2020-01-22: A Place of Respite (and Party)
- Log: A Place of Respite (and Party)
- Cast: Victory Storm, Seraph Lanval, Talise Gianfair, Layna Manydays, Seraph Solanine
- Where: Great Sea
- Date: January 22, 2020
- Summary: Another party sets out to investigate the Masterless Isle once more, in hopes of uncovering the secrets that it might hold. But, what they encounter there is...an actual party!
===============================<* Great Sea *>================================ The Great Sea lay at the very heart of northern Aquvy. The islands, great and small, of the continent are clustered around it. This is one of the most active trading regions on Filgaia. Ships come and go frequently. There are numerous small islands throughout the Great Sea. These offer both places of respite and promises of riches. Small villages offer a place away from the hustle and bustle of great cities like Meria Boule. Diggers flock to the many ruins -- and yet-to-be-found ruins -- scattered across uninhabited islands. Sometimes peaceful, sometimes fraught, the Great Sea is never without adventure to be found.
DG: A party led by Victory Storm is now entering Crimson Castle - Monster Party. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>======================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Gated Content *>=========================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Returning to the Crimson Castle, you find Sal, Captain of the Royal Guard,
looking mighty sheepish as she spots your arrival. The armored mechanical
doll laughs awkwardly and says, "Um... I know I said you could go in now
but... You see, I thought I had the key but I didn't and, ah, I locked
myself out! Actually...we kind of lost the key a while ago... Don't tell
Queen Marivel, please! Oh and um..."
She glances around as if expecting SOMEONE to be listening in.
"Can you let us back in? The gate's stuck... and we're missing the party!"
Indeed, if you listen carefully you can hear music playing from within the
Crimson Castle! There IS a party going on and you're missing it! More to the
point, it's an excellent opportunity to explore the Castle unnoticed.
And all you have to do is get that gate unstuck. What's with this place and
gates anyway?
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Exhaust========================================
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
So, having successfully scared the wits out of the Royal Guard last time, Victory had decided to return. Mostly because he wants to annoy the Queen Pest in turn because she annoyed him. He just figures since it's some queen, empress, or whatever, let's have some fun with it! The result was his asking others to come along with this grand endeavor without telling them about it.
Then again, most might be along because they don't want a heavily Malevolent weapon like his being stuck in the middle of Marivel's territory. Maybe? Who knows? Still, Victory had returned! The white coated, red haired elf was now returning. Mostly to terrorize the guard. The idea of the gate being stuck has him staring a bit. Enough that the nervous Sal is currently looking more nervous and like she really, really doesn't want to be there right now.
Finally, Victory turns to the gate and shrugs. "Fine, fine..." He moves to check the gate first, looking to see if it's a pull or open before he starts pulling/pushing the way he needs to. The most he can do there, "Anyone care to give me a hand with this!?"
DG: Victory Storm has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Gated Content.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval's been invited here before as a guest of honor. He's basically on the VIP list equivalent. He helps the rest along the island way here (the island is, by its nature, not terribly accessible for foot traffic, guests, or guests being part of said foot traffic) - but also because Victory has shared his intent to pay the place a visit and... well, he's heard the language Victory has used to refer to Marivel and there's the matter of what's on Victory's person.
Probably for the best if he tags along on what is now technically business.
"Mmmm... shtuck? That ain't good," Lanval says as he leans down against the gate, slouches.... and starts helping himself through to the other side. His manifestation is a contortionist, even if it sure doesn't look like someone of his build should be that agile.
"Take it eashy," the Oracle of Schturdark remarks on the other side, "'m gonna try 'n open it from thish way!"
He may find that it is also stuck from that direction too. It is a gate, after all. Gates are just doors on a diet.
DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Gated Content.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Truthfully, Talise barely knows Marivel. But she's also the kind of person who will explore any historical site put in front of her, in search of any story she can find.
Standing back a ways, the tall swordswoman shifts her shoulders beneath her high-collared coat, the mail layer beneath it jingling a little. Her eyes follow Victory keenly, lips drawn together in thought. If something's occurring to her, she's leaving it unsaid, just glancing back at the little group travelling with her.
"It sounds to me like there's a party going down," she finally says as she strolls up to the gate. Tugging lazily at the cuffs of her gloves, Talise watches for a moment as Victory wrestles with the gates.
"It's better if we let a pro do it," she recommends. She steps forward, shrugging her coat off. Her tank top beneath leaves her heavily muscled arms and shoulders exposed.
The six-two half-beastwoman grabs ahold of two rungs of the gate, squares her shoulders, waits a moment - and then plants her feet and pulls a few times as she attempts to casually rip the gate off its hinges.
DG: Talise Gianfair has used her Tool Reinforced Gauntlets toward her party's challenge, Gated Content.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
One Layna Manydays is here, as well. This isn't her first trip to the Masterless Isle, either, but she's glad that this one goes a lot more smoothly than last - they don't face any obstacles on their way here up until the gate itself...which, as it happens, is thoroughly locked.
"Locked yourself out, huh? That's why you oughta invest in a good set o' lockpickin' tools. Never have to worry about gettin' locked out of anything that way." Layna comments to the Guard with a cheeky grin. It's hard to tell if she's being serious or just joking.
...Knowing her, it might be a bit of both.
Talise, the buffest of them all, steps up to the plate, so Layna steps aside and lets her do her thing. Once she's through, Layna will step forward and give the lock one solid punch to try and break it.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Gated Content.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Following her odd encounter with the "Mist Knight Garm - Victory Storm, knight of the people and Wandering Malevolence Hazard Zone"... well... following because she decided to follow him. She'd last left Filgaia after helping purify an especially potent concentration of Malevolence and as much as she'd like to let the issue rest and let Victory Storm storm off, it didn't seem fitting to just ignore this one so easily. Maybe there was something she could learn by observing him from afar, maybe she can subtly guide him to Fox Company and Lanval in hopes of purifying him and his artifact
They arrive at the gates of a mysterious castle, where... Lanval, Layna and Talise are among those waiting at the gate?
That was easy?
Convenient?
A Divine Miracle? Whatever the cause, they're all here now, and waylaid by the gates of the castle and a confused sounding doll asking for help back in for a party?
Sola recognizes the name Queen Marivel? Nice looking place, from the outside anyhow. As a former mansion ghost, the Shadow Seraph wholeheartedly approves.
Everyone's already helping open the door, Talise, Lanval, Layna, even Victory...
Sola doesn't know what's going on anymore, so she just decides to help and figure it all out later.
She concentrates her will on the shadows between and below the bars of the door, and forcefully expands them against the fixtures in hopes of weakening them for everyone's efforts or exploding them outright.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Gated Content.
======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>======================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Gated Content *>=========================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Returning to the Crimson Castle, you find Sal, Captain of the Royal Guard,
looking mighty sheepish as she spots your arrival. The armored mechanical
doll laughs awkwardly and says, "Um... I know I said you could go in now
but... You see, I thought I had the key but I didn't and, ah, I locked
myself out! Actually...we kind of lost the key a while ago... Don't tell
Queen Marivel, please! Oh and um..."
She glances around as if expecting SOMEONE to be listening in.
"Can you let us back in? The gate's stuck... and we're missing the party!"
Indeed, if you listen carefully you can hear music playing from within the
Crimson Castle! There IS a party going on and you're missing it! More to the
point, it's an excellent opportunity to explore the Castle unnoticed.
And all you have to do is get that gate unstuck. What's with this place and
gates anyway?
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck, Exhaust========================================
=================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party - Round 1 *>================= ==========================< Results - Gated Content >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victory Storm 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 0 --(15)--> 15 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Solanine 0 --(15)--> 15 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talise Gianfair 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Reinforced Gauntlets 1 Brute Effects: Strengthen and Fanfar -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Victory Storm 0 --(15)--> 15 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Exhaust(1) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Victory Storm has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>==========================================
======================================<* CHALLENGE - Never Give Up! Tug of War! *>======================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
It seems that a group of Orc Lords have challenged a group of skeletons to a
game of Tug of War. The first match has already passed and several skeletons
have fallen apart into strewn about piles of bone. If the Skeleton team
doesn't get new members, they can't possibly continue!
One of the skeletons wanders over to your group and waggles their hands
excitedly! It seems like you are being recruited...!
You are clearly at a disadvantage since the Skeletons aren't really
contributing much pull power...but what the skeletons lack in power they
gain in spirit! Never give up!
NEVER GIVE UP SKELETON!!
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Tire===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
Surprisingly, it ends up with Victory at least helping on the door. It's stuck pretty well! The white coated knight's push has him at least putting that gate pretty far before the might of Talise comes into play and the thing swings open with Victory still holding on for a second or two to make sure everyone can get through just fine.
Unfortunately, Lanval ends up a bit stuck trying to get through almost comically by the time they push it open. And Solanine well... who knows what happens with her? She was just doing something... that incidently looks like the gates get a bit more stuck once they get into position.
Victory phews, then comments to Sal, "You should oil the hinges more. It might work better and not get you stuck outside..."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval isn't sure what's going on when he gets stuck. Maybe it's something Marivel did to stop people from doing that. As he senses Talise's trepidation, he looks down. "...Don't ya worry. It'sh good we're here ta keep an eye on it." He'd like to come back down, but, first things first. "Far ash we've sheen... he'sh kept it all there without any of it leakin'." It is inevitable that it must be addressed.
When they come inside, Lanval's already schmoozing along with the rest. The usual greetings of 'heyyy, how are you' and all that. The guests here... they're all monsters, in a fashion. They resemble numerous creatures that they've all had to fight and put down before, but there's no outward hostility in the air. They're all having a great time!
Except for the skeletons over there. Not so much. They've almost all fallen apart as a rope escapes their grasp, some of them with hands attached as a bunch of Orc Lords holler in victory, throwing the rope in the air and spinning it about to send those hand bones flying everywhere.
One even ends up in a punch bowl. The finger bone taps at it, and said hand starts crawling back like a Thing so that the skull that owns it can have a taste of it.
"The flesh team wins the tug of war!" It is called. "No bones about it, the skeleton team looks ready to throw in the femur..."
Except for one, a Skeleton who refuses to give up. He may even be familiar in passing to some of them. He lifts up the rope when it comes down again, all on his own, as the Orc Lords snort.
The theme of the match may or may not be 'Flesh vs. Bones,' but let's be honest here: these Orc Lords smell like jerks and they smell so bad it's hard to really take a look at them to confirm they look like jerks.
"Hwahaha!" Hoarsely laughs a haughty high-born orc, flexing and hooting as he downs a flagon of what the group will learn is called 'blue tea' but is almost certainly not what everyone would normally agree consitutes being tea. "We buried 'em, boys! Shove it, bonehead! Stay right there and we'll bury ya with your boner buds in a marked grave! Marked like this: looooosers! Hwahaha!"
Okay, they sound like jerks too. That's two out of three, soooo you can confidently assume they are jerks.
Lanval's already in the punch bowl from earlier. He has a good laugh.
"Ha ha ha... go on 'n show 'em, I shay~" Not that he's moving in to help. He's not good at pulling or pushing.
DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Never Give Up! Tug of War!.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Talise is ind enough to put the gate back on its hinges.
With a glance back at Lanval, Talise nods slowly and soberly. Her voice lowers, almost beyond hearing. "Thank Althena for little blessings."
When they do go inside, Talise isn't acquainted with the guests, but she greets people as if she is, shaking hands (claws?) and smiling cheerily as if she's known people all their lives. She even takes a tankard and clunks it against an Ogre's with a laugh, knocking back a long swig.
One little skeleton, however, refuses to give up.
Once again, Talise sets her jacket to the side, giving her shoulders a meaningful roll. Fixing the Orc with a look, she smiles a predatory little smile, showing just a hint of one pointed incisor. "Hey now. That's no way to talk about these guys. They've got good bones."
Taking ahold of the rope with one hand, Talise gives the skeleton a little pat with the other. Her eyes flicker with a spark of intent.
Then she grips with both hands. Planting her heels and bracing her body, Talise leans back a little, giving herself a good wide base as she begins to put her considerable strength into pulling - and given her strength, she's liable to pull the orcs clean across the room.
DG: Talise Gianfair has used her Tool Reinforced Gauntlets toward her party's challenge, Never Give Up! Tug of War!.
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
The guest mingling has Victory looking confused, shaking claws, hands, feet, bowing at times. The knight blinks and looks around before he looks at the others. "Reminds me of the parties back in Rolance, only a lot... messier." Then he spots the whole Orc vs Skeleton tug of war and shakes his head.
"You know... I can't stand bullies." Victory states. Then he moves forward to grab the rope behind the skeleton. "Hi! I hope you don't mind, but these guys look like they could use a lesson or two. I'm sure I look thin enough to count, perhaps."
He shrugs, "Barring that, white coat. Consider me on this guy's side." He says towards the Orc Lords before he sets himself, obviously ready to join in on this rather than sit back and watch it be a literally one sided affair. The elf might not be strong physically, but well... he's doing what he does. Being a bit of a noble soul.
That's alright, right? He plants himself behind Talise as well, grinning a bit.
DG: Victory Storm has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Never Give Up! Tug of War!.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
"Aye. He's a good lad - if maybe a bit overconfident at times." Layna asides to Talise with a nod.
And then, the door finally creaks open, and they find themselves in the middle of a party. A party full of monsters - but hey, that's no problem for Layna.
There's a commotion nearby, though. It's a party so that's to be expect, but this sounds like something a bit more than the usual.
And, in fact - it looks like a contest - tug of war, to be exact.
"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" Layna asks, raising an eyebrow. Those orcs are going way overboard... Layna gives a side glance to the skeletons.
"You lot need some help?" She asks. "I might be made o' flesh, but..."
She points to her hat, which bears the symbol of the Manyday's pirates.
"We still have some things in common, aye?" She says with a grin. ...And besides, she can't help but recall a certain skeleton from a long while ago...
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Never Give Up! Tug of War!.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Solanine bows to Sal on their way in once the gates are open, and passes inside for what she hopes will be a quiet, subdued elegant affair... and to her horror, finds a Monster Party in full SWING of a giant rope headed their way as Skeletons disassemble all over the place, overwhelmed by their tug of war opponents, a group of Rowdy Orcs, and poor winners besides, with the hooting and hollering and insults which the skeletons can't even answer... Can't answer...
Solanine decides to help them! To help these plucky, spirited skeletons against their oppressors!
For Justice!
And definitely not because their lack of voiceboxes means they can't try to talk to her. Who knows what that Lich over there wants to talk about? His thesis on necromantic landscaping? How to accessorize skulls into your wardrobe? His investment portfolio over the last 2000 years? And all Banshees want is a shoulder to cry on. Not interested.
Not particularly strong of raw muscle herself, she tries to help the Skeletons fight their battle themselves, conjuring solid shadowy armor for the skeletons, to help reinforce their bones, and make them look like a real team! Go Team Death Knights!
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Never Give Up! Tug of War!.
==========================================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>==========================================
======================================<* CHALLENGE - Never Give Up! Tug of War! *>======================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
It seems that a group of Orc Lords have challenged a group of skeletons to a
game of Tug of War. The first match has already passed and several skeletons
have fallen apart into strewn about piles of bone. If the Skeleton team
doesn't get new members, they can't possibly continue!
One of the skeletons wanders over to your group and waggles their hands
excitedly! It seems like you are being recruited...!
You are clearly at a disadvantage since the Skeletons aren't really
contributing much pull power...but what the skeletons lack in power they
gain in spirit! Never give up!
NEVER GIVE UP SKELETON!!
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Tire===========================================
=====================================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party - Round 2 *>===================================== ========================================< Results - Never Give Up! Tug of War! >======================================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Victory Storm 0 --(3)--> 3 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Lanval 15 --(8)--> 23 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 0 --(3)--> 3 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 15 --(8)--> 23 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talise Gianfair 0 --(3)--> 3 Pass Reinforced Gauntlets 1 Brute Effects: Strengthen and Fanfar -------------------------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Victory Storm 15 --(15)--> 30 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(1)|Collapse|Tire(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: The party led by Victory Storm has passed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
The one standing skeleton - now Skeleton - sees allies line up. No protest. No confirmation. They are joined by one purpose, and one purpose alone - to win this tug of war. They will never give up! Even if the others already have. Solanine's conjuration of fancy shadowy armor does not seem to inspire those who have fallen to come back up in terms of team spirit.
Now that htey have to look the other team in the eye, yeah, they look like jerks, so three for three.
"HEY!" The Orc Lord up front snorts. "If you're gonna get help... I'm gonna do this all by myself! Hwahaha!" That is stupid logic, but that is also prideful logic. If a single Orc Lord can defeat that many in tug o' war...
It doesn't last long. Layna's known her way about holding onto ropes under terrible weather, and aside from having to take a whiff of the guy over there, this is nothing even as her heels threaten to scuff the floor.
Victory has it easy. No sweat. No pressure. Righteousness is his armor, for sake of an unyielding Skeleton - but to be honest he has it much easier than he ought to, because...
He's behind Talise, who does almost all of the heavy lifting. With her alone, she damn near throws the Orc Lord off his feet, but then...
"Hey!! All you join in too!!" He squeals, already backtracking on his claim he'd win by himself. Some other monsters do join, which is kind of fair because of how everyone else got involved. The other Orc Lords, a cyclops, a lycanthrope, even the Frankenstien's butler. (And then the monster. Two distinct entities now, apparently.)
This is more of a fight. It's a deadlock for five entire minutes, neither side giving out... until the lactic acids start building up, weakening grips and bringing forth exhaustion. To say nothing of the rope itself. And then...
The rope snaps.
The entire Orc Lord team flies backwards into the table with the punch bowl, and Lanval gets sandwiched in all of that. The others may be exhausted - a physical trial that pushed them to the limits - but they're all on their feet, metaphorically.
Skeleton, though, is not winded at all (they have no lungs), nor are their muscles weak (for they lack them). Skeleton simply did not give up. Once force was taken out of the equation, victory was certain through sheer endurance.
"Ha ha ha!" LAnval laughs, muffled under that pile. "I wash watchin'... ya really showed 'em...! Mmmph." He'll be fine. Probably.
DG: Talise Gianfair has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>=======================
===========================<* CHALLENGE - WALL-Evil *>============================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
While the main lobby of the Crimson Castle is largely open, there are some
side areas that are blocked by walls or doors. In this case you find a
strangely placed wall blocking off a section of the party you can still hear
going on behind it.
As you get close, a pair of eyes and a large mouth open up alongside the
center of the wall. They fix you with a stare and says, "Wall...y..." The
head tilts a little from within the wall. "Wall...y?"
The eyes blink sleepily before the wall slooowly starts to spin to the side
for you.
CHRRRRRRRNK!!!
The wall blushes faintly, pushes in, and tries again only for the same
CHRRRRRRNK noise to occur. "Wall..y...." It says apologetically.
You're going to need to help push this poor 'Wally' if you want to get
behind him.
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Weaken======================================
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"See, this time the fuggin' ropes got nothin'." Talise dusts her hands off and slings her coat over one shoulder. Chainmail jingles beneath it.
They move past the party and off into a side corridor. "There's something kind of impressive about this place, huh? I actually want to talk to Marivel about old stories," Talise opines. "But I feel like she'd just dance around giving me any straight answers...."
She trails off as a wall looms ahead. A frown cuts across her face. "I can hear the party continuing back there." Leaning forward, she cups a hand to her ear, moving to press it to the wall.
Which is when the wall opens its eyes and mouth, almost sleepily.
"...Well...y..."
Talise just about jumps out of her trousers. She fumbles for her weapon - but the wall doesn't seem to be here to fight. Sluggishly, it begins to rotate to the side...
*CHRRRRRRRRNK*
The screech of something sticking is enough for Talise to wince and cover her ears. The wall tries to swing again, only to grind to a halt once more. The wall's eyes lid sadly.
"...Wall...y...."
With a blink, Talise scratches her cheek - and then she smiles tenderly and holds her hands up. "Hey, c'mon now, Wally. Let me help you out." Laying her palms on the wall, she braces her shoulders and begins to push.
DG: Talise Gianfair has used her Tool Reinforced Gauntlets toward her party's challenge, WALL-Evil.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval reappears in a ball of aquamarine color, flashing his manifestation back alongside the rest as he staggers along with Talise. "She shure would have a lot ta shay... yep," if she wanted to, but that's the rub, ain't it? "...Mmmmph. Washn't there lasht time--"
Wall-y appears.
"Ha ha! Oooohhhh, of courshe... Wally!" Lanval walks smack dab into them, face-first, slapstick style. "Ohhh. Layna, Talise... ya don't know it lookin' at 'em, but thish one--"
Then there's that screeching stop, and Lanval's face contorts to a clenched teeth cringe. "Ohhh... that'sh pro'lly why yer there... 'n all tired. Mmmm... what're we gonna do there... varnish? Greashe?" Lanval rubs at his chin as he falls to his seat and leans against them for a bit. "Wally, that'sh Talise! 'n Layna, there. Thoshe two're my Seers of Water! Ha ha ha! 'nnnn... hey, that'sh Solanine too, she'sh a Seraph, like me! Only she'sh 'bout the element of Shadow, y'know, the flat dark shtuff that crawlsh all over ya..."
Lanval makes introductions to Wally. "That there'sh Victory, 'n... well, don't be shcared, he ain't bad." He's not sure if there is a way to truly reassure an out-of-sorts wall about letting a carrier of a deeply Malevolence-infested weapon past them, but he'll give it a try even if he's not much help in terms of opening them up.
DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, WALL-Evil.
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
The sight of a Wally has Victory scratching his head. He blinks a few times, having gotten some punch. Then looks over at the others. "... is that a talking wall?" He questions.
Then he looks at what is doing all of this. He considers, then moves to help with the pushing. The darn thing's not easy, either.
Victory's already sweating a little. Probably from the coat he still has on. Tug of war. And all the physical insanity that has been going on.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself..." He says towards Talise as he moves to help with the problem, then he quirks an eyebrow at Lanval. "She's one of your Seers?"
He gives a small salute towards Talise before he continues to push. "... crazy spirits always getting the good looking ones." He shakes his head as he puts his back into helping to move or otherwise unstick the wall.
DG: Victory Storm has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, WALL-Evil.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna dusts her hands with a confident grin on her face.
"Aye, that's what they get." Layna says, shaking her head. See looks toward the skeletons, then...who have been outfitting with some real snazzy looks, courtesy of Solanine! Very spooky. "Lookin' good!"
She gives them a thumbs-up before taking a quick look around the area. The responsible party had to be here somewhere...
But, it isn't long before she moves to follow Talise.
"Aye, that sounds about right." Layna agrees with a nod. It isn't long, however, before they run right into a wall. Layna stops in her tracks, and raises an eyebrow as the wall...speaks?
It's not aggressive, though... if anything, it seems sad that it's not able to open up for them.
"Don't you worry there, pal, we'll get you fixed up." Layna says. She brings out her drill and sets it whirring - though, on a lower setting than usual. "You've got something stuck there - I'm gonna get it out. Try not to move, though, aye?"
And with that she gets to work, though not before looking toward Lanval.
"Uh, do you know this...um, wall?" Layna asks, with a raised eyebrow. ...She supposes it's probably not the strangest thing she's seen all day.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Arm-Mounted Drill toward her party's challenge, WALL-Evil.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Seraph Solanine is... disappointed the Skeletons didn't rise to the occasion, but thanks to Talise, Victory and Layna, the remaining Skeleton has the Tug of War victory his lack-of-heart desires, and that's more than enough. She smiles to Layna when she compliments it, glad that it helped morale for someone.
Sola follows the group to the side corridor and the troubled Wally... Sola nods to Lanval and reassuringly back to Wally when the Oracle of Schurtdark makes her introduction for her, something the casually silent Seraph of Shadow is grateful for, and she waves a hand in greeting.
Her last couple of attempts to manipulate shadow directly for brute force not having the impact she hoped for, Solanine sighs, covers her waving hand in a shadowed gauntet and pushes in tandem with Talise, Victory and Layna in hopes of dislodging the waylaid Wally.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, WALL-Evil.
=======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>=======================
===========================<* CHALLENGE - WALL-Evil *>============================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
While the main lobby of the Crimson Castle is largely open, there are some
side areas that are blocked by walls or doors. In this case you find a
strangely placed wall blocking off a section of the party you can still hear
going on behind it.
As you get close, a pair of eyes and a large mouth open up alongside the
center of the wall. They fix you with a stare and says, "Wall...y..." The
head tilts a little from within the wall. "Wall...y?"
The eyes blink sleepily before the wall slooowly starts to spin to the side
for you.
CHRRRRRRRNK!!!
The wall blushes faintly, pushes in, and tries again only for the same
CHRRRRRRNK noise to occur. "Wall..y...." It says apologetically.
You're going to need to help push this poor 'Wally' if you want to get
behind him.
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Weaken======================================
==================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party - Round 3 *>================== =============================< Results - WALL-Evil >============================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victory Storm 3 --(23)--> 26 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 23 --(23)--> 46 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 3 --(18)--> 21 Pass Arm-Mounted Drill 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Solanine 23 --(23)--> 46 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talise Gianfair 3 --(18)--> 21 Pass Reinforced Gauntlets 1 Brute Effects: Strengthen and Fanfar ------------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------- Leader: Victory Storm 30 --(10)--> 40 Fail Conditions: Collapse|Overzealous(2)|Tire(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: The party led by Victory Storm 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> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"More like he's my beerghost," Talise answers Victory with a sly smile and a wink. "But you can call me Tal, actually. Lanval's been part of our friend circle for a good while now and we've been through a lot together."
Together, the group leans into the wall. Layna cranks away with her drill; the rungs above the wall shudder and flex, and then something seems to ease as a little metallic springing sound reverberates above. The wall closes its eyes with visible relief, and Talise gives it a firm push, swinging it partway. "...Wall...y..."
Talise and Layna are able to get through - but the wall spins around a little too quickly. When it comes flipping back around, the other end of the wall thumps Lanval in the bottom and sends him tumbling into Victory and Solanine.
"...Wall...y..." the sleepy wall apologizes. "Wall...y..."
DG: Layna Manydays has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>=====================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Storyteller *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You come upon a shrouded woman, a pair of red eyes peering out from behind
cloth. The woman raises a hand towards you and the sleeve peels back,
revealing a skeletal limb.
"Could I interest you...in a Get Lich Quick scream?" The woman then chuckles
and says, "No, no, I kid, I kid! Just a little undead humor." She tilts her
head and her red eyes narrow in thought. "Say... haven't I heard about you
somewhere before? Hm hm.... Yes, I do believe I've heard a thing or two
about one or two of you."
Her other hand, this one composed of cold flesh, lifts up a cigarette holder
to her lips, slipping the end between the clothes covering her face, and
takes a long draw before blowing out a perfect circle of smoke.
"Call me Belle. When you have lived as long as I have you learn to develop
some habits. I, for instance, collect stories. Could you tell me the tale of
how you defeated Mother? I heard it was quite the adventure. Or perhaps you
have some other story you'd like to tell."
If you DIDN'T help defeat Mother you might need to go with that second
option but Belle seems to have heard many stories--so you'll have to get
creative if you wish to impress her!
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Wound============================================
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
"It's alright there, it happens. Feel better?" Layna asks the dejected wall. Even though she wasn't one of the ones that got thumped. But at least the way's open!
There are fewer people in this part of the party, owing perhaps in part due to Wally's presence. This leads to a more quiet and sedate atmosphere, that certain kinds of people tend to appreciate more. They make their way through and - wait, someone's watching you. To summarize, there's a woman - some manner of undead, if she's believed - and she wants to hear a story.
Particularly, the story of Mother's defeat, or any other exciting story one might have.
Layna chuckles, turning to face her.
"Mother, aye? The Metal Demon's big, bad, boss..." She replies, folding her arms in front of her. "...Well, I wasn't there to fight her personally - my crew and I, we had another job."
Layna pulls up a chair. It's hard to tell if it was there all along, or if Belle conjured them up for her benefit. There's a number of others set around, too.
"See, my crew an' I... while the actual 'heroic' types went to fight Mother personally, my crew an' I set ourselves up in the hall leadin' up to her. A lotta Metal Demons may've cast her aside when she stabbed 'em in the back, but there were a lot who still kept to what they knew, aye? An' a lotta Metal Beasts who just didn't know any better." Layna shakes her head. "If they had flooded in to interfere, things mighta gone bad - so, we set ourselves to clobberin' each an' every one that tried to get past us. It was quite the fight, lemme tell ya - they were practically climbin' over their unconscious buddies to get us, but we didn't let that stop us. We just fought an' fought until the Photosphere started to come down, an' then..."
Layna chuckles.
"Well, we skedaddled! Every good pirate knows when to get out while the gettin's still good." She concludes.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Storyteller.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
With a faint smile, Talise gives the wall a little pat. "Hey, hang in there, pal... you did your best, okay?"
Onward they go, deeper into the party - or perhaps into a quieter part of it. The woman waiting for them presents a curious enough quandry.
Tell a story. A story of Mother, or one of the others.
Pulling a chair up for herself, Talise drapes in it, unslinging the archlute hanging over her shoulder and giving it a strum. "I think we've got some good stories from that time," she says, her voice taking on a throaty storyteller's cadence, her smile wry and a little mysterious.
This is Talise's bailiwick. It shows. She gives her lute a lazy pluck. "It's as she said. We were part of the group that came into the home of Mother. Someone had to hold the line against the menaces she'd stored there. And that was us. Just a few of us against the horrors of the Photosphere."
Another pluck of a string. "...And that's when we met the Garble Spider," she says with a dip of lashes.
"He was mad, y'see. Yarobeleedt, they called him... well, many things, but that was the one they could understand, you see. There was a time when he was an underachiever. The yellow man who clawed at the very bottom of Mother's barrel. He clawed and he scraped, all right. But he never forgot his loyalty. And he never stopped lovin' his Mother."
Talise plays a vaguely ominous note. "And that's why he changed, y'see. Became more than just an underachiever. Gained a power - a power that warped him. Made a monstrous machine of him. He lashed out at his friends. His enemies. And when he met us... well. We weren't expecting him.
"It was me and my friend Ida, you see. Now, I was just a girl at the time who didn't understand. I'd been told once about the meaning of courage, but I never understood it.
"Now staring into the mouth of Mother's favourite monster... well, lemme tell ya. That's when I understood it for the first time. That's when I knew."
DG: Talise Gianfair has used her Tool Dragon Courage toward her party's challenge, Storyteller.
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
Victory shakes his head as he ends up tumbling and on the floor. Ow. That hurt. Pushing Solanine and Lanval off of him, the knight gets up and brushes himself off. "That was one stuck wall..." He says to himself, shaking his head as he looks around once they get going again. "So... this is some sort of party or something? Does the Queen Pest even know we're here?"
And then, well... that has him blinking a few times. A lich. Asking about some Mother? The non-Filgaian rubs the back of his head, "Ah... I don't know a thing about it, really. Honestly, I recommend asking the others. I'm just here to annoy Marivel a lot. Like a real big lot. She kinda calls me the Sour Knight for some reason, so I'm returning the favor and calling her Queen Pest. Feel free to use it a lot?"
He rubs his chin, "Oh, and the rest kinda don't want me to leave my trident hanging around. Like at all." He shrugs, then pulls out Mistfury. For those that haven't seen it before, the Malevolence around him skyrockets for a moment or two. The green tinged trident's golden markings are a bit fainter than what Layna and Lanval might remember, but otherwise the elf shrugs as he shows the lich the trident. "Something about it corrupting stuff, yadda yadda yadda."
Then he puts the trident away. Mostly in case others look uncomfortable about it.
DG: Victory Storm has used his Tool Mistfury toward his party's challenge, Storyteller.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval staggers in after the whole pratfall mess is sorted out. Where on the other side of Wally things were CRUUUUUUNK, here's a good place for everyone to catch their breath, rest up, and relax as they catch up with the socialite Lich, Belle.
She loves a good story. Lanval knows someone else here who really loves a good story, and figures they'll hit it off just great as he looks back over to Victory.
"It'sh jusht ash she shaid, yep... Talise jusht kinda tripped over me one day..." To think, if she hadn't done that... well. It's a lot to recap. "...Far ash mortalsh go... ain't never met anyone who lovesh mushic or shtory more." Althena banned song, dance, and drink some years back - but if a Seraph is going to give a mortal high praise for that sort of thing... Lanval hushes up as Talise takes her seat and starts to share stories alongside Layna, recounting those they had to fight along the way in order to help bring her down once and for all.
Lanval, without skipping a beat as Victory lets out the trident, Lanval spills something out of a shining white bottle. Doesn't look at it, doesn't call attention to it, as if to set up a boundary of 'nope, don't do it' to the churning purple.
"...Victory, hey," Lanval says as he looks to him. His eyes open half-lidded, his dumb cat-like smile softening (...hardening?) into a more neutral horizontal line.
"Marivel doesh 'em a great turn here, ya know. Jusht about any other time, any other place... we might be crosshin' a blade or two, but here?"
Lanval gestures to the bard in her natural element, the pirate captain who loves to swap tales of variable heights, and the Lich whose connection to the living world may not be her phylactery but her love of these tales. The tales may well be her phylactery, all told, however that would work.
"Here... we jusht take it eashy 'n party. 'caushe that ain't no yadda yadda yadda..."
He closes his eyes and goes back to smiling dumb while listening to the shared tales.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, Storyteller.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Wally gets up from his tumble and apologizes and Solanine is nowhere to be found until she *pops* back into existence, from being flattened back into a shadow halfway into the impact.
She groans and accepts his apology and they move on, another monster helped and they move on.
To a quieter part of the party,
Sola relaxes somewhat until... oh no... it's a Lich. Sola can see her in the darkness from here,
Before Belle even begins to speak, Solanine's eyes dart around for another Skeleton War to be conscripted into... but find there are none...
The Lich starts with her joke about a "Get Lich Quick Scream" to which Sola politely smiles (though internally she means to enjoy it quite a bit, she doesn't want to encourage any kind of lead in to portfolio or asset discussion.
The asset discussion arrives anyway, but her stock in trade is stories, rather than material goods, and Sola sighs with relief that at least it will be more entertaining.
Sola wasn't at the Battle of Mother's Day, and knew Yarobeleedt only briefly and at the end. She listens rapt at the tales the others tell, and watches with grave concern as Victory unsheathes his Trident, and watches Lanval for a cue to action that never arrives. When it comes to her turn, Sola has no grand stories to share herself... Love's Cradle was too chaotic for her to recount reliably.
Instead she recites an epic poem of a knight of Lunar that she read in storybooks of her youth, one that obtained a magic sword and slew an evil undead spellcaster, fighting back its dark Malevolent corruption with the strength of his own will and honor.
She palms a seed from pocket and infuses shadow magic into it to grow a small black mandragora, too small to unleash the power of its trademark scream, she instead has it sing harmony for the choruses.
It isn't until she reaches the very end that she realizes this tale might've been a poor choice of tale to tell a Lich.
DG: Seraph Solanine has used her Tool Mandragora Seed toward her party's challenge, Storyteller.
=====================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>=====================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Storyteller *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You come upon a shrouded woman, a pair of red eyes peering out from behind
cloth. The woman raises a hand towards you and the sleeve peels back,
revealing a skeletal limb.
"Could I interest you...in a Get Lich Quick scream?" The woman then chuckles
and says, "No, no, I kid, I kid! Just a little undead humor." She tilts her
head and her red eyes narrow in thought. "Say... haven't I heard about you
somewhere before? Hm hm.... Yes, I do believe I've heard a thing or two
about one or two of you."
Her other hand, this one composed of cold flesh, lifts up a cigarette holder
to her lips, slipping the end between the clothes covering her face, and
takes a long draw before blowing out a perfect circle of smoke.
"Call me Belle. When you have lived as long as I have you learn to develop
some habits. I, for instance, collect stories. Could you tell me the tale of
how you defeated Mother? I heard it was quite the adventure. Or perhaps you
have some other story you'd like to tell."
If you DIDN'T help defeat Mother you might need to go with that second
option but Belle seems to have heard many stories--so you'll have to get
creative if you wish to impress her!
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Wound============================================
================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party - Round 4 *>================ ==========================< Results - Storyteller >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Victory Storm 26 --(0)--> 26 Pass Mistfury 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Lanval 46 --(0)--> 46 Pass Holy Bottle 2 Combat Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 21 --(5)--> 26 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 46 --(5)--> 51 Fail Mandragora Seed 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talise Gianfair 21 --(0)--> 21 Pass Dragon Courage 1 Combat Effects: Embolden and Fanfare ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Victory Storm 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Collapse|Fright(2)|Overzealous(1)|Weaken(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1)|Resilient(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Victory Storm 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> Layna Manydays has posed.
"Hm, hm, hm... Who can say? But, you needn't worry, as long as you do not seek to cause trouble..." Belle comments to Victory.
She then listens quietly and patiently to each of the stories in turn. Some of them impress her more than others. She can tell that Layna's largely trying to talk herself up, and while Solanine's story does get a dark chuckle out of her, she's interested more in their own personal stories - though, she does at least approve of the attention to detail in regards to the singing Mandragora.
"A coward who became a monster, and a trident that corrupts... Fascinating. You all have been through much, for ones so young." Belle comments. ...Is she counting the Seraphim in that, too? She fixes her gaze on Talise, for a brief moment. "Courage, hm...? I wonder how far that will take you."
She seems satisfied, though, and in return for the tales gives the party a few pointers - it'll help them slip past some of the rowdier partygoers.
DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>==========================================
=====================================<* CHALLENGE - The Requisite Wall Meat Card *>=====================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
You find a poor hungry Gob child slumped down by a wall. He sniffs and rubs
at his nose and is just short of full out bawling right in front of you.
Someone isn't having fun at this party!
Upon seeing your group he calms down enough to explain what the problem is.
"I...I'm hungry." He says. "I had meat...but the wall ate my meat." The gob
sniffles and sobs and takes a moment to compose themselves.
"Now I ca..can't get it out!" The gob wails and points to a nearby and
unassuming block of stone before covering his eyes with both hands and
simpering into them.
You could rescue a gob's meat from that wall but it might take some force.
Maybe the gob will share you some of his wall meat if you do! ... If you,
uh, want meat you found by smashing open a wall.
The gob doesn't seem picky about their meats.
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Everyone enjoys a quiet set of told tales. It's a great time to rest, relax, and ready oneself up for another round of party time fun - and not too soon. Belle is excellent company, and there's some other undead types here who are eclectic, erudite, and entertaining, but the air here gradually starts getting more oppressive for ones with Living Person lungs because the dead can get particularly adventurous about what they put in their pipes. It's the sort of oppression where continued exposure could eventually challenge that, so maybe they ought to head back to the other side of Wally.
As they happen along, there's a Gob who is bawling their medium-sized eyes out, and nobody likes watching people be upset at parties like this.
"Mmm... hey... what'sh wrong?" Lanval asks. This may be fruitless, as the Gob may or may not be Resonant.
"My meat... the wall ate my meat... I can't get it out...! I'm so hungry...!" The wailing Gob points at a stone wall.
Lanval's eyes open half-lidded as he regards that stone wall, standing more upright. He looks back to the rest. "That one... that'sh Blocky. Wally'sh one of the good onesh," and maybe everyone involved can learn that not all walls are bad, no matter the worst of everyone's Drifter experiences, "but Blocky... Blocky jusht likesh ta take everything. 'n the worsht part ish..."
Lanval gestures broadly. "Ya can't shee 'em. They're invishible. But if ya find 'em and shtrike hard enough... 'n trusht me, that one could ushe a good shtrikin', they should give it up."
Lanval lies down next to the stone wall. "Ushually they take a coin they like, or... I think they liked plantsh, too? Shomethin' like that." Lanval adds. "'m shurprished it ain't hidin' over a pit."
Your mission: find the invisible block, Blocky, and whack them hard enough to give up the stolen meat! Lanval says it's okay to hit them as hard as you want.
DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Requisite Wall Meat Card.
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
Well, this has to be a bit of strangeness. Victory listens to the explaination. And blinks a few times. He shrugs. Well, time to go do the sensible thing. Smashing the wall!
Victory hums, then fiddles around in his coat before pulling a kinda large hammer out and starts to tap on the wall just a bit hard. Sure he might be leaving marks, but seriously. It's a wall. Right?
"C'mon, give the kid his meat back. Here, Blocky, c'mon now." Victory says.
And he continues tapping the wall all up and down the wall for a few feet. He looks at the others, then pulls out another hammer, "Anyone need one? It's obviously a bad wall."
DG: Victory Storm has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Requisite Wall Meat Card.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Talise plays a brief, sour note on her lute when Victory pulls out his trident.
They move on - but soon enough, another little crisis emerges! Hooking her thumbs into her belt loopse, Talise rolls her shoulders as she listens to the woes of the wailing Gob. Her eyelids lower just a little.
"Well. We can't have Blocky messin' with stuff, can we?" The big swordswoman smiles idly, scuffing one heel against the floor. "But here's the thing. Even if we get the meat back, you're going to be eating gross wall meat. You and me don't like gross wall meat."
Kicking a chair over to herself, Talise flops down in it and opens her pouch. She rifles through briskly before coming out with a package wrapped in cloth, which she quickly unwinds.
"As it happens, I've got a beef sandwich in here." Talise holds it out. It's heavily laden with roast beef, cheese and red peppers. Gripping it in her gloved hands, she cracks it in half down the middle and offers the Gob the larger half.
"You're gonna have to do without the dipping sauce, that's really hard to transport," she warns.
DG: Talise Gianfair has used her Tool Reinforced Gauntlets toward her party's challenge, The Requisite Wall Meat Card.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Bidding farewell to Belle, the party leaves and comes across...a crying Gob! Apparently, their meal got stolen by a wall. Layna glances over in the way Lanval indicates. Should she be surprised he knows all of this?
"Well, alright then, let's teach 'em a lesson." Layna says. Blocky is, apparently, invisible. Finding them will be difficult. Fortunately, Talise has a solution, so even if they can't succeed with Blocky then at least there's a chance the Gob might get some happiness.
But, as for Blocky... Layna brings out her drill again. This time, she sets it whirring on the highest setting.
"Alright, Blocky, we can do this the hard way or the easy way... what's it gonna be?" She says, with a malicious grin on her face. It's all purely for intimidating effect, of course - she's not going be that destructive. But it certainly helps sell it all.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Arm-Mounted Drill toward her party's challenge, The Requisite Wall Meat Card.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Solanine is relieved, Belle ended up being lovely company, the highlight of the party so far for the Seraphim of Shadow. Upon leaving, the quiet and relaxation are not to last, as they're swiftly interrupted by the shrill cries of a child, and a tale told, less epic in scale but more immediate in its impact. A tale of Lost Meat and a Mischievous Wall named Blocky, notorious for his roguish misdeeds.
She is curious at how Lanval knows this situation so well... but... she must admit, these monsters have been a lot more fun and welcoming than a lot of humans she's been around, she could see becoming familiar with and caring about them, and being a Local Monster for the good part of two centuries, she empathizes with them more than she'd expected. If only situations where they were allowed to be non-hostile were more common...
Sola takes the cue for the hunt for Blocky from Talise, Layna, Lanval and Victory, but declines a hammer. drawing her sword, and pommel striking the nearby walls, one after the other, watching them for antipication or fear, from her deliberate progression, or the more overt threats of masonic violence from everyone assembled.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Requisite Wall Meat Card.
==========================================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>==========================================
=====================================<* CHALLENGE - The Requisite Wall Meat Card *>=====================================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 |
-----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >-----------------------------------------------
You find a poor hungry Gob child slumped down by a wall. He sniffs and rubs
at his nose and is just short of full out bawling right in front of you.
Someone isn't having fun at this party!
Upon seeing your group he calms down enough to explain what the problem is.
"I...I'm hungry." He says. "I had meat...but the wall ate my meat." The gob
sniffles and sobs and takes a moment to compose themselves.
"Now I ca..can't get it out!" The gob wails and points to a nearby and
unassuming block of stone before covering his eyes with both hands and
simpering into them.
You could rescue a gob's meat from that wall but it might take some force.
Maybe the gob will share you some of his wall meat if you do! ... If you,
uh, want meat you found by smashing open a wall.
The gob doesn't seem picky about their meats.
Can you survive the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
=====================================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party - Round 5 *>===================================== =======================================< Results - The Requisite Wall Meat Card >======================================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Victory Storm 26 --(0)--> 26 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Lanval 46 --(0)--> 46 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Layna Manydays 26 --(0)--> 26 Pass Arm-Mounted Drill 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Solanine 51 --(0)--> 51 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talise Gianfair 21 --(0)--> 21 Pass Reinforced Gauntlets 1 Brute Effects: Strengthen and Fanfar -------------------------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Victory Storm 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Save Point(1) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===================================================< Dream Chasers >====================================================
DG: The party led by Victory Storm 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 Lanval has posed.
Talise chooses to make a sacrifice. It is not, in this context, 'ultimate.' She will likely live to make otehr sacrifices of her choosing. But it's kind of high up there, because the food here... only about a third of it is okay for mortals to consume.
The Gob lights up at Talise handing out a beef sandwich, and the Gob happily takes it. "...Thank you so much, my gob was going to have to go without gobbling...!"
Lanval makes a slurping noise. There is a hint of color that has a coincidental likeness to the dipping sauce described.
The hunt is on. Layna threatens to use her drill, but this Blocky must have a stiff upper... layer?... to hold strong and not shiver or give away their position.
Solanine, master of her element of the very darkness itself, can help give a great tip as she checks the walls. She'll be able to catch that imperceptible change in lighting. The weird way the sound echoes and carries through the wall. From there, one axis is solved.
The other two follow shortly. Talise is the only one tall enough to reach up and give it a hell of a smack. Blocky, unmasked, is yellow and has something of an inuisitive look on all of its cubic faces. It spits up a coin from the top. That is not wall meat.
Layna uses the drill once she's able to reach it. It spits out many, many more coins, rapid-fire, before turning a dark solid brown...
...and depositing wall meat.
"That'll show 'em," Lanval says as the Gob comes by and gives his thanks by trading Talise the meal he was going to have, which is to say, gross wall meat.
...That's not a great trade at all!! But justice has been served, except--
"Wally." The wall growls, as it turns around with a series of rumbly noises and looks to Victory looking terribly upset about the amount of hammering their backside just received.
...they'll need a minute to smooth things out, but soon, it's back to the other side of the party!
DG: Victory Storm has drawn a new Challenge.
======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>======================
==========<* CHALLENGE - The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends *>==========
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You would think that the party would have ended by now - but it hasn't!
Indeed it seems as though it is rolling along. The partygoers are just as
friendly as ever. They keep inviting the group to events. Or party games. Or
overlong conversations.
Even the most inveterate extrovert is going to have to say 'enough.' You're
going to have to find a way out if you don't want to be stuck here all
night... perhaps forever.
Over there, quickly-- you can see a gap between a hairy lycanthrope and a
towering man with a widow's peak complaining about "his" (something
something) "twist?" In the other direction you see more monsters coming
towards you, unidentifiable drinks and snacks in paw and hopeful
expressions. You've been a hit tonight.
But now it's time to GET THE H*CK OUT! (Please excuse this harsh language.)
Can you escape the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
Victory looks around, then shrugs as he puts the hammers away. He looks very conflicted about having hurt the wall. Maybe. Just a little. Some time later, the elf in the white coat has made friends with a few here and there. Then there is the friendly party goers as he notes the time and hums as he looks around. "You know... these monsters are not all that bad."
"I mean, they are just like others. Sure we stab, shoot arrows, toss fireballs, drop meteors, freeze people, turn into other forms, toss around boulders, make magical spells that cripple, fight endlessly in wars, draw others into it by word of some higher power or another... but seriously, not so bad."
Then he moves over to the stage where the band (at a guess) has been playing all night and pulls out some coins. Setting them down, he smiles, "I do not know if you have a favorite song that all monsters love, but please... if there is, play it for the nice people here?"
Looking back as the music starts, and Victory actually does a few dance steps back, looking at the incoming monster party goers who would like the group to stay. "As much as we would like to stay, I fear that unlike most who are immortal, who have been around a long time, those that lurk in the night despite it all. I fear that we who are not of you should go while we can, my good denizens of the night and beyond. Until next time that we may join you for the party, I bid you good night and to enjoy what is left for the night eternal."
Victory gives a bow towards the stage. "Please, maestro, let them hear their song for their enjoyment and ours as well." With that, Victory moves to bow out through the talking lycanthrope and man with the widow's peak.
DG: Victory Storm has used his Tool Surefooting Boots toward his party's challenge, The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Shifting her lute over her shoulder, Talise sends a smile Victory's way. "That's often the way it is," she says with an easy shrug of one shoulder. "Folks generally try to do good, even if they have their own problems. People who want to do wrong are actually a minority. It's just a matter of understanding each other."
She dips her lashes. "Or at least a matter of smacking 'em a few times if they start messing with other people too hard. That's a thing, too."
Tossing a few gella into the tip cup, Talise sets her hands at her hips and listens for a moment, her smile wry, but fairly satisfied. She listens to Victory dismiss himself for a moment, then cocks her head towards Lanval and Layna. Holding an arm out, she drapes it around the shoulders of the pirate captain and gives Layna's hair a brief tousle.
"Y'know what?" she says. "When we get ahold of a ship again, maybe it's time we threw a party for ourselves, too. Maybe even if I ever get the Lunabelle back in the water. Ain't no party like a shipboard party."
She turns and begins to move off, letting one shoulder precede her through the crowd like a wedge.
DG: Talise Gianfair has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
During the song being played, there is an utterly horrifying facsimile of something that was probably meant to be a horse head but is instead an abomination of a shape, with flat, large circles of white with tiny beady black dots as a disgusting satire of eyes. A line dips into a smile, of which there is nothing to smile at. It is by far the creepiest thing in this entire Monster Party, and that says a lot.
It is the head attached to a flat plane of similar make being surfed over the hands and talons of the gathered during the song.
Sitting atop it is Lanval, in those stupid beer bottle glasses and smoking (...bubbling) off a fancy kiseru-style pipe. In the other hand...
He throws up the horns, hooting and hollering.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Bouyant Steed toward his party's challenge, The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
"Aye, I'll drink to that!" Layna says, drawing out a bottle of some liquid or another and taking a deep swig, in response to Victory and Talise's words. She has more bottles than that, too, which she is sure to pass around.
She sends Talise a grin, then, as her friend drapes an arm around her shoulder and brings up shipboard parties.
"We've got the Empress - there's always room for a party there!" She comments. "But aye, the Lunabelle... 'twould by a sight to see, to see it sail the seas once more..."
She thinks on that for a moment.
"Next time we go to Spira, we oughta bring my carpenter to take a look at it. Even if he can't fix it up 'imself, maybe 'e'll be able to point you in the right direction." She comments.
Layna takes another swig and then begins to follow the swathe Talise cuts through the party. Even in a room full of monsters, someone like Talise is going to have a pretty easy job of parting the crowd. Might as well take advantage of it!
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Quartermaster's Stash toward her party's challenge, The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
This has been an unexpectedly pleasant time, even Solanine must admit, but like all of her social gatherings she's beginning to tire, and want to slip away... the Knight Shade becoming more and more of a wallflower as the evening wears on. She does smile at Lanval becoming the life of the party, and even cheers him on from within the crowds, and listens within ear shot to Talise's thoughts on monsters and both hers and Layna's plans for ship board parties. The monsters in response to all this excitment, swell and become more insistent and energetic, especially when they start tipping the band to play the monsters' favorite tunes. She herself walks by the tip jar and as her shadow passes over it, a stack of Spiran Gil appears in the cup. It's all she has and they likely can still use it as a novelty currency. Do monsters use the coins in the human economy anyway? Everyone's beginning to leave and Sola is ready, she begins to go incorporeal and more composed of her Element as she tries to slips through to the exits.
She overhears Victory's exit speech "As much as we would like to stay, I fear that unlike most who are immortal, who have been around a long time, those that lurk in the night despite it all I fear that we who are not of you should go while we can, my good denizens of the night and beyond..." with a little wry amusement. Speak for yourself, mortal.
DG: Seraph Solanine has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends.
======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>======================
==========<* CHALLENGE - The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends *>==========
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You would think that the party would have ended by now - but it hasn't!
Indeed it seems as though it is rolling along. The partygoers are just as
friendly as ever. They keep inviting the group to events. Or party games. Or
overlong conversations.
Even the most inveterate extrovert is going to have to say 'enough.' You're
going to have to find a way out if you don't want to be stuck here all
night... perhaps forever.
Over there, quickly-- you can see a gap between a hairy lycanthrope and a
towering man with a widow's peak complaining about "his" (something
something) "twist?" In the other direction you see more monsters coming
towards you, unidentifiable drinks and snacks in paw and hopeful
expressions. You've been a hit tonight.
But now it's time to GET THE H*CK OUT! (Please excuse this harsh language.)
Can you escape the Monster Party?
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire=====================================================
=================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party - Round 6 *>================= ============< Results - The Party Never Ends Never Ends Never Ends >============ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victory Storm 26 --(0)--> 26 Pass Surefooting Boots 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 46 --(0)--> 46 Pass Bouyant Steed 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 26 --(0)--> 26 Pass Quartermaster's Stash 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Solanine 51 --(0)--> 51 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talise Gianfair 21 --(0)--> 21 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Victory Storm 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Tire(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Victory Storm has successfully explored Crimson Castle - Monster Party!
======================<* Crimson Castle - Monster Party *>======================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Humanity's Harm *>========================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You manage to break away from the Monster Party. After some exploration, you
discover a library filled to the brim with books. You pull one off a
bookcase and find that it's actually some manner of illustrated stories with
little word balloons and--wait a minute, this is just manga. You found
manga. There is a large slew of titles including the full collection of Yuri
by Moonlight which...is unfortunately written in the Zeboim language but the
pictures clearly illustrate the tale as some manner of romance. Among the
manga, there is also a thicker tome hidden amongst them. It is titled:
'Humanity's Harm'.
It reads: 'Humans are indeed insolent beings. They desecrate our ruins and
their foolishness leads them to seek excessive power that will lead them
down the path of destruction. Perhaps it was the humans' negative emotions
that eroded and weakened the Guardian's powers. Their hate, anger, envy, and
impiety eroded the Guardians' power and drove human to kill human, crimes
unthinkable to our kind.'
'Pathetic humans! You may cover this planet, but you do not rule it! Know we
are your enemy! We will never yield stewardship of this land. Filgaia is our
home to protect.'
=Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
The maestro picks up a jazzy toon. One that soon has the monster starting to mash, in what is obviously a graveyard smash. With even the "twist" being shown by the man and the lycanthrope by the time everyone is gone.
Lanval's riding of the rather odd steed is met as well with hoots and hollers back, and waves as well as giving of drinks to the drunken seraph.
Meanwhile, Talise has a bit of a problem as she ends up being one of the ones that most want to dance with. Everything from stitched together men, to one with one eye, a few with three feet, something that looks like a little green man, to an actual ghost.
The good news about this is that she basically tanks all the dancing for Layna who makes it out relatively unscathed.
Unfortunately for Solanine, she encounters her fair share of dancers as well. The ghostly kind that her intangibility just means she's more enticing because they can also get in her way and dance as well!
By the end of it all, the group has managed to at least somehow get Solanine and Talise away, along with Victory having shown that at least he can dance a little as he passes through.
The sounds of singing follows them down the corridor before a room is found that looks relatively safe for the group on the way out the exit.
@emit %r%tThe maestro picks up a jazzy toon. One that soon has the monster starting to mash, in what is obviously a graveyard smash. With even the "twist" being shown by the man and the lycanthrope by the time everyone is gone.%r%rLanval's riding of the rather odd steed is met as well with hoots and hollers back, and waves as well as giving of drinks to the drunken seraph.%r%r%tMeanwhile, Talise has a bit of a problem as she ends up being one of the ones that most want to dance with. Everything from stitched together men, to one with one eye, a few with three feet, something that looks like a little green man, to an actual ghost.%r%r%tThe good news about this is that she basically tanks all the dancing for Layna who makes it out relatively unscathed.%r%rUnfortunately for Solanine, she encounters her fair share of dancers as well. The ghostly kind that her intangibility just means she's more enticing because they can also get in her way and dance as well!%r%r%tBy the end of it all, the group has managed to at least somehow get Solanine and Talise away, along with Victory having shown that at least he can dance a little as he passes through.%r%r%tThe sounds of singing follows them down the corridor before a room is found that looks relatively safe for the group on the way out the exit.%r%r%cm~ They did the Mash, they did the Monster Mash~ %r~The Monster Mash, and its a graveyard smash ~%r~ He did the Mash, they caught on in a flash ~%r~ He did the Mash, they played the Monster Mash ~%cn%r%rThe lyrics to the song are finally shut by whoever closes the door. Victory himself checks a chair before collapsing into it. "Goddess, that was fun and frustrating..."m~ They did the Mash, they did the Monster Mash~
~The Monster Mash, and its a graveyard smash ~
~ He did the Mash, they caught on in a flash ~
~ He did the Mash, they played the Monster Mash ~@emit %r%tThe maestro picks up a jazzy toon. One that soon has the monster starting to mash, in what is obviously a graveyard smash. With even the "twist" being shown by the man and the lycanthrope by the time everyone is gone.%r%rLanval's riding of the rather odd steed is met as well with hoots and hollers back, and waves as well as giving of drinks to the drunken seraph.%r%r%tMeanwhile, Talise has a bit of a problem as she ends up being one of the ones that most want to dance with. Everything from stitched together men, to one with one eye, a few with three feet, something that looks like a little green man, to an actual ghost.%r%r%tThe good news about this is that she basically tanks all the dancing for Layna who makes it out relatively unscathed.%r%rUnfortunately for Solanine, she encounters her fair share of dancers as well. The ghostly kind that her intangibility just means she's more enticing because they can also get in her way and dance as well!%r%r%tBy the end of it all, the group has managed to at least somehow get Solanine and Talise away, along with Victory having shown that at least he can dance a little as he passes through.%r%r%tThe sounds of singing follows them down the corridor before a room is found that looks relatively safe for the group on the way out the exit.%r%r%cm~ They did the Mash, they did the Monster Mash~ %r~The Monster Mash, and its a graveyard smash ~%r~ He did the Mash, they caught on in a flash ~%r~ He did the Mash, they played the Monster Mash ~%cn%r%rThe lyrics to the song are finally shut by whoever closes the door. Victory himself checks a chair before collapsing into it. "Goddess, that was fun and frustrating..."n
The lyrics to the song are finally shut by whoever closes the door. Victory himself checks a chair before collapsing into it. "Goddess, that was fun and frustrating..."
<Pose Tracker> Victory Storm has posed.
The maestro picks up a jazzy toon. One that soon has the monster starting to mash, in what is obviously a graveyard smash. With even the "twist" being shown by the man and the lycanthrope by the time everyone is gone.
Lanval's riding of the rather odd steed is met as well with hoots and hollers back, and waves as well as giving of drinks to the drunken seraph.
Meanwhile, Talise has a bit of a problem as she ends up being one of the ones that most want to dance with. Everything from stitched together men, to one with one eye, a few with three feet, something that looks like a little green man, to an actual ghost.
The good news about this is that she basically tanks all the dancing for Layna who makes it out relatively unscathed.
Unfortunately for Solanine, she encounters her fair share of dancers as well. The ghostly kind that her intangibility just means she's more enticing because they can also get in her way and dance as well!
By the end of it all, the group has managed to at least somehow get Solanine and Talise away, along with Victory having shown that at least he can dance a little as he passes through.
The sounds of singing follows them down the corridor before a room is found that looks relatively safe for the group on the way out the exit.
~ They did the Mash, they did the Monster Mash~
~The Monster Mash, and its a graveyard smash ~
~ He did the Mash, they caught on in a flash ~
~ He did the Mash, they played the Monster Mash ~
The lyrics to the song are finally shut by whoever closes the door. Victory himself checks a chair before collapsing into it. "Goddess, that was fun and frustrating..."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Sometimes it's hard being six foot two and built like a fitness model. Talise has to rebuff a lot of suitors, though she does twirl and give an emphatic dipkiss to someone who might be a succubus, and she does stop to write her contact information down for a couple of people.
Finally, though, they escape the room before Talise has to do the Mash. She's gone in a flash, closing the door behind her once she reaches safety.
"Parties are like that," she concedes, wiping a bit of lipstick off her cheek. "If you're lucky, the fun outweighs the nuisances."
Hanging her coat to one side, she leans against the wall, stretching her arms over her head with a slow, languid arch that does nothing to dispel impressions of why she might be popular. It's only when she comes out of that stretch does she realize where they are.
"...Is this Shortstack's library?" Talise wonders as she begins to browse through the shelves. Running her fingers over the spines, she slips a book out, sifting through it and smiling at the stories within. Another follows. She squints intently at the page of Yuri by Moonlight.
She doesn't need the subtitles to figure out what girls kissing means. She smiles contently and puts the book back. Then it's on to another one.
'Humanity's Harm'
Opening the book, Talise flips through to the marked page. The amused smile on her face gradually begins to fade away. In its place arises a slow frown and a furrowing of brows as she drums her fingers against the edge of the page.
Finally, she flips the book closed and sets it to one side. "In some ways it's clarifying to know that people on Filgaia can be bigoted idiots just like on Lunar," she says in a calm tone. "There are always people who throw tantrums and demonize new immigrants as evil or coveting power or destroying civilization or whatever. They did it when the Pao migrated off the steppes and settled, they did it when Beastmen started settling in cities, and it looks like whoever was here on Filgaia did it when humans showed up, too."
Sighing heavily, Talise flops down in a chair. "Really didn't need to read that kind of bigoted fucking shit, though. Althena's codpiece, I need booze."
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
It isn't long before they escape the party into a library. The contents are...quite interesting, though there's that stands out due to being wholly different from the rest.
Layna raises an eyebrow.
"Don't let it get to ya." She says, shaking her head. And then she reaches into her coat, bringing out a bottle and tossing it over to Talise.
You can always count on Layna to deliver when it comes to booze.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Solanine has posed.
Sola, resident ghost of Avo Llyn finds that in a group of incorpeal spirits, the ability to turn incorporeal yourself isn't quite the Get out of Party Jail Free Card that it is with humans... and so... she when some ghosts start to swirl around and try to block her, in their best suits from the waist up, eyebrows waggling, she panics and formulates and escape plan. She conjures a long-stemmed Nightshade flower and wields it like she would a sword, because while she doesn't know how to dance, she DOES know rapier drills of the Obscure Circle that resemble something like it, she thrusts, and parries the flower at them, moving strafing and weaving, then as if part of the "dance" she ducks through their "guard" and when the ghost tries to pursue, slips away in a bloom of shadow Nightshade petals.
The next few moments are a blur of social panic and when she catches her metaphorical breath, she's in the same library as the others.
She pokes around at the odd artworked books, and given her recent experience when she opens one and sees a ghost kissing a girl with glasses she yelps and drops it reflexively.
She covers her mouth and moves quietly over to Talise, expounding on "Humanity's Harm".
When she gets a moment with the book, she'll memorize some passages to one day sermonize to Victory, but for now, upon hearing Talise's exasperation, bends down and reaches into her shadow, producing one of the bottles of vintage wines she's collected on her digs and offers it. She'd saved it for Lanval, but he's here too, perhaps they can share?
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval is dumped in unceremoniously because that's sort of where the crowd surfing ends up. He tumbles along the ground for a short while before looking up from below to see what Talise is pulling out and looking at.
"...I don't think anyone elshe comesh here..." Lanval remarks with one eye half-open. No real sign the other denizens of this place come here... maybe they shouldn't be here, he wonders, but if there's anyone he'd trust with trespassing and carefully handling stuff like books, it's Talise. One eye opens up a little more as he can make out the title of the first thing Talise pulls out.
"...Mmmm, hey... that one'sh in the language I know." He hefts himself up and decides he's going to have a look at this thing about someone named Yuri in moonlight. (It is not about someone named Yuri. It is about it. But no one is named that.) Now he's curious!
Before he can set it down and give it a look (giving Solanine an opportunity to swipe it and read it for herself if she chooses), Talise's mood darkens noticeably and Lanval pauses to look back towards her. "Are ya all right...?"
Talise says her piece. Lanval decides to give it a look over himself.
'Humanity's Harm.'
He handles it with utmost care - even how silly and careless his idea of 'walking' may appear - as if aware that his very nature can be dangerous to parchment. He doesn't want to harm anything of Marivel's, after all, as he gives it a look at the angry written judgment about humans and what they do.
The Seraphim do not have, culturally speaking, the highest regard for mortals - a lot of them for the same reasons pointed out here. Lanval had the honor of presiding over probably the single nastiest place in the more civilized parts of Meribus. He's seen all of that hate, that anger, that envy, that ill ambition. From the standpoint of the immortal who are charged with, in some form, being stewards of keeping Althena's world safe from Malevolence...
He can see how that'd upset Talise.
It gives him plenty more to podner and think about with all that Schturdark has shown him. All the awful things that have happened with and to the water, by mortal hands - and the ultimate importance regardless to maintain what is there for them.
The reason he wanted to help do his share to maintain the very water of this world. That hasn't wavered any. He closes the book and moves it further aside so he can lean forward on the table, arms out, near Talise.
"It'sh a pretty old book," Lanval remarks. "Wouldn't know how ta tell ya how old... but I don't think that'sh a view she holdsh..."
It remains quiet. There is booze from Layna. Lanval doesn't reach out to snatch it from Talise. He can see she's shaken up - and in a way he's rewarded for his moment of temperance as Solanine shares a vintage wine.
"...Thanksh. Mmm. Well, we had a lotta fun... but 'm all fer a good quiet round between good friendsh..."
An eye opens half-lidded to Victory. He's not too happy about what he showed to Belle or how he hurt poor Wally, but those issues got smoothed out well enough.
"...It'sh a good atmosphere, ya know." It kind of isn't? Blood, the scent of the undead, it's not really much of a place for garden variety mortals to play around in, though it is a hell of an awesome party, and maybe an awesome of a hell party. "Everyone'sh jusht happy, content, with the little fun shtuff in life... ya know."