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Of Magic and Dungeons [IC/PG-16/Accepting]

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Chris dreamed about Ellwood Manor again last night. This time, the house was empty of people. Everything else was still there, from the messy bedrooms still in need of a refresher to the even messier kitchen, but everything alive, even the plant life, was no longer there. As Chris kept exploring, he started to notice how old everything was as well. He couldn’t reach out and wipe the dust off of a table -- it wasn’t that sort of dream -- but he could still see it was there. Any wall that had to face the sun had long since lost its color.

There was still nostalgia here, but that too was slowly draining out of him. Chris found his hand drifting down to his sword, not out of fear of getting attacked, but because it was the last thing of this place he had. “What happened here?” he thought. Then he said it aloud. “What happened here while I was gone?”

He moved onwards to one of the entrances to the servant tunnels, the one behind the main gallery’s massive, always unused hearth. His hands found the latch easily, but as he opened the door, well, that was when he woke up.

The problem was that dang crack that let sunlight stream in and hit Chris’ face way before he was comfortable enough to wake up, especially when he was pretty sure he’d be staying up late into the night. He managed a few more hours in bursts, rolling over to face away from it, but it never seemed to take; he was never able to recover that dream. Eventually, music started drifting in from the main tavern area, and that was enough to get his butt in gear and actually start getting ready for the day.

As he did, it occurred to him that it was a little odd to be hearing music so early in the day. Sure, it was afternoon, but he wondered what sort of performer would play to an afternoon bar crowd. He didn’t think about it too long, though, firstly because, when he went downstairs, he got a pretty good look at exactly that sort of performer, and also because he got distracted by Lana. “Guess all that’s left is to wait for Chris,” she said. “I had to deal with some real jerks yesterday thanks to him.”

“What jerks?” Chris said by way of introduction. “Did Leo go bother you after the dungeon or something?” He took one of the three remaining seats at their table. “Also, hi. You weren’t waiting for me long, were you? You can always get Hector to wake me up next time.”

Edited by radio414

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Estelle's morning was thankfully much less eventful than the previous evening. The actual tea and conversation with Chris after their business had been arranged was relaxing enough. But that soon gave way to the attempt to reserve the library for him. It was fortunate she'd communicated clearly to her friend nothing was ever so simple with her family. But even her own modest estimations of what was within her power had proven complicated and she would indeed have to discuss the specifics with him. Still, the Drooling Dragon was as pleasant as always and the mage soon found herself seated with Lana.

"Lana! I suppose I had just assumed we would meet here. In fact I might have assumed a lot about today..." Estelle said as a perplexed look took over her face. There was definitely something she was forgetting. But talk of Lana's troubles and Chris' arrival soon distracted her from that train of thought. "Nonsense Chris, sleep is important after all. Though you might have been responsible for the table's bill had you taken too much longer." she teased. Her face soon turned serious for a moment though as she thought of how best to approach the subject. Some level of secrecy seemed in order.

"Oh yes, Chris about the matter we discussed. While I have obtained permission I am afraid the issue of privacy will be more complicated than proposed. I hope it will not overly trouble you." she spoke in something of a hushed voice. Though not hushed enough to prevent Lana's hearing, even over the music a patron was providing for those visiting the tavern this day. That thought from earlier came back in full force and clarity and the mage shot up in her seat as she recalled.

"Oh! Yes that is right. I needed to tell the both of you I met someone yesterday interested in joining the excursions into the Dungeon. I had told her to meet us here so it is fortunate we have all gathered."

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As if on cue, her complaints were answered by the arrival of Chris. As the boy asked who, she waved her hand to shoo off the comment saying, "Leo? No no, he's a real gentleman you know? He definitely wouldn't have just acted like he owned the place and then berate me with questions." The girl frowned as she remembered the experience, before saying, "no they were more like - " the girl stopped as she looked more closely at Chris. She narrowed her eyes, as if examining his head more closely before asking, "how often do you wash your hair?" 

Lana's train of thought was broken as Chris sat down and Estelle talked about some kind of permission that she had gotten for him. Curious at the secrecy of whatever it was they were talking about, the girl leaned in closer to listen before immediately scooching back in her seat as Estelle moved suddenly. "Eh?!" As Estelle then went on to explain what she had remembered, Lana's eyes lit up, "a new member!?" The girl exclaimed. Things had been a bit rough for her since Sergei had left, being the primary one to have to rush at enemies, be stabbed, be eaten and tossed around like a toy doll. So having another person to help take the fury of the attacks sounded like only good news to her. Plus it was Estelle recommending them so Lana could only imagine that they were as reliable as they came. Curious and excited, the girl asked, "so what are they like, and when should they be here?" 

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It was disappointing to hear that his almost-complete privacy was becoming more porous by the hour, but Chris tried to keep things in stride, and he nodded along to Estellise’s explanation. “I appreciate it,” he said. “Hopefully, there won’t be any problems. How popular is your library generally on a random night like tonight anyway?”

But the conversation was interrupted by the other one he’d been juggling. Lana had been describing the people giving her trouble -- or, at least, had been describing them in comparison to Leo -- but she stopped in the middle of all that to start asking questions about his hair. “Oh my gods, it’s fine,” Chris said, burying his head in his hands as if that was going to cover up the mop attached to his head any better. “We’ve been going into the Dungeon basically every day, it doesn’t really make sense to wash up if it’s just going to get all dirty again.” He poked his head back out. “I’m not a slob. When it gets too bad, I wash it. I washed it last night, and honestly, I’ll probably wash it again tonight too.”

Thankfully, that conversation was diverted as well. Estellise’s announcement of a new member had gotten to Lana and had certainly piqued Chris’ interest as well. “They’ve made it to the same floor as us, right? I don’t really want to feel like we’re backtracking for a couple days even if the Dungeon supposedly changes every time someone enters it. But if they are, I assume that means they’re good in a fight. Have you seen them fight? Or did you just bump into each other on the street?”

Part of him hoped whoever it was was also not from around the main city. At some point, he wanted to get some answers about just where that undine woman might be escaping to, and while he could probably find an atlas in the Fereis library, it’d be a lot easier if he kept the two separate. One thing at a time, he thought, even if he still wanted to keep track of the opportunities available to him. At the same time, of course, hoping frequently led to disappointment. Whoever it was, he just hoped all the anticipation ended soon.

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It was a lovely new day. The perfect day to take some names and sign on with a new crew... and bring Ziun along, too. One of the most important lessons to learn in the pirate business was that first impressions are everything. A good first impression meant target ships would just hand their goods over without a fight, and a captain who left a shitty first impression on his crewmates would find himself in an uphill battle to keep control of the crew. As such, Robin had spent the day making sure she was at her absolute best for today's main event: Her meeting with this party of adventurers that were plunging into the Dungeon. She'd thoroughly washed every inch of her body and outfit, polished her guns until she could count the hairs on her head in her reflection, kitted herself up as if she was about to enter the Dungeon herself with her multitude of firearms strapped to her person, and spent several hours staring at herself in the mirror and adjusting this detail or that until she was confident she was looking just about the best she ever had in her life.

It wasn't until she heard the sound of the tavern downstairs being met with its first patrons of the day that she finally left her room. Once she started down the stairs, more than anything, her main concern was the possibility that the group she was looking for wouldn't have assembled just yet. After some glancing around, however, her concerns were met with a wave of relief. At a table, she could count up three guests, one of whom was the lady Robin had encountered just yesterday. Before heading over their way, however, she made one quick extra stop. She needed a quick word with the local bard, after all.

"I may have forgotten to mention, but I think I found us some adventurers looking to head into the Dungeon, same as us. Keep an eye on the group I'm about to sit down with."

That was it. Just those brief words and a cheerful wink, before turning away from her newfound adventure partner to meet up with her potential adventure party. An introduction into which Robin slid with practiced ease. With none of the social caution one might exercise around strangers, Robin pulled up a chair to join the trio at their spot, giving her acquaintance from yesterday a small wave as she got comfortable.

"Lovely to see you again so soon. And this must be the group you told me about!" They certainly looked capable. Maybe not of getting all the way down to the Spark, but certainly of making some progress. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Robin, and I specialize in marksmanship by use of these pistols you see strapped to me. And much like the three of you, I'm looking to make it to the heart of the Dungeon and get my hands on the Spark. If you need an extra pair of hands or two, I and that bard over there would be delighted to join your merry little crew."

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Trying to get away from the business with Chris with news of a new member seemed like a great idea when she tried it. But Estelle was quickly realizing the issue with all of this. What were they like? When would they get there? How far in the dungeon were they? Neither had asked but the mage was only now realizing she didn't even know the woman's name. Had she even given her own to her? By this point the mage's brain was spinning in place, making no headway on any particular thought. Several only barely recognizable as human noises escaped her as she tried to think only for a wave of relief to crash over her as the person she had invited arrived at the table herself.

"Ah, yes Robin! This is the group. These are my comrades, Lana and Chris." Estelle said motioning to each in turn. She was quickly regaining some sense of composure. Though another thought demanded some processing which the mage's nerves weren't immediately prepared for. Estelle looked back to the bard and then to Robin again quickly. "T-the bard? They are with you? Well that is wonderful! We would be more than making up for the loss of our ally. We could truly press on deeper into the Dungeon." Estelle stated, a figurative spark lighting in her eyes at the prospects.

Edited by Doggo

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"I may have forgotten to mention, but I think I found us some adventurers looking to head into the Dungeon, same as us. Keep an eye on the group I'm about to sit down with."

Ah, there she was! The devious, dread pirate Robin, gracing his presence once more. And with good news to boot! He finished his little musical number before shooting the pirate a slight smirk. "My dear, that is the best news I've heard all day. Now, go on…do give us a good welcome, won't you?" he teased, before watching the pirate head towards the party that was around in the tavern.

It seemed like that this little group was an interesting one to say the least. A young lady in quite the beautiful dress with quite the cape, a young lanky man with a sword on his side, another young lady with a huge battle axe…oh yes, a very colorful crew to say the least…and mostly comprised of women! Oh, there was a deity in skies above, truly.

"T-the bard? They are with you? Well that is wonderful!"

Ziun noticed the one beautifully dressed woman glancing back at him before returning towards facing the party she was with. This seemed like the best time to make himself known. Leaving his sitting position, the bard adjusted his jacket and hat before waltzing over towards the group and their table. All the while, of course, he was strumming a few notes on his lute…as he always did.

"A good day to you, my fellow explorers." Ziun gave a heartfelt smile as he took the closest available seat at the table. "I see you've already met the devious dread pirate Robin, so it's only fitting that I introduce myself. I am Ziun Castir, a humble bard in search of inspiration and stories to regale to those who wish to hear it."

He finished another set of strumming before lowering the lute. "Unfortunately I may not be on the same level combat wise as our mutual acquaintance…" he sighed, before regaining his composure. "Nevertheless, while I may not be able to be too much of use in combat per say, I am quite handy at subversion tactics in the ways of illusion magic. Though I may admit, some have found its use to be…detestable at best…but I assure you, it has it's uses."

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Lana had been made only more curious about their new party member as Chris mentioned that they'd also likely have been strong enough to get to their current floor as well. And so, she expectantly and excitedly looked towards Estelle, awaiting the girl's further explanation of them. It didn't take much waiting, however, before the girl could explain anymore some new faces came walking over to the table. Lana looked over, surprised at first but then all the more excited as they were to be their new team members. Smiling brightly she waved as Estelle gestured to her and then matched the girls enthusiasm with her own saying, "I know right? Five whole people in one group. We've been doing pretty well with just the three of us," Lana sighed happily as she trailed off, thinking of how much easier her life had become with two other people in the party. Though, she couldn't help but something hadn't lined up with her expectations but her excitement made unable to place what that was. 

Looking over to Robin, specifically to her belt, the girl ogled her weaponry saying, "whoa, pistols? I haven't seen many of those before. But these ones look pretty cool so I'm sure they've gotta be awesome too." The girl nodded, though being entirely honest she wasn't exactly sure what a pistol was or did. She had heard of them and seen their shape before, and from Robin's description they were some kind of ranged weaponry so she just figured they were some kind of magic, small crossbow or something to that affect. Looking back to Robin she nodded saying, "yeah, you sound pretty cool Robin." 

Then looking over to the bard, a teammate of theirs who had been hiding in plain sight up to this point the girl said, "and a bard too? Hm, having music in the dungeon might be nice then the whole creepy vibe its got a lot." Thinking more on it she furrowed her brow before saying, "though, maybe music isn't the best for some floors..." Her expression brightened again before saying, "oh but maybe it is! Then I might not have to worry so much about having things fall on top of me if they already know we're there with music." Nodding at this utterly flawless deduction of hers, the girl then said, "but you're also a mage too? That's also pretty cool. I don't know much about illusions, really, but anything that confuses the enemy is good in my book." 

Moving back to herself the girl said, "oh, yeah. I'm Lana, like Estelle said. I don't really do anything fancy, I just kind of run at the enemy and whack them." The girl grabbed the haft of her axe, rustling the weapon a little bit. "With this. Sometimes my smaller axes too." 

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Almost as if he had summoned her out of the aether, the famous fourth party member appeared right at their table. Immediately, Chris could see the appeal. Just the way she carried herself was a sort of self-assuredness that must have also attracted Estellise’s eye when they’d first met, however that had happened. The pistols she brandished got Chris involuntarily wincing, still remembering his encounters with Leo, but that wasn’t a real reason to complain, just an unwelcome association.

Robin was a pirate, too! Just the sort of thing he’d just been hoping for. Chris immediately made a mental note to ask, as (hopefully) nonchalantly as possible about her travels. And, as an added bonus, she even introduced her own companion, the bard who had been playing off in the corner. So it really wasn’t the addition of one more member, rather, it felt like the merger of two whole groups. Chris almost wanted to ask how their particular combination of fighters had dealt with, for example, the goblin village or those mushroom people but remembered that the dungeon probably hadn’t offered those encounters to anyone else.

The bard, Ziun, was certainly as dramatic as Chris had expected just from hearing the tunes he was plinking away at earlier. The possibility of illusions intrigued Chris -- they certainly what he would have explored if he had any sort of magical talent (that was to say, sat still any time his parents tried to introduce to him a magical tutor or had any sort of time now to even try such a thing) -- so he figured regardless of if their personalities clashed (and it was too early to say for sure anyway), they could find common ground on the battlefield. 

He nodded as Estellise introduced him. After Lana finished introducing herself, Chris took his turn: “Chris,” he said, omitting his surname as always. “Also nothing special, though if you want something, I can probably find it for you. Unless it’s nailed down, but if it is, that’s what this sword is for. And the daggers, I guess. I told these two once I’m probably not winning any target contests but I can still make them go in point-first.

“But anyway, before we do all that dungeon stuff, we should probably share a meal together or at least toast.” Chris motioned over to Hector, trying to get his attention that they were ready. “Do you two have any preferences? I stay here, so I know for a fact everything’s pretty good.”

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"And a bard too? Hm, having music in the dungeon might be nice then the whole creepy vibe its got a lot. Though, maybe music isn't the best for some floors...oh but maybe it is! Then I might not have to worry so much about having things fall on top of me if they already know we're there with music. But you're also a mage too? That's also pretty cool. I don't know much about illusions, really, but anything that confuses the enemy is good in my book."

Ziun gave a coy smile towards the one, Lana, before nodding slightly at her little overview of his...could one call this a résumé...perhaps the highlights of his personality at least? Honestly Ziun didn't know nor care. All he knew, was that this was his shot at entering that dungeon, uncovering glory and even old forgotten melodies and ancient rhymes that could possibly be brought back to the world of the living...he was close.

"Ah, but you've heard the phrase...'music soothe the savage beast'..." Ziun gave a light-hearted chuckle at this. "The power of a melody can soften the hearts and souls of even the toughest enemies. That was one of the many things my teacher taught and instilled in me during my time at the bard's college." After a moment or two, he let a bit of a sigh out before making note of the 'illusion' magic portion. "And alas, I do possess the knowledge and capabilities of illusion magic, though it seems that most around here seem to be...quite harsh on it."

He lamented this, but alas, there was never a true reason aside from people seeing it as the evilest magic that could be brought out. "I shall say this, illusion magic for myself is generally used when I play my songs...in regaling those tales to the patrons. I've only used it in the heat of battle to make a hasty retreat...aside from that, I'm unsure what else could be properly done with my own magic."

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The other adventurers were named Lana and Chris. Out of them, Lana certainly seemed to be a fan. Of course, Lana had also brought up the matter of practical applications for a bard in the dead of combat. Setting aside the fact that the pair had already done some fighting together, and that Ziun had managed to hold his own, Robin had also wondered if music could be used in some clever way every now and then. And frankly, the ideas she'd come up with were, for lack of a better term, awfully one-note, and not things she'd want to try out with just the two of them. WIth a whole five people though, it was a different story!

“But anyway, before we do all that dungeon stuff, we should probably share a meal together or at least toast. Do you two have any preferences? I stay here, so I know for a fact everything’s pretty good.”

Now that was more like it! Somebody with the social sense to celebrate the merging of two ambitious crews with some food and drink!

"I'm not picky, long as it's not fish."

"I shall say this, illusion magic for myself is generally used when I play my songs...in regaling those tales to the patrons. I've only used it in the heat of battle to make a hasty retreat...aside from that, I'm unsure what else could be properly done with my own magic."

"Are you kidding? Any crew worth their salt would kill to have a good illusion mage under their flag! Making it look as if there's more people than there are, disguising the ones you've got, any beast that can be tricked can be easily put out of its misery. And just between the five of us, good piracy is all about that sort of trickery. Obviously the high seas and the Dungeon are different matters, but a good illusionist is a huge asset."

If anything, Robin would argue Ziun was the better of the two assets on display here, just by putting their skillsets in the vacuum of combat. This group clearly didn't want for the ability to make things dead, or else they probably wouldn't have survived as far as they did, and that was just about all Robin was good at in a direct fight. And she was no captain either, so she was hesitant to say she brought exceptional tactics to the table. But for now, food, and drinks. Robin was eager to get some ale in her system, and whatever Hector's non-fish suggestions for the day may have been.

"Well, now that we're all chummy with each other, I say we follow up on Chris's suggestion and get something to mark the occasion. I'm looking most forward to getting to the Spark with the lot of you."

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The brave adventurers, now numbering five, eventually finished their meal (And oh what a meal it was, if one liked eggs, for there were piles of just scrambled eggs given by a grinning Hector) and set off for their foray into the dungeon.

Thankfully the newcomers had previously cleared 10 floors as well and so when they entered the dungeon they knew they'd come out on the 11th floor. While what they encountered on the first ten floors were different there were similarities in that it was some sort of cavern.

As they walked down the stairs which led into an opening they found that the 11th floor began in a similar fashion. They exited the staircase into what seemed to be a large cave. There was a musty smell in the air and the entire floor was covered in ankle-high fog that was so thick they could not see their feet when they stepped into it.

The walls, too, was covered in this fog which left only patches of stone visible. These patches were the only confirmation that they weren't in some vast open field. The ceiling was high up and was a similar story with fog clinging to almost every inch of it.

However this fog was not the most threatening thing in this room. For they could see roughly in the middle of the area were ten figures.

Animated skeletons. Ten of them were milling about aimlessly. Seemingly passive yet roaming as though waiting for something. They wore nothing in the way of armor, only ragged clothing loosely covering parts of their yellowed and, in some places, cracked bones. Half of them had no weapons to speak of, though this didn't mean they were no threat, and the other half were lightly armed. Three of them held curved sabres in their undead grip while the last two clutched bows and had a quiver of arrows strapped to their hips.

Spoiler

Welcome to the 11th floor of the dungeon. The enemy is plain to see but the staircase leading to next floor not as much. At the moment, as in before you enter the room fully, they are just roaming about.

Be sure to ask me for info when you do things and let people know in chat what you intend to do so there's no crossing of wires.

I will post for the skeletons in full next round, which will hopefully be in a week but no longer than two, but can give responses as needed.

And now here, a visual aid

Map

 

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Chris supposed he should be grateful that everyone had been truthful about their dungeon progress. It certainly would have been unfortunate if anyone had been lying only to get bopped by the seemingly all-seeing magic dungeon filter. As it stood, the only immediate difficulty was not losing one’s lunch after getting shunted to wherever floor eleven was. They’d already been egged on enough by Hector (and Hector’s cook), they didn’t need to be reminded so soon after the meal.

Still, “immediate danger” was a bit generous of a phrase when there certainly was danger up ahead as well. Ten dangers, to be precise, in the form of skeletons, some of which were clearly cognizant enough to wield a sword or aim a bow. “I don’t actually know how to deal with these,” Chris said. “Normally I just stab in the fleshy bits, but, like, that’s obviously not going to work. Do we bash the skulls in? Magic?” He took his sword out all the same.

The stairs weren’t immediately apparent. That was a problem too, though it was one for future them, the ones that managed not to get slashed or stabbed or… boned(?) in the meantime. On the bright side, they were only outnumbered two to one, which was better odds than many of Lana, Estellise, and his fights had gone before this. “Could just remove all the limbs too, that’d keep the threat down at least, even if they’d still be moving around a bit,” Chris said. “Anyway, they haven’t noticed us yet, so let’s try to seize the moment while we still can. We’ll figure out the rest, I’m sure.” He picked out one of the sabre-rattlers on the right, pointing at it directly with his sword, and charged ahead.

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"Eggs it is! Hector!" Lana shouted joyously as the time changed from introductions to actual meals. She seemed to get over her excitement of the new party members almost immediately once the meal was brought out and spared no time in digging in. Once all was said and done the gang left and made their way back into the dungeon proper. She didn't think anything of how they had started on the 10th floor with their new party members. Instead, the excitable nature of the girl seemed to be nowhere to be seen as they made their way onto the mist laden Floor 11. 

"Geh...." the girl could only mutter as she saw the horde in front of her. Lana's first instinct, of course, was to rush headfirst into danger as she had, knowingly and unwittingly alike, several times before. But with the horde as visible and clustered as they were, and thus the danger all the more apparent, she instead looked annoyed at the creatures from afar. As Chris started talking about how best to approach the situation at hand, Lana took the axe off of her back and rested the butt of it on the ground. "They still have to be alive even if they're dead right? Like, they're moving so," she rocked her axe forward. "Just a good wham and watching them explode into a million pieces should be good. But...ugh...trying to do that to all of them sounds like a pain and I'm trying to get less stabbed..." 

Her eyes lit up for a moment, seeming to get excited again as she looked over to the others of the group. "Oh, this sounds like a good time to blow them all up." Clearly excited to see some fireworks as she looked to Estelle,  she then looked over to the bard saying, "or like, do some illusion stuff to uh...illusion them. And then we just run straight ahead, since that's gotta be where the stairs are right?

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This was the moment...Floor 11 of this dungeon. Ziun was excited and nervous about being in the presence of such a massive contraption and even being able to bypass the prior ten floors in the process, his fear was that they'd have to redo them again after he cleared them before. Thankfully, this wasn't the case at all. Truly this was a blessing of the gods in his favor. However, now a new frontier awaited him and his newfound allies in the 11th floor...what horrors would await them?

Soon the mist laden floor ended up being set before them, to which there was more than just the mist that covered every inch of this room...there were also strange, lanky creatures. Upon further inspection... "Animated skeletons...fascinating..." he muttered, taking this moment to pull out a quill and a small notepad, writing a few things down. "Inspiration right away, truly a blessing to my patron of poetry and music..." While this was going on, the others seemed to be talking amongst themselves in figuring out what to do in this situation.

"Oh, this sounds like a good time to blow them all up... or like, do some illusion stuff to uh...illusion them. And then we just run straight ahead, since that's gotta be where the stairs are right?"

Ziun's ears perked up at hearing this from Lana before immediately putting the quill back in his hat and hiding his notepad away. In an instant, he grabbed his lute and gave the young girl a small smirk. "Ah, I suppose it's time for me to take action then, no?" he said, stepping forward. "With our comrade Chris already charging ahead...I suppose I can make it to where our obstacles are distracted...now if you'll excuse me..." With a slow exhale, he closed his eyes for a moment. He knew what to do, conjure an illusion to distract the bone headed adversaries before them. Ah, but what was the fun of just doing that when he could also have himself a bit of a show in the process? "The moment you see an opportunity, feel free to strike, aye?"

BGM

Ziun's eyes flew open, his lute being strummed within quite the manner as a song was being played and performed...and in the process, above the skeleton's skulls, a various array of beautiful lights began to light up in time with his melody and even...in a hypnotic dance...as the lights began to take the shape of what some could call in legends and myths: fae. These dancing lights now turned fae began to hopefully garner the attention of these animated skeletons, if only long enough for an assault to be had on them by his newfound allies. "Whenever you feel the need to assist, my dears, please join in the dance." Ziun smirked.

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After a nice meal that aided the Dragon with an apparent abundance of eggs, it was time to get to work. Proper, legal work, of course. Dungeon work. Robin followed the group into the Dungeon, beginning with a new group on Floor 11. And already, she didn't like the vibe of this place. Mist clung to every surface, making it hard to tell where the exit to the next floor was located. Moreovever, the room was populated by a handful of animated skeletons. Now, Robin was no expert on magic or anything, but she knew well enough that skeletons were supposed to not move around. Not withouto something pulling the strings, anyway. ANd being made entirely of bone, these good-for-nothings would be a pain to deal with, wouldn't they? After all, bones generally didn't burn.

And even worse, a couple of these bags of bones had bows. Those would have to be a priority.

“Anyway, they haven’t noticed us yet, so let’s try to seize the moment while we still can. We’ll figure out the rest, I’m sure.”

"Risky, but it's five of us and only ten of them. Let's give it a go!"

As Chris dashed in to engage one of the sword-swingers among the opposition, Robin unholstered one of the non-magical pistols from her side, and fired its bullet at the archer on that side of the room. While she was eager to test the flammability of these skeletons, that was something that would have to wait until there were less of them.

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Estelle appreciated another rustic meal with her now larger company of Dungeon explorers. The enlarged company only made the occassion all the more jovial. Enough so that the noble took little notice of the overwhelming dominance of eggs in the meal presented to them. The atmosphere was what mattered most. And while the mage took a moment to feel a twinge of sadness over having to replace Sergei, a rush of confidence in the group's abilities soon helped soothe the worst of it. With meal soon concluded the group found themselves in route to the Dungeon.

With everyone having made it to floor ten previously, the group was able to walk collectively down to floor eleven. Nothing of the immediate scenery suggested the dungeon might depart from its sense of aesthetics. Were the dungeon an individual one might be able to appreciate the dedication. Though there was also nothing to suggest the dungeon had stuck to its aesthetic either. Unlike other floors a thick fog obscured the ground and walls here. It was strange how densely concentrated it was so low to the ground. There was practically no gradient as one might expect, simply clear air then thick fog. Estelle might have gone on endlessly investigating the fog and its curious, almost magical, behavior were there not a group of more pressing matters immediately in front of them.

"Were this a work of necromancy my recommendation would simply to be to incapacitate the caster, though something tells me that will not be an option here." Estelle mused in response to Chris' inquiry of how to handle the undead. Lana for her part seemed to be expecting an explosive display of magic, something the mage was hesitant to fully commit to so early into their foray. Thankfully she didn't have to take immediate action as Ziun began his work of illusory magic to distract the enemies. Robin for her part fired on one of the skeletons wielding a bow. That left another nearly directly ahead with a bow Estelle thought it similarly wise to keep from attacking them.

Estelle channeled her magic as she often had in the dungeon, forming arrows of light between her hands that she released in quick sucession. Three small arrows were let loose flying off toward the bow wielding skeleton Robin had not fired upon. At this distance coverage seemed more important than raw power as the mage was uncertain of her aim.

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The skeleton that Chris was rushing towards was in the process of turning in his direction when Ziun's illusions set off. The flash of light didn't seem to cause them to notice but when they morphed into fae-like things the skeletons began to swing at the illusions. Swords and bony hands trying and failing to strike the fake winged beings. The archers even tried to fire at them yet, of course, their weapons didn't find any target to hit.

The archers continued to methodically fire at them yet the other skeletons, soon finding themselves unable to reach them, slowly began to lose interest.

However Chris was able to make it to the sabre-wielding skeleton before this and got in an attack. Chris brought the pommel of his sword down at the skeleton's skull. He struck the back of it and heard, and saw, a large crack in the bone. A piece of the skeleton's skull fell off to the side and for a moment Chris saw a purplish wisp leave the skull and trail away into the air. However the creature had not fallen and instead was slowly turning around to give an overhead swing of its chipped blade.

Robin, having moved to the side to avoid shooting her new companion in the back, was able to fire at one of the archers as it tried to attack the flying illusions. There was still some distance between them but the projectile managed to hit its collarbone and shattered part of it. It didn't seem enough to stop the skeleton however it was unable to bring its arm up to knock an arrow in the quiver. The skeleton started walking towards Robin instead, holding the bow like a club.

And then Robin would hear a rattling noise as right next to her a skeleton rose up from underneath the fog. It was unarmed but it reached for the woman with bony hands that seemed to be jagged enough to hurt if it gripped her.

Estele's arrows of light seemed to work out well. The first one struck the creature right in the ribcage, blasting away several ribs in the process. The archer paused in its attacks on the illusions but the second arrow clipped the side of its skull and blew a chunk off there too. Still the skeleton was standing though its movements seemed to be more jerky than before. And then the last struck its pelvis and destroyed half of it. The skeleton collapsed forward and, as it did, several wisps of purple smoke seemed to leave its body and the skeleton simply fell apart.

It wasn't long after that the skeletons who had gave up on attacking the illusions began to make their way towards the group still standing by the stairs.

Spoiler

To clarify, you still have a bit of time of them being distracted but only enough for a few moments of time in your post before they notice you all.

Reminder you can get info and what results your actions have from me to do more in post or plan something with another player to include.

Map

 

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Lana had opted to not charge forward into the crowd of skeletons, instead waiting for some kind of boom to destroy the horde so as to make her job easier. And while there was no such explosion to happen, she was able to clearly see all the magics and attacks in action. Lana was ever fascinated by the use of magic and while Ziun's magic, on paper, sounded a lot less interesting to her then Estelle's she found herself in wonder at the display of illusions. She, quite like the skeleton it was distracted, was curiously watching the illusion moved though as a loud bang had come out she snapped back figuring out what to do next. Looking for the source of the noise, she saw the smoking gun from Robin, and looked to see that one of the archer skeletons had its arm blown off. She still wasn't exactly sure how these gun things worked but they were certainly cool in their own right. 

Lana had her axe at the ready, ready to charge into the fray now that the skeletons had been distracted and an initial volley of attacks had weakened them. However, because she hadn't already been in the fray, as she was getting ready to bolt, she managed to catch something she otherwise wouldn't have. A skeleton had climbed out of the fog, directly in front of robin. And so, instead of throwing herself at the undead, she instead looked to aid the one most directly in need of it at the moment.

Another one? Crawling out of the fog! Robin felt ashamed of herself; this was rookie mistake #1. Furthermore, the one she had shot just earlier was coming in her direction. Dealing with the one right next to her was priority number one, though! Robin pulled the next gun from her belts, firing it at the skeleton's jagged, bony hand. 

The bullet had fired true and managed to both cause the skeleton to recoil backwards as well as blowing part of its skull off. Lana, still impressed at firearms, began running towards the skeleton. While the girl defaulted to large arcs with her weapon, though with Robin so close by she didn't want to accidentally bisect her new team member. Remembering how else she had used her axe previously in her training session with Joan, the girl jabbed the axe's head into the ribs of the creature. Cracking its bones and forcing it further way from the gunslinger girl, Lana then let out a shout as she brought her axe up and smashed the blade into the creature's head. 

A smile on her face, Lana looked to see that her victory would be short lived as the previously arrow shooting skeleton had made its way over into striking distance of her. Recovering from her own swing, Lana didn't move from the foe as it went to swing its bow at her arm. The girl was expecting it to her hurt, but her eyes went wide with surprise at the sheer force of the attack, letting out an, "argh - ow, ow ow ow ow. You -" Frustrated, the girl turned her axe blade and swung it in upward arc from the ground, breaking off part of its jaw. As the axe blade was coming back down, the skeleton opted to go for a more visceral approach as it dropped its bow and grabbed the girl's face. 

Feeling the claws sinks into her flesh, Lana shouted, "get. Off. Of. Me!" Letting go of her axe with one hand, she used that now free hand to grab a hand axe from her hip and shatter the skeletal arm. With the claw falling to the ground, frustration clear on her face Lana buried her hand axe into the creature's skull, causing it to fall and no longer be animated. "So much for not getting hit as much." 

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A pommel strike wasn’t really Chris’ style, but he’d gone with it because blunt force seemed better at dealing with bones than trying to cut through them. The fact that he only managed to chip off part of the skull kiboshed that plan right quick though, especially since the only real reason he’d managed to land it was thanks to some helpful dancing lights from (presumably) Ziun the bard. Now the skeleton was only slightly worse for wear and certainly more aware of the barely-armored swordsman in front of it, aware enough to raise its saber and bring it down to where Chris had been moments prior. He’d sidestepped that right quick and even then, he only just got out of the way.

There was a whole lot of stuff going on behind him. Chris had heard the gunshots, of course, and even managed to catch the results of one of them out of the corner of his eye while he was still charging in, but he had to maintain his focus. As the skeleton reared back for another strike, Chris leapt, and brought his sword down first, slicing at the skeleton’s shoulder joint.

It took a bit of effort, but he did manage to sever the skeleton’s sword-arm from the rest of its body. Unfortunately for him, the skeleton wasn’t even phased, instead reaching out with the arm still attached and seizing Chris’ neck in turn. And it hurt! If he had to compare it to anything, it had to be like the old Housekeeper seizing him by the wrist whenever he found Chris up to some mischief, except the skeleton’s hand was even bonier than that and also, like, the neck was a more threatening place to be grabbed. It was enough to get him to drop his sword, even, as he instinctively grabbed at his opponent’s wrist. 

All other things being fair, Chris was now in a situation where he had to wrestle bare-handed with a creature of the night, a fight he probably wasn’t likely to win. He wasn’t interested in fighting fair, though, and his hands were still free. In as swift a motion as he could manage, he drew his dagger and swiped at the skeleton’s remaining elbow. It wasn’t enough to sever it completely, but purple smoke started spewing out of the cut, so he was at least starting to get somewhere. He passed his dagger over to his dominant left hand and struck again, buckling his knees to get even more force behind it.

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With her volley of arrows finding success, Estelle was very curious about the magic at work. The purple spoke the skeletons emitted when they died had to be some sort of necromancy spell animating them in the first place she thought. Still, just knowing that sufficient damage caused them to crumple and stop moving altogether was helpful information. Chris and Lana were on the move as was often the case in these scuffles. They had engaged some of the closest approaching skeletons. Normally the mage might have been pressed to help in their immediate encounters. But the group was larger than before. Ziun and Robin were both on hand to lend aid as needed. And so Estelle turned her sights on the same area she had fired on already. There were several more skeletons approaching and as of yet the noble had no reason to suppose Lana or Chris could be in two places at once. So unless she or the others felt like taking the frontline it seemed more wise to pick off the approaching group.

Of the three to her left Estelle aimed at the closest approaching skeleton. This and the one next to it were unarmed but she very much disliked the idea of having boney hands upon her person. The Fereis charged her magic once more, this time opting for a larger arrow as the target was closer. This one was roughly the size of her fist in diameter and she sent the shot flying as soon as she was sure of her aim. The magic pierced through the skeleton's sternum and spine, damaging it enough that it collapsed and ceased moving as the other she had shot before it. A triumph of Fereis ingenuity to be certain. Or it would have been had the four closest skeletons not immediately began charging on her location.

"Have care, we shall soon have company!" Estelle shouted to Ziun who was to be in the same boat of being swarmed by skeletons alongside her. The mage began backing up while holding a sphere of light magic aloft in one hand. From it she began spraying a cover fire for herself, many small beams of light in a wide arc towards the approaching mass of bones none so strong as the arrows she had been firing. Without a fighter's reflex it seemed safer to cover her options, if inefficiently, rather than try to react to the first to leap at her.

Edited by Doggo

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Chris's second strike on the bony arm of the skeleton managed to finish the job his dagger couldn't with one blow. The arm was severed and fell uselessly off to the side. As this happened more of the smoke poured from the place the arm was damaged as though leaking from a wound and the skeleton wobbled before falling apart as a simple pile of bones.

However he didn't have much time to celebrate his victory, and barely enough time even to grab for his fallen weapon, as there were two more skeletons approaching him from two sides. Having been drawn by the sounds of the struggle. One was listlessly swinging a blade back and forth as it approached which made it seem like it didn't fully know how to utilize it.

In the meantime Estelle and Ziun would find themselves quite soon swarmed by the creatures. Most remaining were unarmed though one, the farthest so far, gripped a sabre. This one more, if a skeleton could express such things, confidently than the one heading for Chris.

The magic that Estelle had hastily cast didn't seem powerful enough to destroy these undead yet each shot that hit did seem to slow them. Breaking off chips and keeping them from simply rushing the two. However the distance wasn't so great that it would hold them back for long and both Estelle and Ziun soon had a skeleton practically in their faces. And soon literally as they seemed to try and grab their faces with both hands.

Only adding to the chaos was a noise only Estelle was close enough to hear. Rattling of bones off to the left. Another skeleton emerged from under the fog as though stirred up by the approach of the others.

Spoiler

Map

 

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The skeleton collapsed into smoke and bones, then eventually just bones. The feel of the thing’s stranglehold on Chris’ neck remained, though, and he instinctively rubbed his throat as if that would soothe anything at all. He didn’t have a lot of time to dilly-dally. There were two more skeletons coming for him, one with a sword (though it didn’t look like it knew what it was doing -- maybe it never got any training, when alive or dead?) and one without. “This isn’t fair. I thought I was only going to have to take out one more of you,” Chris said. He was kind of complaining, but not really. Any actual complaining would have to take place after the fight.

Maybe there might have been time to do some sort of rolling maneuver to pick up his sword, but Chris’ mind was more focused on what he had in hand and what was easy to draw: His dagger and, with a motion, his magic spool and thread. He pulled the string out and, after quickly double-checking it stayed in place like last time, started running towards the sword-bearing skeleton, dagger reared back and ready to strike.

His plan was simple, all things considered. The skeleton probably needed two strikes to fully deal with, and past experience with basically everything in his life up to that point indicated he would only be able to get one hit off before having to resort to dodging, and he’d have to scrap for the second one. This way, instead of focusing on what was coming, he could just literally pull back and reassess the situation. 

The first part of the plan went great. His dagger went right into the eye socket of the skeleton with a crunch that was both satisfying and a little sickening to think about, and he got out of there just as he had planned -- any ripostes from the skeleton only struck the air where he’d been moments previously. What he hadn’t accounted for, though, was the other skeleton. Perhaps he’d hoped that it would change directions to try and follow him, making his arrival spot slightly more secure. No such luck. The moment he popped back the skeleton was already on him.

Chris wasn’t about to get grabbed and have to fight his way through being strangled again. He threw himself back, just managing to roll and scramble to his feet. The big problem now was his sword was further away from him now, and between the mist on the ground and all the fighting, getting it back was going to take time he wasn’t sure he had. His daggers and string would have to do for now.

He took off on a long arc, out and around the skeleton bearing down on him to get at the one with a saber again. He switched his grip, too, so when he jammed the dagger into the skeleton’s other eye, he hooked it in and pulled down as hard as possible. If this didn’t put the thing down for good, he at least wanted it on the ground.

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After Lana had managed to bring down the skeleton that was clawing at Robin, the girl turned around to see that the skeletons were now closing in on the two mages of the group. To her other side Chris also seemed to have two skeletons closing in on him, but she figured he was slippery enough to deal with them without issue, and so without saying a word to anyone the girl simply let out a shout as she ran and charged towards the other group.

With one skeleton approaching Ziun, nearly atop him, the girl managed to close the distance just in time. Hefting up her greatxe, with a grunt of exertion, the girl swung the weapon straight towards the skeleton's head. The head shattered upon impact, leaving the skeleton headless and paused as her blade ended up cleaving through it. With a confident smile on her face, Lana said, "take that!" Before she could think of what to do next, however, the body turned to now face her. Shocked, the girl let out an, "eh?" as the skeleton, with both arms raised, started to make its way towards. 

Not wanting her face to have more claw marks across it, Lana started to back away hurriedly. Bringing her axe in an upward arc now, the girl smashed the blade into the ribs of the creature, knocking it away from her and causing it to stumble a bit. Though unsteady on its feet, the skeleton didn't seem ready to stop just yet and continued to hobble towards Lana. "Just die! Again!" With a shout, the girl swung her axe into the opposite side of the skeleton, causing its form to scatter into a spread of bones. Taking a deep breath, to right her annoyance, the girl then moved to go assist the mages more. 

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His musical and illusory show for the skeletons did what it could...but it wasn't enough, but it did what it was supposed to. Though Ziun still got a bit close for comfort with a skeleton getting closer and closer to him, almost to the point of it clawing his face off. But, thankfully Lana closed the distance and removed the skeleton from his view. "My thanks, my dear!" Ziun tipped his hat slightly, backing up a bit more.

Unfortunately, seems like these things are getting further and further antsy. Ziun frowned slightly, shifting away from his lute before removing his rapier from it's sheath. I suppose that means I must forgo my want and desire to make nothing but melodies and actually insist on fighting back, seeing as my little show did stop them, but not for a long enough time period. Shame really...even dead, these poor souls never could understand the concept of good music.

With rapier now in hand, Ziun moved from his spot and went for the unarmed skeleton (#4) that was a bit aways from the one Estelle was dealing with, but nevertheless, the bard seemed to fair as well as one would've expected. First, he closed the distance between him and the skeleton. Once he was near, he elegantly began to swipe and strike at the creature's bony legs, attempting to dispatch of them in a quick manner and cause it to crumble and fall apart. Least, that was his general plan anyway. "This would be easier...if they were still distracted." he grumbled.

Edited by Chaos Sonic

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