The blue-green and purple glow of the winter room's enchanted aurora flickers like a dying lightbulb, sputtering and strobing uselessly. The ice here has all but melted, hanging in the air as steam, pooling inches deep at your feet. Whatever bumps against your ankles is hopefully debris, but who knows, it's impossible to see. Down here, it's muggy. Hard to breathe, hard to see, hard to think. But there's not much further. You can't give up.
Frost still coats the Deeplurk door, a glimmering beacon to guide you on. You're almost there. Carve a path through the dark. Never give up.
[All DEEPLURK STUDENTS who fight in this room will receive a +1 Bonus to all rolls.]
This memory is damaged beyond repair. It blurs in places, colors and details running like drops of water on a chalk drawing. Ashes rain down from a swirling gray-green sky, that much is clear. Fire dances from windows and doors as something attacks, crashing into buildings, ripping holes in the streets, grabbing people and dragging them into tears and crevices in the ground. It skips and stutters, details changing every so slightly each time they repeat.
There are people all around. More than people — the beings the kids call Gatekeepers, and the magimagicicada, too. Everyone is fighting that darkness, clashing with awful, creeping things, shadowy tendrils dotted with purple flowers.
It is chaos, even without the glitches of this memory torn to pieces.
"They've got him, Mr. Qualls! They're gonna kill him." Percy Potkin on Caleb's left doesn't say that right now. But he had, a bit ago. A moment before, or maybe an hour?
Now it echoes in his head, all around. They're gonna kill him. They're gonna kill him. They're gonna kill him. A church bell signaling the hour. How many minutes until the end of the world?
The scene splits and shakes and tears, like one too many whacks from Pocket's spirit stick.
You're at the far side of Paw Paw, flanked by Percy Potkin and Georgie Trullinger, watching mayhem unfold. Where is Lionel?
You're in front of a bowling alley, the doors standing open. How did they get him? Why didn't Lionel listen?
You're at breakfast with your — with Caleb Qualls's — family. Where is Marilynn? Where is Bryce?
You're in the middle of the street, glass raining down from either side as buildings burn. People are screaming, the magimagicicadas are being snatched right from the air, and each time they disappear the very earth shakes in despair. You have to stop. You have to help them. But, no, no, no, no. They've got him, Mr. Qualls. They're gonna kill him.
The memory stabilizes—almost. Half-frozen, half-moving. Caleb Qualls stands with his wand out, surrounded by your students: Georgie and Percy, Zed Crockett and Gilda Santos. A stout magimagicicada is snatched away. Gilda turns and shrieks the round bug's name, but you don't hear it, because that, too, has been taken from Mr. Qualls one too many times.
At the far end of the lane, separated from you by yards and yards of writhing vines and creeping shadows, Monty Crockett forces his way into the bowling alley and disappears.
Caleb knows exactly what Monty Crockett is doing, "Get to the bowling alley. That must be where they have him!"
The teens and their teacher freeze.
But all around things are still moving. Not just horrors, but people. Familiar people.
There's a man and a woman still fighting on the left, and as light bursts from their wands, their features are illuminated and it's clear who they are: Ms. Altizer and Mr. Berzelius, fighting off awful flying things back to back, both grinning wildly, the best date night they've had in years.
On the left, Ms. Treetops tosses a silver white light from the end of her wand: a cactus cat gallops up into the air, catching a blast of purple energy and shielding students from the blow. Dr. Ranui tosses something from his pocket that explodes like fireworks in the sky, shattering the mask of the Cultist floating overhead.
And then, Mr. Purcell, sprints toward the group, effortlessly exploding every vine that tries to grab him. When he grins his grim smile, it's right at the gathered students. He is not part of the memory. None of them are. They are all here, as you are, to see Caleb Qualls to the end of this awful dream. "I don't know how you kids got here, but we need your help." He turns his attention to the frozen Mr. Qualls, "Don't worry, Caleb. We'll cut you a path. C'mon!"
Merlin doesn't have to be told twice. Even in the midst of this absolute chaos, what needs to be done is obvious and there's only one way to clear the path. He glances back briefly at the others and gives a small but resolute nod. He's never been good with words and there isn't time for them now anyway, but he's got their backs. He's ready to go through hell with them. Then he turns, taking off quickly after Mr. Purcell with his Draco Nine Tails in his hand and wand secured in his jacket's inner pocket. He silently readies himself for the first monstrosity that gets in the way.
Edited (Sorry for the delaaaay.) 2020-06-10 17:51 (UTC)
You can't spit without hitting something angry about how many legs it has on this long stretch of asphalt. Merlin's ready with a linchpin whip to slap some strange crablike-monstrosity out of the air (ROLLED 7+1), tearing off one of its wings. Though losing one of those doesn't stop the thing from hopping back up on its six legs and skittering toward the group.
Imogen unleashes a patronus (ROLLED 8) that catches a cloud of shadowy Birds, disintegrating some and scattering the rest. What remains of the flock swoops but Imogen ducks neatly (ROLLED 10) beneath their attack.
There's no telling just how much you'll have to fight through, there's still so much farther to go. Keep pushing!
[Your targets are: 1 flying crab, 1 injured flying crab (on the ground), 1 injured flock of birds, 2 vines, easily accessible. In the back, there is a Cultist, harder to get at. There may be more as well]
"Coming!" Armani calls, skittering along after the Cool Older Kids. He's got a trident! And he's a little afraid to use it! But that's not going to stop him from trying to impress the others!
He rushes in to try to skewer ground crab with it and hopes it looks very cool.
Armani charges the skittering horror, its one wing flapping as it moves (ROLLED 9 + 1) and runs the creature right through with his cactrident. To add insult to injury, the bird lands on the crab kebab, and pecks at the limp creature's carapace.
Not slowing down and realizing that Armani has the first of the crustaceans handled, Merlin rushes toward the second flying crab. He attempts to knock it out of the sky with a crushing downward blow from the Draco Nine Tails, apparently wanting to do more than just knock some wings off this time.
Merlin (ROLLED 9 + 1) smashes the second winged spiderling out of the air with his linchpin, stars sparking and bursting against the cracking carapace. Before it hits the ground, Armani skewers the weakened shell (ROLLED 7 + 1), and the two of them put a sound end to the creature.
All around, teachers are still fighting, flinging spells and even fighting with foot and fist where needed.
Caleb Qualls and his possee of young adults stutter to a start, taking a few running steps forward before freezing once more.
It's hard to see anything for all the fog, but perhaps you don't need to see at all. The buzzing sound is deafening, not just one cloud of Bugs, but a whole Swarm swirls around in the mists trying to push students back out of the Winter room. Don't let them! Get swinging!
NAME: Fred Adler WHAT DO YOU DO?: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Fred is the Bug Slayer and her deedly-bob is a deadly tool of extermination... that she just flails wildly into the air above her while shrieking a lot.
NAME: Claudia WHAT DO YOU DO?: She's got her dogeball over her head and she's trying to just beat the shit out of them while screaming. At no point does she think to actually throw it.
Claudia flails the Dogeball around (ROLLED 6+1) and with its magical help, she manages to smash several bugs. However, with that big red barking beacon, she's an easy target for bugs (ROLLED 4) and winds up pelted with buggy bodies. More bruises for her troubles.
Nothing can stop Felicity when she's got the power of goats on her side (ROLLED 9)! Squish, squash, squelch! She's knocking them out of the air left and right. Unfortunately (ROLLED 1) that makes her a prime target for a fist-shaped cloud of them. The mists part as the swarm barrels through, catching Felicity in the gut and knocking her across the Winter room into a puddle of murky water. That'll smart. [Felicity will be dazed for her next 2 tags]
The crash of Trudy's maul is deafening, a hundred teacups pelted at once and certainly louder than the bugs. (ROLLED 7+1) Though the Swarm is scattered, Trudy makes quick work of the last remaining pockets of them, squishing and squashing, bug guts everywhere.
It's inexact work, but Uriah (ROLLED 7) manages to catch several in his orbit as he swings and stabs that fishing knife. While some of them (ROLLED 6) get caught in his curls, scratching and messing up his hair, they smack into the wall of the cave and knock themselves into the dirt after they escape.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
peckishmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
peckenpaugh2020-06-01 11:19 am
THE WINTER ROOM
Frost still coats the Deeplurk door, a glimmering beacon to guide you on. You're almost there. Carve a path through the dark. Never give up.
[All DEEPLURK STUDENTS who fight in this room will receive a +1 Bonus to all rolls.]
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
There are people all around. More than people — the beings the kids call Gatekeepers, and the magimagicicada, too. Everyone is fighting that darkness, clashing with awful, creeping things, shadowy tendrils dotted with purple flowers.
It is chaos, even without the glitches of this memory torn to pieces.
"They've got him, Mr. Qualls! They're gonna kill him." Percy Potkin on Caleb's left doesn't say that right now. But he had, a bit ago. A moment before, or maybe an hour?
Now it echoes in his head, all around. They're gonna kill him. They're gonna kill him. They're gonna kill him. A church bell signaling the hour. How many minutes until the end of the world?
The scene splits and shakes and tears, like one too many whacks from Pocket's spirit stick.
You're at the far side of Paw Paw, flanked by Percy Potkin and Georgie Trullinger, watching mayhem unfold. Where is Lionel?
You're in front of a bowling alley, the doors standing open. How did they get him? Why didn't Lionel listen?
You're at breakfast with your — with Caleb Qualls's — family. Where is Marilynn? Where is Bryce?
You're in the middle of the street, glass raining down from either side as buildings burn. People are screaming, the magimagicicadas are being snatched right from the air, and each time they disappear the very earth shakes in despair. You have to stop. You have to help them. But, no, no, no, no. They've got him, Mr. Qualls. They're gonna kill him.
The memory stabilizes—almost. Half-frozen, half-moving. Caleb Qualls stands with his wand out, surrounded by your students: Georgie and Percy, Zed Crockett and Gilda Santos. A stout magimagicicada is snatched away. Gilda turns and shrieks the round bug's name, but you don't hear it, because that, too, has been taken from Mr. Qualls one too many times.
At the far end of the lane, separated from you by yards and yards of writhing vines and creeping shadows, Monty Crockett forces his way into the bowling alley and disappears.
Caleb knows exactly what Monty Crockett is doing, "Get to the bowling alley. That must be where they have him!"
The teens and their teacher freeze.
But all around things are still moving. Not just horrors, but people. Familiar people.
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
On the left, Ms. Treetops tosses a silver white light from the end of her wand: a cactus cat gallops up into the air, catching a blast of purple energy and shielding students from the blow. Dr. Ranui tosses something from his pocket that explodes like fireworks in the sky, shattering the mask of the Cultist floating overhead.
And then, Mr. Purcell, sprints toward the group, effortlessly exploding every vine that tries to grab him. When he grins his grim smile, it's right at the gathered students. He is not part of the memory. None of them are. They are all here, as you are, to see Caleb Qualls to the end of this awful dream. "I don't know how you kids got here, but we need your help." He turns his attention to the frozen Mr. Qualls, "Don't worry, Caleb. We'll cut you a path. C'mon!"
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
She swings her arm as she goes, throwing out a hopeful patronus to help clear the way.
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
Imogen unleashes a patronus (ROLLED 8) that catches a cloud of shadowy Birds, disintegrating some and scattering the rest. What remains of the flock swoops but Imogen ducks neatly (ROLLED 10) beneath their attack.
There's no telling just how much you'll have to fight through, there's still so much farther to go. Keep pushing!
[Your targets are: 1 flying crab, 1 injured flying crab (on the ground), 1 injured flock of birds, 2 vines, easily accessible. In the back, there is a Cultist, harder to get at. There may be more as well]
Re: MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
He rushes in to try to skewer ground crab with it and hopes it looks very cool.
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
ONE OF THE FLYING CRABS IS DEFEATED! Keep going!
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
All around, teachers are still fighting, flinging spells and even fighting with foot and fist where needed.
Caleb Qualls and his possee of young adults stutter to a start, taking a few running steps forward before freezing once more.
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls - COMPLETE
MEMORY: They've Got Him, Mr. Qualls - COMPLETE
ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
WHAT DO YOU DO?: Taking a tip from Maisy, the smartest king she knows, Audrey swats her very wet sweatshirt at the bugs to net them.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
Evidently the bugs are flying blind, too, because (ROLLED 7) they can't seem to find her in the mists to counterattack.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
WHAT DO YOU DO?: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Fred is the Bug Slayer and her deedly-bob is a deadly tool of extermination... that she just flails wildly into the air above her while shrieking a lot.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
WHAT DO YOU DO?: She's got her dogeball over her head and she's trying to just beat the shit out of them while screaming. At no point does she think to actually throw it.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
WHAT DO YOU DO?: Takes a framed heart-shaped goat photo in each hand and starts swatting bugs.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
WHAT DO YOU DO?: Swinging a huge fucking great hammer of course
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog - COMPLETE
THE SWARM WAS DEFEATED! Stay tuned for tokens.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
WHAT DO YOU DO?: He has a fishing knife and is going to try to stab a bug. It seems very unlikely to work.
Re: ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog
ENCOUNTER: Noisy Fog - TOKENS!
You can check your token totals in Pouch's shop here, and maybe see if there's anything worth grabbing while you're there!