2020-10-23: Hurry On Our Way
- Log: Hurry On Our Way
- Cast: Josephine Lovelace, Lemina Ausa, Ines Colina
- Where: Bevelle - Temple District
- Date: October 23, 2020
- Summary: Thrown into Via Purifico, a trio of ladies make the best of it as they work their way through the treacherous path Yevon has set before them.
DG: A party led by Josephine Lovelace is now entering Via Purifico. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Finding Your Friends *>===================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The tunnels of Via Purifico are damp. Ancient stone, colored green by moss and other plant life, makes up the walls and floors. Here and there, patterns of red stone from the original construction may be seen. Lamps on the floor light it, here and there; machina lamps, ancient and still functioning, give some hope of navigating. People cast down here have landed in different places, after being dropped down from Bevelle above. You have found yourself in one room. The only thing to do is search -- and hope to find other members before long. =Dungeon Conditions: Madness, Overwhelm, Tire=================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Finally, at long last, Yevon had made up its mind what to do with them. That being of course, death. In a roundabout way, to be certain -- they 'only' had to walk this horrible path of purification under Bevelle, which no one had ever successfully traversed, which if they succeeded, would mean their freedom.
They'd even given them all their stuff back, which had just convinced Josie that they did not intend at all for them to succeed. Probably there was some bastard at the exit with an ARM, just to make sure.
When she lands at the bottom of that place they've opted to dump her, she takes but a moment to right herself.
She snaps her fingers; there is the smell of ozone, a spark. A light, for the cigarette between her teeth.
Josie then takes her first good long drag in nearly a week.
"Well, then," she remarks to no one.
Cigarette in hand she starts forward into the damp darkness, of all things a song on her lips.
"Port Timney girls ain't got no combs, haul away, haul away," she belts out, as loudly as she can, into the dark ahead.
"They brush their hair with codfish bones, and we're bound away for Aquvy..."
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Pack of Cigarettes toward her party's challenge, Finding Your Friends.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
This is... not the daring escape Lemina was hoping to be able to make. She's not naive enough to miss the signaling that comes with giving all of her stuff back; they expect to get it back later. Presumably from their corpses. Still -- it's at least better than sitting in a prison and waiting to die.
Lemina lands with a dull thud. She's terrible at falling. "Nngh..." she groans, as she hears -- singing? Off in the distance? She thinks she recognizes the voice, though she doesn't have the greatest ear for that kind of thing. "Hey! Is that a ghost, or another living person!?" she shouts back, fumbling in her pack to find her glasses.
They're not night-vision glasses or anything, though Lemina... probably could *make* them those, given a little time; it's mostly just to orient herself.
DG: Lemina Ausa has used her Tool Reading Glasses toward her party's challenge, Finding Your Friends.
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
On ways she expected to meet her death, 'dropped into a ruin from which there is no escape' is, honestly, reasonably high on the list given her line of work. It's still unpleasant for that to be on the table, though. The landing is rough, and with Ines' size, loud.
"Great," she mutters as she rises to her feet. "That's got to have gotten attention." A maze, then? She goes for the obvious option- hand to one wall, turn that way. With any luck, this dungeon will be small enough that'll work. Assuming no weird traps, that is.
Ines pauses, and opens the nacre locket around her neck. She focuses, even in the dim light, on the image inside. The one thing she has left of her family. "...Hell. I'm not dying here." And tht's when she hears the distant sound of a song, and then the shouting of another person.
"Who's there?" She shouts, moving towards the voices as best she can, given then echoey nature of the dungeon.
DG: Ines Colina has used her Tool Family Locket toward her party's challenge, Finding Your Friends.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Finding Your Friends *>===================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The tunnels of Via Purifico are damp. Ancient stone, colored green by moss and other plant life, makes up the walls and floors. Here and there, patterns of red stone from the original construction may be seen. Lamps on the floor light it, here and there; machina lamps, ancient and still functioning, give some hope of navigating. People cast down here have landed in different places, after being dropped down from Bevelle above. You have found yourself in one room. The only thing to do is search -- and hope to find other members before long. =Dungeon Conditions: Madness, Overwhelm, Tire=================================
==========================<* Via Purifico - Round 1 *>========================== =======================< Results - Finding Your Friends >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 0 --(25)--> 25 Fail Pack of Cigarettes 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ines Colina 0 --(25)--> 25 Fail Family Locket 2 Wits Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lemina Ausa 0 --(25)--> 25 Fail Reading Glasses 2 Wits Effects: Resilient -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 0 --(15)--> 15 Fail Conditions: Madness|Overwhelm|Tire(2) Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has failed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Lemina Ausa has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Faulty Machina Wiring *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- This is an underwater challenge. Your path leads you to another tunnel that is completely submerged. You swim down into a long, wide tunnel, but one that would barely be enough to stand upright in (were the tunnel not flooded). There are also lights on the walls, but this is the problem. Some work, but others are damaged. Sparks and lightning sometimes arc out into the water, shooting towards metal on the other side -- and expand outward, making wide areas of electrified water that are extremely dangerous to cross. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Suffer=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"So heave away, me bully, bully boys, haul away, haul away--"
It was probably a good idea in practice: sing as loudly as she can, in the hopes of drawing other people towards her, or at least alerting other people that she's here. But Josie had, perhaps, underestimated the sound quality of these walls. Her voice echoes too wildly, making it sound like there are multiple hers as she presses on ahead through the winding corridors.
"--Heave her up and don't you make a noise--"
It's similar bad luck for the other two. While Lemina's glasses may assist her with focusing in the middle of everything going on, and while Ines' pendant gives her the resolve she needs to press onwards, these things work only upon themselves. The labyrinth is as maddening as ever.
"--And we're bound away for Aquvy!"
But even a labyrinth eventually comes to an end. The paths eventually lead out towards the same direction, meaning that all three of the ladies eventually come into contact with one another.
Josie lingers a moment just beyong the winding corridors, taking one last drag before flinging the cigarette aside.
"Ines, Lemina! Fancy meeting you ladies in a place like this! ...Don't suppose you heard me singing, yeah? What'd you think?
(in all honesty, Josie's singing could use some improvement...)
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
Lemina shakes herself out a bit. That was... long and pointless, and her sense of direction isn't especially great to begin with -- let alone with that sound bouncing off the walls. She's immensely relieved to find Josie, though -- and Ines, who she doesn't think she knows but is glad *someone* does.
Lemina offers a, "It was, uhhh... different! Mega-different," at the question of how Josie's singing was. She pops her hand up into the air for a moment, makes a floating light, and gets ready to lead her erstwhile companions onward!
... They promptly find that the only path forward -- at least, the only one that none of them *came* from, is... underwater. Lemina makes a face. "I hate swimming," she mumbles. "It's cold, and it's wet... ugghhh."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she mumbles, "Mega-ugh," before starting into the water. There's really nothing to do but move forward --
-- but, unfortunately, there are large stretches of water that are heavily electrified by wall light fixtures. Lemina actually pops out of the water for a moment, changes her shoes, and then tries again in response.
DG: Lemina Ausa has used her Tool Chiro Sandals toward her party's challenge, Faulty Machina Wiring.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie's response is to crack a smile nonetheless. "That bad, eh? Well, no matter! Let's get a move on, shall we? I'd love to see if we can make it to the end."
A pause, whereupon she glances at Ines, who seems to be somewhere upon her level. "So, Ines, what d'ya think the odds are?" A pause follows, wherein she continues onwards, gesturing vaguely with her one good hand. "Of those lot waiting to ambush at the exit, I mean. I get the feeling they ain't the type to play fair. But fortunately, neither do I!"
She soon arrives at that waterway, eyeing the faulty light fixtures thoughtfully. "Hm... well, this is a problem," she remarks. "And here I am, without the proper kit for this... Well, so be it!"
She leaps into the depths, taking care to avoiding the shocks, but this may be somewhat trickier for her to manage, given she only has the one completely functional arm.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Faulty Machina Wiring.
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
Twists and turns and contant echoing makes the way to the voice slow and difficult. Still, it's good for her to see a familiar face. "Fancy running into my cellmate in here of all places. What're the odds?" She smirks, getting a small amount of amusement from the moment. "I'd ask how d'you do, miss, but I don't figure there's a good answer for that right now." She gives a nod to the smaller woman. "Ines Colina, at your service."
Ines smirks again. "I wouldn't quit your day job, if I'm honest. Though under the circumstances, it was enough to lure the two of us to you, so maybe you're a regular siren and my ears just suck."
Water. Ines' favourite element. In combination with electricity, though, it sucks. "Shouldn't be surprised they don't maintain the place." She says, as she kicks off her boots, revealing large webbed feet. "Let's just hope it's not stagnant, huh?" Ines says, looping her her boots over her shoulder, and then releasing the whip from her belt to secure it with a hint of symbology around her waist. "I know it's a lightning rod, but if you get stuck, grab on. I can take a couple of passengers."
And then Ines dives in, and heads low, hoping to stay out of range of the sparks of electricity.
DG: Ines Colina has used her Tool Runic Whip toward her party's challenge, Faulty Machina Wiring.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - Faulty Machina Wiring *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- This is an underwater challenge. Your path leads you to another tunnel that is completely submerged. You swim down into a long, wide tunnel, but one that would barely be enough to stand upright in (were the tunnel not flooded). There are also lights on the walls, but this is the problem. Some work, but others are damaged. Sparks and lightning sometimes arc out into the water, shooting towards metal on the other side -- and expand outward, making wide areas of electrified water that are extremely dangerous to cross. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Suffer=============================================
==========================<* Via Purifico - Round 2 *>========================== ======================< Results - Faulty Machina Wiring >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 25 --(30)--> 55 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ines Colina 25 --(30)--> 55 Fail Runic Whip 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lemina Ausa 25 --(30)--> 55 Fail Chiro Sandals 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 15 --(15)--> 30 Fail Conditions: Slow(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has failed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
Things go... poorly, to say the least. No one has an especially good go of it in the water; the fixtures are sparking *fast*, which means, of course that there ends up being virtually no way to get through the water without being shocked into the ground. Mercifully the shocks don't end up lethal -- they have plenty of other places to go besides our stalwart heroes -- but getting through takes time, ends up quite painful, and is acutely miserable.
"Nngh..." Lemina groans, once at last they get to a safe place to stand -- owing mostly to Ines. "I sure hope we don't have to do that again," she mumbles.
DG: Ines Colina has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Teleportation Maze *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The twisting, turning hallways of Via Purifico sometimes end in dead-ends. However, a little searching reveals an unexpected way forward: a stone tile on the floor, which has a glowing blue-green glyph on it. When you step on it, it will lift up, and then you vanish in a flash of light, only to appear on another. By navigating some of the nearby hallways carefully, you can map out the way ahead. However, some teleportation glyphs send you wildly off-course; others send you backward. Others are the only way to continue. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Exhaust, Tire===================================
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
It's really rough, to be honest. It's hard to display pain via gills, but an effort is made. When she pulls herself (and anyone needing assistance) to the surfaces, it takes her a few moments to switch her breathing, and she exhales sharply. "Agreed. You okay?" She says, taking a second to put her boots back on. "We should keep moving."
Keeping moving, in this case, leads to a dead end with a strange tile with a strange glyph on it. "The hell is this?" Ines asks pausing for a moment. She looks back at the path they came, and they were funneled to this foute. "...Fine, guess I may as well find out."
Andf then Ines steps onto the glyph, is lifted up, and disappears in a mote of light!!
Assuming the others follow, they'll find Ines in front of three such glyps, holding her locket in her hands again. "...I'm thinking maybe we should mark the walls." Ines pauses. "Did you get your screwdriver back after all that?"
If only she knew the destructive power of Lemina Ausa...
DG: Ines Colina has used her Tool Family Locket toward her party's challenge, Teleportation Maze.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"That was... pretty bad," Josie gasps, emerging at last from the wet. Her right hand's still twitching slightly. "Reminds me of what my auntie used to say... about swimming in a storm."
Still, she's well capable of walking it off, as it were -- which fortunately they have the time to do.
Though the travel eventually ends them in an apparent dead end. "Hmm, are they assholes enough to make a dead-ended maze? ...Reckon they are, but," she says, approaching the glyph, "Don't quite think they--"
Ines vanishes after a moment, whereupon Josie follows.
And now there are three.
The wayward archaeologist cracks a grin. "You bet," Josie says, producing said screwdriver with such speed and flourish that it almost suggests it was some sort of slight-of-hand trick.
"Now, let's see this foil us!"
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Lucky Screwdriver toward her party's challenge, Teleportation Maze.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
A teleportation maze! One of Lemina's favorite stupid tricks! "Okay -- the first thing we ought to do," Lemina says, after following Ines and Josie through the first maze, "is determine if the teleporters are *two* way or *one* way. Sometimes it's different how they work -- sometimes they're like magic doors, but sometimes trying to enter the same way you came doesn't take you back."
Lemina has *made* mazes like this, or at least designed them; she's comfortable with the logic and positively excited to participate. She adjusts her glasses; they glint in the light she, herself, has made. "Marking the walls is a good idea, too, though we want to use distinctive marks for each room -- or, well, after using each teleporter..."
She goes on like this for a while. She's more excited than she ought to be.
DG: Lemina Ausa has used her Tool Reading Glasses toward her party's challenge, Teleportation Maze.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Teleportation Maze *>====================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The twisting, turning hallways of Via Purifico sometimes end in dead-ends. However, a little searching reveals an unexpected way forward: a stone tile on the floor, which has a glowing blue-green glyph on it. When you step on it, it will lift up, and then you vanish in a flash of light, only to appear on another. By navigating some of the nearby hallways carefully, you can map out the way ahead. However, some teleportation glyphs send you wildly off-course; others send you backward. Others are the only way to continue. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Exhaust, Tire===================================
==========================<* Via Purifico - Round 3 *>========================== ========================< Results - Teleportation Maze >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 55 --(18)--> 73 Fail Lucky Screwdriver 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ines Colina 55 --(3)--> 58 Pass Family Locket 2 Wits Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lemina Ausa 55 --(3)--> 58 Pass Reading Glasses 2 Wits Effects: Resilient -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 30 --(20)--> 50 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Slow(1)|Stupify(2)|Tire(2) Effects: Enlighten(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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> Ines Colina has posed.
It is not the destructive power of Lemina Ausa that should be feared, instead it is the power of her mind, and more particularly, the power of her dungeon making know how. Her astonishing knowledge of teleporter mazes has the trio working through. Ines comes back through one teleporter shaking her head. "Definitely not that one."
Josie's luck is worse, somehow getting stuck with a route that keeps sending her back to the same teleporters over, and over again, the teleporter maze's equivalent of the writer's joke of having recursive footnotes.
When the route is finally mapped out, Ines leans back against a wall. "Well, glad you managed to have fun with that." There's no bitterness, but slight bemusement. "And it got us through. You do good work."
DG: Josephine Lovelace has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== =======================<* CHALLENGE - Flood Gate Locks *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- This is an underwater challenge. You path leads you into one of the tunnels that is flooded. After diving into the water, you find that the flooded tunnel is blocked by an immense floodgate. There is a mechanical control to operate the floodgate, with Spiran glyphs written to explain its somewhat complicated operation. However, two problems present themselves. First, you need to figure out how the controls work. Second, once the floodgate lifts, there will be a torrential flood that will pull you with it unless you are very careful. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Injure==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"One way..." Josie shakes her head and scowls at the wall. "They would, wouldn't they? I've really had it with these bastards."
So much for her lucky screwdriver, maybe. Still -- every so often you just roll snake-eyes. Josie may be that much more irritated by the time she works out the same path the others have managed to work out, but it hardly seems to have dampened her drive all that excessively. Tucking the screwdriver away, she shrugs, smiling crookedly in Ines' direction. "Can't win 'em all. I'll just tally it up under another thing that I owe 'em for," she says, gesturing absently about before heading onwards.
Towards another flooded stretch, it seems. "Least this part's not got a current in it, eh? Well, onwards and upwards! ...Or downwards, I suppose."
She dives into the water, making her way with some difficulty towards the gate that lies ahead after a short stretch. It's blocking the way ahead--
And more to the point there's controls, that are utterly opague. The smart thing would be to test them, maybe see how to open the gate without washing them all to kingdom come. The Josie way on the other hand...
Is to take the screwdriver to the controls and start trying to work the whole control apparatus open. She doesn't have an unlimited supply of air here, and if there's one thing she knows about machines and the like, is that they make way more sense once you've got a better look at their (mechanical) guts.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Lucky Screwdriver toward her party's challenge, Flood Gate Locks.
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
Ines gives a shrug back at Josie. "We can collect payment once we're out of here." Ines says, maybe unhelpfully. "Though we might have to join a queue at this rate." She follows, looking down at the water, and sighs. "I may as well just go barefoot."
At least this time it's not on a time pressure. Well, not a time pressure for her at least. She starts swimming up to the floodgates and investigates them. It tkes her a few momnets before she surfaces. "When that opens, we're going in fast, and we can't afford to secure ourselves because it'd just tangle you up, best case you break something, worst case you drown." This comes with a voice of authority, even if Josie can't necessarily hear her.
"Don't struggle, let it pull you, then try to aim up. It's a bad solution, but it's what we've got. I'll do what I can." She touches that nacre locket one more time. "Hey, if you can hear this," she says, quiet as a whisper. "Wish us luck, okay?"
With that, she submerges again, waiting for Josie to give the signal.
DG: Ines Colina has used her Tool Family Locket toward her party's challenge, Flood Gate Locks.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
Nodding once, Lemina affirms, "I used to draw maps for this kind of thing in my notebook all the time. I want to make a really complicated one for the Cave of Trials once we've got the money. I want something that's a mega-brain teaser!"
And they continue. Yet again, it's into the water; Lemina decides to remove her reading glasses this time because she's pretty sure not remembering to was a big part of the underwater misery *last* time. She considers the controls for a few moments, trying to figure out how to open them... but honestly, this is more Hiro's kind of thing; she's smart, but she hates 'dungeon mechanism' kinds of puzzles. They've never been her speed.
She instead decides to let Josie pop it open while she looks at it, and -- if need be -- point out any insights she happens to have. She's not necessarily expecting too much from herself for a purely mechanical control, though; she's not bad, but Josie is probably better.
DG: Lemina Ausa has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Flood Gate Locks.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== =======================<* CHALLENGE - Flood Gate Locks *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- This is an underwater challenge. You path leads you into one of the tunnels that is flooded. After diving into the water, you find that the flooded tunnel is blocked by an immense floodgate. There is a mechanical control to operate the floodgate, with Spiran glyphs written to explain its somewhat complicated operation. However, two problems present themselves. First, you need to figure out how the controls work. Second, once the floodgate lifts, there will be a torrential flood that will pull you with it unless you are very careful. =Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Injure==========================================
==========================<* Via Purifico - Round 4 *>========================== =========================< Results - Flood Gate Locks >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 73 --(0)--> 73 Pass Lucky Screwdriver 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ines Colina 58 --(0)--> 58 Pass Family Locket 2 Wits Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lemina Ausa 58 --(7)--> 65 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 50 --(20)--> 70 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Stupify(2)|Tire(1) Effects: Enlighten(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Heh. Ain't gonna doubt that one," Josie remarks, then glances over (and down) at Ines (or more specifically, her feet). "May as well! Pretty handy, those," she says, then jerks her head towards her own right arm. "Me, I'll just have to keep on muddling about with this bum arm," she sighs. "Well, let's keep going."
There is a glance Lemina's way as they head onwards. "Cave of Trials, huh? So that was you? Huh. I never did, but I heard tell from a few that tried it."
With that -- and the shape of the trial before them in view -- it's into the depths... and more importantly, 'the part where she has to deal with the mechanism'. Working it out with the covering removed is a pretty easy -- if rather destructive -- process... particularly since Josie opts to just pull out a key component in order to disengage the lock. It's faster this way.
The gate begins to grind open slowly -- but not slowly enough to prevent the water from sucking them in. Ines' guidance proves helpful as they're pulled through--
Or at least, it proves useful to Lemina and Ines, who were able to hear it (Lemina has a few terrifying moments before she's able to surface). Josie, using a mixture of dumb luck and sheer doggedness--
Is also fine, apparently, surfacing a few moments after them, once the water calms down.
DG: Ines Colina has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== =======================<* CHALLENGE - Collapsing Roof *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Portions of Via Purifico's ancient tunnels are in poor repair. At different points, some tunnels have been dry or flooded. When you enter this tunnel, you hear a rumble from above. Then some of the ancient tunnel's roof begins to crumble down, both dust and chunks of stone, and huge slabs of rock. It comes crashing down atop of you -- and forces you to move quickly, or else! =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Injure, Exhaust====================================
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
It's a fairly clean act of resurfacing, and a clean moment to get out the pool. "Oh, handy sure. Great if you like swimming," Ines responds, "but kinda fragile, and you don't want to get something through the webbing." She does stop herself. "You seem to do pretty well so far. Guess that's just kind of patron-"
And then the ceiling starts to rumble, and then crumble.And then full on collapse. She looks to Lemina and Josie, and then, as if it needed to be said, shouts 'Run!"
As she does this, Ines goes into a full run, and releases her whip. She starts swinging around her, trying to knock back the smaller parts she can, and clear the way for the others. It's what she does. She's also looking back at the others. If she can keep ahead, well, she's certainly strong enough to pull someone after her with the whip.
But staying a head might be a lot easier said than done.
DG: Ines Colina has used her Tool Runic Whip toward her party's challenge, Collapsing Roof.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie winces, as if in commiseration. "Say no more. I can only imagine." Her lips part in a slight grin regardless, then, and perhaps she might have said something--
If it weren't for that sudden rumble. Josie shares in that glance.
Before bolting, herself, down the hallway, making all haste for whatever point of safety might lie head.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Collapsing Roof.
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
Lemina's exciting nearly-drowning experience is harrowing! She definitely doesn't want to do that again!
She picks up the earlier conversation once it's over, mostly as a way to shove it out of her mind. "Well... kind of," Lemina says. "It's been a Vane thing for a *mega*-long time, but I like to go down there... make sure everything's still working..." ... be alone... make giant toy robots...
Lemina is very glad she's wearing her nicer shoes, because as soon as she hears the rumble of dust and stone, she breaks into a dead sprint. There has to be a safe place in here *somewhere!*
DG: Lemina Ausa has used her Tool Chiro Sandals toward her party's challenge, Collapsing Roof.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== =======================<* CHALLENGE - Collapsing Roof *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Portions of Via Purifico's ancient tunnels are in poor repair. At different points, some tunnels have been dry or flooded. When you enter this tunnel, you hear a rumble from above. Then some of the ancient tunnel's roof begins to crumble down, both dust and chunks of stone, and huge slabs of rock. It comes crashing down atop of you -- and forces you to move quickly, or else! =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Injure, Exhaust====================================
==========================<* Via Purifico - Round 5 *>========================== =========================< Results - Collapsing Roof >========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 73 --(5)--> 78 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ines Colina 58 --(5)--> 63 Pass Runic Whip 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lemina Ausa 65 --(5)--> 70 Pass Chiro Sandals 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 70 --(20)--> 90 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Injure(2)|Slow(2)|Stupify(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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> Ines Colina has posed.
Good news, team! A dead sprint does the trick, and the trio ably get themselves ahead of the collapsing ceiling, and into the hallway past. Josie is just plain fast, while Lemina has the assistance of some very good sandals, and Ines brings up the rear, before they all come to a halt.
"Okay, I think we're clear." She takes a breath, and then has a chance to respond to Lemina. "Sounds like the sort of place that'd attract way too many Drifters, and you'd have to keep fixing up." She says, musing out loud. "And Drifters don't tend to pay for things when they're broken. I guess the upkeep would be pretty expensive."
DG: Lemina Ausa has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ===============<* CHALLENGE - Evrae Altana - Close the Gates! *>================ |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- This is an underwater challenge. You enter another stretch of tunnel that is utterly flooded. The deepest recesses of Via Purifico are almost entirely flooded, and these are inhabited by a new occupant: the Unsent version of the Great Beast of Bevelle, Evrae. After being slain at the hands of Althena's Guard, Evrae (now Unsent) has been sent into the depths to insure that no Drifters, Guardians, Summoners, or otherwise prove their innocence through trial. The creature swims up to you from around a corner. It is a long, serpent-like dragon, with fins on its head. It sends a blast of prismatic orbs of light at you, shooting forward to strike at you. However, it has not caught up yet. If you are quick, you may be able to strike two switches on a nearby wall, and slam a gate down in front of it, to buy a few precious moments. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Suffer, Injure=====================================
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
"Oh, that's part of the fun! Honestly I could make dungeons for Drifters to put themselves through forever, as long as they're willing to pay dues," Lemina says, bright and chipper.
The chipperness does not last for too long. The only path forward is another underwater tunnel, and accordingly, Lemina -- now with wet hair -- slips into it wordlessly. It's best if she doesn't complain. It'll be over faster.
No sooner has the group entered the tunnel than does a creature come swimming up rom a T-shaped intersection; the serpentine dragon -- already somewhat close -- blasts several waves of light at the group.
Lemina does not scream, because you can't underwater; instead, she starts swimming at top speed, spotting a mechanism on a nearby wall. ... She's probably likely to be the last one to get there, but at least she points it out!
DG: Lemina Ausa has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Evrae Altana - Close the Gates!.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Huh. Well, what d'ya know! Spent a little time in Vane once, way on back, come to think, but..."
It's a line of conversation that may need to go somewhat to the wayside as well when the roof appears to be about to crush them all dead. Fortunately, there's something to be said about adrenaline and good old-fashioned 'running the hell away' to get someone out of a pinch!
Josie lingers just inside that safe point she's reached, breathing hard. "Gettin'... a little old for this," she complains, in those moments before she rights herself, shaking her head in the process, and soldiers on. "Well, enough of that. There's some bastards that've earned a bullet or two to the head, what?"
Though she does ask, "Is makin' dungeons lucrative, then? Woulda thought a high overhead, but that shows what I know!"
Beyond, further passage becomes impossible on land alone; Josie dive into the canal, making do with what she's got as she swims along.
When a goddamn ghost dragon shows up, she's a little too busy doing things like 'not drown' and 'not get eaten' to shout or scream about it.
And stick with the others. That would also be preferable!
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Evrae Altana - Close the Gates!.
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
Ines shrugs again. "You do get a lot of folks wanting that taste of excitement without the danger of the job. Might suit them." She shakes her head. "Paying to go into a dungeon... Can't say I think it'll catch on." Way to encourage, Ines. And then she looks over to Josie. "Do you need a few minutes?"
Evidently not, and when they come to wzater, Ines slips into it like, well, a shark. This is her element. once again. But right now she is not the biggest fish in the river. That honour would go to the big goddamn dragon coming after them. Ines starts to signal, and then realises 'lots of people don't know blitzball hand signals'. This is a problem.
New plan, swim for your life. She's done that one before. She grabs the whip on her belt, which flows out more like it would in air than water. Fighting the dragon is not on the cards, but she sees what Lemina's going for, and glances around, seeing her other. The symbological runes on the whip activate, and it flies forward towards that other button, hoping it will be enough.
DG: Ines Colina has used her Tool Runic Whip toward her party's challenge, Evrae Altana - Close the Gates!.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ===============<* CHALLENGE - Evrae Altana - Close the Gates! *>================ |Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- This is an underwater challenge. You enter another stretch of tunnel that is utterly flooded. The deepest recesses of Via Purifico are almost entirely flooded, and these are inhabited by a new occupant: the Unsent version of the Great Beast of Bevelle, Evrae. After being slain at the hands of Althena's Guard, Evrae (now Unsent) has been sent into the depths to insure that no Drifters, Guardians, Summoners, or otherwise prove their innocence through trial. The creature swims up to you from around a corner. It is a long, serpent-like dragon, with fins on its head. It sends a blast of prismatic orbs of light at you, shooting forward to strike at you. However, it has not caught up yet. If you are quick, you may be able to strike two switches on a nearby wall, and slam a gate down in front of it, to buy a few precious moments. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Suffer, Injure=====================================
==========================<* Via Purifico - Round 6 *>========================== =================< Results - Evrae Altana - Close the Gates! >================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 78 --(31)--> 109 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ines Colina 63 --(43)--> 106 Fail Runic Whip 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lemina Ausa 70 --(43)--> 113 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 90 --(0)--> 90 Fail Conditions: Injure(2)|Slow(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: Josephine Lovelace is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ines Colina is too exhausted to continue! DG: Lemina Ausa is too exhausted to continue! DG: The party has failed this challenge! All party members are now Exhausted. This attempt is over. DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has been fully Exhausted by Via Purifico! DG: The party will now draw a conclusion.
===============================<* Via Purifico *>=============================== ======================<* CHALLENGE - Rescued by Ghaleon *>====================== |Type: Escape |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 4 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The dangers of Via Purifico threaten to overwhelm you. Pyreflies are thick around you, to the point of nearly blinding you. Snapping fans and terrible claws reach for you -- and the barbed spears of Sahagin poke at you. The situation seems to be dire indeed, as the fiends infesting Via Purifico close in. But, then, you hear a shout: "INFERNO!" A massive set of explosions /rips/ across the collected fiends. They are scattered in but a moment. A bedraggled figure looks around the corner: the Dragonmaster, Ghaleon, in battered armor and torn clothing. He looks worn and tired, but he gives you a cocky smile. "Well, well, well. Getting sloppy, aren't we? You better hurry on." He points down a tunnel. "The exit is that way." He hurries down another way. But, indeed, you can see some light ahead... =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.
The party doesn't make it to the switch in time; they're stuck with Evrae right behind them -- and now it's *mad* about the attempt. On the other hand, they're so close -- there's a path to escape within sight, just into a large antechamber and then up...!
No sooner do they *reach* that antechamber than a loud cry can be heard -- just barely -- through the distortion of the water. It's indistinct.
Its effects, however, are less indistinct; a gout of fire flash-boils through the water, moving at top speed before striking Evrae. It's the opening the party needs to swim up and reach air.
"Well, well, well. Getting sloppy, aren't we? You better hurry on." He glances to Lemina in particular, asking, "Did I wear you out beating you at latrones?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "The exit is that way."
Lemina makes a face as she starts climbing out of the water, heading in the designated direction. "I'm not going to lose next time," she mumbles, relieved to be escaping.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
It is not the greatest situation to be in, as Evrae bears down upon them. Kicking as hard as she can with her long legs, Josie managed to power through the gate nonetheless, bursting into that antechamber with Evrae hot on their heels. It's going to be a bad situation, but she wheels about in the water nonetheless, reaching for her shotgun.
Josie has the fleeting impression of heat as she breaks the water's surface. One glance backwards tells her a part of the story.
The rest of the story is made clear as crystal when she turns her head to regard...
Ghaleon.
She's seen him before. At that battle, over a year ago. She had been wearing a different uniform then.
Her gaze lingers on Lemina for a moment before she, too, breaks for the water's edge and hauls herself onto land. For Ghaleon she has no words before she turns to make for the exit, but...
Perhaps the cheeky thumbs-up and the saucy grin will be enough.
Now it's just a question of whether someone's going to be waiting at the gates with a bullet for the three of them. Shotgun now in hand, Josie appears to be ready to beat them to the punch, should they exist.
<Pose Tracker> Ines Colina has posed.
The fireball that flies overhead is, frankly, almost as terrifying as Evrae to her. Especially the sheer magnitude of power one would have to fire it. But given the choice of persistent Evrae and temporary fireball, it's an easy choice. She swims like hell for the surface, and when she comes up...
There is a powerful yet condescending mage. Who may be a major figure in the battles taking place. Well, great. "Thanks." Ines mumbles, as she pulls herself to her feet. Ghaleon doesn't stick around, and Ines is a little greatful for that for some reason. She looks to Josie cocking her shotgun, and then to Lemina. "Alright, let's see if anything's waiting for us."