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Catacombs of the Departed

Scene details

Setting: In the ongoing search for the pieces of the "Crux of Creation", the party makes their way towards their next destination, the ruined halls of an ancient underground catacomb. A place said to be where those of great standing have been laid to rest honorably. With the Festival of Blessings serving as a ritual of passage, the group will now see their way in.
  However, within these ruined halls and tombs lie vicious traps mean tto protect great treasures, and monsters who have made the place their home in the centuries following. Will their bravery be rewarded? Or will they ultimately fall, never to see the light of day again?
  Only time will tell.

Log

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

So this is it.

The festival to celebrate those who had come before them had passed, and now, it was time to delve further into plains, through the various 'hills' that dotted them. They were impressive in structure, but none of them were their ultimate goal. They needed to go further in. Through the grassy expanse, until they arrived at one particularly ancient looking hill structure.

Covered in grass almost perfectly, no doubt a mix of deliberate handiwork combined with the natural march of time as the plantlife spread. However, there is something off about the entrance to this particular burial mound. Though they are usually sealed by dirt and stone walls, with ritual sealing marks engraved onto them, this one appears to have been tampered with in a most concerning way. The sealing door located at the base of the structure looks to have manipulated. Halfway opened to reveal the shadowy depths within. There is no sliding mechanism, rather it looks as it it was merged sideways into the structure and sunken.

That definitely wasn't a result of time wearing things down. But there isn't anyone else here, so maybe it's nothing. Probably a monster breaking in with an aether based ability to find a new home, right?

It's wide enough to get in, however, so their path is, so far, unobstructed. Past the half opened entrance is a flight of stone carved stairs that lead down into the the darkness. Better light some torches.

Ruidosa La Crima rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 4. Total result is 4.

Ruidosa is fuming. You can practically see the angry 'squiggle lines' from her after the blessing of the dead festival. When they get to the mound with a broken seal she 'ehs' and peeks down the darkness under the partially open door as she scratches her head.

"These things are supposed to be closed. Right? Sealed even....?" she asks curiously.

She looks to Ivo. She looks to the stairs. She looks back to Ivo.

"You first." she says. "'Dashing Hero'." she says bluntly.

Ivo rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 16. Total result is 16.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Pat... Pat...

Anna can tell when someone is angry. And Rui seems like she's p r e t t y angry. It's kind of an empathy thing; when you're always furious, it's easy to tell when someone else is, and that's why the Suryle princess gives the vampire princess a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Mmmm... They should be closed and sealed." She murmurs in agreement, head nodding. "The fact that it's open..." She trails off before going blue in the face.

"The- the dead aren't going to get up *again*, are they?"

Ivo's smile is a little *too* bright. If one were to look straight at him, one would not be able to see Ruidosa, but one would be able to see, over Ivo's shoulders, Rui's rage squiggles radiating behind him.

"Yes, uh, this is rather, er, odd," he remarks halting to Anna, with none of his usual expository self-possession. "If someone were to have participated in the Festival of Blessings, you'd think that-- um-- you'd think--" He seems to lose his train of thought. "Well, anyway, if they broke in, I suppose we'll see what happens to those who raid tombs here. And, uh, if not--"

He hurriedly moves forward.

"We'll see what happens to me! Ha ha--"

The very moment he laughs in a manner that ever so slightly suggests strain, he steps onto the first step and slips immediately.

"--aaahh--"

And reaching out toward the wall, he grabs onto something to break his fall, skidding down a couple steps but managing not to lose his footing as, surprisingly, some light flickers to illuminate the dark corridor.

"Hm?"

Ivo looks to his hand in surprise. It appears he's ripped an ancient device from the wall, a torch-like item invisible in the darkness but topped with a fire-aspected aether crystal that flared to life when he removed it.

> Magical Torch acquired.

He glances back at his party with an easy smile.

"As anticipated!"

And with that convincing line, he proceeds, leading the way.

The participation in the annual festival has allowed the group entry into the burial mound, which would be to pay respects. However, the team themselves had another reason to be there. It would appear that the remnants of the kingdom had been beyond the mound.

Reize had prepared for the trip. Bag of tricks, iron rations, tinderrod, and various assortment of adventuring tools. Upon reflection, Reize finds it odd that he has gotten more time to prepare in Granse, which compared in Cosmopolis, they were resource constrained and had to rely on those within the various unexplored areas to survive.

The Boy with the Long Yellow Scarf looks at the half-way opened door, "...Huh?" He frowns, pondering over the entrance, "...Hm." He looks over towards Anna with a frown, "Hopefully not, but.. given the past instances, it is likely." He takes one of the tinderrods and prepares to activate it until he already sees Ivo going in first.

...So much for his role as the scout.

Reize frowns slightly between both Ruidosa and Ivo, but shrugs as he presses on. That is when he hears Ivo initially losing his footing, "...Ah?"

He rushes over towards the hole and he calls out, "Ooi! Ivo, are you o--oh." It looks like Ivo managed to catch himself from completely falling. He joins the strategist and calls out, "Let's see if we have someone who broke the rules..." He frowns, a little uneasy, "If the residents woke up."

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Once they've got their light source secured, they will notice that their surroundings are made up of some sort of weathered, golden brown stone tiles. They may once have been uniform rectangles that make up the walls and floor, as well as the ceiling, but now many are cracked or missing. This sight is what stretches further onwards as a long hallway with doorways leading to what look like minor resting places. Each of them contains a plain stone coffin in the center, with ancient baubles and trinkets scattered about like good luck charms.

It seems fairly unexciting thus far. Perhaps this would be an easy search. ... Wouldn't that be nice? Unfortunately for Anna, however, the moment she mentions 'the dead', a horrid skreeeing wail pierces through the air, and some form of spectral wraith, wrapped in what looks to be tribal finery passes through the walls with a fury, its anguished cry echoing into the dark depths of the catacombs as it... completely ignores the group? Instead, it races deeper within.

...Something's got the dead riled up, and apparently, it's not them. For once. Weird. Reize may be on to something.

Ruidosa curses under her breath. Why is he not in a comic pile at the end of the stairs. Her...her hard work and plotting for all of five minutes, ruined! Ruined! She'll have to re-read her mothers ideas for pushing jerks down things earlier in her tome later. Anna pats her shoulder, she sighs djectedly.

She then gives Reize a look, like 'What? I did nothing wrong. I'm a cute girl who can do no wrong! *eye flutter*'.

"Ugh, more undead. Maybe." she says as she just descends with the rest of the party... and.. indeed...

There's undead and ghoulish sounds and a wraith that... passes by them and goes...somewhere else.

"Ya know." she says. "We could just turn around and let whoever down here get their just desserts..." she says slyly. "Just an idea. I mean. They opened the box. They get to deal with it, right?" she says.

"Right?"

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Into the burial mound then. Anna is looking a little hesitant, axe in hand as she follows after the others.

She can't exactly hurt ghosts with an axe.

She's going to have to invest in a magic axe or something later.

But this is a problem for Future Anna. Present Anna reaches out a hand, mouth opening to warn Ivo as he goes stumbling down the stairs...! Only to catch himself and get a new source of light.

Oh.

Well that worked out.

Anyway as Reize said, hopefully the dead won't be woken from their slumber.

A wraith passes by, wailing in fury.

Anna whines piteously.

Ivo glances around with evident curiosity, his gaze roving the tiles before fixing intently on the trinkets placed about the coffins, studying each in turn.

"So little remains known about Vaeltrandia," he murmurs. "The style and method of manufacture of these artifacts could teach us so much. Ruidosa," he says, actually forgetting she's mad at him as he's swept away by his intellectual interest, "do you think you could sketch a few of these before we move on? Seeing as we shouldn't disturb them, we could at least--"

He is interrupted by the keening cry of the damned. Ivo stands very still as the wraith ignores them and moves on, his eyes following it while a carefully blank expression on his face before he sighs and slumps.

"As long as there are no giant drills this time."

He's had more than one nightmare about that moment, honestly.

He glances back at Ruidosa at her observation, one eyebrow quirking and a smile beginning to play at the corners of his lips. So this is the girl who was hiding beneath the veneer of timidity she had begun by displaying. Time to tease her mercilessly and draw out this version of her as much as possible. That's the smart thing to do, right?

"I agree with Ruidosa," Ivo says, a little loudly, as he moves to place a comforting hand on Anna's shoulder, being about eighty-five percent sure at this point that the princess won't rip it off instinctively when he does. "There's no need to recklessly endanger ourselves. We can await the intruder here when they return to the entrance. Of *course*, there is the chance that they have some other means of exiting, *and* we would lose the opportunity to explore this fascinating place and abandon the pleasures of adventure. *But* some costs must simply be paid, yes?" He shakes his head slowly. "I do apologize, Reize. You must be so disappointed with my suggestion." Suddenly it's his suggestion. "If I were the sort who hoped to win your affections, I would of course never think of such a thing."

There's more than one way to push someone down some metaphorical stairs.

As an explorer, Reize has to take the time to admire the new surroundings. A hand reaches out towards a wall, grazing over towards the weathered, golden brown stone tiles. He can feel the signs of age through the cracks formed from years of being untended. This is definitely a relic. Reize's gaze drift out to the depths of the hallway. He keeps his eyes over to the wall and out until he sees the few stone coffins as they pass by.

"... Those aren't the types that you sleep in, right?" He asks Ruidosa, "Those look awfully uncomfortable."

And the wail is what gets his attention, disrupting any further thoughts or ideas on his mind. As the wraith swoops by.... Reize draws his boomerangs out, ready to go!

..Until it just passes them.

"Oh."

Ruidosa's suggestion earns a frown from the explorer, followed by Ivo agreeing with her. "Absolutely not." He furrows his eyebrows as he looks ahead, "We've came this far to find out more about the Vaeltrandia Kingdom, and this is our opportunity explore an unknown site."

Before Ivo could get to the point about why Ruidosa's recommendation was a bad idea...

Hope everyone kept an eye on Reize prior.

...If they didn't, what'd be left is yet another dotted outline where Reize was at.

Essentially, he already bolted straight to the path to follow suit as to where the wraith could have gone.

Reize is not going to be beat out by someone who broke the rules to go in first! They earned that right to explore the burial mound! On one hand, it could be someone who gotten themselves lost, but Reize suspects that the person intentionally broke in for their own purposes.

... Hopefully no traps lie for Reize whatsoever.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Ruidosa has a point. Whatever is happening in here isn't really their business, is it? ...But if they turn around now, they will be passing up a potential piece of the Crux of Creation. Are they prepared to do that? Evidently not, given Ivo's interest in each passing tomb they set eyes upon as they make their way down the central hallway. Well, their little sass off will have to wait, as the ground beneath their feet quakes violently for an instant, along with a distant sound of crumbling stone.

It's time to move.

Making their way out of the central hallway, they step into what appears to be large, circular chamber with stone doors dotting the perimeter. Etched on the walls are some sort of crude tribal illustrations. It appears to depict an ancient civilization. The first picture looks to be of a group of people with spears convening with another group of people in capes.

The second picture shows a different group of people with their arms all raised, they seem to be reaching for the sun.

The third illustration shows the tribal people meeting with a caped man. The caped man is handing over an object to what looks to be the tribal leader.

After that, the illustrations have become too weathered to make out. But that's not so important. Because the largest door in the chamber, which looks to have had a big mural etched onto it, is shattered into pieces, crumbled to the floor without an ounce of care.

And the air is swimming with angry wraiths. They swirl about, seething in rage. Yet that rage isn't directed at them. Looks like that festival really did confer some sort of 'permission'. It's actually kind of unnerving how utterly angry they are, yet how they simultaneously don't give the group any attention. Many of them swoop into the doorway where the shattered remains of the large stone seal was just minutes ago.

The other doors remain untouched, apparently of no concern to who or whatever is desecrating this place.

Ruidosa is still mad at Ivo, but Ivo also wants sketches and she sighhhhs and is already sketching things in her notebook. She's ignoring the wright that just screamed through for now because that is not her problem (tm). At least not yet. When Ivo starts making overtures she stops sketching and leaves a big ink blot on her page as she ''huffs''. Ivo, you are a jerk and she hates you.

"UGH Fine let's, go all die and get eaten by zombies and skeletons or ghosts." she says as she slams the book shut and starts moving forward--- wait where did Reize go.

"How does he do that?" she asks.

Still, she moves into the main chamber and sighs and opens her book again and takes basic sketches of the various murals on the wall. Because she's sure Ivo's already gonna ask her and it's better to just do it. (She does draw a little tiny Ivo face at the top corner of each page, each saying something unflattering like 'I'm a doo-doo head' or 'I eat butts!' in a childish manner)

She eyes the other door as she looks to the one apparently forced open.

"I guess follow the ghosts." she says.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

No sooner than Ivo sets his hand on her shoulder, Anna makes a sound. It is somewhere between a yelp and a strangled cry of dismay as she jolts from the contact. It looks like the group is pressing on, though.

Reize has already pressed on at least, leaving behind a dotted outline of himself as he blitzes on ahead.

Anna holds her axe up.

And that... That sure is a lot of ghosts.

Poor girl is blue in the face. So much for all that rage.

You roll 1d20.

Roll(s): 14. Total result is 14.

Ivo can barely contain his mirth as Ruidosa seems to squirm under his verbal assault. Okay, he doesn't really contain his mirth at all. He's clearly smirking.

"Well, Reize, it seems that we--"

The dotted line blinks.

"I don't know," he admits to Rui, smirk fading, sounding defeated.

Fortunately (or regrettably), Ivo isn't looking over Ruidosa's shoulder at what she's writing and drawing for once in his life. Instead, as they advance, he is displaying, of all things--

"Unbelievable."

--genuine irritation.

"They just broke through it!"

Glaring in the direction of the shattered mural, he shakes his head indignantly. What a waste. There's so much he would want to cross-reference with Kernunnos. Even if the sapient eidola seems to know little about the goings-on of the humans whom he aided, or their political organization at various historical stages, there still might be precious tidbits they could glean after careful examination of what's depicted here. They can only hope that the art can be reassembled, and even then, what a loss.

"Let's do this."

For once, Ivo's just as determined as Reize to go on an adventure. He looks among his friends, only hesitating when he sees Anna's expression. Right. They need their berserker princess, and she's going to have a hard time. The Cosmopolitan thinks for a moment before taking on an equally rare resolute expression.

"Up we go, Your Highness--"

Without warning, the taller young man steps in front of the trembling axe-wielder, crouches down, reaches behind himself, and hoists her up by the backs of her thighs in a piggyback ride.

"--and onward!"

Whereupon he charges straight into the pack of ghosts without flinching, heading nimbly past the fallen fragments through the busted door, determined to get her through this challenge in the manner of one ripping off a Band-Aid. This may be the first time in his life Ivo has solved a problem using physical strength. It kind of feels good. At least until he passes through a ghost and shivers intensely. That didn't feel good.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 11. Total result is 11.

The ground shaking definitely did not go unnoticed by the young explorer. Already had making his way into the central hallways before, he stops briefly to get a good look at the illustrations. "Wow..." While it is difficult to make out the story, he did make it a point to try to get an initial understanding of it.

The explorer cannot help but wonder if that object is the Crux. "...Kernunnos, I think this is it.." And of course, Reize had noticed the air filled with angry wraiths. However, those wraiths have not gone their way. The boy finds himself following the sea of the wraiths, even finding them fascinating.

Unfortunately, for the others, they would find that Reize is not there. Not only that, but because Reize had been following the sea of the wraiths as to where they could be going, the moment he takes his attention away from them, he finds himself at what appears... unfamiliar territory. He scratches his head a bit. "...Where are we?"

And Reize got himself lost again.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

The opening reveals a short hallway that leads to a flight of stairs that go upwards... But there's something weird going on here. Littered on the ground are the corpses of monsters clearly not native to this place. Slime creatures that have their cores pierced by stone lances, and large, mantis-like insect creatures that have had their bodies crushed by what looks to have been falling rocks.

Their work was done for them, it seems.

But this all finally comes to an end when they scale the stairs and step out into a chamber that is unlike the others. The walls are meticulously etched with murals of the ancient past that evoke memories of those days and those peoples. Tapestries that depict the people giving praise to the sun are hung about, though many are weathered away.

There is a decorated stone coffin at the back of the room, its lid having been tossed right off and broken into pieces upon the impact most likely. The culprit, of all this cultural desecration is standing right there. Obscured by what looks to be a parasol, one can make out the ends of some long silver-white hair, and a black dress.

The spirits of the dead are swirling around her in a torrent of vengeful wrath, but... she's ignoring them. They pass through her and wail angrily at her, but she doesn't pay the spirits any mind or seem to be affected by their ire. Rather, when she half turns at the sound of footsteps reaching her ears, it becomes apparent that she's holding something in her hand. ...Something that they're looking for, no doubt.

A piece of the Crux of Creation.

"...Hm?"

MEANWHILE...

Where on god's green earth did Reize wind up? He's not with the group. Somehow, he wound up going down a side hallway, and entering into a lone chamber. There is no coffin contained here, no baubles and trinkets to behold. There's just a single, lone treasure chest.

It sits there.

Silently.

Invitingly.

This is it, Reize Seatlan.

The time is now.

Ruidosa La Crima is walking into the next chamber, following the ghosts and HOPING they come across Reize when they instead come along a new room filled with murals and tapestries and looking regal as there's someone there. Huh....

Something about this person seems familiar, as she thinks a little bit as she tries to place the person.... then when she turns a little bit and makes a sound she 'ahs!' a little.

"Uh. Don't we know each other?" she scratches her head. "The parasol is familiar---oh...oh!"

"Camellia!" she says as she gives a wave, like this is another ball gathering. "Why did you upset all the ghosts!?" she asks questioning.

"Have you seen a boy that looks lost around?" she asks.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Anna is having second thoughts about all this! The dead are super angry and there's nothing she can do about it!

"U-uwah! W-wait!"

But there is no waiting. Hoisted onto Ivo's back, Anna grips onto the Cosmopolitan's shoulders, gripping with a white knuckle grasp as she's carried onward.

And there's someone else present. Someone who the undead seem to be incredibly upset with. Top it all off, Reize got separated from the group...

This is going so well. AND she has a piece of the Crux.

"O-oh that's. What we're looking for isn't it."

"Hmph. I see."

Ivo, in a rush, both didn't get a chance to example any other murals and seems to have lost track of Reize, though of course he's accustomed to the latter at this point. Still holding Anna piggy-back, he's staring rather sternly at Camellia, his gaze sharp.

"Now I understand why you were so careless with the art."

Because she's after the fragment of the Crux of Creat--

"Because you yourself are the greatest work of art here!"

> Ivo's Affection Points for Camellia increase by 10.

The young man leans toward Ruidosa almost conspiratorally.

"You're going to introduce us, right?" he murmurs.

It looks like following the sea of the wraiths did not serve Reize well this time. Either he is in the wrong spot or his fellow travelers got lost. Silly guys. Well, Ruidosa and Ivo were talking about giving up and the boy was not having that!

While he did not find any sort of coffin or some clue as he hoped he would have, he found something else that is just as important.

A treasure chest. A lone one at that.

Elated, his eyes light up with joy and he cracks his knuckles. "Ahhh, it has been a while since I've came across a treasure chest~" He grins. "Ivo and the others will be jealous when they see what I found! That'll show them for trying to back out." He grumbles.

Reize approaches the treasure chest, smiling wider with a cheery look on his face. He is getting closer to get the lid cracked open.

Maybe it's another hookshot! He won't lose this one.... this time!

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Camellia, as so named by Ruidosa shifts her body at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. Turning to reveal a woman of short stature and modest build. Wearing a black dress with a ribbon around her neck, and a garter belt around a thigh. Her shoes clack on the stone as she stops and 'looks'... not exactly at the group. Actually, her eyes look dull. She's not actually seeing them, is she? "That voice..." She says calmly. "...Ruidosa La Crima, if memory serves..."

There's a moment of silence, as she turns the piece of the crux over in her hand slowly. "Are they upset?" Her lips twist into a smirk. "I see." She says, as if it's absolutely none of her business. The mention of a 'lost boy' gives her pause, and then that smirk spreads a little. "What's this? Little Rui found herself a boy? How cute." The white haired woman says with a tone that belies her true disinterest in the subject. "Unfortunately, your boy toy isn't here. Maybe he fell down a ravine." She pauses. "Why not try asking the ghosts? He might be among them."

She refers to the angry spirits of the ancient kingdom swirling around her, all of whome she continues to ignore as if they were but insects.

Anna's voice, however, causes Camellia to stop that morbid line of thought as she hears her refer to 'that' as something they were looking for. "Ah. I see. I wondered why you were in this tomb of all places... Become a treasure hunter, have you, Rui?" She says, her tone tinged with the faintest hint of derision.

"............"

Of course, then there's Ivo.

Camellia falls into a speechless quiet, unblinkingly at this turn of events. All while the dead swirl around her and pass through her as if trying to shudder her soul, but she remains unbothered by their efforts.

"You've chosen some... interesting companions." She'd ask if her mother knew about this, but frankly, she didn't care.

MEANWHILE...

Reize approaches the treasure chest, ready to crack the lid open and reveal what ancient and valuable treasure awaits within.

But then it rattles.

Rattle.

Rattle rattle.

From either side, the chest sprouts two distressingly muscular arms, which it then flexes.

...Then it opens itself up with a hand, reaches in, and produces.... a hookshot.

It aims the hookshot and fires it... past Reize and into the wall. Then it pulls itself towards the boy with its other fist clenched to deck him across the jaw at high speed!

Oh no.

Ohhhh nooooooo.

Ruidosa huffs. "W..what!? No he's just a member of the party that got lost a few moments ago! He isn't ''dead''...." hopefully. Not dead. She's about to iterate on her other points when Ivo butts in and then Ivo whispers to her and then she narrows her eyes. "I don't think we're being courteous right now but maybe if we ever go to Ordala during party season." she says bluntly.

"Right, we need that." she says. "What do you want for it?" she asks.

"Do you want him?" she asks, pointing to Ivo. "We'll trade him for it. He's a real ladies man, his name's Ivo." She says this hopefully. Come on Ivo, take one for the team!

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"Um! You can put me down now."

That's Anna from where Ivo has her piggyback.

She can't do much about the ghosts right now, but this mystery girl named Camellia, who seems to know Rui has her attention.

Even if the phantoms have her shaking like a leaf.

"While we're all here can we have that please, it's very important."

She has no clue Reize is in mortal danger of being decked by the most Absolute Unit of Mimics.

Ivo continues to examine Camellia with a stalwart and serious expression, listening carefully to her banter with Ruidosa. As one might expect from a tomb raider who carelessly desecrates historical artifacts and has the strength to shrug off spectral assaults, she seems rather arrogant and cruel, effortlessly conveying contempt mingled with sincere indifference.

Nice.

> Ivo's Affection Points for Camellia increase by 10. Again.

"Ivo Galvan, most eagerly at your service," he pronounces, stepping forward to display his Absolute Unit of Smiles, beaming at maximum radiance. "If you would so generously offer that artifact to us, we will gladly finish assembling it so that you might, with us, reap the benefits of doing so. And, of course, I will share all knowledge I possess of its power, as well as my laboratory near Zerhem, with you... and anything else you should require of me. Really, anything at all."

The girl he's still carrying as he's delivering this whole speech is saying something to him, but Ivo is a little distracted right now, so he doesn't quite catch it.

Reize Seatlan rolls 1d5.

Roll(s): 3. Total result is 3.

The young explorer was so happy. He can get a nice treasure like a hook shot and---

*rattle*

What was formerly an expression filled with jubilee is now filled with stark dread. His expression becomes as pale as a ghost upon an old memory that triggers.

~ ... Are you sure you want to open this? ~

~ "Oi, Lily, of course I want to open this, why wouldn't I?!" ~

~ "I didn't say anything!" ~

~"Huh?" ~

~ ... You'll regret your decision. ~

The distant memory within the temple of Panacea, Reize's mind recollects the chest spouting out a pair of muscular arms, just like this treasure chest is doing now.

"Oh no oh no, oh no..."

It flexed and then punched him right in the jaw. Reize remembers the pain of that punch.

Just as Reize comes to...

That fist comes right at his jaw in high speed.

*POW*

As a result of the powerful fist nailing Reize in the jaw, the boy is found bouncing across the walls, ricocheting, not unlike his boomerangs, across the halls. In fact, Reize is pretty much a pinball, given how much he's smacking into everything. He's even ejected up the stairs from the sheer power of that fist.

As he is launched up the stairs, he bounces off the wall, smacks right into the ceiling and....

...starts falling into the arms of Ivo. Or on top of him, whichever works.

Reize, unfortunately, looks beat up.

"...the treasure chest... betrayed me... once again."

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"......"

Ruidosa says that they need the thing in her hand, and she tilts her head just slightly. "This...?" She intones plainly, raising it a bit. "This piece of the Crux of Creation?" Her lips spread into a smirk once again. "...Really, now why is a lady like you running around looking for these?" And then comes the offered trade of Ivo for the piece, and her smirk falls once again.

He introduces himself, and there's a very poignant pause in Camellia.

"Galvan, you say...?" She muses aloud, as if hearing a name she hadn't heard in a very long time. ...But before she can expand on those thoughts, the sound of someone rapidly hurtling in Ivo's general direction causes her to take a neat little step back. Just one. And then CRASH. There goes Reize. Right into Ivo. With Anna as collateral damage. That's three people down, and she didn't even do anything.

Impressive.

"..........."

Camellia doesn't actually 'look'. She's still facing ahead as she hears that crash and tangle of limbs. Then, she speaks up. "...Is this your boy, Rui?" She asks flatly.

Not that she actually cared. Because she had bigger fish to fry. Okay, a lot happened right now. So let's take this in order.

"...You said Galvan, right?" Camellia asks, unconcerned with their tangled state or whatever may have occurred. "..." She adopts a thoughtful lift of the head for a moment. "...It has been about that long, hasn't it?" She settles her thoughts and then smirks. "...Gilbert's son, is it?"

MEANWHILE...

The jacked up chest settles back down upon sending Reize flying. It first stows the hookshot back inside of itself. Then it walks on its hands back to the end of the room. There, it turns around, and sits itself down nice and neat, the arms drawing back into itself again.

It has fulfilled its mission.

The hookshot was safe.

Now, it rests.

Ruidosa frowns. "That's private business." she says. "We need it, bec----" and then there's a crash and she looks behind herself and ''sighs'', miserably, as Reize is launched and then ends down on Ivo and Anna and she facepalms and rubs her hands against her face like she has the biggggggest migraine.

She sighs. "Yes, that's him... she says miserably.

Then when Camellia mentions Ivo's last name and someone named Gilbert, she looks between the two and blinks and whispers. "I Thought you didn't know her...!" to Ivo, before she looks back to Camelia to let this play out.... as she tip toes to the right a little while the two talk. Tiptoe... tiptoe...

Look, someone needs to make a play here soon. She's hoping the conversation is distracting enough for the both of them she can get into a better position. She's quiet, at least for a vampire and not needing to hold a torch to see in the dark, allowing her to enter the blackness.

  • Character: Anna
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

And thusly Reize returns to the group! Not necessarily triumphant, but at least in one piece. Mostly. And he goes sailing right into Ivo.

Ivo who is... Carrying Anna on his back.

"HAGWAH!"

It is not a dignified sound the princess makes as she goes down in the dogpile, an unfortunate casualty of Reize's hookshot greed.

Ivo grins hopefully as Camellia seems to be appraising him anew. His pitch is working, probably. It's time for him to bring it home. His lips part to speak.

"Gghheeaarghghh," he says.

Face flat on the tiled floor as Reize safely comes to a landing on top of him and Anna, Ivo manages to look up through the dirt now smudged on his face, trying to keep his eyes on Camellia's expression to gauge how best to sedu-- persuade her to give up the fragment of the Crux. But she manages to say about the only thing that could really throw him off of that objective. The young man's eyes widen in astonishment, his jaw dropping literally to the floor. Well, he's lying down.

"You knew... my father...?"

Of course. How did he not put two and two together before? He was too distracted by that garter, probably. Obviously, she's a vampire like Ruidosa. That explains her appearance and how they know each other. That means she's not just cruel and contemptuous, but the sort of woman who would cruelly and contemptuously suck his blood.

*Nice.*

> Ivo's Affection Points for Camellia increase by 10. *Again.*

"How... how did you know him? When...?"

He has so many questions that he doesn't even notice Ruidosa taking the initiative to skulk off, which may be for the best, since Ivo doesn't even have to pretend to be trying to keep Camellia's attention off of the girl.

"Ughhh..." Reize is groaning in pain, just suffering it all through. Unfortunately, given that he landed on the poor princess and Ivo, well, he at least feels that his fall is broken.

Of course, so is his jaw. Probably. And the rest of his body.

Nevertheless, Reize manages to get up before he looks over at the stranger before them. "...Huh? Who is she..." He squints as he looks at Camellia closer before he turns towards Ruidosa in askance. "...One of your friends?"

However, he looks at what she has before her. "Wait a second! You have the Crux!" He tries to get up, but he is still aching all over. So for now, he rolls over aside and mutters, "...Ugh, we need that."

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

".........."

Camellia stands there, unmoving, as Ruidosa slinks off into the dark, beyond the glow of their light. Not that she needs it. Vampire and all.

Her lips spread into a smirk after she 'stares' at him unblinkingly for several moments. "... I understand now." She says, not actually answering Ivo's question. "...I can see the resemblance." She's lying. She's blind. But that doesn't matter because her lips spread even further into a cruel smirk. "...Gilbert was like a stronger, bigger, and manlier version of you after all."

With that said, she speaks further. "And with that, my answer to your pleas is 'No'." Then, Camellia lifts a leg.... and then stomps the ground. Immediately, it quakes violently, and the tiles rip apart as earthen spikes jut up from the ground and spiderweb outwards from all around her without a single ounce of concern for the culture and history of the tomb she's tearing up. This threatens to spear anyone not keeping their wits about them.

Naturally, the spirits are enraged by this, and they swirl around her angrily.

"Get out of my way. I don't have anymore business with you people."

Sounds like the time for 'pleasantries' has ended. She was going to scatter them and leave now. If she had her way.

Ruidosa La Crima rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 14. Total result is 14.

You roll 1d20-5.

Roll(s): 19. Total result is 14.

The ground quakes and she flails her hands and arms. She manages to keep upright and mostly quiet. She then frowns and turns into a bat. To A: Get away off the ground and B: to dart forward. She's ''trying'' to make a swoop and grab at the Piece of the Crux Camellia has.

Either she's gonna miss, or get swatted or she's gonna hit paydirt, she doesn't know, but she can do this!...

Right...?

Ivo seems poleaxed by Camellia's devastating words. His eyes visibly unfocused as he's rocked by the vicious strike at his deepest insecurity. He doesn't even seem to notice as spikes of stone begin to burst through the earth, radiating out in all directions, a line of them heading straight toward him, sure to skewer him if he continues to hesitate.

"G..."

> Ivo's Affection Points for Camellia...

"Go on!!!"

> ...have increased by 20.

His eyes blazing with a truly uncharacteristic fire, Ivo has in an instant gotten to his feet and hurled himself out of the way of the magical attack, still carrying Anna in a display of gallantry that would make Faruja shed an admiring tear. He swiftly deposits her on her feet and draws Hauteclare in a single elegant motion, the notoriously wishy-washy dilettante displaying a resolve transcending all that he's shown even today.

"What else!?!"

> Ivo has attained an "awakened" state. His stats have increased.

> ...Don't ask. Really.

He launches Hauteclare's blade and sends it spinning to shear the tops off the stone with its aether-charged steel, nullifying a portion of Camellia's spell before sending the blade arcing toward her legs. It seems intended to get her to move out of the way, interrupting any spellcasting and focusing her attention on him, rather than to actually cut her. Though it *does* trace a path suspiciously close to her garter.

It looks like that the 'friend' of Ruidosa is not a friend after all. Reize grumbles while he reaches into his satchel to procure some herbal leaves and he starts shoving it into his mouth, chewing chewing and grimacing as he watches the ground quake before him.

Come on, work fast, work fast, work into his body fast! Given the sort of pain that he is in, maybe one of Argent's enhancements would be a good idea.

Wait, no, that delirium kicking in from the blow to the jaw and everything else that followed.

At the last second, as the cracks on the ground continue to close in on him, Reize becomes numb enough to where he can push himself from the prone state and he springs back away from the threat range.

He watches Ivo set Anna aside and take the brave front. Reize cannot help but smile at his older friend. Meanwhile, Camellia earns a frown, and then he brings his boomerangs out. He watches over for a certain bat, trying to pinpoint where she is at.

Drawing upon his aether, the flowing wave of energy emanate from his body before he springs back and throws his boomerangs out. Both of them fly back to smack over to Camellia, all while avoiding where Ruidosa's batform would be.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

...Why are they still increasing!?

Camellia doesn't use her eyes to look. Rather, she seems to 'hear' rather than 'see', and so, Ruidosa's sprint and leap towards is met with an immediate reaction. She moves the piece of the Crux into her parasol holding hand, and then uses her free hand to grab the currently transformed Rui, halting her attempted swipe... Then she lurches and literally throws her right back towards the group.

The girl's a vampire. She can be a bit rough. No, more like she has to be, really.

And then comes Ivo. Or more specifically, his sword. The sound of it cutting through the tops of her earthen spikes is what tips her off. In the next moment, she senses what might be bolt aether hurtling through the air. That's enough clue for her to hop aside and avoid the whirling path of the blade.

...But it does cut off her garter, and leave a cut on her thigh. Blood runs down it slowly, but Camellia doesn't seem to be too concerned right now. Tsk. A projectile. Annoying.

A burst of Aether in Reize's direction is enough of a clue for the black clad lady to stomp her foot into the ground again. This time, four stone walls rise up from the ground, shielding her in a semi-circle. Those boomerangs impact the walls, then bounce back.

After which, she places a palm against the wall in front of her. A pulse of aether from her causes all four of them to shatter into pieces, and immediately form into a large number of rock spines that blast outward through the air, aiming to stab into anything foolish enough to remain in their path.

"Interesting. Gilbert used a style similar to this too... Those pesky do gooders." She muses aloud while fending them off. Her lips quirk into a smirk. "He and Luan were awfully passionate about trying to stick their swords into me. Such rude apes, don't you think?"

Still, she doesn't plan to be fighting here forever. To that end, Camellia's brain works, thinking of an alternate way around this irritation... And she subtly backs away between waves of earth spines.

Ruidosa is grabbed mid air and struggles in a series of squeaks as she's thrown to the group, hitting the ground as she frowns heavily. She stands up as she transforms back into her human form and froms heavily. "ARgggghhhhh, How dare you merely ''throw'' Ruidosa, Duchess of Hou---- Aweeek!" she goes as spikes from the ground erupt and she has to back off mid speech, that's the ''second time'' she's been unable to spout off about her heritage and why it's important everyone here relents to it! ;_;

Ivo's mind is racing even as he expertly manipulates Hauteclare's path and avoids flying shards of rock and clouds of blinding dust. Having abandoned his usual ironic distance, his mind and body are uncharacteristically in harmony, enabling him to move as precisely as he thinks without distraction or hesitation.

"Reize," the Cosmopolitan calls to his friend. "The Ashaldi have a saying: 'open wide the gates to an empty city.' If she wants to escape, let's give her a path-- just one, yeah?"

Hopefully the boy will grasp enough of his meaning. If Camellia could just teleport away, presumably she would have done so. If Ivo is right and she would prefer to escape then to win a drag-out fight against them all, then rather than corner her, they should give her a predictable path out. If he's further correct in anticipating she's too smart to take a path that all her opponents would *expect* her to take, she may hesitate, left uncertain by the idiomatic empty gate, and it is *that* hesitation they can exploit.

Thus Ivo repositions, seeming to give Camellia the option of either moving to the exit in a straight line or being dangerously surrounded. As he does, he silently calls Hauteclare back to its hilt, swinging it around to their enemy's rear. It's not that he expects her to be taken by surprise by such an attack. Rather--

"One more time!"

--if Reize is able to attack again, their three weapons can intersect at a single point simultaneously, likely pinning Camellia in place.

"Triple Threat!"

Ivo's advantage over Reize at ranged combat is that he can continue to control his weapon after he's deployed it, a fact that Camellia may already know. But Reize's advantage is, conversely, that he can continue to move swiftly after release his weapons. Will Camellia stay in one place long enough for him to close in and snatch the Crux from her?

Even if not, Hauteclare will be there, trying to strike it from her grasp from the other side. And, should they succeed, the path for Camellia to flee will of course be conveniently open.

The earthly wall did well to send the boomerangs back where they came from. Those boomerangs are definitely not able to penetrate the defenses, nor are they really made for that kind of feat. Instead, they ricochet back, coming straight for the boy who catches them both.

As the earthly debris becomes spinesand blast out towards his path, Reize rolls over to the side and then he stares outward towards the woman. He blinks for a moment.

She said 'Luan'.

"... Eh? You knew my father?"

However, that is short lived as the Cosmopolitan calls over to him. "Ah?" Open the gates wide to an empty city...

There is a grin on his face and he nods at Ivo. "Got it." As a result, the boy leaps off of the ground with a spin, throwing both boomerangs outward just as Ivo launches Hauteclare out.

Just as the boomerangs release, the boy sprints forward, he weaves over in a crescent pattern, as to not run straight towards Camellia, but to the corner..

This leaves that 'convenient open path' for Camellia as the boy takes a daring leap, darting forward with a roll prepared as he takes a hand out to snatch the Crux from her grasp.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

Camellia rolls 1d20.

Roll(s): 10. Total result is 10.

  • Character: Camellia
  • 1 year, 9 months ago

"........"

Rui's short lived tirade creates just the briefest of lulls in the confrontation. One in which Camellia gives her an amused snort. "Pfft." But that's all, before Ivo and Reize are coming at her again. She can see, but she can infer well enough based on their movements... Ivo and that sword of his will probably... But then there's that boy. He said something about knowing his father, but that would have to wait for another time.

It looks like they're obviously trying to goad her into moving down the path they left open for her. And their two pronged assault is likely meant to force her into making a decision. She sighs inwardly.

"......"

Then she makes a decision. She takes the piece of the Crux that she's holding into her free hand and smirks. Without a word, she tosses it straight up into the air. Then she crouches low. Just before Hauteclaire can hit her, a stone spire erupts from under her feet, vaulting her forward at high speed out of the danger zone. But as she passes Reize, she manages to get just a few words out.

"That's quite an interesting pendant you have there." Then, her form lands at the entrance of the chamber and she brushes herself off and turns around to face them

"You can have that piece if you want it so badly." She says plainly, just as it clatters to the floor among them. "There will be others." With that, she turns around, and starts down the stairs. "And Rui. Tell your mother I said 'Hi'." She says with a mirthless chuckle, then she just casually leaves as if she wasn't locked in a brief, but intense fight.

After a few moments, all that's left is the piece of the crux... and her cut garter. Oops.

One might think that Ivo would have a parting quip for a woman who has already halfway filled his Affection Meter in a single brief encounter. But he is instead examining the ground near where the piece of the Crux has fallen.

"...Strange."

He rises, an item in his hand.

"It's... warm."

One eyebrow quirks as he examines the supposed vampire's cut garter.

Ivo. Stop.

> Ivo's awakened state has faded.

Thank goodness.

"Oh, the Crux!" Finally, Ivo stirs and looks back to Reize with a grin. "Nice moves, chief. That's fragment number two out of four." Thank goodness. The Cosmopolitan seems to have returned to his senses.

Quietly, though, he slips the fabric he's holding into his cloak.

Reize's eyes follow the stranger's departure with suspicion. He frowns, "...Just who is she and... and how does she know father?" The boy looks at the Crux. He closes his eyes, "We finally found the next piece... Kernunnos. We may be close to the truth soon." He smiles.

He looks over at Ivo and then towards Rui. "..Alright team, let's get ready to go.." He'll carry Ruidosa over his shoulder. He glances at Ivo, "You get Anna."