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Explosive Endeavor

Scene details

  • Start date: March 31, 2024, 5:26 p.m.
  • End date: March 31, 2024, 8:59 p.m.
  • Location: Zel'rik Archipelago - Volcanic Cliffs
  • Participants: Reize Seatlan, Ivo Galvan, Daiby, Iris

Setting: Preparations had been made to get through the dangerous obstacle: The corrupted toxic wind elemental. Reize, Ivo, Daiby, and Iris arrive with grenades to try to blow through the toxic gas.

Log


 Our heroes ascend once more through the glassy-smooth tunnels that arc up and into the dormant volcano at the center of this wind-blighted isle. The journey across the inland deserts that had been so hazardous before is now nigh effortless thanks to Reize's giant vulture friends, who are willing to enable fast travel for parties and light baggage. So long as the party does not intend to gather large amounts of resources, there is no need to travel by sand sledge or megamarmot.
 And indeed, the purpose for which they have been preparing this time is different: to break through an unusual blockade.
 "They've settled in," Ivo murmurs, "but there, deeper in the crevice, you can see them."
 The party soon reaches the point from which they last retreated: a space where the tunnel widens and the floor gives way, reducing the path to a narrow ledge along a wall where beneath a chasm descends deeper into the mountain's dark depths, from which a noxious heat issues. Ivo, holding aloft a coconut-scented torch while peeking about a corner, shines a light onto what looks like three distinct patches of purplish miasma, what one might assume to merely be pockets of strangely colored gas had the party not already encountered one of these corrupted wind elementals. They do not seem to react to the light, at least.
 "The aether is so dense," he continues quietly, "that we either need to strike first to disperse it and then target the core, or induce them to assume cyclonic form and then somehow position to strike from above directly at the core."
 He then hesitates a moment, looking a little pained.
 "And... if there were any way to draw them from the crevice onto the stone and *then* defeat them, so their aetheric remains could be gathered... only if it seems safe to do so, of course!... well, that would be appreciated."
 Ivo and Fabroxo recently produced some exceedingly high quality aether gems -- and some very dangerous concentrated Destruction -- from said remains, and the call of further science is strong.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20>=8.
Comment: Avoiding fire hair
Roll(s): 19. Total result is 19. This is a success (by 11).


  Upon arriving back at the point that they last retreated, Reize takes in the surroundings of the widen tunnel and the narrowed ledge. As the noxious heat continues to make its presence known, Reize grimaces while holding onto his coconut-scented torch, having it slightly nearby to take in the scent. Luckily, he managed not to get his unruly antenna hair close to the fire. ...Said antenna hair is shrieking back while 'blowing' at the flame.

  Looking ahead at the miasma that is lit by the flames, Reize grimaces while thinking to Ivo. "... I don't have any devices that can do that." He muses, "I could act as decoy and try to lead them onto the stone."

 

  • Character: Daiby
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


"Well," offers Daiby - who had come along, and had even put on something nearer to proper clothes for the occasion, at the risk of impairing the bonhomie and morale, "I don't know if I'm the best suited."

Daiby currently has two snakes with her. A long constrictor around one arm, something small and brightly-colored in her hair (they seem to be shy) and a classical brown-and-black rattlesnake on the other arm. It is the rattlesnake Daiby raises upwards, which makes the rattlesnake look upwards, slightly alarmed, tongue flicking out to test the air.

"These fellows are good at warning, but that also means they're good at attracting attention!"

The rattlesnake looks at Reize. In so far as you can read a snake's expression, it says: No I'm not.

Ivo Galvan rolls 1d20>=10.
Comment: Hiding disappointment at Daiby wearing clothes
Roll(s): 19. Total result is 19. This is a success (by 9).

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


NOT THAT LONG AGO:

 The entire party comes back from the volcano dungeon (it's the Persona labyrinth generated by Ivo's latent fear of dry, damaged hair*), and the Cosmpolitan and his surprisingly bearish inventor friend get to work. Also visible in the background, like a blurry photo of Bigfoot, is the silhouette of Iris Osterlund, muttering "okayjustamomentivegotsomethingtotryout" before sauntering off into the distance near the tree line.

 While Ivo and Fabroxo were making succuluent mana gems, Iris kept to herself. Anyone listening to what she was doing would hear a lot of noises sounding like a combination of sawing, hammering, the occasional swear word in a foreign dialect, and at least a small handful of what are probably explosions.

 She came back the next day empty-handed, apparently, but with a satisfied expression on her face. "Okay. When we go back in there, I think I'm ready." READY HOW?! YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING?!

THIS MORNING:

 It took a lot longer for Iris to get to where the party is now than everyone else did. Why? Because she spent the whole trip lugging a box roughly the size of her torso, covered in a tarp. Not so heavy she's struggling to lift it, but clearly heavy enough to hinder her stride compared to everyone else.

 When she reaches the group, the runesmith puts the box down on the ground VERY GINGERLY and then pulls off the tarp, revealing:

 A lovely bunch of coconuts.

 Yes, really.

 Wiping her brow, Iris looks at everyone else with apparent self-satisfaction. "Okay. Perfect. Good to go."

 Again: it's a box of coconuts.

 (* not really but this is easy to imagine)


 Ivo, gazing intently at the toxic elementals in an effort to discern the thinnest portions of the heavy miasma, conveniently fails to notice Reize's hair getting precariously close to the torch. Fortunately for our heroes (as in, Reize and his hair), the worst that happens is their fearless leader's locks becoming anointed with the soothing scent of coconut.

> Reize's Style has temporarily increased by 1.

 "If you can gather them into a close cluster," Ivo is replying to Reize, "I can attempt a vacuum strike that could potentially disrupt several of them and expose multiple cores in a single swoop. If we follow up quickly, we could neutralize them before the gas spreads too far and dense."
 The Cosmopolitan looks back to Daiby. His expression has the air of a thoughtful and steadfast young man who hasn't even *noticed* she is wearing more clothes than usual, so focused is he on the important task at hand. He reaches up to rub his chin and arch a brow, contemplative, like someone thinking about something serious and not how to craft a bikini with higher stats.
 "Reize *is* still missing his scarf," he ponders. "We could drape your most distracting snake companion over his shoulders in its place." He then shrugs. "Well, if there's any way you or they can strike at an exposed core, then perhaps we could each follow up on Hauteclare's disruptive sweep."
 So: Reize baits them out, Ivo disrupts the innate core-shielding effects of the miasma, and then the party tries to strike all the cores at once to avoid a pitched battle. A solid plan, one hopes. But perhaps missing some X Factor. Some hidden spice. Some-- box of coconuts.
 "Great. Thanks, Iris."
 Ivo nods to her, smiling, as the contents of the box she has lugged here are revealed. He doesn't even bat an eye, let alone ask what they are. No, for you see, they are united by their burgeoning love of mad magitech, and also by that Affinity point they gained fighting giant aphids.
 ...Or he'll be completely surprised by what they are. Whichever.


  Turning towards Daiby and then the offered rattlesnake, Reize offers a sheepish look as he's able to read the rattlesnake's expression that doesn't quite match his owner's offer.

 It is the arrival of Iris that Reize turns and he gives a bit of a curious glance at the tarp-covered box as it's dropped to the ground and reveals a collection of coconuts. Or at least, seems like it.

 "... Err. ... Thirsty?"

 The mention of the loss of his scarf earns a frown as he looks at Ivo. "I'll find it and get it back before we leave this isle!" He makes a determined look, tightening his fist.

 Reize does approach the box and he reaches to take one. He eyes it briefly and he muses, "...Well, I am getting a bit thirsty...." He reaches for his satchel to procure a small knife, as if preparing to pry it open...
 

  • Character: Daiby
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


"See, you'll be safe with him," Daiby tells the snake on her arm, who is then offered to Reize. In this case, offering involves raising him up for gifting, and if Reize doesn't take the snake then, Daiby lets him slither forwards to drape around Reize's neck while he's bending over to 'nut up.

Daiby herself reaches down to collect two coconuts, one for each hand. "Do we throw them, or are there special instructions?"

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


 Thankfully, every experimental creator develops nimble reflexes, either to do exactly what Iris is about to do, or alternately, to protect themselves if they aren't fast enough to do what Iris is about to do.

 Either way, she gasps and then snatches the coconut out of Reize's hands with a completely aghast expression on her face, as if he'd been doing the most insane thing imaginable and not, say, the entirely mundane action of potentially sipping milk from a coconut while inside, and this part needs stressing, AN ACTIVE VOLCANO.

 Cradling the thing in the crook of one arm like she's about to try and run it into the endzone, the runesmith looks at Ivo and Reize with strong 'FOR SHAME' eyes before turning to Daiby, who seems to be much more in tune with her own thinking. "Coconut shells were all I had on hand. They're grenades. Well... alright, not GRENADE grenades, but there's two elemental runestones inside each one with a palm frond filiment keeping them from touching. Throw coconut, filament snaps on impact, runestones touch, bam! Elemental reaction."

 She pauses, then clears her throat. "The problem is I had nothing to label them with so I don't know which... stones are in which... coconuts. But I'm sure it will be fine."

 WILL IT, IRIS? WILL IT REALLY?!


 Ivo, having experimentally taken up a coconut and raised it looking as though he was just about to give it a shake close to his ear, pauses at Iris's glare before looking dryly to his younger friend. "Reize, for shame," he chastises. "So careless." He very carefully sets the coconut back down in the box. "I'm sure any elemental reaction should be able to inflict some damage to the core as long as it's exposed," he then adds in a cheery tone.
 One of the patches of miasma stirs a little. Ivo, noticing, quickly lowers his voice again.
 "Shall we draw them out, then, and prepare to strike as best we can in a strong opening flurry? Don't get reckless, chief."
 If he observes any tension between this statement and what happened just a few seconds ago, Ivo does not say so. Instead he slowly and quietly unsheathes his longsword Hauteclare and double-checks its pommel, in which a fiery-streaked purple gem is studded rather than the usual elesphere loading mechanism. He has gone all in on the new "vacuum" gem that he and Fabroxo devised from a perfect blend of Wind and Destruction, readying an imbued strike once the elementals are in fuller view and relatively clustered. It shines with an inner light, imbued with the power of that most enigmatic of elements: love.
 ...of LEARNING.


  A hand slips out for the snake to join him, trusting the rattlesnake to partner up with him. As it slithers up to his shoulder, Reize hoists the reptile up until its comfortably around his shoulders.

 Now, back to the object in question.

 There were two things that Reize was going to do: gut the coconut and sip on some coconut juice and maybe eat the inside. In fact, his mouth opens up in anticipation and----

 *YOINK!*

 It's gone! And he is given a scornful look, his antenna hair drooping while grimacing. "W--What?!" As Iris explains the purpose of the tools, his antenna hair remains drooped. And then Ivo chastizes him. "Y--you too?!"

 "Not edible, then." He exhales a sigh. "Ah well." He looks over towards the rattlesnake. "Ready?" He cracks a grin.

 And the boy is off! He takes off in a dash towards the path. The objective is clear: Get in the vicinity for them to notice him and strike. Both boomerangs are drawn as he closes in towards the miasma and he takes a leap forward. He swings the boomerangs out into the miasma.

 "Oooi! We're here!"
 

  • Character: Daiby
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


The snake on Reize's shoulder/neck area - rattlesnakes are, of course, long in a snake way, but not lloooooooooong in the way SOME snakes are - rattles vigorously to join his strength to Reize's. This may not have the same effects it seems to for Daiby, but it is at least something ferocious, and the rattlesnake has also not bitten Reize yet! (Yet.) (Well, maybe he's human acclimated.)

Daiby, for her part, stays back, weighing the coconuts and answering Iris, "I'll give them a one-two, and if it's not enough... I'll try again!" The snake in her hair has lifted up, sweeping the horizons. Its purpose may be, in some ethereal or metaphysical sense, lookout.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 1d4.
Comment: Runestone no. 1 (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water order)
Roll(s): 1. Total result is 1.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 1d3.
Comment: Runestone no. 2
Roll(s): 1. Total result is 1.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 1d10.
Comment: Luck check! Reize calls odd but he's got the Protagonist Curse so odd = catastrophe
Roll(s): 9. Total result is 9.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


 Ivo's got a plan? Maybe. Reize is trying to catch everyone's attention. Daiby... has snakes but that is at least as good as exploding elemental coconut grenades, depending on the snakes. And if you're going to try and get an elemental's attention, what better way to do that than by blowing something up? Possibly. Who knows what sort of elemental reaction we're gonna get?

 It does not help that Iris hefts a coconut, says "Well, let's find out," and throws it in the same general direction as Reize's boomerang.

 This proves, however, to be an error, on multiple levels. The first one is that Reize is simply a better shot than Iris, and the second is that a boomerang is about 10,000 times more aerodynamic than a frekain' coconut. This means one of the boomerangs, on its return flight, knocks the improvised elemental bomb off course directly INTO one of the elemental vortices, rather than NEAR it. There's a flash of green (wind) and gold (earth) as the runestones 'detonate', creating a little localized sandstorm.

 INSIDE an existing wind elemental.

 Predictably, the sudden infusion of semi-matching elemental energy is infused INTO THE ELEMENTAL, which grows in size and intensity as a result.

 Iris, throwing arm still extended, stares forward distractedly. "...ah, heck."

Ivo Galvan rolls 1d20+3>=10.
Comment: Ambushing super-gem multistrike attempt, go!
Roll(s): 5. Total result is 8. This is a failure (by 2).


 And everything went according to plan.
 Someday, that will be a correct description of a Star Chasers adventure, but once again, not today. Reize does successfully seem to draw up the miasma, the toxic elementals appearing to become alert to whatever degree that is possible for them, violet mists rising up out of the abyss as though heralding the arrival of an ancient witch. Though the entities are now in view and thus more easily in range, they continue to hover over the crevice, both making them difficult to strike with any melee weapon and ensuring that their essence would tumble into the darkness should any be vanquished. At the very least, their distance means that the toxic gases that suffused each sentient blend of Wind and Destruction are unlikely to affect anyone.
 For a few moments.
 But then the central elemental swells mightily, rippling cartoonishly as a bomb goes off in its stomach, or the closest equivalent. The sudden shift in mass and distribution sends Hauteclare's blade, which Ivo launches moments after, careening into a cavern wall, sparks flying as it glances, failing to disrupt any of the elementals initially. The toxins are clearly spreading from the bulging central elemental, and Ivo, rather than waste time with any regrets, focuses on struggling to get Hauteclare under control for a second pass. At least the power of the vacuum gem continues to channel, allowing for a potential second sweep from behind before returning to the hilt.
 Unfortunately, this means that our heroes will have to contend with the elementals still having their defenses up for the first round, as they will swift approach.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20>=12.
Comment: Escaping the Debilitating Toxins
Roll(s): 13. Total result is 13. This is a success (by 1).

  • Character: Daiby
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


"Oh, crackers," says Daiby, as the elementals begin to swell. Looking at Isis, she asks her, "Is that something like 'they swell up just before their glorious defeat?' Oh, I think that I can hear Ivo screaming. Ivo! Hold on!"

The rattlesnake with Reize's mouth hangs open.

Snake Subtitles:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Should I throw another!? Will that help!?" Daiby asks urgently. It will take only a little prompting for her to do so!


  Reize had considered his options when he made the decision that he did. One is that his role is just to draw the elementals' attention. The other is that his boomerangs may not yield any good results in inflicting any damage on them and will instead pass through them.

 However, the fact that they notice and respond to his presence is what he had hoped for.

 What Reize did not consider was the fact that a coconut-shelled grenade would be lobbed nearby. Due to Iris's poor aerodynamics, one of his large boomerangs, upon its return, smacks into the bomb into one of the elemental vortices.

 "WHOA!"

 At the flash of green and gold, the boy's eyes widen and he, along with the rattlesnake share the same sentiments.

 "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" That is why the boy opts for the next strategy, escaping the wrath of the elementals while leading them towards the group. "I'm bringing them in!"

  As the miasma is getting closer, the boy makes a daring leap while shielding his coiled friend. "Hang on tight!" With a roll, he manages to join back with Ivo and the others. He just... needs to take a breather.
 

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 1d4.
Comment: Element 1 (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water)
Roll(s): 1. Total result is 1.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 1d3.
Comment: Element 1 (Wind, Fire, Water)
Roll(s): 2. Total result is 2.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 1d2.
Comment: Element 2 (Fire, Water, no repeats, hater dice)
Roll(s): 1. Total result is 1.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 2d6.
Comment: Snake lady means odd: good, double 6s: better, snake eyes: best
Roll(s): 6 and 5. Total result is 11.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


 Sure, Ivo almost died, Reize was almost poisoned, and Daiby's rattlesnake partner's going to need therapy, but this does not deter Iris Osterlund, Mystical Grenadier. She stayed up ALL NIGHT making these damn things, they're GETTING USED. Thus, squinting in Ivo's general direction, she reaches back and pitches coconut #2.

 THIS TIME, perhaps due to all that good karma everyone just racked up, the throw is on point: a coconut goes sailing over Ivo's shoulder, landing in front of the elemental with the sandstorm inside it. There's a flash of red and gold, and then the elemental forces of fire and earth combine into what happens when you combine fire and earth:

 MAGMA.

 Specifically a splashing wave of molten rock flows over and through the elemental... which in normal circumstances wouldn't do a damn thing, except some genius ~INTENTIONALLY~ filled it with sand. Sand which is then superheated by magma.

 There's a faint *CHNK!* sound as the previously huge and unbound wind elemental finds significant chunks of its elemental body suddenly turned to obsidian-like GLASS, which promptly drops to the floor and shatters, giving Ivo a much more reasonable and even slightly more solid target to strike at.

 There is a pause, before Iris turns to Daiby, and says -- with all the sincerity in her heart -- "...*absolutely*."

Ivo Galvan rolls 1d20+5>=10.
Comment: Magma... vacuum... shattering... slash!?!
Roll(s): 14. Total result is 19. This is a success (by 9).

  • Character: Daiby
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


"Hooray!" exclaims Daiby, who winds up and hurls with all the speed and force of a SILVANESE HURLING SNAKE (that's the one on her arm that wasn't a rattlesnake)

phoop

She shades her eyes to see it fly.

  • Character: Daiby
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Daiby rolls 1d20.
Roll(s): 16. Total result is 16.

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago

Iris rolls 2d4.
Comment: What elements were in it?! No doubles no whammies STOP
Roll(s): 1 and 2. Total result is 3.


 Magma? In a volcano? Now we've seen everything.
 Frame the shot thusly: Reize skidding to a halt, narrowly returning to safety with snake companion intact, as three swirling cyclones of toxic gas gather and loom. The middle elemental is swelling into a veritable tornado here in the claustrophobic confines of the old lava tubes, threatening to fuse with its companions. Their intricate and resilience aetheric structures, the accumulation of years of battle between two very pissy wind elementals, begin to interweave. Disaster may seem on the verge of engulfing poor Reize and then, promptly, the rest of our heroes.
 What follows almost seems planned.
 Cut to Ivo regaining control of Hauteclare and bringing the blade, glowing a shade akin to ultraviolet made visible, sweeping back for a return strike. Cut to Iris's grenade releasing a burst of magma within the spreading central elemental, begin an extraordinary chain reaction that threatens to turn it into an exquisite glass ornament. And then, cut to Daiby's flung grenade, which bursts into a great plume of mist that is already becoming scalding steam, further entangling the mists of the elementals together, encouraging the spread of the glassifying effect.
 It is into that delicate statue of three intertwining elementals, barely able to keep itself buoyant, that Hauteclare collides.
 Cracks spread through the glass as the glowing blade shears directly through the core of the swollen central elemental, its poisons seemingly neutralized into glassy crystals that resemble shards of ice that scatter onto the tunnel floor, drawn out of the crevice. The flanking elementals, while not instantly vanquished, have huge chunks taken out of them that exposes purplish masses at their centers that pulse like hearts, the two half-solidified toxic phenomena crashing to the floor as well, behind and proximate to Reize, struggling to recover from the cacophanous elemental assaults. It's a miracle all the effects didn't just negate each other.
 Er, rather, a brilliant plan, definitely.
 "Nicely done!"
 Or so Ivo's tone implies as Hauteclare at last returns to its hilt to recharge from the vacuum gem.


  The boy is rather alarmed at the situation as the cyclonic elementals threaten to merge and engulf them all. As he manages to recover, he brings himself into a fighting stance while gritting his teeth.

 That is when everything, somehow, comes together.

 The efforts of the others put the elementals into a compromised position, leaving the purple-ish cores exposed.

 "This is our chance!" Reize calls out to his snake companion.

 Not willing to let the opportunity pass, he takes a leap back from the two half-solidified toxic elementals and he tosses his boomerangs out once more.

 The distance is to keep him clear from the toxic presence, but more importantly, use his boomerangs as they are normally seen: Projectiles.

  They start flying around the walls, smacking from one to the next. As they smack and ricochet, the speed increases. The ricocheting boomerangs smack against the cores with the intent of their destruction.
 

  • Character: Iris
  • 8 months, 2 weeks ago


 LOGICALLY, Iris is too intelligent not to know that all of this was an incredible series of coincidences strung together with grit, ingenuity, and adaptiveness. Later, if questioned, she would absolutely admit that this whole situation did up her estimation of Reize and company; after all, people who can steer a disaster are more useful than people who simply cause them.

 Emotionally, she is also wise enough to know that no plan survives the battlefield, and that life itself is, largely, a set of coincidences.

 These thoughts are in her head when she suddenly feels a rumbling in her pocket, and reaches into it in confusion, withdrawing something that hasn't been seen since she first met this group: the red and green elemental lodestones, the compass to what she was looking for the entire time.

 Excitedly, heedless of Reize's Mystic Arte going off in the background, she suddenly stumbles forward, following the stones' invisible pull, until she's standing next to Ivo and looking at the solidified remains of the elemental. Ducking down, she reaches out a gloved hand and brushes bits aside until she picks up what looks like a chunk of green glass streaked with lines of glowing red, as if it were a grenade about to go off.

 "I don't believe it," the runesmith says hoarsely. "Pyroclastic ventite." She turns and looks at Ivo. "Somehow all of..." A vague waving gesture with her hand. "...that, produced the exact conditions to form NEW pyroclastic ventite, instead of naturally-formed."

 Putting the lodestones away, the smith carefully puts the green-red glass-like chunk into a thick leather bag she has at her side, pulling the drawstring tight. Glancing at Hauteclere, she furrows her brow. "I don't think I can do anything for you with this, but..."

 Her eyes flicker to Reize's boomerangs tearing shining arcs through the room.

 "Him, on the other hand..."


 That's two surprisingly effective science experiments in a row, by Ivo's counting. It seems that Iris's techniques have a theme of improving their drop rates.
 "The elementals on this isle seem to provide extraordinarily high-quality aether for compounding," the Cosmopolitan is saying to Iris as he examines the pyroclastic ventite as well, peering over her shoulder curiously before she puts it away. "Perhaps once the conflict amongst the sapients here is adjudicated, we might discuss how to best procure more with those elementals capable of speech."
 As in: once we have our probably boss fight with Scirocco, perhaps she or Wuther or some order highly developed elemental might offer clues as to where the drop rates are highest.
 "At the very least... the way is clear."
 Ivo's gaze turns further up the tunnel. Once they navigate the narrow path along the now empty darkness of the chasm, the caldera rim lies ahead, promising stunning views and a yet more treacherous adversary.