2018-12-04: Into the Photosphere
- Log: Into the Photosphere
- Cast: Leon Albus, Lunata Croze, Josephine Lovelace, Shalune Amira, Elhaym van Houten, Fei Fong Wong
- Where: Photosphere - External Defenses
- Date: December 4th 2018
- Summary: The Black Wolves and company head into the depths of the Photosphere, aiming to breach its walls. Takes place ICly December 1st.
DG: A party led by Leon Albus is now entering Photosphere - Alien Catacombs. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
======================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>======================= =====================<* CHALLENGE - Running the Gauntlet *>===================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The entrance to the Photosphere has been carved, rather than created. A massive blast from the Dragonship Destiny's cannon has tore a hole through the outer shell of the Photosphere. The wall has been carved open, leading to the tunnels on the inside. However, crossing that ground is no easy thing: a veritable swarm of Metal Demons is clashing with representatives of Althena's Guard, the surviving guard members of New Arctica, and some Drifters. The result is a fierce, violent melee outside of the Photosphere. Blasts of energy from Metal Beasts, shots from gunsmoke ARMs, and sorcerous fire and lightning criss-cross that space. To get inside the Photosphere, one must run through the crossfire. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Injure=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
The first step in entering the Photosphere is...
...well, entering the Photosphere.
Leon Albus ducks his head down low, as a bolt of flame from a Metal Beast screams just close enough to his head to nearly singe it. He is already a sight: he has some of his own red blood, and a lot more quicksilver, spattered all over him. The former soldier has been fighting on the front lines ever since the fight started. The Dragonship Destiny merely opened the way for them.
He lets out a shaky breath, before he rushes up -- next to the person he thinks might need some help. He looks at Josephine Lovelace and nods. "Well," he says. "I'd say that thing did quite well. We'll need to get it inside."
He unslings climbing rope from his belt, and then steps forward, and calls out: "Black Wolves! Anyone close enough to hear!" he yells. "Break through, now, while they're reeling!"
Then, he swings out his climbing rope. The hook on the end slams down into a piece of shredded, cracked steel -- and Leon tugs, once on it. Then, he kicks off -- and goes swinging over the heads of a couple of confused Guardsmen, towards the entrance to the Photosphere. He ducks around a blast of lightning, as he does.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Climbing Rope toward his party's challenge, Running the Gauntlet.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
IMPENETRABLE
"Y'hear that, Lunata? The Bart Missiles didn't make a dent. We're moving to Formation F27."
Captain Maitreya's words ring through the radio transceiver as Lunata's fingers piano over the keyboard, sheathed in their fingerless gloves. There's a soft thrum as the darkness of her cockpit slowly makes way to a crescendo of lights from the back of her seat all the way towards the centre--
Where the slowly 'woob--woob--woooob'ing noise of the three gimbals of Rujm el-Hiri emanate eeriely within the sphere they're suspended in.
"... Lunata Croze.
XG-00 Rephaim, all systems green.
Launching!"
Anime insert music plays as the wings of the Rephaim unfurl. The white Gear squats as its feet lock onto the Yggdrasil's catapults. A shower of electricity laces through its legs as it forms into colour, the oscillation of its Pulse Shift Armour activating to a triumphant shine of its eyes.
It flies!!--
ALSO IN IMPENETRABLE
"OOF-- OUCH--"
*BONK!* *POW!* *KAPOW!*
The Rephaim gets into a cartoon cloud dust-up with some Metal Dragons.
NOW
The Rephaim, with a big band-aid stuck over its head and scuff marks, hears Leon's shouting. "I got this, Mister Leon!" she shouts as she angles the Rephaim's black body downwards. Several hardpoints click into place as embedded vulcans rattle ammunition down towards the Metal Beasts in their way, wings spread fast and high as the Gear swoops low.
DG: Lunata Croze has used her Tool Wings of Rephaim toward her party's challenge, Running the Gauntlet.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Could be worse. They could still have the barrier in their path.
Josie herself had been back a ways during the initial skirmish -- her 'speciality' in this fight makes it best advised to hang back and let fly the cannon.
At least, until Nostos had consumed the contents of its current core charge. Now it's just a large, heavy weight for the archaeologist to heft across the battlefield --
watch for the short sharp shocks of electricity, they're all her
-- and towards the rent the Dragonship has so kindly carved open for them.
At least she'd made a point of making sure the cannon was as light as it could be.
Still. It's not great.
"Heh. I don't do nothing by halves," she grunts, in Leon's direction. "But be a dear and clear the way?"
She's going to have to go at it the best she can: overburdened and charging in a dead dash for the gap.
The bad news is that she can't exactly swerve out of the way of any incoming issues.
The good news is that most things that pop up in her way (like... Metal Beasts) she can probably just hit with the cannon itself.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Running the Gauntlet.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune is not exactly running through the crossfire so much as trying to carry herself over the top of it on the back of her golem. Big Shal is doing her best to wade through the opposition in her haste, but even with the golem's newfound speed and makeshift snowploughs to bash people out of the way, she's still getting bogged down through the sheer number of opponents involved in the melee around her.
A bobble hat peeks out over the edge of the scaffolding on the golem's back, and the pink-haired mechanic underneath it winces as a yell of recognition goes up and one of the remaining Metal Demons leaps for her perch. A sudden gout of flame sends it back to the ground, leaving Shalune holding her half-extended shotstaff, a small plume of smoke curling from its barrel as she forcibly detaches the fuel canister.
"Sorry!" she calls, though her actions don't exactly match her words as she boots the canister off of her platform, sending it and its remaining contents spilling below as she hunts in her jacket pockets for another. But even she can see this isn't working out, and she winces again as she takes the briefest of stock of the battle and crams another energy bar into her mouth.
"Big Shal!" she says from around it. "I'm leavin' this to you, okay?!" She doesn't even wait for word from the golem, throwing out a large plate of white metal into the air in front of her - it hangs there unnaturally before folding outwards in a complicated mess of panels and pipes, and then she's leapt onto the Little Dipper's back, slinging her pack around her shoulder as she immediately guns her craft forwards.
Not exactly the best of ideas, really - she's immediately visible, and suddenly yelps as she's forced to dodge ARM-fire and sweep around a Metal Dragon in a complicated spiral as it tries to bite her. On the other hand, she's substantially more nimble compared to Big Shal, and stamps on the back of the scooter to abruptly climb into the Rephaim's local space, swinging around its vulcan fire as she settles into flight with it, aimed straight for the fissure. "Heeeeeeeee~eeeyyyy, Mr. Leon! You're okay!" she dopplers as she sweeps past.
DG: Shalune Amira has used her Tool Little Dipper toward her party's challenge, Running the Gauntlet.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
A great steel arm slams downwards, covered in blurred black paint scribbles. Encouragement. Hope! Ambition! Revenge!
It is Vierge's arm. The Gear leans forwards, the cockpit opening as Elly descends down on the access zip-line, the Gear itself rising up afterwards. A few moments later with a great dust-throwing whish of dust, Vierge departs the scene to move back to the Kislev naval staging area and/or the Yggdrasil, possibly both depending on where people go afterwards.
Elly is in a sleeveless piloting singlet and has her naval coat tied around her waist in case it's chilly. She flinches slightly from the sheer burning power of Rephaim, looking upwards with wide eyes as she wonders: should I call it back?
>> Too late!
Elly then hears the thin voice of Leon in the distance. She runs towards him, the Earth itself smoothing out where it can and with the soles of her futureboots keeping her on balance otherwise. "Leon! I'm here!" Her hair is swept dramatically by the sudden passage of Shalune, which is extremely scenic since she was standing on top of a piece of wreckage.
DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Expedition Boots toward her party's challenge, Running the Gauntlet.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
The first volley of Bart Missiles didn't make a dent. You never know when Bart Missiles might happen again.
Naturally before the cute shopping. Before the moments with the Vile Fiends...Fei had in fact just heard a whole lot of crazy shit from Mother, lost track of Siegfried as he made his way back into the Photosphere, and was just about to charge in on his own.
Fei is murmuring nonsense to himself. It's practically gibberish. "N'memory...dream...N'memory..."
Of course his attempt to get in is interrupted by the warfare between Drifters and Metal Beasts. It turns out his personal drama didn't mean too much once the violence started. He looks irritated as he tries to avoid catching friendly fire.
Or unfriendly fire for that moment.
She said he was her killer.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Running the Gauntlet.
======================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>======================= =====================<* CHALLENGE - Running the Gauntlet *>===================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The entrance to the Photosphere has been carved, rather than created. A massive blast from the Dragonship Destiny's cannon has tore a hole through the outer shell of the Photosphere. The wall has been carved open, leading to the tunnels on the inside. However, crossing that ground is no easy thing: a veritable swarm of Metal Demons is clashing with representatives of Althena's Guard, the surviving guard members of New Arctica, and some Drifters. The result is a fierce, violent melee outside of the Photosphere. Blasts of energy from Metal Beasts, shots from gunsmoke ARMs, and sorcerous fire and lightning criss-cross that space. To get inside the Photosphere, one must run through the crossfire. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Injure=============================================
=================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs - Round 1 *>================== =======================< Results - Running the Gauntlet >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Climbing Rope 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lunata Croze 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Wings of Rephaim 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 0 --(5)--> 5 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Expedition Boots 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shalune Amira 0 --(5)--> 5 Fail Little Dipper 2 Agility Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Leon Albus 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Slow(2) Effects: Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Leon Albus has posed.
"Bloody hell!" Leon calls out. "Good timing, Lunata!"
Leon won't ever look having Gear support as a bad thing. He watches as the vulcans rip through the Metal Demons below. For his part, he unholsters Argent Divider. A shot is fired into one Metal Beast that lunges up -- and then he swings it around, drawing a bead on a hound-like one that makes ready to lunge after Josephine. "I'll do my best to!"
He glances at Elly. There is a quick, brief nod -- and a worried glance to Fei. By now, though, he is whipping through the air too fast to manage a full response. He looks down -- there is a grimace at Shalune as she shoots past -- and he nods.
Then he slams down into the ground, next to her. He reaches a hand out, to help Shalune upright herself, and turns to look back at the rest. "We're through! Fei, are you--"
He frowns. Is Fei all right?
The torn open tunnel leading into the Photosphere's depths is behind him. Leon looks over his shoulder, then back to the rest.
DG: Lunata Croze has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Metal Hound Pack *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Four-legged, wolf-like Metal Beasts are among the most common of the beasts that inhabit the Photosphere. These creatures, with wicked jaws and sharpened claws, pose an extreme danger. They move quickly, and when you round the next bend, you see a pack of them rushing towards you. They charge, a wicked gleam in their eyes -- and then leap, jaws snapping and trying to bite at your flesh. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Injure===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata grimaces as the party make it through the threshold -- from the Rephaim's many cameras she's afforded a slightly better view of the chaos erupting around them. Fei looks deeply distracted, but Elly's already on the way. Josephine's going to become a sitting duck with that railgun, as amazing as the archaeologist is being able to just heft Nostos and club people with it. Shalune's leaping in her direction, so she makes the call--
"Miss Josie! Hop up onto the Rephaim's hands! You'll make better use of that thing with an aerial vantage point!"
She kinda just blurted that out as Shalune flies by-- but then she hears snarls as several Metal Wolves cause Metal Wolf Chaos as they spring out of the vicinity and towards the Rephaim. Several of them clear many bounds of feet in their leap, and Lunata's forced to kick the cockpit door open as one starts gnawing their way in. "Down! Down! Bad doggy!" she shouts, downstriking one with a gnashing slash from Freiheit.
The other foot-bound group isn't being much left alone either, with their own assortment of Wolves chasing after them; there's not a moment's respite to be had!
DG: Lunata Croze has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Metal Hound Pack.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune does at least make it up into the Photosphere, though she doesn't exactly stick the landing - she yelps as she misjudges the height, sending the Little Dipper careening sideways against the gunmetal floor in a shower of sparks. Though Leon's arm keeps her mostly upright, she can't climb for height without a bit more in the way of momentum, and the pads on the base of the Dipper are flickering and liable to power down any second--
(The mechanic isn't exactly a fighter, but you don't survive in some of the situations she's been in without having some amount of instinct, a certain wiry strength, and the sort of disposition that doesn't stay down. Rather than consciously recognize the snarl in front of her, she just finds herself moving:)
--so instead she just lets the momentum and the friction of her abortive stop send her up and over the handlebars of her scooter, pushing off the base of the craft as the Little Dipper pitches forwards. As tumbles go it's kind of a weird and wild one, much more on the desperate side of things than the agile side, but it still provides her enough in the way of leverage to heft the poor vehicle over her head and bring it down on the Metal Wolf that leaps for her.
It isn't a strong hit - the scooter is made of materials too light to do a great deal - but it does at least leave the creature off balance, and before Shalune really knows what she's doing she's let out a yell as she pitches to one side, the next swing a lateral one that aims to just bonk the creature straight off the gantry she's on.
Somehow, despite this rough treatment, the pads on the Little Dipper find enough juice to power back on. I-is this the true percussive maintenance?
DG: Shalune Amira has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Metal Hound Pack.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
One Metal Beast makes the mistake of getting in Josie's way.
It's just about the last thing it ever does as the full weight of the Nostos cannon hits it like a battering ram. Still, this isn't precisely the sort of gait a delicate archaeologist like Josie can just maintain for long.
Particularly with a whole gauntlet ahead of her, and Mother yet to come. Once she clears the edge of the barrier she slows to a crawl out of sheer biological necessity and, breathing hard--
It's Lunata who comes in for the save.
"Kiddo? H-heh..." Another gasp for breath follows, from lungs that have an at-least-a-pack-a-day habit, at that. "Sounds like a real, ha, winner to me. Let's do it."
She takes a moment more to gulp for air before, well, climbing aboard.
And immediately pulling out, in rapid succession, a flask (for her) and an energy core (for the cannon).
There are more Metal Beasts inbound. The corner of Josie's eye twitches.
She drinks still, as if undeterred from this course, perched in Rephaim's hand.
And then and only then, with one last drawing in a breath, does she slam in the core and start booting up the cannon.
*vreeeee*
It'll take a while, but their enemies may end up with some life regrets once it's all warmed up again.
Josie hums absently to herself.
It's a cheery tune.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Liquid Courage toward her party's challenge, Metal Hound Pack.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly calls to Fei at the top of her lungs, "FEI!!!!"
"LEFT!!!"
Wait, what? Not live? Shouldn't it be - oh, well. Elly dithers, staying back a ways in order to let the Gear force lead the way, as is good and solid tactics. Once she's within Fei's arm's reach, she reaches out to grasp his hand in her own and say, "We have to hurry. Come on! Just a little more -"
A wolf lunges towards Elly.
Time seems to distort. Elly thinks back to Bledavik, where she was harried by huge evil wolves at (to her perception) the direction of 'That Person,' K.K., who bit the living hell out of her thigh. In this moment she does what she did then, but better -
And fades back slightly -
Before slamming her knee up into a Metal Wolf Jaw, potentially unleashing Metal Wolf Chaos. With the stark and stunning force of an unfortunate link name, Elly cries out, "We have to keep up with them!"
DG: Elhaym van Houten has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Metal Hound Pack.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei doesn't seem alright.
He gets assaulted by wolves. That isn't what makes him seem not-alright, however, because Fei fights wolves like all the time. The fact that they are metal wolves doesn't really play much difference to Fei who was literally raised on punching wolves. He looks at his RPS Badge briefly, gestures it aroudn to distract the wolves before kicking one in the chin so hard it might just pop off.
Fei exhales for a long while after his strike. He doesn't look up. He says, "Am I..." hazily. "Am I...."
It's hard to tell if he even heard the shout in that particular moment. He is heavily withdrawn into himself.
But then Elly gets physical. She grabs at his hand. Fei blinks again.
He looks down. He doesn't say anything.
But he does understand. He rushes forward, using kung fu to protect Elly. Or more accurately, to protect Elly...from having to spend FP.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, Metal Hound Pack.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Gh, seems they're ill-inclined to let us pass," Leon mutters. Argent Divider, still folded up like a shotgun, swings up. He takes aim at one of the Metal Hounds and fires; this time, a lance of aquamarine light erupts from the square-shaped barrel of the ARM, and tries to hole through the first hound to get in close. Leon's eyebrows knit, as he takes aim.
He glances towards Shalune and her little scooter, before he looks back at Josie. He hears the tell-tale hum of the large cannon preparing to fire.
"Right, then," he says. "Buy time."
He looks up, his eyes on Fei again. There is a wariness there. Then, when Elly grabs his arm, his eyes widen -- and Leon nods, before he rises, and then aims his rifle down -- placing another beam of light for a hound a little behind the couple.
"This way, Fei!" he yells. "A little further, now!"
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Metal Hound Pack.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Metal Hound Pack *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Four-legged, wolf-like Metal Beasts are among the most common of the beasts that inhabit the Photosphere. These creatures, with wicked jaws and sharpened claws, pose an extreme danger. They move quickly, and when you round the next bend, you see a pack of them rushing towards you. They charge, a wicked gleam in their eyes -- and then leap, jaws snapping and trying to bite at your flesh. =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Injure===========================================
================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs - Round 2 *>================= ========================< Results - Metal Hound Pack >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leon Albus 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 0 --(2)--> 2 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elhaym van Houten 0 --(2)--> 2 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 5 --(2)--> 7 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Liquid Courage 3 Combat Effects: Rally ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Leon Albus 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Slow(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Lunata Croze has posed.
As it turns out, Black Wolves are more powerful than Metal Wolves by a significant margin that is decisively proven in this encounter; Shlune tumbles and just kind of pitches the wolves coming her way with Little Dipper, Elly slams her knee up to a wolf jaw, Fei rushes with punches and kicks and lightning-fast kungfu to protect Elly, and Leon fires Argent Diver and calls out after them.
Lunata, meanwhile, gets distracted.
Not by Nostos, although Nostos is cool. She watches Josie take a swig from that flask of whiskey and thinks for a moment:
. o O ( i bet id be cooler if i drank )
She darts back in as she mans the Rephaim again, the Gear swooping a bit lower to keep level with the rest of the group as they cross the bridge. Nostos charges... and
*VREEEE*
"... nice," answers Lunata, clearly in awe.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has drawn a new Challenge.
======================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>======================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Metal Demon Guerrilla *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Some Metal Demons remain loyal to Mother. When you enter this room, you encounter one such Metal Demon. She is a centaur-shaped one, with a massive beam cannon cradled in her hands. She turns, scowling at you, when she gets a good look. Then, she calls out: "For our holy Mother!" She fires the beam cannon, then. The problem, however, with a centaur-like creature is that she gallops off -- and then ambushes again, and again, and again, in the next rooms. The walls are soon scarred with beam fire, as this guerrilla ruses to engage. You will have to find a way to overwhelm her. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Fright=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
The Nostos cannon, of course, takes its own sweet time charging up.
When it is ready, though...
There was a Metal Beast here. It's gone now.
Josie makes a gesture with her flask that's half salute, half toast. "Right then! Let's not hang 'round here!" she calls out, her voice echoing across the shattered walls of the Photosphere.
The 'screeeee' of laser cannon fire is their first and only warning.
Well, other than the shout, mere seconds before.
Josie, for her pains, almost loses her flask (still held aloft). Only a quick backwards angling of her body and her hand, snapped towards her chest, sees such precious cargo spared.
"You little--" The oath she utters is less than kind.
Particularly when this type of hit and run happens again. "Oh, come on--"
And again. "Stop running and let me shoot you!"
And... again?
At least by now the cannon's charged -- though not enough time to aim.
Fortunately, right ahead of them -- and overhead the Metal Demon -- there's an exposed girder. Which just so happens to be the only thing holding up a lot of detatched debris.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Metal Demon Guerrilla.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
AT THIS EXACT TIME IN THE GUTTER:
A large group of Drifters, led by Noeline, makes way through the remnants of the debris that they collectively lotioned, troubled, batted for, disintegrated, shoved, earthed and then exploded, possibly not in that exact order. They move through what remains of something akin to a main street, which is just sheets of corrugated metal placed over decades upon decades of remnants of Metal Beasts and other iron junk that have accumulated over time--
And that great battle is still echoing direly overhead. A familiar white winged Gear soars into sight for a moment.
Janey starts sweating cold. "Isn't that--"
Mikaia slumps. "That is--"
~*~
"Ugh, beam weaponry!" Lunata calls. "Take cover, Miss Josie, Lunie!"
The Rephaim hunkers in as it instinctively holds one of its palms up to shield Josephine and Shalune against the centaur-Demon's beam cannon strikes. There's a hiss, as the Pulse Shift Armour stops it cold for a moment-- then breaches as one of the Gear's fingers bursts apart in a mess of fine wiring, sensors and frayed metal.
Lunata growls as she exclaims, "Oh screw it! I'm taking you OUT!!" as the Rephaim's eyes flash ominously, all of its hardpoints and cannons locked into place with a defiant roar of thunderous energy erupting on the bridgeway overhead--
^
,...`
,........`
,.....|.....`
,.........[o]...`
,...[o]............`
<.....-....+....-....>
`.....[o].........,
`...........[o].,
`.....|.....,
`[o]....,
`...,
v
--which isn't much of a bridgeway anymore.
~*~
Down below, the Tainted are already making a break for it, and Janey nods for a moment as Mikaia pulls out a weirdly pink blob-shaped device and presses a button marked 'DEMERIT' on it.
Shalune is going to receive a notice soon enough...
In another Dig:
DG: Janey and Mikaia has used their Tool Lunie Demerit Device toward their party's challenge, THIS is What It's Like! DG: Lunata Croze has used her Tool Rephaim Full Burst toward her party's challenge, Metal Demon Guerrilla.
<Pose Tracker> Unata Croze has posed.
PROBATION: Lunata Croze has been downgraded to Unata Croze for 72 hours.
"noooooo...." whines Unata.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Every time the Nostos cannon fires, there is a flinch from Leon. It is a little thing; it is barely perceptible. He tells himself that it is nothing.
He ducks under the laser cannon shot. Leon frowns, glancing at Josie -- and then he glances to the others. "I think we should try to box it in," he says. "Now, let's see..."
He taps a button on his belt. The Raid Funnels drop off; they fall about a foot, before the anti-gravity generators lift the little triangles upward. Then, they unfurl, folding out until they form a more elongated triangular shape. A gem at the center of each glows a light aquamarine color, before they fly off.
The first energy cannon shot slams into a barrier of light, dispersing across it -- the barrier held between the three funnels. Then, they whip around, trying to rush in front of the centaur, and push it towards Lunata's beam fire.
"Maybe we can box it in."
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Raid Funnel toward his party's challenge, Metal Demon Guerrilla.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei places his free hand on his face again. He looks towards Leon. He looks right into Leon's eyes. In this moment, Leon can tell that Fei sees that wariness in his own. He sees it. He recognizes it. He takes in a sharp breath, and then lowers his head. Leon shouts for him to head 'this way' and Fei's response is far laggier than normal. He still makes the movement, but it feels sluggish in the heat of battle.
Fei says some more strange gibberish to himself. It's hard to tell if it's words that are another language or just him slurring his words so much that they are nearly incomprehensible.
But then there's a ...centaur? Fei blinks at the centaur. "Eh?"
And then she gallops off.
And then uh, the centaur shoots him in the back and he falls flat on his face. "St...Centaur..." Fei laughs to himself, pressing his knuckles into the floor.
Fei stands himself up, slowly.
Horse AND Human? Is there an RPS Solution to this? Humans tend to be weak to being stabbed (scissors) but horses tend to be weak to paper (It's a complex relation to glue).
"A paradox..." Fei murmurs, before trying to end the stalemate by throwing a chi blast at the problem.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
In the aftermath of this affray with wolves, Elly smiles at Fei and clasps him by the shoulders. "Did you get injured? If your head hurts just stay with me, alright?" she tells him, before moving forth and then feeling a faint tickle in the air which she answers by ducking down -
Which is good because a beam ray about the size of her head streaks through the place where her head would have been, had she not! It's fortunate indeed that she avoided this encounter with the 'Ide' force. If she had had her head removed, something awful, no doubt, would be invoked...
Staying down, Elly gets a good eyeful of what Leon has on offer. It's funny, she thinks: the similarity to the AERODs is obvious, and she wonders if the design bureau had gotten hold of some kind of
SHRANKK!!!
Elly grimaces as two strands of red hair are turned instead to a tiny burst of burned hair smell. Ducking lower, her contribution is more indirect; a rumble and a clank as one of the possible exit routes for Beam Centaur slam abruptly shut.
As she does it Elly reflects: I heard Leon and I acted without thinking...
DG: Elhaym van Houten has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Metal Demon Guerrilla.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
The first of the shots lands itself so close to Shalune's ear that she'd swear she just lost some of her hair in the aftermath; she yelps for a moment, and then hurls herself to one side in an evasive maneuver that sends her tumbling off the gantry. "Wah--" she blurts, expecting more of a fall and desperately trying to get her feet under her and onto the Big Dipper - but her descent abruptly stops, as a familiar and friendly-shaped figure plucks her out of the air and onto the scaffolding on its back.
The mechanic, momentarily dazed, pats the golem on the back of its head as she desperately tries to catch her breath and figure out what the hell to do next. Separated from the rest of the group, Big Shal thunders down passageways, taking them at speed; though some loyalist Metal Demons do their best to stop the golem's advance they simply can't keep up with the machine when it's running at full tilt, and the same ploughs that were used to push snow out of the way turn out to work just as well against enemies, scattering them like so many bowling pins.
"We've gotta keep going! The map said to keep going up, right? We've just gotta--" Shalune calls to the golem as if it needs words to understand her, but stops dead and clamps her mouth shut again when a small device in her pocket starts to emit a warning beep. She rests a hand over where the noise is chiming, and slowly thins her lips. "--go right instead! Into the open area!"
Big Shal bursts through a wall with a wrenching, shattering noise that's as much the golem as it is the Photosphere architecture, the matter converter's whine riding high as all of the debris - original or not - is sucked immediately back into the golem's structure. On its back, Shalune gasps in shock at the sudden open space, her pink hair whirling around her, and then turns her expression down in a deep-set frown as Big Shal simply dives for the Rephaim. "Lunie, no! There's way too many Drifters around! Jay is down there!!" she calls wildly as the golem crashes down onto the Rephaim and unbalances it with a sudden flying hug around the shoulders.
(Shalune is not paying attention enough, nor attuned enough, to spot Noeline whisking her children out of the way in a burst of Guardian sorcery.)
The golem can't really hold on for long, whether for better or worse - it is much smaller than the Rephaim, and doesn't really have a great hold on the larger machine. But at least, when the golem lets go and slams back down to the gantries with a shattering impact, it can do so placing itself in the path of the retreating Metal Demon.
DG: Shalune Amira has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Metal Demon Guerrilla. DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Metal Demon Guerrilla.
======================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>======================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Metal Demon Guerrilla *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Some Metal Demons remain loyal to Mother. When you enter this room, you encounter one such Metal Demon. She is a centaur-shaped one, with a massive beam cannon cradled in her hands. She turns, scowling at you, when she gets a good look. Then, she calls out: "For our holy Mother!" She fires the beam cannon, then. The problem, however, with a centaur-like creature is that she gallops off -- and then ambushes again, and again, and again, in the next rooms. The walls are soon scarred with beam fire, as this guerrilla ruses to engage. You will have to find a way to overwhelm her. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Fright=============================================
=================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs - Round 3 *>================== ======================< Results - Metal Demon Guerrilla >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 0 --(3)--> 3 Pass Raid Funnel 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unata Croze 2 --(3)--> 5 Pass Rephaim Full Burst 3 Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 5 --(13)--> 18 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 2 --(13)--> 15 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shalune Amira 7 --(13)--> 20 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 0 --(13)--> 13 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Leon Albus 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(1)|Tire(2)|Weaken(1) Effects: ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Okay," Fei tells Elly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I love the way you just reach out to people in pain. S'constant. I see their eyes light up when they see you, I see the pain leave their eyes. It comes back, sometimes, y'can't stop that, but in those moments, they heal, and they care for others more too. I'm so sorry."
Yeah he's probably in the middle of an episode here.
"Even that other Elly." Fei blabs. "Reminded me...when we met." He laughs faintly. "But even made to test, she couldn't be....I'm not sure what to call it, haha. She couldn't do it for long."
Fei trips over his feet for a moment, but steadies himself after a moment.
"But I dream such horrible dreams. Even when I'm awake." Fei says. "Even when my eyes are open."
"I love the way..." Fei cuts back to that point. "The way you're so animated...when you're learning something new. When it's simple, when it's complicated. I love the way you learn so quickly. Your breath when it's near..."
"I love how you're scared. So I can be scared too." He whispers, leaning in.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Unfortunately for Leon, Josie -- for now -- hasn't noticed his reaction to her weapon-of-choice.
But it won't be much surprise, whenever she does. She knows the history. Knows, too, how Lily had looked at the thing while it was still under construction.
But practicality comes first for her, particularly when it's ancient, powerful, and most importantly, big weaponry on the line.
So it goes.
The same could be said for her current aim, as she misses the girder entirely. The good news is, there's another entry into the Photosphere now...?
But in the meantime the fleet-footed centaur-shaped Metal Demon has opted for a hit-and-run in this very room, using the crevices and rubble to her advantage.
Until the wave of Leon's funnels forces it back the way it came. A chi shot blocks off another entrance, as does the sudden slam of a decidedly ruined metal door.
Big Shal clinches it, dropping down onto the gantry to force the centaur-shaped Metal Demon up onto a high bridgeway--
A barrage of fire later and there's no bridge there anymore.
There doesn't seem to be a Metal Demon there, either.
"Huh," is Josie's comment. "Not bad, Lunie."
Pause.
"You know what?"
"Bear. You're 'Bear' now."
DG: Shalune Amira has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Cut a Path and Rally *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- When you enter this room, you hear some murmuring through an air vent: "Yo, I think we got enough berries to help them rest up." "Yeah, yeah... keep it down, Gallows." "Gentleman. This is no time to argue. Hopefully Virginia catches up soon..." Gallows Carradine, Jet Enduro, and Clive Winslet appear to be on the other side of that wall -- and with the promise of refreshment for the troubles and tribulations to come. While the door to your left may look tempting, the door that does not yet exist is the true way. Time to do something about that. =Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune has a little too much in the way of things going on right now to really pay attention to Fei and Elly's tribulations; she's a little frazzled and a little uncertain of what's going on, having to take another moment to catch her breath after the mass destruction of the last few seconds. What she can at least do as Big Shal powers down is huff out a breath, then stand up atop the golem with her hands on her hips. "W-what? No! She can't be 'Bear'! That's not cute enough!" she whines openly.
Shaking her head, she glances to one side - only to catch the snippet of conversation coming through a small vent. "H-hello?" she calls in surprise as she hops off of the golem and trots up to the little square, going on tiptoes to look through it. "Are you guys human? Uh-- um, we won't turn down berries if you're offering? I've probably eaten enough peanuts today that I'm gonna end up turning into one at this rate."
She hops back a couple of steps, wincing at the wall; the only access door between their corridor and the one the other Drifters are in is worryingly twisted and warps, parts of it still white-hot from a certain Unata's barrage of fire, and for a moment Shalune pouts at it. "... jeez, who even designed a 'fire everywhere' mode? That's somethin' I'd come up with, an' I'm the last person I'd trust with something like that," she mutters in a startling moment of self-reflection.
Instead, she pumps her fists - and hunts in one of the pockets of her jacket for a particularly square slab of stone, pulling it out triumphantly. "Well, I mean, there's no-one better for getting through walls, I guess. Hopefully this thing'll still work with Mother right there, but I guess it doesn't hurt to give it a try either. Um-- hang on, okay? And maybe step away from the wall!" she calls as she holds up the Medium and calls: "--Material!!"
The air shifts and ripples, the tang of power suddenly reverberating through the chaos around them. For a moment, time and space seem to stand still, muted and quiet and gently suffused with the Guardian's light. Dinoginos appears as if from nowhere, melting up and out of the metal at their feet to roar its anger at the wall that blocks their path.
... ... ... and carefully, Shalune picks up the foot-high Material summon and lifts it to the vent, coaxing it inside. "There, there-- there you go! Okay, we've got a courier comin' through!" she calls gleefully.
... shalune...
DG: Shalune Amira has used her Tool Material - Dinowhatsit toward her party's challenge, Cut a Path and Rally.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon looks at Fei and Elly. There is a worried look in his eyes, which persists even after the barrage brings down the centaur-like Metal Demon. He glances, briefly, at Josephine. His voice stays low; he doesn't want Fei to hear. "We need to keep an eye on him," he says. "He is having a tough time with this."
More than the rest, Leon thinks.
He does, however, crack a smile at Shalune. Then he pauses, as he hears the voice through the vent. He looks to Shaleune, and then nods. He glances back to the wall. He opens his mouth--
--and then sighs, with a slight smile on his face. "Well, my usual way of breaking through isn't here," he sighs. "I wonder where Lily is..."
He lets Shalune go first. Then, he slams forward, trying to smash his shoulder into the wall. "I--hope this doesn't disrupt your--er... Medium?"
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Cut a Path and Rally.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
"mrgrgrgr-- I get it--"
Lunata's grump is evident as Big Shal piles on to the Rephaim and kind of diverts the fire, though evidently not enough before the bridge gives way as she winces and flails her hands as the flightsticks violently jerk back. She stares at Big Shal for a moment and pouts for a moment louder.
Her expression flattens for a moment as she listens a little more closely to Fei. She's gonna have to trust Elly's got it, but it really feels like it's going to be more than a full-on therapeutic session that they probably don't have time for in the middle of all the wolves and centaurs attempting to kill them and take their heads.
"... if it's a walking pile of guns why wouldn't you have a fire everything mode?" Lunata petulantly complains, as she peers for a moment. "Shalune, who you talking to? They might just be refugees or something, leave 'em alone."
She yelps and becomes a hypocrite as she yelps when Shalune calls for Dinoginos and-- complains, "... showoff. Just because you can make him tiny..." A pause. "The Rephaim has something for this situation too--"
She pulls up her weapons--
Attack Name Dmg Rng Hit Crit Will Cost
DG: Lunata Croze has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Cut a Path and Rally.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie thinks on this for a moment.
"Oh, alright. Then how about..."
"...Bearcub?"
(Shalune might not care for this one any more than the last.)
"...Something up down there, Lunie?" ...At least there might not be as much confusion now about which one she means when she uses that nickname. A pause interposes itself.
"A wall in the way, huh."
please say she's not going to--
She isn't. "Hey, honeybear, set me on down a sec, would you?"
Once down, Josie takes the moment to roll her shoulders, stretching out her poor beleagued spine with a series of pops and cracks. "Got a bit of a shortcut there, eh? Well, give us one sec out here and--"
Leon draws close before she even gets close to whatever it was she was about to do.
Josie's jovial presence grows muted. She glances back over her shoulder, back at Fei. Her brow knots. Her mouth twists in a frown.
"...Hadn't noticed."
Until now.
"I see what you mean, though. ...How about this: things get tough, we tell 'im and Red to take a breather and watch our backs. Yeah?" She smiles gamely, if only because, well, what else should she do?
At which point she unslings the archaeologist's best pal (*other than explosives **other than booze ***other than cigarettes) and regards the wall.
The same one a Gear pokes a finger at and a Material's full summoning force is leveled for.
And swings as if for the fences the business end of the pick-mattock for the wall. "Hope you lot already moved!"
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Well-Used Mattock toward her party's challenge, Cut a Path and Rally.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly looks at Fei with a certain sort of concern. His words touch her but this is not a place where she has a lot of room to be touched on account of all the doom lasers and so on. She waves Fei over and hugs him again, saying to him, "I'm sorry I can't do more right now but -- thank you -- we have to get through here. This is near the end, Fei. We don't have to go much further!"
"I know it's not easy, but we really are nearly there...!"
And indeed the chaos lessens palpably as they move forwards. Elly exhales with great force as she begins to speak more to Fei, but she falls short when a voice comes to them through an air vent.
Elly cranes her head up to look at it.
"... It's just like the ones back at," Elly begins, before
M R G R G R
As people assail the wall Elly walks towards the vent and produces a bottle opener from her pocket.
* Church Key
** Despite the name, this item is a piece of shaped metal usually used to open canned goods, common in Kislev and Aquvy. It's particularly useful for fluid goods, such as tomato juice and beer, the proof that the Guardians love humanity.
Elly jimmies off the air grate cover and leans a little inwards. "Get away from the wall!" she shouts into the echoing metal hallways.
A moment later, "Ha!" Then, "Fwuah!" then, to Fei, "The acoustics are weird. You try!"
Is she distracting him with childish things in the midst of a tense battle??
yeet
DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Inventory Clutter toward her party's challenge, Cut a Path and Rally.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei can feel the worried looks his way. He tries to pretend they aren't there. He does not succeed. Really, where is Citan when you need him? Or Lily for that matter. Running different sides of the digs that's what! Wait, you didn't know Citan was in one of the digs? It's okay, he's running it solo. Probably to convince some metal demons to eat some meatal demons.
"Bearcub." Fei says. "Heh."
He blinks faintly when he hears Virginia's name. He tilts his head curiously but can't seem to catch their dialogue. Fei hasn't been drinking or anything. He's just very shaken. Shook.
"A little longer," Fei agrees. "That's right."
He brings his hands together, starting to charge an ultimate attack of some kind. Truly, with his ether potential, he is about to summon a truly incredible amount of power into taking down that wall that's in the way.
rAnd then Fei seems to remember something and the chi from his hands vanishes into nothingness. He abandons that route as he walks up to the wall, lifts up his foot.
And kicks it really hard with his foot.
And then he sways backward precariously and it looks like he might fall! ... but he doesn't. He just straightens back up like Captain Tylor and keeps moving.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Cut a Path and Rally.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Cut a Path and Rally *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- When you enter this room, you hear some murmuring through an air vent: "Yo, I think we got enough berries to help them rest up." "Yeah, yeah... keep it down, Gallows." "Gentleman. This is no time to argue. Hopefully Virginia catches up soon..." Gallows Carradine, Jet Enduro, and Clive Winslet appear to be on the other side of that wall -- and with the promise of refreshment for the troubles and tribulations to come. While the door to your left may look tempting, the door that does not yet exist is the true way. Time to do something about that. =Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs - Round 4 *>================= ======================< Results - Cut a Path and Rally >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leon Albus 3 --(0)--> 3 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 5 --(5)--> 10 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elhaym van Houten 15 --(0)--> 15 Pass Inventory Clutter 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Material - Dinowhatsit 2 Brute Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 13 --(5)--> 18 Fail Well-Used Mattock 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Leon Albus 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Save Point(1)|Tire(1) Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)|Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Leon Albus 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: Elhaym van Houten has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Golem Lolithia - Phase 1 *>================== |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Deep within the Photosphere, Mother has a sentinel. A cavernous chamber stretches out, providing a final choke point before the control center of the Photosphere can be reached. Filling the chamber is the same Golem stolen by the Metal Demons during the Battle of Adlehyde: Lolithia. This dark blue, armored Golem towers over the room and the many Drifters engaging it in combat. Indeed, as you enter the room, the sound of battle greets you: blasts of energy, gunshots, and flashes of swords all meet the mighty armor of the Elw Golem. The Golem's eyes flash with golden light. Then, it rears back a huge claw, and slams it down into the ground. A moment later, blasts of energy come raining down... and the battle is joined! (NOTE: This card assumes that all of the people running the Dig, and possibly a few named NPCs, are in a massive brawl against a Gear-sized enemy. If you pass this card, you will have Quick and Shield for the final battles. If you fail, you will have Slow and Break.) =Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Exhaust==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Dinoginos is ancient. It is unmoving, like the Mountains that are its namesake. Its perception of time is different to mortals. And so, regardless of the hubbub and confusion and chaos that reigns in the Photosphere, it paces slowly along the vent.
Leon puts shoulder to wall; the entire structure is rickety enough and half-damaged from explosions that that sentence actually means something significant, much of it creaking dangerously as it threatens to come down around them from just that impact alone. Still, the wall must be hanging on by a particularly stubborn thread - though it shakes as the Rephaim pokes it, it doesn't seem to want to detach from whatever threads of metal are still keeping it in place, only sending it rocking back and forth.
"Eh? He's supposed to be big?" Shalune wonders back towards Lunata with the deeply confused look of someone who'd never even entertained that possibility; she wobbles for a moment with the realization, then does her best to pump her fists in protest. "A-anyway, they're not refugees! They're saying that they've got berries for us! I don't think Metal Demons would be offering healing right now unless they're feeling really traitorous!"
She yelps aside as Josie takes mattock to wall; the mechanic frowns slightly as she tries to conjure up the image of Lunata the Bearcub, and for a moment her expression twists a little in uncertainty. "M-mmm... I dunno... maybe..." she wonders, uncertain as the wall shakes from the impact once more.
Elly offers more of a point for Dinoginos to enter, and her call through the vent is answered by a low 'gaooooo...' from the Material still making its way slowly through. But it is Fei's boot that finally puts paid to the partition, the reverberations finally shaking it off its mooring. The metal plates twist and clatter against each other, and then abruptly start to tumble and collapse apart in a loud cacophony of noise.
Fortunately, Dinoginos is just an apparation, and one that seems perfectly content to keep plodding through open air until it reaches an offered Heal Berry, which it then makes a game attempt to eat before it fades.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly is worrying about Fei now. Not the usual habitual low level background worry that Fei is going to headbutt something that actually turns out to be bigger than him, or try to eat sandworm pee because it smells like cinnamon candy, or something like that. But he is strained, Elly can tell.
It hurts her, but she cannot let the hurt show. She wants to stop and comfort Fei. To run away from this all. The impulse is strong but it is suppressed now, for the same reason that one suppresses a scream in a crowd of people who you want to impress. It is not impossible - but it would be futile, perhaps counterproductive. They *have* to push on. They have to, at the least, see the other Drifters. Even if it all comes down to firing the colored star-shell flare Elly has in her hip pocket to signal for the Kraken's extended-range shells...
Of course Elly brought an artillery signal flare. Did you not?
But as the wall breaks Elly looks upwards because -
It's -
"Oh," Elly says in a small but somehow very audible voice. "So that's where it went to."
Somewhere in the far distance, almost on the other side of Lolithia, a woman with a college degree is leaning entirely over a short wizzard. Elsewhere, other groups stand. A cluster of archers, circled around someone who seems to be frantically digging a hole in the ground like some kind of Knight of Shovels. Others, in this cavernous room.
Elly looks towards *Unata and Rephaim.
"... Please... we have to get through here. You're our greatest hope, Lunata," Elly calls out.
"Even if it's hard... please, defeat Lolithia...!"
What is Lolithia doing in this moment?
Lolithia is kind of occupied because like fifteen different groups are engaging it, enough of them that the fog of battle and gunsmoke created solely by various opportunistic Drifters trying to unload iron into the ancient weapon of the Elw makes it so they can't all seem to appear at the moment. Don't worry, though, because Lolithia pivots to approximately face the group -
"oh no" Elly breathes, as Lolithia raises up one great clawed forelimb and -- Elly hops up into the air on reflex a half second before
WHAM!!!!!!!
the ground itself cracks and chunks, pieces of Photosphere Floor rearing upwards and flipping according to the subtle lines of metal stress! Elly cries out, "Ah - ah - Josie, Leon, h-hold on -"
Lunata she need not worry about. One of the twisted scraps of ancient alien metal suddenly superchills to the point where ambient moisture accumulates, the hellaciously accelerated icing progressing without rime or reason. Cover, perhaps? Or just a place where you can hide before you get crushed!
DG: Elhaym van Houten has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 1.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Everyone seems to be straining. Fei is struggling at a level she scarcely sees the artist, though she doesn't know it. Leon seems to be struggling in ways that's well below the surface level for him -- like he's reacting subconsciously; Lily not being there is a drag for him too, she knows it. Josie...
Well...
"... 'm gonna get a bear onesie just for that, Josie," Lunata grumbles as she inwardsly thinks, man, Bear? 'Tiger' sounds cool. 'Lion' sounds cool. Bear? Bears...
I mean, they're campers, they know the best way to own bears is to just wear a bell so that they get scared by noise and scamper off!!
She gets distracted, since Lolithia is right on the other side. Haven't seen it since the fairgrounds.
"I-- uh--"
Her eyes widen and she jukes forward as Elly leaps and Lolithia draws her forelimb up and
WHAM!!!!!!!
The Rephaim's makeshift arm gets nearly totalled in one go, the one Shalune usually makes out of accordion tubing and chauffeur gloves; the Gear's sent spinning with Lunata going 'darn!' as she struggles to regain control. "Mggg-mmgggrr--"
She can't quite manage a mrgrgrgr, it's on cooldown.
"I got this-- I got this... I got this--"
She remembers Shalune's advice. No way she can launch a full burst with a room full of Drifters--
. o O ( man that's tempting for a moment )
FOCUS LUNATA YOU DON'T WANT TO GET AN ID IN YOU DO YOU
--Lunata shakes her head; there's a twist and a crunch as the Rephaim's knee bears up to try to bash the Golem back, Pulse Shift barrier rippling and threatening to buckle under the pressure of the ancient Golem's force; they end up in a grappling position, and Lolithia has the upper hand. The Rephaim's arms threaten to crumple with a hiss of exhausted metal starting to twist in on itself.
"This thing's on another level... Lunie-- if you've got that button-- oh my god press it"
WHAM, the Rephaim's pushed back again as a large rent comes free and black armour comes flying off in a frigid blast, Lunata's entire cockpit space going all red as every single warning goes off at once. "Darnit, darnit--!!"
The Rephaim's arm-free weapons suddenly swivel as the two other railguns (spoilers: there's a total of four railguns in this scene, between Big Shal's, Nostos, and the Rephaim's) click into place from where they're perched on the Gear's waist. The serial numbers are literally filed off with 100-grit sandpaper at some point.
There's an electromagnetic whirr--
"Get lost!!"
DG: Lunata Croze has used her Tool Rephaim Full Burst toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 1.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon's worry for Fei is only mounting, but it is a different thing than Elly's -- and expressed differently, mostly in the tightness around his lips. He steps through, glancing briefly at Jet, Clive, and Gallows. There is a nod of thanks; a munched down Heal Berry. His attention, however, is one something else.
Lolithia.
The blue Golem draws a stare because it must; because he has seen the power that Golems can bring to bear twice now, and has no desire to be on the receiving end once more. He swallows, and then he looks at Elly. He nods, once, before he looks ahead. "All right, Lunata. Looks like you're up. We'll do our best to support you."
The ground shakes, ripping into the floor, and sending Leon flying to one side. He rolls with it, before Argent Divider swings out. He takes aim, firing a lance of light ahead of him. It does little against the blue-tinged armor of the Golem alone. The Raid Funnels swing out, ahead of all of them.
The shield it produces flashes, glowing brilliantly, and offering some shielding against what is to come.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Raid Funnel toward his party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 1.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Finally, once all is said and done and she's managed to gather herself together, Shalune hops up onto the Little Dipper to gun it forwards. A freshly-procured bag of Heal Berries sits nestled in one of the pockets of her coat, in hopes it will help to stave off the constant snacking on nuts that Big Shal's powered mode kind of necessitates; she's also set her bobble hat squarely on her head, as if ready and prepared for battle.
What she isn't expecting to find is Diablo and Asgard's-- sister? Call it sister. The first point at which she notices the golem's presence is in the middle of some worries over Fei and Elly's condition - the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end for a moment as she hears a low but distinct thrum of machinery in front of them that makes her stand at attention. "Uh--" she starts, and she'd love to continue with something like 'I've heard that noise before, it's the one Diablo makes when it's powered up and running, but I know that's not here right now and Asgard's waiting outside, so'.
Instead, she yells: "Waaah--!!" as the Little Dipper's outer hull is flash-coated with ice; its power cuts out again, bearing her down to the ground briefly as she kicks off it and into a haphazard run. "What the heck's it doing here!? Down, down! You're supposed to be good an' nice! Asgard's gonna punch you something fierce, you know that?!"
She winces as she forces herself forwards. By her standards, the diving roll into another swing of the Little Dipper is positively agile and yet as practical and down to earth as she always is, an impact against the railing knocking away most of the ice off the scooter's shell before she swings it around and back under her feet to take back to the air. To one side of her, she registers Elly's desperate call to Lunata - and for just a moment she risks a glance at the bulk of Lolithia, comparing the Elw golem with the others she's seen and the innards she's spent so many months digging through.
"Lunie, Mr. Leon, don't go for the joints!" she calls suddenly into her radio, abruptly reinstating Lunata's L in these dire times. "They're not like Gears - there's no cables or anything to cut there! Focus on a single point with somethin' piercing and you should be able to get it to spring a leak of fluids instead! Most components are-- well, they're kinda where you'd expect them to be, but the couplings between them are all different!" Another glance. "--main limb control, left thigh!"
Oh, right. Maybe this'll be a little easier with Diablo's mechanic on your side.
At Lunata's call, her hand hovers towards her pocket - but she grimaces as she pulls it back, and instead redoubles her grip on the handlebars. "Lunie! I can't! It's-- I'm only gonna get one shot with that button, so I need to save it for Mom! I'm sorry!" she calls over the sudden and abrupt din, pulling her shotstaff up to her shoulders to sight along it. She doesn't expect to do all that much - but she can at least hope to paint the weak points for others. She doesn't even realize Big Shal is also providing fire support until another bright line of blue bolts towards Lolithia from somewhere behind her. It's far wide, but it still makes her yelp in surprise and bank out of the way of the Elw golem's next shot.
DG: Shalune Amira has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 1.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong may be at his limit. New Arctica wasn't exactly comfortable but it's likely all the small and big stresses and colliding against his neurons violently as almost everything Fei tends to worry about is being shoved full and center. Elly could be hurt, possibly even killed. So can his friends. So can his friends' friends. Hell, even Siegfried who is at best a frenemy right now doesn't seem to be doing too hot and that's not even getting into his more metaphysical concerns of what Mother is saying, accusing him of, accusing him of being.
The fighting hasn't been easy either. He has been wounded pretty badly by Siegfried and though Fei has healed since that wound was struck, the effort was not minor and his exhaustion is pressing to its peek. He is just plain tired on top of it all.
And then there's the invisible forces. The forces he's not even sure exists.
But much like Elly beside him, they have to push on. And Fei, right now, pushes on.
"Lolithia." Olithia, if you want to punish it for helping the wrong team! Fei steps forward and shouts, "LOLITHIA!!" with sudden ferocity.
And then he rears back his fist. His eyes narrow in consternation. Beads of sweat drip down his face despite the chill purely from the heat radiating from weaponfire and scorching lasers traveling through the battlefield.
The ground shakes, but Fei keeps his footing, hopping over a crack as he steps forward.
Fei then thrusts his hand forward, palm down.
"Paper." Fei says.
Someone stop this idiot.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 1.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"I think you'd look cute in a bear onesie," Josie remarks off-handedly, in the way that's probably not all that likely to help the matter much. "So, bearcub? Cub? Or just 'bear'?"
There's a pause. "Nice kick," Josie comments absently, as Fei gives the wall his very very best.
...'Best' as in 'doesn't blow the wall down', that is. She regards him a moment more before glancing back up at Rephaim, offering *Unata a cheery salute in as if to request a lift back up. As if everything was just peachy keen.
It's Elly who her attention rests on after that, in the interim between her reunion with her gun.
Got my hopes in you, Red.
Because even being the sort of person she is, the alternative has a potentially ugly, ugly ending.
She, apparently, is passing on the Heal Berry, eager instead to regain her perch and positioning.
Her attention, also, is soon somewhere else.
'So that's where it went to.'
"Sure did, Red," Josie answers, reseating the cannon's powersource as if to attempt to milk it for whatever it's got left.
And then, as if in response to some invisible toast, she pulls out her flask, proffers it skywards, and tips the entire remaining contents down her throat.
Waste not, want not.
And this is definitely one of those times where she's feeling like 'want not' is the proper course of action.
"Never busted up a Golem before, she murmurs, gaze hooded as the last of the Nostos cannon's power -- the last few drops in this core -- reaches the peak left to it.
"Red--" The ground crunches upwards. Josie, in perhaps as great a sign that she intends to hold her ground here as any drops the empty flask to clatter on the floor far below as she drops back. It's a sort of cover, better than nothing. "...hey, thanks."
And then she drops down as Rephaim lunges forward, sighting the lost Golem through the lenses. "Hope this works. It's the last I got," she murmurs, her voice perhaps lost in the cacophany.
Second to last, since the last core's reserved for Mother.
"Hold 'er steady, Bear!"
Perhaps Josie has made up her own mind about which nickname is most appropriate.
The Nostos sings as it lets fly.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Liquid Courage toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 1.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Golem Lolithia - Phase 1 *>================== |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Deep within the Photosphere, Mother has a sentinel. A cavernous chamber stretches out, providing a final choke point before the control center of the Photosphere can be reached. Filling the chamber is the same Golem stolen by the Metal Demons during the Battle of Adlehyde: Lolithia. This dark blue, armored Golem towers over the room and the many Drifters engaging it in combat. Indeed, as you enter the room, the sound of battle greets you: blasts of energy, gunshots, and flashes of swords all meet the mighty armor of the Elw Golem. The Golem's eyes flash with golden light. Then, it rears back a huge claw, and slams it down into the ground. A moment later, blasts of energy come raining down... and the battle is joined! (NOTE: This card assumes that all of the people running the Dig, and possibly a few named NPCs, are in a massive brawl against a Gear-sized enemy. If you pass this card, you will have Quick and Shield for the final battles. If you fail, you will have Slow and Break.) =Dungeon Conditions: Suffer, Exhaust==========================================
================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs - Round 5 *>================= ====================< Results - Golem Lolithia - Phase 1 >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leon Albus 3 --(10)--> 13 Pass Raid Funnel 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 10 --(10)--> 20 Pass Rephaim Full Burst 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 18 --(10)--> 28 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elhaym van Houten 15 --(17)--> 32 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 20 --(17)--> 37 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 18 --(10)--> 28 Pass Liquid Courage 3 Combat Effects: Rally ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Leon Albus 80 --(0)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Suffer(1) Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Leon Albus has passed this challenge! The party gained 0 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Elhaym van Houten has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Golem Lolithia - Phase 2 *>================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- After some time, the battle against Lolithia finally strikes a blow that makes the Golem wheel backward. Lightning explodes and shoots up and down the length of the Golem's body. Then, its shsoulders shudder. The massive blie Golem lists forward. It leans over, without falling over entirely, and it does not stir. A precious opportunity has been bought: the chance to strike at the Golem, and do no small amount of damage to it. Lolithia can be potentially disabled, if everyone strikes now... and with all of the might they have! (NOTE: Lolithia will not be destroyed by this attack, but it will be disabled. If you pass this card, you will have Hyper and a Hi-Heal for the final battles. If you fail this card, you will have Weaken and Disease.) =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly and Leon have similar ideas, involving cover or at least protection against the Golem. But the Golem's force is implacable, perhaps maximum. This entity, this Lolithia, was built to ASSAIL the Metal Demons in the year of their greatest power - and the Demons are in some ways weaker now.
But Lolithia is not.
The golem strides forwards and Rephaim unleashes its railguns, the incoming slamming slugs of hyperkinetic weaponry smashing into Lolithia, which has apparently decided that it is time to focus its attention on this group. Why? Ether potential? The Rephaim's weapons? (CLANCLANCLANCLANCLANG) The novelty presented by the raid funnels? (CLANCLANCLANCLANCLANCLANCLANG)
Shalune, the surviving L, calls out a warning. Elly says, "If we can't hit the joints what the" *skreeeeeeeeeeow!!* "are we supposed to do!?"
Lolithia reels around, moving in a momentary half-arc as Josie opens fire - perhaps they have at least harmed the massive Golem enough to dissuade it. Maybe it's going to go and kill the other Drifters instead of the team! Elly says, "Inner thigh, inner thigh," to herself, fingers curling as she tries to look for the angle to weave her spells. Then:
Paper.
Lolithia turns.
Elly feels the world distort. "Fei," she breathes, "no, oh no -"
Lolithia looks at Fei. Lolithia's hand forms what might be scissors, considering its claw. The Golem strides towards Fei. The golem lifts its great hand upwards as Elly lets out a little half muted sob and
"gottem"
Lolithia steps into the space hastily dug out by those heroes without name. Lolithia sinks in up to about its 'knee' and slams down, creating another ground quake but not collapsing. Forced forwards, kneeling halfway down, the Golem seems to reassess matters.
Elly feels her eyes spill over in relief. It must be an omen or something, she thinks, before her fingers close on -
* Paint Balloon
** Confiscated from unruly children seeking to splat their way to fame. This tool has no inkantation upon it, but its bright purple ink would draw attention to whatever it splatted upon.
Elly hurls it forwards. The wind whips up with unnatural, Etheric speed and guides it round to splat like a highlight marker against the zone Shalune had indicated. "HURRY!!" Elly squeals aloud, not, of course, that it is likely to need more encouragement.
DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Inventory Clutter toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 2.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"A fine idea, Shalune, but I am not sure--" Leon is cut off, as the shots slamming into the Raid Funnels' barrier make such a loud report that they drown him out. He grits his teeth, and then sees Lolithia stumble -- instead of crushing Fei. A momentary panic turns into, well, another sort of momentary panic.
He calls out, loudly: "We need to hit it, now, before it gets its bearings!"
Leon snaps Argent Divider to his side. The barrels unfold, then snap into place; the blade telescopes out. A moment later, with a crackle of silver light, it forms a lengthy energy blade.
Leon has to grab the sword by both hands, and then leaps forward. He jumps into the air, his coat fluttering after; then, when he comes down, he brings the energy blade down in an overhead slash for the thing.
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 2.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Shalune's calling desperately for her to use something piercing and to hit the inner thigh. Leon produces more of those cool raid funnels to offer shielding against the others that're on foot; Fei offers paper.
I feel, Lunata thinks, like the Rephaim's armor is like paper right now.
'Hold 'er steady, Bear!'
"I have-- LOOK we're in what I consider to be the most dangerous battle of my entire unlife right now and all I'm gonna remember out of this is that YOU CALLED ME BEAR--"
The Nostos sings, and Lunata sags for a moment as some of the warnings fade. "... thanks, Mama Bear."
Well, if Josie's going to nickname her, she can nickname her back.
A pause, as Elly calls for them to HURRY!! as Lolithia steps into a space dug out by some big darn unnamed heroes. Lunata thinks to go give them a round at the saloon if they survive all of this, and then she snarls as she exclaims:
"Go... down... alreadyyyy!!!"
The Rephaim's wings all unfurl. A great big gout of Ley energy exhausts out of every single of its wing vents, and the super verniers planted onto the back of its body roars alive with an ephemeral flame.
Lunata reaches desperately and--
Pops the glass lid off a button that's actually unmarked but drawn like a goofy Shalune face going :D.
-= EXTREME VERSUS MAXI BOOST =-
ShaluneOS build ver 0.0:3:3:3
caution: not to be used for production purposes
on threat of high impact collision, followed by death
--then the thrusters roar red in a way that they probably shouldn't--
"FUDGE--"
--several vents and wing stabilisers pop right off as the Rephaim hurtles forward--
"FRHGRMRMGR--"
--Lunata's face starts to warble as her lips wibble-wobble and stretch backwards--
"FGGRRRRRRHHHH--!!!"
--and the Rephaim sails forward with its beam saber held in both hands towards that pointed weak-point in the thigh at the same time one of its leg polycaps goes 'POOMF' and sails off behind it and makes several other unnamed Drifters duck.
"GOOOOO!!"
DG: Lunata Croze has used her Tool Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost Shalune Special toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 2.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei takes in a deep breath. He slides a foot backwards, lowering his hand. He should have considered the claw. Is he losing his touch?
Well, Fei isn't crushed by Lolithia. For once, fortune seems to strangely play into Fei's favor. He keeps looking at the golem as it falls, a look of distress on his features.
"Lolithia..." He says. "I wonder, if we were able to save you before, if I was able to save you before, if you wouldn't be here, now, being used as a weapon. A throwaway device to crush us, slow us down..."
For a coward, in this moment he doesn't seem afraid. He just seems...sad. Tired. Much like he has been for most of this day, but now emoting it more strongly.
He lets out a quick sigh and pulls out a chain from his pocket, largely obscured by his own body.
He looks at it for a moment, then slides it back into his pocket.
"I know this won't destroy you." Fei says. "But it will hurt. I'm sorry."
And with that he curls his hand into a fist and then punches it forward.
A large red eruption of energy bursts out of Fei's hands towards that spot Shalune so helpfully pointed out. He's just on his own two feet rather than in a gear, but it still looks, at least, like it has a mighty punch to it.
Maybe not Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost Shalune Special level punch, but just one gentleman on his own two feet? Still notable.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool Mother's Cross toward his party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 2.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Mama Bear.
"What, you like Baby Bear better? I can do that."
Unfortunately for Lunata, Josie may be (almost) unshameable.
The Golem steps into an extremely fortunate (for the teams fighting against it) hole.
And Josie, in that moment, perhaps has the inkling that her current position may be somewhat compromised, given the sounds Rephaim seems to be making. "Hold on to this. I mean it!" she shouts at Lunata, with a meaningful point at the cannon before hurriedly shucking her coat and then leaping with it splayed behind her like it were a cape.
Or... a makeshift parachute.
It sort of works. Josie doesn't break anything on landing.
She liked that coat. It's abandoned behind her as she breaks into an all-out dash for the downed Golem.
Times like this, she wishes she had a bomb.
But a mattock, particularly a mattock you can really depend on?
It'll do.
With a wordless roar of a scream, she smashes it into the ancient Golem.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Well-Used Mattock toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 2.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune manages to catch Elly's comment, even as she swings past and around Lolithia in a tightly banking turn, employing the age-old tactic of circle-strafing around the gigantic Golem. "J-just aim on a single point!" she blurts, peppering the golem with rather indiscriminate amounts of small fire. None of it can hope to do much of anything, but she can at least try to make herself a more nimble and harder-to-hit target. At least, that's what she likes to tell herself, yelping as she slips between two lines of supercold air and desperately clutches at her bobble hat.
The golem stumbles, and Shalune's heart leaps into her throat for a moment as she comes to much the same conclusion as Leon does. What differs is her course of action - rather than suddenly concentrate her fire in an attempt to take the golem down for good, she instead sucks in a breath and guns the Little Dipper forwards, using the momentary lull in fire to go on a rapid approach to the golem.
Beneath her, the Rephaim crashes into the golem with a sudden burn of energy; she yelps as she looks down at it, feeling a very unfocused sort of vertigo for a moment before her brain catches up. "T-that button! Lunie! You weren't s'posed to use that button--" she whines, leaving the question of why exactly it exists open and unanswered - but the energy pouring off the Gear gives her a wellspring of energy to ride on like a wave, sending the Little Dipper up and into the air high above Lolithia.
Peeking over the edge of her scooter, Shalune sucks in a breath. "--that access plate - I think the master stop's in there - just gotta hit it real hard, I guess," she tells herself as she looks down at the legendary Elw golem below, doing her best given the emergency around her to treat their opponent as just another misbehaving ice box. Hidden in her coat, her handsclose around the plate of stone - and then she's flung herself off the Little Dipper and into breathless freefall.
... ... shalune materials aren't something you drop on an enemy, they don't get more powerful if you've got momentum--
Not listening to herself, she yells: "--Dinoginos! Material!" for the second time in as many minutes, except this time she manages to get the name right - and buoyed by the Ley Energy around, the summon responds in kind, bridging the gap between Shalune and Lolithia as the pink-haired girl finds herself abruptly riding an angry kaiju, both of its fists rising to crash down in a hammering blow.
DG: Shalune Amira has used her Tool Material - Dinowhatsit toward her party's challenge, Golem Lolithia - Phase 2.
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Golem Lolithia - Phase 2 *>================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- After some time, the battle against Lolithia finally strikes a blow that makes the Golem wheel backward. Lightning explodes and shoots up and down the length of the Golem's body. Then, its shsoulders shudder. The massive blie Golem lists forward. It leans over, without falling over entirely, and it does not stir. A precious opportunity has been bought: the chance to strike at the Golem, and do no small amount of damage to it. Lolithia can be potentially disabled, if everyone strikes now... and with all of the might they have! (NOTE: Lolithia will not be destroyed by this attack, but it will be disabled. If you pass this card, you will have Hyper and a Hi-Heal for the final battles. If you fail this card, you will have Weaken and Disease.) =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken===================================================
================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs - Round 6 *>================= ====================< Results - Golem Lolithia - Phase 2 >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leon Albus 13 --(15)--> 28 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 20 --(10)--> 30 Pass Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost Shalune Spec 4 Brute Effects: Sacrifice, Efficient, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 28 --(10)--> 38 Pass Mother's Cross 4 Brute Effects: None ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elhaym van Houten 32 --(10)--> 42 Pass Inventory Clutter 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 37 --(10)--> 47 Pass Material - Dinowhatsit 2 Brute Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Josephine Lovelace 28 --(15)--> 43 Fail Well-Used Mattock 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Leon Albus 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Weaken(2) Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)|Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Leon Albus has successfully explored Photosphere - Alien Catacombs!
=====================<* Photosphere - Alien Catacombs *>====================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Lolithia's Fall *>======================= |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Lolithia teeters under the final assault. With a groan, Lolithia comes crashing down and slams against the ground. Chunks of armor plating pop off; a loud crack of the interior crystal sounds. The machine lays there, still and terrible, in the wake. It fortunately did not fall on you. After the dust clears, the way ahead awaits: the inner sanctum of the Photosphere, and what dangers await. =Dungeon Conditions: Vault====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
As with most great things that collapse, it begins with defacement by vandalistic children. In this case at one remove, though Elly isn't exactly an old lady - and will, of course, not be called such by anyone for the next twenty years, nope, no sir - herself. The spot is highlighted.
Leon surges forwards as the energy forms and slashes ahead, carving into the still wet paint. It makes an alchemical smell as the armor is scored. Lunata presses that button and as Leon descends, Rephaim rises, the plate falling away in a smoking heap with half of it still wet in that purple paint. The plate bounces forwards, crushing another stray piece of trapwork laid out by Mr. Digger, the unsung hero of this... digger. ("dangit")
Fei speaks to Lolithia. If the Golem hears there is no sign, no signal. Its head turns but perhaps this is just to track the sudden spike in some sort of enigmatic power source that lives within Fei but a moment later he has thrown himself forwards and thrown a searing burst of RED which makes something in Lolithia's leg ignite -
And the golem, already moving with its vasty bulk, rises out of the hole in time for its leg to start giving way. It struggles - balancing out in a squat, arms spreading slightly aside as if to counterbalance itself. Yes, perhaps even now it would all be in vain EXCEPT
*KTANG*
for the strike of a mattock at the most important time. A moment later they are joined by the sheer force of Dinoginos, and the ankle of the Golem shifts, and balance crosses a gyroscopic threshold. A wonder of the Elw topples to its side...
And crashes!
Well, somebody certainly died there. Was it that Valmar woman? Elly sobs again in relief, sweat glistening on her skin, before she cries out, "That was the last, wasn't it -- Ah, we're almost - almost there--!!"
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Lolithia crashes down. A few Drifters cheer; Leon isn't one of them. He lets out a long-held breath, which becomes a sigh, and lowers his weapon. The tip of Argent Divider's blade scrapes the metal floor, sending a few sparks up into the air.
He glances over his shoulder, back towards Elly. He nods. "It is," he says. "We should catch our breaths. We still have to find Riesenlied. And Mother..."
He looks up at the cavernous chamber all around them. He frowns, slightly. "...We have our work cut out for us."
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
The Rephaim is a smoking mess by the time it's all done, as Leon bears on down with his blade and raid funnels, as Josephine instructs her to hold onto that cannon no matter what and dives in a daredevil fashion with her mattock, as Fei launches a powerful blast of energy and Shalune... Shalune makes an actual goshdarn Material summoning attempt.
...
The blast door kinda goes halfway open-- and Lunata's foot can be seen kicking the rest of it open. There's a long cough, as more smoke comes out as something goes 'PEWWW...' and the cabin lights just go dark.
"It's... it's dead," Lunata mumbles as she first hucks what Josie recognises as the Zeldukes shotgun sticking out of a duffel, then the Orochi-Agito katana, then she pulls on out with Freiheit. At some point, she kinda got a heck of an arsenal, didn't she? "Can't even radio Cap'n Maitreya to pull it out of here."
She looks to Leon for a moment, then to Elly. "... yeah. Lots to do. I hope-- uh," she pauses, awkwardly. "I know Miss Lily'll be all right. Just gotta find where she's gone to... chased after that Dragon she was fighting, maybe?"
She looks to Shalune. "If we need Gear support, it's all Diablo's show from here on now."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei closes his eyes.
No person who has done what you have in defense of Filgaia and its people is a coward.
"Not dead. Just stopped." Fei says before looking over to Elly. She has sobbed so much today. How much is him, he wonders, is he doing this to her?
Fei shakes his head. Don't think like that.
He starts walking along, like he's being pulled along by a string. A faint melody comes to his heart from nowhere, from somewhere, and he hums it along. A lost song with no name.
A little more, Elly had said, he can do this a little more.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata pauses. "Oh, I mean the Rephaim-- man that doesn't fill me with confidence if Lolithia's just stopped cause I'm pretty sure something's toast in mine," she grumps.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Dinoginos winks away - and thankfully, the Guardian is low enough to the ground that Shalune's abrupt and sudden fall can be broken by a roll, if a rather bumpy one filled with a couple of 'weh's as the pink mechanic scrabbles for purchase where she's landed on Lolithia's outer shell. Her heart is in her throat for a moment as she briefly looks aside, hoping desperately that the golem isn't about to squash her - but it remains silent, for the time being.
Her legs give out from under her briefly as she pants for breath. "R-... right..." she replies to Lunata, rather dazed as she lets herself slide off the golem's torso... but by the time she hits ground level she's pumped herself back up, her face set in a determined frown. "It'll be okay! The Rephaim just needs a Restaim, and a little love and care! Besides, look at how much it managed!" she adds as she briefly shakes both arms in the Lolithia's direction. "All we need to do is dig in the golem a bit, figure out how the Metal Demons were controlling it, and then start it back up again, and it'll all be okay! You should be congratulating it, right?"
Letting out a slow breath, Shalune calms herself down at Leon's warning and then at Lunata's comment, her hand going to her coat pocket to check that the hard little oblong is still there. "... I wasn't kidding when I said it's one-shot, though. I'm pretty certain it'll be one hell of a shot - but I don't really trust my repairs to hold up for long against an all-out fight," she admits with a rather wan grin. "I mean, it was my first time fixin' up priceless ancient Golems with materials I don't fully know how to use."
"Ah-- Mr. Fei, Mr. Leon said to grab a breath--" she starts to say, but doesn't seem to have the energy to argue too heavily. Her legs wobble again, if briefly - she's feeling a bit less panicked from adrenaline, but there's evidently still enough to launch at Lunata in an impulsive hug.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
The mattock strikes true.
"Shame," says Josie, once the dust settles. "No time to take a look. Golems aren't my thing, but I dare say I could learn a thing or two."
Hitching the tool at her hip, she ambles on back, collecting her tattered jacket as she goes and slinging it over a shoulder. Might as well give it one last grand hurrah, perhaps.
And then approaches the Rephaim to collect that oversized load she calls a gun.
"Shotgun treatin' you good, little bear?"
She may not have made up her mind on the matter of nicknames.
"Diablo ready to go, Lunie?" She gives her own creation a pat, as if to state that her end of things should be as good as gold. Whatever that's worth, now.
She yanks the expended core from the ARM and looks at it. Just holds it in her one good hand for a moment and looks at it.
Just one left. Better make it count.
She nods but once at Leon's statement, finally stashing that expended core away. "Yeah. Let's take five. Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
Judging from the fact that she doesn't light up, it would seem that she 'don't got 'em'.
As before, her gaze finds Elly and Fei. "Relax. Long enough walk down to hell already -- we don't have to run it. Eh?" And, though it's fleeting, she flashes a grin.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune jumps a little at Josie's question, as if she's feeling guilty; she visibly frets for a moment, then reaches into a breast pocket of her coat to withdraw a small little oblong of plastic. It is terrifyingly normal, just a small red button and what looks like a transmitter at one end. It could be a hangar door key, were it not for the already-rumpled piece of paper taped to it saying 'DIABLO'. "Um. I hope so." Quickly, she tucks it away again and tries her best to look very serious.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
"... 'm not gonna get out of the whole 'bear' nickname, am I?" Lunata kind of sounds like she's accepted it at this point. She hefts the shotgun up with a nod, saying, "It's gotten a workout, though I'm not really sure it'll be Mother-quality ready..."
Well, gunsmoke ARMs can only go so far.
She looks a bit pacified as Shalune says the Rephaim'll be all right. ".... c'mon, Lunie, let's go find Jay and join up with the Wolves after."