DUNGEON ♛ GRANTEBRYNCGE LIBRARY

[boardmaster]

GRANTEBRYNCGE LIBRARY
20 SEPTEMBER (SYLVANT) 2016

In the morning, the Heroes chosen for the dungeon will receive a message via Carrier to meet at Grantebrycge. Heroes already in Grantebrycge will have a quick trip. For those who are not, however, the recommended method is to use Platform 42 5/8ths and then head to Cochrane's train station. The ticket is sponsored, and will arrive with the orders.

The train will pass through Friedgood before arriving at Grantebrycge. It's a long ride. Sit back, have your breakfast if you haven't eaten already, and hold your breath when riding through Friedgood.

After arriving at Grantebrycge Library, Verdoni can be seen with a number of professors. Nosy students stare at him (and you) from a distance. A few might try to introduce themselves to you before being shooed away by their professors.

Verdoni Despite the ongoing investigation, we haven’t the slightest idea what would cause this anomaly… [ pause ] That was my attempt at humor, mind; save your laughs for later. Someone has been practicing forbidden magic deep within the library. Who, why and since when are unknown, as it is impossible to enter. However, the mana fluctuations match the dungeons, which I’m sure you’re all acquainted with. Investigate the library and find the dungeon core. Failure is an option, but we don’t need to embarrass ourselves, do we? [ snaps his file shut ]

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 ♙
It's eerily quiet when you enter the first room, which, given that it's a library, says something.

The first thing you'll encounter is a massive library counter. Atop it are three things: a bell with a sign that reads “Ring to get the librarian's attention”, a sign, and a list. There's no librarian to be seen. If you try ringing the bell you'll discover there's no clapper inside of it and it makes no sound. If you try reading the sign it says, "Please return all books in a timely manner." If you look at the list, it has the names of unreturned books.

You can try to leave, but for some reason no matter how far you go or how many times you turn, you seem to pass by the same three shelves and end up right back where you started. Strange. Was that potted plant always there? How about that couch? All of the bookshelves look alike after a while...

The only way to continue is to return the books to the front counter and scan them with the magical lens there. And it will be a hunt. Behind that potted plant (and how is it growing when it's so dark below?) is a copy of Wretched in the Fog. Over, under the chair, is Friends Behind the Counter. (There's nothing behind the counter. You checked.) In that drawer, halfway shut with traces of blood on the handle, is They're Watching You. And there's more books above bookshelves and wedged in shelves incorrectly, sandwiched between 15 medical records which shouldn't be there.

Once you're done the doors behind you will open up to the rest of the library. And running towards you are...

MONSTER ♟ Mandrake
Weak against Fire	Strong against Earth	Immune to Water
Creatures born of an ALCHEMY EXPERIMENT GONE WRONG. They have precise control over the growth and movement of their roots, which they use to ENSNARE OR HIT TARGETS. Don’t get hit by the POISON EXTRACTS that they launch via their leaves, either. As a last resort, they will shriek loudly, STUNNING any Hero nearby. Killing a Mandrake makes it lose its magical nature, and they cannot be replanted. DROPS: Mandrake Core, Leaves, Roots, Poison Extract, Mana-rich Powder

Once the mandrakes are defeated, the way is clear and you can move to the next area. Ahead of you is a long and dark hallway with several closed doors. They have signs telling you which department the room belongs to, but you can't quite read what they say. Must be the lighting. Or maybe you just forgot how to read. They do seem to be getting more and more nonsensical as the seconds pass.

Why does it feel like you’re being watched?

Attempt to turn the doorknobs, and you and your teammates will hear chilling whispers of “You had everything. I had nothing.” And if that message doesn’t sink in the first time, perhaps the way the words are quite literally being carved into your arm will make it stick.

Unfortunately, there’s no other way to get through. You must keep trying to open doors. Eventually one will open, right? Just how long is this hallway, anyway? You tried twenty doors but you've barely moved away from the entrance. Eventually, you'll discover that one door is unlocked.

TWO ♙
It's a study room, complete with two couches, a rug, and bookshelves. And more bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves. Did we mention bookshelves yet? You can't see an end to them. You may attempt to leave, but outside is the same corridor as before, unchanged and with all of the doors locked. If there's a way forward it must be inside the study room.

Searching the couch will reveal a note written in Prehnite green talking about adding to the underground tunnels and a code to unlock the doorway. If you search the bookshelves you'll discover that there's one particular book which seems to attract your attention. Do you dare pull it? Of course you do. One sharp tug later, you unwittingly summon:

MONSTER ♟ Rideword
Weak against Water	Strong against Wind	Immune to Status Effects
MAGICAL FLYING BOOKS that cast spells, the nature of which is BASED ON THE BOOK’S GENRE, at their targets. Horror books will cast waves of darkness, religious texts deal Holy damage, and romance novels will either engulf their enemy in flames or charm teammates into fighting each other. These are just a few examples, but there are many more genres of literature, and these little books are creative with their spells. DROPS: Enchanted Book Pages, Glowing Bookmark, Saucy Pin-ups, Bags of Potato Chips

Once all of the ridewords are defeated, one of them will drop a key. Back to the hallway.

THREE ♙
The hallway suddenly doesn't seem so long this time. Unlock the door at the end and you'll see a long and winding, spiral staircase, surrounded by bookcases, leading below. Keep an eye out, as ridewords will pop out from the shadows or from the bookcases themselves. They'll drop from the upper levels, launch themselves from behind darkened shelves, and so on. You can fight, but there's too many to fight off indefinitely. You can only run.

To make matters worse, the ridewords seem to have some friends. Massive and ornate paintings decorate the walls around you. Initially benign, as paintings tend to be, they now literally fill the hallways with new life. The subjects jump at you from the walls, hostile. Between them and the increasing numbers of ridewords, it would do you good to figure out an escape quickly!

Calm down for long enough to examine the paintings further, and you'll notice that the clues are in the colors...

MONSTER ♟ Surface Painting
Weak against Fire (red), Lightning (yellow), Earth (green), Water (blue)	Strong against None	Immune to None
A magical animated blob of paint that can move between finished works of art or CAUSE PAINTINGS TO FLOAT. It’s the mischievous type, finding fun in jumping from painting to painting, using its camouflage to animate pictures. THE COLOR OF ITS ORIGINAL FORM INDICATES ITS WEAKNESS, which makes things quite confusing! DROPS: Oil Paints, Playing Cards, Sunflowers, Floppy Clocks, Fig Leaves

Keep going, and you’ll eventually reach the next area. It's another library room, with more bookshelves and books. The lighting is as bad as before but luckily, there seems to be a lack of ridewords. Given the number of book corpses on the ground, their fate seems obvious… or if there were ridewords they all were killed given the number of book corpses on the ground.

There are no doors in sight, except for the mess of books on the ground, and there is a sign that reads: “Please return the books to their rightful place when you are done reading and arrange them properly.” The way is unlocked by arranging the books in alphabetical order on the empty bookshelf in the middle of the room. It doesn’t matter if it’s by title or by author, as by coincidence the author’s names start with the same few letters as the title. The poor lighting and blurry font on the books will make the task tedious. Is that an ‘o’ or an ‘e’?

Heroes will have to be creative in coming up with a light source. Those who brought the Prehnite note from the study room will probably have an advantage? It did mention a well-hidden reading lamp behind a certain set of shelves in the corner… Except after you finally locate it, you realize it’s broken. There’s a note that reads: "Sorry man, we broke it. We'll bring down a replacement later.” Either try repairing it yourself or start looking for an alternative which doesn’t involve burning the books you need.

Once the puzzle is solved, the center bookshelves will suddenly move by itself to reveal the final passage leading to the last room in The Detention Hall.

FOUR ♙
In the deepest part of the dungeon is a research room, one that seems to be dedicated to the study of alchemy. There's a strange scent, akin a women's perfume. The walls are covered with photographs of blurred out faces. If you look closely, you'll discover that most of them have been scratched at or appear nicked.

Most likely you will not have the time to investigate, though. A hysterical laugh echoes in the area. If you hesitated too much or entered too quickly, violent matagots pounce you. And while you fend off the matagots, a beautiful woman enters, looking young enough to be a recent graduate. If it weren’t for the ancient cruelty in her eyes, she might have fooled you into mistaking her true age. She refuses to give her name, though if you ask nicely enough she'll introduce herself as the Mistress.

The moment anyone in your party says anything about Pigeonsblood or asks what she’s doing here, she'll start her agitated rant. She'll talk about how things have taken a turn for the worse, how talents are wasted, and how they're driving the school into ruin, how misguided everyone is. The Mistress says she'll turn the tides of the academy and she'll make everything right again. Starting with your defeat.

BOSS ♟ Mad Matagot Mistress
Weak against None	Strong against Lightning, Status Effects	Immune to Dark
“If I knew what would happen, then it would not be called research, now would it? Oh-- but oh, my. It appears I've drawn in some special little guinea pigs. I'm all full up on living subjects, but that's an easy fix, isn't it? Let us begin.” With a sharp clap of her hands the Mistress summons her familiars, her FAITHFUL MATAGOTS. Seemingly harmless, they will nevertheless CLAW AND SCRATCH at any Hero while she casts off quick but DESTRUCTIVE ELEMENTAL SPELLS. Heroes who ATTEMPT TO CAST A SPELL themselves may find a matagot attacking their head! Unlucky Heroes will discover them attempting to claw out their eyeball, or trying to scratch out their tongue. “Hehe, what’s wrong? We’re just getting started! Show me more, show me why they noticed you, what makes you so special…” They CAN BE PACIFIED. Food and toys work wonderfully, and Heroes who dare to pet them will be rewarded. Singing a sweet lullaby for them will put them to sleep. A Bishop Tamer’s ability can win them over temporarily to the party’s side, though a Queen’s charm magic is ineffective. The matagots will not betray their Mistress, but they can be convinced to STOP ATTACKING. The Mistress will use her charm to regain influence over her matagots if they’ve taken too long to attack. ”Oh no no no, you didn't think that would work, did you? You should know better. My babies are incredibly loyal, you see.” Distracted Heroes, watch out! The matagots will start attempting to steal your blood, a scrap of your clothing, or some of your hair. If the Mistress gets these items, she will use her ability to create VOODOO DOLLS that will render you immobile, making you easy targets for her spells and for her pets. And if you are male, she will give you a PRIVATE LESSON, where she enticingly steals mana to fuel her next attack. The only thing that can free a Hero will be destroying the doll. “I was the special one, once. I was the one who... well, it doesn't matter, does it? They passed me over. But mark my words, darling, Pigeonsblood was mine. Not his, mine!” She will also use “Private Lesson” to SEDUCE MALE HEROES and turn them into her willing human shields. In order to snap them back to their senses, you must overwhelm her charm magic. For example, KISSING an affected Hero will instantly free them from her control. The more intimate, the better. ”I've worked so, so hard! I did so much for the academy! And how do they repay me?! How?!” The Mistress is now angered and will begin displaying her remarkable grasp on COMPLEX ELEMENTAL MAGIC. She will combine multiple elements to blast her enemies. Her favorites are water with lightning for painful shocks, or fire and wind in high speed flame curtains that sear the very air. The ALCHEMY BOTTLES in her dress will turn her attacks into an overwhelming force. For instance, she will use poison with her water magic to create acid rain in the room. Break or steal the bottles before she has a chance to use them. ”I just wanted to make the school a better place. I really, truly did.” With tears streaming down her cheeks, she falls, and the DUNGEON CORE appears in her hand. Her beloved matagots, the only ones the Mistress could count on, will drag her body into the shadows. The core is left for your party to take. DROPS: Catnip, Fish Heads, Toy Mice, Dead Mice, Alchemist’s Dress, Assorted Alchemy Potions, Life-like Dolls, Pins and Needles, Lesson Planner, Alchemy Recipe Book

The Detention Hall’s beginning to fade away like ink on old paper while a school bell echoes. Looks like school’s out.

FIVE ♙
The moment you return, the people of Grantebrycge will cheer, and pop lights or throw confetti… but not too many. They know that you're tired.

… Though some Prehnite students might try to slip you their dorm room number and ask if they can talk to you about the dungeon later.

Heroes who have enrolled in Pigeonsblood will have access to their dorm rooms, where a hot meal is already waiting for them if they're hungry. Heroes who have not enrolled will have a temporary room assigned to them. A hot meal will be belatedly brought to them; however their portions seem to be more rushed, considering the quality...



In the morning of the following day, Heroes will receive news that the Royal Family of Cochrane, House Amethyst, will be sponsoring an extravagant field trip for Heroes with regards to their job well done and continued service for Gammon. Details on this will be released in a few days.

Comments

I. BOOK HUNT

[kyusei]

[ Why did he agree with this? He could have said no--he never intended to get within close proximity with Nohrians (mostly the Royal siblings). Elise bounces way too high, brings too much light, and she's out to get him for her friend collection. Then there's Leo... They just hate each other. What else can he say? Owain is weird. That's it.

The trip seems quiet on one half yet loud on the other. With people like Owain and Elise, it's hard to get some peace. They haven't stumbled upon their first obstacle yet Takumi is exasperated. Shoulders drooping and a rather regretful expression on his face, they've been maybe passing by the same shelves thrice. ]

Hey, I'm pretty sure we've passed this pot five times by now. [ Leave it to him to exaggerate in a different way than the dramatic Ylissian. ] Who's leading, anyway?

[ Aka who's taking the blame because Takumi is definitely not the one leading the party, even if he thinks he's more than qualified for that position. ]

[demoiselled]

[ elise has definitely been chattering away - to odin owain, who chatters back, or leo or takumi, who chatter...less. it's not like she needs a lot of input in order to keep up a cheerful commentary of everything she's thinking? sure, it's appreciated, but.

she's actually sort of started to notice the loop back, too. ]

I've seen that shelf before! I remember 'cause this book had a weird name...well, they all do, but. [ she idly fingers the staff and bow she has strapped to her back, glancing around. ] I thought Leo was leading? But do we NEED a leader? Why don't we just be a team together? Orrrr whoever gets us out of doom and gloom room has my vote! Did we want to vote?

[pragma]

[ out of the three other people in this party leo wants to be around exactly one. maybe one and a half. he still doesn't know what to make of owain. the point is, he's not exactly happy about this arrangement either. though he is putting on a calmer face simply because elise is here.

at the question of who's leading though, he bites his lip. ]

It's usually wise to appoint a leader for any group activity.

[ and while normally he would step up, takumi throws a wrench into things. first of all, what's to say takumi would even listen? the more likely scenario is takumi sassing back at every single thing leo says. he can just hear it, grimacing in takumi's direction.

but ultimately he turns back to scan their surroundings again, far too familiar with it now for his liking. ]

There seems to be no danger present, because we've walked around here three times at least. I'd say it's currently safe to split up and search more thoroughly.

[vantaged]

[ "owain is weird" yes that does sure sum it up. owain isn't sure what to make of any of the norhian or hoshidian people (they're mythical? but sort of know a future him?? what the fuck does he do with this) but so far they all seem like good folk.

but even if he is weird, he is starting to wonder if they're going in circles. he just figured the whole place looked like the rest of the place, ok. it's possible. ]

I, too, assumed that Leo was the leader of our heroic party but if he is not up to the task then I would be more than willing to lead us to victory! [ dramatic pose for the love of the exalted dragon don't let him lead anything ever. ]

-- Or splitting up sounds like a good idea, maybe, yeah. Into twos, perhaps?

[kyusei]

[ Takumi merely rolls his eyes when Leo dares lay his eyes upon him. He can already hear the words about how Takumi makes a horrible party mate, something something blah blah. Even in his mind, he's able to tune out the other man's voice. It's weird to say he prefers to listen to Owain's jabbering, but it's true.

As the Nohrians (and fake Nohrian) talk amidst themselves, Takumi already starts wandering off by himself. Goodbye. ]

[demoiselled]

I'll go with Takumi!!

[ n o p e teams of two sounds good to elise and also. also. she still has to work on making takumi her friend??? he's sakura's brother??? she's going to befriend everyone her bff is related to come hell or high water or grouchiness? it's just going to happen. she's determined.

someone should maybe save him, but who actually will. she skips after him, though she's. bad at staying with a group despite saying that and detours to that bell. the sign says ring it, so elise smacks it!

...

and nothing happens. she proceeds to pick it up and shake it. ]

Do you think Sakura's having fun with her group? I hope so! Maybe I can find her something cute here? You need to help me, okay! [ they're stuck in this room but she's. still super bubbly, y'all. ]

[pragma]

Wait, Elise--!!

[ they didn't discuss where to meet? when to meet?? what to do when danger presents itself??? and leo wanted to be the one going with elise; but instead he finds himself stranded back with owain. which isn't the worst case scenario, but still not exactly ideal.

elise and takumi are pretty much out of sight. while leo would give chase, it was elise who had skipped off after the other. he knows better than to try to sway his little sister away from something she's decided, so he just begrudgingly accepts this pairing with a sigh. ]

... I suppose that leaves the two of us. [ he turns to owain, fingers grazing the hilt of the sword by his side simply for reassurances. ] Let's start searching. Try every crevice. Let me know when you find something that seems out of the ordinary.

[ there's one last sparing glance over to the front desk, at the words on the sign, which seem even more telling now. ]

Books, perhaps.

[vantaged]

-- Ah, wow. [ they sure took off quick?? geeze guys. ] Never fear, I'm certain those two are capable of facing any danger that befalls them.

[ well he's mostly sure elise is capable, who knows about archer dude. ]

I'm not certain books are particularly unordinary here? Unless you mean something in specific. Like a book on scrying one's way out of a dastardly book maze!

[kyusei]

[ Aww yeah guess who gets the cute girl as his buddy. Takumi doesn't seem happy about it, but when does he ever? Walking down the aisle between these towering bookshelves at least put him at ease. Not that he would read any of these books, but his curiosity is one to be reckoned with. This area of the library is still relatively small despite how they've gone around the same area three time, so they're within each other's peripheral vision and earshot. Don't worry, Leo.

Eventually, he stops by a half shut drawer at the end. One book peeks out, so he decides to pull it out--suddenly blood pours out of its pages like a waterfall. ]

I think I found something. [ While he was only browsing for something even moderately interesting on the shelves, this is definitely out of the ordinary. ] "They're Watching You".

This is a book from the list, right?

[demoiselled]

[ elise yelps a little because WHY THE HELL BLOOD?????? but takumi seems blase about it so give her a second here to. pretend she didn't just half-shriek. totally didn't totally cool yeah. since she's still kind of standing near the desk, she checks the sign. ]

Ummmm, yeah. Although they're pretty bad at telling what's returned or not if it's here...

[ she'll just examine the counter again. the bell is useless, so she puts it back, but... ]

Maybe we should return it properly? [ this time she picks up the lens, instead. time to scan the book, she supposes??? although elise is very carefully not touching the bloody book. what the hell. takumi can hold it up? ]

[pragma]

Try books that have yet to be returned.

[ it would be awfully convenient to find a book that details how to escape from a looping maze, wouldn't it? things are never so easy. leo starts searching himself, this time eyeing everything with careful scrutiny.

almost too naturally, he's drawn towards the plant. for one, he's curious about the species - it's something he's never seen before - and how it seems so healthy despite the lack of natural sunlight. it must be magic, he assumes, having grown plants with his own tome. as leo fingers the leaves he notices a spine peeking out from behind the pot.

no sooner does he pick up the book than he hears elise yelping faintly in the distance. immediately alarmed, he grips the book and rounds the corner (but still making sure owain is within sight) to get a little closer to the source of her voice. she's not far, but. ]

Elise? Are you alright?

[vantaged]

[ finally looks at the unreturned book list, which he has more or less ignored until now (he didn't check out any books, why would he care what hadn't been returned? but this place is. stupid. isn't it). ] Oh. Ohh. On it! Owain Dark, unreturned book hunter is on it! My swordhand tingles with the need to, uh. Return books to the hellfires from whence they came!

[ and he starts to look, checking along the shelves and surrounding areas for any of the books listed. he's crawling under a chair to investigate a book when elise yelps and leo dashes off heroically. owain waits a few moments with a hand on the hilt of his sword before taking care of the book ("friends behind the counter" yeah ok sure whatever) by taking it up front.

after all, there's no use rushing over unless there's actually danger! also he hit his head on the underside of the chair when he tried, so. it's fine they're fine unless actual screaming ensues. ]

[kyusei]

[ Looks like they're on an actual book hunt now, so Takumi has been diligently searching for the books listed... At least the ones he can remember. Luckily, some of them were in this same aisle. Since Elise is trying her best to help, he has given her some of the books to hold. Notably, he holds onto the bloody one. He's being considerate. ]

She's fine. [ YEAH, HE'S GOING TO ANSWER FOR ELISE. Because he's here! He has a katana, a bow, and knows how to use some magic. They also have a barrier. ] Shouldn't you be searching for the rest of the books, Prince Leo?

[ If they're going to have a buddy system, he would like Leo to follow it. Stop being a siscon and do work. He wanted to say, of course, Leo would let his retainer do the little things, but... Owain Dark. Pretty sure his name was not that. ]

Wasn't your retainer a dark mage? [ He just... realized this. And, yes, since he doesn't feel close to Owain at all, he can only refer to him rather than talk to him directly. There's an awkward pause as he decides to be nice to at least one Nohrian. ] I hope that swordhand of yours is more useful than it sounds.

[ Nice... ]

[demoiselled]

There was blood!!

[ elise adds her own commentary, but then thinks to add: ]

From a book. Not our blood. [ but still gross? elise will hold any of the books that do not have blood and can start. ferrying them to the counter to happily scan in since that's perfectly in sight of everyone, right?

besides, it makes a cool little sound when she does it. all scanners make cool little sounds, this one has to, too. ]

Owain says his sword sucks blood! Oh, we should have him clean up the bloody mess.

[ elise. don't suggest a sword be used like a mop????? ]

[pragma]

[ HE DIDN'T DASH OFF HE WAS JUST. getting to a place where he could see everything (or as much as he could) because his baby sister is a little healer and he doesn't completely trust that archer dude to keep her safe, ok? ok.

he's not a siscon shut up. ]

I wasn't aware it was frowned upon to worry about your sibling. [ he's scowling, and giving the book in his hand a quick once-over to determine it is one of the titles from the list. there's half a mind to argue with takumi further, but they seem to slip into that bickering state so easily and leo at least wants to come off as the bigger person here.

so he doesn't, but he's still scowling. ]

Owain is not my retainer. You might want to check your eyesight. [ it's a matter to worry about in another time. it's still something that lingers in the back of his head, because the more time he spends in owain's company the more alike he seems with the retainer he left back home. for now he's set aside the investigation, but it does crop up in his mind every so often.

he'll just walk over to elise at the counter, glad that she's perfectly fine, and hands her the book in his hand because she seems to be having fun with the scanning process. it only takes him a few more minutes to gather every other book he could find scattered around the room, until the list is properly checked off. ]

[vantaged]

[ that sounds like dashing. ]

My sword has the vampiric touch! It hungers for the essence of life itself, it's thirst unquenchable! [ and yes he will use it as a mop. it'd be rude to just leave blood lying around. do note that he will do a pose and shout "vampiric touch!" when he does, because of course he does.

he doesn't say anything regarding him being leo's retainer since. it's accurate, he isn't? but also he's aware enough of the time travel bs that apparently he is or will be-- or at least some version of him will be? or something?? maybe odin is really just owain's evil twin, ok. listen. listen it's all bullshit who knows. ]

Another evil defeated! [ you did nothing owain shut up ] No doubt this quest will be complete in no ti--

[ oh look, mandrakes ]

[kyusei]

[ He's only giving Leo a look before his gaze travels to Owain. It's awfully uncanny... They could probably be related, but what does he know? Takumi drops the opportunity to argue with Leo, only returning to the counter--the mandrakes are literally running towards them with their root legs. ]

What are those?!

[ The first thing Takumi thinks is that someone has wasted food with this magic experiment, the second is that the mandrakes seem to be homing in on him? Why? Well, when you party with pawns, your very presence provokes everything. Despite how they're a distance away, they all extend their limbs to try to pierce him. The katana that floats behind him proves to be useful as he holds it to parry the collective blow, but it's pushing him far back.

Party, please help. ]

[demoiselled]

Evil bushes?!

[ that's. what they look like to elise, anyway. she ducks behind the counter because she's only got distance weapons and that seems like as good a barrier as any - but as to help, okay. she can either use her bow and arrow set here or her barrier staff, but for now - attacking might be more useful than throwing up a barrier every monster in the area will be attacking since takumi is prime meat.

accordingly she unslings the bow and notches an arrow, aiming and firing. thank you, a+ support rank with cool archer priestess class. so, have some cover fire support from behind the counter which elise will just. stay behind here. ]

[pragma]

[ there's no time to bicker with takumi, nor question the fact that owain's sword is mopping up blood more efficiently than an actual mop. there's also no time to scrutinize the mandrakes racing over at them. at least elise can protect herself, while leo rushes to takumi's side to parry off wiry roots that extend in takumi's direction. ]

They're mandrakes, [ says leo, slicing the nearest mandrake in two while a partial ice barrier forms on his left side to block off an attack - he's becoming a target now after aggro-ing, which probably lightens takumi's load a little, but only a little. ]

I've read about them. They're magical sentient plants, and they have a terrible voice capable of stunning and knocking you out.

[ as if on cue, the mandrakes are getting more restless, with high pitched screeches growing louder in volume. might want to cover your ears? ]

[vantaged]

[ owain rushes straight in with his sword, trying to hack away at the mandrakes before they can get too close. he really doesn't want to see what happens if any of them get wrapped up in those roots, thanks. the poison extracts are at least sucked into his sword, but there isn't much a sword can do against screeching. ]

A terrible voice? I'll show them a truly terrible voice! [ owain no ] BACK, FOUL WEEDS! RETURN TO THE GARDENS OF HELL FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!

[ fight screaming with screaming, right?? though it may have been more impressive if owain wasn't smacked across the face by a root at that point.

actually, no, it wouldn't have been impressive either way. ]

[kyusei]

I hope everyone invested in ear plugs.

[ Because Takumi did not. Not at all. That doesn't deter him. He flips his sword in his hand and gets into position. With the mandrakes now not all collectively on his butt, he can slice the limb that lodged itself into Owain's face. It may still be sticking into his skull, but that's okay. He's safe.

The limb has sprout leaves, but they prove useless due to that vampiric sword. There's a relieved sigh... Poison is something he wouldn't wish upon anyone in this party. ]

They're still plants, right? Some fire will probably end them.

[ The mandrakes are closing in fast... Thinking about dealing with them spread around this room sounds like a pain, so Takumi channels mana into his sword. The blade is enveloped by a light gale and with a small flick does it ensnare the mandrakes to one place.

The aggro changes back to Takumi, thinking that if he dies, then they'll be free from this bind. ]

[demoiselled]

[ is it bad she thought owain was pretty cool... ]

Leo, do fire!

[ look. look. elise taught herself magic water tricks to play splash tag, but there wasn't any fire tag??????? so???? maybe she should get tutored later from her brother or literally anyone else. bows and arrows cover fire is probably actually not helpful, especially with all the mandrakes so close to takumi and owain now. so she swaps options and goes for > healer mode buff by using her staff to toss a barrier around takumi since he. it the one getting attacked the most. he should be able to attack through it fine for the small amount of time she can hold it, but she's trying her best? ]

[pragma]

[ the mandrakes are more pesky than anything. leo kicks off some roots that managed to wind themselves around his ankle, rubbing his ear with a deep scowl when the noise gets louder, owain not helping matters in the slightest. ]

Keep them occupied for a minute.

[ it's very strange to use magic without a tome. he's had over a month's worth of practice, but it's nothing compared to the years of working with tomes prior. the fireball that forms in leo's palm as he concentrates mana into it feels almost foreign. it takes him a moment to really focus, adjusting his mana flow so to make the fire strong and stable.

and then he chucks it at the gaggle of mandrakes being snared by takumi, and they burn like kindling, not without loud screams all in unison.

he's covering his ears though. ow. ]

[vantaged]

They will be occupied to their death!

[ l..iterally since leo is setting them on fire? owain does his best to keep them occupied while leo prepares to enact a fall out boy song. and once they're all taken care of, is stunned by the sight of the blaze. well, and the screeching. mostly the screeching.]

-- Well, that went well! Another successful battle. Truly there has never been such a brave set of heroes in this land as us! [ instead of ear plugs did anyone bring duct tape to shut owain up. ]

[kyusei]

[ Takumi is there, closer to the mandrakes to cut down any limbs that fly towards Elise and Leo. It seems to be working as the mandrakes let out a shrill shriek as they wither into ashes. While Takumi is relieved they made this out all right, the sounds of nails on the chalkboard ultimately stuns him along with Owain.

At least they can still talk, but Takumi is literally petrified despite the clear pathway inside. ]

I can't tell if not being able to hear Owain is a good or bad thing.

[ Is he even speaking? When a tree falls down and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? ]

Good job.

[ To everyone, really. This has been going well! And isn't as creepy as his first dungeon. ]