DUNGEON ♛ LIEFSTE CARNAVAL

[boardmaster]

LIEFSTE CARNAVAL
20 JULY (DELPHINE) 2016

The Heroes chosen for this dungeon may reach Petrosian by any means they choose (by Airy with passports, by foot, by train, etc.) but they must travel to the area under suspicion by a smaller train, sponsored by VIPs; from there, they will take the fifteen mile, bumpy ride from the quaint town station to an open valley downstream. As you’re jostled around in your seat, a cheery announcement informs you that this train ride was sponsored by the illustrious Ryder, who felt it was necessary to express his gratitude to the Heroes and their admirable efforts that just barely saved his life last month. How thoughtful of him.

As the train chugs to a stop, beyond the forest and behind our Heroes, endless fields of gold seem to stretch out as far as the eye can see. What was once rich green grass has been painted yellow by the sweltering heat and clear summer sky. Few trees offer shelter from the sun, but most Heroes will have to provide their own shade as they wait for Secretary Verdoni and Ryder’s quick debriefing.

	Verdoni [ he looks so done with Ryder, but he has a job to do ] Every year, this field serves as the site of the famous Liefste Carnaval. For obvious reasons, we do not usually spend money to send our forces here, and if anyone would like to convince me otherwise, I shall have them entertain their fellow rapscallions at St. Amant.
	Ryder [ coughs ]
	Verdoni [ shut up ] However, due to financial constraints and missing people reports in the area, the carnival was canceled. And yet it is here. We have reason to believe that the reports of missing individuals tie into this carnival. Furthermore, our researchers say there is an abnormal amount of mana activity in the area. Given your previous experience with those, I don’t believe I need to elaborate any further. Your job is to investigate the carnival, find the truth behind it, and retrieve the dungeon core. As for your transportation, we’ve arranged a—
	Ryder Thank you, Secretary. Heroes. Out of gratitude for your heroic rescue, the least I could do was provide some incentive to fetch me a souvenir. This train, the Big Red, was built by one of Gammon’s finest mechanics. I had it shipped here under great expense so that you could enjoy the luxury of Gammon. I hope you Heroes are fortunate enough to visit my land soon. [ and as an afterthought: ] Ah, and rescue those people. Of course. By the way, this weather is absolutely dreadful. My skin was never this dry back in Cochrane. Guard A, Guard B, set up camp. We don’t want to faint from the heat later, do we?
	Verdoni [ why is this guy even here ] To answer the question on everyone’s minds: yes, there is a point to collecting these dungeon cores. Apart from restoring natural order to the land, we have reason to believe the dungeon cores may hold the key to finding a way home for you Heroes... Once we have proper confirmation, I will soon be able to make a formal announcement. Secondly, yes, Commander Lisbrand is still recovering from the Noir attack. We are hoping that she’ll be well enough to join us soon. For now, we do what we can.

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 ♙
Welcome to the Liefste Carnaval! Don’t be shy, come on in!

There’s nothing of note when you approach the carnival’s entrance. The hustle and bustle of any other fun-filled festival can be heard from the outside, complete with excited shouts and distant music. The smell of popcorn and other saccharine treats waft over and make your mouth water…

Before you satisfy your cravings, you should get a ticket. You’ll be greeted by a vaguely humanoid ticket seller entirely covered in confetti and pieces of torn tickets, with a rattling breath as if it caught a cold. It doesn’t speak and merely points to a sign that says 500 colle per person! What? Not everything comes for free. An item of similar value will also suffice.

If you refuse to pay and shoulder your way past it, you’ll find yourself shoved onto your back, face to face with the ticket seller himself. The bits of paper on its face rustle before it shuffles back over to the stand. Try again and you’ll find yourself getting further and further away from the entrance as a minor curse begins to settle upon you. You may come up with your own curse (e.g. loss of voice, speaking in gibberish). Thankfully, the curse doesn’t last long, but the message should be clear: pay for your ticket.

Once you have acquired your ticket, you are free to enter the carnival at your leisure. Should you turn around to ask the ticket seller for more information, it will vanish into thin air, leaving nothing but a small heap of confetti.

Walk past the first booth; a gaggle of happy children with balloons approach you with boxes of welcoming gifts. Though you might want to remember what all children are taught: don’t take candy from strangers.

MONSTER ♟ Wicht
Weak against Fire, Holy	Strong against None	Immune to Dark
A demon possessing a wooden puppet painted and carved in the form of a happy child with rosy cheeks. It offers BOXES OF CHOCOLATE to unsuspecting victims. Be warned: the chocolate will give you CHILLS AND MALAISE, and eating it will prompt fellow Wichts to link their hands together and circle around you as they chant RING AROUND THE ROSIE. This is not an innocent game, but a spell that accelerates the progression of the disease inside you, manifesting in RASHES, FEVER, SNEEZING AND COUGHING. The Wichts have no sympathy to spare; they’ll keep chanting ‘til you all fall down! Don’t feel like chocolate today? Oh, the Wichts insist. As they shove their boxes at you, their giggles turn into maniacal laughter. Their cherubic features melt into something sharper, harder, and you barely have time to react before they try to rip your heart out with their SHARP CLAWS. Catching Wichts is not easy. They use the wind magic of their BALLOONS to fly out of harm’s way, and the more mischievous ones will inhale the helium inside to release BANSHEE-LIKE SCREAMS that will stun and knock your party back. You can eliminate these demons by any means, but defeating these wooden puppets with HOLY MAGIC will banish the demonic spirit inside them, rendering them lifeless with the angelic features they originally had. These Petrosian-style puppets show really good craftsmanship! DROPS: Colorful Balloons, Gift Boxes, Petrosian Puppets, Wicht Claws, Mana-infused Wood

Suddenly, the cheerful and festive atmosphere vanishes. A flag flutters against a strong, abrupt gust of wind. Shadows seem to whisper and point and watch with gleaming, uncountable eyes. The paths are deserted and what was a vibrant place full of life is now anything but.


TWO ♙
In the chocolate box of the first Wicht you defeat, you will find a hand-drawn map of the carnival. It is extremely detailed and meticulously labeled with every ride, shop, and sideshow. Does this cartographer have a perfectionist streak? There’s a crudely-painted red heart circling one attraction in particular: the tunnel of love. But from the way the color dried, you’re starting to think that’s not paint…

Before you reach the tunnel of love, you have to pass through game stalls and the haunted house. Move quickly; those familiar Wicht giggles are approaching and they will not take no for an answer. Hide behind stalls or large crates to avoid them. Perhaps Rooks or Illusion Queens can cover the party’s tracks!

If you choose to hide behind stalls and crates, a cold draft might hit your back, send a shiver down your spine and make you whirl around to confront—no one. But you could have sworn you saw a shadow in the corner of your eye… Before you can think, something too close for comfort bursts into hysterical laughter, attracting the attention of the Wichts and forcing you to abandon your shelter.

However, Wichts can’t touch you if you join in the fun, and the carnival offers a variety of games to play, from dime pitch games to shooting galleries. A man next to a strongman game might even holler at you to step right up and test your strength. Neither firearms, ammo or hammers will be provided, but you’re Heroes, right? Improvise! Win, and you’ll be greeted by...

MONSTER ♟ Steun
Weak against Holy	Strong against Dark	Immune to None
Carnival staff manning the stalls with smiles that will haunt your nightmares. People who win their games infuriate them! Their weapon of choice depends on where you find them. Food vendors will be eager to hurl BOILING OIL or throw an entire GRILL at your face, while those at the shooting galleries might come at you with FIREARMS—real ones! But sometimes, a bullet won’t kill you. Instead, it will make you smell like cotton candy. It will also cast CHARM MAGIC on you, making your party members fall in love with you. Only strong willpower can break the spell… or you know, a good, old-fashioned kiss. Staff members may also toss stuffed toys at you, but these cute and cuddly things aren’t a gift of goodwill. They’re enchanted grenades that explode into heart-shaped confetti and release a gas that will make you LAUGH UNCONTROLLABLY for a good five minutes. DROPS: Assorted Guns and Bullets, Carnival Food Items, Stuffed Toys, Carnival Staff Jacket

Glad that’s over! Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the last area you needed to traverse. Checking the map again reveals that the haunted house is up next. But that shouldn’t be a big deal; you can usually avoid those by simply walking past, right?

Wrong. As you enter the area, you’ll soon realize that the roads around the house are clogged up by cotton candy and popcorn which might serve as convenient snacks to replenish your mana. The only free path leads to the front door.


THREE ♙
The floorboards creak as your party enters the haunted house. A flash of lightning preceding a crack of thunder reveals a large, arachnid leg. Clicking noises of pincers are the only warnings Heroes get before your party is grabbed and hauled upwards, one by one. Tough strings like silk trap your bodies in a tight cocoon that dangles from the ceiling. Resistance is futile, as struggling will damage your clothes. Don’t worry about flashing anyone; the spider is more than happy to cover your bare areas with more form-hugging strings. The spider silk seems to be enchanted, since captured Heroes cannot escape on their own. You must help them to proceed!

As the spider works on hauling its prey upwards, the others must rescue their comrade before it’s too late! Unfortunately, your entrance has awoken a sudden rush of monsters, and the blood and drool they’re spewing make it hard to believe they’re in costume. Hobbling and groaning zombies, scarecrows and half molten blobs or something in between are eager to have you for dinner themselves. The enemies themselves are not particularly dangerous; it’s their sheer number and the furniture they’ve knocked over which make this fight a pain in the neck. Kick and bat and suplex your way through the enemy ranks until you reach the rickety stairs.

Climbing with care, you finally make your way to the second floor. There is a spider lurking in a corner...

MONSTER ♟ Heer Spinnekop
Weak against Water	Strong against Earth, Wind	Immune to Lightning
“I must say, that was very rude of you. No one has ever turned down an invitation to my tea parties.” A calm and chipper tea-sipping, monocle-wearing SPIDER too big to fit through the front door. The wealthy Lord Spinnekop studied in Gammon for a time and the accent has stuck with him ever since. Despite his manners, he isn’t too pleased to have his snack stolen from under its nose. What’s he going to dunk in his tea cup now? So he’ll try to trap the Heroes once more with his SILK THREADS, please and thank you. His threads will wrap around you in patterns that bind and appeal to the senses. “Ooh, could you do that again? It makes my spinneret tingle!” For some reason, LIGHTNING MAGIC doesn’t work against the monstrous spider. But continue to refuse him and he’ll splash piping hot Gammonian Breakfast tea at your face… or shirt. Let’s hope you didn’t wear something thin and white. As the battle goes on, he’ll crawl from corner to corner, and soon, you’ll notice a method to his madness: he’s been weaving a HUGE, STICKY WEB for you all! “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. I’ll wash you down—after I chew and swallow!” Heroes he likes, he’ll trap in his web and eat. Heroes he doesn’t? He’ll toss them in a giant KETTLE of water he’s been boiling in the kitchen! How does Heroic tea sound? However, chatting with the spider (and boy, does he love to chat) will reveal that despite growing up in the lowlands of Petrosian and living in rainy Gammon, he detests water. WATER MAGIC might just wash the spider out! DROPS: Fancy Tea Set, Top Hat, Monocle, Gentleman’s Gloves, Silk Threads

You’ve had it with this @#$%ing spider in this @#%$ing haunted house! Goodbye and good riddance. The doors upstairs seem to lead to nowhere so you’ll have to climb through the open hatch in the ceiling to exit. On the roof, you can finally survey the entire dungeon, but don’t linger for too long. Otherwise, you’ll be compelled to jump off the roof!

Hope you’re not afraid of heights, because the only way to advance to the tunnel of love is by jumping from roof to roof.


FOUR ♙
Finally, the infamous tunnel of love rests before you in all its glittery, pink glory. Rose petals coat the sign and flower chains hang from the tunnel ceiling. Echoes of sensual moans can be heard from the outside, but there’s no turning back. Once you’ve secured yourself a swan boat, you’re in for quite the joyride. The dulcet tones of a romantic serenade give you something else to focus on other than the disturbingly intimate shadows on the walls, but even the music stops every now and then to amplify the voices further in.

Then all of a sudden, the water of the tunnel starts flowing in the other direction. Due to the shape of the boat, Heroes get doused in cold water, and that’s the least of your problems. More Steuns will come out of the woodwork and take potshots at the Heroes with their guns. Talk about wet and wild! The tunnel’s heart-shaped props might also come to life and attempt to drown Heroes. Why not? It’s not like couples ever want to leave.

After several merry minutes, the water will be drained out completely. Who doesn’t enjoy being stranded in the middle of enemy territory? As you walk down the tunnel, there’s a point that diverges into several paths. Following the path that smells like roses will appear to put you on the right track, but leads to a dead end. Looking around, you’ll find a raised, heart-shaped platform with graffiti that says, NOW DO IT! ❤

That’s awfully specific. Considering where you are, you probably meet the riddle with mild surprise. Maybe if you try to kiss someone, you’ll be able to advance! But actually, if you wait long enough, a simple hug might yet suffice.

Once the riddle has been satisfied, the wall opens to reveal the inside of a circus tent. Vacant bleachers surround the stage, and though they are empty, deafening cheers seem to come from people filling the seats. Without warning, all the lights go out, save for a single spotlight...

BOSS ♟ Y. U. Lyon the Spelleider and his Circus
Weak against None	Strong against Fire	Immune to Dark, Status Effects
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome to the best show in the world! I’ve travelled the seven seas, so I should know.” An outstanding and prolific RINGMASTER who recently fell out of the limelight. After some soul searching, Ser Lyon’s back with a bigger and better show that’ll knock everyone’s socks off! Eat your heart out, Cirque du Etoile. As the leader of this circus, he has the fully loyalty of his performers—and pets. With a crack of his whip, he summons large, maned LIONS that growl as they bare their sharp, white fangs. They attack the Heroes on his orders. Don’t let the large felines jump through those flaming hoops, as these will ENGULF THEM IN FIRE, too! Use WATER to put the flames out. ”Such teamwork… Geluk and I were the same. Why am I thinking about him at a time like this? For our next act…!” Should you defeat his precious lions, he will send out his beloved CIRCUS PERFORMERS: acrobats that can kick your butt, contortionists that can bend themselves twice over as they lock you in a CHOKEHOLD, unicycle-riding jugglers waiting for the right moment to toss you a KNIFE or MOLOTOV COCKTAIL, and tightrope walkers ready to DROP DEADLY SPEARS onto unsuspecting Heroes. You might even get tackled by the occasional cannonball man and GET LAUNCHED OUT OF THE TENT with him! Circus performers of all kinds will try to steal the show, and your imagination’s the limit. Unlike the ringmaster, these people are WEAK TO STATUS EFFECTS. ”He told me to meet him during the Festivale de la Ceinturonne, but I had a show that night. I couldn’t abandon my circus! That was years ago… I haven’t heard from him since. I wonder what would have happened… if I had gone to see him… If I had gone to see him…!” Although his stars are gone, the show must go on. As the drum rolls, the lone Ser Lyon reaches inside his mouth to pull out a sharp SWORD with a flourish. How long has that been in there? Not important. Forget about admiring his top-notch swordsmanship, too—he’s here to kill! Even as you keep your distance, you can’t escape him when he strikes you with his WHIP and singes your skin with his FIRE-BREATHING SKILLS. From time to time, he pulls MAGICAL BIRDS out of his coat to distract Heroes. They will disappear the moment you strike them. ”Bravo, bravo. The circus is my life, but… your teamwork has reminded me of something far more important. Still… we put on a good show, didn’t we?” Before his last breath, he pulls a lovespur out of thin air. It was his closest friend’s favorite magic trick. A DUNGEON CORE rises from his chest, and he ends the show with an elegant bow and a smile. DROPS: Ringmaster Staff, Ringmaster Coat, Lion Mane, Juggling Balls, Sword, Hoop, Balance Pole, Torches

Once Y. U. Lyon the Spelleider and his lackeys have been defeated, the phantom cheering cuts off. The bleachers are suddenly occupied by the missing Petrosians, exhausted and confused as to how they ended up here. The dungeon magic appears to have compelled them to act the way they did. Reassure them, help them down from the bleachers and make absolutely sure you leave no one behind.

Soon, the carnival gates open. The show is over and it’s time for everyone to go home.


FIVE ♙
Once you step out of the gates, there’s a flash of light and a final pop of confetti. The next time you blink, you’ll find yourself in a campsite. It seems like Ryder kept his word and set up a rest stop for everyone exiting the dungeon. You’re back in one piece and the area seems to be back to normal as well. Relieved murmurs spring up from the rescued Petrosians who are quick to thank the Heroes profusely before they are whisked away by Blanc’s medics for a check-up.

Verdoni Good work, Heroes. What you do with the dungeon cores is your business alone, but all efforts to assist us in assessing them will be appreciated. That includes providing us with said dungeon cores, of course. I will report our findings as soon as we can. Thank you.

As he leaves, he catches the sight of Ryder and clicks his tongue. That Gammonian is making good use of his human footrest again. Some things never change.

Now that Heroes have left the dungeon, they are free to do whatever they want to. Rest in the tents? Fill your rumbling tummies? Treat injuries? It’s up to them!

Comments

Blanc's tactics advisors and teambuilders, obviously

[sugegasa]

[Shunsui had already called his shadow familiar to join with the illusions of naked ladies he activated from his sword, but it would only hold for so long. Still, it was rather funny to watch the effect!

And Jirou's trail of afterimages made him cant his head to the side in appreciation. He'd need to ask about that later!]

Hmmmm, I can work fairly well with wind, although there doesn't seem to be a terrible amount today. Dark is one of my specialties, though!

Such geniuses

[sakeplz]

You should give that a go! If it doesn't work then that means we have five more to pick from!

[Oh! And he has a way of testing this out too! Reaching out with one hand, he almost seems to lift one of them slowly up and closer, holding it there. To do so he's needed to murmur something that almost sounds like a drinking song? Hard to tell but now they have a target while the others are distracted.]

Care to practice on this one?

they should win awards

[sugegasa]

Yes sir!

[He said it jokingly, but he had to admit that it was a good idea!

And an effective one, at that. While the rest were distracted, he called as much power to his blow as he possibly could, and moved quickly to seal the attack. It was a decent fight. Nothing too strenuous, but his breathing was definitely heavier by the time he'd finished!

He glanced over at his shadow familiar, whom he'd given the form of a beautiful yet huge fish with terribly long whiskers. It looked a bit like some sort of cross between Yama-jii (in fish form) and the fish that inhabited his best friend's ponds back home. It was doing all right, but he sent some of the fallen enemy's mana its way regardless as it fought.]

You all right over there, handsome?

so many awards

[sakeplz]

[Ooooh. That's a neat trick. He wonders where he got that. Of course, he doesn't have to wait long before the thing aids in an attack and bam!

Sadly, it doesn't work. Apparently Dark is not the ticket.]

Hmmm. Maybe that's not it. Oh and I'm okay for now!

[He hums a little as he thinks then decides to try something else. Namely throwing all the enemies away from them using psionics. Murmuring another drinking song, he moves his hand and soon all of them are floating in the air before he literally throws them all away from them. The sound of wood splintering can be heard but he doesn't pay too much attention to that because he has to catch his breath.

Licking his lips, he leans against the man, taking a moment to get some mana back in his system.]

At least I still have the candies?

[He laughs then opens the box to find...]

Oh good thing. This is a map.

[He hands that over to Shunsui.]

Nobel Prize in sending drunks with hairpins to the carnival

[sugegasa]

[It really was rather neat! Shunsui was a fan, but then again, he'd been using shadows as far back as he could remember.

He was disappointed that it hadn't worked. Things would have been so easy if it had! But no matter, they'd just need to figure something else out. They were smart guys, they could handle it!

Watching Jirou's powers unfold had him fascinated. What lovely magic! And so useful. He could completely understand when Jirou leaned against him, seeking some mana to replace what he'd lost. Shunsui, having called back everything but his familiar, put his arms around the younger man and gave him as much mana as he possibly could with a simple hold.]

That was rather beautiful! I'm impressed, good sir.

And that's very good, indeed!

[Whether they were mana infused or not, Shunsui had often found his battle partners to be fond of sweets, and even he, with the lack of sweet tooth he carried, could admit to how helpful a quick jolt of sugar could be.

He took the map rather happily, admiring whomever had gone to such great detail to draw it.]

Ahhhh, but this is so nicely drawn! And quite detailed. Would you like a bit of rest before we venture any further?

[It would be terribly impolite to simply start off without checking, since Jirou had done all the dirty work!]

nationally recognized by everyone in the country

[sakeplz]

[Tossing the chocolates aside since he appreciates the map more than them, he smiles at him then gives him a kiss on the cheek before righting himself. Of course he's looking at the map a second later, tapping where they are versus where they need to go. Which seems to have a lovely heart. In blood.]

I should be okay. I'm not sure if I smashed them all so we should move anyway. Besides, it does look like our surroundings are getting darker.

[He looks around as it suddenly looks...different. Dark. Falling apart actually.]

Let's get going before they eat our butts!

[He laughs and starts to trot off in the direction of that love tunnel the map is showing them. That must be where the dungeon core is!]

[sugegasa]

If that's the area they go for first, I'd say it's their own funeral!

[But he fell into step easily. The love tunnel did look to be interesting, at the very least! And would probably be a bit easier an area to fight within. Unless the enemies happened to be part of the walls of it...but he would take that as it came.]

They are indeed! Strange, reminds me a bit of something I used to make happen back in my home. I should tell you about it sometime, when we're not in the middle of a mission!

[Not that he'd have minded! Fighting was boring, and talking was less so. But he didn't want to distract his companion unnecessarily!]

[sakeplz]

That's a good...idea...

[He pauses when he hears something then grabs Shunsui's hand to pull him with him behind a crate. Just in time to see the things go by. He lets go of him and sighs. That's really going to complicate things if they have to sneak by every single thing!]

Well, that's a problem!

[He giggles a little and smiles at his companion. He sure is in a good mood here!]

[sugegasa]

[Good thing Shunsui was in a pretty good mood himself!

He'd heard the approaching sounds too, and had to smile when Jirou pulled him behind the crate. He was rather adept at sneaking, himself...this could be fun!]

Naaaaah. We're at a carnival, handsome! Just think of it like a game. It can be quite fun to take people by surprise!

[Whether they were people or not. Sometimes it was even more fun when they weren't.]

[sakeplz]

Waaaaah! But that's so much work!

[He pouts cutely at him then pokes his head around the corner to check on something but really doesn't see anything. Well for all of a few seconds. The puppet patrol goes by and he brings his head back in.]

I guess we will have to be sneaky after all.

[He smiles then looks around.]

Do you see the next spot we can hide behind?

[sugegasa]

I promise I'll make it worth your effort!

[He didn't elaborate, but then, that was part of the fun!

He grinned when Jirou moved his head back to avoid being seen.]

Hmmm, those game stalls look solid enough to hide behind. And I might be able to win you a prize!

[He certainly knows how to woo people in the middle of battle. Just look at all this prowess.]

[sakeplz]

You're the best! Lead the way and I'll follow!

[He giggles then gets ready to move, sword held in a way that will make it easier for him to move.

This is fun though. Probably the most fun he's had in a fight! Must be Shunsui.]

[sugegasa]

You flatter me!

[He looked away for an instant to appraise the area before turning his smile back toward Jirou.]

Come along, then! And be careful, they don't seem terribly skilled but I'd hate to see something happen to you.

[The warning was as much for himself as it was for Jirou, really. While Shunsui had always seen war as a game, it wouldn't do to take it too lightly. In fact, that could give way to the darker part of his personality, and he was very keen to prevent the younger man from ever having to witness such a thing.

The rush to the main game area went smoothly enough, although he did have to cut down several opponents on the way. Still, he arrived unscathed and decided to appraise the myriad of game prizes before he hid!]

[sakeplz]

I'll be fine!

[Following after him, he hums then stops when they get to the game area. Ah these creatures look so scary too! Of course he doesn't seem to be bothered by that and instead looks at the various toys.]

Ahhh! I want a bear! Win me a bear!

[And he dodges out of the way before some hot oil can splash on him. No big deal here!]

[sugegasa]

A bear, eh? I might be able to do that!

[A display like that deserved a present as reward, after all!

Grinning, he stepped up to the man beside the strongman stall, who had been yelling for them to step right up for the past few moments. There was no hammer, as he'd learned was customary for these sorts of games, but Jirou wanted a bear and a bear he would get!

Still wearing his grin, Shunsui jumped as forcefully as he could onto the button, which with his considerable bulk sent the little lever shooting upward!

The stall owner scowled, but pointed him at the stuffed animals reluctantly!]

There you go, handsome. Take your pick! We'd better get going, we have some ground to cover before we get to that Tunnel of Love!

[sakeplz]

[Sadly it looks like they're still being attacked. Luckily this bear isn't one of the bombs being thrown at them! But what cute stuffed animal bombs they are! Laughing, Jirou dodges again before throwing the bombs back into stalls to blow them up.

Which kind of clears the path a bit.]

I should bring alcohol next time. All this motion is going to sober me up!

[AND THAT IS HORRIBLE.

In Jirou's opinion.]

[sugegasa]

[Shunsui had to agree. A sober Jirou was a sad Jirou, and he was in no mood to see him sad!

Luckily, there was plenty of alcohol around, although Shunsui wasn't too sure of its safety...

Still! He made it a priority to steer his attacks toward game stalls that had bottles of booze on the prize shelves, of all things.

When he'd thrown the bombs toward their enemies, he sent a grin in Jirou's direction.]

Looks like the owner of this stall was as big a fan of alcohol as we are! Care to try some? You should be careful, though, who knows what sort of magic might be in it...

[sakeplz]

[He looks at the bottle and then trots on over with a laugh.]

Let's save that as a victory for beating the dungeon!

[That way it will taste even better! He lets out another laugh before heading over to the next area which has some rather odd clicky noises. And threads. Threads, threads all around. Humming, he looks around while he ponders what this is.

It really doesn't help that he's not that familiar with spiders since he does his best to avoid cleaning whenever he can. Not that it would be super helpful here since these are far bigger than anything he's seen and nicely out of sight while they wait for their prey.]

Well this is different.

[sugegasa]

Sounds like a plan!

[Well, that and the fact that he still wasn't entirely sure it was safe, but that could always be determined later.

For the moment, though...those huge spiders were definitely a Thing. One that Shunsui wasn't terribly keen on exploring, but it looked like he might have to if they were to get beyond this area in one piece!]

Hmmm, I wonder what they like to eat? If they might be attracted to chocolate, we could put a piece out and either toss them all away or I could just hit them...

[sakeplz]

Hitting them might be the better option. I think we're on the menu if we're not careful.

[They look like sword and spirit eaters to him! Of course they're basically human right now so really they're just people eaters in general but is that really the point here? Nope!]

I can't seem to see them well enough to actually hit them myself...

[It's like they're just out of sight for him.]

[sugegasa]

True, they do look rather hungry.

You know, I usually try to love and respect all life, but those guys...not so much!

[He was having some trouble seeing them too, but they left a strange sort of musk in the air. Very subtle and delicate, but he had no trouble using his scythe on several, since it seemed the most effective of his weapons.]

Are you well? None of them got to you, did they?

[He'd heard about venomous spiders before, after all...]

[sakeplz]

[Shifting himself behind Shunsui, he lets the man sweep with his scythe to get them then laughs and waves his hand.]

I'm fine, I'm fine! No bites he...

[He'd continue that but one of the spiders grabs him with a thread. He gasps softly as he's pulled up into the web, finding himself unable to break the thread on him.]

...So about them not getting me...

[The problems with being too big and slow.]

[sugegasa]

[He saw it happen, and was on his way over with his scythe drawn before it registered as a thought!

It wasn't that Jirou was too big or too slow, it was simply that these spider things were strong, swift, and silent to both the ear and eye!

With a running leap, he tried his best to cut through the threads of the web, with little success. Hitting the ground again, he whistled softly up at Jirou, keeping all his attention on the misshapen dark shape heading for the poor man.]

I'll see if I can't use a Dark attack to hit it and draw out some of its mana! If I can, I might be able to shoot it at the web and get you loose! Unless you have enough movement to throw it into the clearning, I might be able to work a bit better there!

[sakeplz]

I'll try to wiggle a bit to make it easier for you!

[He's getting wrapped up but he wiggles a bit to force the spiders to come into view. It makes it easier for Shunsui to target them below which is really what he's after here. Especially since he can't really do much of anything else. Any spells he has to take care of this particular issue take too long for him to cast!]

I see about three. Let me know when you've got them, Shun-chan! Then I'd appreciate a cut down so we can move on!

[sugegasa]

[Nothing to worry about! The goal was much easier to see when it was headed Jirou's way, and he jumped with his scythe already moving to cut them down!

He did meet some resistance, mainly because they were hard to keep track of with his eyes, and had to hit the ground again several times before they all seemed to be taken care of.]

I think that's it! Unless you can see any more of them? And hold on a second while I focus this mana!

[Oh. Whoops. Well, it did work, at least mostly...but poor Jirou was still left hanging by one stubborn thread.]

Let me see if I can't hack at it, they must have a way to cut their own stubborn webs...