2021-06-22: Not Exactly the Most Hospitable Place in the World
- Log: Not Exactly the Most Hospitable Place in the World
- Cast: Loren Voss, Ashley Winchester, Ethius Hesiod, Lockes Varora, Seraph Clarine
- Where: Macalania Woods
- Date: June 22, 2021
- Summary: Macalania Woods aren't a safe place to be... especially when you've been separated from your team. Fortunately (?) for Loren, ARMS is here to help (??). And he's not the only one here for perhaps less-than-completely-innocent reasons. Also, there are beignets.
DG: A party led by Loren Voss is now entering Macalania Woods - Disquiet. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
========================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Unsettled By Nature *>====================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- North of the Thunder Plains lies the Macalania Woods; in order to reach Macalania Lake and the temple there, a traveler has no choice but to traverse the woods. Something has upset the balance here, however -- the power of the Fayth have warped these woods, turning them into a labyrinth filled with foul fiends. A rustling and gurgling before you take more than a few steps upon the path that leads into the woods is your warning -- you are soon beset by Fiends! These lot are a goopy wobbly sort, called 'Flans' by the Spiran natives. They move at first as if they were in truth evading something else, until they spot you. Then their immediate plan shifts accordingly. Their goal? Perhaps it might be best put as 'taking your life'. Get ready. =Dungeon Conditions: Maim=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
They weren't supposed to get that big! At least, not in Macalania Woods!
Captain Loren Voss, Gebler medical officer and support specialist, has not had a great day, as days go. First his squad had gotten ambushed, and due to the constraints in Macalania, forced into a tactical retreat. Then he'd gotten separated from his team and, as he loops back towards the road (that is the road, right) he's
tripped over a tree root, which has left him face down on the frozen ground.
The good news: this is definitely the road.
The bad news...
...well, let's just start with the Flans, a peculiar variety of Fiend (though not the ones that had rained on Gebler's parade), that are slowly bearing down on him, as if they had been similarly shooken out onto the road proper by something large poking around the woods.
"You're kidding me," he groans, slowly rising to his feet. He stoops for a moment, retrieving his fallen glasses, and then slowly draws his sword with his left hand, his right tangling with the Ether Tuner looped around there. If this starts looking bad, he might well need to amplify his healing abilities shortly...
DG: Loren Voss has used his Tool Ether Tuner toward his party's challenge, Unsettled By Nature.
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
This isn't Ashley Winchester's first rodeo in Macalania Woods.
...Although given what the last time was like, it's not like it's a place that he should have any desire to return to. But with news of something having happened to the temple beyond the woods, Ashley couldn't help but wonder...
Was it his fault, somehow?
He is no expert in matters of the soul, that much is certain. The Fayth of Spira are strange and occult marvels that he can hardly even grasp the most basic facts about. But could they be affected by what happened here the last time? Could the lingering after-effects of that day be responsible for... all this?
He intends to find out.
...But first.
"Hey. Hey! Are you okay?" Ashley asks, pulling Loren upright without even stopping to consider what he might be dealing with. "Here, have some of this--" the gunslinger presses a can of... something into the Solarian's hands.
If opened, it the can contains HOME MADE BEIGNETS!? They're just as fresh and fluffy as if they had been pulled out of the oven only moments ago. Canning technology sure has come a long way!
"Stay behind me. Clarine, we'll need magic support! These flan things are pretty resistant to bullets!" But they aren't resistant to being electrocuted. The Musketeer fires a second canister into their midst. This one, rather than being filled with deliciousness, is filled with little metal beads... And an electromagnetic net emitter, which begins chaining bolts of lightning between each of the scattered nodes!
DG: Ashley Winchester has used his Tool Portable Pastries toward his party's challenge, Unsettled By Nature.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
There's another individual skulking about the woods, because... at some point, one has to give up on the 'cause' and accept the 'effect,' and right now, the 'effect' is that there is an Ethius here. (An 'Ethius' being defined as 'a very strange man, kind of a threatening and uncomfortable presence, and dresses like a locale undesirable but speaks like anything but that.')
He doesn't move to check on the fallen Solarian, as though he might have just gotten mixed up in this while coming to grips that being 'an Ethius' is not enough alone to ward off any number of disquieting dangers among them.
He performs a few gestures with a hand and chants some things - though they are muted from underneath whatever sort of mask he's using to hide the lower half of his face today - casting spells in manners consistent with being a Symbologist as he proceeds to try and deal with the current Flan issue by applying judicious amounts of heat.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Unsettled By Nature.
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
"Well," Lockes says, casting side eyes around the woods around him. "That is peculiar." The *other* gunslinger moves slowly through the woods, stranger in a strange land, coat flung open on the right side to unburden the holster on his right hip even before he has any idea about the good Captain or his confection-wielding ally.
Spurred to action by the sound of distant voices rising in anticipation of a fracas, Lockes comes upon the others and comes to the conclusion that he is best served on the side that looks at least passingly human.
Lockes tips his hat toward Loren and Ashley, taking an extra moment to settle it at a rakish angle once he's done so, then sliding his revolver free and letting it spin into place in his palm. "Pardon the intrustion, friends, but do you mind if I cut in?"
DG: Lockes Varora has used his Tool Lucky Hat toward his party's challenge, Unsettled By Nature.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
The Macalania Woods are one of Clarine's favorite places in Spira, even now, warped as they are by the Fayth. In the days before the war, the woods welcomed her as one of their own. And in a way, she was, having taking time to learn the ways of the locals and the forest itself.
These days it was kinder to her than most... but even she had to be wary. It was dangerous to go alone, even for her, and so today she is here with a friend. This proves convenient, as it is not long before she enters that trouble arrives.
"Understood!" Clarine says, as Ashley requests magic support. She reaches into her sleeves, throwing the Lightbending Veil over herself to avoid detection before raising her arms to cast a spell.
A sphere of light builds above the flans, before suddenly emitting a volley of searing rays.
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Lightbending Veil toward her party's challenge, Unsettled By Nature.
========================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================== =====================<* CHALLENGE - Unsettled By Nature *>====================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- North of the Thunder Plains lies the Macalania Woods; in order to reach Macalania Lake and the temple there, a traveler has no choice but to traverse the woods. Something has upset the balance here, however -- the power of the Fayth have warped these woods, turning them into a labyrinth filled with foul fiends. A rustling and gurgling before you take more than a few steps upon the path that leads into the woods is your warning -- you are soon beset by Fiends! These lot are a goopy wobbly sort, called 'Flans' by the Spiran natives. They move at first as if they were in truth evading something else, until they spot you. Then their immediate plan shifts accordingly. Their goal? Perhaps it might be best put as 'taking your life'. Get ready. =Dungeon Conditions: Maim=====================================================
===================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet - Round 1 *>=================== =======================< Results - Unsettled By Nature >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loren Voss 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Ether Tuner 3 Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Clarine 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Lightbending Veil 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashley Winchester 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Portable Pastries 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 0 --(12)--> 12 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lockes Varora 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Lucky Hat 2 Combat Effects: Quicken -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Loren Voss 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Maim Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Loren, it should be mentioned, is in uniform. Field, rather than dress, but the difference is by degrees. It is somewhat muddied. He'd tripped more than once.
Someone takes Loren by the hand as he starts to rise to his feet. "Wh--"
He half turns towards Ashley, and instead gets a canister dropped into his open right hand. His thumb halfway tangled with the Tuner, he manages (after sheathing the sword) to get it open and finds that there are... pastries inside?
His first reaction is, as Ashley and Clarine push along the assault towards the Fiends, is to sniff curiously at the contents of the tin. Could it be poison? A fiendish plot for him to let down his guard just long enough to get him to ingest poisoned pastries.
"..."
no, nope, he's eating one anyway, because it's been three hours since he's eaten anything more interesting than an energy bar and he's running low on Ether besides
It's then that he notices that he's got more company than the members of ARMS. There's Ethius (who is on the receiving end of quite the look) and a man he doesn't think he's seen before, but who tips his hat in their general direction.
Loren pauses a moment and looks over at the Fiends, then looks back at Lockes. "...Go ahead?" he says, nonplussed.
Tin of beignets in hand (there's more of them! in there!) he again draws his sword and charges for the Flans.
...The result is Drifters (well 'Drifters'): 1, Flans: 0.
(Ethius finds out these Flans are a little resistant to his spells. Just a little bit, though.)
DG: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - A Nightmare of Blades *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The forest grows slowly dark as you venture into a more overgrown section. Only a few spare shafts of light make it through the leaves overhead. But it is enough to illuminate something metallic in the dark. As if realizing it's been spotted, the Fiend -- an agile reptilian creature called a Xiphos -- lunges at you from its lair along the shadowy path lost in the dark, one that had it not attacked, you may have missed. Defeat it and perhaps you may be able to explore the new path further. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Secret============================================
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius returns that look. (He doesn't have a receipt, so he can't get his refund nor exchange for store credit) ((wait, what))
He also gives the new arrival - Lockes, over there - a look as if he himself weren't the one most worthy of sideglances here, imperceptibly moving his gaze up and down as if to size him up as they come along the darkening forest path. Normally, people don't willingly head into the darker parts of the Macalania Woods in these times. Ever since the war between Althena and Yevon, it's been... even more resistant to attempts to map and chart it in depth.
Nonetheless, that's where they all head - and soon, the only light available (aside from Clarine, whose very existence spoils mortals with having guiding lights in all things) is what shafts of light break through the weird crystalline tree canopies and leaves.
Enough that there's a strange glint of light of something metallic. Eye-catching, anyway.
Then, as if it were something conscious of the idea that it could catch eyes, a quadrupedal reptilian Fiend-creature - a Xiphos - lunges forth at the whole lot of them with an unrelenting hatred for the living permeating its every movement and action, barreling into the lot of them with ramming and slicing attacks.
Oddly, its sight does not seem very good? Some of these strikes are wide, but all of them are wild.
Ethius, himself, gets rammed into by the creature and sent tumbling, seeing him withdraw a satchel from his point of disadvantage, sorcerously prime it...
"Smoke cover," he says in a low-light environ - as if already aware of what Clarine can do to help mitigate that problem - as he hurls the satchel and has it burst into a dusty, ashen cloud for said Fiend to get lost in.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, A Nightmare of Blades.
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
Fortunately for the ENTIRE PARTY, Ashley doesn't just have the one canister of delicious pastries. They're not even poisoned! What he has on hand are a number of tasty confections, ranging from croissants to donuts, and he's packed plenty of spares to feed the lot of them! After all, Macalania is a frigid place, home to an almost unnatural cold. They all need as many calories as they can to keep their strength up.
The fact that all these delicious culinary delights might serve to turn Loren away from his celestial masters doesn't even materialize as a cogent thought in the musketeer's mind.
"Good job back there," he says to the others. There are a couple of people he doesn't recognize here, in fact. "Ashley Winchester, it's a pleasure! I'm glad we managed to find before those flans got to you, mister." He seems to be talking to Loren. "Desserts are for eating, not being eaten by."
But then, something that most certainly isn't dessert appears, hot on their heels! It's... Some kind of lizard thing.
Somehow, deep down inside, Ashley feels as though this isn't the sort of lizard he should be fighting, but fight it he does. It may be swift, it may be strong, but it's up against a man with a bayonet larger than an average claymore attached to his gun. "Looks like I'm the most suited to be the vanguard today," he says, meeting the Xiphos' bladed horn with a parrying blow. "I'm counting on everyone to take it down while I've got it occupied!"
DG: Ashley Winchester has used his Tool Portable Pastries toward his party's challenge, A Nightmare of Blades.
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
Lockes joins in with all of the unspoken communication going on in this impromptu band of adventurers, returning the look Elthius gives him except for the fact that in the dark of the Macalania Woods, his own eyes- and face, for the matter, down near to his chin -are basically completely hidden in the shadow of his low, wide brimmed hat. Choosing to go for more of a mysterious appearance than a bumbling fool, he doesn't say anything more, though, instead following the lead of others who seem to have at least a little bit of an idea what's going on.
The Gambler is quick enough to dive out of the way when the lizard-demon-thing attacks, though, proving that while courage may be the better part of valor, not being mauled by giant reptiles is even better than valor.
Unable to see clearly once the satchel explodes into an obscuring cloud, Lockes quickly adapts his strategy and fires off several rounds in quick succession- each landing well above the Xiphos, aiming to bring something vague and heavy looking down on it rather than actually hit it directly.
DG: Lockes Varora has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Nightmare of Blades.
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
Lockes joins in with all of the unspoken communication going on in this impromptu band of adventurers, returning the look Elthius gives him except for the fact that in the dark of the Macalania Woods, his own eyes- and face, for the matter, down near to his chin -are basically completely hidden in the shadow of his low, wide brimmed hat. Choosing to go for more of a mysterious appearance than a bumbling fool, he doesn't say anything more, though, instead following the lead of others who seem to have at least a little bit of an idea what's going on.
The Gambler is quick enough to dive out of the way when the lizard-demon-thing attacks, though, proving that while courage may be the better part of valor, not being mauled by giant reptiles is even better than valor.
Unable to see clearly once the satchel explodes into an obscuring cloud, Lockes quickly adapts his strategy and fires off several rounds in quick succession- each landing well above the Xiphos, aiming to bring something vague and heavy looking down on it rather than actually hit it directly.
"Let's hope Lady Luck is smiling," he half-states, half-prays.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
With the flans dealt with, now's the time to deal with the other problem - the matter of figuring out who all is present. Ethius she knows, and receives a polite nod of greeting and a smile. Loren, though... Clarine stares at him - studies him. She recognizes the uniform, recognizes him. But she doesn't make a move against him. Instead, she looks toward Ashley to see how he reacts, if he knows who he's with.
If he doesn't... well, she'll tell him in private later. Potentially starting a conflict in the middle of a hostile forest doesn't seem wise.
And finally, there's the matter of Lockes. She hasn't seen him around. She floats over to him - as a spirit of light and magic, her grasp on the laws of physics is tenuous at best and as such she tends to float about rather than stand or walk.
"Pardon, I do not believe we met... If you can see what I am about to do, then I apologize..." Clarine asks. And at that... she waves a hand experimentally in front of his face, to determine whether or not he can see it. And if not... well, he might even end up walking right through her.
Soon enough, they proceed. As they do, the forest grows dark... until suddenly there is light glinting off of metal as a Fiend attacks!
"Take care!" Clarine warns. Once more she throws the Lightbending Veil over herself... but this time she focuses on support, casting spells of protection and healing. Fortunately, her spells also serve as a convenient light source.
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Lightbending Veil toward her party's challenge, A Nightmare of Blades.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Food in Solaris isn't bad* but there's something about surface-dweller baking that just can't be beat. Given, also, that he's been stuck at the Macalania Outpost and its MRE-oriented food supply chain, this is a welcome diversion from what he's been eating**.
They... don't seem to recognize his uniform. Lucky?
(He hasn't noticed yet that Clarine... sort of has.)
Loren hates lying. But not being (too much) of an idiot, he doesn't outright challenge Ashley's view of events, instead nodding gamely as he has another beignet. It's the best thing he's had in weeks. Now, if he can figure out what happened to the rest of his team without too much murder involved (especially with Ethius joining the group), that'd be even better. Maybe he can just slip off into the trees somewhere along here and try to ditch and make contact once he's clear--
Something else comes crashing in. Is that the--
Oh. Fortunately, no. It's one of the other Fiends they'd encountered earlier. He'd thought they'd taken them all out! Apparently they'd missed one, though--
Gritting his teeth, Loren tangles his fingers in the tuner, feeding his Ether through it and outwards in a (there's a brief red-yellow shimmer; nothing he can do about that) mostly subtle display of his skills, bolstering their general ability to have it out against the (possible) sole survivor of the earlier Solarian barrage.
*Loren, as someone who will happily eat just about anything, is not qualified to make that determination.
**Even Loren has standards about what he's willing to enjoy eating. Portable foodstuffs don't count.
DG: Loren Voss has used his Tool Ether Tuner toward his party's challenge, A Nightmare of Blades.
========================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================== ====================<* CHALLENGE - A Nightmare of Blades *>===================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The forest grows slowly dark as you venture into a more overgrown section. Only a few spare shafts of light make it through the leaves overhead. But it is enough to illuminate something metallic in the dark. As if realizing it's been spotted, the Fiend -- an agile reptilian creature called a Xiphos -- lunges at you from its lair along the shadowy path lost in the dark, one that had it not attacked, you may have missed. Defeat it and perhaps you may be able to explore the new path further. =Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Secret============================================
===================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet - Round 2 *>=================== ======================< Results - A Nightmare of Blades >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loren Voss 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Ether Tuner 3 Combat Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Clarine 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Lightbending Veil 2 Combat Effects: Stalwart -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashley Winchester 0 --(0)--> 0 Pass Portable Pastries 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethius Hesiod 12 --(0)--> 12 Pass Powder Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lockes Varora 0 --(12)--> 12 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Loren Voss 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Secret(2)|Wound(2) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ashley makes the right judgment about who is best suited to be the vanguard, helping keep the Xiphos held at bay with a skillful parry of his bayonet blade - and look, he's brought enough treats for everyone! (Ethius, mysteriously, doesn't eat any even though they are quite literally the best possible pastries for... an entire world's length, it's his loss.)
Clarine increases the ambient lighting of the situation through her helpful Light-aligned sorceries, making sure she has ample protection set up in case the Xiphos breaks free of Ashley's deadlock. (It does not, but it's good to play it safe.)
Loren takes up most of the direct offensive through feeding Ether through the Tuner and ensuring that the Xiphos gets blasted in place, where the newcomer goes fancy with some lucky shots in an attempt to bring branches down atop it...
He doesn't quite manage it, but a tree limb does fall in the way of the Xiphos' intention to reposition themselves before lunging again, boxing them in and allowing for everyone to turn it back into a cloud of (currently) harmless pyreflies, streaking away in bright prismatic colors and being all 'ooooOooooOooooOoooooo' about it, as they are about everything ever.
Wordlessly, the possibility of a new, useful route for getting through here shows itself through the path beyond the Xiphos - all that's left for them to do is walk it and see what lies ahead (if it's the truth, or a lie).
DG: Seraph Clarine has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= ==================<* CHALLENGE - Who Put A Bench Up There *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- It's a tough hike through the woods, with the path winding this way and that, rising up and into the trees, or down again to the forest floor. And that's not even taking into account the issue of the Fiends. So perhaps the sight of a comfortable-looking bench might be a welcoming one. ...Perhaps a little less so for the fact that it is perched up on a loft in a tree, with no visible easy way to ascend to it. If you want to take a load off -- and not risk, say, disturbing a nest of ants down here -- you'll have to get up there first. =Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
The Xiphos is defeated! In its lunge, it revealed the path it came from - and they can follow that path now into a part of the woods that hopefully contains fewer Fiends. And fortunately, this little clearing seems completely empty of them!
Here, there are only a few of the crystalline trees that Macalania Woods are known for... and most notably, in the very center is one that, unusually enough, is bearing a bench. It's not just an ordinary bench - it looks very nice, and with this clearing being notably more safe than the rest of the woods it'd probably be better than just sitting on the ground.
"Ah! That looks quite comfortable... it may give us a good view of our surroundings, as well..." Clarine notes. She glides over to the tree and starts floating up it when, suddenly, she is hit with a realisation.
"...Ah. I... do not suppose it is as easy for you all to reach it..." She comments with a frown. "It is just as well... I am uncertain this branch would hold a four of you..."
She has no real weight to speak of. But they, being flesh and blood humans, are a different matter. ...But then, that's an idea - they could probably figure out a way to get the bench out of the tree with some work.
DG: Seraph Clarine has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Who Put A Bench Up There.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius, at mention of Clarine's mention of the thing that looks comfortable, looks up and sees... a bench. He considers its make, its size, its location, its coloration, its style, its everything with the same relentless, alienating stare he gives just about anything else in existence. He draws a quarterstaff, taking it in hand, and makes this chilling, matter-of-fact observation which in previous contexts suggests something destructive is about to happen.
"This doesn't belong here." He says as he stands underneath, staff readied, and just tries to poke the damn thing off the top of the tree if he can reach it. If he can, those jabs are precise and potent, indeed.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Who Put A Bench Up There.
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
What...
...What is a bench doing in a tree?
Is it some kind of... cat-bench? Who put that up there, anyway? Was it a Guado? It was probably a Guado. Something something oneness with the natural world something something. Ashley frowns at the sight of the thing and looks just... absolutely helpless about this whole situation.
"I mean, I could shoot it down...?" But that might ruin the altogether too comfy-looking woodwork! And that would just be a tragedy.
DG: Ashley Winchester has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Who Put A Bench Up There.
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
When Clarine waved her hand in front of his face, Lockes kept staring right on as if nothing had happened. When the Xiphos attacked, he probably did, in fact, dive right through her- or at least dangerously close to doing so.
When the party comes upon a bench placed mysteriously up at the top of a tree, he can't help but look from one of his impromptu companions with a look of shocked incredulity. Which, for him, boils down to shifting his gaze with a sightly raised eyebrow.
But then he just shrugs, pulling a small wrapped parcel from a coat pocket. He unties it and pulls a pair of what appears to be playing cards, then wraps the parcel back up and stashes it where it came from. He flicks the edges of both cards, and then presses first one, then the other, between his first two fingers... and flicks them up near the legs of the bench, one to each side.
"Careful! Fire in the hole!"
Boom.
DG: Lockes Varora has used his Tool Ace Up My Sleeve toward his party's challenge, Who Put A Bench Up There.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Well, that's dealt with. Next time, he reflects, he's going to need to make sure they're more thorough.
And so they continue along after that a short distance before Clarine spots something that's up in the tree. It's a... a...
"...What's a bench doing up there?" He circles the tree, briefly. "There's no way to get up to it, either. We're not supposed to climb it, are we?" Because that looks like it would be an effort and a half to even get up there, and he's not the best climber.
That, and, "I don't want to sit in a bench in a tree. It doesn't look stable. We should be able to just knock it down. Right?"
He's begun to fidget with a smooth stone he's drawn from a pocket, worrying it with his thumb. What happens if they run into his team like this--
Actually, that's not the biggest worry he has at the moment. What's he going to do if they're all lost? Or dead?
...Thinking about things like this aren't helping anyone. Loren takes a breath, continuing to fidget with the stone. "Okay. What if we knock it out of the tree. Would that help?"
And he approaches the tree, introducing his free hand to it, and holding the stone tightly in his other hand, wills the earth underneath to shake.
The fact that this is timed with Lockes flicking what looks like a pair of playing cards (but aren't, really) up at the bench might not be the best for his nerves but it may be good for plausible deniability.
DG: Loren Voss has used his Tool Worry Stone toward his party's challenge, Who Put A Bench Up There.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= ==================<* CHALLENGE - Who Put A Bench Up There *>================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- It's a tough hike through the woods, with the path winding this way and that, rising up and into the trees, or down again to the forest floor. And that's not even taking into account the issue of the Fiends. So perhaps the sight of a comfortable-looking bench might be a welcoming one. ...Perhaps a little less so for the fact that it is perched up on a loft in a tree, with no visible easy way to ascend to it. If you want to take a load off -- and not risk, say, disturbing a nest of ants down here -- you'll have to get up there first. =Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
==================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet - Round 3 *>================== ====================< Results - Who Put A Bench Up There >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loren Voss 0 --(24)--> 24 Fail Worry Stone 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Clarine 0 --(24)--> 24 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashley Winchester 0 --(12)--> 12 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 12 --(12)--> 24 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lockes Varora 12 --(24)--> 36 Fail Ace Up My Sleeve 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Loren Voss 40 --(15)--> 55 Fail Conditions: Save Point(1)|Secret(1) Effects: Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss 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> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine nods to herself, making a mental note as Lockes appears unable to perceive her. It's good to know for later.
The party gets to work in their attempts at removing the bunch from the tree, then. Ashley suggests shooting it down, while Ethius pokes at the bench in an attempt to dislodge it. Lockes, meanwhile, tosses a pair of playing cards underneath the legs of the tree, as Loren disturbs the earth beneath the tree causing it to shake - shaking which is magnified more as the cards explode.
All of this combined means that, well... the bench does fall from the tree, yes...
...except, it does so at an angle, sticking diagonally out of the ground in a way that even a Seraph would have trouble sitting in it with sharp, crystalline debris all around it.
"...Ah." Clarine murmurs, seeming a little sad.
...They could try to dislodge it from the earth, but at this point it seems like it might be more trouble than it's worth to mess with it any further...
DG: Ashley Winchester has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Crossing The Streams *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Streams crisscross sections of the Macalania Woods, perhaps ultimately feeding into the Moonflow to the south. Most of them have small wooden bridges that allow a trivial crossing. This one does not. The water is cold and flowing quickly even if it is rather shallow, and most of the larger stones are covered with a slippery moss. Move quickly. =Dungeon Conditions: Reckless=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
Sadly, nobody will be having a nice comfy sit today. It is the most unfortunate thing. Now the bench is somewhere sittable... But it has lost all ability to provide comfort. There's a metaphor here somewhere.
...
Oh well. At least they all still have each other! Onward, the party goes! "So, I don't think we've asked yet, but what are you three doing all the way out here in Macalania?" Ashley asks, innocent and ignorant of whatever awful shenanigans certain Solarians might be up to in the area. "It's not exactly the most hospitable place in the world." It's cold! Bitterly cold. Somehow though, it's not cold enough to freeze the local waterways solid.
...Perhaps there's something peculiar about this water. Perhaps it has something to do with whatever is responsible for the present state of the woods...?
...
Nah it's probably just because flowing water is a giant pain to freeze properly. It's still damn cold, though. This hasn't been a problem so far, because each of the rivers they've encountered up till now have had convenient bridges in place! But not this one.
Not... this one.
The river babbles before them, too wide to ford and flowing too quickly to not end up soaked to the bone. Ashley thinks for a moment, then pulls a boomerang from his pack. He slips a length of rope through a hole at the weapon's midpoint, then chucks it across the river. It seems to sparkle and shimmer as it flies- though that may be a mere trick of the light. When the boomerang returns, it has looped the rope-- several times, in fact-- around a tree on the far end of the river. Ashley secures it to his waist and walks back until the rope is taut. "Alright. That should help keep everyone upright. Hold on tight, folks. I'll come over once you're all across."
DG: Ashley Winchester has used his Tool Magic Boomerang toward his party's challenge, Crossing The Streams.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
They all still have each other! They also have an Ethius.
...anyway
Ashley asks the important question, and Ethius speaks up a moment too soon for his response to be truly natural and honest, as if maybe it's not the first time he's had to say such today. "I am passing through."
To, or from the lake? As they approach the rapid-moving river, he ties the harness of the Hot Air Sack around one wrist and prepares to cast the appropriate yield of heat spell to fill it full of hot air and float himself across. (To the uninitiated, it is physically impossible that this former bandit loot sack, kept together by fabric scraps like polka dots and stripe patterns, can make for a proper envelope of a personal scale hot air balloon. But, here we are anyway.)
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Hot Air Sack toward his party's challenge, Crossing The Streams.
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
Having been incredulous of the party's attempt at bringing the bench down to begin with, the forlorn look Lockes gives it once it is destroyed may be a bit hypocritical. Luckily, his expression is still mostly hidden in the shadow of his hat. "I may be partly responsible for this, I reckon," he says quietly, his deep voice still carrying despite his efforts at discretion.
Pressing forward, he watches Ashley fling his boomerang across the river and nods appreciatively. Undaunted at the prospect of crossing a freezing river, he takes a firm hold on the offered rope and sets to make his way across.
Its only once he's begun his crossing that he answers Ashley's question, casually responding over his shoulder-
"I'm just lost."
DG: Lockes Varora has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Crossing The Streams.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
That went... very badly.
Loren just backs away from the tree, casting a look at the others and shaking his head. This wasn't his fault this time.
Probably.
"Well, come on. I don't want to hang around here anyway," he remarks, heading onwards into the woods. "Might be more of those things around."
There's still that big round Sphere-shaped one lurking about. Somewhere. He hopes they don't run into it again.
And then Ashley asks the Big Question.
"Uh," Loren starts, being a very bad liar.
"I got... lost," he settles for, because it's technically true. "I was coming through here for the, uh..." he continues, gesturing vaguely. "Anyway, it's not important," he says briskly, walking along at a clip now only to come up short as they reach the river.
It's not very deep. But it looks slippery.
Ashley provides a solution of a sort. Loren, glancing back over his shoulder, debates the wisdom of heading off on his own. But that could mean running into that Sphere-shaped thing again. He slouches his shoulders and sighs.
And then... grabs onto the rope and starts across.
DG: Loren Voss has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Crossing The Streams.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
It sounds like the others are just generally... lost, or passing through. Clarine nods, though her gaze lingers on Loren for a moment, golden eyes assessing him once more.
"...I see. Very well... please stay close to us, then. I excel at guiding the lost back to safety..." Clarine says. Does she accept Loren's vague response? She seems to be deciding not to challenge it, at least. She looks pointedly toward Lockes, then. "Please relay as such to the man with the hat for me, as well..."
Now, though, it's time to cross over the stream! Clarine can just float over... but it's quite difficult to move through water, so even she might be in trouble if she falls into it. She doesn't need to breathe, but it would still be highly unpleasant. And so she very carefully holds onto the rope Ashley provided with one hand, while the other gestures.
At this gesture, a series of prisms fly out of her sleeve, arranging themselves ahead of the party above the water. Light shines through them at just the right angle and the shine, refracting into a series of shimmering, rainbow platforms that should help catch anyone who's about to fall.
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Prismatic Projector toward her party's challenge, Crossing The Streams.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Crossing The Streams *>==================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Streams crisscross sections of the Macalania Woods, perhaps ultimately feeding into the Moonflow to the south. Most of them have small wooden bridges that allow a trivial crossing. This one does not. The water is cold and flowing quickly even if it is rather shallow, and most of the larger stones are covered with a slippery moss. Move quickly. =Dungeon Conditions: Reckless=================================================
==================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet - Round 4 *>================== ======================< Results - Crossing The Streams >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loren Voss 24 --(5)--> 29 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Clarine 24 --(5)--> 29 Pass Prismatic Projector 1 Agility Effects: Fanfare and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashley Winchester 12 --(5)--> 17 Pass Magic Boomerang 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 24 --(17)--> 41 Fail Hot Air Sack 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lockes Varora 36 --(5)--> 41 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Loren Voss 55 --(20)--> 75 Pass Conditions: Reckless(2) Effects: Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Loren Voss has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
Unfortunately for Ethius, he's trying to cast a heating spell to warm a bunch of very cold air. The Hot Air Sack is nothing but a plain old ordinary Lukewarm Air Sack by the time he's done with it. At least he can use it as a double-layered blanket to keep the chill out while crossing the river like an ordinary, non-cheating person!
"You both got lost? Huh, what are the odds!" Is-- is Ashley just taking all that at face value? "Well, I'm glad we managed to find you both before you froze to death. This place isn't kind to travellers who try to get through unprepared. But were you guys heading somewhere in particular? Macalania is a little out of the way..." And there's the whole issue of the LIGHTNING PLAINS right next door.
Regardless of why they're all here, the party manages to cross safely enough! Ashley's rope sees everyone to the other without getting too wet, and anyone who falls victim to the too-slippery footholds is rescued by Clarine's prismatic safety platforms! Once the others are all over, Ashley joins them on the other side of the river.
Onwards!
DG: Lockes Varora has drawn a new Challenge.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= =======================<* CHALLENGE - Shiva's Wrath *>======================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Even in the coldest parts of the year, the Macalania woods never get more than chilly. This is a truism that is put to the test as you venture further along the trails, as the temperature continues to steadily drop. And then proven entirely false. Ice rimes the trees and trail, turning flowers and Fiends alike into statues wrought in frost. Snow piles in enormous drifts the further you press on along this transformed part of the forest path. Everything has been touched by Winter's hand. It is bitterly, bitterly cold. Between the sweeping swathes of slick ice that now coat the trails and the thick piles of snow that catch and grab at one's legs, passage will be difficult through this part of the woods. Unless, of course... You prove yourself to be one of those who fight further. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Hesitate===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
"Gaura Bobelo. Sort of. I was having quite the run of good luck, though, and things tend to get a little Hindsite First when that happens, you understand?" Lockes shivers once he reaches the far side of the stream, finally letting the cold break down his strong, stoic facade. He takes up a position a little ways ahead with his eyes on the dark spaces between the trees of the deeper wood and his hand resting on the revolver on his right hip as the rest of the crew finishes their crossing, most uneventfully save for Ethius' hot-gas coat. "I do admit I appear to be a little ways off the trail..."
The shivers don't stop when the party moves further into the wood. Lockes pulls the cloth wrapped around his neck up, settling it into place as a makeshift face mask as his breath begins to form little clouds of ice with every exhale. Then their footsteps begin to echo with the soft crunch of snow beneath their feet.
It isn't long before the cold stings at their eyes and skin, catching in beards or strands of hair and forming icicles, biting at the party's lungs, threatening to set anyone with an unwary step on their backside.
"Is.. is this normal?" Lockes finally asks, staring at a flower trapped in ice as they pass.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
The party crosses into the river! ...And into the coldest, most unforgiving part of the Macalania woods. Fortunately for Clarine, the temperature isn't really something she has to worry about. She doesn't experience it like a mortal does, and as she floats, the worst she has to worry about is tripping over anything that might be concealed in one of those thick snow drifts.
...Unfortunately for the rest of the party, her light may not help very much. Though it can produce heat, it's only a side-effect - she isn't a Fire Seraph.
The most help she can provide is keeping yet more of those prisms at the ready, to catch anyone and hopefully prevent a nasty spill on the icy ground.
"Press on, everyone... We must be nearing our destination..." Clarine urges.
DG: Seraph Clarine has used her Tool Prismatic Projector toward her party's challenge, Shiva's Wrath. DG: Lockes Varora has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Shiva's Wrath.
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
"Well... I was trying to get through here," he says, and immediately regrets it. "I got... separated from my caravan?" Now he's just trying at random.
It's about here that Loren notices Clarine, and more importantly, the way she's looking at him. ...Emperor, he remembers her now. Surreptitiously, he glances back at Ashley, who appears to be taking this one at face value. His blue eyes return to hers, assessing her for the moment.
...He doesn't like this. "Uh," he says at first when she tells him to let the one with the hat know about her particular set of skills. "--Oh, right." He glances over at Lockes.
"...Okay. This is going to sound crazy," he starts, "but there's an invisible lady here. She'll help you," and Clarine might note that he said 'you' and not 'us', "find your way. Just... stick near the blue-haired guy," he finishes lamely, slouching heavily and feeling like the biggest dumbass in the world. 'Oh hi mister, there's an invisible lady here', he thinks to himself grimly, briefly praying for his own sudden death.
But at least he doesn't fall in the stream. Small favors.
But the temperature is dropping rapidly. Worse, the ground is growing unsteady.
...The ground is growing increasingly icy. It's getting difficult for Loren to maintain his footing. He grabs into a nearby tree to try to keep himself from slipping and pushes off it as he inches along.
This is... going to end so badly, he can't help but think.
DG: Loren Voss has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Shiva's Wrath.
<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.
Oh Loren, poor sweet Loren. This non-answer would never suffice in a world so cruel as this. What kind of blind, big-hearted fool would accept such a response as fact, or leave it untouched and unprodded for the foul secrets lurking just beneath its innocuous facade...!?
"Got it," Ashley answers with a slight nod. "Well, we'll see you to safety one way or another. I've got something to check out at Macalania Temple myself, but after that I'd be glad to escort you all somewhere a little less hazardous."
...Apparently, fools have blue hair.
Or maybe Ashley just notices a flummoxed attempt at a wily, evasive answer and recognizes that some people just have secrets they feel they must keep to themselves...?
But as the party transitions from the river to the very fringes of Macalania, things take a turn for the frigid. Wind colder than Ashley had ever predicted billows around them, and the Musketeer's teeth chatter even as his breath fogs and freezes not even an inch from his lips. "This is... This is awful...!" Ashley hisses, wondering if this is enough of an emergency to call upon the power he knows could cut through this blizzard like a sunfire-hot knife through butter.
No. It's not worth that. With a grunt, the musketeer hurls that boomerang into the wind instead. It travels some distance ahead-- then turns and begins rotating in place in front of them like a stationary fan... Or, perhaps, like a shield. It's not much, but it at least slows the bone-chilling wind a little bit...!
Somehow it remains at that fixed distance as they progress, simply hovering in open air a few feet ahead. What a remarkable-- perhaps even magical-- boomerang...!
DG: Ashley Winchester has used his Tool Magic Boomerang toward his party's challenge, Shiva's Wrath.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius has to do things the way-made-easier-for-everyone-else, because even after this long he hasn't outgrown being an ineffectual loner - but his own stoicism at least sees him through most of the mounting cold as the lick of ice-cold water threatens to pull him inside... and as they get to the fringes, the elements intensify.
For his ability to suppress many of the idle body language of the human body that comes with simply being alive, the cold intensifies as such he simply can do naught but reaffirm that he is somehow a living human being - the shivering, the chattering of teeth, as he looks over to the man with the wide-brimmed hat and Loren's explanation about what's going on... ah, that would explain the confusion, he remembers now. It's something easy to take for granted in the Drifter community these days, among the regulars.
As they approach the limit (or at least his) about how far he can go without fear of slipping or freezing to death, Ethius draws forth a long, gnarled staff full of jangly bits, slamming the butt of it on the ground with a thunderous echo and the increasingly distant ring of ethereal bells - an effect that often halts the natural forces of the world to stop, cease, and... listen.
It's not clear if Ethius understands the last bit, because every time he's used it he has never had anything to say. (Pictured: Ethius is now crank calling an Aeon.)
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Staff of Audience toward his party's challenge, Shiva's Wrath.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= =======================<* CHALLENGE - Shiva's Wrath *>======================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 3 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Even in the coldest parts of the year, the Macalania woods never get more than chilly. This is a truism that is put to the test as you venture further along the trails, as the temperature continues to steadily drop. And then proven entirely false. Ice rimes the trees and trail, turning flowers and Fiends alike into statues wrought in frost. Snow piles in enormous drifts the further you press on along this transformed part of the forest path. Everything has been touched by Winter's hand. It is bitterly, bitterly cold. Between the sweeping swathes of slick ice that now coat the trails and the thick piles of snow that catch and grab at one's legs, passage will be difficult through this part of the woods. Unless, of course... You prove yourself to be one of those who fight further. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Hesitate===========================================
==================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet - Round 5 *>================== =========================< Results - Shiva's Wrath >========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loren Voss 29 --(101)--> 130 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Clarine 29 --(101)--> 130 Fail Prismatic Projector 1 Agility Effects: Fanfare and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ashley Winchester 17 --(101)--> 118 Pass Magic Boomerang 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 41 --(101)--> 142 Pass Staff of Audience 4 Agility Effects: nothing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lockes Varora 41 --(101)--> 142 Fail Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Loren Voss 75 --(15)--> 90 Fail Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Reckless(1)|Slow(2) Effects: Quicken(1)|Resilient(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: Loren Voss is too exhausted to continue! DG: Seraph Clarine is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ashley Winchester is too exhausted to continue! DG: Ethius Hesiod is too exhausted to continue! DG: Lockes Varora is too exhausted to continue! DG: The party has failed this challenge! All party members are now Exhausted. This attempt is over. DG: The party led by Loren Voss has been fully Exhausted by Macalania Woods - Disquiet! DG: The party will now draw a conclusion.
=======================<* Macalania Woods - Disquiet *>======================= ====================<* CHALLENGE - Free to a Good Home *>===================== |Type: Landmark |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- You try your best against the obstacle that the heart of winter has dealt out unto you, but it's too much in the end: the chill and the ordeal are too much for you. You're forced to turn back so that you can rest and recover. But not everything is bad. Once you retreat back out of the immediate frostbite danger zone and take a load off, you find that you have sat down on something rather hard. That something turns out to be a small pile of common spheres. Did someone leave these here? Did the Fiends put them here somehow? ...There are a lot of questions and not a lot of answers, but hey, free spheres. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lockes Varora has posed.
The cold is oppressive. It sits like a weighted blanket on the shoulders, and makes it hard to breath. Thick drifts of snow suck at every step, sapping energy. Beneath the snow? Believe it or not, ice! Which makes every step a carefully considered proposition.
Lockes trudges on, shivering in his thin coat meant for the Badlands, not a frozen forest. Heart pounding in his chest, he's vaguely aware of Ashley's boomering cutting the stiff wind from their path, which doesn't make the path any easier to trudge but does stop the wind from stabbing with icy daggers through every crack and crevice.
"An invisible lady?" Lockes asks after a long time silent on the frozen trail. "An invisible helper lady?" That seems to leave the Filgain(?) with a lot to think about. That, or he doesn't have it in him to add anything else between heavy breaths. At least until a foot does find no purchase on the ice and he slips, nearly going down, but ends up caught with one of those mirrors. "Well, that isn't quite how I'd pictured Lady Luck, but..." He shrugs. He clearly does not believe Loren, but is in no mood to consider whether his temporary ally might be a crazy person.
Lockes, for his part, is already past his limit by the time Ethius slams his staff into the ground. The woods around them goes still; the cold doesn't necessarily become warm, but there is suddenly an.. absence? Of cold, which would normally be an absence of heat, but- wait, no. Lockes shakes his head, staring at the staff for a long while before deciding this is not the time to try and understand anything he's seeing. Lockes stops walking forward, though, pulling off his lucky hat and lacing his fingers together at the back of his head and drawing in several lungfuls of air.
"Apologies, but I think its about time for me to fold 'em, friends. Much more of this cold and I reckon I won't be around to worry about getting back where I came from."
<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.
Is it a surprise to anyone that Loren, ultimately, wipes the hell out on the ice?
No, probably not.
Not even when he sails into an array of icy spears jutting up from the ground, shattering them in the process, and vanishes from sight.
In the long run it's a bit of good luck for him, at the cost of significant levels of dignity and some short term aches and pains.
(It'll be some hours yet until he tracks down his team. They're fine, just cold. And a little hungry.)