2022-11-03: Things With Wings
- Log: Things With Wings
- Cast: Josephine Lovelace, Seraph Lanval, Marivel Armitage, Juni Vandrer
- Where: Xenobia's Library
- Date: November 03, 2022
- Summary: Josie makes a side trek to Spira in search of an old, old friend.
DG: A party led by Josephine Lovelace is now entering Xenobia's Library. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Ensorcelled Gateway *>======================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Xenobia's Library is a large tower. Getting here was not trivial, for it
involved a long hike through treacherous foothills that few ever cross. Now,
the imposing tower stands before you, with ancient Yevonite sculptures
carved on the outside. There is a long pathway leading up to a set of
stairs.
The stairs come up to a large doorway, but this one is softly aglow. Several
wards are placed on it. These are designed to unlock only with a magical
spell -- a spell you don't know. That leaves another way to get inside:
brute force.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Tire:_Exhaustion_Up! and Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
In a sense, the world is Josie's oyster at the moment. Freed from all obligations at long last, she is able to -- finally -- tend to her own business.
Or, well, nearly freed from all obligations. There is but one remaining, and the nature of that particular debt may well determine how her particular tale comes to its close. But we digress.
It just so happens that as she makes her way through the world, merry and free (or close enough to it) that she had crossed paths with a witch. And that witch had told her a tale.
Which brings us up to this present moment, as Josephine, who is not really Josephine, regards the entrance to a particular library nestled in the Calm Lands.
"Well, here's the library and all, like she said," she muses aloud, left hand on her hip. "But there ain't any sign of... hmm."
The witch had said within, hadn't she?
And that doorway's aglow with magick.
"...Don't right mind if I do," Josie says, before producing the archaeologist's (which she most certainly isn't) best friend:
The mattock.
"Right, then!"
And she goes at the door the way no one in Marze would have ever dreamed handling an ensorcelled portal.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Well-Used Mattock toward her party's challenge, Ensorcelled Gateway. Strengthen! Party Brute boosted! New Content
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Somewhere in the background of all this, Seraph Lanval - Oracle of Schturdark - just happens to be in the area on unrelated but presumably important business. There is a loud, constant spray of water thanks to the use of a Seraphic Arte resembling a powerwasher, going at those wards around the door like someone were trying to clean their house of grime.
"Mmm?" He looks over to see Josie there. "Heyyyyy!! If anyone ashksh I washn't breakin' in! That, uhh... 'm bein' paid 20 gil fer it! Ha ha ha!"
Beat.
"Nahhh, 'm breakin' in, jusht havin' fun with ya."
Beat.
"But I thought I'd wash up too..."
DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a risky Brute Action toward his party's challenge, Ensorcelled Gateway.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel Armitage is wearing slacks and a black t-shirt that says 'DOIN' BOOK CRIMES' on it.
She has some TNT, partially already lit in hand as she slowly turns with Lanval to look at Josie. Quietly, she squishes out the fuse with her fingers.
"Breaking and Entering is a serious offense." Marivel tells Josie. "Could put you away for a long time."
She isn't even THE LAW here! But maybe she just wants to go along with Lanval's goofiness.
"You looking for anything in particular? Well, just so happens I'm on a factfinding mission so I'll overlook this."
She steps away so other people can worry about how to get in though.
DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Ensorcelled Gateway.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer isn't an archeologist, her appreciation for the local cultures is also debatable. She likes some of it, she's even gone native to a degree. What this does do though, is make it really easy for her to join the other two in figuring out how to break into a library.
"Yo." She offers simply enough. Goggles pulled into place to protect her eyes. Torch fished from its hiding place. She holds it up briefly, points to it and says, "Uh, I'll start over here. Don't recommend looking at it. You guys have fewer eyes to risk losing and all that." She then sparks it to life and just gets to work weakening anything that looks torchable and workable. Marivel's TNT gets a moment of thought though. She points to a spot and says, "Get me some... do we have anything heavy? Like big and flat?" She holds her arms out, trying to describe it in more ways than one. Maybe an improvised breaching charge? Either way, back to work if not. She can weaken it strategically!
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool Plasma Cutter toward her party's challenge, Ensorcelled Gateway. Rally!
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Ensorcelled Gateway *>======================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Xenobia's Library is a large tower. Getting here was not trivial, for it
involved a long hike through treacherous foothills that few ever cross. Now,
the imposing tower stands before you, with ancient Yevonite sculptures
carved on the outside. There is a long pathway leading up to a set of
stairs.
The stairs come up to a large doorway, but this one is softly aglow. Several
wards are placed on it. These are designed to unlock only with a magical
spell -- a spell you don't know. That leaves another way to get inside:
brute force.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=======================<* Xenobia's Library - Round 1 *>======================== =======================< Results - Ensorcelled Gateway >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 0 --(8)--> 8 Pass Well-Used Mattock 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 0 --(8)--> 8 Pass Force 1 Brute Effects: Risky -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 0 --(8)--> 8 Pass Plasma Cutter 3 Brute Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marivel Armitage 0 --(20)--> 20 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Tire(2)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
A few things have changed about Josie from the last time several of those present have seen her.
For one thing, she's cut her hair.
"...That so?" Josie says, glancing back over her shoulder at Marivel. Her mattock is currently lodged in the door, with her hauling on the end. Her mouth splits in a lopsided grin. "You promise?"
A good chunk of the door comes away with the mattock when it finally rips free. Glancing from Lanval to Marivel, then over at Juni, Josie shrugs. "Ain't lookin' for a fight or none, right. I'm my own lady, this time 'round. But I wouldn't fault you any for thinkin' otherwise. Just mind this, I'd be obligated to pay tit for tat for any funny business, right?"
That grin of her widens. "Still... I got a feeling you ain't about any of that, Lanval. C'mon, lemme make this easier for ya!"
And she steps out of the way of the oncoming stream of water. The door is about a third of the way missing, but there's still enough of it left that -- unless you're Marivel or a small child -- no one here is quite getting all of the way through.
Fortunately, someone brought explosives. Even more fortunately, someone (Juni) knows what they're doing.
One ear-ringing explosive later...
"Well! Maybe I should get myself some of that TNT or what?"
The interior of the library afterwards is deadly quiet as they enter the stacks. Except... is that cooing?
There are nests, high in the shelves. There are a lot of nests, actually. A whole host of pigeons have made this their kingdom.
From on high one black-and-white bird, her color distinguishing them from the rest, descends to land on the cracked tile at Josie's feet and gazes up at her inquisitively.
GAME OVER
RETURN OF PENELOPE
"There you are!" Josie cries out, clearly thrilled.
DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
===========================<* CHALLENGE - Page 128 *>===========================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The next room you enter is a storage room, where there are carts with books
stacked on them. The wheeled carts are meant to move books back to where
they go. You can see much of this work is automated with magic: several
carts roll away, of their own volition, down a hallway. There are other
carts staying put. One, with a single large book on it, begins rolling
towards you.
The book on it opens, and the page it is on has glowing red text: CXXVIII
The page bursts to life with pyreflies, which swirl into the form of a
massive green bug with mandibles, crawling out of the book. It emits a
shrill shriek -- and then spews a foul, sticky goo at everyone that both
burns and causes them to stick to the floor. Then, a large limb ending in a
pincer starts lashing out!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, |
| Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, Weaken:_Brute_Down!, and |
| Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
"Mmm, I dunno, 'm kinda in the fun bushinessh~" Still, the sentiments are made, and with the doors wide open...
Lanval notices it when there's a certain life in Josie's movements, when pigeons appear and one in particular makes their comeback...!
actually this joy may be out of Lanval's range, that is not a small joy, is it, that's a sizeable one
But he smiles along too!
There's time to catch up and admire the pigeons, for a while. A moment of brightness, and levity for all. Somewhere, in this land of death, some creatures have made it a place of life, living, propagating, and... its various byproducts resultant from this sort of thing.
EXHIBIT A) There are carts with books, some rolling around to automatically sort and return these wayward books to their proper places according to some sorting system. Some of them have needed... maintenance.
There's one with a singular large book that bursts open in a spray of pyreflies that turn into a massive green bug with mandibles trying to crawl out of the book. It screams with as much fury as it does displeasure for its situation, and somewhere in this Lanval off-handedly tries to spray it with high-pressure Holy Bottle-infused water as to not disrupt Pigeon Fancying time.
Sure, they can writhe and spray about acidic goo all over the place and threaten their lives with huge pincer arms, but... that's not any more important than admiring the pigeons, for real. It can go soak (literally).
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, Page 128. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"Well if you're going to be into it..." Marivel says. But she does listen to Josie as she clarifies. She considers. And then she nods once. "Well alright, that's about the best I cna hope for in the Weird West."
She will hand off the TNT to Juni so she can blow the door but is otherwise going to just step real far back because ear splitting explosions are not things Marivel likes to be near to for obvious reasons. Her hearing is better than most.
Still, once the path is opened up, Marivel has MORE THAN ENOUGH space to get inand isn't a child! Though she is small. Marivel finds it convenient except for when people try to pat her on the head.
"By the by, Lanval. you must be thrilled that we have all the mystical gem whatsits huh." Marivel asides to him as she raises her microphone and unleashes a swath of flame towards the fiendish book.
She glances to Juni. "By the by, I heard you took the job. Good on you. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."
She finally acknowledges pigeon.
"...Wait did you...leave a bird here?"
DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool My Mike toward her party's challenge, Page 128. Embolden! Party Combat boosted! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Many of the pigeons, as a keen eye might note, are nestled among... hats. Some of them are familiar, possibly. There is a tale here, but whether it's one any would like to hear is another thing entirely.
There are many glittering eyes and dark shapes high in the stacks. They are safe in this place, protected from the elements and Fiends beyond, and high enough on the shelves to avoid those foes that linger within the library. This is the perfect place for them, the very reason Penelope had sought this place for her flock in the first place.
Indeed, one may rightly ask: why should a leader surrender such a role?
And the answer is a simple one.
One may know that they have succeeded by the very fact that their kingdom can survive without them.
And there are many lands yet beyond these.
With a flutter of her wings, Penelope returns to Josie's shoulder, her farewells to her flock -- such that they are -- an abbreviated affair.
And onwards Josie heads with her once-again companion.
"Didn't leave her here, no," Josie asides to Marivel. "More like... she found herself here? Or suchlike."
One cart comes rolling towards them, which is suspicious enough that Josie has fixed her gaze on it even before the book covers thump open to reveal the Fiend possessing the pages.
And when it does that, well.
Josie draws her sidearm and shoots at it, because that's the correct response when a book makes an attempt to eat you and/or your pigeon.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Page 128.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer places the dynamite, set it properly after making a carve out for it. , rigged and lit. She's got earplugs that she fishes out and places while the fuse goes. With the wreckage in place, she nods to Marivel, "Yep. Offer to do some smithing and... other things're there too. Thanks though." Might as well put her knowledge to use if she's stuck!
Then they're in the library. And she watches a pigeon just within reach and was definitely about to snag herself a snack when she saw the looks from the others. She just looks the other way instead. Probaby be bad to eat a limited number of birds out in the middle of nowhere anyway. She watches the almost-snack fly off, then looks to the carts doing their thing. Back and forth. Automated. Maybe she should pay more attention here, there might... be more tech here than she expected for a library.
The cart rolling up on them isn't too concerning. The bug crawling out of it though? Juni draws the shotgun and does a combat reload to just... you know. Shoot the thing with her usual 'Go away now' improvised dragon's breath ammo. She uh.. did TRY to avoid torching any pigeons in the blast for what it's worth.
DG: Juni Vandrer has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Page 128.
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
===========================<* CHALLENGE - Page 128 *>===========================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The next room you enter is a storage room, where there are carts with books
stacked on them. The wheeled carts are meant to move books back to where
they go. You can see much of this work is automated with magic: several
carts roll away, of their own volition, down a hallway. There are other
carts staying put. One, with a single large book on it, begins rolling
towards you.
The book on it opens, and the page it is on has glowing red text: CXXVIII
The page bursts to life with pyreflies, which swirl into the form of a
massive green bug with mandibles, crawling out of the book. It emits a
shrill shriek -- and then spews a foul, sticky goo at everyone that both
burns and causes them to stick to the floor. Then, a large limb ending in a
pincer starts lashing out!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Embolden:_Combat_Up!, Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, |
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, |
| Weaken:_Brute_Down!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=======================<* Xenobia's Library - Round 2 *>======================== =============================< Results - Page 128 >============================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 8 --(30)--> 38 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 8 --(8)--> 16 Pass Holy Bottle 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 8 --(8)--> 16 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marivel Armitage 20 --(8)--> 28 Pass My Mike 3 Combat Effects: Liability and Embolde -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Slow(2)|Tire(1)|Weaken(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Embolden(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Locked Away Tome *>=======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The hallway that you enter now comes to a dead end. Every wall is filled
with shelving. Most of them are filled with books -- numerous tomes, bound
in leather and stranger materials, and many quite dusty -- but the one at
the end of the hallway is empty, save for one book. That book is bound: a
lock is placed on it, with chains that seal it shut.
The spine is telling: 'THEORY OF TELEPORTATION, Published by Vane Magic
Guild.' And, indeed, it is faintly aglow; one familiar with the history of
magic may be aware that this likely is tied to a teleporter that will bring
one to somewhere else in the ruin.
If, of course, they can open the book.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Embolden:_Combat_Up!, Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, |
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, Secret:_Exploration_Up!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, |
| Weaken:_Brute_Down!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
The pigeons find a ragtag bunch of friends willing to deal with the dangerous Fiend in question, and do they! Between getting hosed down, set on fire, shot on fire, and then shot one last time as the disincorporating Fiend crawls a little too close to Josie and Penelope for comfort... they can ignore the freed pyreflies and wheeling carts for a bit to watch the pigeons for a bit.
"Yep," Lanval says to Marivel as he commences admiring the amount of pigeons that have made themselves comfortable in this place. "Ain't gonna be much longer now there." Aside from all the strange, inexplicable sidequests everyone keeps getting swept up in, but it beats running around in circles fighting the same enemies over and over. He has a sip of his drinking gourd to steady himself in the wake of all that. "The enormity of it... there ain't no forgettin' what we're 'bout ta do."
Juni does not get pigeon snacks. Those beady eyes look down as if in mockery. One holds out their wings in front of them. This may be a threat. A threat they will be grabbed, pushed off the edge into the slime, and DISQUALIFIED from the Blunderdome. (Wait, what? No. The wings held in front stand, though.)
So, they move on from the pigeons, and one can tell the pigeons have not been through this hallway because it's much cleaner. There's a dead end here, aside from shelving. The shelving does not hide hidden doors or walls behind it, if someone checks (and they ought to because it's probably true elsewhere). Every wall is filled with shelves, and most of them books. The subjects are all esoteric, or are lost from wear and tear and dust. Some are bound in leather. Some are bound in... other, stranger magerials that'll go unmentioned.
There's one at the end that stands out. It's bound, with a lock, and chains that seal it completely shut. The spine is easy to read: 'THEORY OF TELEPORTATION, Published by Vane Magic Guild.' It's even aglow, as though thrumming with magic. Those familiar with Althenan magic--
Like Lanval. "Heyyy, I can tell ya, I shee that shame kinda magic with the shtuff that'll teleport ya," he says as he reaches up on his tip-toes to grab the book, pulls it out... and flops over to drop it, where it spins out in front of the group on the ground.
"Mmmm." He scratches his chin. "We don't got a key, do we. Uhhh. Not shure how we get it open--"
He stares at it. Though it's a magical book, it's not terribly animated. It just glows, faintly.
"Pretty pleashe~?"
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"Oh as if teleporting is tough...!" Marivel says, complaining about the book. "Even Lilka can do it! Actually considering how capable she is at accidentally teleporting places, I must admit she certainly must have some talent in not teleporting into a solid object..."
She trails off. Then coughs into her fist. "Mmn. Well, life continues."
She considers Josie's answer on those pigeons too but ultimately shrugs haplessly. "I think I shall not inquire too much and simply appreciate the miracle."
Unfortunately, Marivel can't just teleport herself to the next location anyway because she has no idea where this book happens to lead to otherwise she'd just pop off and meet you there.
"Juni, quick...!" She says. "Open that book...!"
Apparently she figures Juni can handle this one.
DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Locked Away Tome. DG: Seraph Lanval has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Locked Away Tome.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Fair enough!" Josie tells Marivel, flashing a grin her way.
Is this, perhaps, another reason why the pigeons were able to settle this place? It is rather frequented by adventurers and explorers, enough that the Fiends within are kept at a lower ebb. (The pigeons being up high and nesting amidst uninfested books may also help things to some extent.)
Also, they stick to the one room, which also probably helps. There's no sign of the pigeon kingdom in here!
Rulers must know their limits, and where it is wise to expand. Sharing with the Fiends is, in its own way, caring.
Which brings us to the book at the end of the hallway!
"Teleportation, eh? My old man -- eh, well," Josie opines with a shrug. "Enough of him. Let's see here... there's quite a set of locks, yeah?"
She glances Lanval's way and shrugs. "Well! If they ain't left us a key or none, guess we'll just do it the hard way. Right?"
To which she produces her mattock and, with Penelope bracing on her shoulder, takes a swing at one of the locks.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Well-Used Mattock toward her party's challenge, Locked Away Tome. Strengthen! Party Brute boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer gives Marivel a dry look at being told to open the chained book. "I don't have a lockpick set here. I usually just break the locks here beca- hold on." She begins fishing around in her kit. Finding a piece of scrap armor from prior that she'd intended to try and repair. Sliding it between the chains and the book before breaking out her torch again. Probably wouldn't do to torch the book.
There's some brief consideration at that though. "Uh, I make no promises if we really want to risk it." She waits a moment, just in case. Then gets to work. Goggles still in place. She's watching a temperature readout funny enough more than her work. Torching the book even if she gets the chain loose or not, would be a waste.
She's conversational in a distracted way. "Never liked teleporting. Feels weird. You get a sudden start and stop sensation with the momentum." Who knows what she's really talking about though, right?
To Lanval, she adds, "Think you can help if it catches fire by the way? Like, controlled fire fighting? I'm as worried about waterlogging it as I am torching it."
Also with the introduction of the mattock again. She holds a finger up and says, "Let me torch the lock, then you can hit it." Also you know, the teleportation comment, sort of, gets a curious look from the non-magicky alien woman. Which is then shrugged off. Just roll with it.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool Plasma Cutter toward her party's challenge, Locked Away Tome. Rally!
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Locked Away Tome *>=======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The hallway that you enter now comes to a dead end. Every wall is filled
with shelving. Most of them are filled with books -- numerous tomes, bound
in leather and stranger materials, and many quite dusty -- but the one at
the end of the hallway is empty, save for one book. That book is bound: a
lock is placed on it, with chains that seal it shut.
The spine is telling: 'THEORY OF TELEPORTATION, Published by Vane Magic
Guild.' And, indeed, it is faintly aglow; one familiar with the history of
magic may be aware that this likely is tied to a teleporter that will bring
one to somewhere else in the ruin.
If, of course, they can open the book.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, Secret:_Exploration_Up!, |
| Slow:_Agility_Down!, Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Weaken:_Brute_Down!, and |
| Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=======================<* Xenobia's Library - Round 3 *>======================== =========================< Results - Locked Away Tome >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 38 --(19)--> 57 Fail Well-Used Mattock 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 16 --(19)--> 35 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 16 --(19)--> 35 Fail Plasma Cutter 3 Brute Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marivel Armitage 28 --(19)--> 47 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 40 --(15)--> 55 Fail Conditions: Fright(1)|Secret(2)|Slow(1)|Weaken(2)|Wound(1) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace 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: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Sliding Shelf Puzzle *>=====================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The room you enter is filled with shelves that rise floor to ceiling. Each
shelf is filled with books. You come to a dead end, though: a bookshelf
ahead of you is blocking the way. The pathways are quite narrow, moreso than
most of the hallways here. However, you also see a small switch on the
floor.
Pressing it makes the shelf move -- opening the path ahead -- but a second
shelf behind you moves, and blocks off your exit. There are more shelves
like this; each switch on the floor is tied to two shelves, and they have to
be pulled in the correct order, to open up the pathway to the exit from this
room.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Reckless:_Wits_Down!_Brute_Up!, Secret:_Exploration_Up!, |
| Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, and Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval finds that asking it nicely doesn't work, so he has to ask the more corporeal among them.
Marivel finds the idea of asking someone else with more insistence might work.
So Juni and Josie both allow their own methods to go at it. Juni has a more methodical, careful method of dealing with it that risks setting it aflame. When she asks if he can help if it catches fire, Lanval nods. "I could tryyyy~"
Juni toches the lock, which... it's glowing, but in a strange, sorcerous way. Josie tags it dead center with the mattock. They're doing it the hard way, right!
Something happens. The tip of the mattock catches on magic. (this is a thing now, if something suddenly gets glowy in the presence of sorcery, it catches on magic.)
The book makes a weird, hollow 'burp' like sound from the impact, and then there's a blinding, deafening burst that threatens to enact the odd stop and start feeling Juni talks about when it comes to teleportation. It feels like start, whirl around, stop, whirl around in the opposite direction, and then a hard stop where everyone is dumped in mid-air... somewhere, in the tower. No one's embedded in the walls, but they're now deposited unceremoniously in an inescapable(?) room filled with shelves that rise to the ceiling.
It's a narrow space and someone almost certainly will find they've knocked some books around when they come to.
"Heyyyy," Lanval calls, "everyone here? Uhhh. Anyone here?" Beat. "Any shpecific four here?" He's counting Penelope!
They reunite, eventually. "Well... dunno what ta tell ya, there'sh a lotta booksh~"
He's now wearing novelty beer lens glasses. "Welp," he throws a hand up, "guessh we better get lookin'--"
His hand grazes a switch, and a shelf nearby opens. Another moves, closing them off from another route. On closer look, there's even more of them... but not a great set of indications of where anything goes in terms of where they want to be. (Misfired teleportation spells can do that...)
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Amber Tinted Glasses toward his party's challenge, Sliding Shelf Puzzle. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
"Ah, well," Marivel says as Josie swings her mattock at it. "Perhaps I should have urged caution in advance on this one."
There's a weird terrible burp. And a flash. And an awkward teleportation and Marivel hits the floor face first, groaning. In the future, she decides, she better handle the magic junk even if it involves heavy lifting. That's the ticket. Marivel will probably forget about this vow soon too.
She rolls onto her back, puffs out some smoke, and then sits up. She pats herself. "All limbs accounted for. Shouldn't have mentioned Lilka near teleportation magic," She mutters as she stands up.
She stretches out her arms and glances to Josie. "Old man?" She asks.
She looks back to Juni and nods to her. "Well, at least we had a new experience, mm?"
She studies the room they are in and glances around. She sees a button.
"Oh surely not..."
Marivel takes out a notebook, scribbles down some notes, and starts pushing button.
DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles toward her party's challenge, Sliding Shelf Puzzle. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Or, nearly.
"Be my guest!" she says to Juni, taking a step back with a bow and a flourish. All the same, though, she'll be ready to follow up Juni's attempt with one of her own--
For all that it's worth.
There's a terrible sound, terrible in the sense that it is nearly underwhelming in contrast to what happens next. "What the--"
The good news is that everyone's limbs seem to be accounted for and no one is halfway through a wall or somesuch.
"Seems like!" she calls back to Lanval after her own quick self-check. "Could've been worse, yeah?"
Glancing at Marivel, Josie shakes her head. "My sire. My da, if you will. Heard tell he's passed."
There's a pause as Josie turns, surveying the room about her.
"Good riddance."
Her gaze falls on the button as Marivel regards. "Hey, now," she starts, as Marivel goes to push it, turning about to watch the bookshelves grind into a new position.
Penelope, though, apparently seems be ready to seek her own counsel and takes flight from Josie's shoulder to...
...start hitting switch herself.
Typical, really.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Penelope toward her party's challenge, Sliding Shelf Puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel frowns as she's now competing with a pigeon to solve this puzzle.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer is laying on her back, amidst books and probably feathers really. She mutters and holds a finger up, "Magical lockpicks. Clearly." She's not sure how she'd make them, but it's got to be better than oopsing into a wall the next time she tries to 'pick' a magical lock on a magical book on magical teleportation. That burps. There's a scowl at that last part as it rolls through her head. "Why a burp?"
She gets to her feet and brushes herself off. Clearing the way for now. Readjusting her kit and finally rejoining the others. After some creative attempts to reposition her armor.
While the others are messing with buttons she just sighs and twists her wrist, fiddling with the settings to start recording. Things are a lot easier if you can see what each switch does as you're pulling them, right? The system even tries to make a prediction on the puzzle! She rarely relies on that setting even if it's not terrible. It's more fun to just work it out yourself. Even if you're cheating a little. The idea that a pigeon's helping out is a fascinating one though. Maybe it's a good thing she didn't eat one if they're capable of it. Birds can be smart right?
"Everyone okay by the way?" She asks, watching the playback as she walks forward, checking the tracks and getting another look too. Finally she makes her suggestions to the puzzle too. If they're not already on the possibly right path. Magic and being dropped probably isn't helping either way.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool AR Goggles toward her party's challenge, Sliding Shelf Puzzle. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Sliding Shelf Puzzle *>=====================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The room you enter is filled with shelves that rise floor to ceiling. Each
shelf is filled with books. You come to a dead end, though: a bookshelf
ahead of you is blocking the way. The pathways are quite narrow, moreso than
most of the hallways here. However, you also see a small switch on the
floor.
Pressing it makes the shelf move -- opening the path ahead -- but a second
shelf behind you moves, and blocks off your exit. There are more shelves
like this; each switch on the floor is tied to two shelves, and they have to
be pulled in the correct order, to open up the pathway to the exit from this
room.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Quicken:_Agility_Up!, Reckless:_Wits_Down!_Brute_Up!, |
| Secret:_Exploration_Up!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, and Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=======================<* Xenobia's Library - Round 4 *>======================== =======================< Results - Sliding Shelf Puzzle >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 57 --(17)--> 74 Fail Penelope 3 Wits Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 35 --(17)--> 52 Fail Amber Tinted Glasses 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 35 --(5)--> 40 Pass AR Goggles 2 Wits Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marivel Armitage 47 --(5)--> 52 Pass Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 55 --(30)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Reckless(2)|Secret(1)|Stupify(2)|Weaken(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has passed this challenge! The party gained 30 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Dewey Decimal *>=========================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You come to a large, octagonal-shaped room. This lay at the very heart of
the tower, and has tall shelves on each side. These contain a number of
tomes, like the rest. However, there are alcoves built into the shelves,
with a small stand for a number of important books. First, though, there is
the matter of the center of the room. A pedestal rests there, with an open
book upon it.
When you approach the book, you notice that it has a stone tablet built into
the pages. There, you find numerous stone tiles -- which can be moved across
the tablet, and reordered -- that have numbers written on them. The numbers,
you realize, could be moved to solve a rather complex mathematical puzzle
where the tiles are added and multipled to equal numbers written in the
margins of the book.
It may take awhile.
You do not have awhile, though. When you enter the room, a ball of flame
appears over the book, high in the air. Every few seconds, it glows a little
larger. You will need to solve the math problem /before/ it explodes.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Quicken:_Agility_Up!, Reckless:_Wits_Down!_Brute_Up!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, |
| and Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval lounges up against a moving bookshelf somewhere as Josie reiterates what she means about her 'old man' and 'good riddance.' The basics of just how good that riddance is would be fairly well-known among Drifter circles by now, but in Lanval's case... his thoughts always drift back to the day the family brewery from so long ago was left to someone who didn't care a whit for it and sold it off. The same feeling of dismissal, even if the circumstances between present day Josie and centuries-past 'worthless son' are... significantly different.
But enough of that.
It really is mostly button pressing and experimentation, and sometimes having to deal with Penelope getting in the way (gently, with love and care as she deserves). Juni and Marivel do the heavy lifting in terms of figuring out what way's what, and Juni's goggles in particular prove invaluable in finding a direction to go. Marivel is able to successfully compete against Penelope to reach and flick that final switch (that nearly squishes Lanval behind the last shelf, but it's okay, he doesn't have a body and it's funny to watch him squeeze his metaphorical manifestation's bulk past it before it really shuts him out).
They are now in a large, octagonal-shaped room. There's some scorch marks here and there, but never one mind, as there's no active living wildfires here. None whatsoever. Put that out of one's mind.
"If I didn't know better, 'n... actually I don't," Lanval muses as he rubs the side of his face. His glasses are missing a lens for some reason again, "but if I were thinkin' the center of a library, it'd look... shomethin' like it."
He stumbles along to the center of the room, where a pedestal rests. There's a book! It's open... and it has a stone tablet built into the pages. It's remarkable! Also weird. There's a lot of tiny stone tiles within that can be shifted around, which Lanval ends up playing with for a bit without acknowledging the numbers on them. It will take the smarter among them (literally everyone but Lanval, including Penelope) to figure out it's all part of a complex mathematical equation-puzzle related to numbers written in the margins of the book.
"Mmmm... who knew ya could put a toy in a book like that," Lanval laughs, as he looks up and realizes there's a build-up of sorcerous energies. "Uhhhh. If we're gonna do shomethin' with it, we'd... better hurry."
Oh, that's why there's scorch marks, there's an actual ball of flame forming now. It's miniscule, like a spark. Like a little firefly. Every few seconds, it gets bigger... at a glacial but threatening pace, because when does it become too big?
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Amber Tinted Glasses toward his party's challenge, Dewey Decimal. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
That Timotheus Lovelace is dead is a fact few consider to be tragic -- quite the reverse, with the old archmagus' turn in recent years. Not only had the tragedy in Krosse been laid at his feet, but he had been the instigator of far greater atrocities besides. Marze had disowned one of their brightest sons. Ida's promise had borne fruit: the man not only failed to attain eternity, but it is a certain thing he would be forgotten in the thereafter.
And yet, for all his sins against his oldest daughter -- Katriona, now Josephine -- she had reacted quite strangely to his death at first. However ill-earned it was, there had been a piece of her that...
But it's over and gone. It never can be.
She'll shed that like so many versions of herself and arise from her chrysalis.
"Hey, hey--"
Josie intervenes as much as she can with Penelope's 'aid', but there's only so much that she can do with a pigeon who quite clearly has a mind of her own and a good idea of how she's going to solve this puzzle. Oh well!
Still, they get through it, and that's the important part of the whole thing.
"Got it in one, Lannie," Josie remarks, smiling lopsidedly. "Been in enough libraries and you get a sixth sense for it, nearly-like. Anyhow, let's have a look-see 'round here..."
There's a large book, which seems promising.
"What's this, a puzzle?"
Math isn't Josie's strong point, which is a problem, because. "--huh. Don't that beat all. Don't suppose that's a timer?" She's craned her head upwards, gazing at the flame that gently increases in size and intensity.
Penelope meanwhile hops down onto the tome and inspects the stone tiles. Gently, she picks one up with her beak.
Fortunately (?) for everyone involved, pigeons are pretty smart.
They can even learn to do some math.
DG: Josephine Lovelace has used her Tool Penelope toward her party's challenge, Dewey Decimal.
<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.
Marivel sniggers as she sees Lanval get squooshy (you really have no room to talk regarding cartoon physics, Marivel). She gives Penelope a smug look as she hits the final button to complete the puzzle before Penelope. Is she that petty? You bet!
But she does head on through only to find... YES... even more puzzle! Marivel takes a long look at the library room before her gaze ultimately settles on the pedestal with an open book. "Ah--" She says. "This again, isn't it. Take care to approach."
But she will herself because... Marivel is an engineer and, as such is good at the maths.
"Math problems~ math problems~ They're the best they're math problems o/~"
She reaches into the bag around her waist, digs in deep--
--and draws out a NUMBER TWO PENCIL. It looks like it's been CHEWED ON.
"Heh heh.. heh..."
Marivel throws her arms back and cackles, "HAAAAAAAA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAA!"
And then she peeks down at the book and says, "Ha ha multiply by three then subtract..."
She devolves into mumbling.
DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles toward her party's challenge, Dewey Decimal. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer looks at the math problem and scowls. "Your math is dumb." She says flatly. Clearly annoyed that she's at a bit of a disadvantage, not able to really stretch her mental muscles this time, even if she's cheating still. Which is why she assesses both the fireball and the book, and it's stone tablets. Walking around, checking the room and finally climbing up to look at it better.
She just flat says, "If you tell me what numbers you're looking for, I'll just plug them in. Fire's bad and I hate this math."
She's muttering otherwise. Mostly to herself. Maybe she'll have to sit down and actually learn their math finally, especially if she's offering help with gunsmithing which means using their measurements which means tweaking her tools and knowledge and- she groans again. Muttermuttermuetter. She's helping almost entirely by dint of technology for once.
There is a sidelong look at the pencil though. And then a more serious look at Marivel. "Where did you get that?" clearly recognizing it
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool AR Goggles toward her party's challenge, Dewey Decimal. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Dewey Decimal *>=========================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You come to a large, octagonal-shaped room. This lay at the very heart of
the tower, and has tall shelves on each side. These contain a number of
tomes, like the rest. However, there are alcoves built into the shelves,
with a small stand for a number of important books. First, though, there is
the matter of the center of the room. A pedestal rests there, with an open
book upon it.
When you approach the book, you notice that it has a stone tablet built into
the pages. There, you find numerous stone tiles -- which can be moved across
the tablet, and reordered -- that have numbers written on them. The numbers,
you realize, could be moved to solve a rather complex mathematical puzzle
where the tiles are added and multipled to equal numbers written in the
margins of the book.
It may take awhile.
You do not have awhile, though. When you enter the room, a ball of flame
appears over the book, high in the air. Every few seconds, it glows a little
larger. You will need to solve the math problem /before/ it explodes.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Quicken:_Agility_Up!, Reckless:_Wits_Down!_Brute_Up!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, |
| and Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
=======================<* Xenobia's Library - Round 5 *>======================== ==========================< Results - Dewey Decimal >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Josephine Lovelace 74 --(25)--> 99 Fail Penelope 3 Wits Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 52 --(13)--> 65 Pass Amber Tinted Glasses 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 40 --(13)--> 53 Pass AR Goggles 2 Wits Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marivel Armitage 52 --(13)--> 65 Pass Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles 3 Wits Effects: Fanfare -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Josephine Lovelace 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Reckless(1)|Stupify(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Josephine Lovelace has successfully explored Xenobia's Library!
============================<* Xenobia's Library *>=============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - The Secrets of Zeboim *>=====================
| Type: Discovery | Dungeon Ability: Conclusion | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You select an alcove -- and the others have thick stone doors slam shut,
blocking access off to their books. The tome that you pick has a foreword of
interest:
'The Yevonite faith is a testament to the unworthiness of humans. Sin is
something they inflict upon themselves. What is fascinating is how ignorant
they are of their history -- not knowing what New Kasim City means. The Blue
Star is where they came from, but more than that, we see some signs that
world had an impact on us beyond what the Goddess intended. If I can learn
more of this Filgaia, then perhaps I can further my vengeance.'
What follows after that is fairly detailed discussion of machina. She notes
those developed during the Bevelle-Zanarkand War, as well as a handful of
older ones, with theorizing that these came from something known as
'Zeboim.'
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Quicken:_Agility_Up!, Reckless:_Wits_Down!_Brute_Up!, |
| Secret:_Exploration_Up!, Stupify:_Wits_Down!, and Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
It takes a while, between various gripes about math and doodling with a pencil, and... Penelope. The fireball starts getting uncomfortably big, dangerously hot...
Lanval suddenly has a bright idea, the smartest one he's had since he came in here, as that fire burns a bit too big.
He hucks a huge globule of water at it and just puts it out. So, no more time limit.
That means more time in which for Josie to reconnect with her lively, inquisitive feathered friend while Marivel sketches about the margins and Juni has herself a hell of a time trying to convert from Base-10 to the way she's used to counting. No more time limit, no more interruptions. Just time to vibe out with a slide puzzle set inside an open tome.
"I'll be real with ya," Lanval asides to Juni as he otherwise keeps out of the way, "the kinda math I'm ushed ta ish 'more!' Like... more food! More drink! More mirth! More not havin' ta think 'bout the exact number! Ha ha ha!"
Marivel, ultimately, is able to solve it with her number two pencil by not being number two at math, even when Penelope decides she's just going to slide a tile this way and enjoy the noise it makes, or what have you.
The puzzle finishes, and all the doors open. They all go in one (more likely than not Penelope chose for them), and the rest slam shut as a security measure. The one they're in doesn't, so... good. There's a tome that's already open and dusty, something about...
'The Yevonite faith is a testament to the unworthiness of humans.' Who wrote that? Arrogant Guado? No, not at all. 'Sin is something they inflict upon themselves. What is fascinating is how ignorant they are of their history -- not knowing what New Kasim City means. The Blue Star is where they come from, but more than that, we see some signs that world had an impact on us beyond what the Goddess intended. If I can learn more of this Filgaia, then perhaps I can further my vengeance.'
Whose vengenace? If it's Malevolence, doubtful, that stuff doesn't find purchase here because of all the pyreflies. ('OoooOoooooOooo,' wails one flying by right now.) Mystery for the ages, that... but this does talk about detailed discussion of machina, and may solve the riddle as to why some of the ones roaming the Calm Lands are on fire and have been on fire for... centuries. The author talks about those developed during 'the Bevelle-Zanarkand War,' and mention about something called a 'Zeboim' as an origin point.
Lanval is too busy reading to make a quip about it.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josephine might have to retrieve the pieces from Penelope now and again. Pigeons might know math, but what they know better than math is that they like to do crime.
"Hell of an attitude, this one," Josie says once all is said and done and they're not exploding in a fiery inferno. She's talking about the author of a particular text, and not the bird she's wrangled. "Talking like this and that... like they're observing what all's goin' on and not involved." She gestures, vaguely. "Sounds like they've been around a while, too, like. ...Unsent, you think?"
She is, pun unintended, dead wrong there.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer listens to the presentation and rubs her chin. listening to the implications of everything here. Also mention of a conflict, mentions of some equipment, you know. Stuff that's useful on two levels even if she's fully lacking the resources to do much with the cultural part of it. That was cultural right? Hm.
Either way, the presentation is recorded for later use by the diminutive alien. And you know, gear is always useful. Maybe she can sell it. Make it. Obfuscate kit as it. The works!
Marivel turning into a bat is watched, distracting her. Frown. She hadn't seen that before. Planet's weird. Its math sucks still too.
"More gets done in the name of good than not." She offers to Josephine's comment on involvement. "Maybe, maybe not. Could be a recording or something. Maybe a-... a ghost of a different kind."