2022-03-24: Transmutation Drive

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  • Log: Transmutation Drive
  • Cast: Seraph Brunor, Azoth, Seraph Ragnell, Seraphita, Ida Everstead-Rey, Xantia
  • Where: Kahedin
  • Date: March 24, 2022
  • Summary: Azoth continues his relentless pursuit of his missing parts and missing memories, followed by concerned parties. The hunt leads him to Kahedin, Shrine of the Ice Trial, where one must "remember what it is you hold most dear"...'

====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Chill Out *>===========================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The cold stillness of Kahedin's halls is in stark contrast to the howling     
 winds of blinding snow you endured to get here. But an even more inviting     
 sight awaits further in: plush rugs and cushioned seats, mismatched in color  
 and texture and stitched lovingly by amateur hands. The area is lit           
 comfortably by the hum of glowing wisps lazily weaving through the area --    
 potent ice magic that, if touched, will burst harmlessly into glittering      
 flakes.                                                                       
                                                                               
 A Seraph conjures once such wisp, and turns toward your party with a flinch   
 that suggests the surprise that should be written on his face were it not     
 hidden by a dragon-styled mask. His hair turns from white to pale blue from   
 root to end, reaching to the floor and draped around him as much as his own   
 fur hemmed robes and quilt he wears as a shawl. "Oh! Hello. Welcome!" He      
 motions to the comfortable area presented to everyone. "Please. Rest a        
 while. It /is/ a Trial that awaits you. And it would so happen that I have    
 been perfecting a hot chocolate recipe over these past few millennia for      
 such an occasion."                                                            
                                                                               
 Whether you sit or not, the Seraph serves everyone mugs of hot chocolate      
 with fat marshmallows. "How are you all fairing? Do any of you require        
 healing? I would love to hear the story behind this visit." Eventually, you   
 will need to be one your way, and the Seraph will let you go with an          
 embarrassed apology... But if you don't take care to avoid getting lost in    
 company and conversation, that could end up being longer than you intend.     
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    In pursuit of Azoth, one may recognize the halls of the ruins beneath the ice as being of old Seraphic Arte make. The air is cold and still. Breathable, sure, that's not a problem for the mortals and their oxygen addictions. It's only a short journey through the ice cold hallways that seem untouched by time until, ahead, there is... against the very idea of 'ice'...
 
     Comfort.
 
     Plush rugs and cushioned seats, in strange mismatched colors and odd textures, stitched together with love and care. Glowing wisps give the area ample lighting that will explode into glittering flakes if disturbed. (Harmless, but pretty, yet rude.)
 
     "Oh! Hello. Welcome," speaks a voice - a Seraph in a dragon-style mask, long hair going from white to pale blue all the way down to the floor. Robes of old Seraphic tradition are joined by a quilt he is wearing as a shawl, just as homemade-looking as the space around him. "Please. Rest a while. It is a Trial that awaits you. And it would so happen that I have been perfecting a hot chocolate recipe over these past few millennia for such an occasion."
 
     His demeanor is gentle, and there are - indeed - mugs of hot chocolate. With marshmallows! (Seraphim take pride in the creation of their junk food.) "How are you all faring? Do any of you require healing? I would love to hear the story behind your visit." The situation may be a bit too urgent to rest and relax, but so far - in these parts, anyway - there doesn't appear to be a sign of anything wrong.
 
     The Zulan region is always nasty this time of year, and a minute - and some details - could be spared to make sure everyone's at their best. The greatest enemy of urgency: unrelenting comfort.

<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

Where Azoth was broken and battered from battle, he now has acquired (mysteriously) (maybe not so mysteriously) the energy needed to repair and recover enough to resume ominous floating. He remains in that exposed, robotic form of his -- like the android with all the human appropriately peeled away, revealing obvious mechanics and steel bones. At least the floating gives the illusion he's taller.

His tail spasms occasionally, rattling against the ice, while a claw gives the occasional twitch like someone installed a tic into him.

Relentless as Azoth usually is, however, he pauses in this chamber. For now his attempts at automatic installation have halted, and this Seraph has not been designated as a threat. Rather, Azoth has been welcomed into this icy citadel and given a friendly greeting, aware he will be free to investigate so long as certain protocols are followed.

So he abides, looming, but docile.

And with a cup of hot chocolate he can't drink.

... But he's hardly in the state for conversation, providing none.

DG: Azoth has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Chill Out.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    The closer they came to Azoth's destination, the more sure of it Ragnell became, until they're here and there's no longer any possible doubt: this is the Ice Shrine. And inside is... super comfy?
    
    Pausing in the welcome chamber next to Azoth, Ragnell pushes the brim of her hat up by a finger. "Well, how-dy," she drawls at the Seraph inside. She looks up at Azoth with a questioning look; when he seems fine with hot chocolate (however much he can't actually drink it), she half-smiles and strolls in.
    
    "Sounds good t' me. I'm not here for the trial, but I'm not gonna pass it *or* a good hot drink down," she says. "Don't need any healin' right now, I don't think, though a spot t' rest wouldn't be a bad idea, I think. As for stories..." She laughs. "I got a lot of 'em! But as for what brings us here... That's *his* story to tell." She jabs a thumb at Azoth. "So it's not my place to share it. Instead--how 'bout a song?"
    
    She retrieves a battered silver harmonica from her travel pack and brings it to her lips. A soulful song warbles out of it as she plays, perhaps rejuvenating the mental faculties of those who listen...
    
    Especially for those who can't actually partake in hot drinks.

DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Polished Harmonica toward her party's challenge, Chill Out.
<Pose Tracker> Seraphita has posed.

Seraphita made an ill-advised jump down after the malfunctioning Azoth (after she sort of lit him on fire a little bit), using her coat as a parachute.

It wasn't the dumbest thing she's done in her life. But it probably doesn't count as the smartest, either. Like most of Seraphita's plans, she came up with it in the heat of the moment - though in her defense, in this case, that was the only sort of plan she had time for before Azoth dropped out of sight.

Even with those quick reactions it took her some time to actually *find* him. This part of the mountain wasn't on any of the maps that she had looked at beforehand. Seraphita had tried calling his name a couple times, but worry about an avalanche had made her more careful about *that* the first time snow fell on her head.

Also, her coat was cold once she put it back on, but that solved itself quickly.

Eventually it occured to Seraphita to follow the obvious (obvious-ish, anyway) path toward the definitely obvious halls, because *she* would go there if she was lost, and so why wouldn't Azoth? What she hadn't expected was rugs.

She hadn't entirely expected Azoth either. "Azoth! Are you okay??" Seraphita entering, at speed, is a risk. Seraphita entering at speed with intent to hug Azoth, pointy bits or not, is a different kind of risk, and that's the threat Azoth has to put up with today, because Seraphita is absolutely going to hug him unless he dodges it or puts out sufficient sharp edges that she fears for her coat being torn by doing it. "I didn't mean to hurt you but I couldn't think of any other way to help and oh my gosh! I need to know if you're doing better!!"

Only after that does she slow down, look around, and - especially - look at Brunor. And take hot chocolate. Because c'mon, is she going to turn that down? "That's very kind of you! My grandmother always says, you should do people a kindness whenever you can... I don't have much to offer you, though." She has the contents of her coat pockets and a hat (which she is keeping on) and that's about it. "I was just looking for Azoth to see how he was..."

Seraphita looks around. Her ears flop differently as she looks up. "...where is this, anyway? Like... what's it called?"

DG: Seraphita has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Chill Out.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida knows she has a narrow window before Azoth reorients himself and resumes his chase. She has no idea how badly-damaged he is, merely that he looked to have sustained severe wounds. The heiress makes haste down the mountain to the designated rendezvous point, where Oswald waits.

    Some time later, she returned to follow Azoth's trail. Stalking along under the cover of an invisibility spell, she retraces her footsteps to the site of the collapse ice shelf. From there, she climbs down, to the structure that looks suspiciously like the Lightning Shrine in broad strokes, if not the fine details.

    The light beneath one of the floating orbs seems to congeal in mid-air, forming a shimmering blur. Slowly, it starts to take shape, growing darker and more tangible until it's taken physical form.

    The strange entity is back. Their robe of inky, light-devouring darkness shows no signs of damage, nor does the dark iron armor of their gloves and boots. The eyeholes of their silvery half-mask peer curiously into the hall. Their footsteps echo off the icy walls, oddly muffled--but they, like Azoth, show no sign of hostility.

    "...Welcome?" the entity says. They turn to look at the Seraph, the metallic lines of some sort of mouth and jawline tightening slightly. If their lips move when they speak, it's terribly hard to tell. "How are you all?"

    Another step forward. Beneath the illusion, Ida feels horrifically exposed, but she runs her fingers down a familiar metal multitool and focuses. She has an alibi. This is an anomalous Mannikin, one that escaped the carnage at Mount Manfred and became a subject of further experimentation. The irony doesn't escape her. Azoth pretends to be human to complete his mission, and to ease the minds of his friends. Now she's doing the inverse.

    Seraph Brunor offers cocoa. The construct takes the mug, and simply... holds it. "...Very kind...?" They echo Seraphita's words, this time.

DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool ARMS Meister's Field Kit toward her party's challenge, Chill Out.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

It must be quite jarring, for company to drop in unannounced in these hidden icy ruins. Even moreso when the company is literally dropping in. Without the slightest bit of fanfare, there suddenly is Xantia, falling through a gap in the ceiling and landing flat on her face.

"...Ow."

So she says, but... that's strange, the fall didn't actually hurt that much. What's this she landed on? She sits up on her knees, staring down in surprise. Are those cushions? Why are there cushions beneath all this ice?

While she's still getting her bearings after the misadventure she had trying to find a place she could safely climb down from - an attempt which failed, clearly - she finds herself greeted and presented with a mug of hot chocolate. This is getting weirder by the second, but Xantia can roll with it. Especially when there's marshmallows involved.

Taking in her impromptu host, she instantly recognizes Brunor as, "...a Seraph?" There were context clues of course, but she hasn't noticed those and doesn't need them. Due to Circumstances, they stand out to her in a very obvious way, making their nature plain immediately. This talk of a Trial is a bit concerning, but, again, she can roll with it. "Nah, I'm fine, your cushions kept me from needing healing! Guess I'm not used to climbing without my claws. I'm actually looking for someone, have you seen--"

Only now does Xantia look around at the others present. While she knows everyone aside from the strange entity that was involved in the battle earlier pretty well, considering the circumstances she of course makes a beeline straight for...

"Azoth! You're here! Oh thank goodness, I was so worried!"

Pretty much mimicking Seraphita in her reaction apart from the hug attempt. Which may only not be happening because Sera beat her to it. But that's fine, she has plenty of things to say other than that. Starting with, "...Is this about your memory?"

She doesn't know, of course. There's no way that she could. She's just inferring from the circumstances. What else could be so important that Azoth wouldn't listen to anybody, not his friends, or those who can give him orders? There's only one thing she can think of. In which case...

Without an immediate explanation, Xantia extends an object towards Azoth. It's a seemingly ordinary, but pretty shard of quartz crystal. "You like rocks, don't you? What do you think of this one? Take it, it's yours. I have one myself too. It doesn't just look pretty either, it's magical. If you focus on it, it'll help you remember things. It really works!"

It absolutely isn't magical. Xantia was taken in by a smooth-talking peddler and paid way too much for these. But she believes they have power, and there's a certain power in belief itself, isn't there?

DG: Xantia has used her Tool Memory Shard toward her party's challenge, Chill Out.


====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Chill Out *>===========================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The cold stillness of Kahedin's halls is in stark contrast to the howling     
 winds of blinding snow you endured to get here. But an even more inviting     
 sight awaits further in: plush rugs and cushioned seats, mismatched in color  
 and texture and stitched lovingly by amateur hands. The area is lit           
 comfortably by the hum of glowing wisps lazily weaving through the area --    
 potent ice magic that, if touched, will burst harmlessly into glittering      
 flakes.                                                                       
                                                                               
 A Seraph conjures once such wisp, and turns toward your party with a flinch   
 that suggests the surprise that should be written on his face were it not     
 hidden by a dragon-styled mask. His hair turns from white to pale blue from   
 root to end, reaching to the floor and draped around him as much as his own   
 fur hemmed robes and quilt he wears as a shawl. "Oh! Hello. Welcome!" He      
 motions to the comfortable area presented to everyone. "Please. Rest a        
 while. It /is/ a Trial that awaits you. And it would so happen that I have    
 been perfecting a hot chocolate recipe over these past few millennia for      
 such an occasion."                                                            
                                                                               
 Whether you sit or not, the Seraph serves everyone mugs of hot chocolate      
 with fat marshmallows. "How are you all fairing? Do any of you require        
 healing? I would love to hear the story behind this visit." Eventually, you   
 will need to be one your way, and the Seraph will let you go with an          
 embarrassed apology... But if you don't take care to avoid getting lost in    
 company and conversation, that could end up being longer than you intend.     
=Dungeon Conditions: Reckless=================================================
===============<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial - Round 1 *>================
============================< Results - Chill Out >=============================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azoth                               0 --(8)--> 8                   Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ida Everstead-Rey                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
ARMS Meister's Field Kit            2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraphita                           0 --(8)--> 8                   Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xantia                              0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Memory Shard                        2   Wits    Effects: Stalwart             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Ragnell                      0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Polished Harmonica                  1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Azoth                       0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Reckless(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Azoth 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: Azoth has drawn a new Challenge.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Treasures Frozen In Time *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Beautiful ice sculptures decorate the halls of the Ice Trial, and light       
 occasionally shines through the structures, casting ribbons of refracted      
 color. The sight is as enchanting as it is ephemeral.                         
                                                                               
 In one of these halls, perfect ice replicas of items once lost by members of  
 your party are among the decor. Old childhood toys, lost mementos, or even    
 that old tool they don't make like they used to are on display.               
                                                                               
 Unfortunately, you would never be able to return with such a souvenir. They   
 would melt without the frigid temperatures of the Ice Trial. They also stand  
 in your way, along with other lovely statues. They are only ice, after all.   
 But sometimes it's nice to have had a brief reminder...                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure, Overzealous====================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    Azoth is found, and despite the discomfort his form gives to the eyes and likely even himself, the Seraph remains welcoming and takes in stride the idea that they're here for this unusual guest.
 
     The Seraph does not flinch at Seraphita's sudden hurried arrival to give comfort and warmth to someone hurt and scared, though he does bow his head at the sight. The mask hides his facial expression, but it's not... cold. "No, no, you need not worry about giving back. As you can see, your friend is present," he assures as he presents hot chocolate to Seraphita and the others. "Your grandmother sounds like she's a wonderful person."
 
     "I would be delighted to hear song," says the Seraph in the dragon mask with the quilt to Ragnell. "Your friend here, Azoth, hasn't been forthcoming about his reason for being, but he is welcome here."
 
     "Welcome!" The Seraph looks to the anomalous Mannikin without missing a beat. After someone like Azoth comes inside and rests for a spell, all bets are off as to what constitutes a guest. "I understand some of you may not be inclined - or able - to partake. Do not worry. Whatever brings you comfort in this space I have provided is all that is important." His gaze does linger on the Mannikin for overlong.
 
     Then Xantia appears, in her own way, and the Seraph looks up to the ceiling. "Hm. I should look into that." With Xantia reassuring her landing on a cushion has kept her from needing further help. He nods at the identification, as she goes to fuss over Azoth. One may be able to see a smile from under the mask - at certain angles - as Xantia presents a 'magical' rock.
 
     "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Seraph Brunor, the overseer and caretaker of Kahedin. The Shrine of the Ice Trial." Seraphita's question is answered - as is everyone's, as he pulls the quilt further around himself. "Your friend, Azoth, though he has not spoken... desires to partake, from what I have gathered." He gestures, and with a great 'creak,' doors behind him open. Cold air starts to rush in, felt only if one approaches. "You will find what brings you happiness within, in whatever form it shall take. You are free to stay as long as you wish."
 
     Seraph Brunor steps aside, to let them all journey forth when ready. "Remember what it is you hold most dear."
 
     ...
 
     Beyond, beautiful ice sculptures refract some of the light from outside. Enchanting... but ephemeral, as the ice sculptures will eventually lose cohesion.
 
     In one of these halls, perfect ice replicas exist of... how? It cannot be, but it is! Old childhood toys, lost mementos, an old tool they don't make like they used to... wonderful things one never would have wanted to depart with, back then, until the passage of time performed its cruel march forward and separated you from them.
 
     They're... also in the way of the next passage ahead, arranged as such there is no way to gently remove them, surrounded by other lovingly crafted ice sculptures. How long will they admire them?

<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

When Ragnell points out that the reason for coming is Azoth's story to tell, a light dances across his visor as the only sign he's heard anything at all. But eventually, he does speak: "Objective located." Verbose, that. Sorry, Brunor. Ragnell plays her song, and lights flicker and move across his visor of a face in response to it.

But there is a Special Kind of Danger: a blur of pink leaping at him in the ultimate attack. Floating as he is, Azoth is displaced in the air, wrapped up in Seraphita's embrace without escape. (Impressively, not a drop of hot chocolate spills.) "User Seraphita," he greets, voice still entirely lacking its emotion. "All systems functional. Power capacity: 63.56." This is not an answer to her question, and Azoth knows that. Another pause. His one working antenna swivels and folds back before righting itself again. "...Designation as friendly target unchanged."

His head turns only as much as it must to acknowledge Ida's presence -- rather, the presence of a strange entity, as far as Azoth knows. Something with similarities to his own nature, though remarkably unlike in other ways (sorcery...). Why are they in pursuit of him? Current data suggests a naivety to their nature, unaware of the danger and perhaps driven by curiosity. Or so lacking in data that any is of significant interest. May it not bring premature destruction.

Xantia comes at him almost like Seraphita, but more red than pink, and with a little less hug, preventing an Azoth sandwich. Is this about your memory? "...Affirmative." And then she offers him.... a rock. Azoth's arm lifts, hesitant, gently holding the memory sharp between two claws. He tilts his head down at it, then up at Xantia, lacking a face to show the appropriate amount of shock. He lets the stone slide into his palm, gently squeezing around it to hold it tightly in a fist against his chest.

Brunor allows them to continue, Azoth giving a(n unsettled?) pause with the advice to remember what they hold most dear. He glances back to the Seraph before moving on.

... Until his circuits light up under his chassis, red and flashing,. "Error. Objective in range. Error. Objective located. Error. Connection cannot be established." The problem of a room of memories for this robot might be that he's erroneously being informed everything he's missing is here in this space. Several swords form around his body, spinning in space and pointing toward various sculptures in the room.

"Error. Conflict with self-preservation protocol."

Azoth twitches and falls to the ground, staggering on his blade-like feet. Oh, so now self-preservation kicks in?! But Azoth's self-preservation functions may very well be an unpredictable disaster because his self is scattered, and he's left desperately calculating ways to preserve all parts of him -- even those he can't find.

And if he does not proceed... then he will still fail to do that. Calculating, calculating... What losses can be taken to continue?

There is one innocently fixated within a large pillar that blocks their path: a pair of rabbit like ears situated as if by a headband -- a small inaccuracy, but one that better conveys their purpose. Azoth steps toward it, running his claw along the edge. His swords fold together like a fan, then extend out and detonate against it to shatter the entire thing, ears and all.

DG: Azoth has used his Tool Explosive Arsenal toward his party's challenge, Treasures Frozen In Time.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    A large ruckus breaks, and three individuals rush in. Ragnell hasn't seen Seraphita in some time, but she certainly remembers the Element. Xantia she's seen much more recently. Ida... well, that's obviously some kind of robot lady and if Ragnall doesn't nod to her in greeting, it's clearly because they've never met before and Ragnell's just a rude kind of person.
    
    As the three of them rush towards Azoth, she trades her harmonica for a long drink of that hot chocolate. She doesn't try to shoo his friends off--and is that, maybe, a hint of a smirk while she's drinking? Surely not.
    
    Once she's played her melody, she focuses on Brunor. "Hmmm... That so," she says, as if she weren't perfectly aware of why Azoth's here. And because they *are* in mixed company, Ragnell adds with flawless insincerity, "Well, I'm jus' here 'cuz it looked interestin', so let's make with the show! Oh--an' I *love* the way you run your shrine," she concludes to Brunor as she saunters into the next chamber behind the others.
    
    What they hold most dear... If she sees Liath in one of the ice sculptures, will anybody be especially surprised? She stops for a moment, expression guarded when she sees it--but she looks then to Azoth as he jerks to a halt, erroring the whole way. For a long while, she watches him. It's not until he lifts himself and *smashes* his swords into it that she nods once.
    
    Then she draws her pistols and rapid-fires lightning bullets on the statue of Liath until it is reduced to frozen rubble, expression unchanging.

DG: Seraph Ragnell has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Treasures Frozen In Time.
<Pose Tracker> Seraphita has posed.

Seraphita releases Azoth after a few moments, at least. She's not going to squeeze him too much. He's damaged!

She can save that for later.

"That's not what I asked," Seraphita says, but she understands Azoth well enough to figure some things out. She looks as if she's going to ruffle his hair for a moment but instead steps away so as to not monopolize his time or space. "I just wanted to see if you were all right. But I'll stick with you for a while."

Seraphita turns to the others, then. "And I won't fight any of you, as long as you let me come along. Since I guess I'm coming on this Trial too!" She beams. Does she even really understand what she's volunteering to do? She's particularly worried about Ragnell and 'Ida' (because she hasn't seen them much lately, or at all; she only recognizes Ida's disguise from the battle, and has not penetrated it). Xantia she is less worried about. They have an 'understanding'.

Seraphita does, however, not go anywhere until she drinks her hot chocolate. She is very appreciative of it.

"I guess we should continue then," she says, following along. Remember what they hold most dear? Seraphita isn't even sure what she thinks that would be. Her friends? Something else...?

...

"Oh, it's pretty..." Seraphita can't help but look this way and that, constantly looking from sculpture to sculpture. A few of the sculptures are probably hers. Some people nobody has seen before could be hers, or could be someone else's; they don't have her ears, certainly, or her hair. A few toys, some of which look familiar to anyone on Filgaia (there's quite a lot of sports equipment) and other ones which don't, body things.

One of them makes Seraphita's ears flatten down slightly before Ragnell shoots and Azoth explodes. They're just *statues*, she tells herself, so why does she feel guilty for watching them shatter? She didn't recognize Liath, but she saw those ears on the pillar...

"Hold on, I have some too," Seraphita says. She does; a block of a clay-ey substance, which she breaks into pieces, sticking them to the bases of half-shattered or intact sculptures. Everyone else is doing it, so...

She pauses, picking up something small that she doesn't show anyone else. It's small enough that she can break it from the statue it came from, and Seraphita almost sticks it in her pocket before she realizes there is no way she can possibly keep it. It's ice, and will melt. She tosses it gently into the pile instead - something small and badge-like.

Then she triggers the plastic explosives with the power of her mind. Because she can do that.

DG: Seraphita has used her Tool Ether-Primed Explosive toward her party's challenge, Treasures Frozen In Time.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Facial expressions are not needed. Xantia knows gratitude when she sees it. Now she can smile without concern. If Azoth can still appreciate rocks, then he's still doing fine.

"...Let's go find what you're looking for." Because of course she'll help him, like she said she would. Even if the circumstances are... unusual, whatever may result from this, recovering memories is, as Azoth might put it, a primary objective. She understands that very well. And, as she recently reminded him, she doesn't break her promises.

Now, finally, she takes a moment to address the others she knows. "Sera. Ragnell. Let's do this." To Ragnell, she adds, "This all happened so quick, I haven't had the chance to talk to Ida yet. So I guess this time'll be up to us, huh?"

If only Ida was actually here. Instead there's only this weird person who's following along that she doesn't know what to make of. Oh well, as long as they're helpful, she supposes.

When Brunor explains what the Trial is all about, she looks a little confused, but shrugs. "Happiness? Really? That's a weird trial, but alright, sounds food to me!" She pauses, then corrects herself, "Good. Sounds good to me." Well, it's obvious what makes her happy. Given that, she's all too eager to proceed, when...

Remember what it is you hold most dear.

Xantia stops, and turns to Brunor with a bright smile, stating with sincere conviction, "No need to worry about that. I won't forget anything ever again."

Xantia's expectations are immediately betrayed, as the first room contains not food, but sculptures. Is this an art gallery? That's pretty far removed from from her interests, she doesn't understand the first thing about art. But then... she suddenly dashes over to one of the 'displays'.

"Wh-- That's my Blizzaga Claw! But that's impossible! It crumbled to nothing in my hand!" It takes her way too long before noticing an important difference to the real thing. "...It's a lot bigger than I remember." Big enough to block the way ahead, along with the many other displays. And not only that...

Xantia's eyes turn towards what's right next to it. Suspended in a large pillar of ice are two objects. Understandibly, she glances at her right arm, since they both look exactly like the bracer she wears there, at least the original part of it that she had this custom shell built around. As far as she remembers, she's only ever had one. And yet, it doesn't feel wrong that there are two. If that's true, what happened to the other one?

And then people start blasting things, quickly derailing her train of thought. She doesn't think much of it though. Breaking things that are in the way, that's not only logical, it's her favorite kind of science. Without hesitation, she slides the custom fist weapon that's just a giant hammerhead into her hand and starts chipping away at the statues in front of her. Chipping as in, she's going to use all the brute force she's got, so this shouldn't take long.

DG: Xantia has used her Tool Mini-Megaton toward her party's challenge, Treasures Frozen In Time.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    "Overseer," the strange entity repeats. "Caretaker." They set the mug of cocoa down, leaving it for someone else to take. They stand there, observing quietly as Azoth is reunited with his companions. They say nothing more--not until Azoth speaks again. "Affirmative." Does this construct have echolalia? Echopraxia? They follow Azoth as he floats along, though they definitely seem to have a bipedal gait beneath those swirling robes.

    "...Remember...?" they say, and they look at Azoth, darkness swirling in the sockets of their mask. "...Remember..." The Seraph told them that--

    And then the ice before them takes on shape, revealing three figures that would be vague suggestions to anyone who didn't know them. The first, a Beastwoman with feline features, exaggerated somewhat, wearing something halfway between a Granasian habit and more daring robes. The second, a long-haired human man encased in icy armor. One hand rests on the hilt of his sword. The third...

    Beneath the illusion, Ida's heart trembles. She's facing away, but that's her. Like the other two sculptures, it's a halfway point between her Hellionized self and her old self. The way she was before the graft.

    At the Ida-simulacrum's feet rests a cat, sculpted from ice, and no one else would recognize the Vice-Admiral, but Ida does. He's there, with his favorite cat wand, and a white lotus, and--

    "Error," the figure repeats, suddenly whipping around to Azoth. "Error. Cannot. Cannot."

    But then Ragnell opens fire. The figure sets a hand on the Ida-statue's shoulder, and begins to push. The white lotus sculpture crunches to shards beneath their foot. "Hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on." Seraphita's words, repeated as if an attempt to comfort.

DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Treasures Frozen In Time.


====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Treasures Frozen In Time *>===================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Beautiful ice sculptures decorate the halls of the Ice Trial, and light       
 occasionally shines through the structures, casting ribbons of refracted      
 color. The sight is as enchanting as it is ephemeral.                         
                                                                               
 In one of these halls, perfect ice replicas of items once lost by members of  
 your party are among the decor. Old childhood toys, lost mementos, or even    
 that old tool they don't make like they used to are on display.               
                                                                               
 Unfortunately, you would never be able to return with such a souvenir. They   
 would melt without the frigid temperatures of the Ice Trial. They also stand  
 in your way, along with other lovely statues. They are only ice, after all.   
 But sometimes it's nice to have had a brief reminder...                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure, Overzealous====================================
===============<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial - Round 2 *>================
=====================< Results - Treasures Frozen In Time >=====================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azoth                               8 --(5)--> 13                  Pass
Explosive Arsenal                   2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ida Everstead-Rey                   0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraphita                           8 --(5)--> 13                  Pass
Ether-Primed Explosive              2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xantia                              0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Mini-Megaton                        3   Brute   Effects: Rally                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Ragnell                      0 --(5)--> 5                   Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Azoth                       20 --(25)--> 45                Pass
Conditions: Overzealous(2)|Reckless(1)|Treasure(1)
Effects: Strengthen(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Azoth has passed this challenge! The party gained 25 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: Azoth has drawn a new Challenge.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Dinner's Ready! *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Everyone is invited to sit down and join each other for a meal, in an odd     
 amalgamation of good memories of sitting down and eating a hearty, fresh      
 meal with friends and family alike. Foods that each of you strongly           
 associate with a fond memory are all freshly prepared for you.                
                                                                               
 There is no abject danger involving the food itself - it is exactly as        
 filling and tasty as it was before. It is, however, devoid of warmth beyond   
 the initial expectations of how it all tastes and feels. It is freezing       
 cold, and it gets worse the longer you stay - as if the trial itself were     
 trying to create a frozen snapshot of you enjoying your meal.                 
                                                                               
 In some fashion or another, you'll need to pry yourself away from pleasant    
 memories of food, drink, and company alike lest you intend to stay for the    
 evening... and the next... and the next... forevermore.                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Wonder, Stupify==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    The sculptures do not stop them. None stop to linger overlong before the sculptures are all - one way or another - shattered, with naught but an uptick of chilly moisture. All of this, it's behind them now. There is no applause, no jeers, no sense of foreboding. They have been acknowledged, and left behind as they head forwards into the next chamber.
 
     "Dinner's ready!" The voice sounds different to everyone. The exact nature of the dialogue, too, may differ - but it all comes to an average of a voice of someone recognized as being a good cook, inviting one in to sit down and eat.
 
     For those who cannot eat, perhaps... a summons to a maintenance cycle one did not find entirely unpleasant.
 
     The air is filled with companionship and mirth, the sense of sitting down to a favorite meal (...or alternative analogue) among people you cherish and love. The food... it's as tasty and filling as it was before.
 
     The one key ingredient missing: warmth. It is frigid here, creeping ever colder and colder the longer one stays to eat... but why not stay a while? There's plenty. You'll never run out of your favorite thing to eat here. You'll always be in good company.
 
     A moment one could wish would stay forever.

<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

Ragnell, don't smirk at him, their attachment is a serious problem! He has discussed this with you!

"... It is advantageous to have User Seraphita's status confirmed." He's trying within his limitations. But whether those limtiations are strictly the result of overrides is another question.

This strange new entity echoes him. Disconcerting -- almost any other source of data would be healthier in the long term to mimic. There is something about the presence of this one, within this shrine, that tugs at data Azoth cannot remember. So close. So close... Connection not established.

Azoth nods to Xantia. Promises... He looks again to the rock in his claw of a hand. He does not doubt her certainty of its power. But he does doubt his capacity to use it. It's important, all the same.

Even in his current state, Azoth is keenly aware that everyone is contending with their own memories (he catches Ragnell's -- startingly obvious, and not something even he would use as ammo the next time he sees Liath). What brings them happiness -- that's Seraph Brunor had said...

The sculptures gone, they at least find Xantia's happiness: a whole lot of food.

Azoth, unable to eat, still experiences the association with friends and togetherness after being invited to such gatherings before. He picks up a raw turnip from one of the plates, slowly turning it over in his claw. Then he notices an electric looking cookie nearby with a beep.

But it wouldn't be much of an ancient, resonant trial if it could not tease at his data and draw out his own concept of rest and togetherness from a forgotten time. Azoth sets the turnip down, looking instead to a plate of rubble. That's not food -- it looks like it belongs in some sort of doll's display, like a fallen city in miniature. There's no way this was ever consumed, but something about it is reminisce of a hearth, in its own strange way.

"...Who did I gather with?" he asks of the shrine, voice deep but volume low.

It cannot yet answer.

Data tries to process, scanning through missing files and encrypted data. Depending on loading times, he may be staring at that plate for a long while...

DG: Azoth has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Dinner's Ready!.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell shrugs broadly at Seraphita. "Don't see no reason to let you tag along. I jus' followed this hunk o' metal in outta curiosity," she jabs a thumb back at Azoth, "and now here I am." She grins broadly. "So maybe that should be my line to you?"
    
    Xantia encourages them to work together, and how sad is it that Ida can't be here? Ragnell gives her a thumb's up, but then side-eyes the last tag-along. "So who's that?"
    
    But then there are the ice statues, and even as Ragnell guns down hers, she notes the others. She notes Xantia's is apparently a weapon (a pair of weapons?), and Seraphita either doesn't have anything she holds most dear or is way better at hiding shit than she seems, and then there's statues of some awfully familiar figures, including one that's...
    
    Ragnell throws a sharp but brief look the tagalong's way. She doesn't say anything. To her, or to Azoth, of the bunny-eared figure he had to shatter. As far as Solaris knows, she's just here on her usual whim and has nothing to do with Azoth, so as long as Seraphita's here, that's how it's going to stay.
    
    So yeah, *Azoth*, she's gonna smirk at you. She does that to everybody. It'd look weird if she didn't.
    
    For now, though, the Ice Seraph returns with a feast. It's a delectable-seeming feast, save that it lacks one crucial thing: heat. Ragnell frowns as she peers over the repast, poking it with one finger. Eating is optional for Seraphim, but it's also very pleasant. For her, who enjoys both cooking and eating, this is nothing short of a disappointment. But it's all her favorites, somehow. She looks up and over at the others.
    
    "Hmmm... So this is the nature of the trial, huh," she murmurs. "Frozen in the past... Tch." She takes a few steps back, frown deepening as she stares hard at the spread of food. Then she finds a column to lean her back on, pulls her harmonica out again, and plays an eerie, discomfiting tune.

DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Polished Harmonica toward her party's challenge, Dinner's Ready!.
<Pose Tracker> Seraphita has posed.

Seraphita still feels guilty about the bomb for no reason she can clearly identify. Which is weird, because *normally* she gets over her guilt about detonating inanimate objects pretty quickly. And she couldn't take that badge...

Something to worry about later! Ragnell may be right; she's better at hiding things than she looks. Or maybe she just really is as inattentive as she looks...

Still, for Seraphita she's remarkably quiet as they progress, or at least quiet about the statues. "Well, I'm glad you came," Seraphita says to Ragnell, brightly. If she suspects anything about her and Azoth, that doesn't show either. Though Seraphita is watching Azoth pretty closely, it's more in a worried manner than a suspicious one. Advantageous to be confirmed...

Eventually, they get to a room. A larger chamber, well-appointed and faintly familiar even though Seraphita *knows* she has never been here bfore.

Like Xantia, Seraphita likes her food. She eats a lot, though in her defense she is also a fire Ether mage who is extremely energetic and athletic. And some of her best memories, right after... after, were her grandmother's cooking, taking care of her as a young beastfolk, too young to really remember much else about it other than that she had been sent away from her parents to stay with the grandmother.

Seraphita's grandmother is the most important person to Seraphita. Without her, forget even being an Element, she would have been out on the street. Or worse. Even with her, she very nearly was.

All this is a very long way to say that, at the sound of what she would swear is her grandmother's voice, Seraphita runs, does not walk, to the table, and practically vaults into a seat. "I'm here!" she says.

Seraphita likes a variety of food and her grandmother did home cooking, so what Seraphita remembers isn't very different than what a Filgaian might see; perhaps the meat in the noodly pasta dish is a little unfamiliar but the actual *dish* seems novel but not bizarre, shaped noodles with some kind of meat sauce and a salad to go with. The salad has a lot of cucumbers in it. A very close eye might spot some interesting shapes in the pasta, as if the noodles had been formed into... what? It's hard to tell. Animals, perhaps. (Seraphita was thinking of a time when she was *very* young.)

Seraphita crunches away happily. She isn't particularly sensitive to cold; she puts out heat when she feels chilly, and she starts doing that almost immediately. And it is good. But... About halfway through the first bowl, she realizes not all the others are eating. Azoth she didn't expect to, but it is taking her a few moments to really *get* that something is wrong.

Her eyebrows furrow. "It is... a little chilly," she says after a few moments. "But I haven't had this stuff in years..." She seems wistful. "...you're sure you don't want to eat anything? There's plenty." Which is good because Seraphita is putting a good dent in her dish, cold or not.

DG: Seraphita has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Dinner's Ready!.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia gives Ragnell a look. Confused at first - Ragnell being so casual in regards to Azoth doesn't add up. But the small smile that soon forms probably means that she has some idea about what's going on here. As for the question the Seraph asks her, she can only answer with a shrug. "I have no idea. Sounds like another machine of some kind? I saw them earlier when we were trying to calm down Azoth." By punching him, the best way to calm anyone down. "I think they're trying to help. They've not not been helping. So, it's fine, probably?"

Of course, Xantia vouching for someone's trustwortiness is of dubious value, given that she'll give anybody the benefit of the doubt. But that's all she's got, and it's good enough for her.

In the end, Xantia barely took in what was in the room. Much like how it would be if she visited a real art gallery. Just a bunch of objects that she doesn't expect she'll understand the significance or value of, so why bother to even stop and look. It's strange that some of them looked familiar, but she was able to push it all aside pretty easily. She just has to stay focused, remember that she's here to help Azoth.

As such, it only makes sense that it's Azoth she looks back to after the sculptures have been removed. It's more difficult to understand him when he's like this, but she judges him to still be Fine, for a certain definition. She can only hope things will continue to be as simple as they have so far. If things are in the way, she just has to make them go away. Nothing is going to distract her from this.

Dinner's ready!

Aaaand to the surprise of no one, Xantia is instantly distracted. There's the happiness that she was expecting. The voice she heard was Lunata's, by virtue of being the one who made the dishes most memorable to her.

Case in point, before long, Xantia is in the middle of eating a Saucery Globe. It's been so long since she challenged it - the only food challenge ever that she was unable to finish, even with help, and making a competition out of it. It never ends. She could eat forever, and keep discovering new things.

Even if they weren't involved with this, instances of having meals with friends and those she came to see as family flash through her mind. It all feels so pleasant. She doesn't even notice the lack of warmth, semi-automatically compensating to guard her body against it with Ether. She shows absolutely no sign of stopping.

That is, until she looks over to the side, suddenly distratced by a remarkably distinctive dish. On that plate is... what might be bacon and eggs. Except it's hard to tell their exact nature, since they're... well, they're green. And not a cat in a hat in sight. At least it smells like bacon and eggs. Sort of. It's reasonably close. Just... sharper. Perhaps it has something to do with the unidentifiable brown stuff that's been sprinkled all over it. And to top it all off, there's some baked mystery mushrooms off to the side. Xantia recognizes this instantly.

"This is... what I cooked for Fei." She abandons the still very intact Saucery Globe to take a bite of the much smaller plate of food. "It even tastes the same." Which, contrary to how it may look, is actually delicious. She may have used unusual ingredients, but Xantia knows exactly what she's doing when cooking food. Somehow. Where did she learn how to cook? She has no memories of that. But thanks to seeing something that she may have fond memories of, but couldn't be here without her preparing it, she's beginning to see the situation for what it is.

"This... this isn't real, is it?"

It breaks her heart to have to even consider the possibility that everything involving this food has been an illusion. It all felt so real, tasted so real. She grips her own crystal shard tightly, for support in trying to deny what she dearly wishes she didn't have to.

"It's not real... can't be distracted... it's all a trick... th-there's... there's no food here..."

Now she understands why this is called a Trial. Actually, Ordeal might be a better word for it. Forcing her to deny the existence of food? Monstrous, absolutely monstrous.

DG: Xantia has used her Tool Memory Shard toward her party's challenge, Dinner's Ready!.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    The figure lingers behind a moment, scooping a fragment out of the slush. There's no telling what it once was, but the entity cradles it gingerly, even as it melts. "Who?" they say, to the shard, echoing Ragnell. They look up, and meet the Seraph's gaze with empty hollows. "Who?" Then the Seraph's look turns sharp, and the figure freezes--

    --And Ida's heart hammers against her ribs, certain the gig will be up if she does anything. But Ragnell knows, and she has to cover for the both of them.

    The figure cocks their head to the side, birdlike. They say nothing. The moment passes, and Ragnell's attention turns to other things. The entity follows, trailing in their wake. When the others sit, they take a seat with them. The spread before them sits on fine Lunarian pottery from one of the cellars beneath Castle Rabenstein. It consists of a teapot, a bowl of Galadian-style noodle soup, and a thick slice of bread with butter.

    There were days when Ida had to force herself to eat--she taught the Mannikins how to cook, just like how Mrs. Agnew taught her, or tried. Ida lacked the senior chef's mastery of the craft. Something else sits on the plate, too, the suggestion of a mirrored surface.

    Beneath the illusion, Ida bites her tongue and busies her hands with the multitool's screwdriver and corkscrew. From the outside, it looks like the figure's hands are a bit more shadow-shrouded as they sit there, bolt upright, fingers clasped. Ida heard Mrs. Agnew's voice, calling her to dinner, when she would eat dinner with the house staff because she wanted to eat with her friend, and her parents let her.

    "This isn't real," the figure repeats, looking up at Xantia. Is there the faintest hint of sorrow in their voice?

DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool ARMS Meister's Field Kit toward her party's challenge, Dinner's Ready!.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Dinner's Ready! *>========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Everyone is invited to sit down and join each other for a meal, in an odd     
 amalgamation of good memories of sitting down and eating a hearty, fresh      
 meal with friends and family alike. Foods that each of you strongly           
 associate with a fond memory are all freshly prepared for you.                
                                                                               
 There is no abject danger involving the food itself - it is exactly as        
 filling and tasty as it was before. It is, however, devoid of warmth beyond   
 the initial expectations of how it all tastes and feels. It is freezing       
 cold, and it gets worse the longer you stay - as if the trial itself were     
 trying to create a frozen snapshot of you enjoying your meal.                 
                                                                               
 In some fashion or another, you'll need to pry yourself away from pleasant    
 memories of food, drink, and company alike lest you intend to stay for the    
 evening... and the next... and the next... forevermore.                       
=Dungeon Conditions: Wonder, Stupify==========================================
===============<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial - Round 3 *>================
=========================< Results - Dinner's Ready! >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azoth                               13 --(7)--> 20                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ida Everstead-Rey                   5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
ARMS Meister's Field Kit            2   Wits    Effects: Enlighten            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraphita                           13 --(7)--> 20                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xantia                              5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Memory Shard                        2   Wits    Effects: Stalwart             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Ragnell                      5 --(7)--> 12                  Fail
Polished Harmonica                  1   Wits    Effects: Cleanse              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Azoth                       45 --(15)--> 60                Fail
Conditions: Overzealous(1)|Stupify(2)|Wonder
Effects: Cleanse|Enlighten(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Azoth has failed this challenge! The party gained 15 exploration! If anyone needs to use party
management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
DG: Azoth has drawn a new Challenge.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Come Play With Us! *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Hellions roam the halls of the Ice Trial, and you've encountered a playful    
 lot of them. Fairies have assumed the forms of childhood friends in an        
 environment reminiscent of a sunny, clear day or other comforting, nostalgic  
 environment. The childish games you might have played are on display, just    
 as you remember them, and they're as fun and captivating as they were then!   
                                                                               
 It feels like the day could never end, nor would you have wanted it to...     
 back then. The longer you indulge, the stronger the grip of the growing cold  
 around you. The day has to end, and it did - and you need to accept that,     
 lest your party risk freezing to a premature end.                             
                                                                               
 You need to go back 'inside,' racing to the nearest door. The Fairies do not  
 try to stop you beyond appealing to how much fun this is. (It really is!)     
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Hesitate===========================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    Everything about the food feels real, and... there's a cruelty there, for those whose hearts desire something more than this. The cold that builds beyond that first bite is the only taste of something being wrong. (Also, Ragnell's music, which doesn't figure into everyone's memories, which... kind of helps?)
 
     The Mannikin is able to voice their concerns the loudest of everyone, and over to Xantia... who has one of two prospective exits: she can eat so much that the Trial is simply unable to keep up with the fantasy before her voracious appetite, and/or she can just upend the damned table and abruptly pull Seraphita and Azoth out of their reveries and face cold, hard facts. Such as that this place is cold, and hard, and that's a fact - but the lingering sensation of missing these gatherings will stick. It's uncomfortably cold, now. Some may even have brain freeze from the food.
 
     They need to keep moving, keep creating energy, create warmth... and it feels like they're going... outside?
 
     There is the scent of Malevolence. It's a faint but real presence, to those sensitive... but it is a clear, beautiful sunny day, or some other environment nostalgic and wonderful. The voices of childhood friends, those long out of contact, call and wave. Come play the games you loved playing! Play all day! The day never ends! It's exactly as one remembers.
 
     It's clear they're disguised Hellions - Fairies, a Fiend-type whose Malevolence draws from selfishness. They do not aggress, but compel to play, play, play! Even as it grows ever colder with every passing moment, they don't break that desire. It will be fun for as long as one wills themselves to stay out there, at risk of freezing.
 
     No one here can stay - one has to go back 'inside,' to the nearest door, and they'll call for you to come back and keep playing. It's so much fun...

<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

Maybe ice sculptures are too much, but Azoth is going to file away what Ragnell called him and tell on her. If that's a thought that will survive this shrine.

Who is that indeed? Azoth does not have an answer to the construct's presence. "Subject unidentified." He glances over Ida, then back ahead. "Insufficient data for accurate analysis. Subject at risk of collateral damage." Robot for 'I don't know, but I'm worried they're going to get blown up'?

Always a distinct possibility in Azoth's company.

But the food isn't real, the comfort isn't real, and nor can Azoth reach the memories behind this notion of hearth and home... What snaps him out of it is Xantia's open distress at the food. It isn't real. The Mannikin agrees. Seraphita and Ragnell both recognize it, too.

Once, Azoth might have run some calculations about how if this is how they react to fake food, what would their reactions be to coming to terms with how fake Azoth is? Now... he's not so certain where the lines between these things are. Somewhere in Azoth's core, he was so determined of realness. It's tied to something. To someone...?

When he's pulled from this chamber and further along, he's able to function again, but frost and ice crunches out of his joints like a snowcone machine as he gets moving again.

Onward, to a new trial, where Azoth feels the world shift in ways he cannot explain and the others may not even perceive. He beeps in alarm, then suddenly stops.

Azoth's set of fairies struggle to take any appropriate shape, hovering around him with pixelated light, glitching in and out of space, and speaking in utterly incomprehensible gibberish. Yet Azoth gazes at them as if he sees and understands them perfectly as whatever they're meant to be. He reaches out with a claw, and one of the fairies lands gently on it.

"Identification requested." An erroneous arc jolts through his chassis, Azoth flinching and even the fairy startled away. "Error. Da#@ba$% C*rr&p^^d. Who...?"

His head tilts very slightly. "...Affirmative. Suggested behaviors would contribute to a refinement of calculations utilized for maneuverability. But --" Glitched light passes over Azoth's visor of a face. He jerks his claw back, leaving the fairy to flit for themself without his support.

"Error. Authorization code invalid. In -- valid? Error. That -- should not be possible --" Glitched light passes over him again, and Azoth grabs at his skull, clawing. "Error. Contradiction found. I -- asked you -- to stay...!"

As if in a panic, his form distorts and he vanishes, teleporting from where he stands toward the door to escape this erroneous situation.

DG: Azoth has used his Tool Void Step toward his party's challenge, Come Play With Us!.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell raises an eyebrow at Seraphita. "Oh? Well, I don't mind seein' you again either," she allows. "S'been a while, huh? What was it... Not since y'all tried to hitch Cece," she means Princess Cecilia, "to one o' your boys in some political maneuver? I don't remember his name." She quirks a half-smile. "I'd kinda be surprised if you did either."
    
    But for a time, she plays. She seems content to ignore the tagalong after that one glance, seemingly accepting Xantia's guess that they're some robot who wants to help out with Azoth on its face. At least, she doesn't show any further interest in them than that. Then again, playing an instrument like a harmonica does require a fair bit of attention.
    
    It ends when Xantia realizes that the food before her isn't real--it's just a trick, that she must've be distracted by it. Ragnell silently comes up behind her. She reaches out a hand and, if Xantia lets her, touches her shoulder. Should their eyes meet, Ragnell gives her a single nod, then squeezes her shoulder, light but reassuring. Then she'll take a step back and reassert their respective personal spaces, looking around with a disinterested expression as if nothing had just happened. Yeah, Xantia's got her number.
    
    As does Azoth... But that's a problem for Future Ragnell. For now, they need to turn their backs on this feast and keep moving. It seems like they're moving somewhere outside, where it's warmer, but... Ragnell frowns. Sure enough, Hellions appear, bidding her and the others to play. It's tempting to 'play' with them with her pistols, but even that's not a good idea. The intensifying cold isn't so much a problem for her, but for the others... Then again, for Azoth--would the extreme cold *help*? She looks over at him as he reaches out a claw. A Fairy lands on it, and he reacts--poorly. Talking seeming nonsense, clutching his head, even teleporting to the other side of the room...
    
    "Oh, are we playin' tag? Works for me," she declares loudly for the benefit of the room before chasing after him. She ignores the Fairies. If one tries to approach her, she *will* shoot it, actually. But that's not the challenge they're facing right now, so--off she goes.

DG: Seraph Ragnell has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Come Play With Us!.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

To say that this trial soured Xantia's mood would be a huge understatement. She managed to overcome the illusion... but at what cost? All that good food... and it just sort of stopped existing. Knowing there was no choice, that it had to be done, doesn't make it feel any better. She gives Ragnell and the strange masked figure that's been following along an absolutely pitiful look when they approach her to show their understanding of the situation.

She's so sad. And since she doesn't even try to hide how she feels, when Xantia is sad, everyone's going to know about it. She looks completely deflated and miserable getting up from that table, shuffling out of the room like it's an enormous effort just to move. None of it is related to what the food physically did to her, this was simply a massive amount of psychic damage. No amount of dealing with disappointment in the past could have prepared her for this. The most optimistic thought she can muster at the moment is that at least the next trial couldn't possibly get any worse.

As it turns out, the next trial is extremely confusing. She actually sees much the same as Azoth - vague figures that are little more than static, speaking in garbled noise as they try and fail to configure themselves to fit Xantia's situation. The problem is... Xantia doesn't remember any childhood friends she may have had. Perhaps due to the lack of formative memories, she doesn't even understand the notion of 'play' the same way that most people would. Even now, she is still actively learning how to have fun playing games. The entire premise of this trial simply isn't working on her.

Well... it's still working in the sense of how it's reminding her of how much she doesn't know about her past. She's seen shapes like this before, when she actively tried but failed to clearly remember things, so she understands the reason why this is happening. And it hurts. She shuts her eyes tightly and covers her ears, trying to shut it all out.

"Stop it... Stop it! I don't know who you are! I don't know how you know me! I don't know what you want from me! If you can't tell me, then leave me alone!!"

That's all she needs to convince her to run. Hopefully in a helpful direction - she's just trying to be anywhere that isn't here.

DG: Xantia has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Come Play With Us!.
<Pose Tracker> Seraphita has posed.

"Right, right!" Seraphita does remember Ragnell, at least a little bit; sure, they didn't talk *that* much. "He's Sharkey."

no he isn't

Seraphita still manages to put away multiple bowls of her pasta and salads both while the others are discussing (and briefly debates stealing something from someone else's plate), but two things are wrong with it:

One, she's missing some of the people who should be here. Even with her new friends here (and yes, everyone here is a new friend) some of the people who *should* be, aren't. She can't see her grandmother, or anyone else from Solaris (Azoth does not count in this case). One of the people here (Ida's disguise) she doesn't even *know*, and she's been debating how to say that it's okay if she wants to take part of her shroud off.

And two, her stomach feels like she swallowed a block of ice, even though it *should* have been nice warm pasta.

Even so she doesn't actually pull herself away until somebody else guides her, whether it's Xantia or Ida who actually coaxes her away. Only then does it sink in a little better what they bailed her out of.

"Ugh, my tummy's cold," Seraphita whines, as she is (finally) convinced to leave. Xantia has the right of it, honestly, even if she figured it out and Seraphita, so willing to take things at face value, didn't. Honestly, she feels vaguely queasy, between that and a hint of brain freeze; she keeps one hand over her stomach as if she felt ill and it would help. She walks with a little less spring in her step and her ears droop more than usual.

And then they run into fairies. Now, Seraphita would ordinarily be *all about* playing with the fairies, but one, she doesn't really feel up to it, and two...

She doesn't recognize the voices.

Seraphita is a Beastfolk of Solaris - one of the very few that is considered anything but barely human 'worker bees'. Slaves in all but name. She was sent away from her parents because they didn't want anything to do with her, and *that's* a memory that she shies away from. She was a Third Class for part of her life. Children simply did not play with her.

"???" Seraphita doesn't react with anger. She reacts with confusion. She likes children, but not because of any memories in her past. She flinches. It doesn't touch her in quite the way it's intended, but her heart still goes out to them. They just want to play... and Seraphita knows how much being ignored can hurt.

So there's one thing she can do... "Hey! Do you want to see a trick?" she asks them, sliding her hands up her sleeves. They come back out holding something.

A faint glitter of silver sand drifts down from the corner of her grip. "See, I've just got just the thing and SURPRISE SAND!"

Seraphita throws the double handful of extremely fine powdery grit in a wide arc, making less a spray and more of a cloud. It detonates with a dull thump as Ether sets it off at a heat barely enough to scorch but with enough force that Seraphita, who jumped into the air as it went off, goes flying a good fifteen feet and hits the ground half-running, half-bouncing in a peculiarly jumpy run.

"POCKET ROCKET SAAAAAND," Seraphita calls backwards in midair, her voice Dopplering as she bounds inside at high speed, trying to snag Azoth en route and make sure he gets in too instead of standing around post-teleport. She must be feeling a little better now.

DG: Seraphita has used her Tool Rocket Sand toward her party's challenge, Come Play With Us!.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    The strange construct pushes themself away from the table. It takes great physical effort, but the fact that Ida has an act to keep up helps immensely. They rise, and turn to Azoth. "Subject insufficient?" they ask. "Data. Unidentified." They pore over the words, as if teasing implications loose. "Data?" There's another birdlike tilt of their head.

    The Mannikin keeps trailing the others like the shadow they so resemble. At the rear of the group, they glance sidelong, and see a spark of Malevolence as it twists into the diminutive form of a young girl with curly hair and eyes like a sheep's. Again, Ida has to take a moment to breathe, to reorient herself, to remind herself that Heidi isn't here. Even though a part of her longs, deeply, for the days when she could play Knights and Dragons with her.

    Azoth, though--

    "Stop," the Mannikin says, reaching out to Azoth. They take off a moment after, suddenly zipping forward with enough speed to kick up a substantial tailwind in their wake. Their feet don't even seem to touch the ground beneath their shadowy cloak. "Stop. Stay! "

DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Zephyr Boots toward her party's challenge, Come Play With Us!.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Come Play With Us! *>======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Hellions roam the halls of the Ice Trial, and you've encountered a playful    
 lot of them. Fairies have assumed the forms of childhood friends in an        
 environment reminiscent of a sunny, clear day or other comforting, nostalgic  
 environment. The childish games you might have played are on display, just    
 as you remember them, and they're as fun and captivating as they were then!   
                                                                               
 It feels like the day could never end, nor would you have wanted it to...     
 back then. The longer you indulge, the stronger the grip of the growing cold  
 around you. The day has to end, and it did - and you need to accept that,     
 lest your party risk freezing to a premature end.                             
                                                                               
 You need to go back 'inside,' racing to the nearest door. The Fairies do not  
 try to stop you beyond appealing to how much fun this is. (It really is!)     
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Hesitate===========================================
===============<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial - Round 4 *>================
========================< Results - Come Play With Us! >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azoth                               20 --(0)--> 20                 Pass
Void Step                           2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ida Everstead-Rey                   5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Zephyr Boots                        2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraphita                           20 --(0)--> 20                 Pass
Rocket Sand                         2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xantia                              5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Ragnell                      12 --(0)--> 12                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Azoth                       60 --(20)--> 80                Pass
Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Slow(2)|Wonder
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Azoth 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: Azoth has drawn a new Challenge.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Perpetual Prism *>========================
|Type: Climax      |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The world grows colder as mist seeps into the chamber. The chill sinks into   
 your being, threatening you with sleep or an equivalent peaceful stupor. A    
 lullaby of memories assaults your senses: happier times and precious          
 moments, slowly becoming more vivid and tangible, as real as the day you      
 lived them.                                                                   
                                                                               
 In the whirling flakes of frost, you see the silhouette of a small child      
 briefly, chased by another will too-long hair and too-big robes before they   
 vanish like ghosts made of snow. "Pray forgive the interruption. This is      
 your Trial, not mine," a familiar voice says -- the masked Seraph from the    
 entrance of the shrine, obscured somewhere in the mists. "I myself would      
 have failed this test a dozen times. I have days where I would fail it        
 still."                                                                       
                                                                               
 Light shines from below the ice, scattering through the chamber like a prism  
 and projecting memories against the mist. What you remember may become        
 manifest in open illusions for your party to witness.                         
                                                                               
 You must keep moving. You must keep yourselves warm. You must press onward,   
 complicated by the way the slippery, ice ground below you rumbles. It will    
 be harder to stay awake if you collapse against the ground. If you can't      
 resist this, you will be consumed by your own memories.                       
                                                                               
 "There is no shame in the indulgence of what was lost. Rest if you require.   
 Your journeys must have been harsh."                                          
                                                                               
 ...Unless you'd prefer to let it happen, and remain here forever with what    
 once was?                                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Tire===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    All of them have enough urgency not to stay and play. The one Fairy that alights upon Azoth recoils in a wail when they disengage so suddenly, so insistently, that it paves a path for others to worry about what's going on right now, rather than be dragged into perpetual playtime. Some... don't even really have childhoods to draw from, and from at least two of the Fairies there they look sad for it. They really do just want to play, in the cold, where all would eventually succumb to freezing.
 
     They all see a trick (SURPRISE SAAAAAAND), attempt to play tag with a Ragnell far too fast for them, and cry pleadingly to Xantia to deaf ears as Azoth is... gone. Only the Mannikin gets a good glimpse at what was, and they are too much of a responsible adult.
 
     They leave back to 'indoors,' but it feels colder than out. It digs in, it tries to bring forth further memories of good, happy times. A silhouette of a small child runs by in front of them, and not too far behind... another, with too-long hair of distinctive colorations and too-big robes, vanishing like ghosts into snow.
 
     "Pray forgive the interruption. This is your Trial, not mine." Seraph Brunor speaks, still obscured in the mists and clutching the quilt around himself tightly. "I myself would have failed this test a dozen times. I have days where I would fail it still."
 
     Light shines from below the ice, scattering through the chamber like a prism and projecting memories against the mist. What you remember may become manifest in open illusions - for all to witness, now. But you can't stay and indulge. You must keep moving. You must stay warm. You must keep going... though the slippery ice underneath may complicate that...
 
     ...it rumbles, occasionally, threatening further to take one off their feet. If one can't resist this, the memories may consume.
 
     "There is no shame in the indulgence of what was lost. REst if you require. Your journeys must have been harsh... to be taken so far away from them."
 
     Will they take up the invitation to rest, reflect... regress? To stay with what once made someone happy, if mere happiness is what one seeks at the end of their Trial.

<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

It's with everyone's help that Azoth is pulled away from his distress, ensuring he does not continue as a glitched mess that remains tormented by the past. Xantia's words are not the ones he'd choose, and yet the sentiments are painfully shared. Just tell me.

... But maybe Azoth's about to get an answer. He perks up suddenly in this new chamber, frigid and unyielding as it is, straightened and all alight. A memory from a time long ago dances in front of him -- not his own, but one that helps him understand. A Trial of happiness...

A Trial of the ephemeral.

"<TRANSMUTATION DRIVE> in range. OVERRIDE: Translate and rename. TRAMSMUTATION DRIVE. Confirmed. Prioritizing retrieval."

Azoth darts over the ice, weaving through the vapor. Sometimes he flickers out of sight, reappearing a fair distance ahead of where he was. What he wants right now is that rumble under the surface, occasionally leaping onto the ice and futilely clawing into it or blasting it with explosive bursts of laser fire and conjured blades.

Flashes of his memories flicker around him. Of learning music and riding a monowheel and contemplating birds, of diving into ruins, of battles side-by-side. Quiet conversations by a camp fire -- spirited gatherings -- chance meetings by the sea. A welcome presence in his circuits -- arms wrapped around him in comfort -- playful choke holds. Worry and concern and forgiveness. He finds curious stones and shells, feathers and flowers, seeing pieces of them in pieces of the world and wanting them to see it, too.

Some images may stand out for their familiarity as Azoth tears through the mists.

...

"Hey, hey, not that you're wrong, but exactly what inspired that comment, robot boy?" she utters, poking him in the head with one finger if he allows it.
She gets the most innocent look of all, but the kind that's too innocent. "Noooothing," he says to her, sing-song. He tilts dramatically with the head poke as if it were more forceful than it really was.
That's okay if he over-reacts to the headpoke, because when he faux-innocently sing-songs that word, she just pokes his head that much harder.


...

Adrenaline rushes directly to her head as she whips the train forward, slamming it head-on into the void beside the tracks. He, likewise, learns that there are some things one just has to learn in the moment. A brief glimmer of catharsis? A reminder of his true power? There is a tremendous crash, followed by an eerie silence...
He stands in the quiet of the aftermath. Once it's all finally over, and the silence has had time to settle, he thrusts both fists upward. "Da da da dah daaa da duh-ta-dah!"
"I knew you could do it," she says, to him, and she claps a hand on his shoulder.

...

"Is everything OK?" she asks. "You look kind of... whoosh! Like everything hit you all at once."
At a loss of everything else, he moves forward to take her gently by the shoulder and, provided she does not squirm or flinch away, pull her into a hug.
She does not flinch away - rather the reverse, because she's kind of a huggy person. She wraps her closer arm around him. "I guess you found out?" she says, after a few moments. "I'm glad! I was hoping you would, I wanted to surprise you but I wasn't sure how? I mean, I wasn't sure how to *show* you without making it look like I was showing off. So I just thought I'd let you meet, and... I guess you did!"

...

"I think you did the right thing. You made a promise to me, and you kept it. So... thank you."
"I don't get to keep many promises these days. I'd like to make more, but..." He winces, gesturing vaguely. "Still... Whatever happens... You have someone who might understand. If I can help at all... I will."
"And I'll help you!" She doesn't include any ifs. In fact, she adds, "I can make the promises instead. That is one. Even if you can't ask for my help. You won't need to. I'll know."

...

...

...

Remember what it is you hold most dear.

One day even this happiness shall become nothing more than a memory.

DG: Azoth has used his Tool Void Step toward his party's challenge, Perpetual Prism.
<Pose Tracker> Seraphita has posed.

Seraphita skids to a stop inside this new chamber, as mist wraps around her coated form. Whirling chips of ice casting thousands of prismatic glittering lines through the room from the upward-shining light... An illusion starts to form in front of Seraphita. It's faint at first, and shows a pair of indistinct silhouettes before firming into two recognizable ones.

One is Seraphita herself, who looks somewhere between intensely nervous and proud; she is younger than she is now, probably in her teens instead of adult, a little smaller and wearing clothes that most have never seen. They look somehow cheap and expensive at the same time, of finer materials than many on Filgaia ever obtain but ill-fitting and oddly generic. They are not tailored for Seraphita's little fluff of a tail, but have been altered to fit, more or less. Azoth at least will recognize them: they are the clothes of a Third Class, given to her now that she appears old enough to work.

The other is Kahran Ramses, head officer of Gebler, the Elements' commander.

Except Seraphita is clearly not an Element yet; she's too young. She looks so eager to please as she demonstrates some of her more complicated Ether tricks. In the way of memories, exactly what she is doing is indistinct and keeps changing, but Ramses seems to approve by his relatively stoic nod. He crouches, speaking to her, and her little stub of a tail actually wiggles in excitement before he says something so surprising that Sera is taken aback, ears pointing straight up.

Other images form around this. Flashes of her time at Jugend; mostly good times, as this place doesn't seem inclined doesn't seem to remind her of the bad times. A few fade as quickly as the rise. Some are Seraphita talking to other girls - some recognizable as Elhaym and Dominia, and later Tolone and Kelvena, outside Element uniforms. Her first real friends, as the five of them were thrown together - even then Ramses expected them to be a team. (Though Elly might be a surprise.) Others are tests, mostly practical tests.

Seraphita looks delighted for a moment, but Brunor's words stick with her: 'This is your trial, not mine'. This too is a test. It has to be. Seraphita feels chilled inside and out and it's not just because of what's gone on already. It's sheer luck she thought of it. Sheer luck...

"This is *mine*," she says, suddenly. "It's a happy time and it's nice to be shown it, but I always have it! I take it with me everywhere I go." She recognizes at least one of Azoth's, too - how could she not? "And so do the rest of us. So even if we keep going it's still all ours! Come on. Let's take our dreams with us!"

Seraphita (the real one) bursts out with a sudden wash of flame, vertically. It warms the air around her like a torch as it streams upward from her raised hand, and it gives other people some warmth to orient on as she starts to march right through, without stopping.

DG: Seraphita has used her Tool Rocket Sand toward her party's challenge, Perpetual Prism.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    Ragnell breaks into snort-laughter. "Sharkey, right. That was it," she replies with the open mirth of someone who *knows* that isn't right and finds it that much more hilarious for it. She does tilt her head at Seraphita in curiosity when it turns out there's some things her fire can't melt so easily, like that icy food in her stomach.
    
    Regardless, they all make it across, rejecting the Fairies and their treacherous playtime to make it through. Should she be proud of them? Ragnell smiles briefly, wanly. It fades when Brunor speaks up, praising them for doing so well at what he might still fail at. She rests a hand on her hip.
    
    "I appreciate your honesty, but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in you as a keeper o' this Shrine," she says archly. "Which makes me think that the offer, *kindly* as it is, is jus' another trick to try to drag down the weak. Nothin' to inspire weakness like bein' assured it's okay an' everyone around you is weak too, so why not jus' give in?"
    
    She smirks and shrugs broadly, even as the others around her race over the ice. As memories she shares with Azoth flicker over the frozen floor. She doesn't react openly to it. The light flickers before her, and it shows Liath--no, not Liath; someone who looks *just like* Liath, if she were several years younger, and a brunette, and a *mortal*, laughing together with a younger Ragnell even as they mercilessly poke each other--
    
    A bolt of lightning strips the light away in a cloud of mist raised from the ice. Ragnell flips a gloved hand upwards.
    
    "Too late," she drawls. "Maybe a decade ago you coulda got me with this, but I've got that shit *on lock*."
    
    More or less.
    
    "Later, sucker!" she hoots before using another blast of lightning to shoot herself back, sailing across the ice towards their destination.

DG: Seraph Ragnell has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Perpetual Prism.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    The Mannikin seems desperately afraid of losing Azoth--given how he's speeding along, blinking here and there, being left behind is a wholly reasonable concern. But even then, there seems to be some deeper motive to their actions...

    Or is it just projection? Who knows what's going on in the construct's head?

    "Failed... Trial," the Mannikin says, as the group comes to a stop inside the hall. They stand there, watching as the Trial reaches deep into their companions' hearts.

    Beneath the illusion, tears well up in Ida's eyes. This is hardly the first time she's seen someone's heart laid bare--she used the Mirror to force the issue, slipping into others' dreams and tormenting them in exchange for fleeting sanctuary. The Mirror was born of the Earthpulse beneath Mount Manfred. Its genesis was a complete accident, the result of a ritual gone wrong. Did this place--or a corruption of the magics here--shape the damned thing's nature?

    Mirrors within mirrors.

    "Another trick," the construct echoes. "Keep going...?" They start to walk. Reflections glimmer in the ice, and are gone in heartbeats. A warm bed, and a gentle, tender embrace. Questions from new students, open and honest. A reunion at the dockside after years away. A dear friend, barking in joy at her arrival.

    The construct watches, but they keep walking. They move as if propelled by some greater force, a current of sorcerous power.

DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Zephyr Boots toward her party's challenge, Perpetual Prism.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia needs a moment to catch her breath after running like her life depended on it. Not for the first time, she wonders what exactly she was running from. Is it the notion that she might never remember, or are there certain things she's subconsciously afraid of remembering? Probably a bit of both, if she's being honest.

The appearance of Brunor instantly pulls her back into the here and now, especially given the mention of another trial. Which... looks simple enough. Just cross over to the side, right? Footing doesn't look great, but she can deal with this, she's pretty sure. She hasn't fully understood the nature of the trial until it begins, and light shines forth, projecting... all sorts of images.

To say that this is distracting would be an understatement. Even if Xantia's memories are limited in how far they go back, by now she has many years of them. So much has happened. It's easy to get lost in all the happy moments she's being shown, which she all remembers with perfect clarity, without even needing to see much of them.

Perhaps as if reflecting this, most of Xantia's memory flashes are very quick. Faces of the many, many people she cares about, regarding her with happy expressions, including everyone else undertaking the trials. It's all she needs to see to remember everything that happened at that time, and thus no more is shown.

Notably, both Fei Fong Wong and Id show up an awful lot. If the reason why wasn't clear, it quickly becomes such when a few of these flashes lasts longer than the rest, highlighting their extreme importance to Xantia. In the first, she's lying in a hospital bed, and Fei is crouched down beside her.

***

"We made a promise, and you kept your side of the bargain. I will not rest until you are satisfied. We'll figure this out, sis."

Xantia's eyes go wide in response. "...sis...ter? So, you're my brother...?"

"Not by blood." Fei tells Xantia. "By choice."

The two share a warm hug, before the memory fades.

***

In another, Xantia is standing directly in front of Id, close enough to tap him on the chest, looking happy to the point of smugness.

***

"If you try to cast aside the things that you need most, I'll be there to pick them up for you. If you run off to do something stupid, I'll be there to pull you back to the point where you can see reason. And if you do something really bone-headed like forget all about me, I'll be there to remind you of who I am."

"...Well, do what you want then. In the end everyone's going to die anyway. Might as well enjoy the time you all have got. Fine. See you around, 'sis'."

There is a flash of light, and Id is gone, leaving a surprised Xantia behind. "He called me 'sis'..."

***

Xantia can recognize the pattern of what she's focusing on the most perfectly well. But rather than getting lost in those moments, it motivates her to keep pushing forward. After all... "...I'm not satisfied with just these memories. I have a lot more to make... as well as a lot to recover. This... this is just the tip of the iceberg!"

Well, if there's one thing this trial accomplished, it's somehow causing Xantia to get both an expression right, and having it be a fitting pun at the same time. We may never see this happen again.

DG: Xantia has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Perpetual Prism.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Perpetual Prism *>========================
|Type: Climax      |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The world grows colder as mist seeps into the chamber. The chill sinks into   
 your being, threatening you with sleep or an equivalent peaceful stupor. A    
 lullaby of memories assaults your senses: happier times and precious          
 moments, slowly becoming more vivid and tangible, as real as the day you      
 lived them.                                                                   
                                                                               
 In the whirling flakes of frost, you see the silhouette of a small child      
 briefly, chased by another will too-long hair and too-big robes before they   
 vanish like ghosts made of snow. "Pray forgive the interruption. This is      
 your Trial, not mine," a familiar voice says -- the masked Seraph from the    
 entrance of the shrine, obscured somewhere in the mists. "I myself would      
 have failed this test a dozen times. I have days where I would fail it        
 still."                                                                       
                                                                               
 Light shines from below the ice, scattering through the chamber like a prism  
 and projecting memories against the mist. What you remember may become        
 manifest in open illusions for your party to witness.                         
                                                                               
 You must keep moving. You must keep yourselves warm. You must press onward,   
 complicated by the way the slippery, ice ground below you rumbles. It will    
 be harder to stay awake if you collapse against the ground. If you can't      
 resist this, you will be consumed by your own memories.                       
                                                                               
 "There is no shame in the indulgence of what was lost. Rest if you require.   
 Your journeys must have been harsh."                                          
                                                                               
 ...Unless you'd prefer to let it happen, and remain here forever with what    
 once was?                                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Slow, Tire===============================================
===============<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial - Round 5 *>================
=========================< Results - Perpetual Prism >==========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azoth                               20 --(0)--> 20                 Pass
Void Step                           2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ida Everstead-Rey                   5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Zephyr Boots                        2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraphita                           20 --(0)--> 20                 Pass
Rocket Sand                         2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xantia                              5 --(0)--> 5                   Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Ragnell                      12 --(0)--> 12                 Pass
Rush                                0   Agility Effects: BASIC                
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Azoth                       80 --(0)--> 80                 Pass
Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Slow(2)|Tire(2)|Wonder
Effects: Quicken(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Azoth 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.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    Brunor watches as everyone faces off with their invitation to stay put, indulge themselves in what's made them and kept them happy... but is no longer there.
 
     Azoth takes hold of what things contend him here and now, even at the cusp of forever severing them away.
 
     A woman underneath the guise of the Mannikin, aware of a similar phenomenon from her darkest days, uses her tempered resolve to push back from reliving those moments of uncompromising happiness.
 
     Seraphita provides warmth, and says outright for everyone to take their dreams with them.
 
     Xantia is not just satisfied with what was that she managed to gather.
 
     Ragnell asks pointed questions, does not give her old memories the time of day, and skips off. Unflinching, the keeper - in his humility and seeming vulnerability to the Trial he oversees - repeats what he says at the beginning. "You will find what brings you happiness within, in whatever form it shall take. You are free to stay as long as you wish."
 
     "And it appears all of you have remembered what it is that you all hold most dear." Brunor says, standing towards the end of where everyone has run to. "Some choose to seek what has been lost, ephemeral, to never return as it was... like the melting snow underneath the warming sun." Once again, a look in Ragnell's direction, but not of hostility. "Yes. You have that shit *on lock*, as you say."
 
     Brunor takes off the quilt around him, holding it in his hands. "There is but one more--"

DG: Azoth has drawn a new Challenge.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Engraved in Memory *>======================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The light moving under the ice breaks through the surface with such           
 shattering force that the delicate ice sculptures of the chamber crumble      
 into jagged rubble. Cold mist clears to reveal an almost humanoid structure   
 if not for its bestial, hunched posture. Ice fills in cracks and missing      
 pieces, including a blade at the end of its segmented tail and elongated      
 claws. Mist becomes steam as powerful ice magic mitigates the dangerous       
 levels of heat this construct is outputting.                                  
                                                                               
 Those who have done battle against a particular Solaris asset may find the    
 construct's silhouette worryingly familiar, but this is not something         
 capable of understanding or responding to any effort to communicate.          
                                                                               
 With a warped, digital song, it secretes more cold fog into the chamber.      
 This is the source of the voices and visions of the past that are tempting    
 your thoughts.                                                                
                                                                               
 If you succumb, the guardian will do nothing. If you resist... the Trial's    
 guardian drops to all fours to launch forward in a feral assault of brutal    
 claws and sweeping tail strikes to anyone who dares push back against the     
 siren call of the past. All the while, the crystalline core hums at its       
 chest. If you can steel your will against the memories that call to you,      
 focus on the present, and smash the magic fueled core, you might end its      
 assault and overcome the Trial once and for all.                              
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

...The dungeon card is not precisely what happens.

Azoth, with a brutal, massive explosion, finally shatters the ice. The whole chamber rumbles, delicate ice sculptures crumbling into jagged rubble.

Clutched in Azoth's claw is another mechanical construct, dangling uselessly in his grasp like a broken puppet. It looks like a mirror of himself with scraps of silver and chunks of ice serving to fill in missing pieces of the machine. It has the same bladed tail and elongated claws, but an even more monstrous helmet.

Steam mixes with the room's mist as powerful ice sorcery mitigates the dangerous levels of heat this construct is outputting. The construct's pieces melt and fall, only droplets by the time they hit the ground. Azoth holds only a strange, difficult to conceive core, motes of light like pixels surrounding it in blue and fuchsia. With a warped, digital song, it secretes more cold fog into the chamber. This empty construct acts as a vessel to carry the sorcery that produces of the voices and visions of the past that are tempting everyone's thoughts.

With a squeezing grip of his own claw, Azoth speaks his command: "Begin installation."

Azoth devours the core in streams of light, and the cold air is chased out by a sudden vortex of heat. Ice melts around them, the frozen footing below becoming dangerously unstable. The walls threaten to give as chunks of melted ceiling falling upon them. Massive sculptures tumble into the chamber and shatter as they fall.

"Damaged data detected." For a moment, Azoth is still. The red lights gleam brighter as he announces his acceptance: "Repair and rewrite."

Memories flicker around him -- but it's all code. Lines of programming, all written in ancient Zeboim and making it even harder to follow than it would ordinarily be are projected around him, as if by holographic terminal rather than ice shrine magic (but it is ice shrine magic). Numbers and fragmented words, and:

AZ-0001. AZ-0002. AZ-0003. Faster and faster, the designations scroll and scroll and scroll, the numbers reaching into the thousands. Azoth sinks down, slumped like he were falling before a grave, clutching the memory shard in both claws now as if it were his last lifeline. He shakes his head, tail curled tightly around himself.

Then he convulses. "ERROR. HARDWARE INCOMPATIBLE." His tail lashes about as if it's gained a life of its own -- a life of agony that can expresses itself in twisted writhing. Even past that, trying to touch him skin to metal will almost assuredly cause burns.

He shrieks out with a sound that cracks the ice around him, too inhuman to be a scream. Azoth swings wildly, slamming a burning claw into the ice and sizzling it as it melts under his overheated grip. His body spins around, and he charges at the party, perhaps still operating on the commands this part was working with to serve as the Trial's guardian.

...Or perhaps, when everything's glitched beyond comprehension, this is what a war machine defaults to.

Any pretense of human is lost, his movements utilizing all four limbs as legs to dive at everyone, claws and tail utilized in a beastly dance of blades that grow redder and hotter. Ice continues to melt in his wake.

Maybe there's still a way to stop him before he overheats and self-destructs.

DG: Azoth has used his Tool Blade Synthesizer toward his party's challenge, Engraved in Memory.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    Brunor, interrupted in his speech, looks to what is unfolding, and kindly steps aside to where he may simply watch and see how the matter unfolds in its... novel expression.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.

    It's not so much that Ragnell doesn't give those memories the time of day as that she's finally come to terms with the fact that those days are gone, and she lives now in a different era. More that she knocks the pieces off the table rather than refusing to play. But it might look the same from the outside. When Brunor gives her that look, she just smirks back mirthlessly. She's generally pro-Seraph, but she doesn't like *anyone* prying into her memories.
    
    But there's something still left undone. Still a challenge to be had. And lucky for Ragnell, it's all about VIOLENCE. She shoots a look up as Azoth shatters an ice sculpture and yanks out a mechanical construct from its fragments. She recognizes it--not because she's seen it before, but because it looks like him--and she outright laughs. She knows more or less what it is, and exactly why Azoth broke apart all that ice for it.
    
    And so she *chills*, folding her arms behind her head and waiting for him to finish doing what he needs to do with it. That doesn't last very long as the heat bursts outwards, shattering the ice; Ragnell short-distance teleports away in a blast of lightning to a more solid spot. She really *does* need a piece of this ice to deal with him...
    
    But even *that* gets put to one side mentally when he announces that the hardware is incompatible. She shoots him another look as he writhes in agony--then utters a low 'tch' as he turns and charges the party, all sense of self lost for the moment.
    
    "Even in a place like this, you're too hot t' handle, huh," she mutters, snatching up her paired pistols. "This might not be the right thing t' contain you, but..." She points her guns at him, as if to open fire--and then tosses them upwards and grabs a grenade from her travel pack. She rips the pin out with her teeth, *hurls* the grenade directly at him, catches her guns, and opens fire.
    
    There will be a lot of lightning writhing into and around him in a moment, is the short of it. Pretty soon this might end up the Water Shrine Mark II. Maybe he'll sink into that water and *freeze up*, as it were.
    
    Maybe not that likely with this particular party make-up?

DG: Seraph Ragnell has used her Tool Lightning Grenade toward her party's challenge, Engraved in Memory.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Another thing that the trial succeeded in is keeping Xantia so distracted by her own memories, she failed to notice that Azoth wasn't exactly... doing the trial the way it was intended. That only happens when Brunor's speech is violently interrupted.

Given everything that she was just reminded of, the first thought that comes to her mind is that there was a time when this would have caused her to wonder out loud 'is this part of the trial'? Feels like it was yesterday, but it has been a while since she understood things quite that poorly, hasn't it? But this is hardly the time to worry about self-improvement.

She doesn't move to stop Azoth from doing.... whatever it is he's doing. She doesn't fully understand, but this machine that looks an awful lot like him has to be what he was looking for, she's sure it must be an important clue to the past. Far be it from her to take that away from anybody.

Yet, in the end... well, if that error message wasn't enough to indicate failure, Azoth's body language is plenty to clue Xantia in that Something Is Wrong. "Azoth..." she begins, surely a precursor to some words of support. But then a painful and probably pained shriek happens, which effectively puts a stop to that attempt.

The signs of incoming trouble evident, Xantia activates her ARM - not for attack, but for defense. She braces herself, ready to fend off blades with an energy blade of her own, yet not making an offensive move of her own. One might surmise that her intention is to let Azoth get it all out of his system, as it were. She could see that a human may need to at a time like this, and she's always refused to treat Azoth differently than she would treat a human.

That's not entirely accurate, however. She's actually biding her time until she can see an opening. Once she has one, perhaps created by one of the others present, it's time to enact the other part of her plan - pressing her free hand directly against his 'skin', such as it is.

This can't possibly feel good against Xantia's own skin. Yet she persists, showing only a determined expression as she bites back the pain. This is too important to back down from. Because what she's doing is employing her ice element to transmit freezing cold temperature directly into Azoth's internal workings. She saw the danger of overheating, and took the best action she could think of to try and counter it. In a heavyhanded way, but that's the Xantia way. The only words she accompanies this with are, "Azoth! Calm down!"

Pity. No 'cool off', or 'chill out'. Her incidental pun powers have already reached their limits.

DG: Xantia has used her Tool ARM Blade toward her party's challenge, Engraved in Memory.
<Pose Tracker> Seraphita has posed.

Seraphita remembers her good memories every day. If it wasn't for Ramses saving her - and he did save her - she wouldn't be where she is, doing what she is. She doesn't need to be shown them to keep them in her heart.

She may not recognize other people's memories, but surely they're as precious to them as hers are, or she wouldn't have seen them here. Even if they refuse to play along more than even she does.

"One more? ...I thought we just passed the test," Seraphita says, still perhaps slightly confused about what their ultimate goal is. She was here for Azoth; anything else is secondary. She looks across the party, from Ragnell to Xantia to Ida (well, her disguise, anyway). "You can probably take that off," she adds. "You don't need to shroud in here... though I guess it might just be cold."

Then to Azoth, who she still worries about. What is he looking for? What *is* he looking for -

He's looking for that.

"...Azoth?" Why are there TWO AZOTHS - no, only one of them is Azoth, the other one is wrong. But the Azoth she knows is taking something, or trying to, except -

"Azoth!" Seraphita raises her voice. Giving him an order didn't work before and it isn't going to work this time, but she has to try: "Please! We're here for you! Ragnell and Xantia and me and..." She doesn't know Ida's name. But she means her.

Azoth comes in at Seraphita and Seraphita covers herself, hunkering down as his blades carve into the coat - and into Seraphita beneath it, but she doesn't make a lot of noise about it. The burns don't hurt her as much as the sharp edges do.

This is because she's trying to do something complex. She has only ever done it once and she's not sure she can do it again, but if he's overheating, she has to try.

The next time Azoth slows in motion, a ring of Ether surrounds him. At first it doesn't hurt or indeed do much of anything, except let Seraphita use it as an anchor for what she does next. Flame jets out from Azoth's body in all directions, plumes that rise up toward the ceiling (because Seraphita has deliberately aimed it away from the floor.

And inside the ring the temperature *plummets* as Seraphita pulls a fair portion of the heat out of it (and, hopefully, out of Azoth) to make the flame. Not too much, but enough. A fire Ether specialist should not be able to create ice, and yet here she is.

The effort of it combined with a tail-slam that sends her careening halfway across the room means she stays down afterwards, though. At least for a moment. Ow, she thinks, disoriented; mentally, she is holding onto the Ether at the expense of anything else, and her thoughts beyond that are a little confused at the moment - but her will is iron.

DG: Seraphita has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Engraved in Memory.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    It's difficult to tell where the Mannikin's gaze falls, but they're clearly paying at least some attention to Azoth. But Seraphita proposes something... strange, and they take a moment to consider. "...take off...?" the figure says, and they glance at Seraphita, head cocked. After a moment, they seem to deduce her meaning, and reach up to pull their cowl back. Beneath is smooth, seamless metal, sculpted into the outline of a human head. Aside from the vague suggestion of lips, they're completely featureless. The mask is part of them.

    "Azoth," says the Mannikin--the first time they've addressed someone here by name, in this Trial. Their body language changes in an instant; they step back, twisting into a defensive stance. A light like a tiny star ignites in their right hand. "Error. Azoth. Azoth? Azoth!"

    Inwardly, Ida watches with shock and horror. This isn't the first time she's seen this happen, but seeing that icy replica--and the core attached to it, and the swirling Zeboim text--would be distressing enough on its own. What happens after...

    The Mannikin snaps their wrist forward, flinging the sphere of light at Azoth. It erupts the instant it's in range. There's nothing physical behind it, only light sorcery concentrated and focused into a weapon. Then the Mannikin rushes Azoth, striking at him with open, armored palms. They seem to realize he's too hot to touch, and keep their contact short, violent, and careful.

DG: Ida Everstead-Rey has used her Tool Flare Grenade toward her party's challenge, Engraved in Memory.
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Engraved in Memory *>======================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 The light moving under the ice breaks through the surface with such           
 shattering force that the delicate ice sculptures of the chamber crumble      
 into jagged rubble. Cold mist clears to reveal an almost humanoid structure   
 if not for its bestial, hunched posture. Ice fills in cracks and missing      
 pieces, including a blade at the end of its segmented tail and elongated      
 claws. Mist becomes steam as powerful ice magic mitigates the dangerous       
 levels of heat this construct is outputting.                                  
                                                                               
 Those who have done battle against a particular Solaris asset may find the    
 construct's silhouette worryingly familiar, but this is not something         
 capable of understanding or responding to any effort to communicate.          
                                                                               
 With a warped, digital song, it secretes more cold fog into the chamber.      
 This is the source of the voices and visions of the past that are tempting    
 your thoughts.                                                                
                                                                               
 If you succumb, the guardian will do nothing. If you resist... the Trial's    
 guardian drops to all fours to launch forward in a feral assault of brutal    
 claws and sweeping tail strikes to anyone who dares push back against the     
 siren call of the past. All the while, the crystalline core hums at its       
 chest. If you can steel your will against the memories that call to you,      
 focus on the present, and smash the magic fueled core, you might end its      
 assault and overcome the Trial once and for all.                              
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound====================================================
===============<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial - Round 6 *>================
========================< Results - Engraved in Memory >========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azoth                               20 --(10)--> 30                Pass
Blade Synthesizer                   3   Combat  Effects: Sacrifice and Embolde
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ida Everstead-Rey                   5 --(10)--> 15                 Pass
Flare Grenade                       2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraphita                           20 --(18)--> 38                Fail
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xantia                              5 --(10)--> 15                 Pass
ARM Blade                           2   Combat  Effects: Embolden             
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seraph Ragnell                      12 --(10)--> 22                Pass
Lightning Grenade                   3   Combat  Effects: Fanfare              
-----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------
Leader: Azoth                       80 --(35)--> 115               Pass
Conditions: Slow(1)|Tire(1)|Wonder|Wound(2)
Effects: Embolden(1)
===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!
DG: The party led by Azoth has successfully explored Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial!
====================<* Kahedin - Shrine of the Ice Trial *>=====================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Onward to the Future *>=====================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          | 
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
 Without concentrated magic to power it, the construct goes inert and slumps   
 slack to the ground, its icy pieces rapidly melting away and causing the      
 rest of it to crumble. The lights along its form flicker and dim, and the     
 construct powers down, leaving a lingering heat to chase away frostbite, but  
 also causes the beautiful sculptures of the Trial to begin to melt. The hazy  
 mist clears, and the voices and visions tempt no longer. Powerful ice         
 resonance settles, and those applicable will feel their spirits heightened    
 with their triumph.                                                           
                                                                               
 The masked Seraph becomes visible as the vapor fades, lifting a palm to       
 catch a droplet of water dripping from the melting ceiling. "Would that I     
 could have frozen those moments in time for all of us." He turns to the       
 party. "But if we never moved from one moment to the next, we would not       
 discover new joys. That is the greater tragedy."                              
                                                                               
 He approaches your party, offering forward a gem as cold as the chamber used  
 to be. "May you always find the strength to make memories you cherish."       
                                                                               
 As your party processes your time here, the Seraph looks down at the fallen   
 construct and the ice melting around it, mumbling to himself. "Even this      
 shrine is meant to be ephemeral. Fading away each time it is completed to be  
 rebuilt anew..." He sighs, and for a moment, you would not be blamed for      
 suspecting he may feel pangs of regret for this level of dedication.          
 "...Best I get started."                                                      
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Azoth has posed.

Ragnell's grenade rips through the air, bullets flying and electricity working to stagger Azoth as it disrupts his systems. It's enough to mitigate the aggression as he slams into Xantia's defenses. Her palm against his, elemental ice sent through him while she burns, and it's all too familiar to how she tangled with him before, filled with promises. Seraphita drains the heat from the area, but there's just so much of it, overwhelming, there to replace it. Yet even a few degrees lower is critical. Ida attacks, striking where she can, battering Azoth's combative algorithms into submission.

These are not his enemies. Calling to him. Calm down. Here for him. Even Ragnell knows it's gone too far, trying to contain him.

Azoth sinks back to his knees. The mist clears. Painful red light has become soft blue, dim and humming. Then it's as if millions of tiny plates along him fold and flip, shifting and reconstructing his form with flickers and grids of light, placing his mask back over himself, so human-like. Some of his 'injuries' still remain: burn marks and scuffs all reveling they're upon silicone instead of flesh, with a few open wounds revealing the metal under him. The blast Kaguya gave his face does mean that eye and the head attached is missing. His skull's still mostly empty behind it.

Objective achieved. Overrides quieted. And yet his body still sizzles in the snow.

He forces one of his little smiles, as if he hadn't had glitched out and broken down but moments ago. "I... I guess... there's still time... to make a few more memories... huh...? Thank you... for the rock..." He looks even to Brunor. "Let me get you a copy of that... data... ...after... after I cool down... a little..."

"E...error... thermal... shutdown."

His eyes dim, and he collapses. It'll be some time before he's able to get himself back up.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Brunor has posed.

    The temperature has raised dramatically in the wake of the battle, and droplets of water start to fall from the ceiling. The hazy mist clear... but there is one last sense of freezing cold. It is not hostile - a sort of sorcerous resonance settles upon the gathered, reinforcing their spirits with the triumph over Kahedin.
 
     The masked Seraph, Brunor, lifts a palm to catch a droplet. "Would that I could have frozen those moments in time for all of us. Whether to keep what we've lost, or forestall what will be," he looks to the party. "But if we never moved from one moment to the next, we would not discover new joys. That is the greater tragedy." He looks to the fallen Azoth, who offers to give him a copy of that data after he cools down a bit. He nods.
 
     He holds the quilt around him, bowing his head... and moves forward, lowering the quilt down... no, he's not giving the quilt, he's unfolding it to show a gem as cold as the chamber used to be. The purest expression of Althenian Ice.
 
     "May you always find the strength to make memories you cherish... and not be weighed by those that have entombed themselves in one's mind." Once retrieved, he looks to the fallen construct, the melting ice, and to the point.
 
     "Even the shrine itself is meant to be ephemeral. Fading away each time it is completed, to be rebuilt anew. Such is my charge..."
 
     "...Best I get started."
 
     Beat.
 
     "Unless you would like some hot chocolate before you leave. I can never forget how to make that!" The good, real kind, not the Trial temptation kind, as he once again wraps the quilt around him - into the lingering remainder of a friendship many years lost to the passage of time.
 
     The young mortal who became a man, and bid his boyhood friend farewell with that keepsake, and lived their life from there.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    The Mannikin's hostilities cease as quickly as they began. The construct stays at arm's-length as Azoth collapses, only to step closer and kneel next to him once it's clear he's no longer a threat. "Still time," they say, and they reach out to rest a hand on Azoth's shoulder, like they saw in one of the memories. He's still warm to the touch, but no longer burning. "Still... strength. Still... new." The Mannikin leans in closer, and whispers: "Thank you. Thank you."

    Ida wants to say more. She doesn't dare say more.

    Instead, the mysterious construct helps Seraphita, as calm and reassuring as they can be, given their shadowy, unexplained nature.

    Ida's learned a lot about her. Her strategic mind sees how she came to be where she is. Her heart aches for her, and wishes she'd grown up somewhere--anywhere--that wasn't Solaris. Maybe she could've been a dear friend, instead of an enemy.

    Things to think on later. For now, Azoth needs attention.