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BOARDMASTER ([personal profile] boardmaster) wrote in [community profile] pawnstorm2016-05-20 03:32 am

DUNGEON ♛ GISELA TOWERS

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.
endoftherepublic: (25)

[personal profile] endoftherepublic 2016-06-06 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I have three bullets left.

[just fyi for all involved. Because there's no way in hell he's going to try and reload right now; he'd probably lose more bullets due to their position than he'd actually get in the chamber.]

We'll have to keep an eye out for others.
interchained: (Of night's unfolding arms)

[personal profile] interchained 2016-06-06 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[If they expected to have an informed senpai, they must face the truth and get over their disappointment. Gilbert didn't question people in charge here, in Blanc, nor had he done so back at home. It was easy enough for him: when Blanc will win the war, they won't need Heroes anymore and they'll be sent home. To Gil, the sooner it happens, the better.

The dungeons are another story, not connected to the conflict between Blanc and Noir, though.]


The only thing I've read on dungeons is that no one's really sure how or why they appear all around the country.

[He shrugs. It's difficult to find the information and while it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to just ask the commander, it was the last thing he wanted to talk about after getting out of a dungeon.]

Yes. [Somehow, he can predict what the next question might be.] It appeared when we killed the creature waiting at the end of the dungeon. And it's crystallized mana, basically.
interchained: (Darkness everywhere)

[personal profile] interchained 2016-06-06 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[What is even going on here.]

I know, but it's him who— [Squints back at Allen.] Oh, you meant this?

[WHAT ELSE COULD HE MEAN??? Now Gil has to fight his own battle against the blush that would like to take over his cheeks.]

It sounds fair enough to me.

[He tosses a look at Makoto, still blushing. Also, he's going to choose paper if they're going to play.]
interchained: (And it's made its home inside)

[personal profile] interchained 2016-06-06 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[While he can see what their point is, Gil's feelings about this are rather mixed. Sure, this creature is capable of speaking, but how does that change anything? If it...he is going to attack, it won't make them feel less pain just because it's aware of itself.

But he doesn't share his thoughts with them; it seems like they've made up their minds and he's the minority. So the least he can do is to make sure they won't get hurt.]


Are you planning to go all the way up to...uh...talk to it—him?

[Gil heaves a sigh. This idea sounds really bad, but can he really stop them...]
convictionary: (Though you know)

[personal profile] convictionary 2016-06-07 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
Gods, I know! Haven't figured out how to- you know!

[Just climb! Or grapple! Or grapple and climb!] Bosses gave you something ranged?[??? why are they stuck using wind in a wind temple he fucking swears.]

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-07 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
[Well. This is odd.] Are my sensors malfunctioning?

It would seem that the three of us have switched gender characteristics.
seventhgen: (pic#9953644)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-07 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Okay. She's sitting between them, Vietnam on one shoulder and Jae-ha on the other. They're both using her like she's a pillow, resting on her body made of hard ceramic and steel. This is... odd. It's different. It's surprisingly intimate. And yet they don't seem to be complaining?

Aigis keeps quiet, because she doesn't know what to say. Is she feeling embarrassed...? Is that the emotion?

Robots can blush, yes. But the mana feels nice.]
seventhgen: (pic#9975453)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-07 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
Oh. Then these... the dragons we've met here have been the first dragons you've ever met outside of the legends. [And he's had to fight them. That's sad.] I'm sorry.

I understand what it feels like to want to meet someone like yourself. It can be very lonely.

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-07 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[Tianya howls in pain as the rifle round connects with its eye, exploding it in a frankly gruesome shower of gore. That head's attention is now currently focused on Vietnam, and it lunges, snapping at her. It's a weak lunge, though; the head has clearly been injured more than the others.

The third one, though, is ready for Aigis to lower the barrier again. This time, when she does so, it strikes, and unlike the wounded head, this one is fresh. Aigis is the one standing in front of Jae-ha, so she's its target-- and Tianya's teeth close around her midsection, bodily lifting her into the air.]
--ah!

[Boy, it's a good thing she's made of armor.] Don't worry about me! Concentrate fire on the injured head!

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-07 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
So you are both a living thing and a symbol.

[A beat.] This is a morbid question, I apologize. Can you die?
likethelight: (.168)

[personal profile] likethelight 2016-06-07 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ Allen is very well versed in grief. Fluent, even. Also in trauma, guilt, regret...

Love that's indiscernible from pain.

He turns and smiles at Gil at that, though. Brightly—but a little strained, too. ]


We'd have to go up there to fight him anyway, right? [ He's a close quarters combatant after all. And he knows talking probably won't work, it's an instinct about how he feels this place works, but... ]

We've come too far not to try everything. [ And he turns to glance at Makoto out of the corner of his eye. A lopsided and bittersweet sort of smile that's a bit too old for him. Did she want to or should he...?

(He gives a slight nod.)

But he'll back her up regardless. ]
likethelight: (231)

[personal profile] likethelight 2016-06-07 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ New ones?? Leave what, his shoes?? What are you, crazy?! He can't do a dungeon barefoot!!

Hnnnngg... twisting around, he grits his teeth and yanks on the boot. It starts to give with an unhealthy pop-suck, but it doesn't come free yet. Just looks... kind of sticky and gross, the spit clinging to the sole of it.

Ah crap, he catches the aello beginning to swarm in out of the corner of his eye. Now or never.. ]


It's... fine!! [ Watch out, Gil. He's aiming away from you since he sees you coming to him, but Allen takes a break from pulling on his boot to twist and snap his sword out in a very sharp, very agitated sweep at the aello the instant they draw near. Huge sword... huge range.

It might also be a bit of overkill because he's pissed off. And bugs don't factor into his love of humanity.

He may be stuck but damnit he won't be helpless. ]
powerdriven: <user name="awkward"> (Default)

[personal profile] powerdriven 2016-06-07 10:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Er... his weird leg, right? Now that he mentions it (underhandedly), that's probably how he got here in the first place. Though he's not so convinced Jae-ha could carry an entire eight-hundred pounds of horse alongside him, so if he goes with this, he's really going to have to trust that he can get him back here without issue. Which is why he looks on skeptically at first. ]

Maybe. You gonna mark the spot? This guy's not fully trained yet.

[ Meaning he can't send him back to civilization on his own. What's the plan? ]
twosidedsword: (Yona and Shin-Ah)

[personal profile] twosidedsword 2016-06-07 10:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Getting up, he goes closer to be able to catch one of them as they come down. Shin-Ah is pretty good at being the muscle obviously.

He looks at them all and gives a nod.

He's ready.]
hoasen: (cloudless)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-06-07 12:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, just like that.

[She pauses, because she doesn't truly know the answer to this too, having seen countries disappear from existence before. And knowing what happened to NikoNiko, how he has a family now...

Everyone needs to find out what is happening to Prussia too.]


No. At least, we shouldn't, if the country still exists. So I am immortal, and will stay alive through any fatal wound. It has changed here.
justhief: (unsure)

[personal profile] justhief 2016-06-07 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[Lupin grins back at him. It's great to be able to have people to have your back, every great heist needs the hands of a friend or two.

With a final swirl he proudly lifts up his first test batch, which resembles carbonated mud in a bottle.]


Alright, stand back. Let me try this out.

[Splashing it onto the barrier, it seems to eat away at part of it, before it weakly evaporates.]

...urgh. I think I almost had it. Is anyone smelling the Monday special?
justhief: (strongest stalker)

[personal profile] justhief 2016-06-07 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[The higher they climb, the louder the wind howls. It warns them to steer clear of the skies, shaking the cord extending from the hook.

A look reveals dark, bird-like shadows from below. With every step they grow larger and larger, until their size made it apparent that they're aren't just pigeons.]


Be prepared, looks like we have some company. They're huge too...!
justhief: (london skies)

[personal profile] justhief 2016-06-07 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[Thanks dungeon. Lupin gives a figurative shake of the head at Potemkin's tumultuous steps, being one to prefer stealth himself.

The water dragons looked graceful if not for the fact that they are hostile. Scan. Some of their scales and their left side immediately become exposed as their weak points, darting around like little comets due to their speed.

Lupin attempts to get a few silencing cards out.]


Their left gill flaps! Attack there!
sediments: (bolin and bad news!)

[personal profile] sediments 2016-06-07 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The screech of the nails against the concrete gets Bolin to wince, and when he sees how much Kija has exerted himself, the starts to feel the well of guilt in his stomach. The other man has been trying his best to get them through this dungeon since they started, and Bolin is standing here making things difficult for them because of the silliest of reasons.

He needs to stop letting the team down! ]


Okay, I guess we'll just have to finish the dance.

[ Nodding, Bolin steels himself to endure whatever "sensual" dance moves this process requires. The three of them aren't going to die here today!

He's more careful as he takes Kija's human hand this time, not bothering to keep an awkward distance between them as they line up their bodies. This time, they're going to commit. ]
sediments: (bolin and intimate conversations)

[personal profile] sediments 2016-06-07 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Any idea sounds like a great idea right now, and Bolin can feel his frown waver when the damp of his shirt from Sakura's crying starts to stick against his skin. He's ready to ask Kija what it is before he hesitates.

He's still climbing—he said he wouldn't stop, and he can climb and talk at the same time. ]


How much confidence do you have that it's going to work?

[ His eyes are on their destination as well, so far away.

But the fall is just as long. ]


I wouldn't mind a faster way up, but we're not exactly in the safest position for experimenting right now.
tsunetsugu: (pic#10136764)

[personal profile] tsunetsugu 2016-06-07 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Juzumaru is close behind and he has to say that...he rather not fight these creatures if only because they're so beautiful and graceful when left alone. But he knows that in order to do what they came for they must attack. Potemkin being attacked like that also urges him to move. It's when he finally gets out his beads and begins chanting that the peaceful serenity beings to envelope the area. ]

I will keep them calm! Attack them before it wears off.
long_live_the_queen: (kouta put your pants back on)

[personal profile] long_live_the_queen 2016-06-07 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea and Kaede was going to do it anyway and it was really better to get this over with before her brain caught up with precisely how bad it was.

SO, instead of decking Nora in the nose like she wanted to, Kaede was just going to hurl the bottles in her hands at the barrier over the door and--duck behind the splash shield, as if the table could save them if things did end in explosions.
]

You better throw that, Nora!

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-08 02:05 am (UTC)(link)
[She considers that for a moment.] Then I will protect you here. [There's no question about it in her voice.]

You say 'if the country still exists,' but... countries change. Vietnam itself was once two countries, and is now one again. Empires like Austria-Hungary have been dissolved. Countries like Tibet have been conquered by others. [Aigis frowns.] I'm sorry. I'm finding it difficult to understand. I don't mean to be insulting.
flirtations: (this rule63 has a purpose i swear)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-06-08 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
What?!

That potion switched our genders? How do we switch it back? We can't show up back at Caissa like this!

[ Yeah, it takes a while for that to fully sink in. Not only does he look around frantically at his teammates, but down at himself, too. Those are..

He has--

( . Y . ) ?!?!

And they're big. Sorry, he just has to stare... in awe.. for a long, long moment. ]
flirtations: (pic#10192405)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-06-08 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
That's correct, but you have nothing to be sorry about. I have two brothers here, who are like myself. I'm not alone.

[ But what Aigis says makes him wonder if Aigis is ] Have you never met another robot like you, Aigis?

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