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

[likethelight]

[ No. This is starting to make him a little queasy to look at. ]

Maybe we should look for a way around it instead..

[interchained]

[Spent his entire childhood trying to learn how to be cool and still hasn't learned it after so many years.

Anyway, after Makoto's comment it all makes sense all of a sudden. While the next question of Gil's should probably be "So what are they even doing?", he can see that much. Maybe not really, but both creatures are close enough to each other to tell what this might be about.

Because this is clearly about embracing, he's sure of it. It's a bit weird that they're trying to do it in so many different positions, but it's probably a custom of some sort. Or something. How is he supposed to know...]

We could but... [He pauses to have a look around. The door might be hidden somewhere, but this must be some kind of a hint...] Don't you think it's here for a reason?

[dilemmic]

[ A room with no doors (or rather, as they would find out later -- one so well hidden deep in the ivy that it's only noticeable when it opens) and a mural on the wall. A mural that still stumps her, by the way, no matter how she looks at it. ]

Decoration?

[ She says it in a tone that's more duh than puzzled. That's usually the use for murals, as far as she's concerned. Maybe it's a cultural relic - they had said that this place was akin to a legend, after all, and something like this wouldn't have been out of place -- but she was no historian. ]

But there doesn't seem to be anything else down here. Did we venture too far down?

[ But should they really go back up? ]

[likethelight]

[ The suggestion they might have to backtrack into the aello again is more than enough motivation for Allen. ]

There didn't seem to be any other way to go.. [ Admittedly they were hurrying and could have missed it, but there really hadn't seemed to be a branch in the path.

He approaches the wall, rapping once against it with his knuckles on an unpainted section... then pressing the side of his head to the stone and doing so again to listen. Ah—maybe...? ] ...

[ Nothing. It is solid stone after all, even if there might be a room on the other side. He pulls back. Puzzles aren't his thing. ]

Could there be a seal? [ Even in his world he's at least passingly familiar with things of that nature. His Master had been a powerful mage in addition to an Exorcist, even if he hadn't taught Allen that part. An illusion that has to be unlocked; something of that nature. ]

[interchained]

[At Makoto's answer, he just heaves a sigh. She's right, but...well, maybe it's just him. Just looking at the mural won't get them anywhere, so he follows the white haired boy, but instead of pressing his head, his hand brushes over the painted surface. Something's off, but first things first:]

We're not getting back up there.

[The thought of having to deal with the Aello again is quite motivating, truth to be told.]

Seal...it might be.

[Then, Gil presses both of his hands against the stone, just like he wanted to give it a push. Obviously, it doesn't get him anywhere, but...all of a sudden he pulls away and takes a few steps backwards, shock painted all over his face.]

...you two need to mimic it.

[While it's not the requirement, he's so not doing this. You wish, Gil.]

[dilemmic]

What?!

[ Look, Gil. Gil, my man, she knows that you're rattled after all those aello spit - it almost hit his head (and his hair?). But there's no need to say such terrible things! ]

[likethelight]

[ Gil you coward. ]

Gilbert!!! [ Sputtering. HAVE YOU NO SHAME. YOU DON'T VOLUNTEER A LADY FOR THAT KIND OF THING.

... OR HIM. ]

[interchained]

[Now, you've made him panic. HE COULDN'T HELP IT, IT WAS STRONGER THAN HIM...]

Or anyone, really! We just need to copy this...!

["Just"...]

[dilemmic]

[ She's gonna get a headache from all this. ]

Please start from the beginning. What did you find out exactly?

[likethelight]

[ Copy... that???

Yes Gil. Please explain exactly what you found out. Because in the meantime Allen's going to shoot scandalized, increasingly sullen looks between the travesty painted on the wall and the flustered Bishop. Because you can't... really be suggesting... that two of them...

(Of course. Of course it's probably something like that.)

He doesn't care if he has to break the wall down himself, he'll find a way to do it before he does that and you won't make Makoto do it either. ]

[interchained]

[While all this time he considered this power to be rather useful, now he realizes it may be a curse, too. With great power come great responsibility...

A responsibility he didn't want.]

It's just...ugh, you do know how mana exchange works, right? [Because right now he wishes he didn't so he wouldn't have to explain this.] Physical contact speeds up the intake from the atmosphere and apparently that's the key to opening the door. It's all about the mana flow, the door seems to react to it...

[Somehow he can tell it's not the best explanation, but surely the best one he can provide now.]

Who's going to do it?

[Here, someone had to say it.]

[dilemmic]

[ That is simultaneously the worst and best explanation ever, and she's heard a lot of terrible shit explanation-excuses in her time. Not that that stops her from flushing deeply because it finally clicks what the mural is supposed to be about and it's not very...very much something one does in polite society?

(Makoto, you don't even venture out to polite society most of the time.) ]

[dilemmic]

[ She shuts her mouth and clamps down tightly on her idea of embarrassing, even if for just a moment.

Normally, she's the first to volunteer for any tasks that need to be done - it's a sense of duty that comes with the job. But this dance, and the proximity...

....ugh.

She folds her arms and averts her eyes. ]

I...I'll do it.

1/2

[likethelight]

[ Gil, you... ]

You're not exactly volunteering for it yourself! [ Really, Allen's halfway into getting a good old righteous indignation huff going. Although that's because of a sinking dread that the other was probably right, that would... mostly make sense, and who designed this place, that's just twisted, but— ]

2/2

[likethelight]

[ —Makoto volunteering sort of stops him dead. ]

... [ um









nope. nothing. Really? No, Makoto, why... ]

1/2

[interchained]

[Makoto...you're the hero they need. You're the hero everybody needs.

Gil is no less surprised than Allen is, not sure how should he react. Allowing her to do such things...any of these things. But doesn't stopping her mean, basically, volunteering to do the dance (yes, it does).

Maybe he should at least respond to Allen's accusation, but even finding proper words for that is difficult, given the situation.]

2/2

[interchained]

[Nope, he can't think of anything witty. And they can't go on like this, something must be said...something, anything—]

A-Are you sure? I doubt it's a good idea...

[dilemmic]

[ Look, she's embarrassed enough, don't make this more difficult than it already is! She's already not looking any of them in the eye! ]

No! [ Of course not. argh ] But we can't afford to stay here for too long. The sooner we try something, the sooner we'll know if it works.

[ If she has to do this twice, she's going after your head, Gil. ]

[likethelight]

[ Makoto is... very probably right. Even Allen who is grasping mentally for any other possibility or protest isn't really coming up with anything good. Gil, you have the misfortune of saying something that snaps Allen out of his horrified silence. ]

'Doubt it's a good idea'??

Is it the only thing possible or isn't it??! [ THIS IS WHAT YOU JUST SUGGESTED. DON'T TELL PEOPLE TO DO OBSCENE THINGS UNLESS YOU'RE SURE. ]

[interchained]

It is! I meant...it's not a good idea to make a lady do this...

[Shouldn't he thought of it sooner, though? Gil...]

We need to settle this somehow. And fast. Any suggestions?

[dilemmic]

[ Look, she's volunteered. If anyone else wants to do any stepping up, she's all ears!

...er, which is exactly why she's all arms folded and giving the both of them (maybe moreso Gil because Allen's equally new to dungeoning, as far as she's concerned) a Pointed Look. If she doesn't have to focus too much on the details, maybe she won't be so embarrassed. ]

[likethelight]

[ Allen would volunteer before having Makoto do it, but it's another thing entirely to volunteer with her!!!

Her look is kind of boring a very uncomfortable hole into the side of his head, though. Erm. There's lots? But there's no straw or twigs around, and ivy wouldn't really work well.. ]

... [ nnn.

A little huffily, he stands a little closer to face them both and brings his hand inbetween them. Like bringing it in, a certainty like getting ready to make a promise, all hands together, except— ]

If we do it like this... [ he makes a fist and raises it slightly, glancing between the two ]

..then no one has to make an awkward choice. [ It's not going to make what's to come any less humiliating, but at least it's fair.

He means rock, paper, scissors, btw. ]

[interchained]

[The two of them have the rare opportunity (or maybe not really?) to watch Gilbert's face grow pale as Allen does his thing...if they weren't in a dungeon, he would probably protest, but it seems that he has some kind of a plan, so...?

Wait. Wait. WAIT. W A I T.

What does like this even mean?! Is Allen suggesting that they should do it together? Like, the three of them together?! They wouldn't have to make a decision then but, BUT...!

You have to be straightforward with this man.]

W-Walker...I wouldn't have thought that you...

[dilemmic]

[ Look, she doesn't need shame any more, she's transcended shame. ]

The dance only needs two people.

[ Wait, is she agreeing with Gil or Allen here. ]

[likethelight]

[ WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. Surely they don't think that he.. That he would actually suggest.. ]

... [ oh god the blush threatening to creep up his neck actually burns. excuse him while he fights it back and tries to regain his scraps of dignity. ]

Before... [ nnNNNn throatclear ] If we were somewhere and only one of us had to do something distasteful.. [ SQUINTS AT GIL ] or two..

...we'd play this to decide who would do it. [ He forms a fist (a rock)... flattens his hand (paper)... and then holds his fingers like scissors. ]

Rock-paper-scissors.

[ SULLEN LOOK PLEASE TELL HIM YOU KNOW THE GAME SO HE STOPS FEELING LIKE AN IDIOT AND CAN STOP BLUSHING. Where's Lavi when you need him, this was usually his idea and it worked.. ]