DUNGEON ♛ GISELA TOWERS

[boardmaster]

GISELA TOWERS
20 MAY (VALLARIA) 2016

High in the skies, the howling winds tangled around the Gisela Towers make it difficult to hear anything. The monolithic structures believed to exist only in legend or harpy memories loom over you. The thick ropes of ivy crawling up the length of each tower is the only sign of life. Every now and then, shadow seems to pass overhead. It might just be a trick of the light.

Instead of the usual suspects, another familiar face comes forward to greet our Heroes: the devil-may-care Lei, captain and commander supreme of the Airy.

Lei Nervous that your commanders ain’t here? Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. So! Here we are at this… thing. Something something tragic romantic tale about a dragon and a phoenix. Anyway, it’s stupid and you don’t gotta know. Ask one of your commanders later or bribe me with a drink. Now for something more important— [ the winds roars loudly, muting lei’s voice. but heroes can watch his hand gestures and actions as he teaches them how to use the grappling hook: aim and shoot the gun. maybe twirl it with a fancy flourish first ] —did you get that? All right, good! I don’t have enough hooks, so you’re gonna have to share. And take good care of them, I want them back! Now get in there and clear it ASAP! I ain’t got all day to fly you all back home!

Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙
One does not simply walk into the Gisela Towers. The only way in is up the long and weathered staircase that wraps around the structure. However, the thing is riddled with missing steps, weak stones and slippery condensation from the cloud cover, so you’re going to need a little help. Should you attempt to climb the stairs, they will crumble beneath your feet at best and bury you beneath their rubble at worst.

This is where Lei’s newfangled(?) contraptions will come in handy! The pockmarks and small ledges created by weathering in the first tower’s structure could prove useful. There are, of course, a limited number of grappling hooks available, so you’ll have to partner up if you want your party to get anywhere. Parties of four are given two of these guns, while the poor souls with less party members get one.

Gisela’s gale-force winds will knock you around and make it seem like the towers are close to toppling over. However, as you make your way up you’ll see that the towers are actually far from abandoned.

MONSTER ♟ Ocypete
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Wind	Immune to None
Regarded as abominations of the avian world, ocypetes are BIRDS the size of horses, which would be incredibly advantageous if they had wings. The offspring of a human and a harpy, ocypetes have HUMAN ARMS that they use to scale surfaces and strong TALONS that can crush rock. They don’t fly, but they do RIDE THE WIND with the use of their long tail feathers, which possess magical wind properties and are nearly twice as long as they are tall. They would look almost elegant if they didn’t have a tendency to flap their arms while gliding. Legend has it that when the phoenix left the towers, the ocypetes were accidentally left behind because dragons plucked their wing feathers, making them look kind of funny. Now with a few millennia’s worth of abandonment issues on their semi-feathered shoulders, they’ll seek to prevent Heroes from ascending the towers by any means necessary with an odd variation of Airy MARTIAL ARTS. Their TAILFEATHERS may be acquired as loot.

What will Heroes encounter once they finally make it inside? More broken staircases, more monsters, even stronger winds blowing in from cracks in the walls and the foot of the tower (which is open to the air), and no floor whatsoever. Gisela’s Towers are hollow! The only footing to be found is on small ledges: some similar to those outside the tower, some that look more artificial; and intact sections of the stairs winding around the walls. You’ll need magic or some ingenuity to stay on your toes—literally! If you lose your grip or footing, it’s a several thousand foot drop back to Gresser. The quickest way down… and the deadliest.


TWO ♙
The treacherous and exhausting climb brings you to a more sturdy area that looks a little less like a wrecking ball just passed through and more like some kind of hive. Blocking your way are dozens of sturdy-looking nests suspended like particularly ugly balls of twine from the walls. These are home to the insectoid Aellos. Tearing the nests apart for loot is only a good idea if you want angry swarms after you.

MONSTER ♟ Aello
Weak against Fire, Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind
Aellos resemble large eagles more than the DRAGONFLIES they’re supposed to be. Mature Aellos can fly, but the flightless and fuzzier larvae are just as formidable. They can HYPNOTIZE with their dozen kaleidoscope-like eyes, rendering targets IMMOBILE but still aware of their surroundings. In order to free them, a fellow Hero must gaze deeply into their eyes for at least 15 seconds. These monsters are also able to SPIT a gelatin-like substance that will stick Heroes to any and every surface and also each other. FIRE will reduce its stickiness. The larvae use hit-and-run tactics: they hunker down in their nests, peek over the edge and launch gobs of spit. The flying aello like to drop their SPIT BOMBS from above and occasionally also release a POWDER that ruins visibility and makes you sneeze. Feeling adventurous? Why don’t you give the spit a lick? It’s actually totally EDIBLE, tastes like jello, and is filled with mana. Just be sure to heat it up so you don’t get your mouth stuck shut. Their GELATIN SPIT and INSECT PARTS may be acquired as loot.

The staircases at this altitude are in better shape than the ones you have—or haven’t—been using. That doesn’t mean they’re any less dangerous. Not only do the Aellos chase you down here; traps are hidden in the steps as well. Some may act like quicksand, trapping an unwary Hero halfway into the stone. Others are enchanted with wind spells that can toss you up in the air, the long way back down to the ground, or blow your skirt upward. There might even be some that provoke the pesky bugs even more!

This floor has flowers and trees creeping their way in from the outside and covering every inch of the place, including treacherous weaknesses in the path. Behind these overgrown plants is a mural depicting a sensual dance between a dragon and a harpy. In order to advance, at least two Heroes will have to mimic the dance painted on the walls to open the door.


THREE ♙
A barrier prevents you from progressing any further. Magic, physical attacks or sheer willpower will do nothing. To dissolve it, you must create a concoction from the random ingredients available on the table and splash it on the barrier. There is no set recipe, so trial and error and a little creativity will be your friends! Along with your trusty party Bishop, of course. (You did bring one, didn’t you?) Those not well-versed in alchemy may end up with potions that explode upon completion, splashing party members standing too close with a variety of strange side effects ranging from mild body horror to a bad case of halitosis. The unfortunate effects seem to differ from Hero to Hero, and they last for a few minutes to a couple of hours.

Once your party crosses the barrier, you will find yourselves outside. The skies are darkening, but you’re still able to discern another tower wrapped in the clouds. A bridge once connected the two structures, but most of it is missing. Use those grappling hooks!

Upon entering the second tower, a marble floor at odds with everything from the last tower will greet you. Lift your head and you’ll find that the rest of the tower is also hollow all the way up; those heights allow room for fountains and waterfalls. It’s a suitable area to replenish mana and rest. Parched throats can be quenched with the sparkling water all around you, but approach any waterfalls and they will start moving in a very unwaterlike way.

MONSTER ♟ Celaeno
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Fire, Earth	Immune to Water
Possessed by pride and cursed by the phoenix’s wrath, these dragons are nothing like the ones you encountered before. Celaeno resemble huge snakes made of water and possess ENCHANTED SCALES that float through their bodies and render them extremely RESISTANT to both magical and physical attacks. You will have to find WEAK POINTS in their protective aura. Hopefully you have a Knight or Bishop on your team to find those weaknesses as soon as possible! Each dragon’s weak points differ. Fortunately, all Celaenos go down easily once you find that soft spot. They use their long, slender tails like WATER WHIPS to knock down or douse their targets; the force of a tail may equal that of a fire hose at full blast! The only time it sheds its armor is to shapeshift into a WATER PRISON that can trap one or more enemies. Try not to attack it while a Hero is trapped inside; it will hurt your friend as well! Use STATUS EFFECTS to confuse or distract them so the prison loses shape. Their ENCHANTED SCALES, SMALL GEMS, and DRAGON WATER may be acquired as loot.

Without any stairs in sight, the way up lies in those dragons. After their defeat, their magical scales can be put together to form a boat that can ride the waterfalls upwards to the top floors.


FOUR ♙
The skies continue to change once you reach the top. Black clouds begin to close in, stray bits of land that have broken off from the main island hover nearby, and a sudden torrent of powerful mana may disorient your party. A storm is approaching.

Just as the first chunk of hail falls from the sky, a mighty roar reverberates through the darkness. Something very large lands on the walls of the tower and causes a tremor that whittles chunks from the tower and actually rolls the clouds back; is that the toll of thunder, or just more roaring?

Finally, an impressive three-headed dragon emerges from below. Once it has perched itself on the tower, one head speaks in a rumbling growl.

BOSS ♟ Tianya the Thrice-Scorned
Weak against Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind, Fire
“Did that phoenix send you?! Tell her she cannot return! Not even over my dead body!” Unsurprisingly, Tianya ─the dragon once wed to the phoenix─ is more than just a legend. He lowers his heads and another loud, guttural cry fills the skies. For now, he remains STATIONARY at the top of the tower. All three heads attempt to SWALLOW a Hero whole if they get too close. Should you go on the offensive, you may be able to chop off at least one head before he’s pissed off enough to move. The fallen head writhes in agony as it moans: “It hurts… it burns…” At this point, Tianya takes flight. The strong GUSTS from those wings can launch a Hero right off the tower. Use your grappling hook(s) to play floating island hopscotch: evade devastating dive attacks and run from the MANA BEAMS shot from his mouths. “You’ll never understand! I never wanted her!” As you travel from island to island trying to get close enough to deal some real damage, Tianya hides in the CLOUDS to launch ambush attacks. Eventually, a PHOENIX descends from the heavens in a burst of fiery light. However, it’s not the phoenix of legend; it’s actually one of Tianya’s spells, and it will burn away most of your mana if any of its flames make contact. MANA EXCHANGE may be the only way to continue this battle... Once Tianya is down to one head, he will immediately rise higher into the sky. “My last words are for her and her alone.” After Tianya is defeated, the storm clears; Enprise’s twin suns shine once more. That precious DUNGEON CORE floats down, blanketed by a SINGLE LARGE FEATHER, golden and shining in the light. “It’s warm… She was always warm…” A SCORNED DRAGON HEART and a MYSTICAL PHOENIX FEATHER may be acquired as loot.

As soon as both core and feather touch the tower, an ominous rumbling and shaking begins. The Gisela Towers are falling apart and it’s now a race to escape before you’re buried under the rubble.

And don’t forget the grappling hook(s); Lei wants them back.


FIVE ♙
All that’s left of the Gisela Towers is rubble. The dungeon has been conquered, the island reclaimed, and the ruins of the old regime can now become the foundations for something new: the site of the harpies’ homecoming after hundreds of years.

LOCATION ♟ Gisela

An ancient sky island that has existed since time immemorial. What enables Gisela to RIDE THE CLOUDS may be an even greater mystery than the mechanisms powering the Airy. The island appears most frequently above Gresser, though its extraordinary altitude makes it DIFFICULT TO LOCATE. The landscape of Gisela is overgrown with JEWEL-GREEN FORESTS, crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with networks of small caverns. But its crowning glory is the THIN GLEAMING WATERFALLS that flow from its edges and into the sky beyond. The water is embraced by RAINBOWS and condenses into CLOUDS when Gisela is high enough, lending to its unusual weather patterns. Although the island initially seems largely uninhabited apart from the Gisela Towers, there is a SEALED OFF AREA that, when viewed from the air, looks suspiciously like LUSH, TILLED FIELDS. Should you ask Lei about this, he will only give you an unusually stern warning against disturbing it. Looks like you’ve solved the mystery behind the pai tiles. Now that the menacing Towers have been demolished, a variety of animal life — usually airborne — will begin to appear on the island. Some of them you’ve never seen before! The fall of the Towers also uncovered the existence of HOT SPRINGS below; newspapers speculate wildly about the source, but most agree that it must have something to do with the renewed vows between phoenix and dragon. The few structures already in place on the island have been speedily converted into BAZAARS manned by Airy harpies. Most specialize in legal alchemical gimmicks, but there’s always another side to these things. Everyone’s here to soak in the breeze, and by that we do mean everyone. In response to the tourism boom, NEW AEROPORTS have also opened in both Gisela and Gresser to provide reliable transportation between the two locations.

Comments

Team How To Third Wheel A Married Couple (Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto)

[acknowledges]

stairway to birbs??

[acknowledges]

Looks like climbing's out'attebayo.

[Taking the stairs isn't going to get them anywhere, and Naruto's already given it the token trial run. His head tips back- way way back, as he squints at the tower. It's clear that's where they'll have to go after all.]

I guess this thing they gave us'll come in handy. Though...

[Here his attention lands briefly on Sasuke before it comes to settle on Sakura.] One of us is gonna have to carry everybody. Sasuke you just have to. Hang there.

jfc

[penitents]

[ It wouldn't be impossible if they had chakra, a thought Sasuke visits more than he probably should in retrospect. It would be more than easy to just walk straight up, and he gives himself a moment to internally lament the loss as his gaze follows Naruto's all the way up. His friend is right about one thing: Sasuke would never make it up this without assistance. He looks at the rest of his team. ]

I can wait. One of you can come back for me.

[mitotic]

I'm not sure this would support all three of us anyway.

[ I mean. Even with stupid anime weights, they're talking several hundred pounds combined. Sure, it might hold, but that's not a gamble she's willing to take when the consequence is a long fall and a sudden stop and then dead. There are stupid ways to die, and there are stupid ways to die.

She... glances between the two of them. ]

I can come back for you.

[ You know that riddle about getting a fox, a goat, and a cabbage safely across a river? This seems a little like that to her, in that leaving Sasuke and Naruto alone with each other for any length of time is just asking for trouble. ]

[acknowledges]

That means, Sakura-chan... [Which one of you is the goat, that's the question.

But Sakura's sudden suggestion has Naruto suddenly stiffening at the prospect. It was one thing to just think about getting up there and what would come next- it's another to consider the. Process.]

You're gonna carry me?!
In your arms?!

[mitotic]

[ Naruto. Naruto is the goat in this particular metaphor.

But speaking of arms: Sakura crosses hers, and turns a glare on Naruto that could sour milk. ]

Oh grow up.

[acknowledges]

I know you're strong'attebayo! [Well he would but... chapter 700 tho...

True to form Naruto is cowed by her glare. He ends up folding his own arms, not quite able to look her in the face when he's still unhappy about it.]

Still, it just seems wrong somehow.

[penitents]

Don't tell me you're embarrassed about a girl carrying you.

[ Watching this interaction, Sasuke regards Naruto with clear bemusement. It would be like him to get hung up on something like that, especially at this age. ]

[acknowledges]

It's not that! [It is a little, but mostly because it's her.]

Sakura-chan is strong, but that doesn't mean she should have to carry my weight.

sexy dancing and a scene from harry potter

[acknowledges]

[Okay so that was a lot of work just to end up looking at some painting. Sakura-chan has saved his butt from getting stuck in stairs that became sand for no reason at least twice and this doesn't seem like much of a payoff. On the opposite side they'll have another mystery to solve, crafting a combination of potions- but for now at least it looks like their path is blocked.

Is this supposed to be some kind of code? It's just a dragon and a bird-lady.
And there aren't any handles anywhere. Where're they supposed to go now?]

I don't get it.

what about a sexy dancing harry potter scene

[mitotic]

... neither do I.

[ Which is undoubtedly a first for them; or at least it hasn't happened in a very long time. It's not uncommon for Naruto to wind up confused, but Sakura...

Sakura squints at the mural again, ignoring how... suggestive it looks, before glancing back the way they came. ]

We didn't take a wrong turn, did we...?

oh u kno

[acknowledges]

But- [That had been Naruto's question. He looks back the way they've come for a second time, as if he's trying to confirm that yep, they sure did just get here from over there.] There's nowhere else to go.

[penitents]

[ Sasuke steps forward pulling his mask down to hang around his throat. His guess is that there's some secret to it. A latch of some kind, maybe. Leaving Naruto and Sakura to contemplate whether they're in the right place or not, he walks right up to the carving and starts running his hand along the curves. ]

[mitotic]

[ Sakura sighs, knowing Naruto is right, that their only route seems to have hit a dead end — which means there must be some kind of trick to this.

So she follows Sasuke's lead, running her hand along the mural, allowing her fingers to catch in every little crevice and bump she can find, looking for hidden seams or latches. ]

[acknowledges]

[Well, Naruto isn't used to having the sharingan to find secrets, and he isn't studious the way Sakura-chan has always been, so instead of feeling for secret latches, Naruto backs up to try and literally look at the big picture.

The pictures look kinda weird. Like some sort of, dance. Naruto's head tilts to one side, arms raising to mimic what he's seeing as if that might point his body in the right direction. Maybe it's a different kind of secret. Like a hint.]

[penitents]

There must be something.

[ It's only a matter of figuring it out. Everything else has been relatively straightforward up to this point, so it stands to reason this would follow the pattern. After checking as much of the dragon as he can without literally climbing the wall, Sasuke takes a few steps back.

He's still ignoring whatever Naruto is doing... ]

[acknowledges]

[It's no good, he can't do this next part on his own without losing his balance. Every time he tries he just keeps tipping over too far.]

Hey hey. [He's gotta put one leg- one leg here. And then his arms gotta go-] Somebody come help me with this one.

sad eyes white dragon

[acknowledges]

[It's dark up here. Maybe that's the most unsettling part- because the higher they climb the quieter it becomes, and each step they take seems to echo somehow. There's nowhere else to go and what they're looking for must be nearby. Naruto pauses as a particularly cold wind whips through the corridor, and the moment he does, the pebbles between his feet begin to vibrate. The roar is almost deafening.

This thing isn't coming, it's already here.

Naruto's weight shifts, adrenaline thrumming through his veins as he reaches for the short knives at his sides. No matter what happens, Team Seven can handle it.]

[penitents]

“Did that phoenix send you?! Tell her she cannot return! Not even over my dead body!”

[ Sasuke had the feeling the dragon would be at the end of all this. There was too much coincidence, too much curiousity on their way up this tower, for the apex not to hold the legendary beast. The force of the roar pushes as Sasuke's hair, clearing it from both of his eyes briefly.

Right now, none of them had any kind of distance attack that would do something to this massive beast, and unlike Naruto, Sasuke doesn't have a penchant for talking with his opponents. ]

We have to get closer.

[acknowledges]

[There's a small nod of his head, a sign of agreement. It's clear that they won't be able to do as much damage from here as the dragon would be able to manage in return- they'd be better off getting in close so they have space to beat a retreat when things get rough.

He doubts they'll even be able to stay in this area for very long. They'll have to keep moving to avoid anything that gets thrown at them.]

Think this one breathes fire too?

[penitents]

[ Sasuke pulls his mask up from where it hangs around his neck. If it is a fire breather, it's likely that the magic of his mask will do little, but at the very least he can use it as a distraction of it comes to it. It'll protect his eyes, either way. The jewels that dangle from it glint in the bright light, swaying as the dragon roars again. ]

There's only one way to find out.

[acknowledges]

[They have to find a new rhythm here, but even that isn't a far cry from their old one. Their abilities have changed, that's all, and Naruto has felt useless too many times in his life to feel daunted by it now.

Sakura and Sasuke are able to use their mana on the offensive, so the best he can do is make sure they have the time, space, and energy to do it in the first place. If they can get rid of even one of those heads right away, their odds can't go anywhere but up.]

Being a distraction suits me just fine.

[penitents]

Don't let your guard down.

[ It might seem unnecessary to say, but Sasuke knows Naruto is used to being extremely resilient. Some of that might have to do with the clan he hails from, but a huge portion of it, Sasuke is sure, came from the Kyuubi— and that fox isn't with him here. ]

Sakura.

[ He unsheathes his chokuto and starts forward. They're the two with blades that can really do some damage— what they need to do is behead this thing, and fast. ]

[mitotic]

Right.

[ He doesn't even have to elaborate. She knows what he's planning without him having to say it. A little of that is years of familiarity, but it's also just common sense. Bring the dragon down, fast.

She could almost feel sorry for it, if the legends are to be believed. Then again, if they are, the situation here is of his own making, and Sakura wasn't sent here to sort out the marital troubles of mythical creatures.

Sakura takes off too, making a hard right towards the dragon's left flank. She has a tight grip on her axe, ready to bring it down at a moment's notice. ]

[acknowledges]

[He's yards ahead of them, cloak streaming out from his back as the dragon's heads round on him. The reality is that he isn't fast enough to outrun them all, and once his teammates get close enough, once they're able to land a blow- he won't be able to keep the whole of its attention.]

Oi oi oi don't forget about me here! [He stands absolutely no chance at hitting the thing himself, and as a puff of fire blows his hair back from his face, it takes all of his energy just to keep out of harms way.] That one was too wide! It's like you're not even trying to get me!