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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.
flirtations: (pic#10192558)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-05-22 07:51 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, I'm fine, Sen-chan. Please don't waste your mana on me, I've got it.

[ More than anything, it's just his pride that's hurt, and though he gives Vietnam an appreciative pat on the shoulder and a smile, he wastes no time in murmuring a quick healing spell below his breath and running his hand over his leg. He appreciates her offer, but this is his job as a Queen, isn't it? He stands, then walks over to Aigis, where she's examining the barrier. ]

I see. How are we supposed to take it down, then? Some sort of spell?
hoasen: (do you need this?)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-05-22 08:55 am (UTC)(link)
[Or at least Jae-ha has it covered. Vietnam would insist, but he does have a greater amount of mana. Which means she should just wait until later and help him make up for it.] If you are sure...

[But she waits until he finishes healing himself before she follows him so they can join Aigis.]

There is no clue--...ah, wait. [The table just there. She moves over to see if there are any papers or instructions, but instead just sees ingredients.]

Nothing here either other than what appears to be a small alchemy table.
seventhgen: (pic#9953644)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-05-22 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I see! Perhaps this is some kind of puzzle, then! We're meant to create a mixture that will allow us to surpass this barrier...?

[Aigis frowns.] I don't understand. What is the point in erecting a defense if you provide the tools to negate it immediately adjacent?
flirtations: (im sorry)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-05-23 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, good going, you guys, somehow he completely missed the alchemy table. The fact that there are so many ingredients just there makes him suspect that yes, this is something important.

But Aigis raises a really, really good point, and he can't just ignore that, either! ]


It could be a test of worthiness to pass, I suppose. Or it could be a trap. Unfortunately, I haven't really looked into this alchemy business. [ If only he had known such knowledge would prove useful... ]

[ He walks over to where Vietnam is standing, picking up a vial of what looks like red, glowing tree bark. ]

Do we have to drink whatever we concoct, I wonder? [ He hopes not! ]
hoasen: (did I leave the cat in the oven...)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-05-23 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[That makes sense, they have to create something! But how? They have no idea where to start.]

I haven't tried much alchemy myself. [She cooks, but that doesn't mean she's going to start working on potions very soon. It was already hard enough trying to master all the aspects of magic itself.

She feels around the table, trying to see if there's anything hidden that they can use.]


I wonder...I mean, we could also splash it onto the barrier.
seventhgen: (pic#9999067)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-05-24 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
I believe ingesting it should only be considered a last priority. We have no idea the chemical makeup of these potions, so they could be dangerous, even fatal!

Unfortunately, I don't have the equipment necessary to do chemical analysis or any experience with alchemy. Perhaps... trial and error?
flirtations: (no i didnt mean to drop that thread)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-05-24 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to drinking them. [ Because, in his eyes, he'd definitely be the one ingesting the potions. He wouldn't subject Vietnam or Aigis to such a thing. He looks over the rest of the ingredients. ]

Trial and error, huh... it's not ideal, but I don't think we have much of a choice.

[ But there's so much stuff. He sighs, and that usually calm demeanor morphs into... panic. ]

Except for the fact that there's literally hundreds of different combinations we could try with this! You guys can't be serious!

[ Already, he's trying a combination of three random ingredients, because if they're gonna go this route, they might be here a WHILE. He has absolutely no finesse or technique whatsoever. ]
hoasen: (NO WORDS)

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-05-28 01:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[Aigis is right, they really shouldn't drink any of this!] Agreed, let us not drink them at all. [They don't even know what these ingredients are, and without Aigis' ability to analyse them, they will have to...

...well, pray.

But before she could say that, Jae-ha is already giving it a go. Well, perhaps she should save time and try one herself too, grabbing another three that he didn't take and putting them together.]


...Do we just put them together like this, or do we need to mix them a particular way?
seventhgen: (pic#9999067)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-05-28 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Shaking or stirring are both optimal ways to properly mix different concoctions. [She says very straightfowardly, assuming Vietnam is talking about the logistics.]

Perhaps we can try different combinations of two, and try to isolate what effects an individual potion has that way? If we try the green potion and the white potion, and then the blue potion and the white potion, and both have electrical effects, it would indicate that the white potion has an electrical element, for example.
flirtations: (still sounds fake but lets go with it)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-06-01 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ 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. ]
hoasen: (HUH)

1/2

[personal profile] hoasen 2016-06-01 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
[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.]
phoking: (it's too early for this)

[personal profile] phoking 2016-06-01 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
[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.]
seventhgen: (pic#9999064)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-03 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
[Aigis doesn't cough, because she doesn't really inhale. But the smoke does obscure her sensors, making it difficult to see what's going on around her. However, she doesn't need her sensors to realize that she's changed. She's taller... she suddenly masses more?] --unidentified male voice! We may have an intruder!

[That's a second unidentified male voice. And it said what she'd just said.] What...?!
flirtations: (this one too)

[personal profile] flirtations 2016-06-03 10:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jae-ha doesn't even have time to process the terrible smell around them, though he makes a disgusted sound. Because what follows is smoke obscuring his vision and making him cough as well.

He hears not just one, but two, unidentified new voices, both male. ]


Who's there? Just so you know, we're the type to shoot first and ask questions later, so I suggest you answer quickly.

[ As the smoke clears away, however, he begins to notice that not only is his voice is more... feminine, though not necessarily high-pitched. He's also smaller, and has gained some new uhh, assets.

His, or rather her, face stares at both of them with disbelief and a little bit of terror. ]


Sen ... chan?

Aigis ... chan?
phoking: (pinpoint the horizon)

[personal profile] phoking 2016-06-04 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
[Vietnam was still caught in the realm of shock, but so much that it's went right around to the point where she was eerily calm. No screaming, no flailing. Perhaps it was because Aigis and Jae-ha, who still have every feature that makes then Aigis and Jae-ha, are right here.

She clears her throat. That was creepily manly.]


That's me. Sen.

...

Aigis. Jae-ha. [Why is she making it sound like a reintroduction?! Has she snapped!!!]

[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.
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. ]
phoking: (what the heck is that)

[personal profile] phoking 2016-06-08 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Then we make something to reverse it!

[Vietnam had to lower her voice as a man, since it seems like the angrier she sounds, the more aggressive she becomes. What?!] I wish I knew what I mixed, then Aigis could analyse--...

... [She saw that Jae-ha is now looking at his massive hooters. Actually...now she feels a little self conscious about her original female form. This is kind of unfair!]
seventhgen: (pic#9999067)

[personal profile] seventhgen 2016-06-09 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
[Hm. Well, then. Aigis notes Jae-ha's form, but thinks pretty much nothing of it.] My sensors are not adequately equipped for detailed analysis, but I can try.

Is this situation really that bad? Our combat effectiveness is likely not diminished. I think it's okay if we have to go on like this. [Aigis, you don't understand gender dynamics well in the first place.]