Pray Away the Spiderwebs

After a brief set of chims regarding the Gnoll situation, posts in Shibuya about the new information, and letting Uta know about the medical situation, Haru is primed and ready...

...to take a nap. He left his chim open with Uta as he fell asleep on the desk. The fatigue is real, folks. After that, he did a mimicry of waking up groggily and getting his butt to Church. The closest Root Town is a little bit away and the mage opts to sleep move of it in a caravan style wagon. Once at the Church?

"I did not burst into flames," as he enters the doors, "this is promising," as there are bags under Haru's one visible eye. Prayer. To Goddesses. Goes against so much of what he stands for. However his Pride is not going to be the reason to stay debuffed from the INFERNAL GNOLL WITH A MONOCLE. The score is 1-1. As he sits down in a pew, he hums. When /was/ the last time he tanked a Hunter's Guild request? Its been years. Lets pray on it. Or sleep on it. From his position it looks like he is doing both.

Goldenblade stuck with the group, unusually for her. Normally a mission group she's in will split up after a quest, and it's been ages since she's been on one that didn't succeed, but this one has left her pretty miserable, and she's willing to compromise her usual habits in the nature of not hurling til she's empty and then dry heaving. She doesn't have any contacts in Shibuya but it's not like hostile territory.

Sleep is fitful at best, and hunger is a thing when nothing stays down, but at least water will go down, and if it doesn't stay, some of it gets processed, at least. She will ride to the church with Haru and such of the company as have joined us, using a stout tree limb as a walking staff when she's got to stagger under her own power.

She's no stranger to churches, but in her day, that was an every Sunday thing for everyone she knew. On the other hand, people didn't get nearly as excited or extreme about it as some of the idiots lately. It's embarassing to have a bit of faith when people like that are giving religion a bad name.

The reason she looks uncomfortable is this is /technically/ worshipping false gods. Maybe. It's a gray area, she considers, because we're ostensibly in a game - she logged on, she remembers, and hasn't logged out, so we ought to still be there - so if it's in a game, it's not really worshipping, it's just 'performing a bit of gameplay that's required to achieve an effect', and with that rationalization in hand, she will follow Haru into the Church. "How's this supposed to work, then?" she wonders.

Daiyu had briefly split off from the others, most likely to confirm with her new Alliance the discovery. It was a pain in the butt to fail, but they learned something (uncomfortable) in the process and that was still important. Knowing what could happen with failure was usually a good motivator to not fail, amongst other things.

But eventually the foxwoman had drifted back amongst the group as they gathered at the Church, the effect of the curse visible in how her angular ears drooped and her tails just sort of trailed after her instead of their usual flowing undulation with her movements. Briefly shakes her head. "None of my decursing techniques have worked." That's probably the other reason she took her own way. "This is clearly meant to be cleansed by a higher power." A roll of her eyes behind her spectacles. "Why -that- game mechanic they choose to still follow..."

Goldenblade looks over to Daiyu, shrugs about other cleansing techniques. "Yeah, soap and water won't take this hurt off," she agrees, perhaps not realizing she means magical cleansing. As far as higher power, she shrugs and nods. "I'm just glad there -is- a way to undo this problem. It's wildly inconvenient, but I've had worse. I had a flu when I was a child and the medicine the doc gave me made me sicker, and I wound up in the hospital for a week."

As far as choosing the game mechanic, she shrugs, "Well, it's a reminder that failure has consequences. The game doesn't hand us failures that often and maybe we'd forgotten that it can, and what that means? At least no one died and we can cure the debuff without -too- much effort. You know, we used to say 'Pride cometh before a fall,' and I guess maybe we were a bit too cavalier about the briefing and execution on that duty, and we paid the price. Well, /a/ price. Not too steep, all things considered - after all, we're staggering back under our own power."

    Hyuga makes his way into the church, minus his weapon, shield, and armor. In his casual clothes. Curse stricken across his face. The one thing he does seem to have with him is a jar of Apple Juice, and he sips this frequently, as it seems to help him Not Fall Over. Which he seems very, very close to doing. "I really hope that this is the right sort of place to remove curses..." Leaning on the door frame, he looks around.

"It and respawning when one falls in battle seem to be their primary purpose." Really glad it didn't come to that, because Daiyu really doesn't want to risk respawning in Lumina Cloth yet. She suspects there's former comrades on the look out for any of them turning up at the Church to recrown them. Shudder. She'll deal with the obnoxious curse instead, thank you.

Goldenblade nods to Daiyu about respawning when you fall in battle. "Yeah, that would have sucked. That's what I was kind of expecting, to be honest, so to my way of thinking, we got out with a nice break considering what could have happened. We went in under-prepared is the bottom line. But now that I'm reminded how important the prep work is, I think I'll be good to go again." She pauses to dry heave, winces, sighs. "Once we get the condition cured."

Daiyu nods, closing her parasol and setting it aside. She'd take off shoes but she's not wearing any in the first place because stealthy silent fox paws. Then makes her way to one of the pews to settle into and begin praying. With the time she's spent delving into various mythologies and folklores she doesn't really have one particular religion to prescribe to, so doing so for the sake of curing an otherwise crippling and difficult status effect does not bother her much.

Goldenblade will join Daiyu in the pews. She leaves her boots on, this is kind of a like-outside place, to her way of thinking, and will join Daiyu in the pews and wait to be seen by a priest. She doesn't know any of the in-game religion, but she can be quietly reverent and wait for a priest to show up. At least between bouts of crippling nausea and other discomforts.

Haru has been deep in prayer. It looks a lot like sleeping. It isn't. The silver haired Artificer has his visible eyes closed, is very still, and taking stock in the way to clear this debuff. Let the Burning One burn away this wretched thing. The thing with quiet reflection and penance is that all the nausea is felt without a distraction. The fatigue does too. It is only too long before his blue eye opens up.

"We left with more than we lost," Haru observes as he leans back on the pew bench. He will have to 'pray' in bouts. "As uncomfortable as it is, the only way to study this kind of effect is to be afflicted with it, and it would unethical to ask someone to take it on willingly. No one died, lost memories, in the process. The research into this affliction may bring better understanding of why the Gnolls are acting as they are and how to stop it." Or take that power themselves, akin to antivenom, depending on how it works. A powerful debuff is the sort of thing that makes an Enchanter perk up.

Now he is resting, eye shutting again. "I appraised a Church once. Know what it said? Created by an Alv Moonlight Constructor. So it begs that if you or Curt focused that you too could unlock how to build your own. Alvs are great, but they are just a people." A hand gestures from the tired man's noodly arms, "Theories, mind. Theories needing validation. Validation driving direction and action, and," he yawns, "its a path without end. There is always a thing to learn here and there. Each step towards an answer only begetting more questions." He doesnt seem bothered or excited about this. He be tired.

Daiyu glances up as Haru speaks. "That is entirely true," she replies, keeping her voice low and respectful. This is a place of worship and is to be honored, even if one is not of the specific denotation it transcribes to. "We know what happens when success eludes our grasp... and why it is best to be avoided. For some of us, that was the first venture on that duty. Now we can be more prepared next time." Then she lowers her head to finish her praying, which looks like some manner of meditation. Fitting, as the two practices are intertwined to a degree.

Haru explains in a low voice, "Third time for me. First time getting a curse." He continues, "My fellow commander made a big thing about it during the whole," Haru taps his head where a Crown was, "war was going on. Speaks well for the resourcefulness of the Yamato Adventurers to handle a Gnollish threat, climb the Tower, and win a war on local soil." His eye opens up, "We do what we can where we can to the degree to wish to. Which meant leading more people into that forest." Another yawn. "They keep coming back and current accounting is the Sand Gnoll is the one evading us and keeping the final door from opening. Still, if we get cursed by the Aquatic Gnoll, it'll fetch good information for those that study Enchanting and Pharma." He already appraised what he could. Involved others with Loremaster and Pharma that could help.

"Still, there is something odd about the Alv race. Something special," Uta comments, abruptly. One moment she wasn't there, and right now - there she is! Spriggan Sneaking, it's racial; that's not a willing effort to hide her tracks, that's just how she moves about. And whispers, in this case. Just like with Daiyu, there's a sense of reverence in Uta's behaviour.

In addition to her usual fare, today the Nurse is carrying a bag with medical equipment and supplies slung over her shoulder. She is also wearing an armband with the symbol of the Red Chain around it. "We once lucked upon a tiny bit of living Alv tissue. We had an extremely short amount of time to preserve it, so we went straight for the most obvious solution: feed it to a slime. Nope, incompatible. The slime exploded. Tried grafting it onto a labrat. One of my works of most impressive qualty." A disheartened head-shake. "No good grafting it on animals either. Rat shattered. Sample lost." A sigh. "Plus, we've been researching into the machinery that goes into making relics. Built, depending on whom you listen to, by either 'The Alv' or 'Helba', a curious name that keeps popping up everywhere. She turns out to be the creator of the Crystal Tower, as an 'Experimental Facility and Defense Weapon'. She also created the Crowns of Control, among other things." Realizing she's wandered off the main line of discussion, she backpedals, "Whoops, I've wandered off the main line of discussion. Please let me backpedal. Uhm... where was the main line of disc- oh, right. Device involved in one of the steps of relic creation. We have tried using it, but we failed. We are not sure why we cannot use it, but we feel we lack some sort of 'permission'... and/or, possibly, something inherent to the Alv people."

After a respectful bow to the sanctity of the location, she places the bag down onto the nearest bench, and begins to rummage into it. "That said... we do not know if the Alv -innately- got to that point, or they grew into it somehow."

She looks into people's faces for the first time, and seeing the markings, she goes, "Ow. Ow. OW!", at each different face she sees. "That doesn't look good. Eeeuch. E-" Pause. "Do I know you?", she asks Daiyu.

Goldenblade seems intrigued at finding out that churches were made by Moonlight Constructor. "That -is- interesting," she agrees thoughtfully. "Building a new Church, though. Would that turn a town into a Root Town?" she wonders. But the idea seems to interest her. "Maybe I should see what I can study about this church and see if I can build something like it? But there'll be more than building it, it'd have to be some new region that didn't have one."

She nods to Daiyu, agreeing also, "I second not repeating that. With that foresight, I think we can plan future expeditions. So are we waiting for the priests or will someone be coming to help us out?" She hrms to Haru, and listens to both haru and Daiyu without speculatng herself. This is way past her ability to guess."

Uta's arrival startles her, but she's not quite sure what to say.

Daiyu remains in her meditation... until the mention of the Crowns of Control by name catchs her interest. "Created, but I feel someone else managed to reproduce them for the use in the Palace Lands." She opens one eye, which focuses on Uta. The Slime Girl. The one who's methods were so chaotically unorthadox she could not calculate an appropriate strategy against. She considers. This may be more of that confusing nature... or maybe she just is not recognizable as an enemy without the Crown upon her head. "We have crossed paths before," she decides on for an answer. "But that is not really important." Leave the past in the past. She's got a future to look towards. No need to stir up feelings over other things.

"That is another point of interest. I've ment many adventurers who have relics... and it seems like there are -duplicates- around. I know of different people who possess instances of the same relic," she continues. "Not only there is a way to create relics, through the use of many devices -- there is a way to -duplicate- them." She rubs her chin. "The question is... who would go through the hassle of giving us relics... and -why-."

"By the way, in case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm Uta Furore, Aerialist, Musical Kung-Fu Nurse and member of the Loosely Organized Open Network of Students-", followed by a mumbled, "we really need a name with a better acronym," before resuming a cheerful (yet respectful, given the location) tone, "pleased to meet you!", she says.

She narrows her eyes at Haru. "Careful with those Gnolls. Have I ever told you about my attempt at Loremastering Roarschach's experiments?"

Haru is surprisingly accepting of the nuances of defeat. "Our team did well. Those that learn from it and return stronger become forged of stronger stuff," he says in his normal Haru levels of platitudes. The Artificer is aware of how that comes off as he closes his eye, "A stronger focus on evasive and defensive skills early on will afford us the room for offense. Members going in next time will need be reminded that as it will save valuable mana and health during the traps. Gnolls also favor distance, so Ranged capabilities, and are profained so that an understanding of the Dark element will prepare." There, substance to the statement. Having to go all academic looked draining. Eye closes.

"You have," Haru says and leaves it at that. Being ejected from the Forest is downright fortunate compared to having the Red Light protection removed and being experimented on. "However, I don't think anyone was being careless. Ill prepared? Perhaps. Biting off more than we could chew? Sure. But it is an Adventure. There will always be risks and the biggest risk is to take none at all." He hums, "Helba. Keep running into that name. I did find her on the Crown of Control but thats it. The rumors of her saving people's biscuits during a Tower raid. I still hold 'create artifacts' as a stretch goal." Artificer life. Yawn. Tired Artificer Life. "At least I got to burn the Sniper Gnoll to a crisp with the power of my newly Bonded Divine Beast pact." He rumbles, "So much metascience, of course what do you expect when literal magic is a guiding law of Alba. Makes me wonder if thats the real stopper behind things like Flight, Undersea Travel, and TNT." Not that he wants TNT, but can think of more than one person who would take joy in throwing literal bombs around.

"Please correct me if I am wrong, but as far as I know," Uta comments while rummaging in her bag, "Undersea Travel is not removed in the same way Flight is. There just are these ridiculously overpowered monsters called Leviathans that will annihilate anyone who tries. And while it is true that there are monsters called Guardians that will fly away from the tower and try to stop anything decently sized from flying through, well, merciless suppression..." Pause. "There's the thing where us winged races cannot -fly at all- like, according to Lore, we used to." Mumble. Grumble. "...And what's that about TNT again?"

"I am not sure, Paula," she hesitates, in the direction of Goldenblade. "I am starting to suspect that the Remnants of the Old World is what powers the whole thing." She extracts her hands and with a frown of concentration, she begins gesturing. "Think about it. According to what the Palace Landers told us, as we die more and more, we lose more and more memories of the Old World, we become less and less like Adventurers. We eventually inspect as, and believe ourselves to be, Landers. One death after that? Poof, gone. Curious how a Root City seems to be powered by something so similar to what 'powers', so to speak, us Adventurers, in a sense?" She looks up and away. "Under the hypothesis that this -is- a New World, and not just a simulation, I am, at this point, even wondering if Churches, or the light within, aren't just 3D printers for Adventurers. That's how we respawn after we die, right?"

Silence. And 'Paula' gets another question, "...do you think you can Inspect the Church with your Construction Skill, the way I inspect people with Pharmacy? To sort of... diagnose, or learn from them?"

Goldenblade hrms to Uta about the remnants of the old world. "I'm not sure what that is," she explains. She nods about the news from the Palace Landers about dying, but can only shrug about simulations and about a new world. "I dunno about any of that," she agrees, a bit too cluelless about the gameworld aspect to even speculate on whether it's one thing or another. "I can only react to what I see and know. It's not a very good game in some respects, I think, but overall it's not terrible."

As far as inspecting Churches with Construction, she says, "I hadn't considered it. But it's probably worth doing. If I can /make/ one, that would be spectacular. But definitely a remarkable project."

"My name is Daiyu," replies the fox to Uta. Maybe the name will stir some memories. Maybe not. It isn't really important. "Also known as the Black Jade Fox." Most of the other titles she's had don't really apply anymore.

Then on the topic of losing memories and self she grimaces stoicly. "I can confirm it is true. I can... confirm it has been used -intentionally- by some of the Kingdoms to get more rebellious individuals under control, until they no longer remember being an Adventurer or why they were being rebellious. It was... horrifically effective."

She doesn't want to think about how many cases she may of contributed to, being one who hunted down dissadents and 'killed' them, who knows who met them at the spawn point to cause farther horrors after she'd done so. But it was better to make acts of pentence than wallow in miserable pasts.

Miho had come to the Chruch today she wasn't sure why either she was clad in her more battle dress the black brestplate over her orange and black clothingtail swishing as she goes. She does catchup to the group and titls her head a little bit along with her tail as she listens for a moment.

"Miho Mithrilscale Black Smith in Yamato and on Earth."

She grins at Daiyu.

"Good to see you all and that's some serious heavy stuff your talking about mind if i join you?"

Goldenblade winces at Daiyu having used to hunt down rebellious players, but would concur about making positive acts being better than wallowing in misery. She nods a greeting to Miho, a fellow crafter, and looks curiously around the Church now that Uta has clued her in. /If/ she could build one, that would be an amazing feat. Not just of service to the new Kingdom, but it'd be a shift in game dynamics if she could build a game structure that had the game structure powers. "It probably would need a Hacker to give it the proper powers," she surmises.

"Even if you cannot replicate all the 'code' of a Church's functions," Daiyu muses, tapping a fingertip on her chin idly, "It would be another place for people to gather and commune, and that is not a bad thing either." She gives a nod in greeting to Miho as the shortsmith arrives.

Miho says "Humm hacker huh then what hunt down Proteus or that lady who helped the Tower Raiders on floor ten. As for that not a bad idea no. My experiance in the American Midwest had churches used for points for everything from parties some of their festivals. Could be good to have a multi function place right?"

Goldenblade hrms to Daiyu and Miho both, but says, "It's my understanding that Landers don't generally have anything to do with the churches, they're just support for players. But I will give it a solid and detailed Inspction once we can get cured." She nods to Miho, agreeing, "That's how I grew up as well. I could make a building with several functions, though lately, housing refugees might be the most important aspect."

Daiyu at the moment retreated back to her corner and resumed praying/meditating. It has certainly helped her to feel better, curse or not. And she's got a lot on her mind still to meditate over.

Miho says "Yeah it was an experiance, Japan felt crampt ever since I returned there if I'm being honest. Glad the family land's wasn't in a city."

She notes with a grin there.

"You need anything Daiyu hit me up if you need anything that needs a smith for."

    Hyuga makes his way further inside to find a curse removal individual, and sits in one of the front pews to wait. He had never been one for religious fervor outside of the game, and inside he had yet to see definitive proof of the divine. Rather, he saw Light as another coded implementation, and did not care to make it a divinity. He could be seen struggling to stay awake, alert, and upright, as the curse's affects wracked his body.

    It's a guarantee: At least once a week, and likely more often, Miyako will be /late/ for something. It might be a date, it might be a raid, it might be something in between, but it happens. But at least she gets there eventually.

    And, as often as not, she drags Kotono with her. Or Kotono drags her along.

    In this case, she's been searching for an alternative solution to remove the gnollish curse. Having utterly failed at this, and spent an uncomfortably large amount of money on it, she finally has given up and let herself be dragged off to the church....

Miho looks over to Hyuga and waves her tail at him tiling her head a bit.

"You all right? You don't look so good."

She does seem concerned at this stare of afrair she'll get over to him and looks over to Miyako ho doesn't seem so good either.

"Err so what happened to you two?"

Haru is also still in the church. The Artificer is alternating between napping and praying, though not a huge fan of either. Debuff don't care. Debuff requires BOTH. That is until the Goddess remove it. Now Serving Curse Removal Applicant number 42, will number 42 please step up to the confessional.

Kotono's been here for the most part, but she's been keeping quiet, only taking the time to pray silently as she feels better when she's praying silently. All the while she's hoping that this curse will wear off. "Personally," She mutters after a prayer, "I think I was cursed before I even started that thing!" Kotono sighs before returning to her prayers.

Miho looks to the group for a moment and peers "Curse what did you all anger?" She actually looks concerned and is taking it seriously it seems.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

    Nodding to Miho, Miyako sighs softly as she walks closer. "Gnolls," she explains simply. "A mad scientist of some sort." She shrugs and finds a place to settle, relaxing a bit. "Is the priestess about?"

    Hyuga speaks up. "Curse from an enemy... exhausted. Fatigued. Kinda wish I had stocked up on something pharma-related before I left the farm." He's dead tired, but he sips his juice and tries to look less than dead. "Can you remove curses? If not, we just get to wait for someone who can." He waves vaguely at Miyako in agreement. "Or that."

Taking a break from her prayers, Kotono goes to sit with Miyako. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Gnolls knew we were coming and put a curse on us in advance." She sighs. "Hopefully my prayers will help, or at least I can find a priest to help me!"

    Miyako sighs softly and reaches over to clasp Kotono's hand. "For all I know, they did. They definitely weren't following any sort of programmed script, that's for certain." She leans a little closer to her friend. "I think things are ... becoming more real, if that makes sense."

Nodding a little, Kotono replies, "I have to say you're right." She sighs. "I don't know if it's a virus or what, but I don't like it one bit!" She leans into Miyako a little as if this is making her uncomfortable.

Miho sighs "I'll go fetch you all some food and drink I'll be back in a little bit."

She will get up and head for the door intent to return later carrying food and the drink for the group

    Hyuga opens his Inventory and scrolls through his F_R bag. "I... I have a few things here that I can make for everyone..." Crafting on the fly isn't easy, but simple items can be made quite potent if one has the right skills, and Hyuga seems to have a good grasp of Farming, at the very least. Apple Juice set to the side, he starts to make a sandwich. Simple, efficient, and it won't drain him of any more precious stamina.

    Miyako sighs softly, nodding. "I doubt it's a virus, hon," she says, patting Kotono's hand. "It's more... moving away from the game, and towards reality. Like they're real beings, rather than just pre-programmed mobs."

Goldenblade returns from the back, no longer showing the debuff. "Ah, you guys are still waiting? I went and found a priest, but if you ask them, they can do a thing that removes the debuff. Like a blessing sort of thing, but it works." And it gets her out of calling it magic. "Anyhow, I am so dragged out, I'm definitely feeling seventy five. I'm gonna find a hotel and crash." So, she will head out.

    Miyako nods quietly as she hears Goldenblade's explanation. "I suppose I had best talk with them as well," she agrees. It's her first time, really, interacting with the local religions beyond the most casual of things. "I hope they aren't picky about our following their faith."

    If they were, surely somoene would have said something by now. It's been two years, after all.

    That said, she gets up to make her way through the door where Goldenblade appeared from.

"I was supposed to be one of them," Uta mentions to Daiyu, casually. "Sentenced to multiple deaths by Sheriff Shirin. Thank goodness that didn't materialized." She glances sideways. "His wording was pretty ambiguous about what he originally wanted to do to me. At first I thought it was something about re-education. Then I feared they wanted to Crown me. But then, it seems like they 'place the Kingdom's True Ruler's Wishes upon those who bear them, and empower them in their employ.'" A sideways glance. "So that was probably not what they'd have done to me... unless they had means to make me switch." A tap of her chin. "Which brings up the topic of the True Ruler. I have this gut feeling that at least Queen Laira Lorelei is not the True Ruler of the Rosenheim Kingdom. I'd like to know-" Silence. She blinks at Daiyu. "You seem to know a lot about what is going on in the Palace Lands."

"Hey, Miho!", Uta beams at the newly arrived Adventurer, "please join us!" And then, to Goldenblade, "It would, indeed, be amazing. But first, as said, it probably makes sense to understand what the existing Churches are, what their purpose is, how they work... that alone is not an easy endeavour."

Haru is called for his time with a Priestess after a lengthy wait. The silver haired human disappears for a time, but when he is finished he makes note he is going to let his body sleep off the rest of it and restart fresh the next day. Going to wreck his sleep schedule for sure otherwise.