Beginners Cave | Page 2

Rosalie has indeed been unable to do much- if the others were observing, they might have noticed she was hit with a big ol' lag spike. Finally jerking herself free, she started to panic a bit as she noticed her low health. "A-ack! Sorry about that everyone... Didn't though there even could be lag in this game." She backed off from the bats, holding out her spear. At first attempting to escape the dungeon entirely, she was stopped by a dialog box, informing her that she'd be abandoning the quest by doing so. And even as low on health as she was... she didn't quite want to do that. This was a beginner cave. If she didn't have any more connection issues, it wouldn't be very likely that she'd die, would it? She turned back from the cave entrance and watched the others continue the fight, staying on guard for any further attacks.

 

[Exploration Post]
Rein growled as he ran down the various corridors of the cave, coming time and time again across his scratchings on the walls. Was there nothing worth finding here but weak monsters? Had this been a giant waste of time? Probably not, this was the first cave he had explored, and purely from a learning standpoint, even Rein could agree that this was likely a good way of learning how the system worked. But it didn't make him happy about it! Consumed with rage, Rein dashed forward as he gave up the pretense of finding anything of value. The only thing left to do was see if there was anything at least entertaining at the end of the long winding passageways.

Several long moments passed as Rein began to slow down coming to a stop at one of the corridors. Up ahead he saw a man and girl, having issues with what seemed to be a bat. Worthless creatures those bats were, Rein could still feel the scratches on his scalp. He took an abrupt turn, moving away from the confrontation. He was sure he could handle the group of them, but it would be more effort than it was worth. "Maybe the thing will kill them, and I can collect their things on the way out!" Rein giggled as he picked up his pace.

It was amazing how after spending so much time in this cave Rein still couldn't figure his way around it. Pounding down each of the hallways, Rein became more and more confused. Where had he come from? Where was he going? Where was the exit for that matter? Was there no end in sight? Only through pure grit and determination did he force himself onwards looking for the end, or the exit, if there was even a difference between the too.

((OOC: Rein's half lost, alone, looking for the end of the cave))

 

Rosalie watched as Kessler disappeared from view. "...That's bad," she said. The other man who'd entered the dungeon was nowhere to be seen either. Rosalie was all alone and low on health. "Maybe this dungeon stuff isn't for me yet," she finally said, turning and heading back for the entrance. It would have been fine if the other player had been there, but it wasn't worth the risk to continue alone.

 

Rook had drifted without any real goal after loading in. While their player was used to games, there was a certain lack of attachment or severity to things that usually lingered. Rook enjoyed the world equally in terms of active or passive participation. There was a simple ease to existing. Like a mote of dust, drifting and doing little more than catching the light of greater things to have for its own for a moment.

The odd caster had eventually heard chatter amidst the newer players about a few starter quests and dungeons and found their way to the source of one. The mouth of the cave looked inviting enough. No heads on stakes or surrounding beasts with slobbering jaws waiting to wrap around the unwary. They were curious to test the entities their astramancy reached out to when asking the tarot cards to give what they willed. Not to mention at some point they'd have to try more of the non-elemental arcanamancy they'd taken. It had only seemed polite that if one was going to ask various powers for access to their domains that Rook avoid taking a favorite over other elements. Rook was taking even greater care not to let themselves get too attached the a few of the deck in particular that seemed so eager to reach out into the world and feel something move. To feel the magic of another mold their own was a blessing that the Velten was beginning to crave.

With the idea of advancement in mind, the caster entered the surprisingly wide cavern. They smiled at the soft, ambient glow. "Eyes for without? A kindness," they spoke lightly to no one. Though they weren't alone it would seem? No matter. More feet to tread the paths and company was not unwelcome. The Tutorial Dungeon certainly wasn't a secret, after all, and they were ready to see what it held within!

[ OOC: Rook uses a Search Point. ]​

 

Kessler couldn't help scratching his head with a furrowed brow, he'd been disconnected? Odd, but not unsurprising given his wireless was hot garbage in the boarding office. Cons didn't exactly get the best with no place of their own. Dusting himself off, instead he only set out once more, drawing earth, stone and soil back onto his body to rebuild his armor as he did in the beginning. The stone and earth gripped his form, not doing much to slow him down but the change in weight was still as apparent as before as he went into the cave once more trying to find the same path he'd gone.

With a furrowed brow, he tried searching straight from the start this time, even if he couldn't find anything, he felt the need to try and make up for Lost time. He didn't expect to find much, poking the walls, shadows with his large mallet, making sure he didn't lose sight of a possible enemy. Even heavily armored, he didn't want to risk fighting enemies to the death. Instead, it was his goal to try and catch back up.

((OOC: Uses a search point Panda))

 

They walked along through the dim light, looking about for whatever the cave had to over. There didn't seem much of interest this shallow into it, but they weren't dissuaded. Suddenly a faint tremor in the air and a beating of wings snapped them out of their cursory looks. Rook's curious golden eyes snapped up toward the ceiling of the cave where a bat peeled itself from the darkness with a chatter and screech. Caught a little off guard and considering the speed of the approaching bat, they put both hands flat in front of them instead of pulling out their tarot deck. Palms facing out, they spoke.

"Nui et allev yaloenn vas kett."​

Words came easily to the fore of their mind as the game mechanic took hold. Eventually they'd learn to memorize the actual words of the invocation, but for now their arcanamancy on auto would do. While picking at the beginning of the game it had mentioned an advantage at long distance, but in the odd twilight of the dungeon they weren't sure where that counted for or against. Either way, a single mote of light the size of a pinhead formed an inch from the middle of their flattened hands. It was a bright white with the faintest lavender glow. A very faint whine, like the drone of an insect's wings or active machinery, emanated from the little spell's manifestation. It hung there for only a moment long enough for them to register its formation before firing toward the bat as a thread-thin beam of magic. The walls were painted the faint lavender as the non-elementally inclined magic sought out its mark.

Given the chance after the attack they'd set about retrieving their deck and readying it for use. Rook was excited to see just who answered their call to arms. The furious, fiery entity who had first lent them a gift in their first fight would be wondrous to see in action again, but likewise would meeting a new being that would lend them their talent.

[ OOC: Rook attempts to attack the bat with an bolt-like Arcanamancy spell. ]​

 

Kessler groaned internally until he found a softer bizarre rock. A bounce rock-- an interesting tool, or toy maybe was a better idea. The very thought of one made him slowly grin as he began to consider what could be done with it. Increasing the weight to make it into a bullet? Adding more mass to make it a boulder? Weren't these both things he could do with his skill set? All of his skills were gravity or rock armor based, there wasn't a single exception, he didn't know other 'normal' magics. But this pair of magical spells would make this little rock into a monster of a weapon he thought-- a trump card usable only thrice; he liked that.

Stashing it away, he tried to dig around more, eager to find more so that he could try testing them out. IF they were simple tools, he could just buy some, but he'd rather mine them during his down time then send the boys out searching. Using his hammer to poke around the same area, he tried to see if there was an ore vein or something similar that produced these particular stones; he wanted something that would at least provide him with a larger advantage.

((OOC: he used rock armor in the first post, just a reminder since I didn't see his energy drop, I forgot to make a note at the bottom))

• Uses another search point

 

Rook grinned blindly as the beam skated forward to hit the bat. It fought against the damage, the furious beat of its wings kicking up in speed before it reached the mage. The trails of smoke curling off of it from their attack faded as it struck with its claws to tear at their arm to the best of its ability and Rook pulled back and away from it with a hiss. "The freed shadow thinks it can scare fate with blood?" They whispered lowly toward the bat that most certainly couldn't understand them. They swiped their thumb across the top of the deck and sent a card fluttering into the air. A second whirled up to float at its side, in between the caster and the bat, as they drew away from it as far as the bat would allow. "Sunder what will," they besought the aether. Their mana sapped as with the words of the arcanamancy spell before, the cards turning to reveal themselves.

Three of Swords. The Chariot, Reversed.
Separation. Aggression.​

The thing that reached out was so angry Rook quailed for a moment, heart skipping a beat as they thought the fury sought them out to lay low. A subtle knowledge came to them that it simply was the anger. It was nothing without anger. It was a storm of cataclysmic proportions and it owned wind and water and lightning as tools to force the skies to bend to it. It spoke words like thunderclaps that Rook could not begin to comprehend. The ghost of an irate force brushed against their magic and through the cards offered the mage a spell of their own hand. The cards snapped together and flipped sharply to face the ground before spinning in place like a top. "The Tempest will not see you wing its domain." With a burst of movement they spun and turned to wind. The spell was meant to attack the bat with a lash of air as sharp as a blade. It savagely aimed for the creature's straining wings to slice them clean off.

[ OOC: Rook uses Astramancy through the tarot cards to cast an Aeromancy spell in the form of an aerial slice. They're trying to cleave off the bat's wings or otherwise deal damage. ]​