phantasmalrift | DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE REEF

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!dungeon

DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE REEF

Expedition day dawns, as usual, with an android mass text -

Okay, so, this time we're aiming to go out and stabilize the Fissure in the reef you can see up a little to the north of here. The waters are usually pretty calm this time of year, so if you can swim instead of needing to take a boat, that'd be a great help. We only have a few of them.

Also, I know that last time was a mess, so I'm just gonna say this: If you need to get out for any reason, just send us a message and a picture of your location. We'll get a drone out to you as soon as we can and bring you home. No questions asked.

( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/ Stay safe out there! When you're ready to go, meet us down at the beach. The rocky, sparkly one, not the sandy one.

Unlike previous expeditions, this time there's no rooftop sendoff - instead, as Charm noted, the tables are set up on Glitterstone beach, along with a series of boats pulled up on the sand. Two rowboats that could maybe sit six people but probably better suited for four, a trio of inflatable rafts (with motors attached to the back, all mismatched) of about the same size, a two-person dinghy and a long canoe that could hold two or three.

Besides the little fleet, there's also the usual bagged lunches (in gallon ziplocs this time, and other such watertight containers), and every boat is equipped with a large number of those chepa dollar-store water bottles, all with their airtight store seals. There's also a selection of life vests and other floatation thingies in a box next to the table. Strange hovers over the setup, checking watertightness of a handful of first aid kits with a spritzer and a bucket to submerge things in. They give a little wave to anyone passing by headed to the boats.

For those who opt instead to swim, everything seems perfectly normal until you reach the border of the Fissure... When, very suddenly, it isn't.

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Below water

Now that, friends, is what we call an all-out attack. The full Armiger assault from Ardyn didn't do the siren any favors, but the combination of that and Kurama's mirror-enhanced light beams causes the creature to give one final, massive psychic shriek as its flesh is shredded by the weapons and melts under the force of the light. There's a nasty burnt smell in the water in addition to all the blood.

Perhaps more relevant, though, is that anyone who didn't heed Kurama's warning about protecting their eyes is at risk for at least temporary blindness. You will also probably want to exit the area, before the sulfurous blood makes you ill.

Thankfully, the siren's death cracks away at the control of everyone's minds. Those who were possessed will find themselves waking as though from a dream... Hopefully you didn't do too much damage in the meantime.

Above water

The jellies are largely cleared by the physical strikes of Aiden and Freyja, though they make the attempt to continue their assault... Until the pool below suddenly lights up, bright as the sun. Though there's not as much risk of blindness as for those below water, maybe... don't look directly at it.

After the light fades, the jellies have changed color - they're now a pale blue matching those found onboard the Trivesta. There isn't the chance to test if their other qualities are the same, however, because they immediately scatter and vanish through the door and the cracks in the walls, disappearing entirely into the sunlight outside.

[[OOC: Please feel free to use this comment as a header for threading out aftermath! Don't worry, the lighthouse isn't going to collapse. If you want to examine the siren's corpse after the blood has cleared, please ping a mod!]]

Nn...

[Mai breaks out of both sides of the mind control and screws her eyes shut. She reaches out, eyes in pain and tail still bleeding, trying to find the way out.]

Everyone. Are you alright?

[ It's not until after he's been healed, but he will be noticing her...!

After letting Goro know, he's swimming over to cast Salvation on her! He's... nearing his limit, but this might be able to help her with her eyes? At the very least, it should help with her tail! ]

I'm doing okay, but what about you? Did that help?

[Mai breathes hard, trying to stay awake, but the spell definitely heals up her tail. She rubs her eyes and look at him.]

Thank you. ...You did a lot.

[ He nods. ]

So did you.

[ A small smile of reassurance is given. ]

We should all probably get out of here soon. You okay to get to the surface by yourself?

Probably. Everyone... Come on.

[Mai might not be feeling well, but she does power on to get out of this disgusting cavern.]

[Arianna is briefly blinded, but it wears off when the siren dies and the battle ends, because that's just how things work. (What? You say it doesn't work that way for the rest of you? Weird.)]

I am fine. We've won!

[Mai is struggling to not pass out, but Akira's healing helps a lot with that. She turns to Arianna and immediately swims over to her.]

Hurt?

[...wait.]

...Did I put that in your hair. I can't remember.

[... Once the fight's over, it takes Pidonus a second to say anything.]

... Sorry for using my powers on you...

So that was it.

[She pauses and shakes her head.]

Nobody wants to be controlled. But you needed to.

The decision in the moment was... Faster than it should be if I'm trying to not abuse my powers.

"Ally being obviously mind-controlled into attacking me", "Know it's the mucus doing it, meaning not sure if dispel", "Know it can be resisted"... And my mind went to "compel resistance" instead of other ways I could've tried to get the job done.

...It's difficult. You wouldn't have asked for something like that. Probably.

... I genuinely don't know if I would have asked or not, given what was going on. The Siren's song... I managed to resist it, so I don't know what it was like. But... I'd rather not have been under it, if it meant fighting people.

[ He can hear the shriek... and that water sure does have an even more disgusting taste and smell to it.

But he's... still not able to see, and so he can't tell exactly what's going on. And that? Doesn't give him much to work with in the Staying Calm department. ]

[Lucky for him, Goro's a bit distracted by everything to remember he shouldn't be able to use a paper fan underwater. Thus, everyone (who can still see) will be treated to the sight of Goro quickly swimming toward Akira, and producing a harisen from nowhere...which he proceeds to use to smack Akira over the head. Complete yellow, cartoonish stars flying off of Akira's head.]

Don't lose it now!

!?

[ He blinks a couple of times, and then he looks around. HE CAN SEE AGAIN... After a smile of appreciation and relief, he gently rests a hand on Goro's shoulder. ]

Thank you, honey...

[ Oh...! He's looking back over at where the creature...'s corpse is? ]

We defeated it... [ definite relief in his tone, but it shifts to something firmer ] We should get out of here.

You're welcome, dear.

[He reaches out to brush the sides of his fingers against Akira's cheek. The harisen has disappeared to...wherever it goes when it doesn't exist, since it's sure not in his inventory.]

I don't think we're in danger anymore. I can't feel it pushing at my mind, now that it's dead.

[ He briefly leans into that touch, his entire expression making it obvious he's completely drained. ]

True... [ a pause ] Do you think it's safe, then, to take a moment to see if it left anything behind?

[For anyone who hasn't been completely blinded, there's a streak of blue as the room goes dark again, cutting through the expanding cloud of blood. The warp trail resolves itself beside Astolfo, and Izunia puts a hand on his shoulder.]

Still with me?

[Astolfo’s eyes seem somewhat vacant, though it’s unclear whether it’s due to the barrage of light attacks (that he had, unfortunately, been in full view of) or as an after effect of the Siren’s control.

He gives a nod, and meets Izunia’s hand with his own, giving it a shaky squeeze.]

[He sees that look, and just squeezes back before wrapping a tentacle around Astolfo's waist.]

Don't worry, I've got you. Let's get out of here, that thing's blood can't be good for any of us.

Edited 2018-06-11 10:09 (UTC)

[He gives another nod, and the words follow some time after it.]

Yeah. [He’s still clinging onto Izunia’s hand, and doesn’t seem like he’s going to be letting go anytime soon.] Thank you.

[That's perfectly alright. He's here, he's real, he can take being the real one for a little while.

There's the tentacle pulling astolfo a little closer, and then the flash of a warp, and they're gone.]

[Arianna surfaces for a moment to give a wave and make sure certain people up top don't think she's dead or anything, then goes back down and hangs around in the area for a while, waiting for the blood to dissipate because ew that's gross.

It's still kind of unpleasant when she finally approaches the body.

Arianna chooses to check the corpse, looking for any useful bits or similar SWEET LOOT.]

[ Black With lets out a deep sigh. That was over quickly, thankfully, once she and Moonlight Glory took to the fray. From the sounds of it, somebody made use of the mirrors she made to unleash a light attack. Unplanned, but effective. ]

All right. Looks like our job here is done. [ She lowers a hand and the creepy carnival music that was just beginning began to die down. The funhouse mirrors that the cave walls had turned into began to revert to their original shape and texture.

The spider monster, still just something in the corner of most people's vision, released his webs. ] Let's get going, then. [ And then, more quietly, to the girl- ] The less questions, the better.

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DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE REEF

ROUND... IT'S DEAD? ROUND AFTERMATH

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collectin' his sweetsuits and jammin'

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LET'S POKE A BODY

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