2018-01-10: Searching for a Friend...and Loot
- Log: Searching for a Friend...and Loot
- Cast: Cyre H. Lorentz, Tethelle Cirdian, Lily Keil, Jacqueline Barber, Fei Fong Wong, Jack Van Burace
- Where: Great Aveh Desert - Seven Sages Ruins
- Date: January 10th, 2018
- Summary: A group of Drifters travel into the Seven Sages Ruins. Some of them seek things they can sell, but others are looking for information about a missing friend...
===========================<* Great Aveh Desert *>============================ The heart of the Republic of Aveh is its great desert. The rolling dones and blistering heat here are infamous, and all but the most foolhardy would ever dare to cross it on foot. Most do so via the great rail lines running north to south, east to west, leading as far as Krosse and Adlehyde. The ones who do cross it on foot will find the heat isn't the only danger. Mirages can lead men astray, oases are few, and great and terrible beasts sink beneath the sands until they find their prey.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
========<* CHALLENGE - A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place *>=========
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The Seven Sages Ruins lies largely submerged in the Aveh desert except for
its entrance. Stepping inside, there is a small sandy incline on the way
heading downwards before you emergy in a lobby with potted plant that are
clearly fake and carpeting that has rotted considerably. The lights are
still powered on and fill the room with fluorescent light. As you enter, a
speaker crackles and a recorded message plays.
"Welcome to the Seven Sages *crackling*." A voice belonging to an older man
says. It isn't your language but it's a language you somehow instinctively
understand. He sounds bored, tired, and maybe even a little queasy. "Please
proceed through the lift and into the first testing area."
Indeed, there are two elevator doors off to the side but pushing the button
doesn't seem to call any elevator. You may have to pry it open and find
another way down.
"Hiiiii! I am Holly! I will be helping Professor Wickerton with your tour!
Please be sure to stay with your group! Professor Wickerton is very busy and
we still can't locate our custodial staff so we don't have time to clean up
if you suffer an accident! Heehee!" A second recorded voice pipes in.
"Mnnn....yes... I remember the last group... I had to mop them up myself...
So unsanitary..." Professor Wickerton says. "Please proceed with caution
through the lift and into the first testing area."
Probably not worth worrying about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwfICqwtC2w
=Dungeon Conditions: Madness==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
With all the chaos going on in Cyre's life, he can perhaps be forgiven for overlooking a few relatively less important (but still Very Important) details. For example, almost concurrent to when Cyre was busy trying to purge his homeland of the terrible purple plague which had afflicted it, a certain Rigdobrite-headed young baskar had apparently straight up and... Vanished into thin air under very questionable circumstances.
And, in spite of everything, Cyre does feel some kind of connection to little rockhead. They're both Baskar, both have had to deal with ~issues~ associated with their respective cranial additions, and... To be honest, Asty has been a pretty big help in a number of ways. Plus she's friends with Kaguya.
And so, here they are. In the one place that Cyre could hope to find clues as to her whereabouts.
And he brought... friends!!
The party enters into a ruined foyer. The only reason mold hasn't devoured what's left of the faux shag carpeting is because the Avehan desert is about as inhospitably dry as you can get on Ignas. Still, it doesn't help the decor much.
The shaman visibly shudders at the voices playing over the radio. He knows something about these mysterious individuals, it seems. At least the vapors wafting from his censer take the edge off the desiccated, overall creepiness of the ruin. "Broken down again," he says, hammering a finger away at an unresponsive call button. "We need to break this thing down. Or pry it open, at least."
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Invigorating Vapors toward his party's challenge, A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
Everybody needs to eat.
Tethelle has been along to some ruins lately, but none of them have been the kind where she sold anything afterwards. While she did get a scroll to read from the Sword Temple (and has been reading it), she's not going to sell such an item - it's not quite blasphemy but it's working on it. She's much more comfortable with selling some random tech bits.
And, of course, Cyre asked. That's important, too.
Tethelle tilts her head at the voice when they enter. She's frowning. "An old voice?" she asks Cyre as she follows him toward the elevator. When it doesn't open, she gestures for him to step aside, tugging her gloves up before simply trying to jam her fingers between the doors and pry open by main strength.
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has used her Tool Power Gloves toward her party's challenge, A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
For her part, Lily Keil was more than willing to go along with what she gathered was a trip to the Seven Sages, an installation that she's seen once before and wasn't at all finished with. ...Its condition gets a lifted eyebrow from her, and she says nothing to the voices playing over the speakers. As usual, the ex-soldier has been quiet, and largely kept to herself, watching the rest of the group--and watching their backs.
"And back to regular condition..." Lily considers, with those first words she's spoken in a while, and steps forward. "Excuse me," she suggests, pulling some explosives from her bag--a set of very small charges--and begins placing them on strategic places about the doorway.
Once people are clear of the part she's trying to blow up, Lily snaps her gloved fingers, and the fuses spontaneously(?) ignite. Boom. It won't destroy the door... But it sure will take it off its track to get them in.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline had heard about Asteroid's disappearance around the same time Cyre did. She considered her one of her friends, so hearing that she was missing was...understandably upsetting. So when she heard that Cyre was looking to find clues, Jacqueline readily agreed to come along.
And so, she finds herself in the Seven Sages ruin a second time. The last time, they had Asteroid here to guide them, and fellow members of the Caravan Kinship to support them. This time, they didn't have either, but at least they'd been able to other reliable companions to bring along. This wasn't a place anyone should visit without backup, she'd learned that for certain...
She slowly steps into the foyer, looking around. It's just as she remembered it...as if nothing's changed, in fact.
Jacqueline frowns slightly, then reaches into her bags.
"I'd probably just get in the way, so I'll see if I can't get this panel working again..." She says, pulling some small tools from one of them. She wasn't Shalune, but she still knew a thing or two about technology. She waits until Lily detonates her explosives before moving in to examine the panel carefully.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place. DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Explosive Charges toward her party's challenge, A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong has come along this time with Lily. She wasn't quite done with this area and Fei didn't manage to get out with much treasure either which means he's trying again to make some dough. Maybe he'll get to see...
...well, he is surprised to see the door repaired after their last time here. He pushes up his shoulders faintly, raising his foot--but ultimately sets it back done. He knows what Lily's going to do. She's not likely to need much help.
"You've been here before, Cyre? Last time we were here, we ran into..." He hesitatse, uncertain. "Gebler, I guess."
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
Jack was defintally here the whole time. He was just quiet. And maybe a little angry. OK a lot angry. Its better to be angry out on the road than angry while healing in a Baskar camp. So he had been convinced to take a Dig by Hanpan and by others. That's totally why he, and his excellent Guitar skills, are present.
Background Music is important ok.
DG: Jack Van Burace has used his Tool Guitar toward his party's challenge, A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
========<* CHALLENGE - A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place *>=========
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The Seven Sages Ruins lies largely submerged in the Aveh desert except for
its entrance. Stepping inside, there is a small sandy incline on the way
heading downwards before you emergy in a lobby with potted plant that are
clearly fake and carpeting that has rotted considerably. The lights are
still powered on and fill the room with fluorescent light. As you enter, a
speaker crackles and a recorded message plays.
"Welcome to the Seven Sages *crackling*." A voice belonging to an older man
says. It isn't your language but it's a language you somehow instinctively
understand. He sounds bored, tired, and maybe even a little queasy. "Please
proceed through the lift and into the first testing area."
Indeed, there are two elevator doors off to the side but pushing the button
doesn't seem to call any elevator. You may have to pry it open and find
another way down.
"Hiiiii! I am Holly! I will be helping Professor Wickerton with your tour!
Please be sure to stay with your group! Professor Wickerton is very busy and
we still can't locate our custodial staff so we don't have time to clean up
if you suffer an accident! Heehee!" A second recorded voice pipes in.
"Mnnn....yes... I remember the last group... I had to mop them up myself...
So unsanitary..." Professor Wickerton says. "Please proceed with caution
through the lift and into the first testing area."
Probably not worth worrying about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwfICqwtC2w
=Dungeon Conditions: Madness==================================================
=========================<* Seven Sages - Round 1 *>========================== ==========< Results - A Friendly Welcome Before A Dangerous Place >=========== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 0 --(5)--> 5 Fail Invigorating Vapors 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Explosive Charges 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Van Burace 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Guitar 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tethelle Cirdian 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Power Gloves 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Madness Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz 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> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Real old," Cyre agrees with a nod as he lets the ladies do their respective things to the door. Though he does tap Tethelle's shoulder and motion for her to maybe move away from the elevator doorway if it doesn't open with a bit of prying. If it does, well then, no use wasting good explosives, right? "You'll see when we get to the bottom, but... Let's just say I'm not surprised this thing's back in place, after what we found down here before."
He nods at Fei, then. "Yeah. Jay and I've been here once before. It's not a good place at all. There's... Something at the bottom. Something that shouldn't be there. Or anywhere else on Filgaia. Whatever you do, when we do get there, don't let them into your heads, alright? They're not people anymore."
With that, the shaman goes quiet and covers his ears. Lily's explosives blast the door just off its hinges, and with a bit of prying by Tethelle and some brief electrical work to get the actual elevator going again, Cyre steps inside and hits a button. He holds the 'open' button for as long as it takes for the others to clamber in.
And then... The descent begins.
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Seven Sages *>================================
==============<* CHALLENGE - A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle *>==============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
A large block lies before you. A floor switch surrounded by a wall a couple
inches up surrounds the floor switch.
"In this facility," Wilkerton says. "It is very important to listen to the
instructions of the staff. Please show that you can follow instructions in
order to proceed. Push this block onto the switch."
A large ramp spirals up from the side of the room before suddenly stopping
over the switch.
"No lifting!" Holly adds. "He said push!"
"If there is a containment breach, a protective wall will have lifted to
protect the switch." Wilkerton adds. "This is merely to ensure the switch is
not activated accidentally. Please do not fret."
=Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Tire===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
Once Tethelle has wrenched apart the doors a little bit, they become a lot easier to detonate, for some reason, and knock off the track. People can move it from there. (Tethelle helps). They go down a fterwards, though Tethelle looks at it a little strangely. "I don't generally let people into my head," she says, as they descend.
The new puzzle is requested to be solved. Tethelle doesn't see this as very difficult. When she sees the switch and the short lip of wall, she moves toward the block, picking it up. It's not hard to just put it on the other side -
'No lifting!'
Part of Tethelle wants to ignore the ancient voice from the past, because who cares about some moldy old voice? Tethelle solves problems her own way. But there might be some kind of reason for it even if they can't see what it is right now. Tethelle lets out a huge sigh. And then she puts the block down.
On the outside of the wall, right where she picked it up from. "Guess we have to push it. Figures," she complains. "If it gets stuck, I'll solve it then."
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Good," Cyre says to Tethelle. His censer's fumes becoming quite pleasantly concentrated over the course of their descent. The elevator doors slide open just in time-- it almost got stiflingly incensed up in here. The puzzle beyond is...
Uh.
Hm.
"That's... So we can't lift it, or else something bad will happen?" Cyre frowns, rubbing his chin. "Okay. Makes sense. I'll just... Help guide it up from back here, then?"
He can't pull the block up the track, but he can sure nudge it to and fro to keep it from falling off the spiralling slope. After all, they wouldn't want to go all the way down and back up again, do they? That'd be awful!
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Invigorating Vapors toward his party's challenge, A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily breathes the incense as they go, letting it sharpen her mind as they wait for the elevator to move through. ...It's not a bad scent, which is largely demonstrated by the fact that she doesn't frown any extra at it. She glances once at Jack... And then the rest of the room, before the day opens. She considers, once they get to the puzzle, and hears the instructions. "...Instructions," she repeats. A roll of her eyes. "Of course, instructions." Lily, seeing the little wall that's in the way...
She does not push the block; instead, she kneels down, touches the barrier--and starts to focus.
It starts to crack under her touch as bits of it stop being there, assuming that her gambit works.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's a little pleased with herself that she managed to get the doors open, though Cyre's warnings to the others do grab her attention.
"Yes. Please, be careful here...I am unsure what you'll see." She warns...then looks toward Fei.
"Gebler was here? That's concerning..." She murmurs, her expression darkening a bit. She remains quiet as she steps into the elevator, and she doesn't speak again until they make it to the only floor it would let them access.
Part of this may have to do with the mask she'd put on to protect herself from Cyre's fumes.
And, of course, in the first room they see is a puzzle of some kind. Jacqueline takes a moment to think about this.
"Hmm...just a moment." Jacqueline says, drawing a Crest from her bags. They said only to push it, but...
Jacqueline invokes the Crest, conjuring up an earth pillar that extends from the side of the ramp and pushes up against one of the walls. This would shorten their pathway quite a bit. And if it didn't work...
Well, at least Lily was simplifying things, too.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
Jack seems distracted, but the music at least seems to help focus him. The swordsman's eyes a closed as he continues to strum the music. Its soothing actually, relaxing and entertaining all at once as he plucks sweet sounds out of the air to counter the annoying instructions the recorded voices that seem to poor into the room and demand actions.
Hanpan though, even from his point on Jack's shoulder, seems to summon a bit of wind to help with the shoving. Its not much, but between that and the music its some help.
At least Jack would like to believe.
DG: Jack Van Burace has used his Tool Guitar toward his party's challenge, A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong listens to Cyre. He says, "Don't let them get into my head? Uh..." He's starting to think maybe he shouldn't have come, just by Cyre saying that. "...Right, don't worry." He laughs it off a bit. "Don't worry. I won't, you know...uh... I won't do that."
Fei is about ready to start pushing the block when Jay summons earth pillars that should be pretty useful in cheating without actually cheating. Of course it might be moot if Lily eradicates the wall in the first place.
Fei takes in a deep breath and will help with pushing the block. It's large enough for multiple people to push anyway.
"Jack right?" Fei asks. "How'd you learn how to play the guitar? I have a friend who picked up the flute, so I thought maybe I should learn a little more about music too."
He grimaces as Tethelle lifts the block up. Even briefly feels like he's going to get accused of cheating in class though--
"...Maybe it's to test lateral thinking."
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle.
===============================<* Seven Sages *>================================
==============<* CHALLENGE - A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle *>==============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
A large block lies before you. A floor switch surrounded by a wall a couple
inches up surrounds the floor switch.
"In this facility," Wilkerton says. "It is very important to listen to the
instructions of the staff. Please show that you can follow instructions in
order to proceed. Push this block onto the switch."
A large ramp spirals up from the side of the room before suddenly stopping
over the switch.
"No lifting!" Holly adds. "He said push!"
"If there is a containment breach, a protective wall will have lifted to
protect the switch." Wilkerton adds. "This is merely to ensure the switch is
not activated accidentally. Please do not fret."
=Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Tire===========================================
==========================<* Seven Sages - Round 2 *>=========================== ================< Results - A Suspiciously Simple Block Puzzle >================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cyre H. Lorentz 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Invigorating Vapors 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 5 --(10)--> 15 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Van Burace 5 --(10)--> 15 Fail Guitar 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 5 --(10)--> 15 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tethelle Cirdian 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Collapse|Tire(2) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz 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> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
Tethelle Cirdian put it the block back. She's not cheating! Much.
Jacqueline's pillar is convenient. Now nobody has to lift it - the ground will do that for them! Lily crumbling part of the wall gives an easy choice of directions to push it in, and Jack - okay, Hanpan's - wind makes it easier to push. She's not sure about Cyre's fumes, but even if they're not helping (she honestly can't tell), they don't seem to be hurting much.
With Fei's help, they push it into place without going quite all the way around the room. And with theme music, as long as Jack's guitar-playing fingers hold out. "There," Tethelle says, satisfied enough.
DG: Lily Keil has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Seven Sages *>================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Greased Lightning *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
The party steps into a lab filled with tesla coils. Every so often the
electricity lashes out from those coils zap the ground around them.
Flamethrowers spew flames from the walls periodically as well, stalling
progress and making it a matter of speed, timing, and flexibility to make it
across as tables have been set up, effectively creating a small maze you
have to traverse while avoiding everything else.
"Professor, why did we do this again?" Holly asks.
"I'm...not entirely sure."
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate, Injure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
The power of teamwork wins, once again. ...And after that, the room is lit by a 'ding' and the next set of doors are opened. Lily looks towards the door, around the room--and then gathers herself up to walk forward. Her hands hang loosely at her side. "...Nice work," she says to the others, admiring Jay's pillars as they go... and through this next hallway, they emerge into a very... warm... chamber, announced by the buzzing of tesla coils.
Lily frowns immediately. She frowns hard, and is very, very displeased. Holly asks why they did this. Lily wonders the same thing for an instant.
"...I'm going to have to use up some medical supplies on this," she mutters darkly, and prepares to just walk it. Others may have better moves.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Greased Lightning.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
So far, Tethelle hasn't seen anything in here that is particularly worrying.
Despite that, though, she's on edge, mostly because of what Cyre said before. Why are they even listening to the voice now? She supposes there's no way to get them to stop, but... "If you can hear this," she says into thin air, "we don't actually need your help. I'm pretty sure we can find whatever we're looking for all on our own."
Especially if they get led into rooms like this. Tethelle doesn't rush in, despite her usual attitude toward problems like that. The flamethrowers and the coils (she doesn't know what they're called, nor would she care if someone told her) are kind of a problem.
This is how you know you're getting used to being a Drifter: you're a little more blase about weird electric ARMs trying to kill you.
"Lightning and fire, huh," she says, rolling her neck before focusing ahead. She tenses, going into a slightly lower stance - and right after some of the lightning erupts, she runs, planting her hand on one of the tables and vaulting it to get to a straightaway faster. She is very glad for her gloves; the closest flamethrower has made the table hot.
"Come on! Before it starts again!"
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Greased Lightning.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong says, "You're not too sure!?"
He remembers what Cyre said and clears his throat. Yes let's not let them get into his head. He DOES mean them right? It's just recorded voices. It's probably meant to be a little goofy to put visitors at ease. Though...he's not sure exactly why anybody would be a tourist for a place like this.
"Y...yeah..." Fei manages, looking embarrassed. "Right."
The voices don't respond to Tethelle or to Fei though. He sighs.
He summons chi. Just like he's using the technique, he thinks...
..and he unleashes a mist of ice from his hands as he runs along the strange obstacle course set before the group. He's just hopeful that he doesn't actually have to test whether it'll beat a flamethrower or not!
"I'm starting to think we should've taken the other route!" Fei asides to Lily. That route DID have more murders, but it also had less flamethrowers.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Greased Lightning.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"They're recordings," Cyre says to Jay and Fei in a way that suggests that, yeah, he had assumed they weren't at first, too. "But trust me when I say that you shouldn't get attached to them. You'll uh. You'll see. I'm pretty sure this was some kind of... science facility, though? Or a museum or something. I don't know, it's hard to tell anymore."
Also being seen: This. This... Thing.
Why would a science museum have a room full of FLAMETHROWERS and TESLA COILS? Well, obviously, because SCIENCE.
The shaman sighs, his parachute coming unfurled. He floats gently towards the ceiling and begins attempting to chart a course through the air rather than trying to hazard the ground. Hopefully he doesn't catch a stray lightning bolt. Everyone knows flying types take extra damage from electric...!
(Also, he'd get all frizzy, then. He is not prepared to be that fluffy today.)
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Reverse Parachute toward his party's challenge, Greased Lightning.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Th-thank you. Your sorcery...it was quite impressive, as well." Jacqueline says with a sheepish smile toward Lily. With everyone's help they manage to proceed, finding a room that looks rather...
Well, Jacqueline briefly wonders if it isn't possible for them to turn around and take another path. ...They're here, though, so they might as well think about how to proceed. A part of her is glad they didn't bring Shalune along, though...she's entirely certain that the girl would be trying to dismantle the coils and the flamethrowers to see how they worked, and who knew how the facility would react to that.
"Don't worry, I came prepared." Jacqueline replies to Lily, reaching into her bags to drawn out some pale-green potions. She passes them around to everyone before focusing her efforts toward figuring out a way around this.
...Ah, of course. She has just the answer.
Jacqueline reaches into her bags, drawing out a few bottles of bright orange liquid - her ARM-jamming Haywire Draught.
"Okay, theoretically, these should jam the devices and make it easier for us to get through..." Jacqueline comments. She starts to proceed quickly at Tethelle's urging, hurling the bottles at the obstacles in the way as she proceeds.
But...what did she mean theoretically??
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Greased Lightning.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
Jack just peers at his guitar. Its out of tune and he doesn't like it. However he does put it away as he almost lazily strolls after the other Drifters into the next set of room. Calm and quiet, expecting the actually problems will start soon enough.
He isn't wrong in his thoughts.
The rush and scream of jets of flame and lightning blasts give him pause. Though now he's smirking. This is something he can concentrate on that doesn't have to do with anything else beyond traps and getting past it.
"You're right." His words directed to the little group at large. "I did need something like this."
Now he's grinning as Tethelle starts to urge them all for speed. Dashing forwards, trying to channel that quick draw speed he's known for to time those leaps perfect. Past the jets and the lightning. Past the heated tables and the obstacles. Make it to the other side in one piece, thats all he needs to think on now.
"Come on, Fei." He adds as he leaps for it. "If we went the other way we would have missed all this fun!"
Hanpan clings on for dear life, the end of his tail going poofed with all that static.
"You know you're idea of fun it not most peoples, Jack!"
DG: Jack Van Burace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Greased Lightning.
===============================<* Seven Sages *>================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Greased Lightning *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
The party steps into a lab filled with tesla coils. Every so often the
electricity lashes out from those coils zap the ground around them.
Flamethrowers spew flames from the walls periodically as well, stalling
progress and making it a matter of speed, timing, and flexibility to make it
across as tables have been set up, effectively creating a small maze you
have to traverse while avoiding everything else.
"Professor, why did we do this again?" Holly asks.
"I'm...not entirely sure."
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate, Injure=========================================
==========================<* Seven Sages - Round 3 *>=========================== ========================< Results - Greased Lightning >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cyre H. Lorentz 10 --(15)--> 25 Pass Reverse Parachute 1 Agility Effects: Rally and Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 15 --(15)--> 30 Pass Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 10 --(20)--> 30 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Van Burace 15 --(20)--> 35 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 15 --(20)--> 35 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tethelle Cirdian 10 --(20)--> 30 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 40 --(10)--> 50 Fail Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Injure(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"...Thanks," Lily says to Jay, seemingly pleased, if only a little clearly, at the compliment.
"We definitely should've--" Lily is struck by another blast of lightning, gritting her teeth, "Taken the other route. But we're here now." A pause. "...A science facility seems right from what I've seen." As for enjoyment, she's definitely with Hanpan here. But... theoretically...
Lily keeps going. The group as a whole keeps going, and here, ultimately, is what happens with that:
Tethelle's momentum has some trouble getting started, as the triggers on the traps are irregularly timed--she makes it all right, but a little crispier than she would like. Lily and Fei similarly; Fei does have to test whether it beats a flamethrower, and it does! ...But it sends up thick smoke that he has to get around. Cyre floats towards the ceiling...fand while it takes some energy, he gets through. Jay meanwhile throws her item, and and after that, it gets a lot easier for eeeeveryone.
...Which means, as Jack goes through, he does make it to the other side in one piece, but Hanpan might get a little frizzy.
They're all on the other side, though.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Drifting Away From Sanity *>==================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You come upon a small group of drifters. They look old and haggard as if
they've been here for quite some time.
"I feel I should warn you." Wilkerton says. "You are the only tour group we
have invited today. If you see another group, you likely have run into
doppelgangers of a prior tour group."
"Doppelgangers are very crafty!" Holly chirps. "If they act like other
visitors, they're lying! Don't fall for it or you could wind up dead! Or
worse!"
Understanding dawns on the drifters' faces and they draw their weapons. You
need to convince them you're not doppelgangers or, well, there's always the
alternative!
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Tire===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong laughs at Jack's commentary. "I think I'm starting to get a better feel for you, Jack." He files him under the 'Bart' column of character archetype. But really, what are the odds that he's part of some fallen kingdom that was usurped by a hostile force? Probably pretty small.
Fei is NOT on fire when they emerge through the other side, but he is covered in soot and looks like a chimney sweeper from Mary Poppins. That's not great but he is, at least, only mildly burned rather than heavily burned so--it could have been a lot worse!
And that's when the crew enters another hallway and Wilkerton starts, well, it's a bit like what Cyre said--trying to get in their heads despite being a recording it seems. Warning them about dopplegangers. And then a crew of haggard drifters come upon the group and Fei starts up short. He stares at them. He coughs into his fist.
"Are you dopplegangers?" He asks them.
"Are YOU dopplegangers?" The lead drifter taunts back, slowly lifting up a pickaxe.
The two of them stare at one another. A chronally frozen tumbleweed passes between the two of them.
"I'm going to sketch your picture." Fei says. "A doppleganger wouldn't do that right? I mean, that's probably against the doppleganger rules."
"How do you know the doppleganger rules? Are you from Doppleopolis???" The man threatens him with the pickaxe. "The voices say not to trust you... and you seem to know an awful lot about dopplegangers!!!"
Fei grimaces. He mouths the word 'Help...!'.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool Artist's Toolkit toward his party's challenge, Drifting Away From Sanity.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
There are no brakes on this train. Or Baskar. Whichever.
Unfortunately, Tethelle could really use some brakes, because while dodging a lightning bolt she slams her hip into one of the tables, spinning herself partially around and getting slightly crispy by a flamethrower that gets a little too close for comfort.
Which means she's trying to adjust a burned shoulder guard and smooth the obviously burned part out (it doesn't work). At least it hasn't done more than blacken and scorch her shirt collar; smells bad, but most of the shirt is okay. She wipes sweat off her forehead and is literally halfway through that when they walk into the group of...
"What's a doppleganger?" Tethelle asks, because that's not a word she knows. "Copy...? Whatever it is, I am fairly certain I'm not one. My name is Tethelle Cirdian." They have weapons, but she doesn't draw hers for two reason: one, it makes her look non-threatening, and two, she's good enough at drawing it quickly that she's pretty sure she can defend herself from a crazed man with a heavy pickaxe. This reminds her of that time in the Krosse Kaves...
So she also decides to help out: "If you go past us you'll go into a room filled with lightning and fire, but if you get past that you can get out. ...but maybe find a different route that doesn't have lightning tubes in it."
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Drifting Away From Sanity.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline feels a little bad, admittedly. If she'd thought about her Haywire Draught sooner, then maybe everyone wouldn't have gotten out of it looking so...toasty. Well, it was too late to be concerned.
What they find on the other side, though, is the last thing she expected to see. Another group of Drifters...? The recording warns them that they might be dopplegangers, but...they looked real, and she had long since started tuning out what the recordings were saying anyway.
"I'm Jacqueline Barber, of the Caravan Kinship. We came in here looking for someone. Have you met a young lady who goes by the name of Asteroid the Kid? She's gone missing..." Jacqueline says, then taps the side of her head. "She's very distinct. Her head greatly resembles Rigdobrite..."
It was more polite than saying she had a rock for a head.
She glances toward Tethelle, then, and nods.
"Yes. We fixed the elevator, so if you get to it quickly, you might be able to take it all the way up. And...here." Jacqueline draws some bottles from her bags, and offers them to the Drifters. "You all look exhausted. Here, these should help..."
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Drifting Away From Sanity.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Oh no, it's this again.
"A doppelganger is kind of like... Your double or copy or twin-you-didn't-know-you-had I guess?" Cyre explains this to Tethelle and pretty much everyone else who isn't familiar with weird, long, vaguely scientific words. "Supposedly if you touch your own double, you die. And then you explode? I'm a little fuzzy on the details. The point is that touching them is a bad idea."
Jacqueline has the right idea by it, though. The shaman comes up next to her and taps the bottom end of his staff gently on the floor. "Yeah. What she said. We heard she disappeared into a portal and we've been hoping that she turned up here, considering all the weird space and all. Look, we should probably just go our seperate ways, but before we do, if you could like... Point us in the direction of any weird holes in space and time, that would be great?"
It's almost worrying how casual he seems about finding gaping holes in the fabric of reality, but that's just how this place is.
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Drifting Away From Sanity.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
"I'm glad someone is, Fei."
Jack's fast. Its one of his few saving graces. Moving here and there. Ducking flame. just managing to whip past a blast from a coil. He lands on the other side with hardly a scratch on him. A smirk on his face.
"Ah yeah. I needed that."
"I." Hanpan's voice is filled with exasperation. "Did not."
The little wind mouse at the moment appears as nothing more than the head of a blue dandilion. Every hair on end, arms held out like he has been stuffed into too many winter coats. Little eyes and tail peering towards Jack as he just glowers. His little pouch the only thing thats mannaging to hold down parts of his fur.
Slowly he sighs and as the opposite team of addled Drifters pile into the room the wind mouse just shakes his head. In the most dignified manner he can he pipes up. "My good sirs, or madams, its hard to see with all this fur in my yes. Regardless. As you can see I am a wind mouse. I can not be made into a doppelganger. So therefor we must be real. As the ladies say, the exit is just over that way. If you hurry you should be fine."
Jack? Really he's trying hard not to laugh.
DG: Jack Van Burace has used his Tool Hanpan toward his party's challenge, Drifting Away From Sanity.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"...Yeah, I guess so," Lily agrees with Fei, shaking her head and dusting herself off. As they move to the new hallway... The voices start up again, and Lily listens while watching very carefully. "...Dopplegangers again," she says, flatly. And the group is--...Ah. Another group. Immediately, Lily sizes them up, checking their weapons, their stances, determining where she would strike first if it came to violence, whether she should bring it to violence, all while Fei is talking and the lead Drifter is taunting. Everyone has their own ideas about dopplegangers. Lily considers them.
She finally adds, after Hanpan's statement...
"Further than that," she says, ARM still on her shoulder, "Do you want this to be a fight? Looking at the lot of you, I think..." She considers. "You'd wound her," Lily gestures at Jay, "Before we could react very much, and then you'd have about a fifty/fifty shot of taking another of us down before we killed all of you--and I don't really have a reason to take prisoners in here."
A beat, "Or, I can patch any of you up who are injured and you can take our advice and keep moving."
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Drifting Away From Sanity.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Drifting Away From Sanity *>==================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You come upon a small group of drifters. They look old and haggard as if
they've been here for quite some time.
"I feel I should warn you." Wilkerton says. "You are the only tour group we
have invited today. If you see another group, you likely have run into
doppelgangers of a prior tour group."
"Doppelgangers are very crafty!" Holly chirps. "If they act like other
visitors, they're lying! Don't fall for it or you could wind up dead! Or
worse!"
Understanding dawns on the drifters' faces and they draw their weapons. You
need to convince them you're not doppelgangers or, well, there's always the
alternative!
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Tire===========================================
=========================<* Seven Sages - Round 4 *>========================== ===================< Results - Drifting Away From Sanity >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 25 --(8)--> 33 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 30 --(8)--> 38 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 30 --(8)--> 38 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Van Burace 35 --(8)--> 43 Pass Hanpan 3 Wits Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 35 --(8)--> 43 Pass Artist's Toolkit 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tethelle Cirdian 30 --(13)--> 43 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 50 --(15)--> 65 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Hesitate(1)|Tire(2) Effects: Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong is finding himself liking Jack. He makes a note to check up on Hanpan and him later. He isn't sure what it is exactly but he seems charming. Maybe it's how he looks at risks? That's right, he thinks, the way he just charges into it. He kind of envies it.
There's a long tense moment with the other drifters but through a combination of threats and genuine kindness, the drifters gradually calm down and get potions for their trouble.
But one of the drifters reaches out and touches Hanpan with a finger before snapping it back and blushing severely. "c...cute..." He says.
Did they even hear Hanpan's ingenious logic?!?!
Nevertheless, they jerk their thumbs over their shouldres. "Awful shit is that way." They tell Cyre before heading on their way to the...to the flamethrowers.
Yeah, this is probably not going to end well for them, but at least they aren't in your way anymore! In the distance you cna hear someone cry out in sorrow, "My sketch!"
Fei just keeps moving.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Catch You If You Can *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You are moving down a winding hallway when you come face to face with
another drifter group but it becomes apparent rather quickly that the other
drifter group is merely clones of your drifter group. They turn to look at
you and run off, suddenly fearful! As they do, the recorded voices start
speaking again.
"Say Professor, what is going on here in Sector B?" Holly asks.
"It seems to be a chronal skip anomoly. It is nothing to worry about. It
will work itself out, Holly." Professor Wickerton says. "Completely harmless
unless someone walks into it."
"Ohhhh..." Holly says. "But what if a tour group accidentally steps inside?"
"Well," Professor Wickerton admits. "Then there is a small chance of
chronotonic dopplegangers, but I suppose this would be a minor nuisance so
long as their past selves do not catch up with them, or...ah...their future
selves escape them... I suppose it would be a learning opportunity. So the
teacher guides the student, the students enlighten the teacher."
Better hurry! Or slow down? Somewhere in between? hmm.
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline glances away a bit sheepishly when Lily gestures to her...but she can't really deny it. After all, she knew that if it came down to a fight she'd be hesitant to hurt them...but they wouldn't have any reservations about hurting her.
Fortunately, it doesn't come down to that...though she does wince at the sounds from the other room. It sounded like her Haywire Draught had worn off...maybe she should have sent a bottle or two along with them. Still, it's too late now, so she just decides to move on...
And finds herself face-to-face with, of all people, herself.
Jacqueline and Jacqueline stare at each other...and then sigh, massaging their foreheads.
"Not this again..." They murmur in tandem. It did make sense, why those previous Drifters were so concerned.
Fortunately, though, Jacqueline and Jacqueline are both in agreement on one thing.
"Let's just get this over with, okay?" Jacqueline and Jacqueline both hand out potions to their respective parties, and start to move.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Catch You If You Can.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"We really need to improve the staying power to that potion of yours, Jay," Cyre asides amidst the TERRIBLE SCREAMING coming from somewhere behind the group. "I mean, it worked for us, but if someone picks up an ARM they think is disabled and start trying to fool around with it after the fact... Well that might not end very well for anyone. You kn--"
Beat.
There is another Cyre up there.
Wow that's just--
"How the hell are there so many dopplegangers in this damn--" Oh gosh, both of the Cyres are looking SUPER EXASPERATED. "Ugh. This is awful. But I guess these are... proper doppelgangers, and not just a spare set of diggergangers." Cyre one and Cyre two shake their heads and sigh, "Here," they say, gesturing towards one another as their parachutes unfold. "This should help, at least."
With that, each one hits the other with a tremendous burst of wind, sending them both flying in the directions they'd rather want to go. There's plenty of time for everyone else to hop on, too!
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Reverse Parachute toward his party's challenge, Catch You If You Can.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
The Drifters don't seem interested in listening to Tethelle, but fortunately the rest of her group is there to pick up the slack. She keeps her sword where it belongs, in its carrier; Tethelle certainly has nothing against fighting but she would rather not do it to a bunch of lost people. And speaking of lost people...
"Hey!"
That was Tethelle, who called at... probably herself... when she saw the other group. Tethelle takes off after herself at a run, and the other Tethelle hesitates for a few moments, half-turning to look at the original Tethelle.
Tethelle slows down after a few moments, looking at herself. Do I actually look like that to other people? she thinks. She's never owned a full-length mirror, and she's certainly never seen herself from the back. She considers herself for a moment, thoughtfully.
And then Cyre blows the two of them apart with a gust of wind, sending them blasting down the hallway(s). Tethelle doesn't have a parachute, but her half-skirt seems to be trying pretty hard to fill in, judging by how it billows.
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Catch You If You Can.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily stares at the other Lily, golden eyes piercing as she looks to her. Other-Lily is... somewhat less intense, looking with a blink and an unsettled frown back. Both extend their hands slightly to the sides, opening their fingers in a grip that is clearly preparing to cast. Both watch the other for a few moments' longer. The other group is left behind as far as she's concerned, and Lily takes a step to the left, her doppleganger mirroring her.
...The doppleganger is a little too pale, a little too shifty. ...And Cyre's burst of wind comes just as they watch each other. The other Lily throws up a hand and is engulfed in shadow, disappearing quickly into the wind, while the original Lily starts as if to react--
and steps into the wind instead, to let herself be taken off out of here.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Catch You If You Can.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
Hanpan is just getting his fur back under control, and Jack is getting his humor back under control when they all stroll into the next rom to face...them...selves.
Well this is awkward.
"Oh great, like the world needs TWO of us." Says Jack one.
"Whats that supposed to mean?!" Says Jack two.
"You know what I mean!"
"Yeah but you don't have to say it to my face, punk!"
"What?! Who are you calling a punk!"
"Me! Er...YOU!"
"I am you!"
Shut it weakling!"
"Oh yeah come over here and say tha--"
Both Hanpans just facepalm. "Both of you quiet! Stop making our heads hurt! Just walk on and we'll be out of this mess!"
It looks like the Jack's might protest but then Cyre's blast knocks them in different directions. Each down their respective corridors. There may or may not be headtilting at Tethelle in her shorts. However Hannpan puts a stop to that, mostly by being forced to cling to Jack's head to keep from being blown away.
...and now he's going to be windblown.
DG: Jack Van Burace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Catch You If You Can.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei sees Fei. He goes pale.
He closes his eyes. He opens them again. Nope. Other Fei is still there, staring at him. "...Is that what I look like?" The other Fei has let down his hair. Fei checks his hairtie to make sure it's still there. It is. He looks back to the doppleganger.
He presses his lips firmly and leaps for it, fully intent on beating the shit out of DoppleFei. There's an intense look in his eyes--not unlike determination.
But not exactly like it either.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Catch You If You Can.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Catch You If You Can *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You are moving down a winding hallway when you come face to face with
another drifter group but it becomes apparent rather quickly that the other
drifter group is merely clones of your drifter group. They turn to look at
you and run off, suddenly fearful! As they do, the recorded voices start
speaking again.
"Say Professor, what is going on here in Sector B?" Holly asks.
"It seems to be a chronal skip anomoly. It is nothing to worry about. It
will work itself out, Holly." Professor Wickerton says. "Completely harmless
unless someone walks into it."
"Ohhhh..." Holly says. "But what if a tour group accidentally steps inside?"
"Well," Professor Wickerton admits. "Then there is a small chance of
chronotonic dopplegangers, but I suppose this would be a minor nuisance so
long as their past selves do not catch up with them, or...ah...their future
selves escape them... I suppose it would be a learning opportunity. So the
teacher guides the student, the students enlighten the teacher."
Better hurry! Or slow down? Somewhere in between? hmm.
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
=========================<* Seven Sages - Round 5 *>========================== ======================< Results - Catch You If You Can >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 33 --(5)--> 38 Pass Reverse Parachute 1 Agility Effects: Rally and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 38 --(5)--> 43 Pass Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 38 --(10)--> 48 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Van Burace 43 --(10)--> 53 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 43 --(5)--> 48 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tethelle Cirdian 43 --(5)--> 48 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 65 --(20)--> 85 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(1)|Hesitate(2)|Tire(1) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz 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> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's already seen herself before, so she isn't as interested in the sight as some of them are. She'd recalled it had been a bit of a surprise for her back then, too, and though she didn't comment on it, she had been a little self-conscious of the scar on the side of her face for a little while afterward.
Fortunately, the Cyres deals with the situation in a rather effective manner - by sending everyone away with a powerful gust of wind. It wasn't technically touching each other, after all, so whatever strange rules of time and space this place followed didn't seem to care.
Fortunately, whether they aggressed their dopplegangers or decided to just move on, everyone gets out of it just fine, though the landing might be a little rough for some of them.
...Or, at least, that's the way it seems, but who really knows for sure what happened...?
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Little Stars *>========================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You're close to the end of this facility when you come upon a room that
seems impossible to navigate across. What was once the ruins of a research
facility fade away as you find yourself somewhere beyond. The walls crumble
away revealing the darkness of space, only illuminated by stars. Somehow you
can breathe here and you see an exit doorway.
Sometimes the light of the stars shines down, illuminating portions of a
path before winking out again. Testing the path will prove that the paths
only exist when the light beams down upon them.
There's a crackle of words from loudspeakers you don't see.
"I see it now, yes... I see it now....! We're all made of stars!" Holly's
voice shrieks. "The void is so large, and we're so small, but it's so
hungry, so hungry!"
"I'm so glad that you've decided to join us," Wilkerton's voice adds. "The
universe could use a few more stars. Twinkle twinkle little star, how I've
wondered what we are..."
"When the blazing sun is gone," Holly laughs. "When the nothing shines
upon!"
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Madness==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
The landing isn't rough.
'Landing,' after all, requires there to be anything substantial to land on. Instead, Cyre finds himself suspended in a featureless void. Behind him, he can see what looked to be the hallway they had just exited, floating half-crumbling into the starry expanse. Most people would be utterly terrified by what they are made to witness here.
Cyre, however, is exactly where he wants to be.
The cat-man's ears twitch into the emptiness as those voices ring out again over a nonexistent speaker system. Their sanity has been broken. Something happened to this place and the people who once lived within it. Something utterly unimaginable.
"Like I said before," he says to the others. As they arrive-- those who haven't been swept away by the wind, that is-- they'd see the shaman fashioning his parachute into a great sail upon his staff. "They'll try to get into your heads. Don't let them. Whatever you do, don't lose track of one another." He unspools a long length of rope and ties it to his waist before hurling the remainder at the others. "There. Use that. And if anyone knows how to navigate through the space between stars, speak up. Otherwise, we'll just have to play this one by ear."
Once everyone's roped up, Cyre sets them off on their journey to... wherever it is they're going. At least whatever lets them breathe in this weird, floating, gravity-less void also provides ample air to turn into wind.
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Reverse Parachute toward his party's challenge, Little Stars.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei is feeling pretty good about himself after having beaten himself up. He is a little bruised up from punching himself which okay let's just stop it there and keep going.
Fei looks towards Cyre. He's out here looking for some friend of his, he thinks, and not too long after his own village was nearly flattened by malevolence and--let's face it--probably still in not that great shape. It might not have been literally cratered, but he's kind of impressed at his fortitude.
What does that make him, though?
He shakes his head, trying to clear it. He knows that Cyre is going to use the parachute and he says, "I'm pretty sure if this was actually space we'd uh...be freezing to death right now and being unable to speak."
He frowns. "So it must be some kind of...simulation?" He waves a foot around and nearly falls off to his doom. "...Space enough!"
He's goign to take the Cyre reverse parachute route. It might not be the fastest way ubt it sure seems best to be safer rather than sorry here.
"They weren't like this before... maybe this message was recorded afterwards...though to be honest, they seemed pretty nuts the whole way through."
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Little Stars.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
Tethelle Cirdian has figured out a way to glide with the aid of Cyre's wind and the sudden lack of... ground. Or anything else.
Tethelle thinks it looks very silly, which is why she's not actually doing it. She flails for a few moments before attempting to swim, something she is very familiar with - Tethelle is a decent swimmer, though mysteriously this doesn't come up in a desert very often, and it's the only thing that seems at all vaguely familiar.
But then the light shines near her, and she has her feet on the path, for the few moments it exists. Tethelle steps along it, catching the rope from Cyre - and when the path disappears, she has something to hang on, until it comes back. She vastly prefers walking to trusting whatever Cyre is doing - she's more comfortable when she's not flying, thank you.
"Don't worry," Tethelle says. "I don't think you have to worry about me doing anything like that." She can't speak for some of the others. Lily seems a little unstable to her, though not so much that she says anything about it or even draws attention to her - Tethelle is too busy swinging or running to look anywhere else, honestly.
"Is space cold?" she does ask, after Fei speaks. "I suppose that makes sense; the top of mountains are. But why wouldn't you speak?"
Tethelle is very well-educated. She just doesn't have a scientific education and certainly not one good enough to know much about space beyond how to navigate by the stars (and these are not the stars she is familiar with).
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Little Stars.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
Jack was still throwing things at himself even as he landed. So he's a little worse for wear by the time he gets to the next room. A room which is full of...mad voices sputtering on about space and stars.
"This sounds like some evil cult of madmen." He finally gives his opinion as he peers suspiciously at space and stars out there. However he does grab onto the offered rope to assist his leaping and jumping.
"Well," Jack pauses as Tethelle asks the question. "Space seems like it would be really high up. The air gets really thin the higher up you go, so maybe you don't speak to save your breath?"
Logic. Sometimes Jack has it.
Hanpan just shrugs slightly as he clings to the bounding sowrdsman.
DG: Jack Van Burace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Little Stars.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"No oxygen." Fei tells Tethelle. "Oxygen's thinner on top of mountains too and without the oxygen, well, we'd probably suffocate. No air molecules to vibrate either."
Fei is completely uneducated. This is just something that popped into his head.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
Tethelle Cirdian seems to accept Jack's answer as likely.
She doesn't answer because she is saving her breath to run more.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"I thought it was because we're so far away from Filgaia that Fengalon and Solais Emsu could no longer sustain the air we breathe?" Cyre says over in Fei's direction, "Huh. Learn something new everyday."
He... Might? Be serious??
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
This is familiar to Jacqueline, as well. This familiar sea of stars...she knows what lies beyond it, and a shiver of fear runs down her spine. And even now, though she'd been in this room before, the void around her unnerved her. Made her hesitate.
She reaches into her bags, drawing out another bottle of that pale-green liquid and passing them around. She had a feeling everyone will need it.
She ties herself onto the ropes...and then shakes her head.
"I'm afraid not, sorry, I've always used a compass, but..." She hadn't checked, but she had a feeling it wouldn't work in here. There was a fear that she'd take it out and it would usher forth something terrible.
So the most she can do is get ready to invoke some pillars to give them something to land on, if it looks like they're about fall into the void itself.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Little Stars.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Well there's Lunar too, right?" Fei says, comfortable in this parachute that somehow flies the wrong way. "They don't have Guardians."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily is... quiet. What that says about her stability, well... She is a woman with a lot of destructive power, so maybe it's not a bad thing to think about. Regardless, she dusts herself off once they find themselves in the void, looking around thoughtfully. She sees the light, sees the rope, and as the others converse, studies the patterns as much as she's able. Lily takes hold of a section of the rope, glances at Fei. "...Hm."
At that, she lifts her other hand, and in it abrubtly is a reaction that turns into a ball of roiling golden fire, brilliant and shining, that serves as her own light. It might... Work. It might.
"Ideas, but that's all," she speaks up. A beat, "...That wouldn't explain how Lunar has air to breathe," Lily says, "For those who claim to be from it." This to Cyre, of course. ...Ah, Fei said that too. Lily lets it be, for the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"I dunno," Cyre answers, gesturing vaguely skywards, "There's a Moon Guardian, Celesdue, right? I'm guessing she has something to do with people living on the moon."
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Little Stars.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Little Stars *>========================
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You're close to the end of this facility when you come upon a room that
seems impossible to navigate across. What was once the ruins of a research
facility fade away as you find yourself somewhere beyond. The walls crumble
away revealing the darkness of space, only illuminated by stars. Somehow you
can breathe here and you see an exit doorway.
Sometimes the light of the stars shines down, illuminating portions of a
path before winking out again. Testing the path will prove that the paths
only exist when the light beams down upon them.
There's a crackle of words from loudspeakers you don't see.
"I see it now, yes... I see it now....! We're all made of stars!" Holly's
voice shrieks. "The void is so large, and we're so small, but it's so
hungry, so hungry!"
"I'm so glad that you've decided to join us," Wilkerton's voice adds. "The
universe could use a few more stars. Twinkle twinkle little star, how I've
wondered what we are..."
"When the blazing sun is gone," Holly laughs. "When the nothing shines
upon!"
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Madness==========================================
=========================<* Seven Sages - Round 6 *>========================== ==========================< Results - Little Stars >========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 38 --(15)--> 53 Pass Reverse Parachute 1 Agility Effects: Rally and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 43 --(15)--> 58 Pass Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 48 --(20)--> 68 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Van Burace 53 --(20)--> 73 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 48 --(20)--> 68 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tethelle Cirdian 48 --(20)--> 68 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 85 --(0)--> 85 Fail Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Madness|Suffer(1) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz has failed 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.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
One thing's for sure, this was a lot easier back when they had the help of some other stellar navigators. Catenna, Ethius and Asteroid were all here the last time, and between the three of them, they'd managed to find their way relatively quickly. But this time... This time, the party is guided through the infinite dark only by Cyre and Jacqueline's memories of their last trip. Lily's transformation into a veritable human-pharos helps but only a little bit; the strange space seems to register her as yet another star among countless, and the darkness seems to intensify to accomodate her.
The space-sail and the people marching along stone pillars and other, much less visible platforms all meander for just a little bit too long. For those with the opportunity to get bored (and who aren't occupied with trying to navigate), the continuous droning of those voices over the speaker systems might just be enough to drive them mad...!
Well. At least they had something tasty and refreshing to drink, courtesy of the CaraKin.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - The Unsent *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You enter a simulation room of star maps lining the floor sky and walls. On
the ground, you also find a pair of corpses. Their nametags identify them as
Professor Wilkertonand Professor Holly Dayes.
After examining the bodies, they reach for you and stand up on their own
power, looking ashen but stable and mobile.
"We have shed our heart's pulse." Holly says. "Join us and never rest."
"Why do you hesitate?" Wilkerton says. "You have been excellent subjects.
Let us help you shed your gravity."
Then they attack with darkness-type symbology and ether techniques that
periodically speed them up and slow you down! Periodically, constellations
light up along the floor walls and ceilings and send bright death lasers
crashing around!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wk6m05ojw
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei doesn't argue about oxygen any further.
But what does happen is that after that little adventure, the group enters another room of starmaps--though at least this time the ground is rather firm--and there's a couple of corpses on the ground. Fei covers his mouth in horror, pauses, and then lowers his hand. "...Even if this is a sterile area...shouldn't they have decayed by now?"
One of the dead bodies promptly stands up, a man in a labcoat identifiable as Professor Wilkerton. He looks at Fei for a few moments.
"Ah---It's...!" Wilkerton says, stepping backwards. "Holly, Holly wake up! They're here again, and they brought some new blood today! How exciting!"
Holly stands up and peers around. "...Huh!! Are we going to make the usual offer?"
"Offer?" Fei asks.
"Well, of course, we can't possibly have you leaving." Wilkerton says. "Luminaries of yourself must surely help with our experiments. Come, come, don't hesitate. You have been excellent subjects. We can help you shed your gravity."
"Uhhhh...." Fei says.
Holly frowns, studying Fei too. "...We have shed our heart's pulse you know. Join us and never rest."
"UHHHH..." Fei says.
"Hmm.... mistaken identity, perhaps..." Wilkerton sighs, shaking his head. "Well then... I think it's about time we kill you."
"WAIT!!" Fei shouts.
There is a pause.
"How about we settle this with Rock, Paper, Scissors." Fei suggests.
Wilkerton draws out an RPS Badge of his own. "If you insist..."
Fei flinches back as if struck. "...It seems we have no choice...but to fight!"
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, The Unsent.
<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.
Tethelle figures out when the paths are going to appear and disappear by wataching the lights.
Unfortunately, it's kind of a miserable experience, alternating between running along the starlit paths (when they exist), jumping (when they're about to vanish) and flying through the air/being carried along by Cyre and company (when they're not present at all). When they get to the new room, she's disoriented, trying to catch her breath, and generally not in great condition.
But she pushes herself straight when there are dead people in the room. Of course she does.
"I will have to turn it down," Tethelle says, reaching for her sword with one hand and the little stone charm she wears on a cord around her neck. It's a small engraved disc, though she normally wears it with the carved side facing inward; now she rotates it, revealing the simple etching of the symbol of Equites. Not complex or large enough to be a Medium, but... something.
Tethelle draws upon it. She rushes forward; Fei might be distracting one of them, but there's a second and she doesn't seem likely to play by the rules of RPS. She avoids a dark blast caused by Symbology, rolling, and comes to her feet, shoving with the flat of her sword before bringing it through a great arc and a slash, hopefully driving Holly back.
"I don't know what you are, but I know I won't let you take any of us! And we're not your subjects!" Tethelle adds the last, suddenly, when prompted by Holly starting to say something.
DG: Tethelle Cirdian has used her Tool Icon of Equites toward her party's challenge, The Unsent.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Of course they're not dead. They've survived for all this time, what's a few fatal wounds? They left their pulse and their gravity behind, after all. Such beings are certainly far beyond such paltry considerations as life and death...!
Cyre just levels them with a flat stare. "You two really never know when to quit, do you?" The shaman sighs, then fishes around in his cloak and retrieves.. A sketch of a girl with an asteroid for a head...!? It's not exactly the best one, but it gets the message across. "But first... Have you seen this girl come through here?"
Beat.
"I know you recognize her. Girl with the Rigdobrite head. She was the one you two were real interested in the last time I was here. If there's anyone who's been keeping track of where Asty's gotten herself off to, it's you two. So. Have you seen her?"
Well.
They might have to fight it out first to get any proper answers out of them. That's how RPGs work, after all. Cyre murmurs a quiet prayer under his breath, unleashing lasers of his own to bombard the pair of strange, lingering space ghosts.
"Look. I'm just here to find my friend. She disappeared into a weird space portal, and it'd really help us to know where she might have gotten to. Figure you two would know how to find her. Call it an experiment."
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Unsent.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
This room.
Jacqueline remembers this room. And she remembers its inhabitants. Jacqueline reaches into her bags, immediately drawing a bottle of black liquid and a Crest. This particular Crest was one she didn't often have much reason to use. It was a Light spell, effective really only against the undead. Perhaps including ones such as the two in front of them?
"Well, you two are looking as sprightly as ever." Jacqueline comments in a deadpan fashion. "Look, we didn't come here to fight, or to 'shed our gravity'. We came here-"
Jacqueline pauses as Cyre explains the situation more succinctly than she had planned to. He even brought along a sketch!
"Look, I know we can't kill you...but even in your state, being hit with this can't be pleasant." Jacqueline says, tossing the bottle of repellant up and down in her hand.
"Tell us what you know...or, if you don't know anything, why don't you let us leave? I don't think you'll find any interested parties here. No one here has given up yet."
She had no intention of interfering in the Sacred RPS Duel, but if they chose to attack, then Jacqueline would fight back, avoiding spells while throwing out spells of her own...and all the while, tossing that bottle up and down.
A potent threat, indeed...
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Reliable Repellant toward her party's challenge, The Unsent.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily, at least, doesn't have time to get bored; she's focusing, keeping up the light and holding onto the rope, attempting to navigate through. It... takes time, though, it's tiring, aches in her muscles, and Lily reaches the other side eventually... And lets the light fade out. Just another star in the sky...
It's good enough for now. It's all they have; this time, at least, they make it through, where Lily was turned away before, navigate the darkness. And they come to a room with bodies. Lily shows no horror as she sees them; she tilts her head instead, looking them over. "...Not necessarily," Lily says. "But you would think so. Many of the things that cause decomposition come from within your own body, after all. So..." She steps forward to begin to examine them--until they stand. "That--"
They? Holly is peering around, and Lily eyes all involved, freezing in place to plot her next move. ...A pendant, strange gimble patterns and inscribed with ancient script, has come loose from her collar, shining dimly in the light as one of the walls brightens.
"...You..." Lily has... Questions, she finds, all of a sudden. And she slips into a language unknown to most of the room but surely known to them, "<Answer me. What are you? What are you trying to accomplish?>"
But the matter of killing comes down to it, and Lily... Is not going to sit there and watch Fei be killed. Or any of them, for that matter. A blast of darkness rockets towards her and she lifts her hand, conjuring a shield of darkness to meet it, narrowing her golden eyes. "...Looks like this is how it is, even for you. You don't need a pulse to die."
Lily moves into action; the battle is pitched, certainly, and she rolls out of the way of another blast, pulling her ARM; when her enemy is too fast to target, she focuses on healing with red light; when she's too slow, she takes the hits that she has to. But when she finds chances to counterattack--
Loud, ponderous gunshots crack from her rifle and turn into great explosions of blacks and greys, seeking to outright unmake the strange light and undying bodies before them, with fire yes but also with raw destructive force.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Rosenwasser - Infuse toward her party's challenge, The Unsent.
<Pose Tracker> Jack Van Burace has posed.
Jack does not like all this running. And darkness. And falling. And more running. Its making him annoyed again. Espicially when he nearly slips to his death several times on the way. I mean it would be a really suck way to die!
But he makes it though as he gasps for breath and glowers around at all the bodies. Bodies that then slowly start to animate, move, talk, and challenge people to RPS fights.
And apparently stand to be interrigated by Cyre.
Jack though just seems to roll his shoulders as they advance. He rests one hand on the hilt of his sword. The other slips into a pocket to finger a small token. A little nothing really. Just an old insignia. Cracked by flame, soot blackened, warn down to hardly nothing.
As he rubs his thumb over it there is a slow smile that crosses his face. One that grows wider as the undead begin to close in on them. "Finally. Something to kill." A pause. "Rekill? Whatever. But I defintally needed this."
Then the sword is torn free of its scabbard in a blindingly fast draw-cut aimed towards the mass of monsters. Aiming for necks mostly as he flash steps forwards to come to grip with his new opponents. Dodging around the lasers, severing throats before dark incantations can compleate.
He usually finds taking their heads stops most things.
...sorry though, he's not in much mood to talk.
DG: Jack Van Burace has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Unsent.
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - The Unsent *>=========================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You enter a simulation room of star maps lining the floor sky and walls. On
the ground, you also find a pair of corpses. Their nametags identify them as
Professor Wilkertonand Professor Holly Dayes.
After examining the bodies, they reach for you and stand up on their own
power, looking ashen but stable and mobile.
"We have shed our heart's pulse." Holly says. "Join us and never rest."
"Why do you hesitate?" Wilkerton says. "You have been excellent subjects.
Let us help you shed your gravity."
Then they attack with darkness-type symbology and ether techniques that
periodically speed them up and slow you down! Periodically, constellations
light up along the floor walls and ceilings and send bright death lasers
crashing around!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68wk6m05ojw
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer===================================================
=========================<* Seven Sages - Round 7 *>========================== ===========================< Results - The Unsent >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 53 --(10)--> 63 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 58 --(5)--> 63 Pass Reliable Repellant 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 68 --(5)--> 73 Pass Rosenwasser - Infuse 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jack Van Burace 73 --(10)--> 83 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 68 --(5)--> 73 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tethelle Cirdian 68 --(5)--> 73 Pass Icon of Equites 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Cyre H. Lorentz 85 --(35)--> 120 Pass Conditions: Suffer(1) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Cyre H. Lorentz has successfully explored Seven Sages!
==============================<* Seven Sages *>===============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - It's All A Star Ocean *>====================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
After a hard fought battle, Holly and Wilkerton start to fade away.
"You are throwing away a tremendous opportunity." Wilkerton says. "You may
return when you are ready to change your mind..."
And the two vanish and a door opens.
Inside you come upon a records room. Inside the record rooms is a fair
amount of star maps not unlike in the prior room except these are portable
and you can sell or admire them. They seem to be of this galaxy but some are
of areas you've never seen before. Strange that. Nevertheless, the most
interesting find in here are the schematics for a high powered telescope.
Someone might want that!
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
The battle begins!
Fei and Wilkerton engage in an RPS battle, dancing between death lasers appearing from the consellations as they throw tie after tie after tie. Rock, Scissors, Paper, Paper, Scissors, Rock, Rock, Scissors! They appear to be evenly matched. This is a difficult battle for the both of them.
Cyre tries to interrogate them but during the fight it's going to be pretty difficult. Luckily Tethelle is there to be aggressive on her own part, dashing at Holly with her blade. Holly speeds around Tethelle, but that's just what Tethelle was expecting and she swaps back with a twist of the blade and smashes Holly away. The Haste Spell empowering her starting to fade--and she lashes out with her hand, sending a SLOW spell over to Jack turning his FAST DRAW into a DRAW technique...! No!!! The general slower speed prevents Jack from being able to escape a consellation laser and sends him flying to the back of the room.
"You can't kill us." Holly says. "You don't have the right talents for the job!"
The two of them recognize Lily's words. They glance towards Lily, allowing Fei to beat Wilkerton with a ROCK that he pushes on for Wilkerton's face.
"You..." Holly says, looking towards Lily. "Why do you know our language? Why do I know your face?" Lily blasts her left arm into nothingness with the blast. She skids backwards, dropping to one knee.
Wilkerton starts chanting a spell of his own, upset by his RPS loss--but Jay's pillar sends him flying to land near Holly.
"W..wait...!" Wilkerton says. "Enough violence..."
He sighs. "I guess you just won't see it the way we do. Maybe when you're older..." He looks towards Cyre. "Still, you wish to know about 'Asteroid the Kid', do you? Yes, she came through here with a man that calls himself Professor Alexander Castle. We have been unable to best him either, I'm afraid, and he has many men prowling the area. If you can get rid of them, we ... WOULD ... be grateful. If you need incentive, I am certain that she is his prisoner and your friend seems to be suffering from--"
"--Well she's clearly hopped up on nanotech but it's out of control. Whomever inserted them clearly doesn't know what they're doing."
"Nanotech?" Fei asks.
Wilkerton says, "Don't play dumb." He looks to Cyre and adds, "Unfortunately we don't know where they are now. Castle has been asking us about the whereabouts of some kind of 'Time Statue'--so I imagine if you can find that, you can find him. Or perhaps if you find him, you can find this statue they're talking about."
Fei frowns. "...If there's a statue here, we can't dally...She might even be just up ahead, but it sounds like you've got the right location at least, Cyre."
He keeps moving on, eager to get out of here but he slows down, looking back towards Wilkerton who stares at him...
...as if he knows him. Holly stares at Lily. Troubling.
Fei shivers and in the room up ahead...
It's a records room! It's full of starmaps, for the most part, maybe this was some kind of astrological center. There's even something for an extra strong telescope in here. Either way, this is probably Lily's dream find for someone interested in Zeboim culture.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Doctor Alexander Castle? Interesting. Cyre may not be the most well versed in academic fields, but he does no people who are. Ida might be able to get a hold of someone who knows the guy. But if he's been harassing these two... Well, honestly, they have been relatively hospitable, especially for a couple of Ruin End Bosses that all diggers who come all this way should probably expect.
And if this Castle guy is holding her hostage...
Cyre nods at Fei, then looks towards Jacqueline. "I think we should look into this," he says, firmly. "If this guy's been stringing Asty along, then he needs to be dealt with. Especially if he's looking for... It sounds like a statue of Dan Dairam. That's not exactly reassuring, all things considered."
Beat.
"Thanks, you two," Cyre says to the two ghosts. "If you could tell me anything about what the good doctor is capable of too or if there's anything lying around that might help us deal with him, that'd be great. Best to prepare for these kinds of things."
"I'm sort of tired of people getting the drop on us all the time. It'd be a nice change of pace to have something to surprise the other guys this time, you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline had expected it to turn toward violence. When it happens, she isn't upset, or annoyed...more so accepting. Fortunately, though, they do manage to force the two scientists to stand down. The Crest and the bottle are returned to her bag, and she listens as Wilkerton explains.
"Professor Alexander Castle? Hm..." Jacqueline murmurs, thinking it over. She hadn't heard that name before...maybe she should try looking it up somewhere. What he says next is even more alarming.
"Nanotech...? I'm not sure what that is, but...what's happening to her? Is there anything that can be done about it...?" Jacqueline asks. She doesn't know what that meant...but if Asteroid was suffering, then they needed to find her quickly. She nods, then, agreeing with Cyre.
"You said so yourself...it'd benefit you too. If there's anything you can tell us, I would be appreciative..."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Mm... Of course." Holly says, her arm reconstructing herself. It might be harder to permanently kill these spirits than it seems. They're a strange form of undead. "He has two powerful ARMs, and he's a big guy. He uses them to summon high voltage electrical barriers. Blocks pretty much everything. He can spin them around and move them--pretty much at will--and also he hits like a subway train." She pauses. "Do you people even know what a subway train is? It's a train that goes underground!! God!!!"
"I'm sure they know what a subway train is Holly," Wilkerton says. "It surely can't be that bad above ground that they don't know what a subway train is." He looks over to Jacqueline asks his question. "Well...If your friend won't answer, I'll do my best but it's not exactly my field. Nanotech is a medical technology designed for the treatment of wounds, other conditions and the like though last I heard they were working on expanding that technology. We were hoping to work on life extension past thirty years. Over thirty! Can you believe it? Well, perhaps you can."
Holly adds, "But whatever she's got, it's changing the shape of her head into that THING. That's not normal." Holly adds.
"Well, take care of yourselves. Or not! And come back here. The greatest reward is the development of science," Wilkerton says. "Finish your business in the outside world if you are so intent on it...but in the end, eternity can be yours if you just...let go."
The two fade and you're alone except for each other.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily frowns. She does not answer any of the questions offered her. She does not say another word to the pair.
...Just moves on into the next chamber, where she examines what's left, frowning... and thinking.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline frowns. ARMs, was it...? Hm...she should definitely make sure she has plenty of Haywire Draught at the ready. She doesn't know if it'd do anything against his barriers, but it was worth a shot...
...She does not in fact know anything about subways, but fortunately Wilkerton interrupts before she admits to not knowing.
"Oh, I see...that's...rather fascinating, actually..." Jacqueline murmurs. Nanotechnology...that sounded exciting, though probably way beyond her grasp to understand. A medical technology...though according to Holly, it was what was responsibe for Asteroid's...well, asteroid.
So, there were cases in which it could go wrong...
"Thank you. I'll see what we can do about Professor Castle...and about our friend." She says with a nod, and then moves to follow the others into the records room.