2021-04-27: Siddim Canyon (Side C)
- Log: Siddim Canyon (Side C)
- Cast: Seraph Lanval, Layna Manydays, Azoth, Dean Stark, Ruth Pauling
- Where: Celesti Wastelands
- Date: April 27, 2021
- Summary: A Malevolent Domain that has formed from Siddim Canyon in Northern Zoara needs be addressed... and the story of the ill-fated village that fell in the late years of the Celesti Civil War is told. Several teams descend upon the location to deal with it - and its Domain Master, should they be present. This scene ICly takes place on May 1st, 503 PC. (Third of five runs.)
============================<* Celesti Wastelands *>============================ Decades ago, the nation of Celesti ripped itself apart in a vicious civil war. Outside of a handful of settlements, its former territories are lifeless. The remains of trenches, bunkers, and barbed wire lines serve as lingering reminders of the conflict--scars that have yet to heal. The earth is dry and barren, and much of the groundwater has been contaminated by biological or chemical weapons. Travel through the Wastelands is treacherous. The roads are pockmarked with shell craters, and Reapers have been known to haunt its blasted plains. A handful of functional rail lines cross the wastes, but these travel directly to their final destinations. The shattered remains of ghost towns dot the landscape. Some may yet hold things of value, but experienced travelers know better than to go treasure-hunting on a whim. The war-dead of Celesti do not rest. Ghosts aren't even the strangest things one can find here. As the war dragged on, both the Congressional Knights and Aquvy Union dug up ancient weapons to aid their efforts--including, it's rumored, ARMs from Zeboim. These rumors draw both the daring and desperate into the wastes, and more often than not, to their end. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92HwM11d2FQ
DG: A party led by Seraph Lanval is now entering Siddim Canyon. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
=================<* CHALLENGE - The Knocking on Death's Door *>=================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
The trail you've followed takes you to Siddim Canyon - and sure enough,
there's that whiff of Malevolence within. A powerful Hellion is - or has -
been here, away from the remnants of society that dot the Celesti landscape.
The ambient Malevolence carries the distinct feelings of guilt and regret.
You don't get much time to appreciate it (...in a sense), as you are
interrupted by the sound of four cracks of a gunsmoke rifle. There are no
bullets whizzing by, no sound of something being impacted. There's enough
boulders and rocks along the way you can move to for cover, and you might
want to do so to be safe. By the time you figure out whether or not the
source of those four shots might be trying to shoot at you, it may be too
late.
(NOTE: Failure only indicates your team taking a long time to learn they are
in the clear.)
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Slow=============================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
May 1st, 503 PC. There's a lot of fallout over at St. Heim, but there is at least one problem that is within the Drifter community's ability to deal with: a Malevolent Domain. After an attack on the roads leading to Port Rosalia by Hellionized wildlife, a survivor of a terrible event (of many) in the Celesti Civil War was able to say where those creatures must have come from... and was only willing to mark on a map where they could find it. Said survivor - someone who otherwise fit the picture of the most grizzled, merciless hired thugs you can think of - wanted to say nothing more about it. A number of Drifter teams have thus coordinated together a day they could all descend upon the presumed Domain's location and existence, and deal with it without delay.
All estimated guesses turn out correct - and four years after Port Timney and its fallout, everyone's experiences with the phenomenon of Malevolence had left them knowledgeable enough of when it's about, strong enough to withstand its poisonous whispers, and capable enough to deal with it decisively.
Seraph Lanval, Oracle of Schturdark, has sworn a solemn oath to help uphold the burdens of Filgaia's water by dealing with this, and he's already manifested well in advance. "Yep. It'sh here," he says as he sets foot on the muddy ground. "Thish canyon. 'n it ain't a shmall Domain either..."
He cracks a smile to those traveling with him - which consist of at least two Seers. "But we ain't exactly shmall fry neither! Ha ha ha! Mmm." He keeps his drinking gourd close, taking a contemplative sip. "Desphair... shame, regret." The place he used to reign over got lousy with those kinds of feelings, for the sorts of mortals that collected there. "...Li'l thinner here 'n--"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Like a rhythm. It's loud - cracks of a gunsmoke rifle. Nobody feels anything speeding by them, no impacts, or anything of the sort. But that's the sound of a sniper in their midst, and if that's a Resonant and hostile one, all of them are in danger!
With a wet-sounding failed whistling noise, Lanval calls over that creepy flat-bodied rubber horse raft... thing... which always smiles with open eyes. (it does not blink. its mouth does not move. the malevolence does not get in there. there is only air. its existence is a thing. a creepy thing.) He tries to direct it towards the largest rocky outcropping he - and anyone else that might hitch a ride - might try and hide behind, but there's some trees and the like too.
Finding any sort of cover is paramount when one is under fire.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Dahlia and Victoria had told Layna of what they learned during the attack on Port Rosalia, and from there it was easy enough to figure out where to go next. And so, once they'd put a plan of action together and coordinated with other interested parties, it's time to figure out just what's going on in Siddim Canyon.
Layna is here with Lanval, of course - as one of his Seers, and a spiritually strong individual as well, she's well-equipped to handle it as well.
"Aye, that we aren't." Layna agrees with a chuckle and a nod at Lanval's comment. "A Domain like this... back in the day, it might've been a real problem. We'd be in trouble if it keeps growing unchecked."
She remembers her first experience with a Malevolent Domain - rendering her incapable of bringing any magic to bear. She's come a long way since then. Now, though, she can gauge its strength, feel the emotions involved in its creations, but let herself move forward without hindrance.
...Of course, while the Malevolence doesn't affect her, there are still some things she has to watch out for. Namely, the loud reports of a sniper rifle in the distance, which sends Layna immediately ducking for cover.
"Damn, a sniper? Think it's the master, or just a local?" Layna asks. And then, she rolls her shoulders. "...Alright. Guess I just gotta be faster."
With that Layna reaches into her coat, drawing out a bottle and taking a swig. She recites a quick incantation and dashes out from behind cover at high speeds. As she rains, a curtain of wind billows her to deflect gunfire. She's a difficult target to aim at, much less hit - and she might make a convenient distraction for others, as well.
...Should there even be anyone targeting them, that is.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Quartermaster's Stash toward her party's challenge, The Knocking on Death's Door.
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
Azoth is no Seer himself. He's not a kind of machine that can use sorcery himself, including any of this Purification business. But he feels it's important to keep tabs on Malevolence and the way it's spreading through Filgaia. With the Seraphim friends he's been making, this seems especially important. He's gotten good at detecting Malevolence, at least, and maybe that could be of use.
(Dean's also informed him food can be useful for the Seers, and Azoth has an extra pack today stashed with what he hopes are goodies for Layna and Dean. And a surprise for Lanval. But more on that later.)
Not so much in detecting the emotion mixed in it though. Perhaps that's a factor in his resistance to it. So he needs to rely on Mr. Bottle -- on Lanval -- for that. Azoth, initially cheerful and happy enough to bounce after Dean, sobers his demeanor with the report of despair, shame, and regret.
"I've never been in a Domain before -- that I know of. Does it endanger you?" he asks Lanval, frowning with concern. Azoth doesn't know exactly how Malevolence creeps into a living being, but he'd like to avoid learning first hand. "Let us know if it becomes too much."
But then Bang! and Azoth lets out a startled, warning series of beeps as his eyes glow bright, trying to identify the source of the shots. But he's lacking the data of the way the air should distort, or the vibrations of impact, or any sign of impact at all -- his calculations are filled with too many blank variables and he can draw no suitable conclusions.
That makes choosing cover a difficult prospect. Ultimately, he has to employ a random number generator to select a tree to dive behind. There just isn't the data he needs to weight a proper mathematical decision!
DG: Azoth has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Knocking on Death's Door.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Dean wasn't able to make it here with Boudicca and Ida (though at least they had Venetia to round out their party), something having come up at the last second that delayed him, but now he's here to explore--and this time with the *other* Oracle-Seer group of Lanval and Layna (and Talise, but she's not here right now). Azoth's also here, to Dean's excitement, but he's already had a chance to gush and get that out of his system by the time they all make it to the canyon.
"Yeah... I can feel it from here. Like heat from an oven," Dean comments as he peers into the canyon. He nods along with Layna. "It must be awful strong." He smiles at Lanval. "But you're right! With the four of us, we'll be just fine."
Azoth pipes in with concern for Lanval, and Dean nods along with that too. As he listens to Lanval muse over the subtle particulars of the Malevolence, gunfire echoes--bang! bang! bang! Dean drops into a combat stance, Twin Fenrir flashing into his hands instinctively. "Dunno, but we can't just let them keep firing at us!" he says to Layna. As each of them break to find cover, he dashes down along the lip of the canyon too. When he sees what (he thinks is) the sniper, he opens fire back at them. His six-shooters won't get the same distance as a rifle, but hopefully having bullets flying back at them will make the sniper think twice--and give the others more cover to get to safety, at that.
...Of course, Dean will then need to get to safety *himself*, but once everyone *else* gets to cover, then they can give *him* cover. Paying it forward!
DG: Dean Stark has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Knocking on Death's Door. DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Bouyant Steed toward his party's challenge, The Knocking on Death's Door.
=========================<* Siddim Canyon - Round 1 *>========================== ===================< Results - The Knocking on Death's Door >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Bouyant Steed 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azoth 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Stark 0 --(13)--> 13 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Quartermaster's Stash 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Seraph Lanval 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Slow(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Seraph Lanval 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: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - With Great Power... *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Siddim Canyon used to be home to a small village, and several of their
structures remain. It is more apt to say that several ruins of their
structures remain, for they have rotted into piles of rubble. They have
settled in such a way that your way is blocked, and the only alternative
would be to climb a dangerous side-road. (You do not want to climb that
side-road.)
Sheltered from the elements is a Civil War-era cannon. Its wheeled cart has
completely worn away and collapsed, but the rest of it is functional and all
the necessary components are right there. You can load it, light it, and
blast away a lot of the obstructions in front of you, though it seems far
more practical to--
No. A sense runs through the party, the idea of wishing to be strong enough
to wield a weapon. This one? One wouldn't settle for anything less than what
would bring out the best of their talents, and for whatever reason right
now, it's this cannon. That one has that fixation is a little odd. One's
faith will not be misplaced, so long as one can actually move it into
position. (This odd urge will leave you after you fire it, or give up.)
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Exhaust=====================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Dean rushes forth to dissuade further fire by a supposed sniper - this is not an action that can be faulted. The young man's an excellent shot even through the physical limitations of his ARMs at this range, and his bravery under pressure when mortal danger presents itself is commendable. There is no return fire. To his keen eye, he doesn't see anybody running away. Malevolent Domains can do weird things to the surrounding scenery, if Mount Manfred and Krosse were any indications - but so far, from at least this depth, that's not the case.
"'m... not shure there'sh anyone there," Lanval speaks up at last. This could mean that a theoretical 'they' is firing on another team, but the important thing in the moment is that it's not themselves. Even if they were, Layna's got them all covered with her crosswinds. Azoth can work out the mathematical possibilities of where a shooter can be versus the sound he heard, and will find that he is safe and will not have to test live how good he is at feigning being hurt by taking a shot in the apricot. (or, uh, way more than hurt)
Lanval nods to Azoth as he asks the question. "My kind - the Seraphim - are more 'n jusht hurt by Malevolence. We take on too much... we become a kind of Hellion, a Dragon." He seems all right here so far, though? He smiles to Azoth, even if he doesn't make perfect eye contact (it's tough for him to do so with artificial life - also it may be because he is at least somewhat drunk, some combination thereof). "'m all right. Anyway... if that'sh the Domain Master... they're hidin' it well." He says as he steps out from cover. "...There ain't no reashon ta hide yershelf in your place of power, though..." He gestures everyone along, and along they go, further down the canyon valley.
There used to be a village here, according to what little they could get out of 'Uncle' Abe before he just peaced out of ever wanting to talk about this ever again, and the amount of ruin here... if he lived here, when these homes became this, the present doesn't capture that horror. There's a side-road that goes up the canyon wall but that looks like a muddy, ankle-twisting, spine-shattering fall hazard, so let's not talk about that side-road any more.
Lanval blinks half-open eyes a few times, then settles on leaving one half-open as he looks towards a Civil War-era cannon. The Celesti Civil War had unearthed some very fancy hardware in its time, but you still have any number of modern Filgaia classics - like that collapsed wheeled cart bearing a cannon there - which pulled its weight in battle. It's stayed dry underneath a sloped roof that's managed to keep the frequent rains away from it.
"'m gettin' a feelin' here," Lanval's not the only one, "of shomeone... really wantin' ta be shtrong enough..." to fight back? To kill someone? "Ta wield... shomethin'." The closest 'something' they can fathom is that cannon there, whose wheeled cart can't be used to carry it out. They'd have to lift it themselves. They'd have to find a place to hoist it. They'd have to load it. They'd have to light the fuse.
It would be enough to clear away the destruction that's in front of them, so that they can continue here and not up... that muddy, steep death-trap of a side road. Lanval doesn't move to help lift it or any of that, and that's for the best - he's a Water Seraph, he'd just get something wet and make it so that the cannon can't fire.
DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, With Great Power....
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Fortunately, they make it through without any trouble... though, it seems as if there may not have been any trouble in the first place.
"...Huh, you sure?" Layna asks, as Lanval suggests there might not actually be anyone there. Well, it works out great for them, at any rate. With that, they're able to move on, forging their path ahead deeper into the canyon valley.
Here, they find the ruins of some old structures. ...It's a little sad. Layna frowns slightly, but it doesn't seem to have that much affect on her as she moves forward to look for a way around. Fortunately, Lanval soon spots something.
"...A cannon, aye..." Layna muses, walking over to it and looking it over. "Wantin' to be strong enough to use it, aye..."
...Well, if that feeling is related to this cannon, she can't really blame them. When you see a cannon, there's just something about it that makes her really want to fire it at something. That's a common feeling, right?
...Maybe that's just her.
"Let's see... looks like it's still got supplies of ammo and powder... I think if we can position it just right, we might be able to put it to use." Layna muses, looking around. Eventually, she sees a rock structure - some topped over debris from the canyon walls, perhaps?
"...That'll work. Hold on a second, let me..." Layna looks the cannon over, takes a moment to figure out where they'll need to aim, then draws her drill from her coat and moves over to the rock to get to work - cutting out a space where they'll be able to brace the cannon and aim it at the debris blocking out their way.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Arm-Mounted Drill toward her party's challenge, With Great Power....
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
Dean opens fire and Azoth looks up in alarm. Has he spotted the target? But he's out in the open...! "Dean!" From what Azoth is piecing together, that was A Very Dean Thing to Do. He needs to adjust his calculations for that...! Thankfully there's Layna and her winds, and -- wait. There's no one there...? Lanval comes to the same conclusion, and Azoth squints in confusion. Then where were the shots firing...?
But that means it's safe to continue. The ruins of a village give Azoth pause. He surveys the surroundings with a slow glance, remembering the despair Lanval mentioned. Questions of qualia aside... he can imagine that, he thinks.
When Lanval points out the cannon, Azoth gives a tilt of his head at it. "Strong enough..." he repeats, running over the thought. For what? Was there not enough power to protect this village, or was there... too much of it? He glances to the debris, then back to the cannon. It's not the cannon's thoughts, almost certainly, but Azoth does feel bad for it left here alone, unable to fulfill its purpose.
Azoth claps his hands together. "Well, all right then...!" He's a sturdy little android and might be able to help with the positioning the good old fashioned way, and Layna's providing the perfect place to do so.
There's also the matter of the fuse. Azoth spins out his photon blade hilt, letting it spark and heat up, but without extending that energy into a blade. That can be used to help set it off, once they need it.
DG: Azoth has used his Tool Falk's Photon Blade toward his party's challenge, With Great Power....
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
It does take Dean a while to realize that there's no one actually there. Once he does, confusion registers. "But wait, where'd those gunshots come from?" he wonders aloud, perplexed. He shakes his head and dismisses his ARMS, then hurries over to rejoin his friends. "Is everybody okay? Nobody hurt?" he wonders, looking around at the three of them. Everyone seems to be fine, so... good!
"As long as they're gone," he says after Lanval and Layna. He smiles at Azoth and gives him a reassuring nod. Maybe they scared that sniper ("sniper") away after all. ...Dean maybe didn't quite get the point. Oh well; it's not a big deal.
As Lanval explains to Azoth the effects of Malevolence on Seraphim, Dean walks with them and Layna down into the canyon valley. There used to be a village, and they can see the remains of them all right, but... "This is terrible," he says unhappily, looking upon the ruins. It's far from the worst thing he's ever seen, but that doesn't mean the desolation doesn't pluck at his heartstrings. He almost passes the cannon by until the others draw attention to it, and when he looks, he can feel that strange need to be used, to have power and wield it, that seems to emanate from... *Is* it emanating from the cannon? Either way: "It *is* a pretty cool-looking cannon," he says, looking at it with boyish fascination. "Let's fire off a shot! Maybe there's a reason for this feeling!"
He raises his Artificial Mountain Medium from his jacket pocket. "Dinoginous! Help us out here!" he calls, drawing upon its power; an instant later, a rush of magic will whoosh up around the four of them, rendering them temporarily impervious to harm. In practical terms, this means they can haul around and bust up hard and heavy materials without worrying about hurting themselves in the process. That includes the actual firing of the cannon, once they get to it.
DG: Dean Stark has used his Tool Mountain Medium toward his party's challenge, With Great Power....
=========================<* Siddim Canyon - Round 2 *>========================== =======================< Results - With Great Power... >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 5 --(21)--> 26 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azoth 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Falk's Photon Blade 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Stark 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass Mountain Medium 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Arm-Mounted Drill 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Seraph Lanval 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Fright(1)|Overzealous(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Seraph Lanval 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: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
============<* CHALLENGE - Natural Enemies in Unnatural Ceasefire *>============
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
The cobra and the mongoose are some of the most well-known mortal enemies in
all of nature. They will never relent in each other's presence. This is
magnified when they are both Hellionized - larger, more dangerous, further
instinct-driven. Either would cause problems for your party if they gave you
their full attention, as the wounds they have inflicted upon one another
would attest.
Then, abruptly... they stop. Their body language grows more passive, but it
does not appear to be from grievous injury. Against their better natures,
the two of them appear... apologetic? Guilty? They both look aghast and
ashamed about what they've done to one another, and their aggression starts
to fade. They remain in the way of progress. Could they be convinced to
leave the area peacefully, somehow? If they get riled up again, it could get
ugly (especially for you).
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify, Injure==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Together, all of them (except Lanval) combine their powers to set the cannon. It feels like a great idea! All of them are too hardened to be consumed by this thought provided by the ambient Malevolence, but that's because it is a good idea on its own merits. A bit roundabout when some of them are packing what they do, sure... but when the fuse is lit and the cannon goes off..
* * B O O M * *
That cannon is not staying there. The recoil utterly annihilates anything that dares try to hold back the cannon's kick, which... may be symbolic of something. Less symbolic: how it explodes the hell out of the rubble ahead, clearing a path. There is a feeling in the air that someone would like to keep firing it. Whoever that 'someone' is, in the disembodied Bad Feels morass... they can put it together themselves.
They don't have to take the muddy road up the canyon wall, which is what's important - but as they go further ahead, there's two Hellions who are fighting one another. Lanval stands upright, eyes flaring that aquamarine color in preparation for battle. The two of them are really into one another. While the ambient Domain pressure is a bit light for such an event, it remains within possibility the two are at the tail end of Venomization, which sometimes happens when a bunch of Hellions (most of the time Hellionized animals) decide they're just going to throw each other at themselves and make a big, nasty Hellion out of whoever survives. (This is less common outside of a Crucible.)
Then... it starts to rain... and the Domain pressure lessens. It's natural rain, from the overcast skies above - and not something of the Domain's making, as Lanval will eventually point out when they aren't in mortal danger. That the pressure is lowering is eerie, but then...
The two Hellions stop fighting. It's easier to see what they are: a cobra and a mongoose. These are mortal enemies in nature, and they're stopping. Is it their wounds? Their body language looks more... passive? Guilty? Sad? They regard one another and start to slink back, and the aggression disappears. They are still wounded, and they are still Hellions.
"...I can tell ya right now, they're shtrong," Lanval says, as he is wearing odd tone-breaking novelty beer bottle glasses. "'n I can alsho tell ya, if not why, the rain jusht weakened the Domain." He's scratching his chin. "I didn't do it... and there ain't nothin' shpecial about the rain."
He's leaving it up to the Seers (and Azoth) as to how they're going to do this, because this is a strange and novel situation.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Amber Tinted Glasses toward his party's challenge, Natural Enemies in Unnatural Ceasefire.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
The cannon fires!! Layna braces herself as it goes off, and looks on with a grin at the results.
"Ah, nothin' more satisfying than some good ol' cannon-fire." Layna notes, offering a grin Dean and Azoth's way. "Good job, lads!"
She also notes that... it's a good thing they were all clear of the cannon, that's some mean kick.
This leaves them able to move forward, and as they do, Layna spots something that causes her to duck behind a nearby rock for cover, gesturing for the others to do the same.
A pair of Hellions, squaring off against each other... and as Lanval says, they look pretty strong.
"...What do you think? Should we fight 'em?" Layna asks. Normally, she'd be all for it... but, they do have a goal here to accomplish, and if they can avoid a fight with powerful Hellions beforehand, that would mean they'd be in a better position to face whatever is waiting for them.
And then, it begins to rain. Layna blinks, and looks up. ...It's strange. It's completely natural, and yet, the Malevolence seems to debate somewhat? And it seems to have rendered the Hellions more passive...
"...I've got no clue either." She remarks, with a shrug. This is the first time she's experienced weather having an effect on Malevolence. That can't be a coincidence, but she doesn't have enough info to go off of. Well, she can leave the contemplation for later.
Layna reaches for the telescope on her waist, using the temporary lull to poke her head out from behind cover and get a good look around the area for potential signs of trouble - or, another way around.
"Any of you have any ideas for gettin' around 'em?" Layna asks, looking between Lanval, Dean, and Azoth.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Captain's Telescope toward her party's challenge, Natural Enemies in Unnatural Ceasefire.
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
With Layna's praise, Azoth gives a happy beep and a chipper smile. It's quicker to subdue, given the mood. He gives the cannon a gentle pat after it gets to fire its shot before they move on, but not without acknowledging the brutal way it fired, and how difficult it would be for most people to use. It's all pieces of a story, and Azoth likes to believe he doesn't need to feel the emotion in Malevolence to understand the sadness.
At the sight of Hellions, Azoth also prepares himself to fight by conjuring up a blade of energy until --
Rain. The fight stops. Azoth gives a single blink, dissipating his energy blade and holding out his hand. There's something familiar about this rain... But it's just rain, as Lanval notes.
"That's... not normal is it?" he asks, but he already knows the answer from their reactions.
Thanks to a waterproof construction, rainfall doesn't bother Azoth. Any chill it might give him only helps with his overheating, and he doesn't have the same sense of discomfort over clothes clinging to his body. But he pulls his hood up to unnecessarily protect his face and synthetic hair simply because he thinks it'd be stranger not to.
Azoth gives a weak smile to the Hellions. "I suppose we could just ask. Right?" He glances to the others, then back, scanning them both carefully. A snake and a mongoose... "...I know you both feel built to fight each other," he says, "But... it hurts, doesn't it? Rain's pretty relaxing. Maybe... just rest, for a while?"
He reaches into that pack he has, glad he brought extra, and travels to one side, clear of the Hellions, to open a tin and place a few cookies. Then he carefully steps to the other side to do the same. That way the creatures can go their separate ways to recover and feed -- and maybe clear the way...?
(Can a snake even eat cookies, Azoth.)
DG: Azoth has used his Tool Oculus ex Machina toward his party's challenge, Natural Enemies in Unnatural Ceasefire.
DG: Dean Stark has used his Tool Detector toward his party's challenge, Natural Enemies in Unnatural Ceasefire.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
BOOM, goes the cannon, and Dean jumps as much in surprise as he does in delight. "That was LOUD!" he declares, unnecessarily. "I didn't think it'd blow itself back like that. Wow!" Says the young man whose ARMS have nary any kick to them at all. That's what happens when your ultra-advanced weapons are made specifically for you. All the same, he grins at Layna and gives her a thumb's-up.
Still, this means the path before them is open! Dean hadn't even been thinking about that--had barely paid the side trail any attention, considering it barely looks like a side path at all--so this is good. He looks over Azoth's way as he pats the cannon, waiting for him to silently thank it before they all move on. Except...
"That sure doesn't look normal to me," he says, blinking at the cobra and mongoose Hellions. Rain is falling, dampening all of them, and the Hellions... stop fighting? Lanval says it wasn't him, and apparently the Domain's weaker right now. "Well... if they don't wanna fight anymore... I don't see any reason to beat 'em up," Dean offers. He calls up Twin Fenrir again, this time firing a Detector bullet, which creates a green overlay that shows hidden or invisible objects, treasures, and routes. It might show a way around the Hellions... or maybe reveal something that can distract them off the path.
Like a cookie. Mmmmm, cookies. "You got more for the rest of us, Azoth?" Dean asks, trying to keep his voice low as the robot attempts to entice the Hellions into leaving.
=========================<* Siddim Canyon - Round 3 *>========================== ==============< Results - Natural Enemies in Unnatural Ceasefire >============== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 26 --(0)--> 26 Pass Amber Tinted Glasses 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azoth 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Oculus ex Machina 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Stark 18 --(0)--> 18 Pass Detector 2 Wits Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 10 --(0)--> 10 Pass Captain's Telescope 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Seraph Lanval 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Injure(2)|Overzealous(1)|Stupify(2) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Seraph Lanval 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: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
==================<* CHALLENGE - Slaking Their Bloodthirst *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Your party has been ambushed by Hellionized wildlife. This is about the
worst case scenario you can think of. You're surrounded on all sides, and
they've already gotten some good licks on you. They're not going to take you
down, but at this rate you may have to reconsider whether you can keep going
this way. Serious wounds suffered while within a Domain can be a dire
matter.
Then, it begins to rain. This is not the will of the Domain's owner, but the
effect is immediate: the wildlife all grows far calmer. They do not become
docile - they remain territorial enough they'd strike if you come too close.
You could sneak by, but there's no telling what they'll do if the rain
stops. To be safe, you should press the advantage and deal with them while
they're... incapacitated? While they're doing whatever they're doing,
anyway.
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
The Oracle of Schturdark remains on standby in case anything even weirder happens. It's a little more dangerous for him as a Seraph to let his mind wander over possibilities, even when the Domain's pressure has lessened as such that it's unlikely it could ever pierce through his well-honed spiritual strength from over five centuries' worth of regulating the presence of Malevolence. That Domain could violently flare up at any moment. "Nope," Lanval tells Azoth."
Layna is able to identify a few routes around them, and has their escape plan covered if things go south, or in an even weirder direction than this. Azoth decides the best way to deal with hurt, guilty, even scared creatures is to try and give them treats. Cobras do not eat cookies, though it flicks its tongue at the weird thing that's moving in its periphery. That Azoth isn't a biological creature might be to his benefit. The mongoose comes up closer, more inquisitively. It might not eat the cookies, but there is a valuable opening there - the mongoose isn't in the way. Dean fires off a Detector bullet, showing off there's a few trivial gella caches... a Kuko Berry (it makes the corners round, and... this isn't the place to chew one), and a decent C-Rank Badge that interacts with Water-aligned ley points that might be useful for an upcoming boss fight. The pinging noise also seems to get the cobra to attack where the bullet lands, and that's both of them out of the way and now's a great time to haul past!
"Yer a kind one," Lanval says to Azoth, "but... mmm, I only know thish off-hand, but... a Hellionized animal'sh only likely ta lishten ta shpoken word if they're already really familiar with mortalsh, like... a pet." As they continue on, though, they see that the mortal enemies of nature aren't the only ones here - there's a lot of them. Almost all of them were ones seen in the horde that tried to attack Port Rosalia, and all of them are just...
Sitting there, basking in the rain. (A Simurgh - a colorful hawk - gets a little screechy when a Caladrius - a white-bodied vulture - tries to take a higher perch on a tree than it, but that's as violent as it gets.) Not one of them does all that much to impede their progress, unless they grow too close. This, too, is strange.
Lanval nods once. "Yep... fer whatever reashon, the rain musht mean shomethin'." He stops and looks to the others as he has a sip from the drinking gourd. "All right. Ash I'm the Oracle of Schturdark, the water of Filgaia itshelf'll answher to me... to a point." He looks up to the skies, the domain of Solais Emsu. What goes on in the skies is their business. It's overcast, and those are rain clouds, so. "'m gonna try 'n keep it rainin'. Layna, Dean... I think thish ish a good chance ta purify a lot of 'em at once. Make it a bit eashier fer everyone elshe comin' thish way."
He looks over to Azoth. "I know ya ain't a Seer... but a Hellion ain't eashy ta predict. One way or another, they're gonna find shome kinda conflict that'll make 'em act out. Anything ya can do ta keep 'em at bay if they get outta hand, yer doin' jusht ash much!"
With that, Lanval gestures upwards and curls his fingers as if to coax more of the raindrops to keep falling. Some gift horses you just don't look in the mouth. "If I think the Domain Master ish gonna pop out over it, I'll let ya all know the moment I feel 'em!" Whoever or whatever they are.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, Slaking Their Bloodthirst.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna watches Azoth as he approaches the two Hellions. She's ready to step in if there's trouble... but, thankfully, it doesn't seem like it.
"...You sure seem to have a way with 'em, lad." Layna notes. She looks over to Dean, then, keeping an eye out just in case he spots something.
Fortunately, through both of their efforts the two Hellions clear out of the way, leaving Layna to lead them down the path they'd found. ...But, it turns out, there's still more wildlife - although with the rain still falling they all seem rather calm, though still with an alertness that spells trouble if they draw too close.
Lanval volunteers to entreat the rain to keep falling, and Layna nods.
"Thanks, lad, that'll be a big help. And... aye, I think you might be right." She says. The more they deal with now, the less others have to deal with.
With that said she strides out.
"...Hey, you lot. I'm gonna make this quick, alright?" She says. The bracer on her left wrist shines bright blue and she rushes in with a series of quick, well-placed strikes - each unleashing of surge of clean, purifying waters.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Slaking Their Bloodthirst.
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
Azoth beams at Dean. "Of course. I brought for you in the first place. That is -- all of you!" he adds quickly. "There's some soup, too. It's the only thing I have much practice cooking..." That and being able to put food in tins and canisters means the weather is less likely to ruin it. He's hoping the fresh ingredients from the market and following the recipe will be enough to make it taste good. He can't taste test it himself, after all...!
Lanval explains that Hellions don't understand language unless whatever they used to be might have. Azoth puffs his cheeks. "...That makes sense," he relents, maybe a little embarrassed. But, well, Azoth will try talking to almost anything like it might understand him because Sad Reasons, and did just pet a cannon earlier. Don't worry about it.
So it's a good warning to have explicitly when they become surrounded by Hellions moments later.
He nods to Lanval, smiling. "I'll do my best! Let me be your shield. I can handle that much."
And he can form one. He doesn't immediately, waiting for the Hellions to make the first move so he doesn't provoke them into it unnecessarily. But once they do -- if they do -- he can erect a shield of light, hexagonal patterns visible within it from the right angles that will guard Layna and Dean's efforts without blocking them. And, of course, he can project the image of that horrific (or adorable, depending on your tastes), ancient spider from the piece of amber he has to hopefully provide a little extra distraction to draw any aggression onto himself.
DG: Azoth has used his Tool Bug in Amber toward his party's challenge, Slaking Their Bloodthirst.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Ooh, a Badge. Dean definitely grabs that along with the other treasures before dashing past the Hellions with his friends. "I thought they only talked if they used to be humans? Or beastfolk or something like that?" Dean wonders over at Lanval and Azoth. "I think that mongoosy Hellion liked the cookie, though!" (It may or may not have, but Dean likes to think it did.) When Azoth confirms that food was actually for him, he lights up. "Really?! You're the best, Azoth! I can't wait to taste it! Let's hurry out of here!"
But as they move on, they find even *more* Hellions--but they, too, are calmed by the rain. "Huh. Why's the rain doing that to them?" he wonders. After all, Lanval already confirmed it's not his doing, that it's just normal rain. Why would it have this effect?
Still, the important thing is that it *is* having that effect, and that they can use this opportunity to purify the lot of them. When Lanval makes his suggestion, he nods firmly and calls up Twin Fenrir. "Okay--let's do this, Layna! Azoth, I'm leaving our backs to you! Lanval, on your word!"
Once Lanval's gotten the rain nice and steady, Dean takes his Devil Arm in hand and calls up the flame that sustains the world--the purifying power of Moor Gault, as sent to him through his pact with Boudicca. Though the air is damp, these flames burn on his force of will, and no amount of water can put it out. (Well... maybe if he fell into a lake or a river or something. But at least he won't drown instantly anymore...) With a fierce battle cry, he uses the blade of Ace of Spades to hurl the purifying flame towards the Malevolence-wracked animals that Layna doesn't target. Hopefully, together, they can get them all in one fell swoop.
DG: Dean Stark has used his Tool Ace of Spades toward his party's challenge, Slaking Their Bloodthirst.
=========================<* Siddim Canyon - Round 4 *>========================== ====================< Results - Slaking Their Bloodthirst >===================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 26 --(5)--> 31 Pass Holy Bottle 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azoth 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Bug in Amber 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Stark 18 --(5)--> 23 Pass Ace of Spades 3 Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Seraph Lanval 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Wound(2) Effects: Embolden(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Seraph Lanval 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: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
==========<* CHALLENGE - Friendly Neighborhood Hellionized Wildlife *>==========
|Type: Climax |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Ahead of you is a climb up a crumbling fortification from the Civil War,
itself behind a completely different climb of a steep hill. Fortunately, all
of you are secure about the path you are taking through this ruin without
fear of anything crumbling or going wrong. You just have to make the climb -
and it is arduous, stressful, and taxing.
It is made all the worse when more of the Hellionized wildlife appear.
Creatures of instinct without greater capacity for higher thought, slaves to
negative emotions. Nothing good can come from their involvement... until at
least one of them makes a gesture that seems kind. Maybe they move something
out of the way, or throw down a rope. It is as though they can sense the
mounting distress, and feel drawn to it in some form.
The question is whether or not your party notices this in time, as the
situation grows ever more tense with their presence. It is a novel
experience, but Hellions have always been creatures of contradiction.
Helping outsiders get to the heart of a Domain does seem against their best
interest, and yet, here they are doing just that anyway.
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous==============================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
They're no match - but most of them don't even get cognizant of there being a match until it's too late. Some of the latter animals do start to get agitated as the Water and Flame that sustains the world cleanse away the corruption, leaving behind (for the moment) normal animals that are a bit too confused and flighty to want to stick around. (Doubly so when there's a great big scary projected spider of light, which helps keep the saved animals from getting in the way of the remainder of the fights!)
"Yer right on that," Lanval tells Dean about the subject, "I mean... ash I shaid, ain't sheen it myshelf, but... heard 'bout how a pet turned Hellion at leasht sheemed ta conshider shomeone shpeakin' at 'em." It might be worth trying if any of them come across a beloved pet, but as they have the power of Purification it may be best to skip that theory and go straight to dealing with the problem instead.
The field is clear - and Lanval moves ahead as his nose wrinkles. "Yep. We're gettin' closhe," looking to... a muddy-as-hell hill leading up to an old fortification built into the canyon. It's a climb they all can make, but it'll suck. It'll take some time, the rain that's helped keep them safe from the worst of the Hellion attacks is now sort of working against them... but it's one they can make, as long as nothing strange happens. It could be stressful or trying, but as the Domain pressure is low for one of this size, it's probably all right to feel however you want about it.
A Qilin, a deer-like creature - the strongest of the Siddim wildlife turned Hellions, comes up towards the top and peers down at Lanval specifically, who looks back and keeps the drinking gourd close in both hands as if ready to dump a whole lot of it on there. That one's a Dire Foe--
It lowers its antlers and knocks over a rope already tied to a post.
A Shedu - a bearded bull - sits down not far from the lot as it knocks over a boulder that's in the way and opens up the path some more.
"...Are they attackin' now?" Lanval asks, one lens missing in his novelty glasses, as if deciding maybe it's not a great idea to lock eyes. He's assuming they're in danger and keeping his expectations in check - that's for the mortals and Azoth to answer, if they can determine whether or not they're in danger before hostilities are engaged.
...Because those are some coincidentally helpful gestures. Hellions are creatures of contradiction, but... when have they ever acted potentially against their own interests? That's the heart of the Domain ahead by Lanval's measure!
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Amber Tinted Glasses toward his party's challenge, Friendly Neighborhood Hellionized Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
With Layna and Dean going on the offense, Azoth taking care of the defense, and Lanval ensuring that the rain continues to fall, the battle is over quickly.
"Good teamwork!" Layna says with a grin, before looking over to the purified animals. "...I hope it'll stick long enough for us to take care of the Malevolence."
She proceeds forward and, soon enough, they find a rather steep hill and an old fortification.
"Aye... but this climb seems pretty rough, don't it?" Layna considers. She might be able to make it up there in a few leaps... but, it wouldn't do to leave the others behind - separating oneself from others in a Malevolent Domain is a terrible idea.
But fortunately, unexpected help(?) arrives! Layna frowns, folding her arms in front of her and glancing at Lanval.
"...I dunno. They could be settin' up an ambush, but..." She says, bringing her telescope out and using it to take a good look around.
"...I don't see anything lying in wait for us. 'Course, that just means they could be really good at hiding..." She considers.
DG: Layna Manydays has used her Tool Captain's Telescope toward her party's challenge, Friendly Neighborhood Hellionized Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
Azoth's the best...! The happiest of beeps to go with the most bashful of smiles. Praise is his favorite kind of input.
The battle finishes with little complication, and Azoth dismisses his shield by shaking out his sparking wrist and giving it a few test squeezes, opening and closing his hand. "You did it!" he says to the Seers with a bright smile on his face. "That's such an awesome power...! Defeating your enemies by helping them...!"
But now they must battle a hill with mud, and that's... going to be a problem. When the Qilin looks to Lanvel specifically, Azoth moves to get in front of him, defensive and alert. Better the Hellion go through the robot and not the Seraph...!
...It offers them a rope. The Shedu opens the path. Azoth opens his mouth, pointing as he looks back to the others. "That's not normal either, right?" He frowns. "It's still raining, which seems to make them... I don't know. More... reflective? Malevolence does hurt, right? Maybe they know we can help that pain stop... even if they have to lead us into an ambush."
Azoth steps over to the rope. "I can go first, just in case," he offers.
DG: Azoth has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Friendly Neighborhood Hellionized Wildlife.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
"Oh... really?" Dean wonders at Lanval, blinking widely, at his story. He's never had a pet, but... huh. People who do have pets *do* seem to treasure them a lot, as far as he can tell. But what would that have to do with being able to talk to them...? He scratches his head, then decides not to think about it anymore.
Regardless. The battlefield is clear, and so is the way forward. He grins and gives Layna and Azoth a thumbs'-up. "You said it, Layna!" He beams at Azoth and *his* praise in turn, cheerfully rubbing a finger under his nose and giving him a firm nod. "Hehe... Yeah, it sure is!"
What awaits them, though, is a hill of mud and an old fortification. It's a hard climb, but they make it, eventually. Then a couple of Hellions show up and... help them out? That seems strange. But great!
"It's... a hard-to-describe kind of hurt," he tells Azoth. "I haven't experienced it myself, but it seems to me like people who're caught up in it... don't want to let it go, at least not at first. So it might be an addictive kind of pain?" He sounds less sure about this as he continues, but... it *has* been what he's observed.
Even so, that doesn't really explain why these Hellions are hel(lion)ping them. He fires off another Detector bullet, and as the green overlay unfolds, he gives Azoth a thoughtful look. "Yeah, Azoth and me can just go on in. If it's a trap or an ambush, you and Lanval can save us," he tells Layna. "Sound good?"
DG: Dean Stark has used his Tool Detector toward his party's challenge, Friendly Neighborhood Hellionized Wildlife.
=========================<* Siddim Canyon - Round 5 *>========================== ============< Results - Friendly Neighborhood Hellionized Wildlife >============ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 31 --(0)--> 31 Pass Amber Tinted Glasses 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azoth 15 --(0)--> 15 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Stark 23 --(0)--> 23 Pass Detector 2 Wits Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 15 --(0)--> 15 Fail Captain's Telescope 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Seraph Lanval 80 --(0)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Overzealous(2)|Wound(1) Effects: ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Seraph Lanval has passed this challenge! The party gained 0 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - The Tragedy of Siddim *>=====================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Your party comes out on top of a derelict fortification - and there are
screams underneath an overcast sky, as Malevolence shifts the world to
something else. There are people here, far below. Those knowledgeable of the
Celesti Civil War would know immediately: they are bearing witness to the
Tragedy of Siddim, early 490 PC, where an oligarchy-sympathetic village saw
to the health of several high-profile Congressional Knight soldiers wounded
in another battle. They were tracked down by the Aquvy Union, and...
The details are not important. The ambience of regret tells you all you need
to know: this was wrong. What happened here was wrong. In the past-present,
the memory's owner felt much differently: they did not relent. Four booming
shots of a gunsmoke rifle at a time, they kept shooting. They kept killing.
They kept going. You are bearing witness to the act of a heartless monster.
A heartless monster not far off to the group's right, in the form of a
cloaked woman wielding a bayonet-fitted sniper rifle that looks too large
and too heavy for her to bear. Exact features are hard to make out, but you
know more than enough that she's the one you need to stop.
Signs of weakness in her left shoulder does nothing to slow nor dissuade her
from turning that against people who can fight back. She wields that bayonet
with a skill rivaling that of any duelist, and wields capable Crest Sorcery
in the form of offensive water spells. All of it comes together with a
ferocity and skill that might have given a Quarter Knight pause (if they had
proper equipment to match them).
Stopping her is a token gesture at best - but one worth making, if it helps
bring anyone here any peace. (There is a faint sense it also includes who
you're fighting.)
=Dungeon Conditions: Vault====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Dean has the hallmarks of a plan when he fires off another Detector bullet. It doesn't set off anyone this time (this is good!), where he finds a few more trivial item deposits and a B-Rank Badge that can protect from attacks at a range of at least two hexes. (Huh?) The two of them can go forth - and it's probably wise not to engage the Qilin in battle in this place, but as it turns out... it isn't a trap? They don't attack Azoth nor Dean at the top.
Layna notices the fog that tends to rise from rain is thicker up top, and that she can't really see what's further ahead - but they can feel it. Even with this rain, that Domain's pressure is kicking itself up as they approach the top of that fortification.
"Ash it sho happensh... we're here ta eashe that pain," Lanval says to Azoth with a dopey smile, as if optimistic for it. He doesn't call further attention to the surrounding Hellions. If they're going to let them come close, well, maybe the Domain Master wants to see them and maybe they'll be cooperative.
Then there are screams.
An overcast sky above casts a scene of chaos below. People running, fleeing... and then...
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Exactly the sound heard at the outskirts of the Domain, from right next to them - a cloaked markswoman (that is a she, going by the figure, but that's as much as can be made out). They're wielding a large sniper rifle with an equally large bayonet blade. It barely seems like she should be able to hold it at her size. From behind cover, she fires - putting more of that rifle within her left arm (the one that's firing, so she's left-handed) as her right deftly moves between adjusting for recoil and chambering the next round in the clip. The recoil from just one shot looks like it should hurt. No arm should subject itself to that.
...But the sympathy does not belong there. It belongs with who she's shooting below. Those who saw him at the road to Port Rosalia can make out a (Malevolent phantom of a) younger 'Uncle' Abe trying to pull someone to safety, but they're gunned down before you can even see them. His cover is shot, knocking over something heavy above him as if to try and crush him. He isn't a soldier, at this place, at this time.
This shooter - no, this heartless monster - turns towards them and goes on the attack. There's a weakness in her shoulder that is the only trace of weakness, as the blade of the bayonet sparks against the stone. She swings with all the skill of the best duelists out there, and a ferocity that the (now thankfully super-dead) Isaac Stein might have felt a tinge of discomfort around. With a flourish, a Crest Graph is drawn somewhere in this to try and wash them all down with a wave of water, to try and send them falling to grievous injury or worse.
The Domain's pressure is at its strongest. This is an event that happened over a decade ago. It is far, far too late to stop it from ever happening. Would putting the heartless monster down bring peace to the Domain Master, if they're here?
Lanval steps in and takes care of the Crest Graph water wave with an outward sweep of his drinking gourd, eyes flashed and fully open. He has no words, but there's nothing to say.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, The Tragedy of Siddim.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Layna frowns, collapsing her telescope and putting it away. She won't see much but fog, at this point.
"Aye, good plan - but be careful." Layna agrees with a nod toward Dean. But fortunately, they don't need to be saved! It's completely safe...
...Except when they get to the top, and see a horrific scene playing before them. A sniper, firing into a village. Layna doesn't know who they are, or what the significance of Siddim is... but, from the sight of who she sees down there, she gets the feeling there may be more to this than she knows.
Still... right now, she needs to focus on the sniper in front of them.
It only takes a quick assessment to tell she's dangerous. And so, Layna doesn't hesitate - she rushes forward at her left side, immediately moving to capitalize on the perceived weakness in her left shoulder with a flurry of quick, targeted strikes.
It might be a little mean... but Layna is a pirate, and right now she's facing a fierce, talented fighter. She needs every advantage she can get.
DG: Layna Manydays has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Tragedy of Siddim.
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
"An addictive pain," Azoth murmurs. His eyes brighten a little with a thought. "A pain that they don't want to end, until someone can see it? Acknowledge it?" He frowns. It's probably more nuanced than that. Contradictions... But different than the ones he knows. He tries to think of Yvain and that desire to protect the fire Seraph held. "Or maybe... pain that motivates. And if that pain is lost, then they fear there will be nothing left."
He shakes his head. Ah, he's not sure he gets it at all...! He just knows that Purification seems to help, and that, when it's all over, the Purified do have something that remains. Something good.
Azoth goes with Dean, nodding to him in solidarity. There's no need to protect each other and wait for a rescue in the end.
Then screaming. Azoth spins around to look to the sound. The chaos and the people. His eyes brighten in the rain, and he comes to realize that this isn't now -- it was then. It already happened.
These people were already killed. Villagers, just trying to live their lives, preyed upon by a skilled, well trained combatant.
And he wishes he could say he's never seen it before.
He wishes he could say he's never known that order to be given before.
But he has.
He was able to stop it then. Not now. But the feelings remain, and those are real, measurable things to Azoth. Those matter. Those are still something that can be saved.
Azoth tosses his amber stone to himself and makes a throw, precisely calculated and attempting to fling it into the barrel of the gun so it can no longer fire. He summons up a blade of light in the same motion, and waits for Layna to get out of the way from her own strike before commanding that blade down toward the sniper with a downward sweep of his hand.
DG: Azoth has used his Tool Bug in Amber toward his party's challenge, The Tragedy of Siddim.
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
"Yeah, maybe," Dean says to Azoth, nodding. He wants to say that Ida'd be a better person to ask, but--Ida and Azoth are already really close. If he hasn't already asked her, it must be because she doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't want to have to burden her with reliving a horrible memory. So: "I don't really know for sure, but... that's what it felt like with the Hellions I've talked to."
Regardless, the group moves on, and indeed nobody needs saving--except perhaps from a vision of a horrible massacre from ten years past. Dean hears the screams, the booming gunfire, sees people fleeing in terror from a shooter--and he looks on in horror before anger takes its place.
"STOP THAT!" he roars. It doesn't matter that this is an illusion; it doesn't matter that this gunner, whoever she is, is incredibly, mercilessly strong. Dean launches himself down, trusting Lanval to take care of those deluges of water and Layna to take point on the gunner's weak shoulder and Azoth to disable the gun itself. With a roar, Dean charges in, Ace of Spades in hand, and when the sniper's been disarmed and dislocated, he swings it around to attempt to CLANG it hard against the side of her head and knock her out cold. With all of them acting together, it might end up more than that, but... it's not like this is a real person, anyway.
DG: Dean Stark has used his Tool Ace of Spades toward his party's challenge, The Tragedy of Siddim.
=========================<* Siddim Canyon - Round 6 *>========================== ======================< Results - The Tragedy of Siddim >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 31 --(5)--> 36 Pass Holy Bottle 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Azoth 15 --(13)--> 28 Fail Bug in Amber 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dean Stark 23 --(5)--> 28 Pass Ace of Spades 3 Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Layna Manydays 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Seraph Lanval 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Overzealous(1)|Vault(1) Effects: Embolden(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Seraph Lanval has successfully explored Siddim Canyon!
==============================<* Siddim Canyon *>===============================
=============<* CHALLENGE - If I Had A Heart To Be Touched (4/4) *>=============
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Your team manages to overturn the perpetrator of one of far too many
tragedies during the Celesti Civil War. You see gray eyes under their hood,
filled with tears. They whisper as they fade: "If I only listened with my
eyes, if I had a heart to be touched then..."
You see a vision of a campsite, a fire struggling to provide warmth in a
light rain before four figures of vague description in a rest area a dead
ringer for a famous one at Port Timney. One looks fiddly and nervous with
highly advanced (Veruni) technology in hand. Another looks dignified as they
go over the contents of a Picto Box. Another eagerly goes about a map with a
grin. A fourth, bearing a Stone Medium of Ione Paua, looks exasperated with
the rest. To 'your' left, there is a larger figure casting a great shadow...
but it stings one's heart too much to even look their way. It's the only way
'you' want to look, but it fades before then.
As the memory fades, you return to where you fought the ghastly memory: the
top of a rotted fortification in the present. The same as where you fought
them... and the heart of this Domain. Its Master appears to not even be
here, so you have time to spare in exploring and preparing for the
opportunity to purify the Domain.
While preparations are being made, a cursory examination reveals nearby
farmland tended to by - presumably - the Domain Master. There's no
Malevolence cheating at play: the work is sound, and the field has a decent
harvest of fast-growing vegetable crops that are edible (though you should
purify them first, to be safe). They've even managed to grow Kuko Berries
here, non-native to the region but famed for helping 'make the corners more
round' when chewed. There is also a pen full of chickens that have
Hellionized into Cockatrices, but they are well cared for. (They are docile
so long as it is raining, lest one suffer a case of temporary
petrification.)
You can tell that the place is lived in, but devoid of much in the way of
creature comforts. You don't see a bed, a blanket, or a proper tent - as if
the tenant would rather sleep in the elements. The fortification does have a
few rooms that are protected from said elements, and upon closer inspection
you can see they save that space specifically for things that should. Things
such as maps of the area around Halim, and all sorts of scribbled notes
about its local mines.
You see this level of organization and planning with would-be bandits.
There's no sign there's more than one person who lives here, but it's sign
enough that the settlement of Halim is in danger of a Hellion attack of
unknown scale.
Your team gets ready to coordinate with the others.
=Dungeon Conditions: Vault====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
With Seraph Lanval, possibly the strongest water spirit alive that lives and regularly interacts on a personal level with individuals today, whether or not the water waves can be overturned is... not in question. There is no 'playing nice' with someone like this. This is the sort of combat behavior you'd get from Kartikeya or Berserk. (This individual portrayed may, in fact, be that era's and conflict's Kartikeya or Berserk - if the Malevolent Phantoms are accurate, which they tend to exaggerate the worst possible interpretations and possibilities. This statement implies there might be a more benign version of this... so this statement should go sit in the corner and think about what it just said.)
Layna uses her superior maneuvering to be an in-fighter and go straight for their left shoulder with relentless punches. With a weapon that large and unwieldy, that seems to be a winning technique. Azoth's able to plug the weapon before it can fire upon a fast oncoming Dean, and all of them, together, straight overpower her and send her staggering towards the back of the battlement. As Azoth's blade of light carves open a bloody wound across the upper torso, Dean's shovel swing knocks into the side of her head to slip some of that hood and reveal gray, crying eyes.
It's too late for tears to escape consequences. "If I only listened with my eyes, if I had a heart to be touched then..." Are the laments of a heartless monster, as everything fades and changes to...
Dean and Layna can pick out this rest area before them - a famous one about Port Timney, all the way down to being able to catch two specific sea captains squabbling in the periphery of 'your' vision. ...'Your?' 'You' aren't paying much attention to them. 'You' are paying attention to others around a campsite, where a light rain is trying to put out their fire. A nervous individual with Veruni technology in their hands. A dignifited sort manipulating a Picto Box in their hands (and snarling at the rain). Another who has their face in a map, but not so much 'you' can't see their grin ('you' don't feel the same, apparently). A fourth bears a Stone Medium of Ione Paua, exasperated and frustrated... but to 'your' left, a figure casting a great shadow...
There's a sudden sting, a surge of guilt. This intrudes itself upon the scene. 'You' can't bear to look that way, no matter how much 'you' might want to, and eventually it all fades... back to the rotted, derelict fortification in the present. Nobody's there to yell at you (no quotations, you're you again to your vision), to chase you out.
"...I don't think... anyone'sh here," Lanval says. "...Nope. Thish ish the heart of the Domain. It'sh all... concentrated here." Lanval taps a foot against the fortification. "But the Hellion we're lookin' for, they ain't here." So they can look around! They shouldn't waste time doing so.
AHEAD: Oh, a farm! One that sees use... like someone still lives here (the Hellion). There's vegetables that grow quickly, and... plenty of Kuko Berries. There's no Malevolence cheating here - the work is legit, though definitely not 'clean.' There's even a pen full of Cockatrices which is a lot more awful than one would think and should be purified soon, but they're docile in this rain. Mostly. (They're sstill Cockatrices.)
INSIDE: The fortification is lived in but... there's no bed, like they'd rather sleep outside. Most importantly, maps of Halim, and the area surrounding Halim, with detail one would attribute to bandits preparing to attack. Halim's in danger to a Hellion attack of some unknown scale, but...
Once they get everyone together to swap info and purify the Domain, the Master can't send wildlife like they tried to with Port Rosalia. They have the opening, which is rare and precious enough - but only once everyone's together so they're all on the same page.
Shouldn't be much longer.
<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.
Through teamwork, they gain the advantage. One of them alone might have had trouble, but they're not alone. Layna hears what the sniper has to say... and frowns. She doesn't voice her opinions.
But soon, she begins to see visions - events that must have happened, at some point in the past. Were these all things witnessed by the Domain's Master...?
Soon enough, it fades. Layna shakes her head.
"...Huh." Layna says. Those thoughts and feelings... What did they mean?
...Well, she can consider that later, with the others. For now, it's time to take a look around.
"...Aye, I can feel it." Layna says, nodding to agree with Lanval. "They've left it wide open for us, then..."
Strange, that. She finds it a little suspicious, but there's something even more suspicious, too.
"Well, now this looks like a raid strategy!" Layna notes, looking over the map. She knows from experience - she's seen plenty like this herself. Maybe even made some of them. "This village, Halim... it's set to have a pretty bad day..."
They should probably consider doing something about that.
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.
Azoth doesn't have the whole truth. But once the battle ends, and there's time to reflect and process, he thinks he understands a fragment of it.
"If I had a heart to be touched..."
There's no one here to speak back to, even though Azoth would. Even without being able to sense the weight in the Malevolence, the pain is palpable. The scars are all over this Domain. It's something that could have happened to someone he knew. But it wasn't without consequences to avoid that fate, either. What consequences was she up against? Why did it come to this?
Someone heartless wouldn't be at risk of Malevolence. That's how Liath explained it to him.
Azoth moves on to inspect the farmland. The cockatrices give him pause. He glances to Dean and Layna, and already wouldn't be surprised if this was an actual cockatrice farm. Fool him once...!
The other clues left behind are more worrying. "Halim..." He looks to Layna, wincing with her assessment. "But there's still time, right? We can still stop it."
Worry pulses in his circuits. They can mitigate the damages, but can they truly stop this spread of Malevolence in Filgaia now that it's begun...?
<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.
Dean sweeps the hood of that sniper away, and her gray eyes are full of tears. This surprises him enough to not follow up on that last strike--to instead listen to her last words before everything fades. He doesn't understand, but... something about all this seems off.
Still, there is something new to be seen. A vision of Port Timney, of several individuals, and a shadow to 'his' left... A strong feeling of guilt, and then--
He's back. Dean blinks rapidly and looks back and forth slowly. "What *was* that?" he wonders aloud. But Lanval says this is the heart of the Domain, so he focuses on the Oracle of Water and nods once. "Okay. If they're not here, this is our chance." Mistaking Layna's tone, he smiles instead at her words. "Lucky us, huh? Let's see what we can find!"
Of course, he has no idea what they'll do when they find it, but that's fine. (At least the cockatrices are too chill to stonegaze anyone right now.) And when Layna notes that this is a raid strategy from the map? "As in a bandit raid?" Azoth says there's still time to stop it, and he nods fervently. "We've got to stop it!" he insists, looking over at the spot where Halim is marked.
They will definitely do something about that.