2018-03-18: Unfair Trial
- Log: Unfair Trial
- Cast: Jacqueline Barber, Ethius Hesiod, Catenna, Cyre H. Lorentz, Lydia Seren
- Where: Vane - Trial Cave
- Date: March 18, 2018
- Summary: CaraKin challenges the Trial Cave of Vane! It ends... poorly.
=============================<* Vane - Trial Cave *>============================== Once the testing grounds for prospective students of the Magic City of Vane, the Trial Cave is now a twisted ruin. Apprentice magicians used to regularly travel through the cave, slaying minor monsters with their sorceries, but after nearly a millennia of misuse, the population has swelled to bursting. While Vane can ill afford reward money, the prospect of recovering magical artifacts lost with the fall of the ancient city is sufficient to attract the occasional adventurer. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yawlRq0VMss
DG: A party led by Jacqueline Barber is now entering Trial Cave of Vane. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=========================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Transmission Machine Broke *>================= |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Something's not quite right with the Spring of Transmission today. Stepping into the center does nothing. It does not, in fact, put you in the Trial Cave of Vane. Is it a loose stone in the teleportation circle? All the overgrowth along the sides of the elevated stone platform? Did something use up the magic for the day? Did the thing just finally break? Have fun with that. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's been a little down on her confidence lately. Ever since she returned from Glenwood, she's been a little...off. She didn't like feeling that way, though - she had to keep everyone's morale up, and she couldn't do that if she was moping about.
And so she did some research, until eventually she stumbled upon something that seemed like a good idea - Vane's Trial Cave. It seemed that apprentices used to head there all the time. She had intentions of joining the Guild, after all, so perhaps this was just what she needed.
So, with that in mind, she gathered some friends and headed to the location that supposedly would bring them to the Trial Cave, but...
"U-umm...it...doesn't seem to be working..." Jacqueline comments, folding her arms in front of her. She takes a step off the stone circle...then steps on it again.
"...Is it...because we're all from Filgaia...? Or...is it just broken...?" She considers, pacing around it. She kneels down, beginning to clear dirt and debris off the side of it.
"Maybe it's intefering with the sorcerous relay...?" She murmurs to herself.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Transmission Machine Broke.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius is along for the expedition. There are other things going on out there that he feels an urgent need to go address, and yet, a few pieces of curiosity remain within the midst of the Vane region. (Blah, blah, blah.)
Ethius stands out of the way as Jay encounters the malfunctioning thing that's supposed to take them into the Trial Cave of Vane. If the device is supposed to do as it is said it is, there's one (almost) fool-proof way for him to investigate this as he gets out that familiar eyeglass thing of his.
One low-yield electrical spell later, he holds it up to one of his eyes and gives the thing the usual Ethius-style lookover, which is to say, staring at it so hard that he might put a hole through it.
"While I do agree that the ornamentation of the location suggests some manner of significance, Miss Jay," Ethius says as he lowers the eyeglass from his face, "can it be ascertained that this is the correct place?"
...Is there something he saw that would make him question this?
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Ritual Incense toward her party's challenge, Transmission Machine Broke. DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, Transmission Machine Broke.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
A city of sorcery, huh? That's a new one to Catenna, who's not much of a city slicker to begin with - but she'd heard much in Lunar about the city of Vane, a name known more for the legends of its past than its decrepit present state. As she looks up towards the vast hulk of the city far in the distance, the priestess presses her lips together and lets out a quiet murr of contemplation.
Evidently legends can't afford to hire maintenance people.
Jacqueline's mood, however, is the more pressing matter, and Catenna has kept close to her friend, providing what support she can without being too intrusive. Right now, that's meant providing what she can on the state of this...
...this place. Frowning, Catenna shakes her head. "I do not think it is that. After all, if their legends are correct, the people of Lunar are also Filgaian, Jay. It must be something else."
Moving along the edge of the spring, Catenna lights a few sticks of incense and leaves them smouldering there. She momentarily kneels over one of them, murmuring a few blessed words to Celesdue in the hopes that the Guardian will guide her - though on this world, the Guardian's presence seems so terribly distant.
Catenna pushes that uncertainty away for now. She mustn't dwell on it. Perhaps this dungeon - this city of Vane - will open up some answers to the more pressing question: How she can get back to Filgaia and stop Siegfried before he shatters even more of the Statues and awakens Mother.
"...Jay," she suggests, her voice thoughtful. "The magic of Lunar... it derives from Althena, does it not...? Perhaps we need to...."
Trailing off, Catenna moves to the heart of the spring. She folds her hands and lifts her face to the sky.
"Althena, Guiding Lady of Silver," she beseeches formally. "We appeal to your blessing... guide us where this place will guide us, an it please you."
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Cyre has had a hell of a time in Glenwood. In a... not so great way. Sure, surviving being within immediate punching distance of one I-The Scarlet Jackass-d might be considered a blessing, but... Well, you know. In all honesty, it would have been way better if he could have avoided that whole thing entirely. Plus, he never even got to hunt anything! That was just the worst.
And so... Here he is.
"This thing's not working, huh...?" Cyre murmurs, scratching his chin. As Catenna does her thing and Jay does her thing, Cyre makes his way to the corner of the circle and...
Boots at a particularly obstinate-looking rock.
"Maybe if we give it a good whack, it'll be a bit more cooperative?"
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Transmission Machine Broke.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Of course you have Lydia.
She sets down Schrodinger on the platform. Schrodinger immediately starts walking around the platform, pawing at the overgrowth and knocking things over. Lydia watches this for a moment before adding, "There's probably a trick to it." She says. "Like having to use magic to get in or something. Should I hit it with a meteor?"
She does not hit it with a meteor. Instead, Schrodinger rolls on his back and stares at Cyre expectantly.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Schrodinger the Cat toward her party's challenge, Transmission Machine Broke.
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=========================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Transmission Machine Broke *>================= |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Something's not quite right with the Spring of Transmission today. Stepping into the center does nothing. It does not, in fact, put you in the Trial Cave of Vane. Is it a loose stone in the teleportation circle? All the overgrowth along the sides of the elevated stone platform? Did something use up the magic for the day? Did the thing just finally break? Have fun with that. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
======================<* Trial Cave of Vane - Round 1 *>====================== ===================< Results - Transmission Machine Broke >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catenna 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Ritual Incense 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Spectral Lens 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Schrodinger the Cat 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Stupify(2) Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber 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.
Cyre pauses and stares at Schrodinger... Then smiles, squeezes his eyes shut and leans down to offer catbuddy a tiny snack sardine.
United in catness~~
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna saw that, Kittum.
She blushes a little but tries not to overtly notice.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The magic circle begins to shine faintly as Jacqueline brushes things off of it. It does seem to be clearing something up, faintly...though she doesn't notice it right away, as Ethius distracts her with a comment.
"I-I... Well, I was pretty sure this was the place... Wasn't it...? I...guess I could be wrong, but..." She murmurs hesitantly, folding her arms in front of her. A hint of doubt starts to creep into her expression.
She glances toward Catenna then, as she explains.
"...That's...true, yes..." She murmurs. "...But...none of us here possess her Blessing."
Catenna's logic is sound, but her entreatment to Althena seems to go unheard.
In the end, it's by pure accident that they get the circle working. Cyre boots at a rock, then bends down to offer Schrodinger a sardine...
It's hard to tell what happened exactly, but the next thing they all know...
...They're exactly where they were hoping to go.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
================================================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>================================================
=======================================<* CHALLENGE - Elemental Weakness Test *>========================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
At first glance, the puzzle seems simple: eight elemental globes on the
wall, cranks to rotate, an appropriate order of two sets of four. The
problem with that, unfortunately, is that each crank moves three elements
around. A prospective puzzle-solver needs to be aware of both the ways in
which elements interact with each other /and/ the particulars of the puzzle
itself in order to proceed.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Bad Luck=======================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Once the group finds themselves magically whisked away towards the Trial Cave proper, Ethius seems to look a bit on edge as he faces around them - in stark contrast to the respectful acceptance of the local goddess' domain upon this locale.
Pre-emptively he already has his quarterstaff held like one might a walking stick in one hand, the other hand pointed outward in an open palm as they are beset upon by...
...completely motionless, colorful globes gently glowing on the walls, pulsing with colors and a vague sense of some other character. Orange, gold, verdant, cyan, indigo, purple, some other off-white hue, and one that seems hard on the eyes to perceive (maybe octarine? If they can't see it, they're not missing out on much) that can just be handwaved as being black-ish. The globes shimmer with nary a hint of age or decay when one appraises them against their environs.
Ethius lowers his palm, stepping across the worn stone floor towards one of the features that repeats a few times throughout the chamber - a crank. Once more, he gets out the Spectral Lens to double-check the connections between each crank and whatever else in the room.
"The cranks appear to have something to do with the spheres." Ethius reports as he lowers the lens away from his face. "Each one appears connected to three each. I will be able to confirm which ones before operation."
...From there, one's guess is as good as any.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, Elemental Weakness Test.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Maybe Althena won't listen because I am dressed up as a fan dancer, Catenna realizes as she looks down at herself with a disappointed frown.
Schrodinger, smart kitty that he is, figures it out. With a gasp, Catenna blinks as she materializes within the cavern. The moment of disorientation passes quickly. She presses a hand to her forehead, inhaling to steady herself, before pushing on after the Kinship's lumpiest member.
Into a rainbow of orbs pulsing on the cavern walls. Blinking, the priestess-turned-dancer sets her hands at her hips and takes a momentary survey of the cavern. Her tongue flicks over her lower lip briefly in an uncharacteristic gesture.
"They certainly expected a lot of their young mages," Catenna murmurs as she begins to set her incense out in various places around the room. She kneels and murmurs a few words in Zortroan, performing a small ritual to spread the purifying scent of the smoke throughout the cavern to incite the senses and awaken the mind to new possibilities.
Cyre's not the only one who can get you fucked up in the CaraKin, apparently.
When Catenna looks up, she draws out a pattern with her hands. She repeats it after a moment.
Those looking carefully may realize she's suggesting which cranks to turn, in which order.
DG: Catenna has used her Tool Ritual Incense toward her party's challenge, Elemental Weakness Test.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Nah, it's clearly just that Althena really likes cats. That's why her dragons are just flying cats! And so, into the sky they go. Blip...!
...And they end up in... Some kind of hellacious first exam.
"Eight elements?" Cyre frowns, rubbing at his chin. "So, what, fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice, light and darkness? Kind of weird the way they're arrayed though. Maybe we need to put them in order of... Progression? I'm not sure exactly what they're going for here."
"Wait, so if each crank turns three, then... How many cranks do we have, exactly? Maybe it's a really weird way to set up a multiple choice question or something? Or maybe there're a few orbs that don't move as much?"
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Elemental Weakness Test.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline kind of ends up 'flumph'ing on the floor somewhere in everyone's vicinity as she's dropped into the Trial Cave. It...wasn't exactly the most elegant entrance, and with a wince she picks herself up off the floor. From there, she can see the puzzle set before them.
"Ah...these are...the elements, yes." She replies, with a nod toward Cyre.
"...The Earth soaks up the Water, which extinguishes Fire, that is frenzied by the Wind, which..." She murmurs, continuing on in order.
"The Cycle of Elements is important for every user of Sorcery, it seems, even here on Lunar..." She says. "But this puzzle...I don't...really see the point? Unless it's a test of lateral thinking... One must always be able to adapt to unexpected situations with difficult or unclear answers, after all..."
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Elemental Weakness Test.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia Seren says, "Well that worked." She isn't sure WHAT worked but Schrodinger is happily munching on a sardine so, you know, CYRE SOCIAL LINK 2. Schrodinger will now rub their body against your leg. That's your bonus for getting this far in the Schrodinger social link.
In fact, so Cyre gets a tutorial on the subject, Schrodinger waddles over to Cyre and rubs its side against Cyre's leg. It purrs faintly. Maybe it wants another sardine.
"Aw man, leveres." Lydia says, approaching one of the levers. "We should test one at a time." She says. "Seeing what they do. Usually if you flip the same one twice in a row, it simply undoes what it just did. That way we can get an idea of what each switch does. It's the best way to start." Lydia says. "I'm sure of it."
She then shrugs at Jay for a moment before adding, "The Guardian spirits aren't usually nearly as practical about their puzzles." to Jay.
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Elemental Weakness Test.
================================================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>================================================
=======================================<* CHALLENGE - Elemental Weakness Test *>========================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
At first glance, the puzzle seems simple: eight elemental globes on the
wall, cranks to rotate, an appropriate order of two sets of four. The
problem with that, unfortunately, is that each crank moves three elements
around. A prospective puzzle-solver needs to be aware of both the ways in
which elements interact with each other /and/ the particulars of the puzzle
itself in order to proceed.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Bad Luck=======================================
===========================================<* Trial Cave of Vane - Round 2 *>=========================================== =========================================< Results - Elemental Weakness Test >========================================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 5 --(10)--> 15 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catenna 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Ritual Incense 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Spectral Lens 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Reckless(2) Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1) ===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber 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> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It would seem they're also expecting a lot out of their future archaeologists, too!
Things get momentarily chaotic when Jay's well-reasoned elemental relationship theory doesn't seem to be what the puzzle is looking for, but with the way that the orbs are visually grouped into two each, it does help narrow things down considerably - especially as Lydia puts forth the idea that they can go back and forth on the cranks easily. That they can 'reverse' at all seems to prove vital when put together with Catenna's own ideas. The final truth does seem to bear some resemblance to Cyre's idea about 'progression.'
The ground shakes underneath them before a previously unnoticed door opens before them. Ethius spends most of this time staring at the orb that seems to represent darkness, for some reason, and would be among the last to leave.
DG: Catenna has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Giga Wasp Nest *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
It's nice when all your potential enemies cluster up in one place. A massive
wasp's nest, some eight feet tall, hangs precariously above a big ol'
deposit of groundwater. On the one hand, agitating the nest might well
agitate the wasps... but on the other, dropping it into the water in one
mighty go would make advancing a whole lot safer.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
As the door grinds open, Catenna come back to her feet, drawing in a steadying breath. She brushes herself off with a quick dusting of hands over thighs.
"There is always a progression, Cyre. They dance together, even here on the Silver Star," she answers the catman with a gentle smile, before ducking through the door and down a short jaunt of cavernous corridor. At one point she has to duck her head to avoid a few low-hanging stalactites.
And then she gasps as a giant wasp comes hurtling at her.
Without thinking about it, Catenna swings her right-hand fan out. The bladed edges rake through the wasp; its wing shears off, and it spins madly before hitting a wall and going still save for a bit of twitching. The shamaness's face is a little pale as she looks out ahead of her. "Where did that come from...?"
'Where it came from' is obvious. A crevice has opened up in the ground; above the deep pool of water it reveals, there's a huge, waxy wasp's nest. Several large wasps buzz around it. They haven't seen the group yet, and Catenna makes sure it stays that way by ducking behind an outcropping. She bites her lower lip.
"Jay," she whispers. "I think we can drop that wasp's nest into the water... get them all at once. Quickly--"
Catenna holds her hand out and murmurs a few arcane words in her own tongue - and the wasps lurch in the air. The wasp's nest sags visibly as Catenna begins to work the power of gravity upon it, seeking to drag it down.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Giga Wasp Nest.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
CYRE GETS A TUTORIAL IN CAT CUDDLING.
Fortunately for both of them, Cyre carries extra sardines, just in case! You never know when you might need a snack of some grade-A brain food. Or when you need to bribe a manticore or something. Nothing better than fish to get your Omega-3s! Cyre offers Schrodinger an expert kitty ear rub (being one himself, he knows ALL THE BEST SPOTS) and another sardine. CAT FRIENDS FOREVER.
Oh, but it looks like their solution worked! And the party gets to move on to...
...Oh.
Ohhhhh.
"Wow, that... That is a big wasp," Cyre says at the gigantic, and now dead, insect. "And thaaaaaaat is a big wasp nes-- wait, hold on!" Cyre gently (but quickly) grabs at Catenna's shoulder. "Hold your horses. We get Cazador nests out near Wehaca, and these don't look too different. Before we do anything, we need to... Get them to calm down. Sleepy-like."
Cyre shoves a fistful of dried green ~stuff~ into his censer and sets it alight. The room suddenly begins filling with thick, fragrant smoke. "I have just the thing."
How do you deal with a nest of angry wasps?
Easy, you smoke them out...!
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Invigorating Vapors toward his party's challenge, Giga Wasp Nest.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia meanwhile summons a rock.
"I'm going to throw a rock," Lydia says.
And then she throws a rock. She aims for the branch to try and break it off and send the whole thing tumbling to hte water. She figures if that doesn't work, there's always the drugs.
"I threw a rock," Lydia adds after she throws the rock.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Asteroid Ball toward her party's challenge, Giga Wasp Nest.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline quickly heads through the door once it opens, but pales and ducks away as a huge wasp flies toward Catenna.
"D-did they ever get that big back on Filgaia...!?" She asks, terrified, as she looks toward the twitching creature. Maybe they did, but she never ran into them. What she knew, though, is that they absolutely did not want to get stung by them. That would be...well, painful might be putting mildly.
Fortunately, Cyre has a clever plan.
"...Oh, I see..." She murmurs. ...At some point, she had put an air filtration cloth over her nose and mouth.
"Well, just in case..." Jacqueline draws out a bottle of her repellant, sprinkling it around the party. If their plan doesn't work, then this might at least prevent the wasps from going after the party right away.
...Hopefully, anyway.
And Lydia, of course, throws a rock.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Brewte Force toward her party's challenge, Giga Wasp Nest.
=============================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Giga Wasp Nest *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
It's nice when all your potential enemies cluster up in one place. A massive
wasp's nest, some eight feet tall, hangs precariously above a big ol'
deposit of groundwater. On the one hand, agitating the nest might well
agitate the wasps... but on the other, dropping it into the water in one
mighty go would make advancing a whole lot safer.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius follows along after he's done really studying the matters of thousand-year-old Lunarian interior decor or whatever. He points a palm out the moment he even hears wasp wings beating - none close in on him, but he's in the back of the group at present and doesn't break the ranks when they all take their places and discuss their plans.
"Hm. Yes. These arrangements will suffi--" Then Lydia throws a rock at it, and Ethius stops talking and begins casting.
Hurriedly, from behind one of the outcroppings in the room, Ethius does what comes natural to him in situations such as this - and indeed, what is expected.
Conjure up some manner of Symbological spell to try and cram as much dust into the wasp's nest as possible to both a) plug up as many 'outs' as he can, and b) add to the stress of keeping it suspended and thereby condemn all the wasps to a watery grave, and c) ...wait, doesnt' he normally melt these things instead?
...
Moving on.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Giga Wasp Nest.
=============================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=============================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Giga Wasp Nest *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
It's nice when all your potential enemies cluster up in one place. A massive
wasp's nest, some eight feet tall, hangs precariously above a big ol'
deposit of groundwater. On the one hand, agitating the nest might well
agitate the wasps... but on the other, dropping it into the water in one
mighty go would make advancing a whole lot safer.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
========================<* Trial Cave of Vane - Round 3 *>======================== ===========================< Results - Giga Wasp Nest >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Brewte Force 1 Brute Effects: Fanfare and Strengthe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catenna 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cyre H. Lorentz 10 --(10)--> 20 Fail Invigorating Vapors 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 15 --(10)--> 25 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Asteroid Ball 3 Brute Effects: Rally ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Reckless(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber 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> Catenna has posed.
Catenna gasps a bit as Cyre stops her. She looks up at them with a quick blink.
And then Cyre moves in to help the wasps smoke weed every day, hey-ey-ey-ey.
The smoky fumes drift up into the wasp's nest. After a surprisingly short time, several wasps drop out of the hive and plummet into the water with a splash. But his clever plan has a problem: Ethius Hesiod. The symbologist's spell of dust clogs not only the outs, but also the ins. The fumes don't penetrate all the way; wasps whirl inside the hive, and an agitated buzzing builds up. Near the top of the hive, some of the wax begins to give way as the creatures begin to bore a new exit. A few burst through -
But they whirl away from the group, fluttering about in agitation as Jay sprays her bug repellant into the air. One of them flies into it and slumps into the water, wings twitching spastically.
True to form, then, Lydia throws a rock.
The chucked projectile tears through the mound of wax holding the nest in place - and the pull of gravity seizes the nest from there. Together, the pitching arm of Rigdobrite's Kid and Celesdue's Shaman tear the nest from its perch. It plummets, and splashes into the water, quickly liquefying. The remaining wasps flail in the water before beginning to sink to the bottom.
Catenna clears her throat. Slipping her fingers over her Medium as if to thank the goddess, she flashes Lydia a gentle smile. "You certainly did throw a rock," she says. "Let's hurry on...!"
DG: Lydia Seren has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>===========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Purifying Spring *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Not everything in this cave is despoiled or collapsed. Pure, crystal-clear
water lies off in the distance, just barely visible... but between you and
it is a pitfall some fifteen feet deep. Falling in might not be deadly, but
it'd be pretty miserable. Any plans for getting across? If there was some
magical path through, some switch to raise the earth or some hidden
invisible bridge... those wonders are gone now. It's just you, your wits,
and a pit.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Treasure========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
EVERYTHING IS GOOD. YES. NO STINGS FINAL DESTINATION.
"Heh. Don't think a gang of wasps can out-rowdy the Rowdy Three." Lydia taps her forehead with her index and middle finger fingers extended and then the team continues on. Clearly, they are no longer trainee mages, at least so far. They are EXPERT mages fully capable of handling the troubles that shall befall them here. Well maybe because Lydia comes up short all of a sudden.
"Is this a trap?" She asks.
She asks this because there's a clear and pure body of water in the distance, just barely visible. Between it, there is a pitfall. Lydia reaches for her portal guns only for a dotted line flashing on the screen where they used to be.
"Ugh. I didn't bring them with me because I was trying to blend in and shit."
She shakes out her hand and shrugs. "Well..." Pause. "Oh right!" She looks towards Jacqueline. "We can summon Earth Pillars maybe!"
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Purifying Spring.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Damnit Ethius. Why do you gotta be such a buzzkill. Killin' these wasps' buzz. Wow, what a downer.
Well. At least nobody got stung to death. ONWARDS!!
To...
This...?
"Yeah that's not gonna work," Cyre asides to Lydia as he's already mid-way across the bottomless abyss on his awesome reverse parachute. "I'm not sure there's even anything under us right now. It's... Basically just endless dark all the way down. I'm going to head over, then you guys can chuck a rope at me and we can get a relay going. Sound like a plan?"
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Reverse Parachute toward his party's challenge, Purifying Spring.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna blinks a couple of times, then smiles gently back at Lydia, mirroring her gesture with a little nod. "Yes... I do not think they can do that."
Someday she'll figure out why Lydia thinks she's rowdy, or how they're three without Kaguya in the party. But that's logic, and Catenna's fairly sure logic and Lydia are not well-acquainted. (Which is part of why Lydia is great, to be clear.)
The body of water in the distance leaves Catenna blinking with mild surprise - she would've expected the water to be at the bottom of the pit. "The geography of this cavern is completely bizarre," she murmurs, scratching her cheek with one fingertip.
Sighing, the Shamaness hangs her fans from her waist straps again, out of the way, folded up to keep from slicing herself. As Lydia suggests summoning earth pillars, Catenna's expression falls slightly.
Right, she remembers. Jay lost some of her Crests. How sad....
Her brows furrowing, Catenna measures the distance visually, sizing up just how far she'd have to leap to cross the gap. Moving along the edge of the pitfall, she measures where the chasm is most narrow. In the back of her mind, she crunches some numbers and comes to a conclusion on the best course of action.
Catenna moves over to Cyre and wraps her arms around his shoulders and one leg around his waist, cinching in to ride across the gap with him.
"Hello," she says.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Purifying Spring.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Hello," Cyre answers. "You're getting good at this 'cat, but not' thing, sneaking up like that."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
With a straight face, Catenna looks up at Cyre and raises her eyebrows slightly.
"Nya," she says, deadpan.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline breathes a sigh of relief. She does feel a little bad about dealing with those wasps in the way they did, but...they did what they had to do. She frowns slightly and moves on, where they find a clear, pure, beautiful body of water! ...A clear ways away from them, with a pitfall cutting them off from it.
Lydia suggests using earth pillars, and Jacqueline frowns.
"U-um...unfortunately, I...I'm afraid I don't have that Crest anymore. I...lost it, back in Wayside, and I wasn't able to recombine it before..." She replies, shaking her head slightly.
Before they wound up on Lunar, she seems to be implying.
She kind of wallows in that for a bit until Cyre gets her attention with a plan. With a nod she reaches into one of her bags, drawing out a length of rope and handing it over to him...as well as a supply of potions so he doesn't run out of energy in the middle of flight.
"I don't have the best throwing arm, so you'd probably be better off just taking it..." She replies, and holds on tight to the other end of the rope. Hopefully she doesn't get knocked off of her side somehow...
...With that in mind, she glances between Lydia and Ethius.
"Um...would one of you two mind giving me a bit of support, just in case...?" She asks.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Purifying Spring.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The reserved Symbologist seems more keen to stand and stare at the great pit, as though he were harboring doubts or suspicions about the utter lack of stable ground ahead of them. A hand goes to his forehead as ideas are put forth about the use of Crest Sorcery that Jay may not have at present, or just watching the likes of Cyre get it done with the help of his own magical Reverse Parachute with Catenna in tow.
Maybe he's expecting to see a way across if he stares at thin air hard enough. Isnt' that how he tends to accomplish his goals, anyway? Aside from... burning things, electrocuting things, or trying to stuff them full of dust and dirt and who knows what else...
"I can oblige, Miss Jay." Oh, he's responding? That means he's paying attention, as he fits the harness for that patchy sack thing he carries around on one hand. One Symbological spell later, it fills full of hot air and gives him the lift he needs to hover along to the other end - unless the ceiling is too low, or too spiky, or what have you.
He'll help carry one end of the rope to the other to help those without the means to come across do so, or be a good middle relay to toss a rope to and then toss that to Cyre.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Hot Air Sack toward his party's challenge, Purifying Spring. DG: You've already acted for this round. Please wait for the round GM to push +act/complete.
=============================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Purifying Spring *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
Not everything in this cave is despoiled or collapsed. Pure, crystal-clear
water lies off in the distance, just barely visible... but between you and
it is a pitfall some fifteen feet deep. Falling in might not be deadly, but
it'd be pretty miserable. Any plans for getting across? If there was some
magical path through, some switch to raise the earth or some hidden
invisible bridge... those wonders are gone now. It's just you, your wits,
and a pit.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Treasure========================================
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>===========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Purifying Spring *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Not everything in this cave is despoiled or collapsed. Pure, crystal-clear
water lies off in the distance, just barely visible... but between you and
it is a pitfall some fifteen feet deep. Falling in might not be deadly, but
it'd be pretty miserable. Any plans for getting across? If there was some
magical path through, some switch to raise the earth or some hidden
invisible bridge... those wonders are gone now. It's just you, your wits,
and a pit.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Treasure========================================
======================<* Trial Cave of Vane - Round 4 *>====================== ========================< Results - Purifying Spring >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 20 --(20)--> 40 Fail Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catenna 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Reverse Parachute 1 Agility Effects: Rally and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 25 --(5)--> 30 Pass Hot Air Sack 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 60 --(25)--> 85 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Treasure(1) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber has passed this challenge! The party gained 25 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>===========================
=========<* CHALLENGE - Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders *>==========
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
This particular exit to Vane comes from a point very deep in the Trial Cave.
Sadly, that means it's really, really long, and consists of climbing a lot
of stairs and ladders. Sometimes there are outcrops to explore, sometimes
there are little side stairwells leading off to their own fun
mini-adventures.
On the other hand, this is an incredibly tedious moment. Taking it too
quickly courts unnecessary exhaustion, but taking it too slowly means
echoing footsteps may invite the attention of the creatures within the cave
system. Good judgment as well as raw foot speed will be key to finishing the
trek unscathed.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Hesitate=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Oh." Lydia says to Jay. "Woops."
She rubs at her face awkwardly. "Well, the hard way it is." She picks up Schrodinger.
Meanwhile there's a bunch of semi upside down parachutes to help out here with Jay's batch of potions helping Cyre and potentially Ethius have the energy to cart the rest of the team to the other side. There's a brief scare as they nearly collide into instant death spikes but the party otherwise is able to avoid getting instakilled and complete this minigame with relative ease.
"Whew." Lydia hops off when all is said and done. "That was rougher than I expected." She rests her hand briefly into the water before briefly wrapping her mouth around her fingers.
"I'm guessing Ethius is gonna wanna boil it--but I think this water is safe to drink. It tastes like it's naturally purified."
It's an opportunity to restock on supplies and take a breather before moving on.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
...
...
Catenna gets a noseboop.
"That's my catsound," he says, "Get your own, nya."
But! At the end, they manage to make it to the other end of the abyss and find a fresh, possibly magically-enhanced spring! "Hey, I'm not going to turn down naturally filtered water-- I mean, we're not in the middle of a desert right now, but..." Cyre shrugs, filling up a pair of waterskins. If Ethius wants to boil it, well...
They'll probably leave him behind if he takes to long. Water takes quite a bit to push to boil, after all.
Also, they're probably going to need to wet their whistles for... This.
'This' being what looks like Vane's collective basement storage room. Far, far up overhead is a little glimmer of sunlight. It'll take navigating a vast maze of ladders, stairs and more to make it to the top. Or, you know.
Flight.
Cyre rubs his chin, already floating up towards some of the rock outcroppings. "Come on guys," he says, beginning to hover upwards. Circles of light lens open around his shoulders and begin projecting beams of illumination across the rocky out "I'll try to navigate. Let's get to the top before we wake anything... Angry up. Like more wasps."
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Reverse Parachute toward his party's challenge, Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna crosses her eyes and blushes as Cyre taps her on the nose. "Mew," she says instead, keeping her voice quiet enough so that just he can hear.
When she does get set down, she straightens her skirts and clears her throat before adjusting the hem of her top, too. She looks up the complex mess of stairs and ladders. An anxious little frown tugs at her expression, and she crosses her arms with a soft sigh.
And then Cyre gets his windy sheet out again. Catenna once again steps over to the catman and climbs back into place, hugging herself into his side and resting her cheek on his shoulder.
She's close enough that Cyre can hear her murmuring a few soft words now and then - and should the group come to a tougher spot in the ascent, she'll simply Jump everyone to a better spot.
Thanks, Lucadia.
DG: Catenna has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"If...he's really concerned, I can run some simple tests on it, that should confirm whether or not it's fit to drink. I...don't think we have to worry too much, though..." Jacqueline replies, considering the pond with a frown. She ended up getting a little roughed up in their transportation over to the other side, but otherwise made it out alright.
It makes a nice place to rest and recuperate, at least, and she does so - at least until it's time to move on.
Which is a good thing, since the inside of this place seems rather...intricate.
"W-well...physical endurance is useful for one who uses Sorcery, though some might feel otherwise..." Jacqueline murmurs as they go along.
Fortunately, with Cyre along with them they won't have to worry as much about getting lost. Jacqueline is there as well, readily passing out potions whenever anyone starts to get tired.
Having Catenna around to Jump them out of danger will undoubtedly be indispensable, as well.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Remarkably, Ethius says very little when a handful bring up Ethius' penchant for boiling pretty much EVERY possible source of drinking water before they are used as he stands vigil over the ancient training ground for mages. He closes his eyes when Catenna and Cyre get playfully initimate with one another.
"It is appreciated that you are mindful of my concerns." Now if only the same can be said about him to their own, sometimes!!! "I prefer we do not take needless chances. Clear as the water may look and feel..."
He brings a hand to his forehead, and never finishes that statement, as he gauges the vast, winding, impossibly long way back up. He takes his time, compared to the rest (assisting Jumps from Lucadia notwithstanding). Ethius has the Hot Air Sack ready to go if there comes a need to hover between places of nearly equal elevation levels or otherwise catch himself from a fall, but he does seem intent to just... look at everything.
As though, all of a sudden, almost any and every surviving detail might be important to remember during their climb back towards safety - a climb that scarce seems capable for the average trainee magician sent here for their studies and trials.
What he finds interesting or noteworthy, as is his terrible habit, he does not seem keen to vocally share one way or another.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Hot Air Sack toward his party's challenge, Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders.
=============================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=============================
===========<* CHALLENGE - Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders *>============
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
This particular exit to Vane comes from a point very deep in the Trial Cave.
Sadly, that means it's really, really long, and consists of climbing a lot
of stairs and ladders. Sometimes there are outcrops to explore, sometimes
there are little side stairwells leading off to their own fun
mini-adventures.
On the other hand, this is an incredibly tedious moment. Taking it too
quickly courts unnecessary exhaustion, but taking it too slowly means
echoing footsteps may invite the attention of the creatures within the cave
system. Good judgment as well as raw foot speed will be key to finishing the
trek unscathed.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Hesitate=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"I wonder if this is just going to lead us back to Vane and we'll all look real silly for going through the trouble." Lydia says. She frowns again, though, wishing she brought her pistols but they do draw attention if she's not careful with them and she wants to come across as much as a normal Lydia-person as she can which, frankly, is rather hard enough to do as is.
Lydia is tempted to go 'ACK! THE WATER! IT WAS POISON!' but she stops herself because it'd be cruel to poor Ethius and he'd probably freak out. Her cheeks puff out a little. Caring about how other people feel even when they're weird is hard but...
She smiles faintly to herself as she takes the Hot Air Express (if Ethius runs low, she can provide some more) along with the rest of the team. It's okay anyway, she thinks.
Schrodinger, in Lydia's arms, extends their claw and swipes the air curiously. Will our heroes survive before Schrodinger Schrodingers everything!?
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders.
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>===========================
=========<* CHALLENGE - Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders *>==========
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
This particular exit to Vane comes from a point very deep in the Trial Cave.
Sadly, that means it's really, really long, and consists of climbing a lot
of stairs and ladders. Sometimes there are outcrops to explore, sometimes
there are little side stairwells leading off to their own fun
mini-adventures.
On the other hand, this is an incredibly tedious moment. Taking it too
quickly courts unnecessary exhaustion, but taking it too slowly means
echoing footsteps may invite the attention of the creatures within the cave
system. Good judgment as well as raw foot speed will be key to finishing the
trek unscathed.
This is an unreasonable demand to make of trainee mages.
=Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Hesitate=========================================
======================<* Trial Cave of Vane - Round 5 *>====================== ===========< Results - Unnecessarily Long Stairwells and Ladders >============ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 40 --(100)--> 140 Pass Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Catenna 25 --(100)--> 125 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 25 --(100)--> 125 Pass Reverse Parachute 1 Agility Effects: Rally and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 30 --(100)--> 130 Fail Hot Air Sack 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 20 --(100)--> 120 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 85 --(10)--> 95 Fail Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: Jacqueline Barber is too exhausted to continue! DG: Catenna is too exhausted to continue! DG: Cyre H. Lorentz is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ethius Hesiod is too exhausted to continue! DG: Lydia Seren is too exhausted to continue! DG: The party has failed this challenge! All party members are now Exhausted. This attempt is over. DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber has been fully Exhausted by Trial Cave of Vane! DG: The party will now draw a conclusion.
===========================<* Trial Cave of Vane *>=========================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - Spare Parts *>========================= |Type: Landmark |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- While you ultimately have to retreat back to the Spring of Transmission, you do find a large number of ready-to-go parts for... what look like particularly large children's toys, and the occasional wand or staff. It's a bit of an odd assortment, but might fetch a decent price from the right buyer. It'll have to be good enough. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Hilariously, everything goes exactly as everyone would have hoped. The party sails upwards through the (unusually physically intensive) testing cavern. They hurdle stairwells, leap up ladders, do all kinds of acrobatic tricks to make it to the top of the climb. Along the way, they find a handful of useful trinkets and toys, bits and bobs and doo-dads that look... Vaguely toyetic in a distinctly Carina-esque way. A few odds and ends look like still-functional magic wands! One shoots fire when tickled in just the right way. How fun!
Soon, though, the party reaches the exit. The exit... Into...
...
........
That... appears to be the Spring of Transmission right over there.
"What," Cyre un-says, staring at the distinct shape of the magic circle not too far in the distance. And then back into the pit. Then back at the magic circle.
"...How the hell did we end up going in a circle!?"
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"Of course," Catenna says with a sigh as she steps away from Cyre. She unslings one of her fans, spreading it and slowly blowing a bit of air across her face and upper body to try and dry some of the sweat she's worked up.
Catenna slumps towards the ground and settles to her knees, closing her eyes and lifting her chin to better let the air circulate across her. "I do not know what these Lunarians were thinking," she murmurs.
"Those were unreasonable demands to make of trainee mages."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline finds herself wondering what, exactly, kind of place this was meant for. It was meant to be a testing ground of sorts for young mages, right? Then...
Where in the world did these bizarre parts come from...? It was fascinating, but at the same time...unexpected. The staves and wands make sense, at least. She can't get any use out of them, but they could probably sell them...
And then, of course, it turns out that they'd just gone in a huge circle.
Jacqueline just...kind of frowns.
"I...think we took a wrong turn somewhere, but...at least we're not leaving empty-handed...?" She muses.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius, at the end of the long climb that seems to end in a perfect circle, seems to have hoarded the majority of the 'junk' items. The springs, the wind-up keys - straight-up scrap garbage, for the most part.
...Items he does not seem to be jealously guarding away from anyone's eyes? After allowing Lydia to disengage (if she's going to), Ethius sets his findings on the ground. This should be seen as an unusual behavior by his standards.
"I have found the journey enlightening on its own merits." He comments in too even and measured a voice, for how physically and mentally exhausted he is between the climbing and the occasional casting for hovering purposes, as he brings his free hand up to his forehead. "It does put a few of Vane's capabilities into perspective."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Isn't life a circle?" Lydia pulls off eventually once they're on safe ground. "We come around to the same point through many parts of our lives and yadda yadda yadda I'm just fucking with you."
She rubs at her cheeks. "MAybe we can fix these toys up and give 'em to the kids. Make something of it."