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Stagnant Waters

Scene details

Setting: After a magitech mishap summoned water elementals to the Zerhem markets, our heroes have deduced that their likely source is the ruined and abandoned aqueduct that once supplied the city with fresh water from Lake Gerisia. The adventurers travel there to determine whatever is causing the excess in aether and resolve the issue.

Log

Climbing a hill can be an adventure all its own.
  There is no beaten path to the ruined aqueduct that looms over the city of Zerhem anymore. The road that once led there has long since washed out and been blocked by gnarled roots and fallen trees. The easiest paths are those carved by now dried creek beds, formed when the aqueduct first crumbled centuries ago and its waters leeched away. Even these are tortuous, but the native flora bursts with color. Flowering dill blooms lemon-yellow and sways in the breeze, rustling when horned rabbits or grouse scurry for better cover upon the adventurers' approach.
  "This was the best way, I promise," Ivo huffs to his party, reaching into his cloak for an embroidered handkerchief to blot the sweat from his brow. "That ranger I met at Lake Gerisia scouted it out with me earlier. We're almost there!" He sounds like he's encouraging himself more than anyone.
  And after some time of the aqueduct seeming to get no closer through the trees, they are finally there, breaking through a line of trees on uneven ground into a small clearing -- or what was once a clearing before it was overtaken by sturdy saplings and bushes. The aqueduct was once a stone channel with a second stone tier above to serve as a ceiling and with supporting pillars below. Both ceiling and pillars have crumbled in many places, but with the channel itself still intact, the result is a sort of squished tunnel, the mouth of which is pitch black, contrasting with the pleasant environs.
  "Okay, let's... let's take a breather here," Ivo advises, before placing his hands on his knees and proceeding to do so. He has a plan to explain, but explanation is a little beyond him for the nonce.

Adventure was all that Reize wanted to hear before he followed Ivo on this expedition. The sounds of an unexplored place was worth him getting on his feet and following his companion through Granse. There is not a 'request' tied to it, but the thrill of exploring a new site is even more exciting.
 
  The travel was quite a feat, given that no paved roads or beaten paths exist. This leaves for a more uneasy travel. There is a bit of a concern for his close companion, who he is occasionally checking up on.
 
  "...A ranger, huh?" Reize looks rather curious. He cannot help but to think of his home village, which houses varying types of hunters. To hear that there is another one like them is worth looking into as well, even for his own curiosity sakes.
 
  Once they arrive into what was once a clearing, he does drop to one knee and pants, "Whew...." He brings an arm to his forehead to wipe his brow. "So this is it, huh? Maybe we'll find some neat treasure while we're here~!"

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

While Ivo might be struggling with the heat, the silver haired homunculus he seems to have convinced to come along seems unbothered by it. She's not even bothered to change her clothing for something more adventure appropriate, still wearing the same dress she wore when he first met her! By some miracle it hasn't gotten covered in dust or ripped up by thorns or anything.
  "...it is unlit." she comments blandly, leaning over a little to peer into the darkness, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "I do not believe I can navigate sufficiently under such conditions. Have you brought a source of lighting?"

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Way back when it was first discovered, Priel didn't want anything to do with this little Aqueduct adventure. After all, there wasn't anything in it for her. She was content to laze around and do whatever paying work actually came up at the Vanguard Association. However, as fate would have it... Someone *did* post a job for this place. That is, if you count Corrine throwing a hastily written posting herself with a quickly decided reward at Priel's face as 'someone posting a job'. One thing led to another, and the red haired spelunker of mild renown found herself among the number of her old friends... climbing this hill. Frankly, she's been through worse, so this wasn't completely exhausting. "Uh huh." She mumbles, eyes half lidded. "You sure you aren't going to fall over yourself there?" An amused smirk forms. Blue eyes turn to Reize, arms folded and hands behind her head. "Huuuunh. Already talking about treasure, huh?" She looks on ahead. "Not that I disagree. ... I mean, I am getting paid for this, but it'd be nice to find something valueable to pawn off too, heh heh heh~"
 
  Look at these two. Both with eyes for treasure. But completely different reasons.
 
  And then there's that silver haired..... lady. She still gives Priel the creeps. "So uh..... Why is she here?" She asks Ivo, while jerking a thumb towards Argent. "She looks like got lost on the way to a ball. Not to a trip into some suspect aqueducts."
 
  Truth be told, Laineth had no idea where Argent was headed either. It was rare enough for the homunculus to just go out by herself. But on the other hand... it was nice to see her do things herself, so when the elf noticed her leaving the shop earlier, she didn't say anything about it. She'd probably be fine, right? Of course.

"Maybe!" Ivo affirms Reize's hopes, the Cosmopolitan beginning to grin already despite his fatigue. "The Vanguards weren't entirely convinced by my theory that the elementals originated here, but once we return in triumph, I'm sure they'll reward us at the very least." Although the adventurers' guild is aware of the elemental incident in the markets and they are not ignorant of how magitech functions, as evidenced by the skill of those with whom Reize and Ivo had to contend during their little misunderstanding, Ivo struggled to persuade Corrine or her fellows that the source of the elementals was almost certainly this aqueduct. Thus, it seemed likely that our heroes would have to act of their own volition, just as Reize says.
  Until, well--
  SOME TIME AGO
  "She's been sleeping on the couch *how* long? ...Post the job."
  NOW
  Anyway, it all worked out somehow. The takeaway here is that the lack of a preexisting relationship between the Vanguards and Cosmopolitan scholars, given how long Cosmopolis has been sealed off from foreign influence, means that Ivo's theories, even when correct, don't carry as much weight as they should. That's his story -- one that has nothing to do with his personal sketchiness -- and he's sticking to it.
  "Priel, whatever do you mean?" The young man seems to have caught his breath, and he gestures with a flourish toward the formally-clad beauty. "Surely you recall her courage in the face of danger!" That's one way to put it. "And the extraordinary... ability she used on me!" That's... one way to put it. "Such qualities are a vital addition to any adventuring party." He turns his grinning features to Argent. "Actually, we'll have another ally joining us shortly whom I believe will be able to help with that." He's not as confident as he sounds, but he does trust the ranger and, after all, if the ranger *is* here, there's no way someone as inexperienced with the outdoors as Ivo would know.
  Acting on this conviction, the magitech scholar draws from his cloak that same amplifier, the device that was accidentally used to summon the water elementals originally (and intentionally used for some ice platforming on another adventure).
  "Our plan goes something like this..."
  And with no further ado, Ivo activates the device with what power it retains. There's a sort of a staticy clicking and then an unimpressive silence. But after a little while, keen eyes may detect glitters in the darkness. Before long, minor water elementals forming around glimmering ice crystals begin forming -- ten, twenty, thirty. A veritable horde of them, concentrating at the mouth of the tunnel, slowly floating forth as though peeking out into the sun.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

The collapsed aqueduct is an apt object lesson to the discussion shared when Ivo came across a camping monster hunter in the wilds. Once, the deep lore necessary to keep this grand feat of magical engineering clean and efficient was all but second nature; now, it collapses around itself, worse than not serving its purpose, it's become a hazard. For those inexperienced wanderers who make their way into its rugged and unpredictable caverns, daring unmapped traverses without knowledgeable backup... for those exposed to the mayhem of those impressive enchantments and gadgets as they break down.
 
 Of course, it could also kill adventurers here hunting the monsters multiplying within limbs or lives in a myriad of ways. It was just this concern that negated the idea of scouting out the extent of the cavern and its inhabitants beforehand: shoving through spaces barely allowing breath to come upon cavernous arenas full of enemies all focused on that entrance (what with all the scuffing, huffing, and puffing alongside the rattle of obstructed gear) seems decidedly unwise.
 
 What Ivo and Orilion -did- discover, however, was the impressive, shadowed space just beyond that ominous entrance, its shattered stonework surrounds showing significant signs of the aftermath of elemental magic. Both men have enough expertise to recognize the threat such things-- along with whatever lies beyond-- represent.
 
 There could be an army in there. Enough power to obliterate them both; and all of Ivo's friends, to boot. Just walking away is hardly an acceptable option for either, and after a bit of examination and an inventory of the gear and minerals on hand, the ranger and the rake agree on a Plan(tm). One that will -surely- work perfectly, and survive first contact with the enemy. While Ivo moves to intersect his party, Orilion spends the time caking himself in the cold mud forming near the mouth of the cave, the better to go about his business within undetected.
 
 Orilion goes in light, and so Ivo and friends would see the slayer's gear likely long before the man himself: several bandoliers and pieces of light armor alongside a myriad of small blades forged of varied metals and runework laid out carefully across a cloak. There are, notably, almost none of the devices Ivo identified as improvised explosives the night before visible. Strange, that. Dressed simply in tunic and trousers, accented only by bracers and soft-soled leather boots, the midnight-haired ranger resides above the others as they organize, an arrow headed by a strange aerodynamic capsule knocked to an undrawn recurve bow. "Good thing we're all set." He observes in softly bemused baritone. "Or this would be quite the catastrophe."
 
 The bow is drawn, the arrow fired, a growing sizzle sounding as it slices through the air and disappears within the cave, amidst the glittering of eager elementals. An instant later, a whoosh of air and rumble sound from beyond, a wave of fire burning swifly across a sheen of alchemical oil now resting insistently atop the scarecely-flowing river.
 
 The result is a torrent of fire, blasting a plume of flame and heat out through the narrowing entrance from the spaces beyond. A rush of flame that sets off secondary charges in the form of each of those aforementioned homemade grenades, peppering the approach with erupting fireballs and... substantially diminishing the multitude of gathering signatures. It's also a safe bet that the more resilient in that ample number are now quite, quite irate, as the largest and strongest of the elementals-- alongside no particular shortage still arriving from beyond-- more fully materialize and angrily trundle forth.

The Beginner Vanguard is glancing over towards Priel as she remarks about his lust for treasure. "Of course! That's one of the fun parts of exploring!" He brightens with a grin. He does glance around the aqueduct, "However, it would be nice to also know the history of the place and to find what.. lost stories can be found here." His eyes become dreamy as he considers the wonders of the aqueducts.
 
  A glance is given towards Argent, who he briefly met along his way of getting into the Vanguards. "It's great to have you aboard! It looks like you two..." He glances back towards Ivo, "Had prior experience with this situation."
 
  Frowning towards Ivo, Reize notes, "I'm not too interested in the reward from the Vanguard Association, but finding out what secrets this place has!" Once he stands straight up, he draws one of his crystal boomerangs from his hip and swings it a bit to get the arm moving.
 
  As they get further, the boy notices a few bandoliers, light armor,a nd other equipment. He blinks, "Looks like someone else made it here before we did," Reize notes towards Ivo and the gang. However, the person himself is glanced over. A friend of Ivo's?
 
  Great!
 
  "Ooooi!" The young explorer cheerily greets. He finishes straightening himself out though he drifts towards the arrow shot into the cave. The rumbling sound earns a focused gaze, "...Been a while since I've met an archer..." There is a bit of an uneasy smile as his mind drifts back to the village. ....Kajira

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"Ah." Argent says softly as the arrow whizzes away, eyes trailing the path of it. "I believe that is a-" And then comes The Boom. Even as far as she is from the explosion the shockwave washes over her, blowing her hair around and leaving it a dis...oh, no. Her hair's perfectly okay in the wake of the blast. What kind of conditioner does she use?
  Without saying anything more she turns around, striding purposefully back towards the group. To be more precise, she's moving behind them, giving them an expectant look. Well, she's not really a fighter. She's really just here to patch them back up afterwards, in her own unique way.

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Look.
 
  That couch is comfy, alright?
 
  But anyway, Priel only narrows her eyes at Ivo, and then at Argent. "... Extraordinary, huh? Sure. If that's what you're into." She says, eyes rolling, but she decides that it's in good taste not to focus on that aspect of the matter too much. With a nod to Reize, expecting his typical cheerful response, she focuses on the task at hand. Or rather, on Ivo's taking that that amplifier, and then...
 
  "Aha... that sure is a whole bunch of elementals." She says casually, one hand above her as she leans forward a bit and peers at the gathering horde. For a moment, she wonders how she's going to go about sorting this out, when she hears, then sees all of that equipment approaching... then the person wearing all of it. "Uh-" Before she can ask, he lets loose an arrow and whew boy... "Wow. That's one way to do it." The redhead comments, whistling in an impressed manner.
 
  After that, she clenches a fist, and aether energy pools in it, forming into a flaming red sword that she lifts onto a shoulder, tapping it idly. "Well then, time to get to work, I guess." A glance back at Argent. "Try not to get killed." Pause. "... Actually, how is your hair not completely messed up after that blast?" She squints. Then she shakes her head. "Wait, nevermind. Time and place." She turns away from the homunculus and back to the cavernous entrance of the aqueduct.
 
  "Let's get this over with first."

"Orilion!" Ivo is enthused and relieved when the gentleman he met by the lakeside emerges into view, caked in camouflaging mud and formidably equipped. "Do you, ah... would you like to... wipe your face?" He very hesitantly extends the handkerchief with which he had been dabbing at his own sweat, the Cosmopolitan visibly wincing, unable to disguise his reluctance despite his diplomatic nature. Is adventuring really supposed to be so *dirty*?
  But the seemingly stoic ranger is already nocking an arrow and letting it fly. Ivo begins to grin again as he reaches up to partially shield his eyes with his hand.
  "This could get a bit loud and bright--"
  He undersells it. The explosion engulfs the gathered elementals and obliterates the smaller ones, melting their inner ice instanteously. A few are large enough to survive and visibly stirred by the threat. Ivo is somewhat dazed by the results of his own plan, but he manages to draw his longsword nonetheless, recovering sufficiently to flash a gallant smile at Argent. "I shall valiantly protect you," he proclaims, "rallied by the prospect of your tender aftercare." He's sort of joking. "Once we clear the rest of these out, the channel should be safe to explore... and we can trade all the hair tips we like!" A brief pause. "Like, what's going on with *Reize's* hair? Is there any way to smooth out that cowlick?"
  With luck, Ivo thinks, he can replenish the aether of the amplifier with the remains of these elementals. His blade detaches from its hilt, a thread of lightning buoying its sharp edge, and he thrusts out at a distance, sending the weapon hurtling at one still-confused elemental before it can raise its icy shields, cracking its core and sending shudders through it. The antithetical elemental aspect of Orilion's ambush and the severity of its damage seem to have effectively staggered their opponents. Only two other major water elementals seem sufficiently intact to approach the party.
  But their power is greater than those that Ivo and Priel faced before. The air around them all palpably chills as the spirits begin to summon a magical blizzard, ice and snow manifesting about them and threatening to pound at their frontline.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

The initial wave of ice and snow hit a carefully etched series of runic markers dusted with their own alchemical essence, a secondary flare of light and heat rising skyward like an invisible wall.
 
 It buys the party only moments with the ferocity of that onslaught, and Orilion takes his own share of those instants to knock and fire a second incindiery arrow, its searing whoosh slicing through the snowstorm, aligned with practiced precision at the core of the largest elemental.
 
 It may not end the behemoth-- but those defenses can only take so much antithetical assault, and the hunter knows it well. He dives from the branch he had used as a firing position, and his player absolutely did not forget to mention during massive spam, to retrieve and roll into his cloak. Heedless of his own purported filth, Orilion wraps himself in the grey garment's shielding breadth.

It is then that Reize draws the other boomerang from his side and readies them. It looks like the peace is disturbed and the elementals in question are roused. The boy is taking a more aggressive posture; grip on the boomerangs hang inverted as he leans forward. He's ready to rush in at the threat should they come out.
 
  He takes a moment to glance at Ivo, squinting at the remark about his hair, "...Ooi, what do you mean trying to smooth it out?" Almost as if the cowlick was sentient, the stubborn strand of hair stands up straight and then 'hisses' out at Ivo.
 
  Once the major water elementals draw forth to call upon the cold air, Reize gives out a wince as he grows into a shiver. "Ugghh... Let's see if I can break their defense!"
 
  Reize is already off to a sprint, gathering the aether from within him. There is a green, wavy ripple around the young explorer as he gains traction. Then he leaps off towards the elementals. There is a rippling aura as he swings his foot down to break through the defenses. Reize is tapping into one of his Arts. "FADING SUN!"

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"Oh great." Priel murmurs as she sees those two large elementals approaching. Bigger than the ones they fought some time back. This looks mildly troublesome. She flips the grip of her sword into reverse grip, channeling energy into it and causing the blade to surge alive with flames rippling from it. While that blizzard forms, threatening to slam into them, she goes for the other elemental, and breaks into a run. She'll have to actually try a bit here.
  Moving in an arc around to the side of one of them, before she skids to a stop, and bursts foward, kicking off the ground and aiming an intense flaming slash in reverse grip to slice into the formed body of ice. "Hah!"

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Argent meanwhile is just watching this all go on, leaving the heavy lifting to the rest of the group. Well, she's watching for a while. Eventually those runic markers catch her interest, and while the fight rages on she wanders on up to one, crouching down as her fingers trace across them. "Ah. I understand." she says to herself, lifting her hand to peer at some of the remains of the dust left upon them.
  The party may have the bulk of the elementals under control, or at least distracted, but it seems they aren't content to merely attack things that are actually a threat to them. A smaller one of the things is rapidly approaching the homunculus, something that finally catches her attention once it's just a few feet away. "Ah." she says calmly, getting back up to her feet, a hand outstretched and pointing at her aggressor. "I believe I am under attack. Furthermore, I require protection." ...she doesn't actually seem very concerned. She's not even saying it loudly!

Ivo braces himself as best he can against the oncoming blizzard, activating his magitech buckler and positioning its translucent energy shield before his face, only to blink in surprise as Orilion turns out to have a defensive ploy in reserve. The runic flames rise up protectively to counteract the water elementals' first assault, giving the party the opportunity to rally and strike again.
  "Good luck, my fri--" Ivo's well wishes to Reize are cut off as he stares wide-eyed at the boy's hair. Did that cowlick just-- no, that's impossible. Must've been a trick of the alchemical light. Shaking off his obvious delusion, the fencer steadies his hand and flicks his wrist so that his detached blade dances at a distance, darting back in to strike at his target's chipped core and fracture it further.
  Meanwhile, Reize and Priel target the two other sizable foes approaching them. Reize's kick shatters the icy shield that his opponent hastily forms, having devoted too much of its aether to its initial attack and still recovering from the previous blast. He breaks through and strikes its core, but the surrounding bubble of water slows the kick sufficiently that the elemental endures, summoning sharp shards of ice in what becomes a dangerous cyclone, attempting to repel the boy before it can be destroyed.
  Priel encircles the largest, its own defenses broken by Orilion's second explosive arrow, and her scorching blade cleaves through what protections remain to it to rapidly begin melting its core. Yet this one is indeed tougher than their previous opponents. In apparent desperation, it devotes all of its energies to close-range, a patch of ice forming beneath them and icicles possibly forming on the dragonkin woman herself as it tries to douse her flames in a fierce magical struggle.
  "Oh, really?" Ivo, focused on trying to eliminate his target as quickly as possible so as to assist his friends, sounds distracted when he replies to Argent. "That's very inter-- what?" Voice sharp, he turns abruptly to see that a smaller elemental has evidently survived their initial assault and its closing in while Reize and Priel are already engaged. "Damn--!" And Ivo's blade is too far to be recalled in time. But he's not without options. Gritting his teeth, he lunges between Argent and her soon-to-be assailant and, weathering the small cuts and impacts of its surrounding ice, punches the minor elemental with his hilt, the energy gathered there shocking and repelling it a few meters. "Orilion!" The ranger is closer -- maybe he can help finish it off.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Orilion comes to his feet in a compact, poised crouch as he shrugs into his cloak, though it seems it wasn't /he/ who needed the added defensive options, in this moment. A quick survey of the battlefield tell the hunter's steely blue eyes of two imminent threats to that aforementioned party life and limb-- to the oddity that is the placid Argent, and the fire-wielding acumen of Priel.
 
 Both gloved, muddy mitts disappear within the lithe ranger's cloak, coming out with a rune-etched blade with a strange crimson grain, and a ribbon-tied pouch of smooth, fine ritual cloth. The latter is hurled towards the clash with Priel, the small sack charged with fire-aligned aether, and if his aim is true... the flames of that blade would find themselves gifted with substantial surge.
 
 The former whips end over end, crossing the distance between Orilion and Ivo far faster than the fleetest footfalls, its blade reflecting light with a smouldering reddish hue.
 
 Oppositional force cleaves deeply into the minor elemental's core, carving off a substantial chunk as the assault on Ivo's defenses suddenly ebbs, the creature's physical form rupturing into icy mist and the windblown shrapnel of an angry storm.

Given that Reize put a lot of effort in the Art, as the purpose of the stance, he is stuck in a position that he cannot quickly recover from. Once he commits to the strike, his foot remains planted upon the impact and he relies on the momentum to propel him forward. However, this also leaves Reize prone to being swept away by the cyclonic sharp shards of ice, "Wh---whaaaaaaaaooaoaaahh!"
 
  The momentum of the wind sends the boy flying high into the sky. He soars, and then he drops unceremoniously into the ground with a harsh thud. There is a loud, sickening thunk upon the impact. "Ugghhh...ggnnn..." He grimaces.
 
  "Okay, plan B."
 
  He rolls along his side until he can get himself up. He holds the boomerangs upright. Style Change. He lunges forward, sweeping his leg out for a quick kick to build the momentum. The youth's spring becomes more acrobatic as he launches from the ground, pushing himself closer to the elemental. As the boy becomes a flurrying whirlwind himself, he ensnares the creature with a flurry of sweeping kicks and the rounding is finished off with a roundhouse kick to send the creature smack dab against the wall. Given the wide-spread of the kicks, this is assaulting the minor elementals that are in vicinity, assaulting their cores.

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Priel is too far away to hep Argent. Tsk tsk. And after she told her not to get killed too. Thankfully Ivo's there... except his blade is too far away to make it back in time. Ehhhhhh... they'll work it out. Probably. She's got her own issue to deal with right now. Namely, this stubborn elemental. Even after the two pronged assault on it, and slashing nearly clean through its core, it desperately lashes back out with freezing cold.
 
  Priel can feel a shiver go up her spine as the cold encroaches on her. Icicles forming on her at various points, while her body temperature drops. "Oh boy..." She says, sounding a bit concerned. But not enough to panic. She spins her sword into upright grip, and tightens her hold on it. But before she can counter this ice, her sword alights with an intense flame that definitely was not her doing. "Oh?" A glance towards Orilion, and she grins. "Well isn't this useful?" She looks towards the elemental rather smugly now. "Well then, don't mind.... IF I DO!"
 
  Her blade erupts even more intensely as she combines her own power with that enchantment, and swings outward horizontally. What follows is a huge wave of fire that envelops the remains of that stubborn elemental, aiming to rapidly reduce it to a puddle.
 
  She's not mad with power.
 
  Promise..

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"It has been destroyed." Argent points out, as if everyone couldn't already tell. "...I do not believe your injuries are life threatening. However, minor wounds debilitate combat effectiveness. As such, I request that you remain still." she goes on as she steps towards Ivo, her palm already coming to her mouth as she...spits into it. She reaches out, palm cupped as she reaches for his cheek...
  Smack! Ah. It looks like she decides to do it quickly for efficiency's sake, bringing her spit soaked palm down on a long cut on Ivo's cheek, the stinging of the slap giving way to the soothing effect of whatever she's secreted into her saliva. How kind of her.

Ivo's grimace flips into a grin, with a flicker of astonishment between, as Orilion's enchanted dagger finds its mark, dispersing the elemental troubling him and Argent. "Thank you, friend!" he calls to the ranger, already looking back to his previous target. His blade has been left spinning through the air, and reaching out with his sparking hilt, its invisible connection to the rest of the sword seems restored, the long edge elegantly swooping up like a bird catching a gust of wind.
  In a glance, Ivo surveys the battlefield and judges that Reize, not Priel, could most benefit from an assist, and that he can manage one.
  "Reize!"
  Calculating the arc, Ivo swings his arm full force, an extravagant motion compared to his usual wrist twitches. The detached blade soars, piercing through the damaged core of his previous target with a crunch and shooting toward Reize's foe from the opposite side. As the boy switches stances and closes in again, a spray of water and ice obscures the melee, the remainder of the surrounding minor elementals blown away by the spinning kicks. Ivo squints, focusing, and sees through the chaos. The moment before Reize's final kick slams against the large elemental, the point of Ivo's blade descends and slips through its blizzard guard, cracking the core -- just enough that it explodes when Reize sends it against the crumbled outer wall of the aqueduct, becoming a glorious burst of diamond-like dust.
  Ivo exhales heavily but still can't help but grin, feeling the rush of coordinated battle, and turns to marvel at Priel's intensified power. He almost has to squint again against the force of her magnified flames as she annihilates her foe, its waters evaporating into nothing. The fearsome meeting of opposing elements leaves a purified powder scattering like snow through the air and upon the ground, precious raw materialized aether.
  The mighty wave of foes seems vanquished.
  "Well done, everyone!" Ivo calls. "All that awaits is the investi--"
  *slap*"--iiiaaaa?"
  The young man's cheeks seem rather flushed. Well, it stands to reason that one's cheek flushes where one is slapped. That doesn't explain the other cheek, though.
  "Thank... you," he says carefully to Argent, a cut he was hardly aware of healing, a deeper psychic wound quietly worsening. "Feel free to... do that any time..." Pause. "...when your professional judgment as a healer warrants it, of course."
  Yes, that's the ticket.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"And that..." Orilion notes with no small measure of relief, and some allotment of pride, "Is why you don't send an army to fight a horde of monsters... even if you had one." It's a callback to his chance meeting with Galvan; and their philosophical consideration of the many threats plaguing the lands.
  "Good work-- Ivo said his friends were capable, and we're all lucky he was right." A thankful nod is passed as the ranger approaches the mouth of the cavern, holding out a pendant talisman on a reinforced chain as he scans their surroundings.
  "I don't believe there are any more manifestations imminent-- but there is still resonance here." He murmurs with a measure of returning concern; this, too, was a possibility worthy of both trepidation -and- anticipation. As Reize noted: There might be treasure. "Is everyone intact?" Or near enough, for their line of work. He barely even looks at Ivo's 'treatment' at Argent's smackin' hand. None of his business, battle excites everyone differently.

If there is one person that Reize can count on, it is Ivo. It helps to have their strategic guide by his side. With the assistance of his friend, they manage to take out the large elemental as Hauteclare breaks through the blizzard guard and the boy sends it flying to the wall.
 
  "Whew..." He runs a hand over to his forehead. "That felt great! It's been a while since we've gotten into combat together like that!" As Orilion delves deeper into the cavern, he cracks a grin. "You're quite impressive as well!" He looks quite thoughtful, "And very resourceful."
 
  Hm. Still resonance. So there is a lingering presence. Reize frowns, "We'll have to be careful in case." As for his condition, he grimaces as he runs a hand to his stomach, "Y--yeah, I'm okay, nothing I haven't dealt with before, but will be---"
 
  And then it happens.
 
  Whatever was to come out of Reize's mouth comes to a halt as witnesses Argent's healing treatment towards Ivo.
 
  ...
  ...
 
  Face pales. Deer in headlights look comes from the young boy.
 
  Both hands slap his onto his cheeks. "AHHHHHHHH! IVO GOT COOTIES NOW!" He shouts with aghast horror, "Argh argh argh I can't even stand near you right now, Ivo!" In fact, Reize has ensured that he is a good 10 feet away from Ivo.
 
  He stares hard at Argent, "No cooties from you! Oh nonononononono!" He steps back further from her. He'll pass on -that- healing.

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"Phew..." Priel straightens up, resting a hand on her hip, her other arm hanging loose and ready with her sword in its grip as she gives the area survey. "Looks like that's everything..." She smiles in satisfaction to herself, and disperses her weapon into a plume of flame. "Not bad. Your new friend is pretty useful, Ivo." What with the opening assault, the various tricks, and the flame enchantment. All good stuff.
 
  "Well then..." She brushes herself off, and shakes out her limbs to check for wounds. Nothing of the sort, thankfully. She's just a bit cold, but that's nothing some fire can't fix. She lifts a hand and causes a medium sized fireball to form above her palm, just radiating heat as she walks forwards the lip of the cavern. "Alright. Let's get a move on, peop-"
 
  Her words are cut off as she sees what's happening back there with Argent and Ivo. .... .....
 
  "Pfft-Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Of course she bursts out laughing. What else would she have done in this situation.

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Reize's dramatic response garners a tilted head from Argent, the tip of her ridiculously long hair dragging along the ground. And yet, the strands don't seem inclined to get dirty at all! "I do not understand your concern. I do not believe I have been compromised by an infectious disease." she says as she advances on him, that still damp hand outstretched. Menacingly.
  "Please remain still and allow me to treat you." Uh oh. Looks like she's not letting him get away unhealed.

Ivo, finally stirred from what we'll call a stupor by his friend's reaction, stares blankly at Reize for a few moments. His mouth opens, then closes, then opens again for his reply:
  "Urrrghhh!"
  Abruptly clutching at his chest, his eyes widen as he begins to shamble toward the boy, staggering like a wounded animal.
  "Reize... she got me... I can't stop myself... from spreading... the pathogen!" He's closing in, his staggering becoming more of a series of hops as he speeds up. "Run... you've got to... run...!" And so he attempts to chase the boy around for a while.
  We have fun here.
  "Oh, I feel better. Guess it passed," he then says nonchalantly whenever he finally gets bored, which may be right after he oh-so-coincidentally attempts to herd Reize to Argent and her terrible hand. "I must be building up an immunity." He grins and looks to Priel at the tunnel entrance. Now that he's turned it into a joke, she was retroactively laughing *with* him, not *at* him, he decides. Pretty sure that's how it works. "Shall we make our way inside? We can gather the elemental remains here once we've finished inside. Whatever's in there should remain intact, since we concentrated our damage and the elementals at the entrance... Just watch out for any burning oil, alright?"
  Sure enough, some of the trickling water remains afire, contributing some further luminesence. Once the party is prepared to venture inside, through a cloud of dust raised and still unsettled by their explosive ambush, the smooth cream tones of the limestone welcome them. Though the ceiling has collapsed in places, once they pick their way past the rubble, a surprising amount of the interior remains intact. The architecture is refined, the hewn rock studded with what looks like cracked glass.
  "Artificial aether crystals," Ivo muses. "The most basic product of magical science, but impressively consistent in their design for being centuries old. That suggests an organized effort rather than the work of a single gifted sage." He smiles slightly, eyes thoughtful. "I don't recall finding anyone in Zerhem producing much of anything that could be called magitech. People trading naturally occurring aether crystals found in the wild, maybe, but..."
  The tunnel requires some further ducking and weaving until, behind another dense pile of rubble, the darkness is banished by a flood of light: they reach a point where the channel has mostly given way. The party will find that they have been traveling on a section of the aqueduct suspended high above the ground by weathered pillars, a method of construction allowing it to pass from hill to hill. Some of these pillars have been damaged and the channel has partly given way.
  "Hm..."
  The channel is intact enough that water can still flow toward where the party stands, and indeed, there seems to be more water than before coming from the aqueduct beyond, which should supposedly be cut off from the lake. But the surrounding walkways are gone. The only ways across seem to be wading through the knee-deep water along slippery stone or hopping bravely atop the damaged remnants of what were supporting pillars, a ten meter drop below.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20.
Roll(s): 9. Total result is 9.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Once a glance back assures him Ivo is -not- in fact a homonculus-spit infected zombie, he takes point venturing into the now rather warm tunnel. The soft luminescence offered by fire and refracting crystal is rather agreeable as his eyes quickly adjust to the relative darkness, those magitech formations drawing a large measure of interest from the hunter.
  "Between these crystals and the elemental cores, we've already got quite the reward, here." The eagerness is similar to, but askance from some OTHER party member's love of gold. From the ranger's perspective, they have the powerful makings of more tools and concoctions; ways to make the next leg of the Endless Path more walkable.
  "Do you imagine they're being moved or produced here more recently, or unforseen consequences of the magic and engineering in these channels breaking down?" Orilion queries of Ivo, even as the flow of water seems to pick up a new source, something curious to the survivalist before it becomes obvious; by the point the tunnel opens up on the precipice, he's already wearing a frown. "How much rope are we all carrying?" He muses, half to himself.

There are two immediate concerns from Reize. One of them is from Argent, who slowly advancing towards him. In his vision, Argent is growing larger to the point of looming over him. In fact, there is a dark aura projected from her as she radiates an eerie, malevolent energy his way. His jaw opens and he slowly backs away, finding himself clinging onto a wall, "Ahh--ahh.... aaaaahhhhh....!"
 
  This brings concern #2, who stokes the flames of Reize's fear as Ivo exclaims the spreading. Run while he still can!
 
  "AHHHHH!"
 
  And so Reize does! He bolts straight into the path of the cavern.
 
  ....And of course, he steps on a trap.
 
  "Eh?"
 
  The ground rumbles underneath Reize, and it suddenly collapses underneath Reize. "AHHH!"
 
  The good news is that it is not a deep fall. It's maybe a about six feet down from the platform.
 
  The bad news?
 
  Reize is immediately swept by the water that still lingers within the aqueduct and is shot straight back up to the group....
 
  "GAAAAH!"
 
  ...Right into the arms of Argent.

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Ah, yes, they have so much fun here.
 
  And so, Priel turns into the tunnel and proceeds along with Orilion and Ivo as they scope out the place. "Hm... This was supposed to be an aqueduct, right? So why'd it get so broken down anyway? You'd think a place like this would be kept in working order since it's generally useful..." She muses a hand to her chin thoughtfully...
 
  And then Reize runs past, screaming bloody murder. ...And steps right onto a trap. Down he goes. Down, dooown, doooooooown.... okay, it's only like, six feet. But a geyser of water rockets him right back up into the air out of the pit...
 
  ...And right into Argent's arms.
 
  Priel stares, then her lips quirk into an amused smile. "You may as well just accept it, kid.”

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Pale eyes watch placidly as Reize retreats, tracing him even as he falls down below the ground. "...I do not understand his beha-ah. He has returned." she says calmly even as the young man is shot back up, just watching events unfold as though they're simply a mild curiosity. "...oh." she finally says when his trajectory becomes apparently.
  Of course, getting him within healing range is certainly useful. It would just be more useful if he wasn't headed towards her at such speed.
  "...you are heavy." she says after a few seconds of lying beneath him in a crumpled heap. He's probably not /that/ heavy, but she's hardly cut out for heavy lifting with those skinny little arms. She could probably use some help.

"Rope, huh?" Ivo considers Orilion's practical question as Reize goes running by them, screaming. "When in doubt, it's always worth checking Reize's bag of tricks--" Reize slides past them in the opposite direction, carried by a rush of water, still screaming. "--whenever he's ready."
  Cruelly unconcerned with his friend's tragic fate, the Cosmopolitan takes the opportunity to examine the dull crystals more closely. "I think these date from the construction of the aqueduct itself," he murmurs. "I'm guessing, since they've lost their elemental aspect, but I think these were probably water-imbued and designed to purify the water or speed its flow. In which case..." He glances at Priel and nods, frowning slightly. "Given that there's no indication today that Zerhem produces work like this... if this edifice was a crowning achievement of the kingdom's early era, perhaps they... didn't leave it to crumble so much as lost the knowledge or capacity to maintain it?"
  He looks beyond the gap to where the channel continues out of sight.
  "And if water is still flowing here even though the aqueduct's cut off from the lake, then we're almost certainly dealing with a larger aether crystal that's cracked but still functional, and leaking." He clicks his tongue quietly. "But why would Zerhem lose the ability to maintain such vital infrastructure? I should look up the initial members of their alliance and see if... well, first things first. Reize, got any rope? If one of us can hop across and tie the rope to the other side, the rest of us should be able to ford through the channel without risk of losing our... balance..."
  Looking over his shoulder, he sees that Reize and Argent seem to have lost their balance, or something along those lines.
  "And so the harem grows."
  He'd help, but he might have to take Argent's hand, and even thinking about her hand makes his own palms start to sweat.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"Some of them look intact enough to take a charge, still. But even the powder is valuable." Orilion observes, nodding with the rest of Ivo's assessment. "Much has been lost to today's civilizations-- its bones are everywhere." The hunter notes somewhat obliquely, pacing the span before them.
  "Unless we want to expend time and ample aether freezing a walkway or some such, the simplest way across looks to be a rope bridge." Three lengths, hold tight, tread carefully. "... unless everyone here happens to be a competent freeclimber." And even then, those drops without points of contact look -awfully- much like a gamble, to Orilion.
  "What's the plan for the crystal? Drain the remaining power? See if the source might be repaired?" It has an air of almost idle curiosity for a rather core query.

The landing was not one that Reize had hoped for. This brought him to the direction that he was running from! The boy is just staring with pure horror in his eyes, until he manages to come to. After all, he toppled the poor woman in his landing.
  Also, Reize has no intentions of accepting the fate of cooties! Never in a million years! However, there is a glare as he looks back at Ivo, "There is no harem!" He furrows his eyebrows, slowly getting back up. He does offer to help get the strange woman back on her feet. He's not a jerk to leave someone on the ground, after all.
  A moment later, Reize asks, "What did you guys find?" And then the question regarding rope pops up. "Oh! Yeah, I have some rope." He slips a hand into his satchel to procure the a large, tied-together rope, tossing it over towards Ivo's direction.

  • Character: Argent
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

Argent of course takes Reize's offered hand in her own. Notably, the very same one she so recently covered in saliva. It's cool and wet to the touch, not exactly the most pleasant of experiences for him. One she's back on her feet she shakes her dress, some of the dust that finally managed to get on it coming off to leave the garment looking perfect as ever.
  Then she's looking at Ivo, blinking slowly at him. "He is correct. I lack a harem, as I am already married." she says quite matter-of-factly, seemingly completely missing that he was in fact referring to Reize.

  • Character: Priel
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"Huh... Makes sense. So it's not that they didn't take care of it, but rather they couldn't." Priel shrugs. "Still a shame. If this place were in tip top shape still, I'm sure the city would be better off for it." And a grin forms. "But that's none of my business." She rests her hands on her hips, looking across the way. Then she looks down at the step drop dividing it. "... Looks like if you fell, you'd be falling for a while. Not a big deal, right?"
 
  Someone like Millia could just fly across with her artifact. Maybe Priel should have foisted the job onto her and kept napping on that couch. ....Nah.
 
  A glance is spared over to Reize and Argent, who are untangling and getting back up. "Pfft. Married? You? Now I have to wonder who in their right mind... Actually, no. Don't answer that." She says with a hand held up. She doesn't want to know what *other* weirdos are out there. Argent herself is already enough.
 
  And how is she not getting dirty!? What magic is she using? How many pushups did she do? What kind of juice did she drink!?
 
  Ahem
 
  They have their rope, thanks to Reize's bag of random things. And now... "Well, here we are then. Try not to fall into the pit of death. Bodyless funerals aren't fun." Does that mean funerals with bodies *are* fun? Questions for later.

"Whatever you say, chief."
  Grinning, Ivo catches Reize's rope as the coil is tossed to him, then pauses, looking back at the gap. After a moment's thought, he draws his longsword again and carefully ties a loose knot around the base of the blade, trying to avoid fraying the material against its edge.
  "What about..."
  The scholar detaches his blade as usual, but this time sends it floating slowly over the gap, trailing the rope. Keeping his foot firmly on the other end of the rope lest it slip from the sword -- which it threatens to do a couple times -- he sends his weapon drifting toward a crenellation carved into the remains of the aqueduct on the other side. With dexterous flicks of his wrist and evident deep concentration, Hauteclare weaves around the indentation in the rock and then loops the rope through itself, tying a tight knot and slipping free with the final pull. Beaming with satisfaction, Ivo reaches down and gives the rope a few sharp tugs as his blade returns and clicks back into its hilt.
  "There's a first time for everything," he remarks, encouragingly (?), before stepping into the water of the channel and proceeding across the gap. At least he has the decency to be the first one to go given the exceedingly sketchy way that he pulled that off. "Don't be so sure, Argent," he calls, his voice just a little tight. "Some are born with harems, some achieve harems, and some have harems thrust upon them. Based on recent experience, you seem of the latter sort!" He may be trying to distract himself from the drop below.
  Wait, who's born with a harem?
  "Well, now!"
  Ivo at last makes it to the other side and is peering into the channel. It seems that what lies beyond is hidden not by darkness, which is alleviated by ventilation shafts above, but by a drop in elevation. When the party crosses and is able to join Ivo on the other side -- barring any serious disasters -- they will see what he sees: a basin carved deep into the channel, a siphon built to increase the momentum of flowing water so as to pull it uphill and now full of standing water. Visible beneath that water's surface, as Ivo predicted, a larger cracked aether crystal glimmers with a furtive blue light. Surrounding the basin, covered in the undisturbed dust of centuries, are work tables covered in curious tools and implements.
  "I doubt we can repair it like this," he'll belatedly muse to Orilion once the ranger joins him. "We can destroy it... or, far better, try to extract it and repair it elsewhere. It's worth quite a bit, especially in a land still new to modern magitech... and perhaps the regent would appreciate its historical and practical value. It'll be tough to remove it underwater without destabilizing it further, though. If we had something to dampen or reduce its power..." He glances about. "If we don't have anything ourselves, there might be something left here that still works."
  As he thinks excitedly about how to resolve this final challenge, perhaps someone with keener senses than Ivo will detect the ground shifting a little under their feet, or hear the faint cracking of stone some distance below where they now stand.

  • Character: Orilion
  • 2 years, 1 month ago

"Mankind has little success maintaining focus past the span of a thousand years at most." Orilion deadpans to Priel's regret so dryly it's a hard call just -how- serious he is with that criticism, swiftly moving to follow Ivo across the chasm.
  "Whatever we're to do, we should do it quickly-- this cavern is hardly stable." It's a thought that entered his head as soon as he saw the elevation. It's given voice, now, after he crosses the makeshift rope-walkway providing insurance against a very, very bad day. The rumble of stone is never reassuring; no matter how distant. Things change quickly underground. "There should be modules to tap its power, store it to return later, or transport..."
  If, indeed, the ranger is reading the workstations correctly; these things are ever something of a crapshoot. Nonetheless, he joins in the search as swiftly as he's able, applying perhaps -some- measure of experience with aether batteries. "Failing that, perhaps the pyromancer can siphon it off and expend it?" A steel-eyed glance is paid over one shoulder towards Priel, or her absence after -refusing- to cross a rickety amateur rope bridge.

This is the result of helping her up.
 
  ... Reize suddenly appears crestfallen, his head hangs and river-like stream of tears cascade over his closed eyes. "...It finally happened."
 
  Feeling that slick residue on his hands.
 
  Reize... has been cootified.
 
  He will never be able to adventure again. He shall spend the days bedridden. Never to see the sun or open world again.
 
  However, it does not take him long to come out of his moment of stupor as he looks back at Ivo and Orilion. There is also the ignoring the rest of the 'harem' and 'married' stuff. That's not interesting.
 
  What is interesting is, or at least, was, what Ivo and Orilion were talking about earlier. Something about the architecture and the 'lost knowledge'. But now it's the path of the aqueduct that is his full attention. Watching Ivo at work, he is impressed by his skills with Hauteclare.
 
  It is soon that Reize crosses after Ivo, he is quite impressed with the sight before them. However, before Reize can fully admire it... "Errr.. the ground is starting to give way.”

"The ground?"
  Ivo only seems to notice the instability of the pillars below when Orilion and Reize bring it to his attention. He looks alarmed before grinning through it, a bead of sweat nevertheless forming on his brow.
  "Then let's move quickly! Grab anything that looks useful!"
  The worktables promise solutions to their dilemma, but most of what they find was clearly abandoned for a reason: rusted over, broken, or used up. One item among that mostly collection attracts Reize's eye, some adventurer's instinct speaking to him from deep within. A hand-sized metal shaft with a mysterious button and from which a sharp point protrudes, it appears to contain a length of fine yet sturdy chain that, though rusted, is intact. However, the pale green crystal attached to it, seemingly meant to supply it with bursts of wind aether, is drained.

> Reize has acquired Hook Shot (Depowered)!
 
  It is Argent who finds the one tool still totally intact, buried and forgotten under heaps of debris. For some reason, she feels an odd pull towards it, one difficult to explain or describe, allowing her to discover it first. It is a small gleaming dagger, its silvery metal catching the sunlight with a rainbow hue akin to an oil slick. When Ivo sees it, he lights up with enthusiasm.
  "That's an athame," he exclaims. "I've seen them in textbooks: earlier civilizations used them for ritual magic and stable crystal crafting. But I've never seen a material like that in my life... it looks like it'll work, at least!" Borrowing the implement, he turns toward the pool of water in the basin. "Now to dive in. Anyone care to strip down and join me? Priel? Argent? ...Orilion?" Grinning, he's already taking off his cloak, obviously planning and doing it himself.

> Argent has acquired Starmetal Athame!
 
  Within minutes, Ivo emerges dripping and trumphant, the cracked crystal leaking slowly but still intact enough for transport. The moment he begins to speak again, however, the cracking of stone grows louder, dust falling from the ceiling and the floor beginning to slant.
  "We've got tooooOOOooohh--"
  And, with the slanting of the floor, so Ivo, half-clad, slips in the channel and begins to slide along with the remaining flow of water. Should the party be so inclined, before the water ceases flowing entirely, they may join Ivo on his accidental water slide back to the entrance. But, if they elect to take their time, it's not as though the whole edifice will collapse.
  Probably.

------------------------------------------------------------
Board: Cutscenes, Post Number: 1
Poster: Ivo galvan
Subject: A Past Suppressed
Date: 09/25/21 23:19:56
------------------------------------------------------------
"Ach-oo!"

Ivo sniffs and glances over his shoulder to see if his sneeze has disturbed anyone before remembering that he has been left alone in the library. Candlelight illuminates the haze of dust risen by the old tomes he's drawn off the shelves, the stone walls of Castle Zerhem unrelentingly cold. Shivering slightly, the young man resolves to delay no further and begins flipping through yellowed and crumbling pages.

Guests are rare here, but the Cosmopolitan has been afforded special privileges. After his party returned from the ruined aqueduct bearing the damaged aether crystal that had been the source of so many pesky water elementals, Ivo had taken his share of the powdered elemental remnants and used them, along with the mysterious dagger Argent had found, to restore the crystal to full functionality. Thanks to that, he was able to approach the castle bearing a gift, so to speak. Granted an audience with the regent to return the treasure, a symbol of Zerhem's original glory, to its rightful owners, Ivo surprised the court by seeking an odd favor: permission to search the castle's archives to learn more of the country's history.

"Here we go..."

Though Zerhem ostensibly rules Granse, it has never been identified with the country itself: the kingdom was founded on an alliance with other surrounding Gransen communities, including neighboring Verdiosen and nomadic Aehani. Ivo scans the pages of the chronicle. It is common knowledge here that Zerhem acquired its legitimacy through adjudicating conflicts between different communities over the bounty of Lake Gerisia and helping to ensure peaceful coexistence. The text delves into more detail over the construction of the aqueduct as a symbol of that diplomatic victory.

"But that's strange..."

Ivo narrows his eyes. As he hoped, there are some references to those who built it, including a small coven of druids skilled in working magic. Yet they are never mentioned before or after the construction of the aqueduct and, he surmises, must have been essential to building it, since Zerhem evidently lost the capacity to maintain it. Where did they come from? How did they end up involved in building the aqueduct? And where did they go?

The omission of these facts from an otherwise detailed history seems deliberate. All he can identify is that they came from the northwest of the city, from a dense forest that seems to have been a refuge from persecution, from whom and of what sort nothing is said. Mind racing with piqued curiosity, Ivo closes the tome with a resounding thump. Frustration lines his brow, yet a slight smile quirks his lips.

"The northwest, huh?"

Slowly but surely, the plot thickens.
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