Duty Session 195: Clearing Castle Eas

Today our team is attempting to clear Castle Eas. Up to now the stroll has been uneventful, but as soon as they reach a wooden bridge, they have the first orc encounter. "Ok, folks. We have to get rid of these orcs so hard they'll never want to have anything to do with us ever again. The important part is- HEY, no!", she exclaims as she notices a bunch of orcs setting fire to the support structure of a wooden arch allowing people passage over a local water duct.

Uta groans and turns to the team while pointing at the orcs. "I think they have taken 'burning bridges' too literally..."

Goldenblade is back at Castle Eas, as she'd promised Wake she would. It seems a bit odd not to go with the Baroness, but schedules are strange that way. She grimaces as the orcs are seen burning the bridge, and she shouts, "Let me get things stabilized!" Ducking in, avoiding the orcs, she works quickly to shore up the damaged areas and try to quickly make things safe.

Castle Eas is something of a special place for Proteus. The Archaeologist Imp had been helping the Baroness with her efforts to locate the place, and has been supporting her in her efforts to claim it and make it her own.

And in this respect, the Imp continues on as planned. Eas will belong to the Adventurers. The fact that there's an Orc problem to deal with simply becomes... a puzzle to solve. "Stupid Orcs." She sighs. She doesn't waste time, instead flicking her hand. An input window opens, and she quickly sketches several gestures that form shapes within: > ! J

The water from the raging river below suddenly surges higher than it has any right to, the Drown spell activating and suddenly flooding out the Orcs trying to set the timbers on fire. "These monsters only seem to exist to destroy. I wonder why that is?" She asks no one in particular.

"The Baroness must be displeased that there are some still lingering around. I wonder how many tries of this it'll take to get them packing?" The vixen's voice is musing, as she walks along beside the familiar faces; she's worked with all of them at one point or another, now. She knows they've got her back, and so she's a touch more relaxed than she should be; they're not in the Castle yet, after all.

But there does seem to be an obstacle. "I think so, too." She agrees with Uta, bringing the tip of her silver wand low. "Oh Bull of the Heavens, I beseech thee! In this time I need I make my plea! With the ancient gods' might, raise, raise the land to the heights!" The tip snaps upward - and a pair of bulls' horns made from starlight snap into being, following the motion like a steer snapping it's head up. Some of the orcs go tumbling as spikes and pillars of earth burst from the ground to fly at them... which is accompanied by a few splashes, as they tumble into the waters below.

"Oh, Monsters are supposed to be the dying Curse of the Scrapped Princesses', according to some records. I've not idea how true it is, but it's a lovely little explanation. They destroy to carry out the hateful, final desire of their makers."

Uta sighs. "I know a lot of humans like that...", she remarks to Proteus.

She slams her staff on the ground and vocalizes an aria in the lower end of her vocal range, launches into a few flourishes, up and down, and as the handle of her staff lights up and down in various colors following the contour of the melody, tendrils of color depart from its gem, and like many prehensile appendages intertwining to form a strange worm, they 'bite off' chunks of earth. Uta directs them with careful rotations of her staff and modulations of her voice, not to mention careful choice of intervals. That should help with the construction.

"Too much in this world is not to be taken at face value. There are so many people attempting to destroy worlds around here that I wouldn't be surprised if..."

Uta stops. "Ok, we are at a fork in the road here, both metaphorical and, in a sense, literal. There's the avalanche over there... or we can find a better path. I'd say it's best if we start searching right now?"

Goldenblade breathes a sigh of relief as we get past the orcs, and she looks puzzled as Estelle explains about monsters. "It's an adventure game," she says. "How boring would it be without monsters to fight?" she offers as alternate explanation. She hrms as she takes in the courtyard, nodding at Uta's comment about a fork in the road. "We had a problem here before, we coudn't find a way around," she explains. She keeps looking more closely, this time, letting her senses suffuse the earth more deeply than she'd done before. This time, she's able to help locate the hidden way, and she seems quite pleased. "Ah, here it is," she says, taking the secret way.

The vixen dusts her hands off, once the orcs have been scattered. Her wand is flicked away again, as they progress, though kept nearby; she just wants her hands free, just in case of complications. Her ears flick a little at Goldenblade's comment, though, and she tips her hand back and forth in a so-so gesture. "Yes, that's the Doylist reason; the out-of-universe 'it has to be this way for the genre'. But things have changed a lot, since the Apocalypse, and I stated one of the Watsonian theories - the in-universe ones, that make sense within the structure of this world." Her tails flick and curl behind her, hands gesturing a bit.

But they do have a challenge ahead of them, and she cups her hands at her breast. "Oh Polaris, the Guiding Light, lead us to the source of this blight." A small spark kindles there, and she lets it loose - the little, shining ball leading off in the same direction that the Blade Dancer is headed in, confirming the path. She nods and follows along.

"So do I, really. It's a pity. But it's not a universal imperative like it seems to be with monsters." Proteus replies, shrugging. "I don't hold with the whole 'it is people who are the true monster' concept that gets advanced from some quarters."

The bridge problem is resolved with some quick thinking from those present, and Proteus smiles as they pass over and through the danger. "You're right that little can be taken at face value. Even scratching the surface of any number of issues brings up mysteries that I would have found... unexpected in this kind of environment."

It's at this point that Proteus produces a strange contraption that, when activated, produces a sweeping beam of light. "I'll look into what we can do to get through this." She says, leaping up onto a nearby ledge and quickly creeping along, the light swivelling and pointing to locations that the Imp leaps to, grappling onto and pulling herself along to locate a secondary path.

As she does so, she calls back, "For example, let's talk about the Scrapped Princesses. How much do we really /know/ about them? What was their true purpose? Were they simply monstrous beings as the legends say? Why don't we even know their names? How much of the legends of this world can we afford to take at face value?"

After Uta followed the path pointed out by Goldenblade, the team found itself on a mountain path whose directions are encoded in mysterious symbols and traces of light and dark elemental magic.

Uta cracks her knuckles. "I guess it is time to find our way around..."

She flips her magic staff, round top now pointed at the ground, at an angle. She swings it around while modulating a circular song that oscillates to and froo, while she sweeps the ground for signs of Darkness, as if her staff was a Metal Detector.

Goldenblade hrms as we get past the secret entrance, confused at Estelle's reply. "What's a Doylist reason?" She smirks at Proteus, and says, "That's the sort of thing you have to say in real life, because there's no orcs and bugbears and dragons to fight. Just people, so people become your monsters. It takes a certain kind of person to fight actual people, but anyone will fight monsters. Even if monsters are people too."

The path beyond seems confusing, with multiple ways to proceed. The symbols left to guide people are not something she understands, and she's got no connection with the traces of magical light. Darkness, on the other hand, sometimes shows her a way, and as long as she can sneak that way, there'll be a way to find. Or at least clues on which way to proceed.

"Oh, yes, we know surprisingly little. Which truly is a pity, yes, given that there are hints here and there that not all of them are gone. Though I don't have enough to verify that implication, or to tell whether or not it's a matter of 'that is not dead which can eternal lie', or if the Heroes of ages past just missed one who went into hiding, biding her time." There's a shake of the fox's head, and a brief flattening of her ears. "If it is the second, it makes one wonder what they're been doing all this time..."

"As for taking things at face value? No, we really shouldn't. History is written by the victors. But they're all starting points for investigations. Clues, to indicate that there is something to look for." A smile plays along her lips. "It's one of the joys I have, these days. Chasing down leads, finding secrets... digging into mysteries and illuminating them in the light of the stars."

But then they're moving into dark halls, and she shakes her head - reaching out a hand to the little ball of guiding light from her last spell, making small, gathering motions around it - slowly teasing out some of the Light magic lingering her to attune and guide it, in leading them forward still. And providing hands-free illumination, as well. Torches are so clunky. "Like I said, Doylist is the out-of-universe reason. In this case, the game mechanic that there has to be something for the player to fight."

Once past the threat of the avalanche-choked pass, Proteus ducks into the secret passageway revealed there. "Secret passages... A common feature of castles. Thankfully, they often go both ways." There is a little chuckle at that as they proceed... But Proteus holds up a hand, the strange light in her hand pointing at a small carving next to one of the passages. "Markings. Waysigns, likely. One moment."

She pokes around at one passage, then the next, examining each intersection in detail. Once she knows where to look, it becomes a matter of logic and intuition. As she works, she hums away, seemingly enjoying the challenge of deducing the answer. "Have we found any monsters that are people?" Proteus replies to Goldenblade. "There was one monster I found that could talk, but he simply attempted to deceive and betray us. They seem almost universally motivated by malice, even the more intelligent ones."

There is a little chuckle when Estelle invokes Lovecraft. "You, too, hmm? Maybe we can make common cause sometime. Many of us seek to find answers for the present and future in the past, especially since so much of it tends to have things lying around that we can use to apply to said problems. If we're going to live in this world, we need to make the most of it, don't you think?"

She points, then. "This way. We're following this marking."

The mine leads the party through the mountains and out on a road that follows the edge of a cliff. This road eventually rises to provide an amazing view of the Castle Eas itself and the vast waterfall it is built upon. Racing along this path eventually leads the party to the entrance of the Castle, which proves to be a sealed portcullis. Upon it are a score of orcs, who start firing upon the party with large crossbows. The party will need to use air to lift the portcullis, shielding to protect themselves, and their own ranged attacks to lay waste to the orcs as they proceed through the gate and into the castle.

Uta clutches her staff. "Alright people, time to give those orcs some-AWRGH!" She isn't done speaking, which an arrow plants itself right into her shoulder, which glows red around the point of impact.

The good news: They make it through the mines.

The bad news: The orcs have fortified positions. The sight of the fusillade incoming causes the Imp to frown, and she gestures. "I'll handle the incoming barrage. I'll leave the rest to you three. We've got this."

+ U K

"Let's see you get past this. Can you find a way past my defensive pattern?" Proteus announces, a buff icon appearing on her status as she grins with a sharp, sharklike demeanor. She rushes forwards, darting back and forth as she spins, catching bolts and deflecting them off of her bracers with precision, parry flashes appearing over and over while she continues flipping back and forth to provide very distracting coverage for the others to force their way in.

Goldenblade is puzzled by Estelle's reply, but nods agrement with Proteus. "Mostly they don't seem to speak human languages, I've heard," she says, following her as we move along to the portcullis. "Argh," she sighs, staying behind cover while we plan out our assault. When she darts forth, she goes to the portcullis, trying to raise it, but she gets shot with arrows pretty badly before she and Uta can get it up and the others can finish them off. Proteus's shield is probably the only thing that keeps her alive. "That hurts like the devil," she complains. "Though, I guess, not as bad as it would hurt in real life."

"I think Merek has reported conversing with an undead who maintained some semblance of his mind." Estelle comments, after a moment's thought, on the topic of intelligent monsters. "Depending on the type, infected Landers seem to have a slide into madness and malice, according to an interview with a Lander who was... protected by a turned relative - she was his family, and the others 'could not have her'. Possessive. She'd noted it got worse over time."

"But I fully agree with your point on living here. That's why I'm doing some astronomical studies. Charting the course of the moons, figuring out what effects they have on the world... and using the daylight hours to investigate other secrets and legends." There's a shake of the vixen's head, as she turns her silver eyes towards the fortified position. And then quickly slides back behind Proteus, as the arrows are fended off by the Imp's flashing blades.

She studies how the other two are doing in lifting the gate, and then takes a deep breath. "... we're going to have to run the gauntlet, I'm afraid." Her wand snaps out in quick little gestures. "Oh Tiger of the West, I beseech you you dire behest. Lend us the winds of your domain, that I may show the world the strength of your reign." She lends her own efforts to helping Uta and Goldenblade get the portcullis up, against whatever protections the Orcs seem to have in place - and then starts sprinting, weaving in and out of what cover there is and taking a couple shots herself, from those not focusing on the Wavebender.

"IT STILL HURTS!", Uta yells back at Goldenblade.

The team manages to rush through the rain of arrows, large chunks of HP docked from those like Goldenblade and Uta who took an arrow to the shoulder (and elsewhere on their way there).

With the portcullis cleared, the party is able to make their way farther into the castle. The final challenge awaits inside the largest structure in the city, The Dome of Stars. The name of this place is understood when the broken door is entered. The inside of the dome is decorated with silvery stars that glow in the dimly lit chamber.

"Would you look at this...", Uta whispers in amazement, looking up at the dome. "This is exactly what we were talking about, Estelle... astronomy..."

The party has only a moment to take in the architecture before they are attacked by a massive orc boss wearing blood red armor. He wields a massive two-handed sword and moves swiftly towards the adventurers in ominous silence.

"...and monsters!" She stands at the ready, preparing to leap at the monster.

Goldenblade nods to Uta, but she advises, "Walk it off, walk it off." That's what they used to do in her day. About half the time, it worked, the other half, it made the injury worse. Following along, she's amazed at the dome we discover. She's less pleased at the sight of orcs, with a boss and his huge sword.

She knows her job, though, and she dashes in. No time for fancy footwork, she goes in and fights him hand to hand. The blows he delivers, she parries with one sword, using the other to stab him. But the blows are jarring nonetheless, and cost her hit points when she tries to block them straight on. The trick is not to parry it directly, but to catch the attack and guide it away. She does this as much as she can, using her other sword to stab and slice at the boss while they fence.

"... Mmm. This is quite the sight." The fox agrees, voice soft, on the topic of what they'd been talking about. "I wonder if the Baroness knows the origin of it, and why these were the stars they chose to represent?" Her ears flick and cant, as does her head. Which leaves her rather disgruntled, when the Orc Captain decides to ruin the moment with his dynamic entry. She gives low growl, tails bristling. She was busy!

Still, her wand snaps out in conducting motions, as she gets to work. "Oh Hunter of the Ancient Realm, my foes I ask you to whelm. Orion with your brilliant belt, with your stunning arrows pelt." It's a more drawn out Arte than she usually uses, but it has its uses. Letting her maneuver about the room, as astral bolts bloom above her and fire into the giant Orc. Sadly, they don't seem to do too much as they impact that crimson armor of his, and it leaves the vixen grumbling under her breath - especially when she wanders too close to the building orcish reinforcements, and takes some potshots to the back. A problem solved by darting back out of range, even as they soak up from of her spell's shots instead of the intended target of the boss.

Proteus believed in the power of his friends! Unfortunately, orcs cheat and they end up with... problems. Even so, Proteus seems to be capable of ENDLESSLY TALKING even when she's in the middle of combat, like some kind of Mysterious Exposition Machine.

"I appreciate Merek's dedication to his cause, but I am not entirely certain he is in his right mind considering the cursed blade he posessed." Proteus replies. "Also, madness is certainly not the same thing as what we're dealing with involving the monster threat. Landers are as capable of evil as anything else, we're trying to discuss the possibility of the concept of /inherent/ evil being built into the world in some fashion in the form of monsters. An unsettling possibility, but one we have to consider. Why would anyone want to create a world like this? What is the purpose? Is it a challenge for us to overcome? Some kind of moral lesson? Or a pointer towards a flaw in the design of the world that we have to correct? There are too many questions we have to answer here."

The subject of stars comes up, and Proteus chuckles. "You remind me that I asked someone else for a star chart some ages ago, and she never delivered despite me lending her my aid. I'll have to call upon her sometime." Thankfully, no one seems to take an arrow to the knee and thus would be obligated to retire from adventuring to a life of town guarding. As they breach the castle proper, Proteus looks around. "This place is pretty wonderous. It'll be even better once we have removed the current occupants and have restored it to its rightful glory."

The arrival of the massive orc is not unexpected. Proteus already stands ready, her hands twirling a strange dome-like array of silvery triangular tiles on a series of wireframe tracks. "We have already found the solution for one such as you." The Imp states. "Initiate the first alignment..." She spins the puzzle, the pieces beginning to clack into place as her fingers flick and flip parts of the complex device, the tiles rapidly fitting into place. While she does so, more gestures appear in one of the seemingly endless input windows that appear around her:

                                   + ) |                                    

The final piece clicks into place, and the domelike object splays open like a blooming flower, revealing the sizzling core of light that forms the essence of the Ability that Proteus invoked. "Now cast open the gate of light! BANISH!" A moment later, there is a blaze of destroying force as the Empyrial Arrow blasts forward, lancing directly for the Orc and shattering into dozens of spears of impaling radiance that shreds through the target.

"Whoever has to clean this up, later, will hate me, but..."

Uta pulls an empty bottle out of her jacket, and throws it at the Orc. As the beast reaches for it, Uta lets out a piercing shriek which blasts through the air in a shockwave, and shatters the glass into a million fragment that go deliver damage all over the beast.

Between that and Goldenblade stabbing and slicing, and even what little Estelle manages, the bar is docked far down enough that Proteus's Empyrial arrow delivers the final blow to the Monster, which shatters into a million polygons, leaving rewards where it once stood.

"Fair. You're viewing the Undead state in such cases as an enhancement of what's already possible, instead of an assertion of a new moral and mental paradigm onto them." The vixen agrees, after turning around Proteus' words in her head. "I have to say that I haven't, then, not in any way that counts." The Machina she knows is discounted; someone built her, after all, and she's not entirely sure she counts as a Monster anyway...

But then the Orc is wailing his defeat to the artificial heavens, and she lets out a sign. Her tails curl and sway behind her, as she has the time to take in the Dome of Stars and the other's words. "Oh? Who was it? I've been working at compiling my own star charts, admittedly, and another astronomer would be a welcome boon in combining our efforts to understand the heavens."

... which actually has her pulling out a piece of parchment, and slowly charting the stars arrayed in the dome above them - a good reference, to look into if they're an actual pattern and what the significance is if so.

Goldenblade boggles at Estelle. She's way deep into things here, way past Goldenblades level of comprehension. She looks to the others, though, and says, "Well, whatever, but it looks like we won, here." She eyes the quest reward, nods slowly. "Seems useful." She then says, "I guess we'd better get out of here. I have a bunch of projects hanging."