2019-11-19: Love is Faraway

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DG: You have created a party! Your Digger status has been reset! As party leader your presence is very important! If you need to leave, please first promote another player using +party/promote ==== <target>. Remember to set your tools before setting out with +tools/load.

DG: Riesenlied has created a party! To join, type +party/reset and then type +party/join Riesenlied.

DG: Hilde has joined your party!

DG: Noeline's party information reset!

DG: Noeline has joined your party!


DG: Marivel Armitage's party information reset!

DG: Marivel Armitage has joined your party!

DG: You've readied your Tool, Heritor's Regalia! It has 2 uses available!

DG: You've readied your Tool, My Dear Friends! It has 2 uses available!

DG: You've readied your Tool, Rings of Promise! It has 2 uses available!

DG: A party led by Riesenlied is now entering Faraway Lands.

DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
======================== <* CHALLENGE - Electrified Doorway *>=====================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 There are several entrances to Faraway Lands, rather than a single central    
 doorway. Famously, all of them are locked tight and difficult to enter. Many  
 a Digger has been turned back at this point, unable to enter.                 
                                                                               
 You find one of the doors that is not locked tight. Instead, the door         
 irregularly opens -- moving up and down -- in an almost spasm-like way.       
 Lightning leaps and arcs away from it. It seems that whatever powers the      
 door has malfunctioned, and left the door in a state of constantly opening    
 and closing. To enter, one must get under -- and avoid the arcs of            
 electricity leaping periodically from it.                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Exhaust==========================================

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

With the Fereshte missing (and by all accounts, likely still back in Spira), Riesenlied and Noeline have made do between Meria Boule and the Thames for a while. Odjn and Muni-Muni have rejoined them, which is at the very least comfort for the Hyadean who's distraught and missing her children (and yet doing her best for those that are here, like Kaguya and Lydia)...

...

But Filgaia is Filgaia, and Riesenlied's return to Filgaia means the return of a symptom that she hasn't experienced in her time in Spira.

"It's... calling me..." she speaks up randomly one day. "They're calling me..."

Fortunately, the Hyadean /has/ gotten stronger, spiritually, emotionally; the capricious and seemingly random beckonings of the Ley no longer completely override her, even if it's painful and impossible to ignore lest the headaches become worse.

As such, it's why she's here now, at the "Faraway Lands" -- by all means a dangerous Labyrinth, but Riesenlied hopes to at the very least turn a call from the world into a positive for them.

She's quaffed one of Jacqueline's potions to bolster her, but the wheelchair is still here -- and she's leaned to the ground of all things, as if to press her ear to it.

"... deeper? Deeper..." Riesenlied murmurs, almost trance-like in her weird ear-to-the-floor posture. She looks up. "The voice is coming from inside."

Many of the doors are sealed. But there is one that erratically slides up and down, lightning arcing off off it. It's going to be pretty dangerous...

Odjn -- a tiny black and red dragon -- hovers beside her, frowning quietly as she looks towards Noeline. "Well that's all well 'n good but uh... I ain't gonna crisp myself by goin' first, am I?"

A pause.

"Ah hooey, it /is/ gonna be me, isn't it?" Odjn sags. She sucks in a breath and--

bravely

bravely!

--hides behind Strife. "Let's go! No thunder cloud shall hinder us, strife!"

DG: You use your Tool My Dear Friends against your party's Challenge, Electrified Doorway!

DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool My Dear Friends toward her party's challenge, Electrified Doorway.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"Hmmnn?" mumbles Noeline when Riesenlied speaks that morning. For a self-styled 'Crimson Noble' who enjoys fancying herself up from time to time, she's remarkably able to sleep on the Thames, the pair of them cuccooned amidst a pile of blankets and cushions, old and worn but made more comfortable for it. There's an errant tuft of hair sticking out in a way she'd never abide were she awake.

For a moment she only blinks dumbly at her partner's soft mumble - then realization sets in, and she bolts up in surprise and sudden urgency.

--

But at least Riesenlied didn't take the opportunity to just wander off on her own this time. That much is something of a relief. She might be wheelchair-bound, but something makes Noeline suspect that if the call of the Ley were strong enough, Riesenlied would find a way to follow it, wheelchair or not. Perhaps she should be thankful that they didn't arrive on dragon-back.

Out of sheer curiosity, she feels for their link - but can already feel a fuzzed sort of sensation across it. Riesenlied is there, but there's a static effect over it, as if she's sensing the other Hyadean via a half-broken radio.

So she places her hand on Riesenlied's shoulder instead, hoping that's enough of an anchor.

"So much for this place being shut down," she comments uncertainly at the sight of the arcs, glancing towards Odjn with a frown. Strife is already in position, bobbing left and right as if trying to figure out a pattern behind the chaotic mess of the arcs. "There must be some sort of mechanism to get the gate open further - or at the very least, to shut off its power. Do that and we can simply brute force the thing."

DG: Noeline has used her Tool Strife toward her party's challenge, Electrified Doorway.

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

As one of Althena's Guard, Hilde had many duties. Today, those duties take her to the ruins that, according to those who pointed her in its direction, was called 'Faraway Lands'. A quaint name, that belies the nature of the danger within. Fortunately, she had done her research beforehand. She knew this place could potentially be dangerous - that was why she had volunteered for it, after all.

And that is why, as Riesenlied and her friends and family consider how to handle the problem before them, they will hear the sound of armored feet approaching behind them.

There, a tall woman clad full plate accented with blue and a long, blue cape with golden trim stands. And, perhaps a potential concern, her tabard identifies her as one of Althena's Guard. She takes a moment to study them, one eye covered by a metal-plated eyepatch. Her gaze hovers briefly on Riesenlied and her wheelchair, and for a moment an expression of concern crosses her face.

"...Ah, it would appear I was not the only one with their eye on this place today." Hilde observes. "Greetings, friends. I do hope you will not object my intrusion into your foray. I have business of my own here."

Notably, however, she still seems inclined to follow them. She studies the entrance, noting the way the door opens and closes, and draws out a lance with an icy blue tip attached to a rope. She takes a moment to judge the distance and then hurls the lance at the base of the door before uttering a command word under her breath.

At her word the tip of the lance begins to shine and ice spreads out from it rapidly, coating the doorway. It's thick enough that it becomes more difficult for the door to slide up and down, having to force its way through the ice - this should give them a little more leeway.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Rope Lance toward her party's challenge, Electrified Doorway.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

ELLY VAN HOUTEN, hearing about how they're calling her, blinked several times and then started to follow along, because the swordfish run isn't that great and so she is at loose ends. (What has she been doing with her lover and adopted robot child? stuff, don't worry about it)

"I'd try to just blow the door," Elly says to Noeline, "but I can tell it's electrified, and either I'd get shocked or the explosive would go off prematurely."

She then feels a sudden sparkling surge of awareness and turns to see -- a giant of fire!? An iron knight!?

Oh, it's Hilde. "Good evening," she says to her, dipping her head. At which point she scoots out of the way. "Ah, you want to be careful - oh, if that's freshwater, then - mmm."

Elly trails off in thought, perhaps being overawed by a knight in armor. (It gives you presence! Especially with that eyepatch!) A moment later, she blinks, says something to herself that may be a minor self-oriented curse in some foreign language, and digs in her hip bag to get out a stray length of wire.

She sidles near the door and tosses it forwards, hopefully to create a current between the door and Filgaia itself, discharging the former into the latter.


DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Fishing Tackle toward her party's challenge, Electrified Doorway.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

"Friends? What would the Guard know about friendship, serving whom they serve, their armors polished to a shine of brilliant delusion?"

A bat hovers nearby. before poufing into the form of Marivel, eyes slanted as she quaffs a cola-bottle shaped glass filled with blood, drinking it to about a quarter of the way, licking at her scarlet lips so as to not be wasteful. "I doubt Althena is welcome in this place, and her servants less so." Her gaze glances towards Riesenlied for a moment, then to Noeline. She clucks her tongue briefly before adding, "Well I suppose I shall not make co-conspirators of my friends today. Besides, perhaps there will be an interesting reaction to the Blessing."

Marivel darts forward, sliding as she nears the doors to avoid the electricity--her smaller size does come in handy sometimes.

"There is saying that to earn wisdom one must sacrifice an eye but I feel those who are forward thinkers recognize the benefit of depth perception."

DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool Tomato Juice For Grownups toward her party's challenge, Electrified Doorway.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
======================== <* CHALLENGE - Electrified Doorway *>=====================
|Type: Entry       |Dungeon Ability: Agility   |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 There are several entrances to Faraway Lands, rather than a single central    
 doorway. Famously, all of them are locked tight and difficult to enter. Many  
 a Digger has been turned back at this point, unable to enter.                 
                                                                               
 You find one of the doors that is not locked tight. Instead, the door         
 irregularly opens -- moving up and down -- in an almost spasm-like way.       
 Lightning leaps and arcs away from it. It seems that whatever powers the      
 door has malfunctioned, and left the door in a state of constantly opening    
 and closing. To enter, one must get under -- and avoid the arcs of            
 electricity leaping periodically from it.                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure, Exhaust==========================================
============================ <* Faraway Lands - Round 1 *>=========================
========================== < Results - Electrified Doorway >=======================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
My Dear Friends                     3   Agility Effects: Fanfare              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Rope Lance                          2   Agility Effects: Quicken              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noeline                             0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Strife                              2   Agility Effects: Stalwart             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage                    0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Tomato Juice For Grownups           1   Agility Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elhaym van Houten                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Fishing Tackle                      2   Agility Effects: Stalwart             
----------------------------------==== < Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  0 --(20)--> 20                 Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Injure(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Quicken(1)
================================== < Dream Chasers >===============================

DG: The party led by Riesenlied 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> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied pauses for a moment as she feels Noeline's hand on her shoulder, shuddering quietly. She lifts her head up, looking back towards her. She looks almost comical with the dirt on one side on her face, her horn wiggling as if to dust herself off.

Odjn grumps quietly as she teases, "T'think you'd started enjoying brute forcing things and I'm the one who got real catty and cautious over time..." Elly adds the suggestion of blowing the door up. "You too, Elly!?"

But Riesenlied pauses, as she looks towards the approaching Hilde. She pauses, then looks towards her tabard. The topic of her bounty comes to her head. "Oh, hello..."

She bows her head quietly, something of an inbetween a greeting and listless trance. She says, "My name is Riesenlied." Well, she's never been one to be a liar. "It's nice to meet-- wah--"

Hilde thrusts her icy lance and coats the doorway with ice, which also has the added benefit of making it more difficult for the electricity to coarse, chunked as it is.

Then Marivel arrives with her bold statement.

"Marivel..." Riesenlied whispers, looking a bit surprised. She looks towards Hilde again. A longer pause. "I want to trust her."

Marivel darts forward and dodges the electricity, and finds a switch on the other end to disable, thanks to Elly's wire, Strife and Odjn, and Hilde's ice collectively slowing the door down enough for her to move onward.

Odjn looks to Marivel, then to Noeline. She whispers, "So that's the actual Crimson Noble I've been hearin' about? ... d'you vibe like you have egg on your face for a moment ...?"

Riesenlied, ever distracted, points to mumble entrancedly, "The voice... beckons that way." [OOC] Noeline says, "Shall I grab it" (New BB Message (2/30) posted to 'Announcements' by Teardrop: NEW DIG: Streamline Mine)

DG: Noeline has drawn a new Challenge.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
========================== <* CHALLENGE - Research Manual *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The next room that you enter is a small office, with some ancient             
 bookshelves. The metal bookshelves are dusty and mostly empty, save for a     
 few books on them. As you enter the office, though, there is a flutter of     
 pages -- and then the books on the shelves lift into the air. Their covers    
 flap like wings -- but then the books turn, pages facing outward.             
                                                                               
 Which is when strings of ethereal scientific notations begin exploding from   
 the pages, like raining fireballs and beams of light. They burn much the      
 same, too.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Filgaia is a weird place.                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Injure, Exhaust==================================

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline's posture obviously stiffens a little at the first comment from the member of the Guard - but there's a lot in Hilde's favour right now, such as her measured tone as she joins the group rather than charging towards it. The Hyadean's gaze tracks towards Marivel, but the moment of lucidity from Riesenlied stops her in her tracks.

"I am Noeline," she says instead, taking her cue from Riesenlied as she lightly bows. A wry smile plays over her face. "I suspect you have quite a few names for us, but those are the ones we tend to prefer." She watches as their combined force gets the door open, puffing out a breath of satisfaction as she looks to Elly. "Honestly, I'd rather prefer to shut as much of this down as possible. Zeboim ruins still functioning today is... not what I would call advisable."

A corridor stretches further into the complex, but Noeline first pauses at what appears to be an office or perhaps a reception room, thoughtfully humming to herself as she looks around it for any clues or old documents that might explain the ruin. "I did," she mutters back to Odjn. "But she was remarkably flattered by it all. I'm not going to try to push my luck too far, of course, but--"

She's interrupted by the fluttering of pages, and watches in muted surprise as half of the bookcase she's rifling through suddenly peels away from the shelves, the rotted and ancient books rising up to float in the air around them. "... oh, good," she sighs as she tries not to just break out into an amused smile. "Not just a ancient power plant, but an ancient haunted power plant. I'm terribly glad."

She's tensed, and ready to grasp for her sword - but even that can't help the sheer surprise of getting smacked in the head by a mathematical equation. "what," she starts to intone in a completely confused deadpan, before the rest of her senses take over for her and fling her to one side in a diving roll. Behind her, complex integrals etch glowing lines of heat in the floor.

"Riese!" she calls as she ducks behind the desk in one corner; she ventures a glimpse above the line of the furniture, then heaves herself to one side as she clasps the ring on her finger. Where she was sitting just a moment ago, a spike of long division embeds itself confusingly into the ground. "Can you reach them?"

DG: Noeline has used her Tool Rings of Promise toward her party's challenge, Research Manual.

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde returns Elly's greeting with a nod of her own, and a grateful smile.

"Not to worry. The ice generated by my lance's enchantment is of the purest water. But I thank you, for your concern." She replies, with a polite bow.

But then, there is Marivel. Hilde looks upon her for a brief moment. She doesn't flinch at the sass hurled her way, but she does frown slightly.

"I can accept venom hurled at myself and my injuries, madam, but I must request you leave my comrades out of this. Do you truly believe we know nothing of friendship - that we ourselves do not have anyone we care about?" Hilde questions.

She looks toward Riesenlied, then. She studies her for a moment.

"Riesenlied." She repeats. She looks for a moment as if she's realised something, but she doesn't say anything outright. She looks toward Noeline for a moment, as well. "I am Hilde. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

She doesn't bring up Riesenlied's bounty - she is aware of it certainly, but for right now...she wanted to judge Riesenlied's character for herself.

"I see. So, is that your purpose here?" She considers. "As for myself, we have heard rumors that dangerous creatures have been spilling out, and attacking travelers. My duty is to investigate the matter and put a stop to them. Our meeting may be fortuitous, then - our goals may be aligned."

Together, they're able to make their way into the facility...but, it isn't long before they're set upon spell-slinging books.

"Get behind me!" Hilde warns, drawing out her shield and placing herself between the books and the party. Spells crash against her shield, threatening to push her back. And so, she draws from beneath her cloak a long staff bearing one of the Guard's battle standards, thrusting it into the tiles behind her firmly. The staff sticks into the ground, allowing her to brace herself against it so that she can keep defending without being pushed back - anyone who prefers to fight from a distance may use her as a wall to protect themselves from the books' spells...

...As strange in form as they may be.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Battle Standard toward her party's challenge, Research Manual.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

"Then trust away, my dear friend! And I shall distrust! All our bases can be covered. Easily!" She pokes that button, and then turns around towards Odjn. She tilts her head, giving Odjn a long look...Then her eyes widen in shock!

She jogs towards Odjn and smiles brightly, "Odjn!" She aims to give the dragon a big ol' hug. "Aww! I was so looking forward to meeting you for the first time."

She shakes her head briefly and says, "Noeline has naught to worry about from me. Tis nice to know that even thought they are gone, my people can still inspire others in little ways."

She glances to Noeline. "Ahh, we cannot shut this place down just yet. I want to see if there is a path to Lunar through these ruins. If there is, I can bid Yuna and her Guardians home and they can praise me for being very useful. Besides, we already removed the--"

Marivel frowns for a mment before shakng her head.

"Oh perhaps, perhaps you do know a thing or two about it. Mortals are always free to discover such things. But the so-called goddess you serve? Well perhaps she knew it once. Not anymore."

She listens to Hilde's explanation of her purpose for being here. "Mmm, tis but that? Well, we shall see brave knight. My demise, after all, has been ordered by your god."

Marivel does not volunteer her own reason for being present because Marivel, for all her talk about trust, is definitely shady as heck.

She snaps her mic into her hand and adds, "Tis your instinct to protect those around you? Perhaps a sign of greatness, perhaps! Or perhaps a way to strangle flowers with weeds. I wonder, I wonder!"

She is particularly impish today but this does not stop her from chanting her own magic and unleashing an anti magic field around the books to disable the bulk of their combat capacity.

"Tis true you are an impressive singer, Odjn?" She asks.

DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool My Mike toward her party's challenge, Research Manual.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

Elly smiles at Marivel, a little hesitantly, and then looks ahead. To Noeline and Odjn she says, "Well, it seemed like the thing... but the charges are electrically triggered. I have detonators... I'll show you later if it comes up."

Elly then blinks slowly. "Haunted?"

And then there is a clash of religious beliefs behind them. Elly tenses, and this does distract her during the walk in, but to Hilde she asks, "I wanted to ask you - something, as a person. Ah, it's a naive question, and I realize you may not answer. So I want to say that I am asking you, as a believer in Althena... not what the priests might -"

Rustle.

Elly looks at a book.

A moment later she is struck in the face with an interval notation mark and flies back to reel against the wall. She reaches up to touch her cheek, which indeed has a slight pink impression of the interval notation.

She then reaches down to a hip pouch that looked unusually long and deep and snaps out a three-section staff with chain links, stout mahogany wood painted with a loosely naval scrimshaw pattern, and steel caps. She twists it round with one arm, eyes narrowing as an impassive cast crosses her face.

"Books won't help the heart stay sharp," Elly says, or perhaps babbles, a moment before -

"haaaaaaaaaaah"

DIVING IN to beat the living poop out of a book with nunchucks!

Is this what Fei taught her? (Probably)


DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Three Stick Nunchucks toward her party's challenge, Research Manual.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied looks to Hilde for a moment longer, her countenance still... in a trance. Calm on the outside, and yet still struggling to find purchase to the surface that is consciousness, it seems. "Hilde. Yes, if there is danger to others, we should make the roads safer."

Riesenlied quietly smiles at Marivel and laces her hands together. "I am glad you both could inspire each other..."

"... heh," Odjn smirks to Noeline. "You've really come a long way. Years ago you'd just have sulked and exploded like a tomato-- GWEH"

Karma comeuppances on Odjn because Marivel just about gloms onto her and she whines as if reminiscing about the way other people used to glom onto her. "Agh! Let go! And don't call me a cat either!"

But then, the books attack them!

Riesenlied's eyes widen as she unironically asks a book, "Are you... are you... the ones who called to me?"

As Noeline calls out, she yelps and regains enough awareness to duck her head and avoid getting an A3 planted on her face as it flings across; just as the books start to heat with complex magic and blast fire and beams of light upon them, she raises a barrier to protect herself from the worst of it-- and yet finds herself being slid back onto a desk with an 'umph'. Hilde and Noeline both fortunately give her protection.

"No... no, you are not... where is it, then? Further in?" Riesenlied holds her hand, as Odjn grumps and suddenly pounces on a book. "Riese! C'mon, don't space out on us again!" Odjn whines.

"I'll show ya vanities of the bonfire, y'bargain bin book!"

She opens her mouth and bellows out a lighter-sized piece of flame, which... which Ruby would be proud of, dangit. Still, hopefully it's enough to light the book a bit on fire. Fortunately Elly clubs one with her nunchucks which gives her reprieve.

But then Marivel gives her something more powerful. A mic.

Is it true you are an impressive singer, Odjn?

Odjn pauses. She looks like she could cry.

Then she starts beatboxing

oomph
psshh
dun dun psshh

Y'made of dead trees and your text's a joke!
Y'got nothing but drivel, your print's a hoax!
Please tell me you actin' up, prepare to be beat!
Close y'self up and shelf y'self, at least be neat!

"Word," Odjn says to Marivel.

DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Research Manual.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
========================== <* CHALLENGE - Research Manual *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat    |Challenge Rating: 2          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The next room that you enter is a small office, with some ancient             
 bookshelves. The metal bookshelves are dusty and mostly empty, save for a     
 few books on them. As you enter the office, though, there is a flutter of     
 pages -- and then the books on the shelves lift into the air. Their covers    
 flap like wings -- but then the books turn, pages facing outward.             
                                                                               
 Which is when strings of ethereal scientific notations begin exploding from   
 the pages, like raining fireballs and beams of light. They burn much the      
 same, too.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Filgaia is a weird place.                                                     
=Dungeon Conditions: Fright, Injure, Exhaust==================================
============================ <* Faraway Lands - Round 2 *>=========================
============================ < Results - Research Manual >=========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Fight                               0   Combat  Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Battle Standard                     1   Combat  Effects: Embolden and Fanfare 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noeline                             0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Rings of Promise                    4   Combat  Effects: Efficient and Rally  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage                    0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
My Mike                             4   Combat  Effects: Efficient and Fanfare
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elhaym van Houten                   0 --(0)--> 0                   Pass
Three Stick Nunchucks               1   Combat  Effects: Stalwart and Rally   
----------------------------------==== < Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  20 --(20)--> 40                Pass
Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Fright(2)|Injure(2)
Effects: Embolden(1)
================================== < Dream Chasers >===============================

DG: The party led by Riesenlied 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> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Marivel Armitage slides her cap to the side and raps as whitely as is possible while making semi-vulgar pg-grade handsigns.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline still hesitates - it was a very trying time on Spira, after all, and it's a little difficult for her to trust the Guard just like that when old instincts are riding hard to the fore. Harder still when she's being assaulted by streams of punctuation and mathematical notation... but she's made a lot of herself since those days, and as Odjn says, perhaps she really has come a very long way when it comes to not being a coiled spring.

Besides, actions are louder than words, and Hilde practically throws herself forwards to cover Riesenlied.

Marivel's antimagic barrier snaps into place just in time to prevent another litany of scientific terms from hammering into all of them - it clatters into the shaped field instead, the letters shining as they hang in the air for a long moment. Elly follows the books in, battering one of them to the ground and tearing another from its bindings, whereupon they flutter to the ground like wounded doves, spasming slightly.

But it's Odjn's abrupt rap that suddenly brings the conflict to a stand-still - quite literally, as the scientific journals and textbooks are pulled up short by their antithesis. Sick rhymes manifest and spiral across the intervening space to clash with stringy equations, a chaotic jumble against strict lines, and then tear through them and into the books proper, driving them to the ground and inert.

Noeline has a terrifically glum look on her face for a moment, then breaks into an amused little sigh as she touches at her forehead and stands up. "... well done, I... think? But it's a shame I couldn't salvage one of them for Muse's maths lessons, though," she adds as she nudges one of the 'dead' books with a boot.

Looking up, Riesenlied's already fallen back to the distraction of the voice that's calling her - and Noeline puffs out a soft breath, nodding her head. "... well, then. Onwards and downwards, I suppose... and we'll keep an eye out," she nods to Marivel's statement, even if she's not really sure that an old malfunctioning power plant is going to have something like that in it. Still, you never know.


DG: Hilde has drawn a new Challenge.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
===================== <* CHALLENGE - Navigating in the Darkness *>=================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 When you enter this room, you get a brief look at a confusing, twisting,      
 S-shaped path through stacked plastic crates. The room once was used as a     
 storage room, and it seems portions were sealed off to store things in        
 plastic crates. Many of those are scattered -- but then you miss a lot of     
 the details, because the power flickers and dies.                             
                                                                               
 You are left in the dark.                                                     
                                                                               
 You can navigate your way through -- and maybe check some of those crates.    
 However, you may want to hurry, as the voice of one of those half-phantasmal  
 monsters called an 'Unknown' echoes out in something between whalesong and a  
 child's voice:                                                                
                                                                               
 "Rrraaaaoooooom--ssshhh... m o m m y?"                                        
                                                                               
 You may want to hurry.                                                        
=Dungeon Conditions: Madness, Secret==========================================

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde doesn't comment on whether or not Althena knows friendship. But as for Marivel's latter matter...

"I give you my word on this - I intend no harm to any one of you. For as long as we are working together here today, I will protect you all to the best of my ability - regardless of our respective affiliations." Hilde promises, resting a hand over her heart.

Marivel has her own view on this, however, but Hilde doesn't comment on that. It was up to Marivel to form her own opinion. So, instead, she glances toward Elly, as she struggles with a question - before getting distracted by a flying book.

But, soon enough, they get them all cleared out.

"You wished to ask me something?" Hilde asks, glancing toward Elly as they start to move on. The power flickers as they go, and eventually, they find themselves in a storeroom.

Old plastic crates are stacked up, some going even up to the ceiling - literal walls of crates forcing the room into twisted, S-shaped paths that they'll have to carefully maneuver yourself around.

On the bright side, you might be able to rummage through some of those crates - but the opportunity won't last for long, as the power begins to flicker before dying completely, flooding the entire room with darkness.

It's deathly quiet. And then...there's a voice, echoing through the room.

"Rrraaaaoooooom--ssshhh... m o m m y?"

It sounds like something between whalesong and a child's voice. Through gaps in between the crates, one might spot a pair of glowing, spectral eyes staring at you - vanishing the moment one stares into them for too long.

A slight frown crosses Hilde's face.

"...Stay calm, everyone, and keep moving." She advises. She could do very little for a ghost - and right now, there was no telling what its intent was.

DG: Hilde has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Navigating in the Darkness.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

"Yes," Elly says, in the echoing aftermath of the sick rhymes dropped by MC Odjn. She had, in that aftermath, been momentarily awed by the power of [Marivel's] Mic.

"I believe the Guard shared their faith with people on Filgaia. But, I have also heard that the goddess Althena is limited in her space of influence - that she had little effect on Spira, which was on the same world. Do you think that people can live good lives without the teachings of the Goddess Althena?"

BOOM! SHE GOT THE ENTIRE QUESTION OUT. Elly has WON THIS DAY. She looks at Noeline as if to confirm this victory. Then something calls out for m o m m y . . .

And any joy Elly felt over finally getting to ask a straight question fades.

But they are, beyond this, in the dark.

Or are they? Elly reaches for -

Shit, Elly thinks but doesn't say, because that would be a swear. The Reel Sphere had a built in bobbler illumination function... but the Reel Sphere was rent asunder on Spira, or at least, in a place that was entered from Spira.

I hope I don't trip, Elly prays.


DG: Elhaym van Houten has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Navigating in the Darkness.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"That girl ain't gonna ever learn math," Odjn mumbles, apparently having missed Janey apprenticing under Ambrosius. Then again, one would argue engineering is a different field altogether.

Riesenlied seems quietly troubled still of the conflict in the party, though she doesn't seem quite as able to articulate her own thoughts about it in part because of all the voices flowing through her head. Reverberating, echoing through the hallways of the world...

Riesenlied hears Elly's question too. She wonders about that question -- about why is it that Althena had no reach towards Spira. It might not be what Elly is asking especially...

"Even within Glenwood... was there not a boundary where her influence did not reach?" Riesenlied asks honestly. It's been more than a year since she was last in Glenwood and her mind has become more toasted since then. "I wonder... why..."

Then she hears it.

Her mouth opens and she instinctively emits something that's not unlike whalesong herself, like some kind of anxious tic.

"... was it your voice ...?" Riesenlied asks. A pause. "No, not just you..."

She holds her chest tightly and feels something painful. Perhaps she is sensing the emotion of the ghost. She withers and trembles in her wheelchair, sweating.

"O-oi," Odjn nervously mumbles, "This place is full of bad mojo... ruin's haunted, like you said." Better than the moon being haunted, maybe.

Riesenlied looks towards Hilde for a moment, then looks down at herself. She closes her eyes in the darkness, her palms pressed to her neck as she focuses on the power of the Dragon's Tear with a shine--

"... can you ... hear me?
 ... it'll be okay.
 Yes ... I do feel your pain..."

A pause.

"You couldn't... I see.
 I'm sorry. I can't do much more...
 ...
 It is cruel. That much is true..."

She's starting to weep for some reason, even in the deep state of trance that she is in. Odjn grumbles as she starts shoving the wheelchair to hurry them ahead. "REAL bad mojo! I can't spit hot rhymes on a ghost! Hurry!"

DG: You use your Tool Heritor's Regalia against your party's Challenge, Navigating in the Darkness!

DG: Riesenlied has used her Tool Heritor's Regalia toward her party's challenge, Navigating in the Darkness.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline doesn't offer any judgement on the back-and-forth between Hilde and Marivel, only chuckling a little under her breath. It isn't really her place to butt in, at least not on this front - whatever problems Marivel has with the Guard, Noeline can well believe that they're valid ones. The fact that they're electing to trust the guardswoman despite their own difficulties is their own business, and not something to push onto anyone else.

That rather diplomatic silence extends to Elly's question, but she can't and doesn't hide the flash of curiosity in her eyes nor the way she stands up a little straighter, perking up ready to catch the answer even as she continues to push Riesenlied's chair along. "We can but hope," she notes primly to Odjn. "Actually, more like she's getting too smart for her own good."

Something feels wrong, though, and the interest she puts in the question starts to fade as she feels the hairs on the back of her neck rise upwards. Whether it's the new sense of empathy she shares with Riesenlied or a practiced danger reflex, she's coiled and ready to spring the instant the lights cut - even if she doesn't, at first, have any idea where to spring /to/.

"Riese," she mutters softly under her breath, her voice in a hushed whisper. Answering the voice seems dangerous, but so does abruptly cutting off the link that her partner is forging to it. For a moment she bites at her lip in a mixture of worry and concern, then offers Odjn a curt nod, looking to propel the wheelchair forward at a faster clip.

And should she hit a lip or something, part of her is more or less prepared to just carry the whole chair out in a single go.

DG: Noeline has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Navigating in the Darkness.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Marivel says, "A convenient promise, yo! Is a convenient diss, yo!" It is perhaps little wonder why it is easy to forget Marivel is a monster when she is spitting out sick rhymes (Note: rhymes aren't actually sick in this case.)

But she does add, "Regardless in the end we cannot turn away from the truth for long. Thy goddess does not deserve thee."

And with that... darkness!

"Ooh!" Marivel says. Then it turns into something spooky yes but mpstly sad. "Urgh." Marivel grumps.

Marivel /can/ do something for a ghost, though. Marivel is just Leviram backwarda after all.

She approaches an Unknown. She glances at the crying Riesenlied as she does so. She reaches out to the unknown with a hand...

The Unknown does...something...and Marivel's hand explodes into black smoke. Marivel stares at the creature and then raises her hand and rests it against the phantasmic creature's cheek.

"That which is dead should stay dead," Marivel says. Her hands glow a bright blue--

Before a blue glow is guided free from the creature and pulled into Marivel's body, briefly lighting the Noble up before fading.

"The child can be soothed but the rest...let us not wait and see, no?"

Marivel offers no other explanation as to what she did or what happened but even she moves with quickened step once she is done.

DG: Marivel Armitage has used her Tool Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles by M. Armitage toward her party's challenge, Navigating in the Darkness.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
===================== <* CHALLENGE - Navigating in the Darkness *>=================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Wits      |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 When you enter this room, you get a brief look at a confusing, twisting,      
 S-shaped path through stacked plastic crates. The room once was used as a     
 storage room, and it seems portions were sealed off to store things in        
 plastic crates. Many of those are scattered -- but then you miss a lot of     
 the details, because the power flickers and dies.                             
                                                                               
 You are left in the dark.                                                     
                                                                               
 You can navigate your way through -- and maybe check some of those crates.    
 However, you may want to hurry, as the voice of one of those half-phantasmal  
 monsters called an 'Unknown' echoes out in something between whalesong and a  
 child's voice:                                                                
                                                                               
 "Rrraaaaoooooom--ssshhh... m o m m y?"                                        
                                                                               
 You may want to hurry.                                                        
=Dungeon Conditions: Madness, Secret==========================================
============================ <* Faraway Lands - Round 3 *>=========================
======================= < Results - Navigating in the Darkness >===================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          0 --(15)--> 15                 Pass
Heritor's Regalia                   3   Wits    Effects: Rally                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               0 --(25)--> 25                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noeline                             0 --(25)--> 25                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage                    0 --(15)--> 15                 Pass
Wisdom of the Crimson Nobles by M.  3   Wits    Effects: Fanfare              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elhaym van Houten                   0 --(25)--> 25                 Fail
Investigate                         0   Wits    Effects: BASIC                
----------------------------------==== < Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  40 --(10)--> 50                Fail
Conditions: Fright(1)|Injure(1)|Madness|Secret(2)
Effects: 
================================== < Dream Chasers >===============================

DG: The party led by Riesenlied has failed this challenge! The party gained 10 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> Hilde has posed.

Elly poses a question, and Hilde goes quiet for a moment, thinking it over.

"That is correct. The people of Glenwood live outside of Althena's Boundary." She confirms with a nod toward Riesenlied. "I am from Hyland, myself."

"But to answer your question, miss... It is difficult to say. One can live a good life without them, certainly - but there are those to whom the goddess's teachings can be a necessary balm, or a light in a dark place." Hilde explains. "To some, they are a reassurance they need to continue living peacefully."

Marivel and her rhymes just get a frown from Hilde, however, as does her next comment.

"...Perhaps it would be best if we stepped away from the subject for now." She advises.

There's the matter of the darkness, anyway, as well as the Unknown that lurks within it. It's presence is practically smothering - it doesn't attack them directly, but there's something about it that makes it difficult to breathe.

Riesenlied, however, attempts to entreat the spirit with the power of the Dragon's Tear. The eyes focus on her, then. It's quiet...and then, it reaches out.

But, Marivel intervenes, resting a hand against the creature. A blue glow is pulled free, and the spectral body fades away. But...the presence is still there - but, a bit more coherent, now.

It will be up to Riesenlied to soothe the troubled spirit - and there are perhaps more yet waiting beyond.

As for the others...well, it's still dark, and this place is practically a minefield of stray crates. They didn't make this place easy to traverse.

DG: Elhaym van Houten has drawn a new Challenge.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
============================= <* CHALLENGE - Vault Door *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The end of the smooth, metal hallway that you enter ends in a massive vault   
 door. This huge steel door has a wheeled locking mechanism -- set to some     
 combination forgotten millennia ago. Now, the only way through is brute       
 force. Of course, blowing apart a vault door is not something to be done      
 lightly -- or easily -- or, unfortunately, quietly.                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Tire===========================================

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

Remember how Elly was praying she doesn't trip?

"aaa"

bonk

Elly's prayers are not answered, due to the supremacy of Double Satan. Double Satan will contend with Batman at the end of time, and it is said that the victor will be a third party who intervenes... little is known about this third party, save that he is "the tiger-force at the heart of the universe."

There is some fumbling. The groaning of the unknown moves past - and Marivel's drawing forth of light, the gleams from the Heritor's regalia, cast light on -

On...

"Oh!" Elly says, because it is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. An impenetrable steel door. "Oh, oh goodness," she says. "Finally. I know Fei thought I was wasting my money -- he's too sweet to ever say that aloud but I could tell - but this settles it. I don't want to impose, but if there's loose money in here, may I take a share and a half...?"

Eventually light is organized. Elly goes around and starts attaching little sticks of gray putty to the hinge spaces on the door. In fact, she makes two bracketing spaces. She seems very pleased at this.

"While I'm doing this, um," Elly says to Hilde. "... It's alright if it's uncomfortable. I just wonder about all of these things. Sometimes I think that it would be harder, not easier, to believe, with your heart, in any kind of a 'god' or 'goddess' that would act overtly in the world... people seemed frustrated with the Guardians, though I suppose you might not have been aware of those..."

Elly attaches two brass thingies to the putty she wedged in, adjusts them, and clicks one, then five seconds later, the other. After this she backs off, counting down under her breath. "Thirty - twenty-nine - twenty eight - ah, don't hold your breath - twenty six -"


DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Undersea Explosive Pack toward her party's challenge, Vault Door.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied looks a bit more distressed after their attempts... go a little awry, perhaps -- for a moment the group can see the outline of the creature, which seems to disturb her more as she holds onto one half of her head.

"No, you mustn't.
 This is not how..."

She jolts for a moment as she stares at the creature.

Marivel takes hold of the creature's hand.

She's still crying.

"... I am sorry.
 You are a thousand fragments...
 ... you go where even angels fear to tread."

A longer pause, as she grips her hands, both scaled and not, on her wheelchair as Noeline does the unenviable job of actually boosting her away. She looks rather alarmed to not really be in a hale state of mind right now.

She calms down and--

They come to a stop in front of a big iron door.

She looks particularly unaware right now, which is why it might be a bit surprising to say, "I believed... with all my heart in Mother -- that there /would/ be such a Mother as the one my heart imagined. Yet even with that horrible betrayal."

She glances towards the kind woman who's followed her all the way here. She feels a bit ashamed.

"I still... want to believe in the Guardians. Because I have heard their voice. Because I have felt their pain. That is why I work with Odoryuk to this day. Is that naive? Is there no other outcome than what we saw in the Photosphere, what we saw in Spira..."

A pause, as her head suddenly lulls again. Then her voice gets a bit thick and distant again:

"... over there? There are more voices ..."

Odjn scrunches her face up at this, looking towards Noeline. "... feelin' that stress again," she admits. Then turns. And stares at Elly. "Is that one Big Bomb? I'm gonna go hide!"

DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Vault Door.

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

At the end of the hallway there is a thick, steel door. It looks like it may be impenetrable. Doubtlessly there's something important behind there, for it to be this imposing. But, money, huh...?

"If that is the case, you may have my share - the Guard pays for everything I need." Hilde offers. She doesn't have need of it, herself - and then, she offers her a smile.

"You may not be wrong, in that..." She replies, and considers. She looks toward Riesenlied for a moment as she speaks, as well, but then looks back to Elly. "The Guardians...I know they are of the Blue Star, but other than that I admittedly know little of them. I have heard rumor of them through travelers, but this is my first time upon your world."

But, once again there is the matter of the door.

"It seems this will take some time. In the meantime, might I recommend we pause for a moment to regain our strength?" She suggests. And then, she reaches into the pouch on her waist and draws out...a covered platter, concealing a delicious meal!? It smells wonderful, and somehow looks as if it had just been cooked. "If you have a particular preference, please do not hesitate to let me know - I have something for all tastes."

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Magical Pouch toward her party's challenge, Vault Door.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

"Oh can they live a good life without them?" Marivel asks. "I don't believe your Goddess believes the same!" She shakes her head. "Perhaps we can have a proper conversation on the battlefield. Those tend to loosen lips."

She glances towards Elly. "Well, I wouldn't call the Guardians 'gods' but, then, I suppose I wouldn't call much of anything a god. Being frustrated with the Guardians is completely natural. Do people curse at an unexpected rain or an unexpected drought? The Guardians are one and the same. The good and the bad. One might as well ask if mud is performing well in its duties and if we should be mad at it for getting our feet dirty. Perhaps in moments but tis nothing to dwell on."

"I believed in Althena once. Now I know better and as lovely as t'would be to believe in her, even her followers are loathe to truly defend her."

She looks towards the vault door and then crosses her arm completely unhelpfully.

Then she uncrosses them so she can slide her hat back forward. Rap has been over for a while now.

DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Vault Door.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline is watching as Marivel does - whatever she does to the spirit. For all her sense of curiosity, her forte these days is in sorcery and not so much in the realm of spirits. For a moment, she wonders if Marivel has basically just eaten the poor ghost whole - but its presence remains, and the air seems to soothe and ease a little. Which is a relief, certainly, but she can't quite bring herself to stop moving just yet.

She doesn't dare risk talking until they're away from the influence of the ghost, giving Riesenlied enough space to regain herself. Without so much as a word, she's there to clasp her hands around those of her partner, glancing to Odjn before catching Riese's gaze. "... take a moment to breathe," she mutters gently as she squeezes their hands together, paying no attention to the way the scaled plates dig against her hand - not least because, made of metal as she is, they don't break her skin. "It's alright."

"At the very least," she thoughtfully starts when there's a convenient moment of silence, but doesn't continue until after the platter has been revealed and she's had the chance to quietly snort in amusement. "You appear to be a lot more measured and cautious than some of your peers. I would recommend you hold onto that as much as you can. It will serve you a lot better here on Filgaia, where these things can get--" she glances to the vampire's explanation, and while she doesn't reference it directly... "--muddy."

Her look to Elly is lighter, though she's still hanging onto Riese's joined hands as she does so. "We need some money for lodgings, at the very least, and also for travel until we can find the Fereshte - but beyond that, we can surely figure it all out," she adds as she watches the redhead work, her eyebrows going up at the sight of the blob of explosive and recognizing it immediately. "We're going to need to cover our ears," she mutters over the countdown, and-- does so for Riese, rather than herself. Aww.

DG: Noeline has used her Tool Trouble toward her party's challenge, Vault Door.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
============================= <* CHALLENGE - Vault Door *>=========================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 The end of the smooth, metal hallway that you enter ends in a massive vault   
 door. This huge steel door has a wheeled locking mechanism -- set to some     
 combination forgotten millennia ago. Now, the only way through is brute       
 force. Of course, blowing apart a vault door is not something to be done      
 lightly -- or easily -- or, unfortunately, quietly.                           
=Dungeon Conditions: Collapse, Tire===========================================
============================ <* Faraway Lands - Round 4 *>=========================
=============================== < Results - Vault Door >===========================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          15 --(5)--> 20                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               25 --(0)--> 25                 Pass
Magical Pouch                       1   Brute   Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noeline                             25 --(0)--> 25                 Pass
Trouble                             2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage                    15 --(5)--> 20                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elhaym van Houten                   25 --(0)--> 25                 Pass
Undersea Explosive Pack             3   Brute   Effects: Rally                
----------------------------------==== < Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  50 --(30)--> 80                Pass
Conditions: Collapse|Madness|Secret(1)|Tire(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1)
================================== < Dream Chasers >===============================

DG: The party led by Riesenlied has passed this challenge! The party gained 30 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.

DG: Marivel Armitage has drawn a new Challenge.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
======================= <* CHALLENGE - Overloading Generator *>====================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 In the very center of Faraway Lands, you find the Generator Complex. Rather   
 than a single room, it is a series of locked rooms. You make your way inside  
 of one; the locked door is not so difficult to tend to, be it by brute force  
 or intellect.                                                                 
                                                                               
 In this room, you find an ancient generator. It runs from ceiling to floor,   
 a massive cylinder with large rods that tremble and shake with steady         
 vibrations. There are huge arcs and surges of lightning. Some of it lashes    
 out, striking the wall and sending sparks flying. Some of it jumps off, at    
 you. This generator, it seems, will need to be shut down -- because you need  
 to cross this room to get to the door at the other side.                      
                                                                               
 That, it seems, is where the heart of this dungeon is -- and the legendary    
 treasures said to hide there.                                                 
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Injure===========================================

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Marivel glances to Noeline, spotting her curiousity and then smiles at her. "A Crimson Noble's duty is to protect this world from... infections. Tis the poetic way to put it, anyway."

This seems to be her 'explanation' but at the very least, the child's spirit is still present for Riese to comf and mom before they pass on.

She does not interfere from the others being the 'good cop' in her discussion with Hilde but Marivel seems done for the--

Noeline makes a joke.

Marivel's cheeks puff out, clearly holding in the laughter. She shakes considerabl beforee exhaling out a sigh and successfully avoiding bursting into chortles. for now.

"You could visit the Castle, you know, Noeline." Marivel says. "You are welcome to stay. We are not too far from it, as far as Filgaia goes."

The next area involves--

--..Past the door is a Generator. It's pretty huge and it's crackling with electricity.

"Mm... this generator is blocking the path forward." Marivel says. "Come my friends! Shut that generator down!"

Marivel leans against the back wall and sips some blood immediately after saying this.

DG: Marivel Armitage has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Overloading Generator.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

"I don't know," Elly says, about the Guardians. "They seem to be trying their best. Everyone is. It may just..."

Not be good enough, she doesn't say.

"That's generous of you," Elly then tells Hilde, "But I can't accept. I -" She then falters as food is presented, abruptly. Elly opens her eyes wide, blinks slowly, and she asks with the caution of someone who dare not dream, "Do you have... ah, I'm trying to... translate the name, it's... sliced white meat, with dressing and red fruit s"

Elly's description of the bland but distinctive meal that she had suddenly felt a hankering for, perhaps due to remembering to give thanks or because of the close passage of the seasons, is overwritten by a tremendous

BANG!

that briefly replaces all sounds with a sort of high pitched whining sound. Elly blinks several times and looks over the nearby crate, squinting because the vault door seems entirely intact, but like it had-- moved, somehow--

Then it begins to roll leisurely down a visually imperceptible incline. It vanishes into the darkness back the way they came. Elly looks that way.

She pops her ears. "Well, as I was saying," Elly begins before there is a tremendous

CLANG!

as the vault door, somewhere, falls over. There are a chorus of coruscating whanwhanwhan whnwhnwhnwhwhnwhn noises as it settles down.

"I didn't know you were religious at all," Elly says to Marivel. "... I don't mean any insult, of course, I can tell you're a good person, or at least that you try -- but, er, well -"

Something flashes in the darkness past the vault door. "Oh!"

SOON.

Elly produces her other wrapped package of underwater blasting gel and nods decisively!


DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Undersea Explosive Pack toward her party's challenge, Overloading Generator.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied feels the hands squeeze against her -- against the way Noeline doesn't fear to press her hand against her scales. Because she's certain she won't hurt her, perhaps. She looks with concern towards Odjn, as the little dragon pulls on Noeline to cover /her/ ears.

"I promised," she murmurs. "I wouldn't... worry people..."

The explosion prompts her to shudder further, her breathing more erratic as she looks to Noeline's assessment of Hilde. She looks a bit more sympathetic. "You were not part of the original excursion to Adlehyde? Filgaia must be..."

She lowers her head. "Well, I am experiencing Aquvy at the same rate you are. It is full of wonders I have only been able to read through letters. I hope you enjoy the Blue Planet."

But then-- Hilde suggests they pause for a moment and--

A delicious meal appears?! "Wah..."

Odjn plucks away at a bit of it, going, "Whoa! Is this magic? How'd all this food appear?" She's shoved a nugget down her gullet already. "She's all right by my books!"

Seduced by nuggies...

Riesenlied lowers her head and frowns deeper, shaking her head. "Marivel..." she pauses. A longer pause. She looks towards Noeline. "I would love to come visit... if--" A pause. "Well, unless it is Crimson Nobles only." She's not sure if Marivel is inviting all of them or just Noeline, after all.

An ancient generator sits before them. It arcs with lightning. At the other side...

"... I will try my best."

With a flash, the crystal sword Prissa christened Mistilteinn appears in her hand; she gathers a font of power to the tip of its thin, translucent blade. To do as Father once did...

Her arm flits in a flourish, as she aims the sword forward and whispers, "Sieg Impulse."

Upon that call, a bright-white Ley projectile in the shape of Glumzambor erupts to try to strike the generator over.

DG: Riesenlied has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Overloading Generator.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Squinting open one eye in the aftermath of the explosion, Noeline huffs out a breath-- and then has to huff out a second and a third time before she can really be sure that she's hearing herself over the high-pitched ringing in her ears. "Well, then," she mutters for much the same reasons, before finally confident that she actually still has her hearing.

Straightening up, she blinks at the vampire's offer, her eyebrows raising enough in surprise that it shows on her face. It's obvious enough that she's tempted - though her brow draws down a little immediately afterwards as the reality of their situation on Filgaia reasserts itself. "I appreciate the offer... and we will take you up on it at some point, I'm sure," she smirks, because it's not like she's about to leave Riesenlied alone at any point.

Moving forward, she realizes after a while that the hairs are standing on the back of her neck again, but this time for wholly different and much more mundane reasons - if you can really call a generator of that size 'mundane'. "We knew something was still running here, but I never would have thought it would be to this degree," she frowns at the sight of it, trying to pick out their route forwards. "Part of me wants to disable it altogether just on general principle."

She risks a step forward - and an arc of lightning sparks towards her, the price she pays for being made of living metal. Hissing between her teeth, she skips backwards a step, only stopping when she bumps into a larger-than-usual shape. Trouble is bumping into her back, and from somewhere it's gained a tall lightning rod attacked to the top of its spherical shape.

"Ah?" blinks Noeline, just in time for the little pod to rocket forwards into the housing of the generator. Arcs immediately start to twist towards the spike, attracted towards it - and sparks start to fly as Trouble both attempts to divert the worst of the electricity away from people's solutions and also aims for the world record in static charge.

DG: Noeline has used her Tool Trouble toward her party's challenge, Overloading Generator.

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde closes her eyes for a brief moment.

"Those are my own personal beliefs, yes." She confirms to Marivel. She considers her next words, about having a proper conversation on the battlefield. "...If that is your wish, but I think you will find my stance on the matter will remain firm even so."

She looks toward Noeline as she offers her advice, and nods in her direction.

"Thank you - I will be sure to keep that in mind." She replies with a grateful nod. She looks toward Riesenlied, then.

"I was not - I only joined the Guard after Sin's attack." She replies.

But then, the matter of food!

"I may have. Hold on a moment..." Hilde replies, reaching into the Magical Pouch. As she does so, she looks toward Odjn, chuckling fondly.

"This pouch is magic, yes - it produces ingredients for cooking, but I eventually found that it can also be used to store freshly-cooked meals, and bring them back out later with the same level of freshness as they were placed in." She explains. And then, she produces Elly's request.

"It may not be quite what you're looking for...but will this suffice?" She asks, offering her a platter.

And then, the vault is opened, and soon they find themselves at the generator complex. Hilde takes a moment to reach into her pouch again - this time to bring out some fresh, cold drinks. It looks like it works that was, as well. As for the generator...

Hilde pauses, and takes a deep breath. Suddenly, her body is suffused with a blue aura, her pale-grey eyes glowing with the same color. And then, she aims to simply stride through the field of electricity, trusting her power to protect her.

DG: Hilde has used her Tool Magical Pouch toward her party's challenge, Overloading Generator.

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
======================= <* CHALLENGE - Overloading Generator *>====================
|Type: Final       |Dungeon Ability: Brute     |Challenge Rating: 3          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 In the very center of Faraway Lands, you find the Generator Complex. Rather   
 than a single room, it is a series of locked rooms. You make your way inside  
 of one; the locked door is not so difficult to tend to, be it by brute force  
 or intellect.                                                                 
                                                                               
 In this room, you find an ancient generator. It runs from ceiling to floor,   
 a massive cylinder with large rods that tremble and shake with steady         
 vibrations. There are huge arcs and surges of lightning. Some of it lashes    
 out, striking the wall and sending sparks flying. Some of it jumps off, at    
 you. This generator, it seems, will need to be shut down -- because you need  
 to cross this room to get to the door at the other side.                      
                                                                               
 That, it seems, is where the heart of this dungeon is -- and the legendary    
 treasures said to hide there.                                                 
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Injure===========================================
============================ <* Faraway Lands - Round 5 *>=========================
========================= < Results - Overloading Generator >======================
Player                               Exhaustion                      Pass/Fail
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riesenlied                          20 --(0)--> 20                 Pass
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilde                               25 --(5)--> 30                 Fail
Magical Pouch                       1   Brute   Effects: Cleanse              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noeline                             25 --(0)--> 25                 Pass
Trouble                             2   Brute   Effects: Strengthen           
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marivel Armitage                    20 --(5)--> 25                 Fail
Force                               0   Brute   Effects: BASIC                
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elhaym van Houten                   25 --(0)--> 25                 Pass
Undersea Explosive Pack             3   Brute   Effects: Rally                
----------------------------------==== < Party >-----------------------------------
Leader: Riesenlied                  80 --(35)--> 115               Pass
Conditions: Injure(2)|Weaken(2)
Effects: Cleanse|Strengthen(1)
================================== < Dream Chasers >===============================

DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success!

DG: The party led by Riesenlied has successfully explored Faraway Lands!

================================= <* Faraway Lands *>==============================
========================== <* CHALLENGE - Lightning Cannon *>======================
|Type: Discovery   |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1          | 
--------------------------==== < Challenge Information: >--------------------------
 Inside of the central vault of Faraway Lands, you find a room with weapon     
 racks. Most of the weapon racks are empty, but one has a few cannons          
 side-by-side. These cannons, which are two long, flat beams with a            
 rectangular body at the end, can fire huge arcs of lightning.                 
                                                                               
 You can app for these lightning-shooting cannons as an ARM attack on your     
 next attack upgrade.                                                          
=Dungeon Conditions: Vault====================================================

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Marivel glances to Elly. "I didn't say they weren't trying their best," She says a bit sharply.

She doesn't respond to Hilde further, feeling they aren't really properly communicating anyway and leaving the matter to a future meeting. Naturally, since she is just sort of hanging back, she doesn't actually help too much with this challenge but on the other hand it's a generator surrounded by LIGHTning. It might not be as potent as sunLIGHT but it's still not anything Marivel is inclined to step into.

Hilde, on the other hand, is significantly braver! She aims to just walk right on through the electricity! Unfortunately, her power doesn't seem to be quite enough and she gets ZORCHED as a result by the generator. On the plus side, the barrier does protect her enough that it's simply painful rather than majorly debilitating or fatal.l

"Oh no, it's open to you too, if you can reach the castle you are free to enter." She pauses a moment though to add, "And of course you're welcome, Riesenlied." If she can avoid the eels, "But if the Guard enters I do not intend to make it easy for them too leave. I have /some/ pride." R With that understatement of the year, Riesenlied unleashes SIEG IMPULSE, Elly unleashes BOMB, and NOELINE releases...uh..trouble. And she makes it double!

And perhaps now she is ready to catch that pikachu because that spike on that pod seems to draw the remaining electricity into it, shutting dodwn the generator.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I've had enough electricity and lightning for one day."

She steps into the central vault and..

"Oh bother," Marivel laments, lifting up a lightning gun and showing it to the others.

She sighs and tosses it to the side. "What did I, the innocent and lovely Marivel do to deserve such a fate?"

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

Elly looks abashed at what Marivel says, and doesn't speak up for a little while further. After applying some explosives, she hangs back and eats the lunch she has, so kindly, been given. The dish seems kind of visually boring, with a lump of red gelatin, several slices of some kind of white meat, and a beige material with some green flecks on it.

Elly has to figure out how to eat it. In the end she uses her hands, but she tries to be discreet about the matter.

Especially since... it's so good that it's like an explosion of flavor!

Also the explosion of actual explosives! She looks back upwards, her mouth full as Riesenlied proves that Impulse is not exhausted, whatever General R*vil might claim. The generator trails off... and her eyes turn towards the vault that opens.

She takes a moment to tell Hilde, "This was really astoundingly good... It's a little different than what my mother would serve us for new year's, but... it's really good." She finishes it off afterwards.

WHAT WAS IT?

"Why," Medena van Houten says with a laugh, "I couldn't tell you! To be honest... the only part of preparing meals I involve myself with, is arranging things on plates..."

WELL, THIRD-CLASS SCULLERY ATTENDANT, WHAT WAS IT?

"Comes out of cans. I add double the volume of botanicals and my secret seasoning..."

"..."

"Salt."

ELLY, ON THE SURFACE,

looks up and blinks several times.

The lightning gun is discarded. Elly beelines to pick it up, her mouth still full of turkey-adjacent supper fixings.

<Pose Tracker> Hilde has posed.

Hilde chuckles lightly.

"I could not hope to match a meal prepared by one's own mother. But, I am glad you liked it, at least." She replies.

The party manages to make it through the generator room! It wasn't easy, and Hilde can feel the electricity coursing over her barrier. It protects her, but it still isn't entirely pleasant.

But in the end, they make it through, and find what appears to be a weapons room? There a bunch of cannons lined up, one of which Marivel discards and is picked up by Elly.

"Curious... I have never been much one for contraptions such as these." Hilde murmurs, walking up to one of the other cannons still on the rack and considering it.

"...If you will permit me to take one, however, I have friend who I think would enjoy taking it apart. Though I would understand if you all would be hesitant to do so." She says.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"After Sin's attack... do you mean Azado?" Riesenlied wonders openly, as she heaves out a tired breath and lowers her sword. "... so much has happened since then. I have not had the chance to bring the Fereshte back to Meribia."

She lowers her head.

"I want to bring the Azadians back there. I want us to help rebuild that town..."

She smiles a bit tiredly, and looks towards Hilde as she brings up Elly's request.

They come onward and...

...

"... I cannot hear the voice anymore," Riesenlied admits. She presses her hands to the sides of her head. "Was it because I was too weak? Or perhaps..."

She frowns. "But we helped some of the voices here. That will have to suffice for now."

Her horns wilt a bit. "This is a... weapons' cache, is it not?" Marivel retrieves a Lightning Gun.

Odjn stares at it and has the appropriate reaction: "/Sick/."

"That might be the kind of device Shalune or Josephine could do something with..." Riesenlied muses. She does look to Marivel though. "I would be happy to try... though I wonder if I would have the capability. It sounds hard."

She looks to Elly. "A meal prepared by your mother...? That sounds really special," she smiles.

Odjn stares to Riesenlied to go, "I don't even want to imagine your dad trying to cook ya somethin'..."

A PROBABLY NOT CANON FLASHBACK

Siegfried stares confoundedly at a can of beans while tiny Riesenlied watches where she's seated on the counter, her thumb in her mouth, bib on her collar.

NOW

Hilde asks if she could take one. Riesenlied lowers her head... then looks to Marivel.

"I will bear the responsibility," Riesenlied speaks up. "I want to trust you, Miss Hilde. We struggled with what happened in Spira, with the Guard, but..."

She presses her hand to her chest.

"My own experiences have told me I want to see and believe in people as individuals. And you have risked yourself to come here to help travelers and protect us."

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Marivel says, "Oh good idea," to Hilde. "We can make them larger and fix them to your war golems and your people can vaporize me again."

She looks to Riesenlied who is speaking up for Hilde. And more relevantly, willing to take responsibility should it all go wrong.

Marivel frowns. She is, in a way, akin to a fairytale creature. When someone offers to take responsibility for another's actions like that, Marivel doesn't simply take it as a display of trust. She takes it as a pact, not unlike the one that Riesenlied had once made with the Guardians.

"Tis because Hilde is an individual that her convictions must be tested, and the truth cannot be allowed to slip by her."

Marivel ducks down to pick up a lightning gun. "..." Then she stands up.

"I am coming for her, your goddess, and I will devour her. I promised Hiro to allow her a defense, but that was scarcely a promise for these is no defense for what she had done. Not to Spira, nor her friends."

She tosses the lightning gun to Hilde.

"If you weaponize these, then I will no longer need to doubt your honor when I can know it."

She looks to Riesenlied then and adds, "If your trust proves founded, I will grant you a boon. But if your trust proves unfounded...then you will face me alone."

She doesn't sound happy about this. But Marivel has always followed whatever ancient arcane laws that have been forgotten by the world, she could not begin to stop now.

"I would not want for that to happen, Riesenlied. I shall hope your faith continues to be rewarded."

And with that she vanishes int omist.