2024-06-06: Of Rampaging Vending Machines and Other Woes
- Log: Of Rampaging Vending Machines and Other Woes
- Cast: Ruth Pauling, Lan Lilac, Nina Chiyome, Amaterasu
- Where: Gunsmoke Desert
- Date: June 6, 2024
- Summary: Scraphaven remains as always a loud, bustling place. But wait, is that the arrival of an unexpected party into the mix...? And lo, but an ancient enemy awaits them all (it's the vending machine).
DG: A party led by Ruth Pauling is now entering Scraphaven. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Critters and Constructs *>====================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Welcome to Scraphaven: an underground city cobbled together from ancient
technological wreckage. Every piece of architecture in this junkyard
civilization is a patchwork quilt of welded metal and active machinery. The
population is exclusively made of rabbit-like beastfolk with large ears and
tiny bodies, though some have other animal features in the mix. The tallest
of them might be half the size of the average human.
And they are a lively bunch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5PzT2zDlU
Song and dance fill the streets, the diminutive locals of Scraphaven freely
playing bizarre amalgamations of musical instruments fitted with too many
buttons and levers. Mechanical automatons with mismatched bodies mill about
to their own uncanny rhythm and assist in the city's general maintenance,
while those not participating have no problem navigating the busy streets of
their home by running across wires of electric lights strung above.
If you wish to explore deeper into the junkyard ruins, your first task is
getting past this impromptu parade.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
Ruth was called away from the Southvoid Hills of Nede to help deal with something or another in the Gunsmoke Desert. She keeps her grim vigil in an environment very few can survive in for long unattended, until she is approached by some small, rabbity-like beastfolk who approach her without fear or judgment.
"We need help from friends," they tell her, she who at the time had her Domain out.
...
There are some powers in creation one cannot repel, and somehow she is convinced and present alongside whomever else ends up that way.
NOW IN THE PRESENT, IN THE AFOREMENTIONED 'THAT WAY'
An underground city underneath the dunes proves way livelier than any place in any spatial relationship to the Ignasian deserts should ever be, as the sands above are outright inhospitable. Ancient technological scrap is welded and arranged in something that can charitably be referred to as 'architecture.' It's also meant for people way, way smaller than the gathered, which is its own thing.
But these little rabbit-like friends want help, and that help... probably doesn't involve the ongoing parade in the streets, filled with song and dance and mirth and a complete lack of most any available walking space to get anywhere. How does this society, well, get to society'ing? This way, apparently.
Ruth, who is now concealing her true shape on principle, doesn't seem to feel anything one way or another. No revulsion, no embracing, she's just... there, out of her element beyond the song and dance.
...She can be caught humming but otherwise seems entirely aimless about being or getting around here.
DG: Ruth Pauling has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Critters and Constructs.
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
The Gunsmoke is Lan's home. ...Well, it's like her extended front yard, anyway! She's been criss-crossing it alone on foot since she was seventeen, since she left her village to go out into the greater world. She thought she'd seen most of it, although of course someone would have to live a lot longer than Lan has to see everything. There's a lot of desert and only one of her.
But she really kind of thought she would have found out about an underground civilization of Beastfolk by now!
But they had asked for help, which of course Lan couldn't ignore. It's just good luck that she found Ruth Pauling already here, already set to help too. "It's really cool! I wonder if my brother would like it here..." A particularly off-key automaton clanks past and Lan can't stop her face from screwing up just a little bit. "...Maybe not. His ears are pretty big." (She mentions they're big because that's what makes them so sensitive. Lan sometimes assumes that other people will follow her train of thought no matter how many times it leaves the tracks.)
And the parade's not stopping, either! It'd be kind of rude to barge right through it if there's another way... She watches the Beastfolk who live here scurry across the string lights illuminating the town, and hums thoughtfully. A hop, a skip, and an impossible jump have Lan touching down on the string lights herself, butterfly ribbon trailing silver in her wake as she hurries across overhead.
DG: Lan Lilac has used her Tool Butterfly Ribbon toward her party's challenge, Critters and Constructs. Quicken! Party Agility boosted! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina pauses as enters the area. Her mind running in circles briefly. She'd come here to find some extra equipment, again and there's a parade, again. She bounces from foot to foot, looking around. Sure she could take the same route as last time. That would be the obvious one.
She glances around, maybe.. wanting to challenge herself. She pulls her handy rope and claw and begins to spin it, then tries scaling nearby structures to find a new angle to approach from. Clearly giving herself something of a different angle to approach!
Ultimately it's the same thing though. Once she's up high, she pulls the rope, spins it around and throws it across the way to scurry along. Somewhere in the back of her head she's hearing a voice telling her she overcomplicated it. That's not the worst thing. While hanging upside down, crawling along the rope. She pauses, leaning down and waves to a.. well she recognizes the spooky lady and Lan. So they get a wave! Then she scurries along
She does call out, "Hey, careful. Watch your step!"
DG: Nina Chiyome has used her Tool Ninja Tools Box toward her party's challenge, Critters and Constructs. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
Energy Nede beckoned, certainly. And even the outbreak of war on the rift's doorstep was not about to stop Amaterasu from seeing that land for herself. Yet, there are duties that must come before pleasure, and among those duties--
But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? The path that leads down into the depths of Scraphaven's warrens is notably absent the presence of any/all Veruni commandos, particularly a specific one wielding a laser-edged polearm. Indeed, this seems to be a perfectly ordinary ('ordinary' is doing a lot of work here) day within Scraphaven! It's noisy, in other words.
But even if it hadn't been noisy, is it possible that a certain presence would still have gone unnoticed?
"So, child of Energy Nede..."
There! Up on an overhang of a teetering (don't worry, it's been architecturally accounted for already) building, her bodyarmor (absent any sign of paint) glinting in Scraphaven's many fairylights!
It's Amaterasu, of course. She probably had to duck when she came through the portal into the tunnels. She's pretty tall.
"...let us see how you have grown!"
And Amaterasu leaps from that overhang to catch onto a nearby wire, which she uses to whip herself about and land on a wall. Running along it parallel to the ground (and other wires) she jumps again to land on a wire and continues her advance.
It's as if... she's racing the rest of them there. In the most extra way imaginable.
DG: Amaterasu has used her Tool All-Surface Boots toward her party's challenge, Critters and Constructs. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Critters and Constructs *>====================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Welcome to Scraphaven: an underground city cobbled together from ancient
technological wreckage. Every piece of architecture in this junkyard
civilization is a patchwork quilt of welded metal and active machinery. The
population is exclusively made of rabbit-like beastfolk with large ears and
tiny bodies, though some have other animal features in the mix. The tallest
of them might be half the size of the average human.
And they are a lively bunch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC5PzT2zDlU
Song and dance fill the streets, the diminutive locals of Scraphaven freely
playing bizarre amalgamations of musical instruments fitted with too many
buttons and levers. Mechanical automatons with mismatched bodies mill about
to their own uncanny rhythm and assist in the city's general maintenance,
while those not participating have no problem navigating the busy streets of
their home by running across wires of electric lights strung above.
If you wish to explore deeper into the junkyard ruins, your first task is
getting past this impromptu parade.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up! and Quicken:_Agility_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
=======================< Results - Scraphaven - Round 1 >=======================
====================< CHALLENGE - Critters and Constructs >=====================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth Pauling 0 --(5)--> 5 Good
Rush Bsc Agility Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lan Lilac 0 --(5)--> 5 Best
Butterfly Ribbon Min Agility Effects: Quicken,
Efficient, and Liability
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amaterasu 0 --(5)--> 5 Best
All-Surface Boots Min Agility Effects: Quicken
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nina Chiyome 0 --(5)--> 5 Best
Ninja Tools Box Min Agility Effects: Quicken
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Ruth Pauling 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass
Conditions: Hesitate(2)
Effects: Quicken(1)
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ruth Pauling 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> Ruth Pauling has posed.
Up in the wires of electrical lights, the various residents go to and fro without considerations as to how much a miracle of balance and confidence they have to traverse this way without concern. Imagine their surprise...
When a tall armored Veruni leaps through, she finds something horrifying: *they are now playfully following her*.
Like it's all just big fun and not a challenge of their might or coordination. Their joy... is fierce, and unrelenting. (One may hope this isn't a secret evil lair by a certain Water Seraph.)
This provides excellent cues for Nina and Lan to follow suit, and there is another layer to this nonsense - it's all moving to the very beat of the parade's song, to the rhythm, without deviation. It's... a truly strange place.
Ruth is vibing on the ground level. This is probably fine.
DG: Lan Lilac has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Friend Request *>========================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
A pair of spinning grabbers suddenly juts out from a pile of junk nearby.
"ASSIST. FRIEND. ASSIST. PLEASE. THANK YOU. ASSIST!"
Judging by the synthetic voice, one of Scraphaven's robots appears to be
asking for help after getting buried under wreckage. Unfortunately, all you
can see is that pair of two-pronged, grasping hands, and there's no way to
predict how much machine lies beyond those limbs.
What sort of robot you pull up will be a surprise, and you may end up
needing significant force to free it from its predicament!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Overzealous:_Brute_Down!_Combat_Up!, and |
| Quicken:_Agility_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
Someone waves and calls for her to be careful. Lan waves back, of course, and doesn't lose her footing. Once you get in tune with the rhythm of the parade, it's even easier to cross! The fairy lights sway, and Lan takes two steps, and the parade below marches, and Lan takes two steps, and the fairy lights sway, and the Lan is hopping off of her unmarked shortcut to float gracefully down to ground level. Uh. Under-ground level.
Right next to a common scrap heap, with few identifiable parts sticking out here and there. A wheel, an arm, what might be a television like they have in Etrenank (doubtful), another arm, a belt that might be the tread off of a tank, another-another arm.
And a pair of arms! Matched ones, no less, that are waving stiffly. "ASSIST. FRIEND. ASSIST..."
"Uh... oh! You're stuck!" Lan realizes, and grabs hold of both robot arms to give a great big tug...!
Which does absolutely nothing, because all her training and admirable body tone are not going to do jack squat against a few tons of metal. "Okay, uh, plan B then!" Lan backs up - looks left, looks right - and starts casting something that flares silver-bright in the warm rainbow wash of string lights. It's a star cradled in her palm, and Lan judges the distance carefully before she underhands it at the top layer of broken metal bits. Maybe she can just blow some of the worst of the wreckage off of the top and make it easier to crawl free?
DG: Lan Lilac has used her Tool Surprise Meteor toward her party's challenge, Friend Request. Strengthen! Party Brute boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina was totally enjoying the chaos of it all, in it's own way. You know, it's a fun kind of day since it's a parade! (Really she's just enjoying an excuse to get out, be active, practice and.. not be a problem for someone else for a bit.
There's a bunch happening all at once though. ANd she misses a good chunk of it when she spots another familiar figure. One she might have.. creatively given a paintjob too.
Especially when she jumps overhhead and issues a challenge!
Not really. Maybe? She doesn't know and she about falls from her rope when she does that. It's a surprising moment and she catches herself last moment and recovers well enough, landing below with the rope in hand. Tugged and ready to be used as am improvised tool to... well run away really.
Nothing happens though. "Uh." She starts, a stunning apology really. "Did the pai----" she catches herself and says, "I've gotten better." Nice cover. Totally not off her game.
She hurries along suddenly, like she's trying, poorly, to act natural.
She instead tries a happy smile to Lan and Ruth while keeping her hands on her weapons.
There's even an excuse to dart ahead when the figure below is calling for help!
She murmurs a hurried spell and looks sidelong back (Ruth is also spooky, but in a different way. So eyes forward. To the robot and Lan.)
The spell goes off and well, she goes for the obvious answer and pulls. She did just buff her brute strength and.. well she is a bit of a brute sometimes, philosophically speaking.
DG: Nina Chiyome has used her Tool Power Up toward her party's challenge, Friend Request.
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
If things continue apace, Ruth could get left behind in that parade. Given her chronic spiritual condition... there's no pain, anguish, or fear around her. Nothing to latch onto, nothing that speaks to her inner demons. She's had years of living with her new life to keep herself held when there's no stimuli to engage in her worst. Sometimes, it takes the form of spending entire days being a living garden decoration in practice.
'ASSIST. FRIEND. ASSIST.'
Ruth snaps out of the quiet trance in the company of the parade, following the distress like the scent of a predator catching choice prey. The alacrity in which she seems to move towards this is disarming, causing a few parts of the parade to stop and watch.
'PLEASE. THANK YOU. ASSIST!'
The heavily-dressed (former) elf is there almost out of nowhere, right hand over her left shoulder as a twinge of ache runs through said arm.
"You're scared. You're hurt." She gets these 'hits' even from artificial life, it seems, head bowed while Lan lets loose with those beautiful, colorful lights like the romanticized depictions of the stars above. She comes to the immense pile of wreckage, parting her right hand from her left shoulder as half-lidded eyes look to the glint of her Granasian rosary. It struck her, when she was approached by the residents of Scraphaven - she is feared, and in the years she has traveled extended the legacy of Death's Door across all sorts of interesting epithets (Lunarian bandits liken her to a lightning wizard that strikes four times, for example, because none have lived to correct the rumor upon encountering).
And yet, the very idea anyone at all would want her help, her protection grounds the worst of the gnawing despair. She catches Nina smiling at her from the periphery.
"Do you like our world?" She asks of the Nedian, as tension runs through her right hand. What she lacks in the physical strength of yesteryear, she makes up for in physical strength as Malevolence courses briefly before she grips her fingers and yanks with a monstrous shout that trails off in a hiss that's not natural for an elf's throat to have, before the surge goes away.
DG: Ruth Pauling has used her Tool Granasian Rosary toward her party's challenge, Friend Request.
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
Is it horrifying that now she is the lead of their little parade?
It is certainly... different.
When Amaterasu lands, at last escaping the rhythm game to which she has become party, she does so without fanfare. Indeed, she simply turns her head to survey the others who have joined her on this out-of-the-way route beyond Scraphaven proper. ...If she recalls that Nina was the one who got her with spraypaint, she makes no mention of it.
"Hm," she muses aloud, and is no doubt about to give an assessment of some sort, but hark! What sound is there that o'er scrap heap breaks? It is a trapped robot, and the lot of them the rescuers!
...For indeed, Amaterasu does actually get right up in there to grab the stuck robot by one of the manipulators and heaves.
The fact that her armor has begun to glow probably suggests that she's working to counterbalance its own weight in some way. One, at least, hopes that's what's going on.
DG: Amaterasu has used her Tool Shielding Module toward her party's challenge, Friend Request. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
========================<* CHALLENGE - Friend Request *>========================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
A pair of spinning grabbers suddenly juts out from a pile of junk nearby.
"ASSIST. FRIEND. ASSIST. PLEASE. THANK YOU. ASSIST!"
Judging by the synthetic voice, one of Scraphaven's robots appears to be
asking for help after getting buried under wreckage. Unfortunately, all you
can see is that pair of two-pronged, grasping hands, and there's no way to
predict how much machine lies beyond those limbs.
What sort of robot you pull up will be a surprise, and you may end up
needing significant force to free it from its predicament!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Overzealous:_Brute_Down!_Combat_Up!, |
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and Strengthen:_Brute_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================ =======================< Results - Scraphaven - Round 2 >======================= =========================< CHALLENGE - Friend Request >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ruth Pauling 5 --(5)--> 10 Good Granasian Rosary Maj Brute Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lan Lilac 5 --(5)--> 10 Best Surprise Meteor Min Brute Effects: Strengthen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amaterasu 5 --(5)--> 10 Best Shielding Module Min Brute Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nina Chiyome 5 --(5)--> 10 Best Power Up Maj Brute Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leader: Ruth Pauling 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(1) and Overzealous(2) Effects: Resilient(1) and Strengthen(1) = Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ruth Pauling 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> Lan Lilac has posed.
If the load is too heavy, lessen it! If the sorrows are too many, let a friend carry some! After all, many hands make a short road~!
Between removing some of the burdening scrap metal, and three strong people giving it all they've got, the heap of metal junk shifts. The sound is horrible, at first the squeak and creak of metal rubbing against metal. Then the rumble as load-bearing points begin to shift out of precarious alignment.
"ASSIST. FRIEND. ASSIST..." beeps the trapped robot, its digitized voice trailing off as it begins to move. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH." With a cacophonous racket, the shifting metal finds a new formation to settle into, and a squat little robot on two tank treads slowly rights itself before them.
"FRIENDS," it declares, arms waving. "THANK YOU. FRIENDS. ASSISTED."
DG: Amaterasu has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Trashthief Tantrum *>======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Just as you're about to take hold of a crystalline power source in perfect
condition, a pair of talons snatches it up and a ferocious beak screams in
your face. The offending scaly, flightless bird monster isn't content
stealing your things, it also wants to beat you with them. Rude!
Despite its stubby little arms ill fitting of its large body, it's got a
hell of an underhand toss with deceptively precise aim. It hurls the stolen
power source to break and detonate like a bomb at the center of your party.
Of course, after throwing its prize as its opening attack, it only gets
angrier and more aggressive for having lost it. You're not leaving this area
without dealing with its violent tantrum!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Exhaust:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Overzealous:_Brute_Down!_Combat_Up!, |
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
"There," Amaterasu states, once the robot is freed and righted. Absently, she cracks the knuckles of her right hand. "You have been rescued. Now, be about yourself, and do not stray near the heaps again."
She says that so casually, as if there were nothing unexpected about there being a) a robot in need of help b) that the circumstances that had gotten it stuck are something that could easily happen again. Then again, considering the latter more carefully, need one only look about themselves to realize the extent of the perilous circumstances at hand?
"SHOW. FRIENDS. GIVE GIFT. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" continues the automaton, trundling across the heaps with seeming abandon.
"...Did I not just warn you," Amaterasu wonders, her normally implacable expression crinkling in what appears to be dismay. "--Very well. Show us your gift, then be on your way," she states, striding across the heap as if if were no matter. She keeps her balance like a mountain goat, however the scrap twists underfoot.
Finally, the robot comes to a specific place and with some effort, hauls aside a piece of scrap.
It's brilliant. It's beautiful. The power core shines with an inner light, scintillating across the scrap. But before anyone can get ahold of it--
A horrible scaley bird monster's talon closes upon it. It screams, horribly.
And just like that, as Amaterasu descends upon it with alacrity, it hurls its prize back at them all--
see how the core spins and twists and
shatters on the scrap in an eruption of light and heat and force.
Righting herself, shadows vanishing from where they had been conjured before her, Amaterasu turns on the horrible flightless bird monster. She draws Valkyrja from where it had been slung across her back; it catches light and descends without mercy.
DG: Amaterasu has used her Tool Valkyrja toward her party's challenge, Trashthief Tantrum. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
Ruth takes a pause post-rescuing to consider Amaterasu's relative ease of pulling them out in comparison to the others. The sheer noise of joy of the automaton's rescue seems to drown out into noise rather than coherent words. In the moments that follow, she's not certain why she's following the others - she just is.
She lacks the grace and agility of the rest, no thanks to her heavy manner of dress and the inherent challenge of scaling uneven hoards of scrap when one's shell of a body feels as though it never was one they lived in for over four decades.
(It's a challenge all her kind go through, it's normal and fine, the ones that manage to conceal themselves learn to deal with it.)
Bedlam happens, when the prize is stolen, and exploded in a dangerous burst of heat, light, force, and shards. Ruth doesn't notice the shard that embeds itself in one of her shoulders so much.
Moments later, a terrifyingly loud report of a rifle goes off that could echo through Scraphaven (which already has plenty of noisy machinery in its everyday life). Malevolence roils along Ruth's left arm as she struggles to hold her rifle within the confines of the shell of her former self.
DG: Ruth Pauling has used her Tool Gae Buidhe/Dearg DC4 toward her party's challenge, Trashthief Tantrum. Rally! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Given a look from Ruth and that question, she tenses up briefly. She might be a bit on edge. Even if she doesn't seem too upset about it like she'd have thought and... nope no letting her guard down. She does reply as neutrally as she can. Treating it like a police interrogation! Which.. she is kinda good at surprisingly, "It's interesting. There's more to it, even if it's- she wobbles her hand. "Dusty?"
That's the word that came to mind. She does.. very carefully put some space (And Lan) between herself and the armored woman. Even if she's also sneaking looks over. And back at Ruth. And at Lan. And back again.
She's just having an off day, she's usually so much better she promises!
There is a genuine smile as the machine is freed though! Even though she does pause to ask, "How did you get buried?" Worried and glancing up and.. they didn't run into issues right? She'd have thought treads wouldn't have issues with torque and-
Well with her mind wandering, she does seem more at ease briefly.
She's a little more encouraging, in an attempt to avoid the thing being buried again (And to avoid other issues, she swears!) "Keep both treads on the ground and watch where you st-drive. Drive."
She flinches at the report of the rifle, she's not really used to firearms yet. She does still recover quickly enough (Don't ask why her homebrew boomboom doesn't bother her) and she slings a newly made, metal kusarigama. Just a store bought one, but nice.. enough. She doesn't like the hook. The weight though, it works fine and she's slung it low like she wants to tangle the bird monster's leg to yank it down.
Chanting magic as she goes, obscuring the whole thing behind mist. And diving after the attmepted yank, successful or not with the hooked sickle in her other hand. She'd pull a pokemon, but it's confined, it's spur of the moment and.. that's just kinda her.
DG: Nina Chiyome has used her Tool Deep Mist toward her party's challenge, Trashthief Tantrum. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
"It's kind of like a child," Lan ponders out loud. Already forgetting the danger it had just been in! Then again, maybe danger means something different to a creature made of metal and electricity. Being crushed under tons of broken things had only dismayed it.
Following along after Amaterasu, she gives Nina an encouraging thumbs up (and then makes sure Ruth also gets one, because she feels like Ruth probably needs a thumbs up more than anybody on Filgaia has ever needed a thumbs up). Thumbs up!!
The automaton has a treasure! Yay! Which is stolen. Boo. And then EXPLODED AT THEM. RUDE!!!! When the light and heat have finished washing over her, Lan picks herself up with a quiet groan. It had been really pretty for a few seconds there...!
"Hey!" Lan yelps at the horrible flightless bird monster. "Don't be mad at us that you ruined the thing you wanted! You should be ashamed of yourself!" It screeches. Lan leaps up high, plants her feet on a vertical surface (she isn't paying attention to what kind), and launches herself at the horrible flightless bird monster for a vengeful elbow drop.
DG: Lan Lilac has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Trashthief Tantrum.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Trashthief Tantrum *>======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Just as you're about to take hold of a crystalline power source in perfect
condition, a pair of talons snatches it up and a ferocious beak screams in
your face. The offending scaly, flightless bird monster isn't content
stealing your things, it also wants to beat you with them. Rude!
Despite its stubby little arms ill fitting of its large body, it's got a
hell of an underhand toss with deceptively precise aim. It hurls the stolen
power source to break and detonate like a bomb at the center of your party.
Of course, after throwing its prize as its opening attack, it only gets
angrier and more aggressive for having lost it. You're not leaving this area
without dealing with its violent tantrum!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Exhaust:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, |
| Overzealous:_Brute_Down!_Combat_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
=======================< Results - Scraphaven - Round 3 >=======================
=======================< CHALLENGE - Trashthief Tantrum >=======================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth Pauling 10 --(0)--> 10 Best
Gae Buidhe/Dearg DC4 Maj Combat Effects: Efficient,
Rally, and Liability
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lan Lilac 10 --(0)--> 10 Best
Fight Bsc Combat Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amaterasu 10 --(0)--> 10 Best
Valkyrja Maj Combat Effects: Fanfare
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nina Chiyome 10 --(0)--> 10 Good
Deep Mist Min Combat Effects: Cleanse and
Liability
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Ruth Pauling 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1), Overzealous(1), and Wound(2)
Effects: Cleanse
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ruth Pauling 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> Amaterasu has posed.
"EXPLORING. HEAP," their new robot friend answers Nina, "HEAP. FELL."
...Sometimes, it seems, it really is as simple as that.
But alas! The gift it meant to present them with is first rudely stolen and then doubly-rudely destroyed by a horrible bird monster, which then immediately seeks to rage out at them as if it's their fault that the core was shattered so thoroughly.
They're all quick to respond in kind. Amaterasu's Valkyrja flashes across a horribly scaley hide even as it lashes at her with its talons (they scrape, with a horrible sound, across her body armor). Lan follows that attack of its with an elbow drop, laying the bird out before it can respond in kind at someone less-well-armored than Amaterasu.
The roar of an ARM's report echoes across the tunnels -- indeed all across Scraphaven. Is this how it ends for the horrible bird monster?
Nina was just a little bit faster. She has dropped and bound the horrible bird monster even as Ruth takes that shot, the sound and passage of the shell close enough to the monster that it has fainted dead away. It's not going anywhere anytime soon.
>SYSTEM: You caught one (1) horrible bird monster! ...Now what?
"...GIFT. GONE. NO. GIFT. FOR FRIENDS," says their robot friend, slumping its shoulders (?? shoulder-analog ??) as if dejection coursed along its circuits.
DG: Ruth Pauling has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
=============<* CHALLENGE - 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution *>=============
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The people of Scraphaven have little understanding of currency. They don't
use zenny or have any idea what gella is, and would probably try to eat it.
Only one form of wealth holds any sway over them:
Snacks.
Like all wealth, it can drive even the purest soul to the darkest greed. A
profane experiment awakens. Beastfolk scamper from an explosion of junk,
screaming their dismay as a hovering vending machine sparks and sputters
with spinning lasers and projectile candy bars. "Hubris!" one cries. "We
have played in the domain of the gods and now we suffer!" cries another.
You will also suffer if you don't defend yourself from this ambition gone
awry! Panels open up on the vending machine's sides as it fires out a myriad
of rockets. They explode into pretzels. Salty pretzels, for all your wounds.
Amidst the chaos, a nonplussed beastfolk resets a counter back down to zero.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Bad_Luck:_All_Stats_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
There is (1) horrible bird monster. They are now the prize.
Ruth watches the robot friend saunter off unhappy, leaving her to consider whatever it is they're all here for from now.
"...We could eat it," she suggests, but then... she looks up, because there is chaos and it only takes about two seconds for it to become obvioust oa ll involved.
An explosion of junk, as a large boxy automaton with a bulletproof glass screen (it is, there's three with embedded spider cracks) rises, sparking and sputtering with lasers firing from dailing buttons, and projectile candy bars firing at strange (but deadly!) angles from a slot near the bottom.
"Hubris!" One of the locals cry. "We have played in the domain of gods and now we suffer!" Another concurs, as they all scamper past. What they face now...
Is that boxy automaton that stands exactly at Amaterasu's height, as panels open up and throw plasticky capsule-like rockets that look like toys, and feel like toys until their payload goes off in... salty pretzels. It's not just dangerously explosive, it's high in sodium! Also, they're probably expired*.
(* Zeboim era preservatives are a frightening thing. It would be even worse if they were still edible.)
Ruth is surprisingly calm. "I remember machines like this from Zoara." The Zoara region of Aquvy was one of the prime excavation spots for Zeboim-era everythings, almost all of which were retooled into things of war. "You could placate them with coins."
...Is this not the first time this has happened on Filgaia?
ANYWAY, barring anyone having physical coins they can throw in there - what a horrible time to be from a post-scarcity society, Nina! - only force will do.
Ruth draws a Crest Graph and invokes the crests of Muse and Geo, looking to douse the vending machine in a large globule of water.
DG: Ruth Pauling has used her Tool Splashcrest toward her party's challenge, 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
"I don't want to eat anything that..." Lan trails off, waving her hands vaguely. Selfish? Foolish? "What if all the bad decision-making passes on to us?!" Also, it's technically bipedal, in a way that toma and chocobos somehow aren't. "Eugh, count me out..."
And then the two seconds are up, and something even more sinister unveils itself from deep underneath the scrap...!
Lan has seen this before. Where has she seen this before? It isn't until Ruth mentions that they could be placated with coins that Lan remembers. "They give you SNACKS," she declares, as if thousands of years between the Zeboim Era and Lan being sent to pick up lunch at Damzena Base had simply ceased to exist.
She rummages through her pockets while dodging (and very nearly takes an unbelievably expired pretzel to the face). "C'mooooon...!" She's GOT to have something...!
With a triumphant cry, Lan closes her fingers around the disc shape of a .25-gella coin and raises it into the air. With al the focus of an apex predator, or maybe some kind of particularly goofy preying mantis, Lan darts in next to the Vending Automaton, heedless of the blasphemy of the action, and tries very hard to jam her quarter into the slot without getting exploded.
DG: Lan Lilac has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution.
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
'We could eat it.'
"Hmm."
Amaterasu appears to consider this option. But before she (or, probably, anyone else) can make a decision otherwise--
Chaos. There is chaos. Snacks everywhere! They're probably not good to eat, but that won't stop some people. Catching an ancient packaged pastry ejected at her in one hand, Amaterasu takes but a moment to inspect her catch quizzically.
"Ah," she sighs at last, pitching it aside. "It's sugary."
Amaterasu can't taste sugar.
(Also she probably shouldn't eat it anyway, given that it might be thousands of years old but...)
All around her the denizens of Scraphaven lament their hubris in crafting such a contraption in the first place. Should they have chosen more wisely than this? Should they have pursued a less fraught path to wonder and majesty? The machine looms, ominously.
"Coins... I see. So this is a 'ration dispensary'," Amaterasu states, trading Valkyrja over to the opposite hand. "But it has gone mad. There is only one thing that can be done now."
...Does this sort of thing happen often with the Veruni? Or at all??
Amaterasu, meanwhile, pulls out a stopwatch. "30 seconds," she declares, clicking one button upon it.
Valkyrja is taken up in both hands once again. Amaterasu springs at the vending machine in the next moment, apparently seeking to cleave it in two the long way.
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina brushes herself off and tugs on the chain a few times to free it. Wrapping it around her arm, it's stashed away again and she looks down at the bird, then to the sulking robot. She holds her hands up and states, "It's fine it's fine, it's the thought that counts!" She sounds genuine enough. She definitely believes it herself at least.
She returns Lan's thumbs up with a smile. "Wait what?" she turns, checking the machine. She's a bit slow on the uptake. Who's heard of an angry vending machine monster? This isn't some tokusatsu kid's show. (She totally loves some of those) "Not my kinda snacks really." She admits.
For Ruth's comment, she states, "That's all yours." She's.. not going to argue. Was it sentient? It's not her world. Makes her kind of queasy thinking about it, but she also just.. rolls with it for now. Trying to look stoic.
There is also some time spent admiring Amaterasu's weapon. Because she's.. kind of getting into that territory herself, what with borrowed bits of demon talons nad all. And you know, she's just weird sometimes.
Nina wasn't exactly.. above just rattling machines out of spite to be fair. Don't worry about it, it's all petty!
That aside, a beam of light and zips past, she turns her head and catches a legally distinct peanut butter candy to the head.
She only looks startled and tries to fumble-catch the thing to throw it back at what she thought was some angry.. monster?
She checks her available tool. Then quick throws a pokeball out. She seemed almost briefly hesitant, but the pokemon that pops out is her little Toxel! Who makes a triumphant cry and looks back at her briefly. She quickly points, "That way, not at me!" and the pokemon makes a cheery sound and wanders it's way over towards the machine. She's chanting a spell, the same as before! Obfuscating the movement of her pokemon and herself and.. maybe blinding the machine? "Use Nuzzle!" which is still a goofy sounding attack to her, but it does electrocute well!
DG: Amaterasu has used her Tool Stopwatch toward her party's challenge, 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution. Embolden! Party Combat boosted! Shortsighted! The party will suffer a penalty next round... but not this round! DG: Nina Chiyome has used her Tool Deep Mist toward her party's challenge, 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
=============<* CHALLENGE - 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution *>=============
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The people of Scraphaven have little understanding of currency. They don't
use zenny or have any idea what gella is, and would probably try to eat it.
Only one form of wealth holds any sway over them:
Snacks.
Like all wealth, it can drive even the purest soul to the darkest greed. A
profane experiment awakens. Beastfolk scamper from an explosion of junk,
screaming their dismay as a hovering vending machine sparks and sputters
with spinning lasers and projectile candy bars. "Hubris!" one cries. "We
have played in the domain of the gods and now we suffer!" cries another.
You will also suffer if you don't defend yourself from this ambition gone
awry! Panels open up on the vending machine's sides as it fires out a myriad
of rockets. They explode into pretzels. Salty pretzels, for all your wounds.
Amidst the chaos, a nonplussed beastfolk resets a counter back down to zero.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Bad_Luck:_All_Stats_Down!, Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, |
| Embolden:_Combat_Up!, and Shortsighted:_All_Stats_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
=======================< Results - Scraphaven - Round 4 >=======================
==============< CHALLENGE - 0 Days Since Last Divine Retribution >==============
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth Pauling 10 --(5)--> 15 Good
Splashcrest Min Combat Effects: Cleanse and
Inefficient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lan Lilac 10 --(5)--> 15 Good
Fight Bsc Combat Effects: BASIC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amaterasu 10 --(5)--> 15 Best
Stopwatch Maj Combat Effects: Shortsighted and
Embolden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nina Chiyome 10 --(5)--> 15 Best
Deep Mist Min Combat Effects: Cleanse and
Liability
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Ruth Pauling 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass
Conditions: Bad Luck(2)
Effects: Cleanse, Embolden(1), and Shortsighted(1)
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: The party led by Ruth Pauling 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> Ruth Pauling has posed.
Some of the beastfolk over yonder look up as Lan shouts the magic word. Some of them hurry over and pick up some of the released snack stuffs for themselves, because that is the primary vice of the people of Scraphaven. Snacks. Then they don't stay and help take care of the machine. Oh well.
...anyway
"It's not a sin to eat if you're hungry," Ruth says of the revulsion of the idea, but that doesn't go any further. (Eating some of those snacks probably is a sin, though. They weren't paid for!!)
Amaterasu pulls out her stopwatch. 30 seconds, she declares, tapped at about the same time the huge globule of water smashes into the vending machine, and Nina skillfully saves a legally distinct peanut butter candy just before Valkyrja can cleave all of it in twain, because Nina is a ninja. She also briefly strays from the path of a teenage troublemaker by trying to throw it back.
Toxel is sent out to nuzzle the machine, causing it to lock up in place as electricity flares around it... just in time for Amaterasu to cleave it in twain. This should be a win, this should be the decisive blow - and her Veruni weaponry strikes true.
The lower half of the vending machine just goes berserk and starts spewing everything into the air, but its dissected top half makes for an excellent sturdy shield if one needs to run for cover. However, Lan doesn't do that - Lan takes destiny in the shape of a .25-gella coin, makes the play as she weaves past the rain of Phase 2 Boss Fight Area of Effect snacks (that's an actual brand, turns out) and jams it into the coin slot.
It stops in place from there, and awaits anyone to make a selection.
"Don't touch any of the buttons," Ruth says, staying herself from drawing the rifle. There are very few things Death's Door will not attempt to test, and vending machines... are one of them. If they give it a wide berth (or, at least, just not touch any of the buttons for snacks to be dispensed), it will never move or attack again. Scraphaven residents are already looking to set up a 'no entry' zone with some hazard tape.
...Until the next set of residents get the bright idea to play God again out of sheer greed for more snacks, of course, but that's a problem for the next team.
DG: Nina Chiyome has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Gigasdiva *>===========================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The sea of scrap under your feet shifts, then junk bursts up like a geyser
as a monstrous skull breaches the garbage with a bone rattling roar.
A reptilian head crowned in regal, spiraling horns greets you, followed by a
massive upper torso with one claw and then the next dragged free to join.
Segments of its body weave through the wreckage as if it were swimming in a
placid lake, its hide is covered in shiny, glowing treasures that have fused
to its scales in decorative layers. It preens, admiring itself in a
reflective sheet of metal nearby before deigning to take a dismissive swipe
at you.
If Scraphaven lives off of salvage, then it seems this monster has always
gotten the choice selection for itself. And who could ever stop such a
colossal being? You would need a Gear to even think about contending with
this hoarder. Though you might be unable to slay it, you could chip off
valuable materials if you wailed into it hard enough.
Plus, this might help chase it back into the abyss where it belongs before
it makes off with more valuable salvage to feed its vanity.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Bad_Luck:_All_Stats_Down!, Embolden:_Combat_Up!, |
| Shortsighted:_All_Stats_Down!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
*ADDED DETAIL - The defeat of the vending machine clocked in at 26 seconds.
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
Nina's tkaing a moment to figure out what kind of snack this thing actually is. There's an air of distinct.. morbid curiosity about the idea. Not that it's chocolate and peanut butter, but that it's probably older than she is.
She holds it out like it might be radioactive after a moment. "It'd slow my down I'm sure." She states simply. Maybe she'll bag it and throw it at someone back home. Figuratively or literally.
She crouches down after though, beckoning Eddy over so she can pick him up, giving him a cheerful, "Heey good work." and a quick pet. She helps him up to her shoulder where he clings on and she continues on. He'll go back in his ball soon enough, but.. well she's trying!
"Aren't most snacks?" She asks, sidelong towards the comment from Amaterasu that it's sugary. She pauses. Then looks straight ahead and moves. Still a dangerous person and she's probably literally playing with fire.
"Why did you try to put a coin in." She asks Lan, suddenly. Realizing she had in fact seen that. Then she pauses, "Wait is that an anti tamper thing?" Maybe.. she won't mention that to the people back home.
To Ruth, she says, "Never said you shouldn't. Your home, your rules." She means Filgaia. Sort of. She pauses. "I mean.. more if that's the way of things here?" She's a visitor herself as she sees it. (Not an alien!)
Nina has continued walking forward, facing the others. Minor amount of concern aside, it is.. at least exciting and in a sense, she's enjoying herself. It's why she doesn't really understand what she's looking at when she turns around and looks at a giant eyeball.
"Uh. That's a weird screen" She says simple enough and starts to reach out to poke at the thing. She's almost successful when the creature suddenly jerks itself free from the hiding place it had been using and rears back to swipe at the whole group.
Nina lets out an uncharacteristic yelp of surprise and hits the dirt. Immediately. Covering her ears when the thing roars at them and twists, and begins to work it's way through the ruins. It's not that hungry yet. Or they're not tasty enough looking or.. something? She doesn't know.
She does see a few interesting bits of metal about the right size for what she had in mind and even some chain though and she sudden reaches out, snags it with both hands and begins chanting a quick spell while tugging on said chain. This can only go so well as she goes for a ride
DG: Nina Chiyome has used her Tool Power Up toward her party's challenge, Gigasdiva.
<Pose Tracker> Amaterasu has posed.
"Some are salty," Amaterasu says to Nina, quite seriously.
And then, there is violence -- but not at Nina. Rather, Amaterasu delivers for the vending machine a cleave that takes it in two--
But this alone is not sufficient to stop it. Little is sufficient to definitively stop it until Lan delivers the coin.
"Of course," Amaterasu replies to Ruth, when she advises no one touch any of the buttons. Surreptitiously, she checks her stopwatch.
26 seconds... it could be better. But it is at least not overtime.
Trailing after the others she appears to be sweeping the expanse of trash with her gaze as they advance across the scrap, up until that moment.
The moment when an eye pokes up from the scrap, and Nina nearly pokes it, mistaking it for a screen.
Amaterasu is already running towards it as it surges up from the scrap heap, Zeboim-era and other assorted components raining down all about it an an avalaunche of rubbish. Her armor has begin to glow as she nears the perigee of her orbit towards the monstrosity: does she mean to fight it?
Even she would be hard-pressed to stand against a creature of that magnitude, let alone win. If she had Inanna, perhaps it would be a different matter.
But that presumes she intends to win. Is it not enough to force a foe to retreat, sometimes?
Using her armor to weather the strikes, she seeks to carve what she can from that creature's hide. Perhaps it will be enough.
DG: Amaterasu has used her Tool Shielding Module toward her party's challenge, Gigasdiva. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
The Scraphaven residents know how to seal away a minor god. Lan won't have to help them do it! It makes a bit more sense now, with that extra little bit of lore. They clearly angered the machine spirit inside of the vending machine somehow. Lan gives a little prayer to the Guardians that it will stay peacefully sealed away.
"Hmm? Oh, it's a 'Vending Machine'," Lan explains to Nina. "If you put in a coin you can get snacks from it! And for some reason it seemed like a good idea?" Because it's not like elbow-dropping something so bulky and bulletprood would work!
...Or elbow-dropping something like this. Lan dances out of the way of the colossal creature's swiping claws. "What the heck IS this thing?!" she yelps. It's so... gaudy!
And glittery in a few places, but mostly it just looks like it's carrying off most everything a resident of Scraphaven could desire. Either way, it doesn't belong around here! Lan frowns in concentration as she calls down the sky (somehow without damaging the ceiling).
DG: Lan Lilac has used her Tool Surprise Meteor toward her party's challenge, Gigasdiva. Strengthen! Party Brute boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
"Food can be hard to come by," Ruth tells Nina without looking her in the eyes as she gives the vending machine a wide berth. "It's not like your world. We don't always get to choose what food we have." The Adlehyde region has it better than most, but in the deserts beyond... it can become slim pickings quickly.
When you find yourself a few notches higher on the food chain than one used to be, one's options do expand somewhat. Her right hand goes back to her left shoulder in wake of all of that, as they end up in another incident.
Another denizen of the scrap-heap deeps rears up, and makes themselves known. Ruth draws the rifle, but she's too slow even for the half-hearted swipe that the beast tries to take. The enormous Gigasdiva seems more intent on just haording, and keeping whatever shiny accessories they obtain for themselves - it might be an extended long-term courtship ritual, maybe - knocking Ruth aside where she collapses unto a kneel.
Nina goes for a ride in her attempts to claim shinies. The sharpshooter looks up to confirm this reality, and tension rises. Nina's from a world that truly loves and cherishes the creatures it has left, in ways Ruth herself is envious.
Tension runs through her. She grips the rifle in hand, but isn't able to get off any shots in time the beast takes a swipe at them with an enormous hand, but it does breifly get caught up against her rifle. It could grapple her and drag her easily.
A monstrous shout follows, as she feels the Granasian rosary grow a bit more taut. She lets her visage out, that demonic single-winged entity as she rushes to try to pin that hand up against something, bayonet-blade first. What happens is less an effect of standard applications of physics with strength, and more a will being asserted.
The strength of her guilt and despair - enhanced ever more by the pressure of a rosary that simply won't break no matter her physical proportions - ensures her rifle is never going to leave her hands by any force, and she's going to try and keep that hand pinned for as long as it takes for Nina to be safely detach.
DG: Ruth Pauling has risked with her Tool Granasian Rosary toward her party's challenge, Gigasdiva.
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
==========================<* CHALLENGE - Gigasdiva *>===========================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The sea of scrap under your feet shifts, then junk bursts up like a geyser
as a monstrous skull breaches the garbage with a bone rattling roar.
A reptilian head crowned in regal, spiraling horns greets you, followed by a
massive upper torso with one claw and then the next dragged free to join.
Segments of its body weave through the wreckage as if it were swimming in a
placid lake, its hide is covered in shiny, glowing treasures that have fused
to its scales in decorative layers. It preens, admiring itself in a
reflective sheet of metal nearby before deigning to take a dismissive swipe
at you.
If Scraphaven lives off of salvage, then it seems this monster has always
gotten the choice selection for itself. And who could ever stop such a
colossal being? You would need a Gear to even think about contending with
this hoarder. Though you might be unable to slay it, you could chip off
valuable materials if you wailed into it hard enough.
Plus, this might help chase it back into the abyss where it belongs before
it makes off with more valuable salvage to feed its vanity.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Bad_Luck:_All_Stats_Down!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, |
| Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
=======================< Results - Scraphaven - Round 5 >=======================
===========================< CHALLENGE - Gigasdiva >============================
Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth Pauling 15 --(5)--> 20 Good
Granasian Rosary OLD Brute Effects: Efficient and
Risky
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lan Lilac 15 --(5)--> 20 Best
Surprise Meteor Min Brute Effects: Strengthen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amaterasu 15 --(5)--> 20 Best
Shielding Module Min Brute Effects: Resilient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nina Chiyome 15 --(5)--> 20 Best
Power Up Maj Brute Effects: Efficient
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leader: Ruth Pauling 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass
Conditions: Bad Luck(1) and Wound(2)
Effects: Resilient(1) and Strengthen(1)
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Ruth Pauling has successfully explored Scraphaven!
================================<* Scraphaven *>================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - Indecision Sphere *>=======================
| Type: Discovery | Dungeon Ability: Conclusion | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The Widgetmancers aren't quite sure what to do with the parts you've found,
and call in an Inkscarred to assist you. This, you realize once you see a
beastfolk in the pointed hat, must be their term for a Symbologist.
In a speedy blur, screws fly and metal welds together with fiery touch. The
Inkscarred cackles as she works, then holds your spherical reward high above
her head. "BEHOLD! The blessing of divination! Beseech the Indecision Sphere
and know what you must do in your times of greatest need!"
This magitech sphere, bearing a single giant googly eye, pulses with veins
of ensorcelled energy. Once activated, it will -- 99% of the time -- declare
'VIOLENCE!', then display a countdown to a sorcery-based explosion.
The other 1% of the time it will declare 'FRIENDSHIP!' and launch delightful
elemental fireworks.
Helpfully, it recharges on its own after every use. The miracle of sorcery!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Bad_Luck:_All_Stats_Down!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, |
| Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Treasure:_Exploration_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Nina Chiyome has posed.
"Salty?" She glances towards Amaterasu. Then back to the eyeball screen. "You should try out some of the beanpaste ones, they're unique." Sweet, but not. Kinda earthy. Hard to put a finger on. "I like them." She adds as an aside, "Used to get them in little cakes when I was a little kid" Hand out for emphasis. Why is she talking to the scary lady like this? She doesn't know.
"I knew about the vending machine!" She notes, replying to Lan, "But it was shooting dusty candybars at us and that's just.." she glances at it. "I dunno. I won't worry about it." It makes no sense to her and in a way, dropping it helps!
"I... don't disagree?" She seems mostly confused at this point. "I know it's not like back home. I pack away rations when I come here so I don't have to figure out how to butcher a-" she pauses. Trying to think of the word. She holds two fingers up to her head, "These things. The robots." Still terrible with names. "With a sickle. Or something." That is, she's squemish, but not!
Still, there's a thing going on and she's decided to go for a ride. And in the moment, she actually looks quite excited as she goes along for the ride. Tugging and pulling as she goes to try and loot the chain. It'll be good! And anything else is a bonus.
Amaterasu's assault is probably for the best for Nina, for what it's worth! The creature had been heading deeper, but it rears up, stomps back down, spins a few times and then darts back towards the surface briefly instead.
The ninja.. mostly keeps her footing.
Lan's question was met with the doppler effect voice of Nina whipping by, "A LIZARD" Which.. is at least kind of accurate right? She thinks.
No one will ask where the rock falls from. Or why it unerringly hits the beast and causes it to stumble and fall forward. The ninja is now dangling from the chain and laughing. She's pretty sure she can get down! And the beast is starting to rouse already.
Ruth's bladed bayonet gives the idiot going for a ride more than enough time to get her feet down, give one last pull and then.. she lands. With a flip. She did stick the landing though! Arms out, chains in hand. She flourishes it, does a bow and then pauses. It's actually still dangerous and the claw tears free finally and tries to bat her out of the way (And possibly Ruth and Amaterasu too. Lan's probably safe with the whole not trying to rush it strategy!) and then as fast as it was there, it's gone!
<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.
Ruth probably ends up keeping hold of the beast a little longer because she feeds on pretty much every emotion the Gigasdiva is putting out from what she did, but eventually she can relent and let them go - though she keeps staring out into the sea of scrap from whence they came.
"Friends! Friends. Thank you! Thank you." The Widgetmasters of the Scraphaven people accost them. This sounds hostile and overwhelming! It's more the latter, they like to slather gratitude. "Come. Come see the gift the Inkscarred has made! Will give in exchange for what you saved."
There is a rabbity thing with a pointed hat, who is moving to the groove of the distant parade. "Mm! Think. Ponder. Cogitataaaaate---" They get to work. A speedy blur of screws and metal and shrapnel (WATCH OUT), and at the end, cackling as the Inkscarred holds the spherical thing above her head... how? Does it levitate? Does she have psychokinesis? Don't worry about it.
"BEHOLD !The blessing of divination! Beseech the Indecision Sphere and know what you must do in your times of greatest need!"
Distressingly, upon experimentation... almost every time, it's 'VIOLENCE!' and then fireworks of a sorcerous bent. The genius of the Scraphaven Inkscarred shows that she has managed to come up with a perpetual motion energy source (that is, sadly, deadlocked into this device alone for it to work and can't be hooked up to anything else) so that it can always be consulted.
Which is to say, free on-demand explosions. It will take a lot of doing to find a context in which it decides to go for 'FRIENDSHIP' and launch harmless fireworks. The hunt for this, and the context in which it may appear, is perhaps more distressing.
What is wrong with Filgaia, sometimes...