pawnstorm | DUNGEON ♛ LEBEDCHE LAKE

Entry tags:

DUNGEON ♛ LEBEDCHE LAKE

LEBEDCHE LAKE
20 JANUARY (DIANTHE) 2016

Commander Lisbrand greets you with a grim expression when the Heroes gather outside of the forest cave. The Heroes are tasked to set up anti-magic explosives provided by Lisbrand Technologies and Gammon at the entrance. On the commander’s signal, loud bangs fill the air, shattering the barrier. A freezing wind howls like a banshee, sending chills down your spine as if to warn you. Turn back now.

Lisbrand remains steadfast. Judging from what her scouts brought back, she informs the Heroes that this dungeon is unlike the others they’ve faced. Mana activity is off the charts, only one scout made it back alive from recon, and… her brother’s in there. Please bring him home safely.

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 ♙ Mirror Mirror
According to Commander Lisbrand, anyone carrying large amounts of mana can now enter the dungeon. Not only that, but you are also able to see every other Hero who entered too. Convenient, but peculiar. In any case, with the help of mana crystals provided by Gammon, Lisbrand’s coming with you.

The path beyond the chamber where you found Alumina is decidedly different. As you proceed, the rock walls turn brittle and clear. You are now in one of the glass tunnels located underneath Lebedche Lake. Dusty footprints are on the glassy ground.... Someone has been here before, and very recently, too.

The glass creaks underneath your weight but it holds. For now.
Follow the footprints and you will reach a spacious intersection. There is a figure calmly waiting for you on the other side with their back turned. No matter how sneakily you approach, they whirl around and you come face to face with… yourself?

MONSTER ♟ Chilling Reminder
Weak against What you’re weak against	Strong against What you’re strong against	Immune to Water
This ice monster is best described as your own reflection. They know everything about you, from the way you talk to the way you walk. They know every skill and spell in your arsenal. Whatever your weaknesses and strengths are also their own. But they also represent THE WORST IN YOU. They constantly CONFUSE others and TAUNT you, reminding you of your ugly, shameful soul. Beware: they can also transform into your other allies in the middle of a fight. Watch out as they try to SMASH the glass tunnels around you for a decisive end to this battle. Strangely enough, the surrounding water will not seep into the tunnels. Instead, it will suck you in and DROWN YOU IN AN INSTANT, and your allies will have no way to get you back. DROPS: Ice Shards, Broken Mirror, Fake Weapon Fragments, Illusion Powder

Once the last monster has been defeated, the deafening silence returns to the tunnels. Take a moment to breathe, heal and check on your fellow Heroes. If you see someone shivering and shaking, help by warming them up or drying them off. You don’t want to remain drenched in the freezing temperatures.

TWO ♙ All the world’s a stage
At the end of the winding glass paths, you reach the underside of the crystal swan which recently appeared. There, you find a theater stage, and the curtains turn into solid blocks of ice once Heroes enter. It will take more than a powerful fire spell to get out of this one.

The black swans outside are still circling the construct above, but you are safe underneath the surface of the lake. If you look past the glass walls, you can watch the fish swim by sunken boats. It’s eerily calm, almost beautiful especially when snowflakes begin to drift down from the ceiling somehow.

A shattering noise sounds behind you and several crystal staircases appear. On top of them you will find…

MONSTER ♟ Pas de Deux
Weak against None	Strong against None	Immune to Attacks
A troupe of disfigured ballet dancers that come in pairs. Parts of their body are missing or bent in unnatural ways. Their feet bleed as if they’ve been DANCING FOREVER. Their morbid dance HYPNOTIZES their audience to face the same fate. Attack them normally and they will instantly TELEPORT to the other side of the room. The key to victory in this battle is dance itself. Together with your comrades, you must DANCE WITH FEELING. Only by dancing as you attack them will you be able to land a hit. But if you do not take this seriously, painful CUTS will mysteriously appear on your body. Don’t get served, Hero! DROPS: Tin Soldier, Tin Heart, Crystal Spangles, Book of the Eternal Dance

As the final curtain falls for the dancers, the crystal ceiling will shatter, opening the way to the crystal swan above. As you try and catch your breath, the frozen curtains melt to reveal Alumina and Lisbrand.

	Lisbrand Alumina, it’s not safe here. This dungeon is an anomaly; we don’t know what might happen to us. Come with me!
	Alumina Fleur? …No! I need to find Ledo and Nerea! You should go back! I’ll be fine. This is something I have to do. Unlike you, I’m... [ runs away ]
	Lisbrand Alumina! [ runs after her ]

Where are they going? Alumina is a civilian, so you must send them out. But as you try to follow the pair, you lose them in the light...

THREE ♙ The Swan Prince
In the chamber of the crystal swan, pale sunlight filters in, illuminating three figures. An angry Nerea and a crystal projection of an amused Princess Katya seem to be in the middle of a one-sided argument. Nerea’s voice rises, which makes the beautiful white swan huddled nearby flinch back. It weakly lifts its head towards the Heroes, pleading with far too intelligent eyes for an intervention.

	Nerea This isn’t what you promised!
	Katya Oh, but it is. You wanted Alumina to yourself. I gave you a love potion.
	Nerea That killed her.
	Katya So I gave you her mana, which you put into an automaton you stole.
	Nerea Made me steal.
	Katya Haha. [ smirks ] You wanted Ledo out of the picture. Again, I gave you a love potion. Made him a swan. You wanted to bring Alumina back to life, so I asked for thirty eyes, forty limbs, fifty hearts...
	Nerea But Ledo’s as well?
	Katya I do not see the problem. He was to marry your beloved Alumina, no? So get rid of him. Marry him, crush him, take his company and give it to me. That was the deal. See it to the end.
	Alumina [ enters with Lisbrand ] Nerea! Ledo!
	Lisbrand Ledo? [ glowers ] Princess Katya… Explain yourself, Nox!
	Nerea It’s not what it looks like! I’m— I’m trying to save Ledo! Alumina, Fleur, please… Please believe me!
	Katya [ cackles ] Oh, that’s rich! Nerea, hurry up and kill that swan! Before he takes your beloved Alumina!

As Nerea hesitates, a relieved Alumina rushes towards the swan. Nerea falters.

	Katya Heh. You bore me, Nerea. Here I thought you would get your happy ending. You disappoint me. Ah, but fifty is enough for the next part of the spell. Now, Ledo... Awaken.
	Ledo [ the swan twists its body uncontrollably, screaming in pain. for the first time, it is able to speak. ] A...lu...mi...na… Run...

BOSS ♟ Ledo de Lisbrand
Weak against ???	Strong against ???	Immune to ???
“The real Alumina died. Nerea killed her. She killed everybody. I tried to tell someone—-anyone. But no one heard me. It was so cold. No one listened. I tried to stop them… before their hearts were stolen too.” At Princess Katya’s command, Ledo de Lisbrand has transformed into a grotesque union of a human and swan--Alumina even comments that he looks like an angel. His stances are similar to his sister’s, whom Heroes have trained and fought with long enough to notice. His GUN’s cursed bullets contain RANDOM ELEMENTAL AND STATUS EFFECTS. His SWORD strikes also DRAIN you of your energy. Katya’s hold on his mind is strong… Thankfully, two of the most important people in Ledo’s life are also here to assist: the automaton Alumina with a giant gatling gun she lifts with surprising ease, and your reliable commander Fleur de Lisbrand. Together, weaken him to bring him to his senses! “I’m sorry, Alumina. I’m not an angel. Lisbrand Technologies is my life. Fleur loves this country. Blanc and my family’s legacy… They will not fall by Noir’s hand. I will destroy you all. Katya, Nerea… My Servants, attack them.” Ledo’s AUTOMATONS join the fray. A MECHANICAL BUTLER uses a large iron hammer to crush any living thing in sight. A MECHANICAL MAID stands at the back to throw cursed mana crystals at the Heroes, which will either debuff you or explode! Decommission the pair quickly. “I always knew you were an automaton. You looked like her, spoke like her, and you even had her mana… but you and the Alumina I knew felt different. Even so, I could feel your love. It was so different, yet so real… and I thought that was beautiful.” Ledo will swoop into the air, spreading large weathered wings in an attempt to escape attacks and Alumina and Lisbrand’s gunshots. Aim for those unnatural wings to bring him back to the ground! “You had me drink a love potion, Nerea, but the moment you cursed me, you said that I never had your heart. It was then that I remembered who did…” DROPS: Enchanted Swan Feathers, Mechanical Heart, Noble Cape, Butler’s Suit, Maid’s Dress, Iron Hammer, Cursed Mana Crystals

Finally, Ledo sinks to his knees. He’s shaking, gasping and looking as if he’d just survived a war. Blood, sweat and tears trickle down his face. He coughs and clutches his chest in agony. A dungeon core slips through his fingers and clatters to the ground.

At the same time, Ledo begins to topple to the side. Alumina cries out and catches him before he can hit the ground. Although weak from the battle, Ledo looks at Alumina with a tender smile.

	Alumina [ flustered ] Why are you looking at me like that? I’m not the Alumina you want...
	Ledo [ chuckles ] I never said you had to be.
	Nerea [ looks as if she wants to approach, but frowns and doesn’t. she tightens her fists. —which open when Lisbrand cuffs her. ]
	Lisbrand Nerea Nox, you are under arrest for treason, murder and grand larceny. Heroes, take her. [ a couple of compliant Heroes—perhaps you—take Nerea into custody, and she lets them. she stares into the distance as she slowly realizes that everything she’s done has been for nothing. ] I should have known it was you, Katya.
	Katya You should have. I suppose that’s why the swan is inheriting the company. As for Nerea… [ at the snap of her fingers, Nerea disappears from your grasp ] She has a lot of potential. Ahahaha! Heroes, you must be wondering why the dungeons are like this… Or, well, how I know about dungeons at all. Just so you know, you’re not the only ones the gods favor! Ah, you all look as tasty as you did before… I can’t wait to see all your faces in the months to come! [ as she starts to cackle, Lisbrand stabs the mana crystal, ending the feed ]

After Lisbrand puts her gun back in its holster, she and the Heroes prepare to set off with Alumina and Ledo. The army will come to fetch them in large boats at the dungeon entrance, she says. She also reminds the Heroes that Nerea Nox is now an enemy of Blanc. Alumina begs Lisbrand not to speak any further—even the Heroes know what fate lies before Nerea. Lisbrand suggests that perhaps it is best to rest her mind for now. That goes for the Heroes, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[After the water drains out of his cloak, he steps back for just a moment and gives Hakuno a once-over to make sure she's dry, then drapes it over his shoulders and pulls her back in, wrapping it around her as he does. He'd considered just giving it to her, but it's probably warmer like this.]

You're not shivering anymore. Are you starting to feel a little better?

[Warmer or a little less emotionally compromised, he means to ask about both.]

Getting there, yeah.

[She nestles in, sighing slightly. She's dealt with worse shocks—emotional and otherwise—but that doesn't mean that what just happened is any more pleasant. She's been healing, slowly, but this is a wound that will never fully disappear. She's well aware of that.

They both are, she thinks.]

...this kind of reminds me of our first Dungeon, a little.

How do you figure? We weren't freezing our asses off in that one.

[No spiders either. Thank god.]

Yeah, but you leant me your cloak.

[For safety then, for warmth now...

It kind of fits!]

Let's hope it doesn't end up too much like that one. If I lose my shirt I might actually die this time.

[Just thinking about it makes him feel a little colder, so he pulls her a little closer out of reflex.]

Well, you still have the cloak. I'm sure you'll make due.

[He's got Hakuno too. She's always open to hugs, be it for affection or survival.]

You're heartless.

[Does she just want to see him shirtless??? Lewd.]

...Oh, are you gonna be okay if you have to, uh, change your clothes? It doesn't look very...

[Warm.]

...I'm trying not to think about it.

[At least the fake Hakuno seemed to be able to tolerate it? ...the fake Hakuno... who was made of ice.

She sighs into his chest.]

Hopefully I won't need to find out.

Well, you'll still have the cloak. I'm sure you'll make due.

[He's just a little proud of himself for being able to turn her words back on her like this. All too often it's the other way around.]

Here's hoping. We'll just have to tough it out and hope for the best.

[She's a little proud of him too, if the smile she turns up at him is any indication.]

[Ugh, this isn't fair. This is exactly the kind of reaction he'd wanted and it still somehow feels like he's lost, too.]

We can go back to toughing it out once we're warmer. Did you bring gloves or anything?

[Truthfully, while he's still kind of cold, he could probably get back to dungeoncrawling by now, but...it can wait a little longer.]

Yeah. I brought a pair for you too, but I wasn't sure if they'd fit under your bracers.

[She lets go just long enough to pat her bag.]

I wish I thought to bring a scarf or something too, but that seemed like it would get me throttled at some point.

[Robin's a survivalist first and foremost, so he has a pair for himself already, but if she went to the effort of getting them, then he's not going to take the wind out of her sails by telling her.]

Yeah, scarves are bad news. Especially since your hair's already long...I know you usually stay in the back, but the fewer things to grab the better.

[He's sure she knows this already. She's not stupid. He just can't help but fuss over the people he ends up in dungeons with; after all, if they all go down, he has no close-range skills to fend anything off. He usually ends up coming off as more of a nag than someone with genuine concerns, though...]

I don't think I've ever tried firing a standard bow with gloves. It's a good thing it can aim itself.

[It's been half a year and he doesn't miss his beloved crossbow any less than he did on day one.]

Mm. I was planning on braiding it back but... it's warmer loose.

[A bit childish, but she can work around that much of a handicap. She rubs her hands up and back to get some warmth into them at the memory of that first, chilling gust of wind.]

I can't wait for our Capablanca trip after this.

No kidding...it'll be nice to go back, I haven't been since they offered us that vacation.

[Even if he'll have to spend it all hidden beneath his hood, lest his fragile redhead skin ignite under the unforgiving rays of the sun.

He'll have to remember to make some aloe paste before the trip.]

Are your hands cold? Here.

[He fastens the cloak shut behind Hakuno's back, then takes both her hands in his.]

We're screwed if either one of us can't move our fingers.

[Him moreso than Hakuno, perhaps, because she's at least got sword training, and grasping a weapon requires less finesse than firing an arrow. Even so, he'd like the person with more close-combat experience to be in the best possible shape.]

A bit.

[They're about the same temperature as his, which... does not bode well for either of them, if they let the situation continue unchecked. Luckily, Robin is on the ball. She considers teasing him about just how loath he was to hold hands with her back in the first dungeon, but he might actually stop, so she holds her tongue.]

Well, luckily there's more than three of us around. There might be allies nearby to draw off the heat so we can warm up.

[That said, she ducks her head and blows some warm air onto their joined hands, because standing in one spot for too long makes her antsy.]

Oh, that's true. I wonder why it's different this time...not that I'm complaining.

[Though he still prefers to work alone, he can't deny having other people around is usually more helpful than detrimental.]

You know, this is pretty efficient. Warming up and mana transfer at the same time. It'd be even better if we could figure out a good way to move without falling all over each other too...

[Looks like she isn't the only one who doesn't like the idea of standing still for too long.]

Well, it would be more worrying if it kept being the same as always, to me. This world is organic, rather than.... structured, the way we're used to.

[The Moon Cell's generated dungeons were beautiful, for all that they kept to a certain mold.]

We could bring it down to holding one hand while we move, but that won't work very well with your weapon. And it will reduce the mana flow.

Dammit, one of these days I'm just going to have to settle for a crossbow that isn't mine.

[A small arm-mounted one like the Yew Bow would be perfect, and as long as he could rotate his wrist, he could theoretically still use his magic weapon too. However, as the word "settle" implies, he's not going to replace the bow he held to his last breath with just anything.]

It's better than nothing, so I guess we can do that in a pinch. It's not very warm, though.

[The reality is it would probably take too long to warm up to a comfortable level, but if they only go from cold to slightly less cold, they'll have to make more frequent stops. Theoretically, as long as they don't get wet again, it should be fine - neither of them were stupid enough to come into this dungeon wearing clothes that didn't protect them from the elements at least a little. But that's only really helpful if the clothing is dry.]

I can slip on my gloves, so let's focus on you for now.

[She shift her hands in his and grips his wrists, tugging them up so his hands are cupping her neck and letting his cold finger tips take the warmth pocketed between her hair and nape. It makes her shiver once, before she regains control and gets used to it. Her own hands are starting to warm up, so she rubs them idly.]

...and to think, I was excited about seeing snow, that first time.

.........

[He can feel her pulse thrumming against his fingers, and all at once he can't say a word. It would be so easy for him to snap her delicate neck, if he had the inclination to do so. And it wasn't really that long ago that he did. He held nothing but malice for her when they first met, only allowing himself to relinquish it after that garish red wall cut off any chance he might have had to kill her.

He'd expressed to her only recently that there was a pocket of resentment for her in his heart, for his Master's sake, and the ice creature had brought it up too. It wouldn't be surprising for someone like him, accustomed to dirty tactics, to take advantage of the situation and avenge one of the only people who thought he was better than the sum of his parts.

But Hakuno thinks so, too. If she didn't, she would never have allowed his hands near her neck, let alone put them around it herself. It's a way to warm up his fingers, yes, and he might be wrong, but he doesn't think she meant to make any great statement of trust by doing so. It didn't seem that deliberate. And that might be what makes him hesitate.

If he's right, if she's really not trying to prove anything, it means she doesn't think she has to.]

...Well, you can still be excited about it. It's not the snow's fault this dungeon is so shitty.

[In fact, if it were just snow, it'd make for a great place to go on a......walk.]

[She doesn't think she needs to. After everything—after being shown his eye—she can't bring herself to truly consider him an enemy. Even when he yelled and lashed out, he never tried to harm her. She wants to trust him more than she feels like suspecting some grand long-con. The fact of the matter is, she does trust him, on a level so deep she doesn't particularly feel the need to make grand gestures to show it.

Well, not consciously, anyways.]

Yeah, you're right.

[She wrinkles her nose up at him.]

After we clear this, I'm sure I won't be whining this much.

I dunno, I think perfectly good scenery being ruined by monsters who think they know everything is a good reason as any to whine.

[He gives her a grin, one that he hopes is encouraging.]

So you can go play in the snow if you want. You've never done it before, right?

...eheh.

[Her shoulders hitch, but her smile warms again.]

It's... that obvious I want to, huh?

If there's one thing I've learned from living with you, it's that if there's something you haven't done, you'll almost always want to do it.

["Almost" always because there are plenty of very unpleasant things she hasn't done.]

Remember when you asked me for a list of plants? When we get back, why don't you do the same with things you want to do? I was only there for two weeks, but I can't imagine the Moon Cell was any fun outside of the Holy Grail War, either.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject