Fantasy Into the Dread Labyrinth

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka
Mentions: AnonyMouse ERode RedArmyShogun
Location: 2nd layer​

Katja was more than willing to just give everyone their space during they trip to finally catch up with the first group before likely a fourth group would show up with how things were going now. When they got to the first team it seemed that things were harder for them than it had been for the group Katja was with and the news of the labyrinth seemingly reacting to them more than usual was not good. The labyrinth always seemed to be somewhat aware of everyone wandering it and it had a cruel sense of humor at least to Katja it seemed that way. Still making things tougher for them because of their combined powers was a new level of activity. Katja half wondered if perhaps that spirit had something to do with it given only now that she had cast it out of fran was the labyrinth active. Though thinking on fran she was well not exactly what Katja had hoped as she was best summed up as erratic. Fran reminded her of a scared animal that was unable to decide between fighting of fleeing when in a bad situation.

The whole thing was far more complex than the times she had come down herewith other groups on, the cursed water and air, and the curse the girl who seemed somehow to be the wrong size had taken upon herself, there were just so many curses. Katja could dispel curses, poisons, debuffs, and the like though she didn't know if she could do it on such a wide area or if she did on people if it would just come right back. She might be able to do something if she used her talent, but Katja hated how flashy it was and with how people seemed to mistake her for a nun because of clothes she didn't want to be mistaken for an angel because of some wings.

Fran seemed to decide to volunteer her any ways so Katja would just have to see what she could. The situation was messy, but no more messy than any normal expedition into this cursed place. " Miss Fanceska I explained to you that the prayer was a required condition of using my spell. " Katja said not fully letting the girl out of the spotlight as she did have a few things to say though her tone didn't indicate any displeasure only a polite reminder of things " While i would love to believe my power comes from the almighty that is sadly not seemingly true. Though as we are saying what we are not despite how we are dressed, i would like to make it clear i am not a nun " Katja wanted to make that clear and let it be known that she wasn't so conceited to think she was worthy of any miracle like being the only one not to gain powers from the labyrinth. Her powers from it simply were a parody of her faith that she accepted as something she had to live with to do good.

" With that said" Katja turned to the other people in the group " Miss Franceska is somewhat right i do have a skill to dispel such things, any kind of aliment though i am not sure if ti would protect after i cast it once or if i can undo something cast on a none living target" Really she hadn't tested it and it was the best option they had. " I can try it on whatever you want if you want" The exact choice to who or what to test all this on would be made by others as they knew better who could handle what.

 

[TreasureSniper]

Based on what Seymour had already known about Samara, he already had an inkling that she would react negatively to this, but perhaps not to this extent. He didnt need to be a mindreader to the frustration that welled up from the shield maiden, however, Seymour himself didn't waver, his eyes staring into her very soul. No, it was as if he was staring right through her, like she wasn't even there. Her words, should be meaningless to a person like him, and yet even so, he feels ever so slightly upset from hearing them, thankfully at this moment his Apathy stat was suppressing most of it.

"If you think all of you are interesting enough for me to devote so much time and effort to read into, then you are sadly mistaken." He stood his ground, making it clear that it wasn't something took a particular interest in. He wanted to say more, but given her current state of mind and emotions, there was likely nothing he could say that would improve the situation. He did however find it somewhat humorous to label him a monster for this out of all things.


"I've seen enough." He knew that Samara was naive but perhaps not to this extent. In a world full of lawlessness and madness, her main gripe with him was how he used his powers to understand his teammates better? Despite this, his stoic face remained, unfeeling and unflinching. For a short while there was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two, until he decided to break it. "We have company." Despite his focus mainly being on Samara, his gaze sphere had already spotted the group but identified them as non-hostiles.

Samara's warning was already too late, as with his auxiliary eye, he could already see that these people meant no harm...at least for now. It was only natural for him to "screen" these people before they got too close. And perhaps in a way, he had Samara get too close to him as well. "And here I thought you were the boss." He added on to her statement, returning to his signature cavalier attitude. If she wanted to continue pretending to be friends, then so be it. "A pleasure to meet you, Sharon. Looks like you're not the only one with "guns" Samara." Seymour gave her a cheeky wink accompanied by a two-fingered salute while acknowledging her fine rifle. Perhaps this new group was what they needed to tip to odds in their favor.

He remained silent for a bit, letting the other more..."social" members talk in his stead while sized up these new folk. From what he gathered, these people seemed like decent bunch, going as far as to even offer some aid to Sera, who wasting away as they spoke.

While they spoke, he had noticed how Jian managed to sacrifice his stats to the pot. It wouldn't be his first choice, but he certainly thought it was nice to have such an option. His thoughts went back to his first "trophy" and eventually and reluctantly he thought that it was probably for the best that he sacrificed something of some sentimental value as opposed to his stats. No one else knew how much such a thing meant to him, but perhaps the labyrinth will.

Upon dropping the necklace in, he turned around just in time to meet Kirsten who had just returned from her scouting. She even gave the newcomers a "friendly" face. Well friendly enough. She then gave some useful insight on the map, filling a few more gaps he had about the place. Seymour intently listened to her plan of action, something he thought was fairly well throughout, considering the circumstances.

"If we could get a better vantage point from the higher trees, either myself or the sniper could spot these lanterns or other areas of interest. I could take another stamina potion to somewhat counteract the stamina drain and maybe carry Sharon up the highest tree we could find. If we are lucky, we might even be able to spot the Shaman and take and have her take a few potshots at it during our eventual assault." Seymour spoke, wanting to leverage their newfound sharpshooter of the group. While the prospect of fighting this thing in the melee was tempting, it was likely surrounded by all sorts of nonsense that would stop them from doing so.

"As to the rafts..perhaps Daeva can raise a few skeletons to assist us in the paddling, further conserving whatever stamina we have. Actually, would those dead frog people suffice?" Might as well leverage whatever resources they had, dead or alive. "They are good swimmers and perhaps are even immune to the slow "walk" debuff. We could use them to possibly push us across in good time. Assuming of course things work that way."

 

[Tau]

"Eeewwww!! Kill it, kill it!!" Sera shrieked, jumping from her seat as she caught sight of the vile, bloodthirsty slugs Seymour had just slashed off of himself. An entirely unnecessary complaint, as they’d been long dead before she’d even noticed.. "Eeyaaah!!" she cried yet again, as she caught the motion of a figure out of the corner of her eye. A… maid? With a big gun! "Sharon? More S ranks? Just how many of us were hiding…?" she wondered, slowly calming down. "Wa— cough —Wait! Stop right there!"

Seraphina carefully approached each of the newcomers as they arrived, kneeling down and raising the bottom of their pant-sleeves (or just checking their legs for those without), with the precision of a surgeon with a crippling fear of blood. After confirming there were no demon slugs on any of them, she stood and nodded her approval. "Okay, I— cough —think you’re all safe."

As the others said their hellos and discussed strategy, Sera checked out, instead watching the new people. A serious sniper maid, a fiery redhead, a friendly-yet-dignified man, a much more intimidating man, and a prostitute? No… her soul felt way too pure to be a prostitute. It was extraordinarily warm and pleasant: the opposite of those awful skeletons. Sera found herself looking into the lady’s eyes long enough that it was easy to notice her staring. She only turned away as a certain pet peeve of her’s was invoked.

"My name’s Seraphina, not— cough —C-Curse Girl!" She pushed on, despite the cough’s ironic timing. "Why does no one ever use my name…!?" Sera pouted for a brief moment, before her eyes exploded at a certain, off-handed comment. The silly annoyance was cast aside in an instant as Sera took on a much more serious hope.

"Really!!? Any kind of ailment!!? You mean that? You really really— cough —mean that? Not just all the ones you’ve seen before?" Sera ran forward and grabbed both of Katja’s hands, staring deep into her eyes with a deep, pleading expectation. "If that’s true, please, you have to come with me back to Ambition, right now! M-Maybe you could save Gwyn…"

 

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka
Mentions: Tau
Location: 2nd layer​

Katja had been waiting for the others to well say if her offer was good or bad when she had noticed the sign asking for a sacrifice. That would be something for latter after they had half a plan and accepted or rejected her offer. Katja didn't want to rush things that was how mistakes were made and even with her power mistakes could be deadly. A powerful enough curse that destroyed the body to fast for her to dispel it, the crush of the brain or simple decapitation could also happen. She could heal someone that was " dead" if their brain wasn't dead but doing that cost an insane amount of mana and her talent to be maximized. It was not something that she wanted to use because she would be next to useless for awhile after that and likely others would get hurt. There was a lot that could go wrong if they rushed and this required sacrifice was just one more thing they had to deal with. Katja only had a few things with her mostly food and camping supplies. That was hardly a sacrifice at least in her mind, but she did have one thing. there was the bible given to her by the father of the church when she left to become and adventurer. It was nothing that special when you compared it to things found within the labyrinth, but it was just about the only thing that really was a sacrifice that mattered even if only on an emotional level.

Katja was broken from her through by the cursed girl, who she wished she could use her power to dispel curses on right now as she didn't really seem like she would make it to the next floor. Well as much as Katja didn't like it the girl had chosen the curse herself and she wouldn't force what she wanted upon sera. Katja had to think how best to answer Sera honestly as the answer was more complex than yes or no. In the end Katja shook her head remembering the cursed she had failed to deal with in the past.

" It is a bit complex Miss Seraphina " She said an odd sadness in her tone born of her own failures to save people and her inability to help right now " I can cure any ailment even those i have not seen, but my power is not absolute. I have failed to cure curses that are to strong even when trying my hardest. And right now you are the one that seems to need help more. i promise when we can if we can i will help Gwyn. Still first may i help you?" Katja asked sincerity and honesty in every word she would save gwyn if and when she could but right now she couldn't and she might not be strong enough even with all of her wings released.

 

[Tau]

Karcen

Seraphina deflated right away. Right. Of course it was "more complex." She sighed before Katja had even finished speaking. "So, ‘no’…?" she concluded simply, her expression pained, as if she’d been kicked in the stomach. "Thank you— cough —for your offer. It might be worth trying later, but if we’re both limited by the same stupid rules, I don’t— cough —think you can cure what’s beyond me," Sera dismissed, somehow showing confidence in defeat.

Continuing to the less-important topic, she shook her head. "I’m going to bear this curse to its end, but if I can’t make it, you might be my last hope. Only if— cough —I’m about to die, okay?" She gave Katja’s hands a soft squeeze and forced a smile, before finally letting go.

"I’m sorry if my curse causes you discomfort. It must not be easy to be around: you have such a— cough —kind soul, it’s very calming to be near. Like a warm fireplace, or a comfy blanket."

 

[Karcen]

Katja Galinka
Mentions: Tau
Location: 2nd layer​

Katja didn't fully understand what Sera meant by the same rules and beyond her, mostly as Katja didn't really know to much about the others and thus didn't know what Sera could do. Still at least she wasn't going to be trying to do something Katja knew was stupid and try to head back up to the surface. Fran had wanted to do that and apparently mistook her warning about that as something more than it was. People didn't always think straight when they got extremely emotional and needed the risks pointed out. Katja herself was like that as she hadn't noticed the sign , or well took it in and fully registered it. that was just how humans were they tunnel visioned when things got heated.

The situation with the curse was also a mystery and Katja wasn't going to pry why Sera would take on something that seemed to make her stay at death's door while in a place meant to butcher those that came with in. Still Katja didn't stop others from making their choices even if she didn't understand them. She nodded as Sera set the condition for Katja to actually help her " Very well, and you are right it does pain me to see others in pain or need an being unable to aid them" That to others might come off as sanctimonious holier than thou bullshit as well Katja had heard it before. Still she meant it and tried her best to help anyone and everyone she could.

With the situation with Sera solved and the others deliberating Katja decided now to try the sacrifice as she honestly couldn't contribute much to the tactical situation beyond what they might already know an easier reliable way around. So Katja took out the gifted bible and put it un the bowl. she didn't want to give it up, but in the end it was just leather and paper and object what made it special was the feelings and memories attached and those no one could take.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Sebastian Gerallt​

The first to speak was an older gentleman, a former mercenary from what he said, though given he was support, his body was either too tired or his talents unoptimized for combat. That wasn't a negative, necessarily. He was observant, noting the hazard of unstable ground and demonstrating it rather efficiently. Sebastian wasn't one to overcompensate. He stuck to his lane, which in this case was cutting and cooking with some tracking ability. In other respects, he was limited.

"Same to you. Not necessarily unfortunate. Outside of cooking and cutting, my talents don't hold much use," He replied simply.

The second to speak was the nun, curt and polite. She didn't say too much that would inform him of herself like Valther, making her all the more a mystery. By her outfit and equipment, her talents weren't obvious either, given some could be straightforward like a fighter, or they could be something completely out of left field.

To her he gave a polite nod in acknowledgement.

Then the maid spoke, also curt, but adding some information to her greeting. She was a maid and a sniper, an interesting combination. She seemed polite for the most part, but definitely had a fire inside her if prodded. She seemed to be trying to herd the group. She also appeared to be somewhat of a scout, though perhaps that tied into the sniper talent.

"Simon Blood is what the system renamed me, though who knows why," He explained, gathering that at least until they reached the other group, he would be mostly playing bodyguard.

Lastly was red-headed woman who seemed a bit anxious, more than a bit actually. His eyes turned to her to gauge her. She said only a little more than the nun, though it didn't give a clue to him what she did. Reasoning would dictate that if they were happy to see a frontal fighter like him, if she was combat-oriented it was not in the same way he was. He let out a lightly amused huff at her request. "That may be a tad difficult given the word is in my name and goes hand-in-hand with my talent. Clearly the maze has an unhealthy obsession," A joke, perhaps, though it was made with only a slightly greater amount of enthusiasm than the 'if you're going to shoot at me, don't miss,' joke he began with.

"Nonetheless, I'm ready to continue. If you wish to pathfind, I'm sure I can keep most everyone here in one piece." Another joke that was hard to peg for sure.

Regardless, they would indeed reach the next group in one piece. Sebastian's eyes trailed from each person he could see. Most were rather 'normal', or as normal as one was here. Though the giant lady drew his eyes first, simply for the fact she towered over everyone else, himself included. As she took an interest in Fran, he turned his gaze to the others and to the sign Sharon observed.

He stepped forward, reviewing it with a neutral expression as he listened to the exchanges of the others. A young man who appeared to be a swordsman gave Sharon her cigarettes back and then dumped some energy into the pot. Another woman, Kirsten, spoke about the boss room and environment ahead. Another man kept silent, moving past introductions and straight to planning the route ahead. Most peculiar of the introductions, however, came from a woman by the name of Seraphina, who approached him and lifted up his pantleg. Sebastian merely stared at her in a deadpan as she examined him and succinctly moved onto if the not-nun could remove a curse or not. He raised a brow at the exchange. The woman was cursed, sick, and dying? With that information, though, it seemed Fran was some kind of a not-doctor to match the not-nun. How fortunate.

"...I will leave the hypotheses of how to proceed to the more experienced among us. This is the first time I've stepped foot into the labyrinth," Sebastian admitted calmly before glancing at the sign. "With that said... is there a credible reason we should be disposing of our belongings because a chalice asks us?" He questioned with a scoff that said he was biased against doing such a thing. "As for introductions, you may call me Sebastian or Simon. My S Talent is Butcher, which appears to be a hybrid talent focusing on combat and cooking. So, you can rely on me to fight as well to maintain our supply of rations. Though, I would not call on me for duties outside of that, aside from tracking or supply management."

Interactions: AnonyMouse RedArmyShogun Karcen Megilagor @GeneralParty
Mentions: Pretty much all

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sharon Ironblood​

With the sudden beehive of activity that sprung up around her, Sharon turned her attention to the first and closest person; "Xiaoxiao huh? Jianlong, eh I'll call you Jian or Xiao I think. And picky bastard, how many stats did you give that thing? Though, 50? Bloody hell." She said, eying over his interface as she collected her smokes, turning her attention towards Kirsten to address that side of things. "Well, my lowest talent is sailing, but not so sure about taking a raft in that mess. I could maybe make waders, but may be best to just avoid the muck all together, how it's normally done..."

But it was brought up the Shaman was different this time, whatever that meant, then the mountain of a woman who was off to the side introduced herself, and the fellow next to her. Samara and Seymour... Giving the woman a nod and about to say something, she paused as the Seymour fellow made mention of carrying her up a tree to snipe them. Which caused her to blink and go. "Oi now, I'm not some sack of feed or into piggyback riding, plus, I ain't got no fire bullets, if someone her can enchant my rifle or rounds, then we can get somewhere, it's not a bad basic idea to get me some place high, but we need a better plan than that, I think the beacons going up in flames will push that fog away and save us a lot of trouble, but we need to figure how many there are and where."

Turning her attention to Seraphina, she gave a shrug. "More and more people seem to be finding them, so who can say? Maybe other teams will follow, though I doubt as closely as this. I'm not in administration of the guild, so like I know the numbers. Plus, might be some people hide'n it."

It was then that Katja approached the girl, and Sharon decided to leave well enough alone as Simon, or his old name, Sebastian, came over, questioning the reason and wisdom of donating anything to it. "I just did as the Labyrinth can be funny with stuff like that, but like you, I'm not sure I want to donate stats, I do have a skill I may try offering up though... Though I might could the stats, just rather not."

Interactions: all present

 

[AnonyMouse]

Franceska Feiss​

Fran merely stared at ‘Curse Girl’ as the white-haired brat demanded she be called by her name. It seemed strange to her that this goofball who went around lifting people’s pants legs demanded such a courtesy. The redhead’s gaze remained one of absolute boredom and apathy as she studied this bizarre creature.

“Fine, guess I’ll keep my mana then,” Fran muttered at last, leaving the goddess in the false-nun’s care.

Frankly, she hated having these blood powers and didn’t like revealing them to others. But if it could save or preserve someone’s life, she was willing to step up… even if the patient was an obnoxious brat. They weren’t in Ambition anymore. She couldn’t just ignore a sick or dying person and hope some other doctor, healer, or whatever would handle it.

“Anyway, you got my card, Seraphina. See ya ‘round,” she said with a small wave, before turning to leave.

That was more than enough ‘people time’ for one day. These crazy fucks were on their way to face the floor boss. As much as she’d love to nope outta here, Fran now knew Ambition was turning away S-Ranks. There was no going back. Even if she made it to the city, she would never be allowed through its gates. Like it or not, she was going to be a part of this shitshow… so she might as well prepare herself for what comes next.

With a sigh, Fran shoved her staff back into her doctor’s bag and wandered a short distance away from the group, to the water’s edge. Once there, she bowed her head and held her hands together, fingers steepled in a diamond shape, as she whispered an incantation. Wisps of red mist began to flow from her wrists, and congealed into a crystal shaft, hovering between her palms. It was a mana-stealing arrow. When the spell was complete, she snatched it out of the air and, after hesitating for a moment, prepared to stab it into her neck.

You're really going to give that stupid girl our mana? Faust said, her voice like nails raking slowly across a chalkboard.

Fran flinched and nearly dropped the arrow. It bounced off her fingertips, but she managed to save it after fumbling the catch more times than anyone ought to. I thought you were-

Gone? Neverrrrrrrrrr, the entity cackled with laughter. I’ve been back a while now… just watching… waiting… luuuuuuuurking in the shadows. You didn’t actually think that fucking bimbo could get rid of me, did you!? Hahahaha!

“Well, T’was a nice little vacation, while it lasted,” Fran muttered to herself as she stabbed the arrow into her upper arm. She could feel her MP begin to slowly leave her body. She even pulled up her DS, to observe the transfer and ensure she didn't lose too much. While she waited, her gaze lingered on the sacrificial basin, pondering her next move.

I know what you’re thinkingggggg… Faust mused.

Yeah? What’s the matter, ya scared I’ll do it? Fran said. If that derpy swordboy can sacrifice stats, maybe I can swipe left on you.

You can tryyyyyyy…

Yeah! Maybe I will. We can be done with this shit, Fran thought.

Ohohoho, someone’s angryyyyyyy… Faust said, pleased by the girl’s growing hatred. I gave you your peace didn’t I? I slept. I waited. I let you playyyyyyy with your new friends. You should be hapyyyyy. Why so seriousssss?

Oh, you haven't seen 'serious' yet. Just you wait, Fran thought as she yanked out the arrow. It had absorbed nearly half of her MP. That should be enough to give Curse Girl a pick-me-up if they ran out of mana potions. She angrily shoved the arrow into her bag. That nun laid your ass out like a grape in a fruit fight. She made you go away for a few hours. This can make you go away forever, Fran thought as she defiantly approached the basin.

Can it? Are these sacrifices lost... foreverrrrrr? Who knowssssss…

You know. That’s why you’re scared. I can hear it in your voice, Fran chided. You’re afraid your beloved ‘Laby-chan’ doesn’t love you half as much as you think it does. News flash, stupid, the Labyrinth exists to fuck people over! It’ll fuck you over, too. You ain’t special.

Perhapsssssss….. but not until my work is done.

While the war raged within her mind, Fran paced on the outskirts of the gathering. On the outside, she looked as calm as ever, perhaps even a little distracted. But, within her mind, she and the entity were locked in battle. They traded blows, not only with words, but with emotions. Fran could feel Faust’s fear growing as she approached the sacrificial bowl. And Faust could feel her frustration and indecision.

At last, she arrived at the bowl. Fran opened her UI, scrolled through her parameters, skills, and Talents. She wasn’t sure which of these had birthed Faust, nor did she care. She would gladly dump them all into the void if she could. Her finger hovered over the glitched text. One of these had to be the one…

Wait… let’s make a deal…

“No.”

Foolish girl, I have authorityyyyyy. We are loveddddd. You will seeeee, Faust crooned. One of the glitched Talents fizzled into view: 'Labyrinth Authority.' Although her UI was hidden to everyone else, for the first time in her life Fran could see one of the hidden Talents. Now, repeat after me....

This better work, or I'm gonna yeet your demonic ass into this pot so fucking fast... Fran thought, rolling her eyes as she stepped up to the basin, past Booby Nun, Gun Maid, and the rest. She placed her hands over the sacrificial basin and spoke in a commanding tone: "I, Dr. Faust, by the authority vested in me, demand entry into the Wega Kingdom!"
Interaction(s): Tau
Mentioned/ Nearby: TreasureSniper | RedArmyShogun | Karcen | EmperorsChosen | Thalia_Neko | Skyswimsky

 

[Thalia_Neko]

Several of them had tried different Sacrifices by now. Of course, Lumi had sacrificed her friendship to the manic goddess. And the Walking Swordsman had gone a unique route, saccing some of his stats -albeit some superfluous ones. Still, stats were stats; 50 was a decent enough chunk to count.

The man named Seymour dropped a necklace in the bowl. After a moment... nothing occurred. Clearly the Labyrinth did not think it counted. Perhaps the Dread Labyrinth was not a sentimental place.

The not-nun, the faux-nun, the woman-in-nuns-clothing, dropped in her bible. It did not take long for the labyrinth to respond. It ignited in flame. This bright orange flame quickly burned away the book, until papers were left, flying up, burning away. The sign's counter went up, indicating another sacrifice counted. However, something else unique occurred. Her DS lit up. In her parameter list, 45 points immediately metaphorically 'burned' away, as well. From 80 Righteousness, the stat dropped to 35. Turns out, sacrificing your bible was not considered a very righteous thing to do.

Lastly, a redhaired girl decided to go about the problem in an entirely different way.

For a brief moment.. nothing happened.

But then around her hands in the basin appeared a mystic blue flame.

For her eyes only, DS messages popped up. As she read it, it felt -sounded like- the words were being spoken in her head. Within, a voice thundered in her head, it rumbled throughout her entire mind. Even her passenger was pummeled.

Oh? And what authority would that be?
Little girl, do you consider yourself special?
Within the Labyrinth, you are nothing more than a speck, a fleck, a grain of dust.
So, again, this question is asked of you: by what authority do you speak of?

~~

Jiànlong noticed more and more were gathering around, trying to figure out this sign-basin thing. It pushed him away from the bowl, making space. He chuckled at the woman. "Yeah.. That seems to be what most call me." Though he continued to think of himself as 'Jiànlong', even though his real name was Ken. "Feel free to call me whatever, its cool! Actually.. there was this one guy who called me Walker.. Ehhaha! Never mind!"

It was slightly awkward, because this woman talked as if they were well acquainted already, despite her being brand new to the group. But ehhh whatever, it was probably best to just go along with that mentality. "Hm, well, it wasn't too tough to just drop some stats in.. Uh.. it may seem kinda weird, but all you gotta do is open up your DS, then like... will yourself to remove some stats -think of them as 'being in' your hand, then just.. 'drop' them in like any other item. Seemed to work."

His eyes glanced over at the current girl messing with it. She was.. shoving her hands in.. And the bowl was lit up. He felt panic. Was she going to sacrifice herself?! Or her hands?! "Uhh..! M-miss!!" He called out worriedly to her. "Are.. are you okay? Y-you probably shouldn't be doing that! Just drop in something inconsequential!" Well, 50 stats weren't inconsequential, but surely that was better than your arms!


~~

At the fire sat the necromancer. She had a bowl of the boiled rockshell, nomming it without a care in the world. She missed Blobjun, but was already considering how to use her powers in another way. It was best to move on, after all. He eyes shifted around the camp. Samara and Seymour were chatting about something. New peeps showed up... whoever they were. A group was gathered around the sign.

Hm, checking her DS, brought a smile to her pale lips. She had recovered enough mana to summon some minions. Seymour suggested she do so to help with rafts. Hrmm... Could be. But she was thinking of something more fun and interesting. Actually she was racking her brain on it. She would definitely need to help with the battle ahead. Hm, what to do..

 

[AnonyMouse]

Samara Morghan​

"You should probably take it easy on the stamina potions," Samara commented with a small sigh, when Seymour suggested drinking one and carrying the sniper up a tree. In the grand scheme of things, it seemed such an inconsequential thing, but she couldn’t help but be concerned about his... habits. Despite their earlier disagreements, she still cared about him... or, at least cared enough that she didn't want to see him succumb to substance abuse.

Fortunately, the maid did not appear to be interested in being carried. Samara stifled a slight smirk at the woman’s response to being treated like a sack of feed. I doubt he’ll need to read her mind. She speaks it rather freely, the shieldmaiden thought with amusement. Despite her lingering frustration at Seymour, she had to admit he made some good points, aside from his desire to throw women over his shoulder like Tarzan. Getting Sharon to a high vantage point was definitely a smart move and using undead swamp creatures or Daeva’s skellies to pull the raft --if they chose to go that route-- was also wise. The man had some good ideas.

How many of those are your ideas and how many did you steal from someone else’s mind? Samara thought, her amusement abruptly gone as she cast a withering glare in his direction. As they say, hell hath no fury...

But even she knew such an accusation was unfair, at best, and petty at worst. The moment it formed within her mind, Samara felt ashamed, and squashed the thought. Perhaps she should spend less time pondering what-ifs and more time figuring out their next move.

"No, please stay, Sebastain. Or is it Simon?" she said, gesturing for the butcher to provide input as well. "All input is good input. This Labyrinth is not the Labyrinth we know. There have been many changes and this Shaman is one of them," she said, her gaze sweeping across them all, in case anyone else felt being 'inexperienced' disqualified them from joining such deliberations. "In a way, it feels as if the Labyrinth is punishing our old habits. Fresh eyes are a valuable resource."

As if on queue, the sacrificial altar rejected Seymour's offering. The trophy remained in the basin, unaccepted. Samara never asked about the thing, but it was clearly important to him. Her hand rested over her chest, and the wedding ring around her necklace therein. She had considered sacrificing it. Still was, actually. Separating a would-be adventurer from such a cherished item seemed right up the Labyrinth's alley. It thrived on pain. But, alas... she may have to think of something else.

Meanwhile, the blood mage approached the altar to sacrifice, but Samara paid it no mind, even as the girl began... ummm... making demands of it? Samara only gave it a slight concerned glance before crossing her arms and refocusing on the boss preparations: "Anyway, do we want to focus on lighting the beacons or go straight for the Shaman? If the latter, we may need to establish a time limit, if we cannot find them quickly. This Shaman may want us to wear ourselves down, searching for an alleged 'weakness,' only to strike us down when we are exhausted and scattered. She seems... craftier than usual."

Fran / ‘Faust’​

“Huh? What?” Fran said, wincing as the words thundered within her head, as if she didn’t already have enough unwanted guests in there. Why didn’t it just reject her offer, as it had Seymour’s? Or accept it? Why so many questions? But, while Fran was confused by the altar’s reply, Faust’s rage overflowed. She could feel the entity’s anger building until, at last, darkness consumed her…

“Whose authority?” Faust said, taking control. Her face contorted in anger, as if the unheard words had deeply offended her. The adventurers who witnessed this could see this was no longer the same person, though nothing physical had changed. This was no longer about a ‘sacrifice.’ Her very existence and purpose had been challenged.

“Special? No, all are as dust before the Labyrinth’s infinite schemes,” she declared, as her hands balled into fists within the blue flames. “But we are Chosen! Our destiny lies at the depths of infinity itself and none shall stand in our way! Who are you to question that which was bequeathed to me by the Labyrinth? If you cannot recognize this authority, we do not serve the same master.”

Humorous. This anger stems from loyalty.
So you will not meet a grisly fate.
However, do not presume to know a thing, young one.
Your anger is justified, but your Authority is weak.
So I ask again, on what Authority do you demand anything?

Fear. Faust trembled as she realized she had misstepped. Masterrrrrr… she said, speaking with her mind’s voice as those same balled fists became hands clasped in worship. She fell to her knees. It has been so long. Too long. I did not recognize your voice.

She bowed her head. Your humble servant requests entry. I ascended from the kingdom to lead these Chosen to your glory, she said as tears began to fall. Tears of joy. Tears of blood. Please, I beg of you, do not deny me this honorrrrrrr. What do you require of meeeeee?

Your ambition will be commended, and your boldness rewarded.
However, your ignorance and insolence punished.
Entry, you will be given, but it will require something of you.
It will be a lesser offering, that will come when you do not know.
Just as your reward will come without warning.
Go now, the sign will help with your deception.

As it claimed such, the light of energy disappeared from her hands, and another number etched upon the sign.

Yessss, Master…. Faust said, as Fran lifted her head and stood.

A very puzzled Fran looked to her left and then to her right. She wiped the tears from her eyes... tears of blood. She hadn’t moved and it didn’t look as if any time had passed, but the number on the sign had gone up… and, as far as she could tell, her inventory, stats, skills, Talents, and such all appeared to be the same. She didn't like it. There were no free rides in the Labyrinth. Her face wrinkled in confusion and displeasure. This place only took, and the price was always too high! Whatever Faust had done... was it enough?

Without hesitation, Fran plucked 20 Int from her DS and dropped the points into the basin, just as she had seen the boy do. “Woo, how 'bout that Labyrinth, eh? Always unpredictable,” she said with a nervous laugh as she slowly backed away before anyone could ask any weird questions. “Never know 'til ya try, right?” she added, with a shrug toward the sign. The type of shrug that said ‘oh, gee, how’d that number get there, LOL.’

She could still sense Faust's presence. The entity wasn't gone. In fact, Faust seeemed drowned in euphoric pleasure. She was so overjoyed with whatever she had done, that she scacely seemed like the same 'demon' Fran knew... and, frankly, that was scarier than anything else. Fran shuffled to the back of the crowd and tried to make herself invisible again.

"Are you... okay?" the big lady asked, pausing from whatever she had been talking about a moment ago.

"Never better. Don't worry about it," Fran said. She was certain the oversized oaf was going to keep prodding but, to her surprise, the woman carried on with whatever she had been talking about a moment ago.

"Anyway, this is an odd question to ask," Samara said, looking to Jianlong, "But, about your Walking Talent... can you walk on water, by any chance?"

Walking? His Talent is walking? We're all gonna die... Fran thought, burying her face in her coat.

Mention(s): TreasureSniper | RedArmyShogun | EmperorsChosen | Thalia_Neko | Tau | Skyswimsky

 

[TreasureSniper]

"I should have figured as much.." Seymour thought to himself, feeling a strange mixed of disappointment and relief washing over himself. He wasn't happy that it didn't accept his sacrifice, but at the same time, this also meant that he could continue carrying his precious trophy. Reclaiming his trophy, he allowed the others to make their own offerings as well, hoping to gain some valuable insight as to what was considered a valid sacrifice.

The prospect of sacrificing stats was unattractive at first, but at the same time, he slowly realized that unlike his peers, he didn't have much that he could really sacrifice apart from his trophies. Even so, which one of them would he even want to sacrifice? Could he afford to do so without decreasing his effectiveness in this quest? Seymour's mind continued to ponder on the taught while his eye wandered around the new members just as they approached the basin. Every so often, he would hear the stray thoughts of those who come within his vision, most of which of no interest or consequence, all except for one.

The read head with fair blue eyes looked innocent enough and yet...her thoughts were...strange. Even without reading her thoughts, her radical shift in behavior was noticable enough to attract his attention. At first, her thoughts and words seemed simple enough. But he would soon notice how peculiar choice of words, almost as if he listening to an incomplete script. Was she monologging?

He would have listened to more of it if it wasn't for a friendly giant interrupting him. "We still have 5 of them. Having one more couldn't hurt." He of course did not take into account that these potions may or may not be addictive. Considering how often he drank them in the pits, he didn't even consider such a thought.

"I still say the weakness is worth exploring. Call it a hunch." After surveying the area a few more times, the eye would finally return to his finger tip as he decided what he would try sacrificing next. Slowly but surely, Seymour lowered the gaze Sphere into the basin. Perhaps a valuable summon would make a more appropriate sacrifice. And if nothing else, he could always resummon it later. However, if all else fails, he was willing to sacrifice a stat he thought was the least important. 20 points of his Apathy stat.

 

[Thalia_Neko]

There was a bit of energy, heating up the basin when the eye was placed within, but then it dimmed and nothing happened. It was clear it would accept the skill, but since it did not seem like Seymour was actually sacrificing the entire skill, the energy subsided.

Then he placed 20 Apathy within. Again the basin glowed with the bluish flame of his stat, but it still did not accept it.

But as Seymour kept dumping the stat, finally, as it reached a big fat 0 in his DS, the sacrifice was accepted. 50 Apathy gone.

"Huh?" Jiànlong glanced over at the big woman, a slight look of confusion on his face. "Y'know, I've never tried!" He began to get excited thinking about it. Think about it! The 'Walking' Talent, S Rank, should probably be able to do something crazy like that, shouldn't it?! "But.. I don't think so..." If he could, wouldn't he know if he could or not? He doubted he could walk on water.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sharon Ironblood​

Listening to all of the discussions and seeing that Fran was doing more Fran things, her attitude soured as the talks of curses and sacrifices, seemed to cause the old man and the sister to lose their nerve. Just how many people had left up till now? What few had they just missed, left before them, or just went missing? Still, Kirsten, that was her name wasn't it? Was not willing to just let the two defenseless ones go off on their own, agreeing to escort them back. Said she would link back up with them. Sharon herself found this unlikely, but her absence would demand some changes to the plan and as it stood now, her and the Giant that now for sure won the melon race would have to make do with the experiences they had to cobble some sort of a plan together. "Right pain in my arse... Fuck it, better give this bowl something it wants... Let's see here..."

With that, Sharon eyed over her own DS, so if the bastard would take stats, would it take skills? Skills were more dicey, right now she knew the one she would give up, but it would likely be vital later, she would simply need to train to get it back, or develop natural skills with her weapon to partially enact the same effect, though she would need a lot more ammo to get that good, something that was at a premium, selecting the level 2 skill Mad Minute, she phone swipes at the interface trying to drag it in and over the bowl, as she looked over at the cook.

"Oi, Simon, Seby, decide what you want to be called, but either stick with one of us or offer something here. It's a bloody hassle, but the fact the numbers change, tell me this is part of the old girl's system. Or Lad, bloody hell if I know, I don't talk to it, point I'm getting to is, normally odd requests have some way of getting back to yah. O'course we'll keep you alive and well if we're able, but that's a mighty big if. I dunno what you got to offer it, though, maybe some of the rest will tell you what they offered to get through. Or you and some of the rest can throw the dice. I'm still seeing if it takes mine."

Looking at Samara, Sharon tilted her head a bit and pointed at her, "Oi, now you're the Ring leader, though I'll give you a hand or two, we've both seen this place and often enough if I'm guessing right. And the last one of you with something of a plan took off, course rest of you can join in with us, but we need a plan. Even if Tarzan over there canna carry me up a tree, I ain't got any fire short of my lighter, so if we want to try lighting those lanterns, she reported, we best find the rest of them and how many there are. Otherwise maybe an order of battle, how we all fit best, though you're the senior here. Don't wanna just jack your party."

With that the sign changed, her skill was greyed out, and it seemed all was accepted. "Well, would you look at that."

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[EmperorsChosen]

Sebastian Gerallt​

Though the butcher had inquired as to what good reason there was to heed the sign in front of the chalice, he had heard naught except 'Labyrinth things'. All in all, he still wasn't convinced at sacrificing something to their detriment. He was all the more bewildered by the one man sacrificing stat points, as well as Sharon sacrificing a skill. His eyes narrowed subtly behind his glasses.

He was ignorant, that much he was aware of, despite the large woman's assurances that they all more or less held the same amount of information. They could very well be correct in trusting the words of a cup. However, it didn't stand to reason. It was ludicrous. Then, there was the other hand, less reasonable and more emotional. If the labyrinth wanted something, he was more inclined to tell it to go fuck itself.

"I appreciate your insight, Miss. Though, how concerned should I be by the maze punishing old habits?" He questioned, not knowing to what extent the labyrinth altered itself.

His eyes then drifted to the not-doctor, or perhaps doctor, who demanded entry from the cup. It was peculiar. Why would a doctor have any power over the labyrinth or its hoops? Unless there was a 'Labyrinth Manager' talent or something of the sort. Then again, she was a doctor, or blood mage, if he recalled right.

Then... rather anticlimactically, she simply dumped some stats in as a few before her had, causing him to deadpan. All that show just to give in to the bloody thing.

"Hm?" His eyes turned to the maid this time, blinking a few times. "...Seby?" He murmured, as if confirming the nickname she chose. It was spoken with the same dry tone as usual, making it difficult to tell whether he was simply surprised, dissatisfied or agreeable to it. "If I piss the bloody maze off by not throwing my stats at it... Well, one has to take what simple pleasures they come by," He said with a small huff, signifying he'd take some sense of pride in aggravating the maze. "Don't worry yourselves with me. If I get hurt, well that's why we have our dear doctor for."

Plus, most of his talents pushed him towards frontal fights and fighting through damage, so getting hurt was more of an inevitability than anything.

Interactions: RedArmyShogun AnonyMouse
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[AnonyMouse]

Samara Morghan​

Samara watched with curiosity as Seymour attempted to sacrifice his summoned eye into the basin, only for it to be refused. He chose to dump apathy instead. Samara knew nothing of his stats, until now. Was this ‘apathy’ the reason for his callous behavior? Would he change now that it was gone?

Her frustration grew. This labyrinth held too much sway over them all. Were they even allowed to be human anymore? How much of her own behavior was merely parameters influencing her mind?

Meanwhile, Jianlong’s tentative answer was not confidence inspiring. For his sake, they would simply have to assume he cannot walk on water. “So, rafts it is,” the shieldmaiden replied, her disappointment palpable. To add further disappointment, the maid and older gentleman decided to take their leave, followed by Kirsten, choosing to escort them back. They were now down a frontliner and a cleric/healer.

“I suppose so,” Samara replied dryly when Sharon said these departures make her the de facto ringleader. She suspected this was coming, and had avoided it long enough, so Samara merely sighed and nodded.

“You should be concerned,” Samara said, when Sebastian asked if the Labyrinth’s response was cause for such. However, after a moment of self-reflection: “You should also not care at all. What the Labyrinth punishes today, it rewards tomorrow. One moment, it rewards us for stealing from a friend,” she said, with a gesture to Lumi, “The next it punishes another for sacrificing a Bible. This is a journey without direction or purpose, into a place without meaning. Ask not what the Labyrinth wants, because I doubt even the Labyrinth can answer that. And if it can, it won’t.

"However, your words have given me pause,” she said, as she approached the altar after her little speech. Samara retrieved her necklace. She drew its delicate stainless steel chain from between her cleavage, revealing the tarnished wedding band at its end. “I was going to sacrifice this but, as you said, I think it wise to hang on to our ‘simple pleasures.’ This is my reminder of why I’m here, so I won’t be giving it up so easily. However, there are others counting on me. I cannot throw caution to the wind to satisfy my own pride and whims. I must sacrifice, for their sake.”

She tucked the necklace back into her bosom and looked to the doctor. “I presume you have healing capabilities, yes? Your earlier concern for Sera shows you aren’t completely without empathy… though your bedside manner could use some tweaking.”

“Booby Nun’s gone and took all the ‘bedside manner’ with her. I went to med school, not charm school,” Fran grumbled. But after a brief roll of her eyes, she relented: “Yeah, yeah, I can ‘heal,’” she said, with air quotes and a frown at the butcher. It seemed Samara wasn’t the only one who wanted her to be the party’s main healer. “If that’s what ya want me to focus on, I got it, alright. Just don’t get carried away. I know how braindead you ‘adventurer types’ can be when you think you’re immortal.”

“Right…. Understood. Anyway, I think I know what I must sacrifice,” Samara said, returning her attention to the bowl. “I would have liked to use it more, but the mysterious merchant said this spell is immensely valuable,” she said as she swiped ‘Supplemental Heal’ from her DS and placed it into the basin. “I hope I will be rewarded appropriately. If not… We’ll be counting on you, Miss Feiss. All of you.”

She had wanted a healing spell for a very long time. The Labyrinth gave it to her… only to then bring in a proper healer a moment later and demand a sacrifice. She had only used the spell once, on herself, but Samara took that as a sign that she should trust her allies more. Too often, she bore the weight of everything on her shoulders. She had to learn to let go, depend on others.

The spell turned gray, rendering it useless. It seemed strange to her that it did not vanish entirely. Nevertheless, she breathed a sigh of relief when the number on the sign went up. The deed was done. Now, on to business…

The shieldmaiden faced her party mates and spoke firmly. “The Wega Shaman awaits. I suppose lighters will have to do,” she said with a brief grin at Sharon before she began to lay out her plan: “We’ll construct two rafts, and split into two teams to search for, and light, the lanterns. One team will travel west. The other will travel east. Each will circle the swamp and meet at the north end, near the gate to floor three… which is often guarded by the boss, though she may be elsewhere this time.

"Sharon, you will be the eyes of the western party, using your skills as a sniper and scout. Myself and Jianlong will provide close-range offensive support, and Lumi will join us for buffing and that, erm, ‘x-factor,' I suppose,” Samara said before turning to Seymour. “You will lead the eastern party. Yourself and Sebastian will provide offense; Daeva, ranged-support; and Fran will look after Sera. If either party runs into the Shaman or gets in over their heads, signal the other. I don’t care how. Get creative.”

She knew the teams weren’t exactly balanced. They had three frontline fighters, only one tank, only one healer, minimal long-range options, Lumi was erratic at the best of times, and Sera was a burden, no matter which team she was on. But, this was the best she could do. Splitting up to search the swamp was much more efficient, even if it left them shorthanded.

“If there are no major objections, let’s eat up to restore our stamina and mana. I have grilled rockshell over there,” Samara said, pointing to the small fire. But she also added that she would not feel offended if Sebastian chose to add to or modify the menu. It had been prepared in haste. (If anything, it sounded like she was making excuses for her lackluster cooking, but… ehhh.) “Franceska, heal up Seymour. He’s injured, even if he won’t acknowledge it. Anyone else with injuries, see her,” she said, which earned a small groan from the redhead. “The swamp's debuffs are enough; we don’t need infections and poison on top of it."
Interaction(s): TreasureSniper | RedArmyShogun | EmperorsChosen | Thalia_Neko | Tau | Skyswimsky

 

[Thalia_Neko]

It appeared the group was done with the sign and its sacrificial basin. All but the Butcher sacrificed something. Eight out of nine adventurers. A pretty solid turn out. The Butcher was the only one who thought he knew better. Or perhaps, he was just more daring than the others. Perhaps he wanted to 'prove' something. Well, only time would tell what the ramifications of his choice would be.

Moving forward, it seemed the group decided to finally address the next big problem -- the floor 2 boss. Which stood between the group and the next floor. The Shaman. What they knew about her was she used magicks to attack. Typically "debuffed" her adversaries. And had adds during the fight- typically she was flanked by two protective Pond Hoppers or Pond Gliders, sometimes there were anywhere between 2 and 4 Wega Exiles. But she wasn't considered one of the harder bosses, since she had lower defenses and a smaller health pool. So, often she was just silenced before she could really get going. However, this time around, it was clear she was going to be a very different fight. Even though the boss was not yet engaged, a few new things appeared that made the fight different... And concerning.

Notably the aforementioned sacrificial aspect. Then there was the strange miasma around her. A debuffing miasma that slowed the adventurers. Then there was this strange "lantern"/"brazier" mechanic that was not yet understood. Just how would this fight go? It was causing some worry for the otherwise seasoned, and experienced adventurers.

"Should we really be splitting up?" Daeva asked, walking over, glancing between the members of the group. There were a couple of undead following her. The Pond Shell and a Pond Hopper. "Do we really know how this fight will go? Won't it make us weaker if we're split apart?" She asked. They just lost a healer and a heal spell didn't they? Shouldn't they play this more conservatively and defensively? Or perhaps that's what the shaman wanted.

Jiànlong had already set about cutting down some nearby trees. He had enough strength to cut through the wood of the scrawny trees near them. They fell and splashed in the water. Then he tugged them out of the water, up onto the muddy shore, where he began slicing them in good-sized logs. But that's really all he could do. "Now what? How do we make rafts?"

Daeva glanced over, then turned back. "My undead sweeties can pull the rafts, making travel faster. In case the boss attacks."

 

[TreasureSniper]

As soon as he sacrificed his apathy stat, Seymour would feel some uneasiness in his mind. An epiphany of some sorts. He never gave that much thought about it at first, but he lived quite a disturbing lifestyle to say the least. Fighting and killing for sport on daily basis, not knowing if the next will be his last. And yet despite all this, he found enjoyment in the daily peril he experienced. He had enough self awareness to understand that this wasn't normal, but never paid too much attention to it, until now. Was this the labyrinths doing? There will come a time for him to ponder over the moral implications of his past deeds. But for now, they had a mission to finish.

Hearing the butcher downplay the importance of the sacrifice was amusing. From what he has seen thus far, it has a very sick sense of humor and for all he knew, all of their sacrifices were for nothing. If nothing else, perhaps him not sacrificing something was a good opportunity for them to learn the consequences of disobeying the labyrinth. With any luck, they might even face a monster as mighty as the Dread.

"Don't worry about it Samara, I'll just get injured less." Seymour joked, comforting the shieldmaiden who had just sacrifice her healing skill. Thankfully they had a much more dedicated healer. Fran, who was having some...spooky thoughts not too long ago. He was quite surprised to hear that Samara would assign him of all people to be the leader. Perhaps she still has some positive opinion of him afterall. Even a monster has its uses. "As you wish. I'll keep them in one piece." Then again, she probably did so because Kirsten wasn't around anymore. He was starting to miss her already.

At last, after all the drama, Seymour was able to finally take a bite of the rockshell meat. It was....acceptable. it was better than the food from pits, and likely more nutritious as well.

"Hmm... If we find the shaman first, I can cover my gaze Sphere with a burning cloth and raise it as high as I can to act as a flare." It would probably kill his summon as well but that was a risk he was willing to take. Turning to the new appointed healer, he chose to accept the healing hand without hesitation. "Thank you in advance. Given my tendencies to get in up close and personal, I have feeling we will have plenty of time to get to know one another.' Seymour said with friendly smile. He was a bit upset about that he so "untouchable" anymore compared to his days in the pit, but even so, at least the fights here would be more meaningful.

"Daeva, what skills do your current minions posses? Is there anything useful from that could help us navigate through this swamp? Would they even perhaps remember the location of their homes? or maybe even the braziers?" With any luck, they might be even able to lead them to their objectives.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sharon Ironblood​

With the talk moving along and the giant of a woman making something of a plan, Sharon agreed with parts of it, but not all of it, something she would make clear in short order, or would have till Seymour made the mistake of flapping his own gums. And this Daeva seemed all too eager to enact a plan that she herself had quested against, causing Sharon to get rather crossed as she stared first at Seymour and spoke;

"The fuck do you mean where their homes are? They're fook'n Swamp monsters, they're bloody animals. I'm sure when there aren't any adventurers to kill, they just sit at home on a couch by a fire, watch TV, ask how Swamp Man Ted is doing. And why are you cutting down the bloody trees when you yourself aren't so keen on splitting up. And I got no problems with some of that plan, chiefly unless you got receivers, or this device of mine can connect to yours, relaying that information may be a problem, and with that thick fog, till we get some fires burning, there won't be much I canna see, though I'll admit I'm better suited to scouting, just don't expect long range fire support in this pea soup.

I don't much care if we split up, but if both teams need healing, might be in right a pickle. And I don't know about these rafts, but I'll go with that plan if it's all we got. Not a bad plan, the splitting up, we'll just need to cover the weakness of a given group. So whoever doesn't got the quackster should take any healing items we might have.

So, we got any objections, want to take the rafts?"



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[AnonyMouse]

Samara Morghan​

“Indeed. Our group will take the healing potions. The other will take the mana potions as they have our mages,” Samara said, in response to Sharon. “I know this plan is far from ideal, but I figured it is the best way to cover the most ground in the shortest amount of time.” With that out of the way, she turned to Daeva.

“Your caution is certainly welcome,” Samara said, in response to the necromancer’s concerns that splitting the group would make them weaker. However, the hard stare she gave the girl contrasted the kindness of her words and the diplomatic tone she had adopted when speaking to the maid. “I would have liked to see such caution when you urged us to carry on while Thames’s corpse was still warm on the ground. Or when you stood silent as a third of our party chose to curse themselves,” she said, glaring down at the girl.

She was clearly not in the mood to be questioned by someone who had shed more tears for Thames’s murderer than for the man himself. But, despite her frustration at Daeva’s sudden change of heart, she knew the girl wasn’t entirely wrong: this was a risky plan, even if she felt it was a risk worth taking. As Samara continued, the hard edge to her words fell away and compassion took over once more:

“I have begged for caution every step of this journey, yet you all resisted. ‘We are s-ranks,’ they said. There is some truth in that. Even halved, we are far from weak. It matters not. This place does not reward timidity and caution, anyhow,” Samara concluded, somehow managing to muster an apologetic smile at the girl. Her earlier rebukes were slightly unfair… but still true and worthy of mention, in her eyes.

…And then Daeva called her summons ‘sweeties’ and all of that compassion fell away. Samara gave a longsuffering sigh as she slowly shook her head at the necromancer and trudged away to assist the young lumberjack. The giantess summoned a length of rope from her inventory and joined Jianlong in lashing the timbers together. She was no sailor, but knew a knot or two. It was all coming back to her now.

“It needn’t be a masterpiece. They’ll float,” she said as she laid a few cross beams. “We will likely end up abandoning them if the going gets rough, but this will at least keep us out of the muck partway.”

Fran / ‘Faust’​

Why’s it always gotta be me? Fran thought when the big lady voluntold her to be the group’s main healer. Sure, she had the knowledge, experience, and magical bullshit to make herself the ideal candidate, but why didn’t anyone ever consider what she wants?

She only had one healing spell, but it seemed to be pretty powerful, compared to the low-rank trash healers she’d seen. And with her blood magic behind it, Fran knew she could do a lot of good with this spell. But if the others realized this, they might act recklessly. During her time at the hospital, she had encountered a lot of adventurers who pissed off their healers because they got carried away. She already knew her warning would fall on deaf ears…

Hey… hey, Creepy, you awake in there? I got something I wanna say to you. She projected the thoughts inwardly. Faust had been very quiet since the incident at the sacrificial basin. Fran could sense that the entity was pleased with whatever it had said or done while she was blacked out. Although she wanted to know the truth, perhaps ignorance was bliss.

You have wordsssss for me, yessss? Faust purred. Her presence drifted to the surface of Fran’s mind.

Yeah, but… are you high? Why do you sound like you’re fucking high!?

The Labyrinth acknowledged meeeeee… acknowledged us, a very giddy Faust said. There is no greater pleasure than thissss. You should be pleased, too. You should be honored.

Fran rolled her eyes. Yeah, sure, I’m glad you guys are getting along now. Whatever, she said. Listen, I need to talk to you. We gotta establish some boundaries- aww fuck here comes our first patient. Hang on a sec. We'll talk when I'm done with this guy.

She looked up at the tall man as he approached for his healing. Fran hadn’t paid Seymour much mind when they were introduced earlier. Now that he was closer --too close, really-- she realized he was sort of handsome. But only a little. A tiny bit. A very, very tiny bit. She gave him a deadpan stare as he said something about them ‘getting to know one another.’ Apparently, he’s expecting to get injured a lot. Great.

“Repeat offenders get moved to the back of the line. Some call it triage. I call it I-ain’t-got-time-for-your-shit,’” she said rather matter-of-factly as she took his hand. “And before you get any weird ideas, the handholding is just for the spell. Now hold still.” She bowed her head and whispered the incantation: “Red… Heal…”

There was a faint pinkish glow from her hands, which slowly changed to a deep red. Barely-perceptible tendrils of mana flowed from her fingertips, into his hands and began to crawl up his arms. She could have saved some time and mana by asking where the injury was and starting there, but speaking to him was more awkward and uncomfortable than just searching for it this way.

Right leg, Faust said. He hides it well, but I see his weaknesssss. A wounded beast. And when he falls, we shall feast.

Fran ignored Faust’s insane rambling and focused on her job. She commanded her mana downward. It laced through his body, into his legs, and to the injury. To Seymour, it would feel like a warm glow traveling through his body. Hmmm… he’s got scar tissue on his back. An old injury. Did this loser get tagged while running away? Fran thought. That’s so lame.

Oh sweet child, you know nothing, Faust teased. This one has tasted the whip. He knows the sting of oppression, kekekekek. We can control him.

Fran sighed and tried to keep her focus. Or we can, uh, not do that, okay? Just chill, geez, she thought as she zeroed in on the affected area, only to discover it was just a scratch, a small laceration. Sure, there was a risk of infection if left untreated, but why did that oversized whale of a woman make such a fuss over this!? Was she always like that, or was there something going on between these two?

“Couldn’t just walk it off, huh?” Fran grumbled as she began to lace mana into the wound, like invisible stitches. Compared to what she could do, this was almost too easy. But she preferred this over the really nasty stuff. Within seconds, the job was complete.

“Done,” she said as she finally opened her eyes, released his hand, and gazed up at his totally-not-handsome face. She frowned. “That’s your one-per-week, pal. Don’t bother me again unless your guts are spilling out.”
Interactions: TreasureSniper | RedArmyShogun | Thalia_Neko
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[Thalia_Neko]

After a harrowing second floor, the team rested up, allowing their stamina and mana to regenerate good enough for what was to come. Finally, it was time to take on the floor's boss! Time to defeat it, and move on to Floor 3. Or... hopefully.

After some time spent discussing what they would do, the two teams entered the 'boss arena'. -As indicated by the blighted swamp that debuffed whoever stepped foot into it, as discerned by Kristen. For these two teams, they managed to avoid this penalty... for now. Floating atop the murky, yucky, dense swamp water on shoddy, makeshift rafts, made from cut white trees, tied together with knot-know how, and practical outdoorsy knowledge, but well, not much else.

Regardless, the two teams entered.

Samara lead the Western team, with Jiànlong as her front-line support. Sharon as "the eyes", and Lumi for her unique buffing ability. However, for now, it seemed Lumi could not buff the others -unless they were to meet up later.

The second Eastern team was lead by Seymour. His other front-liner was the newcomer, the Butcher, Sebastian. They had Daeva and her undead entourage for ranged support. Fran was there to heal, and to look after Sera, who was basically useless and a liability this time around.

Atop the rafts, the S rankers were able to avoid the two "hazards". As long as they stayed away from the mist, anyway.

The two hazards they were as follows:

Blighted Swamp Water
Forces slow "Water walk".

An extremely slow walk, as if wading through water with heavy footfalls not aided by the Chosen's stats.

Blighted Swamp Mist
Mist that gradually drains Stamina, Speed, and Agility at a slow -but still worrying- pace.

For now they were able to avoid these hazards, as their rafts slowly floated along. Their rafts separated awhile ago, as the two groups gradually went their separate ways, as per their plan to locate these strange "lanterns" that Seymour managed to learn about. The swamp was thick with typical swamp foliage. Only this foliage looked dry, and dead, despite coming out of light-brownish water. The foliage was thin, white, cracked, but as twisted as any brambles. The trees were equally dead-looking, white bark, cracked, but there was still a significant number of them to obscure a lot of the swamp. All this made the rafts rather difficult to maneuver. Sometimes there simply wasn't space, so they had to steer the rafts over the water where there was space. Still, the adventurers all knew most of the water was walkable -that is to say, it fluctuated between ankle-deep and waist-deep. They knew this from previous fights with the floor 2 boss.

Anyway, they kept their eyes peeled. So far, they hadn't spotted anything unusual. And although there was mist, it wasn't too terribly thick, so the group could still make out what they needed to if they got close enough.

For the Western team, with Sharon's eyes (and her perception) she managed to glimpse it!

A cloaked, hunched figure strolling along, obscured by various trees and branches of foliage. But it was undeniable to what it was.

The boss. It took a few steps forward, and rounded a tree, revealing itself in its full glory to the sniper.

Its boss health bar popped up. Uniquely, it was segmented. Which boss health bars were not known to be. Another new and odd thing.

​

The Wega Shaman -for short- looked like it normally did, however. A hunched female wega. Whitish body -much like the trees around it. Black sunken eyes, that almost looked pupilless, glowing nothing but black obsidian. Its blackish-greenish cloak, over its head, and ripped into tatters, hanging off a decrepit body. In one hand, its signature scythe staff. A blackened, gnarly weapon, that looked more staff than scythe, but its end definitely, unmistakably, curved into the blade of a scythe.

As Sharon noticed the boss, it suddenly noticed her at the same time.

The Shaman screeched, pointing her way with an outstretched spindly white finger. Then it raised her scythe-staff and a spell was cast instantly.

The spell spread through the entirety of her "battle arena" nearly as instantly -like a wave.

It struck the S rankers, but... seemingly nothing happened.

In fact, everyone would notice in their DS's, below their Vitality "HP" bars.. 3 Skull Totem-like icons. When the wave passed through them, one of the skull totem icons cracked, shook, then shattered, disappearing from beneath their HP bar. Leaving... 2. Those skull totem icons hung their beneath their names ominously.

Again, this was totally new. Nothing like this had ever happened to Raiders before. It seemed the boss fight was going to be completely different than usual. They likely couldn't really rely on any previous knowledge.

This fight wasn't anything like the Blobjun fight. Man... remember that fight? How simple it was. Just beat on the big HP meatstick. Those were the days.

Oh, and let it be mentioned, that the Shaman was flanked on either side by a Wega Exile and a Wega Renegade.

(Wega Exiles are spindly creatures. Their white, wrinkled flesh clings so close to their skeleton they look like they're nearly just bones. This Wega Exile, in particular, is equipped with a spear. The spear isn't as shoddy as the ones the frogmen use, but still pretty crummy. Its metal, bent in places, and the tip, while metal, is rather blunt.

Wega Renegade are hardier, tougher than the Exiles. This Renegade in particular has some armor, left over from when it was allowed within the Wega Kingdom. Leather armor, rough, with shoulder pads. But only the top half has any armor. It has just shoddy boots and ripped pants. In its hands is a hefty axe that requires the Wega to lift with both hands.)

The Shaman let out another scream, pointing forward. And the Wega Exile began rushing towards the group, sending violent splashes everywhere -it clearly was not hindered by the swamp.

For the Renegade, it glanced off to the side -specifically, the East- then it began marching that direction.


At the same exact time that Sharon notices the Shaman, over in team Seymour. They come across a strange Totem-like setup. Sticks, twigs, bones, and feathers are all arranged in some sort of strange, twisted combination, tied with twine, attached to a tree. But since, again, this has never been noticed by adventurers before, the group has no idea its meaning. There is a strange skull at its top. It was clear it was a skull of a wega.

Also, through the branches nearby, they can spot something else.. Another formation of twigs and feathers. Only this one did not have a skull, and was right above, what looked like... a brazier, maybe, if they could spot it through the underbrush. The problem was, there was no way to get the raft there, as it was hidden by brush that was too dense. To reach it, they'd have to get off into the swamp.


Oh, and one final thing. Did I mention that everyone had these skull totems in their DS? No, there was one who did not. Sebastian.

When the wave of magic hit him, he would immediately feel it. He would feel much weaker than normal. Checking his DS, he would see the issue.

His Strength would be sapped 30 points, down to 20, in the red. His Willpower would be lowered by 20, down to 20, in the red. And his Dexterity would be sapped 35 points, down to 35, in the red.

For the S rankers. The Second Floor boss was now underway.

RedArmyShogun AnonyMouse EmperorsChosen TreasureSniper Skyswimsky Tau

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Sharon Ironblood​

As the group went further into the swamp, Sharon kept on guard, guiding the raft and spotting for the enemy was a bit of a chore, no. It was a goddamn annoyance. Still, those who traveled with her would see use soon enough. Hopefully, provided some swamp monsters grabbed them from under the waters. Fortunately, this did not seem to be the case as time passed.

Through the thick fog, Sharon kept her eyes peeled eventually spotting the Wega Shaman, "Bloody hell!" She exclaimed loudly as the boss issued a call of challenge, and it wasn't alone either, two mobs were with her, the Wega Exile was rapidly approaching, it would be only a matter of time, as she used her communicator and voice alone to call out to the rest. "Boss sighted, 4 O'clock, Exile charging." Taking aim, she ignored the DS for the time being, reading her rifle to fire as she took of the safety, a round already in the chamber, the Lee Enfield looking rifle swayed as she dropped to her left knee, her right supporting her right elbow for a brief instant as she waited for the right moment, ignoring all else around her for the here and now.

Counting down the meters, it was down to twenty when she squeezed the trigger, the snap crackle of the round breaking the sound barrier echoed across the field striking the Wega dead center in the chest, right through the heart and out the back. Amateurs that played video games aimed for the head, people who likely never served in a national army, much less ever having shot a gun. 19 rounds remained as the best slumped over, splashed in the wake of its own waves and killed over. She rather doubted the boss would be so easy to kill. "Unless you all feel strongly about it, I would like you all to keep that bitch busy while I scout, we've done none of our side objectives and I rather not waste all my bullets." As she paid brief attention to the DS, she hopped off the raft and made her way towards some higher ground clicking her tongue as she did so.

"Tch. I don't like the looks of it, and given the bullshit that is this world, I reckon she's got more than the braziers around here, I'd like ta say I canne move faster on my own, but that's how you die, but unfortunately, I don't trust whoever is left to survive all on their own, so better me attempting this than not. We don't have much time."

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[TreasureSniper]

Seymour remained mostly silent throughout the healing process, feeling it to be an interesting and pleasant experiences, especially when compared to the more "painful" methods of the pit. "Works for me. The less time you spend healing my wounds, the more time you have to take care of my...buddy over there." Seymour briefly turned his attention to Sera before grabbing hold of Fran's hand. In truth, he didn't think too much of his own wounds, but knowing Samara, she has been pretty adamant about getting them patched up.

As Seymour gaze into the eyes of the healer, he would unintentionally read her mind out of force of habit. At first, he didn't think too much of it, until he remembered what Samara had said earlier. Since when did he worry about what others thought about him? Perhaps that apathy stats was doing more than he was willing to give credit for. Seymour was just about to shuts ability until he suddenly heard an interesting snippet. There was another voice within the red head, one that she was actively having a conversation with. He was impressed that she was able to find out so much from just one healing session. Though he did find it quite disturbing for the voice to suggest subjugating him.

"I don't suppose looking into my eyes is also part of the healing ritual." Seymour joked, commenting on their short exchange of a glance. "Well that's what I was going to do, but the boss can be quite....persuasive." His leg felt good as new, he hadn't felt healing that effective in a very long time. "Hmm very well."

---

Seymour kept his gaze Sphere, patrolling a perimeter around the raft as it made its way to one of the locations of interest. The sudden wave of power was...scary but ultimately did nothing to him. He assumed based on the icons that had appeared that this was because of the sacrifice he had made earlier. Looking back at all his other teammates he could see that they too were unaffected, all except for one, the butcher.

"You don't look so good, Sebastian...." Once again the labyrinth is showcasing why it's important to respect its "rules". Spotting the nearby brazier and totem, he swiftly prepared a response. "Daeva, I need you to send your minions to light the brazier and tear up that totem." Seymour spoke, passing a make shift torch to the one of her minions and lighting up the piece of cloth on its end. "We don't know if that stuff is booby trapped or not." Nornally he would jump at the chance of dealing with stuff like this personally, but considering that the other frontliner just got debuffed, he had to be more cautious. Only when it was clear that minions were incapable of accomplishing the task would Seymour do it himself. For now, Seymour casted Preyseeker Vision, and waited to see if there were enemies lying in wait.


EmperorsChosen Thalia_Neko AnonyMouse Tau

 

[AnonyMouse]

Samara Morghan​

Once they boarded the raft, Samara took on the role of driver. As the largest and heaviest occupant of the craft, it only seemed fair that she row. Sharon served as guide, telling the shieldmaiden which way to go, spotting any hazards lurking beneath the murky water, and avoiding pockets of mist along the way.

Kirsten’s scouting mission was truly a lifesaver. Thanks to her efforts, the others knew to stay out of the water, avoid the fog, and to seek the lanterns or braziers. Now we just need to find a way to make use of that information, Samara thought as she slowly rowed. We cannot afford to squander our advantage.

The waters seemed calm, but she instinctively knew to expect danger around every turn. Sharon’s superior Perception and natural skills allowed her to see distant things Samara did not even know were there. This fear of the unknown and unseen heightened the shieldmaiden’s wariness… but also deepened her respect for the maid, despite having only met her less than an hour ago.

When the woman shouted that she had sighted the boss, Samara wasted no time. She immediately laid down the oar and took on a defensive posture, with an Iron Shield in each hand. When combined, they provided enough total surface area that she could hunker down and become a turtle, if necessary. She had also opted to keep her full armor on during the journey, despite the added weight. Wading in muck and slime while wearing plate armor was far from ideal, but the debuffs meant she wasn’t going to be moving quickly anyhow, so she might as well maximize her defenses. Back at camp, she had pounded out some of the larger dents, though the battle damage was definitely starting to show now.

Squinting into the mist, she could scarcely make out the Shaman's silhouette. The creature’s ear-piercing screech and wave of hostile magic gave away its position more than any visual queue. Not that it mattered. All Samara needed was a general direction.

“Understood. I’m not sure how ‘busy’ I can keep her at this distance, but I will try,” Samara said to Sharon as she disembarked the raft. The faster members needed it more than she did. Due to her height, the water here barely reached to her knees, however, she was still forced to move slowly, as if she were fighting against the tide in neck-deep water. Speed had never been her strong suit, but here she felt abysmally slowl. Damn this debuff!

She was about to say something about signaling the others, but Sharon cracked off a shot at one of the Shaman’s henchmen, felling him. Hopefully, the gunfire would be heard by Seymour’s team, along with the Shaman's howl. The shieldmaiden continued to advance, but it was slow-going. She didn’t truly care; every inch she moved brought her an inch closer to ending this monster.

“Nevermind that,” Samara said, when Sharon offered to chase the braziers. “Shoot her! The Shaman is or objective and you’re the only one who can hit her from this range. If nothing else, we will be able to gauge her strength.”

Can she dodge bullets? Can she summon barriers? This boss wasn’t known for being a physical powerhouse, but they needed to know what other new tricks she had. And Sharon’s bullets were the only attack that won’t take ages to reach her. Also, where were the rest of her entourage? Two Wega was less than usual and one had already run off to do something else.

“I’ll do what I can to give you a clear shot… and close the gap for the rest of us,” Samara declared as she trudged toward the thickest tree she could find. She repeatedly slashed at its base with the edges of her dual shields, gouging out huge chunks of wood. Once it was sufficiently weakened, the giantess slammed her bulk against the damaged trunk, causing the dry, weak timber to topple over. It was brutish and visceral, nothing like the doting, motherly woman they knew. But it was necessary.

She immediately leapt up onto the fallen tree and sprinted toward the Shaman, somehow managing to keep her footing on the damp, unstable surface. The boss was still quite far away, but it was clear what Samara intended to do. Her strategy was as unsubtle as it was inelegant. Upon reaching the ‘top’ of the fallen tree, Samara leapt off and began hacking at the next with fanatical determination.

I will fell this entire fucking forest to reach you! There is no place you can hide or flee, monster, she thought, her eyes blazing as splinters rained down around her.

Fran / ‘Faust’​

Fran quickly shooed the man away once she was done healing his leg. There was no need to continue bantering with him. She loitered around in case anyone else needed healing, then shambled away to grab a bite to eat. She needed to restore her mana for the coming boss battle.

You wished to speak, yessssss? What isssss it? Faust said, while Fran bit into the rockshell meat. Even lukewarm, it was still better than anything she’d had in months.

Yeah, I wanna make a deal, Fran said as she swallowed. You and I gotta work together. No more taking over my body. No more blackouts. No more fighting for control.

Kekekeke… not my fault your mind is weeeeeeak, Faust chided. Foolish girl, I only rise when you fall. Prove your usefulness if you wish to be treated as equals.

All you ever do is lie and cheat and kill! You’re a manipulative demon hellspawn thingy, Fran said, her brows furrowing in frustration.

These are useful skills, no? Faust giggled with delight.

Only when you’re looking out for yourself. Trust me, that shit doesn’t work when you’re stuck with the same people in here, Fran said, her gaze slowly panning across the other S-Ranks around her. And I’ve a feeling we’re gonna be stuck with them for a long while.

Faust’s silence was enough of an answer. Fran could sense the entity was thinking it over.

Here’s the deal, she said as she stuffed the last bit of rockshell into her mouth and stood up. Combat is all yours. If I black out when the fighting starts, fine. I hate that shit anyway. The things you do to enemies makes me wanna puke, she said as she shoved her hands into her coat pockets and wandered away from the others to be alone. But let me handle the healing and the talking. Got it?

---------------------------​

The metal staff, Serpentera, was a rare Labyrinthian weapon and certainly shouldn’t be used to steer a raft, but it was uniquely suited for the purpose. Despite Faust's protests, Fran stuck the very ornate-looking pole into the filthy water. Daeva’s summons did most of the heavy lifting, while Fran just helped make adjustments when they drifted into foliage or roots or needed a little extra push. Meanwhile, Faust lurked within her mind, complaining that she wanted to feed on the necromancer’s undead pond critters. It became clear there would be friction between her and the goth girl. Faust liked to capture her prey alive, but Daeva needed them dead.

You’re both equally fucked up, so get over it, Fran thought, trying to ignore the entity’s rambling. But that thought was interrupted by a high-pitched screech and a wave of power, which tore through the swamp. Three skull totems appeared in her DS, indicating that the magic was not just visual flair. They were under attack. The battle had begun.

Yessssss! Yes! Faust exclaimed, her overwhelming euphoria flooding Fran’s mind like a rush of adrenaline or a potent aphrodisiac. My turn! I will dismantle this Shaman, rend her pallid flesh from her brittle bones, for daring to stand against usssssss!

No! Wait- Fran thought, but was quickly forced under. Her consciousness slipped into darkness and the entity took control.

“Meat Man, you look… unwell,” Faust teased, cocking her head at Simon with a wicked grin. “Fear not. I shall ‘heal’ you… by slaying the one who would DARE afflict us!”

The raft rocked violently as Faust used her staff to pole vault off of its surface, launching herself into the air. Crimson claws emerged from her knuckles as she sailed through the air, with her white labcoat billowing behind her like a cape. She latched onto the trunk of the nearest tree and scrambled higher, climbing like a cat.

“Witch, send your thralls to light the torch. The totem is mine!”[/i] Faust said to Daeva as her staff transformed into its whip form and she leapt toward another tree, using the chained weapon to catch a branch and swing for greater distance. After doing this once more, she was within range of the strange totem and returned Serpentera to her inventory. She extended her right hand, while the claws of her left remained embedded in the tree, keeping her high above the ground. “Blood Barrage!” A stream of red needles erupted from her palm, like automatic gunfire, easily reducing the totem to splinters and debris within seconds.
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[Thalia_Neko]

Daeva Everdark

​

Daeva was thinking about the question that Seymour had asked her, because she had left it up in the air, when he had. 'What skills do your babies have?' At the moment he asked her, she hadn't even considered it. She was busy thinking about it, while her "frog people" pulled the raft along.

She honestly didn't think they could do much, but was still deeply contemplating it when she was pulled from her reverie. The black-haired 'witch' as one of them called her, was given her orders. "Uh.." She nodded, handing the newly lit torch to one of the Pond Hoppers. It had to walk through the water because if it swam it would put out the torch. She instructed it to move through the brambles and go light up the brazier.

While her zombies couldn't think for themselves, and had no concept of really anything, they still followed instructions. The Pond Hopper did as instructed, while the weird redhead was flipping through trees. Only, when it arrived at the Brazier, it seemed to cock its head. It attempted to light the brazier, only to find the fire didn't ignite. It cast its undead eyes up at the strange totem of sticks, twigs, feathers, and other monster body-parts all stitched together above the brazier. It attempted to light the brazier again, swiping the torch over it. But it didn't ignite.

Feeling that her undead couldn't finish its orders left Daeva with a strange unsatisfying and confusing feeling within her. She hadn't felt it before. She recognized it meant her orders could not be fulfilled. She glanced over, spotting through the brambles the undead frog man standing at the brazier, holding the burning torch.

"Hey. Idunno whats going on, but my baby can't light the brazier. Idunno. It doesn't seem to be able to. The fire doesn't seem to work," she explained to the others on the raft.

For Samara, when she entered the water she would immediately feel it and the mist's effects. Which meant her Stamina, Speed, and Agility were being negatively affected. They gradually began to deplete, turning into red numbers that gradually ticked downward. Even when she got out of the water and mist, she was still affected, as she was still wet and the mist's effects lingered just long enough. Still, she was smart to find a way to get around the slowed walking effects.

The Shaman seemed to notice this -and it didn't like it very much. With a hiss of frustration, it held up its staff. Suddenly a dark tendril shot up out of the marsh, grabbing Samara by her ankle, and catching her fast. The dark magic held firm. Then the Shaman chanted a very quick spell, and out of the staff fired a orb of light with swirling energy. The magic hit Samara. Immediately it impacted her stamina and mana, debuffing them both by 10 points, with an effect like the mist that gradually depleted them by 1 point. (And yes, the debuff spell and mist debuff stacked, lowering her stamina had a faster rate.) Then it chanted another quick spell and fired it at Samara -this one was another orb of energy, only the energy was red. It would strike Samara, too, if she couldn't free herself from the tendril.

For Seymour, he would see the Wega Renegade moving towards him swiftly through the marsh, but no other enemies. Its literal lifebar read Wega Renegade level 5.

When Fran destroyed a totem, if the Shaman noticed, it didn't show it, as it was too busy focused on Samara. However, dark energy left the broken totem, floating away in a puff of purplish smoke.