2020-10-01: Homeward to Destiny

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  • Log: 2020-10-01: Homeward to Destiny
  • Cast: Day Muirwall, White Knight Leo, Pearl, Hilde
  • Where: Home
  • Date: October 01, 2020
  • Summary: Having emerged through the Main Gate, Althena's Guard try to make it through a burning Home.


DG: A party led by Day Muirwall is now entering The Battle of Home.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - ...and Into the Fire *>=====================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The air around you shimmers. The lingering visual after effects of            
 teleportation by Elw technology lingers, though the light blue runes and      
 circles are hard to see because of how bright it is. You have found yourself  
 standing in the desert, with the sun beating down on you and an overpowering  
 dry heat taking effect. There is a mirage-like effect, making a rusty metal   
 structure in the distance a little hard to look at.                           
                                                                               
 Then, there are explosions. A series of gunshots hurtles in your direction.   
 Some bullets strike into the sand, puffs of it rising, but others may be      
 truer to their mark. Cresting the dune behind you, you see a squadron of      
 Warrior Monks rushing ahead. They are shouting -- and taking aim for another  
 volley -- and followed by more of them, joined by squadrons of Guado          
 Guardians.                                                                    
                                                                               
 It seems that you have found yourself in the middle of a battle. With the     
 Yevonite army coming your way, the safest route seems to be running towards   
 that structure under attack. The front door has been burst open, already,     
 and you can hear fighting inside...                                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate, Injure=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

The Elw teleporter comes together. The environment shimmers as the contingent of Guard officers passes through the field of magic.

The heat settles in rapidly, even before the vision clears. It's heavy, dry and oppressive, and it comes with a dazzling flood of sunlight that Day has to shield his eyes from with one arm. "Tch-- what desert has this thing sent us to," he begins.

Any further inquiry is cut off by something exploding about twenty feet away - and a second later, a bullet pings off of Day's pauldron. He jerks instinctively and raises his shield.

With a shout, figures come dashing through the desert haze - Warrior Monks first and foremost, followed by a squadron of Guado Guardians. As his vision clears, Day grimaces and sweeps in between the Guard gathering and the attackers, letting his shield soak up the bullets flung towards them.

There's more shouting behind them. "Sir Day!" cries Seraph Vesna. "There's a structure here! We should take cover!"

"Tch-- good thinking!" Day steals a glance back towards the rusty metal building, then drops back a few paces to keep covering the team. "Let's hurry!"

He doesn't try to engage the Yevonites and Guados. He just grips his Shiro Tail with his free hand, letting the agility spell within it flow through him as he brings up the rear of the retreat towards the building. Bullets smack into his shield and deflect away as he manages to provide cover while on the run.

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Shiro's Tail toward his party's challenge, ...and Into the Fire.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    The moment that Leo had long prayed for has come at last. All that's left to do is trust in the Goddess.

    The White Knight appears behind Day in a flash of blue-white runes, his clothes still stained with Reaverbot synthmuscle fluid. The sun hits his eyes, and he raises an arm to shield them as he squints into the distance. A desert, he thinks. Where on the Silver Star could they be? Or perhaps this is some cruel joke, and they're back in Ignas again.

    As Leo's eyes adjust to the light, he sees the faint glow of Pyreflies in the distance. "Spira," he breathes. "The Goddess has delivered us to Spira."

    Something explodes. Leo's head whips up, and his blade leaves its scabbard in an arc of gleaming steel. He sees the Yevonites the moment they open fire; his eyes narrow, and his ears flatten against his head. "MOVE!" he bellows. Leo stomps a foot into the sand, grinding it in. The bones of the earth erupt from beneath the dune, putting a shield of sandstone in between the Guard and the Yevonites. Only then does Leo whip out one of his grapnels, trailing it behind--just in case anyone trips.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Rope Ladder toward his party's challenge, ...and Into the Fire.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    The change in temperature are light are unpleasant, and vision is greatly compromised. And yet, it is an improvement on where they were. The sound of a bullet impacting Day's armour, however, changes all priorities. Pearl assesses the incoming force, dropping into a low combat stance. There's a lot. Too many to hope to kill, bound as she is by who she's fighting with. "Tsk..."

    And then Vesna points out somewhere to run to, while Leo puts up a barrier for the rest of them. Fine. Running it is. Hurriedly she unjams her her grapnel, taking advantage of the seconds provided by her fellow Guardsmen. She looks at the structure pointed out, damaged as it is.

    "I hope we are not simply caging ourselves in." Pearl comments, before she flicks out the grapnel and launches after it. There's not a lot to grab onto in the desert, so she has to run as fast as she can as well. It's not the most elegant retreat.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wrist-Mounted Grapnel toward her party's challenge, ...and Into the Fire.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    As the group sprints for cover, something catches Leo's ear--a voice, carried on the wind, that he hasn't heard for some time.

    '--ing us around! --f was a-- --it could be them! And don't stop firing until--'

    Leo recognizes that voice. That's Porthos, one of the Destiny's officers, using Wind-aspected sorcery to carry his words to the crew--and important individuals, such as Leo.

    "The Destiny!" Leo cries. "Goddess be praised!" Leo doesn't dare try and work out a response--that can wait until they're no longer being shot at.

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde arrives along with the others in the flash of technological light. It takes a moment for her to readjust - both to the heat, and to the sensation of having been pulled somewhere else. It'd be enough to unsettle anyone - it's only thanks to her will that she manages to remain standing.

Only then does she get a look at her surroundings. A desert, extending far in every direction... and an army of Yevonite Warrior Monks and Guado Guardians behind them. With a frown, Hilde draws her shield.

"So... we find ourselves in an active battlefield, then." She comments. Were they to fight, even though the odds were against them? ...Fortunately, Vess spots something useful. A structure - convenient shelter. It would be far better than fighting them out in the open.

"Allow me to take a moment to slow their advance!" Hilde shouts. She draws out her Rope Lance and recites one of the command words, causing it immediately become chilled. She swings it through the air, leaving a trail of ice in its wake. It won't last long in this heat, but it might at least last long enough to force the enemy to reconsider their movements. And with that she turns to follow after the others, sword and shield ready to put a stop to any who try to intervene.

It is during this, though, that Leo provides some inspiring news.

"The Destiny? A miracle, indeed...! Then we must do what we can to hold out!" Hilde says.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Rope Lance toward her party's challenge, ...and Into the Fire.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - ...and Into the Fire *>=====================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The air around you shimmers. The lingering visual after effects of            
 teleportation by Elw technology lingers, though the light blue runes and      
 circles are hard to see because of how bright it is. You have found yourself  
 standing in the desert, with the sun beating down on you and an overpowering  
 dry heat taking effect. There is a mirage-like effect, making a rusty metal   
 structure in the distance a little hard to look at.                           
                                                                               
 Then, there are explosions. A series of gunshots hurtles in your direction.   
 Some bullets strike into the sand, puffs of it rising, but others may be      
 truer to their mark. Cresting the dune behind you, you see a squadron of      
 Warrior Monks rushing ahead. They are shouting -- and taking aim for another  
 volley -- and followed by more of them, joined by squadrons of Guado          
 Guardians.                                                                    
                                                                               
 It seems that you have found yourself in the middle of a battle. With the     
 Yevonite army coming your way, the safest route seems to be running towards   
 that structure under attack. The front door has been burst open, already,     
 and you can hear fighting inside...                                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate, Injure=========================================
=======================<* The Battle of Home - Round 1 *>=======================
=======================< Results - ...and Into the Fire >=======================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        0 --(8)--> 8                   Pass
Shiro's Tail                        2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               0 --(8)--> 8                   Pass
Wrist-Mounted Grapnel               3   Agility Effects: Rally                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               0 --(8)--> 8                   Pass
Rope Lance                          2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    0 --(8)--> 8                   Pass
Rope Ladder                         2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Day Muirwall                0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Injure(2)
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Day Muirwall 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.

"We can find our way out of this situation once we've got a minute to regroup!" Day calls back to Pearl before being cut off by the sharp ring of a bullet bouncing off of his shield.

But Leo calls something out - and Day widens his eyes with a sudden flood of relief. "What, they're here?!" he exclaims.

The big kite shield takes another few bullets, leaving more scars in the enameled face, but nothing gets past the young knight's defensive crouch - nor past the rumble of earth that Leo calls forth between the fighters and their pursuers. With shouts of surprise, the Warrior Monks screech to a stop, forced to try and divert around the earth.

It gives the Guard time. Pearl's grapnel manages to latch on to a rusty protuberance from some sort of guidepost, giving her enough of a boost to gain a lead. Hilde, for her part, leaves more hazards behind. One of the Guados shrieks in surprise as he slips on the unexpected ice and hits the sand with a puff of dust.

By the time the Guard contingent reaches the rusty building, they've gained a lead on their pursuers. Day gestures the others through the door, keeping his shield raised defensively. "Then we need to get to the Destiny," he surmises.

DG: Pearl has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - YT-360 Tunnel Armor *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The Yevonite Church also makes use of machina. Only some know the extent to   
 which, though the war against Althena's Guard has revealed some of that. As   
 you move into a broader hallway, one of their specialized machina appears.    
 Its armored, drill-equipped front grinds /through/ a steel wall. Its          
 reinforced wheels slam down, and the white-and-blue machina strikes down.     
                                                                               
 Then, a cannon on its front charges up -- and looses out a huge blast of      
 lightning, which explodes out towards your entire crew. Then, the Tunnel      
 Armor blitzes forward, to roll over the lot of you!                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Overwhelm=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    It's not safety, but it's a moment of reprieve for Althena's Guard, and the news that the Destiny is nearby is heartening. "Then we simply need to rendev-"

    And then a big freaking drill smashes through the solid steel wall next to them. barely missing the group. The YT-360 Tunnel Armour makes it's full entrance, turning to face the Guard.

    "Rematch time!" comes a voice from inside the armour.

    "Otherworlders, come out and plaaaaaaaay!" comes a second. The tunnel armour turns around towards the group, and starts revving up.

    Pearl stares at it, and by extension the pilots.

    Embrace your hatred.

    She drops into a battle stance, as the drill rushes forward, standing still in the face of it. One of the pilots shouts "What are you, stupid? This drill is unstoppable, and it'll make paste out of you, girly!"

    Feed your anger.

    The drill comes ever closer towards the guard, and while more sensible fighters here may have taken up defensive positions, Pearl has remained dead in front of it. "Aww, is she so scared she can't move? Alright heretics, we're going to wreck you even harder than we're wrecking this little trash pile!"

    Destroy your enemies.

    "I'm going to kill them." Pearl says very quietly, before launching herself vertically up, with an aim to land on the top of the Tunnel Armour, and starts hacking at it with her claws as she searches for the cockpit.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Mantra of Rage toward her party's challenge, YT-360 Tunnel Armor.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

If only safety were possible in the midst of a warzone.

Just as Day tries to catch a breath, the wall tears away. Vesna yelps with surprise and hurls herself backwards, recoiling from the massive Tunnel Armour as it trundles into the thick of the fight.

Day doesn't flee. He raises his shield as shrapnel from the wall showers towards the group. Debris bounces off the scarred pegasus rearing on the shield's face, scattering around the young knight.

Pearl's approach is brutal. Day's is straightforward, but less murderous. He lowers his shield, drawing his broadsword with a snap and gesturing towards the Tunnel Armour. The blade glints as the light hits it at just the right angle.

"Althena's Guard does not come to play," he declares stoically.

He launches himself forward. "HOOOOAHT!" he roars as he slashes towards one of the forward tires, trying to rip the rubber clean off its supporting frame.

He'll pivot from there, shield going first to shelter him from the cannon's inevitable fire. Only once he's shouldered through any blast will he let out another shout and drive his sword forward, trying to rip it through the forward hull of the Tunnel Armour in the hopes of leaving a massive hole behind.

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Kite Shield toward his party's challenge, YT-360 Tunnel Armor.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

They make it inside the structure... but it isn't long before battle finds them once more. A massive machine stands before them. Its form is familiar - a Tunnel Armor. She recalls its like - she fought one before, alongside other members of the Guard.

"It is a rematch you want is it? Very well. We shall meet you with our full power!" Hilde says. With one hand Hilde draws out her battle standard, planting it into the ground. "Though you may hide behind your armor, it is all for naught. The might of our conviction is stronger than any steel! It is a bastion upon which better men than you have broken."

Hilde's body emits a blue aura as she draws her sword, taking it up in two hands. She is not the Giantslayer's successor for nothing - toppling foes larger than her is what she does. She charges forward, bringing her blade down upon the machine with the intent of slicing right through it.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Battle Standard toward her party's challenge, YT-360 Tunnel Armor.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    For a moment, it looks as though Leo has the chance he needs to tell the Destiny where they are. Then a very familiar machine erupts from the wall in a shower of shredded steel.

    Leo slips instinctively into a defensive pose, baring fangs in a snarl. His blade gleams in the sunlight as the Tunnel Armor circles in for the kill. "They repaired it?" he says. His soldiers form up, and Leo stands behind them, a sturdy backbone to keep the formation from breaking. He touches two fingers to the Crest around his neck, and the might of the White Dragon flows outwards from him; it clings to the Guards, imbuing them with a potent protective aura.

    "Hide within your machina--it will avail you not! We have faced far worse technological terrors, and we have broken them! In Althena's name!"

    "DOUBLE DEMON FANG!" Leo's blade cuts the air once, twice. Colossal spikes of energy erupt from beneath the Yevonite vehicle, followed shortly by spikes made of actual rock. If they can just flip the thing over, it'll be easy pickings.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool White Dragon Crest toward his party's challenge, YT-360 Tunnel Armor.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - YT-360 Tunnel Armor *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The Yevonite Church also makes use of machina. Only some know the extent to   
 which, though the war against Althena's Guard has revealed some of that. As   
 you move into a broader hallway, one of their specialized machina appears.    
 Its armored, drill-equipped front grinds /through/ a steel wall. Its          
 reinforced wheels slam down, and the white-and-blue machina strikes down.     
                                                                               
 Then, a cannon on its front charges up -- and looses out a huge blast of      
 lightning, which explodes out towards your entire crew. Then, the Tunnel      
 Armor blitzes forward, to roll over the lot of you!                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Overwhelm=========================================
=======================<* The Battle of Home - Round 2 *>=======================
=======================< Results - YT-360 Tunnel Armor >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        8 --(12)--> 20                 Pass
Kite Shield                         1   Combat  Effects: Embolden and Fanfare 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               8 --(12)--> 20                 Pass
Mantra of Rage                      2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               8 --(12)--> 20                 Pass
Battle Standard                     1   Combat  Effects: Embolden and Fanfare 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    8 --(12)--> 20                 Pass
White Dragon Crest                  2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Day Muirwall                20 --(20)--> 40                Pass
Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Injure(1)|Overwhelm|Wound(2)
Effects: Embolden(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Day Muirwall 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: Day Muirwall has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Decoding Al Bhed Signage *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Home is built to be deliberately confusing for outsiders. For one thing, the  
 Al Bhed modified the machina structure under the assumption that, one day,    
 they would be attacked. For another, there are few signs. Those that exist    
 are light on pictures and heavy on text... and the Al Bhed language uses      
 characters not used in other alphabets. It is hard to make out what the sign  
 over a Y-split in the tunnels means -- but you hear shouts, and know that     
 you need to determine that quickly and move.                                  
                                                                               
 Or, if you're Rikku or can otherwise read Al Bhed: Brother's handwriting is   
 that bad.                                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Tire===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    The Tunnel Armour has greatly misjudged it's prey. Day charges forward, and slices through the the wheels as though they were nothing. Hilde charges straight forward, and swings her blade through the hull of the machina, destroying the side opposite to Day. Leo sweeps out with the power of the Double Demon Fang, scoring through the armour either side of the drill. Pearl tears off plating on top of the machine, looking for something vital or at least the pilots.

    And then the cannon fires and the beam fills the hallway. But Althena's Guard are ready. Cover behind shields, getting out of the lasers range of fire, being on top of it, all of these work. A few moments later, the Tunnel Armour sputters to a halt. Pearl stands up. "I suspect we shouldmove on."

    A few moments pass. "...We'll wreck 'em next time." One voice says, quietly.

<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Day's sword and armour are getting a little worn down by all this cutting through steel mechanisms, but his spirit's not the least bit dulled. He shakes himself off as the Guard pushes through the battle, then tilts his head towards the distant sound of shouting and explosions. "I think they're catching up," he muses.

"We should hurry," Vesna encourages, darting down a side corridor on a breath of spring wind. Day nods as he whirls to follow her, advancing into the lead.

No enemies rise to menace them as they weave through the corridors on a straightforward course. That path comes to an abrupt end, however, as the path they're on branches off in a Y-shaped split. Day frowns and squints towards a sign posted between the two branching corridors.

"Sir Day," Vesna murmurs as she leans in beside him, worry in her voice.

Day doesn't answer immediately. He peers at the posted sign, resting a hand on his chin.

"What does it say, Sir Day?" Vesna asks. "I can hear men coming...."

Straightening, Day nods grimly, clearing his throat.

"I have absolutely no idea," he confirms.

Vesna visibly deflates.

The young knight perks up with a cheery smile. "Hey now, don't get so down, Vess! I know we can intuit the right path here. After all--

"The Goddess is with us, right? So we can't fail."

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Vess's Guidance toward his party's challenge, Decoding Al Bhed Signage.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

The Tunnel Armor counters with a massive beam, but Hilde is at the ready. She quickly draws her shield, using it to deflect the part of the beam racing toward her away from both her and the others. The Tunnel Armor comes to a stop and so, satisfied, Hilde puts away her sword and reclaims her banner.

"I await your next challenge. Become stronger and return another day." Hilde says, following after the others.

They don't run into any enemies, but what they do encounter might be something even worse - a fork in the road, with the only hint as to which path leads where being a sign written in very terrible handwriting, in a language she doesn't understand.

"I must confess, my friends, I have no earthly idea what it says, myself." Hilde admits, shaking her head. "In times like this, it may be best to place our trust in fate. Whatever we decide, let us make our choice with conviction - it will not lead us astray."

DG: Hilde has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Decoding Al Bhed Signage.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    "And don't come back, or you'll get more of the same!" Leo shouts, as the Guard leaves the wrecked Tunnel Armor behind it. Vesna takes the lead, and together, they descend into the depths of Home.

    For all his... eccentricities, Leo is capable of making basic observations about the environment around him. "This is no Yevonite stronghold," he says. "Nor does it call to mind the dwellings of Spiran civilians. Therefore, it must be--"

    They round a corner, and there's the sign. "--An Al Bhed settlement!" There's a note of vindication in Leo's voice, but it's a grim one. "Yevon has always looked down upon them as heretics. Have they now decided to exterminate them?" There's anger in the White Knight's voice.

    He stares at the sign for a long moment, taking a deep breath. Trust in the Goddess.

    "That way," he says. He's pointing in a different direction from everyone else.

DG: White Knight Leo has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Decoding Al Bhed Signage.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    A fork in the road, and signs in a language she can't speak. Pearl is going to be a big help here. You can tell by the way she's standing back from the sign and looking over her shoulder occasionally. Yes, those are the voices of forces closing in. She couuld stay behind and fight to her heart's content but... it seems a needless sacrifice. "Hm." She says, helpfully.

    And then she points at one path, then the other, then the first path again, following a beat that only she can hear. Eventually she settles on a route. "This way."

    Yes, it is the direction that Leo didn't pick. Helpful.

DG: Pearl has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Decoding Al Bhed Signage.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Decoding Al Bhed Signage *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Home is built to be deliberately confusing for outsiders. For one thing, the  
 Al Bhed modified the machina structure under the assumption that, one day,    
 they would be attacked. For another, there are few signs. Those that exist    
 are light on pictures and heavy on text... and the Al Bhed language uses      
 characters not used in other alphabets. It is hard to make out what the sign  
 over a Y-split in the tunnels means -- but you hear shouts, and know that     
 you need to determine that quickly and move.                                  
                                                                               
 Or, if you're Rikku or can otherwise read Al Bhed: Brother's handwriting is   
 that bad.                                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless, Tire===========================================
=======================<* The Battle of Home - Round 3 *>=======================
=====================< Results - Decoding Al Bhed Signage >=====================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        20 --(20)--> 40                Fail
Vess's Guidance                     1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               20 --(20)--> 40                Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               20 --(20)--> 40                Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    20 --(20)--> 40                Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Day Muirwall                40 --(10)--> 50                Fail
Conditions: Overwhelm|Reckless(2)|Tire(2)|Wound(1)
Effects: Cleanse
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Day Muirwall has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 exploration! If anyone needs to use
party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

"I don't think any of us can read Al-Bhed," murmurs Vesna, lifting off the ground a few inches to float just behind Hilde and look at the sign over her shoulder. "Not even the arrows on it are decipherable without that...."

Day sets his hands at his hips and turns back towards the group as Leo and Pearl pick opposite directions at the exact same time. He opens his mouth slightly.

Then he holds up a hand wordlessly, before pressing it against the other and bowing his head.

In the background, the sound of approaching voices can be heard. It doesn't stir Day as he slips, for just a moment, into prayer right there in the middle of a combat zone.

When he finally looks up, it's with a nod. "We go that way," he indicates, nodding the way Pearl indicated and turning to head down the corridor with confidence.

A second later, a bullet zips past his ear. "We go this way very fast!" he shouts as he starts running.

DG: Hilde has drawn a new Challenge.
===========================<* The Battle of Home *>===========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Guado Guardians *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The tunnels of Home are easy to get lost in. The tunnels are narrow and       
 twisting. Unfortunately, some of the attackers are expert tunnel fighters.    
 Your team never quite sees the Guado Guardians coming; with practiced         
 expertise, they manage to stay a couple of turns ahead of you, until they     
 approach from both sides.                                                     
                                                                               
 They rush in, long swords drawn. Black Magic spells fly out -- blasts of      
 water and lightning -- before they take long, low leaps to come at you with   
 their blades.                                                                 
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Wound============================================
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

They find themselves in the middle of an active combat zone. Hilde draws her shield, using it to barrel on ahead and make an opening as they try to break through the Yevonite ranks. They push forward, through the twisting tunnels of Home.

Just when it seems that they might have lost them, however... the faint sound of spellcasting reaches their ears.

"Spells incoming! Watch yourselves!" Hilde warns. From one side comes water, and the other comes lightning, creating an electrified floor hazard that they'll have to contend with.

And that is when the Guado Guardians appear in earnest on either side of the corridor with longswords drawn, catching them in a pincer attack. The electrified floor makes it difficult to move, as well.

"Be mindful of your footing as you push back!" Hilde shouts. Two Guado Guardians descend upon her. She catches both of their swords with her shield, before lashing out with a disarming strike.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Battle Standard toward her party's challenge, Guado Guardians.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

They go that way very fast - and that way leads them straight into the thick of the fray.

"Sir Day, look out!" Vesna shouts a second after Hilde does - and then the spells burst in. Day widens his eyes and reacts instantly.

Water and lightning slam into his shield. The fact that it's metal doesn't seem to make things worse, though part of the enamel darkens and peels, revealing a silvery coating beneath it - a coating intended to help the shield deflect or absorb incoming spells. It gives Day the endurance he needs to hold up the defense.

But the worst of it isn't for him. It's for the floor. As the Guados come sweeping in, Day sets his jaw and whirls his broadsword into a ready stance. "Lady Hilde, take one side," he says tersely, not giving her much time to agree or disagree before shouldering in to confront the opposite side of the pincer.

Striking out with a broad stroke, Day attempts to slash through the first of the Guados coming at him, then steps back to guard a longsword strike. As electricity arcs around him, he parries a blow before striking out again, his moves a textbook maneuver from the Lion's Heart school. His eyes harden as he goes on the attack.

"If they've decided to exterminate the Al-Bhed, then I'll strike them down where they stand!" he shouts.

DG: Day Muirwall has used his Tool Kite Shield toward his party's challenge, Guado Guardians.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    So much running, it's getting frustrating. Pearl keeps throwing a look over her shoulder as the Yevonites open fire. It would be much more satisfying to-

    And then lightning flies at her and Pearl flinches away from it, pulling her head to the left. "...Ah. Guardians." Pearl seems to look at the Guado with distaste clearly writ upon her face. She looks to Hilde, then to Day, as they make their plan clear. "...If we try simply to hold the line, we'll be overwhelmed from behind. This is not a time to fight defensively."

    And then Pearl rushes forward, plants a foot on Hilde's non-shield arm shoulder, and launches herself into the air with a flip, before driving the claws on her boots into the back of a Guado Guardian. She's on the other side of the line now, and who has who in a pincer becomes slightly more complicated.

     And then she charges in with a howl, and starts into a violemnt, trashing whirl of claws, to do the most damage she can in a short time.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Mantra of Rage toward her party's challenge, Guado Guardians.
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    'Spells incoming!'

    Leo's hand is already flying to his Crest. A second wave of power surges from his body, blanketing both his soldiers and himself with protective energy. Once that's done, Leo thrusts a hand forward, willing the earth to come to his aid. The floor rumbles as stone blocks erupt from beneath, tearing through the steel--they stop at about shin-hight, providing slightly less dangerous footing. Leo leaps onto the nearest one, next to Day. He puts his back to the younger swordsman--a display of trust, if ever there was one--and lays about, tearing into the Guado with fierce, unstoppable strikes. "Yet another crime against the people of Spira!" he shouts, as Day makes his bold assertion. "It's time you answered for it!"

    Leo clenches a hand into a fist. Shards of jagged obsidian materialize out of his aura, and fly down the corridor as though they were shot from a cannon. This will not be fun for anyone caught in it.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool White Dragon Crest toward his party's challenge, Guado Guardians.
===========================<* The Battle of Home *>===========================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Guado Guardians *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The tunnels of Home are easy to get lost in. The tunnels are narrow and       
 twisting. Unfortunately, some of the attackers are expert tunnel fighters.    
 Your team never quite sees the Guado Guardians coming; with practiced         
 expertise, they manage to stay a couple of turns ahead of you, until they     
 approach from both sides.                                                     
                                                                               
 They rush in, long swords drawn. Black Magic spells fly out -- blasts of      
 water and lightning -- before they take long, low leaps to come at you with   
 their blades.                                                                 
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Wound============================================
======================<* The Battle of Home - Round 4 *>======================
========================< Results - Guado Guardians >=========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        40 --(8)--> 48                 Pass
Kite Shield                         1   Combat  Effects: Embolden and Fanfare 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               40 --(8)--> 48                 Pass
Mantra of Rage                      2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               40 --(8)--> 48                 Pass
Battle Standard                     1   Combat  Effects: Embolden and Fanfare 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    40 --(8)--> 48                 Pass
White Dragon Crest                  2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Day Muirwall                50 --(20)--> 70                Pass
Conditions: Fright(2)|Reckless(1)|Wound(2)
Effects: Embolden(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Day Muirwall 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> Hilde has posed.

Hilde doesn't react as Day says to take one side. That was already her plan - she'll trust the other side to him. Hilde prepares to face the Guardians on her side... which is when Pearl rushes toward her, using her as a springboard to leap over and using an unexpecting Guado as a landing pad.

Suddenly, the Guado Guardians on Hilde's side find that their ambush has turned around on them. Hilde moves in, incapacitating her opponents with quick, precise strikes, in contrast with Pearl's very violent - and very effective - whirlwind of steel. Hilde observes this with a quiet frown, but now isn't the time to bring it up.

On the other side, the Guado facing Day find themselves in just as much trouble. His skill with the blade and the shield are more than a match for them, and the latter allows him to contend even with their spells. And when White Knight Leo himself joins the fray, leaping atop a stone block, the Guado find themselves rapidly being forced back - especially when he projects a powerful barrage of obsidian.

Together, the ambush is dealt with in short order. This time, Hilde does not sheathe her sword.

"...Shall we get moving?" She suggests.

DG: White Knight Leo has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - No Power Tools in Sight *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Parts of Home have turned into a city, when the facility originally served    
 some other use. This means that sometimes, when one might expect a straight   
 path forward, you find something rather more complicated. A series of metal   
 panels and pipes -- rusted through and nonfunctional -- make a rat's nest of  
 metal that needs to be blasted through, before you can continue on through.   
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Exhaust=====================================
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    The group moves on, passing several corpses--both Al Bhed and Yevonite. Leo's lips tighten into a thin little line. As he's about to say something on the subject, the wind carries a voice to his ear.

    '--bandoning the innocent! What would Lord Leo think?'

    Leo pulls a tiny green crystal from his pouch, and crushes it to powder in his fist. A wind picks up, and he turns into it, letting it carry his words.

    "Destiny, this is White Knight Leo! My soldiers and I are inside this fortress, and those bastard Yevonites are hounding us!"

    Althena's Guard has a variety of useful logistical magics in its arsenal--among them, the artifact Leo just used. In effect, it's a one-shot communicator, and anyone with the right sorcerous talent can home in on the speaker's original position. "They're coming for us," Leo says. "Stand firm; we carve our way out from here!" Then he can see about the civilians. It's clear Porthos is doing his best, but perhaps the return of the White Knight will be just the thing to strike fear into the hearts of the heretics.

    Of course, a whole lot of junk stands between the Guard and their escape route. Leo clenches his fists; his ordinary-looking gloves glow with amber light, and change. In an instant, Leo's hands are covered in gauntlets made from dark granite veined with gold. The big Beastman thrusts both hands forward, and the earth itself responds to him once more. A horrible grinding shriek emanates down the tunnel as slabs of rock press forwards, tearing into the piping.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Earthgrasp Gauntlets toward his party's challenge, No Power Tools in Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

Day's keeping track of his comrades even as he fights - and when Leo turns back to back with him, he can't help but blush and suppress the urge to smile. Knowing that the White Knight places that much trust in him is an honour, if ever there was one.

On they proceed, and Day's moment of warmth slides away as they begin to encounter the dead. The young knight's expression grows grim, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

That's about when a voice comes through. Day's eyes go wide.

"Right!" he answers Leo, beginning to move forward towards the junk that stands between them and their ride. "I can see light coming from the other side of these pipes. If we can get it out of the way--"

The younger knight's gauntlets aren't as magical as Leo's, but Day's hardly a weakling. He takes ahold of a large length of rusty steel ductwork, planting his heels and twisting his upper body to try and wrench it free even as Leo calls forth the earth to wedge some of it loose.

"Geh... it's coming loose...!"

DG: Day Muirwall has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, No Power Tools in Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    Pearl looks back to make sure no Guado are getting up to chase, but they seem thoroughly dealt with. That's good, it means their not being chased at this exact juncture. Then Leo's voice is... heartening? Surely that can't be right. But nonetheless even Pearl seems buoyed by this. "We are in contact, Commander?" She asks, waiting to find out if a reverse message has been sent. Well, not waiting, exactly.

    Instead she walks up next to Day, and attempts to assist. Her strange gloves and boots give her a solid place to stand and sharp grip. "I'll follow your lead, Guardsman Muirwall. Two are better than one, in this case." And, well, Leo's going to be doing the heavy lifting, it's just a matter of helping it to collapse.

    She's maybe not as strong as Day, but she's going to put the effort in to drag this ductwork out of the way.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wolf Claws toward her party's challenge, No Power Tools in Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

The party move forward to find the way blocked. But, it also gives Leo time to deliver a message. Hilde breathes a sigh of relief. It is nice to know that they'll be waiting for them.

"Hold a moment, if you would. We have been going for the better part of the day - I recommend taking a brief moment to restore your energy." Hilde request. And so, she reaches into a pouch at her side, drawing out a plate of pastries. They're sweet and delicious, tasting of honey and give a resurgence of energy, and, thanks to the magic of Hilde's pouch, still as fresh as when they were first baked.

Once everyone's taken one she gets to work, putting the plate away and starting to move away bits of rubble one by one.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Magical Pouch toward her party's challenge, No Power Tools in Sight.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - No Power Tools in Sight *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Parts of Home have turned into a city, when the facility originally served    
 some other use. This means that sometimes, when one might expect a straight   
 path forward, you find something rather more complicated. A series of metal   
 panels and pipes -- rusted through and nonfunctional -- make a rat's nest of  
 metal that needs to be blasted through, before you can continue on through.   
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Exhaust=====================================
=======================<* The Battle of Home - Round 5 *>=======================
=====================< Results - No Power Tools in Sight >======================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        48 --(8)--> 56                 Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               48 --(15)--> 63                Fail
Wolf Claws                          2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               48 --(15)--> 63                Fail
Magical Pouch                       1   Brute   Effects: Cleanse              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    48 --(8)--> 56                 Pass
Earthgrasp Gauntlets                3   Brute   Effects: Fanfare              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Day Muirwall                70 --(20)--> 90                Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Fright(1)|Overzealous(2)|Wound(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Day Muirwall 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.

    The Al Bhed haven't cleared this junk for good reason--it's stubborn. Parts of it are caked in decades' worth of rust, which only makes it more difficult to dislodge from the overall mass. Hilde thoughtfully offers up refreshments, but the break is unfortunately short-lived; the sounds of shouting and combat seem to be drawing closer. Pearl, Hilde, and Day put their backs into it, though, risking injury to clear the wreckage. With them behind Leo's sorcery, it isn't long before a path starts to open up. But there's one last obstacle...

DG: White Knight Leo has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
==================<* CHALLENGE - Opening the Airship Hangar *>==================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Your flight through Home has led to a large room, built in the lower levels   
 of the structure. Before you can get through, though, you find a group of Al  
 Bhed civilians and a few of their unlikely protectors gathered (for one, you  
 spy Rin and... Guba?). They have gathered about a large set of doors, which   
 have been closed automatically -- blast doors, to protect whatever is         
 through.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Yevonite forces are on the way, but you see Brother and other armed Al Bhed   
 taking stock. Rin is the one who approaches you; the middle-aged Al Bhed      
 jogs up, and then claps his hand. "Ah! My friends!" he calls out. "You have   
 impeccable timing! You see, we have two airships through these doors--and we  
 are ready to leave. But, these doors are too smart, and have closed on their  
 own!"                                                                         
                                                                               
 He smiles. "I trust you know what to do?"                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Overzealous======================================
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    As the last of the rusty ductwork comes loose, the Guards find themselves inside what was once a massive room--a hangar bay. Time and the elements have taken their toll. It's now half-full of sand, and if there are any vehicles remaining, they've been buried beneath the dunes. The hangar doors are closed tight, but they can still hear the heavy thud-thud-thud of the Landship Destiny as it makes its approach.

    "We're not finished yet," Leo says, sizing up the situation. "The main cannon would make quick work of those, but also us--not to mention anyone still trapped nearby." Leo couldn't care less about the Yevonites, but if there are any Al Bhed survivors...

    "So we force it open! Destiny calls, Guards! Destiny calls!"

    The sand beneath Leo's feet begins to churn as seismic ripples emanate from beneath him. The earth beneath the door begins to tremble, and then to rise. In lifting itself up, it also lifts the door. Sweat beads on Leo's brow from the exertion. Earthen grains rise up around him.

DG: White Knight Leo has used his Tool Earthgrasp Gauntlets toward his party's challenge, Opening the Airship Hangar.
<Pose Tracker> Day Muirwall has posed.

"Agreed," Day answers Pearl with a nod. A couple strands of blond hair drift into his face; he ignores them, but Vesna's fingers twitch instinctively.

At Hilde's request, Day looks back towards her. For a moment, his eyes tighten slightly at the outer corners--

    the destiny of our house will fall to you now

The thought is pushed aside, and he takes a pastry with a quiet nod of gratitude.

Beyond all of this, the hangar waits. In the distance, a sound Day finds all too familiar. Rolling his shoulders with a creak of armour, he moves towards the hangar door and plants his heels, Vesna hovering back a ways to let the more corporeal members of the Guard deal with the problem.

Day waits for Leo to get them started. As the door begins to lift under the force of rising earth, the younger knight forces his gauntleted hands beneath it. He drops to one knee, grunting with herculean effort as he strains to help lift an entire door. As soon as it's high enough, he'll wedge his entire body under it, trying to lift with his shoulders and back.

"Geh-- I can- I can see the Destiny, commander...!"

DG: Day Muirwall has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Opening the Airship Hangar.
<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

For a brief moment, Hilde's eyes meet Day's. Does she notice, the way his expression changes subtly? If she does, she doesn't say anything - and now is not the best time to get into it.

It's no wonder this place was left in the state they found it. Hilde frowns at the doors, buried in the sands and weathered by time. They can hear the Destiny outside. It's a relief, but as Leo says, they're not finished yet. Hilde nods.

"Yes - if we are able to offer any assistance to the Al Bhed, then we must." She says. She has not forgotten how they stood alongside them.

Still buoyed by her refreshments from before, Hilde moves to join the others at the hangar doors. She has no magical form of assistance she can offer here - she can only grasp one side of the doors and pull with all of her might.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Magical Pouch toward her party's challenge, Opening the Airship Hangar.
<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    It's not the showing Pearl would have liked to have made. She struggles even when she's assisting, and it's clear that Day and Leo do the hardest work. On theother hand, pastries heal all wounds because the world of baked goods is a realm of wonder and mystery for Pearl. So, hooray for honey pastries.

Herearl follow, constantly looking back to see they aren't followed. They aren't. So instead they come across hanger doors. With the thought of using the cannon dashed, for good reason, it comes down to making their way through the hangar doors. "Very well, Commander." She's a hard one to inspire with speeches, for terrible reasons, but she makes her way to the door. The sand offers her no stable footing, and this is even heavier then the early wreckage. But she is determined to do better this time, especially with a return to the Destiny so close.

<Pose Tracker> Pearl has posed.

    It's not the showing Pearl would have liked to have made. She struggles even when she's assisting, and it's clear that Day and Leo do the hardest work. On theother hand, pastries heal all wounds because the world of baked goods is a realm of wonder and mystery for Pearl. So, hooray for honey pastries.

    Pearl follow, constantly looking back to see they aren't followed. They aren't. So instead they come across hanger doors. With the thought of using the cannon dashed, for good reason, it comes down to making their way through the hangar doors. "Very well, Commander."

    She's a hard one to inspire with speeches, for terrible reasons, but she makes her way to the door. The sand offers her no stable footing, and this is even heavier then the early wreckage. But she is determined to do better this time, especially with a return to the Destiny so close.

DG: Pearl has used her Tool Wolf Claws toward her party's challenge, Opening the Airship Hangar.
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
==================<* CHALLENGE - Opening the Airship Hangar *>==================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Your flight through Home has led to a large room, built in the lower levels   
 of the structure. Before you can get through, though, you find a group of Al  
 Bhed civilians and a few of their unlikely protectors gathered (for one, you  
 spy Rin and... Guba?). They have gathered about a large set of doors, which   
 have been closed automatically -- blast doors, to protect whatever is         
 through.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Yevonite forces are on the way, but you see Brother and other armed Al Bhed   
 taking stock. Rin is the one who approaches you; the middle-aged Al Bhed      
 jogs up, and then claps his hand. "Ah! My friends!" he calls out. "You have   
 impeccable timing! You see, we have two airships through these doors--and we  
 are ready to leave. But, these doors are too smart, and have closed on their  
 own!"                                                                         
                                                                               
 He smiles. "I trust you know what to do?"                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Overzealous======================================
=======================<* The Battle of Home - Round 6 *>=======================
====================< Results - Opening the Airship Hangar >====================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day Muirwall                        56 --(101)--> 157              Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pearl                               63 --(101)--> 164              Fail
Wolf Claws                          2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               63 --(101)--> 164              Fail
Magical Pouch                       1   Brute   Effects: Cleanse              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
White Knight Leo                    56 --(101)--> 157              Fail
Earthgrasp Gauntlets                3   Brute   Effects: Fanfare              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Day Muirwall                90 --(10)--> 100               Fail
Conditions: Overzealous(2)|Weaken(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: Day Muirwall is too exhausted to continue!
DG: Pearl is too exhausted to continue!
DG: Hilde is too exhausted to continue!
DG: White Knight Leo is too exhausted to continue!
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Day Muirwall has successfully explored The Battle of Home!
============================<* The Battle of Home *>============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Flight on the Fahrenheit *>===================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The blast doors explode inward. There, you see a number of catwalks -- each   
 leading to two docked ships. One is a sleek, white and gold machina airship   
 with Al Bhed script on it. The other is a wooden sailing boat, but with ARMs  
 and a dirigible balloon that has armored plating reminiscent of a dragon. On  
 the side, Filgaian lettering marks it as the "Fereshte."                      
                                                                               
 Yours leads to the white-and-gold airship. Several Al Bhed are running        
 ahead, but a middle-aged man with a bald head stands there, shouting orders:  
 "Ku, ku, ku! Ajanouha uhpuynt huf!"                                           
                                                                               
 He glances at Brother -- the mohawked Al Bhed charging, dropping his machina  
 cannon -- and meets his eyes. "Brother, oui'na eh dra bemud'c cayd!"          
                                                                               
 "Oayr! Kud ed!" Brother answers.                                              
                                                                               
 The bald man looks at your group, thoughtful for a second -- and then he      
 nods. "Name's Cid! Y'all have some real good timin'! Get onboard the          
 Fahrenheit, we're takin' off right now!"                                      
                                                                               
 Your escape awaits.                                                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Secret===================================================
<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

    It takes everything the Guards have, and then some. Leo strains to shift the earth, even with the enhanced control provided by his gauntlets. Pearl and Day and Hilde put their bodies into it. Day makes himself a living column, but that injury he took when he tried the same in the Main Gate starts to flare up. It hurts. Even for those who are less-injured, the work is exhausting. The door must weigh several tons, and here they are, trying to force it open with nothing more than sorcery and brute strength alone.

    But they manage it. Slowly, the sunlight starts to shine into the abandoned hangar--and when there's a gap large enough to crawl through, Leo urges the others out. He follows, his face lined with tension as he crosses the hangar and slips through the crack.

    The hangar door crashes down mere moments later, almost catching Leo's cape.

    But there, on the other side, is the Destiny, in all her battle-scarred glory. Weary but grateful faces peer down from its deck as the crew extends the gangplank--and as Leo approaches, they salute.

    They're home.