Board 8 > Labyrinth of Ishiene [CYOA/Forum Game] [ITD8]

(+) Yeah! (+)

"I... I think I'm alright. In fact, I'm more than fine... I feel strangely free, in this moment."

Larrington tries to pay heed to the shadow, but as soon as he affirms his condition, the shadow has left.

"... Thank you."

Larrington catches up with the party. He decides to explore passage U.
---

MariaTaylor posted...

angels who come to pangaia and die rebound -- right back to heaven. this gives them the reincarnation properties that demons previously had.

Welp

I vote we close the gate
---

Sunday, a Mismatched Palette Girl, goes to investigate the Refrain Room.
She wonders if there is anything to eat in here...
---

Carwen, pretty much completely unfazed by Luna's lack of attention to her, will wander over to investigate the garden. Extradimensional phenomena were something she had really taken the time to study before, but recent events made that field of research much more interesting.
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define "fair" hah

and didn't angels who died outside go to hell to be captured based on the last time they showed up even with their gate open (like one of em who gotten taken out early on)? I recall putting stuff about them down on the wiki awhile back so I am not sure

on a side note what did it mean when they were pushed back when the fae started showing up?
---

I'm just going to black all of this out since it's not really relevant, but I also don't want to ignore pk2k's inquiries. basically if you aren't deeply interested in the lore of the previous games and the world building feel free to ignore this discussion

to first question:

last time they only opened the gate briefly, sent a few Angels through, and then closed it again. there was basically two phases during that game but from the player perspective it was difficult for you guys to see exactly what happened on the angels end and when the gate was closed. so the players and the angels who died early on in the game all went to heaven -- this is the period during which the gate was still open. this is reflected in the epilogue where some of the early PC deaths showed up as having been sent to heaven. BUT if you remember at the end of the game the players and angels who died near the END of the game are the ones who went to hell. Meosk, Blink, and the Angel who was sent to Hell and captured by Raisdtandt and the others. basically the gate was closed at some point during that game. we don't know exactly when it happened but you can see a clear trend where early on in the story deaths were sent up to heaven but later in the story deaths were sent to Hell.

second question, I'm actually not sure what you're asking. are you talking about when the angels originally closed the gate a long time ago when the fairies first showed up thousands of years ago? they did this because they were afraid.
---

Gorbachev goes to help fight the mud golems.
---

MariaTaylor posted...

I'm just going to black all of this out since it's not really relevant, but I also don't want to ignore pk2k's inquiries. basically if you aren't deeply interested in the lore of the previous games and the world building feel free to ignore this discussion

to first question:

last time they only opened the gate briefly, sent a few Angels through, and then closed it again. there was basically two phases during that game but from the player perspective it was difficult for you guys to see exactly what happened on the angels end and when the gate was closed. so the players and the angels who died early on in the game all went to heaven -- this is the period during which the gate was still open. this is reflected in the epilogue where some of the early PC deaths showed up as having been sent to heaven. BUT if you remember at the end of the game the players and angels who died near the END of the game are the ones who went to hell. Meosk, Blink, and the Angel who was sent to Hell and captured by Raisdtandt and the others. basically the gate was closed at some point during that game. we don't know exactly when it happened but you can see a clear trend where early on in the story deaths were sent up to heaven but later in the story deaths were sent to Hell.

second question, I'm actually not sure what you're asking. are you talking about when the angels originally closed the gate a long time ago when the fairies first showed up thousands of years ago? they did this because they were afraid.

Yeah for first I was mainly thinking of that one angel (the one who could touch things and blow em up I think?) who got taken out shortly after they first showed up ending up in Hell so I was wondering if it went

(Opened up and sent angels through then closed)

(opened up again later for some reason then closed during end?)

As for second question I was referring to the end of Catharsis
---

(click on this post history if you want to see the explanation)
(I'm trying not to clog up or derail this topic with unrelated discussion)
---

Grigorov trails Sunday into the Refrain Room. He is still somewhat suspicious, but also, he thinks that it's a good idea to ally with someone half-dominant over Demons.
---

That gate lore sounds pretty interesting to me. Someone should really install a thing recognizer on them, as well as a dimension bypass, that way both angels and demons could get to their homes without fear. Maybe install a one way power limiter too so that entering into the human world doesn't lead to Armageddon with endless angel/demon fights.

Where is a good portalmancer when you need one?
---

I'm kinda tired already today and I know I'm gonna be traveling for most of the day tomorrow

for that reason I'm thinking of just doing the update early tomorrow morning

seems like this is the best possible timeslot for it which leaves less downtime between the last update and before the following one (which won't be till after I've arrived at my destination, had a good night's rest, and found some free time on the following day)
---

That actually works super-well for me, too, Maria. Gives me time to go over all the posts again before posting, which I always prefer to do.
---

Leaning on his finely honed senses, Remulel notices a dangerous presence coming from behi-- no, wait, it's just that slime thing and the demon... whatever their names were. Content that his back is safe for now, Remulel continues to do battle with the mud golem.
---

Lionel breathes heavily for a time, then wills himself toward something more tempered. He senses an inner peace, as if a new chapter of his life has begun. "Thank you," he says to Grigirov, and then he investigates the garden.
---

you guys might have noticed I did not have time to update this morning.

at the airport already. I'll try to get something done tonight I guess. we shall see!
---

@Jeff_Zero

I think Cata is already investigating garden
---

I am but I wanted to see if anyone noticed
---

I thought I would fall asleep on the plane

I did not

pretty much exhausted, no update tonight.

got breakfast and some other plans tomorrow but hey this means more time for shaduln to catch up

:^]
---

making plans around what will happen on a flight always seems to be a bad idea
---

[Author Note: Sorry again for the delays. Should be back on a normal schedule now. Even though I'm not at home I have my laptop with me and it's not too much extra work to write updates on my laptop as compared to doing it on my PC.]

Carl goes into the hall and examines the bust of the important man.
The masterwork of the sculpting is far greater than what you saw on Ink in the gallery above.
This is carved in the image that looks like a real human.
It's a middle aged man with balding hair and a stern look about him.
However, the main difference, is that this statue is not alive.
Below is a plaque which reads the following:
'Dedication is nothing without Sacrifice.'

Aron Rex, not understanding such a weird statue or quote, keeps going.
He was totally oblivious to the acid trap which had nearly been sprung on him.
From a dog's perspective it seemed like really strong smelling urine.
So maybe the door tried to pee on him after he peed on the door.
Some kind of door revenge.
Either way, proceeding down the passage leads to the CRYPT area.
This is also known as the 'disposal room.'
It's where failed research projects were taken and disposed of.
From here you see a Cold Door and a Hot Door.
The Hot Door definitely leads to the furance.
You're not sure beyond that.
You feel like something might happen if you open the caskets.
[Note: This is a unique Investigation action which can be triggered by multiple players]
[Additionally, there will be greater rewards if more people participate... up to a certain point.]

Vendrix takes a seat in the library.
"So, Mr... Foot... What exactly is it that you do here?"

The Foot will scramble around frantically, trying to tidy the place up.
"I keep the library maintained and in order. That's why, excuse me, that's why-.."
"Yes, I apologize if things are a bit out of order right now."

"It looks fine to me," Vendrix will remark.
Was this guy really so worried about the condition of an old library like this?
"You worked for Lady Ishiene, is that correct?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes," Foot will reply. He pauses for a moment.
"It was the Head Researcher who oversaw my duties though. Oh, he... he..."
"He would be furious if he saw I had been slacking after a mere two thousand years."

Vendrix begins to wonder if this Head Researcher is still around or not.

Dee proceeds into the Mud Room to assist Remulel with his battle.
Gorbachev will proceed into the Mud Room to assist with the battle.
Remulel will continue doing battle with the Mud Golem here.
Short has followed Dee into the mud room. "Hmm.."

Dee is able to harass the enemy with weak attacks [3], while Gorbachev manages to tank some hits from the monster [2].
During this time Remulel and Short will finish the opponent with a two-pronged assault [3,3]

The golem collapses at last and does not seem to reform.
"Fighting together was a safe bet," Gorbachev remarks cheerfully. "What was that last move you did there?"
He seems to be talking to the Demon.
Short will respond gleefully. "Combustion. It's my unique Demonic ability."
"I could easily vaporize any creature that had a mostly liquid form."

Gorbachev finds Enchanted Rags in the mud pool, and puts them on over his armor.

M goes to the Garden to investigate the place more closely.
It is nice and peaceful here. There are no living creatures but somehow she feels the presence of animals.
The sense of serene calm is unlike anything she has experienced before.
M retrieves a Golden Eggplant from the garden.
---

While Vendrix and the Foot are talking, Torun will go to the bookshelf.
The thumbs through a few of the books.
Specifically there seem to be tomes on a few subjects here:
Demons and Demonic Occupation
The History of Moon Elves
Historical Records from the Age of Fiends
Scientific Quantification of Necromancy

Tucked away in between two books that are out of place, Torun finds an interesting little journal.
They appear to be the notes of a magus who must have lived here in the Keep for a while.
You find Kibaster's Spellbook. It has one charge of each spell Flare, Light Shower, and Float.

Luna continues to explore the western part of the dungeon by herself.
She finds a Slotted Door which leads into the Control Room.
Looking through the slot, Luna can see that there are definitely enemies in here.
For this reason it's presumed that entering the Slotted Door will automatically trigger a melee.
It's probably a good idea to send a few people through here at once to capture the room safely.

The passage wraps around and connects to the main passage way, a bit further down.

Larrington goes to the CRYPT, along with Aron and probably Carl by this point (unless Carl has turned back).

Carwen goes and relaxes in the garden along with M and the others.

Grigorov notices Sunday heading into the Refrain Room.
He will tail her in that direction and try to figure out what she is up to.
Grigorov and Sunday proceed into the Refrain Room through the blue gate.
Unlike Short, when Sunday pushes the button on the compass it's a very soft touch.
Almost as if she is afraid of breaking something.

On the other side of the gate you find three holding cells, each containing a prisoner.
Slip, who is made of darkness.
Quietly, who is made of straw.
Tender, who is made of sugar.
They all sit there expectently and stare at Sunday and Grigorov as they enter the Refrain room.
It seems they have been in here for a while. All three look lethargic.
After a moment, Tender will rise to its feet and come to the door.
It pounds on the wall of the holding cell and shouts something, but the area seems to be sound proof.
In fact, they can't even hear the pounding or its words. They only see it knocking on what appears to be thick glass.
Sunday looks at Grigorov and says something.
Well, her lips are moving, but...
Grigorov can't hear anything she is saying.
After a moment, Sunday shrugs. She points at her ear and says a few more things.
Then she shakes her head. She'll go over to the glass and touch it.
She appears to be examining the three prisoners.

Lionel goes to the garden to relax with M and the others.



[Player List]

Vendrix, Lvl 9 Cosplayer [Scroll of Invisibility, Ring of Dancing +3]
Aron Rex, Lvl 11 Dog [Grappling Hook, Book of Circles]
Larrington, Lvl 10 Reborn
Gorbachev, Lvl 8 Knight [Enchanted Rags]
Luna, Lvl 8 Runt
Grigorov, Lvl 11 Goblin [Ganthian Half-Mail, Small Hammer]
M, Lvl 8 Designer [Redblade Twin Daggers, Gold Eggplant]
Dee, Lvl 11 Slime [Demon Soul, Rare Ring of Utility]
Carwen, Lvl 9 Mineralmancer [Royal Cloak]
Morgan, Lvl 6 Futanari
Torun, Level 8 Lostguy [Kibaster's Spellbook]
Carl, Lvl 13 Determined [Injury, Icy Knight Sword, Jeweled Wand]
Morris, Lvl 12 Main Character [Fancy Darts]
Lionel, Lvl 13 Master
Remulel, Lvl 12 Fighter [Wide Sword, Wand of Suppression]


Jefferson: A Knight of Frantz. Experienced but chatty.
Mara Raiev: An elvish spy. Who knows what she is even doing here?
Sunday: She is not an assassin. Has a genetic condition.
Short: A Demon who was brought here for experimentation.


---

So who's up for a melee? Anybody? Ideally want at least three other people.
---

"I wonder where that dog went," M muttered to herself and went off in the direction she last saw the dog go and comes across the crypt.

"No one will really care if I take a peak for anything interesting." M shrugs as she goes to open a casket.
---

Regaro posted...

So who's up for a melee? Anybody? Ideally want at least three other people.

sure why not

Gorbachev heads to the Slotted Door, prepared to fight if others open it.
---

To Lionel, rest is fleeting. His mind bounces uncomfortably to the image of Ni Moy; he will find little solace in this garden. "Fraksake." He rises, and heads for the slotted door. Come what may, it might be better than spending time in his own head.

I'm up for a melee, too, yo.
---

Perfect. I'll post an action opening the door once we get one more and I get home
---

Grigorov looks at the prisoner made of darkness (Slip).
Reminds him of an old drinking buddy of his, Dirty Red.
Of course, Dirty Red got busted for smuggling a few years back, and Grigorov skipped town in a hurry, so he has no idea what happened to him after that. He wishes he had stuck around, maybe found a way to spring him out of jail.
Well, maybe he can do something here. To make up for it, sorta.
---

Aron sniffs the casket.

It didn't totally smell dead.

Maybe there was a bone.

Aron opens the casket
---

Carwen will look at the prisoners, Quietly in particular. "Some kind of homunculus? I seem to recall a colgegue who made a similar homunculus then just made it say stupid things for him to argue against. What a waste of time. Then again, given the research above they might very well be souls implanted into new forms. Hmm..."
---

hold on to yer butts
---

make me swifty
---

Torun flips through the pages of the journal and notices some incantations.

"Hmm. Seems like this belonged to some old mage. Well, judging from the condition of the journal I doubt he needs this anymore."

Torun will leave the library with the journal and walk through the passage to his far left. Eventually Torun notices some of the other people he traveled with preparing their gear for, what looks like, a fight.

"Looks like this place is fixin to become a lot more lively. Oh well, might as well help them out, I haven't had a chance to stretch my arms yet anyway."

Torun will assist the others with the melee
---

Vendrix will hear noises from outside the library as people rush past, he guesses from their hurried paces and the fact that they are all heading toward the same place that a fight is happening or fixing to happen.

"Thank you for your time and hospitality, Mr. Foot, but it appears my help might be needed elsewhere.. Stay safe."

Vendrix will wave goodbye to Mr. Foot before following the others and cooperate with the others in the melee
---

Luna will begin giggling incessantly at the idea of getting to cut down some hostiles, and prepare to open the door. She'll grip her axe in one hand and raise a leg to kick the door in, but restrains herself when she realizes she has company.

"Backup? Perfect timing. You're free to do as you want as long as you stay out of my way"

Well, even though these guys were ultimately expendable, they did increase her chances of survival. So Luna was happy to have them around. And after acknowledging them, she will proceed to open the damn door and charge in, aiming to enjoy herself by cutting down as many of the enemies as possible.
---

Carl will also open a casket while prepared to use the wand in case things get hairy

I figure this amount on casket will either be optimal or just enough to break it so here goes. I assume its a one time examine thing so trying to aim for best amount to get most loot out of it to distribute while not triggering bad times

(btw did Carl not gain a level last update for checking statue guy?)
---

Dee had just about had enough of Short's not-so-subtle threatening attitude. She secretly draws up some mud from the ground, keeping it hidden in her lower body ready to be flung out at Short's eyes at a moment's notice should she feel Short is making any action against her. As further precaution, she will start sending a tendril down hidden in the mud that could lead to either an offensive surprise attack/feint, or a defensive escape.

"That is so interesting!" Dee will comment on Short's ability. Can you do it again so soon after using it against the Mud Golem? And do you have to be a demon to use that ability, or maybe just have the soul of a demon?" Dee looks genuinely curious, though she is not feeling very cute right now, so the effect might be diminished.

"This is as good a spot as any to settle things, it would not do to have us go any deeper only to be stabbed in the back. Perhaps we can come to some understanding?"

What happens next, Dee will let Short decide...
---

Oh damn
---

Remulel leaves behind the foolish slime creature and chooses to explore Passage V.
---

A Mismatched Palette Girl will take out an obsidian shard and begin knocking on the holding cells.
You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
---

M, Aron and Carl join up in the Crypt and investigate the room a bit more closely.
There are multiple caskets strewn about.
M feels a bit apprehensive.
"This is the kind of situation where skeletons will jump out once we turn our backs," she observes.
Carl thinks this is probably more or less correct.
He brandishes his wand in a cool fashion.
"Alright, let's open the caskets and get a jump on these enemy ambushers."
Aron Rex will walk over and put his paw on one of the caskets.
It seems even the dog wants to help.
M will lean against one of the caskets that is low to the ground and put her hand on the opposite end.
From this position she can easily get enough leverage to pry the lid open and pull it off quickly.
Whatever is inside would... hopefully... be surprised.
"1... 2... 3..."
Carl pauses for an abnormally long time.
"What's wrong?" M asks.
Aron wags his tail impatiently.
"Oh." Carl blinks. "I thought we were going to go on three."
"No, you go on Go. Everyone knows you-" M is cut off quickly.
"Right, yeah. Of course." Carl adjusts his posture slightly.
He prepares himself. "Okay. 1... 2... 3... Go!"
All three of them release the lids of the corresponding casket at once.
Inside you find Dangerous Halloween Kids.
Despite having the bodies of children you can tell these are actually dangerous monsters.
Each one is wearing a mask; a ghost, a pumpkin, a witch, a tengu mask...
All at once the four enemies spring from their caskets!

There is a blur and a flurry of attacks as the opponents are ambushed.
Each Halloween Kid raises their squirt gun which is filled with acid instead of water.
This, like the other acid traps, was extracted from the Five Fingers of Death.
That was, after all, the reason for keeping such a dangerous monster in this place.
To pull pranks on people and spray them with acid!

Carl, M, and Aron are each able to strike down an opponent and-
Oh. Crap!
The Dangerous Halloween Tengu springs out of his coffin and aims his weapon.
Carl spins to face him. His wand is at the ready! There's a loud whirring sound and...
He hears Lloyd's voice shouting from inside the wand; "Wait! Don't! It's too-"
Yes, it's probably dangerous to use such a powerful wand.
In fact one might say that this weapon is so powerful it always carries a risk to activate it.
There's a blinding white light which emerges from the end of the Jeweled Wand and rips through the floor.
The column rises, but the kick is too much and Carl can't hold the wand straight.
The Dangerous Halloween Tengu is ripped in half by the column of light,
but at the same time the ceiling is struck and there's an explosion as rocks fly everywhere [1].

M and Aron were accidentally injured...

In the Crypt they find a Block of Pure Energy.
You can probably push it somewhere else in the dungeon, if you'd like.

Luna steps away from the slotted door and calls to companions to come and join her.

Gorbachev goes to the Slotted Door
Lionel goes to the Slotted Door
Torun goes to the Slotted Door
Vendrix goes to the Slotted Door

Yes, this should be enough people. With four allies that answer the call, Luna feels pretty safe.

Luna busts down the Slotted Door!

Wood and metal go flying into the Control Room. The five explorers will rush into the room.
Inside they find a colony of Hyper Insects. Man sized creatures with keratin bodies.
They have a high metabolism which gives them great energy and strength, as well as boosted brain activity.
This means they have to feed gluttonously whenever they are active,
But it comes with the downside that they spend much of their time in a self imposed stasis.
---

What happens next is... well... The Hyper Insects sense approaching food.
Even though they were caught unawares this makes no difference.
With lightning reflexes and fast speed they spring into action and go to work.
Their goal is to dice up this meal as quickly as possible so they can feast on the corpses of the adventurers.

Luna, first through the door, comes in with a rotating sweep and cleaves the first opponent in half.
The adventurers are outnumbered about two to one but they can probably do this!

Gorbachev and Lionel surge into the enemy ranks side by side.
Torun and Vendrix split up and move to flank the opponents.

Luna plants her feet firmly and raises her giant axe. Yes.
These were just dumb bugs, after all. Dumb bugs couldn't do anything against skilled warriors.
Only... they weren't just dumb bugs. They had super intelligence, strength, and speed.
Underestimating them was a grave mistake.

And once all of the adventurers were in the room, the trap was sprung.
Luna had just turned to look at Gorbachev. "Watch my flank, I'll-"

From the alcove above the door, two insects sprung at her allies from behind.
Lionel twisted his body and moved aside... but this only led him to throw himself toward the front line of the enemy forces.
Gorbachev turns and tries to fend off the rear assault.
But the opponents are so fast and so strong that they hammer against his armor and beat it to a pulp.
The first SMASH caves in the knee of his suit of armor. He finds himself jammed in place and barely able to move.
He lean his upper body away from the second attack, trying to turn it into a glancing blow.
No such luck. The shoulder plate of his armor is torn away and a deep gash opens up as his arm is nearly torn out of the socket.
Gorbachev grabs the Enchanted Rags in his free hand and throws them over himself as a sort of defensive net.
The enemies spring onto him and pin him to the ground. They start picking and peeling away at his layers of defense.
Luna hears grunts of pain coming from under the pile of bugs, but she can't see what happened to him.
All she sees is blood, and a finger the goes flying across the room.
The Enchanted Rags are still glowing, so it seems he is holding out for now at least.
But Gorbachev has definitely been pushed into a bad position [1].

Lionel, who had moved to escape this assault, found himself stuck between two advancing enemies.
They strike at him from two different angles. And though he manages to slip the attack...
This had merely been a set up for a third opponent who charges at him head on!
Lionel tries to flip forward, clearing the enemy safely!
There's a CRUNCH as the opponent grabs Lionel's kneecap in its mandibles [1].
The martial arts master is pulled out of the air and slammed against the ground.
And again. And again.
Then the creature twists its head and flings him across the room where he goes limp.
He is quickly being surrounded by more foes.

Torun, who thought to move to a flanking position, only ended up isolating himself.
The opponents were fast and strong. More than he expected.
Normally a swarm of enemies meant weak opponents... but this was not the case.
Each individual Hyper Insect in this swarm was strong. Very strong.
Possibly strong enough to pose a challenge in a one on one duel.
Instead, he found himself facing off against three at once.
Torun clumsily tries to swing and thrust his spear but it's impossible to fend off this many attack angles.
The Hyper Insects go for the tried and true tactic of disabling the opponent.
As he tries to guard from the front, Torun is hamstrung from behind.
With his ankle slashed he collapses to one knee and is forced to hold this position defensively.
Low to the ground he retreats, putting his back to the wall, and-
---

ZIP!
Something cleaves the inside of his elbow and he feels his hand go limp.
His spear falls out of his hand.
Two of the opponents spring at him at once. He feels a keratin claw inside of his mouth.
Torun flails, kicking wildly, managing to force one away with his boot, but he's still in the process of being swarmed and devoured [1].
His jaw is ripped off and torn. And with this... the massacre begins.
Luna only catches sight of a leg go rolling away from the space where Torun made his last stand.
But she can hear the sound of insects hungrily devouring flesh.

Vendrix, at that time, has his hands full trying to stay one step ahead of the foes.
Seeing the others go down quickly he realized he needed to escape from this place.
It was... exceptionally difficult.
With the enemies outnumbering him that alone made it hard to avoid being caught.
In addition, the only exit point was the door through which they came in.
Two blockers moved to protect the door.
As Vendrix tried to navigate around these two and find a safe route of escape he was also being cornered by other insects which came to chase him.
A two pronged attack is only avoided narrowly as his Ring of Dancing activates automatically to save his life.
Vendrix is thrown out of harm's way with a sick sliding move, followed by a spin and snap of his fingers.
But now he's in just as bad a position as before. Flanked on both sides, enemies springing to ambush him, and blocked in the front.
He can't even get back to where Luna is at this rate.
"I must... move... FORWARD!"
Vendrix realizes there is no other option and rushes the door.
Two foes move to block him.
He drops to his knees and then limbos, sliding under the first attack.
He springs to his feet, using his momentum, and rushes forward.
From here he can- ... he can-...!!!
The enemy's keratin claw catches him in the stomach on the way by and opens a nasty gash [1].
Vendrix tumbles out into the hallway, rolls to the ground, crashes into the opposite wall, and goes limp...
Then, quivering, he slowly starts to rise to his feet.
Only to find.. the enemies are following him out into the hall. "Sh... Shit... I don't want... to die... here..."
But no matter how much he doesn't want it, the end seems near.

THE PLAYERS HAVE FAILED TO BLOCK THE MELEE.
HYPER INSECTS HAVE STARTED TO SWARM THE DUNGEON IN ALL ROOMS.
THEY MUST BE DEALT WITH OR THEY WILL ASSAULT THE PARTY AT THE END OF NEXT TURN.
EVERY PLAYER IN CRITICAL CONDITION MUST MAKE A POST CONFIRMING THEIR ATTEMPT TO SURVIVE THE MELEE
THESE PLAYERS, WHETHER THEY PASS OR FAIL, WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO STOPPING THE SWARM
THIS WILL ONLY BE ENOUGH TO KEEP THEM ALIVE
MEANING YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PLAYERS TO PUSH THE HYPER INSECTS BACK

[HINT: If you have special items to assist you, now is the time to use them.]
---

Luna finds herself surrounded on all sides now.
All of her support, the allies she brought with her, were dropped in a matter of seconds.
In fact, only a single Hyper Insect has been killed. It was the one she killed initially.
The opponents, sensing her as a threat, hesitate. Just briefly. They are unsure what to do.
They want to study Luna. To find a way to exploit her. Design a strategy to take her down.
If she moves first they might be able to take advantage of her flank and injure her, as they did with the others.
And if she gives in to fear then they can-
"... HIGH SCORE!" Luna cries out. She throws herself forward without a single thought for caution or strategy.
Luna's axe crashes into the insect in front of her, crumpling his body into the shape of a giant raisin.
She slams the opponent so hard that she ends up backing him into the control panel and destroying that too.
Her axe tears through the metal contraption and she surges forward, vaulting over it.
There's some strange Ancient technology in here, most of it is probably fragile, but Luna doesn't have a care in the world.
She was about to set the High Score for most Hyper Insects killed in a single melee.
She lands on her feet on the other side and with a cleaving motion takes down two more enemies.
Pulp, bug parts, broken shells, and brains go flying as she spins and whirls about.
By the time Luna comes to rest, needing to catch her breath, she has taken down six of the opponents alone [3].
Because she felt no fear there was nothing they could do.
Because she fought without any style they couldn't find a strategy to count it.
Now, Luna, is trapped alone in the room with the Hyper Insects that haven't flooded the hall.
Only... the way they hang back and hesitate to charge her...
It felt more like they were trapped in there with Luna!

[Luna's Class has changed to Berserker]

Grigorov will examine Slip, the being made of darkness.
Slip presses its body against the glass and stretches out its form.
Grigorov gets an odd, cold feeling from this creature.
As in, he actually starts to shiver.
This is the Lonely Demon of Frost.
Apparently one of the first experiments performed with the Demon Souls was binding them to constructs.
This was the result of one of those experiments.
A creature that is no longer a Demon, but a mere slave to the one who created it.

Carwen will examine Quietly, the being made of Straw.
It acts lethargic and goes to rest near the bed. It doesn't seem to want to play anymore.
As with Slip, this Demon of Wonder has lost its purpose in life and its autonomy.
For that reason it does not seem all too interested in what is going on outside of the cells.

Sunday comes over and shatters the glass.
Slip, Quietly, and Tender will exit the Refrain Room and go wait near the Compass.
You may interact or speak with them now.

Dee will unmask herself and confront Short.
She prepares herself for the worst but seems... well, it's unclear.
Short can't decide if he is being taunted or if she is trying to reach a compromise.

Remulel goes to Passage V.
The passage moves around the corner and reveals two additional doors.
Door 9 and Door 1 are revealed.
On the way is an opening that leads through a broken down door.
This was formerly a Security Room, but it's more apt to call it the Centipede Room now.
All that remains of the former security officers are skeletons, long since stripped of flesh.
You see the shiny glimmer of a small treasure hoard.
However, camped around it, is a colony of giant centipedes.
If you wish to go in here it might be a good idea to clear out the enemies first.
---

Short makes a decision.
As far as he can tell it's a bit difficult to figure out what Dee is doing.
She has made it clear, however, that she stole the Demon Soul.
And she has made it clear that she is willing to fight him.
Short... has a lot of experience fighting adventurers and explorers.
Even if it was 2,000 years ago, before he was captured, some things never change.
The cardinal rule is that those who take the initiative often prosper.
He did not expect that fact to change here.
Dee had prepared to defend herself but she hadn't moved to attack him yet.
That meant the most optimal strategy was for him to make the first move!

Short thinks about saying a cool one liner, but he realizes that would give away his intentions.
Instead he merely demonstrates just how often he can use his Combustion power... and how potent it can be.
He notices that Remulel has left the room, which means he is alone here with Dee.

Short raises his hand at Dee and there's a loud sound!
Combustion triggers and flame and ash spring forth from the Demon.
Dee hardens her skin, attempting to protect herself, but even the mud shield flakes and is pulled away in a rush of hot air.
She finds her form breaking up and starting to evaporate at the molecular level.
Dee raises her tendril forward, sharpening it!
If she can only plunge this at the enemy, she could... she could...!!!!
There's orange and red and white and Dee can't see anything other than jagged lines coming her way.
Her head starts to waver and what should be her ears feel like they're going to pop and collapse inward.
The wind howls and shrieks as Combustion ramps up in power.
"I'LL RETRIEVE IT!" Short's voice carries over the sound of the explosion. "NO MATTER WHAT!"
How could she hit him when she can't even see him?
Follow the sound?
No, even that wasn't enough... Her extended tendril is melted as it approaches the source of the heat.
With no other course of action Dee attempts to back off.

Short follows her.
The furance, the inferno, the engine of heat and fire follows Dee and backs her into the corner.
Then, before long, her form fades and she sinks into the mud. Into nothing.

Short knees down, running his hand over the Ring of Utility. "No.. No... Not here..."
Finally he finds what he is looking for.
The Demon Soul is clutched tightly to him and he can sense her within a moment.
The one who this soul belonged to was known to him.
They had only met briefly before she was brought to the research wing and experimented on.
And, at that time, she never returned again. Short had always wondered what happened to her.
Now, he knew. And he would try... no he would certainly... make sure that she got home.
"Pearl..." Short examines the swirling Demon Soul, as if it would speak back to him.
But it wouldn't.
This was only a step in the right direction.
In order to save Pearl he'd have to get her out of this place first.

Jefferson, still standing near the Compass, readies his blade.
He hears the beating of approaching wings... and then sees the incoming swarm.
"Back up!" Jefferson yells. "I need back up here!"
---

[Player List]

Vendrix, Lvl 9 Cosplayer [CRITICAL, Scroll of Invisibility, Ring of Dancing +3]
Aron Rex, Lvl 12 Dog [Injury, Grappling Hook, Book of Circles]
Larrington, Lvl 10 Reborn
Gorbachev, Lvl 9 Knight [CRITICAL]
Luna, Lvl 10 Berserker
Grigorov, Lvl 10 Goblin [Ganthian Half-Mail, Small Hammer]
M, Lvl 10 Designer [Injury, Redblade Twin Daggers, Gold Eggplant]
Carwen, Lvl 9 Mineralmancer [Royal Cloak]
Morgan, Lvl 6 Futanari
Carl, Lvl 14 Determined [Injury, Icy Knight Sword, Jeweled Wand]
Morris, Lvl 12 Main Character [Fancy Darts]
Lionel, Lvl 13 Master [CRITICAL]
Remulel, Lvl 12 Fighter [Wide Sword, Wand of Suppression]


Jefferson: A Knight of Frantz. Experienced but chatty.
Mara Raiev: ...
Sunday: She is not an assassin. Has a genetic condition.
Short: A Demon who was brought here for experimentation.

DEATH LIST:
1. Torun was killed by the Hyper Insect Swarm. These are not your run of the mill generic mobs.
2. Dee challenged Short to a battle over the Demon Soul. Short wanted it more.


---

Gorbachev laments that he didn't spring any acid traps or fight children with hyper-hydrogenic squirters and regrets not bringing bug spray instead.
---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj8OjPKN9B4
---

(Demon just gets through saying he can basically one shot liquid enemies)
(Dee, the slime girl, thinks this is the best time to antagonize him)

(Use boss wand to defend when recovering loot)
(It accidentally damages allies as well)

(Bring swarm of people to melee door)
(They still fail)



Only in ITD folks!

--

so was my addition on crypt what triggered the adds or was the loot thing set?
---

Insects are down the corridor and I got hurt from that wands explosion..... M starts to think of a way out of this and remembers: Sunday was looking hungry earlier.

"Hey, Sunday!!!! I have an eggplant for you if you help me fight these Giant Insects!" M yells as she brandishes her Redblade Twind Daggers so she can fight back against these disgusting bugs.
---