2017-12-18: A Mansion of Merriment and Mystery
- Log: A Mansion of Merriment and Mystery
- Cast: Layna Manydays, Ethius Hesiod, Cyre H. Lorentz, Morgan Newkirk, Gwen Whitlock
- Where: The North Pole?
- Date: December 18th, 2017
- Summary: Following a strange map, a group of Drifters find a cave that transports them to a farway land, where a mystical figure resides...
===========================<* Nortune Grazelands *>=========================== The Grazelands are the last remaining fertile land in the northeast if the Ignas continent. Firmly under control of the nation of Kislev, they are covered end to end with highly regimented farms and ranches, each under strict orders to produce so much produce or livestock, with an eye to maximum possible efficiency. Agricultural experts frequently travel from the city of Nortune to assist landowners, as do so-called "engineers," a nascent profession of individuals devoted to the study and use of ARMs in the Empire. The southern border of the Grazelands is heavily guarded, tapering off to a single pass through the mountains leading into the Great Aveh Desert. Kislev's forces are firmly entrenched in the area, and travel to the heart of the empire is strictly controlled. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ddOSJ8571M
DG: A party led by Layna Manydays is now entering Winter Wonderland. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
===========================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================ ======================<* CHALLENGE - North Pole Bound *>====================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Push the statues in this cave, they said. If you do it right you'll be teleported to the North Pole, they said. It will be easy, they said. You hope "they" knew what "they" were talking about! This must be what you deserve for buying information on the black market! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
The bizarre festivities of the Blue Star still continued to baffle Layna. Sure, Lunar's holidays could get a little bizarre, but she couldn't understand people's fascination with the large beaded fellow. It was while she was discussing this matter with one of her crewmates that she was approached by someone rather old and hunched over, their face hidden behind a hood. They forced a scroll into her hand and had but one thing to say -
"Go. And there...you shall see..."
...It was a map. And not just any map...it had all the makings of a Treasure Map(capital letters for emphasis). No proper pirate could resist the allure of a Treasure Map, even if it was one that should by all means warrant suspicions...
And so, Layna decided to gather some friends of hers and go investigate it. And, upon following the map, she finds...a cave, containing a series of simplistic statues in the form of three spheres stacked upon each other, each one decreasing in size, topped with a fancy hat.
Mysterious.
Certain individuals may already be present in this cave when Layna and her friends arrive.
"Says here...we gotta push each of those statues in the right order, and something chilling will occur..." Layna says, glancing down at the map...and then shrugs, and goes to start pushing.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, North Pole Bound. All channels have been gagged.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius has been a very strange fixture about November City lately. Lately? He always seems out of place in society as a whole. Exhibit... we're out of letters of the alphabet, so pretend this drawing of a squiggly line is a viable label for exhibit listing.
Exhibit ~: a worrying obsession with staring down and scrutinizing virtually every winter holiday symbol. The baubles, the garland, the popcorn, bearded men in specific styles of dress. Does this play into his supposed memory loss? He hasn't been too forthcoming, and has found every excuse to continue to pursue this nonsensical thread that has little to do with the current grave problems facing Filgaia.
Which brings us to today, where Ethius is one of the people already here, and is pushing a statue like a whole lot depends on him being able to do this. (This one he's pushing had better be the correct one.)
"I would advise caution." Ethius speaks to any of the new arrivals, whoever or whatever they may be. He's sure not hanging back and being careful about this, though.
...
Maybe he wants the treasure first!!! That has to be it!
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, North Pole Bound.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
The Yuletide Spirit was never really a thing back in Wehaca Village. Instead, there was Chapapangamas, where little boys and girls would be visited by the epynonymous Guardian on his evening sprint across the wasteland. If you were good, you'd get all kinds of good things! But if you were a bad little child, you would instead be visited by the terrible, terrifying Leitea Salk and gobbled right up!
Clearly Leitea Salk lost a bet. Why he thought it a good idea to bet against the Guardian of Luck is a mystery lost to the sands of time.
Regardless! Cyre is here. Layna called on the Carakin to help out with this little expedition, and who is he to turn her down? Besides, the chance of there being a Guardian temple for her to accidentally desecrate by proxy is pretty slim overall!
"Not really a fan of chilling things," Cyre mutters, his censer already burning. This time, it seems he's doing it more for warmth than for the refreshing vapors wafting from within. "Those are some fancy hats, though. Maybe we push them in the order of... fanciness?"
"That seems kind of subjective though. Hm."
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Invigorating Vapors toward his party's challenge, North Pole Bound.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"Ain't it already chillin' around here, darlin?" Comes the drawl of one fox. The desert and jungle being that Morgan is does not like the cold. Ears and tail fluffed up, the fox peers towards the three strange round snowballs with a curious look.
"The things people do round here..." He mutters half to himself as he looks for a way to help push. "Mmmm. Order a poshness? Thats as good as anything...does one have a monocle? I was always told poshness equals monacles..."
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, North Pole Bound.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
It wasn't too hard to find Gwen. The courier was half-asleep outside the Adventurer's Guild in town that day, only needing a stray line about 'treasure map', 'cave', and 'no mentions in stray line about terrible undead beings or tentacled monstrosities' to get interested.
Being the sort to already refuse to leave no patch of skin be uncovered, Gwen is already halfway prepared for the coldness of the cave, finding it a welcome change from the daytime heat of the desert. The rest of her preparation is made complete with the addition of a heavier poncho, and thicker gloves. "These are so adorable! Careful there, Ethius, don't wanna make those fall down wrong. Hate t'ruin them, with their little hats, n' the heads, and the, ghhhhh, the everything! So adorabllleee."
Well, she's already happy she's come along. She's even contributing, carefulling moving the statues around where directed to without too much of a fuss.
DG: Gwen Whitlock has used her Tool ARM-ored Fist toward her party's challenge, North Pole Bound.
===========================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================ ======================<* CHALLENGE - North Pole Bound *>====================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Push the statues in this cave, they said. If you do it right you'll be teleported to the North Pole, they said. It will be easy, they said. You hope "they" knew what "they" were talking about! This must be what you deserve for buying information on the black market! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
======================<* Winter Wonderland - Round 1 *>======================= ========================< Results - North Pole Bound >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Invigorating Vapors 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen Whitlock 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass ARM-ored Fist 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Layna Manydays 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2) Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Layna Manydays has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna isn't exactly pleased to see Ethius there. She stares directly at him with a frown. He was definitely not one of her favorite people Caution, huh?
"...Yeah. So would I." She says, in a vaguely threatening fashion, before turning her attention back to everyone else.
"How would you quantify 'fanciness', lad? Besides, these hats all look the same to me." Layna comments with a shrug...but really, it's not like she has any better ideas. So, they take a moment to get in there, and really ponder on what makes a fancy hat truly 'fancy'.
...That or they just push them all at random.
Either way, though, working together they all somehow manage to push them in the right order. Suddenly, the floor lights up...lines shoot out from the base of each statue, convenient forming a snowflake design.
"Looks like that did it." Layna says. She goes to check the map...but suddenly, the cave is filled with light...
DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
================================================<* Winter Wonderland *>================================================= ========================================<* CHALLENGE - Your Goose is Uncooked *>======================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- This immense mansion is fully decorated for Christmas -- someone has pulled out all the stops. You pause to breathe in the scents of evergreen, roasting chestnuts and apples while you admire the garlands and the massive Christmas tree. The folks living here even offer you some mulled cider, a welcome treat to ward off the cold. All seems peaceful until a pair of enormous monster geese round the corner and hiss at you. Hey, they don't want to be Christmas dinner! They'd much rather make dinner out of YOU!! =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The statues click into place. A wintry magic passes through the lot of them. The nipping cold prickles at their noses, but yet, a calming warmth washes over them. An overpowering scent of mint, ginger, sugar... intoxicating.
Unless you are Ethius, whose first instinct is to slur some very quickly spoken Symbological chants and draw an arm inward. Why would anyone do that, when they all come to?
They're inside a brightly colored mansion. Shining reds, emerald greens as far as the eyes can see! Toys, packages, and foodstuffs as far as the eyes can see! Happy songs as far as ears can hear! And what's this, here?
Short folks in stocking caps with wide smiles come by, happily offering mulled cider and other treats. Absolutely none of this can come off as threatening, even to the most hardened, grizzled traveler wary of strangers and traps. This place overflows with cheer, and kindness.
Moments later, there are two loud sets of goose-like honking noises. Rounding the corner, enormous angry geese, flapping their evil goose wings, and generally making a ruckus while the locals move for cover.
There's a sudden dust cloud just as they draw near - one of Ethius' powder grenades. To have it go off so quickly means that he must have been preparing it while everyone was being introduced to free food and drink. Which is handy, but...
...Let's go over that later, after the geese are taken care of.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, Your Goose is Uncooked.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
So enchanted is Gwen with the statues that she completely forgets her initial distrust of Ethius. Well, 'distrust' may be a strong word, considering she's very willing to work with him. She's just waiting for the time when he tugs off that mask to reveal that he was the Cucco King all along. That's something she'd expect.
What she wouldn't expect is... this. Which is unrelated to Ethius, for the most part. "Uh." There's mulled cider being offered, a treat which Gwen gladly accepts with a polite nod of her head. "Thank you." Looking around, Gwen ponders, "Maybe we're in the wrong place? I see a lotta presents, but in my line of work I don't open anything that ain't for me specifically. It'd be a bad thing t'stop doin' that, even if we are in the Badlands." She sips her cider, and smiles at the taste. "Mm. This is good."
The geese are also unexpected.
"Is it okay to punch the geese?" Gwen ponders this as she stares at her useless mitten'ed hands and the sharp, prodding beaks of the giant geese. "I mean, if it's someone's pet, it'd be kinda rude, y'know?" When one manages to slap its beak against her head, followed by Ethius's powder grenades, Gwen sighs. "I guess that makes the decision for us. Punchin' geese it is!"
And she does! All while trying to not spill her cider in her left hand. A very delicate procedure.
DG: Gwen Whitlock has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Your Goose is Uncooked.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
When Layna awakens, the first thing she notices is the scent. It's fascinating, and hard to resist...and when she wakes up, she sees the manshion itself, not to mention its inhabitants.
"Uh...you lot seeing what I'm seeing?" She asks. It's about time that one of the fellows walks by, offering a drink which Layna readily accepts. She takes a moment to examine it...but, upon deciding that it must be safe, takes a drink. "No idea, lass...Well, can't be all bad, aye?"
...And then they appear. A pair of giant geese. Layna stares, dumbfounded.
"...This is what we're dealing with now...?" She mutters. She lets down her guard for a moment, and this is all it takes for one of them to lunge forward, snapping down at her. She manages to dodge at the last second, but it's enough for her to re-evaluate their threat level...
"Alright, noted. Let's take 'em out, aye?" Layna says, delivering a punch to her aggressor when it tries to go in for another snap.
"First rule, lass - if it's comin' at you, it's okay to punch it!" Layna calls out to Gwen.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Your Goose is Uncooked.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
The jerk of the teleport is familiar to him though Morgan never really has liked it. He stumbles as they come out of it, catching himself as his hand goes for the gunsmoke ARM at his hip...
Just as the smells hit his nostrils.
Slowly his fingers uncurl from the weapon as he stares round in suprise. For once not unpleasent supprise. "Well damn, I wish all our Diggs could be like this. Its actually warm and..." And someone is pressing a drink into his hands. Warmth threading its way though his gloves. The smiles causing him to smile. "...reminds me of nicer times..." He mutters for a moment.
Normally he wouldn't trust anything offered to him on a dungeon run. But...in this case. He can't help himself. It just smells so good he's already taking a sip before he realises what it is.
"...hot cocoa? ACTUAL hot cocoa? With peppermint shavings?" How could they get the mix just right. He had no idea but they did, so distracted is he he almost doesn't hear the approaching of the angry geese.
"What?" Then his eyes go wide. "What no!" And his ARM bursts into life, throwing shields up to save himself and his friends from the Geese. "Whatch what your doin' you overgrown featherbrains! You might cause me to spill this!"
DG: Morgan Newkirk has used his Tool Shield Gauntlet toward his party's challenge, Your Goose is Uncooked.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
What
The blazes
What was that flash of light? The easy solution is that it was some kind of teleportation magic, but that doesn't explain where this is! It's all... Bright and cheery and festive and they have amazing cider and cookies and how is a cat supposed to be grumpy in a place like this!?
Also, what is with the gnomes with the hats? Are they... Are they some kind of particularly jolly goblin offshoot?
...Well. They have good taste, at least. "See," Cyre says of their stocking-caps as he tips back a cup of warm cider. "Those hats are pretty fancy, too! But what is this place? It's like some kind of... Workshop? Toys and presents...?" It's like some kind of wonderland! An oasis of joy in a cruel world, bereft of the darkness that fills the wasteland...
Well.
Almost bereft of the darkness.
Even this place is not safe from...
"GEEEEEEEEEEEESE!" Cyre yells, almost spitting out a great big spray of cider. Apparently Geese are not good in Cyre's book. The only thing he has for them... Are lasers.
They work basically like enormous heat lamps. Mmm, delicious roast goose.
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Your Goose is Uncooked.
================================================<* Winter Wonderland *>================================================= ========================================<* CHALLENGE - Your Goose is Uncooked *>======================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- This immense mansion is fully decorated for Christmas -- someone has pulled out all the stops. You pause to breathe in the scents of evergreen, roasting chestnuts and apples while you admire the garlands and the massive Christmas tree. The folks living here even offer you some mulled cider, a welcome treat to ward off the cold. All seems peaceful until a pair of enormous monster geese round the corner and hiss at you. Hey, they don't want to be Christmas dinner! They'd much rather make dinner out of YOU!! =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
===========================================<* Winter Wonderland - Round 2 *>============================================ ==========================================< Results - Your Goose is Uncooked >========================================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 5 --(13)--> 18 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 5 --(8)--> 13 Pass Powder Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 5 --(8)--> 13 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen Whitlock 5 --(8)--> 13 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 10 --(8)--> 18 Pass Shield Gauntlet 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Layna Manydays 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Tire(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: The party led by Layna Manydays 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: Cyre H. Lorentz has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================ ==================<* CHALLENGE - Hang the New Year's Ball *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- You can tell from the decor that this area is used for celebrating New Year's. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way out. Maybe if you hung up the ENORMOUS ball on the waiting crane so it'll be ready to plummet on the big day? Come on, 500 PC! =Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Gwen punches a goose, which proves helpful in making sure her fist isn't laid on an oven and cooked, and... one doesn't know where this analogy is going, but Morgan's shield provides very good physical cover once Gwen shoves that one out of range. Without Gwen's help, Layna might not have been able to shove that one off.
With the barrier up, the two geese are cooked - metaphorically, and literally - by sky lasers. Anyone holding a drink will be happy to know that they aren't going to spill it, and that also Ethius apparently did not want his drink, so someone can have a second drink if they so need.
One of the locals asks Cyre, explicity, if he's okay. He asks this in a shouty and kind of stilted way. Cyre gets the idea he doesn't want to stand too close to them after the fact, because this good samaritan trips on something tall which busts the roof. (Okay!!)
Ethius can be caught trying to go on ahead of them, which... figures.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Okay.
Okay, the Geese are gone.
More than gone. Sky Lasers are kind of a deal-ender in a lot of situations. When Heaven's own microwave cooker is turned towards cooking you, it can be... Bad. By the time the bombardment is over, the twin geese are inexplicably steaming deliciously on a pair of plates. It might be hard to resist going over there and yanking off a leg or something to carry around, but Cyre endures!
"I- I'm fine!" Cyre insists at the concerned midget, "Just... I have a bad opinion of geese." They don't deserve to be anywhere except IN HIS BELLY. Devil birds that they are. He does, however, accept a replacement cider, because his is presently a fine mist all over the far wall.
Meanwhile, Ethius finds his way to...
...
This is a room with a giant ticking clock that is counting steadily down. It's attached to something that may or may not be an enormous arrangement of explosives ready to pop out through a similarly enormous door in the ceiling.
This... Could be a bomb...!?
But then, what's with the crane and the giant ball? There are a handful of gnomes fussing around it, trying to get the big, brightly colored sphere up onto a big, gold fishhook. Unlike the other gnomes, these are wearing bright, yellow hardhats! It looks like this is some kind of construction area, are they getting ready for something?
Maybe they could use some help!
Cyre isn't going just yet. He's busy burning some smoke to drown out the overwhelming scent of gunpowder and maybe cut the goose-induced nerves just a little bit.
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Invigorating Vapors toward his party's challenge, Hang the New Year's Ball.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius, as is to be expected by now, holds a hand out to everyone coming in behind him just as they would come across the big giant tickin' clock room. For what little he conveys, he seems pensive. Generally speaking, having a near-death encounter with geese is going to leave anyone pensive, but this man, well... enough on speculation with this man for now.
He brings a hand to his forehead for a moment, before finding it in him to approach and nonchalantly invite himself in to help lift the thing up.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Hang the New Year's Ball.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Those do look and smell incredibly delicious...but for the sake of finding out exactly what this place's deal is, Layna endures. Besides, she saw Ethius wandering off on his own, and she didn't like the idea of letting him go without supervision. He might try to electrocute some innocent individual again for barely-explained reasons, and there are plenty of those running around here.
And so off she goes, only to find...a crane and a large, brightly-colored sphere? Looks like the folks here need some help...well, Layna figures its a fair trade for the free food and drinks they've been given so far.
"Aye, I think I've got just the thing for that..." Layna walks over to the primary mechanism involved in raising and lowering the orb. She reaches into her coat and draws out a large, arm-mounted drill-based ARM...but doesn't equip it just yet. Instead, she props it up against her leg and starts to mess with it, removing the drill bit at the top and setting it aside before connecting it to the machine.
"Alright, me hearties, I'll lower it for you! Make it quick, aye?" Layna says. She'll then activate the ARM, spinning it down at high speeds...assuming she's connected it properly.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Arm-Mounted Drill toward her party's challenge, Hang the New Year's Ball.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
'First rule, lass - if it's comin' at you, it's okay to punch it!' One would expect one as experienced in high seas tension as Layna to recommend that sort of advice. Gwen frowns. "Well yeah, but if I did that I'd be out of my job. But I ain't courierin' anything right now, so I guess it's okay right now."
--GWEN LOGIC--
"Oh hey, y'need a hand?" Now onto the next room, still sipping her mulled cider (and possibly her tears, those geese looked so delicious), Gwen finishes her cup with a solid gulp. "Okay," she starts, placing her mug down on a convenient surface and then rubbing her hands together, "time t'get to work." Stepping alongside Ethius, Gwen looks over her shoulder and gives a thumbs up to Layna. "We'll hang it up, then! Easy as pie!"
Her stromach rumbles, vaguely reminded of the cooked goose in the other room. "... Let's just get this thing done."
DG: Gwen Whitlock has used her Tool ARM-ored Fist toward her party's challenge, Hang the New Year's Ball.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan is taking the cocoa with him.
Just everywhere he goes now. Sipping slowly the chocolate goodness as he follows along he raises his eyes to the construction site before him. "...why would they want to hang something like...this..." The fox just shakes his head. "None of this makes sense, but at least the food here is good. And the actual people don't want to kill us..."
He's a thoughtful one that fox.
As others go towards the ball itself, the fox wonders towards the crane. Surely they have to have some mechinism to raise the thing for them. Or at least assist that way. Besides, he's not going to be any use actually lifting things. One hand has to actually hold his mug.
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Hang the New Year's Ball.
===========================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================ ==================<* CHALLENGE - Hang the New Year's Ball *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- You can tell from the decor that this area is used for celebrating New Year's. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way out. Maybe if you hung up the ENORMOUS ball on the waiting crane so it'll be ready to plummet on the big day? Come on, 500 PC! =Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
======================<* Winter Wonderland - Round 3 *>======================= ====================< Results - Hang the New Year's Ball >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 18 --(5)--> 23 Pass Arm-Mounted Drill 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass Invigorating Vapors 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen Whitlock 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass ARM-ored Fist 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 18 --(5)--> 23 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Layna Manydays 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Tire(1) Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Layna Manydays 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: Gwen Whitlock has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Snow-and-Ice Maze *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- To proceed you have to go through a very sturdy snow-and-ice maze. It cannot simply be smashed, and the walls are too high to see over. In you go! =Dungeon Conditions: Reckless=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
The team has all come together to SAVE NEW YEARS. Once Layna and Morgan manage to lower the winch by brute force (of tool use) or clever application of extant mechanical controls, it's (relatively) easy for Gwen and Ethius to help lift the ball up onto the crane hook. Cyre, meanwhile, continues to provide excellent fumes and sip contentedly on his cider.
Hey. Look. He spent a lot of calories nuking those geese. He gets to sip cider. And his smoke does smell mighty nice. Like... peppermint and gingerbread and warm, comfortable childhood memories.
Once the ball is up on its crane, the hardhatted elves give a great, big, elfy cheer and throw open what looks like a hidden break-room door. Looks like they're going on a union-mandated cocoa break.
Oh, and there's a corridor leading forward through there too. Good thing they left the door propped open!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
The corridor eventually leads to a staircase, which takes the group to the next area. As they descend down, they are greeted to the sight of an airy cavern underneath the mansion(?) they were all in, in which an intricate maze is constructed entirely of thick blocks of ice, insulated with packed snow. The cold temperature and the thickness of the ice makes it difficult for shortcuts to be taken, and while they were able to get an impressive view of the maze coming down, the walls are built too high to exactly judge where to go.
It doesn't stop Gwen from trying, however. She tries a few experimental punches with her mittened right hand, but is soon forced to stop to cradle her poor hand. "Guess we gotta do this without cheatin'." Getting out her medical kit and slipping out a screwdriver, she peeks under the fibers of her right glove and does some adjustments. "If anyone needs a checkup real quick-like while I got this out, lemme know."
She has regular medical supplies too, not just ones that enable her to look like she's poking a screwdriver into her wrist.
DG: Gwen Whitlock has used her Tool Medical Kit toward her party's challenge, Snow-and-Ice Maze.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius ushers people along after they all manage to hoist the ball up in that vague way of his. When Gwen takes point to try her way through the wall of ice ahead - oh, no, it's a maze, the whites of the snow and ice kind of all blend together - he does watch Gwen go about screwdrivering her wrist for a while.
Unless he's thinking of some way to determine how to get through which coincidentally has that stare of his rest upon Gwen for a while, but, he's probably just staring.
Another indeterminate period of time later, though determined to probably be poignant with unease, he gets out that eyeglass. One tiny bolt of Symbology-powered electricity from one hand into it later, he holds the lens up to one eye... what does he see with it?
His curiosity seems to guide him mostly down left-hand paths, but it's not clear if he's trying to lead anyone there, or if he just thinks there might be something interesting that way.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, Snow-and-Ice Maze.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna lets out a whistle as she strolls into the maze of snow and ice. She walks up to one of the blocks, wrapping it with one of her knuckles just as Gwen is about to deliver a punch to it.
"Think I'm good, but I'll let you know, aye?" Layna replies with a nod to Gwen, then reaches for the telescope at her waise. She makes some adjustments, then holds it close to one of the ice walls. She frowns for a moment, adjusting a few dials...and then grins.
"Well, it's not incredibly clear...but I can see through 'em just a bit." Layna says, straightening up. Was this cheating? ...It was probably cheating, but Layna doesn't seem to care.
"Y'know, it makes me wonder...just what in the world is this all for?" She asks. Who needed an ice maze below their house?
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Captain's Telescope toward her party's challenge, Snow-and-Ice Maze.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Morgan, sipping at his cocoa as he pokes at the control pannel smiles as he gets that done. The ball goes up and the way forward opens. Though as the fox decends into the depths of the mansion and the icey cave underneith his breath starts to steam as the tempture drops sharply. His ears slowly shift to pin back against his skull as his shoulders huch up as he realise his hot cocoa is...no longer hot.
In fact he's force to drink the rest of it quickly just to make sure it doesn't become ice chocolate.
The maze though is a thing and something that resists even Gwen's prostegious iron strength. "Huh, never know what you'll find down places like this do you?" He mutters to himself as he steps up to the entrence. "I think I have some rope..." He adds as he rummages though his pack. "...that way we can at least know which way not to go. Find our way out again too."
The foxes lips curve in a smile though as he hears talk of cheating. "And we can't cheat the streightfoward way, Gwen! We can always cheat other ways. Thats what makes us Diggers right? Creative cheating practices."
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Snow-and-Ice Maze.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"My guess, probably some kind of workplace entertainment for our friends upstairs," Cyre suggests as he sips through the remainder of his cider. Fortunately, unlike cocoa, it's good even when just a little bit chilly. "Though this much ice down here, makes me wonder if it's some kind of... Security. Like they're keeping something at the center of all this. Huh."
Siiiiiip.
"You know," Cyre muses, following Ethius as he blazes a trail along the left-handed path. "I'm personally surprised we haven't run into any monsters outside those geese. Kind of makes me wonder what this place even is. I mean, a maze, free food, all this ice... Are we in Arctica? Nah... Can't be."
Siiiiiip.
"Well, whatever. Let me just..." The wind picks up just a little bit as Cyre stirs it into motion, drawing a gentle, if frigid, breeze up through the maze. Maybe Ethius might be able to spy a relatively warmer current of air that could point them to an exit?
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Snow-and-Ice Maze.
============================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================= ======================<* CHALLENGE - Snow-and-Ice Maze *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- To proceed you have to go through a very sturdy snow-and-ice maze. It cannot simply be smashed, and the walls are too high to see over. In you go! =Dungeon Conditions: Reckless=================================================
=======================<* Winter Wonderland - Round 4 *>======================== ========================< Results - Snow-and-Ice Maze >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 23 --(5)--> 28 Pass Captain's Telescope 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 18 --(5)--> 23 Pass Spectral Lens 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cyre H. Lorentz 18 --(5)--> 23 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gwen Whitlock 18 --(5)--> 23 Pass Medical Kit 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan Newkirk 23 --(5)--> 28 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Layna Manydays 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Reckless(2) Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Layna Manydays has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"I suppose it'd be a shame if I *did* manage to hit through it. This ain't like some ruins, since there're people here." --GWEN LOGIC--
The moment Gwen notices Ethius's eyes on her, even if it may be innocent, she stops fiddling with her right hand, quietly putting away the screwdriver without much fanfare. ".... So. Right. Probably just some amusement place for some rich guy. You run into those out here- rich people with a lotta money and not much in the way of sense. Don't got any job to keep them busy, too new-vou for the rich folk out east. They get bored, and projects like this spring up. Maybe they were a former Digger n' built this place to give em' somethin' to play around with."
"Usin' ropes ain't cheatin' in my book." Gwen thumbs up as Layna looks ahead with her telescope, and Morgan fishes out some rope. Ethius does his own thing with his special lens, and snow drifts from off the tall caps of the ice walls as Cyre's control of the wind helps them find a way out. A few left paths turn out to be dead ends, but between all the tools everyone has at their disposal.
Soon they arrive at the other end- hopefully in a slightly warmer area, if they're lucky.
DG: Layna Manydays has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Turn the Tables *>=======================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
In this building you see workbenches and tables with elves scurrying about,
manufacturing toys and making deliveries. It seems very, very busy. Wait,
those aren't elves -- they're ratmonkeys!
Santa Claus -- or perhaps an actor portraying him -- glances up from
supervising to greet you. "Merrrrry Christmas," he intones. "Ho ho ho!" Then
he pauses. "I wish someone would figure out what *I* want for Christmas.
I'll show you a secret if you can do it."
OOC: PG-13 or milder, peeps!
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
The party emerges from the maze of ice, exiting out of a doorway that looks suspiciously like the front of a freezer, to find what appears to be a large manufactoring floor. There are workbences and tables filled with toys and other goods in various stages of creation, being attend to by elves...or, rather, festively-dressed ratmonkeys.
And at the front of it all, studying some sort of long list with a pair of spectacles, is a jolly-looking old fellow who should be familiar to any of the Drifters who have seen any of the decorations strewn across November City.
One of the ratmonkeys gestures wildly to him and points at the party...at which point he looks up and waves, with merry laughter.
"Merrrry Christmas! It has been so long since I've had a guest!" He greets. Layna...just stares, and then points.
"It's you! You're that guy from the pictures!" She says, causing the man to chuckle fondly.
"That it is, young lady, that it is...but I would prefer you call me 'Santa', rather than 'you' or 'that guy'." He replies, stroking his beard. "So, tell me...how have you found your way all the way here...?"
Layna holds up the map. He looks at it, and there's a twinkle in his eye as he studies it.
"Ah, I see, I see..." He murmurs fondly. "Well, since you 've gone through all this trouble...why don't we play a little game? People ask for things all the time on Christmas...but there is something I want, more than anything else...can you guess what it is?"
Layna frowns, and folds her arms in front of her. This...wasn't exactly what she imagined when she came here. She shrugs, then draws out her telescope, using it to take a quick look around the room. Maybe there was a hint somewhere...?
"I dunno, moving to the beach? Must get boring up here surrounded by snow all the time, aye?" She suggests with a shrug.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Captain's Telescope toward her party's challenge, Turn the Tables.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
That
That is Santa Claus, and this is an entire workshop full of unnaturally festive ratmonkeys. But... What? Isn't this whole Christmas thing just some kind of weird Seed City-Granasian myth!? What is this weird, jolly old man doing in this sweatshop full of gainfully employed rodentsimians!? Is this the real life? Is it just fantasy?
Cyre stares for a long moment, pinches his own cheek, and then stares some more.
Santa.
What.
"Uh," Cyre says, out of his element in a way he hasn't quite been before. Where the hell are they. Why was there a ruin lying around that would have taken them HERE of all places? "Uhhhh," he never had a 'Santa Claus' as a child. The concept is something extraordinarily foreign to him. And yet... And yet...
Well, there's just something infectuously jolly about all this.
"Well uh. If you do go around giving gifts to everyone, then... I guess that something is for someone to say thank you? I mean, I doubt many people have come here to do that before, right...?"
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius does not join the rest in the conversation at first. He's scoping out the workshop with that lens of his. Every little thing a ratmonkey's putting together or moving, anywhere and everywhere they're going with it.
'It's you! You're that guy from the pictures!' Calls the pirate. Ethius' attention drifts sharply from watching a present go down a chute. The bearded figure drops a name.
Santa.
Ethius takes a hand to his forehead.
"I am not interested in games." Ethius speaks, matter of factly. That tone of voice he takes in normal conversation - in so much his conversation could ever be 'normal' when he tends to speak a bit too long-windedly - hasn't changed. That he is now putting himself in front of the rest of the party as he speaks, quarterstaff held in his left hand like one might a walking stick, should paint a far less neutral picture of what is happening here.
"You do not appear to be lacking for food, shelter, nor companionship." Ethius continues. "You are surrounded by baubles and entertainment. You do not appear to be lacking for material wealth." He draws closer. "You are not lacking for attention, recognition, nor reverence. Indeed..." Once more, a hand goes to his forehead.
"I have found items throughout November City that are an exact match for those I see here." That is true. The stuff they're seeing here is mostly the sort you'd see around November City. There's a few likenesses here and there around Ignas, but everything seen here seems like a... brighter, more intense version of the decorations they'd see over there.
"The iconography involved is no coincidence." It that a problem? The way Ethius seems to dress down the possibilities as he speaks...
The butt of the quarterstaff slams into the ground abruptly. The deafening crack could put a screeching halt to the ratmonkeys' attention. His body language has not changed. His stare, unyielding and intense as expected when something has his attention, does not waver as he keeps eyes locked upon Santa.
"What do you want?"
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, Turn the Tables.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
Ok. Things just got strange.
What was in his cocoa?!
Morgan wonders these things as he stares at the jolly man in the red suit. He holds his empty mug and just stares for a long moment. Slowly he shakes his head. "...I wish my little sis could see this." He mutters with some disbelief there. But there is a riddle to be solved and as others pull tools and tricks out of their preverbial stashes the Fox just watches, thinks. One ear twitches slightly as he does so.
"...well...if I remember right, what Santa always wanted was milk, cookies, and a thank you note." The fox finally gives his opinion with a firm nod.
What he would like is more cocoa, but hey that can come later. On the way out. And not served by strange monkey things.
DG: Morgan Newkirk has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Turn the Tables.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Santa Claus. One couldn't imagine a more outlandish figure growing up an orphan in Little Twister. A jolly old man with a twinkle in his eye and a booming laugh, who made it his job to bring gifts to every boy and girl in the land. Even as an adult, complete with her
"Heyhey, Ethius, that ain't how it goes!" Gwen makes a nervous laugh and plants her hands on her hips. "You're supposed t'say-" She pauses to clear her throat with a cough, then continues in her best 'jolly man' voice, "Aaannd what do *you* want for Christmas, young man? Have you been a good boy?" She lets her voice go back to her usual higher octaves of choice. "Like that. C'mon, I know you can do a good Santa impression."
But there's also the matter of what *she* thinks Santa wants. Gwen thinks on this for a moment, tilting her head. "Since 'thank you' n' 'have someone ask you want you want for Christmas' is already taken, maybe you... wish for someone to wish you a Merry Christmas?"
She's banking on it being a trick question.
"Barrin' that I could maybe help deliverin' some gifts, for a meager fee for my time. Unless it's for one of the orphanages in Badlands. Those I'll do for free."
DG: Gwen Whitlock has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Turn the Tables. DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Turn the Tables.
===========================<* Winter Wonderland *>============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Turn the Tables *>=======================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
In this building you see workbenches and tables with elves scurrying about,
manufacturing toys and making deliveries. It seems very, very busy. Wait,
those aren't elves -- they're ratmonkeys!
Santa Claus -- or perhaps an actor portraying him -- glances up from
supervising to greet you. "Merrrrry Christmas," he intones. "Ho ho ho!" Then
he pauses. "I wish someone would figure out what *I* want for Christmas.
I'll show you a secret if you can do it."
OOC: PG-13 or milder, peeps!
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
======================<* Winter Wonderland - Round 5 *>======================= ========================< Results - Turn the Tables >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 28 --(10)--> 38 Fail Captain's Telescope 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 23 --(5)--> 28 Pass Spectral Lens 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 23 --(5)--> 28 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen Whitlock 23 --(10)--> 33 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 28 --(5)--> 33 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Layna Manydays 80 --(0)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Reckless(1)|Stupify(2) Effects: Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Layna Manydays has passed this challenge! The party gained 0 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: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
================================================<* Winter Wonderland *>================================================= ==========================================<* CHALLENGE - Getting the Point *>=========================================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- Santa grins wryly and slides open a secret panel on the wall. "Go on in." Inside the newly-revealed room you spot a door, as well as some two dozen reindeer. It seems Santa's reindeer don't want you to get any closer to the door: they've arrayed themselves around it in a defensive formation, and those antlers are SHARP! What are you going to do now? =Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
The man calling himself Santa Claus studies Ethius for a moment. He turns away from him only to add some writing to his list. He doesn't seem all too offended, though the ratmonkeys are looking between eachother and chattering worriedly while wringing their hands.
A 'thank you'. 'Milk and cookies'. Asking what he wants. Being wished a Merry Christmas. Help delivering gifts. Relocation to the beach. The man calling himself Santa takes in all of these reactions, stroking his beard with laugh of 'ho ho ho' to himself.
"Those are all marvelous answers, my young friends..." He replies. "And while I appreciate the offer, young lady, your work is far too important to busy yourself with mine..." With that said, he stands from his seat.
"But I must thank you all for indulging me. And so..."
The man calling himself stands from his seat. ...He does not, at the moment, appear to be about to specify whether or not any of them were correct, nor does he seem to be about to address any of Ethius's observations...
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
A passage opens. A chittering ratmonkey gestures to the group to head on inside. It's cold and foggy in there. It might be a chamber in the sense that it looks like it is still indoors, but to look out from here is to look out into a night that seems to stretch into eternity.
There are reindeer. It looks like they might have been in the middle of some pretty fun games. They stop, the very moment the team dares step foot in there. Their shoes sink into snow. Snow that still appears to be collecting... indoors?
It's strange.
Ethius does not yet follow. "Where are you going?" He asks. He does not get an answer. "To what purpose have y--"
A red-nosed reindeer butts into Ethius' behind and launches him forward with the group. Once everyone is together, the door behind them... wait, was there one? It seems like it all disappears into thin air.
The reindeer's nose shines a bright red, and everyone senses a far more aggressive intent from the remainder. They start to circle them like a pack of wolves.
Ethius staggers back up to a stand as one hand reaches for the other satchel at his belt. He squeezes it gingerly. It's not wet. Good.
"We must leave." Ethius says. Where to? If one looks closely just beyond, there does appear to be something like a door ahead, but there's no wall surrounding it.
Ethius throws the other Powder Grenade straight into one of the reindeer, deciding that throwing it into snow would dampen the effect. From there, he takes off forward, forward, forward. If the group runs with him...
A bright, shining red light behind them precedes the heavy beating of hooves - a stampede they may have to stand and fight against regardless.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, Getting the Point.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
A passage? Layna couldn't help but be curious... She takes one last look at the beareded man before heading in. She's a bit cautious about it...she has no idea what this will lead to, , and there appear to be a bunch of rather large, intimidating creatures bearing dangerous looking antlers...
Oh, and now the door's gone. And they're circling them dangerously. Ethius provides a distraction that lets them get away...at least temporarily. It looks like they've still managed to catch up. And yet...
Layna just grins, and cracks her knuckles.
"...Fine. Bring 'em on, I say." She recites an incantation and her body becomes surrounded in a green aura before she charges forward at the nearest reindeer to deliver a powerful, momentum-enhanced punch.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Getting the Point.
<Pose Tracker> Morgan Newkirk has posed.
"So just go on through to the next room I guess..." The fox replies as he starts to follow after Santa. I mean that sounds right..." He starts to move forwards, floowing Layna as he peers into the next room. "...well its dark..."
...and then Ethius goes flying past him.
"...well that can't be good."
As the red glow increases and he sees what they are facing he nods slowly. "Yup. Thats not good." A shake of his head. "Try to just knock em out Layna!" He calls towards the pirate as the woman hurls herself forwards even as his ARM spins up his shields again. Angling to break up the charge and send them scattering.
DG: Morgan Newkirk has used his Tool Shield Gauntlet toward his party's challenge, Getting the Point.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Today is just a day full of 'what's. What is this? What is that? What is all of this?
The Jolly Red Giant is one thing, the workshop makes matters even more mindbending and this... This is just...
Reindeer.
"What, by Althena's lacy panties, are you things!?" What is with that thing with the bright red nose!? That can't be natural! Does it have some kind of horrible nose-deformity? Is it some kind of mutant!?!? Why does Cyre seem so distressed? "Why do these horses have horns!?"
That is a very good reason.
"Guh. Whatever! You think you've got a shiny nose? Well, how about this!?" The air around the shaman suddenly takes on a brilliant, crimson hue. Cocentric, scarlet circles etch themselves into the air before erupting, unleashing lances of scathing light through and into the reindeer herd!
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Getting the Point.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Reindeer. They may as well be mythical creatures, at this point. Gwen hasn't seen one outside of books, and she's been nearly anywhere a courier could be sent to on Ignas, which might as well be the world, at this point. Unless reindeers like islands.
The danger Gwen feels can't overcome her wonder. "Whoah... reindeer! Real, actual *reindeer*, guys! Isn't this the neatest thing ever? One even has a glowy red nose! N' they're intelligent too! Yeah, they're about to stampede n' all, but just, uh..." Gwen groans, slumping forward. "I really, really, *really* don't want to fight you guys. It'd be like punchin' unicorns. What if you guys are the only ones left, n' we punch you all?"
Maybe it's the cider, the chocolate, the lingering memory of those plates of glistening goose, the snowy ice maze, and Gwen just being too tired of having to deal with serious matters in serious, logical ways.
These are reindeer. And so, keeping mindful of the most rational actions of everyone to attack the very animals trying to grind them down into paste with their hooves, Gwen's going to try to head around and sprint right towards the one with the red nose, then loop an arm around that furry neck-
And Hug Them. "I thought you were all gone!!" There are tears on her freckled cheeks, a wide grin. "You *are* real!"
The fact that she's attempting to go for the leader is not by chance. If she's going to do something stupid, *at least* she'll go for the one that may be the ringleader. Besides, if those attacks hadn't potentially scattered the herd, she'd have no chance of doing this at all.
DG: Gwen Whitlock has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Getting the Point.
================================================<* Winter Wonderland *>================================================= ==========================================<* CHALLENGE - Getting the Point *>=========================================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- Santa grins wryly and slides open a secret panel on the wall. "Go on in." Inside the newly-revealed room you spot a door, as well as some two dozen reindeer. It seems Santa's reindeer don't want you to get any closer to the door: they've arrayed themselves around it in a defensive formation, and those antlers are SHARP! What are you going to do now? =Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
===========================================<* Winter Wonderland - Round 6 *>============================================ ============================================< Results - Getting the Point >============================================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 38 --(5)--> 43 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 28 --(5)--> 33 Pass Powder Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 28 --(5)--> 33 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen Whitlock 33 --(5)--> 38 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morgan Newkirk 33 --(5)--> 38 Pass Shield Gauntlet 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Layna Manydays 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Secret(2)|Stupify(1) Effects: Embolden(1) ===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Layna Manydays has successfully explored Winter Wonderland!
================================================<* Winter Wonderland *>================================================= ========================================<* CHALLENGE - Stalking the Stockings *>======================================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- As you investigate Santa's (currently unoccupied) house, you notice several stockings hung by the roaring chimney, one for each member of the party. Reaching inside, each one of you finds a pair of warm socks (in your size), a box of miraculously-unmelted chocolates, your very own Santa hat, and the one minor item you want the most. Hunh, maybe that Santa fellow is magical after all! =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The lot of them are in a solid formation in which to ensure they can make it through to the door! With Ethius' smoke cover allowing the early lead and Morgan putting up a shield, long as they stick close, they might be able to get by with minimal chance of being gored by antlers.
Cyre and Layna put up most of the counter-offense. But, something very strange occurs when their blows make impact. Layna has cracked many faces in with her fists, but there's something kind of... rubbery, sort of? The reindeer she strikes isn't knocked down so much as sent playfully spiraling. Cyre's lasers halt them, but they don't disintegrate or even become roasted. The beam takes on beautiful hues of red and green as they're pushed back.
And then Gwen taps into her inner child, running up to its leader to give them a heartwarming hug. The red-nosed one sits for a while, and lets Gwen stroke them. The other reindeer circle, but do not put on any threatening postures.
Ethius stands dumbstruck at the door, wondering what's going on. Why are they waiting...?
...
A moment of play time later, they're all through the door and in someone's living room. (Santa's?) A warm, toasty fire by an old fireplace... and red stockings for everyone, with their names listed.
Something compels everyone to go check and see what's inside...
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
"Oh, fine! I'll try!" Layna calls back. She does hold back a bit in her punch, and yet...it feels...
...Weird??
And the reindeer she struck goes spiraling off in a comical fashion. Layna stares in confusion, and the green aura blinks out as any violent intent she might have had kind of...just...dissipates. It's not helped at all by the sight of Gwen rushing toward the red-nosed one and giving it a big ol' hug, which if anything makes Layna feel a little bad about going right for the most violent option possible.
This is just a temporary thing. Don't worry, Layna will be back to being Layna before long.
Maybe...in the end, this was just a test of some kind, because the reindeer calm down and allow them into the house. Layna walks in and finds...stockings with their names on them?
"Huh. Guess the old fellow must've expected we'd come here..." She mutters. Maybe she should be a little more suspicious, but...it does have her name on it. She walks up to it, removes it from the wall, and rummages through it.
It has the same things in it that everyone else's does, except...
Layna draws out a small book from the depths of the stocking.
"...O-oh." Layna stares at it quietly. It's a Lunarian book. While this copy is new, there's still something somewhat old-fashioned about it. Though it's fairly non-descript, just the sight of it puts a crack in Layna's usual devil-may-care facade.
And then...slowly, she puts the book away, back into the stocking.
"...Well. I can't say I expected that..." She murmurs. It doesn't seem like she's upset, but there must be something going on there...
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Red turns to green AND red. Nothing is immune from the dread touch of the Holiday Season. Not even lasers. Or reindeer, it seems. "What the heck is a Rain-Deer?" Cyre looks utterly baffled. They don't have those in the desert, you see. He might have heard stories of the caribou passed down through ancestral memory, but there is no... reindeer guardian.
Soon, though, they find their way to... The... stocking room.
Cyre looks incredulous at the colorful stockings hanging from the mantle. It's... One of them is addressed to... him? But that doesn't make sense. There are socks in here-- why are they adorably tiger-striped!? But, there are chocolates, and there is a hat, and...
...Something else Cyre sees, before abruptly shutting his stocking. Strange. Must be something he's... Not exactly comfortable with people seeing.
What could that be?
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius stands wary as Layna goes to collect her prize. When she pulls out her special little prize - a book - he comes up closer as though the book itself were something of interest.
Even he could see it, can't he? That numb-hearted man who, for reasons that still escape him (or anyone, or the concept of reason itself) seems to have a predeliction for melting things, and being... less than nice. He could notice her joy - that little tiny joy of finding something she loves.
...Is something about this picture continuing to be problematic for him? He looks over to the stocking with his name on it, grabbing it from the fireplace and dropping it on a nearby coffee table, the open end facing away from him. He pokes at the stocking with his stick to be sure. Poke. Poke. Poke. Nudge. Poke.
Satisfied that it's... not going to do what he thought it was going to do, he withdraws the contents.
A very large lump of coal. It is a large lump of coal that is also scattering bits of black dust everywhere. There is the sound of paper rustling. When he pulls it out...
"'Exception applies,'" they might hear Ethius mumble. "'Relative origin independent...'"
He stops mumbling. Then he lifts the paper up a little higher...
Some black dust falls out from the papers. It looks like that lump of coal has already deteriorated all over the papers in question.
An attempt to brush some of it away reveals that the ink on the paper is still wet. This leaves him with a series of papers that are now largely ruined and basically unreadable outside of a number of complicated phrases with zero supporting context, series of numbers and references to things that themselves lose meaning as a result, and are so indistinct as to be unmemorable - worthless.
Ethius continues to stare blankly. At least one final phrase is clear at the bottom: 'For your eyes only. Dispose when reviewed in full.'
There's a convenient fire right there. In it goes, and this mysterious ruined message is now just more ash to mingle in the chimney.
Ethius spends the rest of their time in this strange, wonderful place with a hand on his forehead, equal parts confused and overwhelmed as the rest discover an innocent joy that has long since appeared lost to Filgaia as they know it.