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

[flirtations]

[ Before Aigis finishes speaking (though, after Vietnam joins him in trying out different combinations), he walks over with his creation (a nasty, brown colored goop) and tentatively splashes it on the wall. Absolutely nothing happens. ]

That's a good plan, though I'm not sure alchemy follows logic like that. [ But it's still better than mixing things blindly and ending up with poop colored... poop. He begins to mix only two components together this time.

Speaking of, that first concoction did nothing to help bring down the barrier, but it sure has made the small dungeon room smell ...

Well, like poop.

It's strong. ]

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh opens his mouth to speak... but realizes soon thereafter that Adra really did need some time to himself. He must've been exhausted after all that transpired, as he'd struggled so hard on their behalf. He lifts a hand too, waves goodbye, and makes a note to check in on him later. He hasn't known him for long, but already he's come to understand that Adra was not the sort of soul that endured loneliness well.

He looks to Saber, and what a pleasant surprise—she's not just smiling, she's grinning from ear to ear. It has him grinning too, just a little, as he approaches her with shoulders squared and head held high. So this was what victory tasted like.]

Indeed, we did. And we could not have done it without you.

[Gilgamesh offers Saber a handshake, and earnest words of gratitude.]

You were brilliant, Artoria. As to be expected from the King of Knights, shining alongside me.

[flirtations]

[ Yesss Viet has his back! He's glad. He'd hate for Aigis to wander off alone and without mana while they selfishly rejuvenated themselves. ]

We don't mind! Besides, I bet you're plenty comfortable. [ Sure, Aigis was metal, but this was something you did for friends, no matter whether they be flesh or metal. Having them close and helping them was the greatest comfort of all. ]

[couldntpullthetrigger]

[Oh hey, it all worked!

... Kind of.

Mostly?

The problem with having a bunch of bird-things descending on your location that you can't look at, is that it's really, really hard to aim anything.

Irisviel takes off after Nobunaga, and Yukari pauses, momentarily. They're after her, but how does she fix this? Especially when the ledge is so narrow, and so high up even her, who lacks acrophobia, feels the dizziness of the height.] Well if you had a better idea to break her out of it before she got killed, I'm all ears!

[She is also. Notably. Going to argue with Nobunaga about that, because doing that is more important than trying to defend herself.

The claws that sink into her shoulder a minute later at least give her something to aim at, and she shifts with a squawk and looses an arrow right into the bottom of the jaw of the first creature.]

[penitents]

[ Objectively Sasuke knows it must have been impossible for Naruto, who reaches for people so easily, to be as stilted as Sasuke is in a situation like this. Naruto, whose light has pulled so many people out of the dark, just like Sasuke himself. It isn't often he is reminded so sharply of what those few years apart did to the three of them: that where Sasuke ran away these two only grew closer.

He can see the color rise in Sakura's cheeks when Naruto's profile vanishes into her hair, telling her something Sasuke can't hear from his separate position. He watches the way Naruto's thigh fits snugly between Sakura's legs and the way her grip tightens on him so she won't fall over when Naruto takes most of her weight.

Sasuke exhales shallowly, a tremble of heat on the tip of his tongue that makes him cinch his jaw and swallow before it can morph into a sound. He has the fleeting thought that this kind if intimate, sensual dance between his wife and best friend is something that should make him jealous as an outside observer. Instead, he is too aware of his heartbeat and the warmth pooling low in his body, of the painfully slow grind of the mural sliding aside behind him. ]

[armorial]

[ She wanted to say more, show Adra gratitude in full, but she restrains herself. He does look rather exhausted, so she stays behind with the King of Heroes. Ah... Of course. When Gilgamesh talks to her, that grin falters to that of a small smile. She's surprised that she can even hold this for so long, even more so because the man isn't saying anything deplorable.

Silent at first, she takes his hand without hesitation, giving it a firm shake. ]

Thank you. [ She's not really sure how else to respond to compliments, but she remember the glow that came from his last attack and the name he screamed. It's ironic, she thinks, but she doesn't let it get to her. She can at least offer genuine words. ]

You outdid yourself, Gilgamesh. [ In almost every single way. A good thing? A bad thing...? Both? ]

[babbylon]

[He certainly did! Gilgamesh puffs himself up with an all too familiar ego, regains a familiar smirk as he folds his arms and nods his enthusiastic agreement. Really, he hadn't done anything like that before outside of executing Enuma Elish... he's more than a little drained by it, but of course, seeing the bright and beaming face of his woman does encourage him some. Maybe too much, actually.]

I brought Excalibur to you! See, it is more than possible to accomplish great feats in this world. They simply assume a slightly different form.

[Is it time for fanboying now? Oh, yes. It is time for fanboying.]

How acrobatic and agile you were in combating that beast! The powers above have surely recognized you; I know your time to ascend draws near.

[armorial]

Perhaps they will. However, I wouldn't have been able to endure without Adrasteius' help.

[ Like a great king, she speaks modestly and earnestly. It's true in every sense, but she's also not looking to gloat. All of it has been hard, but she also feels a sense of pride. It doesn't show in the puff of her chest of the look in her eyes, but in the serenity in the air. However... What he says before it catches her attention. ]

... Was that why you chose Excalibur?

[ She tilts her head slightly. It has never occurred to her that he did it for her, but more that he wanted to show off to her. Then again, those two things might as well be the same. It's a little conflicting, but in a way endearing in some sense. ]

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh smiles more modestly himself, now—at least as modestly as he can manage—and tells her thus:]

I wished to remind you of the light of the King.

[Of your glory. Of ours. So yes, shockingly enough, it had been a selfless gesture, though on the surface it may have seemed quite the opposite: a selfish attention grab to steal the spotlight and force her notice. Though, even if it had been, it failed in that regard, with Saber too far away to take proper stock of his actions.

Is he waiting for a thank you? A pat on the head? Recognition, maybe? It's hard to say; Gilgamesh only ever gives his true thoughts away when he chooses to do so. But he looks very proud, standing there with her... and indeed, maybe the slightest bit endearing, as a man who was slowly but surely learning how to earn her affections.]

1/2

[hoasen]

[Vietnam nods firmly as she shakes the potion at least, after bottling it. Aigis at least knows the theories of the alchemy a little better than her, but Jae-ha is also right: this could end up badly.

...Like now.]

Good heavens, what is that?!

[Coughing, she throws her mixture at the barrier, hoping that it will both clear up the barrier and also get rid of this BAD SMELL, except that one just implodes on them.]

[flirtations]

I understand. Fighting aside, Tianya didn't seem like a bad person. [ Err.. dragon. ]

It was strange for me, being asked to kill someone who's supposed to be so similar to yourself. [ He isn't a dragon, not in the truest sense, but he had hoped that the interactions with real dragons might help him understand a little more about himself, and they hadn't. ]

[phoking]

[Coughing, she--...or now he, waves the smoke away before crying out for the rest of his team.]

Jae-ha, Aigis?! Are you all alright--

...

[Wait why is he bigger and his voice manlier and ten times deeper.]

[ateaist]

Maybe you should have tried yelling at her too!

[Yeah, whoops. Clearly they have good priorities.

Or maybe Irisviel deserves a better team.

Speaking of which, her efforts don't go to waste and Nobunaga lays a hand on Iri's shoulder as she tugs her foot free from the last of the remaining slime, but wastes no time in trying to return to Yukari with the intent to save her.

She is the military commander here, so she still thinks it's on her to salvage this.]

Irisviel! Can you try restraining any of these creatures with your weapon?!

[carptricks]

[ugh, more ocypetes. it's at times like this that Kaito's grateful he has two ranged weapons and a whole lot of parkour experience. he spins around to face the enemies approaching from behind and braces himself for another fight]

Haa, looks like we're gonna be fighting the whole way up. Let's move--!

[he gives a firm nod and a grin to Yata. an attempt at being encouraging and a sign that he still trusts him, even though he almost ran off a cliff just a minute earlier. the moment only lasts for a second, however, as its interrupted by the ocypetes zipping forward and slashing at the both of them with sharp claws. Kaito's reaction is quick: he levels the grappling hook at a sturdy looking ledge some many feet above him, takes aim, fires, and pulls himself through the air once the hook is anchored against the rock-- just in time to avoid the ocypete's attack]

[hopefully Yata was just as fast. . .!]

[armorial]

[ She merely stares at him, as if trying to dissect his very person and his mind. Before, she never would have wanted to know what he's thinking--it would always be horrible; something twisted in every corner. Does he mean this to sound considerate? Or is it arrogance? It sounds like the latter, but she said in the dungeon she'll try work with him while they're here.

It takes a while, but she ends up patting his shoulder a couple of times. She's short, so this will do instead of head pats. Not like she even wants to touch his head anyway. ]

That is thoughtful of you. [ She's really not good at this, but she hopes that's enough. ]

[hoasen]

[MENTALLY HIGHFIVES JAE-HA, they're in this together. Besides, it really is unfair for Aigis to just sit around. She's been working hard using that grappling hook too.]

I believe so too! It is not a problem at all. [To them, Aigis is more than just a robot, after all. She's their friend. So she waves her hand to beckon Aigis over.]

[babbylon]

[If he still had his tail from the dungeon, it would be wagging furiously right now. He wants to do more than pat her shoulder; he wants to touch her face, to embrace her, to drag her into one of the nearby springs and have his way... but he must wait. He must settle for this until she can truly understand his intentions. For now, she will continue to see him as that volatile tyrant, and rightly so.]

Stay and relax with us. You have more than earned it.

[Gilgamesh turns to leave and wander off, but not before imparting some final advice.]

It is... not so bad, being with others. Learning to understand. You may come to like it, if you try.

[On that cryptic note, Gilgamesh leaves her to her own ends.]

[hoasen]

[Because...actually who knows. It makes her cute, so whatever.] I am not. A country...how to say. Is a human form, or a spirit that embodies the identity of a country and its people. My existence revolves around that.

[burlyheart]

[One advantage of Potemkin's height is that he doesn't have to look over one's shoulder to get a view of what's in front of them. He finds how Lupin tests the ingredients very interesting, even if to him it's merely fast-paced moving and shuffling of bottles and containers.]

You have powers of observation that are beyond me.

[digophelia]

[ It happens so quickly, she has no time to react whatsoever. Her mind is trying to replay the events that led up to her falling. She wasn't sure, at first, she was sure that she was falling back into the rabbit hole until the impact of being caught by Sion brought her back into reality. It's odd; she's had blood of others against her skin and remembered how warm it was. But it was odder to find herself bleeding so profusely, how warm her blood was crawling up against her skin as it trickled upward against her neck. Not once did Alice wince or cry in pain, she only stared blankly above at the dragon, in silence.

He had hit her. Alice tried to remember how it all happened and what she could have done to avoid it. She could hear everything, she could hear Sion's voice and was finding it difficult to maintain consciousness with how deep the laceration was. Oh. She was still lying there, he was holding her. She cringed, of course, but couldn't bring herself to lash out to Sion once her green eyes finally turned her gaze to him. She was so struck by his expression and the single tear falling down his cheek, even in the midst the chaos, losing sight of Aisha and Caren altogether. ]

You're crying?

[ She couldn't understand it for the life of her. Why was he crying? The last time she saw anyone cry over her, her mother and father, that night so long ago. She would have said that she barely held her ground, she barely did anything to help and only made the situation worse. With the wound closing and Alice not finding herself losing consciousness, she didn't want to stay laying in his lap for long. Against her better judgment, Alice just wanted to get back up on her feet, quick as possible and found herself starting to squirm, trying to sit up.

She couldn't retaliate violently as she had done so many times before. He was crying, after all. How could she be angry at him after that? They had to move, they had to get back up before something else happened. Alice would say she suffered worse than this cut, so she did what she could to get back up, despite reeling from the injury still. ]

[digophelia]

[ It's not Sion's words that break Alice out of her fit of rage, rather, Aisha's comment about the sword's soft blue glow, how it radiates with her own mana. That's enough for her to stop, holding the blade, midway through sheathing it back in. Only then, she can really ever hear Sion and even then, she chooses to keep her back to him and the others.

A wooden sword? That sounded a bit odd to Alice, but then an object like that can be a blunt weapon. She draws a breath and sighs to herself, stepping over what is left of the creature. ]

It suffices. [ It isn't her weapon, however- ] I prefer knives.

[ Namely, the vorpal blade, but that's another discussion entirely. It's not the first time Alice is covered in blood, nor will it be the last. Only once does Alice glance over her shoulder to look at Sion.

She won't dare admit she lost her temper seeing him wounded. ]

Do we need to progress up further?

[sakeplz]

[He seems like he should be useless but he just moves to pick up Tyrnen to take him along without hesitation. It's draining to keep those birds drunk but he takes advantage of the fact that Tyrnen is this close as an easy mana source. It helps quite a bit.]

We'll leave it to you two then.

[sakeplz]

[That moment when no one in the group is a Bishop...

Jirou throws his concoction at the barrier and...

...makes the room smell like sulfur but with no break in the barrier. He's lucky he didn't do worse to them.]

Huh. That wasn't it.

[sakeplz]

[Jiroutachi doesn't bother with further words and instead uses the grappling hook he has to help pull him to higher ground. His sword is good but he has to be higher up. That much is painfully clear right now.

Still, he's ready for this next fight, moving rather easily and even a little faster now that he's so painfully sober.

Damn dungeon...it's so rude for doing this to him...]

[hackles]

[ There's something to be said for fearlessness, for placing zero stock or trust in the concept of a lifeline. Hallelujah's eyes flash, pinpointing the next place he needs to be. With Setsuna secure, it's less about forethought and more about speed. If he stays one step ahead of the game, it'll spare them the utter waste of time it is to get knocked around by the dragon some more. He's not the only one who's called the sky his home, who knows how to use it to his advantage. No, Hallelujah has terms, and he'll be long dead before he thinks about not enforcing them.

His spells shift, Velocity waning as Vacuum pulses from within. It's as if the air around them drops in pressure as it slingshots out, grappling the nearest stable chunk of floating debris. Cyclones bash into the wall of pressure, but find themselves halted by Vacuum's effects, grinding themselves away against the barrier. By elevating how they function once again, Allelujah's less stable magic filtered through Hallelujah's mana, they alter the landscape in a game of push and pull. Hallelujah scoffs. ]

Well done, this time. [ His chin tips to Setsuna. ] You'd better hang on!

[ With both gravities active, Hallelujah inverts the spell and drives weight into their freefall. It's not unlike pulling a rapid stop, slamming them both with the g-force as he sticks the landing to their awaiting perch. It leaves him a little breathless, but he spits a noise at Tianya's attempts to shake them. ]

Coward ought to come down here and try that... heh.

[ Kneeling, he's waiting for Setsuna to move, gaze cutting to either side of them. ]

How long until that barrier of yours goes under?