy reach.
If you want it, you'll have to figure out how to extract it... and hope that
the den's unoccupied.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Treasure=======================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Blessed by the goddess, the spooky ghostie (nee floating magic murder water bottle) emerges dirtied but unscathed from the falling DOOM pillar, almost certainly because of said BLESSINGS.
Maybe the blessings come from a different god(dess) though, as Amelia's shield and daring acts blunted much of the pain the group would have recieve. When a group works together - when humanity (and near-humanity, and spoopy ghosts who are probably ex-human, and human shaped demons made out of living metal) comes together for a common goal and selfless joy of adventuring, great things happen.
Great things and ACTION MONTAGES.
All falls quiet and still, as the path leads down into a slightly shaded valley created by a ribcage formation of arching and broken stone pillars. To the left and right of the path earth piles up, filling out the 'meat' of the ribcage - and set into the earth are small holes and cubbies dug out by animals - or other explorers.
The path continues on, but a jutting stone pillar who had fallen over arches into a larger den - perhaps of a dog or wolf, where dozens of amber orbs and shining jewels seem to await just out of reach. It's big enough for you to crawl in!
Totally safe, too!
For Mirielle's part, she peers inside, summoning a clawed hand of darkness to paw around shallowly. "The bounties of the darkness reveal themselves! This looks promising! See, it is much better than out in that awful... rumbling and shaking and falling and deathspikes..."
Huh, do those ambers look funny to you?
IN THE BOTTLEVERSE: The wicked dark sorcerer, Water Bottle, lures travellers towards certain doom as shadowy limbs grasp at nothing around it. Dare they challenge the lair revealed????!
DG: Seraph Mirielle has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied disappears with a yelp in the wake of the dust and sand carried forth by the collapsing pillars.
She kind of weakly tosses to one side in the din of the action, coughing as she pulls herself up, letting out a 'pweh, pweh' kind of adorable noise as she coughs sand out of her mouth, her horns wiggling up and down (horns don't wiggle, Riesenlied) in consternation. "That was a mess, goodness..."
She blinks at where exactly she's fallen into -- right in the dark den, even!
The Dragon's Tear shimmers once more as she looks left, looks right, and...
...
Those amber eyes reveal themselves to be big ruffly dogs that don't take kindly to a dragon-girl having tumbled into their lair! "Aah!"
Fortunately, Riesenlied's intuitive thought is to spread her empathy around, and in moments, at least one of the dogs stops mid-pounce, entranced by the trail of photons emanating from the fluffiest Metal Demon around, and... goes and gives her a nuzzle and a lick on the cheek. Good dog!!!
Problem: There are more Dogs!!
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Dragon's Tear toward her party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"W-Well... I do not deny that there is use for shadows, but... you should still be careful," Elena responds to Lily, almost out of breath, before seeing Amelia catch up after tanking that falling pillar. The Songstress winces, and lifting her shining jewel again, recies: "Lord Granas, I call upon your healing waters!" A pulse of blue, soothing light, flowing like water through the hair. Enjoy your heals, Amelia! This is why you always adventure with a priest. Well, priestess. Well, Songstress. There's probably a lot of overlap, attitude aside.
Elena then ensures everyone else is doing fine - she can spread the healing magic through the party with no trouble, and will do so if asked or if someone shows injuries!
Which leaves us with a Seraph reaching for something shiny. And then a Metal Demon. Suddenly, dogs?! "That is why you should not be greedy!!" the Songstress insists, rushing over to try to help Riesenlied by picking up one of the dogs, attempting to show no fear to calm the beasts(?) down. "I am not sure how to calm feral animals down!"
Doesn't she have sleep spells?
The thought doesn't cross her mind.
DG: Elena has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Amelia braces, daring to peek her good eye over the edge of her shield and watching the pillar come careening down.
The impact is jarring, numbing her arm eslamming her with far too much weight. She BARELY holds it up by sheer willpower, gumption, and a hidden stubborn conviction that maybe Granas will spare her a glance from the infinite myriad of cosmic things that need attending to, and let her not die right now.
She WILL hold up this damned pillar.
Her boots drag twin furrows in the ground before she's skidded clean out from under it. She's laid out on her back, seeing starbursts fly across her vision, and she lays there for a good moment. Then she twitches. The fact that she can get back UP might even be shocking, but with a groan and a groan from her armor, she pulls back to her feet.
A deep HUFF and she shakes the dust out of her hair.
"Sometimes tests hurt." It's an idle comment. "But I'm in agreement. Gravity hates us."
And just like that, Amelia Theodore intends to just walk it off. She walks it off until Elena soothes her aching old bones. "Ah, my thanks lass." Oh and the team stops on seeing shiny objects.
As all adventuring teams do.
It's all well and good; they could be buried holy relics. Or... The den, by all apperances, screams Something nasty lives inside of me. Amelia doesn't move to loot it, the part of her brain that handles tactical analysis says to take a position that most optimally puts her in place to fend off an attack from something nasty. Like dogs or scorpions.
DG: Amelia Theodore has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Dust and debris are thrown up by the tremendous crash of that pillar. Morgan dissipears into the dust, though his progress can be tracked by the occasion curse and exclimation of annoyance.
When he finally comes tromping out of the dust he's minus his coat and most of his shirt has holes torn in it like he was just dragged behind a horse.
...well he was just dragged behind a pillar. So that works.
The fox though just grumbles as he trundles forwards. "Seems that this place ain't plain' fair ta--"
And then Riese dissipears down a hole.
"Yup. Not fair at all."
Then he's dashing forwards as he sees the situation opening his mouth to say something along the lines of 'just be calm'.
But then Elena goes and picks one up.
"...well maybe she has some special priestess magic..." The fox mutters before calling down as he starts to make his way down. "...just try to stay calm! Don't rile em up. If anyone has some kind of music or potion ta soothe the savage beast this would be the time."
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Is everyone alright? I've got curatives here, if anyone needs them." Jacqueline asks, once the dust from the falling pillars settles. She had escaped unscathed herself, thanks to the Earth Medium's warning, but she hadn't really been able to look back for the others. Still, everyone seemed to be alive...if a little battered, and Elena is on the case as well.
She moves on, where the water bottle - er, rather, the darkness-aligned Seraph - makes note of a den of sorts, inside which appear to be various treasures.
Unfortunately, some of those treasures appear to be of the fuzzy variety, and they're not too happy to see intruders!
"Might these be some of the artifacts you're looking for? I could invoke an earth pillar to try and push them out of the lair, but...I'd feel kind of bad about ruining their home..." Jacqueline admits, backpedaling.
If only Matilda were here with her Succubus Bottles...they could just attract them for long enough to get in and out. Maybe she should consider making a monster attractant too, just in case.
For now, though...
She very carefully edges toward the hole to attempt to retrieve the objects. Maybe they'd be too busy dealing with the others to notice her?
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
========================<* CHALLENGE - An Obvious Trap *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The embankment between the pillars ahead has a few holes in it -- possibly
animal dens. Something sparkles tantalizingly from the depths of one of the
dens, out of easy reach.
If you want it, you'll have to figure out how to extract it... and hope that
the den's unoccupied.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Treasure=======================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"I appreciate your caution," Lily says diplomatically to Elena, glancing down at her hand at te talk of shadows and their uses. A little wavering bit of darkness appears in her palm, and wends about her hand before it winks out again.
She does accept the healing though, with a murmur of thanks. But... Well, greed?
But then she looks up and sees a distinct lack of--"Riensenlied?" In the dust, she lost sight of her. Alarm reaches her eyes until there's a glow from the den, and there are... Dogs. Dogs, and potentially lucrative opportunities down there.
"Tests can," Lily agrees with Amelia. "Mm..." She thinks about it for a moment, and pulls out her notebook again. "Dogs, dogs... We could always just shoot them," she murmurs to herself. She pauses, and looks up at Jay. "...It would be rude," she agrees, and puts away the notebook.
Instead, she shrugs and steps quietly, carefully closer to Riesenlied. "If you can't get them under control," she says, "I have an approach." The approach is 'scare them away with fire. But mostly she edges for the treasure like Jay without caring if she gets bit.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Kislev Field Manual toward her party's challenge, An Obvious Trap.
==============================<* Stone Forest *>==============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - An Obvious Trap *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The embankment between the pillars ahead has a few holes in it -- possibly
animal dens. Something sparkles tantalizingly from the depths of one of the
dens, out of easy reach.
If you want it, you'll have to figure out how to extract it... and hope that
the den's unoccupied.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Treasure=======================================
=========================<* Stone Forest - Round 5 *>========================= ========================< Results - An Obvious Trap >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elena 32 --(0)--> 32 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 33 --(0)--> 33 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 21 --(0)--> 21 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Amelia Theodore 27 --(0)--> 27 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Mirielle 25 --(0)--> 25 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 24 --(0)--> 24 Pass Dragon's Tear 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 27 --(0)--> 27 Pass Kislev Field Manual 1 Wits Effects: Rally and Stalwart ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elena 60 --(25)--> 85 Pass Conditions: Reckless(2)|Treasure(1)|Wound(1) Effects: Cleanse|Stalwart(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elena has passed this challenge! The party gained 25 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> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Riesenlied is the first to really examine (see: tumble into) the hole, holding up her kaleidoscopic Dragon Tear to purge away the choking darkness to reveal the truth of the matter. Mirielle's shadowy skeleton hand gently catches Reisen by her collar and a bit of the scruff of her neck, arresting her fall to a gentle tuckuss-over-teakettle into a den of VICIOUS...
Puppies! They're little happy doggos and they immediately RAVAGE Riesenlied with puppydoggo attentions and barks. There's, like, a dozen puppies, and half of that dozen are totally all over Reisen. The rest scramble and spill out of the den-hole, puppytoddling around and barking like exciteable doggos.
Amelia, braced fo TRAPS and COMBAT and a SCARY BATTLE ASSASSIN MOM has a puppy skitter up to her, take ONE look, and immediately avert away, yipping once. You fail to ACHIEVE PUPPY. You monster.
Morgan Newkirk's bestial features and foxy charms have a slightly averse effect, causing the puppies to raise their hackles and bark threateningly at him. One latches onto his hand, tiny teeth causing GREIVOUS HANDWOUN-no it's like, barely even painful. YOU FAIL TO ACHIEVE PUPPY.
Jacqueline gets ambushed by PUPPIES, two rolling around her legs and falling over each other, but she reaches out and plucks... A small pouch of rubies! Neat! Maybe not every obvious trap is an obvious trap? Maybe someone lost their shiny rubies and the puppies took them - the leather bag is extremely chewed up and smells like DOG SLOBBER. Y-yay?
Lily was ready to roast them, put them down, and go all Animal Control on the cute puppers, but that isn't required. One tries to scramble up her leg to chew on her knee. But with love. YOU, SOMEHOW, achieve doggo. Even though you thought about shooting them. You monster!
DG: Elena has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Into The Cactus Patch *>======================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
In the near distance sits a short stone tower. Could this be the heart of
the Stone Forest? More sunlight shines down upon the ground than in other
parts of the maze. In turn this means lots of plants. Cactus plants. The way
to the tower leads through more varieties of cactus than most people will
see in their lifetimes.
Yes, that also means the ones that break off and stick to you when you brush
against them. Picking your way through the large cactus patch unscathed is
going to take a lot of deft and careful footwork.
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
Elena has achieved puppy. She does not, however, wish to part the puppies from their potential parties, and so returns hers to its den at the first chance she gets, pouring some of that water bottle into something sufficiently bowl-like to leave the puppies with something to drink. They must be used to the heat, after all, if they live here!
Onward, then, the party gets to go, despite GREED. Greed that should no doubt have been punished, but alas. No one here will learn a lesson today, to Elena's sorrow.
But ahead, finally, sits what seems to be the center of the maze. There is more light here - more heat here - than elsewhere. The desert sand is fully visible underfoot. Which means: CACTUS. Cactuses. Cactii?
A lot of Valmarplants with spikes on them.
Because nature hates you, and your gods too.
"We... it seems we must navigate through the plants."
Elena does not put up with this and reaches for a red orb on her shoulders, worn as a decoration. She fiddles with it and it clicks. She hurls it into the cactus patch. It was a grenade. This priestess wears grenades on her robes as fashion statements.
Also cactus spikes and chunks fly EVERYWHERE. Elena immediatly plunges to the ground and covers her head. "I BELIEVE THAT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA, IN RETROSPECT!!"
There's a clearer patch to navigate now, but given the rain of needles and plant chunks, it wasn't worth it.
DG: Elena has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's world approximately goes from her being terrified by being held by a skeletal hand (she's really bad at spooky stories, okay) to immediately happy at being surrounded by doggos! Awww!! "Wah, they're all so adorable...! I feel bad disturbing them..."
She does nod at Mireille to bashfully say, "Thank you for catching me..." as one of the puppies starts piling onto her, and-- and she's faced with a most difficult choice! She wants to scoop them all up and just take her home with her... but...
They all give her an adoring look, collectively. "I--I don't think I can take all of you... I'm sorry..." She pets the puppies, and then climbs up slowly to her feet. She still looks conflicted. Uugh! Stop being so cute, puppies!
Eventually, they move on, and Riesenlied has to stop and take an awed look on her face as she gazes towards the stone tower... and the various kinds of cacti that she hasn't seen before. It's fascinating, but also-- also not very easy to manuever! "I don't think I have the energy to fly the entire way... what to do..."
She flinches a little at Elena's sudden impact bomb, coughing and letting out a wheeze as she pulls some needles out from her tribal cloak. Jay's comment on how adventurers are really eager to bring explosives comes into mind again.
While she deliberates, though, she hears an adorable 'arf!' and turns... where the puppies have followed her?! "H-huh? What are you all...?" Riesenlied sounds surprised.
The puppies turn to each other, and then hop into formation -- and start to speed through the maze! "Are you all trying to show us how to navigate through? Thank you, puppies!"
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Is she that scary? Amelia is even wearing white for this desert trip. The old Granas Knight looks a bit flummoxed when she is avoided, but lets a thin smile break when other people around her, who are not utter monsters like she is, get puppy attention.
Then there are cacti.
Amelia is thirsty... She takes her sword and... Buries the point in the ground standing it up so she can have a sip from her water bottles. Then Elena throws a genade. Water is forsaken for the sake of getting her shield up, and between flying spines and the priestess she was told to protect.
When that dies down though she heaves a heat-weary sigh. She's not even going to bother trying to finesse the cacti. She's in layers of metal.
Amelia just starts walking on through.
Hopefully, nothing sharp finds a chink in her armor.
DG: Amelia Theodore has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan gets down to the bottom, trying to remain calm just like he said and then...
...and then he has a vicious puppy attached to his hand. He just looks down as the little guy tries his level best to viciously savage the foxes hand. Staring at the growling pup as it slowly quiets down before the fox plucks him up by his scruff and holds him a moment.
"Here, Little Dragon. They like ya better than me." And he just sets the little guy ontop of Riesenlied's head. "I'm more of a cat person. Believe it or not."
The puppy sprawls there a moment. Wagging tail and barking on occasion as it remains happily on its perch.
But then there is a new maze they have to get though and he quirks an eyebrow as he looks at the cactus.
Then back at his tail.
Then back to the plants.
"Nope." He decides as he just uses that lash of his to go over the plants.
Or thats the plan.
He could end up with a tail full of needles.
DG: Morgan Newkirk has used his Tool Force Lash toward his party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Mirielle gives a spooky smile to Riesenlied as everything goes way better than planned. "Don't you see? The darkness gives a succor, a joy, and a bounty to those that would seek it over the harsh light of surity."
Mirielle pointedly ignores the world where the amber eyes belonging to furry dogs were actually half-dog half-scorpion terror hybrids and the rubies were merely the glimmering of fresh blood, and also skellingtons and spooky things, and a floating skull, and and..."
Mirielle gets her head out of the hole after fantasizing about #justterrorfulthings, rubbing her eyes. "Ah, the path out! It's..."
Filled with a heckin' lot of cactus. "These don't grow in dark places." She mutters, mostly to herself. Instead, she resolves that--OH ALTHENA WHY ARE THE CACTUS EXPLODING??!??!?!
Shielding herself with her hands (one of them holding Water Bottle), she chases Reisen through the brer patch like Metal Demon Rabbit. "This is awful! Next time, let's all agree! No desert, no bright sun, no stone deathpillars... Much better! Like... like a nice abandoned mansion, or a torchlit ruin...!"
DG: Seraph Mirielle has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Into The Cactus Patch *>======================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
In the near distance sits a short stone tower. Could this be the heart of
the Stone Forest? More sunlight shines down upon the ground than in other
parts of the maze. In turn this means lots of plants. Cactus plants. The way
to the tower leads through more varieties of cactus than most people will
see in their lifetimes.
Yes, that also means the ones that break off and stick to you when you brush
against them. Picking your way through the large cactus patch unscathed is
going to take a lot of deft and careful footwork.
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline had to admit, the puppies dancing around her legs made it...kind of difficult to concentrate! Still, she manages to keep her Wits about her long enough to retrieve the bag, and...it's a bunch of rubies. Well, they weren't artifacts, but at least they had earned something for their efforts!
"I'll count and divide these out once we're back in the wagon." Jacqueline says, slipping the bag into one of her own bags. Those who haven't met her before might distrust her on that, but those who did know her would know she could be trusted with it.
She follows the party onward. The puppies follow her, and the rest of them, as well. Jacqueline's a bit curious about this, but Riesenlied seems to believe that they're trying to lead them the right way through this passageway of horrible, painful spikyness.
So as not to get too far ahead of the puppies - and also so as to not accidentally run face-first into a cactus - Jacqueline elects to not use her last dose of Invigoration Elixir just yet, instead following at a normal pace and hopefully not ending up full of needles at the end.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
A... puppy tries to chew Lily's knee. She looks down, because the teeth didn't even break through her thick pants, and sees this young dog. She stares at it for a moment as it showers her in affection. She frowns. "...I just contemplated shooting you," she points out.
The dog does not care. She kneels down beside it for a moment to examine it for any injuries, and it takes the opportunity to try to lick her face. She does not giggle. She simply gives the dog a look. "No. Stay here. We have what we were looking for." She saw it with Jay. And yet...
She stands and starts to move away, and the puppy follows her. Lily looks back. She frowns again. "No," she says again, in her same smooth voice.
One more time this happens and she shrugs. "Whatever, dog. Follow me or don't. I'm not taking responsibility for you."
She looks to Riesenlied's pile of puppies following her.. and sighs, stepping on forward. But eventually they reach this.... large amount of cacti. As everyone moves ahead, Lily lags behind at first. She considers it ahead, ponders the chance that it's going to all go up in flames if she burns a path like--
GRENADE and Lily throws up a shield that covers both her and incidentally, only incidentally, the puppy. It is made of ice, and it doesn't last. She sighs again, this time at Elena.
She watches the Seraph a moment. But she doesn't speak up. She buttons up her jacket, belts it, and starts straight forward, accepting the needles she gets without any apparent complaint. There is blood down her sleeve after a while though.
The puppy trots along after. For some reason.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Into The Cactus Patch.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Into The Cactus Patch *>======================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
In the near distance sits a short stone tower. Could this be the heart of
the Stone Forest? More sunlight shines down upon the ground than in other
parts of the maze. In turn this means lots of plants. Cactus plants. The way
to the tower leads through more varieties of cactus than most people will
see in their lifetimes.
Yes, that also means the ones that break off and stick to you when you brush
against them. Picking your way through the large cactus patch unscathed is
going to take a lot of deft and careful footwork.
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
===========================<* Stone Forest - Round 6 *>=========================== =======================< Results - Into The Cactus Patch >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elena 32 --(12)--> 44 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Newkirk 33 --(17)--> 50 Fail Force Lash 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 21 --(12)--> 33 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amelia Theodore 27 --(9)--> 36 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Mirielle 25 --(12)--> 37 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 24 --(12)--> 36 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 27 --(14)--> 41 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------- Leader: Elena 85 --(5)--> 90 Fail Conditions: Reckless(1)|Slow(2) Effects: Stalwart(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: The party led by Elena has failed 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. DG: Elena has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
Navigating a cactus maze should, for most people, be rather easy. It is not easy when those cactus plants turn out to be MONSTERS. Now, we're not saying these are Valmarspawn, or Hellions, or anything specific, but we're saying they were clearly created by someone or something who hated all of life on Filgaia. So draw your own conclusions.
As the party approaches - yes, even those poor puppies - the plants rise from the sand. Six legs each and green pincers - those plants are actually... their tails! Cactuscorpions.
You're welcome.
And that's why not even soaring above them (sorry Morgan) will spare you. They swing their tails like great spiked maces and come at you with vigor! Saving the puppies will cost someone a face to face with one of those green, spiked tails, but at least it can be done.
Still, there's a bright side to all this. At the first sight of trouble, THESE scorpions dive back into the sand and pretend to be plants again. They don't want to pray on the living, they want to kill people unexpectedly and be vultures. A fair fight? No thank you. And so, without effort, the party can at least scare them back down.
Allowing the party to enter the small tower.
Sadly, the entrance is blocked. Chunks of heavy stone pillars and what used to be stairs form a big great pile of stone as tall as the door into the tower itself. If you want in, you'll need a bit of... well, let's say, Riesenlied, that maybe Jay being right isn't such a bad thing.
Elena happily plucks one of the red orbs hanging from her robes via a ribbon and arms it as well. She deposits it by the rubble and then runs back to the party. This time the explosion is controlled correctly thanks to good placement, and no shrapnel threatens the group - but if shrapnel DID threaten the group, Amelia has a shield and reflexes for that.
The bomb won't clear ALL of the rubble away but it's a start.
DG: Elena has used her Tool Impact Bomb toward her party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks rather alarmed once more as the cacti spring up and reveal themselves to be... scorpions! Guard scorpions, even! They must be guarding the stone tower, right?! She gasps just for a moment as she-- of course, throws herself in the way of the puppies to protect them, which indeed gets her a solid bashing clean off her feet as she tumbles onto dry sand with a whimper. But at least the puppies are fine. Owww....
She's clearly not having the best time at this Dig, but they've gotten to the centre where it's likely there'll be something of value and intrigue here. She recovers in time to hear Elena's impact bomb--
'Here goes my Impact Bomb!' is ringing in her ears, probably.
"S-so many explosives....."
The puppy ontop of her head that Morgan has seated is also joining her in having swirly cute eyes.
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Now Jacqueline makes use of her Invigoration Elixir. She takes a dose quickly before diving into the Cactuscorpions, scooping up a puppy in each arm - incidentally the two that had been dancing around her earlier - taking the hits but also pulling them to safety.
It was a painful experience...but she's saved innocent lives in the process, so it was worth it in the end, right? Jacqueline would say yes, even as she's patching herself back up in the future.
But once they're through that pointy hellscape, the tower that had been taunting them in the distance lies before them...and unfortunately for them, the entrance is blocked.
Elena offers explosives to solve the problem. Jacqueline covers the two puppies' - each one placed in one of her bags, for safety sake, and hanging out - ears as the explosion rings out, then reaches into her pouch of Crests.
She waits, expecting more bombs to come. Once everyone is through exploding everything, she'll conjure an earth pillar, using it try to push aside any left-over debris that might still be clogging the path.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan is having a fine time going above things. But then things get...strange...
...wait...are the cactus moving...
Wait those arn't actually cactus...
The Foxes eyes widen. "Oh man. Why didn't I check for cactuscorpions first." He mutters before one spikey claw swings towards him. Yeah. This is defintally going to end poorly for him.
The smashing fist of green and spikes slams into him and helps him on his way. It in fact sends him sailing into the entrence of the tower. Skidding across the floor and slamming into the debris with a crash.
Which might move some of it.
Maybe.
Regardless the fox lies there flat on his back for a long moment. "...this is not my finest moment."
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Fumbling through a forest of awful cactuses would be awful and require all of Mirielle's seraphic concentration and potentially some incredibly spooky displays of power.
The problem is revealed to be worse than that. The problem is revealed to be more than Cactii - but CACTUSCORPIONS. "This planet clearly reveals why Althena's blessing is not present!" Mirielle cries out, continuing to run as the flailing claws and spiny tails crash in and around her. Blasts of darkness and more (and larger) shadowy claws reach out to scatter the vulturous spawn, before Mirielle reaches the safety of the tower. "This planet... is it all like this?" She pants, before noticing the real loss of the exchange.
Poor Water Bottle laid in her hands, spilling its contents on the cold ground, pierced and torn in the conflict. "Oh no! My clear canteen!" The seraph exclaims before placing her mouth on the hole and drinking the spilling liquid before it all emptied out.
"I-...I wanted a refreshing drink afterwards. This is terrible!" She murmurs morosely, lobbing an eroding blast of darkness depressedly into the rubble after the deafening bomb blast.
Thankfully, her TERRIBLE MOMENT and disparaging of the planet may go unheard due to the ringing in everyone's ears.
DG: Seraph Mirielle has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Amelia walks through the cacti. It is not as easy as she expected, and she is uncomfortably certain a spine has gotten somewhere the sun does not shine. Also they're scorpions.
Life is an utter nightmare.
After a close call, much hacking, and more spines in bad places, the old knight makes it to the bottom of the stairs, and a hand is offered to the tumbled Riesenlied plus puppy.
Back to the topic of the stairs though:"Hahhh... Might anyone have a spare cane I could borrow?" She asks, idly, attempting to inject some levity to the moment after everyone is done dealing with the plants that may or may not have been imagined up by Actually Satan.
Amelia is, however, present and ready for the event of shrapnel, hoisting that heavy shield up.
What isn't blown up has Amelia setting to the task of using her weight behind her shield to 'excavate' via means of 'leverage', 'grunt', 'snort', and 'shove'.
"Because you couldn't have known our friend from the climb had cousins." She asides to Morgan amid rock shifting.
DG: Amelia Theodore has used her Tool Confessional Wall toward her party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Cactuscorpions happen. Lily for her part takes a cactusy tail straight to the arm in the moment, and more as she moves to fight them off, but her puppy is singular and thus protectable just with her leg. Blood runs down her boot for it, but when she starts throwing ice as the others fight they stop moving. ...But not in the usual way.
Lily frowns, and then keeps going.
The puppy follows after her, tilting its head and panting in the heat.
She speaks up to Mirielle though, "No, my home city is very cold. I only saw deserts when I left for the war. We have a variety of places."
But the... The darkness because of a water bottle. Well, why not.
Amelia asking for a cane gets an actual laugh from the taciturn sorceress. "Afraid not." Sharpnel comes and Lily hugs the wall, looking up the stairs.
"Good idea," she says to Elena, and starts setting charges around the remaining largest pieces of rubble. She gets clear and calls, "Clear!"
With a snap of her fingers, more explosions.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Explosive Charges toward her party's challenge, A Brutal Climb.
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - A Brutal Climb *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
The first thing you notice upon entering -- this room illuminated only by
baskets of dully shining stones -- the short tower at the center of the
Stone Forest is that time and the elements have really done a number on the
little temple tower. Including, unfortunately, the stone steps leading
further up inside.
Speed won't help you here: rubble will need to be cleared off from the
broken and unsteady steps, and the large rocks and blockages moved away to
allow passage. Worse, for all the short height of the shrine tower, what
remains of the staircase is steep. However you excavate your way up, one
thing is certain: this will be a difficult ascent.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
===========================<* Stone Forest - Round 7 *>=========================== ===========================< Results - A Brutal Climb >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elena 44 --(0)--> 44 Pass Impact Bomb 3 Brute Effects: Liability and Strengt ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Newkirk 50 --(0)--> 50 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 33 --(0)--> 33 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amelia Theodore 36 --(0)--> 36 Pass Confessional Wall 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Mirielle 37 --(0)--> 37 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 36 --(0)--> 36 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 41 --(0)--> 41 Pass Explosive Charges 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------- Leader: Elena 90 --(25)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Slow(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Elena has successfully explored Stone Forest!
================================<* Stone Forest *>================================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Enshrined Mirror *>========================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
In the semi-lit depths of the dilapidated shrine tower, some searching
eventually uncovers an alcove with an interesting object. Displayed on a
small altar, a large round obsidian-glass mirror in a tarnished metal frame
lies flat, overtop the frayed remains of a patterned cloth.
The tarnished engraving on the back of the mirror features a stylized
beetle, recognizable to those familiar with the Guardians and their
depictions in art as that of Stare Roe, the Guardian of Light. It seems
possible, given the trappings of this shrine, that this may have been a holy
site for that Guardian once.
Though aged, the mirror is in excellent shape and reflects cleanly. If one
chose, they could collect a good price for it. Any number of Baskar tribes
nearby might also be interested in this. Or one could keep such a relic for
oneself.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
The pile of rubble is no match for the explosives brought front and center. Blasts of darkness aren't exactly a bad contribution either! Nor is slamming face-first into the debris, go figure, or even earthen pillars, but it's clear bombs won the day here. What's left is trivially scooped aside by Amelia, and by the times other join in - if they do at all, they could just be lazy.
The small stone tower awaits.
And within... well, it's cramped. This isn't some big holy temple, this is what's left of a tower, evidently. There sits a fancy-looking mirror on an altar, but Elena quickly recognizes the various murals to the Guardians and the glyphs about the room.
"It would appear our data was correct and that this is indeed an old Baskar temple... there is no need for us to collect that artifact then," she sorrowfully admits, despite wanting to chuck it into a fire.
Around the room, one might then notice various offerings strewn about. Shiny jewels indeed and various objects that emit a little bit of light. They're offerings to the Guardian of Light, after all, and people must have reckoned it would like glowing rocks of various shapes and sizes.
Mirielle might appreciate that part less.
Elena doesn't rob the temple of its valuables, but won't stop people from robbing the Guardians' holy site either. The jewels are probably worth a fair bit, if the Church's payment doesn't satisfy you, not to mention they glow, so you could make something useful out of those with some work!
GAME> Ashes just looked at you.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied does accept Amelia's hand with gratitude, as does the puppy, as she weakly staggers to her knees and then her feet as the Cathedral Knight helps her up. "A--a cane..." She offers Amelia her bow, which... is reasonably cane-like if you squint hard enough, and at least it can be propped up on one side.
She trembles just for a moment, gasping as she lets the ringing clear from her ears and... gazes deep within, her eyes widening as she holds-- holds onto her head again.
"This-- this pressure... it's just like the one in the Guardian Temple..."
She flinches, and feels like she could pass out for a moment, but it lapses as she gazes towards the mirror at the back. "... the Guardian of Light..." she bites her lip, lowering her head. "You'd... probably best spirit that to the Baskar Colony. They'd probably appreciate it."
She can't get the sensation out of her head. It feels like rejection...
... no, it's a bit more complicated than that.
"Just... what are you trying to tell me?" she murmurs, weakly. She gets no answers from the Guardian -- but...
...she does get a puppylick for her troubles, at least. Arf? :)
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Mirielle has posed.
Mirielle watches as the rubble is mostly-bombed away, the rest shoved aside to reveal the dark recess of the temple, filled with the glimmering offerings of the hidden site. Riese shies away, perhaps even as if struck, while Mirielle simply squints. "Ah, I suppose it's only fair - a scorching sun-temple would make sense for such a being." She reasons, before putting a hand on Riese's shoulder and smiling weakly.
"Don't worry. It's not my sort of place either. Still, isn't it pretty? The twinkling lights are borne upon a sheet of shadows, not stifling but spotlighting each individual radiance. Like stars in the sky, light and dark coexist symbiotically."
A SKELETAL DARKHAND scritches Riesenlied's head-pupper, while another one carefully removes a cholla from Mirielle's white hair.
"... Do we have to walk back through the awful cactus creature field?"
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Slowly picking himself up off the floor there is a smirk towards the woman with a shield. "Its my job to know those were there, so its just a bit my fault. I'll have ta add those ta the Guild list of dangers for this place." He slowly picks himself up, disting off his torn clothes as he glances up at the mirror thats revealed up there.
"Mmmm. Yeah. The Baskar would love ta get their hands on that. Make some Shaman pretty happy I'd wager." He adds as he chuckles slightly. "I'm pretty way we can sneak round them. Places like this usually have an easier way out, than gettin in. Don't ask me why, but whoever built them were jackasses."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily too enters the tower, lookng about at the glitter and gold and shine. ...But more than that the symbols and glyphs. She wonders, and then Elena speaks up. "...I see," she says. "Then--" She pauses, and steps towards Riesenlied. "Riesenlied, be careful," she says, and a woman who hates being touched immediately moves up close enough to catch Riese or at least be leaned on.
She pauses, and then nods. "I agree," after a cautious look at Riesenlied, "That's where it should go. But first we should study it in place..."
She waits, until Riesenlied seems stable. She doesn't answer the question that wasn't for her. Instead she listens to Mirielle's talk of stars.
"Hmm." Her puppy finally barks at her from behind, and Lily sighs. "Yes, we probably have to go out through more of those things." She's still bloody. She hasn't bothered to do much about that.
"You're an optimist, Morgan," she points out, and pulls her satchel to start sketching the room from the entrance first. This, then the mirror itself, any specific glyphs that look interesting...
For someone who came along last-minute, she's pretty interested.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
<poem>With all the explosions finished, Jacqueline uncups the puppies' ears. There...actually wasn't a whole lot of debris for her earth pillars to move aside, as it happens, and before too long the way is clear and they've made their way inside.
Jacqueline looks over the shrine, awestruck.
"Wow, this is...quite fascinating." She murmurs, reaching into her bags. She has to evade a curious puppy as she reaches into her bags for her notebook, nodding toward Lily.
"Yes, I agree. Though...afterward, I think it might be best if we bring this to the Baskar. I have a friend who I think would be interested in helping with that." She says.
Once that's done, she'll begin to join Lily in taking notes...though her new friends might make that a little difficult. They don't seem to be interested in letting her go any time soon...