Labyrinth Forest: Baphomet

Labyrinth Forest. A maze of forest, bushes, greenery, and filled with monsters. Many of them at this point are something the adventurers can ignore, or easily dispatch. But those who have come here before are well aware that this place is dangerous for a rare few unique beasts.

As the group passes by a small trio of Bun-Buns - watching them with their red beady eyes - they are led by the small Cerberus pet that Setsuna has brought. It keeps running up ahead a bit, turning around, barking at Setsuna, and then waits for them to catch up each time.

There's the sense that the hound knows where it's bringing them. Eventually bringing them to a small ruined set of white stones, with a broken flute laying within it, and a few items that identify this as the last resting place of The Whisperer. But the hound is not bringing them there. When they dilly-dally at that location, it runs ahead a bit further.

Moving deeper, they find as a plant suddenly closes around a young child, forming a prison-like figure with stalks holding her - being placed there by a large creature with goat legs, carrying a large axe against its shoulder, turning towards the arriving Adventurers with a confused look on its face as it stares at the Cerberus - which barks and breathes some fire against its furred hooved legs.

The Baphomet Jr seems unimpressed.

It isn't common that Kita is volunteered for various duties when it comes to the interests of Scale Emblem. In this case, while she had some idea of what caused this expedition, she isn't as invested as some others, perhaps. The Imp seems a bit dubious about following a monster into a dungeon, but it seems like Setsuna knows what he is doing. Or is faking it pretty well.

"I hope that whatever it is you dragged me halfway across Yamato for is worth it." She pushes her glasses up on her nose, occasionally doodling some bit of local flora or fauna in her sketchbook. It isn't until they start approaching what is likely the lair of the monster, that she tucks that away, exchanging it for her spellbook.

The sight of the Baphomet is... unsettling to say the least. If this is the weaker version, she doesn't want to even imagine the power of a full fledged version. "Why do I let myself get dragged into these fool quests?" Kita murmurs to herself.

She channels up a bit of dark magic, forming a ball of arcane energy in her hand, and then lobs it towards the Baphomet. "Get the kid out." She seems to have volunteered to be part of team 'distract the monster'.

    Setsuna was very proud of his tracking puppy, and everytime it turned to get his attention there may have been some treats tossed. A head pat here and when they get to the ruined set of white stones the puppy gets belly rubs before it runs off further. This wasn't the only pet he brought with him , there was the skeleton knight and tied to the skeleton knight's back, as if it was the knight's child was the cursed doll that had brought them here. Looking over at Kita Setsuna nods his head, " Yes I have brought us all here to return that doll to the poor little girl that lost it, also maybe avenge her by killing the monster that ate her or something like that. "
     Setsuna really wasn't sure what they would find when they got down into the pit of the Baphomet. There is a sense of relief though when he sees the child. " Oh thats good the kid is alive. " Speaking of kid where is the puppy, oh there it is barking at the Baphomet. Head tilting back and forth for a moment he takes a deep breath and gives a whistle to call the pupppy back before making a clicking sound and slashing his and through the air. With a clicking sound the skeleton knight charges at the plant, the sword glowing with dark energy aiming to cut through the prison. "It's for the children"

    Labyrinth forest. Mizuki starts out cheerfully humming Beware The Forest's Mushrooms, but eventually gets tired of repeating it over and over. "Awww!" she spies the bunbuns, but isn't foolish enough to go start trouble with them. When they reach the items that belonged to the Whisperer and that mark its resting place, she Appraises them to see what can be learned.

    Suddenly after that, though... a child is being held prisoner? "Hey!" Then she blinks. "A Baphomet Jr. was this large...?? It's so hard to tell with the sprites. A Baphomet must be *huge*..." Since she hasn't engaged it yet, she takes her time trying to sneak around behind it while others initiate combat, before pouncing it from behind with daggers and claws, a solid, semi-reliable intro maneuver!

Schneider has volunteered to help out Setsuna again, but he's been involved on the edge of this already, using his knowledge of scipture to help out with the research. Now, he follows the pup and the rest of his guildies, looking around and thoughtfully. He makes to fireball the bunbuns, he knows how savage they can be, but when no one else treats them aggressively, he'll leave off. The stones with the flute looks like an interesting clue also, but the pup leads us past that also, and do the prisoner and the goat-legged person. Nothing fancy, just a quick, "Tai to ro! Blow my enemy away! ANTHEM!" and a blast of fire towards the figure that dares ... what exactly is it daring? He just attacked because everyone else was.

Some chapters are best brought to a close sooner rather than later. As much as studying Setsuna's sleepless state has been quite enlightening, the fact remains that having a cursed doll of /any/ stripe freeloading around his city without paying the requisite fees and taxes is absolutely unacceptable on the long term. "It's not so bad," he answers Kita, "Just think of it as doing a good deed. After all, if it wasn't for us, Setsuna would be haunted indefinitely!"

There's a beat as the doctor considers the spooky scary skeletons that unlive in Setsuna's company.

"Ah. More haunted? Hm." Why are so many of Setsuna's pets terrifying monsters!? At least the Cerberus Puppy is cute, even if it does tend to gnaw on his shoes sometimes. "Ah," there's something in this clearing. A familiar flute. Are they... too late...? Will Setsuna have to raise the fallen music-maker as a skeletal fiddler or something...?

But the hellhound leads them further. Soon, they find themselves face to face with the monster itself. It's... big. Bigger than expected, by some. Prophylaxis does not seem surprised, but he does seem concerned. "Keep the beast busy," he directs, weaving his hands in arcane gestures as a pillar of stone erupts underfoot, then falls horizontally...

...Then /explodes/ as a cannonball-like slug of molten rock slams into the solidest part of the prison plant. "We'll deal with the plant."

Kita manages to get some pictures of some important plants. Including one in particular that keeps changing colors. Blue to green to red to purple to white and back around again. It's like some kind of rainbow flower, no doubt affected by some kind of strange magic, or having an oily skin that reflects oddly in the sunlight that manages to breach the heavy overgrowth above them.

Mizuki in the meantime, manages to figure out some hints on the last moments of The Whisperer and his terrible attempts at creating items to deal with the monsters. Ones that have been highly ineffective and in fact have generally just made things worse.

----

Kita's corrupting orb of darkness splashes against the Baphomet Jr's head, bursting apart and consuming it in darkness for a moment, before there's a sudden light. Its eyes lightning up even amidst the dark arcane energy surrounding it for that moment - and searing through the arcane shot. A blazing ray burning its way towards Kita, lancing across the ground and following her as it begins to move forward, undeterred by the heavy assault!

Interupting the beam for a moment, is the convalescent energy of Setsuna's Soldier Skeleton. Blocking the beam for a moment with that sword before it reaches that plant and cuts into its vines! The thing wobbles and trembles at this might, and the emmaciated child within makes a few rough throat noises, unable to make proper sounds in reply. But she's seeing a Skeleton Knight cut towards her, so she's rather frightened by this! It doesn't help that the next strike bites through the plant - Prophylaxis's molten slug tearing a hole through it higher up on the plant - but not yet giving enough space for the girl to get out. The plant however, is quickly dropping in health!

Startled by this sound, the Baphomet turns, spotting Mizuki just in time, and brings the pole of the Scythe behind itself, blocking the blades before they can find lethal purchase! Still, this gives Schneider the chance he needs the erupt flame across its body, weakening it and causing the Baphomet Jr to flinch. It's a few moments, before its Scythe comes around, trying to cut Mizuki in twain as flames begin to follow the path of the Scythe, and as it finishes the cut, a ring of flame bursts out from its position, before it lifts its scythe...

And a flaming rock begins to descend from the skies!

Only to begin dropping right over the Adventurers. The molten rock splitting apart, sailing onto their positions. The speed of the Meteor intensely great - difficult to avoid. Yet each time the pieces of the 'meteor' drop to the ground, it sends up such a wave of debris, the flames never stay long enough.

While under most circumstances, few would consider Kita brave, being willing to distract the Baphomet is certainly a far cry from where she had been a year ago. The Black Mage has a nervous energy to her as she does her best to ward off the attacks that are sent her way.

However, that meteor-like attack is something even her best shields won't do anything against. So she tries to dodge behind a nearby tree. A tree which is taken up by the roots, tangling her underneath them.

The Imp tries to pull herself free, but her dress is caught in the branches, causing her to be forced to make a quick decision. So, she starts to try to cast from where she is, hoping it will give her enough time to get herself free afterwards.

A huge ball of dark energy radiates from her hands, launching at the monster, seeming larger than the last, but lacks some of her usual... finesse. Enough so that it likely isn't going to hit the target at all.

Schneider throws up his best shield when flaming rock falls from the sky, shouting, "Damedo! Magic Shield!" But the falling rocks punch hard through it, and he's losing HP fast, dodging and weaving to avoid the meteor pieces, taking more hits than is good. It was a ... well, it was a try, but he would have had to have much better luck than he has.

"Slayer, slayer, dark thunder of Balmor! Bal Volt!" Fire leaps from his hands, impacting Baphomet repeatedly. The HP hits are small, but they continue as Schneider lays in with the fire.

    Mizuki's eyes widen in surprise and her tail goes bushy as her pounce is blocked by the scythe. As she lands and tries to recover, she's cut down... thankfully, without more cosmosphere shenanigans, her body 'only' takes HP damage no matter how grievous the wound should be. The glowing red scar runs all the way down her body. She scrambles to her feet and... runs, trying to keep away from the ensuing meteors with little success, throwing kunai at the baphomet jr in hopes of keeping it on the defensive...

    Setsuna is ready to blink his way to safety all the way out of the dungeon if he needs to and then he sees the cerberus puppy still barking at the Baphomet jr, and the necromancer must use the only shield technique he can think of as he rushes to put his body over the puppies before the falling rocks of fire and explosions start to hit. Wrapping them both in a layer of earth Setsuna takes all the damage as they are tossed across the battlefield. Standing up slowly, he looks towards the prison that is still in tact enough. Drawing his dagger , puppy in one arm, dagger in other he throws it towards the prison hoping to provide any extra damage that his knight isn't already doing. " Doc if you see an opening, grab the kid. " A plant that is actually a prison could regrow if they decided to ignore it for to long after all.

Rocks fall! Everyone dies!

Or rather, rocks are summoned out of the heavens by a wrathful Baphomet who, even in its youth, is not a creature that aught to be underestimated. The doctor's eyes widen at the sight, and his hands rise to turn his makeshift cannon into an even more makeshift barrier. It does little to help, the meteor slamming down hard into his jury-rigged bulwark and turning it into a cloud of shredding shrapnel which nearly tears his HP bar in two.

"Ugh. Right, priority is the child," Prophylaxis agrees, drawing in a sharp breath. He lets his eyes fall closed, his shoulders relaxing. When he exhales, it emerges from his lungs as a fine, frosty mist. Around the plant, the weather turns even more wintery than it already is. A shroud of biting cold chills the green fronds and bids them to sleep as the winter demands. "Come," he says in a voice that reverberates as if cast from a high mountain. "Come with me," he says again, extending a hand into the blizzard to reach for the child within. "We're getting you out of here, one way or another...!"

The Baphomet, large as it is, indeed is just the junior variety. Yet, its power is undeniable! And the group present is but a small party here to free the girl! Under assault by the cascading stones from above, devastating the small opening they are in - ripping apart trees and small hills - the team is being scattered!

Kita's powerful ball of darkness covers its head once more, blinding it from its opponents! This time, its eyes do not manage to shine through. But it keeps swinging around that massive scythe. Each cut sends a forceful vortex of wind through the area! Each vortex tears through Schneider's flames, seeking out the heat of his magic. The kunai of Mizuki's getting picked up and slash into the ground as it stomps about, moving its other hand along its face, trying to 'rip' the magic orb from its face. Reaching against the arcane energies and manipulating it!

All of this gives Setsuna and Prophylaxis the chance they need together. Setsuna using his dagger to slowly cut open the plant. Green goo spraying into his face and onto his clothing as he saw-cuts through it. Luckily, the plant-creature doesn't attack him back. In fact, it appears to just be a hardy plant that eats meat. As ice then begins to crack the plant open, and Prophylaxis reaches in, the girl weakly grabs for him.

Prophylaxis has to do most of the lifting. The child is weak, starved, and trembling. In the meantime, around him, meteors continue to fall. Dropping here and there... when suddenly... there is the sound of a Peko.

Ha\Ha/Ha\Ha/Ha\Ha/Ha\

No, wrong Peko sound.

Instead, it's a straight echoing chirp sound that comes out of the forest, as a Red Peko appears!

The Baphomet visibly flinches at its presence, pulling back its scythe for a moment. The Meteors that are descending halt - the spell eliminated all of the sudden. There's a pause, before the Baphomet suddenly rears up its Scythe, summoning the power of lightning into its blade, and then cuts outwards. A powerful rippling light following its massive swing, cascading across the ground towards the Adventurers before it!

The Baphomet's Blade comes swinging, its sweeping lightning attack tearing through the area, but at the end of its swing, the Peko is suddenly right in front of it, with its Beak attached to the Scythe's blade - stopping it at the climax of its swing. It stares down the Baphomet Jr!

The Baphomet Jr visibly sweats...

There's a visible power struggle between the two. The Peko's wings flapping as it digs in its powerful legs... and the Peko BITES through the metalic blade of the scythe, shattering the entire thing in twain.

The arrival of the red peko seems to give enough of a distraction that Kita is finally able to pull herself from underneath the branches of the tree, though her dress certainly shows signs of damage, as well as a few red cuts along her skin. It means that she's able to summon up a magical shield to ward off the effect of the Baphomet's attack, though it does cause her to take a few steps backwards, her barrier faltering slightly.

"I've spent too much time focusing on new spells that I'm distracted. Damnit, get your head in the game." She curses herself, the lingering bits of pain from her injuries threatening to consume her, but she keeps her anxiety at bay for now.

She stares after, looking a little confused. "Is... the Peko on our side?" She hesitates, "I'm guessing it's more of an enemy of my enemy is my friend sort of thing." She pushes her glasses up on her nose, then starts to cast a buffing spell, one that bolsters the magical energies of those around her.

    Setsuna and the puppy are struck by stray bolts of lightnings, the bolts of lightning are so strong they vaporize the two. Then a moment later they are seen off to the side with Setsuna taking the moment to explain how to use fire. " You see pup, you build the fire up first until it is powerful ennough. Once it reaches the right strength then you release it. " With that he throws the fireball at the Baphomet jr, not really sure where the Peko came from, or who spray painted it but isnt looking a gift peko in the mouth.

Schneider raises a weakened shield against the lightning bolts that assault us, but somehow it's enough! He breathes a sigh of relief, looking around warily. The arrival of the red peko takes him aback, and he watches that transpire with a puzzled look. "Uh, yeah," he said into his raid chimlink. "Now sounds like a /very good/ time to get out of here."

    Mizuki grunts in annoyance as she continues to have trouble damaging the Baphomet. "Uh, if the kid's free, do we just take her and leave?" No, this thing needs to be stopped, but they don't need to kill the peko. She nods, and does a few solid-feeling martial arts moves to surround herself and nearby allies with stone armor, which blocks the lightning. As the stone starts to break, she holds it in her hand with a coin and FLINGS it at the Baphomet Jr's head! Keeping her range for now...

Lightning rips through the doctor...

Only to scatter meaningless motes of diamond dust, breaking the illusion of the doctor's image cast against the swirling snow. "I've got her!" Prophylaxis shouts, drawing the girl from the prison plant. He darts away, putting distance between himself and the raging Baphomet. They could leave now, they /could,/ but...

But something just appeared to... turn the tide?

"A... a Red Peko...?" Most of its ilk would be little more than chaff against a creature like this, but the peko seems to be... holding its own? If not moreso!? Prophylaxis stares, baffled, then orders, "Press the advantage! Buff that bird and gut that goat! I'm going to need a moment!"

A moment to address this weak, starving, shivering waif of a girl in his arms. His eyes focus and the world around him seems to slip away. As if in a trance, the doctor goes to work, mending wounds and applying potions and poultices, many of which have little function except to rehydrate and replenish spent stamina. He even has a spare coat to wrap around her shoulders to keep her warm...

This girl is going to survive, even if he has to dump half an inventory of healing items on her.

Kita's buffing spell spreads to her team mates, but the Red Peko appears to be in the zone of the buff. Its red feathers begin to glow at the edges, almost like their tips are smoldering. It flaps its wings a few times, and then begins to sing towards the heavens while jumping up and down.

At which point the Baphomet Jr begins to back off slowly. With that moment of reprieve, Prophylaxis begins to heal the girl using everything but the kitchen sink. The girl motioning her arms at him as medicine after medicine gets applied to her. She's healing, but she's clearly distressed at this kind of treatment. She's not a combattant and begins to cry!

Over the cry, the sound of Mizuki's coin flip almost goes unheard, until there's that tell-tale /ting/ of it reaching their hand once more, and then being thrown right for its head. The coin ZIPS across its head, tearing a massive red gash across its body, and splitting some clouds right above them!

Only for flames to impact it, burning at the Baphomet as it swings its arms around. Its health being reduced to half by the Scale Emblem warriors!

As Mizuki looks up to see where that coin went, she'll quickly spot something else coming down. A golden-and-red Meteor descending straight for their position. It's smaller than the earlier Meteors, but it seems remarkably well aimed for a meteor style attack descending right for the Baphomet!

It raises its arms, its scythe lost, in the hopes to defend itself against the incoming attack. But between Kita's buffs, and the damage it managed to sustain to the continuous onslaught from the Adventurers, it can't hold off inevitibility for ruining a Red Peko's sacred sleep schedule.

The small golden-red meteor falls against its arms. Its legs grip into the ground, but the meteor just continues to descend. Holes forming beneath the Baphomet's goat feet from the sheer pressure! Slowly crushing the Baphomet. Sparkles and glimmer coming off of the thing as the attack's fantastical energies keep targetting it. Drilling into its body...

Until it suddenly just PLOWS down into the ground, creating a sudden devastating crater into the ground, a shockwave that flings everyone back into a series of trees and deeper into the Hidden Labyrinth, scattering the party - now lost within the forest!

Flung backwards into the forest, Kita manages to get caught on a branch somewhere, half dazed and dangling for a time. She groans, feeling as if she had injuries in places she wasn't even sure she had. The Imp's wings flutter briefly, just enough to upset her on the branch and send her tumbling to the forest floor.

"Ow..." The girl mutters to herself. "Well, at least we're still alive." She can tell that much because of the party health bar, but there isn't anyone else in sight.

"Well, time to try to find a way out of here..." Alas, Kita's sense of direction isn't great, but what she lacks in the ability to navigate the strange maze, is made up for by her intelligence and the fact that she has the bright idea to send up firebolts now and again, trying to draw the rest of the party back together so they can find their way out.

    Looks like Setsuna, the skeleton knight and the puppy are blasting off again and where they fall, well he is fairly certain he knows. He had been through this maze a few times and so despite constant barking and even some love bites Setsuna doesn't listen to the puppy as he is confident in his actions. So the three of them will continue to wander through the woods , as he is certain that the exit is just through the next portal. Just one more leap to make it home.

Schneider is flung into the forest, but he's been training for flying lately, and he pops his chute at the top of his arc, so he lands slowly, giving him a bit of time to look over the lay of the land as he descends. He also gets a rough idea of where the others landed, so it's on him to gather up his allies and get out of here. He'll go from the closest to the farthest, but he can talk with the others on chimlink, letting everyone know he's got their location and is rounding everyone up.

    Mizuki screams as she's flung into the distance... hitting the branches of a tree, she tumbles to the ground below, landing on her feet.

    Being lost sucks. At least she has some food items just in case, and time to heal up. It reminds her of those early days when even the area around Carmina Gadelica and Alne was unknown and new. Now as then, she's glad to at least have a fit body that can rest comfortably everywhere and magic for temperature control. Being lost in the woods would be a lot worse for Sam.

    ...After a few hours of wandering and only getting more lost, she has the bright idea to just make a campfire for the others to find, and sleep while she waits. Yes, this is a good plan when you're a cat.

The little girl... starts crying!? Does she not realize how much QUALITY HEALTHCARE she's getting right now!? No, but seriously though, Prophylaxis is used to this. "Shh," he hushes, "It'll be alright. It's okay to be scared. I need to do this to make sure you'll be well enough to--"

There's a beat. Prophylaxis turns to stare just as the little golden meteor falls into the Baphomet's arms. "Ah," he concludes, watching its feet dig into the ground, "That's a problem."

Moments before impact, he throws himself around the young rescuee. He opens his eyes amidst a cloud of dust, within the unexplored depths of a confounding maze, and...

The girl is still there.

"Well," the doctor huffs, "This is... a problem. I don't suppose you know your way around here?"

(She does not)

A few close calls are had, Prophylaxis is too busy running to do anything but remember the faces of the many monsters he almost dies to, but after dodging his third Chaos Deer, Schneider finally manages to find him and lead him (and the girl) to safety...!