2019-02-17: The Malevo-Lens
- Log: The Malevo-Lens
- Cast: Elvis, Ashton Anchors, Ambrosius, Seraph Solanine, Fei Fong Wong, Seraph Ragnell
- Where: Humphrey's Peak
- Date: 2019-02-17
- Summary: Elvis seeks to test the Malevo-Lens. It turns out to be much rougher than expected.
============================<* Humphrey's Peak *>============================= Humphrey's Peak is a small town built on the side of the tallest mountain on Stark's Island. The eponymous peak towers over the town, while the altitude makes Humphrey's Peak cooler than the cities in Aveh and the Badlands. It is a small, largely pleasant village. Homes are in good repair and the people here have made a decent living with herds of sheep and goats, along with some mining. The homes are orderly and some manage to grow a few gardens, too. There is a small school in Humphrey's Peak, built on the north end of town. The two-story building includes classrooms and professors, who teach using the records and artifacts acquired from the ruins across the Badlands. Some of the experts on the Metal Demon Wars and other past eras can be found here, working hard on their research, and a small but significant library of pre-Day of Collapse literature can be found. Nonetheless, despite its relative happiness, Humphrey's Peak shows signs of desertification. Canals carved along the outskirts of the town and up its middle have gone dry. Snowmelt from the mountains is less and less common, and the people of Humphrey's Peak find that their wells are going dry. Life may be more orderly here, but there are ever reminders of Filgaia's desperation. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WVqKTCx7Ug
DG: A party led by Elvis is now entering Titan's Roost - Revisited. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Climbing Is For the Birds *>==================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The so-called Titan's Roost rears out of the desert, an immense mesa
surrounded by a crumbling watchtower from time immemorial. The mesa itself
is solid rock, with no caverns to or from the surface. Its surface is uneven
in places; a few rockslides have created areas where you can pick your way
up by clambering over steep inclines studded with heavy boulders. It'll take
some effort, but climbing a rockslide to the top of a mesa seems like a day
in the life of an average Drifter.
Now if only there weren't large, malevolent-looking crows circling overhead,
and swooping down at periodic intervals to peck and claw at you as you make
your attempt to scale the mesa.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
After the events of the Photosphere, there was a time in which a certain PROFESSOR dsiappeared off everyone's radar after a trip to new Petra. What he was doing was anyone's guess, possibly holed up in in a laboratory in a Control Zone.
But suddenly, Elvis reappeared from his supposed research hibernation, approaching elated as he took off for the nearest ruins he heard of, with something in tow to test out! The location in particular could be of help due to the nature of its new denizens.
And so, a board posting in both the common tongue of the land, and some strange consonant gibberish was posed, an elegant curve to the writing.
'Do YOU desire to explore and research?! do YOU seek wealth and knowledge, to help the weak and expand your own mind?! THEN SHED YOUR FEARS and meet near Titan's Roost, for it it is time to test the limits of your MIND AND BODY!'
Someone seemed overenthusiastic.
---
Eveningtime, within the Ignas desert. The blazing heat of the sun was waning. The wind whipped and gritted at those unprotected. Titan's Roost stood tall among the lands.
And Elvis was jsut standing there in it all, in his usual blosue and vest attire without a care in the world. He palmed something he was excited for. "This is it, the chance to test the Malevo-Lens 1.22a!" A pause. "...I wish I didn't break the other by accident. Ugh. I think that one was working too. But if the rumors are true, maybe I can work out the kinks while visiting these... birds? Is that what people are really afraid of?"
He bats a hand around. "Fine, whatever! We got this, no problem!"
DG: Elvis has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Climbing Is For the Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Normally, a task such as this would be passed over by ASHTON ANCHORS, MONSTER HUNTER.
However, he currently is a bit broke.
The reason for this is fairly obvious to anybody who sees him: his loyal shoulder dragons, Creepy and Weepy, have new hats. They were promised new hats for their assistance at the Photosphere and have finally decided to collect.
Creepy, the red, is wearing a massive stovepipe hat that is being held on largely by hope and three chinstraps. It looks absolutely ridiculous and occasionally smacks Ashton in the back of the head when Creepy moves the wrong way.
Weepy, the blue, has a similarly huge turban of fine silk complete with a jeweled brooch in lapis lazuli to match his eyes. It does not keep smacking Ashton, but the dragon is drooping a lot to support the weight.
Ashton himself - not nearly as decked out - is climbing. And he is not happy about it. He's already less than swift thanks to his heavy armor and the two bonus dragons. Now he's got those hats to deal with as well. And it doesn't help that the dragons are squirming as they seem convinced they can bite (and potentially eat) the crows.
While the Double Dragon Duelist is silent, by all accounts he looks like he wants to start cursing loudly at any moment.
DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Climbing Is For the Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
This is not Ambrosius's first journey to the Titan's Roost. Last time, however, he was accompanied by Yarobeleedt(may he rest in pieces). This time, he's traveling with Elvis. He was always happy to assist the Sentinel, and as Ambrosius was never quite able to view what lay hidden with the Roost, it was entirely possible that it may hold answers to the questions he sought.
But before he can find them, he must first asecond. This would be easier if it weren't for the birds. They dive at him, pecking and clawing at him, but even so Ambrosius continues to head upward, quietly and stoically. If he's aware of the Seraph members of their party, he doesn't let on.
He only has one thing and mind, and that's moving onward and upward.
Unless the birds have anything to say about - which they probably do. They were notoriouslly chatty in their primary language of 'pecks to the head'.
DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Climbing Is For the Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine blinks watching the giant man be attacked by birds, and thinks back to the flyer she saw advertising this expedition.
The energy of it was so like His writings, so exuberant, so brash, but in a mirthful way, like the author couldn't wait to rush passionately into danger for the sake of his cause, beckoning the reader also to embrace that mindset, as bewildering as it might be to them, suggesting that in that madness lies truth, as bright and clear as it is simple. She never knew Him while he was alive, she just cared for his ghosts, but the Seraph imagines if she'd been able to join Him on an expedition like this, she'd be greeted with the same sight that she sees before her now: a man valiantly fighting off birds with no heed to elegance. She's intrigued.
The Seraph didn't expect the vacuum of class to be filled by... dragons and their fancy hats? It's the man with a case of dragons, Ashton was his name? Not far behind. She does not yet recognize the third on the wall, but decides to begin making her way up if so many were already underway, lest she fall behind waiting for an intial group gathering whose time and already gone.
She summons a cloak and hood of shadow to herself, in hopes of protecting from the birds, giving them a larger target than she was, and begins climbing. Where she puts her hands and feet, shadow vines and thorns emanate to secure her holds, especially should the birds grow tired of picking on the louder members further up the rocks. She keeps an eye out for anyone joining them below, if worst comes to worst she might be able to throw them a vine.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Climbing Is For the Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei is honestly particularly interested in talking to Elvis and when he's seen a notice posted by someone who is obviously Elvis (who the else would put up something like this, Fei thinks), then he saw his chance.
Of course, by the time evening has come, Fei hasn't actually commented on the matter to Elvis yet. He is quietly mulling over his life choices and minding his own beeswax so far though this might be because he's been walking through a desert for a while and now has to climb up a rockslide while fending off crows. Periodically, Fei sets one on fire since they're just so dang insistent. Sometimes he catches a bird he immolated and stuffs it in his sack for later consumption/healing.
He smiles at Ashton, grateful that his friend happens to be around. Really, if Ashton wasn't around he'd probably be much more on edge. He likes most Seraphs just fine, but sometimes they start commenting on humans like they figure nobody can hear them (and, to be fair, usually that IS the case) and Fei finds it strangely irritating even though he doesn't disagree with them at all.
He wonders if Ragnell and Elly are friends again.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Climbing Is For the Birds.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Overenthusiastic, maybe, but Ragnell doesn't dislike those types. She'd read the notice on the Adventurer's Guild board, smiled, and headed towards the rendezvous point near Titan's Roost. It wasn't hard to spot Elvis, massive Veruni man that he is. She listened to what he had to say, and chuckled.
"Malevo-Lens? I like it," she comments. "An' I'll have you know some birds are right bastards. You'd do well not to look down on 'em."
Case in point: fast forward to the murder of crows harrying the group as they attempt to ascend the roost via rock wall. Nearby, the Dragon Man's dragons, who appear to function independently of him, are trying to eat said crows. It's really quite fascinating to Ragnell, who munches on a chocolate rusk and offers another to Solanine, by virtue of her being a fellow Seraph and Ragnell honestly being biased against humans.
"Made 'em myself," she comments to her, hanging onto the rock wall with her other hand. "Worse comes t' worst, you can distract the birds with 'em. Would recommend you eat it yourself, though." She winks at Solanine. "It's a special kinda snack." If Solanine has Snack Preparation, she may know what Ragnell means. Otherwise, well, she'll realize after she eats it and realizes it's easier to not slip, which is handy when being harried by, or at least being surrounded by people who are being harried by, asshole birds.
She doesn't have anything to say to Ambrosius or Fei just yet, but hey, the dig is young. Could Ambrosius even see her? She knows he couldn't last time they met, but that was a pretty long time ago.
DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Chocolate Rusk toward her party's challenge, Climbing Is For the Birds.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Climbing Is For the Birds *>==================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The so-called Titan's Roost rears out of the desert, an immense mesa
surrounded by a crumbling watchtower from time immemorial. The mesa itself
is solid rock, with no caverns to or from the surface. Its surface is uneven
in places; a few rockslides have created areas where you can pick your way
up by clambering over steep inclines studded with heavy boulders. It'll take
some effort, but climbing a rockslide to the top of a mesa seems like a day
in the life of an average Drifter.
Now if only there weren't large, malevolent-looking crows circling overhead,
and swooping down at periodic intervals to peck and claw at you as you make
your attempt to scale the mesa.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 1 *>=================== ===================< Results - Climbing Is For the Birds >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Ragnell 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Chocolate Rusk 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 0 --(15)--> 15 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Conditions: Injure(2) Effects: Cleanse ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
It is a rightful birdemic out there.
The man looks back as the party begins to ascend with him. And he feels like there are more people here than he can see. One makes themselves evident quickly. The Professor is startled for a moment, but recognizes that accented female voice. "Yes, yes! A device I am working on to help me see spiritual phenomena!"
The man attempts to hold it to an eye and turn it on, and promptly reels back. "AHHH! My damn eye! Tuned too much!" STATUS EFFECT: For a little while, he can only see pink out of his left eye.
Of course, pink eye is the least of his issues.
The birds are out in force! Creepy and Weepy get some of them in fact, two a piece, and then a fifth crow they both get at once, which may turn out to be a fight over who got the killing blow. A tug of war may ensure, causing some serious balance problems. And theres still about 8 of them pecking ad the conglomerate.
Ragnell and Solanine aren't unnoticed, but seem to be left alone more than the rest, perhaps due to their nature. But then Ragnell pulls out A FOOD ITEM.
Feathery chaos ensues.
As a flock of crows take for the food, they disturb some of the scree, which rolls down into Ambrosius' path, adding to his issues besides reciving sharp beak jabs!
For Fei, the sudden show of fiery spirit energy seems to act as quite the deterrant, as the crows preferr to get in a fight with things that look like large worms or go after PRECIOUS FOOD. He bags quite the plump one! Here's hoping it tastes good despite the malign influence!
They group reaches a cliffside from climbing, and the crows seem to cease their loud cawing and badgering as they crest this point, as if told to do so. They settle back on their cliffsides as if nothing happened. Mayhap the group is expected?
Excellent work, advenuring crew!" Elvis says, attempting to fix his frazzled hair and stained blouse. "We should uh, proceed as the professionals we are!"
This is going to go swimmingly.
"It is good to see you again, by the way, Fei!" he comments, patting the man on the back with a large hand. Ambrosius gets and approving nod. And thank you for the rest of you joining!" Currently he only sees Ashton, but he has that odd sensation there may actually be two extra ghosts(???) here.
"Let us proceed TO ADVENTURE!"
Oh boy.
DG: Ashton Anchors has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
===========<* CHALLENGE - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing *>===========
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's a sudden patter of feet in the corridor ahead of you - and then a
cry of, "Help! Help!"
It's a woman's voice - and with a whirl of a dress, a frightened young woman
of no more than 18 or 19 rushes down the hall and takes cover behind you.
"Please, help! I'm trying to escape and they're after me!" she yelps - and
then another scream comes from the direction she came.
What comes around the corner is an absurdly splendid creature, with the
head, legs and wings of a bird but a bipedal figure and arms better
resembling a man - saying nothing of its enormous fanlike tail. It is some
kind of peacock man, and it screeches with mindless madness at your group as
it fans out the vast pattern of its tail.
And the eyelike designs on the tail open up like /actual eyes/ and begin to
shoot death lasers at you. Uh-oh.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
At the top of the cliff, Ashton collapses in a breathless heap. What of him isn't armored has been throughly pecked and neither dragon is happy about the current situation. (Mostly because they have found they dislike the taste of the crows, but only after slowing their eating enough to actually taste instead of just gulping, the pigs.)
"Fei?" Ashton can't see him at the moment but he knows his friend's close by. "When we leave? Could you just do us all a favor, bring in Weltall and commit birdocide?" He's probably joking.
But while it's tiring, Elvis is correct. Ahead there is ADVENTURE. And the call of adventure must be heeded. (Unless you're following Campbell's Hero's Journey arc, but realistically this crew of PCs is way past step 2 in that cycle.)
Not that the party gets far inside. In fact, they're barely past the door when there are footsteps and screams for help. And perhaps, Ashton thinks, this was worth the bird-infested climb.
The young girl - likely one of those tricked by the power of the tower to be taken here - is obviously terrified. And as is his wont, Ashton steps forward with blades drawn. "Rescue is here, dear lady! Step aside annnnnn what?"
There are many things Ashton has seen lately. This one's... kind of new. Some sort of man-peacock-laser?
Wait, lasers! Lasers bad!
The Symbological Swordsman springs into action - but not with blades. No. He's prepared for this.
With a THUMP, he draws.. wait, where did Ashton get a barrel from? There's no possible way he could... wait, did he just pull a second one out of Creepy's huge stovepipe hat?!
Barrels go careening across the corridor towards the bird-man. "YOU SHALL NOT STAND AGAINST THE NOBLEST AND MIGHTIEST OF CONTAINERS, FIEND!"
DG: Ashton Anchors has used his Tool All Purpose Barrel toward his party's challenge, The Princess and the Peacock-Man- Thing.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
It isn't pleasant, or at all easy, but they do manage to make their way up eventually. Ambrosius removes his hat from his head and shakes feathers out of it, the beginnings of a frown creasing his face.
Elvis says to proceed to ADVENTURE, so with a brief nod, Ambrosius replaces his hat and starts forward. He seems more annoyed by the feathers all up in his clothing than the actually peckings, though.
They are met by a scream, emerging from a young lady who is currently running for her life from some kind of...peacock man??
Hm.
The offensive starts immediately, in the form of hurled barrels. Ambrosius, meanwhile, draws a silvery canister from within his poncho and flips a switch on the front, dropping it in the midst of the party. It opens and a cool, refreshing mist begins to billow out, helping soothe some of the injuries and fatigue(physical and mental) they'd accrued in ascending.
And then, following that...he just draws out his revolver and shoots the peacock man.
Look, not all of his solutions needed to be high-tech.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Mist Canister toward his party's challenge, The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
===========<* CHALLENGE - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing *>===========
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's a sudden patter of feet in the corridor ahead of you - and then a
cry of, "Help! Help!"
It's a woman's voice - and with a whirl of a dress, a frightened young woman
of no more than 18 or 19 rushes down the hall and takes cover behind you.
"Please, help! I'm trying to escape and they're after me!" she yelps - and
then another scream comes from the direction she came.
What comes around the corner is an absurdly splendid creature, with the
head, legs and wings of a bird but a bipedal figure and arms better
resembling a man - saying nothing of its enormous fanlike tail. It is some
kind of peacock man, and it screeches with mindless madness at your group as
it fans out the vast pattern of its tail.
And the eyelike designs on the tail open up like /actual eyes/ and begin to
shoot death lasers at you. Uh-oh.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Eventually the team makes it to the top, if extremely harried by jerkish birds. Ragnell sits on the edge to catch her breath, fanning herself with her had for a moment, then looks around as Elvis declares it's time for ADVENTURE. "Well, sure, okay," she drawls, getting to her feet, replacing her hat, and strolling by Ashton as he makes his murderous request. She chuckles. "What're friends for, if not mass murder?" she quips.
They head on inside. A cute girl comes running up screaming for help. Ragnell raises her eyebrows and grins. "Well, helloooooo--oh. Damn. You can't hear me." She heaves a dramatic sigh, shrugs, and shakes her head. "It's so hard to meet cute girls, huh, Sola?" She grins and winks at her. "Though I'm not *totally* bereft here. o/`"
The girl's pursuer appears. It's a peacock-man-thing. His tailfeathers fire lasers. Ragnell has lasers she can fire right back via her twin pistols and the lightning magic she channels through them, and gets right on a pew-pew-pew battle.
Which is interrupted when Ashton just *chucks* barrels at the peacock man. "What in the fuck?" she utters, genuinely baffled. But, well, what's the point in sweating the details? As Ambrosius's canister sends out a soothing mist, Ragnell decides that killing this peacock monster thing is a better use of her time than being boondoggled by barrels. Using the mist and barrels as a cover, she pulls a grenade, rips out the pin, and *chucks* it towards the monster. In a few seconds, it'll EXPLODE with massive lightning force, potentially bringing down some of the building around them. Oops? Ragnell really needs to get around to fine-tuning the power output on those things.
DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Plasma Grenade toward her party's challenge, The Princess and the Peacock-Man- Thing.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"I would never wipe out an entire ecosystem of birds," Fei says defensively, as if as far as he can tell Ashton was serious in his request. Or he's just being extra cautious. Fret. Fret. He laughs awkwardly for several moments at the very idea as he surreptitiously tucks a second roasted crow into his pack deftly.
He tilts his head at the young girl. "Are you alrigh--hhhht....??" He is looking right at the 'absurd figure' before them with an expression that looks more like disbelief than horror. "Am I seeing what I'm seeing now?" It's a peacock man??? Well yeah, but it's also a strange arraignment of which goes where.
"Oh uh." He tells Elvis. "I'm okay." He tells Elvis. "You okay? Cool. I uh. I wanted to ask you about something, actually. I know now's not the best time but it's real tough tracking you down, man."
He readies his fists as he darts in to clobber the peacock man, hoping to distract its eyes with his shiny RPS Badge as he delivers punch after punch.
"Do you know where Cecilia's Teardrop is?"
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
===========<* CHALLENGE - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing *>===========
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's a sudden patter of feet in the corridor ahead of you - and then a
cry of, "Help! Help!"
It's a woman's voice - and with a whirl of a dress, a frightened young woman
of no more than 18 or 19 rushes down the hall and takes cover behind you.
"Please, help! I'm trying to escape and they're after me!" she yelps - and
then another scream comes from the direction she came.
What comes around the corner is an absurdly splendid creature, with the
head, legs and wings of a bird but a bipedal figure and arms better
resembling a man - saying nothing of its enormous fanlike tail. It is some
kind of peacock man, and it screeches with mindless madness at your group as
it fans out the vast pattern of its tail.
And the eyelike designs on the tail open up like /actual eyes/ and begin to
shoot death lasers at you. Uh-oh.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
===========<* CHALLENGE - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing *>===========
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's a sudden patter of feet in the corridor ahead of you - and then a
cry of, "Help! Help!"
It's a woman's voice - and with a whirl of a dress, a frightened young woman
of no more than 18 or 19 rushes down the hall and takes cover behind you.
"Please, help! I'm trying to escape and they're after me!" she yelps - and
then another scream comes from the direction she came.
What comes around the corner is an absurdly splendid creature, with the
head, legs and wings of a bird but a bipedal figure and arms better
resembling a man - saying nothing of its enormous fanlike tail. It is some
kind of peacock man, and it screeches with mindless madness at your group as
it fans out the vast pattern of its tail.
And the eyelike designs on the tail open up like /actual eyes/ and begin to
shoot death lasers at you. Uh-oh.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine accepts Ragnell's offered treat, gratefully. "Thank you. It is good to see you again, what brings you he-"
Birds.
So many birds.
Sola clutches the rusk closely, unwilling to let the birds have even the smallest piece of such a homemade thoughtful gift. She creates a small-shield of shadow in which to cover herself as she quickly eats it. A shame to have to gorge on it so quickly, but better that and be able to eat it all than share with the unworthy. Once she's finished she detonates the shield in a small shadowflare and throws one back, but though she's eaten the food itself, they can still smell it on her breath, and are more than happy to attack her head. Sola draws her hood and cloak closer to herself for protection and dedicates her efforts to climbing to the cliffside where the rest of the group seems to have found respite. She lets down a pair of shadowy nightshade vines if those below her need them, and waits for the group to assemble, as it seems like they will this time before setting off again. The large man mentions a name she recognizes. Fei, she recalls it was, a drifter she'd run into more than once before, and she nods hello to him once he makes his way up. She didn't know him all that well, except that he seemed both capable, and honorable, maybe even more selfless of a sort than she was used to.
She waits for Ragnell in particular so to thank her for the snack, one of the first beings to show her kindness on this planet, and... it was comforting to have another Seraph in the group, particularly one capable of functioning in a sober fashion most of the time. The others she'd encountered so far were not unwelcome, but have been special challenges to communicate with, possessed as they were of extreme moods and mannerisms. When Ragnell does arrive she means to say "Thank you for the dessert, it's nice to see you. How have you been?" but Ragnell's tease reaches her first and she blushes instead, drawing her hood a little closer to herself to hide it.
"Let us proceed to ADVENTURE!" the large man says and Solanine can't help but chuckle, as she recalled a book she used to own where every chapter had that title. All 38 of them. Navigating it was a nightmare but she managed to get through it, she hopes she's as lucky with this expedition.
Ironically they didn't have to proceed far to the adventure, the adventure came to them, a damsel in distress and a bird monster. Like something straight out of "Let us proceed... to Adventure! (Chapter 13)". The similarities end there as the encounter becomes extra strange in a way only this planet seems to be able to express, with the monster shooting a laser light from its tail, similar to the Mad Metal Moth, and barrels hurled from beneath a dragon's hat? A canister of mist whose contents seem to be soothing her weariness, and a revolver fired. She's a bit taken aback at how normal that last one seems now that she's been on this planet for a while.
To answer the cacaphony and energy of the shrieking bird she palms a seed from a pouch at her belt and infuses it with her Element, she tosses it towards the bird, and in that arc, it grows from a seed, to a small root, which grows eyes, and a mouth, that shrieks a sudden wave of sonic and shadow energy both, an odd explosive to complement Ragnell's lightning grenade.
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Mandragora Seed toward her party's challenge, The Princess and the Peacock-Man- Thing.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
===========<* CHALLENGE - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing *>===========
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's a sudden patter of feet in the corridor ahead of you - and then a
cry of, "Help! Help!"
It's a woman's voice - and with a whirl of a dress, a frightened young woman
of no more than 18 or 19 rushes down the hall and takes cover behind you.
"Please, help! I'm trying to escape and they're after me!" she yelps - and
then another scream comes from the direction she came.
What comes around the corner is an absurdly splendid creature, with the
head, legs and wings of a bird but a bipedal figure and arms better
resembling a man - saying nothing of its enormous fanlike tail. It is some
kind of peacock man, and it screeches with mindless madness at your group as
it fans out the vast pattern of its tail.
And the eyelike designs on the tail open up like /actual eyes/ and begin to
shoot death lasers at you. Uh-oh.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
It feels like they only breach the inside of the Roost when a call for help echoes in the chambers! "A young lady is in trouble! It is up the gentlemen and ADVENTURERS to come to her aid!" the man says, pointing a finger forward, making sure to affix the Malevo-Lens into a monocle-like spot on his face!
And then he takes it off to re-calibrate it with a set of micro-tip tools.
And then puts it back on.
This process repeats about two to three times.
By that point, a freaky peacock guy shows up! "The heck is that?" he says, chortling some. "He has such wimpy arms-- OH MAN!" It turns out the creature doesn't need arms to punch a hole through one's torso.
Lasers do the punching. "ADVENTURE, HO-oh did he just throw a barrel?" Elvis asks, suddenly stumped at Ashton's action. "They attacked us first, ghost madam!" the man replies with toward Ragnell. Elvis seems to be looking in Ragnell's general direction, but not quite at her. He seems still inefficiently trained to sense her fully, though he appears to hear her well enough.
The Lens doesn't seem to be doing anything for him at the moment. "Tuned too low," he grunts to himself.
Ambrosius and Ragnell decide to shoot the bird. "Accurate response!" he says to them. What is he even doing right now, leading a procession? Who does this?
And while people shoot it with bullets and energy, he will join Fei in adding fists to the creature where applicable. He talks between thrown punches rather casually, drying to dodge lasers as well. Size doesn't help, but density of muscle mass helps brunt them much better. "A Teardrop? You know, I have had a few people ask me for a Teardrop lately! As for that young lady, last I saw her I think was... Azado? It has been a while."
And even as he fights, Elvis tries to get a bead on where that second ghost is! Shes... somewhere! He is having a right difficult time pointing her out, unlike Ragnell. he swore he heard her laugh too.
DG: Elvis has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
===========<* CHALLENGE - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing *>===========
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's a sudden patter of feet in the corridor ahead of you - and then a
cry of, "Help! Help!"
It's a woman's voice - and with a whirl of a dress, a frightened young woman
of no more than 18 or 19 rushes down the hall and takes cover behind you.
"Please, help! I'm trying to escape and they're after me!" she yelps - and
then another scream comes from the direction she came.
What comes around the corner is an absurdly splendid creature, with the
head, legs and wings of a bird but a bipedal figure and arms better
resembling a man - saying nothing of its enormous fanlike tail. It is some
kind of peacock man, and it screeches with mindless madness at your group as
it fans out the vast pattern of its tail.
And the eyelike designs on the tail open up like /actual eyes/ and begin to
shoot death lasers at you. Uh-oh.
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 2 *>=================== =============< Results - The Princess and the Peacock-Man-Thing >============= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Mist Canister 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass All Purpose Barrel 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Mandragora Seed 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Ragnell 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Plasma Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Embolden and Liabilit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 15 --(0)--> 15 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Rally ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 10 --(15)--> 25 Pass Conditions: Injure(2) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
The young lady flees, ducking behind the wall of drifter to take cover. She almost runs directly into Ragnell - who she can't see. But it's still a close encounter as the girl cowers.
Her pursuit, however, does not fare quite so well. It tries to react to the sudden and unexpected assault, but there's not a lot of dodging around twin explosions of lightning and shadow.
The rest could be dodged, true - but the monstrosity is still flat-footed and confused. It dodges one way... right into Fei's fist. Reeling, it dodges the other... into Elvis' fist. It stumbles.... and trips over a barrel.
Which places it still on the ground for a revolver shot.
The lasers stop.
Immediately, Ashton turns on a heel to Elvis. "EXCUSE ME, did you just imply that Adventurers aren't gentlemen?"
Two very dapper dragons nod in agreement.
DG: Ambrosius has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>======================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Serpent Birds are the Word *>================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The birds waiting for you in this bone-filled chamber sit with their backs to you, their huge, shaggy black wings splayed as if drying them out as they perch among countless skeletons that seem human enough. As you approach, however, the two-metre-tall avians round on you - and reveal that they have not beaks, but rather, the heads and necks of huge cobras, complete with curved fangs, loud hissing and eyes full of hate and violence. The serpent birds promptly launch into the air and soar towards you, heads snapping out with venom-laced bites as they attempt to latch on to you and inject them with blood-curdling venom. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
The mention of the Teardrop catches Ambrosius's attention. He knew nothing about its current location, but he knew there was interest in its retrieval by the higher-ups. It appeared that there were others looking to retrieve it, as well.
Interesting. He doesn't have any input on the subject, however - he hasn't seen it either.
Without a word, he proceeds forward. It'll be up to someone else to look after their escapee, or tell her how to get to safety.
The chamber before them is a grim one indeed, however - littered with bones that seem all too human. At the far end of the chamber, two large birds perch. They almost appear to be asleep...at least until they turn, revealing their serpentine head with a hiss and a malicious glare.
They swoop down and Ambrosius dives to the side abruptly, reaching out with his left hand.
The cloud of mist from before still lingers, and reacting to his will it floats into the room. It spreads a bit more of its cleaning vapors before, with a gesture, it forms into a whirling blade which is sent straight toward one of the serpentine bird's necks.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Mist Canister toward his party's challenge, Serpent Birds are the Word.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
As much as Ashton would love to help with the whole Teardrop thing - it's entirely outside his realm of knowledge.
Maidens in distress, however? That he can do. Ashton gently kneels beside the girl, softly giving directions to her on the way to the exit. And alongside a strong cautioning of the horde of birds out there? A promise that they'll be back soon enough once they help anyone else they're able to find.
But they must forge forward, and bringing the girl with them would be far more dangerous. She will just have to be brave for a little while longer. The best Ashton can do is give her one of the barrels to use as a hiding place until their return.
The other barrel comes with them. Ashton is careful to note it's lineage, as well. "Bobelo oak," he points out. "495 PC. Good year."
This is likely not relevant when confronted by.. this. Ashton considers his options as they face off against a flock of man-eating serpent-birds. He has swords. He has magic. He has dragons.
One of the monsters dives at him.
"BARREL." With joyful vigor, Ashton crams the barrel into the attacking beast's mouth to blunt the fangs before drawing steel and setting to the bloody work.
DG: Ashton Anchors has used his Tool All Purpose Barrel toward his party's challenge, Serpent Birds are the Word.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Is that...a no? Wait--who else asked you about it? It belonged to her mother so I'm trying to find clues as to where it is." Fei explains after his double punch combo technique with Elvis (all of Fei's combination arts with Elvis are just more extreme combinations of punching). "Maybe I can narrow it down if there's people asking who were on my list of susp..."
He pauses for a moment.
"My list of curious individuals." He says with a deadpan expression.
He is jarred out of his thoughts by Ashton shouting barrel while barreling towards the barrel.
He watches what unfolds.
His mouth forms an O shape.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Serpent Birds are the Word.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Well, that goose got cooked. And punched and shot. And even hit with whatever energy Solanine whipped at it! Bad times all around for it. No casualties on their side as well! Above projected parameters for his first GENTLEMEN OF ADVENTURE calling!
And ladies. Gentle-ladies? Hum, he may need to work on the title.
Elvis would say young ladies shouldn't be out getting in danger toward the Seraphs, but his readings lead him to believe they are exponentially older than he. They may have more experience than him on the field!
"Well, not all the time, but that is why I called this group together! TO teach those that may not know how to be a gentleman to be so!" A pause. "And uh, a little help wouldn't be awry for getting my device working. Plus there are spoils to be had!" the man adds with a just-and-proper pose as they comment to Ashton.
More birds await them in the next chamber ahead of them, these with snake-like heads, awaiting to sink their fangs into flesh! Rather than punch this time though, with mesa all around them making the structure of this building, a weave of the hand, and small, bar-like pillars begin to erupt out of the floor and walls to bludgeon and provide a hazard to the birds!
Elvis moves to comment, but sees another barrel go flying by, getting his attention for a moment. Where was he getting those?!
"Avril and her friends asked me where a Teardrop was. Can't say I have heard of it before." He remembers Avril mentioning Volsung was looking for such an item as well. Perhaps it was time to ask the glorious leader himself what this artifact was.
DG: Elvis has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Serpent Birds are the Word.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
To Elvis, Ragnell says, "No, I was talkin' to--you know what, it's fine."
To Solanine, she smiles. "Hey, no problem. I saw the notice on the Adventurer's Guild board an' figured I'd come along. Beyond that, I've been doin' jus' fine. Nothin' to keep a gal fit like helpin' to murder fake goddesses out t' eat the planet. How 'bout you?" Then when Sola hides her face, she grins. "Aww, shy? Or d'you think I'm not serious~? I really do think you're cute, you know..."
To Ashton, she clucks her tongue in amusement. "Pretty sure that wasn't what he was tryin' to imply, but it sure is funny you're gettin' a bug up your butt about it," she says, mostly to test if he can hear her or not. If Barrel Boy got offended by the mere *implication* that he might not be a gentleman, then Ragnell's coarser language ought to make him flip his lid. Barrel lid.
Fei... she still doesn't say anything to, but she does take a sudden interest in his conversation with Elvis about the Teardrop. Where *did* that trinket end up going, anyway? Elvis doesn't say anything specific, but Ragnell will continue to eavesdrop until he comes out with something useful, or makes it plain he doesn't know jack. It turns out the latter, at least aloud... Pity, that.
More birds flock to them, this ones big and shaggy and *why are they shaggy, they're birds*. When they leap towards the group, Ragnell pulls another grenade and hurls it back to greet with them. Kaboom!!
DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Plasma Grenade toward her party's challenge, Serpent Birds are the Word.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine notes that the girl is being taken care of by Ashton, who provides her a barrel to hide in. Which feels just a little awkward as she's led to understand humans often use barrels to preserve food and drink. So who are they preserving her for... themselves when they escape, or the birds? Still, it's not like she has any better ideas, so she shrugs and follows Ambrosius' lead.
Though there's been a lot going on, she's coming to the conclusion that neither he nor the especially large and boistrous man can see her or Ragnell, though he seems to have a hunch or some way of sensing them, maybe related to that lens he was attempting to use, what did he call it, a "Malevo-Lens"? She hmmms audibly thinking about the pun there, that's not... quite accurate in their case, is it? But from the looks of things neither is the device itself. Both name and tool are both in development perhaps. How curious and remarkable that he's even gotten this far with it... save unique cases like Ragnell's armaments, she'd not have thought devices and Silver Star sorceries able to interact easily. She smirks again at his words and his correction to "gentle-ladies" and how familiar they are again to books she's read that start with explanations of courtly manners which go on to a rant of great adventure, then back to manners again.
Sola continues to be blush by Ragnell's flirtations. The shadow Seraph, having spent so many hundreds of years alone is not used to being seen at all, much less seen as an object of affection, a concept that she again recognizes from her books, which occasionally would deviate from talk of adventure and manners to recite elaborate love poetry extolling the virtues of princesses the author hoped to entrance. She manages a small nod to Ragnell in empathy with the wandering life following the Guild board, but aside from that, turns away, again flustered.
But no sooner had they entered the next chamber, when she composes herself again, as its revealed the mutations of the birds have taken a wholly unnatural turn, she again retrieves a seed from her belt pouch, infuses it with shadowy sorcery in her palm, this time seeking to grow it as large as she can as quickly as she can, and brings the root up like a shield to scream its energies right at the snake-bird's maws. If they make it past the energy assault, may they bite down upon it instead of hers, and let them dine on poisons of her own making instead.
She's vaguely aware of a conversation happening with Fei and Elvis and some kind of item he's getting for...someone. Fei seems to always be working for someone else's benefit. It's admirable.
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Mandragora Seed toward her party's challenge, Serpent Birds are the Word.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>======================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Serpent Birds are the Word *>================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The birds waiting for you in this bone-filled chamber sit with their backs to you, their huge, shaggy black wings splayed as if drying them out as they perch among countless skeletons that seem human enough. As you approach, however, the two-metre-tall avians round on you - and reveal that they have not beaks, but rather, the heads and necks of huge cobras, complete with curved fangs, loud hissing and eyes full of hate and violence. The serpent birds promptly launch into the air and soar towards you, heads snapping out with venom-laced bites as they attempt to latch on to you and inject them with blood-curdling venom. =Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 3 *>=================== ===================< Results - Serpent Birds are the Word >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Mist Canister 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass All Purpose Barrel 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 20 --(0)--> 20 Fail Mandragora Seed 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Ragnell 20 --(0)--> 20 Pass Plasma Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Embolden and Liabilit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 15 --(0)--> 15 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 25 --(15)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Tire(2) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
The birds might've tried to take them by surprise with their sudden fangs and hissing, but they're the ones who end up stupified. One of them dives right for one of Ashton's three juicy necks, only to find its fangs sinking into wood. It does not appear, by any means, to be a barrel connoisseur.
It's assailed by Ashton's blade, which is soon followed up by a flurry of earthen pillars from Elvis that it can't react to in time.
It flutters back, trying to escape, but bumps into its ally. The two of them instead lunge toward Solanine together - as if they needed any more confirmation that these creatures could see her and Ragnell - but they meet her mandragora shield rather than the Seraph herself.
They manage to power through the energy assault, their teeth sinking deep into the plant. They prove resistant to the poison, but even so...it makes a convenient distraction. Before they can dislodge themselves, Ambrosius's blade of water comes swirling through, removing the head of one and leaving the other thorougly soaked with water.
This makes it incredibly vulnerable to Ragnell's grenade, and the room lights up with electricity for a brief moment.
When it fades, the two birds begin to dissipate into distinctly purple smoke. But...it's not Malevolence. It's something more akin to the Malice that some of them may be familiar with.
DG: Seraph Solanine has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Puddles of Gross *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Water has welled over the decades and centuries in this room in the tower,
collecting in puddles and festering pools between cracks in the stonework
and providing mould and weeds places to grow.
Except... it isn't water. The pools that collect here are more like a
hideous, viscous purple-black sludge, pulsing with veins of lighter purple
energy. And the mould and vines growing among it look more like pseudopods
of that same substance, writhing slowly and hideously.
And worse yet, it seems like it's creeping /towards you./ It's slow - hard
to see it move. But it seems aware of you.
You probably don't want to touch it. In fact, touching it will probably
poison you, somehow. You'll have to avoid it.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
The cobra birds dissipate into an odd purple mist, some sort of corrosive, corruptive substance that feels off, not meant for even this world. Sola discards her mandragora, which weakly hobbles off to a corner to decompose, and wanders forward into the next room.
In her free time and in better days, the Seraph Solanine is a passionate tender of plants, even and especially the poisonous ones, nurturing them with care and magical darkness. Plantlife twisted and warped by the fell energies of this mysterious black sludge, A being of darkness and poison herself, she should feel at home, perhaps even delighted, but the discomfort she feels takes her by surprise, since she would normally want to take a sample of a new poison. But there's something about the way that it moves, the way that it seems to be watching them, and how it's spreading, how alive it feels that gives even her pause... It reminds her of the mist that escaped the snakes as if it condensed.
"Don't touch it." she says to Ragnell, and Fei and Ashton, the three she knows can see and hear her. "This isn't an ordinary toxin, but surely no less dangerous."
There are breaks in the pools they can cross, and occasionally ruined platforms and bricks that have escaped the sludge. but these areas of safety become ever smaller as the sludge expands towards them.
Sola begins making her way across, pausing at times to make sure no one's falling behind, ready with a shadowvine or even a platform sculpted from the shadows of the objects to help them along, should they need it.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Puddles of Gross.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Ashton's blades go snicker-snack as he does what he got into adventuring for: fighting unholy monsters. He's actually enjoying himself in the wake of the still frustrating climb to get here.
"Well!" Ashton tries to sound a bit irate - but he's not able to quite do it with the fun he's having. "Tis true some need to be taught, I will grant you. But I do my best to be one and I have never seen Fei be less than a perfect gentleman." Ambrosius is not mentioned, because Ashton doesn't know him. He ducks under a snake-bird before unleashing a javelin of ice after it.
Coming out of his crouch, he looks towards Ragnell. "And I do take an offense to implications that I behave inappropriately from those who've barely met me. An accusation with knowledge is cause to for me to give an apology; one without is purely insult." That answers the question of if Ashton can see them or not. (Not particularly surprising, considering he's a sorcerer fused with a dragon via horrible dark magic.)
Thankfully the birdserpents don't stick around too long - though there's a distinct frown on Ashton's lips as two of them flat-out vaporize into purple smoke. He stays quite clear - nothing in nature is that color and good for you.
Much the same is in the following room and the 'water' there. Ashton simply makes a face. "I wasn't intending to touch it, dear lady, but the advisory is appreciated."
All he can really do is carefully pick his way across, trusting his rotten luck. (It will not go well.)
DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Puddles of Gross.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius doesn't give the birds a second thought as he moves forward along with the others, into a room filled with a horrific, corrosive, and horrifically corrosive substance.
Another frown crosses his face. He doesn't like the looks of that. Nor does he like the way it's moving closer to them - slowly but implacably.
They will need to be careful as they move across the room. Even Ambrosius shows signs of caution as he carefully tries to make his way through without coming into contact with any of the sludge.
Agility is not his strong suit. Contact is, eventually, inevitable, but he moves to at the very least try to limit it as much as possible.
DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Puddles of Gross.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
"Ah, oops," Elvis comments toward Ragnell. Perhaps they were talking to the other ghost madam. This is gonna get complicated-- he hopefully needs to get that Lens working soon!
Pillars of stone help solve the issue of angry snakebirds (actual ones, not anhingas which are pretty) as others make their move as well. "I guess they ran afowl, yes!" A look to a tome for a moment. "I believe that qualifies for a Human joke. Adequate!"
The pun seems entirely lost on him, as he makes no move to laugh-- rather, some kind of requirement for Human adventuring.
A glance to Fei as Ashton mentions he always acts like a gentleman. That is a complicated question, and requires pontificating if another aspect still counts in this manner. For now, he definitely leaves it be!
"Okay, I am pretty sure I don't need the lens to say we should avoid contact with this sickly substance... unless this place is producing sentient lavender dye. Which it isn't."
It is a tough job for a man of Elvis' size to try and be 'agile'. He would just attempt to rocket ot the other side, but could destroy part of the ruins impacting with the far wall. He will take his chances carefully hopping from spot to spot.
DG: Elvis has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Puddles of Gross.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei Fong Wong glances over to Ragnell. He has now noticed that Ragnell hasn't been saying anything to him and he doesn't think he's actually got any beef with Ragnell but he's just kind of uncertain on what their actual connection is right now because it turned out that his initial offer of friendliness was kind of based on assumptions that turned out to be inaccurate? Kind of? Maybe?
He is frustrated by his own cowardice. He should just go over and say 'hey'.
...
But he has to figure out this Teardrop nonsense first. He listens to Elvis's explanation. Well, kind of an explanation anyway. "Ah...yeah, I guess I'm not the only one interested in helping Cecilia out." He laughs a bit. How awkward. It's not really helpful, but it is nice to hear that he's not alone in trying to tie off the loose ends of that particular venture.
He is told to not touch the sludge expanding towards them and Fei reflects 'well, yeah, of course right?'.
then he thinks back to his prior actions and reflects maybe there's a reason people feel the need to say things like that to him.
Nevertheless, Fei starts moving across, covering his own mouth with his hand.
This really isn't helping him communicate with Ragnell but he settles--no more being awkward! He'll speak as soon as they're out of POISON SWAMP territory! YES!
He blushes when Ashton says he has never seen him be less than a perfect gentleman. He isn't sure he'd say the same thing about himself, but daaah embarrassing.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Puddles of Gross.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
It *is* strange, Ragnell reflects as the shaggy birds go up in purplish smoke, that this isn't Malevolence. Is it Malice? It feels a bit different than the Serpent's Coils or that battle with Wizzro, but maybe that's because Ragnell isn't used enough to it yet, doesn't have enough points of references. For now, she observes in silence, then moves on.
As they go, Ragnell gives Ashton a thoughtful nod. No, it's not particularly surprising, but if the dragons act independently of him, it wasn't mpossible that their mana didn't affect his Resonance. "Fair 'nough," she says, since she is a scamp who isn't actually that invested in the answer. What she *is* invested in is: "So what's with the dragons?"
Because obviously Ashton can't talk about *that* enough.
Then they reach the next challenge, the body of "water." One puts that in scare quotes because it has as much in common with water as toxic sludge. *This* Ragnell recognizes, and it's very much like the "water" in the Serpent's Coils. Guess that answers that.
She bites back a sarcastic response to Solanine, instead replying, "Thanks for the warnin', hon." She pops another chocolate rusk, and this time tosses rusks to everyone who can see/hear her, predicated by a, "Hey, catch!" before tossing it at people's heads. This includes Fei, so maybe he can use that as an opening to ask her what's up with her and Elly? For now though, time to get through this while avoiding a vile sludge monster. Gross. As least the rusk will magically prevent her from getting stuck on anything and thus impeding her movement, which goes for anyone else who snacks on it.
DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Chocolate Rusk toward her party's challenge, Puddles of Gross.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Puddles of Gross *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Water has welled over the decades and centuries in this room in the tower,
collecting in puddles and festering pools between cracks in the stonework
and providing mould and weeds places to grow.
Except... it isn't water. The pools that collect here are more like a
hideous, viscous purple-black sludge, pulsing with veins of lighter purple
energy. And the mould and vines growing among it look more like pseudopods
of that same substance, writhing slowly and hideously.
And worse yet, it seems like it's creeping /towards you./ It's slow - hard
to see it move. But it seems aware of you.
You probably don't want to touch it. In fact, touching it will probably
poison you, somehow. You'll have to avoid it.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 4 *>=================== ========================< Results - Puddles of Gross >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 20 --(30)--> 50 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 20 --(30)--> 50 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 20 --(30)--> 50 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 20 --(15)--> 35 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Ragnell 20 --(15)--> 35 Pass Chocolate Rusk 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 15 --(30)--> 45 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 40 --(10)--> 50 Fail Conditions: Exhaust(1) Effects: Cleanse ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
This group of adventurers is many things in many people: strong, smart, kind, clever, thoughtful.
But agile doesn't seem to be one of those major descriptors.
Jumps are attempted, and many succeed but at times fall short, only to be aided by a caught by a shadowy vine, or they find the shadow cast by the next platform is as solid as the platform itself, making the jump shorter than it might have otherwise been. Those who indulged their sweet tooth on Ragnell's homemade rusks, when they get within reach of the sludge, find that it struggles to grasp them. The going is slow, but eventually the group makes it to the other side.
It doesn't entirely escape Solanine's notice that the responses of nearly everyone interacting with her warning had some sarcastic bite for her seemingly stating the obvious, but most of them were kind enough to dull it with good manners.
Truly, the noble spirit of the gentleperson adventurer flows through them.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Egg Roll *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
This part of the Roost features a large spiral ramp leading around the
periphery of the enormous old watchtower. The narrow corridor ascends
upwards in a slow, shallow arc. However, as you climb, something rumbles up
ahead, and it's growing closer. The source of the noise comes into view:
It's an enormous, petrified bird egg, the size of a boulder, and it's
rolling down the corridor straight towards you!
A second later, a heavy door slams closed behind you - leaving you the
unenviable task of somehow physically halting a gigantic egg the size and
weight of a Mack truck that's trundling in to try and smush you into
scrambled eggs.
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei thinks, 'Ok. This is it. We're going to make this happen.'
Trudge trudge.
'Okay. This time. We're going to make it happen.'
Trudge. Trudge.
Finally they get out of the swamp FINALLY. He exhales sharply and looks up towards a large spiral ramp that seems to move around an enormous old watchtower.
"..." He looks towards Ragnell and thinks, 'THIS TIME.'
"Hey Ragnell, I was wondering--"
A heavy door slams shut behind the party and now there's a rumbling sound. And now....a boulder.
NO. A giant egg!
NO!!! A GIANT PETRIFIED EGG is rolling down the cooridor straight towards the party.
Fei considers blasting it but remembers this will LITERALLY result in egg being on his face and so he adjusts posture to try and catch it.
"What is with this place!?" Fei cries out because this is slightly weirder than average for him.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Egg Roll.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
It does not go well.
Ashton completely misses Fei's embarrassment. He HAS always been a perfect gentleman! Id is the one that's an asshole, and as far as Ashton's concerned they're totally different people. Just... with very awkward living arrangements.
He does not miss Ragnell's question. And the heavy sigh he gives makes clear that it's something he's used to having to explain. "To make a long story short? Creepy and Weepy were a monster I was hunting. We had a freak accident and a curse merged our forms. We search for a cure, but for the moment we work together." Ashton pauses. "When they're not demanding bigger hats or eating vermin."
Both dragon heads abruptly whip around in front of Ashton's face, looking at him accusingly. He stops one hop away from the other side of the pool. "They WERE vermin! And you wanted to eat those rats last week, too!" He appears to be arguing with them - though what the dragons are saying isn't audible. (Ashton may also be going insane.) "Look, I understand that you feel the need to hunt AND I appreciate that you aren't attempting to eat entire goats anymore but there's a time and a place!" Weepy bobs his head up and down vigorously. "Fine! FINE! If you'll stop being such a pain about this I promise we'll go fishing later and you can eat those? Agreed?" Both heads look at each other - then back to Ashton and they nod. Creepy also bobs a second time, as if saying something.
Ashton, told by his companions, looks down. It's at this point he notices that the goo has indeed been creeping towards him while he argues. And now it's around his feet. "DAMNATION!"
One scramble later, Ashton has made it the last jump to the other side. He has, however, lost his boots. They're currently being slowly dissolved apart by the goo.
Such is Ashton's luck.
Then... EGG.
For a moment, Ashton considers throwing a barrel at it. But that won't help. It's too big and it's coming too fast. His eyes widen. "It's just like the fortune teller said..."
YEARS AGO
In the darkness of the tent, the old crone waves her hand over the crystal ball. "You," she croaks out, "Will not die with your boots on."
NOW
Ashton hunkers down beside Fei. Well, if it's going to be now at least he'll try his hardest. "I know! This place is for the birds!"
DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Egg Roll.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius was usually the type to move ahead stoically, but this room manages to get a scowl out of him as it tries to reach out.
He does manage to make it through, but it isn't pleasant.
And if that's not bad enough...
...Egg.
"...Miserable." Ambrosius mutters, breaking the silence he's carried up to his very point. Still scowling Ambrosius makes a quick gesture of his hand. Water swirls and converges, forming into yet another whirling blade that he attempts to send flying straight through the ground below the egg, with the aims of removing it from the equation completely.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Aqua Cutter toward his party's challenge, Egg Roll.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Egg Roll *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
This part of the Roost features a large spiral ramp leading around the
periphery of the enormous old watchtower. The narrow corridor ascends
upwards in a slow, shallow arc. However, as you climb, something rumbles up
ahead, and it's growing closer. The source of the noise comes into view:
It's an enormous, petrified bird egg, the size of a boulder, and it's
rolling down the corridor straight towards you!
A second later, a heavy door slams closed behind you - leaving you the
unenviable task of somehow physically halting a gigantic egg the size and
weight of a Mack truck that's trundling in to try and smush you into
scrambled eggs.
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Perhaps just the effort of trying to dodge that slimy stuff is poison enough! At least to one's fatigue. Though a rusk is a good trade off! Even if Elvis is highly unsure how it may react to him. Perhaps it might be best to be tested first to make sure he doesnt puke his insides out even if it tastes great.
Veruni biology and all that. Rather inconvenient.
"I don't fully understand the need for a massive unusable egg," Elvis comments, seeit it barrel down as the door closes them in. "But at least I can flex something I am good at rather than play tippytoes."
A quick movement of sleeves, and wraps unfurl from under them, a few moments later, his hands are wrapped tightly, and he moves forward to just man-handle the egg. He has fought much heavier and moved much larger things. Then again, they also weren't rolling high speed, so no telling how this will go.
Part of him is curious how well the dragon appendages work with Ashton, though it sounds like they aren't really even appendages. "Are we gonna have to roll this thing back up the path?!" he says, trying to think of other ways to dispense of the obstacle.
He should probably try adjusting the lens again, everything is turning all blue now.
DG: Elvis has used his Tool PALB-3106 Power Gloves toward his party's challenge, Egg Roll.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
If Solanine were human, Ragnell would've gone ahead and been sarcastic! But she's a fellow Seraph, so she shows manners and thanks her properly instead. Solanine may or may not pick up on that nuance.
Ragnell smirks at Ashton's heavy sigh. "Get that one a lot, huh?" she deduces. That doesn't make her retract the question, and when he gives her the cliff notes of his story, she listens attentively. By the end of it, she's raised an eyebrow at him. "Two chromatic dragons an' they're monsters to be hunted where you're from? Filgaia's an unnervin' place sometimes."
Huh. What's that supposed to mean?
Fei says her name. Ragnell looks over at him. "Yeah?" But then there is a GIANT PETRIFIED EGG rolling towards them, and the door slams shut so they can't escape. It's this or die. Or, if you're a Seraph who is honestly a jerk like Ragnell, you have a third option, which is to frown.
"Nope, I'm out," she declares, right before vanishing into a burst of lightning. She doesn't reappear afterwards.
... Looks like someone's decided to bail on this adventure?!
DG: Seraph Ragnell has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Egg Roll.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Egg Roll *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
This part of the Roost features a large spiral ramp leading around the
periphery of the enormous old watchtower. The narrow corridor ascends
upwards in a slow, shallow arc. However, as you climb, something rumbles up
ahead, and it's growing closer. The source of the noise comes into view:
It's an enormous, petrified bird egg, the size of a boulder, and it's
rolling down the corridor straight towards you!
A second later, a heavy door slams closed behind you - leaving you the
unenviable task of somehow physically halting a gigantic egg the size and
weight of a Mack truck that's trundling in to try and smush you into
scrambled eggs.
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
The Seraph Solanine chuckles at Ashton's interplay with his dragons, and wonders momentarily if she should loan him her boots, she could always make temporary ones for herself at least until they're out of here, she thinks to herself as she walks forward with the group to the next room, the taste of Ragnell's chocolate rusk still fresh on her tongue. It wasn't ideal still, but at least since she was ahead she had more time to eat the dessert with the thoughtfulness it deserved. But she freezes as she hears the door slam behind them, and then the rumbling of a gigantic object. A boulder... no... an egg? A "Nope." a flash of lightning and Ragnell is... gone? Hah. Well don, though. too bad, despite the unexpected flirtations locking her up, Solanine enjoyed seeing her again and was hoping there would be a moment of true calm at the end of this eggstreme dungeon for the two to catch up.
Ah well, next time perhaps.
Seeing Elvis, Fei and Ashton move forward to brute force the egg, Sola solidifies and animates their shadow in tandem with their motions to support them. She's fairly confident they'll succeed, but summons shadows to encase herself in dark armor... just en case...
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Egg Roll.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Egg Roll *>==========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
This part of the Roost features a large spiral ramp leading around the
periphery of the enormous old watchtower. The narrow corridor ascends
upwards in a slow, shallow arc. However, as you climb, something rumbles up
ahead, and it's growing closer. The source of the noise comes into view:
It's an enormous, petrified bird egg, the size of a boulder, and it's
rolling down the corridor straight towards you!
A second later, a heavy door slams closed behind you - leaving you the
unenviable task of somehow physically halting a gigantic egg the size and
weight of a Mack truck that's trundling in to try and smush you into
scrambled eggs.
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 5 *>=================== ============================< Results - Egg Roll >============================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 50 --(15)--> 65 Pass PALB-3106 Power Gloves 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 50 --(15)--> 65 Pass Aqua Cutter 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 50 --(15)--> 65 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 35 --(20)--> 55 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Ragnell 35 --(20)--> 55 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 45 --(20)--> 65 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 50 --(5)--> 55 Fail Conditions: Bad Luck(2) Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis has failed this challenge! The party gained 5 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: Seraph Ragnell has left your party.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Whaaaat---?" Fei's eyes widen at Ragnell.
Elvis reaches out to manhandle the egg as Ashton hunkers down near Fei but unfortunately... Ambrosius cuts the ground out from underneath the egg in an attempt to banish it away before it actually reaches them but it's right as Elvis presses his hands against it, causing it to jostle out of his hands, fly over his head, and splatter against the ground, ejecting egg goop everywhere.
Especially on Ashton and Fei who take the worst of it, somehow, despite having taken cover and staying far back.
"....Why..." Fei says, tears in his eyes.
DG: Ashton Anchors has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=============<* CHALLENGE - Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle *>==============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Not all the monstrous birds in Titan's Roost are sick with the Demon King's
Malice. Indeed, the bird blocking the doorway in front of you is not an evil
or corrupted creature at all.
It is simply an enormously fat Cucco which has been feasting on the bags of
seeds which have been lying in this storeroom since time immemorial. The
Cucco is now a roly-poly thing with the proportions of an adorably feathered
beach ball, about as big around as a tall man and heavily weighed down by an
absurd amount of seeds. You're going to have to roll the Fat Cucco out of
the way in order to reach the door.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Ashton... has no real response to this situation.
He stands there, shoeless and covered head to toe in ancient egg goop. The dragons are all the worse off - Weepy's turban is ruined and Creepy's stovepipe hat has been crushed.
Very slowly, the mercenary wipes the egg from his face. ".....I am sorely tempted to say a number of ungentlemanly things right now." He only holds himself back because after the earlier discussion? He's determined not to give Elvis the satisfaction. "Let's just... just go. Adventure. Yaaaay."
Thankfully, the trip forward is short.
On the downside, they find the source of the giant egg. An absolutely massive Cucco hen which takes up almost the entirety of the top of the ramp.
Ashton simply stares at it and sighs heavily. "I suppose this does answer it. The egg came first." And still dripping, he moves to try and shove the damnable thing aside.
DG: Ashton Anchors has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei is also covered in egg goop. He seems to handle it a bit better than Ashton but that might be because he just sort of expects these things to happen to him.
"Sorry man." He tells Ashton, as if he kind of blames his own luck for this.
Suddenly there is a fat cucco. he blinks for a moment and he makes a note to let Riesenlied know about this place. "It must've....yeah... Though....really?"
He walks forward to push Fat Cucco.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=============<* CHALLENGE - Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle *>==============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Not all the monstrous birds in Titan's Roost are sick with the Demon King's
Malice. Indeed, the bird blocking the doorway in front of you is not an evil
or corrupted creature at all.
It is simply an enormously fat Cucco which has been feasting on the bags of
seeds which have been lying in this storeroom since time immemorial. The
Cucco is now a roly-poly thing with the proportions of an adorably feathered
beach ball, about as big around as a tall man and heavily weighed down by an
absurd amount of seeds. You're going to have to roll the Fat Cucco out of
the way in order to reach the door.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Solanine blinks out from behind the egg. All the egg. Then projects out her shadow armor and dismisses it, taking the egg away except for the bits on her actual face, which she starts wiping off with a cloth. Her armor protected her, but not in the way she expected. She'd thought the egg would be solid... this is a truly strange place.
Looking at Fei and Ashton's state ovaffairs she can't help but wish she could help them as easily... Ah well, perhaps there's some kind of bird bath in the rooms ahead..? She hopes.
Not in this room though, this is where they keep the food. With the world's worst guardsman... guardsbird? She might be getting soft with all the good cheer of Elvis' proclamations and Ragnell's flirtations, Ashton's disarming treatment of his dragons, and Fei's general good nature and the pathos of his challenges... but she's almost remiss to disturb this creature? It doesn't seem malicious, and it's living its dream. It knows what it wants out of life and it's made it happen... shouldn't they all be so lucky... Still, it was in the way and the others have moved forward to move it. She's sure it will just go back to where it belongs once they've passed?
She summons another suit of shadowed-armor to herself, and helps them roll the cucco forward as best she can.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
As Elvis reaches out to grasp the egg, there is a shift in the floor, causing Elvis to stumble forward. Somehow the massive incubator just sortof roll-jumps over Elvis and cracks open behind. "Oh, well... at least it wasn't solid petrified???" he asks rhetorically.
Mayhap that would have been better. "We can... get you cleaned up soon. And yes, ADVENTURE!" a triumphant stand! "Ah, did one of the ghostly madams leave?" he asks. That weird abberation in the air is gone. He thought he heard electricity. "An adventuring gentleman scoffs i nthe face of adversity I say, and to that adversity we... we... uh."
Wow that is a big cucco. Elvis denses, ready for battle!!!
...But the bird seems to have no intent on doing much of anything. "It must have just laid that egg, and the door slamming shut was just standard procedure. A trap of happenstance! I do say, deducing Human adventures is quite fascinating," the man posits, as he adjusts the settings on that lens of his.
With gloves still on, the man rears back, and...!
...Attempts to gently move the bird with Fei. "I know a water source when we get out of here we can get you folks cleaned up with."
DG: Elvis has used his Tool PALB-3106 Power Gloves toward his party's challenge, Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=============<* CHALLENGE - Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle *>==============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Not all the monstrous birds in Titan's Roost are sick with the Demon King's
Malice. Indeed, the bird blocking the doorway in front of you is not an evil
or corrupted creature at all.
It is simply an enormously fat Cucco which has been feasting on the bags of
seeds which have been lying in this storeroom since time immemorial. The
Cucco is now a roly-poly thing with the proportions of an adorably feathered
beach ball, about as big around as a tall man and heavily weighed down by an
absurd amount of seeds. You're going to have to roll the Fat Cucco out of
the way in order to reach the door.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius is, somehow, out of the way when the egg explodes. It's entirely possible he had an idea that would happen.
And didn't tell anyone.
Maybe it just didn't occur to him? That's probably it.
But soon enough, he's back. They re-encounter him just as they come face to face with a rather roly-poly cucco which, thankfully, does not seem as aggressive as one might expect it to be. Plentiful food and relative peace probably has something to do with that.
But...right now, it's in the way.
Ambrosius 'hms'. Rather than move the cucco, however, Ambrosius turns to the wall next to it. He draws a metallic device from within the depths of his poncho and imparts some of his Water-based Ether into it, forming a shorter, more controllable form of the water blades he's been using.
He aims to cut open a new pathway forward so that they don't have to push the cucco as far, because who knows when it'll decide enough is enough?
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Aqua Cutter toward his party's challenge, Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=============<* CHALLENGE - Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle *>==============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Not all the monstrous birds in Titan's Roost are sick with the Demon King's
Malice. Indeed, the bird blocking the doorway in front of you is not an evil
or corrupted creature at all.
It is simply an enormously fat Cucco which has been feasting on the bags of
seeds which have been lying in this storeroom since time immemorial. The
Cucco is now a roly-poly thing with the proportions of an adorably feathered
beach ball, about as big around as a tall man and heavily weighed down by an
absurd amount of seeds. You're going to have to roll the Fat Cucco out of
the way in order to reach the door.
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 6 *>=================== ===============< Results - Did Someone Toot a Gysahl Whistle >================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 65 --(8)--> 73 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 65 --(3)--> 68 Pass PALB-3106 Power Gloves 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 65 --(3)--> 68 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 65 --(3)--> 68 Pass Aqua Cutter 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 55 --(8)--> 63 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 55 --(15)--> 70 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(1)|Tire(2) Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
MAXIMUM EFFORT is deployed against the gigantic Cucco. At the very least to move it aside before another massive egg appears and makes the situation worse. Fei, Elvis, Solanine and Ashton all push with their combined might, heaving and pushing like the heroic protagonists they are!
The Cucco clucks a few times.
It turns its head, looking down at them. A leg that resembles a tree trunk stretches out the side.... and then the huge bird shifts to the side slightly to find a more comfortable position.
It's enough for Ambrosius' etheric blade to saw away a section of the wall and get everybody through.
Thankfully.
DG: Elvis has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
============<* CHALLENGE - You Don't Want To Look At This Birb *>=============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Only one avian has made its nest in this chamber, and it appears to be
asleep when you arrive. Sitting in its roost in the heart of the room,
surrounded by statues of other birds - and a few statues of shockingly
lifelike stone adventurers, long since crumbled away in places - the bird
appears to be a large cucco with darker feathers across its breast. However,
then it gets up and it turns out to have a long dragon-like tail and a pair
of draconic wings to match.
It is said that the death-darting eye of the Cuccatrice can turn you to
stone simply by making eye contact with you. Well, it's trying to look you
in the eye right now. If you don't cross this room with the utmost care, you
could join the rest of the statue collection.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
With the dusting of his hands, Elvis and co., with a MIGHTY (and of course gentle) PUSH, the fat Cucco has been moved, and with Ambrosius' help with his watery blades a path hath been opened! "Excellent! This is how one explores and expands their mind with more knowledge! Havent seen much worth taking yet though. Maybe farther inside."
Of course, right behind the fat Cucco, is another Cucco! "Oh, I guess some chickens got loooOOOOH LOOK AWAY--" the Professor suddenly shrieks. He recognized the bits on that other bird even though it was part chicken. The man furiously whips open a book around the corner, flipping through the pages. Pages go flying. "Okay, so yeah, don't look at it in the eyes. Kinda just, I dunno, shuffle around the room at the edges? I wouldn't make it angry." He hears it moving. "It's probably already angry."
Gears turn in the man's head. "Maybe it had a hand in that petrified egg? But eggs don't have eyes..." GASP.
"They are parents."
This revelation does little to change the course of events transpired. So instead Elvis just starts shuffling inside, head buried in a book so he can't look at the DREADED CUCCATRICE.
One could say he was almost.. almost... what's a good word for coward? Elvis is too busy watching the floor to think of one.
DG: Elvis has used his Tool Copious Research Notes toward his party's challenge, You Don't Want To Look At This Birb.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
The warning from Elvis is, thankfully, in time. Ashton's luck isn't quite bad enough to have him meet his fate here. Like lightning, he yanks his headband down over his eyes.
Wait, but now how is he going to see?
The solution is simple: he isn't. Creepy and Weepy are. The two dragons are, well, dragons. It's going to take more than a scaly chicken to overcome them! Besides, their reptilian eyes are all weird and inhuman and stuff.
"Take hold of my belt," he suggests. "If you need assistance. I think I can get across this. Hopefully."
DG: Ashton Anchors has used his Tool Dragon Assistance toward his party's challenge, You Don't Want To Look At This Birb.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"...Man, this day." Fei says as he raises his artist's toolkit and uses it to cover his own eyes.
He bumps into things a lot.
What's a good word for a coward?
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool Artist's Toolkit toward his party's challenge, You Don't Want To Look At This Birb.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine follows Elvis and Ashton's lead and produces a skull shaped lantern from her own shadow. She wicks it with a "flame" of her shadow energy, and it casts an eerie black light that she focuses on, both lighting and darkening the room with an unearthly glow, she keeps her gaze on the lantern so that it can't meet the gaze of the cuccotrice.
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Skull Lantern toward her party's challenge, You Don't Want To Look At This Birb.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
With a respectful nod toward the fat Cucco, Ambrosius passes through the newly-formed entrance...but as soon as Elvis gives that warning he turns his head away pointedly.
"Understood." He says. Still looking pointedly at the wall Ambrosius draws something out from within his poncho - a helmet(specifically the sort of helmet typically worn by Veruni soldiers), covering the entire head. He removes his hat, puts the helmet on, and presses a few button on the sides.
Abruptly, the visuals on the helmet are cut off. This will put him completely in the dark, but it will at least be safer than risking a glance toward the cuccatrice. He's sure he could probably survive a brief glance with it, considering his physiology, but it likely wouldn't be a pleasant experience and he sure isn't about to risk it.
He uses the helmets sensors to move about rather than his eyes, focusing on its warnings as well as the voices of his allies to guide him forward through the room.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Advanced Multi-Tool toward his party's challenge, You Don't Want To Look At This Birb.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
============<* CHALLENGE - You Don't Want To Look At This Birb *>=============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Only one avian has made its nest in this chamber, and it appears to be
asleep when you arrive. Sitting in its roost in the heart of the room,
surrounded by statues of other birds - and a few statues of shockingly
lifelike stone adventurers, long since crumbled away in places - the bird
appears to be a large cucco with darker feathers across its breast. However,
then it gets up and it turns out to have a long dragon-like tail and a pair
of draconic wings to match.
It is said that the death-darting eye of the Cuccatrice can turn you to
stone simply by making eye contact with you. Well, it's trying to look you
in the eye right now. If you don't cross this room with the utmost care, you
could join the rest of the statue collection.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust==================================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 7 *>=================== ==============< Results - You Don't Want To Look At This Birb >=============== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 73 --(3)--> 76 Pass Artist's Toolkit 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 68 --(3)--> 71 Pass Copious Research Notes 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 68 --(3)--> 71 Pass Dragon Assistance 3 Wits Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 68 --(3)--> 71 Pass Advanced Multi-Tool 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 63 --(3)--> 66 Pass Skull Lantern 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 70 --(20)--> 90 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Tire(1) Effects: Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Elvis 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: Seraph Solanine has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=================<* CHALLENGE - A Duel With the Fell Raven *>=================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
A single chamber has been constructed at the top of the tower, ringed with
arches of a dark, red-black marble that doesn't match the rest of the old
structure. At its very centre, a single pedestal sits - and around it, a few
skeletons, including some which appear to be child-sized humans. Curled up
behind it, a frightened-looking woman watches on with a look of utter
horror. And upon the pedestal itself sits a single entity.
A raven. Its eyes burn with a malicious spark of something. Cocking its
head, the raven watches you for a moment before beginning to speak in a low,
croaking rumble of a voice, like someone opening the doors to a charnelhouse
and stoking the embers of death.
"So high a price. Deals fairly made. Their sacrifice so truly paid. This
maid is mine. And /you/ are mine."
As the woman shrieks in surprise, the raven suddenly flutters off the
pedestal - and with a surge of dreadful energy utterly unlike anything else
in the Tower, it swells and increases, taking on the form of a towering
knight with the head of a raven and the mane and talons of a black wolf.
With a deep screech, the Fell Raven lunges, swinging an enormous two-handed
battle-axe and occasionally firing off blasts of shadow from its bill.
You may want to rescue the maiden before the Fell Raven eats your heart.
=Dungeon Conditions: Maim, Overwhelm==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
As ruffly, pretty and slightly disgrunted as the CUCCATRICE is, it doesn't particularly seem too fond to leave its nest, instead rotating in place as it watches the party skirt is sleeping grounds. It lets out a 'buk buk' from time to time, but otherwise doesn't do much.
There is a reason pictures of the creature are few and far between though. As people cross the room, they may see a stone hand on the floor or a foot with a few holes pecked in to it. The room otherwise is just edging around a rectangular room, bumping awkwardly into a stone statue here and there.
Everyone present has good methods to avoid not looking toward it.
The saddest part of this story?
He can never look into his large partner's eyes lest he turn her to stone. But they seem to have gotten over it and are doign well enough!
True love prevails all obstacles!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
There is sad violin music coming from the room ahead... or... something like it... with a guttural edge, and sudden atonalities.
The top of the tower has been reached and waiting for the Gentleperson Adventurers is a grim and ill-mannered sight. A massive black raven sits on a red-black marble pedestal with all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming.
Its eyes burn with a fell energy unlike anything the other monsters here have exhibited. It speaks in rhyme of sacrifice, as red torchlight flickers on the bones of the consumed, and the fearful eyes of a woman destined to join them. When it sees the group here to interfere, it flys from its perch and with a pulse of dark energy, a roar of avarice and the crunching of bone, the raven rearranges itself into a black armored knight with the head of a raven, the mane and claws of a wolf. It blasts shadow energy, from its mouth and brandishes a wickedly curved two handed battleaxe as it descends on the party!
In the moments before it makes its move, Solanine takes mental notes of these displays of power and intimidation for future use, reinforces her own black armor and braces for impact. She palms a seed from her belt pouch, and infuses it with darkness. She tosses it at the Raven Knight's initial charge.
The seed grows into a mandragora root, and screams a burst of sonic and shadow energy at the creature. She doesn't know if it will be as effective as she hopes, but perhaps the force will dampen its initial assault enough to give the others an opening....
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Mandragora Seed toward her party's challenge, A Duel With the Fell Raven.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Finally - the top of the tower. The apex. The finale.
Ashton - shoeless, covered in yolk and exhausted - is extremely happy that they've finally made it. The dragons are less so, as this climb has cost them their hats.
But they're here.
The raven speaks - but Ashton pays it little attention. He instead sees the small skeletons and the terrified woman. He grits his teeth, a hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.
Dark energy swirls and surges, turning the raven into a terrible creature. But Ashton does not fear. This is why he's come here.
And this is why he's suddenly in mid-air above the creature. With his weapon in hand.
"BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL!!!!"
Foomp! And he dives from above to shove his last(?) barrel right over the Fell Raven's head. Which should make the process of then stabbing it to death much easier.
DG: Ashton Anchors has used his Tool All Purpose Barrel toward his party's challenge, A Duel With the Fell Raven.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius removes his helmet once he's certain the coast is clear. He knows what's coming next - he can feel it in the air. They are close.
"Be warned. The master of this place is...dangerous. It has bested me two times before." He warns, speaking more words than ever before at this point. Soon enough, the Fell Raven comes into view. He's familiar with its words. He listens to them quietly.
He does not trade any words with it this time, however. He draws another canister from within his poncho and hurls it to the ground. Mist begins to rise up, cleansing the party of their fatigue and readying them for the battle ahead.
He also uses it as a smokescreen, darting to the side and out of view just long enough to assemble his ARM, Vertias Varia. He takes aim and fires, unleashing jets of red light toward the Fell Raven's armored form and staying on the move as much as possible.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Mist Canister toward his party's challenge, A Duel With the Fell Raven.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=================<* CHALLENGE - A Duel With the Fell Raven *>=================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
A single chamber has been constructed at the top of the tower, ringed with
arches of a dark, red-black marble that doesn't match the rest of the old
structure. At its very centre, a single pedestal sits - and around it, a few
skeletons, including some which appear to be child-sized humans. Curled up
behind it, a frightened-looking woman watches on with a look of utter
horror. And upon the pedestal itself sits a single entity.
A raven. Its eyes burn with a malicious spark of something. Cocking its
head, the raven watches you for a moment before beginning to speak in a low,
croaking rumble of a voice, like someone opening the doors to a charnelhouse
and stoking the embers of death.
"So high a price. Deals fairly made. Their sacrifice so truly paid. This
maid is mine. And /you/ are mine."
As the woman shrieks in surprise, the raven suddenly flutters off the
pedestal - and with a surge of dreadful energy utterly unlike anything else
in the Tower, it swells and increases, taking on the form of a towering
knight with the head of a raven and the mane and talons of a black wolf.
With a deep screech, the Fell Raven lunges, swinging an enormous two-handed
battle-axe and occasionally firing off blasts of shadow from its bill.
You may want to rescue the maiden before the Fell Raven eats your heart.
=Dungeon Conditions: Maim, Overwhelm==========================================
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, A Duel With the Fell Raven.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Well, at least they have found the ability to move on from that small hitch in their relationship!
The final room however, has someone with a whole bunch of hangups. A raven, desiring secrifice. What kind of rites it speaks of, Elvis hasn't a clue, yet-- "Unhand her! That is no way to treat a young lady!" Elvis demands, like some kind of noble hero. Or perhaps one buried in old ways. Whichever way, he is gonna tear that bird apart if they dont-- oh okay it wasn't gonna be quite that easy.
"O-Okay, final ADVENTURE test!" he was testing them?! "Beat that guy up!" And out comes another barrel. "Okay are you conjuring those?!" Elvis has to ask. It seems HIGHLY unlikely a young man would have even two barrels on them. But three? "I'm not saying they aren't useful, just the method they just show up seems incons-- AH!"
the Sentinel is forced to tumble out of the way from a shadowy bolt of energy. A look toward Ambrosius. "You have been here?" How interesting! Might have been able to spare hi ma trip out, but then again, this young lass may have been in a dire kind if they weren't.
So Elvis does what eh does best-- he gon' punch that guy!
Its essence is so familiar though. Perhaps from a dig done in the past?
DG: Elvis has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Duel With the Fell Raven.
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=================<* CHALLENGE - A Duel With the Fell Raven *>=================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
A single chamber has been constructed at the top of the tower, ringed with
arches of a dark, red-black marble that doesn't match the rest of the old
structure. At its very centre, a single pedestal sits - and around it, a few
skeletons, including some which appear to be child-sized humans. Curled up
behind it, a frightened-looking woman watches on with a look of utter
horror. And upon the pedestal itself sits a single entity.
A raven. Its eyes burn with a malicious spark of something. Cocking its
head, the raven watches you for a moment before beginning to speak in a low,
croaking rumble of a voice, like someone opening the doors to a charnelhouse
and stoking the embers of death.
"So high a price. Deals fairly made. Their sacrifice so truly paid. This
maid is mine. And /you/ are mine."
As the woman shrieks in surprise, the raven suddenly flutters off the
pedestal - and with a surge of dreadful energy utterly unlike anything else
in the Tower, it swells and increases, taking on the form of a towering
knight with the head of a raven and the mane and talons of a black wolf.
With a deep screech, the Fell Raven lunges, swinging an enormous two-handed
battle-axe and occasionally firing off blasts of shadow from its bill.
You may want to rescue the maiden before the Fell Raven eats your heart.
=Dungeon Conditions: Maim, Overwhelm==========================================
==================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited - Round 8 *>=================== ===================< Results - A Duel With the Fell Raven >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 76 --(100)--> 176 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Elvis 71 --(100)--> 171 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashton Anchors 71 --(100)--> 171 Fail All Purpose Barrel 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 71 --(100)--> 171 Fail Mist Canister 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 66 --(100)--> 166 Fail Mandragora Seed 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Elvis 90 --(10)--> 100 Fail Conditions: Maim|Overwhelm Effects: Cleanse ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: Fei Fong Wong is too exhausted to continue! DG: Elvis is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ashton Anchors is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ambrosius is too exhausted to continue! DG: Seraph Solanine is too exhausted to continue! DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Elvis has successfully explored Titan's Roost - Revisited!
=======================<* Titan's Roost - Revisited *>========================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Fell Raven's Hoard *>=====================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The Fell Raven descends into shadows and dissipates into the air; it's
impossible to know if it's dead or simply in retreat, but the ominous energy
of its presence can't be felt anymore.
There are more people there than the young woman who was with the Raven.
Emerging from hiding, three more women around the ages of 17 or 18 rush into
view, thanking you profusely for coming to their rescue. One of them even
directs you to a set of chests along the back walls - and inside, you'll
find what must be the Fell Raven's hoard, a heap of gold coins and gems
which ought very well to buy you a new set of gear or a heap of supplies if
you're so willing.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================