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

TEAM HANDSY♡HANDHOLDS

[sunderings]

( not that anyone is mana-happy here or anything. )

📖 Chapter One!

[sunderings]

[ Shadows stretch from bookcases, soft as ash, carrying with them the weight of the wealth of knowledge preserved within the Grantebryncge Library. Here, scrolls, codexes, and tomes alike rise to the ceiling's height in sprawling shelves, book-bindings and inscriptions leading the eyes like a map might; twisting and turning through texts like some great leviathan of old. But there is no time to linger in idle reverence of so grand a library, their party of four—a radiant Lady and one scarlet star, a great, jovial reaper of a man, and one Hero King makes for balance, the four cardinal points—will not be delayed in laying the dungeon to rest, forbidden magic and all.

It is with no small measure of grace that Sion sets the third and final unreturned book, They're Watching You, atop the front counter, scanning the title with an enchanted lens of glass to mark it returned home. He deems it unnecessary, to call attention to the traces of blood which had seeped well into the drawer which formerly housed the title, caring only address the way the door looming just behind of their band of companion heaves open, as though drawing breath, before the swift slither of roots reach the ears— ]

Be on your guard. [ And all at once, Sion is King, the resonant intonations of his voice carrying throughout the quiet of the library: ] Shunsui, to vanguard. Please do us the honor of intercepting our foes.

[ Already a spell—twin bolts of blazing, holy light—dances upon his fingertips with a small murmur of incantation. ]

Koumei and my Lady Alice, stay close. I will be your shield as you take the offensive, and together...!

[ With a brilliant flash, a bloom of radiance, the holy magic is actualized, released in all its glory upon the onslaught of creatures—he knows not how to describe them other than constructs of alchemy, plants bearing startlingly human faces—with little preamble. There is a sound, the sound of leaves and vegetation searing away, the line of Mandrake falling back so that his voice might rise: ]

We will bring peace to this place!

[dishevelment]

[The eyes of that scarlet star glittered terribly in the flash of Sion's holy magic, Koumei's own mind whirling and putting pieces together from all that he had gathered from his hours upon hours of study in Caissa's libraries. Time spent pouring through the bestiaries, upon the recommendation of a well studied young man, had finally born him fruit that he would find useful.]

Mandrakes, [he uttered, his tone dissonantly calm even amidst the library that had turned into a battlefield.

Moving swiftly, he unfurled his fan and raised it high above him in an echo of other magicians he had witnessed in his lifetime-- and, even as he pulled his mana together for a simple spell, he still found the presence of mind to be alert for anything around them that could be useful...and to speak:]

We must end this quick-- or find a way to protect the books!

[For, even if these halls reminded him of the corrupted magician's country that had fallen more than three years ago in his world, knowledge was still precious.

Then, uttering a short phrase, he sent launched a fireball out at one of the most threatening beasts of the horde.

Hal-Harl Infigar.

The magic was different, but the function was the same.

No one in this world could understand how much that little detail meant to Koumei.]

[digophelia]

[ With a quick stride, Alice descends into battle, calmly and effortlessly withdrawing her sword, already charging mana into it to where it grows a bright blue. A shield, he says. Alice would obviously have had words with him if her attention wasn't being forced onto the mandrakes. As much as she would have liked taking the brunt of it herself, she can't. Her focus was on the mandrakes, Alice almost stopping dead in her tracks at the sight of the fireball. Of course there had to be fire.

A hitch in her breath, Alice obsloved to move forward, determined to keep the rest of the party out of harm's way. She wouldn't use any of her magic yet, only brute force. She cleaved her curved sword back, throwing herself into a small, frienzied state, so that she wouldn't have to gaze up at anyone casting fire magic. She wouldn't allow that one fear of hers to hold her down, Alice choosing to approach the mandrakes, hacking through roots and the body of mandrakes, her sword becoming nothing more than a blue streak in her hands. ]

[sugegasa]

Lady Alice, you really must stop rampaging. You'll worry our dear king over there...

[He gently rubbed her back when he got the chance, feeling her bristle under his hand but not having any real time to reassure her he meant no harm as they were advanced upon!

Shunsui also chose to use no magic for the moment, not that he had a large mana pool to begin with. But the mandrakes seemed simple enough to cut down, and he was more than willing to do so at the behest of his King, after all.

He used both sword and scythe to cut them down, focusing his attention on the roots making their way toward not only him but the others as well. He moved to position himself against the worst onslaught, Alice having drawn quite a bit of attention with her ferocity.]

Careful, what they're shooting can't be good!

[He did his best to deflect it, the long curving blade of his scythe proving quite useful in the attempt. But it wouldn't be enough, unless he took a hit...well, anything to keep Alice from being blasted, he supposed...

The mandrakes, having seen an opportunity, began to amass in greater number close to where he was fighting. Were they targeting Alice? He wasn't positive, but it didn't matter much in the end.]

Your Highness, if you might erect a barrier for Lady Alice, I'd be very appreciative! [He could deflect a lot of the poison, but should anything happen, he'd never forgive himself!] Koumei-chan, if you wouldn't mind sending a spell my way, I'd be thankful!

[He had to stop his speech to give his attention to deflecting the poison being shot so liberally from the mandrake leaves! Couldn't let Alice or any of the others get hit!]

[sunderings]

[ Mandrakes, Koumei pronounces, granting the swarm of pests a name before so too exposing their weakness: fire. Fire, so summoned forth by a language which rings unfamiliar to the Hero King's ears, even if the mana (residual, from energy gone kinetic; the heat of flame which lingers long after the fire itself has gone) fueling the spell is so very much the same as it had been on that day; that moment when Koumei had raised a hand toward the heavens above and had challenged them with a flash of scarlet light. But such had been a harmless magic, a cast of a signal flare into the sky, when in the here and now there is smoke and a terrible, inhuman shriek as Mandrake roots shrink and coil, burning away into nothing.

For this, he is glad, however--...

Alice, she's stalled in her step, and in that very instant Sion gives life to a reflective barrier to ward away attack—no, he will never forget his Lady's fear of fire, no more than he would ever doubt in her ability to surpass it.

I am with you, Alice, is the sentiment resonant in his each and every dispel and cast. He has fought beside his Lady countless times, enough so to see the patterns in what might be frenzy to another's eyes; the clarity in her surge forward and merciless attack. To erect a single barrier would not do, but to mark her path forward with iridescent, glimmering shields actualized not with incantation, but with flourishing, elegant motions of hand and wrist (it is powerful, the way the King chooses to channel mana; innate to him) is the proper way to pay homage to her blade; the way Mandrake fall before her.

Is he worried? No—the airborne extracts hurled by Mandrake leaves carry with them no immediate effect (and what may come of them may always be healed away!), the blade of Shunsui's scythe keeping the projectiles at bay in the gaps between Sion's ever-shifting shields—and it is with only the utmost conviction, the most dauntless smile, that he steps forward, adopting a protective stance before Koumei. ]

It is only a pity that my Lady cannot be contained by a single barrier alone. [ She would refuse such a thing, he knows, being trapped behind the gleaming light of such a cage, however beautiful. ] And as you said, no good can possibly come from their projectiles.

[ Then, a side-long glance, gold catching with red, before a nod of... gratitude? ]

So surely, we must protect the books.

[ And though Shunsui is strong, boasting Knight's rank, the man cannot hope to compete with the enmity generated by a Queen's casting (Alice's blade, gleaming blue in her hands), leaving only one person capable of managing crowd control.

A King, boasting the highest threat profile at all, when armed with that knowledge is...!

Surprisingly reckless.

La Vista's wings of light unfurling from his back, Sion sails forward, a lure (glittering, golden, and resplendent all) in every connotation of the word, knowing simply that any Mandrake capable of attacking him would. And so they follow him, a hissing, shrieking mess of root-tendrils and bulbous bodies which collect below his feet as he remains airborne, making a graceful dance of age-old evasive maneuvers: dodge and weave.

Successfully drawn back, into the darkened corridor from whence they came, the Mandrakes are now open and vulnerable to attack...! ]

[dishevelment]

[A weapon, no matter how useful it was, could only be a detriment if it sent one of their own wild with an emotion Koumei couldn't yet identify. His acquaintance with Alice was still recent, but the hitch in her footwork when his spell struck and the succeeding rampage-- as Shunsui had described it-- had him pulling back to reevaluate his strategy.

From behind Sion's protective barrier, he rerouted the order of commands in is mind toward a different type of spell.]

Understood! [He called, and hurled an arcing blade of lightning at the mandrakes surrounding Shunsui with another foreign word-- a language that was almost dead in his own world-- uttered under his breath: Ramz.

His casting, however, was quite slow compared to the bold leaps his mind took-- for thus was the problem with being a mere Pawn surrounded by Knights and Kings. And, even as he managed to dodge the projectiles launched by the mandrakes by hiding behind an overturned table, he found himself immensly frustrated that he simply couldn't do more.

...Even his skills as a support were minimal at best-- but, there were always little things that he could do.

Spying the bookshelves, neatly organized and arranged in an orderly fashion, Koumei found himself with an idea. Taking advantage of Sion's literal flight, Koumei began the annoying process of removing the books from the nearest shelf and trying to push it over.

He wasn't terribly strong, but he had a will. Surely, that would be enough for him to fashion a trap for these beasts!]

[digophelia]

[ She would not respond well to any sort of touch. She would always recoil, even flinch. The strength of her strikes only increased by then. No, absolutely not, she would refuse a shield and almost began to move ahead, usurping a vanguard's post. The sound of the blade cutting through mandrakes grew louder. ]

I'm.

[ And so came one of Alice's most violent cleave yet, taking her anger out on a mandrake that comes too close for comfort, shrieking Alice cuts him in half. ]

Fine!

[ And she was, mostly, cutting through plants with such a small frenzy didn't drain her completely. The glow of her sword dimmed just a little, Alice shooting back a warning glance to anyone else behind her that she wasn't going to accept any sort of physical reassurance. She paused, a rare pause on her part that she allows Sion to even take a step ahead of her and Koumei, taking a breath as she momentarily rested her sword on her shoulder. ]

And how good will their projectiles be if I could confuse them?

[ After all, she had yet to cast any sort of her dark spell of illusion, using blunt force to hack away through mandrakes in hopes of stopping them from coming closer to the books. It was rare for her to stop and reconsider her footsteps, but here she was, idly pacing, like a caged animal, biding her time as she watched them, trying to find a better opening in hopes to cast a spell meant for a defensive measure. ]

🎨 Art Appreciation!

[sunderings]

[ A key obtained and a second door unlocked: the way down, further into the depths of the detention hall, is marked by an ornate, spiraling staircase without rails but bordered by bookcases, making the path a treacherous one. And so: the only way down is to run, fleeing the Ridewords which plummet, yet, from above and launch themselves from darkened shelves, the King urging his companions forward as he trails behind, raising barriers to fend off the books with a bite until that moment when--...

All is quiet, and their path, now, is marked by paintings which carry such life, such vibrancy that as their party gives pause, the King reaches out, his fingertips just barely meeting with oil pigment—there is some secret here, of this he is certain; some clue which is hidden within the artistry—when the painting's subject moves, taking him by the wrist (and by surprise). ]

The paintings—

[ —are alive, Sion does not say, his voice cut off by a second hand gripping his throat, the man who'd been so striking in his portrait turning hostile as he emerges from his window of canvas, smelling of the fresh paint he is colored with.

!! This is fine; this is not alarming at all. ]

[digophelia]

[ Alice isn't too far behind Sion with her hand resting on her sword, hovering closer to him than usual. How she's always longed to be inside of a school and not for this reason. She stops, taking the time to absorb the sight of the detention hall; it reminded her a little of Oxford's libraries, back when she had the chance to visit it. Alice lets out a small sigh of disappointment, knowing that sightseeing wasn't what they are here for.

She's only vaguely listening to the others, moving along and running her fingers along the table's surface, still trailing close to Sion. It's out of her usual behavior, staying a bit closer to him than. But she does so to act as a guard of the sort, mostly. The paintings, however, they're richer and vibrant than the ones she was accustomed to at Oxford in her childhood. ]

They are pretty.

[ Alice peers up, gently grasping at his arm as she weasels up behind him to get a better look. Moving paintings no less. Alice's marvel is cut short; as he leans in to touch it and as he's taken by the wrist and being drawn in, Alice's reaction is slower than it should be. Before Alice can really unsheathe her sword, her right hand is seized.

Oh. That's just lovely.

Alice's attention remains on Sion. ]

So typical...!

[ After everything that's happened to her, is it really that much of a surprise? ]

Sion!

[ And Alice starts to violently squirm, trying to pull her hand out of the subject of the painting's grasp. ]

[dishevelment]

[Koumei isn't terribly far behind he group either, but he had been distracted by the various other curiosities that this school had to offer. His homeland had nothing that resembled anything like what was within these halls, and he wanted to burn as much of it into his memory as he could for later use.

That is, until--

Whirling around, Koumei sought out Sion and Alice the moment he heard their startled voices. When he found them--

All rational thought promptly cut off.]

Sion! Miss Alice!

[He was a man who had trekked through half a dozen dungeons in his homeland, conquered one of them on his own, had done battle with ancient beasts that threatened to destroy his world, and spoken with a child who had access to the infinite knowledge and wisdom of the world-- and yet, finding a pair of people being strangled and drawn into a painting still struck him as odd.

--And, how does one form a strategy against this?

Koumei simply did the very first thing he could think of in the immediate moment, and he started smacking at the blobs of paint with his fan in hopes of loosening it's grasp from Sion's neck. He didn't care if it looped it's way around his arm and ensnared him as well.

Saving the life of another was more important.]

[sugegasa]

[Well, this just wouldn't do!

Having had an eye on the rest of them the entire time, he'd seen it happen, but had been a bit too far back to do anything immediate. He rushed over as soon as he saw Koumei start to smack the arm made of paint with his fan, though! Not quite before it made to grab him, though...]

All of you keep very still.

[It was his Captain's voice, one he very rarely used. Quiet, deep and with no room for argument at all.

He had the scythe off his back in an instant, the swing completed before any real thought could be given to it. He needed to strike a second time, as the arm making its way to Koumei was bit more distant than the ones holding Sion and Alice.

As they were cut, the arms - now lacking hands, although the paint was quick to give replacements - receded back into the paintings, splashes of color marring the floor where a flesh opponent would leave blood.

He wanted to check on them all, and would, very soon. But he had to make sure the threat was taken care of first...and studying the small, almost invisible movement, he smirked a little as the paint moved from one portrait to the next.]

Color-based. I'm not sure what it means or how to interpret the changes, but there was a moment when the color shifted a bit.

[His voice quieted, turning the slightest bit dark as he studied the paintings more intently.]

If you want to play color games, you can play them with me.

[Backing up, and using both arms - the right one with the scythe still its hand - to motion for the others to do the same, out of reach of the arms of any people present in the paintings, he finally shifted his gaze to look at them.]

Is everyone all right? I don't imagine this is the last threat from these paintings, so does anyone need a bit of mana? I offer hugs!

[sunderings]

[ Though it had been music to his ears, the wonder in Alice's voice; the way she had reached for his arm and had taken it with her own to steal an innocent, childish glance at a painting which seemed impossibly lifelike, she should have not lingered so close. The matter of his rank is more than troublesome—misfortune magnet, those of King's rank are called, for their physical frailty and notorious streak of bad luck both!—and he would sooner perish himself than have his Lady mired alongside him. To think that, in the blink of an eye, both King and Queen could be ensnared, is... ridiculous, Sion thinks, mana channeling through his free hand to burn brightly at his fingertips—even he grows dizzy, from lack of breath, that hand of paint constricting tight—gathering until the precise moment when it might be actualized...!

But that moment never arrives.

Instead, Koumei's voice reaches his ears (how strange it sounds, alarmed and bereft of decorum) shortly before the man takes to dismantling now-numerous globules of paint by way of employing his Hero's weapon as an object with which to strike—stay back!, Sion cannot command—only to find himself held captive (and captivated) by the artwork as well. And after--...

"All of you keep very still."

The hand which had once been alight with mana reaches to rest, now, atop Alice's shoulder, in a bid to calm her thrashing—all will be well—and in the very next instant, following the swing of a scythe, Sion finds he can breathe again, the paint cleaved into two by sharp curve of a blade bleeding color onto the ground.

Though his first step back is a stagger, the second boasts all of his usual grace, and the third is protective, as he reaches out for Alice and Koumei both, taking each by the hand as he settles them in the middle of the corridor, equidistant from the paintings on all sides. ]

Everyone... thank you. [ It doesn't take much time for the King to find his voice, though in the passing moments the paint, animated by a troublesome enchantment, sees fit to be all the more mischievous—flitting from painting to painting, it causes the frames which it passes through to float, lifting from their fixtures to circle the party of four in a promenade which might have been a joy to behold, were there no ever-present threat in its looming shadow. ]

I will be able to return the favor, but I will need to recover mana first. [ Here, there is a pause; a glimmer of a smile as the King... accepts a Knight's offer, for the very first time: ] An embrace would not be out of the question.

[ As would assistance with keeping the circling works of art at bay, if only for a moment. ]

[digophelia]

[ Alice doesn't stumble when she's freed, she takes a hard fall to the ground, her hair falling into her face as she catches her breath. All the while, her concern lies elsewhere, to her party members and more importantly, Sion. A slight drain of mana doesn't stop her, Alice gathers her strength and pushes back onto her feet slowly, flipping her hair over her shoulders. There. Alice can ignore the new scrapes on her knees.

Alice turns back to Sion, gently but with mild hesitation as her hands rest on his arms, once again. Despite her height and build, Alice tries her best to use her body as a brace for Sion, as soon as she notices that he staggers. Half-expecting him to scold her, Alice says nothing. ]

Well, I don't need an embrace.

[ Denying a mana exchange after falling? Absolutely. She still loathed touch, even if she wanted to ensure Sion could stand up on his feet entirely without swaying. By now, Alice turned her attention back to the paintings, heaving out a disappointed sigh. And to think they were so pretty. ]

I suppose illusions are out of the question, aren't they?

[dishevelment]

[Koumei stumbled backward as well, feet entangling in his gracelessness in such a way that he outright fell backwards onto the floor with nary a sound out of him. Quickly unfurling his fan, he lifted it so as to hide his own shame at such a display.

Untrained as he was in the physical arts beyond the barest of basics, and inexperienced as he was in this world, he knew his performance was far less than what he would deem 'acceptable.'

-- But, he also knew that he wouldn't be able to sit with himself for any length of time if he had allowed any one of the people on this team get hurt if there was anything that he could have done about it. Foolish as his actions were, at least he had some peace of mind.]

I believe I'll be all right as well, [He said quietly, pulling himself back up to his feet and idly dusting off his clothes. He hadn't much mana to use in the first place, and his pool of spells was minimal at best. Nothing he would do on this day would pose any problem for him-- at least, none that he could forsee.

Quietly cursing himself for not coming prepared with a proper blade, Koumei fell into position near enough to Sion to offer support but far enough away to allow space to anyone who needed it-- and already he was mulling over the varying ramifications of what had just happened.

...Illusions might cause us more of a hindrance right now, [he added at length, before casting a quick, inquiring glance in Shunsui's direction.] You mentioned colors, Mister Kyoraku-- what did you see?

🆚 THE MISTRESS!

[sunderings]

[ An alchemist's lab; a research room. Here, the shelving bends not beneath the weight of books, but with beakers and with phials, the glass reflective of the Hero King's light. Limning from his person, that holy aura—that soft-touched glow—has only grown ever-brighter as the party ventured into the dungeon's deep, illuminating the path before them. A path marked now by a collection of specimens (within the jars, a still-pulsing heart; a gnarled, bloated root reminiscent of the Mandrakes of before; a creature's eye, rounded yet with terror) and a laboratory wall-papered by maligned photographs, the faces of their subjects ruined beyond recognition. ]

Who are you? [ —Sion murmurs, as though expecting an answer from the photographs themselves (and it is not so far-fetched a notion, after battling paintings brought to life), the soft clinks of his armored heels carrying in the dark (the space is large, perhaps far beyond the eyes can see, if the echo of sound is at all telling) as he leads the foray into the room, dauntless despite the resentment palpable in the air; the lingering scent of a woman's perfume. Ambergris and frankincense with notes of sage and basil, he thinks, before his suspicions are confirmed, a wicked, bone-humming laugh piercing the ears. ]


"They were misguided!"

[ Too suddenly, there is a hiss, the scraping of many clawed footfalls, and for the very first time, Sion draws Guiding Light from its place at his back, swinging the great, gilded blade not to strike, but to give life to a crescent of holy magic, searing and bright, focused into a force with strength enough to knock back the pack of their opponents, scattering them—the creatures, matagots, yowling in surprise—and rendering them stunned, momentarily blinded by light. ]

And you are, my Lady?

[ —he echoes back, polite, adopting a defensive stance with the intention of functioning as a bulwark against the dark for those who stood behind him. And she is beautiful (terribly so, such that he is reminded of the Goddesses of his own realm) when she appears. ]


"Oh—but oh my. Aren't you sweet? I am the Mistress, and 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."

[digophelia]

[ Alice soon falls in thereafter, her blade streaming a bright blue as mana surges through it. The brighter it glows, the sharper it will be. The blade moves through matagots with ease as Alice once again makes means to carve her way through them for the others. ]

Living subjects?

[ She had been a subject of numerous studies and experiments herself back in the asylum. Calm on her face, but the words were enough to rile an old anger in her. The memories of her fellow patients in the asylum began to stir, Alice prepared herself. She tsks softly, taking another glance at the others to ensure that they're still safe. Nonchalantly, she speaks, belying the anger that resonates through her. ]

Ready when you are, I suppose.

[dishevelment]

[Everything in this room, from the grotesquely bloated appendages to the specimens that still pulsed with the barest thread of life, sparked an eerie anger through Koumei's veins that set his jaw and stilled his very breath. Those dark eyes, normally a shade akin to autumn leaves, clouded into something more somber and unrelenting-- like a storm at sunset.]

Living. Dead. It doesn't matter, [He said clearly, his voice ringing with a level of calm that should not be heard in a man who wasn't prepared for this kind of combat--

Although his mind whirled with recollections of his own studies with the dead and his methods of treating the bodies with respect-- recollections that stood counterpoint to the grotesque husks of men that his adopted brother had made of their countrymen when war raged across the same plains that played stage to battles in every generation-- he had learned a long time ago how to not allow his emotions to overtake him in a crisis.

As a military man....no, as a scientist, this stood counterpoint to everything he had ever worked on in his lifetime.

A hand tightened around the handle of his fan in a white knuckled grip, betraying the depth of his emotions that he was tightly containing. Had he the resources, had he the power....]

Sion. Alice. Shunsui.

[For once all formalities were dropped; his voice rang out with the clarity of a bell.]

One way or another, we can't allow this to continue!

[sugegasa]

She's controlling these things. Koumei-chan, keep the others safe!

[He'd have rathered the Mistress hadn't been able to hear that, but you couldn't have everything! Instead, he drew his scythe and cast darkness in an expanding arc around the party, hoping it would make the Mistress and her creatures unable to see an advance!

But there was no such luck. He was very close to her and about to strike when he realized he was frozen, his mind numbing far too quickly...and then he was lost.

There was a very small part of him that remained cognizant of what was happening, but it wasn't enough to stop him. She'd ensnared and seduced him completely, by manner of a spell or something else entirely, and for all that he cared for his party, he found himself turning back to attack them instead.

Nothing he did could stop it, and he advanced on Alice first, seeing as she was closest to the Mistress and thus to him.]

1/2

[sunderings]

Fool.

[ Cloaked by darkness or otherwise, to so heedlessly throw oneself into the thick of battle while leaving one's party behind is folly. It is reckless and it is obtuse and yet Shunsui Kyouraku has gone all the same, surging forward before the King has had chance enough to raise his barriers; to renew the blessings imparted upon their company of four. Golden eyes narrowed to gleaming slits, he sees: Shunsui, blitzing toward the Mistress in all his passion, and matagots descending upon two made impossibly alike in their frigid calm, Koumei and Alice, who Sion makes the imperative decision to prioritize, for a Knight can withstand more than a Pawn and Queen combined. ]

What I seek is reflection! [ —by way of incantation mana is given shape, actualized in the form of a barrier which shines, iridescent and bright, as it domes above, arching over Koumei and Alice both to secure a small area which might stand as sanctuary for the duration of the fight...! And as the matagots claw forward, attempting to reach the three, each and every swipe of heavy paw and gnash of teeth is greeted with an equal, opposing force which sends the creatures reeling back, unsteady on their feet.

He nearly misses it, amidst the hissing, the pained feline yowls, the words—Private Lesson—falling from the Mistress' lips in a (sickeningly) honeyed voice. And it is after Sion has raised a second barrier (two out of three—the limitations imposed upon him by rank are ever cumbersome), the construct fashioned to absorb magic, that Shunsui has returned to them--...

(But no, that is not Shunsui at all.) ]

Wake up, Shunsui! [ The man's mana is in flux, that boisterous spirit of his suppressed by what the King knows to be charm magic. ] If you cannot, you will not escape the grasp of fate!

[ Summoned by the King's incantation, it is dark magic which coalesces from the shadows of the research room, taking shape as tendrils which ensnare the Knight's limbs and mercilessly bring him to his knees, rooting the mountain of a man in place with vinelike manacles about the wrists and feet. True, Sion is of King's rank and not of Queen's, but the spell is practiced and strong, for as surely as holy magic is his affinity, darkness has always been his weapon and his curse. ]

...our friend has been returned to us bewitched. [ Steadfast is the King's grip on Guiding Light, elegant and poised as though he were not presently feeding mana into a trio of spells. ] If he does not rouse by force, then...

[ The shadows constrict with expert precision, applying a measure of force with which to jolt Shunsui free of the charm magic's haze. ]

Koumei...

2/2

[sunderings]

You must wake him with a kiss.

[ Cause ain't nobody got time for this. ]

1/3

[digophelia]

[ Green eyes locked on Shunsui, Alice's grip on her sword tightens. Even with her rank as queen, she's always been hesitant to use charm on others. She hated to think that she would be forced to use a weapon on an ally -- or worse, an illusion. Sion's barrier is somewhat of a reassurance; Shunsui didn't deserve any retaliation, Alice felt. Only once does her calm expression break, Alice passes Sion an unsure look.

He should know better than anyone Alice struggles with restraint. And that restraint crumbles immediately when Alice sees Sion fall, she loses her temper, completely. ]

[digophelia]

Sion!

[ She flees the safety of the barrier, immediately to his aid. She isn't sure how she'll do it, considering dark magic is her strongest form of magic. The little she knows of magic, she'll find a way. It doesn't matter to Alice, she's always sworn to protect Sion by any means. She panics, running to his direction with her sword streaking as she does. What little she knows of casting spells she feels the best answer she has is her own brute force.

She'll find a way, she swears, her sword growing sharper and brighter as she focuses a good portion of her mana into her sword, thinking nothing more than the opposite of darkness -- light. Light to pull him free as Alice descends right onto the dark tendrils and begins to violently hacking through to free him, hoping that the blue light emitting from her sword is enough. ]

[digophelia]

[ No one's got time for this, no.

Alice would rather take the brunt of the dark magic than to see Sion subjected to it, and she does. She fights off any onslaught of attacks. Her blade work becomes much more violent and brute. Alice, standing there, right in front of him, holding her sword that now glows bright blue as she catches her breath, pointing it at The Mistress. ]

I can promise you right now, if you lay a hand on them again, I'll have your head. So, come! Let's see what you've got!

1/2

[dishevelment]

[...Mind control.

This was hardly the first time Koumei had seen or heard of such a thing-- not when there were two Djinn that he knew of whose powers could bend the minds of another to their wielder's will. He'd seen soldiers fight until there was nothing left of their bodies but broken bones and fractured minds-- he had heard tell of his sister, the bright and cheerful young woman who had no need to bear such darkness, taking control of a battlefield while speaking with the cadence and tones of a man he couldn't forgive---

And now here was Shunsui, ensnared in body and twisted in mind, in the hands of that terrible Mistress who condoned research that many would consider inhumane. The exchange they had made between themselves earlier had introduced him to the darkness in the man's heart, but it hadn't been nearly so terrible as this.

And, it certainly wouldn't contribute to the baleful gleam that he saw in the man's eyes.]