2018-03-09: Barrels of Fun and Increasing Alarm
- Log: Barrels of Fun and Increasing Alarm
- Cast: Jacqueline Barber, Lunata Croze, Kourin, Tesni Inoue, Shalune Amira, Ethius Hesiod, Cyre H. Lorentz, Catenna, Carina Wynne (sort of)
- Where: Meribia - Merchant's Row
- Date: March 9th, 2018
- Summary: The Caravan Kinship finds itself somewhere far, far away from home...or, in some cases, way too close. Separated from the rest of their number, they try to flee the city under the noses of its guards...
========================<* Meribia - Merchant's Row *>======================== Meribia was once both the largest city and port on the continent from which it draws its name; both honours have since been ceded to the Holy City of Pentagulia. It is nevertheless a major commercial centre for the entire Meribus continent, and all manner of goods are found here. Merchant's Row is the name given to the merchant district of Meribia, which runs from the landside entrance through to the centre of the city. Everything from weapons and armour to more mundane household goods can be found here, and the atmosphere is highly competitive, with barkers screaming from both sides of the Row. The largest shop in the city belong to the legendary Ramus family, an ancient line of merchants that has been operating since the time of the Dragonmasters. While Blue Master Lunn speaks formally for the city, Ramus is an influential figure.
DG: A party led by Jacqueline Barber is now entering Big Trouble in Little Meribia. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>======================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Stop Right There! *>======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
In a flash of silver light, you are whisked away from Filgaia, and appear in
the middle of the port city of Meribia. Specifically, you appear in its
marketplace: a bustling, busy place that is teeming with activity. Colorful
stalls and tents have been placed up, where people sell handmade goods,
leathers, and smithed tools and jewelry. Meribia is well patrolled, though,
and the sudden flashes of silver light draw attention.
From men and women wearing polished steel helms and breastplates, carrying
spears. Low-ranking Guardsmen turn and stare in your direction, before one
bellows: "Stop right there!"
The chase is on!
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
It was just an ordinary day in Meribia. People were going about their business. The marketplace was colorful and vibrant, and fantastic goods of all kind were being sold. Really, it was a nice place to be barring certain...matters.
At least, that was the way it was not too long ago.
Now?
The city was in a panic.
People were appearing in flashes of silver light all over the city - some wearing strange clothing and bearing unusual armaments, with some being familiar individuals but...different - and all around these people holographic runes of a language they didn't understand could be briefly seen.
Jacqueline, Lunata, and Shalune had been fortunate enough to drop off in a place that had a fair amount of concealment. The latter two were supporting the former, who was still recovering from her injuries and down to only a single lens(cracked, of course) in her glasses.
But as soon as they round a corner...
"Stop right there!"
Low-ranking guardsmen in steel helms and breasplates and bearing spears start to move toward them.
"A-ah! Um...quickly, in my bag, I have a few potions that might help..." Jacqueline urges.
The other members of the Caravan Kinship who have landed in Meribia will likely be having similar encounters...fortunately, they might run into each other soon enough - as luck would have it, they've all landed in each other's general vicinity.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Stop Right There!.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Over the course of one very eventful day, one that was harrowing for all involved, Metal Digger Locus' armor ran out of power three separate times.
SURELY this is unrelated to the way Carina Wynne is slumped unconscious, face in the Lunarian grass.
Turning her around reveals she's not in a great condition. Injury-wise, she's probably better off than almost every other CaraKin member, but otherwise, she doesn't appear to be doing so hot. She looks gaunt and her skin is pale, as if she had been starved and dehydrated. She is unconscious, and will be remaining that way for some time.
At least her snoozing seems peaceful enough. Occasionally, she even moves around and mumbles about Locus kicks, frilly armored skirts and pizza, or just outright starts snoring very loudly for a few seconds.
(OOC: Carina will be accompanying you on this Dig even in the player's absence!! Administering healing and providing her some nutrition/hydratation would help her condition a great deal, but she'll still remain mostly unconscious for the next few IC days following the Lunar arrival. Feel free to have her unconscious presence prove a little troublesome to the party in various ways!)
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata is kind of on a hair trigger right now, given what they've just been through, and the immediacy of the situation--
--such that her instinct when someone starts yelling at them to the tune of armored footsteps and Jacqueline panickedly finding a potion to escape is to just...
Grab a nearby barrel, wholehandedly heave it over for them to catch, and then grab Carina over her shoulder and exclaim, "Let's go!"
DG: Lunata Croze has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Stop Right There!.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin knew where she was at once...and that knowledge made her panic. It wasn't until *after* she started running on seeing a Guardsman that she realized that the Guard here on Lunar won't know yet of her desertion and heresies on Filgaia, and by then it was of course too late to not look suspicious.
Spirit is keeping up with her as she dodges and ducks her way around, and her trick rope, flung out to trail behind her, trips up the guard occasionally.
Or would, if they could keep up. Kourin's training regime of late has her in pretty damn good shape, and when she was with the Guard, that simply wasn't the case--so she's used to thinking of her former comrades as being much quicker and having more stamina than she does.
...is that some of the others, up ahead? Spirit lets out a bark from his mistress' side.
DG: Kourin has used her Tool Trick Rope toward her party's challenge, Stop Right There!.
<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.
As she lay there on the ground from the injuries Lady Harken inflicted on her her mind wandered lost in the moment of her arrival on Falgaia wondering if this is how it ends? Yet another soul claimed by Kepler-186? The fight continues she watches she's aware but she's in a lot of pain she knows she's bleeding too but Lady Harken didn't get off harm free, no she had had a piece taken out of her all right? Her mind drifts it drifts back to that ... day which seems like a life time ago. The whole crash played out again in her mind, she still didn't know what was real or not her mind was clinging to things to keep it self active and that moment had been one of the most powerful experiences for good or ill of her rather short life.
She flexed a hand trying to move, this world was in a sorry state yet it's people had such hope she'd seen. The Guardians cared, things worshipped as gods seemed to actually care about the world and it's people. Even acting to aid them where they could. Better than a might many gods she'd studied the myths about, she had a few trump cards left including a medical kit, it was standard for Falgaia but hidden away in it was something else from home she's been saving. It's a struggle to reach for it as she lays on the ground a good deal of pain but she gets it, a small injectors which she'll take a moment to jab into herself. There is a faint hiss as chemicals and drugs flood into her badly damaged body. She also pulls a heal berry one of the few she owns. The cocktail of pain killers and other healing drugs mix with the heal beery and while she's healing up she's still in a bad shape, she's not bleeding anymore, she's just got to get up, she has to get up, right? Just as she does there's a flash of light and the world swims.
She now finds herself as the mix of medication and heal berry does stop her bleeding to see she's somewhere else with a number of people from the fight. It's a market there's guards yelling at them and she just as she's trying to get up, she's hurt bad she attempts to grab the Dead Man's ARM not wanting to leave it. "This is not a good day." She's going to try to keep with the others to get back from the insanity here.
DG: Tesni Inoue has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Stop Right There!.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
At the very least, Shalune is up on her feet, and apparently her strength is recovered enough to throw a shoulder under one of Jacqueline's arms and push them forwards towards safety; they'd been hoping to head for an inn for a chance to catch their breath, but that idea goes rapidly downhill the moment a guard starts to yell in their direction, and even moreso when she spots the prone form of Carina lying nearby where they themselves came back to consciousness.
"--r-right!" she blurts in response to Lunata, her hand automatically flying to her backpack to pull out a familiar flat block of bright white metal and attached components; for a moment, a paranoid part of her has to hope and pray to herself that the Little Dipper isn't damaged from all the fighting, that the gravity won't be weird or immediately cause her craft to crash or fold itself up and implode or-- or or--
Fortunately, none of that comes to pass. Instead, the flying scooter simply unfolds itself and sits casually in the air, awaiting a passager or two or three. "--put her on this! Jay, you too - sit down here and hold on! We'll get you out of here!" she calls as she maneuvers Jacqueline within reach of the craft, her voice for once brooking no argument.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius is lucky to be alive after Harken went to town on him. He has no idea what events have actually transpired. When he stirs awake, he's in the company of... familiar faces? Welcome ones? Maybe just familiar... the sky is such an interesting color, this hue of... blue... he doesn't recall seeing. He aches all over. This includes his head, which he clutches as a matter of habit. He knows that's nothing new. Nor are the number of questions he has... he feels he dare not voice them aloud.
Ethius stirs awake, blearily looking out towards those few who have come to alongside him. It's on his face. Well, it's on what's visible of his face. Where are...
He looks to the sky again. Wait. He doesn't know this sight. Something tells him that's important that he doesn't. Eyes widen as colors and shapes fill and sharpen into focus, seeing odd buildings and manners of dress that do not resemble anywhere he's...
...at...
Whoever's by him is in for a rude awakening when a man at the brink of death not long prior shoots straight up. There's loud shouting by people in armor.
"Don't say a word." He says to... whoever he might be with. Specifics are not important. The man looks... spooked? He tries to guide whoever's nearby with him forward, just... somewhere, somewhere with less eyes.
"Move. Now." He looks back over his shoulder. "Now."
Sure didn't take him long to wake up from a near-death experience to decide on this course of action, huh...
DG: Shalune Amira has used her Tool Little Dipper toward her party's challenge, Stop Right There!. DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Stop Right There!.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
A second ago, Cyre was staring down what was almost definitely certain doom.
...And now he's not.
Now he's in a very, very different place. Or at least, he's no longer under threat of being torn apart by a self-proclaimed Lord of Calamity and giant lion man. Honestly, he was kind of expecting that to happen at some point, all things considered. But maybe he was hoping for a fairer fight?
Well.
One way or another, Cyre spends the first few moments after rematerializing hunched over and desperately trying not to lose his lunch. He has had the misfortune of emerging... In the middle of a busy marketplace, dripping blood and nursing what is very clearly a shattered limb and several scattered burns. But that's nowhere near as bad as the disorientation. Where is he? How did he get here? Is this... heaven...?
'Should somebody help that man?' Cyre's ears twitch. 'Holy Althena, is he still alive? What could have caused this?' Another flick. Their accents are strange. He stirs, rising slowly. 'Look at the cute kitty mommy--' '--hush dear we have had this talk they are beastmen not kitties.'
'STOP RIGHT THERE!'
Cyre groans, staggering weakly against a wall. "H-heh. Not exactly sure I've got much left to run with...'
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Stop Right There!.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>======================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Stop Right There! *>======================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
In a flash of silver light, you are whisked away from Filgaia, and appear in
the middle of the port city of Meribia. Specifically, you appear in its
marketplace: a bustling, busy place that is teeming with activity. Colorful
stalls and tents have been placed up, where people sell handmade goods,
leathers, and smithed tools and jewelry. Meribia is well patrolled, though,
and the sudden flashes of silver light draw attention.
From men and women wearing polished steel helms and breastplates, carrying
spears. Low-ranking Guardsmen turn and stare in your direction, before one
bellows: "Stop right there!"
The chase is on!
=Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 1 *>================= =======================< Results - Stop Right There! >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kourin 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Trick Rope 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tesni Inoue 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Little Dipper 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2) Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber 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: Lunata Croze has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>====================== =========================<* CHALLENGE - Apple Cart *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you round the next corner, you find that some idiot has moved a huge cart full of apples right in front of your path! The shouts of the guards aren't far behind, so you need to smash it aside. On the upside, though, free apples. =Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
In a panic, several of the Guardsmen drop their spears to catch the barrel that Lunata hurls at them. None of them end up hurt because of it, but it sure does end up causing a bit of a pile-up.
Jacqueline readily gets on the Little Dipper when Shalune urges her, and when Carina finds her way on the scooter as well Jacqueline holds on, very carefully trying to apply a potion to her. But...
"Not good...she's still out cold..." Jacqueline murmurs. Well, at least she still seemed to be enjoying herself, unconscious as she was...?
Up ahead, Ethius and Tesni move, as Ethius urges. They try to find someplace with less eyes...and they do - right now, the only eyes are a mother, their child, and a very familiar beastman who might be in need some of that medication Tesni is applying.
Some of the Guardsmen are still in pursuit...but suddenly, they find themselves tripped up by Kourin's Trick Rope, and with a familiar bark, Kourin and Spirit soon join the three of them.
And flying on by is the Little Dipper...
"A-ah, wait! It's the others!" Jacqueline calls out, some cheer in her voice.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata leads the charge for the CaraKin ahead, nodding towards Shalune as she gently lowers Carina's body down onto the Little Dipper as she glances towards Ethius and Tesni both. Kourin and Spirit are on their flank, with Cyre... Cyre... well, she hasn't seen him yet.
More problematic is the apple cart that's just rolled into their way, prompting a growl from Lunata as she instinctively brandishes her katana and smashes the cart--
--sending apples flying--
Never waste food, Lunata.
--and with the voice of the Food Goddesses ringing in her voice, she panics a little as she exclaims the first thing she can think of: "The CaraKin will need food!"
She hucks one of Meredin's earrings into the air, which helps whorl a number of the apples in a localised cyclone around her. She grimaces and sheathes her sword--
shhiink!
--and holds a lunch container out where a number of rabbit apples land ontop of a slowly growing pile of future bento ingredients. A sigh of relief.
DG: Lunata Croze has used her Tool Meredin's Earrings toward her party's challenge, Apple Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
--some days, Shalune wishes she knew what happened to the Carakin she originally joined, how they faced down this slippery slope into endless fighting, whether there's still a chance for that carefree life where Jay's just a potion seller and she's just a tinkered and Lunata's just making the best damn food ever. Some days, it seems like an eternity away--
--and other days, she gets the reassurance that that version of Lunata is still in there. She gawps at the sight of the apples whirling into a centralized target, and immediately breaks into a bright and approving grin, her eyes lit up. "--oh-- oh, oh, I want crumble!" she abruptly calls out to the waitress, something of a pout in her voice given the slightly childish demand. "When we're safe, I want crumble! We'll all curl up under blankets and eat it and feel better!"
It might be unorthodox, but it seems to galvanize her nonetheless, pushing the Little Dipper forwards and hunkering down as the craft just smashes straight through what's left of the cart, more aiming to clear a path for everyone behind her.
DG: Shalune Amira has used her Tool Soup of the Day -Shalune Ver.- toward her party's challenge, Apple Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
WHAP!
All of a sudden, there is a length of quarterstaff which moves to scatter away the collected apples. There is also a heavily tattooed arm of a somewhat paler complexion than usual, belonging to none other than--
"It's not safe." Ethius comments in a way that's more appropriate to that of an exclamation mark. "It's not safe." He repeats. The look in his eyes... he even goes out of his way to sweep some of the apples that might have been otherwise in arm's reach out of the way. "Don't... don't think of eating them."
But they're apples!! They looked great and fresh and after all they've been through THEY DESERVE DELICIOUS APPLES!!! But...
Ethius says no.
"Keep... keep going." The man seems utterly shaken by whatever's possessing him to think to just... pass up food. To try and smash apart the cart further with a series of desperate and hurried, rather than controlled and careful, strikes. "Everyone has to go."
"Now."
DG: Ethius Hesiod has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Apple Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.
Tesni Inoue is lagging behind the other she's on her feet hs'es not bleeding anymore bur she should be really careful here as she follows up with everyone else as she looks to the apples. She sees Lunata just pull one of the most amazing and crazy things she's seen. She'll move along with Ethius for a moment, also she goe her crowbar up and useing it to try and break though the massive cart that's in the way, she doesn't like doing this but vandism or having to explain they are all aliens to the guards? Ya lets smash tehe cart, she may however grab and apple on the way by though as she needs something nice today.
DG: Tesni Inoue has used her Tool Crowbar toward her party's challenge, Apple Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius moves to slap Tesni's hand away from snatching an apple. "Don't."
Why doesn't he want anyone to take an apple with them?!
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata's mouth turns into a very approximate rectangle of abject despair as the lunch container clatters, rabbit apples clattering onto the ground.
A spotlight shines upon it for a moment. Skeleton (established in a Dig that must be happening right about now) plays the world's smallest violin for it.
Lunata keeps going.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
And there.
Picking up the apples and the box they were being collected in...!
Is a man in a white cloak, looking very much like he's just walked through a warzone and inexplicably come out of it alive. It can only be...
Cyre Lorentz!?
"Waste of good fruit, that," he says, taking a great big chomp out of a juicy and delicious apple. How did he get away from the guards!?
...Apparently, by looking like he wasn't much of a threat. Turns out that when you're still bleeding profusely, the guys with the pointy sticks prioritize the ones who look like they might actually still be capable of fighting.
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Apple Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Cyre H. Lorentz swallows his mouthful of delicious, juicy apple.
...AND THEN TAKES ANOTHER BITE.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline holds on tight, to Carina and the Little Dipper. She doesn't want to leave anyone behind, but in her current state this is the best she can do. But then...an apple cart comes charging through towards them!
Fortunately, Lunata is there for them, smashing right through it and slices up some apples.
"That does sound quite good..." Jacqueline replies with a nod toward Shalune, but then...a wild Ethius appears.
"E-Ethius? Wh-what in the world are you doing...!?" Jacqueline demands, surprised. There was...something about him that seemed shaken, moreso than she'd ever seen...he seemed almost manic as he tries to smash the cart to pieces.
She's...kind of terrified, to be honest!
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Apple Cart.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius mentally accounts for all he's seeing so far. That's... several of them. How many are there? Why are they all-- why is not important yet--
He sees Cyre eat. He moves to put a hand behind Cyre's back. "No. Spit that... spit that... spit that out."
"Spit that out." He repeats, more forcefully. "Don't eat that. That's... that's not..."
He can't finish his sentences. What the hell is going on? They're apples. They're delicious and tasty. They're the most delicious and tasty they've ever been. They might be the best apples ever. Cyre is a master forager and would know for sure if he were about to put something a bit too suspect in his mouth (past the usual threshold of acceptable suspect levels).
What is even going on with that man?!
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin is not much help. Her hand is injured. There's a cart in the way. And... "Please do not steal the apples."
DG: Kourin has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Apple Cart.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>====================== =========================<* CHALLENGE - Apple Cart *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- As you round the next corner, you find that some idiot has moved a huge cart full of apples right in front of your path! The shouts of the guards aren't far behind, so you need to smash it aside. On the upside, though, free apples. =Dungeon Conditions: Save Point===============================================
================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 2 *>================= ===========================< Results - Apple Cart >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kourin 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 5 --(10)--> 15 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Meredin's Earrings 1 Brute Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tesni Inoue 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Crowbar 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 5 --(5)--> 10 Pass Soup of the Day -Shalune Ver.- 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Save Point(1) Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber 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> Lunata Croze has posed.
I mean...
The cart really wasn't the source of the group's woes, here. The only Brute in this challenge is Ethius, isn't it?
I rest my case.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Cyre is indeed a pretty good forager! Good enough that he knows these things aren't poison, probably. He looks Ethius in the eye and finishes his mouthful. And then he says: "Ethius." He repeats, "Ethius. I just broke an arm and almost died fighting a giant lion man. I am going to eat my apple. And I am going to probably eat more afterwards. My blood is not going to replace itself, Ethius."
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
The cart, as proper mentioned, isn't really the source of the group's woes. Lunata just kind of shakes her head as she stares back at Cyre and Ethius and-- decides that it's more imperative that she get the unconscious Carina, Jay and Shalune out of here. "Let's go," she growls. She looks at Shalune. "I'll make you crumble later."
She looks at Kourin, and then to Jay. "She might need help..."
DG: Shalune Amira has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>====================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - FURY PIGEON *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Pigeons are evil, vengeful animals, whether on Filgaia or Lunar. As you run through the market, you draw the attention of one such beast. It descends abruptly into your number. Talons scratch and claw! Its beak pecks and pokes! Its wings flap! And it squawks its protest right in your face! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.
Tesni Inoue has not ate the apple but has one in the pockets of her jacket, she keeps moving. Then comes the bane of all towns the flying rat as she might call it. Pigegons.
"Flying rats here?!"
She cries out as one comes after her, she takes the butt of her rifle and swings the weapon as a club at the bird. "Go away you foul thing!"
DG: Tesni Inoue has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"--it's not like we can just starve! The Carakin's not here! I don't think they're gonna take Gella on the moon!" calls Shalune back from the Little Dipper ahead, though not in any particular direction - she's at least done her best to try to gather some of the apples before they can be lost, not least because of her earlier possessive moment.
Her knuckles tighten on the handlebars of the craft, and her voice strains along with Lunata's as the two share a moment annoyance. "--can we just-- not war with everything and each other 'til we're at least safe and don't have guards after us?! Y'know, just be the Carakin for once?"
Her eyes are off of their path forwards, and it takes an angry squawk to pull her back onto track - just in time to sweep the Little Dipper to one side before an angry pigeon divebombs straight into the space where the flying scooter just was.
Shalune does what any sensible person would do when faced with a bunch of angry pigeons and yelps as she hunkers down, pulling her bobble hat over her face for some measure of protection. "W-which way's the edge of town, anyways?!" she calls over the abrupt din.
DG: Shalune Amira has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata shakes her head as she looks back constantly to Jacqueline, seeming very much on edge as she narrows her eyes and stares towards the pigeons. Unlike a certain other wobbly-horned someone, she doesn't have the same adoration for certain round birbs...
... which is why she slips her gas mask out and just slides it on over her face, letting herself readjust as she breathes in once, twice.
... given how fresh Lunar's air is, it honestly feels worse to put it on for once.
She stomps forward, and the pigeons can just see the delayed trailing gleam coming out from the mask's lenses...
"Leave," she exasperatedly rasps at a bird.
DG: Lunata Croze has used her Tool Ghastly Gas Mask toward her party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius doesn't look that much better than Cyre. He's almost bled out. He's not sure who helped bandage him up - he certainly owes them his life - but his dire state of health seems to do nothing to blunt this level of... panic.
He's panicking. Why?
The good news is, for as long as Ethius berates Cyre, people can sneak their apples away and roll their eyes behind his back. Ethius continues to fail his convince checks.
"I am not asking you to starve." How many spells did Ethius cast between then and now? He has to be famished. By all rights he should be digging into those apples, charred to barely edible bits or not - sorcerers need to pack away more calories.
That's when his gaze re-doubles upon Shalune's little ride. "Get off of that. Put that--"
Pigeons. Ethius hardly pays them mind, even as they draw blood from the back of his neck, from his waving left arm. He's already nearly kicked it from blood loss. New open wounds could be a fatal prospect no matter how minor the scrapes might be.
He feels there's something more important going on, as his gaze shifts over to Tesni swatting at them with the butt of her gun.
"Don't, don't you..." He snaps at Tesni... then a ways off to the side. People walking. There's a commotion here. Of course they'll gawk. They might call atten--
Ethius feels for the other satchel on his person, conjures the usual activation spell, and hurls down an unannounced and unwelcome smoke cover.
"Kourin." Not Miss Kourin - that stiff, awkward habit of referring to everyone with a baseline level of formal respect is missing. "Lead us out of here. Now."
That was not a request from a friend.
That's an order.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Powder Grenade toward his party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin blinks. Kourin chucks a rimebomb at the pigeons...that's about all though. But--strange, Ethius is addressing her directly.
"I shall do my best..."
DG: Kourin has used her Tool Rimebomb toward her party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's still pretty freaked out from Ethius's outburst, but when Lunata speaks, Jacqueline nods.
"Y-yeah, okay. Come over here for a second, Kourin...I think I have something that might help." She says, gesturing Kourin towards her. She draws a salve from her bag and will either apply it for her to her injured hand or hand it over to let her do it herself.
"A-and...yes, please. We're all friends here. We're in a new, strange place and we don't know what's going on...we need to be on the same side...!" Jacqueline urges, in agreement with Shalune. As she's speaking, however, they soon come across the most menacing foes of all...
...Pigeons.
Some of which are currently trying to 'borrow' Carina's hair for nest material.
"A-ah! Shoo, shoo! ...Please!" Jacqueline says, waving them away urgently. She draws out one of her bottles of repellant, wafting the scent in their direction in hopes of making them scatter.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin attends to get the salve.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Reliable Repellant toward her party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Why is he panicking? Why is everyone panicking? There's nothing to panic about! They're all alive. Everyone is alive and everything is fine and sure Carina is comatose and there are fucking pigeons everyfuckingwhere and--
Wait.
Moon?
"What--" Cyre frowns. "What do you mean moon? What are you talking about? Where are we, anyway? Some kind of port town-- I can smell the ocean, but... What?"
He gestures with his unbroken arm, conjuring a great gale that might just send that flock of devil-birds flying before they can bleed him of any more of his precious, dwindling supply of blood.
"No. Seriously. What?"
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, FURY PIGEON.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>====================== ========================<* CHALLENGE - FURY PIGEON *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Pigeons are evil, vengeful animals, whether on Filgaia or Lunar. As you run through the market, you draw the attention of one such beast. It descends abruptly into your number. Talons scratch and claw! Its beak pecks and pokes! Its wings flap! And it squawks its protest right in your face! =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 3 *>================= ==========================< Results - FURY PIGEON >=========================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Reliable Repellant 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kourin 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Rimebomb 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 15 --(10)--> 25 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Ghastly Gas Mask 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Powder Grenade 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tesni Inoue 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 10 --(5)--> 15 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Injure(2) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber 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: Ethius Hesiod has drawn a new Challenge.
==========================================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>=========================================== =====================================<* CHALLENGE - Barrels! Barrels Everywhere! *>===================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- As you run down the street, guards hot on your heels, you see a guardsman poke his head out ahead of you. His cheeks are flushed -- apparently, day drinking is a thing for the lowest ranks in Meribia -- and an uneven but mischievous grin spreads across his face. He cuts a rope on the back of a wagon ahead of you. Then, a dozen empty barrels drop loose... and begin rolling down the street directly towards you! (And the guards behind you, too.) =Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"You're not asking us to do anything - you're ordering, but we're not your troops!" yells Shalune back over her shoulder, for once looking like she's actually reached the point of being mad. "An' if you think for a second I'm gonna get off the only decent way to get Jay and Carina safe and just hand them over to the guards instead, you can just leave now!"
The group sweeps forward through the cloud of pigeons... and thankfully, even if they are some of the more vengeful birds around, they're a far cry from some of the giant birds the Carakin have faced down in digs and ruins. Pigeons will be pigeons, and the air of anger coming off of Lunata is enough to just send several pouring up into the sky immediately.
It's fairly easy to just leave the less active birds behind by dint of speed more than anything else, shooing the more skittish ones away towards the cluster of guards behind them in hopes of tripping them up.
"--look up! Look at how big the 'moon' is!" she huffs breathlessly back in Cyre's direction, her patience obviously frayed in her own way. "We've ended up on Lunar! That's gotta be Filgaia up there!"
<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.
Tesni Inoue says "It's trying to peck my eyes out." She's not firing shots of wildy she's acting on reflex and Etithus behavious gets a pang of fear and confusion in h er. He's acting like ... but wait why would he if he's a one of those people? It made no sense? Then come the barrels oh you have to be kidding she moves now trying to not get run over. She's worrying more and more about Ethius now....and has a growing sense of fear.
DG: Tesni Inoue has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
The bickering and demanding between Ethius and the rest continues in earnest. His counterpoints are ineloquent. He speaks not in well-reasoned, wordy arguments. Whatever it is about this that has him worked up to the point that he seems to be threatening their very well being - matters of food, matters of safely carrying Carina - he never gets around to saying.
Try as they might, so far, the current route doesn't seem to get them out of trouble yet. Just so happens there's a patrol headed down this present street from beyond the pigeon problem. There's a bunch of people in strange dress, odd colors not common for this part of the world, and a few of them are holding onto some very weird-lookin' things. So they do what comes natural, which is to say shout and charge.
"Don't stop." Ethius murmurs as he huffs along towards the front, following Kourin's route recommendations. This is the best route they have for getting out as fast as possible, so there's no issue with this part of town specifically.
What is an issue... up ahead, a guardsman from before pokes out, cheeks flushed. He bats his eyes. "Whadda we have heeeere...?" He slurs, and grins. "Oh, thought ya gave me the slip, ehhh? Well den." He unsheathes his blade and strikes it against a rope connected to the back of a wagon ahead, loosening...
Barrels. Barrels that roll and tumble and cause all sorts of havoc as they bounce down the path towards them.
Ethius sputters as he gets the Hot Air Sack wrapped hurriedly higher up his forearm than he'd like. It's looking threadbare from its more extensive use back up in the Pleasing Gardens, but he only needs a short amount of hovering time to be able to try and clear the barrel coming at him. Great news is, he's not shouting commands at them because casting Symbological spells requires one's mouth to chant an incantation.
The bad news is, the responsible mischief maker has a double-take when he sees Jay up ahead. "Ooooh, heeeeey, pretty lady, one in the... in the glassis." He puts on a winning smile. No, it's more of a consolation prize smile. It is the participation award of smiles. "That'sh a pritty dress, real fanchy ya got on, youu.... riiiiich? If I don't arrest ya, what ya say you..."
He might be willing to save Jay, at least? He could probably use a good verbal rebuke.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Hot Air Sack toward his party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Strangely enough, with how frantic and fervent Ethius is in his fevered state, the one acting most like how Ethius normally would be acting is... Lunata here.
She's marching ahead when she-- hears barrels roll. Roll, roll.
She hears the creep hit on Jacqueline. She lets a barrel thunk against her leg, which she props up with one foot as she flips it onto its side. She removes its lid.
It should be noted that Lunata still has her gas mask on at this point.
A thunderous roar follows as the lid gets -slammed- over his head, and the metal ring that forms its round shape gets yanked along his collar, given the wooden planks just explode into dozens of little pieces of debris.
She repeats the same single imperative to the guard as she did to the pigeons.
"LEAVE."
She turns and stalks away at that. Someone's absolutely fed up with this.
DG: Lunata Croze has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Cyre...
Stares at the sky for a good long moment. He's like that for almost a full thirty seconds before he emits a sound that some might be able to identify as 'fully wigging out.' "What the-- how did we-- how are we ON THE MOON!? Damnit, damnit! Did Lydia do this? No, she wouldn't have-- I mean, she would have bragged about it first and we would have had a big show of it. No, no it couldn't have been her. But if we're on the moon..."
Cyre continues to stare at the sky. Someone's... missing, aren't they?
"Guys? Where's Cat--" Oh. There's a guy with a bunch of barrels. Cyre frowns and only now does he finally surge forward in earnest. His parachute unfurls and a gust of wind sends him hurtling over the flood of barrels to deliver a solid and mighty boot to the head of one unfortunate, drunk and now barrel'd guard.
"Damnit Lunata, what are you doing!?" Cyre calls down below as he lands (hopefully) clear of the barrels. "You don't let those kinds of people run off and tell his friends! You knock him out and make it look like he dreamed us all up in a drunken haze. Come on, let's get out of here!"
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune shares a glance with Lunata - and then sets her jaw in her own bout of determination, forcefully putting off any further questions or worries. It can wait until they're safe, she mumbles to herself in her mind, even as her heart feels itself sink a little more at even the thought of it - wondering when things got so complicated and clustered that they can't even decide how to escape a group of guards as a cohesive group.
Part of her knows this is not a normal situation, of course - that panic and confusion reigns, that she's been up and moving longer than most of the Carakin assembled here, and is better at dealing with unexpected situations. Still...
Sucking in a breath, she banishes the thought and pushes forwards instead; climbing for height is easy enough in the Little Dipper, Shalune banking the craft upwards just enough to avoid most of the bouncing barrels without going so high as to risk Carina sliding off the back of the scooter.
For a moment, she wondders if she's going to need to rush the guard - not to stop him from following them, more to knock him away from whatever Ethius has planned. Fortunately, it seems as if Lunata and Cyre have taken care of that much.
DG: Shalune Amira has used her Tool Little Dipper toward her party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin spots the barrels, and, shaking her head, rushes forward to meet them by leaping over them! She's some kind of crazy!
And she's looking disgusted at the Guardsman, too! "You shame your uniform, churl!" she cries as she rushes.
DG: Kourin has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
That's right. The moon. Up in the sky...that wasn't the silver orb they were used to. No, that shining blue object could only be...Filgaia. It was a testament to how far things had gone off the rails they had expected to go on.
Fortunately, at least the pigeons flee without causing too much trouble. Jacqueline can breathe a sigh of relief, at that, and it gives her enough time to rummage through her bags again for another round of healing potions - this time, Cyre has priority, considering his condition.
However, as she's doing so, a sudden problem rears its ugly head...
Barrels.
Jacqueline tightens her grip Carina and the Little Dipper as Shalune backs upward, not wanting to let go of either. And then...
Jacqueline stares blankly at the fellow trying to flirt with her. She just...stares.
"...H-huh? I, um...what??" She asks, confused.
And then the man gets hit with both a barrel lid and a boot to the head, solving the problem in short order.
"I'm not entirely sure what just happened..." She murmurs.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Rapid Remedy toward her party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!. DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has used his Tool Reverse Parachute toward his party's challenge, Barrels! Barrels Everywhere!.
==========================================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>=========================================== =====================================<* CHALLENGE - Barrels! Barrels Everywhere! *>===================================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | -----------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >----------------------------------------------- As you run down the street, guards hot on your heels, you see a guardsman poke his head out ahead of you. His cheeks are flushed -- apparently, day drinking is a thing for the lowest ranks in Meribia -- and an uneven but mischievous grin spreads across his face. He cuts a rope on the back of a wagon ahead of you. Then, a dozen empty barrels drop loose... and begin rolling down the street directly towards you! (And the guards behind you, too.) =Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
=====================================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 4 *>====================================== =======================================< Results - Barrels! Barrels Everywhere! >======================================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Rapid Remedy 1 Agility Effects: Cleanse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kourin 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 25 --(5)--> 30 Pass Reverse Parachute 1 Agility Effects: Rally and Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Hot Air Sack 2 Agility Effects: Resilient ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tesni Inoue 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 15 --(5)--> 20 Pass Little Dipper 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ---
DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
There's no stopping them, with all the tricks they can bring in which to mitigate the need to ever really be on the ground. Shalune's Little Dipper, which she continues to brandish defiantly in the name of saving her friends' lives and getting them the hell away from the Guard, keeps her, Jay, and Carina safely out of harm's way. Wind magic from Cyre, a floating Ethius, and Kourin's and Tesni's own remarkable natural agility see them avoid barrels that those behind them... will not, as they comically bowl over and tumble down the street with the barrels in question. That's one problem taken care of.
Lunata does not take any guff. She concusses the drunken guard with the lid, yanking him by the neck---
"Ahhh... ahh... I hear ya, I understand ya right 'n clear, I do!" The drunken guy stammers. "I'm leavin', I'm leavin'--" Cyre adding an additional boot helps him along the way as he staggers and flees and... passes out when he hits his head against the cart.
Ethius touches down. He's motionless, as he gazes upon Lunata. Her guise is frightening, the voice bone-chilling, but... previously, he never quite seemed to grasp the depths of horror she was embroiled in. It's more than a little conspicuous, how his gaze follows her...
He doesn't move forward to finish the job. Maybe Cyre puts it succinctly enough. Jay expresses confusion about what happened--
"Don't speak to them. They won't..." But they...? A hand presses against his forehead. Something about what just happened seems to have given him pause in a time where they can't afford to do that - cleared crowd of guards behind them aside due to Hilarious Barreling(tm).
He'll lag behind the group for a short while as they head down towards whatever next route Kourin points out as the fastest way to get free of this place. He takes hold of an odd... something in his hand, from under his poncho along the way. Something just happened.
Something just happened that shouldn't have. He knows that much. But then...?
...Look, Ethius, it's great that you're confused about this, but let's go on ahead and draw the next card, the narrative is on a tight schedule...
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has drawn a new Challenge.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>======================
=====================================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 4 *>======================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - A Clever Disguise! *>=====================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You run into one of the large, open plazas of the market. Guards can be
heard behind you, still shouting for you -- and there are also guards that
appear on the opposite ends of the plaza, from the left... and then from the
right! However, you catch something: a stall with rack after rack of local
outfits. This may offer a way to blend in.
Or look ridiculous.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Don't worry about it," Cyre says as the drunk guardsman suffers what might be a potentially lethal concussion. They... Might want to do something about that. But no, more importantly. "Some drunk guy just thought you looked cute is all. Don't think too much into it. Let's keep moving and we can talk about what it means to be attractive on the moon later."
The good news is that, for all of the crisis and panic afflicting the party, and for all of Ethius' foul mood and injuries all around, Kourin does eventually lead them to one of Meribia's many open plazas-- specifically the one right up next to the gates to the city. Here, merchant caravans cycle into the city to deliver and pick up goods at the local guild before wheeling their carts off to rest.
Also here: A whole horde of guards beginning to stream into the square from the main thoroughfares. "Hurry! They can't have gone far!" Someone in command yells from afar, "Spread out and search!"
Cyre clicks his tongue against his teeth and scans the marketplace with a glance. After a moment, he nods and darts in one direction, nursing his broken arm to his chest. "This way," he gestures with a tilt of his head. "I have an idea."
His idea?
Apparently, darting into a stall full of various clothes and costumes while the proprietess is distracted with all the chaos in the square. "Disguises," he hisses softly at the others. "Quickly. Grab something, put it on, and we'll sneak out the front door before they shut the gates."
DG: Cyre H. Lorentz has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin is not eager to steal. She leaves a pile of silver coins--she's got a savings of them, since she couldn't really spend them on Filgaia--and changes into...
A simple blue and white peasant's dress.
She looks good...except for the bandaged-and-salved left hand.
She's not exactly good at the whole fashion thing, so she says little about her companion's choices. She's pretty used to uniforms, after all...
DG: Kourin has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata doesn't offer poor Jay any consolation words, unlike Cyre. She does cast a glance back towards Ethius, as she takes the mask off, finally -- shaking her head and snarling further. A vein is visible on her face.
After a bit, she seems to have just disappeared altogether, leaving a Lunata-shaped dotted silhouette in her place.
Before any furor or panic can be had, however, a Meribian guardswoman steps up next to them.
A 5'2" Meribian guardswoman.
Whose raspy scowl from how heavy they're breathing certainly kind of gives it away.
Let's not dwell on how she got that...
DG: Lunata Croze has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius stares blankly at Cyre for a while as they keep moving. He almost falls behind in contemplation as such that they might even successfully ditch Ethius (which would probably be a net positive all-around, one would figure). How he even seems to catch Cyre's cue while he's so lost in thought is... not worth dwelling on.
What is, is when he decides to get that little eyeglass out. With a quick Symbological cast, a shaky hand holds it up to his face. I have to be sure, he thinks. Something is not adding up.
...He doesn't see anything, but he's also not calling for them to move suddenly, so that means everyone can feel momentarily relaxed that Ethius isn't going to suddenly just be all BLAR DO AS I SAY EVEN IF I CAN'T SAY A COMPLETE SENTENCE RIGHT NOW.
...
When he does join the rest at the stall, he seems to be able to pick out what clothes he needs without issue. A hooded shoulder cloth of some kind, sure. An unremarkable tunic of a dull maroon hue. Forearm-length gloves, yadda, yadda, you know what, if Ethius is trying to dress inconspicuously, it'd do him great if he didn't dress like some kind of highwayman.
...Which he kind of always did, on Filgaia? Talking the way he does... well, not worth dwelling on that.
Somewhere in all this, Ethius takes a look at the coins Kourin drops. He takes a small handful until he gets a look at them... whatever it is he sees, he drops them and lets her little donation stand.
DG: Ethius Hesiod has used his Tool Spectral Lens toward his party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
--for a moment, Shalune looks down at herself uncertainly. "... u-um--" she stumbles, because she's honestly not sure how much more she could disguise herself by putting clothes on, and taking them off seems like the better of the two ideas when it comes to her. Either way, there doesn't really seem to be a whole lot of way to disguise a ridiculously long amount of vivid pink hair, and Shalune kind of knows it.
Still, she dutifully vanishes straight into a number of racks of clothes, even taking the Little Dipper and its passengers with her; there's some suspicious rustling, and then a completely nondescript NPC pops out of it, wearing some simple shorts and a light vest. The flat cap on her head is practically bulging with the amount of hair she's managed to stuff into it, liable to pop off at any given moment, but it is a pretty effective disguise; Shalune looks so much smaller without her middle layers of clothes.
Still pink as heck, though.
DG: Shalune Amira has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.
They got to keep going they got to get the heck out of here but they also will draw too much attention. She sees Cyre go for the clothing and that's a genius idea. She will go ion once she's got a bit of cover, she pulls out a data pad looks over something puts it away and then goes to start grabbing clothing including a satchel and backpack. She'll be grabbing what she can uses. She keeps a level of modesty but she's very quick to change, shove her old clothing in the pack and put on a cloak on top of it all so she can hide her ARM as well. Here's hoping she's not made a fashion blunder. Under the cloak she's wearing a tunic, short boots, a long clove on one arm and a leather glove on the other. She's also done up her hair in a bandana as well. Blend in, got to blend in and not get caught.
DG: Tesni Inoue has used her Tool Datapad toward her party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Ah...really...? That's...um..." Jacqueline...doesn't sound too thrilled at this revelation, but nods and decides its probably best not to dwell on it too much.
Fortunately, things seem to proceed smoothly from then on, and eventually, Cyre gets an idea. It's a pretty good idea, all things considered. Getting new clothes to blend in with everyone else, so they look less like a group of people from a different planet entirely was something she could agree with...and besides, the rigors of battle had done a number on her outfit. She needed a change, anyway.
She's not okay with stealing either, but thankfully Kourin takes care of that. Jacqueline also takes note of the coins she drops, but only so that she can be sure to repay her appropriately later.
Jacqueline steps into the stall, and emerges in a much simpler and lighter dress than the one she was wearing before. She considered leaving her glasses behind...but she needs those to see, so that wouldn't be a great idea.
Her bags still remain on her person, however, and she can also be seen carrying a cloak and hat, which are tossed over Carina. It was...kind of the best she could do, considering.
"Here's hoping this works..." Jacqueline murmurs, looking around at the others.
Was this convincing enough...?
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, A Clever Disguise!.
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>======================
=====================================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 4 *>======================================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - A Clever Disguise! *>=====================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You run into one of the large, open plazas of the market. Guards can be
heard behind you, still shouting for you -- and there are also guards that
appear on the opposite ends of the plaza, from the left... and then from the
right! However, you catch something: a stall with rack after rack of local
outfits. This may offer a way to blend in.
Or look ridiculous.
=Dungeon Conditions: Stupify==================================================
================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 5 *>=================
=====================================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia - Round 4 *>====================================== =======================< Results - A Clever Disguise! >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kourin 20 --(5)--> 25 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyre H. Lorentz 30 --(5)--> 35 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunata Croze 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ethius Hesiod 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Spectral Lens 2 Wits Effects: Enlighten ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tesni Inoue 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Datapad 3 Wits Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shalune Amira 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Jacqueline Barber 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Stupify(2) Effects: Enlighten(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Jacqueline Barber has successfully explored Big Trouble in Little Meribia!
=====================<* Big Trouble in Little Meribia *>====================== ==================<* CHALLENGE - Blending Into the Crowd *>=================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Your hastily-made disguises prove effective! The guards stop, looking each way -- and one looks right at you, but then walks on by. You have a chance to slip into Meribia's crowd, and look around the city without any fear. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Cyre doesn't exactly have the capability to change out of his clothes at the moment. Having a broken arm and slowly running dry of adrenaline will kind of... do that. He does, however, roll his cloak up and shove it into his pack, only to replace it with another. It's a fancy, soft white cape and cowl, trimmed with golden embroidery and lined with red cloth on the inside. When he pulls up the hood, though, he reveals that it also has...
...Little gold-trimmed pockets for his kitty ears.
CYRE GETS EQUIPPED WITH: KITTY EAR HOOD - THE SKYSEEKER'S COWL
Cyre fingers at his ears briefly and looks absolutely incredulous about how he had to pick the one cloak that had these and--
Augh, whatever. The group exits the stall with the guard none-the-wiser. In fact, they seem to be convinced that this TINY GUARDSWOMAN has the situation completely under control. The only real loser here is Kourin, who...
...Ends up footing the bill for the group's entire 'purchase.' Whoops.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
For one painful moment, it seems like the Guard's going to take notice of them. They stare right at them...but then one of them gives Lunata a nod and a 'good work', before moving on.
Jacqueline exhales in relief. It kind of hurts a bit...but at least they're safe.
"Let's...let's get moving. We should probably find someplace safe to stay while things calm down..." Jacqueline says. Ethius seems to be very insistent on this idea, for some reason. Thankfully, they're able to slip through the front gates without being noticed.
And of course, what was the safest place for them to stay?
As they emerge, waiting loyally outside the gates...is the Carakin. Jacqueline stares in awe, dismounting from the Little Dipper and walking up to it. She touches the side of it gently, as if expecting it to disappear into particles of light.
"H-how...? I'm glad to see it, but..." She says, momentarily awestruck.
She doesn't realize that, in a moment, a certain someone will likely be hurrying her along...
"A-anyway...someone get Carina inside and to her bed, quickly..." She says, looking back at the others.
<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.
Tesni Inoue seems happy with her outfit and is trying to look the part of someone who has just come into town for supplies, which she will intend to buy, if no one stops her she'll leave some coin behind to pay for her taken items. She intends to get supplies but well she's not brekaing off form everyone else. As they leave town she stares at the Carakin.
"I'm thinking it got caught in the mass teleport that got us? We should get in and get moving to somewhere less habiated."
Tess goes to gety the door so someone else can get Carina in.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
There are always a few hand-drawn posters stuck to trees and plinths outside the city walls, left by various businesspeople who'd rather the Guard within the city itself not bust them for solicitation and cluttering public rights-of-way. Now that the group isn't being actively pursued, there's time to glance in passing at a few of them.
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SAM'S GENERAL STORE
Specifically Huge Deals on Curatives
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FIRED FROM YOUR COMFY PLODE JOB?
Visit ELIAZER N. CASSIUS
~ Canon Law Specialist, Licensed in Meribia ~
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HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CHIRO MONGREL?
NAME: Chiro
ANSWERS TO: Chiro
HAS: Good stuff
IF SEEN: Please smite expediently
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There are also the posters for less-than-lawful things. One of them has been tacked to a tree near Cyre. It is a colourful, newly hand-drawn poster; Kourin, who knows the language around here, can tell it advertises something called Drago's Bewitching Troupe, a caravan of "entertainers." More notably, though, is that the poster depicts an extravagantly-dressed fan dancer in the middle of an elegant move, brandishing a pair of blue and white and black feather fans.
The artist is talented enough, and the subject distinctive enough, that it's easy to identify the person on the poster as Catenna.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin stares in shock at the poster. "She is...going to get arrested. We have to find her."
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata throws her helmet off when they're right next to the CaraKin with a kind of raspy, almost pained exhale. She nods towards Jacqueline as she lifts Carina up by one shoulder and aids the beleaguered Metal Digger and up towards her own own room, tucking her under a blanket and checking that she'll be all right.
That vein is bulging a little more insistently, as she stumbles and throws the gauntlets aside like she's drunk or dizzied. "Hgh..."
She shakes her head, and then limps over--
--to the stove.
Fennel. De-stalk, finely dice.
Shallots. Peel, finely dice.
Celery. Finely dice.
Carrots. Peel, finely dice.
Red potatoes, peel, finely dice.
Fresh rosemary.
Fresh ginger.
Vegetable stock.
Salt and pepper.
Only after the sound of the pot is bubbling away and aromatic soup is underway does she finally sit down and exude the loudest exhale you've ever heard her make and actually de-tense.
...
...
Lunata has your tension all this time been because of soup withdrawl and not to do with your use of Ge Ramda's powers???
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
It's a wary stroll around town, however brief. Ethius takes a look at some of the wanted posters-- no, maybe more appropriate to say, takes a look at one of the posters. That does look a lot like... her.
How many are here? Ethius brings a hand to his forehead. It keeps going off in his mind. Everything is wrong. The situation is... his head is getting lighter. Maybe the pigeon scratches were more serious than he'd be lead to believe.
He gets his... third? Fourth? No, this is probably, legitimately speaking, a sixth wind for him as the CaraKin comes in sight. His eyes damned near jumps out of his head. "This... this shouldn't--"
He takes a hand to his bel-- that's right, he has no more Powder Grenades. That just means--
"She's right." Ethius remarks just as Tesni suggests taking it somewhere else. "Get inside. Now. Now." Ethius gestures hurriedly. How is he even physically keeping it together, for what he's been through? What purpose - no, what fear - seems to keep this man upright enough to move as he has? Harken had him on death's door.
He might just flop over dead from stress and worry, from the looks of it, as he goes to put a hand on Jay's shoulder once Carina is situated.
"You need to drive this. Now. This can't... drive. Drive. Drive it." They're not being chased. What's his hurry?!
"Don't go on the roads. Drive. Drive."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune is more than happy to get out of town, and doesn't need to be told twice at Jay's suggestion; she doesn't actually stop or look anywhere else until they've cleared the gates and sighted the familiar shape of the Carakin, though with the Little Dipper out of action for the sake of disguise it actually takes quite a while for her to heft Jacqueline and help with Carina enough to get them both actually out there.
"... I-- I dunno, but, um, when you stack it up against 'we just got sent to the moon', this is honestly one of the less weird things to happen today, y'know?" she comments back to the alchemist with a sigh. "Let's count our blessings and not-- worry too much about it. Or whose blessings we're actually counting," she mutters softly, already expecting that second question to become pretty thorny pretty fast.
Carefully, she helps Carina up the steps and into the caravan, eventually managing to haul the girl into her own bed; the pink-haired girl steps back and wipes at her brow, tugging her hat off to let her hair explode out of it before throwing a blanket over the heroine. "Hwaaa..."
Her first sigh of relief is only met by a second once she's fussed Jacqueline towards a sitting position, and only then does she allow herself to deflate, her shoulders sagging as she simply stumbles tiredly up to Lunata and throws her arms over the other girl's shoulders to hug her from behind. For the time being, everyone else is rather summarily ignored. "That smells goooood..." she whines low-key.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Some colorful posters catch Jacqueline's eye. She of all people could appreciate a good color scheme. More importantly, though, the person on the front...
"Catenna...?" Jacqueline murmurs. She's so busy considering the ramifications of this, helpfully pointed out by Kourin, that she almost jumps as Ethius pants a hand on her shoulder. She stares back at him in shock.
For a moment she's frozen in place, but eventually the urgency in his voice gets to her. His behavior overall ever since finding themselves in Meribia has been...worrying. Very much so.
It would not be inaccurate to say that's she's kind of terrified of him right now, and what he might do. She's already seen him lash out at an innocent apple cart...
"I...y-yes, I'll...um..."
Without any further word she hurries inside into the driver's seat. She does give Shalune a thanks for her fussing. But before long, once everyone's safely inside, she'll get to driving...
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
By some small miracle (aka: good old fashioned chichanery and a little bit of chutzpah), the party manages to escape from the city of Meribia. But that's not the only miracle here today, no sir! The other miracle is that...
That... there, under that tree... Is the CaraKin. "What," Cyre deadpans at the colorful, welcome sight of his home away from home. "But... How? Was it teleported here too? I--" There's a woof! And a purr! A small parade of fluffy and mildly distressed critters swarm around their returned bipedal buddies. The pets made it here too? Does that mean...
Cyre... eventually makes his way to those posters. The ones everyone else is crowding around. He sees who's on the last one and his jaw unhinges.
She... She's here!?
And she's DANCING!?!
AND SOMEONE ALREADY DREW HER!?!?
Cyre has so many questions!