2017-09-19: Sharks and Sandworms
- Log: Sharks and Sandworms
- Cast: Riesenlied, Hiro, Malfi, Ethius Hesiod, Noeline, Jacqueline Barber, Asteroid the Kid
- Where: Kislev-Aveh Front
- Date:2017-09-19
- Summary: A group of adventurers -- and their mascots -- discover how dangerous the deep desert truly is. Ethius loses a prized comestible(?).
===========================<* Kislev-Aveh Front *>============================ The frontlines of the Kislev-Aveh War have shifted many times in the last few hundred years, but they have left their scars on the land. One can, of course, find fighting between their infantry and Gears here. Such places are dangerous, and most Drifters know to steer away from them. However, sometimes there is no choice; even the rail lines thought to be away from the front can get caught unawares by a patrol, and skirmishes have resulted in delays and death for those trying to get to the Badlands. The areas not currently being fought in are also dangerous. Deserters and monsters alike can wander them, and the dry, dusty land leaves little succor for those in need. To make matters worse, abandoned fortifications and trenches make an excellent hiding place for the bandits seeking to profit here. Drifters are sometimes drawn here, though, to either fight for one side or to excavate abandoned ARMs and Gears left behind in a battle. This sort of salvage work is risky, but the rewards can be great. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxynM-xwLUs
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The Great Aveh Desert.
Riesenlied and Noeline have cast out here once before, but there's only so much time you can put off charting a desert around your village's space, especially when said desert is rife with the battles that surround the Aveh and Kislev warfront -- last time, they were able to identify an Oasis within the quadrant, and it's closer to this spot that Riesenlied's decided to resume her exploration of the desert.
She's largely stuck with those that know Wayside this time, as she can't really afford to put a call out to the Memory Cube -- but it's probably a good thing that people were available to help, based on the memos from the village's very own memo board.
(No, they still don't have a Memory Cube...)
When the party arrives, Riesenlied's... sat ontop of a rotund 12-foot yellow dragon that looks more like an ahriman and an onion combined, with stubby little legs and arms and wings and a single eye and an expression that goes 'bweeeeeeh'.
Odjn's also present, sitting on her shoulder as she goes, "Are you sure you're up to this? Bein' pale in the desert's not a good sign."
"I'm fine... we'll have help," Riesenlied expresses with a quiet cough. "And Muni-Muni will ferry me. I just can't help but want to know, what with the recent troubles in this area."
Noeline has another lecture on overexertion readied, no doubt.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
As they approach, the breeze picks up subtly. It seems to be Hiro's way of creating a little ventilation in the desert. Problem is that he hasn't figured out how to regulate the temperature yet. So the ventilation is better.
... at the cost of hot air not being all that comfortable. From a distance he waves- "Hey Riese! Odjn! ... ... ... Onion Dragon?" He forgot it's name.
Ruby, the flying pink dragon(??)cat(!) is quick to remind him by getting up into his face and shouting, "It's Muni-Muni! And they're a majestic creature Hiro!" "Right right... what was I thinking?"
He coughs once. He notes Riese is a bit pale but he's wondering if that's just because she's a Metal Demon.
Maybe that's her version of a tan... he has no idea what complexion is like for them so he didn't think of asking.
Ruby flies up to Odjn, "Yo Odjn! Give me five!" And then she holds up a pink pawsie. Will Odjn leave her hanging!?
"They've been feeding you well right? Wayside Cuisine didn't seem all that... ah..." Ruby kind of trails off there. She knows Odjn's usual standards.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi is the next to arrive, astride a friendly ursinoid Metal Beast who's become something of a fixture around Wayside. Physically he resembles a bear, but his mannerisms are more like a dog's. Malfi nods politely to Riesenlied and takes a moment to fuss over Odjn. She and her critters...
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius just happens to be along. Ethius 'just happening' to be along is one of those phenomena that just... is, even when he has a more formal attachment to the Caravan Kinship. Something piques his interest, he shows up - sometimes without even bothering to say hello or reintroduce himself, like a bad habit. Like he might even hope they don't notice.
It's not clear if he's here to assist Riesenlied, Noeline, and their dragon friends out of the simple goodness of his heart, or if there's some deeper and greater agenda at play. If there is, it does seem to align with those here at present... if there even is anything at all beyond 'I am looking for interesting technology and/or my memory.'
Whatever it is, it's worth being here out in the hot blazing desert sun, even as he casts something of a shadow over some of the others gathered by the positoning of the sun against his figure. His poncho flaps lightly in the passing breeze (courtesy of Hiro) as he peers out into the dunes with a precursory look of the Spectral Lens.
"No mines." He reports, as he puts it back. That... counts as a 'hello,' for this purpose. For whatever reason, he's been especially cautious about the idea of buried explosives throughout. How is he going to broach the subject of Riesenlied's health?
He turns his head over his shoulder as Malfi approaches on her Metal Beast steed. He keeps that gaze of his level on her Metal Beast for an uncomfortable amount of time.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline honestly looks more like she's given up on the lectures and just decided on an endless string of grumpy looks; she's leaning against the side of the big blobby yellow dragon when everyone else arrives, probably a lot easier to pick out against the sand than Riesenlied is given that she's a vibrant shock of red hair and white-red clothes against the sandy colours of the desert.
She's clearly adopted a new 'disguise', because she's dropped her heavier dresses for something that's easier to move around in the desert, a light sleeveless vest and a shorter skirt. The only part that actually obscures her identity is the way her black hair has now become a brilliant sort of red - but it's still obviously her under there, the grin and the lilt of her voice unmistakable.
"Well-- at the very least, I will do my best to ensure Riese's safety along with yourself," she does her best to quell Odjn's worries, never mind that she's got plenty of her own. A moment to allow herself an amused chuckle, and then she teases with a grin: "We both know that it's not like I'm going to be able to stop her, however.".
Speaking of worries, she looks at Ethius with a light huff, watching the man gaze at Malfi. She's not objected to Ethius' presence, however - in fact: "I do admit we need to better map this area if we want to be sure of our safety. As Mr. Hesiod points out, most of the mines and quarries have been stripped bare by now - but the lay of the land alone would be useful to draw pursuers and the like away."
She lets out another breath, and then nods in recognition to Hiro, allowing a light smile. "We're improving," she decides to speak to Ruby instead, though, with a light grumble of air. "Hardly Port Timney standard - I do miss that place, rather - but we can't all hang around with the Caravan Kinship whenever we want."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline was always eager to help out Riesenlied and the people of Wayside. They had been there for her when she and her friends needed them most, and so she was always looking to help return the favor.
Jacqueline's eyes are drawn to Muni-muni. There was something about the onion-shaped dragon that she found...oddly adorable. She doesn't say this out loud, though, instead waving to everyone present.
"Hello there! I hope I'm not too late." She says. "If you're worried about the heat, I have some ointment that might help, as well as some potions to help regulate your body temperature..."
With this offer made, her eyes are drawn to the others that were present.
"Ah, Hiro, Ruby! Good to see the two of you again!" She says, offering them a wave and a smile. Things hadn't gone quite so well the last time they had met, so hopefully things went different this time.
And then, someone else arrives, someone Jacqueline had seen once before, though didn't personally remember. Malfi gets a wave as well, as does her mount.
"Hello there! I don't believe we met. I'm Jay." She says politely.
She chuckles slightly when Noeline mentions the Caravan Kinship.
"Maybe in the future we'll work on a solution to that..." She comments.
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
Asteroid the Kid needs to get materials in this area and more importantly, needs to make some hot bling if she's going to get what she needs from Guild Galad. It's frustrating to have to deal with such overhead but Asteroid the Kid does have, if nothing else, a fair amount of determination when it comes to things that are important to her. She doesn't mind working with Riesenlied even if she's been kind of rude to Riesenlied but, to be fair, she is kind of rude to a lot of people. It's usually not malicious.
"You have a cute dragon person." Asteroid says to Riesenlied. "Are you her mom too?"
She has, at this point, forged a new cart which she is bringing along the desert. It's actually very clean and new looking so hopefull it won't explode. No mailbox this time, it's a simple effective cart that will get add-ons later. No jagged edges. She can pull it around with one arm. Presumably she intends to put things inside of Cart Mk 4.
She then looks towards Hiro and sees HIS dragon. "Woah, another cute dragon. What's going on...? There's so many cute dragons...!!" She presses her hands on her cheeks. "Ahhhnnn... I can't handle this... It's too cute."
She lurks closer to Ethius who is not a flying furball which might be a minority occupation soon. Plus, he is super violent, which is something Asteroid the Kid can appreciate even if Ethius is usually more extreme than Asteroid (until Asteroid gets pissed in which case she goes full on ballistic). More controlled, perhaps.
"Geeze... is every drifter cute in Filgaia..." She mutters.
DG: A party led by Riesenlied is now entering Great Aveh Desert. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Shifting Sands *>=======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Upon entering the Great Aveh Desert, you find... sand. A lot of sand. Like,
a LOT of it. And it slips out from under your feet as you walk.
This is maybe not such a great idea.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overwhelm================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Aw yeah, it's Ruby!" Odjn flies up and holds her own paw out and gives her one, and then, "Down low! How's it hangin', my best bud in the whole world?"
She grins to say, "Well, it's kinda borin' compared to Adlehyde street food, but I'm kinda likin' the homegrown stuff? Riese started cookin' too and she's not... great at it, but heck, I'll try anythin' twice!"
There's a quiet pout from Riesenlied at her cooking being subpar...
"Hiro, Malfi, glad to see you're well," Riesenlied nods towards the youth, happy to see him again. As Malfi joins them on her bear, she also can't help but appreciate the other Metal Demon's penchant for animals like much she herself does.
But overall, Riesenlied is much more muted by comparison, nodding towards Ethius to express, "Thank you, Mister Ethius -- I'd like to keep an eye out for those as we search."
She looks a little apologetic to Noeline as she reassures in a softer tone, "I'll not overexert myself this time," as she waves to Jacqueline to say, "I'll be sure to ask you for some assistive medicines if I feel worse... and your help is always appreciated."
Odjn gasps and looks to Ruby and points at Asteroid's cart. "Ruby! Let's ride on that cart, it looks awesome!" The tiny, fat one-foot dragon floats up beside Asteroid to go, "Missus, can we ride on your cart? Pweeeeeeease?"
Odjn is shooting a puppy-eyes look at Asteroid! Can she resist??
Riesenlied looks towards the expanse of sand, and holds out several copies of a quadrant map that she's been filling out of the desert and what they know so far. "Please, take one if you'd like. We've been on the lookout for hazard points, such as known landmine zones, contested areas, quicksand pits, and their like."
It's not exactly filled out, but what quadrants they've examined have been thoroughly marked. There's one particular one that stands out which reads: 'Cuccos?? Must investigate further.'
Someone might have drank the cactus juice before...
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi dismounts to unencumber her steed and give him a better chance at navigating the shifting, slipping sands. "Bogey, be careful!" She also unmanifests her armor, for now, to lessen her own weight. Now she can move faster, which still isn't saying a whole lot -- she's hardly noted for her quickness.
DG: Malfi has used her Tool Blackest Coffee toward her party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius regards the rest quietly, if not unobtrusively. Sometimes he checks over his shoulder to refresh his understanding of where everyone is and what they're doing. He slows down to let some of them pass him so that he can keep most of them within his field of vision. That, and to just let himself be a quiet background event.
Something that he doesn't quite manage.
Distilled to his very essence, he is an obtrusive presence. No amount of familiarity with him and his antics quite washes out the idea that there's something about him that... just doesn't add up.
Nonetheless, he does his own thing. Anything he sees - at least among what he wants to see and find for himself - he'll probably bring up if he thinks the rest should know. (Yet another bad habit of his.)
In being overly fixated upon looking for any buried explosive traps, Ethius fails to exercise proper caution in regards to sand sinkholes and unstable footing. He pays for his myopia by taking a less-than-dignified tumble down a dune a ways ahead.
It's soft sand, so it's not a painful dive unless he hits a partially buried rock at the bottom. He might even catch himself - but Chapapanga has decided, today, that watching a stoic, stern, and kind of scary man take a dive down a dune is pretty funny.
And so it shall be.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
Noeline has Ruby crossing her arms and nodding, "I see. I see. What I suggest you rectify as soon as possible is getting yourself a fish market. That'd fix everything." A fish market!? In the desert!? HOW?
Jay and Ethius gets a wave from Hiro, "Hey Jay, Ethius. How's it been for y'all? Heh. Y'all. I'm starting to sound like I'm actually from here." "No you don't!"
"H-Hey come on, you're just saying that! I'm more majestic than cute anyhow..." She sounds pretty happy though, as she grips her own pawsies and looks away, flush spots carrying through her fur. Hiro seems momentarily taken aback by Asteroid's head, but takes it in stride. He was raised by a Beastman after all. And Asteroid talked like a person. So who's to say she wasn't one of Filgaia's Beastmen? He crosses his arms and nods at her and Malfi, "Hey. Nice to meet you. Name's Hiro."
When Riese confirms that she's... not in the best of health though, "We'll just all work extra hard, so you can take a breather. Don't worry."
Pleased from Odjn giving her 'one' to her requested five all the same, even if five doesn't make sense, she flies after her, "Alright Odjn!" Ruby flies over towards the cart- at least until Riese points out how hazardous the area is, "Ehhhhhh, maybe I should actually help out here. Hey Hiro. Let me borrow your grapnel?" "Sure Rubes." Unhooking the coil of his rope from the side of his pack, he hands it to Ruby, who promptly lets the metal part drop to the sand, putting the end of rope in her teeth. And then she flies up, and starts dragging it behind. It's like she's fishing, in the desert. Leading the way the grapnel trawls the sands- leaving a trail in their wake to try to pick out hazards before they would claim the party.
Hiro nudges Noeline with an elbow as he walks along the party, "Maybe she's fishing for sandsharks..."
DG: Hiro has used his Tool Ruby Being Helpful toward his party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline doesn't seem particularly willing to engage with the sand, speaking on a general basis; as Riesenlied hands out her rough maps, she's already hopped up onto the back of one of her spherical ARMs, using the little creature to support her weight as she absent-mindedly crosses her legs and studies the map. As far as its speed is concerned, it's certainly slower than she could manage on foot - but at the same time, seems likely to save her a lot of fuss and bother.
She could, y'know, try navigating the desert in something other than heels, but then that's Noeline for you.
She doesn't bother to disguise her cackle as she watches Ethius pitch down a sand dune, though she does at least let herself bob forwards to take a glimpse and ensure that the odd taciturn man seems mostly unharmed. "Yes, well-- I will take it under advisement," is her remarkably diplomatic response to Ruby, though the grin tugging at her mouth is definitely anything but serious.
"In the meantime, I suppose we should follow Ruby's lead - at the very least, before she vanishes off into a sandstorm with your grapnel wire, hm?" she adds to Hiro, apparently in high spirits.
DG: Noeline has used her Tool Strife toward her party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline accepts a copy of the map and looks it over. Her eyebrows raise kind of at the section of the map marked with 'Cuccos??', but she doesn't comment on it. It was...probably best not to, honestly.
Asteroid receives a friendly wave, as well, and she takes a moment to look over the new cart.
"It looks nice!" Jacqueline compliments, then turns her attention to the desert itself. She draws one of the aforementioned potions out of her bags and takes a drink. It was important to keep oneself cool out in the desert, after all!
She continues forward, offering Hiro a smile.
"We had a few...setbacks, but things are looking up for us now! You and your friends should come by sometime, I'm sure we can give you all some good prices." She says. She knew Kourin would probably be pleased if they stopped by, at least...
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Invigoration Elixir toward her party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Shifting Sands *>=======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Upon entering the Great Aveh Desert, you find... sand. A lot of sand. Like,
a LOT of it. And it slips out from under your feet as you walk.
This is maybe not such a great idea.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overwhelm================================================
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
Asteroid the Kid makes a will save at Odjn's puppy-eyes. She looks into the eyes of the kawaii. Her left hand shakes a little as she flashes back to a long time ago when she wanted to get a cute stuffed plush doll but her parents said no because it was too expensive and that doll happened to look somewhat similarly to the creature floating around before her. Less fluffy, and with smaller wings, and it was definitely not alive but...
"Neeeeeh...." Asteroid noises, launching a pair of portals to help skip a lot of the nonsense with the desert (it's one advantage her pistols brings to this particular venture). "...Yeah okay. Sure. You can ride it." She stops looking directly at Odjn though as blush stickers materialize under her eyes. She ties her hood closer around her head as she walks through the portal and out the other end.
She looks back at Hiro. She looks at him for a while. And then, finally, she sticks her tongue out at Hiro. She holds it. Then she puts her tongue back. Then she says, "Asteroid the Kid."
Well that happened. "...Ah Jay. Hey." Asteroid the Kid lowers her head. "I uh. I'll get you money and materials. it's fine. SDon't. Worry about it. Yes."
DG: Asteroid the Kid has used her Tool Portal Pistols toward her party's challenge, Shifting Sands.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Shifting Sands *>=======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Upon entering the Great Aveh Desert, you find... sand. A lot of sand. Like,
a LOT of it. And it slips out from under your feet as you walk.
This is maybe not such a great idea.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overwhelm================================================
======================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 1 *>======================= =========================< Results - Shifting Sands >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Portal Pistols 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Ruby Being Helpful 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Blackest Coffee 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Invigoration Elixir 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noeline 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Strife 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Riesenlied 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Overwhelm Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)|Stalwart(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied 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. I'm sorry but you can only have positive integers when you roll dice. The addition at the end must be between -10 and 250.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Odjn grins widely as she says, "A fish market... ooh, that'd be awesome. Would we salt sandsharks and sell 'em for a profit? I can see it already!" Well... perhaps the sandfish varieties that can be found around Aveh could be edible... possibly.
Ethius has a tumble! Oh no! Riesenlied gasps to go, "Mister Ethius--" but stares as he manages to largely... come up okay. Concerned, though, she does float her dragon a little closer to hold a hand out if he'll accept it. "Are you okay?"
The little dragon pumps her hands as she manages to inflict Kawaii (save ends) on Asteroid, and hops right onto the closest thing resembling a seat to salute and go, "Deckmate Odjn, at your service, Cap'n Asteroid!!" She makes a 'toot toot' sound like she's pretending she's on a shop, and--
--where did she get that little sailor's hat?! It wasn't there a moment ago!
Malfi finds that her choice to dematerialise her armour and have Bogey exercise caution to pay off -- they slide across the dunes just fine and make progress. Jay also finds no problem as she cools off and empowers herself through recreational alchemy, and Asteroid just zips through the desert through the power of teleportation. Noeline similarly doesn't find any trouble sitting on Strife and letting the poor little ARM-drone potter her about...
...
But it's Ruby that hits pay dirt, because Hiro's comment actually hits pay dirt -- the little dragonet's suddenly yanked on the grapnel! In a burst of sand, a sandshark indeed emerges, cresting over the hill and pointing in the direction of...?!
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius plants his quarterstaff against the ground to force a hard stop, and not too soon - one of his knees hits a rock with enough momentum behind it that it stings. It is the difference between 'ow, a boo boo' and 'I might have broke my leg.' Out here in the dunes... he'll accept 'ow, a boo boo.'
He hasn't had time to sew back a patch on the Hot Air Sack ever since an unspecified desert critter tried to eat it. It always seems like one of his three useful exploration tools is out of commission, by some quirk of fate. He ought to take better care of them.
Riesnlied comes down to his side as he takes in a breath to steady himself up to a rise. He turns to give her a look - the same look as anyone or anything else, really. He's never looked friendly, or inviting, or much of anything to anyone other than 'is there, is looking/watching.'
He takes her hand to stand up.
"Your assistance is appreciated." The same selection of words, as though by reflex. "I am fine."
DG: Noeline has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi teams up with other party members to push and pull at the Gears' extremeties. She coaxes Bogey into helping, too. Whatever the Gears were blocking just might turn out to be important. Who're the smallest, Ruby and Odjn? All they need is a space large enough to squeeze through and check it out...provided they're willing, of course...
DG: Malfi has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Ahead of the group, Ruby has halted at the top of a particularly tall dune, making a triumphant noise at whatever sight is below. From Noeline's point of view, this could mean anything - a fruit tree, perhaps, or a particularly amusingly-shaped cactus, or perhaps just more sand.
Given the nimbleness with which her ARMs can move, unfettered by shifting sands or sudden dunehills or a grumpy Metal Demon cosplayer sat on top of them, Noeline is one of the first to actually catch up with the little dragon and peer down into the valley below...
... and even she has to stop for a moment, quite impressed at the dragon's find. "That is certainly quite the sandshark," she decides eventually, letting out an amused huff of air as she directs Strife to hover its way downwards towards the pile-up of Gears and glancing over them in plain curiosity. "Two Kislev machines, from the markings - and an Aveh supply vehicle, I believe. I assume the Gears were fighting over who gets to step on it, or something of the sort."
The twintailed demon hesitates for a long moment, and then furrows her brow as she lets out a sigh. "I'm not hopeful about moving a Gear in this heat, to be quite honest, but if Muni-Muni would be willing to lend a hand, perhaps Malfi and I can do the rest, hm? I suppose I've got to resort to good old strength some of the time." So saying, she holds out a hand - and appearing out of nowhere is a thick, solid blade of metal almost the same size she is. 'Ebon Zero's blade is imposing at the best of times, and yet--
--there's something almost comical about the way she swings it around and wedges it between the truck and the leg of the Gear, bracing as she starts to try to lever the latter out of the way.
DG: Noeline has used her Tool Trouble toward her party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
Odjn calls Asteroid 'cap'n'. She means ship captain obviously but Asteroid's dream is to become a starship captain and the way she says it kind of makes Asteroid think of that particular dream so--
ODJN REP UP.
"Eheheh... Engaging Warp Speed..." Asteroid jokes around. "Be careful of alien invaders from....another galaxy...!!"
And then--another challenge!!! Asteroid draws out her Rigdobrite medium and summons an asteroid ball, stopping her travels for a moment. "Hold on tigh." She tells Odjn before tossing the ball into the air, jumping into the air after it, and spike kicking it down towards the broken gears to just..well..brute force the problem. Yeah, Asteroid the Kid kind of picks this option a lot of the time, even if it's not actually a brute challenge.
"Oh! Be careful!" She shouts to Noeline, but this will likely only help dislodge the gear. And once the gears are dislodged, then Asteroid the Kid can dig in there and LOOT which, lets face it, is what she usually does for the goods she sells. If all goes as planned...
Everything will turn up Astie! This can fund her DRUGS!!
"Thanks, Jay." She tells Jacqueline after kicking. "It's nice to finally have something to put stuff in."
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied nods towards Ethius, and-- stares as Ruby dashes off with a quiet gasp, pushing Muni-Muni to follow. She crests over the dune on her dragon with another untimely cough, before peering towards the pair of Gears for a moment, with caution. Once it's evident that they're derelict and not going to pose a threat, though...
"That's an Aveh APC, I believe...?" Riesenlied chimes in with Noeline, as she lets her ride get a bit closer. "It's pinned down, but..."
She hesitates, but looks towards the others. "I'd like to make sure there's no one trapped inside."
She hops down from the dragon as it gets to work, pushing one of the Gears aside along with Bogey.
Odjn, meanwhile, is starting to sing as she tugs on a little toy wheel at the back of Asteroid's cart that she brought herself.
"In the navy~ (Oh we will drift the seven sands!)
In the navy~ (Oh Rigdo'll put your mind at ease!)"
Yeah, she's having a lot of fun.
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"Is that your outlaw name?" Hiro grins at Asteroid, "It's a good one." Though he has absolutely no idea what an Asteroid is, maybe he thinks it's a proper name on Filgaia...
Ruby doesn't expect to actually hook anything that yanks back, and suddenly her grip on the rope becomes a curse as she's yanked by the leaping sandshark she's hooked and dragged over the dune and out of his field of vision, "Whoa! She actually caught one- I mean hold on Ruby!" He says, running after her and nearly bowling over Ethius again as he rushes by, "Sorry!" He calls back as he sprints across uneven sands to try to crest the hill fast.
Ruby is squealing, which is hard with a rope caught in her teeth, but she's terrified out of her mind at the thought of letting go at this point.
Momentarily she's stopped by the Shark thumping into it, and the line goes loose in that moment as Noeline speaks to her. Ruby looks like she's debating whether to let go. Hiro's almost caught up to her, and Ruby's starting to fly over to him so he can grab the whopper she's hooked and hal it up.
And that's when the Sandshark jumps out of the sand. In this light, the sun sparkles across a trail of glittering sand as the sand shark leaps over gear/vehicle pile up in a huge arc, and vanishes on the other side. Hiro cups his hands, "Ah! Hold on for a second Ruby! We'll be right over!"
He gets taken aback by just how massive this is.
As Hiro has learned, tornadoes are not group friendly to use in a desert, getting sand everywhere. And so it's not long before he's right alongside Noeline, cutting along with her, using the silver saber he's drawn. Even if he can cut through metal now, it's still slow going slicing and battering and- "JUST KEEP SHOUTING TO LET US KNOW YOU'RE STILL CLOSE!"
The muffled reply shriek which never really stopped is getting a little further away.
Strangely, it seems to be in synch with Odjn's chorus. Maybe she's trying not to ruin her song?
DG: Hiro has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline offers Asteroid a smile.
"I should be telling you that. It'll be alright, Asteroid, just take things at your own pace." She says in an attempt to reassure her, then glances off to the side where Ruby has apparently located something interesting. Jacqueline heads over in that direction, and gasps in surprise.
"Do you think the pilots got out alright...?" She asks. Riesenlied seems to have the same concerns. Jacqueline's able to clearly recognize the Kislevi machines, being in possession of one herself.
She doesn't really bring much to the table here, so she instead moves to investigate the Gears themselves, looking to see if there are any pilots still within, and for signs of what might have happened to them. They could check the vehicle once they managed to get that free.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Wordlessly, Ethius follows the sandshark as probably the most exciting/interesting thing towards the sight of the collapsed machines. Noeline gives a good dress-down of what it is she's seeing. Everyone gets in the process of deciding their next few courses of action in regards to what's there, and how to get it.
Ethius seems to outright disappear. Not in the sense of 'suddenly magically invisible,' though for all intents and purposes he may well be. He's just... run off?
As Noeline wedges her sword between the truck and the leg of the Gear and an asteroid bounces off another husk, the group might hear the sound of something slamming into the metal a ways above them. The sound of... Ethius' quarterstaff.
Wow, he got up there pretty quickly. He peeks his head out from one of the exposed openings of the ruined wreckage, down to the rest of them... and then lowering his gaze a bit further as he spies the source of the disturbances.
Noeline, and a familiar sword.
There is an awkward silence.
"I will join you shortly," Ethius states as he disappears back down out of view. At some point or another he'll come down and probably offer to try and melt off sections of a Gear at a time, but for now it seems he finds the wreckage on top more interesting - putting forth a momentary delay on the prying plans without saying one way or the other why he sees the items on top as more urgent to explore as opposed to what's underneath.
Kind of like that time, a while back, in the Berry Cave where he was insistent on searching through crates meant to set up a barrier against intruders as opposed to having anything interesting within them.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
DG: Asteroid the Kid has used her Tool Asteroid Ball toward her party's challenge, X Marks The Spot?.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
======================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 2 *>======================= =======================< Results - X Marks The Spot? >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Asteroid Ball 3 Brute Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noeline 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Trouble 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Riesenlied 20 --(25)--> 45 Pass Conditions: Treasure(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied 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.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =====================<* CHALLENGE - X Marks The Spot? *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A pair of Gears, broken and damaged beyond repair, lie atop each other in the lee between two sand dunes. The pilots are long gone, but it appears the metal machines fell on top of some sort of vehicle. If you could get them even a little out of the way, you might be able to search the vehicle for supplies... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a huff of air, Noeline retracts the enormous slab of metal that's masquerading as a sword and thrusts it again into the space between Gear and APC, seeking to try to establish more of a foothold from which to lever the Gear out of the way. It's rough going, even with everyone's assistance - after all, the most likely thing to give in this entire equation is the sand under their feet, rather than the massive slab of metal they're trying to move.
Bit by bit, however, they manage to chip away at the problem. Thanks to the sharpness of Hiro's sword, sometimes literally - and Noeline capitalizes on that fact, directing the boy towards a large number of tangled extensions and rusted hardpoint weapons that have tangled together between the Gears, only making their job harder until they're cut away - and free for Ethius or anyone else to salvage, should they so desire.
Asteroid's meteoric strike does make Noeline have to duck with a rather unladylike yelp and a momentarily annoyed huff of air, but it does a lot to provide some extra momentum, and the sudden shift gives Muni-Muni a window to further push the Gears sufficiently out of the way to allow the others to see inside the APC.
It teeters, making the rest of their work a little precarious - but mercifully, there doesn't appear to be anyone stuck inside the vehicle, nor any corpses. Whoever was in the APC must have bailed out at the last second, leaving only a collection of scattered papers and some rudimentary communications equipment--
--and a dangerous creak suggests it's time to clear out of dodge, as the Gears rock back to their original position with a very final-sounding 'crump' of lots of metal against lots of metal.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
================================================<* Great Aveh Desert *>================================================= ==============================================<* CHALLENGE - Sandslide *>=============================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- Your party is on the downslope of a dune when suddenly the sand underneath your feet begins to slide and give way. You've got a few seconds to figure something out before you're carried down in a rush of rolling sand. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Bad Luck===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius personally finds nothing of value or even passing interest within the Gears in question, which is just as well, but he does find himself in the position where he's up ahead of the rest as everyone situates themselves after the Gears return to their original positions.
He considers the back of the vehicle, and where it might have been going before this wreck came about. Well, to be more specific, where it came from. There might be a military outpost ahead. He's not yet ready to say that the Caravan Kinship are free of Kislevi scrutiny - to encounter one ahead would be bad. He starts to scale a very tall dune ahead, and the fact he's gone on ahead might compel the rest to follow.
At the peak, he brings a hand over his forehead to better survey the desert ahead... no outpost among the warring nations, as far as he can see. Just as well, then, unless there are landmines. He starts to go for his Spectral Lens, again, when...
Something rumbles underneath everyone. An earthquake? There's a sudden hiss and rush of sand ahead, as a humongous sandworm peeks the top of its head out from under the dunes ahead.
Great news - the sandworm doesn't appear to notice or care about the mass of vitamins and minerals (in some cases, more minerals than vitamins) encroaching above its place of rest, as it starts to emerge and slither away in the direction opposite of the group.
Less great news - it's the sole supporting structure for the large dune of sand that has formed above it since it went into hibernation. As it leaves behind its place of rest, it all begins to collapse underneath them...
...and bring the Gear and APC wreckage tumbling in their direction.
"Move." Ethius says as the urgency of their situation begins to set in.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Sandslide.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a glint of appreciation from Odjn's eyes as she watches Ruby crest the Gears on her sailing arc. "Beautiful......!"
Riesenlied lets out a little sigh of relief when she discovers that there's no one inside the APC or the Gears -- she nods towards Jacqueline in turn, smiling at her gently.
When they emerge up towards the top of the dune, she follows with a quiet peek over the crest and stares out... ...and then there's the rumble.
"Ah--"
There's a gasp as the sandworm emerges and burrows through the area, as she tries to hold herself down and hush Odjn--
"Mayday, mayday!" Odjn exclaims. "Defcon 1! Abandon ship, cap'n!" Yeah, Odjn's just shouting random bits of trivia she might've picked up somewhere. Probably an ancient datadisk in the Photosphere.
But then an actual disaster occurs, as the sand starts to sink the Gear and APC towards their direction. "Grab on!" she shouts to the nearest person to hold their hand out, Muni-Muni starting to gravitate upwards to escape the incoming wreck.
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Sandslide.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi urges Bogey into a lumbering trot (his fastest speed), directing him away from the collapsing Gears. That done, she looks around to see if any of her other companions need help before following her steed. Unfortunately her footing isn't as steady as Bogey's, and she hurtles right into the sandslide, feet slipping. The shifting sands deposit her at the base of the dune after a brief, frightening, tumbling ride. She takes a moment to catch her breath afterwards. Too bad it all happened too fast for her to scan the sandworm. She checks to make sure she still has all of her equipment -- and that Bogey's all right. "Is everyone okay?" she calls.
DG: Malfi has used her Tool Blackest Coffee toward her party's challenge, Sandslide.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - Sandslide *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Your party is on the downslope of a dune when suddenly the sand underneath your feet begins to slide and give way. You've got a few seconds to figure something out before you're carried down in a rush of rolling sand. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Bad Luck===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
"Yeah." Asteroid the Kid says. "It's totally my outlaw name. Asteroids are minor planets in the solar system but they're basically just chunks of space rock usually. You're an alien, so that's pretty cool." OR MAYBE SHE IS THE ALIEN ALL ALONG HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF THAT ASTEROID? She hums along with Odjn's singing because she can't help herself even if it's about the navy. Maybe there can be a space navy. Could that happen in her lifetime? Probably not. Science Fiction. But maybe one day.
Asteroid quickly fires another pair of portals as the sand starts to shift and she hops into the cart behind Odjn.
This probably happens: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/Calvin_and_Hobbes_Original.png
But eventually, she does. She'll have to make her way back to the gears later to check 'em out properly because she didn't get the chance just yet. And that's okay. She is pretty good at salvaging.
When all is said and done, though, she actually turns her attention to Jay and adds, "Huh? I'm not sure I understand. I don't really get why you're so nice. I guess it's a good upbringing. I'm not really like that, I guess." She pauses and adds, "I mean I don't dislike it, it's just...hard to get used to, you know?"
DG: Asteroid the Kid has used her Tool Portal Pistols toward her party's challenge, Sandslide.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - Sandslide *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Your party is on the downslope of a dune when suddenly the sand underneath your feet begins to slide and give way. You've got a few seconds to figure something out before you're carried down in a rush of rolling sand. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Bad Luck===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
Slicing through the wreckage- they make it to the APC. "Hey Jay! Riese! I'm running on ahead!" Hiro doesn't actually stop to check it with the group, he's high tailing it past that- which is when everything starts to shake. And Hiro scootches to a quick stop, raising a small cloud of sand.
Which is when everything gives way due to the eruption of the sand worm. Hiro starts to run, he speaks a word and is suddenly vaulted high up in the air. Soaring through the air-
And there's Ruby- sandshark still pulling her. As Hiro descends he reaches out, and grabs the rope in her stead, his weight starting to yank Dragoncat and him downwards. Feeling suddenly 'inspired' or perhaps more desperate, he slides his round buckler off with one hand, reaches down and hooks it in a shoe on the descent...
And upon landing in a great cloud of sand... the sandshark keeps pulling. So now Hiro is balancing on one foot as he's pulled along, surfing, the buckler knocking up a huge trail of sand in it's wake.
Ruby finally is able to let go, clinging to Hiro's shoulder instead with all of her claws as she shrieks, "WE'RE GONNA DIE!" The two are surfing alongside the cart as it finally lands.
Hiro gives a little wave as it heads by, "This is actually pretty fun. Race you Asteroid? You can show me your warp speed!" "HIRO DON'T BE STUPID RIGHT NOW!"
DG: Hiro has used his Tool Ruby Being Helpful toward his party's challenge, Sandslide.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - Sandslide *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Your party is on the downslope of a dune when suddenly the sand underneath your feet begins to slide and give way. You've got a few seconds to figure something out before you're carried down in a rush of rolling sand. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Bad Luck===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
In a way it was a relief that they didn't find the pilots there. Even if they were alive, there was the potential that they might be willing to cause trouble, considering what their group was like. Jacqueline marks the location of the wreck on her map, though, so that they could come by later and claim some of this for salvage(she'll share with Asteroid too, of course). As she does so, she returns Riesenlied's smile...
She begins to follow the others, but nearly loses her footing when the sand shifts beneath her.
"W-whoa!!" She says, startled...but that wasn't the worst of it. She begins to break into a run, but as she does so she draws a Crest from her pouch and summons some pillars of earth behind her.
Unfortunately, these pillars are formed primarily of sand so they're not particularly stable, but they might at least be able to buy some time for everyone.
To Asteroid...
"Ah, well...hm...I've always been this way, pretty much..." Jacqueline says. A part of it was probably having Shalune and Lunata around. She wanted to be a good example for them, be someone they could look up to. Saying that out loud, though...
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Sandslide.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a sharp noise of concern, Noeline has immediately hopped up onto the back of Strife. "Do you really think so?!" is her rather unfair response to Ethius as she puffs out a breath, immediately starting to wing her way safely down the sandfall rather than risk trying to take it on foot - but she can probably be forgiven the odd rude comment given the situation they're in.
At least she's doing her best to help others out; more nimble than Muni-Muni, she's regularly sweeping down in an attempt to grasp people's arms and help to steady them, or in the case of Malfi and her steed simply realign their course as they take the sinking hill as more of a racecourse than anything else.
DG: Noeline has used her Tool Strife toward her party's challenge, Sandslide.
================================================<* Great Aveh Desert *>================================================= ==============================================<* CHALLENGE - Sandslide *>=============================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- Your party is on the downslope of a dune when suddenly the sand underneath your feet begins to slide and give way. You've got a few seconds to figure something out before you're carried down in a rush of rolling sand. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Bad Luck===========================================
===========================================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 3 *>============================================ ================================================< Results - Sandslide >================================================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Portal Pistols 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Ruby Being Helpful 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Blackest Coffee 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DG: The party led by Riesenlied 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.
======================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 3 *>======================= ===========================< Results - Sandslide >============================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Portal Pistols 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Ruby Being Helpful 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Blackest Coffee 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noeline 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Strife 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Riesenlied 45 --(20)--> 65 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Slow(2)|Weaken(1) Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)|Stalwart(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Riesenlied rides Muni-Muni and Noeline take Strife as they move to help those who are about to be caught down the slide of shifting sand. Asteroid cheats physics in the way she likes to, thinking with portals.
Hiro's momentum doesn't take him all the way to the bottom - the shield surfing loses momentum only a part of the way down (probably due to the assistance of those with more stable vehicles), but at least he comes to a safe stop for himself and set pair of pink pawsies that might be so scared they'll need a moment or two to pick up the pink they dropped.
Ethius, Malfi, and Jacqueline find themselves on a tumultuous journey to the bottom of the collapsing dunes. Jacqueline's sand pillar proves at least reasonably sturdy enough she could have something to hold onto as its foundation gives out from underneath and takes her on an exciting sand-sled ride (made of sand). Malfi's going to have to hitch a ride on dear Bogey in order to safely reach the bottom, but they'll get down there safely. The Gears and APCs tumble forward and past - just barely - but Ethius iis nowhere to be seen as one such sliding Gear seems to collide into him...
...Before anyone can fear the worst as the wreckage all comes to a stop at the bottom, Ethius crawls out of one of the Gear cavities looking not too much worse for the wear. That stare of his has not been touched by panic or doubt, as he emerges at the bottom alongside the others who don't manage to slow or avert their descent.
It's more inconvenient than dangerous for the team to reunite between those who slow/avert the descent and those who do not. In the end, there'll be another round of dune climbing to get up and out of the new pit of sand... but, miraculously, it seems this bit of bad luck doesn't end with anyone terribly injured or trapped.
Things can (literally) only go up from here, and what an up it is - prepare for more climbing!
DG: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - The Climb *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The mother of all sand dunes looms in front of you. Climbing up is going to be a test of sheer strength, endurance, and will. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's sprawled out in the sand when her pillar finally reaches the bottom. She hauls herself to her feet and picks up her glasses, which had gotten knocked off but fortunately didn't go too far. Unfortunately, now that they're down here...they'll need to find a way upward if they hope to continue their exploration of the desert.
Jacqueline frowns at the moment, looking over the large sand dune before them. With the sand as loose as it was, she wouldn't be able to just let people rise up on a pillar like she would otherwise suggest. Looks like she was going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.
She walks over to the dune and begins to climb up manually. It wouldn't be at all quick, but it was her only option, unless someone else around had a way to help her out...
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Climb.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi ascends the dune, grunting with effort and leaning on Bogey. Other people are welcome to lean on him, too: he has the advantage here, being a quadruped. Between bouts of effort she makes a mental note to herself to experiment with shapeshifting better adaptations to moving on sand. Alas, there's no time for that now...
DG: Malfi has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Climb.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Odjn gasps as the the cart just sails through the portal-- and then they're suspended in thin air for a moment--
"THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER"
--and then gravity starts to do its work, ruining everything like always! "AAAAAAAAAAA--"
There's a rather tired and wheezing gasp from Riesenlied as Muni-Muni also follows suit and 'ploomphs' down next to Jacqueline with a tired whine of, "Muniii....." Its one eyeball has turned into an 'X' from exertion.
"This has been more exhausting than usual..." Riesenlied coughs again, ignoring the ironic discrepancy between mechanics and narrative. "Sorry-- we'll come up in a bit..."
By the time she's ready, and catching her breath, she rises up and gestures to Jacqueline with her hand out. "Climb onto Muni's back, Miss Jacqueline, we can give you a boost..."
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Climb.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - The Climb *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The mother of all sand dunes looms in front of you. Climbing up is going to be a test of sheer strength, endurance, and will. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"It appears you are unharmed," Ethius states. It's not clear if he's speaking to Jay, Malfi, her steed, or any combination thereof as he sets to consider their situation.
He remains stoic even as Muni-Muni's 'ploomph'-ing sprays sand in his direction - but nonetheless stands vigil, eyes set upon Malfi and her steed specifically. It really wouldn't do for anyone to stand around and wait. It's rather hot out here today - if they spend too much time out here, they'll all get so exhausted that they won't have the strength to ever leave with their lives.
He extends a palm as he considers the trajectories of those moving to crawl out. The sorcery-based equivalent of basically drawing a gun, as he considers the sand before him.
His sorcery is, in its nature, purely destructive - as Symbology universally is, barring a few creative applications that nonetheless never pass the barrier to ever be considered an art of healing and recovery. Searing heat, dangerous electrical currents, choking dust are what Ethius' numerous tattoos give him domain over.
Without warning (aside from chanting and lights, which one supposes is a warning of debatable fair play), a mass of sand smolders just ahead, up and away towards Riesenlied's and Jacqueline's three o'clock or so.
He seems to be trying to harden clumps of sand into glass. Whether the clumps of glass will prove stable enough or not as hand/footholds, he seems willing to experiment to this end as he starts his own ascent. It will be a tiring, arduous, and risky gambit - but one others are free to partake in.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Climb.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - The Climb *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The mother of all sand dunes looms in front of you. Climbing up is going to be a test of sheer strength, endurance, and will. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
After the shield surfing loses momentum- in part due to the sand shark finally circling back just enough to get unhooked, and vanishes by diving deeper into the sands. Kicking up the shield into his hand, Hiro pats Ruby, "See, that wasn't so b-" Hiro rethinks that, "...wasn't so bad after I caught up right?" Ruby is quick to regain her color at least, "Backpeddle more captain idiot!" Hiro points out, "Odjn had a good time." "Um..."
Ruby stills a furtive glance Odjn's way, before asking Hiro, "...she thought I looked cool right?" "Oh yeah you screamed really majestically." Hiro teases. "HIRO!"
By that time, he's already heading up the dune. He's not really using anything more than sheer endurance to climb it, which cause him to sometimes lose some progress as the sand shifts, but he seems pretty determined. Ruby has an easier time, as she flies up near Riese Odjn and Muni.
"You're lucky Jay, Air Muni is the only way to fly. Look at her, she's magnificent." Ruby must have decided on her gender...
DG: Hiro has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Climb.
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
"WAUUGH!" Asteroid cries as the cart crashes. It tanks the damage as does Asteroid who lands face first into the sand. She gets stuck in there for a while but Odjn can comically pull her out (or light her butt on fire which will have the same effect). Or failing either, she drags herself out on her own eventually if in a significantly sandier way.
She then comes to a challenge that she can't quite portal through. Or ball through because it's a HILL. If she tried smacking it real hard, she'd just end up causing a sandvalanche on herself! Ugh!
She picks up her cart with her hands and will let Odjn continue riding it if she'd like. "This is where we're at Odjn." She tells her.
She keeps looking at Jay periodically but it kind of worries her when she says she's always been that way. What does that say baout Astie huh? Probably nothing good!
She puffs out her cheeks and sighs. somehow this works with her rocky head, it kind of bulges briefly.
DG: Asteroid the Kid has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Climb.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - The Climb *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The mother of all sand dunes looms in front of you. Climbing up is going to be a test of sheer strength, endurance, and will. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Odjn opts to yank Asteroid out with a 'hnnnnngh' and a 'uuuuurgh' and eventually gets her out with a comically 'poomfh!' sound, much like how cork goes out a wine bottle. She does pause and grin at Ruby as she says, "You're so brave, Ruby! You were awesome!"
Odjn does opt to continue sitting on the cart. "Emergency maneuvers are important too, Cap'n!"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Sadly, even Strife cannot fly forever - and in the wake of their hurried descent into the pit of sand below, the little ARM that Noeline uses to fly around the desert is sinking lower and lower, until finally the metal demon gives in and hops off the back of the robot, hands on her hips as she huffs at both their predicament and the little rotund robot. "... honestly," she grouses at the little robot, which is perhaps a bit unfair based on how much work it's done for her so far.
At least she relents the next moment when she catches an admonishing gaze from Riesenlied, huffing and offering the little white sphere a pat on the head instead; it beeps once and twirls in place, before apparently resting on her shoulder, whereas the other one - Trouble - has lifted off at a rather slower pace.
For a moment, she regards the climb in front of them, and the difficulty that's likely to be involved - and heaves out a breath before humming thoughtfully in Jacqueline's direction. "Well. We'll see if the improvements your pink blob made have worked, him?" she adds - and so saying, has taken her other ARM in hand via a handle roughly welded to its side and hopped onto the first of Ethius' sheets of spontaneously-formed glasswork.
By rights, it should be slippery - given that she's not exactly dressed for coping with the desert, she should slide right off and end up in an ungainly pile. Instead, Trouble beeps once - and suddenly appears to hold perfectly still in the air for a short period of time, an improbably stable handhold from which Noeline can pick her way further up the hill in stops and starts and fits.
"You know--" she says between jumps, her free hand on her hip as she frowns down below them, "I am beginning to think this place is enough of a natural defence as it is. They do say the desert is inhospitable, of course, but I feel this one trends towards actively malicious."
DG: Noeline has used her Tool Trouble toward her party's challenge, The Climb.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ =========================<* CHALLENGE - The Climb *>========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The mother of all sand dunes looms in front of you. Climbing up is going to be a test of sheer strength, endurance, and will. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
======================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 4 *>======================= ===========================< Results - The Climb >============================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 0 --(0)--> 0 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noeline 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Trouble 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Riesenlied 65 --(20)--> 85 Pass Conditions: Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied 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. DG: Hiro has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ======================<* CHALLENGE - Buried Treasure *>======================= |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A crashed vehicle of some kind lies abandoned in the sands, with a trail of footprints heading off in a different direction. Near the vehicle, the corner of a large footlocker can be seen just barely peeking out of the sand dune. It's almost totally buried, and getting this thing out of there will be a trial... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's still having a difficult time of it, but Riesenlied soon appears with a hand extended.
"Thanks..." Jacqueline says, accepting it and climbing onto Muni-muni's back.
"Muni-muni really is quite fascinating..." Jacqueline agrees with nod toward Ruby. Unfortunately, though...there really isn't a whole lot of clearance for Muni-muni to fly in this little sandpit, especially with two people. Eventually, for both their sakes Jacqueline decides it's best to dismount.
Ethius has been making good good progress on his glass footholds, though, so there's plenty of methods for her make her way up. Noeline will find this out as well, as she steps onto one to give Trouble some time to get to work. Hiro might as well, if he chooses to use them as they become available.
"I trust Shalune's work." Jacqueline says with a smile, then watches as Bogey comes tromping by, with Malfi in tow. He has no problems at all with the climb, and Jacqueline eventually decides to hitch a ride with him.
Fortunately, it won't be too difficult for Asteroid to get her cart up the hill. Jacqueline glances back at her, noticing that she was staring at her...had she said something wrong...?
Eventually, everyone's up at the top, and they're able to proceed once more...
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
Crashed into the sands over the hill is a motorcycle with a sidecar still attached, sticking out into the air, the motorcycle half buried. The sidecar has a message spraypainted on the bottom of it in red- SCREW YOU KISLEV STEAMHEADS!
A clue? A spiteful clue from the prior owner?
Whatever the case is, the straps for a rack on the back of the sidecare for cargo are wholly severed. They're visible not too far away, sticking out from a rectangular outline in the sand. Foot prints circle over to it which then are marred into furrows. Perhaps a failed attempt to extract, before heading off into the distance.
Upon reaching it. Hiro steps on it, listening to the metallic thud. Then takes a moment to consider it- then checks the vehicle nearby.
"Huh. Maybe smugglers or something?" "Who cares! Let's dig it out! Maybe it's something valuable!"
Hiro contributes to this at least by a simple wind spell that causes the crosswind to pick up into a squall that then blast's the footlocker's position. In the desert this is kind of- messy, as it kicks up sand everywhere.
But it might be easier to get it loose too. ... after everyone stops coughing that is.
DG: Hiro has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Treasure.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied does follow Noeline's cue once they're out of there, since Muni-Muni really looks like she could use some rest. "I'm sorry..." she whispers, patting the Dragon on the side of her cheek. ... despite being tired, being patted on the head seems to elicit a joyful o/~ note, however.
Aren't Metal Dragons supposed to be huge, terrifying menaces?
"Ah..." Riesenlied pauses as she covers her mouth to prevent too much sand from blowing in her face, and coughs as she steps closer towards the vehicle. She hears the thud.
"Arrr, there be treasure thar!" Odjn exclaims, apparently deciding that she's going to completely shift over from space cadet to... pirate?
"Let's try--" she flinches and starts coughing again as the winds pick up, and sand goes everywhere. "Ohh..."
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Treasure.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi can't do much but encourage Bogey to dig. His claws were originally designed for combat, but his big paws scrape the sand aside handily. It must be an odd sight, a robotic bear in the middle of the desert. "Good boy: keep it up!" It was an excellent idea to have brought some treats for him, Malfi reflects. Those would seem weird (to the humans), too...
DG: Malfi has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Treasure.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ======================<* CHALLENGE - Buried Treasure *>======================= |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A crashed vehicle of some kind lies abandoned in the sands, with a trail of footprints heading off in a different direction. Near the vehicle, the corner of a large footlocker can be seen just barely peeking out of the sand dune. It's almost totally buried, and getting this thing out of there will be a trial... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius quietly takes a moment upon witnessing the motorcycle wreckage to get out the Spectral Lens and do yet another sweep for mines. He has to be careful not to hold the lens up to the sun. That he's not speaking of landmines or anything of the sort suggests good news, on that front, as once again sand sprays him - this time thanks to Hiro's wind magic. He doesn't seem to mind much.
There isn't any life-threatening urgency to speak of among them, although he seems to be keeping a keen watch on Ruby and Hiro, for... some reason. Ruby might get the idea that someone is really checking them out (they are - 'they' being Ethius, with that stare of his), a hand to his forehead in brief as he seems to consider... something. What is there to consider? They need to dig. He could probably think of a creative shortcut, given time.
He takes... something, in his right hand, and extends it out towards the duo of Malfi and Bogey. That something is...!
"Do you identify with the Tainted?" Ethius asks. He doesn't say Malfi's name, but it should be easy to infer that is who he is asking. Riesenlied and Noeline would know that this isn't a question Ethius would ask of them, as he would know the answer.
In his right hand, he seems to be holding a box of something towards Bogey moreso than Malfi...
...A box of...
...
...Why does he still have the box of beyond rotten churros?! Has he been carting the rancid ex-foodstuffs this entire time? (If he was going to stop by Wayside again, why not bring that stolen coffee cup? Does he covet it that much?!)
Once he has his satisfying answer, he'll probably assist through digging by hand and by quarterstaff - but his eyes seem more situated on what the Vile Fiend duo seem to be doing.
Is there something he's suspecting...?
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi draws up a little at Ethius's question. "I'm not Tainted!" She frowns. "But I do live in Wayside." She gives the putrid churros a disgusted look. "No, thank you. I much prefer those fresh."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Odjn peeks over from the side of the screen to go, "Wow, that's an incredibly depressing fate for a box of churros--" A pause. "Wait, are these the churros I bought for trivia night?! I recognise that marker!"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
It takes some doing, but the group eventually get to the top of the pit - and Noeline is left brushing the sand off of her for a moment, genteely shaking one leg as she mutters and grumps over 'deserts' and 'wastelands' and 'too much sand by far, honestly now'. At least she turns to help others up over the crest, particularly Riesenlied as Muni-Muni's energy begins to wane, helping to support the other demon. "... I have her," she assures the little dragon in what might be a surprising moment of care, taking Riese's hand after patting the onion on the head. "And-- well. Good work, for that matter."
All in all it's good timing - because that's when Hiro's first whirlwind kicks up a lot of the sand, giving Noeline a chance to both shield Riesenlied and herself, largely by-- clinging to the other woman. Who are you kidding, Noeline? "... was that exactly wise?" she grouses long afterwards, once she's sure that enough of the sand has died down - but it's impossible to deny that it's offered a little more in the way of access to the box, enough for her to lean down and push a hand through the thick sand in the hopes of finging something like a handle or at least a handhold.
Her eyes quietly flick towards Ethius as he makes his request, not exactly leaping to Malfi's defence but at least keeping tabs on the conversation - but then she grimaces at the sight of the box, and perhaps more importantly the smell she seems to expect to waft up from it, and oh what a good time to give them some privacy.
DG: Noeline has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Treasure.
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
Asteroid says, "Thanks ... Number One Odjn." to Odjn. That's a promotion, buddy! She's a Commander now! That givves her authority over nobody though because nobody else is in that cart. FOR NOW. Perhaps it will extend to future carts, like when she turns Filgaia into one giant cart, then life will be really great for Odjn. And that's a fact.
"Wow, like, isn't it kind of rude to be like 'I'm not a Tainted!' when theres like a Tainted around or whatever? You know what I mean?" Asteroid has picked up stuff from her time in Wayside. "You should like apologize or whatever. Though I guess like, using Tainted, that's pretty wrong too. There has to be a better thing to call 'em than 'Tainted'. That's like me naming an entire subtype of people as 'Broken', you know? It's just wrong, especially when they're pretty capable anyway."
To express her frustrations she kicks a meteor at the footlocker, trying to knock it out of the sand...WITH VIOLENCE!
Maybe you said something right, Jay.
Asteroid bites into the side of her cheek, thinking to herself.
"That's really gross, Ethius." Asteroid says. "Gross." The churros probably.
DG: Asteroid the Kid has used her Tool Asteroid Ball toward her party's challenge, Buried Treasure.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's a little concerned at first when they catch sight of the vehicle, but the fact that the foot prints lead away from it least seem to indicate there was a possibility the rider had managed to escape the desert safely.
But then, Hiro discovers a footlocker of some kind...
"Hmm...I am curious to see what's inside, I'll admit...maybe we'll be able to return the contents to the original owner? Assuming it's something we should, I suppose..." Jacqueline comments.
Jacqueline attempts to earth - or rather, sand - pillar the box out of the sand.
As she does so, however, she catches sight of Ethius attempting to offer Malfi a box of...
Jacqueline's mouth drops open in surprise as recognition hits her.
"...You still have those!?" She asks, in shock and confusion.
By this point, those churros could likely be considered living beings in their own right...
Asteroid attempts to violence the footlocker out of the sand around this time, and Jacqueline still isn't quite sure what to make of the situation.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ======================<* CHALLENGE - Buried Treasure *>======================= |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A crashed vehicle of some kind lies abandoned in the sands, with a trail of footprints heading off in a different direction. Near the vehicle, the corner of a large footlocker can be seen just barely peeking out of the sand dune. It's almost totally buried, and getting this thing out of there will be a trial... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Yes, that box of churros that probably multiple people aboard the Carakin have asked for him to be rid of upon spying its continued presence!! He expertly avoids accusations of lying about getting rid of it by never explicitly claiming or agreeing to get rid of it, widening the ambiguity afforded to him to its utmost suspension of disbelief.
How does he not think to roast his own hand over an open fire to purge it of its foulness?!
"I do apologize if it is a touchy subject." Ethius states in that flat, evenly-measured tone of voice in which he seems to say much of anything outside of emotional extremes that occasionally compromise it. He quietly regards Malfi's preferences about the food, removing the box from sight but not explicitly disposing of it. He could just throw it away out in the dunes and nobody would care! Maybe even the sandworm from earlier would enjoy them.
He moves in seamlessly in the wake of Asteroid's FUTBOL METEOR violence without much of a care or a second thought as he calmly just digs and brushes away sand, seemingly content with dropping the subject then and there.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Treasure. DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Buried Treasure.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ======================<* CHALLENGE - Buried Treasure *>======================= |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A crashed vehicle of some kind lies abandoned in the sands, with a trail of footprints heading off in a different direction. Near the vehicle, the corner of a large footlocker can be seen just barely peeking out of the sand dune. It's almost totally buried, and getting this thing out of there will be a trial... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
======================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 5 *>======================= ========================< Results - Buried Treasure >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(3)--> 3 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 0 --(7)--> 7 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 0 --(3)--> 3 Pass Asteroid Ball 3 Brute Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 0 --(4)--> 4 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 0 --(3)--> 3 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(4)--> 4 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noeline 0 --(7)--> 7 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Riesenlied 85 --(5)--> 90 Pass Conditions: Weaken(2) Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Riesenlied has passed this challenge! The party gained 5 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"Hiroooo that guy is staring at us... it's freaking me out..." Ruby whispers to Hiro, while Hiro shrugs and looks over his shoulder just as Ethius offers rotten Churros, "Maybe he's just got a weird way of being friendly Ruby..."
Bogey is having trouble digging. Mostly because he gets a faceful of sand. Riese also succumbs to this fate. And is Noeline- "Aha- well... it's helping. I think it's helping. I hope it's helping..." "THAT DOES NOT SOUND CONVINCING HIRO!"
Jay's sand pillar becomes a geyser, getting more sand everywhere as it erupts. But unfortunately it doesn't actually dislodge the box- which somehow remains at the complete bottom of the pillar, the pillar forming around it rather than smacking it upward- before dispersing.
And kicking up more sand. This is miserable. Why did Hiro do this!? Why?
Ethius jacks his quarterstaff in and manages to pry the box a little, there's a slight nudge when the simple lever gets underneath it.
And that's when Asteroid smacks a meteor into it just after Ethius gets it out a little.
It smacks into it, and the Footlocker soars skyward, like a- well rocket. Making a gleaming arc in the same direction where the footprints lead.
In the distance there's a crash.
Ruby gawks for a moment. Hiro rubs his chin, "Uh. Well. It's out."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"Yes, I would be inclined to agree." Ethius concurs.
DG: Riesenlied has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ===================<* CHALLENGE - Fight Without Pattern *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you haul the footlocker out from the sand dune, the ground begins to heave and a giant sandworm emerges from the dunes, screaming its rage at having been awoken from its slumber. Fighting this thing will be a major challenge... but there's no way you'll be able to haul the footlocker back to town while being chased by this monster. If you run away, you'll have to leave it behind. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks just a little embarrassed as she expresses, "N-no, it's fine, Miss Asteroid. Miss Malfi may not be one of the Tainted, but she's helped us greatly with her knowledge of animals and fauna." She bobs her head at the thought as she says, "It is wrong, but..."
A pause.
"I suppose it was a bit of a rallying cry for us, back then. Even if it was an insult, it was an identity we all could embrace. And... one day, I do fervently believe in a time when we can all just call each other Hyadeans, with no distinctions." T-the smile she gives out at that is truly True End-quality...
"W-woah, Number One?! I'm shootin' up the ranks! I'll be a Millionaire soon!" Odjn exclaims. "Let's make sure we dig the booty up, then, huh?"
Who she's exactly going to lord being a First Mate over is... not certain. Maybe she'll brag to Sigurd at some point in the future of having the same rank as him.
... while this happens, meanwhile, Asteroid smashes the meteor into the footlocker, which sends it flying, flying, flying! Is it going to go out?! Will it be a foul?!
A shadow swarms through the air!
No! It's a save! At the last moment, the Sandworm has leapt in a beautiful arcing soar through the air and snagged the footlocker!
...
Well, problem: Now the sandworm has the footlocker in its mouth. This on its own wouldn't be the worst thing, but then it turns...
... and seems to be facing Ethius. Is it... detecting something?
"T-the churros! I think it can smell churros!" Odjn exclaims. How did you come to that kind of conclusion, Odjn?!
"Careful, it's coming! Give yourselves some ground!" Riesenlied exclaims as she leans against Noeline, but at least gathers enough strength to draw the winged bow from underneath her cloak and lock the lens into place. "Muni, get us above!"
The familiar motes of light that oft surrounds Riesenlied are back, and she draws a line of light on the rest, bowstring nocked. "Focus..." she rises along with her companion dragon... and... looses it.
The arrow of light streaks across the desert sky and attempts to dislodge the footlocker from its mouth.
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Fereshte Bullet-Bow toward her party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
'Hyadeans'...Jacqueline had always just called them Metal Demons. She was...starting to feel a little self-conscious about that, now. Maybe it'd be better to start referring to them that way, instead...
It's at this point that the footlocker is sufficiently violenced, sending it flying...and landing in the mouth of a giant sandworm.
...Was that the one they had run into before? The one that had moved and caused them all to take a tumble? She's feeling somewhat indignant toward this particular sandworm right now, but...
"No way...it couldn't possibly...?" Jacqueline replies, glancing toward Ethius.
Could it...?
Well, there's no time to worry about that now. She begins to move, drawing a bottle of repellant from her bags. She hurls it at the beast, hoping it would provide a significant enough confusion that it would drop the locker and hopefully flee. She would attack it with magic, but she couldn't use earth magic here effectively, and she was afraid lightning would damage the contents. Her options were limited.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Reliable Repellant toward her party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"That'd be a great day." Hiro replies to Riese, seeming a bit touched by her vision but deciding not to add much more. The Tainted/Hyadean divide seems too big for a guy like him to throw his two gella into. It feels like all he ought to do is help real Hyadeans who are working towards peace and equality accomplish their vision.
A shadow passes overhead. "A Gebler airship!?" "OH NO! IT'S COME BACK!" And then YOINK.
"IT HAS THE FOOT LOCKER! Huh-!?"
Suddenly Ruby looks at Odjn, then at Ethius, "GET RID OF THEM!" She shouts, trusting in Odjn's assessment of things always.
Hiro on the other hand, backpeddles a little, a hand moving to his belt. "So once you're saying is-"
Is he going to be grabbing an ARM?
No such luck it's a boomerang. "-we only have until it reaches the churros to get it back?"
Cocking his arm back as he continues to get some distance, he judges things a little, and after Riese looses her arrow of light- he throws his boomerang.
The curved piece of metal arcs through the air to the colossal creature's flanks, before splitting into two. The two spinning boomerangs keep going, one high, one low.
One attempting to smack the lower part of its maw, and the other the upper- to 'incentivize' letting it go.
DG: Hiro has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Footlocker appetizer, churro entree!" Odjn confirms to Hiro, in terror. A pause. "And maybe us for dessert! How's that for just deserts?"
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi reaches, not for her weapon, but for her scanner. This close, the sandworm is unmissable! There's VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC DATA to be gained! And it seems to be heading towards Ethius and not towards her, all to her advantage. She scans until the very last moment before using her only distance attack, an electrical jolt powered by her internal batteries. Afterwards she is ready for hand-to-hand: she does have both her lance and her sword, unwieldy as the former is. This worm, she thinks, is going to be a real challenge!
DG: Malfi has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ===================<* CHALLENGE - Fight Without Pattern *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you haul the footlocker out from the sand dune, the ground begins to heave and a giant sandworm emerges from the dunes, screaming its rage at having been awoken from its slumber. Fighting this thing will be a major challenge... but there's no way you'll be able to haul the footlocker back to town while being chased by this monster. If you run away, you'll have to leave it behind. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
"I'd say- how do you figure that we deserve to be dessert!?"
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
"I'm a helper." Asteroid says firmly despite making things worse entirely in every sense.
Asteroid the Kid says, "Well, okay, I'll call you a Hyadean then, even though it's a LOT harder to say than Tainted, just to make a point about labels." because this is where she's taking a stand.
Metaphorically, only, though because she shortly sees a giant sandworm threatening the team. She gives the sandworm a long look.
She takes in a deep breath and she tells Odjn, "You have the bridge, Number One!"
And she promptly hides behind Jay who is using the repellant.
DG: Asteroid the Kid has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius takes a single step back as a hand goes for one of the satchels on his person at the emergence of the sandworm overhead. His eyes narrow imperceptibly, holding his ground as it splashes back down... and re-emerges with the footlocker in its mouth and its heading looking straight at him.
Without another delay, he chants the Symbological incantation in order to activate a powder grenade, and throws it straight at them with a fastball pitch. (It covers quite the distance!)
The use of the powder grenade here seems superfluous as it explodes into a concealing dust, as it is not clear if the sandworm can see, but in the heat of the moment one can't blame him for covering multiple bases. It's something of an automatic reflex for him.
On the idea that it is sensing the rotten churros, he takes a moment to gauge the surrounding hills - why does it matter which hill he throws it at?!
He's covering another base for however the creature might sense the world around it. He gives the box of expired-past-concept-of-expired snack stuffs a little flick of the wrist as he tosses it underhand.
It pops and skips down the nearby hill with a steady rhythm. As far as Hiro's guess about the time limit being based on where the churros are located, the direction Ethius chooses seems neutral in terms of time gains versus losses.
"Yes, I would advise making it quick," Ethius remarks much, much, much too calmly when he should be running as the person whose life seems most on the line. Maybe he has faith in his little experiment. The way he discards the churros - it honestly seems less that of urgency and more with satisfaction about the idea that it has at last expended its questionable usefulness to himself as he stands motionless (unless the sandworm decides to lunge at him).
His composure in the face of almost certain death remains equal parts laudable and kind of frightening, but how long will that last? (There is an exact measurement that science shall soon reveal.)
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ===================<* CHALLENGE - Fight Without Pattern *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you haul the footlocker out from the sand dune, the ground begins to heave and a giant sandworm emerges from the dunes, screaming its rage at having been awoken from its slumber. Fighting this thing will be a major challenge... but there's no way you'll be able to haul the footlocker back to town while being chased by this monster. If you run away, you'll have to leave it behind. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ===================<* CHALLENGE - Fight Without Pattern *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you haul the footlocker out from the sand dune, the ground begins to heave and a giant sandworm emerges from the dunes, screaming its rage at having been awoken from its slumber. Fighting this thing will be a major challenge... but there's no way you'll be able to haul the footlocker back to town while being chased by this monster. If you run away, you'll have to leave it behind. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"Honestly--" starts Noeline - but whatever she was about to say, she's forced to cut it off as she launches both herself and Riesenlied to one side to avoid the worm's first strike, skidding to a halt next to Muni-Muni. Somewhere during the sideways leap she's summoned that odd, enormous sword back into her hands, its size looking all the more comical now that she herself looks smaller. It doesn't seem to slow her down, at least, and she urges the onion dragon upwards with a hand once Riese has gotten back aboard.
"If we could swap one distration for another, that would surely be best," she mutters to herself in thought, and rather than get onto the dragon in turn she's darted forwards instead, bringing the hunk of metal back as she flits up to the worm's side.
When she finally strikes, it isn't a blow to kill - instead, she simply sweeps the blade around in a flat strike, grunting as she puts a significant amount of strength into the strike. While the worm roars in pain - it's also intended to bring the creature's attention around to its other quarry, in hopes that it might decide to exchange its payload for a... ... 'tastier'... one.
So thinking, she repeats the strike, pitching like a top given the weight of her sword - and then sighs towards the chest in its mouth, deciding to take a less direct tack when it comes to getting the box out. "Asteroid, if you would--" she calls - and if the girl obliges, her third swing doesn't meet the worm's flesh so much as it meets a thrown meteor, batting the projectile upwards at an odd angle in hopes of coming in from the side.
Well, that's just not cricket. Or even soccer.
DG: Noeline has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Fight Without Pattern.
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ===================<* CHALLENGE - Fight Without Pattern *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you haul the footlocker out from the sand dune, the ground begins to heave and a giant sandworm emerges from the dunes, screaming its rage at having been awoken from its slumber. Fighting this thing will be a major challenge... but there's no way you'll be able to haul the footlocker back to town while being chased by this monster. If you run away, you'll have to leave it behind. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
======================<* Great Aveh Desert - Round 6 *>======================= =====================< Results - Fight Without Pattern >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 3 --(19)--> 22 Pass Powder Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 7 --(17)--> 24 Pass Fereshte Bullet-Bow 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asteroid the Kid 3 --(12)--> 15 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hiro 4 --(12)--> 16 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Malfi 3 --(14)--> 17 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 4 --(14)--> 18 Pass Reliable Repellant 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noeline 7 --(14)--> 21 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Riesenlied 90 --(30)--> 120 Pass Conditions: Suffer(1)|Weaken(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Riesenlied has successfully explored Great Aveh Desert!
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Footlocker - Pay Chest *>===================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The footlocker you humped out of the desert is full of... money! Looks like
you accidentally robbed a pay convoy.
Neat!
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The arrow of light strikes the footlocker on one end-- and the boomerang comes in as a much more solid push, one part of it going 'biff' against the sandworm's jaw and the other one making it go 'skreee--!' as it spits out the footlocker and has it land against the sand.
... you know, like how this all started in the first place. Hopefully it landed face up.
Ethius' plan of hucking the churros has... ... merit, it seems! Odjn stares in fright as the box tumbles down, and--
--down the hatch it goes! The sandworm does want its entree after all, lunging after it--
which is just timely enough for Jacqueline to throw her repellant, causing it to flinch and visibly twist and squirm agitatedly... and have it be slapped down with Noeline's one-two strike.
"All systems down! B-but I'll go down with the ship like a Number One shooooulddd...~!" Odjn whimpers. I mean, Odjn didn't exactly have anything to drive in the first place.
But then, as these things are often timed, the footlocker just jitters and-- opens, some measure of pressure making it burst open with...
Lucre! Filthy lucre!
No, wait, that's just gella.
...
Gella! Filthy gella! Lots of it!
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Addendum: Odjn pauses at the sight, looks to Asteroid, then throws her arms up. "Hooray! We got the booty! Pirate treasure!"
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ ===================<* CHALLENGE - Fight Without Pattern *>==================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you haul the footlocker out from the sand dune, the ground begins to heave and a giant sandworm emerges from the dunes, screaming its rage at having been awoken from its slumber. Fighting this thing will be a major challenge... but there's no way you'll be able to haul the footlocker back to town while being chased by this monster. If you run away, you'll have to leave it behind. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius takes off running.
He runs past the turning, squirming worm as methods are employed by others to divert and/or fell it. That he goes from standing calm to action in the blink of an eye might be disarming a sight to watch. He does not so much as change direction. his running path would take him dangerously close to where the massive hulk of a sandworm could easily crush or slap him aside in its wriggling.
He comes to a stop just shy of where the footlocker hands, holding his right hand out vaguely in... Ruby's direction?!
If Ruby is coming in to fly behind him, it really kind of does look like he's trying to stop her from getting past him? Gella spills about everywhere... and more gella...
...and lots more gella...
He lowers his hand.
He makes no move to claim any of the gella for himself, instead standing with quiet vigil.
...
At least, until may come by to inspect the loot for herself, at which point he will speak once more.
"My apologies for the forward nature of my question." He says, but he doesn't sound any more - or less - apologetic than the previous. He doesn't even look her or her steed in the eye. "Do you consider yourself a connoisseur of tea, by any chance?"
Jacqueline knows he's not.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi ponders Ethius's question. "I've never had tea." That sounded like an odd human thing, putting old dead leaves in water. Then again, coffee would've sounded weird, too, until she tried it.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline sighs in relief as she seems the footlocker get removed from the worm. She does not immediately rush to the box, instead looking over everyone quickly to ensure that everyone else alright before finally making her way over to it.
And inside was...
"...Money?" Jacqueline comments. That was...really quite a lot of money! There doesn't seem to be a way to tell who had actually owned this...
"I don't feel all that great about taking this, admittedly...but at the same time..."
At the same time it was here, and she highly doubted the driver would be coming back for it any time soon. The Caravan Kinship could always use more funds, though she noted that Ethius didn't seem at all interested in it.
Well, she'd just have to take his share, as well. It was only reasonable.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has kind of sunk back to the sands after her shot, and it's rather clear she's probably not going to be up to much more desert exploring as she finishes off her markings for this particular quadrant. The sun's rather clearly taken a lot more out of her than even she hoped.
"Oh, I'd like some tea..." Riesenlied offhandedly comments to Ethius, rather clearly not aware enough to catch the full context of their discussion.
Odjn, meanwhile, has taken the opportunity to do a swan dive into the footlocker and swim through the gella, Scrooge McDuck-style.
<Pose Tracker> Hiro has posed.
A blur passes by Ruby as the footlocker busts open, "Huh!? Hey!" Suspicious of him already- Ruby flies up behind him, but then his right hand shoots up and everywhere she flies, that hand is there, covering her vision- "Hey! LEMME SEE!"
His hand lowers and- "What's the big idea buster!?" She puts her pawsies on her hips, "Oh I get it! You were hoping it'd be something other than just money right? You were looking for something else!"
Hiro walks up behind Ruby, puts a hand right on her shoulder, which may look weird since his hand is way bigger than her shoulder, so it's more two fingers, "Hey Ruby just- let it go." "Huh!? Why?" "I'll tell you later..."
Though the reason to Hiro is pretty obvious. The quiet vigil which Ethius was standing over there for a short while...
It reminded him of something.
Sort of like the way Lucia stares off into the sky, like she's looking for something...
It may not be the same way, but it sure doesn't strike him as the way a thief or a spy would act.
Ruby grunts, "Fine- but I'll be watching him!" A little upset, she flies over to speak to hang with Odjn, while Hiro walks up to Ethius and says something more quietly- "Hey sorry about that. Don't know what you're hoping to find, and I'll respect your privacy..."
He gives his shoulders a little shrug, "...but something tells me I ought to cheer you on. You know?"
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
"Wow, this is actually pretty useful. I mean, it's not what I was looking for, but you can EXCHANGE money for GOODS AND SERVICES so it's pretty much just as good!" She wants to hug somebody, suddenly, but then she decides not to because it's like, totally embarrassing to hug someone and she doesn't want Odjn and Ruby to think she'll just hug anybody that'd ruin her cool dragon rep.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline has let her sword wink out again; she's obviously rather annoyed as she joins back at Riesenlied's side, apparently having expected something other than simple monetary rewards - or perhaps it's the way that her evasive maneuvers and the sudden fight against a rampaging sandworm have left sand smudged all over her clothes and clinging to her in places.
"... for something as simple as that - I think I would have preferred another oasis, hm?" Noeline grumbles towards her companion, though there's an amused and rather wry smile on her lips as she shrugs one shoulder. "At the very least, it might be helpful for getting a few more things together for Wayside, I suppose. Or perhaps I should spirit you away to another holiday," she comments with amusement as she watches Hiro try to take on the Mighty Lump of Ethius.
Would Hiro's goodwill succeed where others have met only silence? Noeline is absolutely the betting sort, but she probably wouldn't take those odds...
"Well. At the very least, I dare say people are welcome back at Wayside, if you need to take a while to get your bearings and recover from the heat. In fact," she decides after a moment, glancing to Asteroid. "We have a few people there who could probably stand to learn a sport or two, if you're looking for an excuse to laze around a little."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius offers no explanations for the fury of the bearer of the pink pawsies through her protests. Whatever it is that sees him cut ahead in line like that ahead of her... Hiro's intuition may yet bear some semblance of truth, but that too has questions. He couldn't possibly know that they'd come across something like this, could he? It is mysterious.
"Your concern is appreciated." He responds matter-of-factly to Hiro. That same tone of voice, that same tempo in which he speaks. Even when the language suggests a deeper emotional meaning, it's hard to shake off the idea that his word choices are... kind of scripted. His body language offers virtually nothing to work with. Too straight to be at rest, too unfocused to be at ready.
He turns away as Riesenlied mentions tea after Malfi denies ever having had any tea - he isn't about to formally accuse her of a contradiction to some dire crime she is suspect of, is he? That would be silly. (One would be more apt to accuse Metal Demons of things like murder and mayhem and maybe even malevolence for the less initiated in the matter!!!)
"I appreciate you indulging in my curiosity," he says to Malfi. Same tone of voice. "I do suppose some manner of tea break could be arranged upon our return."
Which is to say he's just going to have a cup of extremely hot water with nothing else in it, because of course he's going to boil and/or scorch almost anything prior to it making contact with his lips.
He makes no further motion to impede or halt anyone from taking the gella all about themselves. He even scoops up a handful Asteroid might miss to let her take out of his hand, if she would like.
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
Asteroid suddenly looks sharply towards Noeline. She grins in such a way that shows her many fangs and her glowing eyes seem to glow all that much more brightly.
"You have come to the right mineral deposit." She tells Noeline. "I am well versed in the ancient art of soccer!" She even knows the ancient METEOR CRASH technique but can she pass on such teachings??? She can at least tell people how to kick a ball through two goals and not hold the ball in one's hands (unless you are a goalie) though. "Soccer isn't even the only sport I know, but it is the best one! Ho ho ho ho ho!!"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied might be a little cooked right now, but she does smile warmly and bashfully to Noeline to try to console the Metal Demon, "Now now... we could use some of these funds to keep Wayside going. It'll be a precarious time for us, after all..." more mouths to feed, keep clothed and warm... after all.
She pauses with some look of surprise at Asteroid. "Oh, football! Like in the Colisea?" she smiles warmly to say, "We went down to a Ruin with some soccer-playing drones... and Maya and I mistook the sport for one where you pretended to mock your injuries. But I'd be happy for the children to learn some sports!"
Mother hen, indeed... mother cucco, even?
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
"I don't know about you," Malfi sighs, "but I'm going to want something cold when we get back."
<Pose Tracker> Asteroid the Kid has posed.
"You're not supposed to do that!" Asteroid protests in horror. "Clutching your knee and pretending you've been hit is the DARK SIDE of football! Proceed far down that path...and you'll never recover... and the gods of football will turn their gaze from you!" LIKE THE GUARDIANS!!!
"The true soul of soccer is hitting people in the face with the soccerball you just kicked. That's the sporting way!" Asteroid adds.