2018-02-04: Enchantment Land

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===========================<* Great Krosian Plains *>===========================

The bulk of the countryside around the capital city of Krosse consists of rolling, grassy fields, a stark contrast from the arid desert sands to the north. Every year, however, the desertification spreads, and more and more life is swallowed up by the sands.

As travellers near the capital, the grasslands transition into cultivated fields. The yields from Krosse's farmlands have given the kingdom the nickname of the breadbasket of Ignas, and the majority of its trade centres around grains, fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs.

While its might pales in comparison to its larger neighbours, Krosse maintains a significant standing army to help deal with monsters and green-eyed neighbours who might seek to seize that bounty for themselves. These soldiers are kept active by frequent patrols and maneuvers throughout the Plains and major roadways; as a result, travel in the kingdom is safer than nearly anywhere else on the continent.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYbFnoRSW6M
DG: A party led by Matilda Whitehead is now entering Enchantment Land.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Slip Past *>===========================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You approach the entrance to Enchantment Land and see a series of turnstiles
 blocking your way in, as well as prominent signs featuring the park's
 mascot, a Wind Mouse. Whoever the builders were, they anticipated winged
 Beastfolk trying to sneak in; the entire property is surrounded by a tall
 brick fence with guard towers. Your only way in is to pick your way
 carefully through the rusty turnstiles. Watch your equipment doesn't get
 caught in them!
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Enchantment Land is a bit of a mystery to Matilda; she'd never heard of the place before, despite living in Krosse, but now suddenly it's a hotspot of Drifter activity? It's suspicious to her, a little bit.

So, naturally, she's done the perfectly reasonable thing and dragged anyone who she could snag between the CaraKin's current location and Enchantment Land on an expedition. As something of a bonus, since Matilda is actually from Krosse, the party doesn't have to have a secondary adventure just to get into Krosse!

Peering at the walls of the amusement park carefully, Matilda glances back, looking to her assembled compatriots. "... It looks like the only way in is the front door," she says, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Or the front -- turnstile, I suppose..."

Matilda, of course, has no intention of actually going through the turnstile the old fashioned way. She attempts a Sick Vault, because what if the turnstile activates some awful ruin trap?

DG: Matilda Whitehead has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Slip Past.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

EMMA HETFIELD has come here due to the rumors of advanced ARMs and other former entertainment equipment here. Even if it doesn't have many technical secrets, mama needs some money to buy more ammo for her Gear in order to demonstrate the horrifying power of her theories of military deterrence.

EMMA HETFIELD is LIKE FORTY YEARS OLD even if SHE IS STILL EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE. She looks at the turnstiles.

She pokes at one with an index finger and applies the focused totality of her muscular power to it.

The turnstile does nothing.

"Well!" she says with a breathy sigh, reaching into her blazer and pulling out a pistol with a winch and a punchy-fist on the far end. "It's this or risk flipping up my skirt." She fires it upwards, the rope-affixed fist spinning round a bit of durable business and then whirring industriously. Emma hikes up her feet as the patented 'Emma Motor' hoists her up about six feet, turning around to look at the others.

"So!" she says: "Tell me about yourselves."

Having heroically lifted herself upwards, Emma puts her feet on the top of one turnstile and steps forwards, then down.

DG: Emma Hetfield has used her Tool Punchy Gun toward her party's challenge, Slip Past.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius is probably not the first pick Matilda would want to take with her. It so happens he's heard of the same rumors about this Enchantment Land, and is inviting himself along regardless. As is expected, his interest peaks the moment the group catches it in sight.
     "Yes, I would believe this to be correct." Nobody asked him for his opinion there. He takes in stock of the watchtowers for a time, uncertain as to whether or not there's anyone there. It is a well-fortified position.
     ...
     He spends an odd amount of time running his hand about the surface near the turnstile. It's nothing but rust and decay here. There can't be anything good or interesting from this, unless he likes the sound scraping rust makes on his gloves (there is anecdotal evidence suggesting this to be true).
     Something compels him to cast a quick Symbological spell of an electrical nature when nobody else is touching it, coursing it through the turnstile construct but otherwise doing nothing.
     "I am simply possessed of curiosity." He says the words that nobody would believe of him at this juncture. As Emma hoists herself up with the help of her Punchy Gun, he contemplates whether or not he might have the clearance space to get the Hot Air Sack out, hold it above him, and get just enough clearance to lift his legs over the turnstile. That's a lot of big 'ifs,' he needs more space to do that feat compared to what Emma does.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Hot Air Sack toward his party's challenge, Slip Past.
<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

"Hey everyone." Like the others, Victoria has all of a sudden heard of enchantment land and has come to check it out. She notices the entrance difficulties and pays especially close attention to the rusty turnstiles. After considering for a moment, she gets to what to her seems like a reasonable point to try to slip through nefore pointing her wrist beyond it, letting lose a cable that embeds itself firmly somewhere on the other side.

Using that as leverage, she attempts to ease her way through. Having something to hold onto other than the object itself ought to make it somewhat easier, and she keeps it in place in case anyone else needs the leverage once she's through.

DG: Victoria D. Larosh has used her Tool Hookshot toward her party's challenge, Slip Past.
<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

Krosse was not a place Bethany Liston had planned on being any time soon. But patients take you were they take you. So does an empty gella pouch. For Bethany, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time when Matilda made her call for people to go exploring, and being in need of work.

The frontier doctor looks at the turnstiles with a mild grimace, and starts to make her way through the turnstyle in the more traditional 'clamber through without getting your skirt caught on anything' method. At least things here aren't particularly sharp. You could come away with a nasty wound here if they were.

"If I want to keep doing what I'm doing, I need to be able to pay the bills." Bethany's response is fairly matter of fact. "This was paying. Can't say as I'd be too crash hot on this gig otherwise."

DG: Bethany Liston has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Slip Past.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Slip Past *>===========================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You approach the entrance to Enchantment Land and see a series of turnstiles
 blocking your way in, as well as prominent signs featuring the park's
 mascot, a Wind Mouse. Whoever the builders were, they anticipated winged
 Beastfolk trying to sneak in; the entire property is surrounded by a tall
 brick fence with guard towers. Your only way in is to pick your way
 carefully through the rusty turnstiles. Watch your equipment doesn't get
 caught in them!
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
========================<* Enchantment Land - Round 1 *>========================
============================< Results - Slip Past >=============================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   0 --(10)--> 10                 Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      0 --(10)--> 10                 Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Hookshot                            1   Agility Effects: Cleanse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Hot Air Sack                        2   Agility Effects: Resilient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Punchy Gun                          3   Agility Effects: Rally
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Hesitate(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to
use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Emma Hetfield has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Force the Doors *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You see a train on a single elevated track that somehow seems to still be
 working. Before you can get to the next area, you have to force the doors to
 catch your ride. Good thing the track seems to be made of sturdy stuff!
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda's brave effort to vault the turnstile does not work out super hot. Instead, she tweaks her leg. Slowing her roll, though, enables her to actually respond to Emma! "I believe we've worked together before, but for the benefit of the new people we've got along, ah..." she pauses, picking through the turnstiles.

"I'm Matilda Whitehead, Academy of Linga School of Compounding and Pharmacy... though, ah, I took almost everything on offer, since I didn't return home to Krosse for summers..." She watches Victoria's use of the hookshot carefully, as she continues to move. "... That's an impressive device -- where did you get it?" Then, to Bethany: "Isn't that the truth... though I can't say I'm excellent at marketing myself, either..."

Ethius gets no comment. Matilda and Ethius know exactly where they stand with each other already.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

"Oh of course I remember you, Matilda," Emma says to Matilda with a vigorous nod. Then she looks at the others arrayed. She gestures towards her. "See! Was that so hard?"

As they clear the turnstiles, Emma says, "I'm Emma Hetfield. I'm often called 'Professor' in deference to my wideranging knowledge, but 'ARMS Meister' is a more accurate summation. I've mostly apprenticed under Zepet Roughknight, the famous hero of the wasteland, but I did attend several years of grammar school before being expelled for inappropriate behavior and general carrying on. I've had a hard time finding someone to love, and my measurements are f- oh! A monorail!"

SOON ENOUGH

"This door is a pain in the patoot," Emma states. "I've had enough of my ambitions to recover the secrets of Filgaia's past be foiled by problematic portals. Everyone stand back!" She reaches into the OTHER pocket of her blazer and produces --

A wad of white paste?

Emma approaches the door and starts pressing it in like caulk. "I'm going to use an electro-stimulative attack on this in a moment and it's going to explode, but it will also force micro-droplets of hydrochloric acid into the edges here at the same time. So, if you want to hug and kiss this door I encourage you to do it now."

Emma oonches clear and gets out her Emulator, which resembles an iPad made of translucent green glass. She pushes a button and it produces... music? Some kind of a waltz?

DG: Emma Hetfield has used her Tool The Anti-Door Equation toward her party's challenge, Force the Doors.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius is not standing near the door. He is, however, running his hands all over the outside of an adjacent car as Emma makes the announcement about this being the last chance for anyone to hug or kiss the surface of the door (let's be honest, applies to pretty much the whole thing). He turns his head and stares blankly, which seems to be his default mode of communicationirritationexpressing desire to be slapped upside the head.
     He backs away from the car he's at as a safety precaution. He might have a good Symbological heat spell that could theoretically serve the same purpose, but a part of him has become increasingly aware over time the dangers of getting in the way of Emma and her desire to express applied science.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Force the Doors.
<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

"It's a hookshot. I found it laying around in a ruin somewhere." Victoria lies about the origin of that ARM. She can't exactly say the true, "By the way, I'm Victoria D. Larosh." Then they get to the doors and she frowns. She's slender and agile, but not particularly strong. So, instead of getting in other people's ways, she merely chooses to stand back and let them deal with the issue.

<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

If it makes Matilda feel any better, slow and steady isn't a race winner either. Trying to manoeuvre her medical bag through the turnstiles, Bethany catches her ankle, and in trying to free that gets her skirt caught. With an unpleasant ripping sound, she tears herself free before landing with a soft thud. Her medical bag makes a significantly louder thud. And then she pulls herself up with only minimal cursing. With the admission price paid in dignity, she moves to join the rest of the group.

"Forgot my manners for a moment there." She says, realising that Emma wanted a little more of an introduction. "Bethany Liston. Some folk prefer Doc Liston, but so far ain't a one of you've needed treatment, so Beth is fine." Matilda's university career gets an odd look from Bethany. Slightly distrustful, if anything. Then Emma's description comes out, and Bethany wonders briefly if oversharing is the standard for the group. Ethius silence then becomes relatively reassuring. Victoria's similar reticence confirms that, if anything, Bethany is very much the average.

Much of Emma's description of what her device is going to do goes over Bethany's head. "So after that, what, we just push it off it's hinges and away we go?" She does seem a mite sceptical.Considering her options, she pulls out a small syringe and injects it into her left shoulder. Something to dull the pain of what Bethany expects will be repeatedly slamming her shoulder into a hunk of metal after all is said and done. Or maybe just preparing for whatever shrapnel she catches after the fact.

DG: Bethany Liston has used her Tool Painkillers toward her party's challenge, Force the Doors.
DG: Victoria D. Larosh has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Force the Doors.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"Expelled for inapp --" Matilda pauses, pursing her lips. "... Hmm. Okay." She does not render further comment on that one, despite everything. Instead, she turns her attention to the door -- and then to Bethany again, as she self-medicates. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, D -- er, Beth, Beth, right. Yes."

Taking a few seconds to rub at her ankle, Matilda looks to the door again; for a moment, she considers something... and then pulls something out of her long white coat. It's a small bottle of blue liquid.

"If that doesn't finish the job," Matilda notes, "I have something that'll erode... whatever ends up left of the door, at any rate." Emma's approach is a match for her own, so she's not particularly skeptical of its chances -- but it's best to be ready for anything!

DG: Matilda Whitehead has used her Tool Bubble Lotion toward her party's challenge, Force the Doors.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

Emma stares levelly at Ethius as he remains silent for exactly as long as it takes for Victoria to speak up. "Lovely! Is the D. an initial or are you a noblewoman?" Emma asks her. Then she says to Bethany, "A doctor! How wonderful. Do you have a specialty?" A beat passes, and Emma says conversationally, "Pharmacy! That's wonderful. I've been looking for some --"

Matilda distracts her. "Yes! I'm told I would just... scream, for endless periods, about nothing in particular." Then she looks towards the door. "Alright, everyone. Here we go. Hold your m ouths open and don't hold your breath!"

Emma pushes a button.

zap!

            KRRRRRTHHHHHOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

The door smokes. Its remnants are, somehow, on fire. Matilda's lotion snaps in and Bethany does not feel any pain from the blast radius in the slightest.

The door slides gently loose and Emma works her jaw a little to pop her ears. "Well, all aboard," she says, gesturing daintily inwards.

=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Force the Doors *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You see a train on a single elevated track that somehow seems to still be
 working. Before you can get to the next area, you have to force the doors to
 catch your ride. Good thing the track seems to be made of sturdy stuff!
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
========================<* Enchantment Land - Round 2 *>========================
=========================< Results - Force the Doors >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   10 --(15)--> 25                Pass
Bubble Lotion                       2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      10 --(20)--> 30                Fail
Painkillers                         2   Brute   Effects: Resilient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  5 --(20)--> 25                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       5 --(20)--> 25                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       5 --(20)--> 25                 Fail
The Anti-Door Equation              4   Brute   Effects: Efficient
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           20 --(10)--> 30                Fail
Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Weaken(2)
Effects: Resilient(1)|Strengthen(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead 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> Emma Hetfield has posed.

Emma stares levelly at Ethius as he remains silent for exactly as long as it takes for Victoria to speak up. "Lovely! Is the D. an initial or are you a noblewoman?" Emma asks her. Then she says to Bethany, "A doctor! How wonderful. Do you have a specialty?" A beat passes, and Emma says conversationally, "Pharmacy! That's wonderful. I've been looking for some --"

Matilda distracts her. "Yes! I'm told I would just... scream, for endless periods, about nothing in particular." Then she looks towards the door. "Alright, everyone. Here we go. Hold your m ouths open and don't hold your breath!"

Emma pushes a button.

zap!

            KRRRRRTHHHHHOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

The door smokes. Its remnants are, somehow, on fire. Matilda's lotion snaps in and Bethany does not feel any pain from the blast radius in the slightest.

The door slides gently loose and Emma works her jaw a little to pop her ears.

"Are you all deaf? I think I'm deaf," Emma says conversationally. "But that's fine. I WILL JUST TALK LOUDER."

DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
=================================================<* Enchantment Land *>=================================================
===============================================<* CHALLENGE - Java Jam *>===============================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
 After you climb into this ride made of giant coffee cups, it begins spinning
 madly, whirling faster and faster with no sign of stopping. You have to find
 a way to make it stop -- or dismount safely, somehow. Motion sickness is a
 horrible, horrible thing!
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    A series of loud conversations later, the group finds themselves in the company of a number of very large, open, hollow stepping stones that sort of resemble teacups? Why can't they be called teacups instead? Let's call them teacups. Teacups with doors. That sounds way fancier than stepping stones. In fact, they may never have been stepping stones at all. This debate - though it may just be an abstract by the narrative itself and not part of any real discussion by the characters - comes to a halt when the lot of them step to investigate.
     It starts spinning. This isn't so bad.
     Then the hollow stepping stones with doors (TEACUPS! TEACUPS! CALL THEM TEACUPS!) Okay fine, teacups. They're teacups. They start spinning. A bit more of a problem, but they aren't going at a speed where collision is dangerous--
     Never mind! Some of them change direction - there seems to be multiple tracks - and some might be bludgeoned by being hit from a teacup going the wrong way. Maybe it's safe to go inside--
     No! They go faster, spinning so fast that the world becomes an abstract blur of colors that the human eye may yet hallucinate such hues not typically within the visible spectrum! It... gets worse.
     Ethius, part of the 'getting inside' camp, closes his eyes and sucks in breath. Too calm, for probably being on the verge of spinning so fast he might black out. It's difficult to keep focus, but once he can find the gumption he gets out that Hot Air Sack and gets it puffed up with the proper heat-aligned spell to try and float clear, find the mechanism that governs its function, and... well.
     If he has it his way, this may be the last time this fancy 100% organic vomit generator ever harvests any.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Hot Air Sack toward his party's challenge, Java Jam.
<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

"Specialty is a strong word-" Bethany starts, before the conversation is diverted. And then the explosion happens and while she doesn't catch shrapnel, the ringing in her ears makes her a little grateful to have something for pain in her system, if in nowhere near an ideal place. "HELL'S BELLS!"

The ringing continues for some time, and it takes Bethany a little while to steady herself. She makes her way down the tracks and through the paths of this amusement park, popping her ears occasionally. Eventually, things die down enough for her to try talking again. "So, what're your reasons for coming down here? Y'all know mine already."

This conversation, most likely, will be cut short by a rapidly spinning, direction changing, hate-filled teacup ride. Folks put themselves through this sort of crap for fun before the collapse? "Wonderful." Bethany mutters through clenched teeth. Just looking at it from the outside is makes her want to get unpleasantly reacquainted with breakfast. Fine. She had a patient who couldn't get on a train without throwing up, what'd she do for him? Keep looking forward? Deep breaths? Try and keep your head still?

Bethany takes a few seconds to prepare herself for jumping onto the ride and try and keep her balance, advice to an old patient rolling through her head the whole time.

DG: Bethany Liston has used her Tool Patient Notes toward her party's challenge, Java Jam.
<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

"Heir to the D. Larosh dynasty." Accurate enough, Victoria doesn't quite lie, but old money space corporate dynasties aren't quite the same as noble dynasties. Close enough, though. She gets into her cup, and then quickly she realizes this thing is spinning quite a bit faster than it should. As such, she takes out her hookshot once again, then shoots at the outside and jumps, allowing the line to pull her out of the dangerous ride.

DG: Victoria D. Larosh has used her Tool Hookshot toward her party's challenge, Java Jam.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

s p i n n i n g

"THIS IS FUN, ISN'T IT? DO YOU LIKE HAVING FUN?" Emma shouts at Ethius. "IF YOU'RE MUTTERING THAT'S FINE, I KNOW NOT EVERYONE WORKS THEIR LIPS ACTIVELY. CAN YOU WAVE A BIT, THOUGH? I AM GENUINELY CONCERNED THAT YOU'RE IGNORING ME, AND I WORK VERY HARD TO PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYBODY THAT I CAN - HOLD ON MY GLASSES ARE ABOUT TO - gh - ngh -"

whee!!!

Emma takes out her Punchy Gun and pops out the spool, saying as she does, "LIKE MOST OF YOU I'M HERE FOR MONEY. I HAVE A DEATH WAITRESS TO SUPPORT AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER PROJECTS. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH MARKET SATURATION? I CAN'T SELL ANY MORE EMMA MOTORS IN THIS REGION AND A LOT OF IT IS THE FAULT OF THAT DAMN PLANT IN NOVEMBER. I SHOULDN'T THINK OF THINGS THIS WAY BUT I FEEL A SUPER DISSONANT IMPULSE BETWEEN hold on I think my hearing's coming back. Yes, I'm fine. What was that about the D. - Oh! I remember you now," Emma says to Victoria. "You were talking to Lydia! About space."

No good luck.

Emma slops her Emma Motor, now sans punch or rope, against the central axle of the spinning teacup. "I hope I got the bearings right," she says before pulling the trigger. This will either spin the teacup twice as fast or stop it dead while probably destroying the pocket model Emma Motor.

DG: Emma Hetfield has used her Tool Punchy Gun toward her party's challenge, Java Jam.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda, surprisingly, is the most ready for the bang -- possibly because she was already to act in immediate response to the results of Emma's concoction. She covers her ears and reels, but it's only for a few moments before she's ready to move on, comparatively.

... and, of course, she ends up stepping onto the teacup ride with everyone else. "Truthfully, I'm interested in how these old mechanisms work," Matilda answers Bethany. "I'm a compounder by trade, but there's a lot of power in these older devices..."

... things start spinning. If there's one thing Matilda hates, it's -- well, actually, there's tons of those, but movement she doesn't control is on the short list. Her solution to the problem, of course, is a simple and straightforward one:

pitch herself right back out of the teacup, with the precision of someone who has either had to pitch herself from a moving object before or just thinks about how she would constantly.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Java Jam.
=================================================<* Enchantment Land *>=================================================
===============================================<* CHALLENGE - Java Jam *>===============================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
 After you climb into this ride made of giant coffee cups, it begins spinning
 madly, whirling faster and faster with no sign of stopping. You have to find
 a way to make it stop -- or dismount safely, somehow. Motion sickness is a
 horrible, horrible thing!
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
============================================<* Enchantment Land - Round 3 *>============================================
=================================================< Results - Java Jam >=================================================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   25 --(5)--> 30                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      30 --(5)--> 35                 Pass
Patient Notes                       1   Agility Effects: Cleanse
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  25 --(5)--> 30                 Pass
Hookshot                            1   Agility Effects: Cleanse
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       25 --(10)--> 35                Fail
Hot Air Sack                        2   Agility Effects: Resilient
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       25 --(5)--> 30                 Pass
Punchy Gun                          3   Agility Effects: Rally
-------------------------------------------------------< Party >--------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           30 --(20)--> 50                Pass
Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Weaken(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)
===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to
use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Bethany Liston has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Drone Attack *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Some sentry drones have detected unpaid guests -- namely, YOU! -- and have
 moved to intercept. If you don't defeat them you could wind up incarcerated
 on the property forever! There's no one in charge to tell them to back down
 -- or to let you go!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Matilda wastes no time getting the hell out of dodge on the first opportunity, and she is rewarded with only the bare minimum of bruising and disorientation for her reflex and discretion. There's a sturdy beam overhead for Victoria's hookshot to grasp and yank herself out, allowing her a safer but significantly less stylish action hero landing alongside Matilda.
     Bethany and Emma seem content to ride it out in their own individual ways, between Bethany employing experience in how one just toughs out such high movement speeds while Emma's Motor emits a colorful series of sparks and a high-pitched grinding whine as it stops the rapid rotation of her teacup - it will make disengagement from her ride a touch easier once she's sufficiently bored or otherwise compelled.
     Ethius hasn't said anything to Emma in spite of her shout-pleading, but he seems to be (indirectly?) answering her question about whether he likes having fun by the fact he is currently twirling around at g-force levels of 'crazy, should probably have the leg he has caught on a teacup handle fracture into a million pieces' and there's enough mechanical noise that it's impossible to discern if he's screaming or passed out while the hot air of the sack attached to his arm keeps him afloat.
     This means Matilda has all the time she wants to really look over the old mechanisms work without threat of Ethius deciding it needs to be melted/shorted out/stuffed with dirt/otherwise suffer his presence. (Sadly they can't keep it running forever - eventually the ride will run out of juice and he'll be staring wide-eyed for the next four minutes minimum.)

<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

Well what do you know, practicing what she preached worked out. Determination, the right techniques, and a little luck can get you through a lot of things. Waiting out the worst of it gives Bethany the opportunity to get off the ride without leaving behind the contents of her stomach. Still, she looks back at the ride where Ethius is still trapped and curses under her breath. "Hell, he'll be needing something for that leg when he comes off. If we're lucky, it'll be something I can splint."

Bethany kneels down and opens her medical bag, assuming she's going to be receiving patient the second he either works himself free or someone pulls him loose from the machinery. "You'd think one rare or risky profession would be enough in Filgaia." She responds to Emma's early shouted response, and then actually remembers what the hell Emma said. "Wait, death waitress?"

And again, with what might be considered 'a sense of comic timing', Enchantment Land interrupts. A number of vaguely saucer shaped drones descend from a building. While most have a pair of clamp like hands on long, metallic arms, others are paired up, carrying nets between them. A pre-recorded woman's voice comes from the drone leading the charge.

"We would like to remind guests that Enchantment Land has a zero tolerance policy for non-payments. Guests who aid in the capture of non-paying ne'er-do-wells will recieve a three percent discount on up to two mascot character photographs."

Bethany curses, again, and reaches deep into her medicine bag. What comes out is not supplies, but a single-barreled lever-action gunsmoke shotgun, into which she loads some buckshot rounds. "I'm guessing they're the security!" She yells, before opening fire on the incoming drones.

DG: Bethany Liston has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Drone Attack.
<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

"I do recall discussing the terrible secrets of space." Victoria answers Emma, and then the drones come out and she sighs, pulling out her trusty rapier and as the clamp-like hands come her way, and she points her hookshot towards the drone, trying to pull it in so she can give it a firm stabbing, "I would have loved to pay, but the ticketing system is broken. So consider this my complaint, you may pass it on towards your manager."

DG: Victoria D. Larosh has used her Tool Trusty Rapier toward her party's challenge, Drone Attack.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

"Don't interrupt me when I'm gossiping with doctors," Emma tells the drone, not looking up even as she presses a key on the Emulator. Four electrified swords SLAM into the ground around her, ominous yet enthusiastic choral music seems to echo, power crackles, and then a massive upwelling BURST...

.... that does 'strong single attack spell but nothing too fancy' levels of damage...

... ripples around her, outwards, and possibly over Ethius. Back to Bethany, she says, "They probably are, yes, but I don't care. My! He does seem to have gotten that leg something good."

To Maatilda, she says, "A lot of what we've seen so far, I think I could duplicate in principle if not execution... but I DO wonder where the power's coming from."

DG: Emma Hetfield has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Drone Attack.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"Mr. Hesiod... often ends up in situations like these," Matilda notes to Bethany. "He'll ask if he needs medical assistance, I think..." It might be a little heartless to leave it up to him, given Ethius's terrible present state -- but Matilda is... used, to Ethius's particular brand of unusual experiences and behavior. She's more interested in peeking at the machine itself, instead. ... What possible purpose could this serve? It seems intended to be fun, but mostly it just looks like torture...

With a small shrug, Matilda turns away -- just in time for the party to be accosted by drones. "Why is everything from this era operated by security drones?!" Matilda protests, withdrawing the long, boxy ARM from her coat and popping a bottle of something into it -- or, well, half a bottle; it's the lotion she wasn't able to fully apply to the door earlier, in fact!

But can it eat through metal at speeds enough worthy of use in battle? ... well, we can certainly hope, given most of Matilda's other options tend not to be great at piercing through metal.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    The good news is that, once he's off, it doesn't seem like Ethius requires any intense care for his leg. It bends, it flexes, it's... kind of a miracle? The way he was spinning, though, that had to have hurt. He might be in shock. There's the aforementioned minimum-four-minute-wide-stare as he's looked over, as casual conversations happen in the midst of being accosted by robot drones.
     To say 'it's sudden' is an awful tired phrase to describe things that just happen abruptly at the moment, but in this case, it comes off exactly as that.
     A man who is in significant pain, in visible shock, happens to find it in him on the spot to get one of the satchels at his belt, complete a Symbology spell to activate it, and toss it at the group of drones to provide a disruptive dusty smoke cover that does not play nice with any sensing equipment on-board the things at all.
     He needs help standing up - the use of his quarterstaff helps here - and may need some further help limping along but something about that situation looked like it woke him right back up.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Drone Attack.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, Drone Attack.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Drone Attack *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Some sentry drones have detected unpaid guests -- namely, YOU! -- and have
 moved to intercept. If you don't defeat them you could wind up incarcerated
 on the property forever! There's no one in charge to tell them to back down
 -- or to let you go!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Drone Attack *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Some sentry drones have detected unpaid guests -- namely, YOU! -- and have
 moved to intercept. If you don't defeat them you could wind up incarcerated
 on the property forever! There's no one in charge to tell them to back down
 -- or to let you go!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
========================<* Enchantment Land - Round 4 *>========================
===========================< Results - Drone Attack >===========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   30 --(5)--> 35                 Pass
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      35 --(5)--> 40                 Fail
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  30 --(5)--> 35                 Pass
Trusty Rapier                       1   Combat  Effects: Embolden and Rally
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       35 --(5)--> 40                 Pass
Powder Grenade                      3   Combat  Effects: Fanfare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       30 --(5)--> 35                 Pass
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           50 --(20)--> 70                Pass
Conditions: Wound(2)
Effects: Embolden(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead 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> Bethany Liston has posed.

It's no problem for Victoria to pierce the nearest drone with her hookshot, then drive her rapier clean through it, disabling and for all intents and purposes destroying the thing.

Emma gets the satisfaction of seeing (or not seeing, if it doesn't keep her interest) the electric burst completely fry a drone that was getting all geared up to try and grab her, shutting up the recording as she does so.

The drones that Matilda takes aim at are caught in the splash of liquid, and bolts quickly start to dissolve under the liquid's effect, one drone losing both it's arms and the other falling completely apart in quick succession.

Another couple are easily caught in the radius of Ethius' grenade, crashing smouldering to the ground just behind him, providing a nice backlighting of flames, the net they were carrying burning away.

It's Bethany herself that has the least luck, her method of standing still and opening fire is enough to stop the drones operating, but not enough to stop their momentum. She is easily entangled within a net that wraps around her and drives her to the ground. She manages to fumble around for a scalpel to start cutting herself free, if interminably slowly against the fabric. "A little help'd be appreciated, if any of y'all ain't still occupied."

DG: Victoria D. Larosh has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Emphatic Earworm *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 This ride seems to be working -- only too late do you realize, working too
 well: you see dolls representing various ethnic groups of Filgaia and Lunar
 -- some of which you recognize and some you don't. You even see elves and
 Beastmen of various guises here and there. While the dolls are cute, the
 music -- the repetitive, tinny, hokey MUSIC -- is what gets to you. You're
 going to need every bit of mental discipine you've got to exorcise it out of
 your head. Better get started!
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

    "It's two small worlds after all"

The repitive singing gets grating quite quickly, but this ride isn't going anywhere just yet, circling in on itself and taking its sweet, sweet time to get through its entire track, passing by life-sized dolls representing people from Krosse, from Nortune, From Bledavik, from other places on Filgaia.

    "It's two small worlds after all"

Perhaps more curiously, there's dolls representing people from Pendrago, Ladylake and other places on Lunar. Who made this place to know about the cultures of Lunar well enough to represent them as such. And even more curiously, how well can you consider this with that droning refraim?

    "It's two small worlds after all"

Victoria isn't dealing with it too well, trying to shut out the music by plugging her ears. It's really quite frustraking to her, but she tries her best.

    "It's two small worlds after all"

DG: Victoria D. Larosh has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Emphatic Earworm.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda, for her part, is having exactly none of this nonsense. The music doesn't quite get her to reel, though -- because after a moment's thought, she gets an idea. Taking a long, deep breath and closing her eyes for a moment, she fishes in her coat for something, and pulls out...

... a book! This one appears to be on Gear repair. Now, Matilda's a college girl -- and like many college girls, she's had to learn the hard way how to read in an agonizingly loud setting without the sound destroying one's nerves.

So she does, in fact, just that. She plops down on the ride, sits down, and starts reading.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has used her Tool Portable Library toward her party's challenge, Emphatic Earworm.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

"nnnggghhhhhh," Emma groans. "I wish I were still deaf for all of this. Do all these civilizations even EXIST?"

o/~ ed'c dfu csymm funmtc yvdan ymm

"That one's obviously fictional," Emma says, pointing at a mannikin in goggles and bondage straps talking in some made-up pidgin talk.

"Karaoke? I have music files here. Matilda, Victoria, Ethiusa - excuse me, habit was forming - this is the moment karaoke was made for. Are you familiar with the idea? It's like a singalong, but the songs are old and in Guild Galadish sometimes."

DG: Emma Hetfield has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Emphatic Earworm.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    For the nurse who is along for some extra coin in a land where such opportunities are scarce, there's just something about this man that doesn't seem... right? Emma struggled to get him to speak much to her. Matilda has already vouched for his penchant of getting into weird situations and doing weird things. He's never even so much as given Bethany his name, beyond Matilda referring to him as one 'Mr. Hesiod.'
     Once on the ride the group escapes to in order to avoid further attention from the drones, that Ethius speaks at all when he still has the appearance of someone trying to come out of being shellshocked should be, in itself, taken as nearly as robotic as the surrounding animatronics.
     "Your assistance as it concerned my misfortunate encounter with the hollow stepping stones," damn it we agreed it was teacups, fine, he can call them what he wants, "is most appreciated." He speaks those words in a way that just doesn't seem right, conversationally. Too even in tone, a rhythm that never breaks, just... something about this man is distinctly not 'right.'
     The music comes on. Ethius turns his head, as the lyrics come on. As the little figures show up, of all people, of all races, from...
     ...from...
     He gets that eyeglass out. One electrical Symbology spell later, a soft blue glow fills the corridors. From there, he sees what's connected to what. Where is the music coming from... ah.
     "The audio-based weaponry is located just behind the figures." Ethius says. "I have no objections to your coping tactic, Mi-- Professor." He knows it's 'Professor.' Not 'Miss.' This was a difficult thing for him to learn when the way he tends to address people is almost automatic instinct.
     Chanting and gesticulation begins anew. Ethius, no. Ethius. Don't blow up the--
     "Recurrent Current!" Ethius begins to fling long-lived electrical surges towards the nearest speaker he can reach.
     This is now a Brute challenge, apparently.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, Emphatic Earworm.
<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

Upon becoming free of the net, Bethany moves to rejoin the rest of the group in a ride devoted to sonic suffering. Well. This is not much of an improvement. Still, putting unpleasant sounds out of her mind is something Bethany does on a regular basis. Normally it's screaming, or muffled screaming, or the occasional unpleasant cracking. Still, the same techniques apply. Just pretend you're trying to relocate someone's shoulder, or digging a bullet out.

"You're welcome." Bethany responds, in a slightly confused manner. "You sure you can be walking on that? I'm more than happy to take a look once we're clear." Provided this music (or the karaoke) doesn't drive everyone into madness.

DG: Bethany Liston has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Emphatic Earworm.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Emphatic Earworm *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 This ride seems to be working -- only too late do you realize, working too
 well: you see dolls representing various ethnic groups of Filgaia and Lunar
 -- some of which you recognize and some you don't. You even see elves and
 Beastmen of various guises here and there. While the dolls are cute, the
 music -- the repetitive, tinny, hokey MUSIC -- is what gets to you. You're
 going to need every bit of mental discipine you've got to exorcise it out of
 your head. Better get started!
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Emphatic Earworm *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 This ride seems to be working -- only too late do you realize, working too
 well: you see dolls representing various ethnic groups of Filgaia and Lunar
 -- some of which you recognize and some you don't. You even see elves and
 Beastmen of various guises here and there. While the dolls are cute, the
 music -- the repetitive, tinny, hokey MUSIC -- is what gets to you. You're
 going to need every bit of mental discipine you've got to exorcise it out of
 your head. Better get started!
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
========================<* Enchantment Land - Round 5 *>========================
=========================< Results - Emphatic Earworm >=========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   35 --(5)--> 40                 Pass
Portable Library                    1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      40 --(5)--> 45                 Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  35 --(10)--> 45                Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       40 --(5)--> 45                 Pass
Spectral Lens                       2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       35 --(5)--> 40                 Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           70 --(20)--> 90                Pass
Conditions: Stupify(2)|Wound(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead 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> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

Victoria is unable to deal with the droning annoyance of the music, even as Matilda opens up a book to drown out all distractions through concentrating on the pages. It turns out Bethany's experience also leads itself well to ignoring undesirable audio signals, and Emma just sings her own to make it through. That is, until Ethius fixes the problem more permanently by disabling the source of this music.

It'll last until the automated maintenance drones come and fix it, which is more than long enough.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Secrets Galore *>========================
|Type: Climax      |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You see a door leading to an underground passage, mostly buried by vast
 sands from centuries of progressive desertification. It will be tedious to
 dig out, but once you open the door you find secret tunnels worming their
 way beneath Enchantment Land. The tunnels themselves aren't blocked, luckily
 for you, and may prove a safe place to rest for awhile. The monsters
 evidently have been either too lazy or too stupid to dig their way in, and
 there are no security drones in view.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Near the end of the ride, just barely visible, is a door; though Matilda might not be the first to spot it, she is the first to decide that it's the best option of those available. Getting up from her seat on the ride, the compounder calls, "Let's see if we can get this door open!"

After a moment, she adds, "And, ah -- thank you, for disabling that awful racket..." She takes a deep breath and sighs it out, even as she fishes in her coat for another bottle of that blue lotion from earlier.

Rather than apply it to the sand, she applies it to the door itself -- just to make sure it hasn't managed to fuse into the wall over the generations.

DG: Matilda Whitehead has used her Tool Bubble Lotion toward her party's challenge, Secrets Galore.
<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

Hersgain, Victoria is more than willing to take a step back and let others will problems best resolved through the application of brute force.

<Pose Tracker> Victoria D. Larosh has posed.

Again, Victoria is more than willing to take a step back and let others will problems best resolved through the application of brute force.

DG: Victoria D. Larosh has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Secrets Galore.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Though the remainder of the ride is mercifully silent outside of some of the repeated power surges of electricity traveling through the connected sound systems, Ethius' gaze seems to harden on the whole of it. At the end of the ride, when everyone might yet step off to first address the door, he seems fixated upon what they just left behind.
     Matilda's word of thanks seems to go unanswered. One may wonder if he's thinking of taking the boat back. Like he might return, find a way on dry ground where the dolls are located, and annihilate them.
     Whether it's a boon or a loss that he thinks better of this to join them at the door instead, one supposes, they'll never know as he observes the blue lotion get to work upon the door. It's still much too buried for him to discern the answer to the question Matilda's test effectively lays out.
     Someone's going to have to move the sand. He grunts as he puts stress on the previously caught leg. Just well enough he can tough it out, one supposes. He's willing to pull away as much of the sand as he can by hand until such there's a sign of how thick the door is, or whether it's something that can/should be melted open to provide a crawl space opening or what have you.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Secrets Galore.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

Emma carefully produces more of that paste.

"Did you say a door, Matilda dear?" Emma says. Her eyes are hidden by light reflecting on her glasses.

As she sees other people dig on down in the sand, she sidles forwards and lays it on there, focusing on the top of the door. "If we pop it like a lid," she explains to Matilda, "it's just a matter of time. Also, the sand may fall in, and this seems like a large access space."

DG: Emma Hetfield has used her Tool The Anti-Door Equation toward her party's challenge, Secrets Galore.
<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

A door at the end of a very noisy tunnel is good. A door at the end of a suddenly quiet tunnel is even better. Bethany gives a nod to Hesiod. "Much appreciated." She then pauses, realising what the door blocking the tunnels, and thus the tunnels, are going to mean. Well, she's still got headache pills at least. If that last explosion is any indicator, they're going to be needed. She reaches into her bag and pulls out the bottle.

"Take one if you need it. It'll help take the edge off the ringing." She proffers it toward Ethius first. "You definitely look like you need it." Whether or not the offer is taken, however, she then gets ready to put her back in with the digging.

DG: Bethany Liston has used her Tool Painkillers toward her party's challenge, Secrets Galore.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Secrets Galore *>========================
|Type: Climax      |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You see a door leading to an underground passage, mostly buried by vast
 sands from centuries of progressive desertification. It will be tedious to
 dig out, but once you open the door you find secret tunnels worming their
 way beneath Enchantment Land. The tunnels themselves aren't blocked, luckily
 for you, and may prove a safe place to rest for awhile. The monsters
 evidently have been either too lazy or too stupid to dig their way in, and
 there are no security drones in view.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
========================<* Enchantment Land - Round 6 *>========================
==========================< Results - Secrets Galore >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   40 --(8)--> 48                 Pass
Bubble Lotion                       2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      45 --(8)--> 53                 Pass
Painkillers                         2   Brute   Effects: Resilient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  45 --(13)--> 58                Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       45 --(8)--> 53                 Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       40 --(8)--> 48                 Pass
The Anti-Door Equation              4   Brute   Effects: Efficient
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           90 --(0)--> 90                 Pass
Conditions: Tire(2)
Effects: Resilient(1)|Strengthen(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has passed this challenge! The party gained 0 exploration! If anyone needs to use
party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda takes the painkillers without hesitation, once the sand is cleared. She knows what's coming.

Looking to Emma with a resigned expression on her face, she says grimly, "... It's all yours, Miss Emma." She then does the smart thing and starts to get herself clear of the door, well in advance of any incoming detonations.

DG: Emma Hetfield has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Staying in Control *>======================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 3          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Congratulations, deep in the tunnels you've found the computerized controls
 for the entire complex. Miraculously, they seems to be in working condition!
 Now all you have to do is figure out how to use them. The language for the
 interface is archaic, the controls unfamiliar, and many of the files are
 encrypted. From what little information you can make out, the park seems to
 predate the Day of Collapse.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
DG: Victoria D. Larosh has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Staying in Control.
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

This time the kthroom is much more muffled. The door sort of slumps inwards, the sand lubricated by the mystery lotion favored by Matildas everywhere, even as Emma looks over her shoulder. "Well! We've certainly gone deep, but let's see if the prize is something worth having."

In they go. Deeper. The hallway is wide and sterile, as if it could be adapted to a hospital if this entire Enchantment Land thing didn't work out. There are ancient faded painted signs here and there - is that a red cross? Is that a chapel, and if so, to WHOM?

Stacks of eroded bands. A vault long ago opened containing weird white boxes of some lightweight material that's no good and has survived a thousand years with zero signs of erosion. Another vault containing what might have been three canisters of strange film reels, showing signs of deliberate sabotage.

And a room full of screens... many of which still light up.

"Look at this place, all of you. Ethius dear, that's a chair, sit in it."

Emma adjusts her glasses. "If these systems are really this functional... this is more than an opportunity for loot. We could rule this 'Enchantment Land' as gods."

Emma tilts her head forwards. "Angry gods..."

THUS BEGINS A MONTAGE SEQUENCE. SPAM BUTTON PRESSES TO CONTRIBUTE!

Emma's MONTAGE SEQUENCE activity is typing on keyboards really fast. She can sometimes use three fingers, not just the traditional two used for type-writing. She rarely checks the screens - checking what she's typing would just slow her down!

DG: Emma Hetfield has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Staying in Control.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda joins the Montage Sequence!

"... I do like ruling," Matilda murmurs softly, as she starts in on her MONTAGE SEQUENCE activity. She reaches into her coat again, pulling out another text. This one is a linguistics text authored by her esteemed colleague and former professor Dr. Krasner; she moves toward the interface, flipping through the book.

The actual animation consists of her occasionally pointing at text on one of the wall signs or the computer, then looking back to the book itself. It's unclear if she's actually getting anything out of it. Occasionally she stops, pulls out a notepad, and writes something else down.

It's a total mystery!

DG: Matilda Whitehead has used her Tool Portable Library toward her party's challenge, Staying in Control.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Even limping along - huh, Ethius has yet to take his share of the painkillers in the oral sense, even if he was seen physically taking them in hand, but anyway let's move past that, it's late - he seems to shadow Emma every step of the way as they explore the vault. It's only when she politely directs him with 'dear' that he can kindly put himself out of the way and also rest his leg while she marvels at the complex machinery ahead.
     Out comes the eyeglass again. Is this going to precede another electrical rampage through whatever offends him, from the comfort of a well-preserved chair? That expression of his, what is visible outside of the bandanna he wears around the lower half of his face, does not change as his eyes track across the buttons, dials, doodads, and other things that Emma plays with in her pursuit to claiming the throne of Enchantment Land.
     Through the Spectral Lens, he can see what's connected to what... in or near this space, as it otherwise trails off out of sight. The air seems like it's at the temperature it is for a reason. It may be why so much here has largely survived the test of time.
     He sneaks the chair closer. It has wheels, so it's easy. He shadows Emma from the side he's believed to be her off-hand. His facial expression has not changed. He waits for an opening, some cue, some idea that the MONTAGE SEQUENCE will give him an opening...
     ...to play with what he thinks governs the temperature and humidity in this bunker, which seems kind of silly and not at all useful in the pursuit of becoming the ANGRY GODS OF ENCHANTMENT LAND.
     Then he tries to slide the chair back to where it originally was, as though assuming nobody will notice he did that. (He is not as clever as he thinks.)

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, Staying in Control.
<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

This is not what Bethany expected to come across. Admittedly, most of what Bethany expected to come across was 'some trinkets that could be sold for money'. This is a whole different ball game, and something that the good doctor knows is waaaaay above her pay grade. "So, what is this, a big ol' information bank or something?" When Emma's explanation comes across, she sort of stares. A few beats pass.

"Fine, whatever. As long as we're still getting paid at the end of the day. If people were paying to come here, maybe we can crack open the vaults. Failing that, information'll pay too." She sighs, and sits down in one of the chairs. "Now, how do we work one of these things?"

Bethany's part of the MONTAGE SEQUENCE isn't as fancy, more focusing on pattern recognition in amongst the codes, poking the occasional button, and refraining from hitting a flask as things get frustrating. Bethany's clever, but book smart, she ain't.

DG: Bethany Liston has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Staying in Control.
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Staying in Control *>======================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 3          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Congratulations, deep in the tunnels you've found the computerized controls
 for the entire complex. Miraculously, they seems to be in working condition!
 Now all you have to do is figure out how to use them. The language for the
 interface is archaic, the controls unfamiliar, and many of the files are
 encrypted. From what little information you can make out, the park seems to
 predate the Day of Collapse.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Staying in Control *>======================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 3          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Congratulations, deep in the tunnels you've found the computerized controls
 for the entire complex. Miraculously, they seems to be in working condition!
 Now all you have to do is figure out how to use them. The language for the
 interface is archaic, the controls unfamiliar, and many of the files are
 encrypted. From what little information you can make out, the park seems to
 predate the Day of Collapse.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
========================<* Enchantment Land - Round 7 *>========================
========================< Results - Staying in Control >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matilda Whitehead                   48 --(5)--> 53                 Pass
Portable Library                    1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethany Liston                      53 --(5)--> 58                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Victoria D. Larosh                  58 --(5)--> 63                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       53 --(5)--> 58                 Pass
Spectral Lens                       2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emma Hetfield                       48 --(5)--> 53                 Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Matilda Whitehead           90 --(35)--> 125               Pass
Conditions: Tire(1)|Treasure(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Matilda Whitehead has successfully explored Enchantment Land!
=============================<* Enchantment Land *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Secret Safe *>==========================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Eventually you crack some encrypted files on the computer, and one file in
 particular gives a sequence of three numbers. It takes awhile, but after a
 thorough search of the control center you locate the safe that uses this
 combination. Inside is a tattered notebook detailing the Wind Mouse mascot's
 plans for world domination.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

EMMA inserts code into the computers, slowly but surely subverting them to her will - the will of HETFIELD! Her authoritarian drive knows no limits. To the perspective of the digital life forms... Hetfield is beyond good, evil, power, weakness, compassion... HETFIELD IS!

MATILDA gets a good idea of the layouts and the idiosyncracies of the language used here. It's not so much "an ancient tongue forgotten long ago" as "a weird technical jargon."

ETHIUS increases the heat, relaxing muscles, making all the women sweat a little ("Phew!" says Emma, heedless of his treachery) and no doubt making it more comfortable for his REPTILOID MASTERS when they arrive.

BETHANY actually notices when Emma's just been typing in '10 print butts 20 goto 10 30 end'. The flow is relatively smooth. And then, with a sudden chime of sev-en mys-ter-i-ous notes, a code appears on a screen. "Aha!"

SOON ENOUGH

The safe is in the back of the vault where all of the weird clamshell boxes reside. Maybe these things would be worth money? They seal up nicely and weigh nearly nothing. Makeup kits, lunch boxes... this could be premium salvage. And some of them even have black diamonds on the sides...

The notebook is revealed. Emma draws it out first, declaring "dibsies!" as it does, but brings it round for everyone to read after a quick rifling to see if the Wind Mouse left any loose bills in it. (He didn't.)

"... So, then," Emma muses. "By dominating these - I don't recognize the word, but I think it refers to... stories? Opera cycles? Something like that. Dominate the opera cycles and control the thoughts of the youth. The youth in time become adults... the adults buy in, and they seek to make the youth experience what they did, with only minor improvements and variations... I'm confused by this 'Rebel-Empire tension' part, can any of you explain it?"

A page turns.

"... a... laser sword?" Emma says, frowning.

-*-*-*-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DczKNnP2XoQ

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius keeps a palm pointed at the safe until its contents are fully revealed to be of Things That You Pick Up And Sell For Lots of Gella and not Surprise Killer Drones. He doesn't step forth to claim dibs on anything, because the Professor pre-empts him before he can try and claim the notebook. He stares at it when Emma offers it. He seems to want to take a very long turn with it which includes him taking a nice long limping walk out of view while it is in his possession, but this secret desire is nipped in the bud in the name of earnest scientific curiosity and the basic kindergarten-grade higher ideal of 'sharing is caring' as enforced by people with healthier legs and a penchant for not wanting to stop and correct this run-on sentence as would have been the grammatical equivalent of a smoke bomb that... um... right.
     His expression noticeably darkens as Emma gives her read of the situation. It seems like total nonsense, but the core idea seems to mean something to him. Is he going to be polite to share?
     He brings a hand to his forehead, as if in contemplation.
     "...I would pursue the matter further," he speaks up, "should an opportunity to reference these stories arise." If this place is as old as it is, the odds of them finding further record about any of this is nearly impossible. This man sells himself as someone who seeks lost technology and very rarely asks for compensation beyond discretion.
     Why would stories interest him?
     Who cares, he didn't call dibs on all the cool stuff.

<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

A vault, a safe, and a wind mouse's plan to take over the world through, what, plays? It sounds almost too ridiculous to be true. "No offense meant, Professor, but what the hell are we supposed to do with this? Not sure I want to be selling some kind of world domination plan, even if you can't make heads or tails of it, it doesn't mean someone else won't." Bethany picks up one of the weird little containers. Might've been more useful if what was inside them was still around, right?

The doctor sighs, but looks around. Someone'd probably pay just to know there were operating pre-collapse machines in here. But in terms of covering more patients, this may not be the payday she was hoping for.

<Pose Tracker> Emma Hetfield has posed.

"I think I can use some of these concepts for world peace," Emma says, apparently with complete seriousness.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda watches Ethius carefully the whole time, after Emma claims dibs; she's interested in the documents, but... honestly in situations like this, she's often equally interested in making sure the mysterious man doesn't detonate anything. The sudden interest in knowledge, though -- especially in this type of knowledge -- gets a raised eyebrow.

"... We can certainly try to keep an eye out for such things -- and as for the question of a payout..." Matilda taps her chin, then says, "We can always cannibalize the drones we encountered earlier. An ARMs meister -- that isn't Miss Emma -- might be interested..."

<Pose Tracker> Bethany Liston has posed.

Well that's something, at least. "Well, fine, if you can think of some non-evil way to use these things, go for your life. For what it's worth I'll keep an eye out too, but I can't say I see myself finding anything more." Why is she trusting this woman she's met for the first time today with such a plan? It might be more that Bethany doesn't believe that it's that much of a threat. Or she is grossly underestimating Emma. One of those two, probably.

"Either way, I'd rather get stuff and go before more of those things turn up. I can't imagine that was all of them for some place this size."