The Inverted Spire

The Inverted Spire
Discussion in 'DM Challenges' started by Ashifili, Mar 5, 2018.
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  1. Ashifili

    Ashifili

    Staff Member Game Master
    [​IMG]
    The Inverted Spire

    The silence was deafening.

    They have all heard rumors of the place, but this hole in the ground was still a sight to behold up close. The blazing sun, shining warmly above, failed to penetrate the depths of the cave’s inky darkness, while the sheer lack of sound anywhere in the vicinity pushed past tranquility and solemnity into pure eeriness. An iron spike, the anchor for a thick rope, laid nearby, indicative of how the first part of their journey would be a vertical drop into the unknown.

    It was enough to give even the most stalwart amongst them pause.

    But if they were unable to fight past the fear of the unknown, none of them would have been standing here to begin with. Within those fathomless depths, there were untold treasures and relics, artifacts wholly unique to the world of Terrasphere. And there may be unknown monsters as well! To test their might against beings they have never witnessed before, to surpass the limitations of flesh and bone and sunder the darkness with the brilliance of their spirit! If this vast unknown inspired a paralyzing fear, it proved that they were better off as mere sheep, burning away the days in a small town with no desire to ever leave comforting familiarity. But if this vast unknown inspired excitement?

    The silence was inviting.

    Inviting them to shatter it with the beating of their hearts.

    Shouldering heavy burdens and steeling themselves for the tribulations ahead, the first of the adventurers climbed down, their forms swallowed up by corporeal blackness.
    OOC
    @Bradwynne @Temperance @Destiny Divebird @Portia Ahrens @Iván Carl
    • Minimum of 100 words and maximum of 500 words. Posts with less or more will be ignored.
    • 1 post per character per cycle, with DM posts resetting the cycle at 4PM PST, daily.
    • All dice must be rolled in this thread.
    • If you want to do some extra communication between party members, do so here.
    • This is the first step of your journey. Enjoy the last bit of sunshine you'll have, before you plunge fully into the abyssal depths.
    • Don't be too edgy though~
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  2. Ashifili

    Ashifili

    Staff Member Game Master
    The Adventurer's Handbook
    In Dungeon Crawling, there are three main values that one must consider:
    • Supply - The total amount of supplies the party was able to bring to the adventure. Taking actions consumes Supply, and once this value reaches zero, the party must retreat from the dungeon.
    • Health - The health points of each individual within the party. Being injured in combat or through events decreases this, while the Recovery action increases this. Once this value reaches zero, the individual is dead.
    • Progress - The value that you must reach in order to complete the adventure. Taking the Progress action increases this value, while detrimental special events will decrease this value. For the Inverted Spire, the value that must be met is 2000.
    Careful management of these three values will be instrumental to a fun and safe dungeon run.
    1. The Cycle begins, providing the results of the actions taken in the preceding Cycle.
    2. Special events, such as monster encounters or diverging paths, are revealed and explained.
    3. The group must come up to a consensus on what they would like to do in regards to the events.
    4. Individual actions are taken, Supply is consumed, dice are rolled.
    5. The next Cycle begins anew.
    Each cycle, one can choose to perform a maximum of four actions, as well as any special actions that may be :
    • Progressing, where they continue to travel down the dungeon.
    • Scouting, where they deduce what lies ahead.
    • Stealthing, where they camoflague themselves to avoid detection.
    • Recovery, where they soothe the wounds and afflictions of either themselves, or another.
    However, as there are limitations in both time and focus, adventurers must prioritize what they put their attention on based off a total value out of 100, with the action that has the highest value assigned being the one that receives modifier bonuses. If two actions have the same value, it will be up to the player to decide where the modifier bonus goes. To gauge the effectiveness of your actions, you can either:
    • Consume 20 Supply and roll a d100.
    • Consume 50 Supply and roll 2d100.
    From there, I will alert you of the effects of your actions.
    Naturally, conflict is all but impossible to avoid within a dungeon. In the case where an altercation is at hand, there are four actions that each individual party member may take:
    • Attack - Roll a d100 to inflict damage upon your foe.
    • Reckless - Roll a 2d100 to inflict damage upon your foe. Double Supply cost.
    • Protect - Shield an ally from damage.
    • Support - Roll a d20 to heal a single person, or to buff three other members of your party.
    Taking a combat action consumes 15 Supply, but if the monsters are slain, the party receives extra loot at the end of the adventure. If not all members of the party have posted in the cycle when the monsters have been vaniquished, they may continue on with their regularly scheduled dungeon run afterwards. However, be warned: those who attack monsters will receive HP damage in turn, something that can be mitigated only by the Protect action.

    Thus, in situations where the party decides to avoid combat instead, there are two actions they can take:
    • Rapid Retreat - Receive a certain amount of unhealable damage, and escape the monsters by sprinting away.
    • Stealthy Retreat - Roll a d100, modified by Stealth. If successful, receive no damage during your escape. If unsuccessful, receive double damage during your escape.
    Retreating does not cost Supply, unless otherwise specified. After retreating, adventurers may continue on with their regularly scheduled dungeon run.
    Total Supplies: 179 + 124 + 114 + 113 + 125 = 655

    Modifiers
    Temperance
    • Progress: +15
    • Scout: +0
    • Stealth: +35
    • Recovery: +18/+25
    • Attack: +0

    Bradwynne
    • Progress: +15
    • Scout: +0
    • Stealth: +0
    • Recovery: +12/+16
    • Attack: +23

    Ivan
    • Progress: +0
    • Scout: +0
    • Stealth: +20
    • Recovery: +10
    • Attack: +13

    Portia
    • Progress: +5
    • Scout: +0
    • Stealth: +5
    • Recovery: +0
    • Attack: +15

    Destiny
    • Progress: +0
    • Scout: +10
    • Stealth: +10
    • Recovery: +0
    • Attack: +30

     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2018

    • 118 / 118 HP


    “Aw, this ol’ pit? This ol’ stinky pit? It don’t seem too scary, pup—c’mon—almost—” Destiny hauled on the borrowed hound’s leash and let go with a curse, snatching her hands back as the rope yanked taut against her skin. The animal bolted, baying deeply, his leash slithering behind him like a serpent tail into the rustling brush. He was gone before she had the chance to say there. The lean, black-haired woman blew on her hands, wincing and flexing her fingers. “Damn dog. Well, they did warn me. Worth a shot. ‘Least he got me here.”

    She looked up, squinting against the bright sunlight, and let her gaze travel around the rest of the people assembled. “Y’all must be them, I’m guessin’. Destiny,” she introduced herself, glancing around the others. She’d run into a couple of ‘em before, but this’d be their first solo adventure. Can’t think who’d turn down a chance to explore a new part of Brisshal. Places like this… well, nobody’d ever been there, had they? New X on the map. Somewhere weird, somewhere wild, somewhere even a bunch of rangers didn’t dare dip their toes into. Practically a dream come true for Des, ‘specially with a white mage or two hangin’ around to fix her up again if things went squirrely.

    “Wellp. Everybody ready? Get set?” Des thumbed towards the entrance. You know you’ve been a tour guide too long when that line comes that naturally. She turned towards the pit and the word “go” slowed in her mouth. Ahack.” It became a cough instead as she felt the first breath of cool air from the yawning cavern below. There was a smell there, or maybe just a feeling, that made the hairs on the back of her neck tingle and her nostrils flare; some sense of dread that—if she’d been an animal—she thought might have meant run.

    She took in a breath through her teeth, heels rooted at the edge of the chasm, arms rigid at her sides as the feeling swept through her. Then she seemed to shake it off, securing her supply pack and bending down to grasp the spike to swing herself down. “Hm-hm. Arright, I’ll go first. Make sure the rope works. Whose is this, anyway…” Her voice was fading as she descended, boots barely finding traction against the slick walls.

    Halfway down, Destiny found a good foothold and stopped to light up a torch one-handed, trying to cast some light and see how far it was down to the bottom. Huh. A trickle of sweat wound its way down her brow as the darkness closed in around her. Swallowing, she tapped her temple to turn on Investigation Mode, hoping her enhanced Hunter abilities might shed some more light (heh) on what lay ahead. One thing was for sure—no footprints. We really are trailblazin'…

    Scouting (70) Progressing (30)
    48
    Roll / Tracker
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2018
  3. Rat

    Rat


    • 125 / 125 HP



    Excellent, they had arrived... at a hole in the ground. What an adventure this was turning out to beeeeee. Yaaaaaay.
    Temperance watched from the sidelines as everyone gathered and prepared to adventure below. One of them, a familiar looking figure by the name of... purple scarf girl... began to descend into the darkness and prepared to scout ahead of everyone. That was all well and good, but... that was also super boring and not what Temperance wanted to do.

    It wasn't TECHNICALLY breaking rules, seeing as they hadn't agreed on a plan as a group and they didn't vote a party leader. As soon as Destiny had gotten down the rope, Temperance began to follow behind, sliding down it with deft swiftness and landing on her heels at the bottom. Before them was darkness... and then there was light, as Temperance began to sprint down the tunnel before them, conjuring a radiant glow from her magical tool using her White Magic.

    She kept an eye out for anything of interest as she went, but focused on covering ground and getting the show on the road. They only had so much time and energy... no sense wasting it.
    "Sign says 50 but we're doing 80, people! Interstate highway bitches!" she shouted over her shoulder at her allies, encouraging them to run after her.

    Scouting (50) Progressing (50)
    ↑ Mod goes to Progress ↑
    79
    Roll / Tracker
     

    • 121 / 121 HP



    "So this is the place. Looks like every other creature is scared of this hole. I really hope that there is something we could acquire here. Maybe something magical, if we consider those creatures running away from here." Bradwynne said those words in an excited manner as he scanned his surroundings. He had been near this hole for a good while now, as someone told him along with some other companions to explore the hole. He had prepared some supplies for an eventual spelunking adventure, and he prepared himself on what should he expect from a hole on the ground. He had also sharpened his katana, since he could encounter some sort of mutated creature within the hole, something stronger than what he had encountered before in Brisshal. As everything was ready, all that was left for him was to explore the hole. This should be a new experience for him.

    As he was informed that one would go first to know what lied ahead, he had let that person, who was a woman clothed in purple garments, move towards the hole and start to scout the area. As he had been notified that she would respond with a holler once she knew it should be safe to go down, he had waited. But as another player moved towards the hole to go down, he started to worry about the first person. Fortunately she responded, and now, knowing it was safe to go down, Bradwynne prepared himself to go down next. But as he saw the situation that two people are using that single rope, he then thought that if would use the same rope, it would rupture. More so since he was quite tall and heavy. And so he materialized a very long rope from his inventory, and then secured it to a nearby tree firmly. And then he started to descend down the hole, one hand on the rope, the other holding the rosary, which generated a cross-like light illuminating his area. As he descended quite quickly, he held the rosary towards anything within his view. Maybe there were something important around the area that he could take as a souvenir.

    Progressing (70), Scouting (30)
    34
    Roll / Tracker
     

    • 118 / 118 HP



    Iván let everyone go before him, having decided to go last. In his mind, they needed people who would be faster, stronger, to react to lead the way. @Destiny Divebird seemed like the perfect bait. Whatever’s down there, she could probably handle. Or at least she could hold them off long enough for the others to make a plan. Iván considered himself more suited to planning than close combat.

    When Iván received a missive from the so-called Rangers of the Emerald Dawn, self-proclaimed Protectors of Brisshal’s Sanctity, he raised an eyebrow. Why would they, of all people, seek adventurers to explore a cave within their own forest? They were rangers. Surely that glory is what they sought in this life. Why would they let others take that glory from them? Why would they let others do their jobs for them?

    That little bump in their logic made their promise of the pit being safe of wild beasts extra dubious. It seemed to Iván that there was a reason why the Emerald Dawn Rangers would let outsiders explore the cave before they could, the reason being something in that cave they did not want to come across. Whatever it was, it could very well be the end of them. All of them. All of those who would answer this call.

    Then again, Iván remembered that it was just a game and that glory and gold would be worth his virtual death. Besides, that cave, unexplored and untouched by anyone else, could contain more than just glory and gold. Iván could do nothing else but accept the call himself.

    And so he traveled here, to this overhyped hole. He was the first to arrive. He almost thought he was in the wrong place, if not for the timely arrival of @Haru. Of course, when Iván first sensed him, he did not know Haru. He thought it was someone else, something else. Iván decided to use illusion magic to hide himself temporarily but he didn’t need to for long. Haru’s voice was all too familiar to Iván. One by one, the others arrived, including @Portia Ahrens, Iván’s oldest friend in the game.

    One by one, the others went down the hole, leaving Iván with Portia. Initially, Iván gestured for Portia to go before him. Then he remembered the last time they were alone together: She punched him in the face. Swallowing air, Iván decided to go before Portia, walking past her without a word.

    Progressing (70), Stealthing (30)
    8
    Roll / Tracker
     

    • 116 / 116 HP



    Her companions seemed... Well, Portia wasn't sure how to put it into words. After all, everyone, except one of them, were strangers to the girl and each possessed unique characteristics to them. Destiny seemed the one who would remain level-headed during their whole endeavor, Temperance... That was their name according to the game's UI, right? Well, they seemed interested in doing everything as long as it went against normal expectations, and then Bradwynne. He (she?) was alright, too, slightly reminiscent of a child's excitement upon discovering how things around them worked with the way his tone coated his words. ''We've gathered here today because... This thing, whatever it is, seems problematic enough to draw attention from nearby villagers and creatures themselves.''

    ''And of course, the Rangers would choose to leave it to us.'' Her speech continued as she waited for everyone to take their turns at the rope, folding her arms over her chest as she heard each and every single one of them, giving voice to her thoughts in response. Given how the affairs with the Bandit King had gone, and all the poor social interaction from the tunnel, she couldn't be blamed if she chose not to turn her back on any of these fellow adventurers. Purpose be common amongst them or not.

    ''Unless someone has more complaints that they have yet to voice, I suppose we all agree on finding as much treasure as we can and simply stuffing our pockets with it, no?'' By the time she had finished talking, only Iván remained to go down the rope, and truth be told, she wasn't sure everyone had heard what she said earlier, not with the distance and everything separating them from the surface. She silently thanked him for his consideration as he descended into the dark pit, clenching her hands into fists should it prove to be yet another ruse meant to deceive her. He did work with illusion magic, after all.

    She was the last to reach the darkness that awaited them upon their entrance to the tunnel, only to witness how each member of the party ran away in different directions, much to her own disliking. She brought a hand to her face, rubbing her temples before she brought a small globe of light to life with a flourish of her hand with help of her magic. ''Just shout if you are about to get killed. Can't promise we'll get there in time, but we can try,'' she announced, as she moved a few steps past the entrance point and began to investigate her surroundings in hopes of leaning some sense into them.

    Progressing (70) Scouting (30)
    75
    Roll / Tracker
     
  4. Ashifili

    Ashifili

    Staff Member Game Master
    [​IMG]
    The Inverted Spire

    Lights, magical and natural, lit up the blackness, but even then, illumination was restrained. The shadows themselves seemed to eat at warmth and light, temperatures dropping several degrees as the adventurers fully suffused themselves into the darkness. With the weight of so many clinging on, the thick rope swayed, but thankfully remained steady throughout their silent descent. Whatever the Rangers had used, the material certainly was strong.

    The night could not last forever, though, and after a half hour of getting rope burn and straining their muscles, Destiny Divebird could spot something glowing down below. A brilliance of aquamarine, a natural bastion for the players, where they could plan their next course of action. The descent began to have more purpose as a tangible goal manifested in front of their eyes, and the pace picked up. Hand over hand, foot over foot, as the rope swayed more and more.

    Then, it shook.

    Spurred on by the vice of impatience, Temperance decided to toss caution into the air, leaping down with full intention on trusting in the might of her immortal body. The silhouette of a maniac healer zoomed past Destiny, her form becoming smaller and smaller until…

    SPLASH.

    The aquamarine brilliance exploded, glowing droplets of water showering in every which direction. As the rest of the party convened with their almost certainly psychotic healdad, it became increasingly clear that they were going to have to go for a dip. The bottom of this stratum was a small, stone ledge and an aquamarine watering hole, glowing with its own ethereal light, and when Portia plunged her head in, she could see, very clearly, that the ‘bottom’ of this subterranean pool was a bright, vivid green, swaying like a heat mirage.

    But there too, were dangers within the waters. A vicious undertow, teeming with coral debris, traversed the area. Diving in there would accelerate their progress through the lake, but they would no doubt be bludgeoned by the other ‘passengers’ of that swift path. They could, of course, dive straight down and hope for the best, but deadly shadows flitted around within the calmer waters, seeking slower prey, skeletal carcasses floating by.

    If there were carcasses, however, perhaps these beings were physical constructs, flesh that could sustain the adventurers as effectively as it does the denizens of the pool? Smaller schools of ‘fish’ could be spotted, and though it may be a detour, replenishing their supplies would be beneficial in the long run. As Brad, Portia, Temperance, and Destiny pointed out these facts and began discussing, Ivan did his best to be a cool, badass loner, planting himself against the wall and keeping quiet.

    No, he wasn’t trying to be stealthy, no, not at all! Who on earth would think he was trying to be that? He was obviously just too cool to participate immediately in the conversation at hand.



    A soft mewling broke out while the adventurers planned their next course of action, guiding their eyes to a small creature huddled in the corner. Soft, white quills covered its entire body, while four stubby limbs would have supported its chubby form if not for one of them being twisted in an odd way. It was, perhaps, only the size of a rabbit, plump and rotund, but clearly weak.

    Perhaps, it tasted like one as well?

    The small animal continued to mew pitifully, but pity had no place in these depths.

    OOC
    @Bradwynne @Temperance @Destiny Divebird @Portia Ahrens @Iván Carl
    • Minimum of 100 words and maximum of 500 words. Posts with less or more will be ignored.
    • 1 post per character per cycle, with DM posts resetting the cycle at 4PM PST, daily.
    • All dice must be rolled in this thread.
    • If you want to do some extra communication between party members, do so here.
    • Water is wet.
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  5. Ashifili

    Ashifili

    Staff Member Game Master
    Cycle 1: Aquamarine

    Total Progress: 169/2000
    Total Supply: 555/655
    Total Scouting: 116
    Ivan's Stealth: 3

    The path before you requires all to dive underwater, holding onto your breaths as you swim lower and lower to the verdant mirage below. Due to the rigors of swimming with heavy gear on, those wearing Medium or Heavy armor will receive penalties while Progressing in this stage. Due to Scouting, there are a total of three different paths the party can choose to pursue:
    • Slipstream: Progress modifiers are increased by 10. The entire party takes 20 damage, and the individual with the lowest Progress roll will be afflicted with a negative status effect.
    • Descent: At the end of this cycle, there will be a guaranteed Monster Encounter.
    • Hunt: Progress can not be assigned a value higher than 60. Adventurers may prioritize Attack as well in their roll, in order to recover Supply.
    Additionally, as this is an underwater excursion, if less than 200 Progress total is made in the next two Cycles, the party drowns to death, resulting in a TPK.

    ~~~​

    You have encountered a small, injured creature in your travels. It clearly does not belong here, and it lacks the strength to travel on its own, even after you heal it. As morally ambiguous adventurers, you have three options:
    • Rescue: Bring the injured creature with you. Perhaps you'll find others like it on your travels. Every Cycle, 10 Extra Supply is consumed. Furthermore, the individual tasked with carrying the creature will receive a -5 penalty on all Progress rolls.
    • Devour: The flesh is succulent, and you've all eaten your fair share of meat before. This will not be any different. Convert this injured creature into 20 Supply.
    • Ignore: Between detrimental selflessness and cruel selfishness, you can't decide. Do nothing.
     
  6. Rat

    Rat

    • 125 / 125 HP


    Well, this certainly was the pits. HAHAHAHA. HA. Fuck. She hadn't been warned that there'd be deep water at the end of the deep hole, and with a graceless splash she fell into the mire and began to look around. Her skin wasn't screaming so it wasn't acidic water... that was a plus. Her eyes didn't sting, so it wasn't salt, at least not that she could tell yet. It was just... dumb, bad, stupid, deep, murky mired moisture. Lots of it. Full of fish. Or... something.

    She tread water a moment, glancing at the rope as the rest of the party began to join her at the bottom of the world. Opening he UI, she removed all of her clothing, so that the silks wouldn't become waterlogged and weigh her down. Now she would be able to swim more effectively, and could just redress once they were back on land. Whenever that was going to be. For now, she focused on the area. A strange creature was nearby, and people seemed to be deciding what to do with it. But it was just a distraction... an obstacle to be stepped past on their way through this adventure. Hopefully they decided what to do with it, soon. She didn't care to weigh in. Instead she focused on the haze below the water, preparing to swim down towards it to fight the whatevers that lurked in the depths. But... it seemed as though people were more interested in taking the slipstream, and hunting smaller prey. Grumbling internally, she forced herself to swim after the others, careful to move silently in the depths to avoid drawing the attention of anything they might be hunting. She would just bide her time for now, surviving, until the thrills came. And hey... if they took the slipstream and everyone happened to get knocked around? She could just heal herself, and if someone broke their neck, there'd be one less drain on supplies.

    Hmmmm...

    Progressing (40) Stealth (60)
    ↑ +35 mod, stealth↑
    39
    Roll / Tracker
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 5, 2018

    • 118 / 118 HP



    “I can’t see anything,” Iván muttered to himself as he steadily went down the cave with help from the thick rope the Rangers had given them.

    It was bad enough that none of them had any idea what waited for them below, but having no idea what was right in front of them then and there spelled trouble. The urge to go back was strong in him but it was too late. He was caught between @Portia Ahrens above him and Haru below him. Iván turned to look up and saw nothing but the shadowy silhouette of Portia. He gritted his teeth, annoyed that he had let fear make his choices for him.

    “Wait, I’m wearing dark-tinted goggles,” Iván could almost slap himself silly, if not for the fact that his hands were busy making sure he wasn’t falling down the hole. He should’ve have just taken off his goggles before they descended but it was too late for that now. It’s not like he would’ve done it anyway. These people can’t find out what he really looks like. It would be too much of an ace up their sleeves should he get betrayed again.

    That was when he heard the splash. “What?!” Iván was more curious than confused. So there was water down there, down below them. “Hey, Haru! Heads up,” he called out to his old friend as he took his place on the small, stone ledge that served as their last stand before the ethereal watering hole. Portia was the first to dare to observe and the others began to follow. That left Iván to ponder on his own, preferring quiet for his brilliant mind to work. “Water is wet... Or is it?”

    Ignoring the small animal that appeared from out of nowhere, as he knew full well someone else, probably Haru, would deal with it, he realized that his clothes might not be suited for swimming, which was what they would be forced to do, if he guessed correctly. It’s not like they had other options anyway. Wait, is it too late to turn back? Probably. Iván sighed as he began taking off his clothes, leaving his dark-tinted goggles, his face mask, and a bodysuit on.

    “What?” he said dryly as he realized some of the others were staring at him. “I always wear a bodysuit under all my clothes.”

    He didn’t wait for them to respond, instead choosing to dive gracefully into the water. He could use his illusion magic to lure the fishes in and then bludgeon them unconscious with his hammer. That or use his many, many gadgets. Okay, so maybe not his gadgets. This place was closed up and he didn't want to just murder them all in one sitting. Maybe he should've brought some useful fishing stuff from Emerath. Maybe he should take off his goggles. Maybe he should just go back and leave. Eh. He'd rather die than regret things.

    Progressing (60), Attacking (40)
    12
    Roll / Tracker
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2018

    • 118 / 118 HP


    There was sure a lot of squabblin’ among the party for a group of people who’d barely climbed down a rope together, but that was how these things worked. @Temperance shooting off on her own was no big surprise either—there was always one or two in the group that wanted to go solo, break off to explore on their own. Hell, Destiny got that—long as they made their way back in the end. If they got lost, she’d go find ‘em. No sense getting nettled over nothing. Long as they made it to the end without any accidents and everyone had fun, the trip was a win in her book.

    Still, she did a double-take at the woman’s bare ass disappearing beneath the water. The corners of her mouth turned down dubiously. “Hmm!” she remarked. Others began to disrobe as well (though perhaps not to the extent that Temperance had), shedding their extra layers before entering the water.

    Destiny let her boots and scarf disappear into her inventory and sat on the edge of the stone shelf, holding a loaded crossbow in one hand and the creature they’d picked up in the other. “How’d you get all banged up, buddy?” she muttered, drawing on her Medicine vocation to feel the quill-covered animal over for any more damage. She still had her gloves on—no telling what monster blood might do to a person, or what new bacteria she might introduce from her fingers. Her bare toes brushed the water. Wonder what the little guy is—grows into somethin' spiky, I figure. Seemed like it had some meat to it, anyway. If things got rough on their supplies, well… couldn’t promise anything for the hurt critter's safety, but for now it seemed easy enough to bring it along. @Portia Ahrens had a point when she'd mentioned there might be more of 'em around.

    “You’re so prepared! Destiny crowed, pointing at @Iván Carl in sheer delight as the man slid into the aquamarine water ahead of her like a greased black eel. She would never have thought to drag scuba gear into this dungeon and here was a guy who’d actually brought goggles, a wetsuit, and probably some kinda snorkel hidden under all those layers. “I’m comin’ too, hang on, hang on.” She plugged her nose with one hand, handed Sharkie to @Bradwynne (who’d volunteered earlier) and jumped in with a splash.

    Surfacing for a moment to take a deep breath, Destiny kicked her legs and dove towards the shimmering green light below. As sluggish fish swam past—unused to human predators—she released bolt after bolt from her hand crossbow to spear them. She passed by their bodies as they dropped in slow-motion, buoyed up by the water, and selected TAKE FISH MEAT from each kill to add to their party supply total. Caught some seafood- now we just gotta catch that slipstream.

    Progress (50) Attack (50)
    Mod (+30) to Attack
    74
    Roll / Tracker
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2018

    • 121 / 121 HP



    As Bradwynne and the other people were descending into the hole he noticed as they were going deeper, their lights seemed to dim, as if the pit was sucking the light away. As he had noticed it, he presumed that the hole was deeper than they had expected. Maybe this hole was tens, even hundreds of meters deep. But since they were here anyway, he thought that it should be best to continue, and continue he did.

    They continued to descend into the pit when Bradwynne noticed that one light, which corresponded to that feisty woman, was descending pretty quickly. He just shook his head as he saw that. Hopefully she would not bump into a rock or something. And then, suddenly he heard a splash. A splash that corresponded to how deep that presumed body of water was. And as Bradwynne estimated, the water was quite deep. But he did not know about the details of that waterform, and so he continued to descend, until he saw a brillance that should enable him to disengage the light on his rosary.

    So it was an underground lake. A glowing one, to be exact. He did not know why the lake was glowing, but maybe it had something to do with why the creatures around the hole were running away from it. He then concluded that it was a magical phenomenon after all. But it seemed that despite all this, or maybe because of this, an ecosystem managed to survive here. He was seeing many kinds of fish swimming in the lake, although of kinds he had never before seen in this world. He had thought about their fast-dwindling supplies, and then he thought if they would acquire some fish from here, they should regenerate whatever they had lost. As he dipped his booted feet on the water, he found out that it was quite deep, and then he thought that if he would explore the place with all of his clothes on, it would be hard for him to swim. And so, dematerializing all of his clothes except for light-blue shorts that he wore beneath his trousers, he jumped into the lake, holding his katana.

    As he was trying to balance his body into the water, which fortunately was just right on his skin like when he had swam in other lakes within the game, he heard a meowing within a distance. Bradwynne squinted where it was coming from, and he saw that it was coming from a plump white hedgehog-like creature, and it seemed that it was hurt. Moved with compassion, he was about to move towards the little critter when the woman that he had talked with earlier had beaten him to it. Fortunately she also took compassion at the critter and tried to heal it. He had asked to carry it since he was quite strong and was not that much doing anything, and so as she moved towards that person who constantly calls him Haru for some reason, she handed the critter to Bradwynne, who placed it on his left shoulder. Stroking the prickly fur of the critter, Bradwynne said softly, "Hey little guy, nice to meet you, we'll patch you up quickly, all right?" He then swam forward by kicking his feet on the water, but being irritated with that chat that was going on between him and that person who called him Haru for no reason, he had to find something that he could vent o. his anger. And remembering that they had to increase their supplies, maybe he should vent it on some big fish, since he knew that he could only hunt those kinds with his katana. Placing the critter on a dry rock, he then dove deeper into the lake, katana in hand. He would search for a big fish, and when he had found one, he would try to slash it with his katana to get its attention, and then would swim to the surface. With a quick kick on the water, he would soar into the air, and then, finding the fish on the surface, he would swing his katana ferociously towards the target in order for it to be killed. He would do that again and again until his anger subsided.

    Progressing (50), Attacking (50)
    ↑ +23 mod, Attacking ↑
    84
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    Last edited: Mar 5, 2018

    • 116 / 116 HP



    The earlier sound of @Temperance's fall into a surface she hadn't entirely imagined to find at the bottom of the hole certainly caught her attention, fixing her curiosity on the water that surrounded the group upon landing onto the stone ledge separating them from it. She brought a hand up to pinch her nose as she fell to her knees and closed her eyes, shoving her head underwater to spy whatever awaited them should they choose to move forward with the mission, only to find there was no other option to pick from other than to swim.

    Her attention settled on the only companion she recognized from previous adventures, @Iván Carl. Portia was not sure how to react when he insisted on maintaining part of his normal appearance, namely both his goggles and the mask, despite the clear disadvantages presented to him. Should he get water in them, what would happen? It was a foolish idea of him to keep them on, but if he wished it to be so, then she was no one to judge. ''Just... Why?'' She managed to get the question out, gesturing to his face with a swift motion of her hand to let him know what she was referring to. Hadn't she seen his face (or at least part of it) back when the Ant Queen was slaughtered and she woke up after the horrible fall she took? The motives of the man in regards to his own appearance escaped her.

    She sank to her knees once again to watch the waters in which the group swam, taking second glances around the cave in order to take note of everything. Perhaps none of the Rangers knew how to swim properly and had decided to hire adventurers to do their bidding, but if there were alternative routes waiting to be discovered, she didn't want to let the opportunity slide. However, there were none she could find with her scarce source of magical light, earning a displeased exhale of breath from the female.

    @Destiny Divebird was the unfortunate soul to be on the receiving of the silver-haired woman's disapproval, the excitement that momentarily took over her as she jumped into the water splashing in all directions and, most of all, on her still equipped armor. ''You're paying for that,'' she announced with the corners of her mouth tight with silent laughter, allowing a brighter side of her personality to show if only for a brief amount of time.

    Without further hesitation, she brought her palm menu up, giving it a few taps and repeating the process from those who jumped in before her, removing the entirety of her armor and leaving nothing but thin layers of essential clothing in its place. She sucked in a breath as she also removed the bandages wrapped around her hands, diving into the depths of the unknown with full intention to make use of her magical prowess for the first time... ever.

    Progressing (60) Attacking (40)
    92
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  7. Ashifili

    Ashifili

    Staff Member Game Master
    [​IMG]
    The Inverted Spire

    There was blood in the water.

    Aquamarine purity ran thick with the ichor of life, so dark, so red, so raw as the adventurers bashed and slashed and splashed and crushed and pierced and cut. Hunting was such a loose definition, after all. With organized brutality and magic at their disposal, it was more as if they were ‘fighting’ rather than hunting, expelling their anger, wrath, and gluttony as they dove deeper and deeper into the pool. Amidst the savagery, only @Temperance sought to wade quietly, splitting off from the group as they carved a blood trail through the school of fish. Soon, the hunting quartet was swimming in red waters, vespers of entrails trailing by them.

    Bigger prey. That’s what they were now.

    And, within @Destiny Divebird 's embrace, the small creature struggled, instincts flaring off as the attention of the leviathans in the depths began to focus onto them. But they were underwater. They could no longer communicate through ordinary means. And the mewlings of Sharkie simply became bubbles in the aquamarine slaughterhouse, insufficient to serve as warning for the group of adventurers.

    It struck in a flash, currents churning in its wake as it zigzagged through the waters. It had evolved over centuries, a perfect aquatic killing machine, and the speed at which it ambushed them was devastating. Razor sharp claws sheared through the lightly armored bodies of the adventurers while a powerful tailfin pulled it away before they could retaliate. Three cuts split open Destiny’s back. A deep cut exposed the molars beneath @Iván Carl 's right cheek. @Bradwynne 's ribs throbbed, fractured by a heavy impact. @Portia Ahrens 's left ear floated in the waters, torn off in the sudden assault.

    Their assailant twirled in its hunting grounds, and only then, could they see its form clearly.

    It was a cross between a manta ray and a dragon, an angular, axe-like head opening up to reveal a fanged beak, while lightning-blue eyes glowed with frenzied ferocity. Spreading out to the side were muscular limbs, three wicked claws extending from each, while, in place of a stinger, the predator had a thick fin, powerful muscles linking it the ‘torso’ in order to form a roughly triangular shape. Its whole body looked as if made of veined marble, a strange blue energy crossing over its entire body.

    Undoubtedly deadly. Undoubtedly confident. Undoubtedly resilient.

    They had not considered that possibility, and now, the last stretch to that verdant mirage looked so much farther away. Do they fight? Do they attempt to escape?

    Oxygen was running out, and in the watery depths, they could not communicate or coordinate properly.

    What could they do?

    Oh, there was indeed blood in the water.

    OOC
    @Bradwynne @Temperance @Destiny Divebird @Portia Ahrens @Iván Carl
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