2019-02-10: A Berry Good Dig

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===============================<* Berry Cave *>===============================

The Berry Cave once held an underground grove, where the curative berries found throughout Filgaia grew. However, monsters moved inside of it, which made the cave dangerous. The tenders of the Berry Cave relocated to Surf Village, located nearby. Since then, the cave has become a nest of the monsters known as Wels. The locals advise against entering these cavernous depths, but nonetheless, the Berry Cave's namesake lures people in: those berries still grow on vines in the depths and sell for a pretty penny.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C55flOnlXMg
DG: A party led by Catenna is now entering Intrusion in Berry Cave.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>===========================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - An Unwelcome Crowd *>=======================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
 Normally, the Berry Cave is lightly-guarded at best. There's a little post    
 outside, consisting of a lantern, a chair, and whomever decided to stay up    
 and shoo curious children away from the cave.                                 
                                                                               
 Not this time.                                                                
                                                                               
 Two dozen villagers crowd outside the cave, arguing amongst themselves--at    
 their head is a young woman who swears she saw an enormous monster with       
 /forbidden ARMs/ enter the cave. Regardless of whether or not this is true,   
 clearing out the civilians might be a good idea. This is a job for            
 professionals.                                                                
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        There is a bit of a ruckus outside the Berry Cave, to put it mildly. Surf Village doesn't depend on it for income, but the Heal Berries that grow within are an invaluable resource, and when one of the local teenagers suddenly said she saw a monster walkint into it, people take notice. The crowd outside is tense, animated by both excitement and fear. Several of the townspeople have oil lamps, and many more carry axes and other farming implements. None carry ARMs.

        "It was huge! And it was breathing smoke, and it just sauntered into the cave!" The witness is a teenage girl, maybe fifteen years at the most, with long violet hair tucked in a ponytail.

        "But where's the footprints?" says an older woman, who stoops next to the cave entrance, examining the dirt. "Nothin' here but... boots, I reckon. Darryl, what d'you reckon?"

        "I reckon someone's tellin' stories," says an older man, presumably Darryl.

        A half-dozen villagers speak at once, the noise rippling through the crowd. A middle-aged man yells at Darryl for calling his daughter a liar. Someone else starts worrying, audibly, about Demons.

        This... needs to be dealt with, tactfully, before any progress can be made.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

It's not every day that the innocuous entrance to the Berry Cave turns into an argument.

With a frown, Catenna looks on at the argument up ahead, listening for a moment as the girl tries to persuade the crowd something is up. She folds her arms and considers, then glances back over her shoulder. "Odd," she murmurs. "What would a monster want with the Berry Cave? It is the most innocuous place I can readily think of."

The argument continues as the villagers worry about this and that - and then something drifts into their midst.

It is a soft white Owlet. It is, in fact, the Owlet. Saarda-Shanta comes to rest on an outcrop over the cave mouth, giving the young girl a long, penetrating look.

Catenna takes that as her cue. "Excuse me," she says quietly, moving forward and holding up one hand. "The only way to determine the truth here is to investigate. We are with the Caravan Kinship. Please allow us to see what is going on inside and bring you back an answer as soon as we can."

DG: Catenna has used her Tool Saarda-Shanta toward her party's challenge, An Unwelcome Crowd.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

It's almost relaxing. Honestly! After all of the craziness, going back to the basics and hunting monsters is a welcome change.
 
At least it is for somebody like Ashton Anchors. It's entirely luck that he was in the area: he's been basing himself out of the Adleyn region lately, but he's been on the move a lot as he searches for Certain People (and gets a bit of money besides). A lot of his movements have been around New Petra - which doubly links him to things here today.
 
For the moment, however, he doesn't say anything. He doesn't need to. No - the Symbological Swordsman is able to just stand there as Catenna takes the attention. And he strikes the tall, cross-armed pose that clearly communicates 'hello, I have swords, do you need something stabbed?'
 
There's actually a class taught on that with the Adventurer's Guild. It's co-taught with how to always find a corner to stand in ominously, even if the room is round.

DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, An Unwelcome Crowd.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

The Berry Cave was a place of great interest for Jacqueline. It was, after all, a good source of ingredients for her potions. She didn't need to visit it as much lately, though, thanks to seeds they'd found on Lunar and the help of Mariel, who had the know-how to raise them properly.

Even so, she found herself curious about it...and it was to her great surprise when she arrived there this time to see a group of townsfolk gathered around.

"I'm not sure...but there's only one way to find out." Jacqueline says with a nod toward Catenna. With Saarda-Shanta's prompting, she joins her friend in approaching the townsfolk.

"Don't worry, we're professionals. Just leave this to us, okay?" She says, putting on a warm, friendly smile. There's an air of confidence to her, that should hopefully make her seem more convinving. "We'll make sure it doesn't get an opportunity to hurt anyone."

Ashton also gets a brief smile - she recognized him and considered him a reliable ally. It was good to have him around.

DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Unwelcome Crowd.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        "Looks like a proper reason for me t'stick my nose in."

        And there's Gwen Whitlock, Super Courier, all around nice person, and someone who has been in the Berry Cave once or twice. First time(?), it was a run to get heal berries after that... cucco... attack. Which was a thing. Second time, she decided that that terminal in the back needed some extra examination, and, owing to some comment or another that gave her the idea, tried to power it up. With herself. Unfortunately, all it was was some note by some Kim person(?) that seemed really confusing. Auntie Frea got some interesting data, for... research. And not something she sent to some secret space aliens, nono, whatever gave you that idea-

        Walking right into the party of the Caravan while stretching her arms above her head, fingers interlaced, she grins. "I've made one or two trips here a year or two ago. Can't be nothin' too strange down there I ain't seen. Mind a friendly courier along for the ride? Because I'm totally in if y'all are."

        GWEN WHITLOCK HAS JOINED YOUR PARTY.

DG: Gwen Whitlock has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, An Unwelcome Crowd.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - An Unwelcome Crowd *>=====================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Normally, the Berry Cave is lightly-guarded at best. There's a little post    
 outside, consisting of a lantern, a chair, and whomever decided to stay up    
 and shoo curious children away from the cave.                                 
                                                                               
 Not this time.                                                                
                                                                               
 Two dozen villagers crowd outside the cave, arguing amongst themselves--at    
 their head is a young woman who swears she saw an enormous monster with       
 /forbidden ARMs/ enter the cave. Regardless of whether or not this is true,   
 clearing out the civilians might be a good idea. This is a job for            
 professionals.                                                                
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
===================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave - Round 1 *>====================
=======================< Results - An Unwelcome Crowd >=======================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catenna                             0 --(5)--> 5                   Fail
Saarda-Shanta                       1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacqueline Barber                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashton Anchors                      0 --(5)--> 5                   Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwen Whitlock                       0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Catenna                     0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Stupify(2)
Effects: Cleanse
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Catenna 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: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Bare Vines? Rats! *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 This little nook shelters some newer growth, a half-dozen berry vines         
 branching out across the wall. Most of them belong to the common Poison       
 Berry--a dangerously toxic relative of the Heal Berry--but a few are actual   
 Heal Berry vines, entwined with their poisonous neighbors for protection.     
                                                                               
 Someone seems to have done a clumsy job of harvesting them, though. Bits of   
 vine and smashed berries litter the floor, and the mess has attracted large,  
 aggressive rats. Clear them out, and you'll have a quiet space to sit and     
 rest a spell.                                                                 
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Wings flutter overhead. The teenage girl looks up, her mouth falling open as she sees Saarda-Shanta on her perch. "Look!"

        "What now," Darryl growls. He looks up, and the scowl falls from his face. "That your monster, Samantha? 's just an owl!"

        Jay, Gwen, and Catenna approach, with Ashton as their well-armed, intimidating escort. A hushed murmur runs through the crowd, and the people closest to the group step aside to let them pass. Samantha looks to Jay, pleadingly. "Are you Miss Barber? I swear I--"

        "Is there a Demon!?"

        "Are you here to kill it?!"

        "Shut up!"

        "Are those Dragons?!"

        Thankfully, cooler heads prevail. Jay's reputation precedes her, and the locals seem much more comfortable with letting Jacqueline Barber, local philanthropist and businesswoman, deal with their problem. Gwen, likewise, has that friendly look to her, and knows what to say. It isn't long before most of the crowd disperses, heading home to bed.

        The inside of the Berry Cave is as it has always been--cool and damp, with better airflow than many other caves. The first ten minutes or so are remarkably uneventful, but it isn't long before trouble presents itself.

        RATS! Fortunately, common cave vermin are just not an issue to a group of hardened adventurers.

        The real problem lies in what's happened to the vines. Heal Berry and Poison Berry alike have been plucked off the wall, indelicately. The floor is littered with Berry goo, bits of vine, and other detritus. It will be a while before the vines recover and regrow.

        An animal didn't do this. This was deliberate.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Everyone loves Jay. Catenna bows her head a little, smiling quietly as Adlehyde's favourite daughter moves in to help out.

<Curious,> Saarda-Shanta muses, alighting upon Catenna's shoulder. The Moon Shaman nods a little as she squints ahead. "I wonder if there really is a creature. Certainly it seems something has happened."

Indeed, soon enough they find evidence of something - berries plucked from the wall with indelicate deliberation, leaving the cave in a shambles.

Catenna doesn't have time to consider it in detail before the rats begin to crawl towards them. Drawing her bow, she notches an arrow and stands back, firing a projectile towards one rat, then launches another towards yet a second, aiming to just pick them off before they can close into melee range.

"Jacqueline," she says once she's loosed that arrow, "I do not think something animal did this."

DG: Catenna has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Bare Vines? Rats!.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

The locals let them pass. That part was less Ashton's concern and more than they'd try to come in and investigate themselves.
 
The stories he could tell about villagers who nearly get themselves killed because they want to see a minotaur... yeesh.
 
As the Main Party moves inside, Ashton takes moment to tip a non-existent hat to the three ladies. "I hope you don't mind my intervening. I heard tell about a monster and couldn't help myself." Not that he expects them to turn him away - they're all good people, he knows that. And they're Drifers who have worked together well in the past. Besides. A situation like this isn't a matter of dibs or posturing. Heal Berries are serious business.
 
And serious horror, as they enter into the Cave itself. The sight of seeing so much of the crucial curatives laid waste to is shocking. Ashton lets out a small gasp.
 
But he has an ace up his sleeve. Well, not quite his sleeve, it's not entirely clear where he pulls it from. But SUDDENLY.
 
BARREL
 
"We should save what we can. This should suffice for storage." A second barrel is suddenly produced and set beside the first. "Use the Damzen poplar for the heal berries and the Krosse oak for the poison ones." The two barrels are visibly identical.

DG: Ashton Anchors has used his Tool All Purpose Barrel toward his party's challenge, Bare Vines? Rats!.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline lets the people voice their concerns. As long as they don't start fighting each other, there's no problem with letting them bicker. It might make them feel better in the long run.

"I'm not sure what it is, but we'll deal with it appropriately when we find it. I'll make sure to give you a full report later." Jacqueline says, then spares another smile in Gwen's direction.

"Not at all! Glad to have you with us, Gwen." Jacqueline replies with a nod.

With the townsfolk dispersing and another friend added to their group, they descend.

"Of course! It's good to have you with us, Mister Anchors!" She says, flashing him a smile. She appreciated having a little extra muscle and an extra pair of swords at her side...and Creepy and Weepy too, of course. She can hear the telltale squeaking of rats a shortways in, but more concerning to her is the sorry state of the vines.

A frown crosses her face, but she doesn't approach them just yet. Jacqueline draws out a Crest and slides it into the gauntlet on her left hand before making a quick gesture, causing an orange light to spread over the party. Where it passes, her party members will find their weapons temporarily enchanted with flame. Any rat that wasn't scared off by the fire itself will find things heating up quite quickly.

"...I think you're right." Jacqueline says, sending a grim nod toward Catenna. And Ashton makes a good point - they should try to save any that are still salvagable...though looking at it, there may be a slim chance of that. Even so...

DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool The Lifeweaver's Codex toward her party's challenge, Bare Vines? Rats!.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        With how agitated the villagers are (and understandably so), it's a good thing Gwen's fallen back into the easy-going persona of the happy-go-lucky courier with absolutely nothing odd about her at all, the mask coming on with the ease of well-worn leather gloves.

        Now, the villagers of Surf Village are settled (more or less), so they can move in. "Seems mighty odd either way," she states, as they move into the quiet dark of the cave proper.

        What's even odder is the berries strewn about. "Definitely ain't any normal wildlife, but I ain't sure what." SUDDENLY BARRELS. Gwen turns from looking over the mess of vines. "Oh, good thinkin', AshtoooOONgetoffgetoffgetoff!"

        Several ugly displays against wildlife later (read: punching), Gwen clears her throat. "I'm guessin' the oak will help with the poison part of the poison berries?" She looks to Catenna and Jay, to see if either seems to know which is which. "But you'll need to mark which is which, for us less knowledgeable types, looks like. Just to avoid errors n' alL-damn it not another rat!! Shooshoo!"

DG: Gwen Whitlock has used her Tool Full Metal Courier toward her party's challenge, Bare Vines? Rats!.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Bare Vines? Rats! *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 This little nook shelters some newer growth, a half-dozen berry vines         
 branching out across the wall. Most of them belong to the common Poison       
 Berry--a dangerously toxic relative of the Heal Berry--but a few are actual   
 Heal Berry vines, entwined with their poisonous neighbors for protection.     
                                                                               
 Someone seems to have done a clumsy job of harvesting them, though. Bits of   
 vine and smashed berries litter the floor, and the mess has attracted large,  
 aggressive rats. Clear them out, and you'll have a quiet space to sit and     
 rest a spell.                                                                 
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
===================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave - Round 2 *>====================
=======================< Results - Bare Vines? Rats! >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catenna                             5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacqueline Barber                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
The Lifeweaver's Codex              2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashton Anchors                      5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
All Purpose Barrel                  2   Combat  Effects: Stalwart             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwen Whitlock                       0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Full Metal Courier                  2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Catenna                     20 --(20)--> 40                Pass
Conditions: Save Point(1)
Effects: Embolden(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Catenna 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: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Snapped Rope Bridge *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 A rope bridge once spanned the width of this chasm, but that is no longer     
 the case. What's left of it dangles from the near end of the gorge. There's   
 a way deeper into the cave at the bottom of the chasm, but to get to it,      
 you'll need to clamber down the remains of the bridge. Be careful!            
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        The Charge of the Rat Brigade is short-lived, but--actually no, it's not particularly glorious, either. After the third giant rat takes a flaming arrow, and the fourth is punched for distance by a certain courier, the survivors decide to flee. (Saarda-Shanta, meanwhile, gets a few snacks, if she doesn't mind cutting up her food first. These were some big rats.) The remaining Berries are bundled up, and the vines tended to--they could really use attention from a skilled gardener, but if nothing else, they'll survive to grow more berries.

        The group moves on. The cave widens, looking a bit more what most think of when they think of a cave--damp, dark, and full of interesting stone formations. A chasm splits the path up ahead, one of many such gorges in the cave--but it looks like the bridge is out. Judging by the wear on the ropes, it's out as of... an hour ago, perhaps not even that.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Saarda-Shanta is a resourceful birb. She pauses for a moment to drift down to one of the rats, taking some time to dig her claws in and do a little tearing.

Catenna smiles a little, waiting for the Owlet to do her thing. Then she flips her hair back with a quick snap of her head, shouldering her bow again. "Hopefully whatever has found its way here has not done too much damage. The berries are important for the merchants," she says quietly, falling in with Jay.

Soon enough, that chasm looms - with no bridge in sight.

Oh, there it is. It's down there. Catenna frowns, crouching to measure the distance. "Jay," she says, "I do not think the ropes were cut all that long ago."

<They were not,> observes Saarda-Shanta as she drifts over to land on the edge of the chasm. <No more than an hour ago.>

Tensing, Catenna uncoils the line of rope she tends to bring with her now and then. She casts it towards an outcrop, the grappling head biting in. The Moon Shaman tugs it to ensure it's solid, then hops over the cliff edge, carefully beginning to rappel down the rock face towards the opening at the bottom of the chasm.

"We will need to be careful," she murmurs. "I have a bad feeling about all of this."

DG: Catenna has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Snapped Rope Bridge.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

As the team presses on, Ashton is briefly distracted. He's arguging. With himselves.
 
"Yes, I know that you're hungry right now but there's no way I'm letting you eat -rats-."
Creepy tilts its head around as if asking a question.
"Because it's disgusting! They could have who knows what diseases!"
Weepy snakes around and up into Ashton's face. A pause.
"No! No, just because they've been eating Heal Berries does NOT automatically mean that they're healthy! That's terrible logic!"
 
He's at this for a few minutes. Fortunately, the gorge interrupts them. Likely to everybody's relief.
 
Patiently, Ashton waits for Catenna to get the rope out and set before following her. This is very much outside his realm of abilities or preparations. And he quietly prepares a Wind spell or two to cushion his fall if this goes as wrong as he's expecting it to.

DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Snapped Rope Bridge.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline, surprisingly, seems to have no problem telling the difference between the two barrels. Such is the power of a merchant. Truly something to behold...

With the rats dealt with Jacqueline takes a moment to pass out some potions to everyone gathered, just in case anyone got a scrape here or there.

When they finally move on, it's to be met with the sight of a chasm cutting off their path...and what was once a rope bridge, having now been snapped and made useless. She looks toward Catenna with a nod.

"You're right. This happened recently." Jacqueline says, taking a moment to move in beside Catenna for a closer look. "An hour at most, if not less. Whatever it is the girl saw, it didn't want to be followed."

With that said, she looks back toward Ashton and Gwen.

"It's a good thing we ran into you two. Seeing this, I'm not sure if the two of us would have been able to deal with this alone." She says. She and Catenna were capable, but they weren't exactly front-line fighters. They worked best in a support role.

With the bridge out, the only way forward lies below. Jacqueline takes a moment to carefully assess the geometry and then makes a few quick gestures. Pillars of stone emerge from the wall, forming a staircase down below. They should be sturdy enough to hold them, but if not, she can grab hold of anyone close and use the power of Lucadia's Artifical Copy Medium to (hopefully) Jump them to the nearest solid terrain.

DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Snapped Rope Bridge.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        Really, with how obvious Ashton's two 'guests' are and how many times she and Ashton have been in the same space before, it's a wonder that it's only *now* that Gwen realizes that there's... two dragons... on his... body? Back? Shoulders?

        Gwen startles as the three argue, discreetly trying to steal a few glances at how, exactly, Ashton has managed to fit two rather sizeable reptiles on his person.

        She gives up after a while, not wanting to feel like she's starring at the helpful barrel man. It's... not like he's the only one she knows with dragon(ic, ish) parts.

        There's a bridge to cross, after all. Looking back towards Jay, Gwen waves a hand. "No worries~ even if we weren't here, I bet you two could handle it on your lonesome, no problem." And maybe, if Catenna's rope isn't strong enough, it may be limited to two anyway. "We'll just take a peek, deal with it, and be back out. Easy as pie."

        Hopefully, this trip down the rope will prove just as easy as she claims.

DG: Gwen Whitlock has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Snapped Rope Bridge.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

To answer Gwen: the answer appears to be 'under his collar'. The large furred collar of his robe acts as the occasional hiding/napping spot for the dragons, and it's into there that their bodies disappear. Presumably under there someplace is where they attach, but it's unclear how.

========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Snapped Rope Bridge *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 A rope bridge once spanned the width of this chasm, but that is no longer     
 the case. What's left of it dangles from the near end of the gorge. There's   
 a way deeper into the cave at the bottom of the chasm, but to get to it,      
 you'll need to clamber down the remains of the bridge. Be careful!            
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
===================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave - Round 3 *>====================
======================< Results - Snapped Rope Bridge >=======================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catenna                             5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacqueline Barber                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Rapid Remedy                        1   Agility Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashton Anchors                      5 --(5)--> 10                  Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwen Whitlock                       0 --(5)--> 5                   Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Catenna                     40 --(20)--> 60                Pass
Conditions: Slow(2)
Effects: Cleanse
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Catenna 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: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
========================<* CHALLENGE - What The...? *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 With no warning whatsoever, the air ahead crackles, and a wall of light       
 snaps into existence, sealing off the tunnel wall. It lingers for a good      
 minute or so before it fades, flickers, and vanishes. It reappears less than  
 a heartbeat later, only to repeat the cycle once more. A little inspection    
 turns up the source: a strange, spherical device nestled on the far end of    
 the barrier, between some rocks. It looks like it rolled down and bounced     
 into position, and it's clearly damaged. If you keep the barrier down, you    
 might be able to pick it up and turn it off.                                  
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Treasure====================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I don't know...but I appreciate the vote of confidence." Jacqueline replies to Gwen with a modest chuckle. "Hopefully it's that easy, though."

Fortunately, Catenna's rope proves sturdy enough for the three of them, as long as they take it slowly and carefully, while Jacqueline takes her own way down. The four of them meet back up at about the same time, and without any unfortunate incidents. Hooray!

"Hopefully we're still going the right direction..." Jacqueline murmurs. The cave entrance at the bottom seems to lead onward, fortunately enough. They need to dodge their way past some debris but it's largely uneventful...up until the point the air ahead of them begins to crackle without warning.

"Get back!" Jacqueline warns, leaping backward. A wall of light appears before them suddenly, blocking further progress. It lingers for a moment, and just as Jacqueline is starting to wonder whether or not it'll ever go down, and fade, flickers, and fizzles out.

...But not for long. It reappears again, but once more it fades.

"That's a problem...we might need to force our way through." Jacqueline says, drawing out some red potions and passing them around. They're the type that invigorate those who drink them, giving them a little extra physical strength.

As she's drinking hers, though, she spots something on the far end of the barrier.

"...Is that...?" She murmurs, taking a careful step closer to get a better look. "...It is!"

It's a spherical device of some kind, one that she doesn't recognize. It's damaged...which would explain why it keeps fizzling out. She counts herself lucky, there.

"That must be what's causing it. If we can turn it off, we should be able to pass through..." She says, and then stops as she realizes something. "...Ah, but try not to destroy it? I have a couple of engineer friends who'd probably want to take a look at it."

DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Brewte Force toward her party's challenge, What The...?.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

The descent is mostly smooth. Ish. Ashton does bobble it a bit near the end - but fortunately he prepared and his landing is on the lighter end of 'crash'.
 
At the bottom, he nods in agreement with Gwen's evaluation. "Don't underestimate yourselves, agreed. None of this company is a slouch in handling the wild and the dangerous."
 
And they are almost immediately confronted with the glitchy forcefield generator(?). And Jay's fast reactions. He motions are her, as if to say 'see?'.
 
The flashing makes him frown, however. "Setting aside for a moment pushing past this, it seems odd. Doesn't it?" The swordsman motions at the little sphere. "If this was a purposeful obstacle, why is it flashing like it's damaged?"
 
But they do still have to get through it. And Jay's right - brute force. Fortunately, Ashton is a big strong fighter type and when the wall flashes off? He charges in to grab for the sphere and hopefully at least point it in a different direction.

DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, What The...?.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Slowly, Saarda-Shanta ghosts down after the rest of the group. She's got a mouthful of rat meat, which she swallows whole upon landing.

When Jay cries out, Catenna gasps and jolts backwards - just in time. The wall of light pulses into being, cutting off their progress. Blinking, the Moon Shaman looks towards Jay. "Thanks," she breathes, resting a hand at her chest. "That surprised me...."

The device is spotted. Frowning deeply, Catenna leans forward and squints at it, trying to get a better look at it. "An ARM of some sort?" she murmurs. "Or Hyadean technology? I cannot tell from here...."

Holding the barrier down, though, is the challenge. When the wall flickers and pulses, Catenna considers, then widens her eyes as Ashton barrels right in.

"Please be careful," she calls after the dragon-shouldered man.

All Catenna can do is try to block the field. Putting her shoulder to a large rock, she grunts with effort, shoving that boulder towards the path of the shield. She attempts to force it into the shield's pathway in the hopes its edge will hit it and stop.

DG: Catenna has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, What The...?.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        Gwen's landing, meanwhile, is the epitome of grace. That is, a person named Grace, and they were graceless, because irony.

        Groaning as she slowly gets up, Gwen rubs her back and staggers forward, rejoining the group. Peering over Jay's shoulder, Gwen squints at the wall of light. "What's somethin' like that doin' here? I don't remember encounterin' anythin' like this in my trips here before." Turning to Catenna, Gwen nods. "Or Veruni, maybe? I mean, they're gettin' more active, it seems like." Could there be a Veruni agent at the end of here? A Veruni... monster?

        Does that work? Are there such things??

        'If we can turn it off, we should be able to pass through...' Gwen perks at this, beginning to stride forward. 'Ah, but try not to destroy it?' "R-right! Ahaha, we'll... do that! Yes."

        In lieu of directly damaging what is possibly ancient, rare technology, Gwen spots Catenna. "Hold on, Catenna, lemme see if I can give ya a hand there!"

DG: Gwen Whitlock has used her Tool ARM-ored Fist toward her party's challenge, What The...?.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
========================<* CHALLENGE - What The...? *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 With no warning whatsoever, the air ahead crackles, and a wall of light       
 snaps into existence, sealing off the tunnel wall. It lingers for a good      
 minute or so before it fades, flickers, and vanishes. It reappears less than  
 a heartbeat later, only to repeat the cycle once more. A little inspection    
 turns up the source: a strange, spherical device nestled on the far end of    
 the barrier, between some rocks. It looks like it rolled down and bounced     
 into position, and it's clearly damaged. If you keep the barrier down, you    
 might be able to pick it up and turn it off.                                  
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Treasure====================================
===================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave - Round 4 *>====================
==========================< Results - What The...? >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catenna                             5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacqueline Barber                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Brewte Force                        1   Brute   Effects: Fanfare and Strengthe
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashton Anchors                      10 --(0)--> 10                 Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwen Whitlock                       5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
ARM-ored Fist                       2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Catenna                     60 --(25)--> 85                Pass
Conditions: Overzealous(2)|Treasure(1)
Effects: Strengthen(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Catenna has passed this challenge! The party gained 25 exploration! If anyone needs to use party
management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>=========================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - The Rear Guard *>=======================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The stink of rotting flesh filters down the tunnel. To experienced Drifters,  
 this is a telltale sign that the Cave's most dangerous denizens--the Rotting  
 Beasts--are nearby. As it turns out, one /was/ nearby, and now it is very,    
 very dead. The carcass lies in pieces on the ground, having been hacked       
 apart; its flesh is lacerated in countless places, and a hole the size of a   
 human head goes clear through its torso. It's no longer an obstacle.          
                                                                               
 And then, a muffled /thump/ echoes through the cave, and a bullet tears a     
 divot out of the nearby stone.                                                
                                                                               
 You're under fire! Run for it, and stick to cover!                            
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Slow=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        The rock shifts, uneasily, as Catenna and Gwen put their weight into it. It pitches forwards, falling towards the field--and then through, when it flickers off. It lands with a heavy crunch, narrowly missing the spherical generator--and the impact knocks the device free. It flickers off, rolling across the cavern floor. It makes it about a meter before Ashton grabs it. It doesn't seem too eager to turn back on again.

        Closer inspection reveals a hole torn in the side of the projector, and blood. Coagulated, lifeless blood.

        Things stay peaceful for a good five or so minutes as the group makes its way up a shallow incline, and into one of the larger chambers in the cave. It's likely a familiar sight for anyone who's visited--it's close to the heart of the cave, where the richest and most valuable patches of Heal Berries grow. It's also dangerously close to wherever those horrible beasts come from. The wind carries the telltale stench of rotting flesh--

        Except this beast is very, very dead. What killed it?

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

With a smile, Catenna nods to Gwen as if to thank her for her help.

The shield snaps away, and the Moo Shaman frowns a little, trying to get a better look at the projector. The sight of blood leaves her anxious, but she presses on nevertheless. Drawing her bow once more, she sets an arrow to it.

The putrid smell of something rotting ahead tells her that the Rotting Beasts must be up there, as they usually tend to be. Around the corner they go--

"Oh dear," Catenna says.

Oh dear indeed - the carcass is less a carcass than a butchered lump of decaying, disgusting meat. Covering her nose and mouth with one hand to try and mask the scent somehow, Catenna takes a couple of steps forward. "Something... looks like it gored this creature," she murmurs, her voice quiet and mystified. "Look at that hole in its chest...."

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

Hm. Blood. Old blood, too. That makes Ashton frown. But never the less - he hands the projector over to Jay. She asked for it after all.
 
A few minutes of careful forward movement later...
 
Now he's frowning more. Ashton doesn't like this one bit. "I'm not sure gored is quite correct. But it's been dead FAR longer than is possible for the youth at the entrance to have seen it."
 
Hands carefully on his swords, Ashton creeps a little closer. He wants to investigate the corpse, but 1) whatever killed it still might be nearby and 2) this would not be the first time that 'dead' actually meant 'undead' and you rarely forget that once you've been experienced Surprise Zombies.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"That's a good point...maybe it happened in the fall?" Jacqueline considers. She looks toward Gwen as she asks her question too, and the mystery only deepens. Once the barrier is deactivated and Jacqueline moves in to get a closer look at the device. What she sees causes an uneasy frown to cross her face.

"...Blood. But...whose? Or...'what's', I guess." She asks, with a frown as she accepts the device from Ashton. Not to mention that hole through it. It seems a little unlikely that Shalune or Lydia would be able to fix it in this condition, but she finds a cloth to wrap it up in and stows it away carefully anyway.

...She'll have to deal with the blood before she shows it to either of them, though.

She moves forward with the others, and that familiar scent hits her like a wall.

"H...h-hold on." She says, as she tries to stop herself from gagging on the scent. There were some things that one never got used to. She draws out a filtration cloth from her things and ties one over her nose and mouth before offering one to the others and proceeding ahead.

There, she finds a familiar beast...but butchered and gored practically beyond recognition.

"...Yeah..." Jacqueline murmurs, glancing toward Catenna. She doesn't like this. She doesn't blame whoever was responsible for being thorough, but there's something about this situation that makes her feel rather uneasy.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        "Augh, damn, the angle was off, hurry and snag it, Jay!" The rock lurches forward, coming perilously close to crushing the device, but thankfully, it survived.

        Gwen laughs. "Well, lucky you~ It looks like you got a present for those techhead friends, Jay, hehe."

        The blood on the side of the projector, however, is more worrying. Wasn't there Reapers down here? .... Reapers don't use ARMs, however.

        Right?

        Taking the filtration cloth from Jay with a sedate thanks, Gwen follows up the shallow incline, into the core part of the cave's bounty.%R
        As well as... a corpse?

        "..." Did the blood from before come from this now dead carcass, or from whatever shot it? The being that shot it likely nearby, too.

        All pretense of being completely foolish goes out the window as Gwen considers the very real possibility that they're in this cave with something extremely dangerous. Seeing Ashton prepare himself, Gwen wordlessly undoes the strap over the opening in her glove's palm. She doesn't entirely trust the corpse either.

        Maybe the shooter will be friendly?

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        thump

        Something whizzes past Jay's right ear at high velocity, close enough for her to hear the sound of its passage, and to feel the rush of wind on her face. It buries itself in the rock wall behind her with a sharp paff of splintering stone. A moment later, another bullet slams into the stone near Ashton's left foot. A third hits the stone right between Catenna's feet, and a fourth whizzes past Gwen's shoulder. There's a brief pause, and then the shooting starts again--and this time, those aren't warning shots!

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

thump

The ground at Catenna's feet rings with impact. A bullet comes entirely too close for comfort. With a gasp, the Moon Shaman jumps backward, catching herself before she loses her balance.

"Cover!" she calls out to the group. Another bullet rips past her; Saarda-Shanta has to flutter off her shoulder and whirl away to avoid being hit. As Catenna darts behind a rock and ducks towards the shelter of more distant rocks, she tenses as she realizes something: There's not much between her and wherever those shooters have taken cover.

She improvises. Whipping her grappling hook out, she casts it back.

Towards the thoroughly mangled zombie corpse.

The hook bites into the giant fleshy thing with ease. With a puff of exertion, Catenna yanks on the rope - and the dead, putrid Rotting Beast corpse drags across the ground a couple metres. Another bullet whistles through the air.

It hits the mangled corpse, now interposed between Catenna and the shooters.

"Let's hurry," she huffs to the rest of the group as she picks up her speed, hopping over a rock and then crouching in its shadow as she tries to gain distance while she can.

DG: Catenna has used her Tool Grappling Hook toward her party's challenge, The Rear Guard.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

thump
 
Asthon.. panics. Just a little. He can handle a fight, but being attacked from a distance by someone he can't see is decidedly not a fight. You can't attack what you can't find and it's decidedly hard to defend against it.
 
"SCATTER!" It's the best advice he can give - and he runs. Ashton tries to stay low, but he's both less than swift and a fairly big target. Creepy and Weepy are valued friends and companions, but their extra weight and bulk do not make for good evasion against incoming ARM fire.

DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Rear Guard.


<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Hopefully they'll be able to do something with it. ...But if not, at least it's not in our way anymore." Jacqueline says with a nod and a smile toward Gwen.

Fast forward to the present, Jacqueline gasps as a bullet flies right past her ear, just narrowly missing.

Jacqueline quickly ducks behind a rock, drawing out a bottle from her bags. She lifts her filtration cloth to take a swig, then flexes her finger and takes a deep breath.

"Alright...I have to stay calm." She mutters, wrapping her ironcloth cloak tightly around her for protection from the bullets. Once she's prepared herself mentally she rushes out, using a gesture of her left hand to bring up pillars of earth to use for cover as she moves.

"Please, hold your fire! We're not here to hurt you!" She calls out as she moves. She doesn't know if they're in the mood to talk, but she could at least try - it was better than doing nothing. "We can talk this out!"

DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, The Rear Guard.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        _thiwp_

        NOPE NOT FRIENDLY AT ALL.

        "Damn it!" Gwen attempts to duck behind some boulders. "Can anybody get a good view of where the shootin's comin' from?"

        She's immediately tempted, like a good Badlands native, to provide coverfire, but Jay's plea to the unknown shooter keeps her from returning any bullets. She joins in. "She's right. We ain't aimin' t'hurt anyone if we can help it! But if you keep shootin', we *will* shoot back!"

        

DG: Gwen Whitlock has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Rear Guard.
==========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>===========================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - The Rear Guard *>=========================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
 The stink of rotting flesh filters down the tunnel. To experienced Drifters,  
 this is a telltale sign that the Cave's most dangerous denizens--the Rotting  
 Beasts--are nearby. As it turns out, one /was/ nearby, and now it is very,    
 very dead. The carcass lies in pieces on the ground, having been hacked       
 apart; its flesh is lacerated in countless places, and a hole the size of a   
 human head goes clear through its torso. It's no longer an obstacle.          
                                                                               
 And then, a muffled /thump/ echoes through the cave, and a bullet tears a     
 divot out of the nearby stone.                                                
                                                                               
 You're under fire! Run for it, and stick to cover!                            
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Slow=============================================
=====================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave - Round 5 *>======================
===========================< Results - The Rear Guard >===========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catenna                             5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Grappling Hook                      2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacqueline Barber                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Rapid Remedy                        1   Agility Effects: Cleanse              
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ashton Anchors                      10 --(5)--> 15                 Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwen Whitlock                       5 --(5)--> 10                  Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------
Leader: Catenna                     85 --(35)--> 120               Pass
Conditions: Injure(2)|Overzealous(1)|Slow(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)
================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Catenna has successfully explored Intrusion in Berry Cave!
==========================<* Intrusion in Berry Cave *>===========================
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Outmaneuvered *>==========================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          | 
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
 You scramble to cover, and creep along just out of the sniper's sight. After  
 a few tense moments, the shooting stops--and you've found the mouth of a      
 short, narrow tunnel that leads deeper into the cave. The faint sounds of     
 voices filter through the stale cavern air. Someone's in there. If you move   
 quickly, you can get the drop on them.                                        
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        There's no answer. The shots keep coming, but only when there's a line of sight. Catenna's gambit gains the group some cover--there isn't much left of the Rotting Beast, but what's there is quite capable of soaking fire. Jay's earth pillars add another layer of frustration to the sniper's efforts. Eventually, the shooting stops altogether. Has the sniper left? There's no way to tell.

        But not only has the group managed to escape, they've discovered a way deeper into the caverns: a small tunnel, barely high enough to crawl through. It's a tight squeeze, but if they go in one after another, they can pass through, into the room beyond.

        Voices. An eerie hum, faintly electromagnetic.

        "I almost have it. On the next pass." A tenor voice, filled with tension.

        "Come on. Come on." Another voice, higher-pitched, focused.

        A pause. The hum grows louder. The sound of something whipping through the air chases after.

        "Mother's blood. We'll be here all day at this rate. Maybe you should let the rookie be the reinforcer-whatever and do the fine manipulation." A third voice, deeper than the other two.

        "Oh, for--Magnus, lay off of him, all right? We've made it this far, all we need is to cut this thing down, and--"

        At the end of the tunnel is a massive room, festooned with limestone columns where stalactite and stalagmite have grown together. Soft light shines through cracks in the rock above, shining through geodes and splitting into prismatic rays. Berry vines cling to almost every surface.

        In the center, dangling from a vine on the ceiling, is one of the great prizes of the Berry Cave: a berry the size of a gella coin, pure, pearlescent white. Beneath it stand two figure--a lanky man in what looks like an armored lab coat, and what is definitely a Hyadean neonate's stock combat uniform. Standing across from him is a woman in full battle armor, her hair pulled back in a long braid. A field surrounds the both of them, a pale, humming aura. Something that looks like an iron fan whirls about above them, trying to clip the Holy Berry free from its stem without damaging it. A third man in powered armor sits on a rock, hunched over, his head propped up on his hands. And the fourth--

        Heavy footsteps. A massive figure, easily seven feet tall, turns and starts to stride towards the door.

        "Skuld started shooting. I'm going to reinforce."