2019-08-01: Does this Count as a Jam?
- Log: 2019-08-01: Does this Count as a Jam?
- Cast: Lydia Seren, Ivan
- Where: Macalania
- Date: July 31, 2019
- Summary:Ivan and Lydia go on another completely work-related adventure in Macalania Woods.
================================<* Macalania *>================================= The Macalania region is home to two ancient, crystalline formations of unsurpassed mystery and beauty. The first is the Macalania Woods - a shining maze-like forest overseen by strange, ancient, birdlike Beastmen who speak in bizarre riddles and weave light like silk. The second is Lake Macalania - an eternally frozen lake surrounded by snowy crevasses, which one can just see the frozen Temple beneath. Macalania is a distant, remote region -- and full of its own dangers. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jz644GeAdE
DG: A party led by Lydia Seren is now entering Macalania Woods. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
============================<* Macalania Woods *>=============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - A Disorienting Element *>===================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
North of the Thunder Plains lies the Macalania Woods; in order to reach
Macalania Lake and the temple there, a traveler has no choice but to
traverse the woods.
Unfortunately, the woods are a nightmare to traverse; the woods have been
altered by the power of the Fayth. Between the paths that spiral into
impossibility amidst glittering trees and the shimmering illusions courtesy
of the light reflecting from the same, it's easy to get turned around in
these woods.
Oh, and there are the Fiends to contend with as well. Many a traveller has
found to their dismay that the Fiends that lurk here are no small matter. In
fact, speak of the devil--
Here are a quartet of Blue Elements, spinning disorientingly as they
advance, here to greet you now. If by 'greet' we mean 'attack', that is.
=Dungeon Conditions: Madness==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia knows that Ivan's comfort zone lies more with adventure than CUTENESS even if it's also kind of unavoidable. As much as Lydia wants to try the ELITE SHOOPUF SERVICE it does really feel like something Ivan might not be ready for (he might have to eat a food and be seen eating a food). Besides, it's also kind of a luxury expense for what Lydia's income is right now.
So she invites him to adventure. And yes they've been in Macalania a few timems by now but there are areas in the woods that are spookier than the ones they've been hanging out in! And maybe in those spooky areas... IS TREASURE! And maybe it's not drowning-related treasure. Who knows, maybe he'll find the secret technique to never drowning and then he can like water maybe?
Or would that even affect his opinion?
Regardless, Lydia is hanging out at the entrance waiting for Ivan, oblivious to a quartet of Blue Elements sneaking up behind her and getting ready to attack her! From behind! Lydia DOES have her baseball bat Tiebreaker out but that seems to just be to exemplify that today is an adventure day. Also the fact that she is about to get owned by monsters exemplifies that today is an adventure day.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
It is true that as spooked as Ivan may be by cuteness, he is highly susceptible to invitations to adventure, and accepted this one readily, despite the ever-increasing threat that he may get confessed to at any moment.
As he walks up, facing Lydia, he sees the odd collections of floating runes with copious eyeballs suddenly loom up from behind her.
"Hey Lydiaaaa what the hell is that!" He can't even tell if they're multiple fiends or a single fiend of very loosely collected parts. Either way, within the presence of A) way too many eyes for looking at him and B) the creatures being water aligned, he senses a NATURAL ENEMY and he is certain it needs to be set on fire!
He summons his whip and uses it to nab a tree branch overhead, sailing over Lydia and unleashing a torrent of fire behind her at the fiends!
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Memory toward his party's challenge, A Disorienting Element. DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Disorienting Element.
============================<* Macalania Woods *>=============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - A Disorienting Element *>===================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
North of the Thunder Plains lies the Macalania Woods; in order to reach
Macalania Lake and the temple there, a traveler has no choice but to
traverse the woods.
Unfortunately, the woods are a nightmare to traverse; the woods have been
altered by the power of the Fayth. Between the paths that spiral into
impossibility amidst glittering trees and the shimmering illusions courtesy
of the light reflecting from the same, it's easy to get turned around in
these woods.
Oh, and there are the Fiends to contend with as well. Many a traveller has
found to their dismay that the Fiends that lurk here are no small matter. In
fact, speak of the devil--
Here are a quartet of Blue Elements, spinning disorientingly as they
advance, here to greet you now. If by 'greet' we mean 'attack', that is.
=Dungeon Conditions: Madness==================================================
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Round 1 *>======================== =====================< Results - A Disorienting Element >===================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 0 --(5)--> 5 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Memory 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Lydia Seren 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Madness Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Lydia Seren 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> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia Seren-Sama wants to be confessed to. But she hasn't actually herself yet unless you consider 'I like you' to be a confession. So maybe she already did but the FORMAL CONFESSION hasn't happened yet. Which is fine. It's fine. Lydia's fine.
"Hey Ivan!" Lydia says. "What the hell is what?" She looks over her shoulder and, "AHHH!!" She shouts that out and swings wildly with her bat, managing to not hit a single Element (though thankfully avoiding clobbering Ivan himself with it this time) and stumbling away from them even as Ivan swings mightily overhead, catches a branch with his whip, and unleashes a torrent of fire down at the fiends--obliterating all of them and releasing them into a nice set of pyreflies.
Lydia watches this with wide eyes for a few moments before saying, "...Well that's adventure for ya!" Lydia laughs kind of hysterically for a moment before exhaling out a long breath. "Whew! I guess I underestimated it after wandering here NOT having adventures for a while... but don't worry, no more surprises for Lydia!"
DG: Ivan has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - I Hope Someone Brought A Map *>=================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
As a result of the nature of Macalania Woods -- paths twisting back on
themselves, lights shimmering from tree and bough alike, the tangle of
foliage and the uncertainty of where entrance and exit lie -- it can be
difficult to find one's way through.
In particular, this path you now follow has been looping about, possibly
back on itself. Every tree looks like the last. Is this the right way? Or
should you try another path? Too many possibilities spider out before you at
the fork you have reached now to make an easy, quick decision.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Tire============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
As the fiends explode into pyreflies, Ivan laughs just once: "HA!" He is almost perpetually having a crisis of confidence lately and it's gratifying to confirm he can still kill things sometimes when the situation calls for it. He is wondering idly if this qualifies as getting Lydia out of a jam--not that he is counting that kind of thing or anything--when he notices that Lydia is also laughing... in a way that may either be worrying or may just be Lydia. He watches her cautiously for a bit until she calms and pronounces it an adventure. "Maybe the spirits of the woods realized we were after their secret treasure," he says. He isn't sure a joke will do much to help assauge what may have been the shattering of a sense of safety in this particular location, but he doesn't want to get caught being reassuring anyway so it's okay if it doesn't work.
They press on, deliberately traveling down new paths in the hope of finding secrets. Unfortunately, these woods are notoriously easy to get lost in. Ivan has been lost in them before, in fact! Boy, wasn't that a day.
He squints as they loop past the same picturesque bend and he realizes he has seen these trees before. He has seen these trees before a lot.
Is he going to solve the puzzle and determine a clever way out of the labyrinth?
He turns to Lydia. "I guess we live here now."
...Nah, that's not really what he does.
DG: Ivan has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, I Hope Someone Brought A Map.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia was kind of imagining what would've happened if Ivan was a little late. She probably wouldn't have died or anything, true! But her instinct is still kinda 'nyyggaahhh!' when these things happen because her SPIRIT doesn't understand that these things won't be killing her anytime soon.
But she does laugh at Ivan's joke, this one a more jovial sort rather than the 'yeeeeek' sort that she was kind of unleashing before. So it must've worked and as an added bonus it worked without getting Lydia to go 'd'awww' excessively at Ivan either. There's just a quick smile his way and that's it! We'll see how long she's able to last on this adventure without wanting hugs.
They press on! And eventually they get lost.
"Okay well," Lydia says. "If we live here now then we probably should find shelter and hunt for food and--"
Yeah maybe she wouldn't really even mind it so much it's kind of a pretty place if you ignore all the bloodthirsty monsters. But then she gets an idea and sets down a cat (it's Schrodinger who just seems to appear when needed sometimes) and the cat starts walking through the forest.
"We'll try the Schrodinger method too. We won't know if we escaped until we do." She starts a-walking.
"I think this is a pretty good adventure so far. We already got lost ANd fought fiends." well Ivan fought Fiends...
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Schrodinger the Cat toward her party's challenge, I Hope Someone Brought A Map.
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - I Hope Someone Brought A Map *>=================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
As a result of the nature of Macalania Woods -- paths twisting back on
themselves, lights shimmering from tree and bough alike, the tangle of
foliage and the uncertainty of where entrance and exit lie -- it can be
difficult to find one's way through.
In particular, this path you now follow has been looping about, possibly
back on itself. Every tree looks like the last. Is this the right way? Or
should you try another path? Too many possibilities spider out before you at
the fork you have reached now to make an easy, quick decision.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Tire============================================
========================<* Macalania Woods - Round 2 *>========================= ===================< Results - I Hope Someone Brought A Map >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 5 --(23)--> 28 Fail Schrodinger the Cat 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivan 0 --(23)--> 23 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Lydia Seren 20 --(10)--> 30 Fail Conditions: Madness|Stupify(2)|Tire(2) Effects: Enlighten(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Lydia Seren 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. DG: Lydia Seren has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Macalania Woods *>=============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Are These Native? *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Your first and only warning of trouble is the rustling in the foliage.
Then, from nowhere-- it springs out!
In a flurry of needles, to be precise. Because, yes. Yes, it is some sort of
mobile cactus.
It looks /different/ from the other Cactuars (and variants) you've seen,
though. Tendrils hang from it, each and every one of them covered in spines.
There's even a suggestion of some sort of small red fruits, though eating
these probably isn't advised.
Something shiny glitters from the place from which it ambushed you, but to
get to it, you'll have to deal with this... Cactuar? Is that really what
this is?
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Treasure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"Once I thought about living here and just kind of going feral or whatever," Ivan discloses, with strange casualness considering he thought of that specifically as an escape plan from Lydia herself, after she had learned his secret. But there's no need to specify that. "But it's actually pretty well traveled. I guess someone would find us at some point."
Being rescued seems annoying, so he starts looking around a little harder for a path they haven't already taken. Lydia, meanwhile, contributes a cat to the endeavor. Ah, right, Ivan thinks. Lydia has a cat. Has she always had a cat...?
"Will he use his instincts to find the way or something?" Ivan asks, watching the cat poke around. "Or find us a squirrel to eat, at least?"
...Anyway, yeah, they basically live here now. Maybe they'll eventually stumble off this pathway by luck.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Wait really? Why'd you want to live here and go feral?" Not that Lydia has any room to complain. "I guess being feral can be kinda fun sometimes. Like--not having to care about anybody's expectations because you're a person who lives in the middle of nowhere and freak people out for the fun of it and all." Is ... Is she talking about personal experience here?
She sure seems to just randomly have a cat around sometimes with no explanation that makes any sort of sense.
"I'm not sure. Half the time Schrodinger helps out, half the time Schrodinger helps us into trouble! We won't know for sure until it happens!"
Eventually Schrodinger leads the two to a cactus that seems to be minding its own business. Schrodinger meows loudly and then approaches the cactus and--
--uses it as a scratching post!
This seems to anger the cactuar suddenly sandces up onto its feet and dances from side to side, sending out a slew of spines towards our heroes(??)!
"Oh Guardians...!" Lydia cries out. "Why is it always cactuars???"
Why IS it always cactuars??
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Are These Native?.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
"So I wouldn't have to pretend to be a per... I mean yeah, pretty much like you said!" That was going to be a downer. He isn't trying to be a downer while they're hunting for treasure.
Shrodinger uses those mysterious cat instincts to find... ... ... a cactuar(!?)!
"Another one....?" Ivan stage whispers, in shock and disbelief.
The cat attempts to make contact with the strange cactus-like entity dwelling within the woods. The cat... scratches it!!
This act of aggression awakens its fury, and it sends spines flying toward them. Ivan has unfortunately taken what was intended to be a bit of bragging on him to Riesenlied 200% to heart and 200% in the wrong direction, is feeling a bit more protective than usual, and tries to pivot in front of Lydia to deflect spines off his bracers. DEFENSE is not really his strongest stat, though, so we'll have to see how it goes. Once the initial flurry of spines dies down, Ivan summons his short sword and advances on the cactus with his own flurry of stabbings, slashings, and over-the-top flip-dodges.
"Watch whether it turns into pyreflies!" he calls to Lydia, like he can't do it himself for some reason. "It may help us solve the mystery of where all these things are coming from!"
...m-maybe he's just showing off. Does he only want to be watched when he's fighting...?
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Memory toward his party's challenge, Are These Native?.
============================<* Macalania Woods *>=============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Are These Native? *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Your first and only warning of trouble is the rustling in the foliage.
Then, from nowhere-- it springs out!
In a flurry of needles, to be precise. Because, yes. Yes, it is some sort of
mobile cactus.
It looks /different/ from the other Cactuars (and variants) you've seen,
though. Tendrils hang from it, each and every one of them covered in spines.
There's even a suggestion of some sort of small red fruits, though eating
these probably isn't advised.
Something shiny glitters from the place from which it ambushed you, but to
get to it, you'll have to deal with this... Cactuar? Is that really what
this is?
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Treasure=========================================
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Round 3 *>======================== =======================< Results - Are These Native? >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 28 --(23)--> 51 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan 23 --(18)--> 41 Pass Memory 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Lydia Seren 30 --(10)--> 40 Fail Conditions: Fright(2)|Madness|Stupify(1)|Tire(1)|Treasure(1) Effects: ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Lydia Seren 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> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Why did you decide to not go feral anymore?" Lydia asks next, pretending she didn't hear the first part largely for Ivan's sake here.
Lydia tries to unleash a wave of heavy meteor power againnst the cactuar but is ultimately spined repeatedly to the point that it kind of disrupts her channeling. And is about to get spined even MORE when Ivan dives in and deflects the rest from Lydia which at least protects her from being completely pincushioned.
Unfortunately, defending Lydia means not exactly going too far on the offensive and not exactly going on the offensive means the cactuar can go and dance around Ivan's strikes, ultimately pulling itself back under the groundd and hiding from the two of them rather than keep up the offensive.
Well...the plus side is that as far as Lydia is concerned, even as she is plucking spines out of her body, Ivan managed to show off REALLY WELL so that at least is very supereffective, judging from the faint silver blush on her cheeks.
"T...That was really--" Dashing, she'd say but she elects to go with the more casual, "--cool, Ivan!" She sweats nervously because s he doesn't want to scare him off but she has to say SOMETHING.
"You just dove in and went like 'Not Today!' and --hold on did I get all of them?" She turns around and has a spine sticking out of her back.
DG: Ivan has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
======<* CHALLENGE - Follow The Butterflies -- WAIT NO NOT THE RED ONES *>======
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You come around a bend of the low branches of a great crystalline tree, only
to be approached by one of the three friendly humanoid species that call the
forest (and only the forest) their home. This one is an avian harpist, and
they have a proposition for you. A little game they'd like you to try.
Simply put: If you can collect enough blue butterflies for them within a set
timespan, they will grant you a prize in the form of a useful sphere they
have found. If you can't meet the target, well, too bad.
Oh, and they add, before waving you on ahead to the place where butterflies
dance, try not to run into any of the red ones. Why? You'll find out*.
(*it's because they're Fiends)
=Dungeon Conditions: Vault, Tire==============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Why did you decide to not go feral anymore?
"Mostly because I immediately ran into a judgy guy in the woods, you know him-- Thomas or something. I might have changed my mind anyway but I didn't really get a chance to decide. It was mostly just a passing mood, though."
The cactus altercation occurs! Unfortunately, Ivan does not see it as such a success as Lydia does, given that A) Lydia still ended up so full of spines! And B) The cactuar was not defeated! It got away!
"Get back up here, you coward!" he calls to it.
Lydia compliments him, and he droops a bit, reddening and looking away. "I really didn't do very much," he responds, sulkily." Ah, the trials of being Ivan. He has very few victory conditions.
Lydia looks for missed spines, and reveals a missed one on her back. "Ah... yeah, one more. Sorry, it will probably sting." He reaches out to de-spine her. He caught a few spines himself, and tries to pull them out when Lydia isn't looking.
Case in point regarding the woods not being a good place to run away to to escape Everyone, they encounter some sapient forest-dwellers who want them to trade butterflies for a sphere of questionable value! Ivan is not too keen on the interacting with strangers part, but he's cool with going to outrageous lengths to catch butterflies. Cut to several minutes later, he's swinging through trees to swoop down on them dramatically... ... he seems to be what passes for happy with Ivan...
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Whip toward his party's challenge, Follow The Butterflies -- WAIT NO NOT THE RED ONES.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Oh yeah Thomas is super judgey." Lydia admits. "It's pretty annoying but did you know that he used to dream of going out into space like me? But then he gave it up? We'd probably actually have a lot to talk about if he wasn't too busy being incredulous about everything. I'm not sure why Thomas was here though. Maybe he wanted to be feral for a while too."
Lydia doesn't even flinch. "Is it out?" She asks after it's already been pulled out. She looks over her back and she can't exactly see it--She DID yelp a lot when peppered with them before but the ones she doesn't know about doesn't hurt her apparently.
Surprisingly to Lydia, Ivan does seem completely down to chase butterflies. She opens her mouth to point out that's not exactly a cool assassin thing but then decides against it because the last time she kind of quietly pointed out a reality that Ivan seemed to be enjoying she kind of embarrassed him and now nobody is wearing the high heeled roller skates. And really, maybe it wasn't so much reality as she thought. Catching butterflies in a cool ninja way seems to be something Ivan enjoys. Lydia logs this and quietly smiles, watching him for a bit before skating on ahead as well.
Maybe, she thinks, they're both the sorts of people who enjoy going fast. Gotta go fast!
She tries to catch butterflies with in her hand, letting out a few cheers here and there because this is what cool people do now.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Radical Skates toward her party's challenge, Follow The Butterflies -- WAIT NO NOT THE RED ONES.
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
======<* CHALLENGE - Follow The Butterflies -- WAIT NO NOT THE RED ONES *>======
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You come around a bend of the low branches of a great crystalline tree, only
to be approached by one of the three friendly humanoid species that call the
forest (and only the forest) their home. This one is an avian harpist, and
they have a proposition for you. A little game they'd like you to try.
Simply put: If you can collect enough blue butterflies for them within a set
timespan, they will grant you a prize in the form of a useful sphere they
have found. If you can't meet the target, well, too bad.
Oh, and they add, before waving you on ahead to the place where butterflies
dance, try not to run into any of the red ones. Why? You'll find out*.
(*it's because they're Fiends)
=Dungeon Conditions: Vault, Tire==============================================
========================<* Macalania Woods - Round 4 *>========================= ========< Results - Follow The Butterflies -- WAIT NO NOT THE RED ONES >======== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 51 --(3)--> 54 Pass Radical Skates 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivan 41 --(3)--> 44 Pass Whip 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Lydia Seren 40 --(30)--> 70 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Madness|Tire(2)|Vault(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Lydia Seren has passed this challenge! The party gained 30 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: Lydia Seren has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Macalania Woods *>=============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Winter Is Already Here *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The temperature in the forest is usually steady, usually warmer than the
nearby lake (though cooler than the Thunder Plains). But there are
exceptions, and at times, the cold cannot be denied entry.
Snow, and more critically ice, have slicked the path ahead thanks to a
recent dip in temperatures; a light step will need to be taken to avoid an
unfortunate fall.
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate, Injure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
The two of them end up with, honestly just an outrageous number of butterflies. Their quest giver seems pleased, and offers them the sphere before spiriting the butterflies off to... who knows what fate.
"Do you think they're going to eat them?" Ivan muses. It's POSSIBLE they are just going to set up the world's awesomest butterfly sanctuary, but sadly for the butterflies, that's probably not one of the top ten possibilities.
Ivan turns the sphere over in his hand a few times before offering it to Lydia. "At least we got... something! Do you know what it's for?" He's often slow to figure these things out and Lydia is handy with technology.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"It's the circle of life," Lydia says, taking the sphere into her hands. She MAY be more technologically inclined but she's hardly a mad genius like Emma and she hasn't really messed with Sphere tech but she does have a knack with fooling around with something until it breaks or breaks and shows something interesting or accidentally works properly. "But I think--ahh there we go."
The sphere activates and a video appears. Lydia raises it up so Ivan can see.
The sphere shows a buff shirtless guy with one heck of a tattoo on his chest (We'll call this guy 'Jecht'), a younger looking monk (Auron) and some summoner in heavy robes (probably nobody important) in the same field that THEY were just in, the one with all the butterflies.
The Clearly Not Important Summoner is doing most of the recording, encouraging the other two on with phrases like 'Watch out for the red butter--woops.' that last part happening when Jecht invariably runs into one of the red butterfly fiends and gets a slew of them chasing after the trio. The Clearly Nobody Important Summoner ends up dropping the sphere and it rolls away before shutting it off.
"Man, it's just some home video stuff." Lydia mutters but then grins. "Hey... we BEAT the challenge! Even those tough guys couldn't do it! That means we're pretty epic, Ivan!"
The temperature starts cooling and indeed, soon the path before them is covered in snow and ice. Lydia puts the shere away in a pack for safekeeping before looking around. "Mm....Oh!"
she brightens, shifting her WHEELS into blades.
"I can finally try ice skating!" She says as she starts running, falls flat on her face, gets up, and tries again--
This could be...fun?
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Radical Skates toward her party's challenge, Winter Is Already Here.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Lydia unlocks the secret of the sphere, and the secret turns out to be someone's recording of their own butterfly related exploits. Oh well. "Maybe if we can find those specific people we can sell it back to them..." Ivan doesn't sound too hopeful about that, though. "It's true, we did beat the challenge," he admits, though he doesn't seem quite as filled with pride over it as Lydia--maybe he's concerned she's trying to boost his spirits and is resisting.
They wander into cooler and snowier surroundings... mysteriously Ivan doesn't seem to complain about the chill--maybe he is just trying to recover his image after what he interpreted as a poor showing with the cactuar?
But... ice skating...!! They're on the ground, right? Ivan taps the ground a little with his foot to check for secret lakes that might have snuck up on them, but it seems to just be a path covered in snow. He brightens a little (secretly!) as Lydia dashes off to enjoy the skating experience she was previously denied. ... then she goes down. WHAM! But she pops back up!
"You can do it!"
He offers, though in his struggle not to sound too enthusiastic, it has a bit of a deadpan or questioning vibe.
For his part, he slides around experimentally on his boots, but doesn't get too far, since though they do slip on the ice, they still have more friction than a pair of skates. He snakes out his whip to kind of pull himself along so he can get some more momentum.
DG: Ivan has used his Tool Whip toward his party's challenge, Winter Is Already Here.
============================<* Macalania Woods *>=============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Winter Is Already Here *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
The temperature in the forest is usually steady, usually warmer than the
nearby lake (though cooler than the Thunder Plains). But there are
exceptions, and at times, the cold cannot be denied entry.
Snow, and more critically ice, have slicked the path ahead thanks to a
recent dip in temperatures; a light step will need to be taken to avoid an
unfortunate fall.
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate, Injure=========================================
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Round 5 *>======================== =====================< Results - Winter Is Already Here >===================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 54 --(3)--> 57 Pass Radical Skates 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ivan 44 --(3)--> 47 Pass Whip 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Lydia Seren 70 --(20)--> 90 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Injure(2)|Madness|Tire(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Lydia Seren 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: Ivan has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Spherimorph Showdown *>=====================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You arrive, at last, at what seems to be the heart of the forest, a gnarled
tree standing atop a deep pool. According to the locals, the water taken
from here is sometimes used to make spheres. Certainly it is clear enough --
and in contact with sufficient Pyreflies -- to be of most excellent quality.
But while the water is a treasured resource, it is also a danger.
The same force that allows one to make spheres can sometimes result in the
formation of a Fiend.
The pool bubbles at your approach. Arising slowly from the water, there soon
floats a massive sphere of Macalania water, a type of Fiend called a
Spherimorph. With its mighty magic and amorphous weakpoint-free form, it
promises to be fearsome foe.
But you didn't come all this way to run now, did you?
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Suffer===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia manages to slide down without crashing too many times though she DOES fall over a fair bit even so. But she keeps trying and seems to enjoy herself so there isn't much to complain about especially since Ivan ALSO doesn't fall over that often though that's less due to natural skating skill and more due to the fact that he is VERY good with that whip which helps him skip some of the more difficult terrain before him.
"This isn't as bad as it looks!" Lydia says between falls. She does appear to be kind of the rough and tumble sort. Hopefully the sphere won't be damaged too much from all the falls...!
Technically though because Lydia goes on these adventures to 'have a good time' with Ivan and the actual work is largely an excuse, technically every aspect of this day is about cheering up Ivan. But that's okay because Lydia isn't going to say that.
It's true though.
"If we do find a buyer, what are you gonna use your portion of the profit for?" Lydia asks.
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
Ivan decides after a while that Lydia is having a good time in spite of the faceplants and decides to stop worrying too much about them.
If we do find a buyer, what are you gonna use your portion of the profit for? "...Nothing interesting," Ivan says, after a bit of hesitation. "More knives...? Uh, how about you?"
They don't have too much time to contemplate what to do with potential profits, though, because they find a mystical pool! Perhaps they will recall the story that spheres can be made from this water... perhaps not. What's a bit more pressing is that a giant angry water globule rises out of it.
Ivan stares at it, wide-eyed, like a conspiracy theorist whose predictions have finally come true. It's water! That's alive! And actively wants to kill them! He looks at Lydia as if asking her if she can believe this shit. "I'm... not sure I can cut that!" says Ivan, which is another concern.
He will have to settle on... exploding it? He sends forth a rush of fizzing stars that detonate around the watery orb.
DG: Ivan has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Spherimorph Showdown.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Maybe I should buy more cactuar stuff since clearly it's become a recurring theme at this point..." She pauses and then laughs a little. "Oh well to be honest, I guess I hadn't thought that far ahead." Maybe she can pay for RIDE THE SHOOPUF (ELITE PACKAGE)! Or save it but at this point Lydia has learned that the odds of her being sent to another planet in a few months is probably decently high so she shouldn't really bother trying to save anymore. Because she tried that! And now she can't reach any of it because she's on the wrong side of the moon!!
"Mm.... I have an idea...! Keep it busy, Ivan!"
Lydia runs back aways and then reaches for her Silver Medium it--
--oh.
Her plan is the same as always except in this case she actually said 'keep it busy' because her plan is, right now, to summon the full power of Rigdobrite, summon that meteor into the sky, and have it send a crashing pillar of light towards the Sphere Creature because you can't absorb that which explodes you the first time!
That is how Lydia sees a lot of battles actually come to think of it because explosion magic is the best magic. There's no doubt about that.
"It's okay! I just need like another minute or so...!" Lydia shouts over to Ivan.
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Spherimorph Showdown.
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Spherimorph Showdown *>=====================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You arrive, at last, at what seems to be the heart of the forest, a gnarled
tree standing atop a deep pool. According to the locals, the water taken
from here is sometimes used to make spheres. Certainly it is clear enough --
and in contact with sufficient Pyreflies -- to be of most excellent quality.
But while the water is a treasured resource, it is also a danger.
The same force that allows one to make spheres can sometimes result in the
formation of a Fiend.
The pool bubbles at your approach. Arising slowly from the water, there soon
floats a massive sphere of Macalania water, a type of Fiend called a
Spherimorph. With its mighty magic and amorphous weakpoint-free form, it
promises to be fearsome foe.
But you didn't come all this way to run now, did you?
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Suffer===========================================
========================<* Macalania Woods - Round 6 *>========================= =======================< Results - Spherimorph Showdown >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 57 --(100)--> 157 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ivan 47 --(100)--> 147 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Lydia Seren 90 --(10)--> 100 Fail Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Injure(2)|Madness|Suffer(1) Effects: ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: Lydia Seren is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ivan is too exhausted to continue! DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Lydia Seren has successfully explored Macalania Woods!
=============================<* Macalania Woods *>==============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Random Axe Of Violence *>====================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Felled in a deluge of water, a stream of Pyreflies flitting for the light
pinpricking through the canopy, the Spherimorph is quelled. Today, you have
been victorious.
It's in the aftermath of the battle that you sight something peculiar in the
grove. In particular, you spot an axe wedged into the trunk of the
centermost tree. Removing it is a simple matter -- it slides free from the
trunk easily.
But this is no ordinary axe -- in the semi-darkness of the grove, you can
see that it shines with a similar soft luminescence as the spring and forest
itself, suggesting it has a particular elemental affinity. And its blade
seems quite sharp, despite the shaft showing signs of age.
Did it gain some sort of enchantment from being left here...?
=Dungeon Conditions: Vault====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
The good news is that the water globule does not realize its potential to just sort of sloosh onto passing adventurers and drown them, and instead prefers to wield TERRIBLE MAGICS. Confusingly, this water globule is a thunder wielder! And so, as Ivan blasts it apart with exploding stars and Lydia prepares to call down the fury of the heavens, it triumphantly sizzles them a couple of times with unexpected lightning bolts. But being repeatedly blasted apart is distracting to it after a fashion, and Lydia is eventually able to call down a searing pillar of light that finally vaporizes it into a cloud of pyreflies.
When the sparkles clear, they discover... an axe? A magic axe?
Ivan pries it out of the tree and looks it over. "Hey, this seems valuable!"
...Ivan wants to sell an enchanted axe to buy knives?
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Ha ha ha!!" Lydia puffs out smoke even as she's charred by several electrical attacks but sometimes you win just by virtue of taking too long to die and you get to cast off your big unwieldy spell victoriously!
When the smoke/sparkles clear, Lydia jogs over to see Ivan pull the axe out of the tree.
"Oh hey an axe!" She cups her chin thoughtfully before adding, "It probably is. It feels enchanted." She looks over to Ivan and gestures towards him.
"But you could also just use it. To protect yourself, I mean. You know how to use axes right? But if you prefer selling it that's ok too!"
<Pose Tracker> Ivan has posed.
You could also just use it.
"...Yeah, I could."
You know how to use axes right?
"Yeah, I do."
He frowns at it. "I can make a copy before I sell it... it's too bad I can't copy the enchantment, though. I wonder what it does."
If it's really cool maybe he won't sell it... But he probably will.
"Did you want to use it?" He's never seen Lydia use anything like an axe, but he might as well ask before he decides to sell it off.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Oh nah... I've got Rigdobrite. He's good enough for most fights." Lydia says.
Maybe Lydia doesn't even know the requisites are to do well in most fights. That would be pretty horrifying. It's honestly kind of a wonder she was kidnapped to be used for a weapon when she thinks like this.
"We can sell it then! No big deal. It turns out that axes hurt things pretty well even if they aren't enchanted!"
But then she pauses. Wait, he makes copies of his weapons? No wonder he doesn't need money! He can scam people by selling them 'weapon copies'...!
Oh that's probably not what Ivan would do though.