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

Teamage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Kain, Makoto, Paracelsus

[ordealer]

...look, it may make no sense but I might've wanted to use this pun since the first dungeon.

1 would think that their bosses would be nice enough to pay for them...

[ordealer]

[But no. As he stared at the sign he felt distinctly ripped off - if this turned out to be a reoccurring thing he'd have to have words with their superiors about the topic of giving them a budget for expenses like this. Pastries and alcohol, sure, they could pay for that themselves, but this was work.]

Do you think it's too late to go back and have them pay for us? [He'll...likely shove past the ticket seller in a moment but it deserves a moment of snark.]

[dilemmic]

[ 1) Do you think Verdoni cares.
2) Does anyone actually want to owe Ryder a favour?

The answer is overwhelmingly clear- she shrugs. ]

We can submit our claims later.

[ > assuming that they'd even recompensate them for this.

That being said, isn't the ticket seller sort of suspicious? ]

[alchemisc]

[ Paracelsus seconds all of that about Ryder and reimbursement, sadly. That may be presumptuous for someone who's essentially freshmeat, but he doubts that their getting their 1500 Colle back and he'd rather not be in some form of debt to that person. A Shame because it could be used elsewhere... But what's done (and paid for) is done. ]

I'll assume gaining entrance to a dungeon usually isn't like this?

[ He turns back to talk to the seller, actually-- only to be prodding a pile of confetti where that man(?) stood. Creepy. ]

Ah.

[dilemmic]

[ "Ah" describes things very well. Makoto grimaces, but makes it a point to prod the confetti pile - it lies like...well, a pile of confetti. What else would you expect? ]

Not that I know of. But there's never been two similar dungeons in the past.

[ Maybe they should ask for a pay rise if other dungeons start asking for admittance fees.

But for now, the ticket seller seems to be a non-issue and the only way forward is through the carnival, bright lights and all. Onward? ]

[ordealer]

How many have you been through?

["Senpai, tell us your war stories." Basically. Outwardly, he's stoic and prepared. Rolling with it. Inwardly: rolling with it, but also grimly aware that little about this place made sense.]

Surely there must be some commonality. [He says, but he doesn't actually believe it.

Anyway.

Onward.

...actually, no, he's going to wave them back first. In the unlikely yet hypothetical possible event that paying for it would spring the trap he's going to go first and volunteer as tribute. In the event that they let him, he's going to pay and nothing will happen.

In the event that they don't they'll probably be talking about this some more.]

[dilemmic]

[ The carnival buzzes noisily around them; if anyone was attempting to spring a silent attack, this really would be the best time. Even then, there's a feeling that she shouldn't be letting pawns play meatshields but that's why she has their backs.

Well. For now, she falls silent but nods -- proceed. ]

[ordealer]

[That's the idea. Pawns are always there for sacrifice plays. Two pawns rescuing their knight doesn't work as well as a pawn and a knight rescuing the other pawn.

Anyway.

Guess what happens when he pays for a ticket.

He gets a ticket.

And nothing else happens. So he glances back and shrugs. Sometimes, a ticket is just an (overpriced) ticket.]

[alchemisc]

[ A they move forward, Paracelsus is examining his own overpriced ticket. It looks fairly ordinary, with some cheesy printing and design on it about the wonders of the carnival. But his seems to have a red, smudged fingerprint on the back. He checks his fingers, which are clean... Weird. ]

If it's any comfort, perhaps we can find something valuable here to make up for the cost.

[ Right, he should ask, since this party was set up by the magic of RNG. It's not horrible, but is the resident stranger okay with it? Politeness and all. ]

Miss Makoto, is it? Do you have any concerns?

[dilemmic]

[ It's a good thing she kept her pay from her previous job in her purse - it's taken a goodly chunk out of it with that ticket. As it currently is, her ticket's folded and tucked into her pockets - out of sight, out of mind. More importantly, her weapon's in her hand. ]

Too many, if I may be honest.

[ It's true, though - she's only been to one dungeon and dug up info on the rest. Whatever that can't be gleaned from reading reports is a big ??? in the air. There comes a point in which practical experience must bridge the gap between past knowledge and the present. ]

But we'll address those on a need-to-do basis. For now, let's focus on getting to the end of this place.

[ Garish bright colours adorn the carnival in neon vibrancy, and there's the sound of bubbly laughter as they walk past the first booth (cotton candy, everyone loves cotton candy). Hang on, are those balloons? Are the balloons moving towards them? ]

....hmm?

[alchemisc]

[ He and Kain actually received a nice reward for saving a Lasker's spoiled pooch during the train operation... farewell, dog money. Otherwise, he probably would have had to figure something out to get through. He doesn't have any valuables. ]

Of course. The atmosphere of this place is... unusual. Probably unnerving for most.

[ Not for him, because he's a weird guy conditioned to horror (thank you Nasu). That said, he's trying to sidestep and avoid those balloons, because static is the worst. Also, those balloons are really big. They seemed a normal size from afar, but not so much up close. ]

Um... Excuse me? [ Whoever is selling the balloons, can you not? ]

[ordealer]

[It's a small child! Five of them, in fact, who're giggling and offering candy in a sing-song tone. They look innocent.

"Want to try some-"]

No.

[Some decisions are easy ones and he never had much of a sweet tooth in the first place, though the way he's scowling is like he's taking the chocolate very personally right now.]

[dilemmic]

[ There aren't supposed to be civilians in here, Verdoni had said. And there is something odd about their mana signature, but she can't place her finger on it.

Either way, it's a non-problem. ]

We're in a hurry. Excuse us.

[ Time to push through and the children feel oddly angular and not in the knobbly knees way. Actually, they're also blocking the way, that's a hassle.

"C'mon, just take some! It's for you! Aaaaall of you!" ]

3 | It's like itsy-bitsy-spider except more terrifying

[dilemmic]

[ Wait, why was it a good idea to enter the haunted house again? Overwhelming statistics from B-grade horror movies demonstrate that people who enter haunted areas usually don't have things End Well for them. Was this truly the only way?

...it's impossible to see anything. ]

Stay close to the windows.

[ There's only one and it's small, but it'll have to do for lighting. Should she try summoning light? Do they really want to figure out what's in the darkness? ]

[alchemisc]

[ Because going to ALL the attractions (or at least 80%) is how to truly enjoy the Carnival Experience. Okay... they probably took a wrong turn and someone went "why not", this place can't get that much creepier, right? He was pretty sure this house had more windows from the outside... maybe there's a trick. One is good for them to talk and figure out what to do, at least. ]

Good idea... but we need to move forward, don't we?

[ He's not afraid at all, just calmly looking into the black abyss like something should happen. That said he isn't up for exploring into great unknown just yet, but he's willing to do something instead. ]

Perhaps I can go ahead. Pawns can escape easily, after all.

[ordealer]

No, your weapon-

[He had been on the cusp of pointing out that they were two pawns, and, last he knew, Paracelsus' weapon entailed writing and thus he'd benefit from the illumination coming from the window - wan though it was - and so Kain might as well be the one to volunteer as tribute. It would've been a logical speech, well spoken, but then there was the noise of pincers clacking in the silence. It echoed.

Then a glob of silk was shot at them.]

[dilemmic]

[ This is why she said to stay by the window.

A Knight's sharpened mana senses are capable of picking out foreign mana signatures, but Makoto's too new to the trade and it kicks in a smitten too late. The bulk of the webby tendrils end up wrapping round her staff that she's wielding like a defensive club, leaving most of the rest of her free, but at what cost? Being yanked upwards with your hands glued to your weapon just makes the whole process a hundred more times more painful.

On the other hand, it leaves her free to yell a warning: ]

Damn-- the ceiling!

[ A flash of lightning illuminates the room just briefly. Atmosphere is important. ]

[ordealer]

[He spat out an oath, something which was dramatic but brutal and fast and instinctively gathered his strength to jump before remembering oh fucking right.]

Paracelsus! [Cut the web! He's too busy dealing with crowd control and their main tank is being dragged up to some eldritch abomination which'll...probably kill her horribly if they don't move! Because yes, that was when the zombie horde attacked the two of them down below and he brought Paracelsus time to act with grim determination...and some relief: this was the first part which felt normal in a while.

(Which said a great deal about his life, he would later realize.)]

[alchemisc]

[ Paracelsus grimaces at the result of his mistake, even if he just narrowly dodged the shot of web thanks to Makoto. Wishing to move forward instead of being stuck and helpless in one spot can even backfire like this. What a lovely lesson about dungeons. He's about to chase forward and grab for Makoto when she is pulled, but he relents when a direct effort would likely only create more problems.

Thankfully, the lightning helps to see what's above (there's more webs and what appear be a set of eyes not too far away, the source of the sticky webbing), and a researcher is no slouch at fast writing, pulling his book from the holster on his back. He steps back, with a request to his more cautious party member. ]

Yes, but could you catch... Ah. Allow me!

[ With quickly written commands of cut the webs, the pages fly up towards the ceiling and Makoto. They're like throwing knives at the webbing, but by this time, she's probably been pulled up a decent height. When he realizes that Kain might not be able to catch her, he runs this time for her. This... is going to hurt. ]

[dilemmic]

[ She's hauled all the way to the top of the second floor and before it's suddenly a freefall with nothing to check her landing-- in the dark, she twists in an attempt to adopt a position that'll soften the blow from landing.

Except landing feels soft and sort of knobbly? ]

Ugh! Huh...?

[ There's a reedy sort of voice that echoes somewhere in the building: "What manners! Is that how you treat a gracious invitation from your host?"

Whoever it is who catches her-- she doesn't mean to poke an elbow in their eye. It's just really goddamn dark and the sound of battle around them won't help much with disorientation. She's trying to get up! ]

[alchemisc]

[ "It isn't polite to abduct guests," is what Paracelsus would coldly retort. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the time to sass the giant spider monster or whatever's taunting them. Also, it's far from his mind after catching their almost-captive. A quick, pawn-level support spell muttered right before contact saves him from anything past soreness and bruises, but it still is a person falling from a good height. He's also not very strong and stumbles with Makoto in his arms. ]

Ngh...

[ He manages to get into a sitting position after the two can figure out who's limbs are who's and oof, that was his face and elbow went into. He's a little too dazed to get his balance back and get up on his feet right away, but he says without much thought, despite the danger of the enemies around them: ]

I'll be fine.

[ He hears zombie moaning right behind him and whacks the decayed fellow with his book. ]

[ordealer]

[He was too preoccupied to contribute, fighting off a horde of the undead in a moment which felt...it was minutes, but it felt like days. Three days, if he wanted to be clinical about it. (Which he didn't, having the undead about him and that being more preoccupying.)]

We'd best move up before our...host takes the decision away from us.

[dilemmic]

[ A little friendly fire never hurt anyone.

--said no one at all. Grimacing as she grabs her staff that's fallen within arm's reach, she swings it and jabs said zombie to a safer distance away. ]

My apologies.

[ At least, hopefully that'll have to do. Mortification can come later, she raises her voice now to be better heard. ]

[dilemmic]

I don't think we have a choice.

[ On her feet and doing a series of sweeping blows for ah, crowd control, she summons the barest bit of mana to light their surroundings with wan light.

It reveals:

(1) horde of zombies. Body parts optional.
(1) pair of stairs.
(??) number of web-like material on most of the architecture.

Ew at the last thing, probably. ]

I'll clear the path! Follow my lead.

sorry, was out camping, then work OTL

[alchemisc]

[ Up and on his feet again, just in time for more zombies. P's got just enough mana to set his beloved pages alight to hurl them at the zombies though-- experience and zombie movies say that they don't like fire. He's probably got to keep some for the weblike stuff though, ick. ]

Yes, we'll be right behind you. Be careful of the steps.

[ The wood making them looks... rotten and splintered in spots. How appropriate for a haunted house, but would make for another disaster for them all. ]