2023-09-03: Seeking the Cure
- Log: Seeking the Cure
- Cast: Avril Vent Fleur, Lan Lilac, Seraph Lanval, Juni Vandrer, Seraph Cavall
- Where: Yder Cave
- Date: September 03, 2023
- Summary: There is sickness in Meribia, and many of the afflicted can ill afford the cure. To that end, some set out in search of the necessary herbs within Yder Cave.
DG: A party led by Avril Vent Fleur is now entering Yder Cave. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - The Water Terrors *>=======================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The gap that leads into Yder Cave proper is a large one -- large enough to
even admit something on the size of a Gear or similar. From there it's a
steep descent down, but not terribly difficult to do even on foot --
explorers in the past have left guidelines in place.
It's when the entry shaft bottoms out that you encounter your first real
obstacle: a waterway. It's deep but not staggeringly so -- any Gears will
find it's about hip height if they wade in -- so it's largely only going to
pose a threat to people who can't swim.
Except there's another threat lurking /in/ the waterway itself: large
Hellion krakens, which lurch from the deep once the water is disturbed on
the attack! Defend yourselves!
Image: https://gamefaqs1.cbsistatic.com/faqs/57/72557-152.jpg
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW8CSTtFkFQ
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
The long and short of it is simple, really: after the Veruni attack on Meria Boule, Avril had been spooked enough to remove herself to Lunar for a time. It won't be forever -- it can't be forever -- but she had wished for just enough time for the 'heat' to die off before returning to Filgaia proper. If other Radicals attempted the same tactic, there would be no choice for her but to surrender herself to them.
She'll need to be more careful in the future. As Rebecca had more or less said, they've been lucky, up until now. They shouldn't underestimate their opponents.
But even this turn of events is somewhat by-the-by, as things go -- there had been a spat of illness in Meribia, among the poorer folk. What Avril and Rebecca had heard is that there is an easy treatment for said illness, but that the usual sources of the herbs used to treat it had dried up, leaving only one known remaining source: Yder Cave.
The descent into the cave is easy for her. Using the Sea Medium, she's able to jump down the inclines and ledges to the cave floor. She and Rebecca had opted to split up: she'd check the cave and Rebecca would follow up on a rumor. That way they wouldn't waste any precious time.
But of course here there quickly arises an obstacle in her path: a wide underground river, too deep to wade. Shrugging off her wrap, Avril leaves it here by the water's edge before plunging into the waters.
It just so happens that she soon discovers it's not precisely uninhabited. Hellions breach the surface, perhaps sensing her presence -- but turnabout is fair play because she had sensed their presence as well and forewarned is forearmed, or something like that. Though somewhat imperiled by the challenge of treading water in addition to swinging her sword at the monsters, Avril is determined to give as good as she gets.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Water Terrors.
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
Yder Cave! Lan hasn't been here in a while, which is a shame because she had /so/ much fun last time. She even found some cool stuff! And the whole place was honestly pretty beautiful, and Ratatoskr had mostly only broken things that were /meant/ to be broken, although she never /did/ figure out what kind of Beastfolk Scythe was/is.
Last time, she'd had to hitch a ride with Jay on the shoulder of Cyre's Gear. This was all well and good and fun, but now Lan is a more powerful shaman, more mature and stuff. She's got her own Gear and everything! ...Sorta.
Suspended in a glittering cloud of crystal shards, Lan floats safely(?) a few yards above the water's surface. The mission to retrieve medicine for the people in Meribia lined up nicely with something Lan wanted for herself, so this way she can stone two birds with one... uh... stone? "...Anyway, that's why apple is my favorite flavor of pie!" she finishes, but she's kind of already second-guessing herself, because she just remembered how good blackberry pie is with vanilla ice cream melting on top.
"Uh, but more importantly. If anybody sees a crystal formation that looks like these," and she waves a hand at the cloud surrounding her, "Can they please let me know?"
A Hellionish tentacle reaches out of the water for her, and she jukes away from it while invoking her patron Guardian. Despite the cave very clearly having a roof overhead, spheres of silvery light cannonball into the waters from above (leaving a wide halo around Avril, because if there's anything she doesn't need it's probably krakens and a concussion).
DG: Lan Lilac has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Water Terrors.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Seraph Lanval caught whiff of this while on part of some other whimsical, wonderful adventure alongside Layna and her crew. There's not much he can do to help with that specific illness, turns out... and it doesn't take much to convince him to keep check on Avril after he heard by proxy what happened over in Meria.
He invites Cavall along, down into the wonderfully scary (if you are a FANCY MERIBUS SERAPH) depths of Glenwood, where the Malevolence concentration is far greater - but not so much that a Seraph can't set foot here if they're sure of purpose and what they're doing or why.
"Mmmmm. Yeah, I get ya," Lanval's voice says, from within a fresh bottle now floating downstream alongside the rest. "The Malevolence here don't feel any thicker than the lasht time we were here... which ish good." That there's any at all in this concentration is bad for his kind, sure, but in the greater sense... even with the uncertainty in the air concerning the false Althena and a newly emergent powerful Hellion in Rixia, you have to take these small wins in stride.
"Pie ish greeeeeat, I love the kind they leave on a windowshill. Ha ha ha--- be right back with ya," Lanval says to Lan as there is encroaching kraken Hellions, at which point Lanval tilts the bottle he's currently inhabiting and proceeds to spray sanctified, shining contents of an encounter-reducing nature in their direction to try and keep the numbers thin.
It's for Cavall's sake too. Even if Cavall is an Earth Seraph, Lanval knows they don't have as much experience in fighting Glenwood's greater number of Hellions.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, The Water Terrors. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni's been on the hunt since both the Meria Boule attack and the attack on the manor. Information, people. Sometimes both. Right now, she's roped into a job by dint of wanting to chase down information on what she had erroneously assumed was some kind of chemical attack. Despite enough time spent here, she actually hadn't run into many things affected by malevolence.
That somehow turned into 'get Tyv, we're going hunting for other things.' Which means she's now sitting in a retrofitted cockpit. The thing sporting some mish-mashed paintjob in a pattern reminiscent of her home, but baring markings that look vaguely Al Bhed which means at least part of it is recognizable.
"Still think this would be easier on foot." She mutters. Mostly forgetting she's hotmic'd. A moment passes and she responds to an unheard voice, "I'm glad you're having fun towering over the locals." That's said in a sardonic tone until she makes a surprised sound and kills the feed for a moment.
Lanval's comment though. "So is it akin to a coal fire? Just an everpresent bit of nastiness?" This is clearly an intentional trigger of the mic. The cameras on the gear are focused on Lanval when she asks the question. Keeping pace with the group easily enough. It's a light vehicle and everyone else is on foot. Brought along just in case.
Lan's request is met with an arm going out. Like she wants to give a thumbs up. Then she fiddles and the lower finger extends. Closes. Then a thumb goes up. "Yeah. Can do. Should eyeball it when we're deeper. The light doesn't come through the cameras." Suggesting she'd looked prior to getting into her mech.
While too late to be of much use in her mind, she calls out, "Incoming." In a calm voice. Practiced. Being in any kind of armored vehicle always brings about that sense of safety, warranted or not.
Tyv's rifle is raised and she begins to fire shots into the water, guided by the systems and whatever AI help is provided. Bracketing where they might be emerging from at the very least. Anything that slips past both Lan and her attention are called out in that same calm voice. Direction, rough speed. That voice isn't Juni's though. It's something as strangely accented and more mechanical. Anyone that's seen her working knows she's operating the thing with some serious assistance htough. So it might not be the biggest surprise outside of anyone else hearing the computer for the first time.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool E/A Suite toward her party's challenge, The Water Terrors.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - The Water Terrors *>=======================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The gap that leads into Yder Cave proper is a large one -- large enough to
even admit something on the size of a Gear or similar. From there it's a
steep descent down, but not terribly difficult to do even on foot --
explorers in the past have left guidelines in place.
It's when the entry shaft bottoms out that you encounter your first real
obstacle: a waterway. It's deep but not staggeringly so -- any Gears will
find it's about hip height if they wade in -- so it's largely only going to
pose a threat to people who can't swim.
Except there's another threat lurking /in/ the waterway itself: large
Hellion krakens, which lurch from the deep once the water is disturbed on
the attack! Defend yourselves!
Image: https://gamefaqs1.cbsistatic.com/faqs/57/72557-152.jpg
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW8CSTtFkFQ
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hw:_???, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Cavall has posed.
Cavall is a fancy Meribus Seraph, though would surely take issue with with being called fancy. They are a hardworking seraph, and worked tirelessly to help their small town of Kubo while they could still maintain their status as Lord of the Land. In fact, one of the first things they did for the struggling village was to find herbs to help treat illnesses facing the village during a long and difficult winter.
Accordingly, they barely needed convincing from Lanval to join the hunt, even despite the dangers.
(Though they are much relieved that Lanval will be present.)
Being a wolf, of course, means that they are four-legged and very surefooted, bounding effortlessly down the slopes that lead to the cavern containing the river. Where a normal wolf has gray fur they are instead the seraphic orange of an earth-aligned being, kitted out with a harness, a lantern hanging from that harness, a strand of doubled up iron prayer beads hanging around their neck, and a few other odds and ends. (Including a vessel in the form of a stone with a pawprint in it, secured to their right foreleg.)
"It has been quite some time since I had a pie," they contemplate out loud. "But I would receive them, from time to time... There were these berries that would grow on the mountain..."
Best not to dwell on those thoughts for too long. They have a purpose in the here and now that needs tending to.
When Lan makes that request of the crystals, Cavall takes a moment to... sniff at them, predictably. "Very unusual... I will see if I can sense them, though with the Malevolence present, my senses are somewhat clouded..."
They make sure to give Juni's gear as wide a berth as they possibly can.
Like these hellionized krakens that are blocking their way. There is a moment of hesitation as they emerge--there is Malevolence all over, but there is especially Malevolence concentrated in these animals. Only a moment's hesitation, a momentary recoiling back, the barest fraction of a whine that starts and then dies in their throat.
But then they're charging forward, howling as winds swirl around them and billow forth, bringing freezing cold blusters that attempt to entangle tentacles in ice and hold the beasts in place so other attacks may land, or to keep Avril from harm.
DG: Seraph Cavall has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward their party's challenge, The Water Terrors.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - The Water Terrors *>=======================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The gap that leads into Yder Cave proper is a large one -- large enough to
even admit something on the size of a Gear or similar. From there it's a
steep descent down, but not terribly difficult to do even on foot --
explorers in the past have left guidelines in place.
It's when the entry shaft bottoms out that you encounter your first real
obstacle: a waterway. It's deep but not staggeringly so -- any Gears will
find it's about hip height if they wade in -- so it's largely only going to
pose a threat to people who can't swim.
Except there's another threat lurking /in/ the waterway itself: large
Hellion krakens, which lurch from the deep once the water is disturbed on
the attack! Defend yourselves!
Image: https://gamefaqs1.cbsistatic.com/faqs/57/72557-152.jpg
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW8CSTtFkFQ
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down! and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Yder Cave - Round 1 *>============================ ========================< Results - The Water Terrors >========================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 0 --(13)--> 13 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lan Lilac 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Cavall 0 --(13)--> 13 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass E/A Suite 3 Combat Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Holy Bottle 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Avril Vent Fleur 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Wound(2) Effects: Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur 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> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
It wouldn't have even been all that untoward (or unusual) of Rebecca to have asked Lanval to do exactly that. It isn't that Rebecca doesn't trust Avril to take care of herself, of course -- rather that the circumstances of late are worth worrying about even outside the usual perils of cave expedition. If the rumor about another source of the herb hadn't been so tantalizing and well-supported -- and the illness' threat so dire -- it's likely that Rebecca would be here herself.
But the needs of the sick come first. This is the Wayside Outreach's way.
Indeed it's well that Lanval and the others have come: Avril puts up a valiant fight against the Hellions, but there are more of them than she, and they're bigger to boot. One of them swats her aside, and were it not for the combination attack (Cavall's contribution perhaps slightly lessened for their hestitation) from the two Seraphim, Avril may well have found herself in rather dire straits. As it stands, she's given room to both literally and metaphorically breathe and makes her way for the opposite shore.
This is probably additional good news for her since it means that Lan and Juni can well and truly let loose, raining down silvery light and rifle-fire in tandem.
Ultimately, there are no Hellions left standing (swimming?) in the waterway, just a rather damp Avril on the opposite shore where she stands having watched the last of the assault unfold.
"Perhaps I should have waited?" she muses aloud. It might have saved some time and effort (and damp clothing) if she had!
DG: Seraph Lanval has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - The Slippery Ridge *>======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Cracks in the cave ceiling expose it to sunlight from the outside, which is
just fine and dandy for the moss that seems to take advantage of said
resource. Add that to the damp in the cave and you've got a veritable
paradise for moss... and a real problem when that mossy paradise happens to
be positioned right arop a narrow path just above a steep incline down.
It's slippery. Really, really slippery.
And Gears will have the narrowness of the path to content with.
Regardless, this will be a feat of balance...!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and |
| Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
"It'sh 'bout ash sherioush ash it looksh, 'd shay," Lanval says as his bottle drifts up ashore, though it shakes in a way akin to someone shaking their head, because Seraph Lanval can emote in bottles as no one is willing to tell him otherwise. He is an unstoppable force of nature!!
"Anywaaaaaay, yesh," Lanval turns to Juni as she asks those questions from inside her giant bathtub full of funny fire wands* (NOT DIRECT QUOTATION HONEST), "it'sh real common up here in Lunar. It feedsh off of contradiction, 'n a buncha negative emotion attached to 'em. The besht way ta go through it... ish ta be true to yershelf."
Over to Cavall.
"If yer afraid, that'sh okay ta feel it ash long ash ya know with conviction why yer here." Back to Juni. "Mosht animalsh that get exopshed ta too much... mosht of the time they get bigger, meaner, maybe a li'l more fancy-lookin'."
"'ll get to ya two 'bout more on that later," as they step out to see a part of the caves exposed to sunlight thanks to cracks from outside. It helpfully outlines an ascent up further to the depths of the cave! (There's another way that goes deeper and darker, and it looks deeply unappealing, but also deep. And unappealing.)
That's good!
There's also a lot of moss growing around everywhere thanks to the humidity and the sunlight in abundance, and that's...
* * * rad * * *
But it's also slippery for when one has to grab the ledges and make an ascent up, and that's... it all averages out to 'kinda neat.'
"Mmm. I don't want any of ya shlippin' down here, shooo," Lanval decides not to leave the bottle just yet, as it somehow produces a kiseru-style smoking pipe that blows out bubbles, because now bottles an apparently take a smoke break too. (The bubbles are bouncy and/or reliable but intellectually harrowing means of conveyance, in case anyone slips.)
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Bubble Pipe toward his party's challenge, The Slippery Ridge. Rally!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
"Window-- wait, you mean you sto-- oh, okay!" Lan calls after Lanval, waving as the Seraph goes to work. She's distracted by Juni's robot and open microphone and the clumsy thumbs up, but grins and gives her own much smaller thumbs up in return. "Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks!" she calls out to Cavall, alighting on the shore to offer to help Avril out of the water. The crystals around her wink out of existence, back to wherever Lan stores them when they aren't needed.
She tries not to think too hard about it because Lan is certain she got that ritual right but interdimensional phase-shifting is difficult even for her prodigious magical talents. If it ain't broke, she doesn't want to have to fix it.
"Oh hey, moss!" Lan is delighted. She does glance around for any signs of a moss-guarding golem, but so far things seem golem-less. Which is for the better, really. Threading power through her ribbon, she kicks off of the ground and floats over as much of the path as she can. If she never sets foot on the moss, there's no chance she can slip on it and fall to her doom! Right? Right!
"Watch your step, guys!" she calls back, as if that's remotely helpful.
DG: Lan Lilac has used her Tool Butterfly Ribbon toward her party's challenge, The Slippery Ridge. Quicken! Party Agility boosted! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
"Thank you," Avril says to Lan as she's helped those extra steps onto the shore; it is unsurprisingly a bit slippery over here.
Won't she be cold, though, running around in a cave in a dress that thin soaked to the skin? Avril shivers at last as she walks along the shore, though it seems that this has less to do with the fact that she's soaked to the skin and more that she's... covered in frost?
The frost comes off in flakes. Brushing her long silver hair back and shaking out her skirt, she's soon effectively dried herself. Being the Ice Queen, it seems, has its perks.
Soon, there is m o s s.
"Please take care with where you step," she remarks, testing a part of the path ahead with the sole of her shoe. It's slippery.
Lan might opt to glide on ahead, and Lanval of course has his trusty steed. Avril, for her part, produces the Sea Medium. "Lucadia, guide me--"
And appears to do similarly, trusting in the Guardian's power as she leaps to guide where she lands then leaps again.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Sea Medium toward her party's challenge, The Slippery Ridge. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Cavall has posed.
With the krakens defeated, Cavall breathes a sigh of relief. They need to do better about this next time, but... they are also ever mindful of the dangers. There is contradiction aplenty in the young seraph trying to find a new purpose.
Cavall inhales deeply and howls once more, muzzle pointed straight ahead. Blistering cold winds burst to life around them and stream over the river, creating a frozen bridge just wide enough for Cavall to traverse. In their muzzle they pick up Avril's discarded wrap and then bound quickly across the ice before it melts or breaks up, landing on the opposite shore by Avril.
They set the wrap down at Avril's feet. "Here, so you don't catch a chill," they say softly.
They nod to Lanval. "I am here to find relief for those who are ailing." It is not so much an attempt to give Lanval an answer so much as an ongoing mantra Cavall chose to momentarily vocalize. To Lan they simply nod. "You are quite welcome."
But they continue on their way, and there is... moss. Slippery moss. "Hmm..." Even for their surefootedness... They turn their head back, gripping at something wrapped around their waist. With a quick motion the rope that was wrapped around their waist unrolls into a net, weighted at all four corners. In that same motion it unfurls out, stretches, and then covers the path, anchored firmly in place by some manipulation of the weights.
"This should provide some traction, though I would still advise caution..." says Cavall as they begin to make their way forward. (3 of their number seem content to glide over it, but perhaps it will still be useful to Juni.)
DG: Seraph Cavall has used their Tool Weighted Net toward their party's challenge, The Slippery Ridge. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Lanval's description of the mech is far kinder than Juni's usual take on the lightweight thing. It does the job though! "Yeah? Hearing talk that some off-worlders are just wholly immune to it? Any ideas on that?" Which can easily be extrapolated to, 'Should I be avoiding the stuff or will it just be an awkward situation.' without even really needing to read between the lines.
Avril, soaked, commenting. "Hey. Could be worse. Do you know how hard squid smell is to get out of clothes? Or worse if you have a fuzzy disposition." That's spoken from experience. There's a brief muttering about swamps somewhere before the mic cuts out too.
Back to Lanval though, "Fancy looking?" There's pause there. Like she's trying to parse it. "Like platinum filigree in some idiot's fancy paperweight of a firearm?" Not even close. There's a moment before she gets the translation well enough though, "I think I get it. I even know why I'm here. I've got a hard head and a flagrant disregard for common sense." There's probably a story there guessing on the tone. Maybe.
She advances ahead of the others after the ambush. Scanning the area, keeping a steady (Slow) pace for the rest. Unless someone wants to take lead admittedly.
She doesn't even needle Cavall yet! The cameras on the system do a brief check on each of them.
Lan's warning is met with the mic opening again, "Yeah. Got it." as well as a confirmation chirp. The gear shudders, then rebalances itself and moves with something of an unnatural grace. Juni's fully aware she's infantry, not armor and she's under no delusions of pride that would prevent her from letting her machine take over with some assistance from her to carefully guide the way over the slick moss. "On the one hand-" she starts "Torching it would be the safe bet. Shame to damage it all though." Which.. yeah. She's definitely a soldier. Through is easier than over right?
Cavall's help is appreciated. "Thanks" Comes both her voice and that mechanical one. mostly overlapped. Quick and simple.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool AI Assisted Piloting toward her party's challenge, The Slippery Ridge.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
======================<* CHALLENGE - The Slippery Ridge *>======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Cracks in the cave ceiling expose it to sunlight from the outside, which is
just fine and dandy for the moss that seems to take advantage of said
resource. Add that to the damp in the cave and you've got a veritable
paradise for moss... and a real problem when that mossy paradise happens to
be positioned right arop a narrow path just above a steep incline down.
It's slippery. Really, really slippery.
And Gears will have the narrowness of the path to content with.
Regardless, this will be a feat of balance...!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Quicken:_Agility_Up!, and |
| Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Yder Cave - Round 2 *>============================ ========================< Results - The Slippery Ridge >======================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Sea Medium 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lan Lilac 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Butterfly Ribbon 2 Agility Effects: Quicken, Efficient, a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Cavall 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Weighted Net 2 Agility Effects: Quicken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass AI Assisted Piloting 3 Agility Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Bubble Pipe 3 Agility Effects: Rally -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Avril Vent Fleur 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(2)|Wound(1) Effects: Quicken(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur 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: Lan Lilac has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
====================<* CHALLENGE - The Aerial Annoyances *>=====================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
As you negotiate the tunnels of the caves, you receive an advance warning in
the form of the sound of some leathery wings. The more sensitive among you
might also sense the presence of Malevolence -- even here, there are
Hellions.
You'll catch sight of them moments before they go on the attack: a swarm of
Hellion bats that disengage from the roof of the cave here and stream down
to attack you! Time to fight!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Quicken:_Agility_Up!, and |
| Tire:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
The moss is abided, and so, the moss abides. Those who do not disturb it are rewarded with smooth and clear arrivals at their destination above, and are given time to look behind them and make sure Juni and Cavall are doing all right. Juni's the one that might be iffy, as things get narrow the further up they go.
Cavall has no issue, it turns out. They are a Seraph of the Earth, and they are as much part of the ground as the ground can be a part of them. The moss has taken in some of the ambient Malevolence, but it hasn't gotten to thep oint it's going to become some strange hunger-ridden maw of carnivorous plant or anything - knowing why they're here and holding true to their feelings, it's no problem.
"That'sh kinda a thing," Lanval says to Juni's supposition as they're able to make the climb, "Filgaia didn't have any that we know of, 'till it got brought there. Mmm. But people from Filgaia definitely can get afflicted 'n overtaken by it," they've known quite a few! He can't answer for people further out than that, because he's still coming to grips with that idea and he doesn't want to talk to that creepy white haired-man with the stare. (He's seen what he did to an eel once. Lanval is fine with never ever bringing them into consideration ever again.)
There's not much to say. There's also not much moss. There is in fact less moss as they continue. But they get to continue along the path that's not further *downward* and that is what's important.
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
So far things are going swimmingly! That's the power of positive thinking and also having been here before, Lan privately (and way too smugly) believes.
Which is why, when the bats drop from the ceiling and attack her first, she totally deserves it.
"THERE WEREN'T BATS LAST TIME!" she howls, freaking out and flailing at them before deciding that discretion is the better part of valhalla or whatever, and dropping stright to the ground with only a last-minute tug of anti-gravity to keep her from splatting on the cave floor. "AAAAAAAAUGH there's one in my haaaaaaaaaaaaaair!!" she wails.
There are no bats in her hair. All the bats are very busy, ducking and swooping and screeching their high-pitched little screeches at the intruders who are disturbing them in their home! Just because they're Hellionized bats! They don't deserve this. Just because they're all cloudy with awful, feelsbad energy and their screeches can shatter rocks!
DG: Lan Lilac has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Aerial Annoyances.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Stomp stomp stomp. Right over the moss. At least she didn't scratch up the paintjob. There's a pause after. Was she hotmic'd for that again? All that confidence on foot definitely isn't as present in a vehicle that isn't some kind of aircraft, drop pod or boarding sled.
The mention of Lucadia gets a genuine question, albeit a quick one, "Remind me to follow up on that name please? I'm curious!" That's an actual curiosity. Maybe acceptance has her more open to just embracing a few cultures?
"Not.. quite what I meant, but that is good information-" the mech mimics the gesture as she holds a finger up, "Though that does make me wonder about a few things. Might rope you into a checkup after." The hand drops as she attempts to take point again. It's armor, it'll hold. Right? "What'll it cost?" She doesn't assume people will work for free after all.
This stomping, their overall noise, Lan cursing them all. Who knows what the ultimate cause of the bat swarm is. Juni's first thought was to swat at them. Though a better idea comes to mind and she hunkers down. Facing away from the others. "Maybe don't look at the antenna array for a moment." Is her only warning before a harsh buzzing fills the air. The mixed antenna and systems fired up in an attempt to just-. Just handle the problem. Don't worry about the aftermath.
The mic immediately after the discharge is static filled, a pre-emptive, "Everyone okay?" as she stands the mech back upright just in case that didn't work. Admittedly careful as she rebalances to keep an eye on the people on the ground.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool E/A Suite toward her party's challenge, The Aerial Annoyances.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
"I am not overly troubled," Avril replies to Juni, glancing once in her direction. It's chilly down here, certainly -- and her skin is covered in goosebumps for her sins -- but she has experienced worse.
And besides, here comes Cavall with her wrap. Kneeling, she moves to take it from them. "Thank you very much. What is your name?" she asks them, resisting the urge to pat them on the head. Somehow, her distant instinct for courtly protocol suggests this would be a crass action to take.
Shrugging it back about her shoulders, she soon continues on her way in their current company. "By the by..." she says after a moment's time, addressing all along with her. "Might I ask your reasons for traveling here? I am seeking medicine for the poor of Meribia. Perhaps you are engaged in the same -- oh!"
She's gone for her sword, but it isn't her blade that meets with the incoming swarm. Rather, ice 'coagulates' from the very chill in the air itself, flying as missiles for the Hellion bats. "Stay calm and remain focused! These are not normal bats!"
avril, most people here have probably gathered that...
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Aerial Annoyances.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
"Yep! My Seers of Water ain't that far off," Lanval remarks to Juni as she expresses concern about the need to decontaminate her ride. "Cosht? Hmmm. Mmmm, well, it dependsh, 'm thinkinnnnnnnnnn'~"
"Ya could ashk nicely~! Ha ha ha!"
He'd do it anyway. It's his duty and job in servie to Schturdark to bear some of that burden of being the water of Filgaia in this specific way. It is not his duty and job in service of Schturdark to drink all the booze. (He can literally taste all of the water and everything done with it, anywhere, at any time!! Why must he be so picky about it!!)
"Riddler fer the agesh, that," Lanval underreacts to the sudden swarm of Hellionized bats coming down upon a distressed Lan, like they're her bane. Though Lanval might be a bit of a joker, he's not a two-face, and he emerges from his bottle with a firm clayface grin, even if he has to waddle like a penguin carefully around the guano.
"Go shoak yer headsh," Lanval declares as he pours some of the Holy Bottle's contents into his drinking gourd and whirls it around him like a decanter to set aside a sanctified zone so they can be all Joe Chill about it and not have to Mr. (or Mrs.) Freeze up before the problem.
Lanval's not really a bat man but he's not going to be robin the spotlight (ugh).
"Don't ya worry," Lanval says to those who may be concerned for those bats, "next time Layna 'n I passh through here they will be," to Avril's calls for concern about them not being normal bats.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, The Aerial Annoyances. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Cavall has posed.
Cavall inclines their head to Avril as she takes the wrap. "I am Seraph Cavall. Lanval requested my assistance with this task, and I am glad to give it. We will find the medicine you seek."
They gives a solemn nod at the thanks and the thumbs-up Juni gives them. "You are welcome." Cavall might not like Juni all that much (first impressions are a hell of a thing), but they do still try to keep an eye on the gear as they both ascend, reapplying the net as necessary to cover fresh ground, at least until the moss starts to thin out.
But the way forward is clear, but suddenly Cavall pauses--it's not fear, the way their ears perk right up. "Something draws near, we should--" Oh, Lan found the bats first.
Hellionized bats.
But forewarned is forearmed, and having heard them coming before sensing their Malevolent presence, Cavall is already inhaling deeply while charging forward to stand between Lan and the bats. With several loud, sharp barks, balls of sonic force fly forth, aiming at the bats to drive them away, or at least to attempt to overwhelm their senses.
DG: Seraph Cavall has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward their party's challenge, The Aerial Annoyances.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
====================<* CHALLENGE - The Aerial Annoyances *>=====================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
As you negotiate the tunnels of the caves, you receive an advance warning in
the form of the sound of some leathery wings. The more sensitive among you
might also sense the presence of Malevolence -- even here, there are
Hellions.
You'll catch sight of them moments before they go on the attack: a swarm of
Hellion bats that disengage from the roof of the cave here and stream down
to attack you! Time to fight!
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Hesitate:_Agility_Down!_Wits_Up!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and |
| Tire:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Yder Cave - Round 3 *>============================ ======================< Results - The Aerial Annoyances >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 13 --(8)--> 21 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lan Lilac 5 --(8)--> 13 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Cavall 13 --(16)--> 29 Fail Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 5 --(8)--> 13 Pass E/A Suite 3 Combat Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 5 --(8)--> 13 Pass Holy Bottle 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Avril Vent Fleur 40 --(20)--> 60 Pass Conditions: Hesitate(1)|Tire(2) Effects: Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw.
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
By the time Lan has managed to confirm that there really isn't a bat in her hair (they're the size of dinner plates, where could it possibly hide???), everybody else has already fallen smoothly into action! Juni's Gear has just the thing for flocks of aerial enemies, and a rain of them falls from the air in front of her, bodies thudding softly on the ground before dissolving.
Avril's advice is good advice, even if it's a little obvious. And her ice projectiles are good ice projectiles too, never missing their mark.
Lanval... oh, Lanval. Any bats that try to enter his expertly-erected safe zone crumble, and the rest learn swiftly to avoid it. But that's so rude! Making a place that kills Hellion bats, right in the middle of their own Hellionbatcave!!
Cavall's sonic boofs may not manage to destroy them outright, but the remaining bats are disoriented enough to either fly right into Lanvals' Bat-Free Zone, or frightened enough to finally call it for the night and flap off into the darkness. Lan finishes shaking the feeling of eeeewwwwleatherywingseeeewwwwlittletinygrabbyfeeteeeeewww!!! off of herself. "Whew. Thanks for the save!" she laughs a bit sheepishly, crouching down next to Cavall...
..and lifting a hand to scritch their ears. "I came to get medicine for Meribia too, but also because I wanted to get more of this quartz in case I need to do repairs on my... uh, well it's not really a Gear? But I worked really hard on it!" the shaman beams.
DG: Juni Vandrer has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - The Menacing Pit *>=======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
No question about it -- that's one deep pit before you here. And lest you
get any funny ideas about it being navigable because you're in a Gear --
joke's on you, it's full of very pointy stalagmites (they're the ones that
grow on the ground).
Going down into the pit is best avoided. Since the gap is large enough that
even a Gear will have to jump across it (rather than simply step over)
getting over could be a little tricky. Hopefully someone has rope.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and |
| Tire:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
With the bats handled. In varying ways. Juni again takes point. Letting the AI buddy steer the way as she focuses on something else inside of the cockpit. She does remember to answer the question posed though, "I was directed towards Lanval there-" She's pointing. Inside of her cockpit. Since she's not driving it right now she's uh.. not mimicked. "After a run in with a Hellion-" There's a brief mic cut. She's checking something before returning, "Yeah I think that's a good description. Turns out, couple of years kicking around and I've never run into it. Somehow." There's another silence, "No I'm not ramb-bzzt"
"He asked for help." She comes back in, then goes comms silent for now. There was a tail end of her native language though!
There's a pit though. And the gear grinds to a halt. Juni working on figuring out how to get past it with not just her own gear, but the others. Safely. The hatch is popped briefly so she can even eyeball it. Music is audible. Briefly. Strings and flutes by the sounds of it.
"I don't want to suggest carrying peopel across, but uh.. that might be the necessity." Though she does hold up rope. Part of her survival kit. Waving it around. "Could try and see if there's enough here though. Maybe.. running across. Holding the rope out over the pit if not?" Either way she's relying on Tyv to help out as before with the moss.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Just as Juni considers the logistics of it, a truly horrifying sight happens - even more unsettling than the Hellion bats!
A brightly-colored, flat-bodied thing with a painted-on horse head of flat, unchanging expression jets by after being shot forth by some sort of incredible form of sorcerous water propulsion! Lanval is on it. Oh no! He's being kidnapped across the piiiiiit
"Throw one here," Lanval calls out to Juni's mention about the rope.
DG: Seraph Lanval has used his Tool Bouyant Steed toward his party's challenge, The Menacing Pit. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round!
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
"It is good to meet you, Cavall. I am..." She hesitates, glancing once in Lanval's direction. "...You may call me Avril."
It is not Cavall's intent that she fears. If anything, she is assured where their heart lies. Rather, what troubles Avril is what Cavall might somehow let slip, unaware that the matter of her full name is itself potentially sensitive material. Neither does she wish to so openly speak of the problem she has found herself facing of late -- not here and now, when there are the lives of the sick on the line.
Once they are no longer facing a swarm of large Hellionized bats Avril turns her attention to Lan once again. "Is that so? Then, let us join forces. The more we can retrieve, the better, I should think. Now, I believe..."
There is a long pregnant pause as they round the next bend and sight the latest obstacle before them.
"If we should have rope, then I shall be able to cross. The Guardian's blessing should see us safely across," Avril says, producing her Medium as evidence. At least this time she's not just jumping into the void with it...
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has used her Tool Sea Medium toward her party's challenge, The Menacing Pit. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Cavall has posed.
Cavall tilts their head just a little bit as they pick up on the hesitation. But a name is given, at least, and Cavall seems content to let that be, for the moment. "Well met, Avril."
Their sonic barks may not have been all that effective on their own, but with the combination of all of their efforts they were still able to drive the bats away. Or disintigrate them. Or ice them, or...
Cavall turns to Lan as she recovers, nodding. "You are most welcome. Are you alright?" They don't comment on the fact that there were no bats. They're not about to begrudge anybody for being freaked out in this place. (Cavall is plenty freaked out at the moment, too.)
Maybe it's the fact that they're a wolf, or that Lan seems like she might need it, or they just like being helpful, but Cavall does not pull away as Lan goes for scritches, and instead seems to lean into them, for a moment. With a pleased growl and a little bit of a tail wag. "Are you feeling better?" they ask quietly before the party then moves on.
A chasm. Cavall considers. "I could reshape the earth..." They close their eyes, the green gem of a talisman tied to their left forearm shining briefly before they open again. "No, there is too much, and the layer beneath is not stable. Best not."
Out comes that net again--with a flick and twist of their head it somehow unrolls from around their waist, then unrolls overhead as it swings up and over the cliff, and streeetches out, with the weights on the four corners landing firmly on either side of the gulf.
And then Cavall starts to carefully make their way across. "This should hold the weight of a person, but I do not know if it will hold the weight of a gear," they comment as they cross.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool AI Assisted Piloting toward her party's challenge, The Menacing Pit. DG: Seraph Cavall has used their Tool Weighted Net toward their party's challenge, The Menacing Pit. Quicken! Party Agility boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
eeeee they're a nice doggy
"Ahaha, I'm better now. Thanks for asking." The scritches continue for a short moment, but despite her utter lack of manners or shame Lan does seem to easily sense when Cavall's had enough. "They were just, whoosh! Right in my face! You know?" She gets to her feet afterward, looking much more cheerful. It's fun to have people to go on adventures with.
Lan looks like she's going to say something more, but eeps in surprise when Lanval shoots past them all, his pool floatie a nobler steed than many. "--Aahahahaha, go Lanval!" she cheers, whooping after him.
Her ribbon comes into play again, its power letting her take long leaps along the length of rope that Juni and Lanval stretched across the pit.
Lan really doesn't want to fall in a pit today.
"That's a great idea. I bet between all of us we can bring back so much! Maybe it'll be enough to really help a bunch of people!"
DG: Lan Lilac has used her Tool Butterfly Ribbon toward her party's challenge, The Menacing Pit. Quicken! Party Agility boosted! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - The Menacing Pit *>=======================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Agility | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
No question about it -- that's one deep pit before you here. And lest you
get any funny ideas about it being navigable because you're in a Gear --
joke's on you, it's full of very pointy stalagmites (they're the ones that
grow on the ground).
Going down into the pit is best avoided. Since the gap is large enough that
even a Gear will have to jump across it (rather than simply step over)
getting over could be a little tricky. Hopefully someone has rope.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, |
| Quicken:_Agility_Up!, and Tire:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
================================<* Yder Cave - Round 4 *> ================================ ================================< Results - The Menacing Pit > ================================ Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 21 --(13)--> 34 Fail Sea Medium 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------- Lan Lilac 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass Butterfly Ribbon 2 Agility Effects: Quicken, Efficient, a ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------- Seraph Cavall 29 --(0)--> 29 Pass Weighted Net 2 Agility Effects: Quicken ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 13 --(0)--> 13 Pass AI Assisted Piloting 3 Agility Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw
DG: Seraph Cavall has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
====================<* CHALLENGE - The Unexpected Attack *>=====================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You've been walking the tunnels for some time now at this point when you
finally reach a particularly large room within the cave. This might be a
good moment to stop and get your bearings -- you feel like you must be
getting close to some sort of turning point within the cave.
And then you find yourself suddenly under attack. But not by a Hellion:
you've come under attack by a single Gear. It looks to be a salvaged Gear of
some sort, likely from the Aquvy-region sites, and if the taunting and
shouting from the occupant is to be understood...
...something one of you has done before on Filgaia has earned you an enemy
you didn't even know you had. And so great is their ire that they've even
taken the trouble of acquiring a Gear and following you to Lunar just... for
this moment...
It's a little admirable, really. But you came here to explore a cave, not
get caught up in someone else's revenge schemes! And so-- well, you know
what you need to do, right?
(OOC: The GM is encouraged to select a character to be the target of the
Gear pilot's wrath -- this may be for as silly or as serious a reason as you
like!)
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up! and Quicken:_Agility_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni's reaction to the inflatable boat.. float thing is met wtih a wry, "I've seen so many worlds and I have no idea what that is supposed to be." She shakes her head. Slipping back into the driver's seat. The mech sealing itself back up. She keeps a mechanical hand on one end of the rope, handing the other to Lanval though. If it looks like a fever dream, but works, she's not going to complain. Too much.
There's a snort when Cavall gives a name and all. "You know, all that time messing with you the other night. I'm Juni." Stress on the Yew sound. Either way, there's a rope bridge in the making. Sort of.
"Careful now." She suggests, starting to secure the rope. The guardian's help is present. It wants to help, but there's only so much to do when you have the inflatable nightmare, a robot balancing act and some rope reinforced with a net and some safety measure and.. well. It's really not too scary right? Though she does keep an eye on Caval in case the wolf goes for a dive. She's not really sure how comfortable the seraph is trying to cross rope or netting even.
Well, until everyone's across and Juni's gear makes 'shoo' motions as she steps back to get a running start.
She actually sticks the landing. Hands out in a pose. She's proud of it. Even if it was AI assisted! Then she's back into a hunched soldier's slouch.
"If you can jury rig something I can carry it out inside the cockpit as long as I'm not allergic or you know. In a container. Or both." She slaps the side of her cockpit. Mimiced by the machine. Patting.. nothing.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Cavall has posed.
Their eyes narrow a bit as they turn their head to look at Juni, as the alien introduces herself. There is no 'well met' there, just a simple nod. "Juni."
Cavall nods to Lan, "I am glad that you are well." They don't seem to mind the scritches so much, and seemingly only the need for the party to keep moving really necessitates a stop. 'Whoosh! Right in my face!' "Indeed," they answer solemnly. "I had scarcely detected their sonar before they swarmed us."
Lanval's plastic not-horse thing is so terrifying that Cavall forgot to react to it in the last round and is only reacting to it now with a mild shudder as they fail to keep not thinging about it.
Cavall is, as it turns out, quite comfortable crossing a net suspended above a chasm being held down with their magic. (They would probably be... mostly fine falling into the chasm itself, because Earth seraph, but it would certainly be a hassle.)
But still, their motley crew presses forward until suddenly, they turn a corner and... a gear is there. It seemed to be waiting for something, and springs to life as the rest of the party comes into view. "Ah hah!" comes the crazed voice over the gear's PA system, and promises of a mad ramble are just dripping from their words. "I finally found you!" They're pointing--
--at Cavall.
Cavall blinks. The gear is not familiar, and the voice isn't either. Finally they hazard a "May I be of assistance...?"
"YES! You've made a laughing stock of me! And now you'll pay!"
Cavall blinks again. And looks to the others, ears laid back in uncertainty. To the gear they say, "I apologize if I have given offense, but I do not know how I have wronged you."
The gear starts to pace, arms gesticulating wildly--the pilot is pacing and surely forgot that their gear was mimicing their actions. "Oh you don't, do you? Do you know, that when I told my friends I saw a talking wolf, that they just laughed at me?! Said there was nothing there? That I must have been drinking too much again?! Even though you were right there?! Taunting me by showing yourself to me but nobody else!"
More blinking. "... Ah. I believe I know the difficulty. If you would allow me to explain about Resonance--"
"No! No more explanations! I don't care if you're just a figment of my imagination, I am going to destroy you!" But if Cavall is a figment, then--
Oh and the robot is attacking now. A large gear-sized sword is in hand as it charges forward.
"Since words will not reach..." Cavall seems to draw deep into the earth... and suddenly vines erupt from the ground, dozens upon dozens lash up from the ground, and down from the ceiling, wrapping themselves around any part of the gear they can.
The seraph is growling softly, all four paws spread as if bracing like a counterbalance on the end of those vines. "Hurry--" they utter with a grunt of effort. "I may not be able to hold him for long...!"
DG: Seraph Cavall has contributed a risky Combat Action toward their party's challenge, The Unexpected Attack. DG: Seraph Lanval has risked with his Tool Holy Bottle toward his party's challenge, The Unexpected Attack. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Lan Lilac has posed.
"Uh??" Lan gapes briefly at the sight of an unknown Gear in here. It's not like Gears are unable to get in here Lan, sheesh! And its occupant doesn't sound like he's doing too hot, which is what Lan assumes will happen if you spend too much time locked in an electric box full of buttons and switches and screens.
"Listen to yourself, okay? You sound like a crazy person!" Not helping, Lan...!
As she begins channeling, silver rings her feet like a magic circle. Light and distance and darkness between stars, and Lan makes a circle with the fingers of both hands, sighting through it like a reticle. "O you of endless journeys," she whispers to her god. Light flares between her fingers and cannons forth in a staccato burst, spheres of silver light bombarding the Gear's legs.
"--So you should just take a rest and maybe let us explain what's going on, okay??" she finishes, lowering her arms.
DG: Lan Lilac has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Unexpected Attack.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer makes a dismissive gesture at the response she gets. "So touchy." That was an intentional hot mic. There's some history there. She's laughing at the very least.
She calls out over the system at the enemy gear, "You could have just told them it was some beastfolk and bad lighting. Or just rolled with the humor of it." There's a pause. Oh yeah. The locals can't all see the Seraphs. She DID know that rule. Oh well.
Either way, once again, the ECM array lights up. Juni raising the rifle to fire off as the AI handles the other side of things. Overloading systems, scrambling computers, blinding cameras. The usual fun side effect of anyone that focuses on kicking the legs out of anything relying too heavily on modern support. It's why Juni knows how to shoot and eyeball off of actual math! Real math. Not that base 10 stuff.
Though the guy sounds... simultaneously a threat and harmless. "Stand down or die. Your call." The rifle's steady and she's just shy of pulling the trigger. Whether she puts her shots into the unfortunate guy or the mixture of threat and ECM works or bare minimum she spots an easy engine shot and tries to take it out, who's to say at this exact moment.
She did shoulder her way forward so to speak, trying to act as a barrier between herself and the others. Braced for the impact should her shots fail though.
DG: Juni Vandrer has used her Tool E/A Suite toward her party's challenge, The Unexpected Attack.
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
Fortunately, no one falls into a pit today.
But alas, never did the course of dungeon exploration run smooth -- and that's more than a little bit true today. There, as their motly crew rounds the bend following that harrowing crossing, stands a Gear.
Not just any Gear -- this one has been waiting for them, or at least, one among their number: the Seraph Cavall.
"This seems excessive," Avril muses, tilting her head slightly to the left as the man explains his reasoning. "Is it not expensive to purchase a Gear? To travel all this distance, at that..." Her lips purse in a faint moue of consternation.
Even so, though, their opponent is either so unwavering -- or so far around the bend, to hear Lan say it -- that talking sense into them doesn't appear to be on the table. Avril, seemingly unheeding of the rather significant scaling issue between herself and the Gear, draws her blade. "...Very well. I shall not restrain myself!"
At the end of the day, they need to get to the herbs found in this cave. And if it means going through this deluded person then... that's a price Avril is willing to pay.
She swings her blade all this distance from the Gear, but what travels in its wake is not simply air: a jagged spear of ice flies for their opponent as if it were a missile instead.
DG: Avril Vent Fleur has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Unexpected Attack.
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
====================<* CHALLENGE - The Unexpected Attack *>=====================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
You've been walking the tunnels for some time now at this point when you
finally reach a particularly large room within the cave. This might be a
good moment to stop and get your bearings -- you feel like you must be
getting close to some sort of turning point within the cave.
And then you find yourself suddenly under attack. But not by a Hellion:
you've come under attack by a single Gear. It looks to be a salvaged Gear of
some sort, likely from the Aquvy-region sites, and if the taunting and
shouting from the occupant is to be understood...
...something one of you has done before on Filgaia has earned you an enemy
you didn't even know you had. And so great is their ire that they've even
taken the trouble of acquiring a Gear and following you to Lunar just... for
this moment...
It's a little admirable, really. But you came here to explore a cave, not
get caught up in someone else's revenge schemes! And so-- well, you know
what you need to do, right?
(OOC: The GM is encouraged to select a character to be the target of the
Gear pilot's wrath -- this may be for as silly or as serious a reason as you
like!)
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up! and Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Yder Cave - Round 5 *>============================ ======================< Results - The Unexpected Attack >======================= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avril Vent Fleur 34 --(5)--> 39 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lan Lilac 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass Fight 0 Combat Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Cavall 29 --(21)--> 50 Fail Fight 1 Combat Effects: Risky -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juni Vandrer 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass E/A Suite 3 Combat Effects: Efficient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seraph Lanval 13 --(5)--> 18 Pass Holy Bottle 3 Combat Effects: Resilient and Risky -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Avril Vent Fleur 80 --(35)--> 115 Pass Conditions: Fright(2) Effects: Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Avril Vent Fleur has successfully explored Yder Cave!
================================<* Yder Cave *>=================================
=======================<* CHALLENGE - The Magical Moss *>=======================
| Type: Discovery | Dungeon Ability: Conclusion | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
At long last you find some innermost chamber within the cave. Light streams
down on a large bed of moss here, which rests near to a stream trailing
water with a particular sparkle to it. If you were to sample this water, you
would find it to be almost impossibly pure.
And as a result, this moss...
This moss shimmers faintly, a sign of the potent power that rests within it
-- if one is an herbalist or apothecary, that is. This moss could be used to
make particularly strong healing potions and ointments, or sold by those who
make the same their livelihood.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and |
| Treasure:_Exploration_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Cavall has posed.
The man is, sadly, definitely in need of help. How did they purchase a gear? How did they track Cavall to Lunar, let alone get ahead of them to some cave they were only in because they were on an errand to assist someone else? These are all excellent questions. The man isn't saying, however.
Cavall's vines halt the gear's advance only momentarily--but the effort is too great, and one by one the vines start to snap and gear, leaving the gear free to keep edging forward, almost to complete its charge--
Silver light bombards the legs of the gear, causing it to trip and come crashing down to the floor. This creates an opportunity for Lanval and Juni both to help disable the foe--Juni by scrambling the hostile gear's systems, and Lanval by doing the magical equivalent of pouring gas in the gear's gas tank. (Turns out engines aren't meant to handle holy water. Who knew?)
Finally, their foe downed and disabled, Avril's ice spear flies forth, and severs a critical power coupling, and the gear powers down.
Cavall sags hard, panting for breath with the attempted effort to restrain an entire gear. Yes, with the tongue lolling out and everything.
They are on an errand of mercy, to be sure, but the man is troubled in his own way. Cavall actually asks Juni's assistance in locating the cockpit and getting to the man in question. With the sort of patience that only comes from having the fortitude of the earth, Cavall works to talk the man down, to explain that no, he is not crazy, and to congratulate him on taking his first steps into a larger world.
But as luck would have it, they were almost to their gold, and soon enough they can reach the chamber where some particularly potent--but helpful!--moss can be found growing.
Cavall takes a sniff at it. "I believe this may be what we seek. Highly potent, and it should have vast restorative properties." They look to Avril for confirmation, and will then help carry as much as they can back. (Cavall is super strong and can haul quite a lot. Between them and Juni's gear, the party should be well stocked on moss.)
[OOC] Seraph Cavall says, "bluray: *and it should"
<Pose Tracker> Avril Vent Fleur has posed.
It's fortunate that full force isn't required, and equally so that bit by bit, Cavall is able to reach the now 'defanged' man and begin to explain things to him.
But just as important is a particular additional fact--
"Oh, there it is!"
Here's the herb -- moss, of course -- that Avril had set out to find, and growing in abundance. Many hands make light work, and so it is that they will return from the cave triumphant.
<Pose Tracker> Juni Vandrer has posed.
Juni Vandrer is.. gentler than she would normally be, but she mostly pries the gear's cockpit open. Just to discourage any further action really. (And strongly discourages people from getting aggressive maybe.) The cockpit is opened again and she leans out, getting a good look. And admitting, "Got no more rope." She's leaning against the hatch for now. "Could probably find some spare wire or something. That's not going to be comfortable, but then again he tried to squish uh..Tuk there." She's teasing Cavall again.
Still. She bails out of the gear and does help gather the supplies. While she may not know the exact usage, field medicine's field medicine and she's got some survival kit to use to harvest and while maybe not bundle it, at least handle it.
"Just take my share. I'm still here mostly for information-" she taps claws lightly against the ground briefly, "Though if you happen to know any information about strange idiots from the stars that aren't myself or weird kit, let me know." One more pause. Too many questions. Things for later. She'll chase down loose ends as needed.