2021-02-20: Uncertain Times Makes Uncertain Allies
- Log: Uncertain Times Makes Uncertain Allies
- Cast: Loren Voss, Yue Rohay, Venetia Vuong, Ethius Hesiod, Lily Keil, Ambrosius
- Where: North Calm Lands
- Date: February 20, 2021
- Summary: The Scar, a place which the Spiran natives tend to avoid, is hardly lacking in mystery -- and indeed, is precisely why so many would-be enemies come to such a place. With the risk of Sin as a threat, they strike a temporary alliance and venture into the Scar.
DG: A party led by Loren Voss is now entering Calm Lands - The Scar. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Where Spira Fears to Tread *>================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- It is said that the Scar was formed long ago by an epic battle against Sin, one of many that mark the centuries in which Spira has dealt with its ancient foe. Whatever the truth of the great canyon's formation, it is a place that has long gone unexploded -- indeed, the sheer scale of its size makes it difficult /to/ explore. Unless you have a Gear or similarly scaled option, that is. Whether you make your descent by flight or by navigating the canyon's walls, the path before you is a surprisingly easy one. Until a complication manifests before you, seeping out of the very walls of the canyon. Dark Elements, and large ones at that, appear before you with startling speed. Their hostile intent is clear -- how will you deal with them? =Dungeon Conditions: Fright===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
It is, in theory, an easy assignment.
Loren has learned more than he cares about the actual difficulty of these 'easy assignments'. This time around he's set up the Schiehallion's black box (not to be confused with 'black box') to ping back in about eight hours. At least this way if he dies horribly it won't take them too long to figure out what happened.
But yes, the goal at hand -- there's been some anomalous readings from within the Scar, and given its relative proximity to the outpost location here, the powers that be within the Spira detachment have thought it wise to take a closer look. Which means go there. Which means a Gear is needed. And given the way that the situation is heating up in the war, they also couldn't afford to spare anyone.
Besides, the fewer the better was probably the thinking.
But that meant that the lucky recipient of today's special mission was... Loren Voss.
Sometimes it doesn't feel like anything has really changed at all for him.
The Solaris heavy Gear swoops low into the canyon walls, beginning its descent.
"Beginning audio log," he starts, at which the Gear's systems oblige. "Approach to the canyon made without incident. No signs of Spiran forces present, as expected. Beginning descent. Energy readings anomalous but faint. --Er," he interrupts his own recording, which had almost seemed professional up to that point. There are dark... shapes slipping out of the walls.
"What are those? Something's -- damn!"
One of them has just darted in close, lashing out at the Schiehallion with sharp... claws? Perhaps now is the time to quit trying to liveblog and do something. Taking a breath shortly after the Dark Element's attack fails to score his Gear's shielding, his response comes in the form of a burst of stone shards.
DG: Loren Voss has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Where Spira Fears to Tread.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue is here for the most classic and time-honoured reason of all, for a Drifter:
She's broke.
As it turns out, she has all the downsides of having to follow orders with... none of the benefits of having to follow orders, like getting repairs on her Gear or anything. And given that she self-detonated it the last time to avoid getting into a prolonged fight...
Uh...
What comes out of one of the Calm Lands' cliffs and sweeping into the Dark Elements is...
It... might be better to call it a Ge. That is, half a Gear. The Aura is missing half its face, its left calf and foot, presumably its right arm which is currently being covered up by a tarp, and there's a bit of exposed cockpit action going on too.
"Let's hope there's something valuable here..." Yue mumbles quietly, sagging. At least, she doesn't have to job versus Fiends, so she just draws a brilliant emerald-green beam saber and hacks into the closest one.
DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Where Spira Fears to Tread.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
"If we can shuttle back and forth between two planets and figure out how to move high value mineral ores and resources before anyone else susses it out, we'll finally be rich enough to wear the balls in this oligarchy," said JIMMY CHAN, INTERN GEAR COPILOT, at the faculty meeting in the School of Mineralogy.
Quoth VENETIA VUONG, THESIS ADVISOR: "I'm sorry?"
HERE, NOW
Ametrine is a towering presence and relatively slow moving, but with that sloth comes some adroitness. The great Gear, which likely looks like some BS to the eyes of Solaris, strides down the canyon.
"Those look like shadowy presences erupting to overcome us," Venetia says. "And what do we say to that?"
A small artillery piece emerges from Ametrine's slightly poutsome robot lips, and begins to shoot.
"Ha ha! The power of gunsmoke arms on this scale can overcome any ancient shadowy bullshit!" declares Jimmy Chan. ("Don't get cocky, kid, they're still on our tail," answers Venetia.)
DG: Venetia Vuong has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Where Spira Fears to Tread.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius is still a bundle of nerves and activity after the battle on the Calm Lands, and unfortunately, he's in no position to go get the Aiguille unit repaired. Parts aren't that hard to come by over on Filgaia, but... that's the problem, they aren't there, and the Al Bhed workarounds for some of the missing parts is... um. Most of it just adds weight and doesn't do anything, except be inefficient shielding, one supposes.
He has seen increased activity over by the Scar and more or less ends up with the rest by circumstance. Whatever his opinions of the gathered (and he likely has some strong ones), he keeps them to himself as he descends. The Aiguille has excellent traction on uneven terrain, choosing a much slower descent as--
Something strange manifests in the darkness. The shapes themselves aren't weird - 'Elements' are a common sort of Fiend. They don't usually get this large, though.
The rifle-staff is a few segments shorter than usual but still functional within the span of what's there, firing off controlled laser blasts - actual communication hails are not made nor worked out as of yet.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Where Spira Fears to Tread.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
An easy assignment. That's nice. Lily Keil happens to be investigating a few things out here, albeit very, very, very carefully considering the most recent news here. And she sees the Solarian Gear before it sees her.
She sees a few others, too, as her Gear lifts off from where it was silent on the plain, shimmering out of its concealment.
"Having problems?" Lily's voice comes over the radio before abrubtly brilliant fire courses towards one of the Shadow Elements. Next up comes a great spear, as Lily's black Gear--Solarian in design but certainly not in paint job--rushes into the fray. It relies on speed, agility...
And of course, absurd magical firepower.
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Where Spira Fears to Tread.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Where Spira Fears to Tread *>================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- It is said that the Scar was formed long ago by an epic battle against Sin, one of many that mark the centuries in which Spira has dealt with its ancient foe. Whatever the truth of the great canyon's formation, it is a place that has long gone unexploded -- indeed, the sheer scale of its size makes it difficult /to/ explore. Unless you have a Gear or similarly scaled option, that is. Whether you make your descent by flight or by navigating the canyon's walls, the path before you is a surprisingly easy one. Until a complication manifests before you, seeping out of the very walls of the canyon. Dark Elements, and large ones at that, appear before you with startling speed. Their hostile intent is clear -- how will you deal with them? =Dungeon Conditions: Fright===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
A towering machine, steel blue and color with a slender body and long, flexible arms with sharp, massive claws at the end, stands at edge of the cliff leading down into the Scar. It's not any familiar model of Gear ever seen... no, it's a Veruni Golem, and one that some may have seen before. It watches as several Gears descend into the Scar... and, its eyes narrow as manifestations of darkness seep out of the walls to attack them.
It appears the course has been decided, then. The Golem descends in a surprisingly graceful.
Soon after, a voice rings out over communicatons.
"...I am sending you data on the enemy." It's clearly Ambrosius, to those who have heard him before. And, indeed, as he says this, those Gears with compatible mechanisms will soon receive a request to transfer data, containing information on the Dark Elements - their strength, weakness, and abilities.
"...Yue. Your machine. Is it truly capable of functioning...?" Ambrosius asides, with a hint of concern.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Battle Scanner toward his party's challenge, Where Spira Fears to Tread.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Where Spira Fears to Tread *>================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- It is said that the Scar was formed long ago by an epic battle against Sin, one of many that mark the centuries in which Spira has dealt with its ancient foe. Whatever the truth of the great canyon's formation, it is a place that has long gone unexploded -- indeed, the sheer scale of its size makes it difficult /to/ explore. Unless you have a Gear or similarly scaled option, that is. Whether you make your descent by flight or by navigating the canyon's walls, the path before you is a surprisingly easy one. Until a complication manifests before you, seeping out of the very walls of the canyon. Dark Elements, and large ones at that, appear before you with startling speed. Their hostile intent is clear -- how will you deal with them? =Dungeon Conditions: Fright===================================================
=====================<* Calm Lands - The Scar - Round 1 *>====================== ====================< Results - Where Spira Fears to Tread >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loren Voss 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yue Rohay 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambrosius 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Battle Scanner 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Venetia Vuong 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Loren Voss 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Fright(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss 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> Loren Voss has posed.
And just like that, what should have been a simple survey becomes something that is not quite so simple--
"What," Loren says to the world at large while he obliterates one of those Elements (Pyreflies float up into the air as a swarm), as he sees descend what is on one hand clearly some sort of unfamiliar advanced Ge--
Well, it's half of one. That or a walking (flying) ancient trash heap.
It handily whips out a beam saber and destroys another of the Fiends.
"...Kiel. I should have known," he grouses, as a more-familiar Gear similarly makes its descent shortly after Lily's announcement of her presence. The Fiend she targets never stood a chance.
Ametrine also earns what may be a nearly audible pause from the Solaris pilot. "What kind of Gear is -- forget it!" he snaps, turning to engage with the twin guns another overly large Element that has come to investigate his machine. He has about as much trouble as Venetia, which is to say, none at all.
If it weren't for the Schiehallion's onboard systems and long-range scanning he might have missed the approach of the Aiguille. It's damaged, he notes, as it takes out a set of Elements at short range.
...And that one is...
Not a Gear. "How kind," he says, and while he might say so deadpan, it isn't as if he's unappreciative of the data that begins to download after a moment (Schiehallion's ALI takes a second to scan the incomming data for worms first) and displays itself on his screens. "...Fiends. I didn't know they could get this big," he remarks.
...Damn, that's a Veruni Golem, isn't it.
Between the five of them it's simple work to handle the Dark Elements. However...
"...I'm not looking for a fight," he says to the lot of them, because he really isn't.
He doesn't reholster the Gear-size twinguns, though. That would just be stupid.
DG: Yue Rohay has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== =========<* CHALLENGE - The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are? *>========== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- One of the benefits of traveling in a large enough machine -- or what-have-you -- is that most creatures will simply leave you alone. You're far beyond the contention of all but the largest of Fiends. Unfortunately, 'one of the largest of Fiends' is exactly what's taken interest in you now. The overly-large avian Fiend -- a Zu -- descending towards you now, talons outstretched, seems intent on your imminent destruction. Perhaps you should prevent that from happening. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
Yue's not been around the block enough to know everyone, but she does recognise the Ametrine, the Aiguille, and of course the Nimue; then Lily's voice sounds familiar. "Lily...?"
Ambrosius asks if she's really in functioning capability. "I'm... technically below Red levels of operating concerns," Yue answers. "And I need funds to repair this, so I will be careful."
A pause, as she hears Loren's voice. Is that the boy they met when they went to Linaweyul? Huh... it's been a while.
Loren says he's not looking for a fight. "I'm just looking for something to sell for repairs."
That's as far as she gets, before a Zu suddenly emerges from the chasm and grabs hold of the Aura's shoulders and lifts it up, and bashes it against the ground. A hydraulic cable comes loose.
DIG PROFIT: -50,000 GIL
"... maybe I should have stolen a Gear..."
DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are?.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It seems inevitable among the gathered that there will be some communication. Ethius is aware that his voice is fairly easy to identify, even if the amount of damages he has suffered in the recent Calm Lands scuffle might obscure the fact he is the 'same' Aiguille unit as some may be familiar with. With resignation, and also predatory capitalization on Loren's reticence to engage in hostilities, he speaks.
"I aM nOt HeRe FoR hOsTiLi--"
In the cockpit, Ethius goes quiet. His stare goes blank. He forgets to exhale or even do much of anything emotive (so his normal reaction to most things, then). "...nO hOsTiLiTiEs."
...Where did the Al Bhed find this speaker, and how the hell does it modify his-- no, this works, he supposes, as the Aiguille continues its controlled physical descent. Just because he might find it useful to have his voice modulated like that does not mean he is keen on hearing it.
...neither may be the Zu, for that matter, as the overactive hostile warning system blips about something that may or may not be compelled to leave just hearing that voice.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Panic Eye toward his party's challenge, The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are?.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Indeed, the data is completely clean - it's been scrubbed even of any identifying factors, leaving only the important data behind.
"Nor am I." Ambrosius replies, as Loren states that he isn't looking for a fight. He spares a brief glance toward the Aiguille. A masked voice... he can't determine the owner. It's fine, he supposes. And then Yue. Below Red levels... A sound emits that is something akin to a sigh.
"...It is remarkable that it is performing so well in that state." He comments. "...Should you require assistance... let me know. Do be careful."
Anything else will have to wait, though, as soon as massive bird appears, grabbing up the Aura! The Golem Nimue moves quickly, raising its palm toward the Zu and unleashing a burst of blue energy from the cannon built within, in hopes of forcing it to release the Aura.
DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are?.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
Venetia looks at the camera feeds for a moment and sucks on her teeth. So that's Keil, Venetia thinks, before she hears the crackling commentary coming from the other machines. "Oh," she answers aloud, "I think they can get pretty ****ing big indeed if nobody comes to roust them out. Fortunately,"
--
"I just patted the weapons console, you couldn't hear it," Venetia states.
"Anyway, if the lot of you are concerned about being destroyed by the local fiends, get in my leeward side here," Venetia continues as Ametrine stomps forwards. "KNOCK WOOD, none of this nonsense is going to be able to bust through all this armor in a single "go." Ah, good thinking, Aerial reconnais-"
Ametrine is silent again.
Ametrine then does a little hop skip twist in order to limbo-lean backwards, causing minor local tremors. This is to reveal what appears to be an armored portal on its chest, which beneath has some kind of Reaver-eye ... THING: And that thing fires a sudden beam of charged force up towards the Zu. "Shoo!" states Venetia, bracing Ametrine against a Canyon wall with one hand.
DG: Venetia Vuong has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are?.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
That's Loren sounding more normal than the last time Lily heard from him, at least. Snapping at everyone, grousing about her presence. "Thank you," she says to the Veruni Gear, and while she does check over the data just in case for any surprises, she accepts it and notes the simple helpfulness of the information.
...he must be an ally of Yue's.
Speaking of Yue, "Yue," the sorceress answers. "Good to see you alive, though..." She trails off and considers how bad off her Gear is. "Yeah, just try and stay behind mine, then." A beat, and then to Loren, "I'm not looking for a fight either. That sounds like a good way to bring Sin down on us."
Pause. "Well, not a fight with you," she amends, once the Zu pops up and Yue's Gear is... uh. Harmed.
Lily channels Ether into her Gear, and a shield of red light builds out of nothing to shield the damaged gear for a while, fading from view but not existence in short order. But gear heals don't fix gears!!
"Bold," Lily comments to Venetia's statement about her armor. "...But that's a pretty interesting Gear."
To Aiguille, though... Well, Lily doesn't have anything to say yet.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
As long as they're not looking for a fight...
Slowly, Loren lowers the Schiehallion's twinguns as Ambrosius echoes the sentiment. Still wary, he's unwilling to holster them, feeling keenly the undeniable fact that he's outnumbered and in a machine that hasn't been prepped in anticipation of a battle with other Gears. He debates radioing base. But they wouldn't get here in any sort of meaningful amount of time, if they could even spare a unit or two up this way anyway.
Better to play this cool. Maybe he can get some intel out of being around them.
--And there's that. In the security of his cockpit, he scowls as Lily points out another reason not to call for backup. She's right though. They could end up dragging Sin down on them all.
The other, other reason why the Spira base is constructed the way it is... and why they're only fielding as many machines in Spira as they need to.
"I'll pass," he says, at the pilot of Ametrine's suggestion. For once, this might not be entirely snarkily meant.
The pilot of the Aiguille speaks.
In the privacy of his cockpit, Loren winces, hunching his shoulders. Whatever is going on with that voice masking is... not an answer he wants to hear, honestly. He'd be fine with the pilot not speaking again if it's going to be Like That. oh god it's some kind of nightmare
It turns out that not putting the twinguns away immediately was perhaps a good call for a completely different reason. He snaps off a flurry of shots for the Zu as it parts from the Aura, asking meanwhile, "How is your Gear," and there's uncertainity there, as if he's making his best stab at what the machine is supposed to be, "able to even fly?"
DG: Loren Voss has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are?. DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are?.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== =========<* CHALLENGE - The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are? *>========== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- One of the benefits of traveling in a large enough machine -- or what-have-you -- is that most creatures will simply leave you alone. You're far beyond the contention of all but the largest of Fiends. Unfortunately, 'one of the largest of Fiends' is exactly what's taken interest in you now. The overly-large avian Fiend -- a Zu -- descending towards you now, talons outstretched, seems intent on your imminent destruction. Perhaps you should prevent that from happening. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
=====================<* Calm Lands - The Scar - Round 2 *>====================== ===========< Results - The Bigger They Are... The Bigger They Are? >============ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loren Voss 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yue Rohay 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambrosius 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 5 --(13)--> 18 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Panic Eye 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Venetia Vuong 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Loren Voss 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss 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> Yue Rohay has posed.
The Zu seems agitated for a moment as the Aiguille starts making a nightmarish noise; it distracts it long enough for the nimue to sink a shot with its cannon, enough to send the enormous avian Fiend back and off the Aura, and then double-dunked by the Ametrine's beam cannon.
It's debating fleeing already, clearly; it attempts to seize its prey once more, but Lily's shields come into play -- and the Schiehallion's twin guns finish the job.
"... that's quite the voice modulator," Yue comments to the Aiguille. Yue nods towards Lily, and also Venetia for her offer to hide behind the Ametrine. "I'm counting on both of you. Thank you."
Loren asks the question of how her Gear's still able to fly. "It turns out if you bypass enough warnings and systems, you can stretch out a lot of performance out of even what should be scrap metal..." That and... the someone living inside the Aura certainly won't let it fall apart.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - Stay On Target *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Problems arise when negotiating the depths of the Scar, particularly as one descends deeper into the canyon, an effect of the way in which that ancient cataclysm forever marked this part of Spira. For example here, you're quickly approaching a narrow gap formed by a pair of fallen rocky pillars. Taking it slow won't help you here -- you'll have to demonstrate your dexterity with your machine or otherwise and negotiate the passage. =Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The Scar grows more colorful in the passing of the Zu, and within the depths there is a moment of quiet that all can share as they 'enjoy' a moment of short-letter calm amongst one another. It is a tense situation, what with opposing powers and MONEY ON THE LIIIIIIIIIIIINE and the well-understood truth that hostilities might attract Sin. This is all well and good, and things start to look a lot more like the usual sort of Dig operation with disparate professionals coming together and tripping over one another to achieve simple tasks.
Ethius trips over the simple task of communicating his presence and intentions in an entirely novel way on his part. "i Am WeLl AwArE."
He quietly admonishes himself for somehow forgetting this within five seconds of being called out. The Aiguille takes point only because their positioning is closest to the way leading down to the depths. He has an enviable task ahead of him: having to communicate what he sees, because now he is in too deep and it would be awkward to back out and have someone go back in.
"ThE wAy Is," three words in and he's already got both palms on his face. He lifts up a foot to place an ankle on the correct mechanism to keep talking. "nArRoW. ThErE aRe FaLlEn pIlLaRs." There's a pause because he needs to think very hard how to say things in so little words and--
--this is going to be a very important learning experience for him.
"MoVe FaSt Or ThEy MaY bLoCk ThE wAy." He's going to do just that, doing short but rapid spurts of its heatless dash-jets to try and clear that gap without touching or shifting around the fallen debris.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Phantom Jets toward his party's challenge, Stay On Target.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
The depths await them, and they're pretty treacherous; and the Aura's humanoid shape isn't well-equipped to negotiate with this. She looks to the lever that activates the transformation sequence, and yanks on it; there's an even more treacherous noise as the Gear begins to CHURN--
NOTICE: Gear is not equipped to handle prolonged operation at this capacity.
> it's fine
NOTICE: 759 FATAL level errors detected. Please seek the assistance of a full maintenance team--
> it's fine. really
NOTICE: Internal Main Frame systems activating self-preservation mode. Self-preservation mode cannot be disabled by pilot authorization--
> Enable-MFAuthorisationOverride -Online -All Keycode:********************
NOTICE: Why are you like this.
> i can handle it
With a HURF and a CRUNCH, the Ge becomes a contortionist and transforms into a sorry excuse for a plane; it kinda sounds like the cockpit block might've crunched a bit. It's fine; it just means it's a cozier ride.
"Subroute power to the main thrusters... 23 percent remaining."
Unlike the others, Yue's seeking to just thread the needle in Bird Mode. It might work... maybe.
DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Stay On Target.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily is thinking similarly about intel to what Loren is thinking, really. Part of why she was here in the first place was to check to see if anyone was planning to take advantage up here. She doesn't so much mind the voice masking though. It's not even that weird to her.
What is weird to Lily anyway?
...Maybe it's the way the Ge moves. The Aura... sort of crunches. "Yue," Lily says. "That's..."
Just before it seems that Lily is going to show concern about safety, she says, "A very convenient ability."
For her part, Lily activates the stealth systems on her Gear, rendering it not only harder to see but also lighter and easier to maneuver carefully when she interfaces properly with it. Between that, and a willingness to disintegrate rocks that get too close...
Well, it's fine.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Hexcraft Shroud toward her party's challenge, Stay On Target.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Within the cockpit, Loren pulls a face. "Seriously? And what's going to happen when it falls apart?" he asks of the Aura's pilot, whose voice, while familiar, is one that he just can't properly place. He hopes it's just normal 'having a hard time placing this' and not memory loss again (fortunately, it's nothing unusual this time!).
Holstering his Gear's sidearms at last, he descends with the rest of them, opting to hold for the truce for a great many reasons. If someone from command has a problem with this, well...! He's doing his best here.
The Aiguille's pilot warbles out a warning for the obstacle ahead.
"Turn off the filter," Loren informs them.
He even adds a rare, "Please."
His concern regarding the Aura may be amplified when the machine undergoes a transformation that is audibly disconcerting. "You're crazy," he tells the pilot. "And you're worse," he informs Lily. He doesn't offer anything in the way of help, though--
Because he has his own problem to manage. Namely, the tight space involved vis a vis the slower response time of his own Gear on top of the bulkier size involved with the Schiehallion.
This... might suck. Gritting his teeth, he focuses on doing his best...!
Because the alternative is a collision which is Not Great.
DG: Loren Voss has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Stay On Target.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"The offer is appreciated." Ambrosius replies, as the pilot of Ametrine suggests they take cover behind her if they're concerned. Not that he is, but that's no reason to not be polite at least.
The Aiguille, then, calls out the situation ahead of them. Falling pillars, narrowing the gap and making it difficult to proceed. Ambrosius looks toward the Aura, then as it... transforms while making a terrible noise. Within the Nimue, Ambrosius frowns slowly.
"...Hm." He mutters, very conflicted. On one hand, he's concerned for Yue's safety... but on the other hand, as an engineer and a mechanic he can't help but mourn the poor Aura's current state. No machine deserves that...!
The Nimue proceeds forward, threading its way through the fallen pillars. As tall as it might be, it's easily able to compact itself. Its head, located on a tall neck, is easily able to bend down, and its long arms move in a snakelike fashion, making getting them through fairly easy as well.
DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Stay On Target.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
Venetia keeps on driving her Gear forwards. Ametrine clomp clomp clomps along, and as she goes, she advises Yue: "You may want to consider getting repairs or something, even if it's on credit. I know the aesthetic is important, but -"
Before them, fallen pillars.
Venetia pauses, and so too does Ametrine, as if considering the problem. The Gear seems to lack easy jet leap features or other functionalities.
Is she just going to stay there and be left behind the group? Well, that's valid, if potentially unsafe, given the Fiends. If nothing else, you'd like to have a buddy who can cover you. Then Ametrine turns a little, raises its arms to shoulder height, shifts its hips and -
SHUNK! An anchoring penetrator is launched from a sudden burst of hydraulic steam into a pillar. Ametrine remains still as a motor spins up, whining in protest before the pillar begins to break - and then, in part, collapse, freeing up a space. Ametrine moves delicately forwards, repeating this procedure several times when it is simply impossible for the tall machine to duck, weave, or do a biiiiiiiig steppie over things.
"So just to put our chips on the table," Venetia offers, "I'm mostly here for a geological survey. If we find some cache of interesting artifacts I'm all for share and share alike, eh? General agreement? If it's too big to move easily or subdivide, we can figure it out at that point, nice and peaceful like."
(In his observation deck seat, Jimmy says to himself, 'oh yeah' and checks his gun.)
DG: Venetia Vuong has used her Tool Super Trade-School Level Power Winch toward her party's challenge, Stay On Target.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - Stay On Target *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Problems arise when negotiating the depths of the Scar, particularly as one descends deeper into the canyon, an effect of the way in which that ancient cataclysm forever marked this part of Spira. For example here, you're quickly approaching a narrow gap formed by a pair of fallen rocky pillars. Taking it slow won't help you here -- you'll have to demonstrate your dexterity with your machine or otherwise and negotiate the passage. =Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
=====================<* Calm Lands - The Scar - Round 3 *>====================== ==========================< Results - Stay On Target >========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loren Voss 10 --(8)--> 18 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yue Rohay 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambrosius 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Hexcraft Shroud 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Phantom Jets 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Venetia Vuong 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Super Trade-School Level Power Winc 2 Agility Effects: Resilient -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Loren Voss 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(2) Effects: Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss 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: Venetia Vuong has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>========================== ========<* CHALLENGE - You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones *>========= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- There is, honestly, not much in the way of warning. Just a sudden crunching sound from somewhere overhead as an overly large, particularly round boulder comes crashing off the side of the ravine and heads in its descent like a cannonball right for you! There's no time to dodge it. But maybe there's time to smash it to pieces before it can do you harm! ...Unfortunately, anything desirably glittering in it appears to have already been lost in its collision with the wall, but we can't all be winners. =Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It's not a bad gap, but if they disturb the pillars they could roll in ways to make further movement a problem - but they're all up to the task. Or at least, uh, creative about their limitations. It's kind of cozy in there for the larger-bodied Gears...
Just as the Aiguille makes it to the other side with only a troubled, imbalanced stumble that has come from the bolting of Al Bhed plating without concern for where the weight of the original chassis is supposed to be balanced, the Ge grazes by and makes some faint 'click' noises every time its hitbox is shy of touching the Aiguille.
(It gives Yue a better high score and she may even make it to the Phantasm Stage - dare she make it through?)
The Nimue compacts its way through with only a minor shuffling of the pillars, but they don't collapse or otherwise threaten to cut off the route for anyone else.
Venetia just up and solves part of the issue by utterly destroying one of the obstructions, allowing the Ametrine to clomp clomp clomp along, whose creative thinking deserves some clap clap clapping along. Lily one-ups this by just... stealthing through and then disintegrating the other pillar that comes into contact as it melts into a weird colored goo before disappearing into nothingness. So, uh... there's... not really any more of a challenge here.
The Schiehallion can just barely squeeze through, that way, as a reasonable request is made.
"i Am UnSuRe HoW." Ethius gives up a valuable negotiation chip, as if it were an 'advantage' he himself would not like to have either - this is beyond him, and he's keeping his sights on the Ge because wow that nearly clipped him.
"i HaVe No iSsUe WiTh ThE aRrAnGeMeNt," he says to the pilot of the Ametrine as he engages the scanners pre-emptively for whatever is coming next.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
"That's good," Venetia says.
As they move forwards in this canyon, Venetia's eyes turn inevitably towards the sides of the walls, and as everyone threads their way through, Jimmy comments, "I think this is backin' up that guy's theory about the continents, Vee."
"The one where they move around like the scum on a smelter?"
"Yeah," Jimmy says.
"Well, explain to the mystery Gears," Venetia says. "I'm driving."
Jimmy Chan, hero of time, explains: "So okay the thing you gotta know about geology here, is that while the legends of the creation of the world, or worlds, are maybe valid, you gotta understand that people don't understand time unless there's people. Now obviously like, the evolution of humans - I have no idea if half of you are not humans but I don't give a shit - humans developed in an area which was probably isolated, really dangerous, and really unstable, that's why there's this big gap in the fossil record. Like if it didn't get destroyed before we invented civilization at some point, it absolutely got destroyed later."
"The theory is that the surface of Filgaia, and from the looks of this, maybe Lunar also? Are like, plates, right, and the reason why it gets warmer as you go deeper into the ground, like REALLY deep, is that the pressure of Filgaia's mass is putting enough stress on rock to make things liquid. So like hydraulics, right? Except that Filgaia's a sphere, or basically a sphere, and it's not of uniform consistency, so you get fractures, and those fractures develop. So under this theory," Jimmy continues,
There's a slow groan of stone.
"Ah, ****."
Venetia brings Ametrine into a dynamic forward facing pose and activates a screaming stone-wrecking drill that-- does not quite get up to speed before the rolling stone hits it, putting a deep groove in the boulder and shoving Ametrine against the canyon wall. "BALLS!" declares Venetia as the stone, briefly slowed, tumbles towards the rest of the group!"
DG: Venetia Vuong has used her Tool Salvage Drill - Brute Justice toward her party's challenge, You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius considers, for a moment, how best to explain his reason for being here.
"...Historical curiosity." He eventually decides. "And... apparently... to keep an eye on a friend."
There's another glance toward the Aiguille as the pilot admits to not knowing how to turn off the voice modulator. ...Ambrosius says nothing. It's fine that way, he thinks.
"Hm." He murmurs again, listening as Jimmy starts to recount his explanation. He doesn't interrupt, just listens.
...And soon enough, a boulder starts to roll aggressively at all of them!! Ambrosius briefly considers blowing it up with a focused beam... but decides against it, considering the precarious situation of the cliff faces around them. Instead, plates on the Nimue's claws rearrange themselves, sliding into position to promote increased sharpness. One of the Golem's arms lashes out, looking to slice the boulder into several pieces in a single motion.
DG: Ambrosius has used his Tool Rending Claws toward his party's challenge, You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily cheats, as a rule. It's just the case. But the voice modulator... "I think it sounds friendly," Lily says, grinning at the viewscreen as she waits for Loren to complain more. But then...
"Sure," Lily goes on the radio to answer Venetia. "I'm primarily here for scouting purposes, but I'm willing to keep things friendly if it comes to it." She certainly sounds calm, anyway. Unconcerned. That may be the case, or it may not, considering the presence of some of those here.
Regardless, Jimmy starts to explain a theory. "Hmmm," Lily remarks. She does not get the time to comment more thoroughly on this theory however because she is not interrupting until the point at which the boulder comes down.
"-Load program, Devastator 05.-" Lily speaks in her cockpit without remembering to turn off the radio in an ancient language, pressing some buttons. The Ether Resonator roars to life, and a burst of dark power erupts in the air near the boulder--it pops and implodes, before a second appears closer to another piece of the boulder as it starts to split. Boom!
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Devastation Program toward her party's challenge, You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
There's a faint grimace as the Aura nearly clips against the Aiguille, but careful manuevering lets her proceed for long enough without crashing terribly badly into anything. There's a pause at Lily, as she chuckles ruefully and says, "I would not like to get used to this."
Loren tells her she's crazy. "If it were just lunacy... that might have been better."
She casts a glance to the Nimue for a moment, perhaps worrying a little for no reason. "... you doing okay, Ambrosius?"
Yue listens to Jimmy explain about geology, and...
"Well..."
There's a pause as she kind of unconsciously looks to Lily, as if she might be able to confirm or deny something, but it doesn't feel like she should just carelessly drop some Zeboim knowledge, especialy becaus-- OH DEAR.
It's a giant boulder!!
Yue makes good on others' promises and stands right behind the Ametrine.
"There's no getting off off this plate of yours, I suppose."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Yue's response from Loren is a sigh best called 'long-suffering'.
First, there's the bad news: it's tight fit. He can feel the rock scrape against the plating. Engineering is going to give him that look again, aren't they.
The good news is that he's good enough to prevent certain disaster.
He never saw what the wreckage looked like until later, much, much later. Going through records one day he'd been startled to come across photographs of the aftermath of the incident.
Just burnt, twisted metal. Had that been all there was left?
He shakes his head, as if to similarly free himself from those thoughts.
Briefly, they get a lesson in tectonic theory and evolution!
"Yes, I know what tectonic theory--" Loren starts to say before abruptly going quiet. Hunching his shoulders, he focuses on his piloting instead, opting to smolder silently instead.
What in the world is the current state of geological theory on Filgaia's surface? It occurs to him that he Just Doesn't Know and that maybe, just maybe, he shouldn't this information slip pinned on him and
> ALERT. INCOMING PROJECTILE DETECTED
The ALI's readout jolts him from his internal monologuing. Is it one of, wait, no, it's coming from above, it's a
Boulder.
"Spread out!" he barks over the local frequency. "Damn it, don't just--" One can just about hear the veins bulging. "Fine! Then use this!" Taking a breath, he threads power through the circuitry of his machine's interiors, sending it surging outwards in a jolting, bolstering (like the heart of the planet itself) roll across the gathered group.
The fact that Lily just spoke in a language he doesn't understand is a matter that he will better appreciate later. Much later.
DG: Loren Voss has used his Tool Ether Resonator toward his party's challenge, You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The Gear Of Most Obnoxious Voice would probably be better served not speaking at all, to everyone's benefit, as Jimmy explains geology out loud and a most interesting finding as regards the evolution of humans. "I dO fInD tHe GaP oF iNtErEsT," and honestly they should've found some way to communicate that without talking, like... just listening and finding some way to nod with the Gear. (He eventually settles for torso bobbing. This is its own Wits Challenge card.)
There is an oncoming boulder. All the pilot can do is try to back up, prepare to fire laser blasts, and hope for the best - it lacks good, clear, clean object-destroying weapons as those with more exotic and broadly destructive means get to work on cracking the oncoming boulder.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones. DG: Yue Rohay has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones.
=========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>========================== ========<* CHALLENGE - You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones *>========= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- There is, honestly, not much in the way of warning. Just a sudden crunching sound from somewhere overhead as an overly large, particularly round boulder comes crashing off the side of the ravine and heads in its descent like a cannonball right for you! There's no time to dodge it. But maybe there's time to smash it to pieces before it can do you harm! ...Unfortunately, anything desirably glittering in it appears to have already been lost in its collision with the wall, but we can't all be winners. =Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
====================<* Calm Lands - The Scar - Round 4 *>===================== ==========< Results - You Know What They Say About Rolling Stones >=========== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loren Voss 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Ether Resonator 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yue Rohay 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambrosius 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Rending Claws 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lily Keil 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Devastation Program 3 Brute Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Venetia Vuong 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Salvage Drill - Brute Justice 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Loren Voss 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Overzealous(2) Effects: Cleanse ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss 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> Venetia Vuong has posed.
The stone keeps on rolling forwards. It rolls... it wobbles a little, for the drill strike from Ametrine has made it less of a sphere - a sphere, of course, would not be out of place anywhere in Spira - and more of a...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMH49ieL4es
Lump.
It keeps on rolling forwards. The slice at the stone carves off more fragments, making the thing wobble violently, but it is simply too large and too big to be summarily cut in half with a claw. Perhaps a sword would do it? But the tumbling forwards and that dark strike from Lily's DEVASTATION PROGRAM makes a large flat section, like the ARMs known as hubcaps, fall backwards. The rock teeters for a moment.
Yue takes cover, of course; behind big sis, everything's gonna be OK.
And then there is a showering peppering of laser blasts at the boulder as it loses kinetic energy as well as mass with each shot from Ethius's barrage.
It rolls forwards - just enough space to roll past him, assuming a little evasiveness - and turns down the pathway that they had just taken. The canyon itself? It seems to pick up a little bit of speed, and those who look in the distance or peep over the canyon rim may see what looks suspiciously like an agglomeration of the pillars moving with crazy-quilt enthusiasm, the weight of ages taking its toll!
"So that's actually kind of a good example of erosion," Jimmy begins. "But that's not important right now."
DG: Lily Keil has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Charging the Closing Chamber *>================= |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- According to the stories, no one goes down into the Scar-- But that can't be entirely true, can it, or this large pillared ruin standing in the depths managed to survive both the fall /and/ the ages. It looks reasonably intact, if on the small side compared to some of the temples and the like. Perhaps whatever was set within it is still there. There is some entrance leading into the back and possibly into the walls of the canyon proper beyond the pillared porch of the ruin. Something clicks under foot as you approach the entrance. What-- no, it was a switch! And now that heavy stone door to the depths of this ruin is grinding shut! Perhaps if you run for it, you might be able to get inside, but you'll really have to hurry! =Dungeon Conditions: Cripple, Exhaust=========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
It is an interesting gap! And Lily seems to notice Yue looking her way somehow, or else it's a coincidence that she looks back at her. "Did you say something? I missed it with the boulder."
'Tectonic theory', though. So that's what Solaris calls it. This information is... probably useless, considering that Lily's area of expertise is not that kind of science at all.
With the rock gone, Lily peers at the camera that shows what's happening in the distance...
"I guess not," Lily says of it being important. But that can be what it was, because this large ruin in the depths ahead of them is something else. Yes, small compared to some, but there may be something in it, past the piellars, and Lily looks with some interest at it.
"Might be something in here worth enough to fix your Gear," Lily offers Yue, though she... is being nice. As she steps though--
Click.
"Damn! Pressure plate! Get moving, everyone!"
Lily's Gear shimmers nearly out of sight as she engages the mode that makes it more agile still, rushing ahead.
The doors are closing!! Wouldn't want to get caught in them! ...Or out of them...
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Hexcraft Shroud toward her party's challenge, Charging the Closing Chamber.
<Pose Tracker> Yue Rohay has posed.
"Ah... no, nothing," Yue answers Lily. There's a pause, as she muses, "Devastator 05, huh? I wonder what the other four are like..."
Lily says that there might be something worth enough to fix the Aura up. "That would be nice..." though she sounds like she knows that that's terribly unlikely.
Then there is a click and--
"Mmm," Yue remarks as she Immelmanns back in the direction of the entrance; the doors are closing on them. She's at a disadvantage, with at least one turn that a plane can't cope with.
"If I slow down, I won't have time.... then..."
She descends.
"The only way is to--"
*SCREEEEEEEEEEECH*
The following scene may be heart-wrenching for Ambrosius (and maybe Loren), because Yue abuses the poor machine as she purposefully drops the plane against the surface of the ruin and has its belly scrape against the floor--
--powersliding around the corner and barely missing clipping off a wing as she blasts off under the gap.
Who says you can't drift on a plane.
DG: Yue Rohay has used her Tool Inertial Drifting toward her party's challenge, Charging the Closing Chamber.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"I am well... though, I am concerned about you. How are you? Did that transformation damage anything important?" Ambrosius replies. He's also worrying, it seems. Still, the boulder is dealt with and they're able to proceed... when they come across quite the interesting sight, which grabs hold of his attention completely.
"...Ah. How fascinating... A ruin, all the way down here..." Ambrosius murmurs. "According to all I have gathered from the people of Spira, the Scar should be devoid of life... but, the presence of a ruin here suggests that there must once have been someone living here..."
He absolutely must know more.
A pressure plate activating and the door beginning to close is all the motivation he needs to send the Nimue rushing forward. The arms stretch out upon drawing close to the door, looking to grab on and push it back up.
He does wince internally, though, inhaling sharply as the Aura scrapes against the ruin, sliding under the door. ...He's not sure if he should be more worried about the Gear, or the ruin itself...
DG: Ambrosius has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Charging the Closing Chamber.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"Okay," Loren sighs, once the problem is over and done with -- or at least, not their problem anymore. "Does anything else want to happen today?"
Fortunately, the verdict seems to be 'no'. At least, not just yet.
They continue their descent to the bottom; the Schiehallion hangs to the back of the group, seemingly lingering there for a moment or two.
"Audio log," Loren reports, in the privacy of his cockpit. "Reached the bottom of the canyon. Prior reporting curtailed due to incidents, to be detailed on return to base. Sensors reporting an uptick in anomalous readings. Proceeding to investigate. Voss out."
Only then does he move ahead, gathering with the others at the spot they've located. "A ruin?" he says in response to Ambrosius, across local frequencies. "Did someone build it, or did it fa--"
Click, goes the pressure plate.
"Are you kidding me," goes the Loren.
Screeeeeech, goes the Aura, as it slides into home?!
Gritting his teeth, Loren fires the thrusters! But given how long it takes for the Schiehallion to pick up speed, will he make it?
And if he does make it, will he reach the other problem for a Gear of this size, stopping in time?
DG: Loren Voss has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Charging the Closing Chamber.
<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.
INTERIOR TO AMETRINE:
"So I can't figure it out," says Jimmy.
"Figure out what," complains Venetia, even as she checks the rear visi-plate to see if the Yuemech is intact.
"He knew the word."
"Well yes, it's been used in - wait," Venetia says. "He said tectonicus?"
"I mean, he said most of tectonicus," Jimmy says. "But you know like, outside of the school, we just called it Smelter Plate Theory."
"... was he a student there?"
"Maybe he knew the Old Dean," Jimmy complains. "We keep running into people who are like a million years old and look like they oughta be drinking candy beer."
"OH" "SHIT" they both say, because while they were confabulating, the situation got past them.
But they have a trick. A cheat. "Clear the way!" Venetia announces as Ametrine shifts and fires forwards another of those anchor chains, and THIS time when the power winch starts to yell, it doesn't run into any issues because Ametrine is making like an executive subscribing to a theory that's channeling unhealthy gender stereotypes into increased performance and leaning in!
It is pretty big so you don't want to stand right in front of the Gear, maybe. LOREN
This could end in tears for someone (probably not Venetia, who will instead beat the shit out of someone - if necessary, herself)
DG: Venetia Vuong has used her Tool Super Trade-School Level Power Winch toward her party's challenge, Charging the Closing Chamber.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius does make the dodge-dash, but it's narrow and it scrapes against one of the segments of the rifle-staff. It's another segment that's going to need replacing the next time he gets back to Filgaia, but... that's better than himself getting crushed. He would have liked to have heard more about all these theories, just sitting there and hearing it without ever contributing. (ONE HUNDRED PERCENT ETHIUS ALL THE TIME EVER)
Something clicks. Ethius already has the Spectral Lens set up in hand and is giving it a look-see after the boulder's passage, and... he can confirm it.
"ThAt WaS a PrEsSuRe PlAtE," he says the obvious - and he sees where it's connected to up ahead. He does not have the raw phase movement of Lily's Gear, but in short spurts, the Aiguille's rapid movement is very difficult to catch on scanners and... still very quick.
He has to hop over a power-sliding Ge, and a piece of rock flits by that looks like a shark fin going between both. He hates to admit it, but this may be the best his time on Spira will ever get.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Phantom Jets toward his party's challenge, Charging the Closing Chamber.
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Charging the Closing Chamber *>================= |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- According to the stories, no one goes down into the Scar-- But that can't be entirely true, can it, or this large pillared ruin standing in the depths managed to survive both the fall /and/ the ages. It looks reasonably intact, if on the small side compared to some of the temples and the like. Perhaps whatever was set within it is still there. There is some entrance leading into the back and possibly into the walls of the canyon proper beyond the pillared porch of the ruin. Something clicks under foot as you approach the entrance. What-- no, it was a switch! And now that heavy stone door to the depths of this ruin is grinding shut! Perhaps if you run for it, you might be able to get inside, but you'll really have to hurry! =Dungeon Conditions: Cripple, Exhaust=========================================
=====================<* Calm Lands - The Scar - Round 5 *>====================== ===================< Results - Charging the Closing Chamber >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loren Voss 18 --(16)--> 34 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yue Rohay 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Inertial Drifting 3 Agility Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambrosius 10 --(16)--> 26 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Hexcraft Shroud 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Phantom Jets 2 Agility Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Venetia Vuong 10 --(16)--> 26 Fail Super Trade-School Level Power Winc 2 Agility Effects: Resilient -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Loren Voss 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Cripple|Exhaust(1)|Overzealous(1) Effects: Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Loren Voss has successfully explored Calm Lands - The Scar!
==========================<* Calm Lands - The Scar *>=========================== =================<* CHALLENGE - Mysterious Machina Manifold *>================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- However the means, you emerge into the space behind the door to the small ruin to find-- Huh. There are a horde of Machina parts in here. Either they were left here by the ones who built the ruin, or someone else repurposed it late to store these for... some unknown purpose. They look a little bit on the older side so it's fair to say whoever left these here probably isn't coming back for them. Which means they're yours now -- to use or sell. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"Devastator 04 is fire," Lily explains helpfully. She's happy to talk about that much. She is kind of impressed though by the way that as they start rushing, Yue just drifts in her plane, screeching the whole way. She should really be more concerned, but she isn't. "Nice," the sorceress says.
She agrees with Ambrosius though--it's very interesting.
So what happens today is that they rush and rush through the door, the Aura...
The Aura actually scrapes up the tracks of the doors and makes them groan to a halt. By this point Hellerune and the Aiguille have already made it through, but it means that being a little too slow is fine! Still gets them in. ...And stopping is only kind of a problem.
But within, there are plenty of things to break a fall, most of which will still be useful after. A ton of parts.
"...Nice," Lily comments thoughtfully. "Yeah I see things we can use in here." A beat, "And there's enough to split. We don't even have to get rude."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
A horde of Machina parts... Ambrosius is interested, of course. He has a Machina of his own to look after, so that might prove useful... and, of course, with Yue having a machine in a state of disrepair, that's also handy.
And as for the room itself...
"...I wonder. Was this room a storage space for spare parts? Or were they left by others who found this place...?" He muses, mostly to himself. He looks up, though, at Lily's comment.
"Agreed." He says. The Nimue nods, as if confirming this agreement.
...Did the Golem do that on its own?
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
The good news is, the Schiehallion gets through the door.
The bad news is his positioning vis a vis the Ametrine.
The worse news is not being able to stop in time.
But fortunately, the Solaris Gear is built tough, come what may; the worst it'll get are some dings. And there is that lovely pile of machinery parts there to catch them all.
"Machina parts? Is that what..." Loren trails off, eyeing the readings.
No, he doesn't quite think these were the cause. But intel will want to see some of these, anyway.
"Sure," he says, because it's a reasonable thing to agree to, particularly under the circumstances. Even if it means cutting a deal with the likes of Lily Keil.