Duty Session 361: The Deadly Caves Of Toxic Death!

The discovery: a long-forgotten system of caves packed with venomous monsters. The mission: the Hunters' Guild rewards killing or capturing the deadly creatures which lurk within. The rumor: it is said that the place is home to unusual monsters, and where there are unusual monsters, there are unusual drops?

Difficulty:    Easy/Moderate (depending on branch)
Rec Party:     3+
Rewards:       2
World Rewards: Reduce venomous monster activity in Westelande.

Shiruba
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

A dungeon that has been reported by the Hunter's Guild providing the job to contain unusual monsters. Unusual Monsters means potentially rare Monster Drops. That's enough to perk any Hunter's interest.

That it should prove to be a challenge to even an experienced Hunter is what gets Shiruba's interest. This could be a chance to really test some of the new techniques she's been working on.

But of course one can't do a proper Duty alone, so she's put out the call for a party. Then went to find the location so people know where to go. It's a bit off the beaten path, so we wouldn't want people getting lost finding their way into the secluded ravine... Though it turns out the Hunter's Guild already sent a Guide to be sure people are put on the right path. Shiruba arcs a brow a bit, but it's far from the strangest NPC name she's heard. Considering in olden days people chose their surname based on what they do, it's not all that weird at all in a greater meta sense.

"Just be ready. We could come across almost anything down here."
Schneider
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Schneider has arrived, guided to the meeting place, riding a Peko with what might almost be called expertise. Or at least without looking like a buffoon. He is dressed a bit gaudily, his coat quite ostentatious. But the hat he wears is, in it's own way, quite special. But it is more kitsch than fashion, not that Schneider is concerned either way. As the Monks of Cool say, when asked what is the coolest thing is to wear, it's whatever he's wearing just now.

"Good afternoon," Schneider calls in greeting. It seems that explosions are now covered, check that off the party needs list. "How's it going?"
Lin
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

It's a lovely lovely day for a... trip to deadly death? Surely that's just a name. Like the Jungle of Terror and the Swamp of Despair. Lin isn't overly concerned. Adventurers were called for, so they'll be able to finish the job. That's how this place works. He smiles brightly as the group forms up. "Hiiiii! A rope ladder down to vermin, huh? It's like a rat cellar, but bigger."
Gwen
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Gwen is up to do a dungeoin she's had some experiance witht his one before if she thinks back on it. Hopefully she can help the pary going in this time. Or was it another? Sometime dungeons tended to blurr togethe she was also cosplaying as the Thunder Empress again. She was growing fond of the outfit it seemed. She was grinning from ear to ear though.

"It's going pretty good all thing consided I had a few ideas for some outfits for you and Shiruba!"

Gwen just seems really happy and bubbly today even by her stadnards...
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    Fukaziroh is rarely not eager for dungeons, whether to do a good deed or for the chance for loot, or just to hang out with interesting people. Her armor's been upgraded somewhat in recent months, but her great axe is still the same mighty Chopstick.

    She peers around the entrance. "Does anyone else find this a bit... I dunno..." Fuka asks. "Dramatic? Like, the name Gorge of Death? And the rest of it all?" She peers intently at Mister DesertGuide, somewhat too polite to call him on his name to his actual face, but it's still pretty clear in her expression.
Prophylaxis
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Unusual monsters? Rare drops!? A place called the DEADLY CAVES OF TOXIC DEATH that almost assuredly demands the attention of a dedicated and skilled pharmacist!?

Prophylaxis is, of course, on hand to lend his assistance. For better or for worse, the Doctor of Tolbana tosses back a vial of Poison Resistance Potion. "Is he really named Mister DesertGuide...?" Prophylaxis wonders aloud, "That's... One heck of a name. Huh. Well, I guess it's at least topical?"
Tenko
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

"I do not believe I have done this one before." Tenko notes, as she looks down into the pit. That is a long way down. Still, things will need to be taken care of or else it could get out of hand, just like any dungeon like this, "We must be vigilant to prune these dungeons when we can. Lest they spread."
Shiruba
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Shiruba makes her way down the rope ladder into the ravine first, since she's technically the one leading the venture now. She steps away a bit to give others room to descend while she looks over the place. "... There's a lot of caves down here. Surprise it's gone unnoticed before." She shrugs, and starts going through some of the vague foliage growing about the caves, as if trying to see if it's any indication what might be farther within, even though she really doesn't know much about herbs other than what she's read in Pela's book.
Schneider
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Schneider beams at Gwen in her Arshes cosplay. It feels kind of inspirational, really, and he beams a smile. He's got to leave his peko with the Guild fellow to climb down, so he does that. To Fukaziroh, he says, "Dramatic is what it's supposed to be. No one's going to challenge the Totally Humdrum Dungeon."

He will follow Shiruba down and look around in the stink. He suggests, "The last time I was here, we fought the bad air the whole time. Let's see if we can just go where the air is mostly clear?"
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    Fuka's happy to see the Doc coming along. Both because he's a skilled healer and toxicologist, and because she might get to witness his mighty cannon again. Yeah she's into it; if there's two things Fuka loves, it's explosions and teasing people she likes. Proph's cannon counts for both! "Not even the most on-point funny name I've come across, Prof." she murmurs, grinning. "Not even among this group!"

    That said, Fuka decides to leave Prophylaxis to consider her words and whether or not she means him... and leaps over the side of the gorge once a few have started down the ropes. Laughing all the way, she glides down on faerie wings. Next best thing to flight, kind of. Once the group reassembles at the bottom, she considers the situation. "I dunno about any of you, but I'd rather avoid those stinky caves too. There might be stuff there that would blow up if I fireball. Or Schneider Schneiders. Or... well, you know." she shrugs. "Unless we have to, of course! What do you say, should we avoid blowing ourselves up?"
Prophylaxis
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Prophylaxis' name is not funny at all! The study of prophylactic medicine is one that has saved uncountable lives across the world! If it wasn't for prophylactic medicine, surgeons wouldn't wash their hands before sticking them into someone's body! Vaccines wouldn't exist!!

"Well, this is my first time here, so I'm relatively ambivalent," Prophylaxis says, handing out a selection of additional Poison Resistance Potions to the rest of the party. "But I've heard-tell that a manticore lives in these parts, and I'd very much like to acquire some samples from its body."
Gwen
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Gwen nods "Yes this place is a maze Shiruba."

She nots for a moment and ponder at what Schenider says.

"Right...here we go."

Gwen will try to hold h breath but thing does not go too well here she's a big lady and by the time she's partway though her lunge go beath in now. She tries not to and they go anyway as she get a wonderful lung full of posion. She's hacking sputtering and not doing very well here. Yeah it's going about as well as last time for her...
Lin
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Lin clambers down the ladder. He'd love to make some kind of joke about it, but his confidence dips as the rope sways. The Pooka looks very glad to be settled on the ground, even if the atmosphere is becoming inhospitable. "I like the name! More things should have intimidating names. Nobody wants to go to Boring Dan's Dungeon of Mediocrity." He follows Proph's lead and starts rummaging around in his pouches for componenents to craft a potion to resist the poison.
Tenko
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Tenko is pretty much along for the ride with this particular one, following the group through. She's not the best swimmer, but she manages to keep up. Once she's back on solid ground, she looks at Lin for a moment, "I do believe if you opened a place with the name Relaxation Station people would want to come, however."
Shiruba
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Shiruba eventually lets out a sigh. "There's not enough here for me to track what cave possibly holds which. We may be best following Schnieder's advi--ooff" She's cut off as she walks face first into a Salamander ragamuffin that seems to have appeared out of nowhere, and is blocking off one of the caves, yelling about it being no place for Adventurers to concern themselves with. Shiruba takes a step back to recompose herself, looks him up and down, noting his tattered clothing and generally unkempt appearance. "We're here on business from the Hunter's Guild. I don't think you're really in a position to bar us entry to anything. However..." She takes a few gold coins out and flicks them to hobo looking man. "If you'd be so kind to let us by without a hassle."

That he's trying to stop them from passing through has perked her interest now.... and it's the best hunch they have to go on, really.
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    "I'd totally come to a place with a name like Relaxation Station." Fuka agrees. "Or even the Totally Humdrum Dungeon. Actually, that sounds so suspicious I'd totally go there." she claims.

    When Prof hands out medicine, Fuka accepts with pleasure, figuring it might be really helpful. In return she feels magnanimous. "You want manticore samples. All right, I'll keep my eyes out!" she agrees. Then mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'manticore stool samples' and 'weirdo'... while maintaining a cheery grin.

    Fuka's grin fades as the weird hermit salamander shows up, barring their way. "What do you mean, no place for us? This is totally the sort of place for us!" she says, trying hard to be charming and suave but... well, she's Fuka.
Tenko
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

"Excuse me sir." Tenko says, as she steps up to him, giving him a bow of respect, "I understand your concern, but we must pass. Our quest today is very important." She figures being polite to him will probably get further than just threatening him. Althought there's a good chance that someone here will just try to intimidate him.
Schneider
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Schneider is just a bit behind Shiruba, but he's looking back across the large party. We /are/ pretty butch, he considers. We could /probably/ take the toxic caves. Maybe. We have more than a few heavy hitters here. In fact, it's a whole party of heavy hitters, really. But then there's this guy to deal with.

Taking his cue from Shiruba, he'll dig into his pocket ... or at least into his inventory, and haul out a bit of coin, passing it along to the fellow blocking their path. "Great job you're doing, keep up the good work," he says as he walks past the fellow, who doesn't object.
Lin
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Lin smiles at Tenko and waves a hand expansively, saying, "Dangerous Dan's Crematorium and Relaxation Station. Yeah, it's got a good ring to it. I'd visit there at least once." He gives Fuka a nod in agreement. "Good point. Unthreatening names don't have linear threat. You've got like... We've All Got The Correct Number Of Legs, Come On In at one end. Then Deathly Dungeon of Deadly Doom at the other. And in the middle..." The Pooka rambles for a while. When it comes to the hermit, his attempt at barter comes up short. What use does a hermit have for money?
Prophylaxis
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Ideally, Prophylaxis wants a handful of poisonous manticore spines, the kind that it launches like barrages of arrows into anything that remotely begins to displease it. However, before they can get close to anything even remotely resembling a manticore, they are beset by...

An old man!?

"I recognize that it may be dangerous to go on alone, elder, but we are a rather sizable group of adventurers! More importantly..." The doctor's eyes gleam. He moves on the old man and... begins a medical examination!? "You are in decent health, so I see, but it seems you've been dealing with some pain in your joints, no? Here," he produces a small clay pot full of mint-scented ointment, "Apply this to your aches every twelve hours or so. It should relieve most of the soreness, though I strongly recommend that you pick up some calisthenics to improve your strength and flexibility..."

Doctor is going to doctor, but at least this way the party might be able to move by while the old man is distracted?
Gwen
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

The hermit wasn't something Gwen expected here to be living down here. She looks at the Lander for a moment and sizes the salamander up for a moment. 5R
"Look we have been through here before and well I do have something that might interest you." She has some coins for one and two she has a boxed lunch from several she'd packed for this trip.

"Perhaps you might like something you can't get to eat in this cave network?"
Shiruba
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The initial offering from Shiruba isn't enough, but when others follow her lead and either offer more coin or coaxing the old Salamander's mood seems to lighten a little.

Then the Good Doctor manages to hit it home. The offering of medication gets a gasp of surprise. "H-h-how could you tell?!" Both the medicine and the money are pocketed. "Arthritis from a long career on my feet as a soldier. I was hoping people would pay me to pass, or for advice, so I could buy medicine... but thanks to this now I can use the money you gave me to feed my wife and myself! Thank you!" The old man quickly steps out of the way to allow the group into the caves.

The first few offer little danger to experienced Adventurers who can spot and strike down a poisonous snake or chittering scorpion before it gets a chance to strike. But then they find their way into a much smaller cavern...

Which is quickly swarming with large insects. And the opposite end has a barricaded obstruction. ".. At least it's not bats.." Shiruba muses, though that's not too reassuring. Even as she whips up some of her Wind magic to blow a cloud of buzzing dog-sized bugs away from the group. "Someone find a way to get a pathway open!"
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    Fukaziroh smiles softly at the banter and exchange of goods and services. Giving money is fine, even if it's nothing she thought to do. Prof's own act of kindness however makes her quite pleased, especially upon hearing how it also lets the Lander help out his family. She may not act like a big softie, but that sort of thing makes her happy nonetheless.

    It's enough that, when the group is attacked by a swarm of insects, she doesn't actually meet them with massive explosions of fire or sky-shattering lightning. Oh she COULD, and she's tempted to, but Fireball isn't a large enough spell to really do much. And while Lord of Vermillion would certainly help clear the skies, she doesn't really feel like literally blowing her entire mana pool to deal with skittering nuisances. Instead she calls on air to push the insects away and hold them back so others can work on the door.
Schneider
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Schneider proceeds on after paying off the old man, and its a bunch of almost trivial encounters, which is kind of what he was expecting. But then the insect swarm is around us, and whatever spell he was going to cast is cut off as a huge flying beetle slams into his throat just as he was about to intone those dire syllables.

"-" he says.

Cough, cough, gag, hack. He's now trying to breathe, and he will let the rest of the party deal with the bugs as he deals with just the one that's brought him low. Luckily, the rest of the party clears the air around him, so he can hack it up and spit it out.
Prophylaxis
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

"Haha, I've treated my fair share of arthiritic pain over the course of my career," Prophylaxis answers with a kind laugh, "Don't worry, my good man. If you ever need additional medicine, I guarantee that White Rabbit brand curatives are the most well-priced stuff on the market." And always effective! A doctor's pride is at stake, after all.

But then, the party moves on. What they find awaiting them is...

Not... Really great.

"Ugh, bugs," Prophylaxis grimaces as the rest of the party begins Doing Adventurer Things. He looks like he's about to join in when Schneider takes a beetle to the throat. Frowning, the doctor instead turns to administer some quick first aid.

Also because he doesn't also want to eat a beetle. That's just way too gross!!
Lin
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Luckily for Lin, everybody else manages to come up with a myriad of ways to barter with the hermit. "Oooh. Friendly Dan's Bag of Bees! That's... I'm really not sure where that ranks on the scale." The Pooka is distracted, pulling his book from his belt and scribbling in it in some attempt to quantify how threatening 'friendly bees' are. It's almost too late by the time the actual friendly bugs show up. "Wha-whaaaugh!" He flips forward a few pages in his spellbook and shouts the syllables of a spell. Air swirls around him, forming a shell. It picks up dust and releases tiny zaps of lightning at the beetles. "Too friendly! Much too friendly."
Tenko
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Clearing a path past that thing shouldn't be impossible, although Tenko's powers are not usually focused in that direction. Still she manages to keep herself away from the bugs, and then focuses her magic into her kitsunebi foxfire, sending the ball of it whipping through the air, blasting bugs out of the way with the force as it strikes forward.
Gwen
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Gwen does recall this part of the caves, an she is ready for this. She's made sure she's got the MP left to cast a certian spell to help clea the ai and that's what she's going to do. The She draws on her magic collecin the very storms about her entire body heck she's hovering off the ground a foot and then just cuts lose.

"DIVINE WIND!"

The holy gursts of win will just buff the flying things without any mercy again and again again. She does not have enough fire so thevery air will have to do against this horror.
Shiruba
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Looks like this Party is full of hot air! But it gets the job done, and as a bonus one of the blasts of wind, it's hard to tell from who at this point, sends several bugs slamming into the locked door. Until one finally smashes through it, and can be heard splashing into something on the other side. "There's our chance!" Shiruba throws one last burst of wind to keep the rest of the swarm at bay, and heads through the revealed passage.

As it turns out that splash was indeed into water. The bug can be seen struggling in it, as insects have a hard time flying when their frail wings are wet. And then with a *blorp* it goes under, and doesn't come back up. Otherwise, the cavern appears to be cool and quite placid.

A little too placid, maybe. The wolfgirl's ears are still perked high at alert, hunter's instinct not dulled by the calm scenery... which proves to be accurate when the water abruptly sloshes and swirls violently. "Look out!" She jerks back, just as one of the strange creatures emerges from the water with glaring red eyes. She eyes the bills, then the tails... "Beavers with duck bills? Why are those here, we're not in the Palace Lands!" She doesn't know what a platypus really is, so her mind jumps to more recent discoveries.

Doesn't stop her from bracing her heels to steady herself, and when one of the creatures lunges with it's poisonous spurs she fires a blast of pressurized water from her magic bow to knock it back across the chamber.
Schneider
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Schneider makes his way down to the water, and jumps down in before the swarm can come back and reform. He calls on water elementals to speed him along underwater, but when the dire platypi show up, they are directed off to fight. And fight they do, the elementals quite potent in their element, fighting off the platypi despite their direness. Schneider watches with interest.
Lin
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Bzap. Bzap. Bzap! Lin's swirling shield of air and electrical jolts gains speed, finally dissipating in a sizzling bolt of electricity that definitely qualifies as gratuitous when applied to a single insect. He snaps his spellbook shut with a victorious smile and runs after Shiruba. "I love them! They look so smooth and soft. They just need a nap and some eye drops." He remarks, marveling at the giant platypi. The Pooka opens his spellbook and begins to chant, opening a pathway through the water and freezing it into an icy tunnel to walk safely through.
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    "This isn't so bad. I kind of like it here. We can stay a while, maybe skinny dip..." suggests Fuka playfully. Just to see who'd splutter at the suggestion.

    This is before dire platypi show up. That kind of changes Fuka's mind. "Way to kill the mood!" she claims, before channeling her artes. Chanting a string of speech in runic form, she sketches a symbol and calls upon words of darkness to leach and harass the enemy's minds. Not a deadly spell, but an enchanter's utility spell of some effectiveness, keeping the other varied casters hopefully safe. Fortunately others are somewhat more effective at dissuading them from attacking.
Prophylaxis
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Schneider is no longer choking! This is a triumph for everyone involved, but mostly for Schneider, who no longer has a bug in his mouth.

Moving on, there are...

...

...Duck... Beavers...

"Oh? Platypi...?" Prophylaxis muses, gesturing to stir the water into walls of swirling tides. "Watch out for the spurs on their back legs. The platypus is one of the only mammals in the world that naturally produces its own venom. Truly, one of evolution's most bizarre beasts. But they're pretty cute, too."

If you're into beaver-ducks.
Tenko
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Tenko is able to balance all four of the major elements with her kitsune magic. She used air on the last fight they had to face off against, and this time she is using water. Manipulating the water below the dire platypus, she uses her magic to cause a pillar of water to shoot up from below it, attempting to either slam it into the roof of the cavern or, if not that high, throw it and cause damage that way. It's very much a rather impressive performance as she fights without her usual katana strikes this time.
Gwen
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

What was this thing doing on this server it should not be on this server. It should really not be here this is the wrong part of the world for something like this. she stare a tthe thing for a moment more. She igh and will now start chaning she's going to try to chase the thing off with burst of high powered water. She does wonder how something from her worlds end game raid zone got into this one...
Shiruba
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

".. Oh." Shiruba responds when Prophylaxis points out that, beyond all reason, these are an actual animal and not some combo platter creature that the programmers misplaced on the wrong server. "Learn something new every day."

The Dire Platypi are defeated or dispersed, mostly by their own favored element being turned against them, allowing the group to wade their way into the next cavern.... Which turns out to be the entirely opposite when they come upon a group of Poisonous Bears on Fire.

... Yes, that is exactly what INSPECT actually identifies them as.

"Do NOT eat any meat dropped by these monsters!" the wolfgirl quickly warns. "Their venom is so resistant to heat that it doesn't break down in the cooking process, becoming poisonous even to Adventurer pallets." Between being a Hunter and being facinated with food, it's probably less of a surprise that Shiruba knows this even if she didn't know what a platypus is.

As for the bears themselves, Shiruba activates one of her flame elemental shields, hoping the aura will make her appear 'on fire' enough for the Poisonous Bear on Fire to not attack her for not being on fire.
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    (Un)fortunately, Fuka's neither pedantic, particularly experienced, or pragmatic, so she can't comment about the name of the bears. "Hey guys? I know bears are supposed to be afraid of fire. So uh... what about if they're already ON fire?" she asks. The solution seems rather obvious. Add more fire. Fortunately, she's not quite that insane.

    Instead, Fukaziroh brandishes her axe, making herself as large as possible. With the axe outstretched, she might even be taller than the bears themselves! She roars terrifyingly in challenge... and it seems to work! The bears are terrified! Well, Proph's cannon may have something to do with it too. Yeah, probably that. Still, Fuka was pretty intimidating for a tiny battle fairy, wasn't she?
Lin
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

From lovely poison duck beavers to fierce poison fire bears! Lin smiles brightly. This cave of deathly doom is really going from strength to strength. "This place is absolutely insane. I love it!" Once again lifting his spellbook, he flips through a few pages before settling on a spell. The syllables hang in the air about Lin, which shimmers and begins to glow. The aura flickers and strengthens into a cloud of flame. "Aha! Now they won't attack mee-e--aaaaaaah!" Unfortunately, the flame is a little too real. The Pooka capers madly around in a circle, waving his spellbook madly to try and keep the flames from singing the delicate paper.
Schneider
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Schneider peers at the bears on fire, who are apparently both poisonous and venemous. It was not a distinction he'd ever had to make before. Well, Fire's a thing Schneider has full control over, and he'll light himself on fire, and bake the bears, too. Maybe 5,000 degress C will cook them up nice and toasty? Burn, baby, burn.
Prophylaxis
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Poisonous bears... on fire!? Who decided that this would be a good idea!? Who took a bunch of bears that were already poisonous (and venomous!) and thought 'hey, why not light these things on fire?' Prophylaxis grimaces, "It doesn't matter if they're already on fire, you can still set them on MORE fire and it'll still help more than not!" Or in the doctor's case, you can simply blow cannonball-sized holes through each one's flanks and tear their carcasses to shreds with explosively-propelled shrapnel.

He's using his Totally Awesome Doom Cannon Spell, is what we're saying here. In its wake, where there was once a poisonous (venomous) bear on fire, there is simply a pile of drops and a cloud of swirling cinders.

It helps that the cannon makes a /tremendous/ noise, the kind that would certainly scare off an animal of any size.
Gwen
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Gwen nods in agreement to Shiruba.

"Maybe get someone to make posion with them given how this placee is. Maybe we can use them for some kind of monster bait later?"

She notes ot her more rangery friend and now sher would stare down the beats wait what hte heck are these things which are on fire. She stares at this again.

"Why does this place get worse with every trip here...?"

The Thunder Empress Gwen does not use the air no, she just tries to ses these bear horrors on fire. It works much to her shock given the look on her face.
Tenko
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Flaming bears that are also poisonous are no joke. In fact Tenko isn't entirely sure how something like that could even come to exist. But she's still going to do what she can to stop them.

Drawing her katana, the kitsune rises up in front of the bears, tails raising behind her to increase the size of her profile as she prepares to strike. Hopefully it will enable her to either run off a couple of the bears. If not, she's ready to strike when they get close.
Shiruba
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Well the trick doesn't entirely work as Shiruba intends, but as several others bring fire to bear (haha) while Fuka and Tenko make very imposing presences, the Poisonous Bears On Fire decide it's not worth trying to set this band of crazy adventurers on fire or poison and retreat back into the deeper recesses of the caverns. Maybe they'll go eat some of those platypi or something...

Meanwhile the Party can move on. A narrow passage later and they step into a wide chamber that, despite being a cave, has the markings of a boss chamber. Creepy crawlies and a lot of manticore remains. But monsters don't leave stuff when they die unless they're killed by a Adventurer, or someone with Hunting skill, so.... "This may be a molting chamber," Shiruba surmises. "A place they can scratch and rub against the rough surfaces to dislodge broken and spent spines for new ones to grow in."

Then the young creature in the center of the chamber starts raising a fit at it's meal having been interrupted. "... Or it's a breeding chamber," Shiruba adds. "Maybe both. They're both rituals of growth and adulthood."

That all said she still draws her bow, sparks crackling up and down the line. "Don't be fooled by it's size. A young monster is still a dangerous monster. Especially if it's old enough for it's poison to have developed!" She opens fire with a bolt of lightning that flies with the precision of any physical arrow from her bow.
Schneider
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Schneider follows the passage into the central room, and eyes the baby manticore skeptically. Cute's not really something that applies here, this manticore is not plush for one. The manticore is, however, right in Schneider's crosshairs. And he's been waiting to cast this spell.

"Kaizard, aruzard, kisk! Hansay Glossik!" he chants. "Unleash total destruction! Sage of Hades use the seven keys to open the gates of Hell!"

Big breath.

"HALLOWEEN!"

And there is glorious hellfire destruction all throughout the space, incinerating trash mobs (and actual refuse) and taking a chunk of HP off the boss, which he almost certainly isn't getting back in a hurry. Or to guess from the impending beatdown, it looks like he won't survive at all, and this is simply the shot across his bow. Though shots across the bow aren't supposed to blow the bow off the ship completely. Maybe it's a little overkill.
Lin
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Lin smoulders - literally. Embers glow in the Pooka's silver hair, and he's all amped up to empty his mana bar at something. Joy spreads across his face when he spots the manticore. "It's so adorably tiny! Aww, it wants to be a floor boss /so badly/. Look at that angry little face." Book open, he flips to the back. Final spells. Sparks crackle across the ground, gathering at his feet and spidering their way towards his free hand as he calls out the words of the spell. He points at the manticore with an accusatory finger and the cave turns bright white, then black. The air splits in a concussive thunderclap. A fading purple afterimage draws the path of a jagged lightning bolt from his finger to the monster.
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    It's a good day whenever Fuka gets to see a giant cannon tear into some baddies, and the others are similarly amusing, so she's in a good mood as they reach what appears to be the final boss. "Oh hey, looks like you might get your stool samples, Prof!" she cries out happily, launching herself forward with her axe raised. This seems her sort of thing. Not the sort of thing she's done most of her time in Yamato, but the sort of thing she means herself to do. Charge recklessly into combat, letting weapons and armor do the talking so she can protect her friends from having to do the same. "BEWARE THE TINY BATTLE FAIRY!" she bellows her warcry. Sure she's more defense than offense now, but this is why she took the class she did. To be able to lead the charge, and to make anyone think twice about thinking a tiny sylph wasn't a melee threat.
Prophylaxis
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

"I'd rather not examine manticore dung," Prophylaxis says, flatly, as from the shadows emerges a--

Huh.

If it weren't for the hideous almost-human face, that baby manticore would actually be pretty cute! Unfortunately, it does have a terrible face, and so Prophylaxis has z e r o sympathy for the (admittedly ugly-dorable) thing.

"Don't worry, soon it won't be a threat to anyone," Prophylaxis says, extending a hand toward the juvenile manticore. He clenches his fingers into a fist as a globe of utterly impenetrable darkness swallows it up. A cocktail of debuffs and status ailments fill the poor creature's health bar with angry symbols, leaving it easy pickings for the rest of the party.
Tenko
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Tenko does what she can to clash with the manticore, letting the tanks take the brunt of it while she tries to strike from the sides. It's not her most graceful performance ever, but she's able to help where she can to bring the beast down, "At least it wasn't a full sized one." She says, once the battle has finished, "That fight may not have gone our way...We should clear out before a full sized one does come along."
Gwen
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

The group is nearing the end of this dungeon and Gwen seems to be pretty pleased with herself as thing go but as she looks over the creature for a moment. 5R
"Right I'll try to keep it busy."

She nods to Shiruba for a moment and she'll move in going after teh creature trigglering her shield. One might hear a lion's roar as she does so and char e in she's more trying to keep it busy as everyone else hopefully tries to cut it down.
Shiruba
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0

Don't judge a Monster by their size rings very true in the fight. Despite not being fully developed the Minute Manticore proves to be quite devestating in a fight, it's blows dealing wicked and poisonous strikes. Between claws and tail it is dangerous from both ends, too, making it hard to flank and compromise. However, it's size means it can't engage the large area-of-effect swings and toxin-projecting party wipes a full grown monstrousity might use, and that lets the party use their superior numbers to an advantage, constantly forcing it to change directions to target, and strike it when it does turn it's attention.

Eventually it falls, caterwauling with pain before collapsing and breaking up into bits to leave it's remains behind.

Shiruba pants a few times, her own health bar being a lot lower than she'd like. At the same time, her tail is flicking back and forth, because that's the sort of thrilling climax to a hunt she enjoys. "Good job everyone!" She picks up one of the stingers left behind in the monster's death thrall and examines it. "Careful, there's still toxin in these. Let's collect the drops and get out of here before something else comes along while we're wore down."
Fukaziroh
Yamato - -52 - -3 - 0


    "I hear these things are delicious." Fuka says dubiously, staring at it like she's considering putting it in her mouth to a chorus of Fuka No. She doesn't, fortunately. But she's still looking at it.