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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.
couldntpullthetrigger: (pic#10154358)

[personal profile] couldntpullthetrigger 2016-05-22 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
... We gotta do something to clear 'em out, they're all in our way.

[She does... kind of... lower the bow, but the sudden cutoff from Irisviel catches her attention, and she looks to the side.] H-hey, you doing alright?

[Oh. Something is up.]

We deeefinitely gotta do something fast. You think you can grab their attention, then? [At Nobunaga.] I'm just a King, I don't have a buncha abilities to attack with.
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (5)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-05-24 02:20 am (UTC)(link)
[She should probably be more concerned for Irisviel, but at the moment she just half-turns to look at her. The trance she's caught in is only worth some of Nobunaga's curiosity at most...

But Yukari has a point. With their King's own admittance she isn't much of an attacker and their third member out of it for now, it looks like it really does fall on her to handle this. She draws her sword, turning towards the mob ahead.
]

Alright.

It's short notice...but I'll do my best to keep them occupied. In the meantime try and wake her-[A nod in Iri's direction.]-so she can join me. I just hope her weapon's suited for it...

[Swiping her weapon outwards, mana runs into the barrel before she moves from the spot to reposition herself away from Yukari and Irisviel, opening fire on the mob ahead with a single shot.]

Come on then! I'll pluck the lot of you bare!

[Some of them have their attention on Nobunaga, at least.

But some of them definitely don't, too. Looking tasty to some of those birds, Yukari...
]
soulshift: (pic#10242630)

[personal profile] soulshift 2016-05-25 07:55 am (UTC)(link)
That radiance, it's so beautiful... their eyes...

[ Irisviel finds herself distracted by those iridescent eyes that it's a struggle to bring herself to pay attention to any of the other battle around her. But she finds herself moving in and out of that trance like state, with much willpower. ]

I can't move.

[ she lets out in a strained voice, struggling to move any of her limbs. The eyes of the monster, are they twinkling when they realised that Yukari was looking at them? ]

Look at them -- draw their attention away from just me!
couldntpullthetrigger: (pic#10154358)

[personal profile] couldntpullthetrigger 2016-05-26 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Their eyes...?

[She glances up at the birds - and hey, they do twinkle, but she tears her gaze away almost immediately. Okay, stupid plan to look up there, but how is she going to fight if she can't look at them?

Well, first things first. Maybe she can break the gaze. Without much looking in the direction of the beasts, she lifts her bow and looses an arrow in the general vicinity of whichever of the beasts is holding Irisviel in thrall. Is it enough to knock her loose? She doesn't know. What she does know is that a chorus of squawks begins. She can't even look at them for long enough to figure out wtf is going on, though, because she is more immediately concerned with the held member of her party. Would one of her King spells work for this? She has some kind of a dispelling ability, she thinks, but maybe... she makes her way up as quickly as she can, sticking her hand in front of her face and waving it like it is going to break the gaze.

What she doesn't realize is that by entering the aggro table, she suddenly has the highest threat.
] Hey, come on, wake up, wake up, wake up!
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (9)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-05-29 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
[The arrow flies, but she isn't particularly pleased by it. A pawn trying to hold off all of the enemies is enough trouble, but it's easier when she's more drawing attention and fighting defensively than attempting to actually win. Yukari simply draws attention to herself by firing on their feathery foes, meaning some immediately lose interest in a lone pawn and start to go for the nearby king instead.

She catches fight of this and loads up her weapon again, opening fire--

But it's a miss.
]

Fool! I never told you to go attacking like that...!

[Unfortunately, trying to move over to help is a bust too, as one of the larvae nail her in the back of the leg with their goo, sticking her fast to the floor.]

Ghh! Look alive over there, they're coming for you!

[She continues trying to pull her leg free, in the meantime.]
soulshift: (pic#10242618)

[personal profile] soulshift 2016-05-31 03:04 pm (UTC)(link)
No!

[ Thankfully, Yukari's intent looking while firing is enough for Irisviel to be freed from their grasp and she lets out a small sound of determination. She can feel the magic loosening on her person and she makes haste as she runs over to Nobunaga, flame magic in her fingers. She aims the short blast to the goo before releasing the mana fortified string from her bracelet, using it to cut through the goo. Hopefully that would be enough to help free the other woman. ]
couldntpullthetrigger: ((Enjoy the Scorpions stuck in your head))

[personal profile] couldntpullthetrigger 2016-06-01 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
[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.
]
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (Default)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-06-01 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
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?!
soulshift: (pic#10299208)

[personal profile] soulshift 2016-06-01 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I will!

[ But she closes her eyes, extends her arm and concentrates, the mana flowing into her and through the strings. Then she opens her eyes and sees the Aello coming at her, so she aims and manages to wrap the string around three of them.

The monsters of course, don't like being restrained and put up a good fight. But Irisviel's holding on for dear life - digging her heels into the ground. ]


Yukari! Nobunaga!

[ Surely those two can snipe these less nimble targets now, she thinks. ]
couldntpullthetrigger: (pic#10154383)

[personal profile] couldntpullthetrigger 2016-06-03 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I would... happily! [She will, too, Nobunaga, just you watch.

Luckily, a shot through the jaw is more than the first beast can handle, and it falls into the abyss at the side of the narrow pathway.

They're all still on her, but Yukari's priority is, apparently, people who are not herself, so she aims at whoever it is that Iri is holding and does what she can to dodge beaks and talons from the squawking monsters that are more and more amassing about her.

GG, tank can't hold threat, but the healer sure can!
] I got it! I got... one of 'em... --ow!