2021-08-29: Battles and Boulders in Biroclef Ridge
- Log: Battles and Boulders in Biroclef Ridge
- Cast: Talia, Seraph Yvain, Lydia Seren, Zed, Jacqueline Barber
- Where: Biroclef Ridge
- Date: August 29, 2021
- Summary: With the rise of giant Hellions in Biroclef Ridge, a group of Drifters depart to deal with the problem.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>============================= Biroclef Ridge is a network of canyons and high ridges that stretch across the southern mountains between the Gododdin region and Pearloats Pasture. The ridges here are narrow and difficult to walk, which makes trade between them difficult. This also aren't blessed by the temperate weather to the north; the land is drier here, except when great storms come rolling in from the southern seas. The network of ridges, canyons, and caverns also forms a maze that many an unfortunate traveler has gotten lost in.
DG: A party led by Talia is now entering Biroclef Ridge. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
==============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>==============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Preparing for Battle *>=====================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You're greeted upon arrival at the staging ground at Biroclef Ridge: the
knights on duty here are happy to receive assistance against the enormous
Hellion problem they have been experiencing here.
Which is to say, the problem is enormous and so are the Hellions.
They give you the low-down on the problem at hand and give you some intel
they've gathered on the positions some of the creatures have been spotted
in. However, after that, it's all up to you.
Based on what you know and where the Hellions are said to be lurking, how do
you plan to get started? And what sorts of things do you want to make sure
you have on hand? This might go double if you're fielding a Gear -- is it
ready to go?
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Reckless====================================
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Biroclef Ridge!
Some members of the Caravan Kinship have come to check it out -- along with some others that they know, namely Zed and Yvain. Talia knows Yvain; she mostly knows of Zed, but she has ran into him here and there.
Talia stands at the entrance to the ridge -- with the knights nearby, concerned with the huge Hellions -- and they just gave them an introduction. A rundown of all the problems they might have; the challenges and difficulties that might await, and the need for special equipment and the like. She puts her hands on her hips and nods. "Mm-hm, mm-hm, yep! I have it, no?"
She winks at the knight. Talia makes an ice mist star float out, then poof away. Then, she turns, and looks at Lydia. "Aah, Lydia, it's so good to work together again, no? It's been a few weeks!"
She cracks a smile, then looks back at Yvain. "Are you ready, Yvain? Is this a place you've been before? And--er--Zed?"
Then, she looks up, and peers up and up at Jacqueline Barber's new Gear. She may not understand its might and nature -- but she still looks genuinely impressed. "Ah... it's something else, no...?"
DG: Talia has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Preparing for Battle.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Yvain has posed.
Yvain has interest in general do-gooding along the lines of helping with Hellions in this place. They have been given the introduction, and Yvain.. Well, they don't actually see Yvain. But that's fine. He can hear them, and that's what counts. "I am!" he answers Talia, rolling his shoulders and then taking his ARM off his back to inspect the rifle thoughtfully. "This seems to be in working order..."
"I've been here before," he says. "It's changed a lot. But I was here recently, too."
He peers up at Yajy's Gear, an is indeed impressed. "It doesn't feel... quite the same, as the other giant machines." Pause.
"Anyone hungry?" he says, and pulls out green Gel Cakes for the group of mortals.
DG: Seraph Yvain has used his Tool Gel Cake toward his party's challenge, Preparing for Battle.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia Seren is happy to spend time with Talia. It's been A WHILE but not HOLY SHIT FOREVER even if as an individual she tends to get really anxious if she doesn't see someone she cares about for like two weeks at most. What if something exploded them while she wasn't looking? What if they got trapped in a doll? Got assassinated by Pearl??? (Lydia still thinks Pearl is a killer assassin secretly working for the Shadow Dragon Cult who must have killed Blue Dragon Lunn somehow because apparently he died?) Either way, she's sure gonna give it to Pearl when she runs into her again. Which she hasn't. In like ages? So maybe PEARL got assassinated by Pearl. That seem possible.
"I heard there was a lot of dangerous Hellions around here," Lydia says. "But I can never tell if it's like Hellions you're supposed to punch or hug or sing to..."
Lydia looks at Yvain.
More specifically he looks at his hair. She shakes her head, clearing out her head and she says, "I'm always hungry."
She grins. She collects a green Gel Cake and eats it, along with any sort of plate or container it may be on. And the utensil.
She munches noisily.
DG: Lydia Seren has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Preparing for Battle.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
ZED IS AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY, but honestly it's a little shameful that he hasn't interacted more often with other ninjas, but perhaps this is simply the way things go in the ninja world. Ninjas are, after all, quite elusive. How often do they encounter one another in the streets? How easily would they even recognize one another if they did?
Still, Zed is ashamed of himself for this terrible transgression of the code of thems what stand oak o'er the darkmans.
"I am ABSOLUTELY ready," Zed declares, from...
...Ah.
From directly atop Jacqueline Barber's shiny new gear. He seems to have found the best and highest possible perch and has turned it into a dramatic pose-station/lookout post, his scarf fluttering in the breeze. "I have heard tell of mysterious grape-flavored vandals in this region, and thus do I answer the call! Nahahaha!"
...
He's as ready as he'll ever be, it seems......
DG: Zed has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Preparing for Battle.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
News of the giant monsters that have been seen in Biroclef Ridge is... troubling, certainly. It could be a real problem if they got out to the countryside, much less if they found their way to Goddodin. And so, Jacqueline has joined Talia and the others as they take a moment to prepare at the entrance of the labyrinthine canyon.
She is not presently within Issachar though the Gear itself is present, standing just behind her. This is for two reasons - one, she's currently paging through the Lifeweaver's Codex, showing off to everyone some of the kinds of Hellions they can expect to encounter, and the second...
...Because Yvain is offering Gel Cakes, and Jacqueline Barber is a woman ruled by her sweet tooth, which is why she's currently munching on one now.
"It certainly is..." Jacqueline agrees, as the conversation turns toward Issachar. "I feel like I've only begun to scratch the surface of what it's capable of. But even that should be enough to help out here."
She looks up, then, as Zed declares his readiness from atop her Gear.
"Good to have you, Zed." She says.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Maintenance Guidebook toward her party's challenge, Preparing for Battle.
==============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>==============================
=====================<* CHALLENGE - Preparing for Battle *>=====================
|Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Wits |Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
You're greeted upon arrival at the staging ground at Biroclef Ridge: the
knights on duty here are happy to receive assistance against the enormous
Hellion problem they have been experiencing here.
Which is to say, the problem is enormous and so are the Hellions.
They give you the low-down on the problem at hand and give you some intel
they've gathered on the positions some of the creatures have been spotted
in. However, after that, it's all up to you.
Based on what you know and where the Hellions are said to be lurking, how do
you plan to get started? And what sorts of things do you want to make sure
you have on hand? This might go double if you're fielding a Gear -- is it
ready to go?
=Dungeon Conditions: Overzealous, Reckless====================================
=========================<* Biroclef Ridge - Round 1 *>========================= =======================< Results - Preparing for Battle >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talia 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Maintenance Guidebook 1 Wits Effects: Cleanse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Yvain 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Gel Cake 3 Wits Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zed 0 --(13)--> 13 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Talia 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Overzealous(2)|Reckless(2) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Talia 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: Lydia Seren has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Rain of Stones *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Biroclef Ridge didn't get its name for no reason. The area around the canyon
is quite hilly, and even in a Gear, any ascent along the edge here will come
with difficulty. It's going to put quite the strain on your machine.
Particularly since some far-off over-large Hellion is apparently attempting
to pelt you with rocks. They're not large ones (fortunately) and would be
about fist-sized for a human. That's not the problem -- the problem is the
sheer volume.
It's like stone /grapeshot/. Dodging them is out of the question -- you're
going to have to either erect some sort of barrier or tough this one out
until either it runs out of rocks or you reach it and put a stop to this
nonsense.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Exhaust==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"Mm-hm!" Talia says to Yvain. "I've heard about your food, no? Ammy sang its praises." She winks at him, before she takes the gel cake and has a bite of it. She looks back at Lydia, and she tilts her head, considering for a moment.
"We'll get down there and see, no?" she says. "I can't Purify but... we can do what we can, right?"
Then, she looks up -- peering up Issachar and then at Zed. Her eyes widen a little to see him atop there. She cracks a smile, and she bobs her head. "Good plan, no? This should be a chance to test it out a little more!"
She nods, then she looks ahead. "All right!" she calls out. "Are we all ready?"
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Well I can give a go at it," Lydia admits. "I know the old basic method, but I'm not one of those cool Oracle/Seer types."
She licks her lips of any bits of goops she missed. She thinks for a moment and then adds, "Yeah, it's pretty good!" Oh no, is Lydia a HARSH CRITIC now?! Or has she become one??
She glances to Zed, "Hey nerd," and then gives another nod to Jay but she's so used to going on these ventures with Jay that she doesn't feel the need to get into a big discussion with her about it.
Instead a VERY BIG Hellion off in the distance, throws something at the group.
It's a HUGE ASS ROCK.
It basically eradicates Lydia's head as it flies on by and Lydia hefts up a large mallet she's grown accustomed to wielding, taking a batter's swing.
"Blblb Blgbl Blhbl!" Lydia ...says?
Her head hasn't come back yet but it looks like she's squaring to take a swing as if she were playing... BASEBALL!
"Blbbbl!" She says. Maybe she wants some help with this one.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Tiebreaker V 2.0 toward her party's challenge, Rain of Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Yvain has posed.
Yvain grins at Talia. "Then she's steering you right," he says. "I've had a long time to perfect these recipes." Then he watches Lydia eat the plate and--"Ah," he says. "Need a little extra substance in your diet, I see!" There was a fork. It's gone now.
"I can't Purify either," he says, "But we can drive Hellions off at the least, and help protect these knights." A beat, "Oh, can you? Even better!" he seems to take 'pretty good' as a compliment rather than an insult, because Yvain has good self-esteem.
And then he is briefly alarmed by Lydia losing her head. "Oh--" But she's... fine? ....She's sure still talking. "Ah, that is..." Pause. "Does this happen often?" he wonders, and pulls a lantern, letting its red light shine upon the ground. "...If we break up this place here, we can turn the hillside into a barrier."
DG: Seraph Yvain has used his Tool Lantern of Revelation toward his party's challenge, Rain of Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"That seems like a good plan, no?" Talia answers Lydia.
They move along -- and then Talia sees Lydia get taken out by a boulder. Her eyes blink; by now, she knows this is not instantly fatal, but it remains alarming. "Lydia!" she calls out, and then she looks up, at the Hellion and the boulders. She ducks underneath one -- and then she glances at Yvain.
"Good idea!" she says. She sees where his lantern alights -- then holds a hand up. A jagged spear of ice forms, then looses, slamming into the hillside. Then another, then another, in an effort to make a barrier.
"Lydia, I am not sure exactly how to assist!"
DG: Talia has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Rain of Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"Fufu, it's good to see you too, miss Jay! And..." Lydia!! "Hello to you also... Ultranerd!!" Zed calls down from atop his gear, "Fuhahaha, do not let my friendly jests get to you! I would hate it if you were to lose your head--"
A ROCK SUDDENLY OBLITERATES LYDIA'S HEAD.
"OH NO!" Zed declares, "THE CURSE OF PROPHECY!! Or, hm." No, he realizes as he casts his gaze toward the horizon, there is just a hulking hellion over there, doing hellion things. Zed frowns as more rocks fall and, unbidden, finds himself wondering what Berserk would do in this situation.
Berserk's Ghost says, "I'M GONNA WRECK IT!!"
Zed looks to the soaring stones... and nods. He leaps, reaching into his scarf to retrieve a frankly ridiculously large spiked ball. With a roar, he spins it overhead at rapidly rising speeds, until... until he has become unto himself a ZEDICOPTER. It just so happens that the propeller of said zedicopter is also a gigantic wrecking ball poised to shatter those falling rocks into so much shrapnel.
This might be a problem for the folks down below, but it's certainly better than being beaned by a boulder!!
DG: Zed has used his Tool Berserk Hammer toward his party's challenge, Rain of Stones.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"They really are quite delicious!" Jacqueline chimes in, as Talia mentions Yvain's recipes.
She looks toward Lydia, then, as the topic of purification comes up.
"Your purification methods are plenty cool, Lydia, and so are you. Don't get yourself down." Jacqueline replies, offering her a smile. "We'll be counting on you for that, okay?"
She nods toward Talia, then.
"Right. I think I've got the hang of it by now, at least. Lunata was a big help - it was very reassuring to have someone around to catch me if I started to fall over." Jacqueline says, beaming. But, it looks like it's time to get started, then, so Jacqueline nods. "Yes!"
With that Jacqueline draws out her Artificial Copy Sea Medium, drawing upon its power to Jump right into Issachar's cockpit - disappearing in an instant, and reappearing inside the next. It closes and the Gear stands up to its full height...
... just in time for them to get attacked by a boulder-hurling Hellion! A plan is formed on the ground, and Jacqueline nods.
"Right! I'll give you some cover!" She says, moving in front of the others. Issachar holds its hands out and, with a quick invocation of a Crest Graph, a sorcerous barrier is formed. It should block some of the rocks, but not all of them - they'll need a more permanent solution for that.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Rain of Stones.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Rain of Stones *>=======================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
Biroclef Ridge didn't get its name for no reason. The area around the canyon
is quite hilly, and even in a Gear, any ascent along the edge here will come
with difficulty. It's going to put quite the strain on your machine.
Particularly since some far-off over-large Hellion is apparently attempting
to pelt you with rocks. They're not large ones (fortunately) and would be
about fist-sized for a human. That's not the problem -- the problem is the
sheer volume.
It's like stone /grapeshot/. Dodging them is out of the question -- you're
going to have to either erect some sort of barrier or tough this one out
until either it runs out of rocks or you reach it and put a stop to this
nonsense.
=Dungeon Conditions: Weaken, Exhaust==========================================
========================<* Biroclef Ridge - Round 2 *>======================== =========================< Results - Rain of Stones >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talia 5 --(15)--> 20 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 5 --(31)--> 36 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Yvain 5 --(15)--> 20 Pass Lantern of Revelation 2 Brute Effects: Strengthen ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 5 --(15)--> 20 Pass Tiebreaker V 2.0 4 Brute Effects: Efficient and Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zed 13 --(15)--> 28 Pass Berserk Hammer 3 Brute Effects: Strengthen and Sacrif ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Talia 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Overzealous(1)|Reckless(1)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Talia 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> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Blbl?" Lydia responds to Jacqueline Barber. Or maybe it was to Talia. WHo is she looking at right now? The answer is, nobody, because she doesn't have a face. But she does seem to be squaring up to swing a bat at whatever rock the Hellion throws next.
Indeed, the next one comes flying and Lydia hits it hard with the mallet and sends it flying back to the giant Hellion--who unfortunately catches it back and readies for another throw like some kind of Zelda game Mechanic.
Talia builds up a barrier to protect the group. Yvain provides some assistance of his own by using the hillside itself as protection even as the ZEDICOPTER tears apart rocks to keep that barrier nice and protected while Talia and Yvain are working on it. By the time Jay gets her own Barrier up the pounding of rocks against the barrier come to a halt. It might be safe to move on.
Lydia's head reforms out of her neck hole, minus hair for the moment. "NICE TO MEET YOU OMEGA ZEDDO NERD."
She blinks twice and says, "Oh I was planning on playing baseball I hit someting. I didn't hit Zed did I?"
She pats Jay on the shoulder once. "Thanks Jay but I'm actually ok today. Don't seat it."
She pauses. "are YOU ok?" She asks. "Are you getting enough oxygen? According to what I read you should have like 90 percent oxygen efficiency otherwise you're like DEAD. I don't know how to tell that. You don't LOOK like you're suffocating..."
DG: Seraph Yvain has drawn a new Challenge.
==============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>==============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Leap Across the Void! *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Biroclef Ridge is full of gaps and spaces across the canyon. Sometimes,
circumstances necessitate that one pass to the other side. This causes a
unique challenge for those on foot as opposed to those in Gears:
Those on foot will find that the wind is strong here and the currents are in
their favor: it means a literal leap of faith, but a jump at the right place
can see one carried across!
Those in Gears on the other hand are a little too heavy to make use of this
particular peculiarity, so they'll have to cross in a more mundane manner...
which is to say jumping, because the gap's not as huge (but still
significant) at their scale.
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Yvain has posed.
Yvain appreciates the talk of deliciousness. He does. He also appreciates that Lydia is apparently super hard to kill. Because it means that she isn't dead, from losing her head to a rock. When her head reforms he looks her over with a lifted eyebrow. "I do not know how that works but I am glad you are alive, Lydia."
He pauses. Oxygen efficiency? Hm. Well, whatever.
"She seems healthy to me!"
But when the challenge is over Yvain leads them onward, and there is... wind! Wind and gaps in the canyon. Yvain grins at the others, and turns to say, "I hope you like jumping. I believe Jay can make it on her own in her machine, but for the rest of us.."
He takes off at a run and jumps suddenly!!
DG: Seraph Yvain has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Leap Across the Void!.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"I don't think you hit Zed," Talia says, with a grin at Lydia, and then she lets out a relieved sigh when the pounding on the barrier stops. She peers up at Issachar -- her nose wrinkling with uncertainty at Lydia's question -- and then she shakes her head quickly.
"I-I think Jay is fine," she says. She sounds nervous; a bodyguard can't protect someone from the air running out. Is that what Lydia means?
She follows after Yvain -- and grimaces as the wind blasts, striking her in the face. She glances at Yvain. She nods her head, before she starts running after. "I have faith! Zed, please be careful, no?"
She may mean generally.
She leaps. The ex-assassin lets out a 'WAHOO!' as she jumps, the wind carrying her -- and then she throws Mirage. It goes flying across -- strikes stone -- and she breaks apart into so many shadowy strands, before her body connects back together.
DG: Talia has used her Tool Mirage toward her party's challenge, Leap Across the Void!.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"I'm glad to hear that." Jacqueline replies with a smile as Lydia reassures her that she's okay, and then nods. "I'm doing okay! And... I think I am? I feel alright, at least, but I'll be sure to let everyone know if that changes."
She hopes, though, that won't be necessary!
Once the barrage lets up, they're free to move on. Within Biroclef Ridge there a number of gaps between the canyon ridges and they come across one now. The wind is blowing strongly here. It seems like those on foot should be able to leap over just fine... but Issachar is much too large to take advantage of that.
"It shouldn't be a problem. I'm heading over there now - watch out, okay?" Jacqueline replies. Once it's her turn, she presses a few buttons on Issachar's dashboard to activate the Booster.
In the Jaeger, a jump like this would be an issue... but Issachar can fly, changing things considerably. She can't fly too high, of course, out of fear of drawing the attention of every Hellion in the canyon, but she can go just high enough to fly herself over to the other side.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Booster toward her party's challenge, Leap Across the Void!.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed is perfectly, generally safe! In that his sense of danger is woefully miscalibrated for his Hyadean physiology. When falling rocks have a generally lower specific hardness than your skull, you never really learn that they're things that you don't go zedicoptering directly into.
"SUPER OMNI LYDINERD," Zed declares, as the zedicopter slows... Only to be caught up in one heck of a windstorm! Holy cow, he's going fast and spinning out of control! Is this the end!?!?
Or... is Zed using his scarf as some kind of stabilizing secondary rotor!? It spins behind him, extending inexplicably straight with only the tips turning 'round at blisteringly-fast speeds! It might just be enough to carry him across the gulf to safety...!?
DG: Zed has used his Tool Grapple Scarf toward his party's challenge, Leap Across the Void!.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia says, "Well if it makes you feel any better," to Yvain. "I don't understand how it works when your entire body explodes and you go into a hat or something and then come back out looking good as new." She frowns faintly. "But sometimes it doesn't work like that?--ahhh!! I told you I didn't understand how it works!"
She shakes her head quickly.
She frowns as Zed unleashes Super Omni LydiNerd on her. She is going to have to think real hard to come up with a counter to that one.
She blows air out of her nose as the wind hits her. She fans back her wings and activates the thrusters to push against it.
"ULTRA...." She says. "MEGA.... SPECIAL DELUXE.... TURBO ZED NERD EXTREME..."
A flare of power erupts out from her back, flinging her farther ahead.
"REMIX!!!" Lydia screams.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Icarus Wings toward her party's challenge, Leap Across the Void!.
==============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>==============================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Leap Across the Void! *>=====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information: >---------------------------
Biroclef Ridge is full of gaps and spaces across the canyon. Sometimes,
circumstances necessitate that one pass to the other side. This causes a
unique challenge for those on foot as opposed to those in Gears:
Those on foot will find that the wind is strong here and the currents are in
their favor: it means a literal leap of faith, but a jump at the right place
can see one carried across!
Those in Gears on the other hand are a little too heavy to make use of this
particular peculiarity, so they'll have to cross in a more mundane manner...
which is to say jumping, because the gap's not as huge (but still
significant) at their scale.
=Dungeon Conditions: Hesitate=================================================
=========================<* Biroclef Ridge - Round 3 *>========================= ======================< Results - Leap Across the Void! >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talia 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Mirage 3 Agility Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacqueline Barber 36 --(5)--> 41 Pass Booster 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Yvain 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Rush 0 Agility Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lydia Seren 20 --(5)--> 25 Pass Icarus Wings 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zed 28 --(5)--> 33 Pass Grapple Scarf 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Talia 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Weaken(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Talia 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> Seraph Yvain has posed.
"That's fair," Yvain answers Lydia. "Life is very mysterious!" A laugh, "Don't worry. I'm just glad you're all right! I was surprised, is all."
He is very interested in how Lydia apparently flies with thrusters and everything. he is less surprised that Isaachar has short flight systems. But all of them get across; Zed spins with his scarf behind him somehow, Lydia uses thrusters, Talia outright teleports, and Isaachar jumps. It's all pretty great, overall, and works out quite well.
Everyone is across! They land safely. The next challenge awaits.
DG: Jacqueline Barber has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Feeling a Little Blue *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's no mistaking this one.
For one thing, you can feel the Malevolence coming off of this one from a
distance away. For another, it's a bright blue elephant, and how many
elephants do you know that are bright blue? (Work with me here, it's clearly
an Aquaphant).
But Malevolent blue elephant or not, it's hardly friendly... and aside from
the other powers it has at its beck and call, those are some nasty looking
tusks...
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Everyone makes it across just fine! Jacqueline takes a moment to take a headcount just to be sure, but thankfully that seems to be the case.
"Alright, let's keep moving forward." Jacqueline says. Issachar glides on ahead for a distance, but soon enough the Gear freezes in its tracks.
"...You all can feel that, can't you?" Jacqueline says with a frown. Malevolence, radiating strongly up ahead. Soon enough the source reveals itself, coming over a ridge to reveal... a bright blue elephant??
"That's... an Aquaphant! Be careful, they're really strong! I'll keep it occupied - we need to weaken it so that Lydia can Purify it!" Jacqueline says. Issachar draws its spear and rushes on ahead. As the Aquaphant rears back to gore the Gear with its tusks Jacqueline quickly locks them up with Issachar's spear, engaging the Hellion in a contest of strength.
But as she keeps it occupied with her spear several bladed feathers detach from Issachar's wing unit, guided mentally by Jacqueline to fly through the air and slash at it from all sides.
It's distracted - now's the time to strike!
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Wing Unit toward her party's challenge, Feeling a Little Blue.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia watches Lydia fly carefully -- mostly to be sure that it seems to work -- and she breathes a sigh of relief from the other side, as they all land.
She grimaces -- and nods to what Jacqueline asks. "Malevolence..." She nods her head, and then her eyes widen. She boggles, for a moment; the large blue elephant seems strange enough. But dangerous, too. She nods, quickly.
"We can do that!" she says. "You can rely on us, Lydia!"
Talia darts forward. As several of Issachar's feathers strike down, she reaches into her things -- and draws out a round black orb, ending with a leaf. She throws it, the bomb hurtling up, and then it explodes with a sparkle-filled blast.
"Hyah!"
DG: Talia has used her Tool Royal Bomb toward her party's challenge, Feeling a Little Blue.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Of course Zed makes it across fine! He has to. He needs to survive long enough to answer Lydia's dreadful challenge to his honor. The Zedicopter gasps audibly as it descends, landing once more at the foot of the Issachar. "You... dare use a ninefold name on me, Lydia Seren!? Very well...!"
There, up ahead, stomps a strange blue elephant. Zed recognizes the threat it poses immediately, which is why he... whistles to summon a certain loyal Metal Beast. Goldie abruptly burrows out of the ground, sniffling at the air before turning toward the blue elephant with... Hunger? That's hunger in her eyes! Do metal beasts feed on pachyderms!? Clearly, because this one is charging forth to dig her awful tertiary scythe-limbs into the Hellion's flanks!! And Zed is, as ever, close behind with his sword unsheathed. But Doom Bringer is not the only thing sharp today, oh no family.
"You... Peerless Beneath Heaven Golden Super Delicious Lydia Borotto Kaiser NEEEEERRRD!"
...Enlightened discourse, everyone.
DG: Zed has used his Tool Goldie Whistle toward his party's challenge, Feeling a Little Blue.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Ah, thanks." Lydia says, a bit awkwardly like she's maybe a little nervous about the niceness for some reason. It's not like niceness BOTHERS her but she doesn't know this person and she's trying to not put her heart on her sleeves too much anymore. "I'm glad...your bits are all attached to," She agrees.
Did she say that right??
THERE IS AN ELEPHANT. Lydia fans her arm to the side and a blade pushes out of her body like from out of a particularly sludgey lake. She shakes off silver goop from it before looking to Jay. "Ah--yeah...!"
She is o used to using the sword now she sort of automatically went into that mode. Instead she reaches for the Silver Medium she carries.
"Rigdobrite! There isn't a lot of time!" She shouts.
She skips the cutscene so the light from above immediately comes crashing down like a laser.
Talia says she can rely on them! Lydia is now blushing silver and says, "Y-yeah, I know! You're all perfect and great and fashionable!!!"
But Zed has something else in mind. Peerless Beneath Heaven Super Delicious Lydia Borotto Kaiser NEEEERD.
Lydia is quiet for a a moment. She rubs at her neck.
"...Y..yeah." She says. "That's me alright."
ZED WINS.
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Rachiel Medry Is Doing Her Best toward her party's challenge, Feeling a Little Blue.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Yvain has posed.
"Yes!" Yvain answers brightly. It's a little weird, frankly, to say it that way, but Yvain is old enough that he has enough composure and doesn't comment on it for the moment. It's fine. She's awkward.
But when the Gear stops, Yvain stops. He senses the Malevolence, too. "...I'm interested to see how you Purify," Yvain says to Lydia. Then, he looks forward to the elephant. Zed is there with his sword, and while Zed goes into melee with Goldie, Yvain stays behind for the moment, pulling his ARM and taking aim--but then raising a fiery blessing over the group as a whole, enhancing their abilities before he takes any shots.
"I'll back you all up!"
And... wait. Is that a grill he's getting out?? "And there's some steak in it for you if you win quickly!"
Yes, he's encouraging them with food.
DG: Seraph Yvain has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Feeling a Little Blue.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Feeling a Little Blue *>====================
|Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
There's no mistaking this one.
For one thing, you can feel the Malevolence coming off of this one from a
distance away. For another, it's a bright blue elephant, and how many
elephants do you know that are bright blue? (Work with me here, it's clearly
an Aquaphant).
But Malevolent blue elephant or not, it's hardly friendly... and aside from
the other powers it has at its beck and call, those are some nasty looking
tusks...
=Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
========================<* Biroclef Ridge - Round 4 *>======================== =====================< Results - Feeling a Little Blue >====================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talia 25 --(5)--> 30 Pass Royal Bomb 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 41 --(5)--> 46 Pass Wing Unit 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Yvain 25 --(5)--> 30 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 25 --(5)--> 30 Pass Rachiel Medry Is Doing Her Best 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zed 33 --(5)--> 38 Pass Goldie Whistle 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Talia 60 --(20)--> 80 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Injure(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: The party led by Talia 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> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Aquaphants are very strong - even a Gear would have difficulty besting them in a contest of strength alone. But fortunately, Jacqueline isn't alone!
As the Hellion is harried by bladed feathers, Talia hurls a bomb! It detonates in a burst of sparkles against the Hellion's thick hide, staggering it. This creates the perfect opening for Zed and Goldie who attack from the flank, blade and scythe-limbs in combination. This gives Lydia the opening she needs to call upon Rigdobrite's power, calling a beam of light straight down from the stars that crashes into the Hellion!
And all the while, they find themselves bolstered by Yvain - if not by the promise of a delicious steak at the end of it, then by the blessing of flame he imparts to them.
Soon enough, the battle is won. The aquaphant lists to the side briefly as the Malevolence recedes, revealing... an ordinary elephant.
It's still blue. That's probably fine.
Issachar helps the elephant get back to a proper footing and it turns to assess them all briefly before turning. It seems to be gesturing with its trunk in a certain direction, as if pointing them to the way forward in a gesture of gratitude...
DG: Zed has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - A Slime To Kill *>=======================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You've slogged your way across Biroclef Ridge, doing your part to nip the
Malevolent menace that's taken root here in the bud. And that's great. But,
don't you feel like something here has perhaps been left undone?
There's no need to worry after it long -- the earth trembles and it comes
bubbling up from the very ground itself.
It's a huge, giant, titanic, absolutely massive...
...slime.
It burbles before you, menacing you with its monumental mass. To arms, then!
It's time to see this business finished (or at least for now)!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Bad Luck==========================================
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Victory!! Even if the elephant is... still blue after all of that. And not eaten. This is apparently disappointing for poor little Goldie, who looks all the world to be have been looking forward to a delicious meal of fresh elephant.
Fortunately her mood is buoyed instantly by the scent of whatever it is Yvain is cooking. Soon the seraphim would find himself watched, a distinctly alien-looking, metal-covered hound peering up at him with four big, needy, compound eyes and three wet tongues begging out from her trifurcated mouth.
Pls feed doge, mister seraphim...!
Meanwhile, Zed is busy with... a different ordeal. Because something he said... upset a friend! "Lydia," Zed says solemnly, reaching a hand out to clasp a hand around her shoulder, "Never forget... You are one of the coolest nerds."
It's a touching moment. So touching that the world itself seems to quake and sob at the sight of it--
Oh wait no that's an actual earthquake.
It begins as a handful of little purple blorbs, pushing out of the ground like the secretions of a devil's tooth mushroom. But soon the globes fuse and merge, condensinge into a colossal, pendulous... slime. A slime so thick with malevolent energy that it seems to taint the very land with its mere presence.
"Uh," Zed says at the blob, "...Grape Gel...?"
...Do those restore HP or TP? One thing's for sure, Zed is going to hit it with his sword!
(This will not help much. But Goldie firing a LASER from her mouth probably will.)
DG: Zed has used his Tool Goldie Whistle toward his party's challenge, A Slime To Kill.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia did not, quite, expect Yvain to have a portable grill. She stares at it for a second. "I... I am even more impressed, no...?"
The Aquaphant is brought low -- and purified. She looks at the (still blue) elephant, staring for a moment, and watches as it retreats. She dusts herself off, then shakes her head. "Well... that was good! Glad we could help that poor thing out, no?"
She looks sideways at Lydia -- and flashes her a smile after Zed supports her. She adds on: "He is correct, no? You are one of the coolest people I know, and--"
The earth rumbles.
She yelps and leaps back -- as the cracks in the ground let out an ooze. Her eyes widen as it takes form, stacking upon itself, and forms a massive slime. Her mouth hangs open for a second. "I... think it is Malevolent. And I think we know what that means."
She hefts a bomb up. "Now! Let us show you a thing or two!"
And she hurls it. It goes flying -- then explodes into flame and brilliant sparkles, courtesy of Queen Anastasia. "Jay, Yvain! Now!"
DG: Talia has used her Tool Royal Bomb toward her party's challenge, A Slime To Kill.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Yeah I know," Lydia tells Zed. "Nerds are cool. That's why I call everybody I like nerds."
This isn't exactly total agreement of her being ONE OF THE COOLEST NERDS. Despite saying this, she does still seem pretty ... ... sheepish about it. She's a little more used to compliments than she used to be but the bashfulness seems a little ingrained, like she's afraid that being confident is going to backfire. There was a moment where she was on top of the world and well--
Talia's smile is as disarming as ever. Lydia stumbles over her words for a moment but then ultimately just elects to send more Rigdobrite asteroids flying for the slime to force it to fill up on difficult(???) to digest matter!
Though...if it's a hellion, how does...
No Lydia don't think about the science of it!!!
"Um, I usually just...ask Rigdobrite to do the purification." She says to Yvain. "And there's this whole thing. The Guardians taught us how to do it 'cause your shepherd was too busy slacking off and everybody was like 'oh shit K.K is shitting Malevolence' everywhere and it was like really everywhere and to be honest I was like 'what's the big deal?' but then Ginny got super duper depressed and I was like 'oh I kinda get it now' and then Ida got it and got kinda bitchy and even more depressing and I was like 'oh okay I get it now but to be honest--well, it's honestly a lot easier to understand someone who is infected with malevolence than it is a person cause the malevolent person is going to be yelling about all the things they feel or maybe don't feel and don't change much and you just have to figure it out whereas normal people are super cagey and change all the time and you don't know why and you wonder if you did something wrong even if you didn't do anything wrong and even if they told you you didn't do anything wrong, you kinda feel like you did something wrong anyway."
She pauses as she flings another rock.
"But it causes long term problems so I guess it's pretty bad."
This...this is positive thinking right?
DG: Lydia Seren has used her Tool Rachiel Medry Is Doing Her Best toward her party's challenge, A Slime To Kill.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Yvain has posed.
A dog is a dog, even if it's also a horrifying alien beast. Yvain gives one of the steaks to Goldie. As the elephant gestures them onward, Yvain salutes him, and then passes out food. "I like to cook the things we fight," Yvain says to Talia, "But lately we have been primarily fighting Hellions, and they are not very good for you. In Spira it was even worse!"
Earthquake!! Yvain has no comment as to Lydia's coolness right now, though she does listen to what she says about Malevolence. And purification! And it's a whole thing.
"Well he wasn't my Shepherd," Yvain says, "But I see, yes. Rigdobrite--the Star Guardian, right?" Malevolence... it's a whole thing. "Yes, it's quite bad," he agrees, and as Talia throws a bomb, Yvain takes the cue--
Right as the explosion happens more explosions rock the slime as flames burst from all around it in a rush of Seraphic power.
"...Normal people can be difficult to understand," he agrees conciliatorily, though. He's starting to get an idea of what Lydia is like. It is endearing.
DG: Seraph Yvain has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward his party's challenge, A Slime To Kill.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
With the aquaphant purified and a delicious steak eaten, it's time for the party to continue onward.
"Yes, agreed - on both accounts." Jacqueline says with a smile and a nod - that it was good that they could help the elephant, and that Lydia is very cool.
As they proceed onward, the world itself seems to shake as something bubbles up from the cracks. It's a Malevolent slime, looking to crush them with its sheer mass! It's a danger to everyone - they'll have to deal with it.
"Right!" Jacqueline replies as Talia calls out to her. Issachar brandishes its spear, pointing it directly at the slime. Several bladed feathers detach from the wing unit, spiraling around the tip of the spear. Unfortunately, stabbing and slashing tend to have little effect on slimes... but there's something else she can do.
Within the cockpit, Jacqueline brandishes a Crest Graph, invoking a spell. In response, electricity builds in the tip of the spear. It catches onto the feathers, building and intensifying as they spiral... until finally she thrusts the spear forward, unleashing a concentrated beam of electricity right toward the slime!
DG: Jacqueline Barber has used her Tool Wing Unit toward her party's challenge, A Slime To Kill.
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
======================<* CHALLENGE - A Slime To Kill *>=======================
|Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
You've slogged your way across Biroclef Ridge, doing your part to nip the
Malevolent menace that's taken root here in the bud. And that's great. But,
don't you feel like something here has perhaps been left undone?
There's no need to worry after it long -- the earth trembles and it comes
bubbling up from the very ground itself.
It's a huge, giant, titanic, absolutely massive...
...slime.
It burbles before you, menacing you with its monumental mass. To arms, then!
It's time to see this business finished (or at least for now)!
=Dungeon Conditions: Wound, Bad Luck==========================================
========================<* Biroclef Ridge - Round 5 *>======================== ========================< Results - A Slime To Kill >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Talia 30 --(5)--> 35 Pass Royal Bomb 3 Combat Effects: Rally ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jacqueline Barber 46 --(5)--> 51 Pass Wing Unit 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seraph Yvain 30 --(5)--> 35 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lydia Seren 30 --(5)--> 35 Pass Rachiel Medry Is Doing Her Best 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Zed 38 --(5)--> 43 Pass Goldie Whistle 2 Combat Effects: Embolden ----------------------------------< Party >----------------------------------- Leader: Talia 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Bad Luck(2)|Injure(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Embolden(1) ==============================< Dream Chasers >===============================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Talia has successfully explored Biroclef Ridge!
=============================<* Biroclef Ridge *>=============================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - A Good Change *>========================
|Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Conclusion|Challenge Rating: 1 |
--------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------
At long last, you've completed your mission here. The number of absolutely
enormous Hellions in Biroclef Ridge can be safely said to be reduced.
You reconnect with the knights, who are overjoyed to have their task out
here made that much easier -- there will still be gigantic Hellions to deal
with here for some time yet, of course, but this takes them that much closer
to their goal of a Biroclef not entirely overrun with oversized monsters.
To that end, they present you with a substantial expression of their thanks:
it's a considerable (but not outrageous) sum of money, certainly enough to
fully upgrade your equipment in the nearest town, or have a good few days
living it up, if that's more your style.
=Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
The final Hellion is just a slime, in the end. What can a mere slime do when shot by no less than two laser beams, a GIANT BOMB, a bunch of smaller bombs, and LITERALLY AN ASTEROID!? Simple, the slime does what all slimes have done since the beginning of time when confronted by forces beyond their comprehension.
D I E.
Or rather, the poor thing breaks up into so many smaller slimes and, thusly diminished, retreats back into the earth for another party to accidentally traipse upon. It looks as though the day is saved, and Biroclef is somewhat less Hellion-infested.
More importantly, Goldie has acquired a steak. In the wake of the slime's defeat, Goldie... just sort of leans her weight into Yvain's side, because he is a new friend who gives her treats. All dogs are, ultimately, the same. Even horrible alien ones.
"Oh right the Shepherd!!" Zed declares, "He's the one who taught me about Resonance and... other things. I wonder what happened to him...?"
Before anyone can answer, though, the party is assaulted!! By thankful knights, who eagerly press several bags full of jingling coins into the most conveniently available hands. They seem somewhat cautious about approaching the colossus of steel and the weird dog that seems to be leaning her weight unnaturally against an empty patch of air.
"People are complicated," Zed agrees, nodding. "But... they also make the world a more interesting place. If it weren't for other people, well! We'd just be all alone in the world with no other company but our own demons, and that would be just awful! I'm glad you're here and not a horrible grape-flavored monster, Lydia Seren."
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"I think... I'll take the way it's hard to talk people over the monsters and poisoning the land," Talia tells Lydia after a moment's thought, and a bit of a flinch in Yvain's direction. After all, he paid quite a price for Malevolence. She does seem to consider, though, and even bobs her head. Then, she glances at Yvain, and cracks a smile. "Well... maybe we'll find something later, no? That will be less difficult to make tasty!"
Talia breathes a sigh of relief -- as the slime is dispatched. And, indeed, as they are paid. She takes her share of silver with a grin. (Little doubt about how she plans to spend it.)
She pats Goldie on the head. "Mm-hm!" she says. "I am glad too, no? It is for the best. And I'm glad we had a job well done... and that Jay's new Gear seemed to work out fantastically!"
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Oh did you have a Shepherd? I'm sorry if you had a shepherd and I accidentally badmouthed them, I don't really know the current shepherd either I just never see them but I see malevolence like everywhere but if I'm being completely honest, having only one shepherd for two planets is pretty stupid and I have to be pretty skeptical of whoever came up with this system." Lydia says. "Anyway I didn't mean to talk shit about your Shepherd I'm sure your Shepherd was pretty nice because you seem pretty nice though I don't know if I know any MEAN Seraphs really so you've got some pretty strong competition there I'm afraid but I mean so far you've had the best cooking though as I'm thinking about this, you might've been the only Seraph whose cooking I HAVE eaten but, I mean, I eat a lot of garbage which you probably could've figured out already but your food didn't taste like garbage it tasted tasty, with a hint of deliciousness. It doesn't really beat mom's cooking though, but she's not a Seraph she's a dragon who rides around in a wheelchair. My other mom is a vampire but between you and me I think she's kind of faking it because I've never seen her bite anybody or drink blood. She's just super stylish and hot. For a mom, I mean, but they're basically married already so I mostly mention the 'hot' thing because it's part of her Persona rather than like being turned on or anything, she's my mom obviously that's not the situation between us but it IS objectively true though honestly my other mom's very pretty too but, again, objective truth there. I bit her once. She's the best."
"Anyway, I'm not biologically related to them but I wasn't always some kind of killer robot person either I was just a beastlady and had to deal with beastlady bullshit which isn't a thing on Lunar but is definitely a thing on FIlgaia and my biological parents were just real bad but they sorta took me in and were super nice and now I've got sisters and one of my sisters I used to have a crush on but that was before we became sisters and it was a really long time ago and she was sort of a supervillain and might still be a supervillain honestly but she also is like dying of Space Disease but I think like seeing how bad Lunar got made her put things into perspective."
Knights start handing money to Lydia who says, "Oh thanks cool. It's been a while since I've been wealthy enough to pay other people to work for me but I guess oh shit I can go to Meribia now."
She pauses like half a second.
"I've got people back in Meribia called the Kinship Alliance anyway they're pretty cool run by some frog lady named Tadpole anyway the first Seraph I met was named Seraph Ragnell and I also had a crush on her obviously but I think like she can get straight people to crush on her so that's not really unusual."
She takes in another deep breath. "But I'm like too young and I think she has something for K.K anyway which is really too bad because it almost feels criminal that someone gets to keep Ragnell like that but if you really think about it the actual crime is that there aren't more people like Ragnell. Maybe there needs to be like 500 Ragnells out there so everybody gets their own personal Ragnell to be a cool cowboy lady Seraph to be lesbians at them."
She pauses a moment before offering her hand, "I'm Lydia by the way what's your name?"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
The malevolent slime is defeated!
Jacqueline exhales, sitting back in her chair for a moment. That's a relief - Biroclef Ridge should be able to relax a bit, at least for a short while.
"Yes, I agree!" Jacqueline replies cheerily to Talia. Knights start to arrive, thanking them for their assistance. And so Jacqueline climbs out of the cockpit onto Issachar's hand, which lowers her down safely.
"I'm just glad we could help. We won't be around all the time to handle this all the time, I'm afraid, would you care to purchase some supplies to help take care of yourselves should things start to spring up again...?" She asks, turning her brightest saleswoman smile toward the knights.
She's not going to pass up an opportunity to make a sale when she sees it, even if she just got paid for her work.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Yvain has posed.
"Once. Long ago. I don't mind; I just happened to be indisposed for the last couple of centuries, so I'm still catching up on a lot of things." Yvain doesn't seem to take offense to Lydia's feelings on Malevolence, though he notices Talia's wince--he has a pretty thick skin about this kind of thing. Or in general. Indeed, "Yes--something else would be good."
He is glad things went well, in any case. And he continues to actually listen to Lydia as she... talks. yes, she talks all right. But he looks in good humor, and he even smiles.
"I look forward to meeting your mothers sometime. Perhaps even your sister! Ragnell is an old friend of mine, actually."
"But my name is Yvain. It's nice to meet you." He extends his hand to shake hers.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"You're quite the talker, huh?" Lydia says to Yvain as she shakes his hand. "It's cool. Nice to meet you too. Any friend of Ragnell's a friend of mine."
Her spirits seem strangely lifted?