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

[eyegotcha]

[ Oh, if only the winds were still enough to keep her cigar lit, Peacock would have been puffing smoke in Maki's face long before right now. Instead, the redhead had to keep her stogie unlit and idle between her teeth to keep up her image. It ain't as cool as blowing smoke rings, but it at least kept some of its cool just for being there, right?

Turning her head to the other two, Peacock noted the terrible condition of the steps and the worry in both of her teammates voices. One things for sure, she ain't going up those stairs. So, with a cruel grin, the redhead raised her eyebrows expectantly. ]

Correction, I'm s'posed t' use this here hook! You two's bettah get goin' up those stairs!

[ With a derisive laugh, the cyborg sauntered on up to search for any sort of place to use her grappling hook and make a dramatic exit. Unfortunately... Well, her mana senses aren't that honed. Blind girl + Grappling hook = disaster. So she just ended up standing there, looking up the steep cliffs awaiting her with hesitation. A nervous laugh coughed out of her pitifully as she glanced down at the hook once more and acted like she was aiming it up. ]

Uh... You two get climbin'! Leave this to me, see? I'll, uh...

[ She had to keep face here; after that sort of bold declaration, she couldn't admit that
a: She couldn't see where to aim this thing
b: She totally spaced on the instructions
and c: She really wasn't confident with her limbs hanging on in this windy environment. ]

[medicament]

[Surprisingly or not, it's not just Maki who considered Peacock the leader of their team, which Luna found quite hilarious, given all the circumstances. However, the leader seemed to be hesitating despite being so fired up about walking into the dungeon just a minute or two ago. This is something that Luna didn't expect to see so early, if at all.

Splitting up so early didn't seem a good idea to her. Or splitting up in general, really. They didn't know the area and couldn't anticipate what would happen. And if something was to happen, it would only put them at a disadvantage.

Instead of raising an objection just yet, Luna walked over to Peacock and placed her hand on the handle of the grappling hook, over the girl's hand. Something about her was off, but whatever that was, Luna couldn't tell.]

Miss Peacock, you need to focus. You've got so excited about this that your hand is shaking.

[While trying to help Peacock steady her grip at least a little, she finally added:]

I think we should go together, though. Actually...I insist we do.

[cutiepanther]

E-Eeh?! [ Like any normal human being, Maki is neither enticed by the grappling hook, NOR the dangerous looking staircase. Both seem like a bad time to her. Though if she had to choose... the grappling hook does seem better, as they could just shoot over to somewhere higher up in an instant. She had seen how they were used after all, even if she hadn't gotten one herself. It looked scary but useful.

But she doesn't want to get goaded into responding to Peacock! No, she won't give up so easily in her ignoring the other girl. ]

[ So she turns to Luna instead, huffing indignantly. ] Let's just go, Luna. If a certain person who I'm not speaking to thinks she can handle it by herself then I say we should let her do what she wants!

[ But Luna thinks they should go together? And turning to look, Peacock seems... almost pathetically cute?! Now what does she do?? ]

I-Is she alright? [ She asks of Luna. ]

[eyegotcha]

Shakin'!? It's the machinery, I'm tellin' ya! [ The girl's voice came out defiantly, far too quickly to be a legitimate excuse. While, yes, those chugging steam engines in her arms were gently vibrating her limbs, the clattering shakes she had were more like some defective radiator. It didn't help that her face was beginning to light up like the Fourth of July, her head lowered to hide her angered embarrassment and grinding metal teeth.

This wasn't the good picture of a leader, was it? And hearing Maki's concerns only brought it full circle: she was being pitied, wasn't she!? ]

GAH! Fine! [ In a burst of flustered immaturity, the redhead all but spiked the thankfully sturdy grappling hook into the ground. ] Use the stupid hook! Sees if I care! I'll take the stairs, since yer so afraid a' them!

[ Before anyone can even object to her, the child stormed off to the side, taking a first stomp onto the bottom-most stair and... her foot fell through like the step was made of wet tissue, nearly sending the infuriated girl into the floor, and causing numerous other stairs to crumble down in a miniature stony avalanche.

Sheepishly pulling her metal boot out of the now-ruined staircase, Peacock tensed up, refusing to turn around to face her companions as she realized she was definitely stuck grappling with them. The redness of her face could still be seen to the extremes they lit up her ears and neck. Trying to save some sort of face, she tried to speak as stiffly as she could, acting like there was any calm in her. ]

She's right! Splittin' up is-- uh, dangerous, y'know!? So! [ Placing her hands on her hips, the girl still refused to turn around until she could control her embarrassment, though her hesitant voice gave it all away. ] Who's gonna use the darn thing?

[medicament]

[It was quite the task to keep up with their leader; before Luna could even say anything, let alone stop Peacock, she was already rushing to the staircase after leaving the grappling hook behind. Too slow to warn the girl about the possible danger, all she managed to do was to take one step forward before the stairs were gone. All of them, just in a few seconds. Peacock was still standing there, dangerously close to the edge, which made Luna feel a bit uneasy and she had a few words of encouragement ready and was about to speak up, but Peacock was first.

It wasn't quite a task to keep up with her, it was nearly impossible. But Luna didn't consider it that bad of a thing and smiled to herself.]

I'm glad that you liked my idea, leader! Maybe I should do it? Unless you'd like to.

[That said, she picked the grappling hook from the ground, looking up at Maki.]

[cutiepanther]

What machinery?

[ Okay, so yeah, still, at this point, Maki hasn't been told that Peacock isn't really human. Sure, Maki has her doubts but... look, she's not used to anything like this. She assumes everyone is human until they say otherwise! Like, if they are a robot (she knows multiple now) or a god (got one of those) or a sword (a few more there). And so when the shaking and clearly flustered girl throws the grappling hook on the ground, Maki can't help but finally address her, even if slightly indirectly. ]

We're not afraid! [ Okay, she's afraid, but she's dragging Luna into this too?!

But she watches the stairs give out and nearly jumps forward, unsure of what she could even do other than try to grab her even if she could never make it in time. Which means, as things unfold and Peacock decides to try to out tsun even the mistress of tsun Maki herself, Maki ends up... turning her own back, leaving Luna in the middle. ]

If she's afraid of using the grappling hook we can go without her. We'll just tell everyone when we get back that Peacock was too scared.

[eyegotcha]

Shut yer yap! I told ya I weren't afraid! It was you two clowns that wouldn't even use the stairs in the first place!

[ Maybe because of what just happened. But Peacock didn't care! Imminent death was no excuse! Especially not in a dungeon, which just abounded with near-death and peril! They should've been ready when they signed up!

Red-faced or not, Peacock finally whipped around with her outburst, pointing an accusatory finger at Maki. Luna hadn't really earned her ire; in fact, she reminded her of a certain gal from the labs. It was tough to outright hate her, so instead Maki became the victim of all that big-shot projecting the cyborg was throwing around. ]

I got half a mind t' tell ya t' shove off an' find yer own way up there! We don't need no dumb ol' dead weight slowin' us down!

[ This was just off to a fantastic start, wasn't it? There was no way she could make this worse! ]

How 'bout'cha just ask yer lil' artsy gal t' carry ya up like all da movies, huh!?

[ Of course that'd come back. But thankfully, the self-proclaimed leader turned her attention to the remaining team member, putting on a more cocky grin despite her beet-red face. ]

I think we should trust whoevah's got the strongest, best arms. N' I don't wanna brag, but...

[ With a proud expression fit for only the most smug of snakes, Peacock extended one multi-limbed steampunk-style arm and bent it in a wide 'c' shape, obviously trying to flex the metallic limb's impossible muscle. ]

[medicament]

[This wasn't going to be easy, was it...

Which didn't necessarily worry Luna much, though. Not visibly, at least; they were assigned as a team and had to go through the dungeon together whether they wanted it or not since there was no one else here and of course they couldn't just go back like nothing happened after the gates had closed.]

I think that the strongest person should protect us from the back. What if something happens up there and we'll be under attack? Please, don't fight. We should get moving instead.

[She tried to get this conversation back on its track, but who knows whether it was going to be a successful attempt or not.]

sorry for the delay! im back from con though!

[cutiepanther]

[ Being called a clown makes Maki want to turn to snap at Peacock something in retaliation.. but she's not giving up yet either. The angry opened mouth stare is quickly replaced with Maki's back instead as she turns to face Luna and ignore Peacock completely.

Or pretend to at least. ]

I-I'm not fighting! I'm just letting a certain somebody have a taste of her own medicine.

[ She huffs, rich girl she is, looking back over her shoulder just once when she hears that goad. The mention of the girl Maki likes... well, she never admitted it was true or not, and now Peacock is bringing it up again? Her face scrunches angrily, and she turns away from Peacock all over again to ignore her. ]

I agree. We should get going. Do you think you can carry us across, Luna?

its no problem! sorry for my worse delay, though

[eyegotcha]

[ If only Peacock had eyes, she would be shooting her own smug grin right over at Maki, though the bared teeth are more than enough to portray the feeling. Getting on this spoiled kid's nerves is far too fun for the hellion, and if there wasn't a dungeon to scale, she might have kept at it all day.

But, it's her duty as unofficial leader to get them moving, so she steps right up to the ledge, hands on her hips as she focuses her mana on the cliffside and distant shadows of creatures overhead. ]

Good thinkin'! I've gotcher backs, an' I vote lil' red here t' be the grappler! [ A small pause, as Peacock comes to realize that 'red' applies to, well, all of them. So her thumb points back inaccurately to the side of her where Luna is. ] Her, I mean.

[ No favoritism at all! And absolutely not treating Maki like an incapable child. Why, that would just be childish for someone of her stature, wouldn't it? And just in case any hope remained in Peacock wising up or maturing, she even shoots a sideways nonexistent glance Maki's way. ]

You can just sit back an'... do whatevah it is you prissy broads do.

[medicament]

[Well, maybe they didn't really make up, but her hunch kept telling her that those two need much more time to reconcile. As long as they'd at least watch out for each other, they should be fine. Even for a while, Luna didn't believe that they wouldn't rush to each other's rescue if needed.

The moment she was officially approved as the one in charge of the grappling hook, Luna nodded and held it up, but didn't launch it just yet.]

Make sure to hold on tight, please.

[The line wasn't long enough to reach the very top of the tower in one go, but there were a few ledges they could use to rest in the meantime if they had to. Only when Luna was sure that both her teammates were holding onto her, she arched the launcher a little and pressed the button, watching the hook fly up high, all the way to the first ledge. She had figured out that pressing the other one would pull them up, so she did just that, wondering if it really would be able to climb all the way there fast.

However, they barely get off the ground.]

I suppose this will take a while...

[cutiepanther]

[ "Lil red"? The nickname makes Maki turn her head to Peacock, certain this is just another in the long line of unappreciated nicknames given to herself instead of Peacock just learning her name like a normal person but... apparently she means Luna instead! ...Which actually may or many not be all that much better. It's still incredibly rude! ]

I-I was planning to let you do it anyway!

[ She says to LUNA and not to any other terrible monsters here. That glance is met with a childish one of it's own, only from Maki. If she were any more childish she'd have stuck her tongue out too. She really can't stand this girl!



Holding tight onto Luna, Maki takes a deep breath, waiting for the grappling hook to just take them. She however, hadn't expected just about nothing to happen. ]

...What happened?