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Out of the River and Into the Ocean

Scene details

Setting: Reize is rescued, but at what cost? Our heroes struggle to survive in the depths of the Twilight Canyon -- and beyond.

Log


 A peace has settled like a pall, a strange and unearthly ambiance taking the place of the frenzied action only moments before. A rainbow aurora scintillates above the drifting Romancing SaGa, our heroes upon it feeling themselves to float like a feather, far more gently than their chase through the river before. That aurora paints the walls of the Twilight Canyon, already dyed by the ancient minerals within, descending from rose to indigo. It is said that the gods carved this canyon at the height of the Primordial War, and their most outlandish creations dwell within, a sacred and terrible place where none would dare to tread even in pilgrimage.
 And slowly but surely, the party is gliding forth -- and down.

> BGM Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNbMeBB9uiM

 The Catgirl Mafia craft has been obliterated, vanished into pieces lost in the river far below. But its explosion seems to have warned off any of the other predators of this place. From the recesses of dark canyonside caverns, many-headed wyvern peer intently, cautiously gauging the SaGa itself. The enormous ridged eel that had emerged from the river's depths is nowhere to be seen.
 But the Mafia members themselves seem in decent health and spirits. Zuna, brawny tigress woman, stands with arms crossed on the far side of the SaGa from the rest of the party. She had leapt from her exploding craft with her ally and seeming leader Flechette in tow. Flechette, for her part, is seated with coquettish poise by the shadowcat (Ombre or Sombre, depending on whom you ask), having drawn a compact with mirror from somewhere and coolly preening, brushing back her bobcut. The shadowcat is licking its leg, as though in a group grooming session.
 "How are you ladies enjoying the flight?" Ivo asks pleasantly. "I labored vigorously over each elesphere we expended to ensure this safe voyage."
 The wind elespheres that erupted to keep the SaGa afloat in midair now do seem to be holding up, not yet dissipating doubtless due to the sheer quantity that were activated, but the Cosmopolitan's gallantry is surely forced. The magic cannot last forever. They are slowly descending to the base of the canyon and the river that passes through it.
 "After we enjoy the rare sight of the Twilight Canyon," he continues, "we will emerge into the open ocean, where we may safely begin our journey home."
 Zuna quietly snorts.

> The Urgent Quest, "Survive the Twilight Canyon," is beginning soon.
> Please prepare your party.

Lady La Crima is not bothered by all this. This may in fact, before super nostalgic for her. Tranquila is losing her mind in worry! Ruidosa is also losing her mind as she gets up from the deck of the Romancing SaGa. She repeats. "Right, we're boned, right?" she asks,

"Only a little!" says Lady La Crima delightfully!

"Mooom!" goes the two younger vampires.

"Oh you'll be fine." she says as she sips her tea.


  There is a lingering feeling for Reize as he looks up at the sky. The young boy stares at the aurora within the sky, captivated by the rainbow light. His long yellow scarf is caught by the wind, drawn within a wavey breeze as he clutches the pendant.

 It feels warmer.

 The boy is not sure why, but he can feel it resonate.

 In the warmth, he can feel a message is being sent to him.

'You should not be here.'
'You are not ready for this trial'

 Reize frowns as he looks over to the group. "...I feel..." He furrows his eyebrows, "...As if we came here too early." His eyes furrow at Zuna and Flechette, slowly stepping towards Ivo and Ruidosa as they approach the deck of the Romancing Saga.

 "... Something says that... 'it's too early to be here'." It is only for an earshot for Ivo and Ruidosa.

 At a far distant from everyone, within the highest point of the Canyon, sits a massive creature that remains inconspicious from the group. Its head lifts up, watching the group. It makes no attempts to reach down to the group. However, its presence is giving off an overbearing presence to the monsters, as if signalling for them to 'back off' from the group.
 

  • Character: Daiby
  • 9 months, 3 weeks ago


Daiby raises a hand to wave, tentatively, across the deck at the towering form of Zuna. "I'm so sorry about your ship," says Daiby, which might be more reassuring if not for the twenty-odd snakes that are sort of, coiling/slithering around her feet and the half-dozen that have climbed up into her hair, shoulders, forearms, and top. "But I mean I suppose it was reckless."

"Thank you, Ivo, it IS going quite steadily! Nobody's been sick yet, anyway!" Daiby answers Ivo suddenly.

Then she looks back to Reize. "... Oh, er, well... Perhaps you're more thinking that this is a better vacation spot for older people?"


 Ivo grins broadly, the breeze gently ruffling his tousled dark hair as the Romancing SaGa glides through their unearthly surroundings, the rippling lights of the aurora above reflected in his and the others' eyes. Placing a comforting hand on Tranquila's shoulder, he nods gamely to Daiby, playfully going with her apparent misunderstanding of Reize's concerns.
 "This would be a lovely vacation spot, wouldn't it? Imagine a leisurely riverboat cruise through the canyon. We could fete the Lady La Crima as she truly deserves."
 Yes, his hand is on her daughter, but, you know, it's always prudent to flatter the mother too. Let's go with that.
 "Your engines were impressive," he continues, tone light, after Daiby opens a conversation with their erstwhile enemy. "I regret that I lost the opportunity to examine them."
 "Yeah," Zuna, the brawny tigress woman, says. Arms crossed, she glowers at the many varied monstrous shadows peering at them from the cliffsides they drift between. "Thanks."
 Ivo nervously glances to said cliffsides himself before forcing another smile, clearly trying to think of another topic of conversation.
 "The loss of our vessel is divine punishment from the First Beast for the failure of our mission," Flechette says languidly, almost ironically, as she reclines by the shadowcat on the prow of the SaGa. She gazes into a hand mirror she has procured from somewhere in her high-slit dress, brushing back her bob, as by her side the shadowcat (Ombre or Sombre, depending whom you ask) licks its leg, also grooming. "Or so the dithering elderly who governed the Keepers would likely say. Not that the First Beast has kept them relevant."
 "Since you mention them," Ivo remarks, betraying a little eagerness, "I *was* curious as to what these 'Beast Keepers' actually are. And the, uh, 'Catgirl Mafia'--?"
 "Don't you all," Flechette sighs, "have bigger problems now?"
 "Get ready," Zuna grunts. "It's waiting."
 Ivo, despite his efforts, cannot help but fall quiet as the SaGa, its buoying wind fading, floats forth and down, the color of the surrounding cliff darkening to deepest indigo. The diamondiferous earth about them glimmers like a starry night, the waters below reflecting the swirling lights above like a witch's cauldron full of some ancient primordial soup. At last, their hull brushes against the river's surface, and like a babe deposited into a cradle, they resume their voyage by water again, passing through the Twilight Canyon.
 The many-headed wyverns do not seem to be diving to attack again. Perhaps they fear the fate of their brethren, caught in the explosion into to be devoured. Nothing pounces on the SaGa right away. But a keen and attentive eye might see one of the sparking ridges of the bizarre giant eel that had seized the fallen wyvern, occasionally peeking from the darkened churn.
 For some reason, their passage remains peaceful and unbarred, for now.

Ruidosa La Crima is listening about the Beastkeepers and the Catgirl mafia and gives Ivo such a ''look''. Indeed, don't they have pressing issues? Like many headed wyverns and large eels and and and what else lies in the ''high level post-endgame area''.

She hides beneath the protective bannister of the ship, peeking up over the edge like a killroy.


  There is a frown from Reize towards Daiby. "No... I'm feeling ... something says to leave here immediately." As if to follow his words, the pendant is pulsing more noticably.

 There is a significance here. Normally, the pendant's radiating light activates infrequently, normally upon distressing times, whether respondiing to Reize's will or a strong presence of aether around as warning. However, within the Twilight Canyon, the pendant is now frequently pulsing. The green pendant, its usual color, had taken a color of crimson hue.
  Reize looks up at the sight of the monstrous shadows at the horizon of the cliffside. "...First Beast?" The boy finally asks. The boy takes a deep breath, finally looking at the ship as it starts to move. "Ah! Progress!" He brightens. He does glance over towards the navigator of the Romancing SaGa. "Luckily, we at least know about this place and...." He pauses. "We'll probably return here some day." He cracks a grin. However, the grin fades, "... I believe we'll be required to return here in the future.."
 


 The rippling of the river and the swaying of the SaGa fade into silence, as though the prismatic veil of light above smothers sound like a shroud. Zuna's ears twitch visibly as a wind stirs, the breeze stiffening. Then, like rolling thunder heralding a coming rain, the wind grows strong, fulminating through the canyon. Dust from the canyon walls swirls up, a sudden glittering sandstorm, rising so high it mingles with the luminescent aurora above. The sublime display is like natural fireworks, an electric kiss shared between heaven and earth.
 "The breath of Rithera," Zuna murmurs reverently.
 "Has any human," Ivo says, wide-eyed, "ever seen this...?"
 "Well," Flechette impishly quips, "isn't the question rather if they ever told the tale?"
 "That's not--"
 Ivo is interrupted by a sizzling crack. Some sort of aetheric reaction is occurring where the glittering minerals stirred up from the canyon walls have made contact with the aurora. Crackling lightning traces a glowing lattice above, igniting the fabric of the twilit sky, and in great belches, the aurora expels spheres of flame. The rain heralded by the wind was one of fire.

> BGM Change: https://soundcloud.com/user-675036643/octopath-traveler-champions-9

 "That's not good!!"
 Ivo, at last dropping his effortful composure, seizes the helm in both hands and guns the SaGa's magitech engines. The vessel picks up speed as slowly but surely, the fireballs descend like a barrage of artillery. Where they strike the canyon side, they explode in a gout of gas and dust, sometimes adding to the innumerable pockmarks that serve as dwelling places for terrible foes. Even they seem to have taken shelter.
 Ivo is clearly doing his utmost to accelerate and to evade, but the fireballs are reaching the water, eliciting huge bursts of scalding steam, and dodging both those and the fireballs themselves is a lot to ask. He'll need some help fending off this hazard.
 And he does not appear to notice, in all the commotion, how the resonance of Reize's pendant is intensifying...

Ruidosa La Crima cries as the boat guns it, feeling the boat shake as she grabs onto the bannisters tightly, and glad she doesn't get seasick as fireballs descend down onto the boat and surrounding water as she cries. "I SHOULD BE WRITING ALL THIS DOWN IN MY TOME."

"BUT I'M CURRENTLY CRYING FOR MY LIFE INSTEAD."

She looks to the cat mafia and cries. "STOP BEING COY IT'S NOT CHARMING!" she cries.

"REIZE IF WE EVER COME BACK HERE..." she doesn't finish that thought because she can't. She cries.


  The change in their environment becomes worrying for the boy as he witnesses the transformation of the skies into one of thunder and the fierce wind. He grits his teeth while holding on to the rails of the ship. "Hold on to the ship!" He is working on holding his lunch, not wanting to get a weak stomach at a ttime like this.

 Zuna provides the summation of the phenomenon: The Breath of Rithera.

 And lightning follows suit.

 After the ship starts picking up, his eyes widen at the sight of fireballs descending, striking the canyon with wonderous explosions.

 Reize is left to depend on Ivo's navigation. He reaches for Ruidosa's hand, noticing her crying. He instead pulls her over to him to hold her close. "I got you, Rui!"

  He grimaces, noticing how his pendant is becoming more intense from the environment. They need to survive.

  He looks around the ship, trying to see what else they can do.

  "We're counting on you, Ivo!" Reize calls out to his older companion.
 

Ivo Galvan rolls 1d20>=10.
Comment: Time for an actual piloting check for Ivo
Roll(s): 12. Total result is 12. This is a success (by 2).


 It's close, no question. But Ivo is clearly inspired to rise to the occasion of the crisis, as the lives of so many beautif-- so many friends depend upon him.
 "Ghh--!"
 There's no more playing it cool. The Cosmpolitan trembles, teeth grit, as he drifts the SaGa around a blind canyon curve, narrowly dodging through a gap between two lethal billows of steam, partially propelled by the descent of another fireball behind them. The magitechnician uses every clever trick he can conceive and his dexterous piloting to keep them all alive. Granted, their river cruise has become more of a thrilling theme park ride, but hopefully the ladies accompanying our heroes will find it merely delightful.
 And hopefully, you know, everyone will survive.
 "Hrrahh!"
 As one fireball descends sizzingly close, Zuna unleashes a bestial roar, forcefully adopting a bold power stance, and her form flashes with gathered inner aether. A wave of force visibly ripples up from her, seeming to knock the fireball's descent away, before the barbarian sinks to her haunches with a huff to recover. Flechette takes a leisurely puff from a long-stemmed water pipe, as though there's not enough steam already.
 "Ah..."
 Ivo's jaw drops. As they round another corner, ahead of them is a veritable curtain of flame, each raining orb like a shimmering bead upon threads of heat. It is not clear if there is any path at all through all the fire and steam. Until Reize's pendant, already pulsing, begins to shine -- and the curtain parts, a gap forming about the SaGa. Without questioning it, their pilot accelerates and darts through the passage before it is smothered in flame again.

> The Seal of Fire has opened.

 "There--!"
 The canyon walls seem to be widening, and with them, the river broadening into a bay. Due to their breakneck pace, the party is approaching the ocean. In moments, they may be able to leave the deadly land of eternal twilight behind.
 "We're almost--!"
 If Ivo had kept his cool, he would've known better than to say that. He is of course cut short by a hideous keening, like nails on slate married a banshee's wail.
 "KRREEEEEEEEE!"

> BGM Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCnia2R9Q1k&t=86s

 It is now that the horrible crested eel elects to emerge from the depths, whatever constraint prevented it from striking before seemingly gone. Its beady eyes are forgotten onyx, its maw the entrance to hell. As its massive jaw parts, approaching the SaGa like fate, each horn-like crest upon its otherwise slick and smooth back glows with gathering energy. It seems like this beast must be slowed, its lightning magics somehow suppressed, or both.

> The Evil Eel begins preparing a spell.

Ruidosa La Crima does not find this delightful at all. Not even a little bit.

Ruidosa probably is not in the target audience of beautiful ladies.

Oh they're almost out!...

And then the eel suddenly shows it's head against.

THEY WE'RE ALMOST OUT COME ON!

"REIZE. IF WE EVER COME BACK HERE, I WANT A DIVORCE!" she finishes her earlier sentence. Preparing some sort of attack, charging up dark energy.


  Reize is holding on to the rail of the ship and Ruidosa. He knows that his fiancee is crying and he is trying to comfort her while trying to survive, himself. He grits his teeth, feeling the ship move through the harsh waters in the constantly dangerous environment. He is also trying to maintain his constitution, which has been under extreme stress these past set of days.

  Witnessing Zuna fighting off an approaching fireball with just a roar is impressive enough to elict a cheer from the explorer. "Yeaaaah! Great job!" He cheers.

 When he looks ahead, the boy's eyes widen at the curtain of flames. "Ahhh!" He tightens his hold on Ruidosa.

 Suddenly, his pendant is shining as if it was a star itself.

 And the flames are gone...?!

 His eyes widen. "Wh----" Did his pendant react? That is amazing! His face becomes elated, smile showing teeth.

 It's a smile that's soon fades when the eel emerges from the depths. "Agh! We have to deal with this thing!" He grits his teeth while he finally releases Ruidosa.

 "Rui! We'll have to fight to push it back!" As the boy lunges in to throw his boomerangs----

 "Wait, a divorce?!"

  Nevertheless, he chucks both boomerangs out. They spiral around, twisting and turning to hit against any surfaces to ricochet around. The boomerangs are flying towards the eel.

 


 Ivo winces as lightning surges about the SaGa, unable to pilot his way out of this one, despite his gallant efforts to safeguard his passengers. Zuna grimaces, forcing herself to stand even though there seems nought she can do, while Flechette simply sighs, exhaling a little cloud of steam from her pipe in the process, as the great and terrible eel all too swiftly finishes charging its obliterating power, and--
 "KEEE!"
 --flinches.
 Astonishingly, as Reize's boomerangs fly toward it, though the weapons are tiny compared to its massive bulk, the Evil Eel recoils, the lightning dissipating. The crystal boomerangs seem to catch the last of the glimmers of the aurora they are leaving behind as they safely turn to Reize's grasp, not having struck their target directly but having somehow accomplished far more.
 "Ha! Ha ha!"
 Ivo slowly grins, sweat beaded at his brow, shaking his head.
 "Whatever you're doing, chief, keep doing it!"
 Zuna's eyebrows are raised, the tall woman seeming to regard Reize in a new light, curious and impressed. Flechette's elegant pipe has gone somewhat slack, surprise registering in her gestures if not her features, her gaze distant but intent, calculating mind quietly at work.
 "All that fuss," she murmurs, "is starting to make more sense."
 Whatever it is the eel seems to fear about Reize's boomerangs, it does not seem to be able to overcome its trepidation. It hisses and snaps, sparking as though attempting to intimidate but itself unable to work up the will to attack. Still, given the immensity of its jaws bigger even than their cruising vessel, those fangs remain terrifying. Either hesitating or just menacing its targets, the eel keeps its maw hanging open for a while, bobbing behind the ship as though deciding if it will finally lunge or not. Up close, its sparking ridges look sturdier than the cliffside, and its slick skin is oddly slack, as though designed to slip and slide to ward off attacks. But the flesh visible between the diabolical gates of its terrible fangs, now swung wide, appears more vulnerable.

"YES! DIVORCE!" she says angrily.

> OPTIONAL QUEST (REIZE)

"YES! DIVORCE!" she says angrily.

> OPTIONAL QUEST (REIZE)
DON'T GET DIVORCED [X]

She lets loose a staggering bolt of dark energy at the eel however, after charging for a while, having managed to hang on for so long without falling to her behind.


  The power of Ricochet Smash! The technique utilizes the hard surfaces to bounce it around and create a rapid session of strikes that'd normally daze an unfortunate person assaulted by such an Art.

 Pride swells onto Reize's chest, a grin forming as his decisive Art pays off. "Yeah! That'll slow it down!" he catches the boomerangs as they return. The crystal boomerangs shimmer as the boy readies himself in a fighting stance. However, he is not in the position of using the Art again yet.

 The boy suddenly gets an idea.

  "Ivo! If you have an elesphere that can produce a flash, toss me one!" His gaze lifts towards the eel, giving a serious look as its maw intimidatingly remains open. He is holding onto the rail of the ship once more, looking at their progress.
 


 Ivo perks up as, glancing over his shoulder while maneuvering the SaGa into the open bay and out of the Twilight Canyon, he sees Ruidosa managed to unleash a charged dark magical blast into the Evil Eel's open maw. The maelstrom rends, piercing its defenses in a brilliant display that would nigh fell any mighty warrior.

> Ruidosa's attack critically hits for 1125 damage!

 "Well struck, Rui!" Ivo rightly calls.
 But this time, even though cleanly hit, their foe does not seem to react.

> Evil Eel's Remaining LF: 12,998,875/13,000,000

 "J-just a little more," their pilot adds, "I'm sure!" He is fishing around in his pockets with one hand while steering with the other, the demands of managing the SaGa at least alleviated somewhat from before. "I've only got one left, chief, but it's all yours--!"
 And with a dexterous toss, he lobs one of the double-sided elespheres produced from research into the Heavenly Crowned Beetle, two delicately fused bubbles of respective red and green, ready to provide a brief but potent burst of light akin to Kernunnos's own. Their terrible foe is still frozen in its menacing pose, pursuing but not closing in, even without the immediate threat of Reize's boomerangs.

> The Evil Eel has been afflicted with Great Beast's Authority.
> The Evil Eel takes no action.

Ruidosa Critically Hits the beast! Amazing!

Outstanding!

It didn't even flinch just how strong is this thing!?

Ruidosa starts charging another attack, just in case, even as the eel takes no action!


  Once Ivo tosses the double-sided elesphere towards him, the boy immediately brings himself to a knee to procure some string. He runs the string around the green/red elesphere to attach it to the boomerang. Once he manages to secure it, he tests out a few swings to make sure that it doesn't loosen.

 "Okay! We can do this!" He smiles at Ivo and Ruidosa. To the vampire, "Keep it distracted! We're almost there...!"

 Now to aim. He had been eyeing the monster's skin and he can see the exposed flesh from the fangs.

 Reize runs towards the edge of the ship as they are getting closer. He brings his hands back and tosses both boomerangs once more. They start bouncing around before they twist and whirl towards the creature's mouth.

  As the boomerangs ricochet around, the elespheres are ready to emit a blinding blast upon impact with the Evil Eel.
 


 "KREEEEE!"
 The vicious monster seems at last to shake off its hesitation and prepare to lunge, boomerangs be damned. But in its obstinacy, it does not think to fear the elesphere. Struck directly in the face, already confused and angered, it wails and slows, shaking its huge head as the water about them turns from fresh to salt. With the last echo of the blast behind them, the SaGa speeds away, leaving the fearful Twilight Canyon and its terrible majesty behind for now. Forward our heroes go, into the Azure Expanse.
 "Well done, friends!" Ivo calls breathlessly, grinning widely, sweat running down his brow. "This area of the ocean is not well charted, given the proximity of the Twilight Canyon, but if we double back along the coastline, we should be able to make our way-- to--"
 The waves have been rising. It is only natural, at first, given that the SaGa is leaving a bay for the openness of the Azure Expanse. But now the waters seem to quake. As though the Canyon cannot let them leave without them bearing witness to one last awful miracle, one more vestige of primordiality, the sound of whalesong smothers Ivo's words, whalesong that reverbates not through water but through the air.
 Like a vision of glory, its scales a shining rainbow, a leviathan emerges, turning and coiling. Dwarfing their tiny vessel, it twists into the air, its fishlike body elongated and sprouting strange wings the size of castles, seeming to propel it in a spiral. Larger and grander even than their foe before, our heroes seem beneath its notice, its own keening call conveying neither rage nor hunger. Instead, soulstirringly, the sound evinces almost some deep and abiding grief.
 And the waves that it has risen up crash down.
 Wood splinters. Engines crunch. The majestic view of the flying fish is hidden by churning waters. And once again a veritable feather in a gale, the SaGa spins into the unknown...

> The Interlude Questline "The Blessed Wind of Castaway Isle" has begun.
> Your characters' "Tropical Shipwreck Survivor" outfits may now be unlocked.