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

Beginning

[twosidedsword]

[The stairway has been quite the challenge but it looks like they're almost to the entrance. Shin-Ah is wary though, constantly looking around. He feels like something is coming but he can't see far enough away to tell what it is. It's rather distressing still that his eye sight is better than the average human but still not what it used to be.

Looking back at the other three, he sees they're still okay. He still gives a frown as he moves further up until...]

Something's coming.

[topkong]

Hm? [ Wukong's eyes have been fixated upon the scant places to stand and ascend, mostly afraid of falling from such great heights. After all, nothing would be more uncomfortable than going SQUISH in front of the other three Heroes... ]

Yeah, you're right. I definitely hear something, and there's a lot of them.

[ He swallows. Fighting here would be pretty scary, but without any suitable and spacious places around... ]

We better hurry. Anyone see a safe place to defend ourselves?

[twosidedsword]

[Since he's ahead currently, he uses that to his advantage to look along the path as far as he can. Quickly, he starts to move again, pulling his sword from the sheathe.]

Here!

[He wishes he was better with magic but for now he knows that he just has to get them to a place where they can better defend themselves for a short while. Though, he's almost certain they should keep moving as best they can. Between all the dangers there's no telling what it will mean if they stop for too long.]

[sugegasa]

[Shunsui wasn't great at magic himself. At least, not yet, in this place. But he did have his sword, and fairly secure footing when it came to climbing, so the stairs weren't proving to be impossible. Difficult, for sure, but he could handle it!

Fighting here would be another matter entirely, though. While he was fairly sure he could handle what came at him, the safety of his team was far more important than defeating some random foe. To that extent, he shared Shin-Ah's wish to keep them moving as quickly as possible. The sounds of their approaching enemies were growing louder by the moment.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and called up to Shin-Ah,]

I have one of those strange things! The guns with hooks.

[He then turned to Wukong, lowering his hands.]

I mean absolutely no offense, but if you'd like, you can easily hold on to my back or shoulder! I'm quite large and have quite a bit of training in moving around in these types of environments. No guarantees, but we might be able to move a bit faster if you could use that sword to defend my back as we go?

[Kavi was a bit closer to Shin-Ah, and while he hadn't checked to see which one of them had the other hook, he was fairly certain they could partner up. If not, he was quite capable of helping one or the other!]

[twosidedsword]

[Hearing the man call out to him, he looks over and then nods to say he understands. Moving closer to Kavi, he makes sure he's ready to fight with him and to help watch over the backs of the other two while they're busy figuring out the hook thing.]

They're coming.

[He can see them now.]

[umberly]

Better give them a warm welcome, yeah?

[ Through Kavi's tone may be jovial, his eyes are fixed on the distant forms of their approaching enemies. He gently bumps an elbow against Shin-Ah's arm, to let him know that he is here and that he's not going anywhere, before he lifts his pipe and lights it with a whisper of a word and a small burst of mana.

Maybe, for once, this thing will actually do more good than harm. The winds are unpredictable though, even if they are blowing the smoke towards their enemies right now... ]

Shin-Ah, should the winds turn and direct the pipe's smoke back to us, cover your nose and mouth.

[ Unless he would enjoy feeling as if his throat has been set on fire. ]

[twosidedsword]

[He looks back at him when he hears the instructions then pulls up a scarf he's wearing so it covers his nose and mouth. Combine that with the sunglasses he's wearing it's quite the interesting look. Still, he wears it well and holds his sword in front of him.

This way he can keep fighting even if the smoke comes back their way and they can keep buying time for the other two to get moving.]

[topkong]

[ Meanwhile, it's Wukong who gives the affirmative to Shunsui, eyeing that grappling hook with a bit of curiosity. He's seen things like those before, only he's never been one having to use it to travel! But he smirks, as he wraps his arms over the man's shoulder, only showing a little bit of irritation. ]

It's a staff, old man, and sure. Let's go. There's no way anything's going to get near us.

[ Wukong is already thinking strategically. He'll have to figure out a way to use those elemental flags he can summon. Perhaps while riding on Shunsui's back, he'll have a clue... but for now, he'll hang on for dear life because he is NOT going to be a Monkey Pancake. ]

[sugegasa]

Ah, yes, my mistake. Too busy concentrating on my footing to remember everyone's weapons! My teacher would be ashamed.

[But he didn't look or sound concerned. Which was fitting, since he really wasn't. Instead, he was trying his best to remember the workings of the grappling hooks, and both aiming and firing. It went as well as he could have expected; the hook was holding securely, and there were many pockmarks in the rock for him to find both hand and footholds.

He'd only gone up a few feet when his attention was caught by the other two in their party.]

Looks like those two might be planning something. Can't say as I mind with the sound of whatever's heading our way!

[umberly]

[ The way Shin-Ah is dressed, Kavi can picture him riding a motorcycle. Not that the thought matters very much, not with the enemy approaching, moving closer and closer but it's something to consider for later.

(Or maybe he'll teach Shin-Ah how to ride a regular bike. He's pretty sure the dragon doesn't know how to.)

Kavi glances back to Shinsui and Wukong and directs a lazy wave their way before he looks back towards their enemies--

Which seem to have scaled part of the way with only the help of their talons and some wings. It makes them nimble and directing wind their way will surely not work out. Though perhaps with his newly acquired psionics and something else... ]

Shin-Ah? Can you keep them back if they get to close? I'm going to try and his them with lightning.

[twosidedsword]

I can do it.

[He shifts his weight and holds his sword at the ready. He's trusting Kavi to handle them from a distance but he's ready for any that get too close, keeping a close eye on their movements. There are advantages to such advanced eyesight, whether it's as good as it used to be or not. Deep breath in and he points with his sword.]

There. Coming through the clouds.

[Those eyes are really going to help them.]

[topkong]

[ And there are a few heading their way as well, Wukong eyeing the odd scaly, human-arm'd creatures with a faint hint of amusement. They're flying closer, not having to rely so much on handholds like the rest of them--- their tailfeathers easily trackable, as Wukong takes hold of his only ranged attack.

A banana.

But not just ANY banana!

With as much muscle as he can put behind it, the banana is flung directly into one of the nearby Ocypete. It clearly underestimates the object, deciding to just take the supposedly squishy fruit in the face and---

--- it gets knocked the heck out. The rock-like fruit floats back to Wukong's outstretched hand, though he looks a little winded. ]

Got one! Keep on moving, we're almost somewhere safe...!

[umberly]

[ Through the clouds, Shin-Ah said and Kavi stares at them for a few seconds before he sees their forms come fully into view. Sneaky of them, using the clouds as cover. And sneaky, too. Definitely not some mindless monster who rushes straight ahead into the face of danger.

But the fact that they just came through clouds is going to be very, very useful. Kavi's grin is bright and sharp around the edges as he calls forth mana to his fingertips. It seems to gather around his fingers, fills the space between them-

Good thing Wukong and Shunsui are not entirely defenseless. The enemy surely thought, up in the air as they are, that they make a good target.

They're not wrong.

Lightning makes the air sizzle as three balls made entirely of electricity move from Kavi's hands. He calculates the distance and tosses two at the enemies. One falls from the skies with a shriek while the other dodges.

And fails to notice the spell coming back around at the crook of Kavi's finger.

Two down. Many more to go. And they don't seem exactly pleased to have lost some of their comrades. Time for Shin-Ah to shine? ]

[twosidedsword]

[Shin-Ah might not have great control of magic but he does have excellent work with a sword and a grappling hook to his name. So he does the terribly reckless thing and jumps onto the back of one of them that comes flying around, stabbing it through the spine before jumping onto another to do the same.

Before he can fall too far, he uses the hook to pull him back to the ledge with the others, looking to see if the other two are moving before looking back at the armed birds. It isn't long before he's pulling the same thing again. It's a dangerous move but he knows that doing this pulls the attention on him.

At least he's paying enough attention to move when others strike too. Good thing he has such good senses, right?]