Mal was one of the first to receive the news about how there was no escaping the dungeon after the surface had collapsed. He had originally come down to support a few adventurers as his funds had become low enough to wonder if he was going to have enough to spend on his ill mother and his drinking/gambling habits. The previous hours fighting in the dungeon had been light and fairly easy, but being that it was getting close to nightfall, the group decided to head to the dungeon exit and disband there, splitting the profits of what they earned. But halfway toward the exit, a great rumbling was felt, causing the ground to quiver and the ceiling to loosen. A few pieces of rock fell, which didn't endanger the party, but everyone fell still and silent nonetheless--it was almost as if a boss fight was about to begin with this sort of tension in the air. The adventurers waited, but nothing happened, so they continued to exit, wary of what that quaking was. But as they neared the exit, a bunch of adventurers had gathered just a short distance from it. Mal heard that a few scouts had been sent forward as some adventurers were believed to have been buried alive during a cave in at the mouth of the entrance. Before any other action could be taken, the scouts returned to confirm that a handful of adventurers were missing, and that the way up was blocked by large pieces of rubble. The adventurers that gathered began talking to each other, some of them nervous. A few who didn't believe the scouts, rushed toward the exit to confirm for themselves, while others talked about other ways to get out of the dungeon. Mal was no leader, but it seemed like people were forgetting what time it was, and spoke out to the adventurers who had gathered. He sighed and leaned against the wall, stifling a laugh...which was mostly due to how screwed up the situation was about to become. "You guys don't get it, do you? You know what time it is on the surface right now? It's almost nightfall. You think this dungeon tries to kill you during the day? Piss ale compared to the hard liquor you're able to swallow. I'd think real hard about leaving this spot right now because the dungeon will eat you alive." One of the adventurers began to make claims about how he'd be able to survive the night in the dungeon, to which Mal looked up at him with his amber eyes, cracking a smile and shaking his head lightly. "You felt that shake before you got here, right? Felt an awful lot like a boss fight, didn't it?" Not that Mal wanted to team up, but he realized that his life was going to be a lot easier to save if everyone grouped up and worked together. If a bunch of adventurers decided that they wanted to go out into the dungeon now, it would split up their forces and weaken their defense. Drawing out his bow and fiddle, Mal had already decided that he was going to have to support a few tankers and damage dealers, seeing as how the group was going to need all the support they can get. "Should've stayed in the bar this morning..."
The last bastion Hinabi had no regrets to look back on for the day. He honestly felt like it was fate that he fought with the party to let him join. Blood trickling down his forehead from the sharp rock he took defending their fastest member who was first to run when the dungeon shook. His party was a bunch of kids and since Hinabi felt responsible for them he chose to give them a running start. Metal clashing resounded through the narrow passage as the Runarl held his staff over his head to clash with a metal mace wielded by a goblin. Arms pushing upward to get the goblin away before he kicked it into a few of his friends and followed behind his group. He still had to make sure everyone else got out safe before he could switch to the offence, or at least the little offence he had. Turning again to hit a goblin into the wall with his staff before pulling the weapon back and blocking another attack, the edge of the goblin’s sword cutting into his left shoulder as he bared his fangs with annoyance. He was not fast, he was slower than a lot of other tanks for that matter, but he still chose to defend others rather than use his magic that cost him so much. His tails fluffing up as he heard more foes rushing down the tunnel behind the goblins. Left eye closing to avoid getting blood in his eye as he pushed the goblin back and tried to get some more distance from the pack of monsters. Thankfully the next shake caused the goblins to stumble over each other and let Hinabi get the distance he needed. Back toward the opening of a clearing near the exit as he slammed his staff into the ground and began to chant. He knew there was more than one route into the clearing, he just hoped no other adventures would be trying to get in this way since what he was about to do. "Magic wall, arise, …” Light glimmering fifteen feet into the narrow passage as he focused all he had onto this single spell. ”Protect those who shall not die on my watch!” Magic flowing upward as a ray of light blocked the passage before him and a few goblins got a face full of light. "if there is anyone behind me who has the balls to fight get over here. There is a large group coming and we got two choices. One, we hold them in the narrow and rotate fighters, or two we try to do a large scale battle here till the dungeon repairs!” Hinabi was no novice to war, his fox ears twitching as people spoke behind him. He was not going to be able to hold his wall for long as the goblins smashed into it once again. Thread type: Invite quest Tags: @Mal | @Nezuel
The dungeon was death incarnate, its anger personified into a place upon the mortal realm. It had been torn from its divine resting place by the gods for some unknown reason...or at least this is what Nezuel presumed. The dungeon served no purpose for those who had not resided in heaven besides the mixing and churning of their very lives. Their currency had changed, from what it was now to revolving around the magic crystals the dungeon formed the creatures around. Their cities had changed, moving around the tower and dungeon to better situate a different life. Their ways of killing, magic and the life being found and forged by both mortals and divine alike. He had no idea, being a new adventurer, if there was some hidden correlation between the crystals and the dungeon. It seemed likely but he had no solid proof. Perhaps one day he'd investigate the strange crystals...for now however he simply picked them up after a kill for the gold. Nezuel had never been in the dungeon at night, for he wasn't suicidal. Already he had delved down into its depths once or twice with his summoned companion Raime. Speaking of the summon he was there with him now, sprinting slightly ahead of the black cloaked mage his sword blocking the falling rocks as the two of them ran. Small pebbles might pelt against the undead warrior's skin but he didn't feel it, the numbness of undeath along with his rusty armor protecting him. Given the chance he'd allow the undead warrior to continue like this all the way to the surface no doubt swiping at monster as they got in his way and allowing Nezuel time to pick up the crystals as if he was some sort of supporter...the only issue with that was the cave in and the fact that they were trapped. Nezuel always got in and out of the dungeon somewhere around an hour into each expedition. Being a mage he had to consider his mana reserves and his spell usage. So far his summon, Raime, was in his inactive state. He could still fight and move around but it was at a less powerful level than if Nezuel were to channel his mana into the undead being. The result would be quite spectacular...for about an hour. That marked his limit...for the time. In time he'd learn to expand that time limit and make himself be able to venture deeper and deeper into the dungeon and its abyss longer and longer. He turned to Hinabi as he set up his wall, familiar with the Runari just a little bit from pervious interactions. "We have to make sure they don't get past us." he'd reply, coming beside the mage. "I suggest the narrow, it'll allow us more resting time as we cycle fighters. That and pushing and yielding space will allow us to pick up magic crystals...if we make it out of here we might as well make a profit off of it! Raime can take the front." @Hinabi @Mal
Mal had been leaning against the wall, slightly fatigued from having ran through the dungeon earlier with a small party, but he seemed to catch his second wind after Hinabi's display of violent pyrotechnics. As the light washed down the narrow corridor, Mal made his way over to Hinabi's position, just in time to see Nezuel approach Hinabi. Within earshot and closing the distance, he heard Nezuel's plan about bottlenecking the enemy and cycling in the fighters. Giving a quick look at both the Runarl and the Elf, Mal sighed slightly and stifled a laugh as he stopped only a few feet from the two mages. "The first three adventurers to start the attack, and we're all magic users. I'm starting to regret some serious life decisions that I've made about my skills." Lifting a fiddle in left hand and a bow for the strings in his right, Mal tucked the chinrest between his face and his shoulder. He idly aligned his fingers across the strings of the fiddle, lifting his bow in the air to begin playing. He looked over to Hinabi and Nezuel, speaking to them casually. "I'll keep the little ones distracted, but some of the bigger ones aren't going to like my song--in fact, they might actively try to shut me up. As in, end my life. And I'm pretty fond of my life, so I'd appreciate any backup you guys can give me. If it's just us though..." Mal smiled wearily at the two, placing his bow against the strings. "...this is going to be one of the shortest nights we'll ever live." Hearing a fresh wave of little green pukes chattering in the darkness, Mal inhaled and exhaled deeply, steadying himself and focusing his magic. It might look like he was just playing the fiddle, but magic was being poured into his instrument and his voice, producing a supernatural ballad that would stun and confuse the smaller creatures, or those of lesser will and intelligence. And while the song took a bit to warm up, Mal could continue playing it for longer than he probably should. "And here they come. And a one, and a two, and a..." His one hand beautifully manipulates the bow across the strings, moving it back and forth at different heights, while the other hand holding the fiddle dances across the strings on the neck with graceful fingers. The notes that he played were similar to ones he's played in taverns and other dives, but the lyrics were brand new--made specifically for those little green bastards that were about to come charging in. (To the tune of Bohemian Rhapsody, with green indicating a higher pitch and brown indicating Mal's normal pitch) "I'm just a goblin, nobody loves me, He's just a goblin, he should die horribly, Shrill as a fife, he's a monstrosity!" "Master bard, drop your guard, will you let me go, From head to toe, I will not let you go! Let us go! I said no, I will not let you go! Let us go! I said no, I will not let you go! Let us go! Will not let you go let me go Will not let you go let me go Never let you go Never let me go oooo No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Oh master bard now won't you please just let us go! No tuuurning back, as you've given up your lives to me, To me, to meeeeeeee..." And then Mal immediately bursted into some crazy fiddle playing, looking as if the melody had driven him mad for a moment. Pieces of the horsehair string that comprised the bow began to fray and hang, being unable to keep up with the pace or the force of such vigorous fiddling. Most of the goblins that fell within the range of the song slowed their march down considerably, while some stopped altogether, looking as if they were inebriated in some form or fashion. Some of the goblins seemed to shrug most of the effects, but still had their concentration broken to an extent, making them easier targets than they already were. But Mal could see none of this. He trusted that his magic was flowing and doing what it was supposed to so, focusing on his music instead. And cue some of those adventurers who had been inactive to join the fray, seeing some easy targets to bring down.
The last bastion Hinabi moved his staff to drop the magic wall and let the first group of eager adventurers move forward. His next step was to get the rest of the group up and ready for the long night as he walked towards the most devastated person and promptly picked him up by his collar and threw him across the room towards the entry point. "You see them fighting! They have a decent idea that we won’t be getting out until the dungeon is done repairing itself. And if you listen…” Hinabi pointed towards the ceiling as it trembled some more. "Things aren't much better outside the dungeon either right now. So either get your asses ready to fight, or just kill yourselves since you fucking cowards!” All of his teeth showing as he growled and moved back towards the group of fighters. He had no time to sugar coat that they needed help, and he damn sure did not plan to do that to grown men and women inside the dungeon. "This is like fighting to protect my Familia house all over again I swear!” Hinabi growled as he rushed past the group and went towards the larger targets. But rather than fighting them in the bottle neck area he began running past them and drawing them away from the group. "Forgive me Cailleach-sama … I’m going to have to use him after all…” Body bending back as he swung his staff low and tripped a goblin before resuming running for another open area away from everyone. Thankfully it was not that far away as he spun around to face the group of goblins with closed eyes. Slowly opening them as a large grin crossed his once kind face, now twisted and corrupt as he looked at the staff and then the goblins. "Who wants to become a piñata? Free of charge!” His voice was a twisted mix of growling and insanity as he rushed the first goblin, staff arcing behind his figure before crashing into the goblin’s skull to his left side. Wasting no time to spin his weapon back around his back to hit the same goblin to the right side of it’s head as he leaned forward and bite the creature’s nose off. Jumping back as he spit it out and grinned happily. Thread type: Invite quest Tags: @Mal | @Nezuel
It seemed that the Necormancer turned summoner turned adventurer Nezuel had made a few interesting friends this particular endevour...though perhaps friends were a bit strong of a word. For the moment they were comrades in arms, acquaintances with this brief run-in with death and dungeon delving. At the end of the day, at least for the moment for him, they were useful as meat and mana shields. They would, perhaps, take the blows for him that he obviously didn't wish to take upon himself...of course that was a position normally reserved for Raime and that position would be taken for so long as they remained useful. The bard, for that was how he saw the halfling individual, played a particular catchy if a bit fey tune upon his instrument. He could see the effect it had upon the goblins...it was effective but he had a feeling that his own efforts to control them and stop them from moving would have been equally effective...if a bit less dramatic. Regardless his efforts wouldn't be wasted by the dark magic user. He had planned to send in Raime after a casting of his movement inhibiting magic...but as is it wasn't necessary due to the bard. It was something that allowed Nezuel to conserve and focus his mana into something else...into Raime, into killing goblins and those that would do him harm. Nezuel's beat the end of his staff upon the floor once as he activated his magic. His long chant to summon Raime was all that was needed...to switch from his normal state to his active state and vice versa took very little effort on his part. Raime, of course, know his master's heard. Ever the tank he flew into the fray as the song rang. As Nezuel's mana started to fuel the undead warrior in full Raime appearance would change, starting to be coated in black red flames. As he landed some of the flame coalesced across his free arm, forcing a large ultra greatsword. With mana flowing in his veins the summon moved the fiery sword in a 360 degree arc, hitting the defenseless goblins as they were unable to move. @Mal @Hinabi
With the ability to multitask, Mal was able to play his tune while focusing his magic through his instrument, as well as take in his environment and everything that was going around him. For starters, he watched Hinabi scold a man and then chuck him toward the fray. He smirked, looking from the Runarl to the adventurer. The man looked at Mal in a pleading sort of way, but Mal just shook his head and looked away, continuing his song. He wasn't going to get involved in that right now--not with the dungeon trying to kill them currently. Although he did stop playing, if only for a second, as Hinabi rushed toward the enemy. He was a mage, wasn't he? Why would a mage try and kite the enemy? If Nezuel was looking over at him, Mal would trade him a glance of confusion with a small inaudible sound escaping his mouth. He then immediately went back to playing, starting to wonder how far their chances of survival were falling. He also watched Nezuel summon some humanoid knightly creature. While it was reassuring that one of them was a summoner, the thing that he summoned looked like something out of a nightmare. Mal was just glad it was here to help protect them. And as he touched on that subject, he really didn't know any of these people he was fighting with--for all he knew, one of them could end up stabbing him in the back. Hinabi could run off somewhere, Nezuel could have his 'knightmare' attack other adventurers, and Mal could break his fiddle. All horrible outcomes. But for now, he was forced to trust those he was fighting with. It was better than dying alone. Unless Mal died alone when he was reeeally old and reeeally rich. And continuing his song: "So you think you run from my musical hiiiigh, So you think you can stab me and leave me to dieee, Ooohhh, monsters, you won't live too much longer, Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of here!"
The last bastion Hinabi never felt much for the whole magic thing, it just was not his boat anymore. After it cost him so much pain, and finding out he was a natural at ripping people and creatures apart with his bare hands and blunt force, well magic was left off his table in a lot of fights. Knuckles popped and cracked against open palm as he looked at the goblins, his staff resting on the ground beside him as he grinned with excitement. How long had it been since he got to rip someone's throat out with his jaws. Red tounge tracing his lips slowly as the goblins rushed forward and he followed suit. Now sure he still felt like lives should be saved, but right now saving other adventures to priority over his own life and that of the goblins and other threats within the dungeon. Sharp nails arc across the mid-rift of the first goblin before Hinabi lunged his upper body forward and got a firm bite into the goblin's neck. He could feel the blood rushing out the goblin's neck as it tried to get free from his sharp fangs that only dug in deeper each time a goblin hit him with a club of wood or stone. Once he felt his teeth touching inside the goblin's neck he slammed his hands to the chest and forehead of the creature and push off ripping the throat out between his jaws as she grinned, blood dripping off his chin before spitting the reward for his suffering out with a sour expression. "Needs salt.... Maybe a bit of..." His words stopped as a goblin hit the back of his head with a club drawing his focus around as he growled, blood dripping from a few spots on his body. "I was talking to myself dam it!" Head reeling back before slamming into the goblin's helmet and Hinabi lunging after the staggering annoyance. Nails digging into the goblin's arms before his teeth locked around the left shoulder and he began to crush down on the bone with everything he had. He was likely to be seen as rabid as the Crazed goblins when he fought this way no doubt. Thread type: Invite quest Tags: @Mal | @Nezuel
