2021-03-25: A Ship of Fools-- er, Wels

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  • Log: A Ship of Fools-- er, Wels
  • Cast: Avril Vent Fleur, Ethius Hesiod, Cyre H. Lorentz, Layna Manydays
  • Where: The Crater Sea
  • Date: March 25, 2021
  • Summary: A group heads out to investigate the rumors surrounding an alleged 'ship full of Wels'. They find out it's not just a rumor! Also, Schrodinger helps out.

DG: A party led by Avril Vent Fleur is now entering Reaper Ship.
DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - In Uncharted Waters *>======================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 It floats, still.

 The freighter is a large one, big enough that it could be explored easily by
 Gears as well as on foot. The rumors say that it's become a nest of Wels,
 which makes your reason for being here a simple one: get in, confirm the
 presence of Wels, and if the stories are true, eliminate them.

 The confirmation turns out to be the easy part, technically speaking: the
 waters are teaming with Wels. But while you could remain out here and attack
 the ones in the water for hours, the fact remains that you need to get
 inside the ship to truly settle the matter.

 And the heavily-reinforced door leading below deck is secured with a
 combination lock. Opening it is advised before the Wels swarm the deck and
 make things more... complicated. Whether in a Gear or not, you'll need to
 apply your wits open this door.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Injure==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    It had started with a rumor.

    According to the story, there had been a Wels-infested ship afloat somewhere in the Crater Sea. This had been interesting information that Avril, fresh off a trip into another dimension via a misplaced train, had filed away for later. But as it had happened, the topic had come up in a conversation with some of the others and...

    Well, now they're here, for the sake of finding out if the rumor is true and dealing with the problem/looting the cargo hold/option not otherwise covered (choose your reason for being here). Kneeling a moment atop the silent and eerily still ship, Avril's Gear lets off her passenger then carefully rises.

    "It seems abandoned," she says, stating the obvious. The Skadi turns, surveying the ship at large. "It seems that the door is over there." It's a large one, big enough to admit a Gear. There is to one side what looks like some sort of control mechanism, duplicated at a height for Gears and those on foot. At a closer inspection, it appears to be a combination lock.

    "...There is movement in the water," Avril remarks a moment later. "Please, allow me to..."

    She is silent at first.

    "...They are Wels. There are," and she pauses a moment, "a number of them. Perhaps we ought to move below?"

    She sounds almost (but for the hesitation in her voice) calm about this.

DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, In Uncharted Waters.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    For whatever reason, a self-professed man interested chiefly in lost or out-of-place technologies has, without fail, jumped on each and every opportunity to explore any unexplained floating sea wreck. (He has instead failed to explain why, but that is a consistent failing on his part. The good news, for him only, is that he's the sort of person most would kind of gladly point at something filled with Wels and then let God sort out the rest.)
     (How good 'God' is at sorting on a given day depends on what metric you're using.)
     Ethius steps down from the Skadi and already has the Spectral Lens in hand and ready to go. One Symbological spellcast zap later to power it up with that faint teal glow (which is reminiscent of the lights that filled Ash Hare, but the likeness is purely coincidental).
     "...Combination lock," Ethius remarks as he jogs across the deck towards the door in question as Avril remarks the likelihood they're about to be swarmed. He thinks he has an idea of what the combination might be based on how the little mechanisms were connected, but he really only knows for sure what the final part of the combination might be.
     It's the steps in-between that's guess-work, as he takes hold of the on-foot height lock.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, In Uncharted Waters.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Wel wel wel. You know what they say about wels. It's all's wel that ends wel!!

...

The Huracan follows after the Skadi, its oversized thrusters roaring softly as it descends onto the ship's silent, (all but certainly) haunted deck. While Cyre Lorentz was pointedly not whisked away into a terrifying hell dimension beyond the boundaries of any sane universe, he does have a certain vested interest in exploring this particular ship.

...Specifically, that Ethius seemed excited to come here, and someone had to make sure that he didn't set the entire thing on fire while still onboard.

"Unless there are even more wels inside the ship," Cyre answers Avril with a shrug that is not at all shared with the giant robot he's currently piloting. "But I guess wel just have to cross that bridge when we get to it, eh?"

...

Cyre lifts his charge rifle. It buzzes energetically as its capacitors charge, ready to blow any unwanted wel out of the water while the others do the work of actually getting them all inside.

DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, In Uncharted Waters.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Why not... all of the above! (including, 'she just really wants to punch some Wels, also').

Layna could have come here in her Gear, but too many big, metal feet stomping around is a good way to draw the attention of more Wels than you'd really like. So for now, she's hitching a ride on one of the Gears, her telescope out and using it to scan the area.

But the waters, though... that really is way too many Wels. Layna doesn't like their chances if they end up down there.

"...Aye, going inside's probably best. Even if there are more Wels, at least that limits the amount of angles they can attack from." She agrees, before hopping down from the Gear and moving over to the control mechanism.

"A combination just lock to get inside, aye? Whatever's in there must be pretty valuable... or pretty dangerous. Sounds exciting, either way." Layna muses. "Maybe someone left a clue around here..." She says, taking a close look.

DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Captain's Telescope toward her party's challenge, In Uncharted Waters.
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - In Uncharted Waters *>======================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 It floats, still.

 The freighter is a large one, big enough that it could be explored easily by
 Gears as well as on foot. The rumors say that it's become a nest of Wels,
 which makes your reason for being here a simple one: get in, confirm the
 presence of Wels, and if the stories are true, eliminate them.

 The confirmation turns out to be the easy part, technically speaking: the
 waters are teaming with Wels. But while you could remain out here and attack
 the ones in the water for hours, the fact remains that you need to get
 inside the ship to truly settle the matter.

 And the heavily-reinforced door leading below deck is secured with a
 combination lock. Opening it is advised before the Wels swarm the deck and
 make things more... complicated. Whether in a Gear or not, you'll need to
 apply your wits open this door.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Injure==========================================
==========================<* Reaper Ship - Round 1 *>===========================
=======================< Results - In Uncharted Waters >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Vent Fleur                    0 --(18)--> 18                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyre H. Lorentz                     0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Spectral Lens                       2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layna Manydays                      0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Captain's Telescope                 3   Wits    Effects: Fanfare
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Avril Vent Fleur            0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Injure(2)|Stupify(2)
Effects: Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur 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> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    "I suppose we shall see," Avril remarks, standing ready atop the deck just in case the surge of water-Wels make it aboard. Her weaponry -- short of her own natural magic -- isn't well-equipped for attacking at range; she's forced to wait here instead and hope her assistance isn't really needed.

    The charge rifle's shots blow across the water, handily dealing with the Wels for now; this buys Layna and Ethius as they work on the lock.

    More are coming.

    Layna, with her telescope, spots it close enough at hand: a tattered scrap of paper pinned to a clipboard on the other side of the entrance. She'll have to jog over to reach it, but reach it she does: there's a half-sheet of paper with some numbers on it. ...Perhaps they're as good a place to start as any. She's just missing the final number.

    Which Ethius, through his own means, is able to provide.

    ...The hatchway opens, improbably. Once they're all inside they can close it again.
    There are dull thuds on the other side, but even a Wels can't break through that much steel. Well, when they're that size, anyway.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
========================<* CHALLENGE - It's On To You *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The ship's interior is labyrinthine. The rocking of the waves and the
 groaning of the vessel's hull form a constant backdrop of noise--but it's
 not so noisy as to block out the telltale sounds of something large, moving
 nearby. It starts with a low squelching noise, and then turns into heavy,
 thudding footsteps, like those of a Gear, but more organic. Is it just you,
 or are they getting closer?

 This is not the place for a confrontation. Whatever this creature is, you'll
 need to distract it, or otherwise lure it away from your current position.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    It's dark in there, and labyrinthian. There's no hushed whispers or anything of the kind that would suggest 'hey, there's survivors holed up in here.' Ethius is the first one in the very moment that door opens, palm outstretched as if he were within moments of setting someone on fire, lightning, or horrible dust allergy if given even a fraction of a provocation to do so. Cyre's instincts about the very possibility he might set the place on fire is... not wrong.
     "Clear," Ethius says as they head further inward... and do not have themselves a clear idea of where anything is, or where to go. Any sort of map or guide on the ship that might be useful to those who would be here... either does not exist, is destroyed, or might have had jam spilled over it.
     (it actually is jam - this time)
     Then... something moves, that's not the ship rocking and making all sorts of Ship Existing noises, and Ethius doesn't need to ask everyone to stop to figure out there's something else moving.
     "...Hostile." Just as he says it, everyone else might draw the same conclusion. Something large moves beyond the nearby wall, quaking the ground with heavy footsteps and something... gross and squelchy.
     They're in danger and it's not clear where to go. Ethius fires up the Spectral Lens again, already running fairly hot from recent use, to gauge if there might be a door or a mechanism or something to work with while those with more extensive systems might yet be able to pitch in about what needs done.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, It's On To You.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    The question remains: have they shut the Wels outside, or are there Wels inside here with them?

    (it's the latter, without question)

    They advance slowly into the quiet-as-the-grave ship, only the basic 'ship adrift at sea' and 'ocean noises' and a 'low distant thumping from the door they'd used' as the soundscape. "Shh," Avril utters, after a moment more. "There is something not quite--"

    There it is, right on cue. The sound of Something That Shouldn't Be Here.

    "Which way should we go?" Avril says, as quietly as one can when using the external speakers on a Gear. She's trying to keep it quiet, okay.

DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, It's On To You.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna grins as she picks up that tattered scrap of paper, giving it a good lookover.

"Ah, there's nothin' you can rely on more than folks leavin' important info just lying around." She says, relaying the numbers. And soon... they're in! She watches as Ethius hurries on in before anyone else and quickly follows after him. It's probably not a good idea to leave him alone in there for too long, considering the possibility of Wels attacks.

Unfortunately, though, trouble sounds not long after they enter. Ethius calls it out first, and then they hear it. Big, thudding, and, worst of all, squishy footsteps. Layna frowns.

"...I dunno. 'Away from that' is all I've got." Layna replies, keeping her own voice low. It's too dark to use the telescope in this section, so she collapses it and stows it away. She gets ready to run as soon as they decide their course of action.

DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, It's On To You.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

of course there are wels in there with them, have you never seen a zombie movie

(No because those probably don't even exist anymore???)

The Huracan is many things. For once, 'stealthy' is actually among that list, but the exact circumstances of this present situation make the exact sort of stealth systems aboard the Huracan... less than effective.

That is to say, it's made to Go Fast and thus not be seen, not... Move silently. Heck, its huge thrusters are actively counterproductive to the goal of moving silently!

But it tries, never-the-less. Cyre is at least adept and making sure to take each step slowly and steadily, to avoid generating any noise that might give their position away to the giant monster stalking them just beyond the ship's walls.

"Not sure I like our chances fighting a gear-sized zombie in such close quarters," Cyre murmurs. "I'll stay on overwatch, but the second I fire, we're going to be on a timer. So... move fast, so I don't need to shoot??"

DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, It's On To You.
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
========================<* CHALLENGE - It's On To You *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The ship's interior is labyrinthine. The rocking of the waves and the
 groaning of the vessel's hull form a constant backdrop of noise--but it's
 not so noisy as to block out the telltale sounds of something large, moving
 nearby. It starts with a low squelching noise, and then turns into heavy,
 thudding footsteps, like those of a Gear, but more organic. Is it just you,
 or are they getting closer?

 This is not the place for a confrontation. Whatever this creature is, you'll
 need to distract it, or otherwise lure it away from your current position.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
==========================<* Reaper Ship - Round 2 *>===========================
==========================< Results - It's On To You >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Vent Fleur                    18 --(25)--> 43                Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyre H. Lorentz                     5 --(25)--> 30                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       5 --(12)--> 17                 Pass
Spectral Lens                       2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layna Manydays                      5 --(25)--> 30                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Avril Vent Fleur            20 --(15)--> 35                Fail
Conditions: Injure(1)|Stupify(2)
Effects: Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur 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> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    * BOOM *

     That's the sound of something going off. Something fiery, something bad.

     * RUMBLE RATTLE COLLAPSE *

     Those are the sounds of a whole bunch of things falling apart in front of them, cutting them off from a route leading to a door they might have been able to seal shut (thanks to the Spectral Lens catch of something like that). There is a flurry of colors and the faintest metallic sheen of something large, but it's only the faintest glimpse since they all have to double back towards an open door they have no idea is safer to actually escape inside. It's one risk after another in a life-and-death situation, as the noises of something... metal and flesh, or at least damp... gives chase for a while longer. There could be a dead end ahead! There could be more Wels! They won't know until they get there, but staying here - not an option!

DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Reaper Ship *>===============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Leave Wel Enough Alone *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 1          |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The ship is crawling with Wels, or so said the rumors.

 Given that a small host of them have just come crashing out of one of the
 vents at you -- and your Gears, if you're using any! -- the rumors may have
 been on point. Even those in Gears are going to have trouble due to the
 sheer mass of them -- this calls for teamwork to get it sorted!

 You came here to investigate and eliminate any Wels that might be aboard.
 It's time to do just that!
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Exhaust==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Ah, wels," Cyre deadpans at the surging tide of fetid, mutant flesh and turns to get out of dodge right alongside the others, but then...

Then... from around the corner...

EVEN MORE WELS!!

"Ah, wels!!" Cyre grunts and engages his forward thrusters, abruptly arresting his momentum. There are wels coming from the fore, wels coming from the rear, and judging by the noise there are wels in the vents. "This is looking bad. I don't know if we'll be getting out of this one in one piece--"

"Meow," says a... a cat. That is a cat. That is definitely a kitty cat, sitting right there next to a big red button on the wall. "Mrorooowwwr!" The cat mewls, and... pushes the button with a cute kitty cat head-boop. Suddenly, the wels behind the party are cut off by the descent of an inexplicably intact bulkhead door, leaving only the wels in front for them to deal with...!

"Schrodinger!?" Cyre gapes, but doesn't complain, as he throws the Huracan into the horde, its charged blade crackling with electrical fury. "How did you know to do that!?"

"Mrow!" Schrodinger answers... inside Avril's gear. Specifically, from in Avril's lap. He was outside just a moment ago, and now he's... Here.

Demanding pets.

This is just cat things, you get used to them.

DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Schrodinger Support toward his party's challenge, Leave Wel Enough Alone.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

There's not a whole lot to say about what just happened. ...Well, actually, there's a lot to say, except none of it is exactly coherent - see Layna, breaking into a run while unleashing a string of curses at the sudden obstruction. Not much to do now but run...

...and in doing so, they run into a horde of wels.

"Well, I guess I much prefer a bunch of little ones over one big one. Let's get rid of 'em before they can group up!" Layna says. She flexes the fingers on her right hand experimentally as the bracer on that hand ignites. She rushes in, then, and with an incantation the wind begins to build around her fist - the winds feeding the fire and stoking it into a greater flame. She punches forward, unleashing a shockwave of wind and fire into the crowd of wels to thin their numbers.

DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Leave Wel Enough Alone.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    Perhaps the best thing to say is that they see enough of something to know that 1) the ship is infested and 2) they probably want no part of it, particularly not in this part of the ship.

    They run, Avril's Skadi included.

    ...Right into an apparent tide of Wels. "This is--!" Avril starts to cry out, bidding the Skadi to reach for its blade.

    And then she glances down and realizes... she has a cat. "...Schroedinger?" she says, after a moment's pause. "Were you not with Lydia, before...?" Tentatively, she reaches down to stroke the cat, gently, as if she's uncertain whether or not they're real. "Did they sneak into my Gear, or..."

    Is this just Schroedinger Things?

    "...Layna, I shall cover the other side!" Avril declares then, negotiating her controls as best she's able with the cat. Because cat cannot be made uncomfortable. This the law set in stone at the dawn of the universe. Drawing its blade, the Skadi lunges forward at Avril's command, sweeping low with the massive sword (and trying to mind the walls and ceiling and floor because... this is a ship...).

DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Gear Blade - Gambanteinn toward her party's challenge, Leave Wel Enough Alone.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius is a bit more on the ball when it comes to running into a new source of trouble without (further) provocation, where the only thing he needs to do is call that he's going to lay down smoke cover on where the writhing mass of Wels are coming in hottest. (There is no place where Wels are coming in cooler, he's just trying to compartmentalize and decide what part of the morass needs dealing with first.)
     He makes use of the cover having a newly made wall gives so that there isn't that angle of attack to deal with, backing into it.
     "Smoke cover," Ethius calls as he takes a satchel from his belt, casts the proper spell to activate it, and tosses it into the mass of teeth and fangs and... there's no part of a Wels that isn't deadly, huh.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, Leave Wel Enough Alone.
==============================<* Reaper Ship *>===============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Leave Wel Enough Alone *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 1          |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The ship is crawling with Wels, or so said the rumors.

 Given that a small host of them have just come crashing out of one of the
 vents at you -- and your Gears, if you're using any! -- the rumors may have
 been on point. Even those in Gears are going to have trouble due to the
 sheer mass of them -- this calls for teamwork to get it sorted!

 You came here to investigate and eliminate any Wels that might be aboard.
 It's time to do just that!
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Exhaust==========================================
=========================<* Reaper Ship - Round 3 *>==========================
=====================< Results - Leave Wel Enough Alone >=====================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Vent Fleur                    43 --(5)--> 48                 Pass
Gear Blade - Gambanteinn            2   Combat  Effects: Resilient
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyre H. Lorentz                     30 --(5)--> 35                 Pass
Schrodinger Support                 1   Combat  Effects: Cleanse
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       17 --(5)--> 22                 Pass
Powder Grenade                      3   Combat  Effects: Fanfare
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layna Manydays                      30 --(5)--> 35                 Pass
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Avril Vent Fleur            35 --(20)--> 55                Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Fright(2)|Stupify(1)
Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur 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> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Doubt not Schrodinger's presence, for Schrodinger is everpresent. Doubt not his timing, for Schrodinger always arrives exactly when Schrodinger wishes.

He is definitely real. Also, definitely pettable. Avril has been chosen as Schrodinger's perch for the day, and he shall not be dissuaded.

(Instead he makes himself comfortable, as the Laws dictate.)

Cut off from their reinforcements, the tide of Wels is on the back foot. Layna's fist crashes into them, unleashing a rush of furnace-hot wind that flash-chars a dozen man-sized Wels in a single motion. It scatters Ethius' trusty powder grenade further, filling the air with a thick cloud of tiny, highly combustible particulate. Cyre provides the spark, his charge blade crackling with electricity as he swings into the dust cloud and sets it alight, breaking the wave of corrupted flesh with a devastating explosion...

But some Wels are simply too big for such things to deter. A truly massive specimen utters a pained, guttural cry and trudges forward into the gap, only to meet its merciful end at the tip of the Skadi's blade.

The last of the remaining wels scurry into the dark, leaving the party alone... With yet another pack of the creatures still hammering at the bulkhead doors behind them. "We should get moving," Cyre suggests, "Put some distance between them and us."

Schrodinger purrs in assent. Carry on, minions...!

DG: Layna Manydays has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Reaper Ship *>===============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Largo Cargo *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Perhaps it's to be expected -- on a ship, of course there is a cargo hold.
 And of course, given how long this one has been adrift, it's /heavily/ out
 of whack. There are crates and containers scattered all about in disarray,
 barring your investigation of this part of the ship.

 Even in a Gear, you're not going to be getting through here easily unless
 you take the time to move some of this stuff around -- but perhaps with
 those on foot directing (or using their own means), it may halve the
 difficulty involved.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Tire============================================
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Not bad, not bad at all." Layna praises with a grin, as the group handily deals with the problem before them. She nods, then, at Cyre's suggestion. "Aye, lad."

And move they do - they make their way through the interior of the ship, soon enough finding themselves in one of the cargo holds. This one has seen better days, though - crates and large containers are smashed, discarded, and scattered all over, practically forming a wall that hampers the progress of even a Gear.

Layna takes the opportunity to look through the contents, but...

"...Nothing but junk, looks like. Oh well, guess that means we don't have to feel bad about smashing it." Layna says. With that said she reaches into her coat, drawing out her drill. "Guess we better get started!"

DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Arm-Mounted Drill toward her party's challenge, Largo Cargo.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Cyre is but the puppet to the whims of a much greater feline.

...

Yes, Schrodinger, but also Fengalon. There is a hierarchy of cats, you see.

"Looks like a tornado blew through here," Cyre murmurs at the sight of... Everything. The absolute mess of a cargo hold. "How are we supposed to find anything in a place like this...?" He looks to Layna, the actual pirate, for advice.

...And she just straight up starts drilling the place to pieces. Cyre shrugs again and moves toward the largest collection of junk.. To plant a series of ACTUAL GEAR-SIZED THERMITE CHARGES.

They blow up. There is a hole melted in the junk. Everyone can pass, hooray!!

...provided he didn't just cause a trashvalanche or something.

DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Demolition Charge toward his party's challenge, Largo Cargo.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius takes a moment to gather himself - it's a much closer encounter than he'd like, even with the level of composure he's able to maintain at a moment's notice. When he follows into the cargo hold deeper inside, Layna is already talking a good game (and does play a great game) of drilling through the problem.
     "Wait." Ethius speaks up. "We are not presently in the know as to what's inside the cargo." He'd like to know what's in there, but htey don't have the time to salvage it... and to his recollection, it feels like something he would look for in this situation is... missing. That he knows it's not there. He can't say it out loud (in all senses of the statement), as he climbs up over a smaller pile of crates to get a better look at the arrangements.
     "I believe that... Mister Cyre, those are thermite charges," Ethius is cut off, realizes what is about to happen, and GETS THE HELL DOWN

DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Largo Cargo.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    The heavy, several ton two-hander slams into the Wels with aplomb, and all without so much as disturbing Schroedinger's current perch. Far be it from Avril to betray too much in the way of anxiety, even under current conditions, but...

    Truth be told, she's a little nervous about upsetting the cat's resting place, even as much as she's concerned about the Wels that may or may not be stalking them throughout the ship...

    "This is the first that I have seen Scroedinger in some time," Avril says, returning the blade to its 'sheath' against the Gear's back. "Do you know whether they have been well, Cyre?" She is... perhaps not all that well-versed in the Nature Of Cats.

    It's not long before they happen upon the cargo bay. Or what was the cargo bay. It's mostly a mess, now. "I suppose we will need to move them," Avril remarks, absently stroking the cat on her lap.

    Wait, says Ethius, as Layna drills through the problem. As Cyre plants thermite charges. Wait, Ethius had said-- because...!

    "Ah, there are thermite charges," Avril utters, and in what may be a bit of a misunderstanding on her part, shifts her will through the magical engine and the Medium slotted aboard the Skadi.

    There is a small, heavy, sudden outburst of winter within the hold.

DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Stone Ice Medium toward her party's challenge, Largo Cargo.
==============================<* Reaper Ship *>===============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Largo Cargo *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Perhaps it's to be expected -- on a ship, of course there is a cargo hold.
 And of course, given how long this one has been adrift, it's /heavily/ out
 of whack. There are crates and containers scattered all about in disarray,
 barring your investigation of this part of the ship.

 Even in a Gear, you're not going to be getting through here easily unless
 you take the time to move some of this stuff around -- but perhaps with
 those on foot directing (or using their own means), it may halve the
 difficulty involved.
=Dungeon Conditions: Exhaust, Tire============================================
=========================<* Reaper Ship - Round 4 *>==========================
==========================< Results - Largo Cargo >===========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Vent Fleur                    48 --(0)--> 48                 Pass
Stone Ice Medium                    3   Brute   Effects: Fanfare
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyre H. Lorentz                     35 --(0)--> 35                 Pass
Demolition Charge                   2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       22 --(0)--> 22                 Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layna Manydays                      35 --(0)--> 35                 Pass
Arm-Mounted Drill                   3   Brute   Effects: Fanfare
----------------------------------< Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Avril Vent Fleur            55 --(20)--> 75                Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Fright(1)|Tire(2)
Effects: Strengthen(1)
==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur 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> Layna Manydays has posed.

"It's alright, I already checked. It's nothing important - just a load of junk." Layna replies with a shrug as Ethius expresses concern about not knowing what's inside. ...Of course, 'nothing important' could mean anything.

Layna's drill tears right through some of the debris at ground level, giving Ethius and herself a good pathway through.

Cyre, meanwhile, has something else up his sleeves - Gear-sized thermite charges! They go off in rapid succession, reducing much of the obstacle to a pool of junk and molten metal... which is soon engulfed by the power of ice as Avril harnesses her Medium through Skadi, flash-freezing it and leaving it safe to cross over.

From there, they'll be free to move on... but it may be best to hurry, just in case anything overheard their efforts.

DG: Avril Vent Fleur has drawn a new Challenge.
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
===============<* CHALLENGE - The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea *>================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You find the nest sure enough, and it is summarily dealt with; the ship is
 purged. But something else is coming. Something quite large and dangerous.

 In the end, the true threat is not so much what lies within the ship but
 what has come from without: apparently summoned by the deaths of its Wels
 brethren within, an enormous Wels has come.

 For those with Gears: This thing is enormous, but with your Gear, you'll be
 able to engage it toe to toe. Fight on!

 For those on foot: There's no way you can fight this thing directly, but all
 is not lost -- some of the harpoons and other weaponry are still functional.
 They're more than capable of handling the giant Wels. The only problem is
 getting to them -- smaller Wels have climbed aboard the ship and are
 blocking the way to the weaponry. You'll have to fight through them!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Fright, Injure====================================
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    Beyond the hold is, as it turns out, the nest; the Wels are far from large and many of them are immobile, fused to this part of the ship. Dealing with them is a fairly straightforward affair: they put up a struggle, but compared to the creatures they have faced already, it's not much of one. After the filmy remnants are dealt with, it seems that this should settle the matter of their returning to infest the ship again. ...Probably.

    But all is not... wel.

    The ship is tossed as if a storm were brewing. There is an ominious sensation in the air, one that Avril has already keyed into:

    "Something is coming," she says.
    Schroedinger, too, has sat up in her lap, whiskers flared.

    It's not coming from inside the ship.

    It's coming from outside.

    There, not far from the cargo ship as they return to the deck (which is teaming with regular-sized Wels)--

    It's enormous. A Wels the size of a ship itself! No, bigger than that!

    "...Was it summoned by the Wels in the ship?" Avril wonders, jetting off the deck and across the turbulent sea, blade already drawn as she surges for the monstrosity.

    Atop the deck, Ethius and Layna will see that there are shipboard weapons -- perhaps they were used against sea monsters or other ships, once. They should be just as good against an enormous Wels.
    The problem is that the deck is littered with Wels, which they'll have to handle, first.

DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Gear Blade - Gambanteinn toward her party's challenge, The Devil and the Deep
Blue Sea.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius grabs hold of something as the ship is tossed, ducking his head as he avoids all sorts of detritus that might bonk him in the head as he sizes up what, exactly, is going on. The lower half of his face is masked, so there's not a whole lot to glean there. He takes some time remembering that he is a human being whose eyes can do something like 'blink' as he regains his balance and stands up.
     "Miss Layna, there!" He calls. "That harpoon cannon may be functional. If I can receive adequate cover--"
     There is no such thing as 'adequate' cover when it's already being swarmed by smaller Wels. The best he can do is loosen the second of the two satchels, after casting the proper spell of course, and cover them in that cloud of dust.
     If the harpoon cannon doesn't look too out of order (it doesn't, by his estimate), he might be able to make a few quick adjustments by hand to make sure it can go off, once he's there. Until then, he has to leave the matter of Not Being Crushed or Devoured By a Huge Wel to Avril and Cyre.

DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Uhhh yes Ethius, I know, I'm the one that planted them," Cyre huffs as the thermite charges go off and fill the hold with a pleasant, warm glow and the scent of boiling metal vapor. Fortunately, Avril flash-freezes the whole thing before anyone can suffer heavy metal poisoning or anything like that. Nobody's a Hyadean here! Heavy metals are bad!!

...Well. Noone is probably a Hyadean here.

"Schro's been well!" Cyre answers as the party advances. "They're an interesting little cat, that's for sure. Schro seems to come and go as they please, but I see them around the Carakin more often than not." Or rather, by observing the Carakin, Cyre inadvertently allows Schrodinger access.

It's... complicated. Quantum Kitties are the best kind.

But then, a chill runs down the shaman's spine. Schrodinger, too, feels the ominous presence of... something. Something huge. Something awful. "How did it sneak up on us...?" Cyre asks as the enormous Wels emerges from the sea. "Damnit. I don't have the space to build up any speed--" The Wels begins to move, but then...

Suddenly, there is no more cat on Avril's lap.

Instead, Schrodinger is... already at the harpoons! With a boop of their head, Schrodinger presses the FIRE buttoon...!

And fires an inexplicably, perfectly-aimed harpoon right into the beast's hide!!

And then again, at another harpoon.

AND THEN AGAIN AT A THIRD!

"Good job, kitty," Cyre murmurs and lifts his Charge Rifle. The energy his blade has been accumulating over the course of this excursion has reached its peak. The Huracan's shield unfolds and then mantles over and around the bifurcated rifle, discharging a dozen capacitors worth of electrical energy directly into the magnetic rails lining the weapon's barrel.

There's a sound like a thunderclap as the Huracan fires. The Relativistc Railgun's shot tears through the air at frankly unreasonable velocities. A solid impact would do more than just punch a hole through the colossal Wels-- it would probably cause the surrounding tissue to liquefy and explode from the energy released...!

DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Schrodinger Support toward his party's challenge, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"...Well, that's really damn grotesque." Layna grimaces, as they encounter the nest. It's dealt with well enough, but there is a bigger problem...

A much bigger problem.

"What in..." Layna starts as the ship is tossed about. They hurry out to the deck, and they see it - an enormous Wels. Layna gawks.

"Where the hell was that thing even hiding?" She asks, then shakes her head. "No, kill it now, ask questions later!"

But... it's clear that she's probably not going to be able to do anything on foot. She briefly considers calling for her Gear... but, Ethius soon presents a much more readily useful option - a series of harpoon cannons!

"Aye! I'll give you some cover!" Layna calls back. She rushes into the fray, tearing through any Wels that try to get too close to Ethius or the cannons.

...Especially now that the cannons are being manned - catted? - by a group of Schrodingers.

...She's not going to question that.

DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
===============<* CHALLENGE - The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea *>================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 You find the nest sure enough, and it is summarily dealt with; the ship is
 purged. But something else is coming. Something quite large and dangerous.

 In the end, the true threat is not so much what lies within the ship but
 what has come from without: apparently summoned by the deaths of its Wels
 brethren within, an enormous Wels has come.

 For those with Gears: This thing is enormous, but with your Gear, you'll be
 able to engage it toe to toe. Fight on!

 For those on foot: There's no way you can fight this thing directly, but all
 is not lost -- some of the harpoons and other weaponry are still functional.
 They're more than capable of handling the giant Wels. The only problem is
 getting to them -- smaller Wels have climbed aboard the ship and are
 blocking the way to the weaponry. You'll have to fight through them!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Fright, Injure====================================
==========================<* Reaper Ship - Round 5 *>===========================
=================< Results - The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea >==================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avril Vent Fleur                    48 --(5)--> 53                 Pass
Gear Blade - Gambanteinn            2   Combat  Effects: Resilient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyre H. Lorentz                     35 --(13)--> 48                Fail
Schrodinger Support                 1   Combat  Effects: Cleanse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethius Hesiod                       22 --(5)--> 27                 Pass
Powder Grenade                      3   Combat  Effects: Fanfare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Layna Manydays                      35 --(13)--> 48                Fail
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Avril Vent Fleur            75 --(35)--> 110               Pass
Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(2)|Tire(1)|Wound(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Resilient(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur has successfully explored Reaper Ship!
===============================<* Reaper Ship *>================================
=================<* CHALLENGE - Ethos Humanitarian Supplies *>==================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The last of the Reapers lie dead on the deck. An eerie silence fills the
 air, broken only by the groan of the hull and the lapping of the waves. The
 infestation has been dealt with, allowing you to search the rest of the ship
 at your leisure.

 This vessel was once operated by the Ethos. Perusal of its logbook reveals
 that its ultimate destination was war-torn Celesti, and that it's been
 adrift for at least ten years. Its manifest includes tents and other
 portable shelters, non-perishable rations, water purification tablets, and
 medical supplies. The most elaborate items are an entire field surgery
 suite, and a Day of Collapse-era ARM designed to dig wells.

 While this may not fetch a high price on the open market, the likes of the
 Wayside Outreach would surely appreciate equipment like this.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.

    The nest is, as the saying goes, 'not a pretty sight'. Fortunately, Ethius is with them. As the other saying goes, 'kill it with fire' (or the nearest equivalent thereof...).

    But soon they have other problems. Other, larger problems.

    The Skadi rushes down the giant Wels at speed, with Avril using her momentum to her advantage when she at last swings the massive blade. But where it's wounded, it sprouts another two arms!

    One of which is is shot off by Cyre. But even wounded and down (??) an arm, the enormous thing continues to trundle forward.

    Schroedinger Squad is at the ready, ahead of both Ethius and Layna to push the buttons to fire the harpoons!

    And then the Giant Wels becomes a harpoon pincushion. But it still refuses to go quietly.

    At first, Layna and Ethius might think that all they need to do is deal with the Wels on deck and that would be the end of it. But, alas! The last (last?) Schroedinger pushes and pushes at the button and nothing happens.
    This is where Ethius comes in. With Layna holding the Wels back, he's able to get in there and do what needs to be done.

    Wel struck with harpoons, the thing twitches and writhes before Avril and Cyre, acting as one, are able to put it out of its misery.

    After that, there's little left but cleanup and an investigation of the contents of the ship's hold (e.g., the parts that haven't been exploded/iced over).

    "The Ethos... so this was their ship," Avril muses, considering some water purification tablets. "Doubtless, they have no need of this now after ten years. I wonder if the Outreach might be able to make good use of these..."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Even after yet another hair-raising experience... when the opportunity to go over anything and everything with a fine-toothed comb presents itself, his attention to detail in exploring the ship and its contents is nothing short of meticulous. (Maybe he used to inspect ships, before he... somehow came to somewhere in Lacour's mountain ranges? He'd have made for an excellent customs inspector. He should look into job openings of that nature.)
     He's able to identify almost all of what's there before the manifest is found and its contents described.
     "...Aside from losses incurred by use of explosives which make verification of certain supplies impossible," the strange Symbologist remarks, not at all casting a glance towards Cyre's machine (or Cyre himself, if he's on foot), "I can conclude that... yes, this does appear to have been an Ethos ship." A hand goes to his forehead, as Avril muses about the ten year difference between the manifest's listing and now. "I have not found a sign that this ship was occupied by anyone other than Wels."
     He seems hung up on the idea that someone would have used this floating abandoned ship? He has yet to suggest they set it on fire, or anything of that nature - no, in fact, he seems downright civil about what's on board and what they might or might not do with the remaining contents of value compared to... other Ethius experiences with abandoned shipwrecks.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Damnit Ethius, you don't get to chide Cyre for setting things on fire! You're Ethius! You set everything on fire!!

But not this. Cyre doesn't set this stuff on fire either.

"That... is quite an ARM," Cyre says, examining the strange Day of Collapse-era weapon. It looks like some kind of excavator...? "Wonder what that was for...? Well! We can bring it back to the Carakin and see what stuff we can salvage properly. I'm sure we can find a good home for these somewhere!"

Maybe even at Wayside...!

Meanwhile, Schrodinger... Is gone again!? What a mysterious ca--

 oh wait no he's back in avril's lap

OK then

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

It's a hard-fought battle, but in the end they're able to deal with the Wels. ...For now. Layna has a feeling this will be far from the last of them.

But then, comes time to search through it's hold to see what they've got! And... much to Layna's disappointment, it isn't treasure - at least, not by her reckoning.

"Looks like it." She says with a frown... and then, shrugs, before looking toward Avril. "Oh, are you taking it to that lot? I can signal my crew, we'll help load everything up for you."

She and her crew don't have any use for it, might as well make sure it goes somewhere it can all be useful.