(Event) Reclamation of Pride | Page 13

Corvella · Feb 18, 2018

108 HP

40 EN

Floating Debris

-40hp from miasma and fail
-20en from debris

Do not look down, do not look down, do not look down. Corvella repeated the sentence in her head as the chaos ensues. Now that the orbs are busy, should she try to score a crown through the bridge again, or take the riskier yet shorter path? Figuring that they might have not much time left before whatever that thing is unleashed, she grabbed one crown and jumped to one of the floating debris, still trying not to look down.

Not only her, but the rest of the people there were sent into state of panic, rushing them to get the crowns across. Buff and buffs were bestowed to help them manage their way through the floating debris. But this is not the time to mind other people though, since she risk fall-

Almost. She almost fell down to oblivion. Corvella did manage to hold on and survive without looking down though, at the cost of the crown she brought. She looked as Majolica zoomed through with her broom-vroom-stick and finally put down the last crown we need. Good job.

Reclamation Tracker / (Roll) Reclamation of Pride
31 + 20 = 51
Fail

Blader X · Feb 18, 2018

79 HP

57 EN

Support

(-20 Energy, AOE HEAL)

It was over! It was FINALLY OVER. That part at least. What now? Seraphy wondered with a HEAVY sigh. She was beyond pooped. She really wanted to go home actually. Maybe take a nice warm bath...

No! We still have work to do! Don't give into such honey-sweet dreams, Seraphy! You'll only make yourself sad!!!

Too late. Seraphy had made herself a little sad. She needed to stay busy. But first...

Seraphy approached @Cain Darlite.

"Uhm... I don't know how to say this... but thank you so much for everything you did for me! Really! It's too much! Well I'd be dead if you hadn't ahahaha......."

What the heck am I saying?! That was totally dark!

"Erm! Forget I said anything! No! Wait! Don't forget the thank you! Because I really really mean it! Actually, thank you again! Sorry for bothering you!!!"

Flustered, Seraphy scrambled away. She was off to heal what compatriots she could. No, it wasn't an excuse for not continuing to find and insert any additional feet into her mouth. Seraphy only had the two, and they weren't a very steady two as it is.

@Grand Witch Majolica

"Uhm Majolica are you...." Wait, knowing her, she'll only try to show off more if I highlight any weaknesses or ills. "What I mean to say is wow, you are -so- cool. Like, uhm, you're an inspiration to all of us in Witch Ops."

Seraphy took substantial psychic damage for that one. But the rambunctious Witch had certainly earned the praise. Seraphy smiled and left after healing the worst of Majolica's wounds.

@Celestine

"Hello... you...." Wait. I don't actually know her name... Ah jeez... let's see... "Yeah! Youuuuuu~! The gal with the most pals! That was quite the prank with the snowball hehe~!"

...Actually, now that she thought about it, that incident had made her rather angry. Seraphy's smile broadened a bit as her eyebrows twitched. Oh yes... that snowball cannon... Hitting their squeaky, noisy wagon with snow when they simply doing their best to stay warm in an unfamiliar land. Bothering no one. Eating dinner together in peace... How hilarious...

"...Yes, quite the prank indeed! Eheheh~ only... do it again.. and I'll be forced to come get youUuuuUUuuUu~<3 "

Numerous more Fairy Wisps materialized as she said that. More than were necessary to tend to the girl's scrapes and bruises. Waving with that same smile, Seraphy turned to leave.

Tracker / Roll
Aoe Heal (2 +18) div3 = 6
@Grand Witch Majolica @Celestine @Haru

Seigi · Feb 18, 2018

81/151 HP

80/130 EN

The crimson of blood.
The white of cracking bones.
The gray of splattered entrails.

It was a colorful massacre.

What seemed to be a long-winded, but lax, trial just seconds ago suddenly turned into a blood-bath. Followed by the sudden reaction of the room itself, one had to wonder, again: Was this, truly, still plan of the bandits? Meagerly a security system set in place to keep out intruders? Or, from the look of it, was this something else entirely?

A seal set in place to keep something out? Maybe something so Ancient, that the mere concept of life and death did not apply to it? How did you kill something that was immortal? You simply tried harder. Just seal it away?

These and similar thoughts rushed through the hero's mind as she watched the scene unfold. There was no need to help out with the crowns anymore. By the time Seigi would make its way to the source and back, it had already been taken care of. No, instead, Seigi simply watched.

Not into the Abyss.
Not into the Darkness.
But the slaughter barely above.

Even as the fur-ball made her big-bang, the hero did not avert her eyes. She wasn't scared, not at all. She had already walked over countless corpses. Telling herself, each time, to do better, to be stronger. Denying any and all gaps, breaches, and cracks that ever tried to taint her pure, burning, spirit.
No, instead, Seigi kept thinking - and came to a decision.

Tell a fearless child to not push the button and it will push it.

She was a Hero. This was the Darkness. One step, two steps. Closer and closer, Seigi walked. The path was clear, her mind was set. Closer and closer - into the right direction. Stopping in front of the broken-down railing.

"Always looking forward..."

Sometimes, the righteous path wasn't literally in front.
Sometimes, doing the right thing was simply a matter of more Guts.
If she could do it, others could.
If she could punch it, others could.
A Hero was supposed to be a guiding light.
If they turned away, now, what would happen later?

And, most importantly, as Seigi was about to stare down into the Darkness.

"KEEP YOUR CRAPPY ANIME CHANTING OUT OF HERE!"

The Sunset Sage of Seven Strikes gazed into the Abyss - her mind more unyielding than ever. @Zero

Tracker

Comet · Feb 18, 2018

80 HP

60 EN

Floating Debris

It seemed most would prefer to acknowledge the need for crowns rather than those falling into the waters below. Perhaps that'd be for the best, she thought, seeing as those who dared to look down were tempting fate. Or more so poking at it with a sharp stick, and begging for death. It wasn't completely their fault either which was the unfortunate part that Comet felt bad for. But her strength and focus had to be put into carrying the crown - which seemed to become suddenly lighter when taken away from the main bridge's path. Though tempted the young woman held a strong innate persistence that enabled her to shove thoughts about those massacred to the back of her head alongside curiosity of what lay beneath. Fear and anxiety had her limbs shaking.

But worse, she saw @Seigi succumb to what others had successfully passed thus far. Supposedly who she saw as immature, but a strong hero-in-the-making nonetheless, wasn't able to take on whatever monstrosity loomed beneath the ominous waters. "Seigi! You're not supposed to look down! You can survive a battle against darkness and overcome yourself but choose to look down as soon as someone tells you not to?" her voice shrieked but broke towards the end as a rush sent Comet's legs into a frenzy. To run after the girl or not had her thoughts muddled but body forced to move anyways, listening to instinct rather than rational suggestion - all inside her head.

Tracker / Roll
96 + 20 = 116
Success

Nalla · Feb 18, 2018

88/108 HP

132/132 EN

Arriving Late

Waking up in a wagon was one thing, but remembering that you had plans to commence some sort of important operation was another. This thought did not strike her immediately though, as the pyromancer yawned, stretching her arms in the air, moving towards the exit of the structure. As her feet swung over the edge, landing firmly upon the ground beneath, it hit her.

"Oh no! I fell asleep?" Her eyes widened, staring around at the NPC's around her who, no doubt, thought her somewhat unhinged at her spontaneous shout. "What has done this to me? What has caused such an unwarranted snooze?" Rearing her eyes back towards the contents of the wagon, she saw the culprit. Sitting just beside where she had been unconscious, as if full of pride and spite, a vicious mockery, you could call it, towered a monster of a book. One that had in the past, without any second thoughts, placed others into the same stasis that had entranced Nalla. Atlas Shrugged. "You've gotta be kidding!?" She stomped, shouting at the collection of pages. Pointing with ferocious condemnation, it was all she could do to keep from firing a bolt of flame and letting that be that, 451 style. "This is the third time! I will not let this happen again!" Turning towards the entrance, she would need to catch up with the others, and so, with the radiant, wispy, cerulean cat slipped from behind a leg into existence, racing into the darkness.

"Wait up!" Spending so much time pursuing the glowing trail of her feline spirit guide, the purple haired flamestress had not even noticed the plethora of already surpassed trials and foes. From wolf men, to strange, undead looking creatures, they had fallen in her comrades' wake. But, given a bit of time, she caught up to these comrades, finally able to aid them in the fray.

She took a few moments in silence, observing the situation, and allowing the rules of this next game to register in her mind. One, don't look down. Two, get a crown across the bridge. Three... Nope, that's it! Still, she sat around with the casual, observant mindset, keeping out of the way for the time being. Just minutes prior, she had been fast asleep. What a twist this virtual reality put on things. And that smoke stuff... Not good stuff, that's for sure.

Tracker / No Roll
No Roll
Success? In a sense!

Destiny Divebird · Feb 18, 2018

60/100 HP

50/100 EN

-20HP Miasma

Well, it’d been a hell of a ride, but Des took one look at those arms and threw up hers. Figuratively, anyway. In reality, she’d thrown herself behind the nearby altar for cover, hunkering down to shield herself from the burning fog the sinister hunger had brought with it. As she saw horse boy and the girl scout working to dispel the miasma, she peeked her head out again. Well, ears didn’t lie, at least. She wished she hadn’t looked. The bloodcurdling screams had probably been a good enough heads-up, but toppling to their deaths from all around the chasm were people clawing at their eyes, howling in a foreign tongue (Des heard enough French in her day job to rule that one out, but the actual language was hard to pin down. Maybe the terrifying deformed hands ripping up the magic circle on the ceiling were distracting her.) Käse, Käse.

Catchy, but not so catchy that Des was about to try and sneak a peek at whoever was putting on the performance. She crawled out from behind the altar just as the former-barista @Seraphy came from the sky to slam-dunk a glowing white crown, followed by the infamous Witch Ops Commander zooming in with the final piece of the puzzle. Des managed to duck and avoid both of them, rolling almost to the edge of the bridge in her efforts. She looked up just in time to see another one of the unnamed Lions staring down into the water right next to her, barely a second passing before the the telltale screams erupted from his mouth. “Holy—”

Then the nameless man pitched forward. His beast companion, a gray fox, leapt forward as if to yank its master back, but the compulsion was too strong. His shirt tore in the animal’s jaws. The fox started to lunge after him with a yip of dismay. Destiny, who’d reacted too slowly to do anything about the falling Lion, managed to snap to (and snap her eyes shut) in time to throw herself over the animal, flattening it to the ground under her body before it could suffer the same horrifying fate. “Oh no you don’t!” Damn—she averted her gaze and crawled backwards, still hugging the snarling, horrified beast. Down below, the screaming continued amid visceral squelching and ripping.

There was nothing she could do.

Tracker

Zero · Feb 18, 2018

Cycle 5

Time ticked, and it did not stop. Amidst the despair and fear of the unknown they pressed on. Even though many were torn to pieces just a few feets away, sweat and effort was put into completing the challenge ahead of them. Despite the chanting, despite the shaking and unknown forces fighting each other for Elysid knows what reason, the adventurers managed through combined effort to push through and complete the amount of crowns required to open the door.

When the last crown floated on the second altar, the last orb on the door lighted up in response and a powerful energy wave was released. The entirety of the chamber glowed blue, several thin lines of nature just as complex as the giant sigil on the ceiling now revealed - it was magitech. With all unknown devices activated, the orbs that were fighting back the abomination increased in size and quantity, each energy bolt crashed and generated thunders upon impact against the dark arms. The creature growled in agony, continuing to slam its hands on the chamber until it could not resist anymore.

But that was not the end. The severe and continuous hits from the monster managed to weaken the central bridge by a fair amount. It cracked under pressure, fissures appearing on the pristine white stone structure while the balusters dismantled and the bridge succumbed to the damage received, breaking in half. At that moment anyone that tried saving the red haired heroine could only watch as she lost her sanity much like anyone else that dared look down. Everyone else on the other side of the bridge -adn the debris - rushed to the door before it collapsed but some more souls were unfortunate to not make it inside, falling in the water and being lost in the watery abyss.

What was more puzzling, however, was how out of everything in the chamber only the twin statues remained intact. Whereas one was near the door where the white stone structure didn’t collapse, its counterpart floated in the air. The chamber went dark and shortly after all of the soul orbs shot out in random directions all across the chamber. One by one they twisted and changed, transforming into and replacing the previous structures that were now destroyed and lost into the abyss. As if in some sort of uncanny effort to not let them go through all of that again, a magic barrier made it impossible to return.

Well nyow, mother of god. I did nyot sign up for ‘dis shit…

She gritted her teeth. Was she that weak? The felis mage turned around, looking at their numbers. They were a far less intimidating force now, with only a few dozens remaining alive. Her heart pleaded to say she regretted coming here if so many had to lose their lives to succeed - no life should end that way, even if virtual. The screams, the pain, the dancing red. Her legs shook for a moment, but suddenly, she hit the end of her staff on the white stone below them. Caccu Rochinell was their leader right now. She could not fear the obstacles on their way - she had to surpass them, at all costs.

Let’s go! We gotta find that bandit scum and punch him in the guts for all the shit he’s made us go through ‘til now!

As the much smaller group of adventurers advanced, the doors opened up. Before them was a large corridor made of a similar stone in the chamber, but old and dusty. Streaks of pure mana ran along the walls inside magitech none but Caccu seemed to recognize to some degree. After a few minutes of walking, you reach a much larger room, although the dark made it really hard to identify anything of note around. Despite the dark, however, something stood out - there was a large pool of water, shining and pure just like the one you saw before - this time around with no abyss or eldritch abominations. Caccu turned to look back on the troops.

Alright nya bunch, so here is the dea-- Hm...

She went silent for a moment while staring at the cubs. It took no genius to noticed they were quite roughed up after having to deal with so much in such a short while. The catgirl approached the water and inspected its contents, before turning to the party again. She had to smile. She had to look fine. That man managed it, despite any kind of odds he was against. Even if the scenes flashed back on her mind and made her stomach churn...

Alright! So here is the deal nya bunch -- git some rest. Nya really deserve it. See this thing ova’ here? It’ll heal nya, so get in and enjoy it for a while.

Sarla, yerla, imna ignia. Asara, aghara yyval!

Caccu chanted and in one hand a small fire orb lighted up, soon revealing to be a summoned familiar. It lighted up the room, revealing the odd stone construction that resembled rusty and old metal. With her other hand, an ice orb gathered. Caccu shot the spell on the center of the pool, creating a vertical layer of ice that acted as a wall just over the water so it wouldn’t cool down yet it would give some privacy for both sides.

Boys in one side, girls in the other...Ya hear me?! I’ll go check if I can find anything interestin’ around or a way to git out without goin’ back!

Kase, Kase--SHUT UP

Deep in Abyss

-- And it gazed back at her

Our heroine had a brave and shining soul, one that had not crumbled even when faced with the abyss. If one lacked the resolve to strive forward, all they had to do was try harder and set an example - one that would guide people. If someone could only set an example that they could fight back, that if it was hard, they’d just need to punch it even harder - how could they not understand? Challenges were a way to improve oneself - the way to build upon your ideals and strength had always been to tackle the hard way.

There wasn’t a drop of fear, and that was commendable --

But what washed away at her was not fear. What the redhead’s eyes could see, only the heavens could tell - alas, into the abyss she fell. Her skin burned and the unknown crawled in her skin, the water and air soon becoming an inexistent concern; the darkness embraced and crushed the hero. Despite her attempts at resisting the infinite voices calling out for her, uttering that cursed word non-stop, it was all in vain.

Before the despair, before the otherworld and the unknown, before its HUNGER, her strength, her courage and justice meant nothing.

…
…
…

Yet, when the darkness was too strong, and she was way lost into the deep. When her body was no more and only the soul was left in all it’s defenselessness, when her being was nearly consumed by the black, a flame lighted within.

Help me…

Even in one of the most dire circumstances, someone needed a hero. That was enough to not let go of herself, to push on. She would simply come back...

Beyond the black, beyond the blue;

Deep in abyss therein lies what is true;

The Heart of Gaia awaits for you.

DUNGEON UNLOCKED

@Seigi has died and can't be revived in this event.

Zero · Feb 18, 2018

OOC

Everyone can post twice this cycle. If you have two characters, you may post once with each.

Minimum of 100 words and maximum of 600 words.

Everyone heals 50 HP and 50 EN.

Feel free to interact with other players and catch up your breath. You may also tag me to interact with NPCs or explore the scenario. There will be no rolls or meta involved.

I wrote down the names of everyone that mentioned cheese and made cheese puns.
Code:
[bg]
[health]000[/health] [energy]000[/energy]

+50 HP and EN recovery
[/bg]
POST HERE
Event Hub | Roll Thread | Story Tracker | Status Tracker | Communication

Rat · Feb 19, 2018

125/125 HP

134/164 EN

+50 HP and EN recovery

Temperance seated herself on some rubble, of which there was no shortage, and cast her eyes about at the crowd assembled. Caccu seemed to be doing a good job of faking confidence, which was good since a lot of people seemed to be freaked right the fuck out. As for Temperance? Well... it was all only a game to her. And she hated to lose games. She wasn't scared, she was angry. Angry that some magical bullshit had almost caused her first character death. She had made it THIS FAR without taking more than passing damage from AOE's and the like. No way was she going to be done in by a "Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies" moment!

"SO!" she shouted from her perch atop a shattered statue, unplugging the stopper on her wineskin and downing some of its sweet nectar for a moment.
"...That just happened."
From her high vantage point, she could see both men and women, who for some reason were segregated from one another. What was this, high school gym class?
"I guess like Meow-issus Super Troopers said, get your healing while the healing's good. I'll be assisting with the spell support from here on out, offering complimentary white magic and moist towelettes during all engagements. If you start getting seriously fucked, don't send me a message... ain't got time to read 'em when the going gets tough. Just shout 'Fuck me, daddy!' and I'll send some healing your way. If you don't, it's only your pride that'll get you kiiii-iiiiiiiilled..."

There. That oughta help... Now, anybody who was scared at the situation would be too distracted with being either angry or amused... perhaps just outright annoyed... at her, to focus on the gloom of the situation. She smiled at the angry faces in the crowd, then spotted a dear old friend... Nalla! The pyro chick!

"Hey, hot stuff!" she called, hoping Nalla would respond to the pet name. "Why don't you use that sexy pyromancy of yours to heat up the water and make that pool a relaxing hot-spring for people? I'm sure if it melts the ice wall, it'll be no harm done... there'll be more than enough steam to hide people's unmentionables. And if there's not, we just won't mention them! Except to compare sizes, and the like."

Alphabet Chocolate · Feb 19, 2018

124 HP

186 EN

+50 HP and EN recovery

"Seigi!" Alpha screamed as the girl vanished; gone along with her bravery and spontaneity. The girl was a close friend to Alpha; they were two of a kind, after all. Or so Alpha would like to think. The girl seemed to be on her wavelength and Alpha enjoyed the girl's presence immensely. She was fun, bright, and gleeful in ways that even Alpha couldn't match at times and seeing that kindred soul die was something of a wake-up call to Alpha. Shoving Hector to the side, much to the wolf's dismay as he glared at her direction, Alpha stared at the place where Seigi once stood. Her friend, gone. There was not a corpse in vicinity to revive and, for a period of silence, Alpha just stayed still. As if she was waiting for some miracle; that Seigi would miraculously appear with a plume of smoke as she launched a rocket up towards the air and jumped back into the party with the rest of them.

Seigi, who was the bravest of them all. Seigi, who inspired others to her level of generosity and good will. Seigi, who was courageous and just. Even now, in the face of Seigi's death, Alpha was too terrified to look back into the darkness—because if you stare too long into the abyss, the abyss would stare back at you. Because she was scared she'd end up like Seigi.

A sense of shame and revulsion filled her. She couldn't even fight or look or even yell at the thing that had took her away; all because she was not, and never would be, as strong as Seigi had been.

She didn't hear a single thing Caccu said as so many possibilities raced in her mind. What if she disappeared forever? Like Ursa and Terry and—and...she didn't let herself think of it anymore.

She shoved that fear that itched along her chest away and looking at the cat-eared girl (@Zero), she muttered a single question: "Where is she?"

Tears raced down her face, her cheeks a splotchy red. A string of snot was threatening to slide down her nose. Alphabet Chocolate's face was a disgraceful, unsightly appearance by any standard. She reached forward, grabbing the back of @Roland Rutledge's shirt, and hung on tight. Her knuckles were white, as if she feared that, if she let go, Roland would disappear into that hungry abyss as well. And then where would she be? Cain's okay, she reassured herself.

Hector licked his paw, uncaring.

"W-What was that...thing?! Where did it take Seigi?! It's not supposed to be like this!" she breathed heavily, eyes in a panic. It was never supposed to be like this. Terry and Naixi and Ursa and the rest...where did they go? What was the point of her powers—her ability to revive people—if it never actually worked? She clenched the Mist Wolf Fragment in her pocket with her other hand, its warmth soothing her.

She took another breath. Her rose glowed, red as the day it was plucked from the flower garden. And suddenly, she didn't feel afraid anymore. She wasn't worried about some monsters lurking under her bed. She wasn't frightened by Seigi's disappearance. No, she felt...at peace, somewhat.

She grinned. "Actually!" Alpha interjected, her usual grin back in place as she danced around, twirling in place. She released her grip on Roland's shirt as she pulled the man in for a tight hug. "Rudolf! Haha, it's okay. We'll avenge Seigi's death together! Fight the monsters, the bad guys, whatever!"

She looked over at Caccu.

"What next? I'm so hype!"

Haru · Feb 19, 2018

100 HP

090 EN

+50 HP and EN recovery

Haru had immediately taken to the bath, deciding that he had taken enough time and effort as is. Regardless of the temperature he found himself settling into, he found it comfortable enough. It was comforting, to say the least. He didn't quite understand what that liquid in the room of trial was, but he refused to acknowledge it as water. Not with what was in it. This pool here was a far better example. Here he could be calm.

Chuckling to Temperance's rather appreciated effort to keep the people's spirit up, Haru decides to take a quick rest while he was in here. Caccu had told him herself- this place was a safe haven. He could rest. Right?

He felt stained. By taking in the mist, his entire person felt unclean as a result, and it felt that it was something he couldn't wash away no matter how long he soaked in this water. He felt tired, too. How much had he been exerting himself on this expedition? Now that he thought back on it, he was tired emotionally, as well. He just didn't understand the people he came to fight with. He simply had no-one to confide in as the horrors of this place were revealed one after another, and that feeling of solitude weighs as heavy as the crowns had even at this very moment.

And he would never forget the sound of people's bodies being torn asunder as they were. It appears to him that others were shaken by it as well. Surely, then, he was justified for feeling this way. All of his signs pointed to a sudden, urging, necessary need to rest. And this time, he wouldn't make the mistake of ignoring his own needs. In the water, Haru falls asleep, lying serine.

Quinn · Feb 19, 2018

148 HP

128 EN

+50 HP and EN recovery

Someone who obviously did not look like Quinn was among the first to strip off their dirty garment, revealing his lean physique, which was the perfect canvas for his herculean abs and Adonis belt. Considering his Japanese root, the man took off his underwear as well, but only after he wrapped a short towel around his waist. As much as he would like to enter the water in his birthday suit, it wasn’t HBO. Before he dipped his toes in the water, the youth grabbed onto one end of his mustache and peeled the thick layer of hair off his face. Next, he took off his brown wig, revealing the teal-colored hair many people were familiar with.

Witnessing the entire transformation was another player who was standing next to Quinn. After picking his jaw up from the ground, he spoke in a genuine surprise, “wait, didn’t you say in #reclamation-of-pride that you were 85% of the way here?”

Quinn immediately retorted, “what are you talking about dude? I’ve been here the entire time. And you need to stop, it's getting too meta for this post.”

After admonishing the man, Quinn slipped into the steamy water and leaned back against the indent, he sure had worked hard all this time and the hotspring break was the perfect way to relieve some stress. Not waiting to get his mustache dirty, Quinn turned to the guy sleeping next to him @Haru and stuck it onto his forehead, which was the perfect placeholder for the moment.

When more dudes enter the water, Quinn sat up and gestured a few over. “Comrades, listen, we have made it this far, so it is time for us guys to stoke the fire in our hearts and go the extra mile. You guys know what that means? We are now on a mission to peep on the girls, it will be an arduous and risky journey, but many men have died for less. Do we want to be like these men and die for less? NEIN!

So, to do this, we must work together as one, we must combine our skills and become one with the environment, we must transcend the girls’ natural and instinctive detection, it is only then will we arrive at the holy land. SO, who’s with me?!”

@All dudes

Destiny Divebird · Feb 19, 2018

100/100 HP

100/100 EN

Recovery +50HP +50EN

Hell, a bath did sound nice. Too bad Destiny was still busy trying to wrangle an animal that still seemed very determined to go back and throw itself to its death after its departed master. Looking around at the beaten, bruised Lions with dark shadows on their faces and wide, staring eyes, Des had a feeling the fox might not be alone. They’d lost both players and NPC’s back there. Well, half of that number weren’t gone for good, at least—they’d be spawning back to Terrasphere sooner or later. Some people would probably be getting a message any minute now assuring them that their friends were okay, just waiting (a little mentally worse for wear) back up on the surface.

“Will you quit it?” she demanded of the gray fox, who she’d cocooned in her scarf to stop it from struggling. For something no bigger than a tabby cat, it was sure a slippery bastard. More like a weasel than a wolf. “Your buddy’s gonna be fine, he’ll respawn somewhere a hell of a lot better than here. We'll get you back to him.” No telling what he’d have seen and experienced along the way, but that was something a smart gal tried not to think too hard about.

Leaving the frustrated beast under secure wraps in her pile of clothes, Destiny slid bare into the spring with a sigh of relief, immediately at ease. Her exhaustion as well as the pain from her bruises was already fading. Why don’t we have healing springs in real life? She cracked an eye open at the shouting person high up on the statue. “Good to know,” she muttered. Honestly, the idea of the battered group of adventurers shouting ‘fuck me, daddy’ at one another in the middle of a serious altercation with the Black Wolf bandit king was just the element of humor she needed to finish scrubbing the whole Käse experience from her mind.

Looking around at the others in the bath (at least on her side) the losses they’d taken were painfully obvious. “Caccu took a couple people scouting with her, right...?” While her pose seemed relaxed, Destiny’s fingers tensed, leaving white splotches against her skin. Last thing we need’s to lose another leader to some trap down here when we’re all stuck defenseless. The Felis had done her job so far, wasn’t worth risking her on a solo scout mission.

Spotting a couple of her ol’ wagon-number-two-mates-- and notably not spotting a couple more, even worse-- Des sunk a little deeper into the water, silent for a time, getting her thoughts together. “Y’all are gonna be all right,” she said, clearly and suddenly, eyes closed. “None of us came this far just to go down now. Somethin’ like this… mm. It’s always worth doin’.” And there it was—despite getting roped into the whole ordeal, with its challenges and its horrors, in the end she was glad she’d kept running after that frozen wagon after all. Sure wouldn’t stop her from mashing that logout button next time an ancient evil showed up, but hell, that was just being practical.

Valdrada · Feb 19, 2018

131 HP

90 EN

+50 HP and EN recovery

In the movies, moments like these happened in slow motion. Here, though, there wasn't anything like that. It was fast, it was sudden, and it wasn't fair. "Seigi!" Valdrada shouted, scrambling to her feet after an impact to the bridge knocked her to the ground.

It was too late, though. She couldn't have done anything, she was too far away from where Seigi was standing even if she ran to the other girl at a full sprint. And what could she have done? Try and hold on to Seigi as she plummeted off the side? Join her in the water below with the- the thing?

Val wasn't sure how she made it into the next chamber. Someone probably jostled her through the doorway, or something like that; she definitely didn't remember walking through it under her own power. In fact, she wasn't really sure what was going on until it looked like a lot of people around her started dispersing, spreading out across the chamber they found themselves in.

Blinking, Valdrada looked up and tried to focus. Focus. That's what she had to do. Seigi would want her to do that, right? Be a hero, keep going and keep trying hard.

So, okay. She'd- she'd... take a bit of a break first. Her arms were still shaky from trying to haul those crowns around too much, and it might've been her imagination but her face still felt itchy and tingly from when the stinging gas was still in the air. Washing that off would be nice, probably.

Though Caccu had said that the water was safe, Valdrada still eyed it dubiously. She wasn't exactly trusting of any springs that would be found in this place. But she did feel grimy and tired, and some people had already moved in before her and they didn't seem to be going insane. So, hopefully it was safe. Even if it wasn't, Val was too tired to care. Piling her armor up to the side, Val slipped into the girl's side of the pool.

There weren't that many people inside yet. But, there were a few familiar faces, which was always nice.

"...Yeah," Val said, recognizing @Destiny Divebird from the wagon trip. "I guess you're right." The tall woman had a fox with her, which was new. Val definitely didn't remember any animals with them on that wagon, aside from the giant wolf. Huh. That road trip seemed like so long ago now. If only her biggest concern right now was still how to stay warm.

"Is that fox yours?" she asked, trying to take her mind off of the events that had just happened.

Kijin Shihaku · Feb 19, 2018

138/138 HP
118/118 EN

+50 HP and EN recovery

The incessant, otherworldly chanting tugged at the back of his mind like some guttural, Lovecraftian disharmony. It reminded him of the small group of tabletop players he spent much of his young life rolling dice alongside, and of their dark humor. Kijin himself was more reserved, more quiet, but their view of the world held nearly as much merit in his mind as his own.

Some people were born to be successful in the world, and some people were born with the gift to live in others. Arguably, there were those who could coexist amicably between reality and fantasy, but why those people would ever seek solace inside a second life like Terrasphere- the very thought was absurd.

Behind them, death claimed one and came close to another, and people he could have protected had the ringing not drawn away his attention suddenly bore down on him like a great weight. "Damn it," he huffed.

Shihaku had only one job, beyond being a mercenary. His job was to stand between people and death. In this world, he could face that portion of reality without fear. It was his enemy, and he was a champion gifted with the ability to escape it's clutches again and again.

Not so, in the other world.

The creeping fear that remained seeped forward from the recesses of his mind as he thought of the player who fell, and the swordsman sank to his knees. With both hands clutched at his head, he tasted his fear.

"Damn it," he repeated. This time, his harsh red eyes searched the dank, dungeon floor for respite.

It's not the same world. Death isn't forever.

It's not like Dad all over again...