2019-04-04: Trailblazing
- Log: Trailblazing
- Cast: Ida Everstead-Rey, Ratatoskr, Naelle Sylkirk, Seraph Clarine, Seraph Solanine
- Where: Great Spiran Sea
- Date: April 04, 2019
- Summary: A group of travelers sets out through the trails of Besaid, whereupon they are terrorized by a local and a certain Metal Demon. All in all, not much to Besaid about this one.
============================<* Great Spiran Sea *>============================ The Spiran archipelago is, unsurprisingly, composed of a series of islands. One is large, some are fairly big, the rest are quite small. Travel between the islands is accomplished by a series of small, local ferry runs between Spira's major seaports. Each of these ferries is pretty much like the rest - a large two-masted brig equipped with a pair of paddle wheels that allow the vessel to run on chocobo power whenever the wind is low. Because all of the ferries are basically the same, this is the one you're on. Whatever one that is. Wherever it's going. You're on it.
DG: A party led by Ida Everstead-Rey is now entering Besaid Trails. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==============================<* Besaid Trails *>===============================
=====<* CHALLENGE - Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked *>======
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
As you arrive to the entrance of the trails, you come across Guba, a
40's-something man wearing the open yellow vest and wading pants of a
Blitzer. Guba is a rare individual indeed: the aspiring Blitzball player
who, in the last twenty years, has never managed to make it onto the Besaid
Aurochs.
"Hey, catch!"
Now, Guba attempts to waylay strangers by pitching a Blitzball at them. He
has been rejected for throwing the ball so hard that it bowls people over.
Can you catch it and send it back at him, before he distracts you further
from entering the trails and being on your way?
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
It's a beautiful spring day in the southern archipelago. The jungle is coming alive; tropical flowers of every hue drape the land beyond the beach, filling the air with their heady perfume. Birdsong forms a melody to the gentle rhythm of the surf. A well-manicured path leads inland from the ferry dock, where passengers disembark from a ferry.
"That quite enjoyable," Ida says, turning to look at the two Seraphim that have arrived here in her company. "But from the look of this place, we've barely started." She takes two steps forwards, rising up on tip-toes and stretching. Muscles roll and tense beneath scarred skin. "Shall we?"
SUDDENLY
"What the--?!" Ida hits the dirt, flinging herself forwards as the blitzball rockets towards her and her companions. Sand sprays out from around her. She pushes herself upright, and shoots Guba a look that could peel wallpaper; her lip curls, as if she's preparing to respond to this slight with a dressing-down. Guba appears unconcerned.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
"Hyahaha--!" Oh no. That laugh. That laugh can only mean one thing, and somehow even in the tropical sun there is something of a nefarious shadow cast over the open field. "Do you know who that is? Do you know who that is!!"
...As one's gaze falls upon one guilty party of BLITZBALL ASSAULT, juuuuuuust over their shoulder - like some sort of part-time bad conscience who is making gil hovering over one's shoulder - is a certain crimson-hued horned squirrel-shaped fellow. A Hyadean.
"The power of the Besaid Aurochs...!" The arrogant, youthful voice hits an exciteable crescendo as he leans forward, all feral, wiggling clawed fingers and then going on all fours as he peers out from a higher ledge. "Do it again! Do it again! It's everything I could've dreamed of...!" Oh no.
"How strong is the Demon Fist before the Besaid Aurochs...?"
DG: Ratatoskr has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked.
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
Naelle is lost. She was supposed to be meeting a local shady catnip dealer, but might have taken a wrong turn. Then she spotted the woman and the two Seraphim and decided that they look like they know where they're going. Seraphim are supposed to be servants of Althena, right? So, up she marches when suddenly Guba decides to hurl a blitzball. Naelle could not see Guba, because Ida was standing directly between Naelle and Guba, and so when Ida drops to the ground, the ball hits Naelle. Right in the face.
"OW! What the heck did you do that for?!" demands the catgirl when she sits up, blood spilling out her nose. Up she gets, and out comes the wrench. "Seems like SOMEONE'S gonna get an attitude adjustment!" She picks up the ball from beside her, and...well, Blitzball's not baseball, but a wrench isn't a bat.
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has used her Tool Trusty Wrench toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
The Seraph Clarine had her own reasons for coming to Besaid Island. There were plenty maps of the island available, certainly, but it wasn't quite the same as mapping it all out in her head for her own personal use. And so, she had decided to accompany Solanine and her human friend on their journey to the island. She didn't know the latter that well, but if Solanine was with her she couldn't be that bad.
"Yes, I agree..." Clarine agreed with a faint nod. She expected this to be a fairly pleasant journey. These expectations are quickly dashed as someone shouts at them to 'catch', then hurling some kind of round missile at them.
Clarine reacts to this sudden threat the way she reacts to all of them - she yelps in surprise, instinctively sends a quick flash of blinding light in the aggressor's direction, and immediately makes to hide behind the nearest rock or other durable form of cover until the threat passes.
DG: Seraph Clarine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine nods with a small smile to Ida's invitation to set off through the jungle. It had been a pleasant trip, the Shadow Seraph had to admit. She expected being trapped on a boat with lots of people on what is essentially a foreign world to be the height of stress but... in current company, Ida, who Sola had been hanging around more and more, and had gone a long way in helping her adjust to positive human contact and reuniting with the Seraph Clarine, who she was very pleased to see again. It was unfortunate that Clarine too was so far from home and away from even what she'd discovered of Filgaia, but if they were to be outside of Althena's boundary, she could little think of a better traveling companion.
It HAD been a very nice time, and Solanine had enjoyed the sounds of... life... effortless compared to the dry wastelands of Filgaia. Birds and greenery and water and strange orbs thrown at your head?!
Ida divs! Clarine yelps flashes and hides! A nearby beastwoman returns fire with righteous indignation! and Solanine kicks up a field of shadow nightshade flowers around them to dampen the trajectory of Guba's return serve, should he survive.
An odd occurance but one unwarranted act of aggression isn't enough by itself to ruin the Seraph's day. A familiar figure, bursting with pep and energy leads a rousing cheer for Guba with a "Hyahaha--!"
Oh no.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked.
==============================<* Besaid Trails *>===============================
=====<* CHALLENGE - Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked *>======
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
As you arrive to the entrance of the trails, you come across Guba, a
40's-something man wearing the open yellow vest and wading pants of a
Blitzer. Guba is a rare individual indeed: the aspiring Blitzball player
who, in the last twenty years, has never managed to make it onto the Besaid
Aurochs.
"Hey, catch!"
Now, Guba attempts to waylay strangers by pitching a Blitzball at them. He
has been rejected for throwing the ball so hard that it bowls people over.
Can you catch it and send it back at him, before he distracts you further
from entering the trails and being on your way?
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
=========================<* Besaid Trails - Round 1 *>========================== =======< Results - Besaid Man Throws Blitzball at Strangers Unprovoked >======== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ida Everstead-Rey 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratatoskr 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Clarine 0 --(10)--> 10 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Solanine 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naelle Sylkirk 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Trusty Wrench 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Ida Everstead-Rey 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Injure(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"HAW HAW!" Guba points and laughs at Naelle's nose, because let's be real, he's an asshole. "Again, you say? I'll show you my /true powhrrk--" Clarine's light magic goes off in his eyes like a flashbulb, and he clenches them shut, rubbing them to try and dispel the sparks. "Dirty trick!"
"Cute," Ida says. "Clarine, if you'd kindly do that again, I would--"
Naelle makes her return serve. The blitzball flies, arcing across the beach with impressive speed. It slams into Guba's jaw with an audible crunch; he sways backwards, staggers, falls.
At least Solanine put those flowers there for him. It should be a while before he wakes up from those.
"Ratatoskr," Ida says, brushing sand off her shirt. "Did you put him up to that, or was he a mugger?" The thought of someone chucking balls at tourists just to be an asshole hasn't occurred to her.
DG: Ratatoskr has drawn a new Challenge.
==================================================<* Besaid Trails *>=================================================== =========================================<* CHALLENGE - Clearing a Rockslide *>========================================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- The trails that cut through Besaid Island border on the mountainous. In parts, they rise above the treeline of the jungles. Because of this, rock slides are not uncommon. Here, you find one such event: the trail has been blocked by a huge pile of rocks, which slid down from the cliff face above. It would take no small amount of time to double back and find a different way, too... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Tire=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
Ratatoskr watches as Guba gets clobbered by a combination of sorcerous power and sheer grit. He catches the ball gingerly between his hands as it rebounds off of Guba's big dumb jerk goober face from Naelle's superb serving power.
"Put him up to that?! Put him up to that!" He mocks the idea. "That's no highwayman! That's... a Besaid Auroch." He sets the ball down on the fallen Guba, lifting up their hands so they don't drop it, and thus equip them to harass people later. (This is inarguably the greatest Bad Karma action Ratatoskr has ever done.)
"Mighty warriors hailing from this village I never knew existed," he narrates with reverence, and this is pretty much nonsense and not worth listening to. The bad news is, along the trail, there's debris from a recent rock slide that has put a huge pile of rocks in the way of the trail path. There's thick jungle to either side that doesn't look promising to go through, so they're best trying to power through there.
"Masters of a combat art that uses a mace without even a chain... it is said every year that six such warrior clans gather in some great city called 'Luca!' They fight entirely underwater..." Okay this part is maybe kind of informative, as he climbs atop the pile of rocks to continue to pontificate.
"Guba has never been there, the Besaid Aurochs leaving behind their strongest to strike those that would challenge his village... can you imagine it? Can you imagine it! The contests of strength..."
He's going to keep going on and on and on and on like this unless they can clear the path in which to gain distance, physically shoo him off, or both.
In the middle of his fantasizing about what these contests might entail, he's taken out the busted old gun-blade thing he likes to tote around, slamming it every so often as he goes into excruciating detail about the technical skill that Guba displays but doesn't actually possess, so he's helping - sort of - on the 'bust open rocks' part.
DG: Ratatoskr has used his Tool Derelict Relic toward his party's challenge, Clearing a Rockslide.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine was glad to see Solanine here, as well. Spira was a strange, difficult land for a Seraph who was only just adjusting to the presence of as many Resonant individuals as Filgaia had, so any familiar face and knowing they were alright was a comfort to her.
There's silence for a brief moment when Ida addresses her, but soon enough there's a response of 'a-alright...!'...but just as she's about to step out and try it again, Naelle's wrench serve knocks the one responsible out cold. Clarine's eyes turn toward Ratatoskr for a brief moment.
She's never seen this figure before. His arrival is a complete mystery to her, but it seems others know who he is.
"That is...not an auroch, is it? He...appears to be a human, to me." She whispers to Ida, Solanine, and Naelle, completely missing the point. Ratatoskr's continued statements just serves to confuse her further, her head tilting to the side.
She looks toward Naelle, then, and gasps with surprise.
"A-ah, you are...bleeding. Is it...alright if I assist you with that...?" She offers quietly. She has healing spells - she can probably do something about it, and any other injuries the party may have accrued from Guba's antics.
Unfortunately, that's probably the most useful thing she can offer right now - breaking through rocks is not something she's good at.
DG: Seraph Clarine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Clearing a Rockslide.
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
"Oh, please, honored Seraph, it would be most welcome," Naelle says to Clarine, which comes out something like, "Oh, bleaz, hoddered Seraph, id would be bost welcobe." She glares at Ratatosk. "Does he eber shud ub?"
And then it's time to clear away rocks.
Naelle does not use her wrench to clear rocks. That's a good way to damage her wrench. What she uses her wrench for is to assemble small pipe bombs, into which she pours a few carefully ground mixtures she keeps separate, in particular proportions, and then seals it all off with a little fuse dangling out.
5rNaelle doesn't like explosions, and she definitely doesn't like them when they happen to her, but they can be useful, which is why she carries the kit to make explosives.
She sets down the pipe, lights the fuse, and calls "Tage cober!"
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has used her Tool Trusty Wrench toward her party's challenge, Clearing a Rockslide.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"They're a team of ball-players," Ida says, to Clarine and Ratatoskr alike. "And not a particularly good one, to hear the Lucans tell it." Of course, Ratatoskr has no social context for this, so Ida isn't surprised he latched onto a preexisting cultural framework and jammed the Aurochs into it. "It's called Blitzball, and yes, it's played entirely underwater. I'm not sure if there's a sorcerous working involved, or just a lifetime's worth of training, but--" She glances at Ratatoskr, checking to see if she's sinking in at all. She lets out a sigh, and busies herself with clearing rocks, picking the smaller ones up one at a time and moving them to the edge of the trail. At Naelle's warning, she backs right off, putting a good fifty feet of distance between her and the rockslide--more, if she can manage it.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Clearing a Rockslide.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
The Seraph Solanine, contented that the immediate threat of Guba has been put to rest by their combined efforts (save Ratatoskr) politely listens to Ratatoskr's excitable ramblings. He seemed to know more than she did about this figure and exactly what he was doing, and she does in fact find herself quite interested in different styles of combat and war history and study from the new cultures she comes across. For all Solanine knows, all this talk of warriors and leaving their strongest behind to defend their village is all true, every word of it, and one could do worse than have such a passionate "teacher". The same couldn't be said to his dangerous unpredictability. "His name is Ratatoskr" Sola whispers to Clarine. "He's... what the humans of Filgaia called a "Metal Demon" but he's a... baby? He seems new to the world and everything in it and he's very excitable and passionate about its discovery... he's also extremely dangerous with little to no impulse control. If you've experienced one, imagine a human child with the power and armaments of an army in that stage where they like to crush bugs just to see what happens... I don't know that he can see or hear us yet, so keep your distance..."
To Clarine's wondering if Guba is an Auroch rather than a human, Solanine shrugs and continues listening to Ratatoskr for the answer to that question?
Sola watches Clarine heal Naelle with quiet approval, and approval still for Naelle's respect, recognition and reverence for their kind.
To this end Solanine offers her Blessing to Naelle as well, when her explosive detonates, its shadow detonates with supportive force force, in the shape of a datura nightshade. It is the privelege of the Seraphim that she can do such a task while still keeping an eye and an ear on Ratatoskr, though she realizes now it might be a better distraction for him for her to be an acknowledging audience the Hydaean can see but little she can do about that.
Ida offers a much different interpretation and speaks with authority and certainty, so Solanine is inclined to believe her, though she still finds Ratatoskr's animated take on it both interesting and a little charming. She's a bit disappointed. Though since her only experience with ball-playing was with a stadium of ancient ghosts, Ida's truth is intriguing as well. Humans play ball as well? Or is Guba an off-season ghost?
She thinks for a moment that she should've made the nightshade poison stronger to hasten his return to the league? He seemed eager to get back to things, but... maybe it's best that he's able to rest for a while.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Clearing a Rockslide.
==================================================<* Besaid Trails *>=================================================== =========================================<* CHALLENGE - Clearing a Rockslide *>========================================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- The trails that cut through Besaid Island border on the mountainous. In parts, they rise above the treeline of the jungles. Because of this, rock slides are not uncommon. Here, you find one such event: the trail has been blocked by a huge pile of rocks, which slid down from the cliff face above. It would take no small amount of time to double back and find a different way, too... =Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Tire=============================================
=============================================<* Besaid Trails - Round 2 *>============================================== ===========================================< Results - Clearing a Rockslide >=========================================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ida Everstead-Rey 10 --(23)--> 33 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ratatoskr 0 --(13)--> 13 Pass Derelict Relic 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Clarine 10 --(23)--> 33 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 0 --(23)--> 23 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Naelle Sylkirk 0 --(13)--> 13 Pass Trusty Wrench 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Ida Everstead-Rey 20 --(10)--> 30 Fail Conditions: Injure(1)|Tire(2)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey 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> Ratatoskr has posed.
Spira's rocks have formed themselves into the primordial, natural form of the door, and the efforts all reflect what come natural for the lot of them across generations of Putting Up With This Bull(tm).
Ida methodically clears away some space.
Clarine offers to ease any aches and pains.
Solanine adds something of a ligh-- shadow-show to the impending fireworks.
Naelle makes with the explosives.
It's not clear for a moment if Ratatoskr notices the impending destruction, but there is an explosion, and debris go flying every which way.
"I sure don't see this 'Luca' tribe sending their greatest champions here...! Hyahaha--!" Ratatoskr cackles, apparently only letting certain words sink in through the cracks of his daydreaming.
THE GREAT NEWS: The way is clear and they don't have to fight through the brush off-road to get anywhere interesting.
"
THE NASTY NEWS: Ratatoskr is still there with you and will not shut up.
...
He stares intently at the weird kind of person-shaped holes in the natural lighting, one bright, one not.
"Of course that's a human!! The names they come up with for their units, their styles, their weapons," he says a ways behind that big person-shaped blob of light in his solid yellow alien eyes, "it's all pretty cool..."
WORST NEWS EVER!!!: he can totes hear them
DG: Seraph Clarine has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Besaid Trails *>============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Jump Into the Ocean *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Sometimes, parts of the trails through Besaid Island are flooded out. Sometimes, there are no bridges, but every Spiran knows how to swim -- and if not, there are ropes along the canyon walls to drag oneself along. However, getting down into the water entails leaping into it. Try to not become a red smear on the rocks when you do! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine listens to Solanine's explanation. She frowns.
"He is...difficult." She concludes with a brief nod, before looking back to Naelle.
She accepts the help so Clarine nods, holding her hands up. With a call of 'First Aid!' sparkles of light drift around Naelle, and before long the pain will subside and everything should be just fine!
Ida has a response, too. Ball-players...so it was a sport? She didn't know anything about human sports. It was a strange subject to her.
The way is soon cleared, but Ratatoskr is still here, and reveals a terrifying bit of information - he can hear them. Clarine jumps slightly. She opens her mouth to try and form a response but nothing comes to mind so she hurries along.
Unfortunately, the path doesn't continue much further past the blocked off section. There is a wide gap in the road, and debris indicates that there was a bridge here, but it was taken out in a recent rockslide - perhaps the very one they just cleared out.
"O-oh dear..." Clarine murmurs to herself, peering over the ledge. She considers things for a moment. It looks like they could continue on a little further if they went through the water, or the canyon walls...
So she takes a moment, a hand reaching into one of her sleeves. When it emerges she's holding a series of prisms which she drops over the edge. They float into place and, once light shines through them, they form a series of colorful, hard-light platforms that will make the process of descending either.
"Be careful...the rocks are dangerous..." She comments, then begins leaping from platform to platform with practiced grace.
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Prismatic Projector toward her party's challenge, Jump Into the Ocean.
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
Naelle looks at the water below distastefully. "At least there's ropes. I really, really hate getting wet," she moans. She pulls out a bottle of something with a slightly faded label--the word EXTREME is barely visible--and chugs it, then runs and *leaps* for the platforms, bouncing from one to the next with catlike grace and catlike agility. Well, that's the idea, anyway...
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has used her Tool Energy Drink toward her party's challenge, Jump Into the Ocean.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine listens to Ratatoksr's reply to Clarine's question and although it is indeed pretty cool to think about those things, it dawns on her that he heard and responded to Clarine's question she freezes momentarily and goes silent and nods to Clarine that her assessment of him is accurate.
When he's not right next to him she may talk further with Clarine about her prior experiences with the Hydaean and her opinion of him, but... instead keeps a low profile and watches with wonder as Clarine uses a prism to manipulate the light.
It reminds her of an object she found herself that she'd been experimenting with (when she remembers to, with all that's going on lately)
Taking a cue from Naelle, Sola summons a hood and cloak of shadow herself, fastens it to dampen her view of the light of the platforms on landing, and, channeling the weightlessness of her Element, attempts to jump across from platform to platform, and hopes for the best... She doesn't have a lot of experience with swimming well, she'd never really needed to, but all the same.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Jump Into the Ocean.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
The squirrely Hyadean continues along not too far off, which is to say, nowhere near far enough. One would think there would be far more interesting, pertinent subjects for discussion like 'we should get home' or 'what happened with the whole Odessa thing,' but no... more trivia.
"You know what's really something? Sure, the humans called us 'Metal Demons," what can charitably be considered a slur with its negative connotation - albeit not one undeserved for the amount of terror and destruction they carved while under the deception of Mother, "but they have a name for us here too..."
THIS MIGHT BE OF HISTORICAL INTEREST TO ALL INTERESTED IN HYADEAN HISTORY
Ratatoskr leans in, his grin widening ever more as he says the next word in a reverent whisper, as though it were one so loaded with hidden depths and meaning, a link to so many lost mysteries.
"...Ronso. They call us Ronso!"
Or not.
"...According to Guba, mightiest of the Besaid Aurochs... I never even knew that was a name they would call us..." He sounds like he's in awe of this, um, fact, that the way he navigates this latest issue seems something of an afterthought as a shiny broken piece of crystal flashes in a clawed hand, and suddenly he (possibly others nearby) find themselves teleported to some other part of the surrounding geography. It might not be a good place in the geography to be, but at least they didn't expend any energy getting there.
DG: Ratatoskr has used his Tool Teleporter Fragment toward his party's challenge, Jump Into the Ocean.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"Rest assured," Ida says, speaking loud enough that Ratatoskr can hear, "if he attempts anything unwise, I will teach him the error of his ways." She turns to the young Hyadean, and frowns. "...That makes no sense," she says. "But--" But she's not going to argue. Instead, she reaches out for one of the ropes, and grabs on to it with her right hand; a length of thin, sturdy muscle filament unspools from within her wrist, snaking around the cable. Insurance.
And then she's off, leaping from platform to platform, attached to the rope with her safety line.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Line Launcher toward her party's challenge, Jump Into the Ocean.
=============================<* Besaid Trails *>============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Jump Into the Ocean *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Sometimes, parts of the trails through Besaid Island are flooded out. Sometimes, there are no bridges, but every Spiran knows how to swim -- and if not, there are ropes along the canyon walls to drag oneself along. However, getting down into the water entails leaping into it. Try to not become a red smear on the rocks when you do! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
========================<* Besaid Trails - Round 3 *>========================= ======================< Results - Jump Into the Ocean >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ida Everstead-Rey 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Line Launcher 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ratatoskr 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Teleporter Fragment 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Clarine 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Prismatic Projector 1 Agility Effects: Fanfare and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 23 --(0)--> 23 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Naelle Sylkirk 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Energy Drink 2 Agility Effects: Cleanse and Efficient ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Ida Everstead-Rey 30 --(20)--> 50 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Tire(1)|Weaken(1) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"...Ronso?" Clarine repeats. It sounds credible at first, and then he says where he got the information and a small frown crosses Clarine's face. "...Oh."
She wasn't sure Guba was the most credible source of information, but that's partially because she's still a little upset about him attacking them.
Still, she doesn't know any better, so it's not like she can refute it.
Fortunately, though, everyone manages to make it across just fine - the platforms make a convenient way across, and when those aren't available it's easy enough to reach out and grab the ropes. Ida will have no trouble hanging onto it with her line, and Naelle's EXTREME state will see her clearing every platform without any risk of falling into the water!
There is a brief moment where some of them will find themselves taken along for the wide with Ratatoskr and his teleporter fragment, but it does put them closer to the other side even if the suddenness of it might be briefly startling.
Clarine waits on the other side, keeping an eye on Solanine to make sure she can make it across without any trouble - thankfully, the weightlessness inherent to her element comes in handy, allowing her to clear it with ease.
"I hope...there will be no further difficulties..." Clarine comments.
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================================<* Besaid Trails *>=============================================== =================================<* CHALLENGE - Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt *>================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | -------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >------------------------------------------- As you walk along the trails, making your way through the jungle and the woods, you hear a rumbling from above. Then, a few rocks come crashing down a steep hill. To make matters worse, one clips one of the ancient, rusted metal ruins -- and a chunk of broken, pitted steel /also/ falls free. You have a rock slide coming crashing down on top of you, unless you move fast! =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Injure=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
"Honored Seraph, why would you say that?" Naelle groans at Clarine. "Now there's going to be! Just you wait!"
She looks around, ears twitching, for the further difficulties.
"Well okay, there's not anything right here, but we just finished one--just you wait," says Naelle.
The trail leads onward, into the jungle.
"There could be a gorilla here, you know! They live in jungles. I bet one's right behind that tree, waiting to ambush us."
There is not, in fact, a gorilla. Naelle's ears twitch, and her tail swishes back and forth, irritably. "Okay, but just you wait," she says. "There's probably quicksand just ahead! Watch your step!"
The ground does not, in fact, prove in any way to be quicksand.
"Okay, fine, but just you wait," Naelle says, taking another swig of some EXTREME juice as the group proceeds. "See that fallen log up ahead, above the trail? That's a perfect place for a deadfall trap!"
The log remains quite immobile, and no such trap is triggered.
"Fine!" Naelle shouts. "I give up! There's not going to be further difficulties!"
Her voice echoes off the rocks, and then there is a rumbling sound.
"Iiiiiiii shouldn't have yelled that," Naelle says, and then adds, "RUN!"
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has used her Tool Energy Drink toward her party's challenge, Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"...Wh-what?" Clarine replies, as Naelle groans at her, with a hint of confusion. "I-I am sorry, d-did I...did I say something wrong...? I apologize, I...I did not mean to alarm you..."
Her confusion just grows and grows as they continue further, and Naelle points out potential sources of problems they might encounter - but no such trouble arises.
...At least, up until a certain point where a rumbling sound starts to emit.
"...Oh. I...I believe I understand now." She whispers. Clarine seems to glide more than she runs, but as she moves she draws forth another prism - a single one, this time. This time it is directed upwards, and the light that refracts into it forms a single platform. It's larger than the others and a bit wider, serving as a ceiling to divert some of the rocks away from the party as they attempt to escape the rockslide.
"This place...it is very dangerous... Truly, it was wise to come here..." She murmurs to herself. "Humans could get hurt..."
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Prismatic Projector toward her party's challenge, Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"Miss Naelle," Ida says, as she turns on a heel and sprints for her life, "are you familiar with the term 'self-fulfilling prophecy?!'" She raises her arm as rocks rain down, and if that arm happens to take on a slightly more metallic hue for a few seconds? Just the angle of the light. Nothing more.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Line Launcher toward her party's challenge, Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
There's another flash of light as Ratatoskr engages the broken teleport crystal again.
"Gorilla? Where?" He asks from afar, somewhere in the brush. "How strong is it?"
THERE ISN'T A GORILLA
DG: Ratatoskr has used his Tool Teleporter Fragment toward his party's challenge, Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine thinks on Ratatoskr's wisdom(?) as she attempts to disbelieve her recent involuntary short range teleport at the Hydaean's hands, and focuses on Ida's promise to teach him the error of his ways. The Seraph interprets this as not only applying percussive maintenance should the need arise, but also patiently explaining his mistakes to him, an admirable and merciful course of action that Solanine had considered herself except there was always something pressing to do or place to go. She wonders about the term "Ronso"...
She watches with some amusement Naelle proclaiming various troubles and dooms are on the horizon, fearing the worst from Clarine's words
Some amusement, but also trepidation and warranted caution, as even though Naelle is proven wrong time and time again, her explanations (her knowledge of potential problems) grow more detailed and certain.
The warnings and suspicion weren't entirely unwarranted, and aren't cats fairly cautious to begin with? Sola hadn't wondered too deeply about how a beastperson's animal side effects their behavior but it didn't seem impossible... In any case, don't worry Clarine, Solanine thinks to herself, (still mute for Ratatoskr) it wasn't totally your fault.
Forests and jungles are rife with dangers and surprises, and trails often hide bandit ambushes, so in the Shadow Seraph's opinion it's less Naelle overreacting than the group just being lucky to avoid such things.
Luck that... runs out when they literally least expect it.
Sola "RUN!"s, keeping an eye on Ida, relieved to see the sleight of hand that had served them well against the many calamities of the Lucan Markets - a place where Naelle's sense for ironic danger would be perfectly caliberated. Solanine ducks under Clarine's helpful light-ceiling and nods a thanks to the Light Seraph for the cover, though not looking directly back at the light of course, keeping her shadow shroud close. She leaves shadowy overgrowth in the wake of her escape -flowers, vines shrubs and even small trees sprouting under her footfalls in hopes of slowing down the oncoming rocks.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt.
==============================================<* Besaid Trails *>=============================================== =================================<* CHALLENGE - Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt *>================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | -------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >------------------------------------------- As you walk along the trails, making your way through the jungle and the woods, you hear a rumbling from above. Then, a few rocks come crashing down a steep hill. To make matters worse, one clips one of the ancient, rusted metal ruins -- and a chunk of broken, pitted steel /also/ falls free. You have a rock slide coming crashing down on top of you, unless you move fast! =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Injure=============================================
=========================================<* Besaid Trails - Round 4 *>========================================== ===================================< Results - Rocks Fall, People Get Hurt >==================================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ida Everstead-Rey 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Line Launcher 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratatoskr 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Teleporter Fragment 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Clarine 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Prismatic Projector 1 Agility Effects: Fanfare and Quicken ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Solanine 23 --(0)--> 23 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naelle Sylkirk 13 --(0)--> 13 Fail Energy Drink 2 Agility Effects: Cleanse and Efficient ---------------------------------------------------< Party >---------------------------------------------------- Leader: Ida Everstead-Rey 50 --(20)--> 70 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Slow(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ===============================================< Dream Chasers >================================================
DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
As a general rule, the one thing that can be said of just about any falling object is that it is going to land. In this case, while most of the rocks Naelle's yelling dislodged don't hit anyone, several of the smaller ones--fist sized, perhaps--manage to land on Naelle.
Because of course they do.
"Nyaaaaaaaaa," Naelle whimpers as the last of the rocks clatters to the ground. "I told you so!"
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
"Did you all just fight the gorilla? Did you all just fight the gorilla!" Ratatoskr yells incredulously from the brush.
DG: Seraph Solanine has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Besaid Trails *>============================== ===========================<* CHALLENGE - Dingos *>=========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Wild dogs are one of the dangers of Besaid Island. The semi-frequent devastation caused by Sin (and sometimes weather, too) mean that dogs that escape have since bred, and created a vicious local breed known as the Dingo. These hounds are sleek, fast, and typically hostile to people -- which may be a problem, as several of them rush for you! =Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Injure===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
The "Nyaaaaaaa" cry of an unlucky cat girl carries in the silence post-avalanche, and in the distance her call is answered by another howl. But not of another cat on the prowl, as barking and the unmistakable scampering of canine claws follows it, and it's getting closer, and closer... The stench of wild dogs is on the wind and their snarling is nearby, you can hear them rustling through the leaves, ready to strike. When the dogs hear the cat scream, they come a-runnin', but not to help.
Solanine's thoughts on whether or not they just fought a gorilla, has to wait as the dogs are closing in. and using the tree cover to circle the group. She reaches to a satchel at her side and palms a small seed, infuses it with her shadow blessing and hurls it into the overgrowth. It changes from a seed to a sprout and disappears. If the seed finds purchase, it will grow a Mandragora to shriek a wave of power, hopefully dispatching and scattering the wild hounds of Besaid, teaching the ones that survive it an important lesson: not everything that screams is prey.
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Mandragora Seed toward her party's challenge, Dingos.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Sound carries, and sound tracks attention. Right now, that attention is from one of the many packs of wild dogs that roam Besaid Island, and they seem quite hostile.
Clarine...is nowhere to be seen.
The attentive may have noticed her drawing a length of silvery-cloth from her sleeve and throwing it over herself and then, suddenly, seeming to vanish, cloth and all. She's not completely invisible - the veil merely bends light such that there appears to be nothing where she was standing just before. And, of course, it can do nothing for sound.
But it may just well allow her to avoid the dingos' attention, giving her room to quietly get to work on casting some healing spells for the party just in case they manage to get any biting or clawing in.
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Lightbending Veil toward her party's challenge, Dingos.
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
Naelle lets out a hiss, her tail straight out and the hair standing on end. "Nya! Get away from me! Shoo!" she exclaims, swinging her wrench at any dingo that gets too close to her in an aggressive way. "Why are dogs like this!?"
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Dingos.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
Ratatoskr continues to skulk around the brush for a while in search of a gorilla to get in a fist fight with. Even discounting for the fact that he is the product of a galactic abomination's hordes whom perfected making subservient, nearly immortal metallic killing machines as a means to eat planets, this is a terrible idea that puts into question as to why he is not already being a midday snack for scavengers at times.
Ratatoskr leaps from the brush, dramatically, going to a three-point stance as he comes up behind the pack of attacking Dingoes. His squirelly tail swishes as he watches the beasts approach and gather, to attack the group with their numbers, and...
"Oh, that's not a gorilla either," he sounds disappointed, but that doesn't last very long because this is Ratatoskr, rising up as he raises his arms in that usual fighting stance that vaguely resembles Muay Thai, joining it with strikes from extremities and joints with the occasional pop of compressed air.
DG: Ratatoskr has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Dingos.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida's hand is already halfway to one of her pockets by the time the howls draw close enough that she can make out individual members. "Wolves?" Ida says, raising a brow. Those are not a tropical species. What she catches sight of, though, is something more familiar--the sort of dog that arises when dogs are left to their own devices, free of human intervention. Lean, tan-brown, and in this case, large and hungry. Some sort of odd rattling noise catches her ear. She shakes her head.
"Shoo," Ida says. She pulls something out of her pocket, and raises it to her lips--it's a tool she hasn't had reason to use in quite some time, and while she picked it up in the Seed Cities, the animal she intended to train with it is... not here.
Nevertheless, Ida raises the dog whistle to her lips and blows, letting loose with a shrill phweeeeeeeet just beyond the range of human hearing. Almost beyond the range of her hearing.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Flare Grenade toward her party's challenge, Dingos.
=============================<* Besaid Trails *>============================== ===========================<* CHALLENGE - Dingos *>=========================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Wild dogs are one of the dangers of Besaid Island. The semi-frequent devastation caused by Sin (and sometimes weather, too) mean that dogs that escape have since bred, and created a vicious local breed known as the Dingo. These hounds are sleek, fast, and typically hostile to people -- which may be a problem, as several of them rush for you! =Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Injure===========================================
========================<* Besaid Trails - Round 5 *>========================= =============================< Results - Dingos >============================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ida Everstead-Rey 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Flare Grenade 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ratatoskr 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Clarine 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Lightbending Veil 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 23 --(0)--> 23 Pass Mandragora Seed 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Naelle Sylkirk 13 --(0)--> 13 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Ida Everstead-Rey 70 --(20)--> 90 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(2) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Barking and flashing of teeth, before being broken by flying knee kicks of a metal alien. Explosions of shadow and the bending of light. expel the feral hounds from the trees to the clearing. Dogs rush for Clarine then stop. They can smell something, but not being able to see it gives them enough pause to be smashed by the bonk of a wrench. A flare booms and takes out a group of dogs drawn in by a whistle. A chaos of strikes, metallic cackling, catlike hissing and Mandragora screams quickly convince the Dingos of Spira that they're attempting to chomp off much more than they can handle, those not knocked unconscious (or apart...) by the sudden violence, scamper away whimpering in panic, even more quickly than they arrived.
Solanine watches them go without comment, observing the others for injury, but satisfied at how they were all able to fend a quick and unpredictable enemy off so quickly. Evem Ratatokr! Well... especially Ratatoskr. This is the kind of thing he seems to live for... even if they weren't gorrillas.
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Besaid Trails *>===============================
======<* CHALLENGE - Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife *>=======
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Besaid Island's largest Garuda is known as Kagoro-no, a beast of such
immense size that its wingspan is said to be larger than some bridges. The
islanders know well to never go too near Kagoro-no, much less draw its ire.
And yet, here we are.
Guba, the rejected Besaid Auroch, has made his way through the trail. He
bounces a blitzball off the ground -- /pth-wooooong/! -- and then gets ready
to clobber the legendary monster.
This is a bad idea.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Stupify========================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Once the hounds are dealt with, the group proceeds apace. The trail leads further up the mountain, passing near the edge of a scenic gorge. Ida pauses to take a look, and in the process notices something very important:
That isn't a large on the other side of the gorge, in the treeline. It is a massive winged beast--it looks something like a firebird that lost half its feathers and gained teeth the size of knives. It's curled up, slumbering, but it's very well-camouflaged. Ida falls silent, puts her finger to her lips, and glowers at Ratatoskr.
"Thought you were-- c-- GET AWAY, HUH?!" slurs a voice from further down the path. Ida whirls to face it, eyes widening. Guba stumbles towards the group, his gait still ataxic from his little nightshade nap earlier. He holds the Blitzball in both hands, "I'mma--I'mma show you how a REAL BESUR-- BESAME BESAID--" The words spill from his lips, malformed. Unfortunately, enough of Guba's coordination remains for him to throw the ball in the air, and to drive it directly at the group.
And, double unfortunately, at the Fiend napping leisurely behind them.
Ida does not dodge this time. She moves with blinding speed, a knife gleaming in her hand. As the blitzball flies, Ida drives the multitool forwards, stabbing its knife-blade at the ball. Can she deflate it, and end the menace of Guba?!
DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Multitool toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"Is...is everyone alright...?" Clarine asks, shedding the Lightbending Veil and returning it safely to the depths of...wherever it is her items go whenever when she's done with them. It looks like her sleeves, but how does she fit so much stuff in there...?
There's little time to contemplate that, though. Soon, they spot something very large on the other side of the gorge. With a nod at Ida's suggestion Clarine takes cover behind the nearest object. Fortunately, she's pretty small so it isn't too hard.
...But just when it seems like it'll be easy, he appears again, in worse shape than last time.
"Th-the auroch...!" She says in surprise. She yelps as he hurls something at them once more at high speeds. Ida moves to intercept it, while Clarine once again reacts in the way instinctive to her.
Except this time, she hurls a sphere of smooth crystal at him. It erupts with blinding light as it draws close.
Normally it was just supposed to light up dark areas and reveal hidden clues, but that's what happen when you startle a rather timid Light Seraph...
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Brilliant Sphere toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
Somewhere in this travel, Ida gives Ratatoskr a look. His eyes light up, because he wonders if he's about to be punched out of the blue and the solid yellows are like 'yes yes this is cool. Glow-to-glower, it's probably a moment that Kalve would absolutely and violently object to at a look alone.
Then--
"Ooooh... is thi the place?" Is he going to repeat it? He... doesn't, as he looks to the curled up, slumbering Garuda, and his memories flood back to some days ago when Ratatoskr gave the displeasure of being in the presence of some other Besaid travelers.
"This... this is Kagoro-no," Ratatoskr starts to narrate as he gets out one of the few surviving Hyadean data pads, scrolling through all sorts of incomplete and damaged records until he gets to the most recent one, "did you know, legend has it... no more than a week ago, a mighty Besaid Auroch challenged it to mortal combat." His grin widens. "Scared it off with a mighty throw of their chainless mace..."
"I was there." Ratatoskr's tail flicks, a mischievous shake that rattles at a pitch only he and Ida are capable of hearing. "I saw a legend I never knew existed... and you know what? We can see it again...!"
ratatoskr no
RATATOSKR YES
He leaps for it, energy charging about his horn as he prepares to jolt the damn thing awake and maybe actually get eaten for real this time and-- that might be a net positive, wouldn't it
DG: Ratatoskr has used his Tool Corrupted Records toward his party's challenge, Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
"YOU again?" Naelle demands on seeing Guba. "Didn't you learn your lesson before? For Althena's sake, stop doing...whatever it is...oh no."
She pulls out a large tome. "I'm pretty sure I have a blueprint in here for a device for escaping from giant demon bird things," she says, then her tail droops and her ears go flat.
"Oh. It looks like the device is to make yourself look like a hatchling. That's...not useful--and neither is *that!*" *That*, of course, being Ratatoskr. Fortunately for everyone, Naelle is, from years of experience of being around exploding boilers, pretty good at using her wrench to slap down flying metal things before they embed themselves into vital systems.
Well maybe not EVERYONE.
I imagine Ratatoskr doesn't feel very good about being slapped down by Naelle's wrench.
DG: Naelle Sylkirk has used her Tool Big Book o'Blueprints toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine takes Ida's cue for silence immediately upon sensing and later seeing the very large monster on the horizon. Ida takes care to nonverbally admonish Ratatoskr ahead of time, something that Solanine unfortunately knows is both warranted and she hopes he heeds...ratatoskr no.
Guba reappears and Sola laments that she didn't knock him out deeper. Something she plans to remedy while she watches him launch his idiot ball at the Legendary Garuda should they all survive.
Ida goes for the ball. Good.
Ratatoskr goes for the Garuda?! BAD! no ratatoskr! Naelle goes for Ratatoskr with a big book... teaching him through osmosis...Good!
Clarine drops a sphere of light that bursts outward in light. Maybe to blind Guba, maybe to blind Ratatoskr. Hopefully both.
Solanine draws her own "lighting" tool from her own shadow, (the place where she keeps all her items when she doesn't yet need them) a skull shaped lantern. She wicks it with an ember of shadow magic, and she tosses it alongside Clarine's orb. It too is normally used just for inspection and revealing hidden secrets with its purple unlight, but it's solid enough, made of some kind of quartz, she thinks, and maybe it too will burst out its energy, a dark anti-light that will bewilder and shock the senses after Clarine's wave of power.
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Skull Lantern toward her party's challenge, Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife.
==============================<* Besaid Trails *>===============================
======<* CHALLENGE - Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife *>=======
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Besaid Island's largest Garuda is known as Kagoro-no, a beast of such
immense size that its wingspan is said to be larger than some bridges. The
islanders know well to never go too near Kagoro-no, much less draw its ire.
And yet, here we are.
Guba, the rejected Besaid Auroch, has made his way through the trail. He
bounces a blitzball off the ground -- /pth-wooooong/! -- and then gets ready
to clobber the legendary monster.
This is a bad idea.
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Stupify========================================
=========================<* Besaid Trails - Round 6 *>========================== ========< Results - Besaid Man Needlessly Provokes Dangerous Wildlife >========= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ida Everstead-Rey 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Multitool 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ratatoskr 13 --(0)--> 13 Fail Corrupted Records 2 Wits Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Clarine 33 --(0)--> 33 Pass Brilliant Sphere 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Solanine 23 --(0)--> 23 Pass Skull Lantern 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Naelle Sylkirk 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Big Book o'Blueprints 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Ida Everstead-Rey 90 --(30)--> 120 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Reckless(2)|Stupify(2) Effects: Enlighten(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Ida Everstead-Rey has successfully explored Besaid Trails!
==============================<* Besaid Trails *>=============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Lost Crusader's Badge *>===================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Crusaders have long sought to protect Spira from Sin, even when they have earned the ire of the Yevonite Church more than its appreciation. Many a Crusader has met an ignoble end, and you find one such lost soul's body here. A skeleton, lost somewhere in the rubble. But, a tarnished bronze badge is affixed to the corpse's tattered cloth. The badge may be a keepsake; a memento, of earlier times and a will that hasn't changed, despite all Sin has done to this land. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Light and shadow detonate inches from Guba's dilated pupils. Color cascades through his vision. The man staggers back, prevented from taking further stupid action; between the toxins still coursing through his veins and the chaotic stimulus in his brain, he can do nothing but stare. "Mnh," he says.
The wrench comes down. Naelle slams the ball to the side, and right into the point of Ida's knive. Steel forged by a master Hyadean craftsman makes short work of regulation Spiran leather. A sharp pop splits the air as the ball deflates, and falls to the ground. Guba joins it a moment later as his knees give out.
"I... think we'd best leave him to his own devices," Ida says. Slowly, carefully, she makes her way further down the path.
Something glints on the trail ahead. Bits of worked metal lie on the ground, rusty, and mixed in with chips of bone. A human skeleton lies at the side of the trail, half-crushed by a rockfall--its hand inches away from a badly-rusted sword. What hasn't rusted is a bronze badge, still visible on the ragged cloth containing the skeleton's torso.
Ida stops and bows her head in a moment of silence. "I don't recognize this," she says. "Is it... identification, perhaps?" She looks back at Clarine and Solanine. "They deserve a proper burial, whomever they were. Perhaps if we took this back to Besaid Village...?"
<Pose Tracker> Naelle Sylkirk has posed.
"May Althena lay their soul to rest," Naelle says, reverently, over the body. She dunno what else to say about that.
<Pose Tracker> Ratatoskr has posed.
*WHAM*
In all of that, Ratatoskr gets rightfully smacked down by a wrench, leaving him to stew around for a bit near the dispatched Guba. For a while, Auroch wannabe and 'Ronso' just kind of lie there, getting to share themselves a moment looking up at the tropical skies. Ratatoskr looks up to that sliver of blue - Filgaia.
He thinks about all the war he's missing. All the many powers of Filgaia gathering together under one of the legendary war heroes. He thinks about all the other nations of the world just having at. It's an amazing thought. All the warriors, all their weapons, all their styles, all their legacies, just fighting.
...He's not there for it.
All the match-ups going through his head, things he's always thought about and could finally see realized. How would Lacour's weaponsmiths hold up against a combined offensive? Oh, wait, what if... hang on, think about it... what if... Aveh and Kislev teamed up, wait, no, no, a three-way. Aveh, Kislev, and Odessa. They should all still fight, it'll be great, one of his favorite things to do while he was on a scouting mission back in the final days of Mother was to just watch Aveh and Kislev fight.
...He's missing all of that.
...
...
...
He turns his head over to the unconscious Guba, who is a man of broken dreams and very little to offer besides this. Until recently, he didn't even know this place was a place. Already, so many legends and words and colors and uniforms and weapons and everything, and here he is, lying down next to what he understands to be the finest of the number of the Besaid Aurochs, legendary chainless mace warriors.
...
"Guba." Ratatoskr whispers the name like. Insistently. "Guba. Guba! Guba! Gubagubaguba! Gubaaaaa." He grins a little wider.
"Let's go to Luca. You and me." He reaches out with a clawed hand, as if to try and rest it on his. "Let's see all the Besaid Aurochs fight..."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine feels, briefly, sorry for Guba. She winces at the sheer effectiveness of the combination of light and shadow on him. She murmurs an apology but doesn't do anything to help him up.
She feels bad, but even she has her limits.
Instead, she moves to follow Ida, Solanine, and Naelle as they very quietly escape before Kagoro-no realises they're here.
But they do find something - the skeleton of a human. Clarine stares at it for a moment, momentarily frozen in place. She doesn't react to Ida's question until a minute or so afterward.
"Perhaps so..." She murmurs quietly, then bows her head. "Yes...I believe that would be...best."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine nods solemnly to Ida and lets her take charge of the bronze badge.
It had been... ages since Solanine presided at the burial of a human, ironically the last time she'd done something of that sort was to a Hydaean in the photosphere, victim of a mad moth...
She extends shadow to the skeleton and vines of darkness hollow out a grave while collecting the bones and sword, depositing them in the earth, as close to a restful pose as can be managed, the sword resting on the bones, and on the mound itself, a bouquet of petunias, real ones planted from her cache of seeds, and nurtured to grow by her magics.
She observes a moment of silence as Naelle says a prayer to the Goddess, and afterwards stands ready to follow Ida, Clarine and Naelle back to Besaid.
As for Ratatoskr, he seems to be having a moment looking at the Blue Star, perhaps thinking of his adopted home, then starts having a moment with his new friend Guba? They're off to Luca, off to watch the Aurochs fight? She almost wishes she could be there to see that and to watch Ratatoskr experience the Lucan marketplace.
She can only imagine the trouble he'll get into and the new discoveries that will fill his heart with wonder. But again their paths diverge. Another time... She blooms some nightshades next to Guba. Maybe if the would-be-Auroch sleeps deeply enough Ratatoskr will spare him from boredom and go on to Luca without him? But she imagines not.