2020-04-22: In Search of the Answer
- Log: In Search of the Answer
- Cast: Citan Uzuki, Riesenlied, Lily Keil, Leon Albus, Fei Fong Wong
- Where: Sielje Icy Sea
- Date: April 22, 2020
- Summary: Lily and Leon return to Shae Ving in search of the construct that the others had found in its depths.
DG: A party led by Citan Uzuki is now entering Shae Ving. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ================<* CHALLENGE - Shieldmaiden-class Automatons *>================= |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The path to Shae Ving is a hard one. A Gear is necessary to reach this high in the mountains. The cold winds of Sielje blow snow and ice in great swirls, and the slope is steep -- but Gears are powerful enough and have flight, letting them rise to the occasion. The entrance to Shae Ving is deceptively small, which explains why few have found it: a simple pair of blast doors, built into a metal bunker in the mountainside. When your Gears touch down and get close enough, you learn that this facility is online. A light flickers on the side; it first flashes red and then green. The huge double doors slide open, then, and reveal a dark interior: steel walls and a platform, leading to a trench... where a pair of railway tracks run. A huge flatbed train car, with railing around it, is there. Sized for Gears, it also has a Gear-sized set of buttons -- to send it hurtling into those depths. As you look around this room, you see signs of a battle fought here more recently. Slagged metal is on one wall, where something struck it; pock marks scar the floor where rounds struck it; there is broken husks of armor here and there. It seems, too, that the defense systems here were alerted. A quartet of floating automatons patrol the room. Each is tall as a Gear, but floats, with the legs replaced with a conical anti-gravity system. The arms are large, rectangular shields that house immense cannons. The automatons turn when your Gears enter -- and then begin peppering the entrance with coordinated autocannon fire from those shield-guns. There is business to attend to, before you send the train car hurtling into the depths of Shae Ving. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Fright, Suffer===================================
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
Once all the preparations are complete, they set out for Shae Ving. This time, there can't be any room afforded to error -- they need to descent into the depths and see if they can understand what, precisely, is going on. Is the machine that Fei, Elly, Citan, and Eleanor witnessed truly some prototype of Gryndille? Why was it still around -- or is the complex active enough that it is assembling more of them?
And what of the connection between Lily and Gryndille?
But to answer these questions, first they must brave the depths of Shae Ving.
And before any of that, they must first make their way to the site. A storm has whirled up as they first spot the complex; by the time they reach the blast doors, it has nearly reached white-out conditions. One way or another, they won't be leaving here in a hurry.
"I will close the doors," Citan calls out, once the others are inside. After a few moment's work, the blast doors start to slowly close.
It's a wreck in here. There is the single car leading onwards (and downwards, once it is activated) but every there are signs of battle.
There are also signs of other activity. At first lost in the shadows, the figures of the hovering patrol automatons quickly make themselves known, descending as the blast doors close--
And immediately open fire.
"There are more of them!" Citan asks, Heimdall slowly lowering its arms from its guarded posture. "These were present when we were last here. Now, while they are reloading!"
A single harpoon-like blast rockets from one of Heimdall's forearms. Normally used to stablize a sinking ship, they can in a pinch feature as a formidable projectile--
Or simply as a tether, as the case may be. He aims for the nearest of the four, apparently attempting to either snape or outright disable it.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower toward his party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied was not directly present in the first assault of Shae Ving, given her condition and the kind of extreme danger that it poses. But she was there to catch up and assist the group with healing and supplies when they discovered the Karlsefni. Technically, nothing has really changed on that front, and yet...
"I... I am going to... do this."
She is kneeling on the Hellerune's hand, having ridden the Gear on the way here; her heart is pounding as she looks towards the Heimdall and Citan calling out at te presence of patrol automatons--
"I must practice, for what is to come."
A drawn breath, and she pumps her hands -- both distorted and Hyadean, and human -- into fists; there are spikes on the magic-type radars of Gears present as she starts to channel that power, bands upon bands of the Ley coursing through her very body... and speaks that dirty, forbidden word--
"Accession."
It comes, just like before-- a singular lightning bolt that seemingly strikes her from the skies, erupting into an enormous, jet-black dome.
A snarl.
A claw seeps its way out, sifting through darkness like sand through fingers; wings, as the Draconic form sets itself out of Hellerune's fingers, and then lands on cold snowy Sielje ground.
"I shall... do this...!"
The Ley Dragon's shoulders shine with complex mandalas, forming spheres as it launches several bolts of pure Ley energy to land upon the automatons.
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
The repairs to Hellerune do not entirely insulate it; after all, it was nearly lost here before, Lily managing to hold it together before with magic long enough to make things work. It was a difficult time. But this time they have something of preparation, know more of what to expect, and...
There probably not an enemy group here planning to sabotage.
Hellerune's hand is out carefully to accomodate Riesenlied, and Lily herself sits in the control seat. There is movement, however--
Hellerune's spare hand moves to shield her passenger, and Lily herself engages the Ether booster. There's a terrific hum as it flares to life, before red fields start to appear around each of the Gears present to absorb incoming damage. And, as it turns out...
Around the Ley Dragon, as well.
"I'll be monitoring your condition from here, Riesenlied." Is it radio? Is it a different kind of connection? Maybe some of each.
Hellerune's hands now free, the Gear uses them to channel further support actions at Lily's command.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Looks like the mess we made," Leon sees the battle-strewn state of the entry room. Them, and any other Drifters who have come since the Black Wolves blew the doors open. The Weglaff, tall and blue, takes a few more steps inside. The Gear's footsteps echo, one after the other, on the metal platform.
And something open fires on them. A couple of shots ping off the armor of Weglaff, bouncing away, and then Leon swings up the large gatling cannon. He swings it, taking aim at one of the drones.
"Seems we've gotten the security systems' attention, too!" he calls out. The gatling cannon opens fire, rounds shredding out for a nearby drone.
"Careful, Riese!" he calls to the Ley Dragon -- and steps the Weglaff back, closer to Hellerune.
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei is honestly getting used to Shae Ving at this point. Long train ride full of everything trying to kill them but he understands it's important to end the minigame with 80 percent of your health left for the trophy.
Weltall is a pretty good combat robot for these sorts of situations. It dives into the Shield Maidens with quick kung fu while simply tanking a lot of the shield gun damage. Weltall is both fast and danger and even just tough enough to simply push through fights aggressively.
After throwing some fisticuffs, Fei looks back over to Heimdall and then to Riesenlied. It's been a whihle, he realizes.
"Hey Riese... I was wondering.... .... did you meet the goose?"
...
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ================<* CHALLENGE - Shieldmaiden-class Automatons *>================= |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The path to Shae Ving is a hard one. A Gear is necessary to reach this high in the mountains. The cold winds of Sielje blow snow and ice in great swirls, and the slope is steep -- but Gears are powerful enough and have flight, letting them rise to the occasion. The entrance to Shae Ving is deceptively small, which explains why few have found it: a simple pair of blast doors, built into a metal bunker in the mountainside. When your Gears touch down and get close enough, you learn that this facility is online. A light flickers on the side; it first flashes red and then green. The huge double doors slide open, then, and reveal a dark interior: steel walls and a platform, leading to a trench... where a pair of railway tracks run. A huge flatbed train car, with railing around it, is there. Sized for Gears, it also has a Gear-sized set of buttons -- to send it hurtling into those depths. As you look around this room, you see signs of a battle fought here more recently. Slagged metal is on one wall, where something struck it; pock marks scar the floor where rounds struck it; there is broken husks of armor here and there. It seems, too, that the defense systems here were alerted. A quartet of floating automatons patrol the room. Each is tall as a Gear, but floats, with the legs replaced with a conical anti-gravity system. The arms are large, rectangular shields that house immense cannons. The automatons turn when your Gears enter -- and then begin peppering the entrance with coordinated autocannon fire from those shield-guns. There is business to attend to, before you send the train car hurtling into the depths of Shae Ving. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Fright, Suffer===================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 1 *>============================ ==================< Results - Shieldmaiden-class Automatons >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 0 --(15)--> 15 Fail ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 0 --(15)--> 15 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 0 --(10)--> 10 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 0 --(10)--> 10 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 0 --(10)--> 10 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Citan Uzuki 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Citan Uzuki 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: Leon Albus has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ==========<* CHALLENGE - Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map *>=========== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The service tunnel lights whip by you, as the train car continues down a long stretch of track. The next problem comes by accident; perhaps a wrong step, perhaps a short circuit, or something else. It may seem like a blessing at first: an enormous holographic subway map appears around the train car, showing multiple levels. However, it is labeled in the Zeboim language -- or the languages known as the Ancient Tongue or Zanarkandi -- and it is complicated. A movement of your Gear's arm may make it rotate; stepping with your Gear can make the map zoom in or zoom out. To gain anything of use, and before you need to put your attention anywhere, you will need to carefully coordinate your Gears' movements to not find yourself focused at maximum zoom on the wrong level entirely. And, to make matters worse, the hologram is enormous. It is a beacon for any drones in the facility -- and does a fantastic job of obscuring your vision for anything that could be coming up the tunnel. =Dungeon Conditions: Madness, Exhaust, Tire===================================
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"Ah, so it was you who created the damage within here. That answers a few questions that I had," Citan remarks, before everything quickly becomes more complicated.
The bullets spray wide, missing the Hellerune entirely--
And thus setting the stage for Riesenlied, once she exits the cockpit as the automata reload.
"Riesenlied... then you are intending to use 'that'."
Something he has never seen with his own two eyes -- something he has only heard tell from Fei and Elly.
One eye lingers on her form as he lines up the shot with the line thrower. Perhaps the fault is his, for being distracted at a crucial moment. Or perhaps the automaton is just going too fast at such an angle that a Gear like Heimdall could never make the shot in time.
In any case, two things happen at once: the shot goes wide, and Riesenlied completes her transformation.
"O-oh, this is not--" the doctor utters, attention on the automaton bearing down on him now (he certainly got its attention); he cuts the line out of necessity and prepares for an incoming strike.
Which never arrives: Weltall intercedes. A flurry of strikes follow. The automaton is destroyed.
"...My thanks, Fei."
The bolts of pure Ley energy fall in a rain towards the rear of the flanking automata soon after the sortie resolves itself towards the back. Radiant power strikes true: two of the machines are quickly overcome, perhaps overwhelmed by the Life Guardian's power. They fall, sparking.
Which leaves only the one.
Lily's shielding magic snaps into place about them all.
In particular, it manifests as the remaining machine turns its ARM upon Weglaff and opens fire.
They don't so much as scratch the Gear's paint. The barrier shimmers, leaving the sole automaton hovering there before Leon.
The gatling gun makes short work of it; soon it is also but a smoldering heap.
"It does not seem that there are others," Citan remarks, after a few moments' scan. "We should move onwards."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Weglaff slides the gatling cannon over its back, securing the weapon in place. The single-eyed Gear looks about the room for a moment. "I'd say so. Thank you, Doctor Uzuki."
Weglaff walks onto the train car. It's a few moments before all of them are -- and then, in a familiar way, the train car begins speeding down the tracks. Lights shoot by, rapidly, and they are soon leaving the entrance to this place far behind them.
The open, Gear-sized train car begins speeding down the tracks. Their five Gears are fit on it, with room to spare. As it rolls along, though, something strange happens. A formerly dull circle in the center of it flickers. Then, it emits a massive holographic map of the whole of Shae Ving. The three-dimensional map shows the different tunnels and chambers, with the rail splits.
The Zeboim-era writing is intelligible to some here. But, as Leon frowns and makes his Gear move its arm, the problem becomes clear: the map rotates at an odd angle and zooms in on a trash compacting room, miles away.
"This--" Leon frowns. "This thing is going to be a bloody mess. I can't even see where we're going."
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"I will, Leon... let me make up for last time. And thank you, Lily."
Being able to do this in a controlled -- or at least as controlled a state as possible, with Lily looking out for her, and her friends amongst them... might be the safest way in a myriad of uncertainties in learning more about this unwanted, unpleasant power that she nonetheless must master.
Fei, however, asks the fateful question and as the combat dies down the enormous white and blue dragon cranes its neck and instinctually opens its mouth and out comes a draconic version of a true fowl's cry:
*honk*
...
"I--I mean, yes! I saw it! What a wonderful creature it was, do you not agree?"
They march onward and climb aboard the car, with Riesenlied... seemingly learning to just perch down and sit in Dragon form, and then some lights appear and some kind of... map appears?
Leon starts moving his Gear and the map rotates. The Ley Dragon steps forward and reaches its comparatively tiny arms and--
Oh no that map is blindly twirling because it detected the movement of her wing as a sensor movement!
"Oh no! This is most difficult in this form...!"
The Ley Dragon whines, wings and horns wiggling up and down in consternation. Even in a dire Access form, certain tells remain, it would seem...
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"It does, doesn't it?" Lily confirms. Look like the mess they caused, anyway. Lily hangs back for the moment; she has not met this 'goose', and she needs to be ready with more of those shields, to boot. Still, she gets onto the car with all of the others, and...
Ah. A map. This would be very useful if--it weren't spinning. "Damn," Lily says. "Had to include motion controls." She pauses, thinking--"Wait. This is going to attract all the drones in the area..."
"Give me a sec, I'll give us some time to work--I'll jam the signals outside this area.
Lily loads up a short gun in her Gear's hands and fires behind, emitting jamming signals from at least that direction. While... Something about a goose happens...
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Starshel Rounds toward her party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Any time, doc!" Fei says pleasantly.
He glances towards the writing on the wall but it's honestly moving rather fast so even having an intuitive understanding of what is being said--it's frankly nearly impossible for him to grok it in time to make use of it.
Instead h e focuses on the map. Fei marvels at it for a while.
"That sure is one incredible map." Fei says, eyes wide with amazement beffore he tries to rely on his own MAPPING knowledge to manipulate the map properly.
"Did you just honk?" Pause. "Oh uh... wonderful? The goose? I guess you haven't met it then." Fei says, suspecting (incorrectly) even Riesenlied would be a little sour at a goose THAT CRUEL.
If only he truly understood.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool Artist's Toolkit toward his party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"You are quite welcome," Citan replies, before similarly navigating the Gear onto the train car.
At first, it is a fast but controlled descent, and without any of the hazards experienced the previous time they had ventured into this place.
Then some system on the car comes back online. "Oh? Whatever is..."
It's a map, that much is certain.
"Hmm. Is that Zeboim script? How interesting... now, let me see--"
The map suddenly whirls about, prompted by some motion of Weglaff's arm.
"Ah," remarks Citan from within the cockpit. "This may be problematic, I am afraid. Now, perhaps if we--"
It swerves again, this time perhaps detecting Riesenlied's wing. "Miss, if you might attempt to hold steady for the moment-- ah, oh dear, I think we are focused on the wrong part of the map. Now, what movement will allow us to return to a proper resolution..."
Heimdall waves a hand, experimentally.
This may take some time to coordinate, let alone read the map in any capacity.
DG: Citan Uzuki has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
===============================<* Shae Ving *>================================ =========<* CHALLENGE - Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map *>========== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The service tunnel lights whip by you, as the train car continues down a long stretch of track. The next problem comes by accident; perhaps a wrong step, perhaps a short circuit, or something else. It may seem like a blessing at first: an enormous holographic subway map appears around the train car, showing multiple levels. However, it is labeled in the Zeboim language -- or the languages known as the Ancient Tongue or Zanarkandi -- and it is complicated. A movement of your Gear's arm may make it rotate; stepping with your Gear can make the map zoom in or zoom out. To gain anything of use, and before you need to put your attention anywhere, you will need to carefully coordinate your Gears' movements to not find yourself focused at maximum zoom on the wrong level entirely. And, to make matters worse, the hologram is enormous. It is a beacon for any drones in the facility -- and does a fantastic job of obscuring your vision for anything that could be coming up the tunnel. =Dungeon Conditions: Madness, Exhaust, Tire===================================
==========================<* Shae Ving - Round 2 *>=========================== ===========< Results - Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map >============ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Citan Uzuki 15 --(3)--> 18 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leon Albus 15 --(23)--> 38 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 10 --(3)--> 13 Pass Starshel Rounds 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 10 --(3)--> 13 Pass Artist's Toolkit 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 10 --(3)--> 13 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Citan Uzuki 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Fright(1)|Injure(1)|Madness|Tire(2) Effects: Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Citan Uzuki 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> Leon Albus has posed.
Riesenlied's flailing, at first, sends the map into an uncontrolled spin. But as she stops -- with a final wiggle of her horns -- it stops on a menu.
This lets Lily fire a jamming round. That keeps the drones at bay, as Fei manages to manipulate the map -- making it smaller, less obnoxious. And then Citan is able to find the right button (for an X is an X, even in Zeboim) to close it.
The map turns off.
Leon sighs with relief. "Well! At least that's done."
DG: Riesenlied has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Shae Ving *>================================ ========================<* CHALLENGE - Route Split *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The train car's headlamps shine down the tunnel, until you see flashing aquamarine service lights split into a Y-shape ahead. One track curves to the left. The other curves to the right. The console on the train car flashes, and two options appear: arrows, one pointing to the left and one pointing to the right. You have only a moment to decide -- and hope that you pick one that leads to deeper into the ruin, rather than circling back to the exterior. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Slow, Exhaust===================================
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Fei wonders if she truly has met the goose, which sends Riesenlied into a brief but powerful spiral over whether there is only one Goose, or many, and that leads to an even more powerful and world-ending thought of Many Geese--
*honk*
Citan's recommendation to hold still gets her to do so; there is a quiet sigh from the Ley Dragon as she admits, "Certain things are very difficult like this, I admit..."
Except their woes are not yet over, because even after picking the right direction, there is a Y-shaped branch on the path ahead.
Two Arrows appear.
"Not more of these! What the Goodness...!"
The Ley Dragon attempts to reach out for the holographic arrow, straining one forearm--
--totally coming up short, nggg--
*puff*
The Ley Dragon flops on its bum and sulks.
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Route Split.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
At least it works sooner or later. More holographic controls. Lily looks over the map for the time when they see it, anyway, which turns out to be helpful. "It is Zeboim script," Lily confirms for Citan. But with these two right here--
"Based on the map we saw, it should be... left?"
Her Gear remains back; there are others up closer to the console at the moment than she is. "Don't worry about it, Riesenlied. We'll get it."
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Route Split.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Left sounds wise," Leon says, looking sideways at the Hellerune. The Weglaff stays put, arms crossed. He frowns, thoughtfully, for a moment. "The scale of this place is something else."
The blue Gear stays put. Leon does look down at the Ley Dragon, not quite sure what to make of the way it flops back.
But Riese, at least, has some control over that form...
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Route Split.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"There!" Citan manages to turn the map off. "...It is a shame, under different circumstances I would have liked to have studied the map more thoroughly. Perhaps it might have presented us with more information about this place," he cannot help but lament.
But the time for worrying after it is rapidly vanishing. They continue to descend into the depths of Shae Ving.
And ahead of them, all too quickly, there is a choice to be made.
"Left, or right? Based on what we had seen on the map, I believe that--"
He pauses, as Lily suggests left.
"Then, we should take the left track! Are you quite alright, Riesenlied?"
DG: Citan Uzuki has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Route Split.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
There...probably are many geese. Geese are pretty common! Fei's met several...but few were quite as malevolent as that ... particular ... goose.
R
"Oh man." Fei says as he comes fface to face with the route split.
"I don't think I remember what was on the map at all! I was just so excited a bout getting it working... ahhhh.... ahhh... well if Lily says left... It's probably left!"
She grins w idely. "Right?"
He looks to Riesenlied. "Ri...ght?"
He is sweating in the cockpit here.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool Artist's Toolkit toward his party's challenge, Route Split.
===============================<* Shae Ving *>================================ ========================<* CHALLENGE - Route Split *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The train car's headlamps shine down the tunnel, until you see flashing aquamarine service lights split into a Y-shape ahead. One track curves to the left. The other curves to the right. The console on the train car flashes, and two options appear: arrows, one pointing to the left and one pointing to the right. You have only a moment to decide -- and hope that you pick one that leads to deeper into the ruin, rather than circling back to the exterior. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Slow, Exhaust===================================
==========================<* Shae Ving - Round 3 *>=========================== ==========================< Results - Route Split >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Citan Uzuki 18 --(3)--> 21 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leon Albus 38 --(3)--> 41 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 13 --(18)--> 31 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fei Fong Wong 13 --(3)--> 16 Pass Artist's Toolkit 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Riesenlied 13 --(3)--> 16 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Citan Uzuki 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Madness|Slow(2)|Stupify(2)|Tire(1) Effects: Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Citan Uzuki 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> Riesenlied has posed.
Is left, right? Or is right the one that'll bring the left turn they need to the right place?
At first, no one appears to have the right of it; what's left, then, is to discover what the right method is.
Lily reassures Riesenlied that they'll get it; Leon reaches out as well, and Citan agrees. And Fei...
Fei out of left field!
"I think you are right about left... sorry, some things are so difficult like this."
The Left arrow is pressed.
Right on!
DG: Citan Uzuki has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Anti-Intruder Turrets *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The service lights in the tunnel whip by, streaks of aquamarine light that speak to the train car's speed. Then, light from the headlamp glints across a dozen domes mounted in the walls. They swivel as one, splitting open to reveal triple-barreled autocannons inside. The guns turn, twist as one, and track your train car. Then they open fire, the dark tunnel illuminated by muzzle flashes -- and the rounds slam into the flatbed, punching holes in the bottom of the train car -- and quite possibly your Gears, too. =Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Slow, Wound=====================================
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
The car loops towards the left path, and continues on its descent!
"It must be quite the change in bodily perception," Citan remarks. "As I understand it, rather than our minds directing our bodies it is rather the other way around -- form imposes a sort of framework for the mind. In that case, then, it must be disorienting for you after transforming, Riesenlied," he muses aloud.
It's a fair assumption that he might have gone on in that vein, except--
"--Ah. That was indeed the correct choice, Lily. It seems we are making our approach to the bottom right on time."
There is a brief pause. Within the cockpit, Citan undoes his seatbelt.
"However, this means we must first handle the turrets ahead!"
They glint, swiveling towards the car as it speeds forward, into the firing line.
"--Oh dear, I believe I tightened these screws too much--" comes the doctor's voice, interspersed with... a metallic clang.
"--There! Now, that should do the trick."
...What on earth is he doing in there now, just moments before they reach the turrets?
...Why, overclocking the Gear a touch. Manually.
Just for the moment.
He's going to want those improved reflexes in a moment.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool Emergency Gear Repair Kit toward his party's challenge, Anti-Intruder Turrets.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"Good thing. I didn't get very long to look," Lily admits. ...But she has some interest in the matter of the transformation and how it influences things. Is it generally disorienting? "...I got it, Fei. I got it."
But abrubtly thre are turrets ahead, and they have little time to prepare. Acting quickly, Lily loads the Copy Artificial Medium into place on the Gear's console, letting it hover and spin there as she channels magic into it. "All right... Engage!"
For some reason, Lily mad preparations for being in a killbox this time, and shadows erupt around her Gear, briefly making the entire thing invisible and maybe more considering that it might actually help against all the bullets.
"Careful!"
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Moon Medium toward her party's challenge, Anti-Intruder Turrets.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Take cover!" Leon commands.
He makes the Weglaff duck down, and then lifts up the right arm. The coiled wire on it fires -- and he shoots it up into one of the turrets, then yanks the blue Gear's arm down. That pulls the turret-mounted cannon.
He whips it, trying to tear the turret out of the wall, then smash it into one of its fellows, before deactivating the magnetic head -- and releasing the debris.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Wire Shooter toward his party's challenge, Anti-Intruder Turrets.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Yes... I usually have... Noeline helping guide my senses, through our link," speaks the Ley Dragon with her almost echo-y, empathic channel of senses. "But... I must be able to train and hone my senses on my own as well."
Citan starts overclocking the Gear, and she blinks a few times -- and as Leon asks them to take cover, she hunkers down and focuses, the mandalas on her shoulders glowing once more as she generates a familiar glowing, shimmering barrier, only expanded over a much larger area.
"Ngg... this will hold for a while...!"
DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Anti-Intruder Turrets.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei looks visible confused when Riesenlied starts going right left right on him. "Uh...yeah. Sure." Fei says, sweating even more profusely within his cockpit. He really hopes Citan isn't noticing this because he'd really rather not be called out right now. He's feeling sensitivev right now.
Possibly because he was almost bested by a goose and is now kind of wondering if maybe he was too proud about finally chasing a goose out of town? Like, is that really worth that much pride?
Normally Fei would rely on his flight engines to fly around and avoid the turret fire but Fei...
...forgot about the flight engine and so he crouches down in Weltall and just tries to use the train itself as cover and endure the automatic assault.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Anti-Intruder Turrets.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Anti-Intruder Turrets *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The service lights in the tunnel whip by, streaks of aquamarine light that speak to the train car's speed. Then, light from the headlamp glints across a dozen domes mounted in the walls. They swivel as one, splitting open to reveal triple-barreled autocannons inside. The guns turn, twist as one, and track your train car. Then they open fire, the dark tunnel illuminated by muzzle flashes -- and the rounds slam into the flatbed, punching holes in the bottom of the train car -- and quite possibly your Gears, too. =Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Slow, Wound=====================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 4 *>============================ ======================< Results - Anti-Intruder Turrets >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 21 --(0)--> 21 Pass Emergency Gear Repair Kit 3 Agility Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 41 --(0)--> 41 Pass Wire Shooter 3 Agility Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 31 --(0)--> 31 Pass Moon Medium 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 16 --(0)--> 16 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 16 --(0)--> 16 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Citan Uzuki 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Madness|Slow(2)|Stupify(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Citan Uzuki 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: Leon Albus has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ================<* CHALLENGE - Unfinished Gryndille Prototype *>================ |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The flatbed train car that you have boarded rushes along into an open area, with a bridge over a reservoir. Huge chunks of steel have landed below, where a battle has left chunks of metal in the water -- sticking out like grave markers, and fresh. The bridge continues until a docking station, which reaches out like a port in the storm. The tracks end here. The train car slows to a stop. The docking station has a number of old crates, and one of them shudders -- and then shatters apart with a burst of metal and rust, as soon as the train comes to a stop. From it, a skeletal automaton emerges: a humanoid torso, with a large cannon arm and a bladed arm, and then a spider-like lower body. However, the machinery is unarmored and unfinished in places, giving it an unsettling look. It is a model like the infamous automaton, Gryndille, which destroyed at Krosse -- but unfinished. It is, however, tremendously hostile. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
The turrets unload. This makes Leon's warning -- to duck! -- all the more important. Consequently no one takes so much as a scratch from the incoming cannonade.
The wire snakes off towards the wall, wrapping tightly about one of the turrets; their forward momentum plus Weglaf's strength sees it wrench free in a shower of sparks and debris. It handily slams into not just one but two of its brethern, similarly taking them -- and more than a few others -- in an explosion of sparks and metal once the magnetic force is deactivated.
But a number of them still remain.
Riesenlied and Lily's applied sorcery mesh well with one another: Lily herself becomes briefly not at all a registered target, while Riesenlied's barrier absorbs the few shots that do come their way.
Dropped down in a crouch alongside Weltall, which is similarly positioned, Citan urges Heimdal forward, reaching slowly for the mechanism at the front. If he's right about their location--
A few more shots rebound off the barrier. It might not hold much longer.
He reaches forward suddenly, then, as if in hopes of finding some way to accelerate the car--
But it is quickly purposeless: one final burst rebounds from the barrier towards the back of the car, and then they're out of the range of the turrets.
And quickly approaching the bottom.
"Now-- prepare yourselves! I do not know what we might find!" Citan says, as Heimdall rises to its feet.
But he has a good guess.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon retracts the wire, the thing coiling back quickly until it hits the holding mechanism with a clang. His eyes dart side to side, to be sure that everyone is aboard and no one's Gear seems too damaged. Even better, he thinks.
"We're almost there," he says. "We'll know, soon."
The train car rushes into the same open area, where they fought the guardian: a train track that is a bridge over a huge reservoir, and ending in a massive docking station. As the train car comes to a stop, Weglaff steps off first. Then, it stops.
Leon's eyes widen, as a steel crate shatters apart. The thing that emerges has a huge cannon and a bladed arm; its armor is patched, however, and incomplete. The prototype of Gryndille steps forward, on its spider-like limbs.
It aims its cannon -- and then fires an enormous blast towards the train, and rushes forward.
There is a spike of fear through Leon. He feels that sudden tension, that familiar threat. His mouth opens -- then his jaw sets.
And then Weglaff jumps, firing its gatling cannon down, peppering the automaton with rounds.
DG: Leon Albus has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Here it is. Lily knows that form; it's burned into her memory from every time she's encountered it before. The great cannon; the bladed arm. ...But the unarmored places, the unfinished places, each stands out as wrong. Here, moving at these speeds, she can't just get out of her Gear to face it the way she's faced it before, and she's pretty sure the Gear couldn't handle her transformation. But this one is unfinished. Maybe...
"Looks like," Lily answers. Is it fear? Is it fascination? She can't tell what she's feeling as she looks at it, as her mind naturally tries to locate its finished form.
The Ether booster whines, almost of its own accord; Lily begins to glow brightly enough that the cockpit gleams red, shining like a gigantic ruby.
The bombardment starts; a great beam of red energy seeks to outright unmake unarmored pieces of the automaton, starting with its legs.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
The car soon reaches the dock below, shuddering to a halt as it comes to a stop. Citan at first says nothing; the Gear he pilots turns as if to scan the area for any incoming threats. It seems at a first glance that there are none to be had--
Until one of those crates down here shatters open, and the incomplete form of the prototype unfolds from within.
"There you are," the doctor murmurs, narrowing his eyes.
"Try to avoid undue damage!" he shouts to the others. "We must not cause the blast doors to close!"
And, also, it would be a good thing to collect a better sample from the prototype... but perhaps beggars can't be choosers in this sort of scenario.
Heimdall raises a hand towards the machine, and from the Gear's forearm again rockets that repurposed rescue tool, the harpooning end rocketing through the air at dangerous speeds. If nothing else, perhaps he can help lock down the automaton in place while the others do their best to take it apart.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower toward his party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"R-Right...!" Riesenlied echoes towards Citan's warning once more, relieved as the barrier hangs tight; she sags a little, perhaps visibly drained by this point. No, she needs to hang on just a little bit more...
But the sight of an unfinished Gryndille...
"Ngg..."
There's so many memories. Both good and bad.
Her first meetings with Leon and Lily in Adlehyde. Back when she still was pretending, having so many layers of deceit she had to pull up; going with them to Mount Eldrin, then the battle at the Kaiser's Summer Palace... then Krosse, where it finally ended.
"In a way, I am glad... that this machine has granted me the opportunity to meet you all."
Riesenlied suddenly soars into the skies, wings outspread as she launches herself to a high point in the room; she feels a fluctuation in the Ley for a moment as Lily's bombardment starts.
"Come to think of it... I was curious about... last time, Lily. When you transformed... But now is not the time. Then...!"
The Ley Dragon's mouth hangs open as a powerful, bright sphere of Ley energy gathers within; bands upon bands of intricate glyphs surround it as every line pulses within her body.
"...5..."
Even for Gryndille, she will count.
"...4..."
That is the rule of the Dragon.
"...3..."
Their acquaintance started on such shaky ground...
"...2..."
But through thick and thin she hung through with them.
"...1..."
And now...
-Anima Flare-
What launches-- is a familiar stream of pure-white Ley; as it erupts, the visible symbol of Odoryuk, in the form of translucent blue butterflies, flutters by its side as it threatens to envelop the machine and cross with Lily's own devastating swath of power.
DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Dragon's Impulse toward her party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Oh geeze," Fei says, "There's another one??"
They talked about this before and it was always a possibility but it's strange to see it happening now ven so. He kind of hoped that the worst case scenario (or at least one of them) was just all in their own head. One prototype Gryndille is faintly distressing, TWO suggests a whole 'nother problem.
Fei takes in a deep breath within Weltall's cockpit, charges forward and aims to pepper Gryndille with Weltall's chi blasts, occassionally following through with some kind of bizarre jumping river-dancing-on-the-head combo.
DG: Fei Fong Wong has used his Tool RPS Badge toward his party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype.
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ================<* CHALLENGE - Unfinished Gryndille Prototype *>================ |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The flatbed train car that you have boarded rushes along into an open area, with a bridge over a reservoir. Huge chunks of steel have landed below, where a battle has left chunks of metal in the water -- sticking out like grave markers, and fresh. The bridge continues until a docking station, which reaches out like a port in the storm. The tracks end here. The train car slows to a stop. The docking station has a number of old crates, and one of them shudders -- and then shatters apart with a burst of metal and rust, as soon as the train comes to a stop. From it, a skeletal automaton emerges: a humanoid torso, with a large cannon arm and a bladed arm, and then a spider-like lower body. However, the machinery is unarmored and unfinished in places, giving it an unsettling look. It is a model like the infamous automaton, Gryndille, which destroyed at Krosse -- but unfinished. It is, however, tremendously hostile. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Suffer============================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 5 *>============================ ==================< Results - Unfinished Gryndille Prototype >================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 21 --(10)--> 31 Pass ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 41 --(10)--> 51 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 31 --(10)--> 41 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fei Fong Wong 16 --(10)--> 26 Pass RPS Badge 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Riesenlied 16 --(10)--> 26 Pass Dragon's Impulse 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Citan Uzuki 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Madness|Slow(1)|Suffer(1)|Wound(2) Effects: ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Citan Uzuki has successfully explored Shae Ving!
================================<* Shae Ving *>================================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Half of a Zeboim Gear *>===================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The docking station at the end of the train tracks have numerous doors and tunnels to investigate. Looking through all of them is impossible, though you do find one with an elevator that -- if the little map by it is accurate -- should lead outside. You pick one, and the door slides up to provide access to your Gears. The room that you enter is a workshop for Gears. You find a half-finished Zeboim-era Gear. Specifically, the lower half, which is a six-legged insectoid crawler. You could supply a Gear torso, then use the facility here to construct a Gear with an insectoid-like lower half. You could acquire a Gear from this -- or modify an existing Gear form. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
The automaton moves fast, using its spider-like legs. Its lack of armor, however, makes it susceptible to the attacks thrown at the version of Gryndille. While Lily's beam of red light scores the armor, starting to melt it away, Citan's rockets fly out and catch open machinery.
The legs stick, jamming against the modified repair tool, and it lurches to a stop. This lets Weltall rush in, and chi blasts shoot through the armor.
And then, the massive blast of Ley energies from Riesenlied fly down and hole it through. The torso is blown off the legs. It collapses to the ground, in a smoking heap.
Leon looks down at it. Then, he swallows. "...That answers that," he says. "It must be mass-produced. At least... partly."
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"Indeed, it does..." Citan remarks, readjusting his glasses. "Now, we only need to determine whether it was produced recently or not. Let us see what we can find within."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily looks over the remnant, after Riesenlied's blast fades. She considers it for a long few moments.
"...Yes," she agrees with Citan. "Let's have a look. I'm getting closer."
Mass-produced...
"We need to determine whether there are others out there."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
By the time the blast subsides, and the mass-produced machine is obliterated...
The Ley Dragon is gone. Riesenlied is seated in a half-frumphy mess, breathing hard as she looks up towards the others, then towards the machine.
"I... I am okay...!" she breathes. "Need a moment... fueeh..."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"/Geeze." Fei says, as the fight ends.
He lets out a long sigh and follows after the others, stalling as he notices Riesenlied's condition.
"I'll wait with you, Riese." He says.