2020-04-23: The Guards and the Goose

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  • Log: The Guards and the Goose
  • Cast: White Knight Leo, Day Muirwall, Kaguya, Pearl, Hilde
  • Where: A Small Village (on a Lovely Day)
  • Date: April 22, 2020
  • Summary: The White Dragon Crest is stolen by a criminal of unparallelled skill. Are the Guard able to face off against this diabolical fiend?


DG: A party led by White Knight Leo is now entering Untitled Goose Dig.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - Steal Precious Object - Underway *>===============
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 It's a lovely day in this small village. For once, it appears nothing at all  
 can go wrong. This is the perfect day to take it easy -- to have a lazy day.  
                                                                               
 Which is why it might come to some surprise that a horrible goose is          
 attempting to steal something precious belonging to one of those among you.   
                                                                               
 The goose is not easily dissuaded. If rebuffed, it tries again and again,     
 approaching from different angles, all the while attempting to take what it   
 so apparently desires.                                                        
                                                                               
 And should it get it -- then it will run off with it!                         
                                                                               
 Can you evade the goose, or will a chase become necessary?                    
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Exhaust============================================
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    For want of permanent accomodations, the Guard has been holed up on the outskirts of Meria. The scene is an almost bucolic village--a collection of farms, really, with a small town square, a general store, a Memory Cube, and a post office. The general-store owner sits on her shop's porch, drinking tea. A group of children play stickball on the village green.

    "Come on, throw already!" The current batter, a twelve-year-old girl in a dusty gingham dress, waits impatiently for the pitch. Across the way, the pitcher--her little brother--makes a show of limbering up his arms. She's growing impatient. More importantly, she's growing oblivious to what is now sneaking up behind her. As the pitcher winds back for the throw, she sets her feet. So intent is she on the ball that she does not see the perfectly normal-looking goose as it snags one of her bootlaces and gives it a hard pull.

    "AHH!"

    It's enough to disrupt the poor batter's balance--the ball flies over her head as she goes down in a tangle of limbs, arcs gracefully through the air, and then--

    CRASH

    --Through the window of the inn behind the village green.

    From White Knight Leo's perspective, the ball comes out of nowhere, smashing through the glass, bouncing off the table in front of him, and rolling across the floor. The big Beastman startles, sets down his newspaper, and takes a moment to stare out the window. Outside are several children--several red-faced, one red-faced and dusty, and at least one attempting to flee the scene. Leo gives a rolling shrug. "Fear not!" he says, flashing his best smile. "I will retrieve your wayward toy, and inform the owner that this was a simple accident!"

    Where's the ball, though? It's just barely visible under a cabinet in the inn's lower common room. Catching sight of it, Leo kneels in front of the cabinet, and starts groping around for the wayward ball.

    All according to plan.

    As the White Knight searches under the cabinet, a sinister presence puts the next step of its plan into motion. Webbed feet patter across the floor of the inn as the goose struts right up to the distracted White Knight. Its prize? The White Dragon Crest, dangling temptingly from Leo's neck!

    Steal a Sacred Font of Althena's Power

    Can our heroes stop this fowl plan before it's too late?

DG: White Knight Leo has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Steal Precious Object -
Underway.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Just when Sir Day thought he was out, he emerges from his quiet review of the merch in a back room to bear witness to what he least wanted to see.

It's that damn fowl. Again.

"I thought we were done with that thing after our run-in with a giant chicken," the young knight grumbles, but his irritation passes as he realizes just what the goose has this time, and whom it snagged it from. His eyes go wide, and he reaches back into his room to come up with his sword and shield.

"Catch that fowl!" he shouts. "The goose is loose!"

Just outside the door, Vess - seemingly unnoticed by the children, squeaks and takes a dive at the goose. She lands on her face in front of the store. The children pay her no mind and just scamper away from the honking avian.

A brief flash of frustration dances in Day's eyes before he dashes out with a quick touch of the white Chiro Tail hanging from his belt. He moves to help Vess up, glaring after the goose.

"This time, it's war," he rumbles.

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Shiro's Tail toward his party's challenge, Steal Precious Object - Underway.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

Kaguya, as usual, has come and gone as she pleased. She is not playing stickball with the kids. In point of fact she's kind of just hanging out here at the moment, lazing. Well, a Duchess does not laze. She is doing something perfectly dignified that involves tilting her head at the broken window and shrugging. But then--then, there is...

"...Are you really going for it?" Kaguya asks of the goose. Is this happening? Day is talking about a loose goose.

Kaguya watches.

DG: Kaguya has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Steal Precious Object - Underway.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    Outside in the village, Guardswoman Pearl is training, because Guardswoman Pearl is always training and has no other hobbies or interests, except maybe cake, and she won't admit to that one. Right now, she is beating up a long dead tree, while her student (Amy) watches. "You know we could spar, right?" She asks, a little bored. Pearl shakes her head.

    "We have already sparred." Pearl responds unhelpfully. "You should train on your own for the moment." The teenager crosses her arms at Pearl, and lets out a little hmph, clearly intending to pout until punching happens. Fortunately, there is an interruption. A yell of 'Catch that fowl!' rings out. Pearl steps back from anti-tree operations. "Very well. Let us make a race of it."

    And then Pearl fires off her wrist mounted grapnel, while Amy is still going 'wait, what'. As Pearl moves to try and get ahead of the goose and intercept it and the crest. Amy charges along on foot, to try and give the Goose nowhere to run.

    Teamwork!

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wrist-Mounted Grapnel toward her party's challenge, Steal Precious Object - Underway.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

It was supposed to be a calm, pleasant day. The sort of day one uses to relax and catch up on their reading, or equipment maintenance. Hilde's been doing a bit of both, but she's interrupted from the latter by the sound of something crashing through the inn window.

"Is everything alright? I heard a most horrible crash..." Hilde asks, hurrying out of her room, her voice trailing off as she spots the scene unfolding in the common room. She had been tending to her armor when it happened. She rarely takes it off, so it may be strange to see her in more casual wear - a simple button-up shirt and trousers. She's left her sword and shield behind, too.

So, when she lays eyes on that goose and hears Day's shout, she has to think quickly.

"Understood!" She grabs a length of rope nearby and, in one swift motion, forms it into a lasso which she quickly hurls in an attempt to catch that goose!

She does not yet realise the depths of the goose's cunning.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Rope Lance toward her party's challenge, Steal Precious Object - Underway.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - Steal Precious Object - Underway *>===============
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 It's a lovely day in this small village. For once, it appears nothing at all  
 can go wrong. This is the perfect day to take it easy -- to have a lazy day.  
                                                                               
 Which is why it might come to some surprise that a horrible goose is          
 attempting to steal something precious belonging to one of those among you.   
                                                                               
 The goose is not easily dissuaded. If rebuffed, it tries again and again,     
 approaching from different angles, all the while attempting to take what it   
 so apparently desires.                                                        
                                                                               
 And should it get it -- then it will run off with it!                         
                                                                               
 Can you evade the goose, or will a chase become necessary?                    
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Exhaust============================================
=======================<* Untitled Goose Dig - Round 1 *>=======================
=================< Results - Steal Precious Object - Underway >=================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    0 --(3)--> 3                   Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               0 --(3)--> 3                   Pass
Rope Lance                          2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               0 --(3)--> 3                   Pass
Wrist-Mounted Grapnel               3   Agility Effects: Rally                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        0 --(3)--> 3                   Pass
Shiro's Tail                        2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaguya                              0 --(3)--> 3                   Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: White Knight Leo            0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Tire(2)
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by White Knight Leo 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> White Knight Leo has posed.

    Fortunately, the goose is incapable of teleportation. In order to get from the batter to Leo--and its ultimate goal--it must first cross the village green. Being a goose, is isn't particularly fast, and when Day raises the alarm, it simply waddles a little faster. "HONK," it says. Does it recognize him? Is it daring him to stop it? Can one ascribe such thoughts to such a creature? As Day helps Vess up, it charges past them, into the inn's open door.

    Pearl expertely grapples into place. Suddenly presented with an obstacle, the goose lets out another "HONK!", flaps its wings, and tries to dodge past her. For a moment, there's a standoff...

    And then Hilde's lasso slips around its wing. The goose honks indignantly for a moment or two, and then slips free while the going is good. It slips into the ornamental shrubbery outside the inn, and is gone.

    Did it retreat? What was it after?

    "Was that... honking?" Leo emerges from the inn a moment later, the lost ball in his hand.

    Did he even notice how close he came to losing something irreplacable to a goose???

DG: Pearl has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed *>===============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 "Hey! Can anyone hear me? The door won't open!"                               
                                                                               
 It's a young woman's voice, coming from a nearby garden shed! Upon some       
 investigation, you determine that her name is Rena, that she was              
 investigating some weird sounds from inside the shed when suddenly the door   
 slammed shut and she can't get it open.                                       
                                                                               
 The lock, as it turns out, is crammed with various sorts of debris and        
 scrap. Something very determined jammed this lock.                            
                                                                               
 Which means that the easiest way to get her out is to... break down that      
 door.                                                                         
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Weaken=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    The goose disappears into the greenery and, despite keen eyes, is gone. For now. Pearl stares at the shrubbery. "Where are you?" She mutters quietly, as if waiting for it to appear so she can pounce. Which means it's a surprise when Amy speaks up.

    "Um, Sensei? It sounds like there's someone stuck over here." Pearl is waved over, and she comes up to the door.

    "Oh thank Granas, someone is there! Please, the doors stuck, I can't get it open!" Pearl looks down at the lock. "Please, I can't get out! The door won't open!"

    Pearl looks down at the lock. It is filled with... stuff. Stuff that should not BE in a lock. She looks up again. "...Very well, I believe we can assist." She says quietly, before yelling out "Commander! There is a civilian trapped inside this shed! I could use your assistance!" The call is generally to the other Guards too, but Leo's the one she's always sure will jump at the chance to save people. Unless they're heretics which, to be fair, this woman might be.

    While she waits for the others, Pearl pulls on her clawed gloves, and sizes up the door. "Amy, on three. One, two, three!" And then she puts full force into trying to smash the door down, or possibly shatter it into pieces.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wolf Claws toward her party's challenge, Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

She could be a heretic. One never knows. But Kaguya finds herself watching the goose in some fascination. It honks terribly. It is freeing itself. It has retreated...

And yet. It is not done.

"Huhhh," Kaguya announces, and keeps going. As Pearl mentions the door, she lifts an eyebrow, and walks on over to see it being attacked. "Someone really wanted her stuck in here," Kaguya says. She sounds, if anything... impressed.

Yes, she can appreciate this goose's style, though she looks for the hinge to just bust the door up if possible.

DG: Kaguya has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Supporting Vess with an arm around her for a moment, Day takes a brief respite to ensure his charge is back on her feet. That's about when Pearl calls out.

Day presses his lips together briefly, but it doesn't stop him from immediately moving in that direction. He's without his armour - just his usual tunic, trousers and boots, along with gloves and armaments - but it'll hardly encumber him here.

"Can it be unlocked?" he asks, before he takes a look at the keyhole as well.

He scowls. "...That accursed goose."

Pearl's getting her claws out; Day lacks those. He urges Vess to the side nevertheless, the young woman complying with her hand curled at her collar. With a steadying breath, Day readies himself, as if preparing to unleash some ultimate technique upon the door.

That technique is winding up and kicking it really hard.

DG: Day Muirwall has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde manages to catch the goose's wing, but it isn't long before it manages to slip free. She's satisfied, though, and quickly rolls the rope back up. She'll hold onto it for now, and return it to where she found it when finished.

"There was a goose. It appeared to be after something, but I am not certain what..." Hilde explains. Her gaze drifts in the direction the goose fled... but, as she looks that way, she hears pounding against the nearby garden shed.

She hurries to join the others, frowning as they investigate the door.

"Do not worry, young one - we will have you out shortly. You must be hungry - I can take care of that." She says. With that said, Hilde prepares to deploy snacks - and there will be some for her allies too, of course, to give them a bit more energy for breaking through the door.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Magical Pouch toward her party's challenge, Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    Leo gives the shrubbery a suspicious look, then glances back at Hilde. "A goose did this?" Leo narrows his eyes. His tone is skeptical, to say the least. "Perhaps it was looking for something to eat." Blissfully unaware of the true threat, Leo steps forward and presents the ball to the group of stickballers. The batter accepts it, blushing all the while. "I--I'll tell Mrs. Wilford what happened," the young woman says. "I'm sure she'll--"

'Commander! There is a civilian trapped inside this shed!'

    Leo's ears twitch, and he turns away from the children for a moment. "I'm on my way!" He offers his most charming smile to the children, rounds the side of the inn, and comes to the jammed door. "How strange," Leo remarks, as he peers at the mess of sticks, mud, and other debris lodged in the lock. "What miscreant could have done this?" Much like Pearl, his immediate recourse is brute force. Leo straps on a pair of gauntlets studded with bits of amber-like crystal, and braces his feet. The mud jammed into the lock starts to flow out, even as Leo pulls alongside Pearl.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Earthgrasp Gauntlets toward his party's challenge, Jam Shed Door's Lock -
Completed.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed *>===============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 "Hey! Can anyone hear me? The door won't open!"                               
                                                                               
 It's a young woman's voice, coming from a nearby garden shed! Upon some       
 investigation, you determine that her name is Rena, that she was              
 investigating some weird sounds from inside the shed when suddenly the door   
 slammed shut and she can't get it open.                                       
                                                                               
 The lock, as it turns out, is crammed with various sorts of debris and        
 scrap. Something very determined jammed this lock.                            
                                                                               
 Which means that the easiest way to get her out is to... break down that      
 door.                                                                         
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Weaken=============================================
=======================<* Untitled Goose Dig - Round 2 *>=======================
=================< Results - Jam Shed Door's Lock - Completed >=================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    3 --(0)--> 3                   Pass
Earthgrasp Gauntlets                3   Brute   Effects: Fanfare              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               3 --(0)--> 3                   Pass
Magical Pouch                       1   Brute   Effects: Cleanse              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               3 --(0)--> 3                   Pass
Wolf Claws                          2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        3 --(5)--> 8                   Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaguya                              3 --(0)--> 3                   Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: White Knight Leo            20 --(20)--> 40                Pass
Conditions: Tire(2)|Weaken(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by White Knight Leo 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> Pearl has posed.

    Perhaps, there is no door that can stand up to the sustained fury of Althena's Guard. This one certainly can't. Amy slips back from the door so Kaguya can get at the hinges. She also, in the process of standing back, takes a snack from the proffered foodstuff. As Kaguya demolishes hinges, Day comes in with a full strength kick that rattles the door, and possibly his ankle. Pearl and Leo, apply brute force and willpower! Mostly brute force. The door comes off, and a young woman comes tumbling out of the shed, landing right in front of Hilde and her many delicious treats.

    A sandwich and a few moments of rest later, the woman is recalling her story. "I just heard a noise in the shed, so I went to see what it was. Then all of a sudden the door was closed and the lock didn't work. I'm so thankful you came when you did. I wonder what happened?"

    Pearl stands back a bit, letting the members of the guard who are good at conversation and comforting people do their thing. Pearl continues to scan the horizon for whatever could have done this. "Guardsman Muirwall, you said you encountered this creature before?" Pearl also casts a glance Kaguya's way, possibly to checking on how she's doing. Or maybe something far more ominous.

DG: Kaguya has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Thwart Exorcism - Completed *>==================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 What... on Filgaia happened here? There's simply debris of every kind strewn  
 around this part of the village, as if a sudden storm had swept in and just   
 as quickly departed. There is also an Etone, looking rather like he's had     
 better days.                                                                  
                                                                               
 "I attempted an exorcism on it, but..."                                       
                                                                               
 Billy explains that he had caught up to the horrible goose and attempted to   
 exorcise whatever fell spirit had taken it over, but that Things Happened.    
                                                                               
 Not that long ago, as it were, and the goose went over thattaway after. But   
 if you're keen to follow it, you're going to have to go through the worst of  
 the exorcism's aftermath.                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Fright=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

Kaguya is looking ill, not that that's especially strange. But mostly she's thoughtful as she considers the woman's story. The question of snacks, meanwhile, finds Kaguya's answer to be 'yes'. The goose...

The goose must still be ahead of them, because as Kaguya moves on from the shed--Well, no. There's something that happens with the shed before that.

"Great," Kaguya says to Rena. "We're gonna hang out with people who don't get locked in sheds."

She leads on ahead. And soon, they see... desks. Books. Potted plants. Shelves. Nothing is spared.

"What," Kaguya says to Billy as she comes across him, and he explains... In nice, real dialogue, that someone actually writes, but it isn't KAGUYA.

"So uh, try not to die getting through the unholy mess I guess." Pause. "I mean not literally unholy probably. But maybe? I dunno though."

"This is a lot of mess for one goose." She looks back to Pearl... and nods, thoughtfully. "So this is what this thing does, then? ...Man."

<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Day - who takes a moment to shake his leg out to get feeling back into his ankle - gives Kaguya a worried look. Not that it's unusual for the woman to seem a little sick or out of sorts, but it's concerning nevertheless, especially given some of the things he's seen.

Nevertheless he falls in with the alien duchess, on into an area strewn with the debris of some disastrous occurrence. "It looks like a library just vomited in the street," he deadpans, scratching his cheek.

Fortunately there is a nice etone nearby to explain things.

Unfortunately, it's going to make things harder.

Resting his hands at his hips, Day looks over the mess with a grimace. "This is no ordinary goose, Lady Alathfar. I've trifled with this felonious fowl before. This goose... this goose is a foul fiend in its own right, I daresay."

With a hand gripped around the tuft of white fur at his belt, Day begins to move forward, Vess sliding along behind more carefully. The young knight seems able to maneuver through the obstacles surprisingly quickly - but then, the Shiro Tail tends to help with that. He darts around one object, then another--

"--Is that a credenza? It's really cute. I can't believe it's just lying there--"

"Day," Vess interrupts.

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Shiro's Tail toward his party's challenge, Thwart Exorcism - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    Oh no, dissed! Fortunately Rena is a cameo at this point and has run out of lines. When Kaguya sets off, Pearl follows, and then Amy follows Pearl, a little surprised at how quickly she set off. "Hey, hold o- What the hell happened here."

    Pearl looks at the wreckage, then the Etone, then the wreckage again. "...A Goose did this?" She asks, incredulously. "Impressive." What power could this fell fowl possess? Could it be harnessed, or is this Goose too much of an agent of Chaos to be steered?

    Of course, if it's all due to a demon that's far less interesting. Pearl shakes her head. "I will go on ahead, Duchess Alathfar. Please inform me if you require assistance at any point." Pearl's always been kind of deferential to Kaguya, but to the astute, maybe this is more than normal. And then she fires her grapnel ahead to try and circumvent most of the obstacles.

    "Hey, what am I supposed to do!?" Amy yells at Pearl. She gets a curt response.

    "Walk. It should not be difficult for you." Amy starts grumbling, but sets through the obstacle course herself.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wrist-Mounted Grapnel toward her party's challenge, Thwart Exorcism - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

"I am... uncertain. But do be careful." Hilde replies to Rena's question. Today is a rather strange day... she's not entirely sure what to make of it. Still, they won't find anything just standing around here. She moves to follow the others, and pauses, staring in shock at the chaos before them as they head to another part of town.

"My goodness...! What in the world happened here?" She questions. She looks between Billy, Kaguya, Day as they speak, and shakes her head in disbelief. "I must admit, I cannot believe this is the handiwork of but a single goose..."

But even so, the signs of its trouble are evident. Hilde very carefully picks her way through the scattered debris, every so often using her borrowed rope to grab suspicious things from afar and move them, just in case the fowl most foul happens to be lying in wait beneath them.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Rope Lance toward her party's challenge, Thwart Exorcism - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    DURING THE SANDWICH INTERLUDE

    "Some miscreant locked you in there," Leo explains, as Rena takes a moment to recover. "Through a most unusual means, too--the lock was jammed." He frowns, puts his hands on his hips. "Though that makes a door we have to replace."

    Leo frowns. His gaze settles upon Day Muirwall. "If you've encountered the menace responsible, then it's only appropriate that you advise me." He pauses a beat, letting it sink in. "Are you certain it was a goose, though? I don't remember our geese ever being this... unpleasant."

    SOME TIME AGO

    Five-year-old Leo approaches his family's small pond with a bucket of feed swinging from the crook of his arm. "Hey!" he cries, dumping out a handful of feed. "Lunchtime! Lunchtime for--"

    "HONK."

    "WAAH!"

    Five-year-old Leo just about jumps out of his skin, and the (comparatively) enormous goose that startled him goes to town on the feed bucket. Which he just dropped.

    NOW

    Leo frowns. "This is not good."

    NOW

    "A most /fowl/ fiend/," Leo says, because Working Designs knows neither shame nor decency. He stands beside Day, unhooking a length of rope from his belt. He narrows his eyes slightly at Billy, but this is neither the time nor the place to debate the effectivness of a rival faith's exorcisms. "Then it falls to us," he says. Leo throws the hook, which flies through the air and wraps around a length of trellis. Leo gingerly pulls it back into its place on the side of a house. One obstacle out of the way!

    Dozens more to go.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Rope Ladder toward his party's challenge, Thwart Exorcism - Completed.
DG: Kaguya has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Thwart Exorcism - Completed.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Thwart Exorcism - Completed *>==================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 What... on Filgaia happened here? There's simply debris of every kind strewn  
 around this part of the village, as if a sudden storm had swept in and just   
 as quickly departed. There is also an Etone, looking rather like he's had     
 better days.                                                                  
                                                                               
 "I attempted an exorcism on it, but..."                                       
                                                                               
 Billy explains that he had caught up to the horrible goose and attempted to   
 exorcise whatever fell spirit had taken it over, but that Things Happened.    
                                                                               
 Not that long ago, as it were, and the goose went over thattaway after. But   
 if you're keen to follow it, you're going to have to go through the worst of  
 the exorcism's aftermath.                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Fright=============================================
=======================<* Untitled Goose Dig - Round 3 *>=======================
===================< Results - Thwart Exorcism - Completed >====================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    3 --(3)--> 6                   Pass
Rope Ladder                         2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               3 --(3)--> 6                   Pass
Rope Lance                          2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               3 --(3)--> 6                   Pass
Wrist-Mounted Grapnel               3   Agility Effects: Rally                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        8 --(3)--> 11                  Pass
Shiro's Tail                        2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaguya                              3 --(3)--> 6                   Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: White Knight Leo            40 --(20)--> 60                Pass
Conditions: Fright(2)|Tire(2)
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by White Knight Leo 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> Kaguya has posed.

Day makes use of the speedy tail and finds many interesting objects. He could just--he could just take some, if he wanted. But that would be stealing wouldn't it. It would be wrong.

Pearl, on the other hand, wonders at the chaos and power in this goose... and she goes on ahead. With a grapnel. This works. Amy is stuck just walking and Kaguya laughs, because of course she does.

She just sort of walks through things.

"Right?" Kaguya asks of Hilde, agreeing with Pearl. "But apparently..."

The rope works fine to grab things, and move them, and thanks to Hilde's work they do not run afowl of other animals that are taking advantage of the opportunity.

Leo helpfully fixes things with his ropes. It's much better than bothering poor Billy who doesn't get any real lines on account of KAGUYA not being familiar.

In short the place is somewhat better for the passage of the Guard. But the goose remains... mysterious.

"I need to meet this goose," Kaguya decides.

DG: Day Muirwall has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>=============================
============<* CHALLENGE - Disrupt Insurance Evaluation - Completed *>============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
 A cry rings out from the shopfront plaza, followed by a loud crash! You dash  
 to see whatever was the matter, and briefly, from atop a pile of fallen       
 crates, barrels, and other assorted shipping debris, is that horrible goose!  
 It flaps its wings once and makes tracks.                                     
                                                                               
 Which leaves you alone with the shopkeeper and the pair of agents from the    
 Bernardelli Insurance Society. They're unharmed, but what a mess...           
                                                                               
 "Is that normal around here?" asks the shorter of the two, a woman named      
 Meryl. Apparently there was an evaluation for the shopkeeper's insurance      
 going on, but now with all this mess, there's no way they can complete it.    
                                                                               
 Unless, perhaps, you help out. Somehow.                                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Collapse===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Day does not take the credenza. He simply puts it back on its feet, gives it a quick brushing-off, and continues on.

"Meeting the goose is... something else," Day concedes with a glance over his shoulder. He opens his mouth to continue, but a loud crash cuts him off, followed by a few loud honks and a flapping of wings.

"There it goes!" Vess gasps, and Day breaks into a run as he spots the goose fluttering away from a shopfront. A heap of barrels of crates has been toppled in front of the store, leaving a pair of agents standing outside shaking their heads. One of them blinks as she spots Day.

"Oh. It's you again," Meryl says with an arch of her eyebrows. "Didn't you catch that goose already?"

Day's expression is bleak. "The goose is loose. Again."

"You know, most insurance doesn't cover goose-related incidents. You should keep an eye on that."

"Does your insurance cover it?" Day asks.

Meryl just looks at him.

Day sighs and reaches for a crate. "Right. Well. Let's clean this up and catch that thing."

DG: Day Muirwall has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Disrupt Insurance Evaluation -
Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    "It seems a creature of surprising destructive power." Pearl comments, as they come across another site that has felt the wrath of The Goose. This time, a store front. "I did not think it was so far ahead of us that it could do this." She watches as the Goose flees, and they come to a halt near the store. She pauses at the comments of the Bernadelli Insurance Agents. "This goose has returned to an area to repeat it's earlier activities? How interesting."

    Amy catches up, a few moments later. She seems nothing more than slightly irritated by being left behind. And then she sees the wreckage. She looks up at Pearl. "...So, we're going to keep going after that goose and not dealing with this, right?"

    Pearl looks at the path of the goose. Then she looks as Day starts cleaning up. She doesn't look at Amy. "It appears not." She says, after a moment, and starts walking towards the wreckage, claws on for extra grip.

    Amy sighs. "Today's been really lame, you know that?"

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wolf Claws toward her party's challenge, Disrupt Insurance Evaluation - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde looks back at Kaguya with a nod.

"...Apparently." She echoes in agreement. Fortunately, they manage to pick their way through the debris without incident. It brings them to the plaza, where they hear a cry ringing out. Hilde quickly hurries in that direction along with the others, only to once more find the aftermath of the carnage wrecked by the goose. The shop is in disarray, with the shopowner and, apparently, a pair of insurance agents left in the ruins.

"Do not fear - we will help you put things back together." Hilde says. "But first..."

Once more, Hilde passes out some foodstuffs to help replenish some of the energy they've lost chasing after the goose before putting herself to work lifting and moving things back into place.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Magical Pouch toward her party's challenge, Disrupt Insurance Evaluation - Completed.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    By the time the group arrives, it's already too late to stop more chaos from unfolding. The goose stands, triumphant, atop the pile of crates. Is it exulting in the mayhem it's caused, or is just coincidence? Who knows what dark thoughts lurk in the hearts of waterfowl?

    Leo meets the creature's beady eyes. His lips curl in a scowl at the sight. The goose hops off the pile, and is gone before Leo can give chase.

    "I am liking this creature less and less," Leo says. "What could have driven it to terrorize these innocents? It isn't--no, it couldn't be Malevolence. Could it?" Regardless, they've lost sight of it for now, and it's only right and proper to repair the damage it's done. Leo sets about righting the scattered cargo, the residual magic in his gauntlets amplifying his strength. "Is it--a local menace?" he asks Day. "It didn't... speak to you, did it? This cannot be an ordinary goose."

    "Can it?"

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Earthgrasp Gauntlets toward his party's challenge, Disrupt Insurance Evaluation -
Completed.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

Kaguya does notice the concern from Day of course--she just isn't really focusing a lot on concern at the moment. Instead, she's focusing on the fact that... They are apparently stopping to help. Which is fine enough, really. From a certain point of view.

Kaguya shrugs at Amy. "Could be worse!" she says.

Then she starts to pull a bomb. "You know, I have a great solution to this entire mess..."

Kaguya no.

(She may be distracted by snacks, or perhaps talk of an ordinary goose.)

DG: Kaguya has used her Tool Magnetic Resonance Bomb toward her party's challenge, Disrupt Insurance Evaluation -
Completed.
=============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>=============================
============<* CHALLENGE - Disrupt Insurance Evaluation - Completed *>============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
----------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------
 A cry rings out from the shopfront plaza, followed by a loud crash! You dash  
 to see whatever was the matter, and briefly, from atop a pile of fallen       
 crates, barrels, and other assorted shipping debris, is that horrible goose!  
 It flaps its wings once and makes tracks.                                     
                                                                               
 Which leaves you alone with the shopkeeper and the pair of agents from the    
 Bernardelli Insurance Society. They're unharmed, but what a mess...           
                                                                               
 "Is that normal around here?" asks the shorter of the two, a woman named      
 Meryl. Apparently there was an evaluation for the shopkeeper's insurance      
 going on, but now with all this mess, there's no way they can complete it.    
                                                                               
 Unless, perhaps, you help out. Somehow.                                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Tire, Collapse===========================================
========================<* Untitled Goose Dig - Round 4 *>========================
==============< Results - Disrupt Insurance Evaluation - Completed >==============
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Earthgrasp Gauntlets                3   Brute   Effects: Fanfare              
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Magical Pouch                       1   Brute   Effects: Cleanse              
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Wolf Claws                          2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        11 --(0)--> 11                 Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaguya                              6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Magnetic Resonance Bomb             3   Brute   Effects: Rally                
------------------------------------< Party >-------------------------------------
Leader: White Knight Leo            60 --(20)--> 80                Pass
Conditions: Collapse|Fright(1)|Tire(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1)
================================< Dream Chasers >=================================
DG: The party led by White Knight Leo 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> Day Muirwall has posed.

Someone's gotta worry about Kaguya, and in this case it's Day.

"It did not speak," Day answers Leo grimly. "We were asked to track it down by...." He grimaces. "...By a giant cucco with a sword. When last we saw the goose, it had met up with some sort of local spirit. The rest is something of a blur."

The young knight stacks one barrel on top of the other. He doesn't have Leo's raw Beastman strength, but what he's got will do, epecially once he's taken an olive from one of Hilde's sandwiches and nipped it down.

As irritated as Pearl may be about it all, the work goes surprisingly quickly. As for the bomb, Vess slips over to the woman and reaches out, snuffing the fuse with a wetted thumb and forefinger.

"Please don't blow up the nice lady's stuff. I think we'd be liable to Miss Meryl's insurance," she points out.

As if to prove her point, Meryl raises her hand.

DG: White Knight Leo has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - We Need A Plan *>========================
|Type: Climax      |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Enough is enough. This has gone on far too long already, and it's gotten      
 far, far too silly.                                                           
                                                                               
 Really, a goose?                                                              
                                                                               
 Surely you can think of some plan to handle this situation and end this       
 series of goose-derived chaos in this otherwise peaceful and placid village.  
                                                                               
 You just need to hash it out amongst yourselves. How are you going to stop    
 this nonsense?                                                                
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    "That's... deeply troubling," Leo says, once Day is done explaining his previous encounter. "A local spirit? Could that be the cause of this creature's abnormal behavior?" He sets down his crate, and dusts off his hands. "Though--what manner of spirit could do such a thing? Perhaps--no, nevermind. Ridiculous." He turns to Meryl, offers her a winning smile. "Rest assured that we will bring this fowl fiend to justice, madam."

    With the crates sorted--and, thankfully, still intact--the group heads outside. Leo takes a moment to scan their surroundings, searching for any sign of the goose's presence. All he sees, though, is the trail of destruction it left behind in the wake of Billy's attempted exorcism, and a few curious locals.

    "We need a plan," Leo says. "If we could only trap it somehow, perhaps by..." He trails off, smiling as an idea comes to him. "A genius plan. Geese cannot resist grain. We simply put some beneath a net, or a box, or a cage, sit back, and let it come to us."

    Leo looks satisfied. He might be underestimating this goose, just a tiny smidge.

DG: White Knight Leo has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, We Need A Plan.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

"I didn't get a very good look at it," Day admits with a slight blush. "All I remember is something hitting me very hard."

Quiet on the outside of the discussion, Vess wraps her arms around herself and lowers her gaze to the ground. "I don't know what it is that the goose desires. Maybe all it wishes is to create havoc, or to be chased. Maybe it craves the attention. But I can't fully understand it."

Day gazes at Vess in thought, resting his chin on one knuckle as he sits down on a box edge. "Mm. There's something about this fowl, isn't there?"

He looks towards Leo with a nod. "That may work, but we should be careful. If the creature returns again, my best recommendation is that we do not try and fight it. We just take the goose and escape."

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Vess's Guidance toward his party's challenge, We Need A Plan.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

A...giant cucco with a sword?

"I would question your tale, but after this day, I am not sure what to believe." Hilde replies, shaking her head in disbelief.

But, they manage to clean up the store well enough, and then head outside. Leo, then, suggests a plan.

"It is true - food is often a motivation for them. If need be, I am willing to sacrifice some of my more experimental sandwiches as a distraction." Hilde offers, considering. "We will need to be quick, however - and to be cautious that it doesn't somehow lure us into our owntrap."

DG: Hilde has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, We Need A Plan.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

"I wish I were kidding," Day sighs, burying his face in his palm. "It was a large shouting cucco named Hanzo."

<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    Pearl looks at Leo in his planning phase, as her share of good samaritan work done. The others consider plans. A trap, baited with sandwiches. A box, perhaps with a stick. Pearl looks at the people who think.

    "We should simply kill it." Pearl says, in an unhelpful sort of fashion. "It is ultimately still a bird. If it happens to be a hellion, then we would be doing Althena's work."

    Fortunately, while Pearl is being helpful, Amy puts up a hand. "Um, maybe we could put something in the sandwich to make it fall asleep or tired?" She looks around. "I mean, if we've got something like that. Some herbs or something. That way it will give us an edge!"

    Pearl turns to look at Amy now, and stares for a few seconds. "...An adequate idea."

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

"It would've gotten rid of the mess though," Kaguya points out, as if that covers the whole thing. "...You know, come to think, maybe we should talk insurance sometime--"

It's for the best that Kaguya is about to get distracted before she starts plotting insurance fraud with the Guard. Instead, as they consider trapping it...

"I definitely want to capture it," Kaguya agrees, pulling out what is in fact a device for taking video and other readings. It might look like one of her other devices. "We could learn something from an animal that can do this much in this short amount of time!"

Experimental...

"Also, I would like to see these 'experimental sandwiches' in action."

Kaguya hmmms a little to Amy though. "You know, that's a good point. I could rig something..." She pulls a little case from her pack and pops it open, messing with an electronic device of uncertain provenance. "Do geese have good hearing? ...Ehhhhh whatever."

DG: Kaguya has used her Tool Mad Science Case toward her party's challenge, We Need A Plan.
DG: Pearl has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, We Need A Plan.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - We Need A Plan *>========================
|Type: Climax      |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 1          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Enough is enough. This has gone on far too long already, and it's gotten      
 far, far too silly.                                                           
                                                                               
 Really, a goose?                                                              
                                                                               
 Surely you can think of some plan to handle this situation and end this       
 series of goose-derived chaos in this otherwise peaceful and placid village.  
                                                                               
 You just need to hash it out amongst yourselves. How are you going to stop    
 this nonsense?                                                                
=Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
=======================<* Untitled Goose Dig - Round 5 *>=======================
==========================< Results - We Need A Plan >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        11 --(0)--> 11                 Pass
Vess's Guidance                     1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaguya                              6 --(0)--> 6                   Pass
Mad Science Case                    2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten            
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: White Knight Leo            80 --(0)--> 80                 Pass
Conditions: Save Point(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by White Knight Leo has passed this challenge! The party gained 0 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> White Knight Leo has posed.

    "Cuccos are bizarre and terrible creatures," Leo says. "That one has learned to use a blade only speaks to their penchant for violence." Somehow, a cucco with a sword seems like it would be right at home on this Goddess-forsaken world. Why not? Pearl, of course, is the one to bring up the most permanent possibility. "If it must be put down, then we will put it down," he says. "But if doing so would provoke the wrath of this 'spirit', and put innocents at risk, then--"

    Amy makes a very good suggestion. Leo grins. "I'm certain we could find something of that nature," he says. He turns to Kaguya, his tone becoming slightly more tentative. "Would you have a sleeping-potion in that kit of yours, Duchess Alathfar?"

    SOME TIME LATER

    The trap is assembled. One of Hilde's sandwiches sits beneath a tree at the edge of the village green, unattended and inviting. High above, hidden in the branches of the tree, is a spare crate, borrowed from a local merchant--the same one, in fact, that the Bernadelli agents were here to speak with. A rope has been tied through a hook fastened to the top of the crate. It trails down the tree, to White Knight Leo, who holds the end, careful to keep it taut.

    The plan is in place. All that's left to do is wait.

DG: Kaguya has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos *>===============
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 There it is! The goose! Now is the time to put your plan into action!         
                                                                               
 But a strange feeling descends across the village. A sense of desire, of      
 /want/.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Of Chaos.                                                                     
                                                                               
 "Your desire has been granted," speaks Luceid, manifesting physically here    
 before you. But it is not to you that they speak.                             
                                                                               
 But rather, to the goose.                                                     
                                                                               
 The Guardian of Desire is upon you, and the goose begins to flee from the     
 vicinity. The trial set before you now is twofold:                            
                                                                               
 * You must avoid being caught by the Guardian (you cannot hope to stand       
 against it in combat now) and evade its attacks!                              
                                                                               
 * You must also put your plan into action and get the goose out of the        
 village, before it escapes to cause further terror!                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Cripple, Suffer==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

"I like cuccos," Kaguya comments. "They're cool."

A sleeping potion... Wellll, maybe. "More like I have something I cn do to really annoy it," Kaguya suggests, and soon--soon there is the goose, and there is their time. But the strange feeling descends...

"What," Kaguya states, looking at the Guardian. She looks at the goose. She thinks about it for a minute.

"I'm out," Kaguya says, pulls a small device, and hits the button. The small Veruni disappears in a flash of green light.

Good luck with the goose, guys!! Try not to get eaten by Luceid.

DG: Kaguya has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Once again, the strange feeling descends, even as Day waits to spring the trap. The goose flutters into view.

So does the Guardian.

"Yeah, that's the one," Day points out with a crook of his finger. "I am pretty sure running away is the best choice--"

Before he can finish his sentence, Kaguya has noped right on out in a flash of light. Day blinks twice, then grimaces and moves out into the open. "...The rest of you, run," he says quietly, drawing his sword and shield and bringing them to readiness. "I'll buy you the time you need."

Stepping forward with a scowl, Day slides one heel back to drop into a defensive stance - classic Waning Crescent, shield raised, sword ready. "Whatever you are," he growls, "I will not allow you to pursue my friends this time. You will not find me such an easy foe--"

Luceid casually swipes a paw at him.

    9999

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

"Ah... it is not that exciting, I'm afraid. I have merely been testing out some new recipes..." Hilde admits to Kaguya. "Some of them did not quite work out as planned, but they are still perfectly edible."

But, it's worth using them as bait for the goose - and so, a plan is formed and put into place. Hilde takes cover behind a nearby tree. It's fortunate that she's without both her armor and her cape - either might very well give her presence away.

But, of course, as all things goose-related, things don't quite go as planned. Except, it's much worse than any of them could have anticipated.

"What in the world...? What manner of beast is that...?" Hilde questions. She can feel it - the strange sense of power it emanates. Of desire, and want, and chaos.

"This foe... it is beyond any of us." Hilde says, shaking her head. She looks, then, as Day moves to stand against it.

"I will not allow you to face this foe alone. Everyone else, continue with the plan - I will attempt to distract this spirit!" She says. Of course, she doesn't have her sword and shield with her, so fighting Luceid is right out, even if she were theoretically capable of it.

In a way, this is fortuitous for her, since it means that, rather than stand her ground, the moment she has Luceid's attention she hurls her rope at the nearest tree and swings away to escape faster.

Hopefully the distraction proves enough - and, of course, that she can manage to escape Luceid.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Rope Lance toward her party's challenge, Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos.
DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Shiro's Tail toward his party's challenge, Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    The goose makes its appearance. Leo watches it intently, barely moving as it waddles up towards the sandwich. Closer, closer. Soon, this madness will be over.

    Or will it?

    A strange, unsettling sensation descends on the village green. It's as though the goose has dropped its innocent facade, revealing the seething, elemental nature that lies beneath. Leo stares, wide-eyed, from his hiding spot. "It was true," he breathes. This is no ordinary goose. This is no Hellion. This is a force of nature.

    "Honk," says the goose.

    The air flickers. A cold shudder works its way down Leo's spine as something materializes in front of the goose. He recognizes it. This is--

    "A Guardian?!" Leo's eyes are the size of saucers. It makes sense, in a strange sort of way. The degenerate spirits of this Goddess-forsaken rock have already proven themselves callous in the extreme, or so Leo thinks. He doesn't have time to ponder the matter further.

    "GET BACK!" Leo shouts. He's too late. One casual bat of the paw, and Day is in dire need of a Phoenix Down. Kaguya, much like many other nobles, is suddenly no longer there now that things have gotten inconvenient. Luceid blurs through the air, lunging at Leo with fangs bared. The White Knight throws himself to the side, tucking and rolling while holding on to the rope for dear life. One of Luceid's claws nicks him. Even that light graze burns white-hot with pain. "I desire to teach you a lesson, beast!" Leo cries. He has to keep it distracted. Hilde can't do it alone.

    Luceid is suddenly staring him down again. Leo turns, and climbs faster than he's ever climbed before. Using the rope he's holding as an improvised ladder, he clambers into the branches of the tree.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Rope Ladder toward his party's challenge, Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    The setup for the plan is complete, elegant in it's simplicity. Now it is just time to wait and-

    Oh. Pearl stares at the scene before her, with her usual impassive expression.

    Amy is less composed. "What the actual hell is that!?" She yells, as she watches Day position himself to tank and gets ready to fight herself. Then she watches the knight get battered aside. Amy grimaces, and for a second, a momentary brief flash of purple near her hand, before Pearl grabs her shoulder.

    "The objective is the goose. Not to fight something we can not presently kill." Pearl is assertive, as she stands next to her student. "Do not let pride get in the way of the mission." This is not in a chiding way, or so it seems, but as almost actual concern.

    "So, what, we're just supposed to run?" Amy asks, disbelievingly. Pearl nods.

    "Get moving." Pearl instructs, before looking at the line slowly forming. 'You idiots,' she thinks to herself and sighs. How to do this without being blamed for cowardice. She sighs. "Commander. The point of a fighting retreat is still to retreat." She says, unemphatically, to position herself for said fighting retreat. "I fear we should exercise prudence. We can return with all of Althena's might on Filgaia now that we know it's here."

    Okay, yeah, maybe she does still want to kill a guardian, but she needs some ablative guardsmen for that.

DG: Pearl has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos.
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
===============<* CHALLENGE - Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos *>===============
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 There it is! The goose! Now is the time to put your plan into action!         
                                                                               
 But a strange feeling descends across the village. A sense of desire, of      
 /want/.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Of Chaos.                                                                     
                                                                               
 "Your desire has been granted," speaks Luceid, manifesting physically here    
 before you. But it is not to you that they speak.                             
                                                                               
 But rather, to the goose.                                                     
                                                                               
 The Guardian of Desire is upon you, and the goose begins to flee from the     
 vicinity. The trial set before you now is twofold:                            
                                                                               
 * You must avoid being caught by the Guardian (you cannot hope to stand       
 against it in combat now) and evade its attacks!                              
                                                                               
 * You must also put your plan into action and get the goose out of the        
 village, before it escapes to cause further terror!                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Cripple, Suffer==========================================
=======================<* Untitled Goose Dig - Round 6 *>=======================
=================< Results - Chaos Breeds Desire Breeds Chaos >=================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    6 --(10)--> 16                 Pass
Rope Ladder                         2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               6 --(10)--> 16                 Pass
Rope Lance                          2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               6 --(10)--> 16                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        11 --(10)--> 21                Pass
Shiro's Tail                        2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaguya                              6 --(15)--> 21                 Fail
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: White Knight Leo            80 --(35)--> 115               Pass
Conditions: Cripple|Suffer(1)
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by White Knight Leo has successfully explored Untitled Goose Dig!
============================<* Untitled Goose Dig *>============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Peace In Our Time *>=======================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You manage to achieve the nigh-improbable: you have evaded the Desire         
 Guardian Luceid (who has retreated from whence they came), and you have       
 chased the horrible goose from the village, perhaps not to return again.      
                                                                               
 Or at least, not soon.                                                        
                                                                               
 After an age of terror, the village is now at peace.                          
=Dungeon Conditions: Wonder===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Day doesn't get to stand against Luceid for very long. He hits the ground several metres from Luceid, clinging to consciousness but still struggling to claw his way to one knee. Blood gushes from a hideous claw wound in his shoulder and chest.

Luceid's bearing down on them and there's nothing he can to do stop this Guardian. From well behind Day, Vess looks on with horror as the young knight tries to face certain death, and as Hilde throws herself into the Guardian's path as well. Another futile distraction.

The woman in the glasses presses her lips together before bowing her head, her green eyes closing behind her glasses.

"I can't let you ruin this," she says. Her voice is underlaid by a growing rushing sound.

And then, with shocking suddenness, there's a burst of wind. It centres on Day's position.

In an instant, Vess drops down into position behind him. She was nowhere near him before - and she certainly wasn't dressed like she is now. Her hair streams out loosely around her as if held aloft on a gentle breeze, and her peasant dress has been replaced by an airy grass-green and white patterned tunic that comes down her thighs. Her bare feet bear faint grass stains, but it hardly matters, since she's floating.

With a ripple of spring breeze, the Wind Seraph reaches down and scoops Day up in her arms, then turns her eyes towards Luceid. "If you are truly the lord of desire, you will understand that I do this for mine."

Held in something resembling a princess carry, a half-conscious Day just stares up at someone he was sure thirty seconds ago was just simple Vess - but she doesn't stay around to explain. The wind gathers around her as she lifts off - but as she comes level with an upclimbing Leo, the Seraph looks back over her shoulder towards him.

"I will take care of him, White Knight. I'll explain things soon. I promise."

She continues upwards, carried on the wind like a poplar tuft drifting far from its mother tree, soon vanishing into the distance with her armload of dazed knight.

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

The green light actually attracts the goose's interest. It waddles over to investigate, as Luceid rampages around. Luceid's attention, incidentally, goes right for Day at first. This is helpful to the rest of the group. On the other hand, the goose is also interested in... sandwiches.

A lot of shocking things happen all at once. But when the Desire Guardian finally leaves... the goose, too, is gone.

The village is now at peace. And Kaguya is...

...Somewhere.......

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    Leo is about halfway up the tree when Vess speaks up. At first, he doesn't process the voice as hers--he's too busy scrambling away from a Guardian Lord's teeth. He's too focused on keeping Luceid occupied to even fret about Day's safety--he knows that if he falls, the others will fall shortly after. Leo grabs a branch and hauls himself into the canopy. He looks down, and--

    The White Knight's jaw falls open. Vess rises to meet him, and all he can do is stare. The rope slips free of his fingers.

    "Holy Seraph," he finally gets out. "I await your explanation."

    Meanwhile, the rope has gone slack. The box falls. The goose doesn't see it coming. There's a loud thud, and a muffled 'honk' from within.

    And then, it's over.