The roaring overtakes your ears. Rejiciunt has long since become an unintelligible monster, having thrown away the pretenses of victimization or wit under the tide of fury. The monsters creep beyond what your weapons can hack away, brambles growing countless and unending. Step by step, the nightmare draws closer to swallowing you whole as you find yourselves too slow to stave it off.
You do not have long left to last. Complications began to arise in droves. The brambles grew too thick and numerous to be rid of. They grabbed at your heels with their ugly teeth, seeking to bind with you forever. You aren't sure which of them are real and which are a glitch in your UI.
And in the slowing mire, the truest monster of the nightmare crawls into the Dominion. You see it first as a red glow that creeps through the cracks of the thorned walls. The light grows bright and piercing, a single orb that glares balefully across the room.
"I found you at last..! I've been so WORRIED. Come here... COME TO ME!!"
Perhaps you had even less time than you had thought. These may be the last moments you had to fight against the Dominion.
The end of the struggling neared.
--Enemies--
<<Rejiciunt, Vindictive Heart>>
1 / 1
Vengeance. Any player attacking Rejiciunt must immediately double their CURSE to do so.
Just So You Know, You're Obligated to Hurt Me. If Rejiciunt is alive by the beginning of next cycle, it will unleash a devastating attack against everyone still alive.
Time to Cool Down. If Rejiciunt is dead by Interlude 10.5, it will unleash a devastating attack.
<<Delilah, Twisted Ego>>
B2
1810 / 2400
❰ 100 / 100 ❱
CURSE +(2) for daring to target Yugam!
-20 HP from Cry of Eve
Grudge. A palpable aura of murk surrounds the monster, only illuminated by the lantern on its' neck. Those who are within the same square as Delilah when a Cycle begins gain one stack of CURSE.
Shepherd's Cane. Delilah's reaping limbs lie in wait for those who seek to run. Leaving a square adjacent from Delilah's location will cause you to take 20 Retaliation damage.
If a character chooses to Taunt Delilah, Shepherd's Cane will deactivate for the cycle and others will be free to walk away.
Slow. - Delilah only has a base movement speed of 1.
Weakness.- Delilah is an unnatural creature.
Armor of Wool. Delilah will not take damage from physical attacks which do not have precise power behind them. When attacking Delilah, A d100 will fail on a natural roll of 30 or below and a d20 will fail and not be added to the total on a 6 or below. This ability does not defend against Magical masteries.
Currently, ARMOR OF WOOL has prevented 15 damage and one death effect.
Enemy Actions
Kneel. Grasping Brambles seek to pull you into the floor, some of which you aren't sure are real. Before making your first post of the cycle, make any Saving roll of your choice against a DC of 45. Failure traps you within your square until you or an ally in your square spends a Main Action to free you.
Rear. Delilah's hate is made manifest, a glowing marker barely visible above the heads of @Yugam and @Toko that is almost drowned out by the low quality of your UI. She will charge at the furthest target during Intermission 10.5, attacking whoever is marked along the way.
Cry of Eve. That horrible scream wracks the caverns again. There is nowhere left to escape from it, there is only one option left-die to escape the fear pain.
Yugam gains 0 stacks of CURSE. Toko gains 1 stack of CURSE. Delilah gains 1 stack of CURSE.
All players will take 10 damage per stack of CURSE they have at Intermission 10.5 unless they succeed at a Will Saving roll. The DC of the Will Saving roll begins at 40, increasing by 5 for every stack of CURSE you have.
CURRENT PLAYER STATUS
Sepulchre af Umbral
62 / 120
Curse (3) - A vector for other afflictions. Must be removed by leaving and going to a church. FAVOR
Toko
115 / 205
Curse (4) - A vector for other afflictions. Must be removed by leaving and going to a church.
+1 from Cry of Eve MARKED
Herculean Drakecon
68 / 125
Curse (9) 4 > 8 from Vengeance.
+1 curse for daring to harm Yugam!
Yugam
41 / 100
(+2 hp gained from Fiora's Guard)
IMMUNE
MARKED
Fiora di Angelo
74 / 160
Curse (9)
Guilt has ended. Your penalties are gone.
<<Battle Map - Cage of the Martyr>>
Map Effects: Dominion: Justified Hate. When posting, take 5 retaliation damage. If you choose to move this post, take another 10 retaliation damage. This effect persists even when Rejiciunt is dead.
Repeating Tragedy. If Rejiciunt is dead by the beginning of next cycle, it will revive at full HP. If Delilah is dead at the beginning of a Cycle, she will revive with half of her maximum HP.
CHAIN. Spectral chains link you all together. One may only go so far before they pull taut. If a round ends and you are more than 2 spaces away from any character, calculate your extra distance beyond 2. When you do, you are flung towards Delilah in a straight line for double the amount of distance.
If this causes a character to no longer be within 2 spaces of any other character, a chain reaction occurs.
Cycle Mechanics
Threadcode: 757C10
All characters are permitted two posts this cycle. You can only post a second time when Intermission 10.5 is released. When Intermission 10.5 arrives, Delilah will charge and Cry of Eve will deal damage.
Using a Standard Action in your first post will prevent you from activating Altar A7.
There is no set posting order. Intermission 10.5 will arrive after everyone posts once.
All actions are available to players at this time, as well as the ability to interact with options below. You may make one Special Action per post, ignoring the normal limit of '1 Special Action per cycle'.
The posting limit is set to 750 words (not including code). Posts over this limit will be treated as invalid.
This thread is primarily focused on progression of the objective. Additional communication may be done in our communications thread. Talking is a Free Action.
The thread will update with the intermission in 48-72 Hours, or sooner if everyone posts.
Altars
A7 - To Sacrifice Your Lips
One may offer their words to this altar-to do so is to devote your words and thoughts to God alone. You may activate this altar as aBonus Action. If you do, you will lose the ability to take a Main Action on your turn. You may not activate this altar on the cycle in which you have otherwise spent a Main Action. Each cycle, your Main Action is instead spent in rapturous prayer of an unknown God. You may still take any number of Bonus Actions as are available to you.
This altar is currently Inactive. Anyone may activate this altar.
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
The sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
The children of Amram:
Aaron, Moses and Miriam.
The sons of Aaron:
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Eleazar was the father of Phinehas,
Phinehas the father of Abishua, Abishua the father of Bukki...
G7 - To Sacrifice Your Spirit
One may offer their spirit to this altar-to do so is to devote your mind and heart to God alone. You may activate this altar as aBonus Action. If you do, your soul will undertake the weight of relentless pain, never knowing why or who to blame.
You will gain 2 CURSE at the beginning of every Cycle. It becomes hard to distinct who is truly on your side, though this need not affect you mechanically.
This altar is currently Inactive. Anyone may activate this altar.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
G3 - To Sacrifice Your Heart
One may offer their heart to this altar-to do so is to devote your body and love to God. You may activate this altar as a Standard Action. If you do, you will rip your own heart out and place it upon the altar.
You will lose half of your maximum HP for the rest of the Challenge. Each cycle after the first, you will sacrifice 10 more maximum HP and lose 1 CURSE as you bleed.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Actions and Options
Tweed Doll (held by Yugam)
This doll was made to be sacrificed, made to unleash your hate upon. You may expend this doll in place of the cost of ONE sacrifice, negating the penalty you would otherwise receive.
You may choose to give the Tweed Doll to someone else as a Bonus Action that you may take even during someone else's post.
No action is needed to use the Tweed Doll.
Shield of Damocles (Toko only)
Delilah is likely wary of stones after your first encounter with her. If you're able to invoke a large and bright stone, it may deter Delilah from charging. Choose a character within your square; Make a Geomancy Mastery roll against a DC of 50. On a success, Delilah will be deterred against using CHARGE against the selected character during Intermission 10.5.
Invoke Urukhan (Sepulchre only)
You can control the reactions-this has yet to change.
The voice you had heard so long ago (so much pain ago) returns.. Delilah is an unnatural beast, yet you can fell her. You must destroy her.
Make a Spirit Magic Masteryroll (DC 50) to initiate a violent WEAKNESS reaction-one that heavily favors you in the matter. Success will initiate a reaction as if you had critically struck Delilah with a Spirit Magic attack, the roll equal to your result.
Steep in Darkness (Must have 8+ CURSE to use this action)
You feel the curse creep into your bones. Lancets of pain crawl through your veins, brushing against your shell of skin that hides the blood away. This is your fault. You came here, and now you suffer. You may repent, if you so wish.
Once per post as a Bonus Action, you may gain 2 CURSE to add a +50 bonus (before modifiers) to any one roll you make. You may choose to use this action even after a roll is made, but doing so will add the bonus after modifiers instead.
Beg and Pray
Once per post as a Bonus Action, you may gain 1 CURSE to make a Presence Expertise roll. When you do, beg or pray to someone-or something- in your post. Events may happen on Cycle 11 based on your progress.
Code:
[hp=current]max[/hp]
[status]
CURSE (X)
Moved From (X) to (Y)
Has Sacrificed (X)
[/status]
Post here
[action]
Type choice and roll result here
Beg/Pray (Who?) - 000/???
[/action]
Link Play Sheet Here
+1 Curse Stack from Cry of Eve Movement: D4 > D2
+5 DMG from Dominion: Justified Hate
+10 DMG from Dominion: Justified Hate
+1 Curse Stack from Beg & Pray
The sudden roaring above her caused the Lepus to flinch in response, sensitive ears immediately pinning back as her hands rose to press against them—a mostly vain attempt to try and block some of Rejiciunt's screams before they reached her eardrums.
"Nantekottah?! Can you just... DAMARE YOH?! Hnnng!"
A sudden and searing pain flooded the rabbit's nerves then, causing her to close her eyes tightly as an immense headache suddenly crossed her skull. Her vision felt blurred, almost pixelated even, and the hare could barely call out to her companions in a lame attempt to check up on them... and hopefully try to make sense of what was currently happening.
"I found you at last..! I've been so WORRIED. Come here... COME TO ME!!"
. . .
"Oh fuck no...!"
She could see the glowing gaze of the sheep south of where the Lepus stood, constantly shifting between Yugam and Toko as Delilah seemed to be considering which one she liked the most. When the Hemomancer begun to move Toko could see Delilah beginning to look in his direction once more, a loud "Tch!" escaping the hare before she slammed her hands onto the bramble covered soil below.
Toko allowed the magic to pulse into the earth, causing the ground to rumble as a massive boulder broke through. A hand quickly slapped its surface then, allowing cosmic energy to flow into the object and causing it to glow... altering the gravitational pull of the large stone before sending it off to hopefully cover Yu's form as the man ran to one of the altars.
"Hey, kuso hitsuji! Your business is with me!!!"
It was a weak attempt at a taunt, but the fighter could only hope it was enough to keep Delilah's attention on herself instead of any of the other party members. A thought crossed Toko's mind then as she looked at the sheep tense up, the signs reminding the hare of the last time Delilah had rammed towards them before, and she quickly decided to act upon the feeling instead of thinking it through. Ignoring the pain as the thorns dug to her skin Toko managed to free herself from the ever growing mass of brambles that threatened to swallow them whole, unaware of the way the blank ink on her skin continued to swirl and extend as the Lepus darted underneath the floating doll and further back.
"Show me how truly worried you were about us, Delilah...! Watashi ni kitte, Kuroi Hitsuji!!!"
The hare could only hope that someone—perhaps the owner of that very voice that kept filtering into her mind—would look kindly enough towards her attempts... with some luck perhaps goading the sheep in this direction could help them clear two birds nightmares with a single stone.
Kneel Fortitude Save - DC 45
1d100 (3) + 45 = 48
Success! Toko frees herself from the brambles... for now. Fortitude | Toko | Kneel DC 45 | 757C10
Will Save - DC 40 + 5 per Curse Stack
1d100 (84) + 40 = 124
Success! Toko receives no DMG for her Curse Stacks... for now.
Increases to DC 65 if the Beg & Pray stack counts, but still a success for the rabbit. Will | Toko | DC (40 + [5*4]) 60 | 757C10
Shield of Damocles @ Yugam
1d100 (86) + 20 = 106
Yugam is shielded, Delilah deterred against using charge on Yugam during 10.5 intermission. Geomancy | Toko | Shield of Damocles DC 50 | 757C10
CURSE (11)
Moved From (B6) to (D4)
-15 HP from Dominion
+77 HP from Power Heal
Pray? Did she heard him right? Perhaps not, because this was old news.
The new news were delivered in one piercing shriek that made her question her own sanity, hands on each side of her head as a thin stream of blood dropped from both ears once something did 'pop!' from within, for long enough to become careless and step into the wrong hole laced with thorns and vines
"I found you at last..! I've been so WORRIED. Come here... COME TO ME!!"
So THAT was the sheep they mentioned before, a menacing and towering abomination that no one wanted to deal with. Hell, it even made her stomach ponder what was it's last meal. Fiora couldn't ponder it any longer, as the eyes of the beast were set on the group, the one far away from her? The one that she couldn't help if she kept playing on brambles? "YOU ALL WAKE UP WE GOT COMPANY!"She shouted, right as she tore through the petty roots aiming to keep her down, using arcanamancy as her ticket out of them in the form of stepping stones to close the gap, one final jump setting herself infront of the group with her backs turned on them and a blue shield of raw magic upon her left hand.
Dumping her blade was easier than sheathing it back, and it left one free arm to twist the sands of time in their favour, the clock ticking for the whole group as a blue tint coated the dominion in a bubble condensed on this zone. It sew wounds together, spilled blood found it's way back into their bodies as everything was set in reverse. Even their clothing would find it's broken patches back in place.
Fiora glanced over her shoulders back to Herculean to assess the damage on the man, then at Yugam, who they just exchanged a few words earlier on and left her wanting to conclude on a high note (Like she usually hopes for) "Pray? Cry me a fucking river bitch, I'm dying on my feet and only after we take down that deformed sheep."She chuckled, as eager to face danger as earlier, yet with a lack of air and impetus as before. The spell she casted took it's toll.
Far more than she's accustomed to.
Rolls
Power Heal (AoE)
1d100 (61) + 10 + 10 = 27 (Total divided by 3) +27 HP to 3 targets @Herculean Drakecon@Yugam@Fiora Di Angelo
Gain the Vulnerable state Chronomancy | Fiora Di Angelo | 757C10
Steep In Darkness: +50 to Power Heal for a total of +77 HP
Will Save
1d100 (4) + 15 = 19
Will | DC 40 + [5 x 9] = I cant do math but high| Fiora Di Angelo | 757C10
Movement: D4 > E4 > F5
Yu throws the Tweed Doll to F4 -5 HP - Dominion: Justified Hate -10 HP - Dominion: Justified Hate, Movement +77 HP - Fiora
Critical Failure
1
Skidding to a halt near Toko and Herculean, Yu fell backwards as the malevolent doll shuddered and rose from the ground once more bearing a twisted caricature of his face. "Oh what the fuck!?" Yu shouted in equal parts surprise and disgust.
On his back, the vines roiled and twisted like snakes in a haze of glitching graphics. Tearing themselves cleanly apart, stitching themselves back together a fraction of a second later, their colors splitting into red, green, and blue. They coiled up his legs, wrapped around his torso, but what was a vine to the swift, parting blow of steel? "Get off!" Yu growled as he swung his sword at the vines winding their way around his limbs until finally he wrenched his arms free of their thorny grasp and struggled to his feet.
A red glow caught the man's eye as he rose, so bright and malignant that it pierced even the thick wall of spines.
"I found you at last..! I've been so WORRIED. Come here... COME TO ME!!"
"Oh, you have got to be fuckin' kidding me..."
The shrill cries of Delilah, not quite as dead as they had hoped tore through the air, forced Yu to cover his ears, wincing in pain.
"Give me a goddamn break, why couldn't that thing just stay dead!?"
From the corner of his eye, the dashing form of Fiora speeding towards them drew his attention, just as she landed before them, casting aside her weapon and casting a spell. The world became awash with bright blue for just as moment as wounds began to mend, the frayed tears in his clothes stitching themselves back together as Fiora spoke, "Pray? Cry me a fucking river bitch, I'm dying on my feet and only after we take down that deformed sheep."
Flexing his right hand, still ravaged by the seemingly permanent gashes and scars that crawled up his forearm, the man was pleased to find that even those seemed to hurt less, if only a little. Stepping forward, the man cast a spell of his own. Extending his hand just as he had the first time they'd fought Delilah, blood poured from his wounds, watering the ground with his life's essence. "No one is dying here today," the man scowled in annoyance at Fiora. Suddenly thick, red, crystalline, bushes of thorns bloomed from the ground between Fiora and Delilah, crimson roses blooming from the branches, refracting the what little light existed in the dominion with a sinister glow. "If you wanna kick the bucket, do it on your own time."
Leaving the woman with those parting words, Yu began to sprint towards an altar, obscured from Delilah's view by a large stone cast by Toko, calling out to Sepulchre again as he ran. "Sep! Catch!" Pulling out the tweed doll from his coat pocket, the man threw the item with all his might in the fae's direction, the voodoo-esque puppet sailing through the air towards her.
Kneel Fortitude Save - DC 45
1d100 (85) + 15 = 100 I shall not yield! Fortitude | Yugam | 757C10
Protect - Target: No One
1d100 (89) + 5 + 0 = 94 94 damage
Give 1 ally in your zone the Protected status - @Fiora Di Angelo Hemomancy | Yugam | 757C10
Bonus Action: Expertise Check - Beg and Pray
1d100 (1) + 0 = 1(Critical Failure!) Can you beseech a god that is not your own? Yu begs and prays to whatever god had chosen to watch over them that Rejiciunt and Delilah take the party's curse stacks. Presence | Yugam | 757C10
CURSE (3) Favored
Moved From (G3) > (F4) > (G3)
Retrieved Tweed Doll
The horrible roar emitted from Rejiciunt shakes Sepulchre af Umbral to the core, causing faer to pause and clasp faer hands hard over faer ears, wincing in pain.
"I found you at last..! I've been so WORRIED. Come here... COME TO ME!!"
Sepulchre's eyes widen in fear as faer sight is met with that baleful red eye, enraged at being abandoned after the earth swallowed it whole. Resounding that outrage the brambles grow thicker and sharper, even as the land itself begins to crack and fragment, the angry vines seeming to glitch unsteadily and sporadically in and out of this warped digital space. The spine-chilling fear Sepulchre had been experiencing shifts into an electrifying undercurrent as faer UI struggles to keep track of this domain's distortion. This was why fae joined the game! This was exactly what fae had been hoping to find!
The tiny Faerin chuckles, uncovered eye shifting from admiring the glitches and the intensity of the party's situation to focus on @Fiora Di Angelo, "Oh, I've been wide awake! Good to see you so lively again, good luck with that plan!"
Faer elated expression tugs into a frown, even as fae instinctively lurches to catch the tweed doll @Yugam throws, only to yelp and flail as fae ends up entangled in the vicious brambles and their thorns instead. "It's Umbral to you!" fae insists, distracted from faer indignation in faer struggle against the brambles ensnaring faer.
Sepulchre huffs and wrestles free faer grimoire to chant up a swirl of ghostly blue magic to bite and snap back at the brambles, easing them off of the Faerin as it convalescences into the specter of wolf once again underneath its caster. Sepulchre grips on the wisps of the wolf's 'mane,' using it to leap over the brambles and reach where the tweed doll landed, the spirit wolf picking it up in its mouth. Once arriving back at the heart alter, Sepulchre takes the doll and dismisses the wolf. It dissipates in blue smoke, returning back to slumber in the earth.
Rolls
Kneel Will Save
1d100 (26) + 10 = 36
Will | Sepulchre af Umbral | Kneel DC 45 | 757C10 Curse Will Save
1d100 (29) + 10 = 39
CURSE (11)
Moved From (d4) to (d1)
Has Sacrificed (X)
15 from bramble and moving.
Herculean had gotten so caught trying to beat that puppet man to death that he snapped out of it. The orbs of darkness swirled around his head as elven small balls floated around him. Suddenly the sound around dulled as everything was starting to get bad. He needed to breathe and focus as this wasn't the time to lose focus. Next to him was @Toko who was yelling for @Yugam as Deliah showed up. Things were going from bad to worse. Herculean had a moment before he could speak. He felt the bramble wrap around his legs as he went to walk at least. He would feel the bramble find faults in his armor as they stabbed him in his legs. With one powerful tear from his heroic form. Turning to toko and saying come back to the fight shaking off the feeling of dread.
'Sorry about toko damn orbs are fucking with my head what the hell is going now? Fuck man is that Deliah that is the last thing we need right now.''.
He notice that it actually looked like yugam and had to think. They had something to do with the alter right? The moment came as he had to step up for everyone, Shit was hitting the fan quickly and he would be damned if he was going to be sad about it.
Right sorry about being out of it beating that dummy but I am going to check out this alter. Do you want me to smash it or something? I'm not really sure what I need to do when I get there but yell at me what to do.
Not waiting to waste time he bolted straight for the alter and when he got there just kinda looked around. Pulling out his playful cloud was prepared to smash it should they give the word.
Delilah began an unstoppable charge. Her shriek reached a crescendo, one that drove into the very skulls of those who were alive. Toko retreated, Herculean retreated and Fiora just barely managed to bring herself out of the way of the warpath. She only barely survived due to this. Considerations entered her head to just finish the job--she was a horrible person, after all. Why should she persist any further?
Toko had no time to think of similar thoughts. She was too busy surviving the onslaught of the titan who had fallen upon her, wicked limbs seeking purchase within her flesh where cruel words and lancing pain could not. Sepulchre hid within the confines of faer altar, hoping the thoughts to go away with tweed doll in shaking hands.
And as for Herculean? He never escaped. He believed himself safe, hiding within the confines of the altar from the grasping brambles. They would come for him soon, but he could act first. He held hammer in hand and knew what to do with it. Crush. And he knew just what to shatter-the voices pointed it out to him, and he could not deny that it was what should be done.
Herculean swung his hammer over and over again. He broke his limbs, punctured his flesh and crushed his skull into pulp. He knew this was what he deserved-if anything was to be sacrificed at the altar, it would best be him, who deserved such a fate for all of the pain he had inflicted upon his friends within this thorned hell.
Warning
Herculean Drakecon, you are dead. If you are not revived within the time limit, your body will reconstruct at the nearest sanctified location.
Guilt fades. Justice is done. All that remained was relief that the cruel words had stopped scraping into his brain and heart. That was not the end of his deed, however. Sacrifice was made and acknowledged. The blood of a martyr dripped upon the altar, bringing power to long-lost machinations beneath the surface of the cave.
The altar accepts this sacrifice.
D1: To Sacrifice Offering Unto God
To activate this altar, someone must die upon it. A life must be taken. This altar does not activate as an action. Once this altar activates, it does not need to be manned-the spirit of the deceased will focus the power bestowed.
God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. The Lord will provide. --ACTIVE--
LIGHT STRUCK THROUGH THE DARK WORLD.
Rejiciunt whips around as the beacon flares bright before the altar. The mindless fury the creature had been seething in shattered, and so too did his violent spiel give way to sudden and audible panic.
"NO!"
That alone was more than enough to show the four who still yet lived that there was still a way forward. There was no way that the brambles themselves, roaring in outrage, had anything good to say about the altars anymore. There was no way that Delilah, repelled from tearing Toko apart by the light and unable to re-enter, was a creature who was born of this very light.
The thorns redouble, closing in towards you as if to snuff this candle of hope away...
10.5 Mechanics
@Toko takes50 (100 halved) damage from Delilah's CHARGE, then loses the MARKED condition.
@Fiora Di Angelo gains +1 CURSE from negative thoughts towards Yugam, then takes 120 damage from Cry of Eve.
Delilah cannot attack characters who are within a pillar of light or an active Altar.
Delilah rears back and will CHARGE Yugam at the beginning of Cycle 11.
All rules from Cycle 10 are still in effect. Active attacks-save for Delilah's Rear-do not repeat this cycle.
Threadcode: 757C10B
<<Battle Map - Cage of the Martyr>>
Code:
[hp=current]max[/hp]
[status]
CURSE (X)
Moved From (X) to (Y)
Has Sacrificed (X)
[/status]
Post here
[action]
Type choice and roll result here
Beg/Pray (Who?) - 000/???
[/action]
Link Play Sheet Here
-50 HP from Delilah's Charge Movement: D2 > E3 > D4 -5 HP from Dominion: Justified Hate -10 HP from Dominion: Justified Hate +5 Curse Stacks from Vengeance
"Right, just shout out what you see once you're there Drake-kun!"
She had watched the reptilian rush past her in the direction of the altar that rested behind her back, the hare's attention solely focused on Delilah as the sheep's wailing reached a crescendo and she began her charge. "Yoi Kuroi Hitsuji... come at me, Delilah-mah!" The familiar combination of bark and stone had been willed once more to Toko's forearms as the fighter prepared herself for the incoming impact, her feet firmly planted onto the brambles before a coating of earth and stone also wrapped around them to give the Lepus extra purchase.
Toko had done her best to become an immovable object as the hare readied herself for the unstoppable force of Delilah as the sheep finally charged forwards. "Hnnngh!!!" As the impact finally arrived the fighter couldn't help but grunt in response to the strain and pain that she felt, a faint thought crossing the very depths of her mind as a part of Nao wondered if this is how it felt to get hit by an isekai truck in the many anime and manga that portrayed those stories.
And yet something about it had felt... off, different than what Toko had expected. The spindly limbs of Delilah trashed around, clawing at the hare's skin, but it was something else that actually caused a shiver to run up the Lepus' spine as the sound of a blunt object crushing both flesh and bones caught the hare's attention from behind.
"Drak—?!" For a moment the hare had hesitated, before finally steeled her resolve as she slowly turned her head to the side until she could see the fellow beastfolk... just in time to see the man deliver his final blow against his skull and fall limp into a pool of his own blood at the foot of the worshipping site. "N-Nantekotta yoh...?!"
There was little time for Toko to process the entire scene she had witnessed, a sudden bright light emanating from the altar that washed over the back of the hare before a massive sword of light seemed to form.
"NO!"
The visceral reaction of the doll towards it did not go unnoticed by Toko, causing the hare to trained her gaze upon the form of Rejiciunt. What was done couldn't be changed, that was a fact that couldn't be erased, however what she could do now was ensure the sacrifice of the reptilian was not made in vain. The stone bindings on her feet were released before the rabbit was dashing off, weaving around the legs of Delilah as she circled around the sheep and towards her new target.
"What's the matter little Reji-mah, kowai no ka?!"
This was their ticket, their one way out of this unholy mess that the party had stumbled into by Fate or misfortune. Ignoring the sharp thorns of the brambles as they wreathed all around Toko slammed her hands onto the soil hidden below, grunting as the rabbit focused all of her might onto the land as she seeked to nurture and grow vines of her own. Nature responded her call, a set of dark green thorny brambles errupting from the ground in response—the same black tendrils that continued to spread through Toko's skin also mirrored in the vines.
"How about another nap, Reji-mah, but this time we make it a permanent one?!"
The plant matter shot forth then towards the floating doll, the barbed tendrils tightening around its form as they squeezed with all their might... the hare making sure to keep the figure afloat and aligned with the sheep as Toko's eyes remained trained on the light sword shinning behind them both.
"Hey, Kuroi Hitsuji! Stay right the fuck where you are if you don't want your little akuma doll shredded to bits!"
Taunting ()
A glance was given to the blonde behind Toko, her gaze moving towards the altar south west of Fiora, before she jerked her head to motion for the human to get going towards it.
Movement: F5 > G6 > G7 -5 HP - Dominion: Justified Hate -10 HP - Dominion: Justified Hate, Movement +12 HP - Recover
Just keep running. That was all Yu could afford to do. Looking back would surely slow him down, the vines would ensnare him, pull him down into the dirt, into their roots, where they'd feed on his decaying body, and their fates would certainly be sealed. But for now there was a chance. The bloom of light and the doll's furious scream confirmed that much. The altars must be supplicated.
Every movement was a fight against the prickling spines that tore into his clothing and flesh, opening new holes in his coat, new wounds in his flesh which thinly trickled with blood. But it didn't matter. He'd made it to the altar, interacted with it, accepted whatever price he had to pay, not knowing that Herc had just paid the ultimate price for them all.
Turning as he sealed his wounds, clotting the blood with magic, Yu could just barely make out the form of Toko beneath Delilah, attempting to draw the nightmare's attention. Even still, the single red glowing eye turned, set it's devilish sights on Yu.
"Yeah, that's right..." the man muttered under his breath. "Come and get me you raggedy ass piece of shit!" God, he hoped this went the way he thought it would...
CURSE (4) Favored
No Movement
Has Sacrificed (Tweed DollI) -5 from post +1 curse stack from Beg and Pray
Sepulchre takes several deep breathes from where fae cowered behind the alter, clutching the tweed doll tight. How easily fae forgot how horrible that cry was.... any further musings were interrupted by a sickening crunch in the distance off to faer right, heralding a bright flash lighting up the twisted ground before Sepulchre's sight and rending a bone-shuddering "NO!" from their vindictive host.
The Faerin ducks faer head out around the alter, certain that Fluffy had finally crushed @Toko in gruesome revenge. Fae blinks and smiles uneasily at the sight of the lepus still standing and slinging insults. The bloodmage and the blonde knight were still standing too... faer brows furrow and Sepulchre looks in the direction fae should've to begin with, uncovered eye going wide as the alter's light reflected off the blood dripping off of Herculean's broken form and coating the alter's steps.
Fae shakes and grips the tweed doll tightly in faer hands, all the moments of kindness and encouragement the reptilian man had shown faer despite knowing nearly nothing about faer replaying in faer mind. And now fae can't make it past the brambles to return the favor. Sepulchre bites down on faer lip hard, pulling faerself upright with support of the alter and pours faer grief and frustration into a yell as fae slam down the tweed doll on top of the alter.
"Take this sacrifice, oh kind and merciful God!" Sepulchre shouts, unable to keep the bitter drip of distain from faer voice. "And if the firstborn of the flock aren't enough for you I can offer the rotten crops as well! Thus I - Sepulchre af Umbral, your ever humble and faithful servant - beseech thee!"
And with that, fae ignore faer grimoire and launch into the foreign phrases that have begun to sunk in from faer reliance on the spell, only to stumble on some of the words in the middle of the recitation. Sepulchre tries not to panic and continue, but faer momentum is lost. Fae grit faer teeth and shout at the air, "Alright, I know you're out there! Are you really going to just watch as this washed-up, little has-been of a devil and his pet snatch away your rightful sacrifices??!"
Sepulchre staggred into the altar's safe embrace. The faerin collapsed upon the altar's side, weak from exertion. A pact had been made, bright blue light streaking across the realm that elicited a furious howl from Rejicunt's dominion. Faer hands grew limp, falling next to the doll which fell upon the altarside. Sometimes, when she blinked, it almost looked as if there were still light outside the altar's boundary. It looked bright and pure, as if cast by a moon that cared little for her dying body.
No. No! Fae had just a moment's time left to work! Sepulchre had been so close, all e needed to do was to tear it apart! Yet Sepulchure could not. Too much blood had been lost. The little explorer's hopes had been crushed, er attempts ending in naught but failure. E was a disappointment. E was the source of this pain, and this was what e deserved.
Why had Lærke come to this place? Did e think that a simple heart full of wonder and love for mystery would be enough to come clean from a world of hate?How would it ever be enough when Lærke had not even the resolve to bear that heart upon an altar's cool stone?
You still could. It isn't too late. Do not give into the hateful thoughts.
Bleary faerin eyesopen to see thelittle tweed doll, the one that Sepulchure had gone through so much pain and lost so much blood to acquire. It stood on two little feet, tiny tweed knees bent over so that it could look upon faer with faceless sympathy.
Please, Sepulchure, it is not yet hopeless. We can bring light to the others still!
Sepulchure agreed, her prayer made. The sacrifice was made, her prayer answered.
The little tweed doll ripped Sepulchure's heart out of faer chest in a single clean motion.
G3 --ACTIVE--
Warning
Sepulchure af Umbral, you are dead. If you are not revived within the time limit, your body will reconstruct at the nearest sanctified location.
...
Yugam staggered upon the altar. His hands, bloodied from the pinprick bites of countless thorns and the clots of sealed tearing, reached for the altar like a lifeline. The chains tried to pull him away, to keep him from salvation that he knew he didn't deserve. It was his time to perish here as penance for the pain he caused.
The eye was growing closer, red light framing the thorns. Delilah crawled through the brambles.
Her approach was slow and unstoppable, just as any beast of a nightmare.
Perhaps, if he could sacrifice his spirit, that would be penance enough? Perhaps the nightmare would be over then, and forgiveness would be granted. Maybe he could just walk right out of this cave like his pounding heart screamed at him to do.
Yugam could see her jaws, shattered into barely functional ceramic by his own doing.
This pain of Delilah's-it was his fault.
His mouth betrayed his mind and called for Delilah's punishment. "Come get me you ra-r-raggedy..!" it managed to say. Yugam tried to be bold, but his mouth would not speak anything else, not through the pain which gripped his tongue in a choking vice. He tasted so much blood. He bared his soul before the altar, his last act of defiance before the judging eye that was hunting him down.
But Yugam had given nothing to this altar. His soul itself would not bear to make the sacrifice.
Critical Failure
1
Notice
YOU ARE IMMUNE TO CURSE.
The grip of dread strangled at his throat. A physical grip overtook his limbs. The judging briar's thorns made manifest hands of the wronged, each digging their fingers underneath his skin. Yugam didn't want to leave-he was here to sacrifice! He was here to repent!
God would not accept a hollow apology, and neither would the thorns. Yugam was dragged kicking into the brambles, unable to scream through the vines inside of his mouth.His mastery of Hemomancy prevented bleeding from inside and outside both, but it did not dull the pain of countless needles raking over his body as he was dragged. They slashed across his arms, became the sound within his ears and poked against his eyes.
He could hear the malicious laughter from somewhere within the darkness of Rejicunt's body. He heard laughter from the Peddler of Dreams. His friends, too, laughed at him for his folly.
This is what he deserved. This is what becomes of monsters who bring so much pain to the world. You, Starcalled, are the evil of this world. You must be punished for the chaos you have brought.Submit yourself before me, for I shall be your savior. Repent yourself beneaththe briar within your grave and I shall grant youpurpose. I shall bring you love and mercy.
Enter the gate. She awaits you. Salvatorum awaits your soul.
The maw loomed forth, Delilah's frame open wide and hungry. Her charge had slowed, and now she simply waited for Yugam to enter her jaws. Her state of damage had ripped away much of what made her look like a sheep. It was clear to his eyes now-this thing had once been human, too. Now she was the instrument through which he would be saved. Would he become like this in penance? Did he deserve to?
Against his better judgement, Yugam allowed himself a moment of selfishness as he awaited his fate. He knew that he shouldn't be selfish in this time, but this may have been the last chance he could get. His gaze drifted skyward, watching the bramble clouds drift across the briar's night sky. The moon he saw beyond the hateful realm was so beautiful... Though streaks of red were tainting the serene view, he almost swore that there could be a moon even within this terrible place of sin.
There was a reason for that, he realized-It was because there was a moon, and because the red in the sky was not that of Rejicunt's light. As stones struck the earth beside his body, Yugam realized what he saw.
It was an angel of mercy that descended before him.
[SCREECH..!] SLAM! "What?!"
Rejicunt's frightened voice was the catalyst which shattered the illusion, a stone that broke through Yugam's reverie of glass. The thorns loosened their grip for moments' time, a time long enough for the boy to free himself. His arms slipped away from the grasp of plants, and his teeth sank into the brambles which had entered his mouth in an effort to sever away what bound.
Chew. Chew. Swallow. It tasted of bile, copper and hate. Yugam found the horrid, nauseating taste a blessing, for it focused his gaze onto reality. The room wasn't even glitching to his eyes as it had been, for the illusion had been totally shattered.
Breathe, Yugam. What was real? His name was Yugam Rous--ARISTOTLE Roussos. He was born in 2010 in the USA, state of... The state of... He was fighting a stupid doll and its' animated corpse. The Duuhmeron who had sent him on this quest had arrived, presumably to help him fight this unnatural monster of the mind.
It was a monster of the mind, a creature who drew strength from turmoil. Nigh two-thirds of the brambles within the room were figments of his own imagination.
The second warning of corruption hadn't been for Zalrisis at all-it had been a warning for mental corruption.
The vines that were real had tried to enter his insides. They sought to suffocate him from within using his own blood. Delilah was the same as ever, though he could no longer deny that her head was shaped like that of a remnant of once-human bone. He could see the frames of Fiora and Toko struggle against things that did not exist and thorns that dug into their skin. He couldn't see Herculean or Sepulchre, for they were likely in the two activated altars.
The Duuhmeron had struck Delilah away and was now struggling in a brawl against her. She sounded furious, but he couldn't hear words escape her teeth anymore. That made sense-he had likely imagined the sheep-like monster's words. Did it even have vocal chords left? Two altars were active. Three remained, and one didn't have a sacrifice he could make.
Rejicunt still yet hung in the air, his ugly laughter and furious roars poisoning the senses. It seems that he was focused upon the sudden intrusion that had broken through the stone roof. This was a chance to do something! But what could he do?
Surely something had to be done. The time to act was now. Yugam had to do something-anything-before it was too late. A memory returns-the altars! He needed to activate the altars!
A race against time continued.
Cycle 11 Mechanics
Threadcode: 757C11
All characters are permitted one post this cycle.
The posting wordcount limit is set 750 (Post content only, code and mechanics excluded).
This thread is primarily focused on progression of the objective. Additional communication may be done in our communications thread. Talking is a Free Action.
The thread will update with the intermission in 48-72 Hours, or sooner if everyone posts.
All actions on sheet are available to players, as well as actions detailed in sections further below.
@Harper and @Wanderer are free to join this thread off the Duuhmeron's back! If doing so, you may begin your turn within any zone adjacent to D5.
You may not safely enter the D5 zone. This zone is a clusterfuck. You will face consequences for doing so.
Enemy Overview
<<Rejiciunt, Vindictive Heart>>
1 / 1
Vengeance. Any player attacking Rejiciunt must immediately double their CURSE to do so.
Just So You Know, You're Obligated to Hurt Me. If Rejiciunt is alive by the beginning of next cycle, it will unleash a devastating attack against everyone still alive.
<<Delilah, Twisted Ego>>
1801 / 2391
❰ 91 / 100 ❱
Located in D5
Took 9 damage from Invoke Urukhan
CURSE (2)
Grudge. A palpable aura of murk surrounds the monster, only illuminated by the lantern on its' neck. Those who are within the same square as Delilah when a Cycle begins gain one stack of CURSE.
Shepherd's Cane. Delilah's reaping limbs lie in wait for those who seek to run. Leaving a square adjacent from Delilah's location will cause you to take 20 Retaliation damage.
If a character chooses to Taunt Delilah, Shepherd's Cane will deactivate for the cycle and others will be free to walk away.
Slow. - Delilah only has a base movement speed of 1.
Weakness.- Delilah is an unnatural creature. Spirit Magic will cause a violent reaction when pitted against her, causing great damage to both herself and possibly the caster.
Armor of Wool. Delilah will not take damage from physical attacks which do not have precise power behind them. When attacking Delilah, A d100 will fail on a natural roll of 30 or below and a d20 will fail and not be added to the total on a 6 or below. This ability does not defend against Magical masteries.
Currently, ARMOR OF WOOL has prevented 15 damage and two death effects.
<<Battle Map - Cage of the Martyr>>
Map Effects: Dominion: Justified Hate. When posting, take 5 retaliation damage. If you choose to move this post, take another 10 retaliation damage. This effect persists even when Rejiciunt is dead.
Yugam, Harper and Wanderer are IMMUNE to this effect.
Repeating Tragedy. If Rejiciunt is dead by the beginning of next cycle, it will revive at full HP. If Delilah is dead at the beginning of a Cycle, she will revive with half of her maximum HP.
CHAIN. Spectral chains link you all together. One may only go so far before they pull taut. If a round ends and you are more than 2 spaces away from any character, calculate your extra distance beyond 2. When you do, you are flung towards Delilah in a straight line for double the amount of distance.
If this causes a character to no longer be within 2 spaces of any other character, a chain reaction occurs.
Cycle 11's Action Phase Overview
The party's [Prayers], together with @Sepulchre af Umbral 's Invoke Urukhan, destroyed the ceiling in a portion and allowed the Duuhmeron in. @Harper and @Wanderer are now eligible to join the thread as reinforcements. To do so, they must start their turn in any space adjacent to D5.
A portion of the ceiling falls upon Delilah as Sepulchre destroys it, acting as Damocles. Delilah's [Armor of Wool] negates this instance of damage.
@Sepulchre af Umbral dies while activating the G3 altar. The G3 altar is currently considered to be manned by @Sepulchre af Umbral and does not require another player.
The Duuhmeron cancels Delilah's charge and is now engaged in fierce battle with her. Due to @Toko 's TAUNT, the Duuhmeron is not harmed by his arrival.
@Yugam , having failed to activate the G7 altar, is pulled 2 zones towards Delilah by CHAIN. Due to being dragged across brambles, he takes 30 damage on Cycle 10.5. Due to @Toko 's TAUNT, @Yugam is not further attacked.
@Fiora Di Angelo heals herself for +10 HP and @Toko for +10 (20 halved due to distance) HP.
Rejicunt activates Guilt. At the beginning of the Cycle, you gain a penalty to all rolls until the end of this Cycle. This penalty is -5 for every stack of curse afflicted on you. At the beginning of your post after this, before you make any other actions, you may make a Will Saving roll against a DC of 50 to remove this effect.
Delilah activates Cry of Eve.
All players will take 10 damage per stack of CURSE they have at the time of Cycle Update unless they succeed at a Will Saving roll. The DC of the Will Saving roll begins at 40, increasing by 5 for every stack of CURSE you have.
Next round, if measures are not taken, the Duuhmeron may die.
Current Player Status
Toko
45 / 205
Curse (11) (+1 for attacking Yugam) - A vector for other afflictions. Must be removed by leaving and going to a church. DELIRIOUS - It has been revealed that you are hallucinating. Your UI is glitching under the stress, and you are currently still affected by the rules of Dominion: Justified Hate.
Yugam
67 / 100
IMMUNE
Fiora di Angelo
136 / 160
Curse (12) (+1 for insulting Yugam) DELIRIOUS - It has been revealed that you are hallucinating. Your UI is glitching under the stress, and you are currently still affected by the rules of Dominion: Justified Hate.
Harper
87 / 140
Curse (4)
Wanderer
58 / 100
Curse (2)
Altars
Upon the flood of moonlight reaching into the cave, the remaining altars are revealed as darkness recedes.
A7 - To Sacrifice Your Lips
One may offer their words to this altar-to do so is to devote your words and thoughts to God alone. You may activate this altar as aBonus Action. If you do, you will lose the ability to take a Main Action on your turn. You may not activate this altar on the cycle in which you have otherwise spent a Main Action. Each cycle, your Main Action is instead spent in rapturous prayer of an unknown God. You may still take any number of Bonus Actions as are available to you.
This altar is currently Inactive. Anyone may activate this altar.
The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
The sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
The children of Amram:
Aaron, Moses and Miriam.
The sons of Aaron:
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
Eleazar was the father of Phinehas,
Phinehas the father of Abishua, Abishua the father of Bukki...
G7 - To Sacrifice Your Spirit
One may offer their spirit to this altar-to do so is to devote your mind and heart to God alone. You may activate this altar as aBonus Action. If you do, your soul will undertake the weight of relentless pain, never knowing why or who to blame.
You will gain 2 CURSE at the beginning of every Cycle. It becomes hard to distinct who is truly on your side, though this need not affect you mechanically.
This altar is currently Inactive. Anyone may activate this altar.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
A3 - To Sacrifice Your Life
One may offer their utter devotion to this altar-to do so is to devote your life to God alone. You may activate this altar as a Standard Action. If you do, your life shall become devoted to the cause of prayer. All of your actions will be devoted to prayer and nothing more for the rest of combat.
While this altar is active, you cannot leave or be forcibly removed from the altar by any means. You will always be considered to be manning this altar while it is active.
'Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,
– this is your spiritual act of worship.'
Actions and Options
Invoke Tiki's Wrath (Harper only)
The forest is furious towards Rejicunt. Once per thread (also counting against the Guardian Tiki's Once-per-thread action), as a Special Action, Harper may bear the Tiki aloft and negate any one action that was made or is attempting to be made by an enemy this turn. You may use this item to negate the action of an enemy up to one zone away from you.
Steep in Darkness (Must have 8+ CURSE to use this action)
You feel the curse creep into your bones. Lancets of pain crawl through your veins, brushing against your shell of skin that hides the blood away. This is your fault. You came here, and now you suffer. You may repent, if you so wish.
Once per post as a Bonus Action, you may gain 2 CURSE to add a +50 bonus (before modifiers) to any one roll you make. You may choose to use this action even after a roll is made, but doing so will add the bonus after modifiers instead.
Beg and Pray
Once per post as a Bonus Action, you may gain 1 CURSE to make a Presence Expertise roll. When you do, beg or pray to someone-or something- in your post. Events may happen on Cycle 11 based on your progress.
[hp=current]max[/hp]
[status]
CURSE (X)
Moved From (X) to (Y)
Has Sacrificed (X)
[/status]
Post here
[action]
Type choice and roll result here
Beg/Pray (To Whom?) - 000/???
[/action]
Link Play Sheet Here
Their quest was complete, rough as it may have been, and they had even gotten a few trinkets out of it. She should be finding herself in a tavern, drinking the soreness away before logging off for the day. That was the plan at first, and what she should really be doing.
Yet...
When she saw the brambles crawling back into the forest after she and Wanderer had defeated the doll, a piece of her heart knew that their troubles were not finished. And if they just tried to keep it out of their minds, Harper feared that it might not only come to bite their asses later on, but it also might pose a threat to both innocent people and players alike.
So, even though she knew she would be just walking back into the hell she just got back from, the tigress couldn't help but climb unto the Duuhmeron's back, accepting its wordless invitation to finish what they had started. Giving the sheep they had saved one last floofing with a smile, she would depart into hopefully not certain death.
--
Turns out, taking a trip on a giant owl-person's back was anything but a smooth ride, the tigress trying to find a balance between hanging for dear life and not ripping the Duuhmeron's back skin off with her claws. After what seemed like an eternity of praying to whatever divinities she knew, she'd notice the Duuhmeron preparing to dive into an opening below. While she was happy the flight was nearing its end, the seemingly sharp angle the creature would take in its dive worried her. With one last prayer done, the beastkin would cry out.
"Here goes nothing...! Aaaaaah!"
Once they found themselves inside the cave proper, Harper would be a bit taken aback by what she saw. Brambles, corpses, and some god-forsaken abomination that loosely looked like a sheep. Initially, she didn't know exactly what to do, but upon seeing those still alive her gaze would fall upon @Toko , the lepus easily being the one of the initial group in the worst state. Well, apart from those that were dead, of course.
"Yo, Bugs!"
Harper would cry out to the bunny girl, jumping off the Duuhmeron as it entered into conflict with Delilah. Landing with a roll by her side, she'd give her a confident smirk and tap on her shoulder. "You look like you can use a breather! Let me tussle with Shaun the Sheep's ugly cousin here while you take a break!" She'd give her a thumbs up before rushing toward Rejicunt who was nearby. The floating rag would have nary a time to react before most of its body was grabbed by one of Harper's hands, the tigress wasting no time in squeezing whatever unholy life was on it, making all sorts of nasty sounds.
If it was anything like the doll she and Wanderer had faced prior, it wasn't going down that easily. But at least for the current moment, it was out of commission. This lets her focus on the biggest threat here: Delilah.
Putting her hands by the side of her mouth to help propagate her voice, Harper would shout. It was time to get it to go after her, and the tigress knew the best way to get anything slightly sentient to want to tear her apart.
"ATTEEEEEEEEENTIOOOOOOON!! YOU BIG, UGLY, CREEPY-ASS BASTARD CHILD OF A LAMB!"
Once Harper thought she had Delilah's attention, she would put on her best shit-eating grin, turning sideways as she slightly lifted her bent lead leg and giving her own thigh two loud slaps, beckoning Delilah to come after her with a motion from her hand.
"Why don't you try to take a bite out of this, huh? Wanna try and jump this fence? Just don't whine when you trip and find yourself on the ground. ASS FIRST!"
"...Hm?"
Harper would interrupt her attempts at taunting Delilah when the forest tiki that she had been carrying began to glow. Remembering its effects against the brambles from earlier, she'd figure it could maybe do something against the monster in front of her.
At the very least, it wouldn't make things worse. Probably. With a free hand, she'd grab the tiki and brandish it sky-high at Delilah.
Rolls
Attack Rejicunt, Taunt Delilah, and Negate Cry of Eve with the Tiki.
Save
1d100 (36) + 0 = 36
Will | Harper | 757C11 (Guilt Will save)
Save
1d100 (46) + 0 = 46
Will | Harper | 757C11 (Cry of Eve Will Save)
Normal Attack
1d100 (15) + 15 + 10 = 40 40 damage
-20 from Guilt = 20 damage
Movement: D4 > C4 > B3 > Rushes > A3 Twice Action: Activate A3 altar, standard action. -15 HP from Dominion: Justified Hate Cry of Eve is nullified.
The brambles continued to dig into her skin even as the hare's vision seemed to fizzle and break, various pixelated lines constantly obscuring what Toko could and could not see. She could tell from the sounds that were picked by her ears that things were not going alright, barely managing to step out of the way as something fell from the sky and onto Delilah.
"Yo, Bugs!"
A voice called out to her, one that the Lepus didn't recognize, and it caused Toko to shift her attention as her eyes squinted in an attempt to better see the new arrival. A massive figure had just plopped down straight from the sky, the screeching and tousling sounds clear indications of the battle being raged between the two large beasts. The tigress then turned towards Rejicunt, her hands making quick work of the doll for the time being, and while the hare regretted not being able to continue pounding the creepy asshole herself there was no denying that she wasn't in the proper condition to continue this.
Her muscles screamed in protest as she tried to move, the headache lingering in her mind increasing in intensity as her UI seemed to glitch out further. It caused the hare to wince and grind her teeth, before she resorted to biting the inside of her cheek with enough force to draw blood. A crude method, but it achieved what Toko had hoped, the new pain helping override whatever confusion was imparing her brain before the fighter glanced back towards the altar.
Long steps took her through the map, fighting against the thorny vines that threatened to ensnare and trap her in place, and before long Toko found herself at the base of the altar in question. She wasn't sure how these things worked, and so the rabbit decided to take a page out of Yugam's book. A thumb was brought close to her lips, the Lepus chewing on it hard enough to break skin, before pressing the fingertip against the surface of the altar so the blood would pool against it.
"Dunno how any of this works, but it'd be nice if you turned on... feel free to give us a miracle while you're at it?"
Her eyes strayed back to the two beasts fighting, hoping that the newly arrived Duuhmeron could withstand Delilah's onslaught and finish the cursed ewe once and for all...
Guilt - Will Save
1d100 (95) + 40 = 135 Will | Toko | 757C11
He was told by his party member to not start a fire and burn the forest to cut off the supplies of the juicy forest mangoes. It was probably the right call he thought as he sank his teeth into his last one. It was so odd all he could see were trees like oak, but he felt as refreshed as if he were on the beach sipping on a mai tai. Something had felt unfinished to him and maybe if he burnt the forest, it would go away. His rag puppet hand would slowly raise as he looked at the Duuhmeron who seemed to await the pair.
His right hand covered in the rag of the enemy would raise to his ear "Maybe he wants to join in burning the forest." the puppet hissed, as the Wanderer's lips moved. He would hop on with Harper and as it took off. 'Maybe she's making sure if we actually burn the forest with the Duuhmeron.'
He would notice as Harper smile back at the sheep and it hit him. 'Why is it leaving the sheep in the forest after all this work if we're burning the forest?' and as the group got higher and higher it hit him 'Oh. I guess we're not burning it down. I guess it is where the mangoes do grow and I just finished my last one'. "Double Bummer." He sighed as the Duuhm took them on their next adventure.
--
If graceful landings were an Olympic sport, he would have the first negative score. "Geez." As he bounced off the walls to decelerate his fall "Louise." He would be the last to arrive out of the three but only by a few seconds to witness the clusterfuck below.
"Never lucky." He pouted as he saw Harper land next to the doll as he looked at his bare left hand. He knew that of the three coming in he come in at just the spot to be the furthest from the other puppet. He also knew he was going face first into the bramble as well unfortunately.
BAM!
Everything felt so sudden as he got up. He felt physical and mental pain at the same time from the lopsided landing. Harper was in the middle of the tussle, the Duuhmeron was locked in mortal combat with Delilah and now he noticed 'Bugs' dashed to an altar, and he figured 'They probably know more than I do in what's happening.' And dashed in the opposite direction to the other altar.
As each leg took a step on the uneven terrain, he took quick glances back. He worried for the Duuhmchild and Harper, but he knew that only worry would make no progress on the situation at hand. He would just have to trust them and so he stopped looking and made a full effort to rush towards the altar.
"Stop skedaddling in the wrong direction. Turn back. Kill the other doll. Wear its skin on your hand like me! Hahaha!" His right hand would hiss and giggle once more. "Oh how I wish I could." As he reached the altar to activate it. He then felt an ache in his heart as he stared at his left hand and back at the battlefield.
Rolls
Recover (Pocket Mango)
1d20 (17) + 0 = 17
Recover | Wanderer | 757C11
Guilt Will Save
1d100 (85) + 0 = 85
Pyromancy | Wanderer | 757C11
Behind him, Sepulchre's altar lit up, a beam of light thrust high into the sky. But Yu's? No beam of light. No divine force that he'd been relying on to keep him safe from Delilah's charge. The man looked behind him at the stone altar, where a small notification window that wasn't there before had appeared.
Notice
YOU ARE IMMUNE TO CURSE
"Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding m- ah!"
Vines suddenly yanked the man off feet, his head nearly slamming into the prickly ground. They drew him back, rapidly pulling him towards Delilah who's maw lay wide open, eagerly awaiting her next meal.
Thorns raked across his back, his coat and shirt torn to shreds as he struggled to free himself from the vines. Above him the beacons of light from Herculean and Sephulchre's altars taunted him. Had he known they had both died in the act, he would've cursed whatever gods had placed them there to begin with.
And above all the light, the dark, the blood, thorns and chaos, there sat the moon. Ever watchful. Witness to his second death in this world. White, pure, and bright.
Fluttering.
Fluttering?
A chunk of the ceiling suddenly crashed into the earth next to the man, nearly crushing him, eliciting a surprised shout from the man. Another chunk of the ceiling cracked against Delilah's skull, falling to pieces, sending debris flying, forcing Yu to cover his face with his arms.
And when he looked again, a massive bird had arrived, slashing at Delilah with it's talons.
Unfamiliar voices began to shout and Yu's eyes wildly searched for their owners. To new additions to the fray.
And the vines. They'd stopped dragging him across the ground. Yu wrenched his arms free of the vines, tearing them apart, even as the thorns dug into his flesh. The ones in his mouth, he grabbed and tore apart, ignoring the pain as he cast the pieces aside and spit onto the ground, a mixture of plant fiber and blood.
He still had a chance. He just had to get up and move.
CURSE (14)
Moved From (C4) to (E6) Cry of Eve is nullified
Vulnerable -30 HP from Domain +53 HP From power heal
+2 Curse from Steep In Darkness
"YUGAAAAM!"
The vibration on her vocal cords rised the pitch. Regardless of it being on her range or not, her harrowing screams couldn't drag her any closer to the object of her stress. He's might be a jerk, an asshole, and she also wouldn't mind if he got chomped right now by this big monstrous sheep, but the truth tugged heartstrings harder than animosity could: Death is real within Terrasphere.
Wasn't this what she came to stop with her promise to Hanno? Still, her veins boiled but inaction ruled as these brambles cut straight through her flesh and held her back, like meat hooks pulling at her skin. Oh so far away yet still so at her reach, if only she could extend her hand a bit further, make a few extra steps... But her whole interface glitched out. Was it an illusion? Were Delilah and Yu that far away from her?
She gritted, pearly teeth stained with blood, the sight of the would-be execution too gruesome when pictured inside her head, enough to avert her eyes. If only she could cover her ears, perhaps that way his death wouldn't weigh so heavily on her shoulders...
BAM!!
In the blink of an eye, the 'sky' shattered, revealing to be a ceiling in fact that crumbled upon the demonic sheep with a figure of crimson eyes jumping into the fray to save the dark-haired idiot from unforgiving death. Time moved all too quickly for her. Adrenaline aside, the pain went numb and her limbs didn't feel like her own for that lapse where reinforcements arrived in the shape of an orange feline and... What was that freak even?
"What's with you all and the dramatic last second entrances, huh?!"A joyful, broken laughter cracked out in tandem with one. Big. Dumb smile on her face. With hope revitalized and the odds not so terrible, Fiora tore bramble and thorny vines aside with brute, raw power from flexing her muscles and thrashing away at her bindings.
Snap! The blonde breached containment, and apparently Toko took the lead on rushing to play hero. With these wounds though? Now, she couldn't call herself emotional support if she didn't do some physical too; For that, a time sphere begun to track down the bun-bun with extreme accuracy until it reached it's target and exploded with an harmonic boom reminiscent of a grandfather clock reaching twelve'o clock. "Run faster Bun-bun, I ain't sharing my resting place with that fuckboy if we all die!" Her voice roared, the strength of a Dragon Flying alligator fueled purely by her hype. Yet that stupor didn't make her forget what pulled from Yu just moments ago, and set herself to sprint across the battlefield, trusting @Harper and the big fat bird would take care of the sheep while she rushed to the east-side.
Rolls
Moved to A3, used Steep In Darkness for the Power Heal post-roll healing Toko x2 (+106 HP) and once to herself (53)
@Toko@Wanderer@Fiora Di Angelo@Harper@Yugam, you guys have regained an open slot for any other Challenge you would like to join. The DM can put in a request to resume this Challenge at any time in the future!
