Phantasmagoria — Ewigkeit in Wiedergeburt

Rune stood off in the corner, observing the group of kids in the midst of their little melodrama. In a perfect world, she'd be a strong, independent golem, who didn't need to answer to no Aurora. Sadly, that world wasn't this one. Instead, her gaze was primarily on the conversation between Aurora and Melody. Was it going well? Who knew. It was impossible to tell with Aurora.

After the first minute, Rune turned away to keep her from going crazy with anticipation. Instead, she focused on Eirlys’ artwork, bending down to take a closer look.

No golems to be seen.

She fought back a pout, and completely failed to keep it in. How rude. Didn’t the tiny, stuttering kid know she’d already been doing the ‘hold up Aurora’ thing on a daily basis? Truly, simple appreciation was a myth. Standing back up, Rune turned back to the table, glad to see Aurora finally done, and even happier still to see her stick with the squad.

@Villamvihar



"Hm... sounds pretty easy..." Aurora pondered aloud as she read the documents. "Well okay then. Very um... prompt of you," she complemented(?), throwing Parou a thumbs up. "Guess we should get going then. Oh, although, we should probably decide on a new leader, since Mina’s gone. Hmm... I’m thinking..."

Before Aurora could finish her thought, Rune rushed to the front of the group with blinding speed; pointing to itself with both fingers, reassuring the group with a nod and a dutiful smile.

"I’m thinking Seia," Aurora suggested, not so much as acknowledging the strange scene. "She seems like the responsible type, ya know. I mean, most praetorians are, you’d expect them to be, and it just kinda makes sense."

Rune turned to Aurora, retaining the smile with a sharp, dagger-filled gaze that looked downright devious. Not deterred by her suggestion, Rune swiftly acted out some sort of argument for why it would be a great squad leader. It flapped its arms like a bird in flight, wrapped its arm around the air with a friendly smile, zipped its non-functional mouth, and delicately penned an imaginary paper with its imaginary quill.

"Well, we don’t have to choose right away. Just think about it I guess."

@basicallyeveryone
 
Aurora walked away from the group. For Seia, all she could feel apathy. '..Maybe you'd have more friends?' Was that supposed be an insult? If it was, she was horribly misinformed. Seia watched Aurora walk away in a sideways glance as Celestia Nightengale introduced herself to everyone on the opposite.

I didn't matter though. Aurora was walking away. It seemed like Seia was able to give her that final push to leave. If that was it, then there was no reason for Seia not to report what Aurora had been admitting from two weeks ago, and the things admitted in that paper - the real one that was still in her possession. However the same girls came forward trying to plead to have her stay. Eirlys mumbling on with great difficulty about Seia being too harsh and showing a rather optimistic picture of Seia, Melora, and herself holding up Aurora in high regard.

The Praetorian could only wonder to herself. Was that picture really how her actions looked like? If it was indeed what the mumbly witch saw or thought about it, then it certainly was not her intention. The picture also gave Melora, a reason to argue again in the form of a snide remark of sorts. Melora's little potshot at Seia did more to annoy her than Aurora.

"I never said I was an expert on the Manablight, you fool. If I had that much experience with Manablight then I wouldn't be in this starter squad."

And, as for whether or not Aurora would even try to save us - or more importantly whether she could do so:

There was no point in that argument. Aurora was already walking away. Seia was awkwardly patted by Melody as she tried to go after Aurora. The supervising witch seemed to be trying to talk her back into it, but Seia felt like her comments were acute enough to make Aurora go all the way through with walking away.

That was for the best.

It would be safer to both Aurora and the rest of the team if she left. Someone had to be the one to push her to leave. That one job, that no one wants to do was something that the young Praetorian would-

...!

The supervising witch was able to convince Aurora to come back.

Seeing the difference in her after coming back indicated that Melody had managed to encourage her to try again. So presumably even after having her resolve shaken, Aurora had been convinced to try again. By her mood, her return was something that was her own choice. As Melody explained the procedures of the mission board - something that was something everyone here already should know if they passed the initiation - Seia sighed.


In the end, Seia just managed to make herself look antagonistic without really achieving anything. Seia looked up at the ceiling and thought out the words she wanted to say.

It was about time the Supervising witch stepped in. Show some more responsibility, darn it.

Aurora had decided to participate this time again and was willing to do so. Which was all that Seia had concerns about.

After that, anything about this whole Aurora situation was beyond the scope of what directly affected her. Seia's goal was still the same, she had to progress forward in order to have a chance at finding her mother someday. She couldn't do that if she died due to her own or one of her teammates' mistakes. But under the strict system and hierarchy of the tower she had to work with these girls until then.

Seia looked over the mission specifications laid out on the table. It looked like this one was your basic sort of seek and destroy mission. Nothing too complicated that would spiral into what they had gotten themselves into last time, right?


It was about then that the Praetorian heard her name being mentioned. Aurora had suggested to make her squad leader, even though Aurora's Golem clearly seemed much more enthusiastic about the role.

"Not interested." Seia said in reply. She felt that that suggestion was mostly being made out of spite.

But moreover, she didn't have much of an investment into juggling the personalities in the squad, Or the responsibility that would come with failure. Even if her decline did seem like a knee-jerk reaction, she truly did not feel up to task taking that role.

@Karyra
@Luma
@Skyswimsky
 
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“Then I will,” came Parou’s swift response. Some of them appeared more competent than others, but if Melody was correct, none of them had the initiative to partake in any other missions for a whole two weeks, not even the Praetorian girl. And she didn’t trust anyone other than herself to make the judgment as to when to cast her magic anyways.

Really, it was the only choice. Eirlys looked to be much shier than her title let on, Celestia sounded like a hell of a people-pleaser, Aurora was planning on quitting just moments ago, Melora was the Fool, and Seia didn’t want it. Barring the random that seemed to silently be sticking around, Parou simply couldn’t see anyone other than herself fit for the role. A pity, but the mantle of responsibility must be carried by someone.

“No questions,” the tall Witch said, her heels clacking against the ground as she turned. “But let’s get introductions out of the way now. I can cast great spells, most prominently being the ability to raise the recently dead. What about the rest of you? Specifics, if you may.”

A pause, and then, some of her impatience showed as she started walking off to the Gateway.

“We can talk while we walk.”
 
Melora looked over the job their newest member had picked up. Straightforward, and didn't seem too complicated. Still, one thing bothered her about the undead as well as the obelisks. The undead were common and not too tough, but still... Seia refused the leadership role.

"Melody I have-"
Melora started before Parou interrupted.

Melora stood up. "Parou, I appreciate your initiative, but frankly," she looked at the group around her. "I'd rather ask one question before we depart. these obelisks bother me. And I don't agree with your methods. I appreciate you getting us moving, but going out on your own, deciding things for the group without consulting other... that's surefire way to get us killed. Though, I'm sure you're aware of this, given that you've been transferred over to us."

"Surely, you understand me wanting to ask one question first before we leave. I'd throw my hat in for being leader, but now isn't the time to squabble. I've had enough back and forth for one day, and I'd like to get this job done as safely as we can manage. I don't want to be caught by surprise by anything, however."


Without waiting for Parou's response, Melora blatantly turned to Melody, and asked, "are the obelisks a new behavior for these types of undead? Have they been built before, and if so, do we have more information on quick ways to destroy them?"

This was a clear defiance of Parou's declared intent, and no doubt Melora would get left behind -because that was just how Parou, but information here was key. And last time they went in without a clue, they all nearly died. Even a little more information that could help them take down towers quicker would be essential. The paper didn't seem to list a specific number, either. Meaning they could have built more in the interim or had hidden them, which could mean nasty surprises when they tried to eliminate the undead after seemingly removing all the towers.

@ERode @Skyswimsky
 
"These obelisks have always been a part of Lemuria." Melody explained to Melora. "There is still a great deal we don't know about this... menace... yet, but these obelisks are pretty much always a given." Melody nodded, before grinning. "These things pretty much enhance the enemies everything!" Yes, she totally made sense.

"That said, you should be able to destroy them by conventional means, although be aware there's the possibility that they will defend these things down to the last, uh, undead. As I said, 'everything', with these things around they're smarter...? too!"
 
Celestia's introduction... was not reciprocated at all. In fact, it seemed like the witch of faithlessness didn't acknowledge her existence. It doesn't matter though. She was used with the treatment from back in the day.

Fortunately, it seemed like other people had Aurora's back and Melody's private chat reinvigorated the Girl's self esteem. The most eye-catching member of the team even managed to choose a mission for everyone, albeit without anyone's approval but Celestia was fine with that. It at least showed her that Parou was a woman of action and those types tend to act upon something first and ask questions later. But since she chose a mission that the team should theoretically be able to handle despite their greenhorn status, perhaps her impulsiveness isn't as reckless as she might think.

The whole exchange revealed different aspects of everyone else. Despite how seemingly snobbish and stuck up Seia is, she is the logical thinker. The reason why she berated Aurora that much was probably because she thinks of her as some sort of weak link. She's certainly the type that would act upon logic first so in a life or death scenario, she would be the one to leave all of them to die to save her own skin. Oh joy! Celestia couldn't blame her though. A person's self-preservation instinct is naturally strong, specially for those that have a clear goal in mind. While she was not sure about the particulars, there is a very high likelihood that Seia belongs in the category.

Eirlys is pretty easy too. She's basically a cinnamon bun and even Celestia had to hold herself back from hugging the adorable girl when she tried her best to retort against Seia's stinging remarks. Earnest to a fault and loyal to her friends, yet is too meek for her own good is the best way to describe her.

As for the green haired witch, Melora.... She hasn't given off much, other than she's the type with a high sense of justice.

After Melody's personal pep talk with Aurora, she gave a crash course about taking missions, and even nudged Parou to make a demonstration for them some other time. Whether or not that would piss her off remains to be seen, however.

Melody also gave them pamphlets that briefed them about the mission at hand. Apparently this is going to be a search and destroy type of thing. The targets are back obelisks and the undead surrounding them seem unhealthily attached to these things. They also empower the creepy little buggers in some way which didn't help Celestia determine how dangerous these are whatsoever.

As she was going through the entire thing again, not wanting to miss a crucial detail, Aurora spoke up about nominating a leader. While she wanted to support her friend as much as she can, Celestia thought that choosing someone prematurely isn't the best way to get around this.

"I appreciate your initiative, Aurora, but I feel like a leader is someone who would rise above the occasion, rather than being chosen. That's why I suggest that we see who does just that during this mission. That person should be our leader." Celestia replied.

A smile formed on Celestia's lips when Parou decided to do introductions. Melora, however, wasn't thrilled at the idea of Parou seemingly recklessly taking initiative and didnt reveal her magic. Looks like they'd have to get into a fight with the rotting mob first before she reveals her powers.

"While Parou could certainly work on her... Erm... Teamwork skills, I believe she chose a supposedly easy mission for us. If this ends up as another surprising A-rank mission then we can all blame the people that classifies these missions in our graves. Until then, let's all try to get along, shall we?

Anyways, the name's Celestia and I do Dark Magic. "


She shifted her attention to Melody and gave her an inquisitive gaze.

"Miss Melody, I have some questions regarding the obelisks. Particularly, do we know just how much these things empower the undead? Do they also have any effects on us, detrimental or otherwise? Lastly, I know the pamphlet said we are only supposed to encounter weak undead, but if we encounter something that we are not prepared or equipped to handle, will we be allowed to retreat and regroup? Even though the mission said D-rank, you can't expect them to play by the rules, right? “
 
Faced once again with the crippling reality that none of the meat-people would ever properly respect her, Rune motioned what might have been a sigh were it physically possible, and sulked back to Aurora's side, moping there while she went on about whatever. Every so often, she took a moment to glare Parou's way. There was still a chance, slim as it was. She just had to show everyone how dependable she was; and coincidentally, that this one, proudly wearing that naked metal, was inferior.



"Well that's why you just have to prepare for everything," Aurora jammed her way back into the conversation, not giving Melody even a second to answer Celestia. "I'd rather not run unless we have to. As long as I'm here, I kinda need the Flow for my rent this month. Not that it's more important than your lives or anything, but ya know... Ahem, anyway, I know you're all raring to go-- especially you," she paused to motion towards Parou, "--but I wasn't expecting a mission today, so I need to grab my adventuring pack real quick before we go. I'll meet you all at the gateway in 10 minutes or so."

With that, Aurora ran off, Rune trailing behind her.
 
Before Melody could reply, Aurora took the initiative. For a moment anyway. The elder Witch didn't really mind too much as she simply waited as Aurora ran off. "There aren't any, uh, hard numbers but it should still be feasible for you lot. A more difficult quest would have a higher rank, after all." She gave Celestia a nod, before adding. "The one time I battled against Lemuria most of their riff-raff just crumbled in itself after I blew up one obelisk — or a dozen." She shrugged. "As much as I hate to admit, if you have any questions in regards to your missions and the kind of difficulties you will face, talking to a Manager is likely your best bet. It's kinda their job, after all."

"That said..."
Her eyes wandered towards the direction Aurora ran off to a second time. "...the chance you meet something unaccounted for is always present. Not that low either. It's not like the enemies are just sleeping either. There's no shame in retreating against impossible odds, but it's a decision you have to make as a group. You still get paid, maybe, after the Board analyzed the footage. Mhm, or should I call it compensated?" Melody scratched her head, not like she had any Flow problems.

"Anyway! Don't forget to bring a map with you, will ya? The last thing you want to happen to you lot is getting lost." With that, Melody of the Serene Sea waved them good-bye.

...
...
...


The Gateway — 11:00 on Ruby 29th | 326 AC

For them, it was certainly still somewhat new. For their peers, simple routine. Every single one of this particular batch of Questing Witches had went through the Gateway once before, and would do so again. Over and over and over again until it became second nature. An amusement park was only that much exciting until one visited it for the hundreds time. The flame of youth was truly a wonderful thing...

Nonetheless, it didn't change the fact that today, for most of Squad #483, was the second time they would venture forth into Horizon. And without a senior Witch like Melody it was certainly to be even more exciting than the first time. Like a school trip without a supervisor? But then again they weren't going on a vacation either. Horizon was dangerous, and without Melody, this would be their first, true, test. As a group and as a individual.

BUT! For any of that... they first had to assemble.




  • Go do your grocery shopping or something
  • Next post will be in a few days, I considered pushing it further ahead but I want to give people some chance to socialize, in some way!
  • Have a great weekend!
 
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Parou...didn't care. Wow, she really didn't care, huh? Maybe for a group of children, Melora's question would be apt, but it really only showed the Tarot Witch's lack of knowledge in the end. Must have slept through her lessons. Must have spent her two weeks inefficiently. The statuesque woman didn't stop, nor did she turn, as all those words were being tossed at her back.

Words, after all, meant nothing in the bloodrush of any real quest, and focusing on what to expect made it all too easy for one to be blindsided by what they didn't expect.

Not that she voiced any of those thoughts, of course. By then, Parou was already standing by the Gateway, a flicker of impatience in her eyes. They weren't gonna do this quickly, huh? With a disapproving click of her tongue, she headed off to the marketplace herself. It was simple enough for her to procure both a map of the immediate area pertaining to their quest, as well as a larger general area to aid in navigation lest the standard flight route back to Phantasmagoria were disrupted by someone or something. A flask of chilled mint tea never hurt anyone either, and she buckled that beside her satchel of oils and combs. Healing salves to deal with wounds too minor for healing magic but still large enough to leave an ugly mark. And then...

Her eyes lingered briefly on a rack of candied apples.

That can be for after the quest was done.

With her new goods, Parou headed back to the Gateway. Maybe by then, everyone else would be done throwing words at Melody and be fully ready for the quest? Of course not. She was still the only one here from Squad #483. The diva held back a sigh as she leaned against a pillar, counting the seconds that were burning away. Had to be somewhat optimistic though. Maybe they were just slow starters.

Or maybe they were just slow.
 
Melora nodded. Yeah, that tracked. Those weren't new, but all the same, perhaps this meant that there would need to be two groups focusing on two different things. Then again, those things were smarter and separating wasn't good for them, either. They had too few numbers, and too little information.

Melora looked at Celestia as she explained. This was fair, and Melora had leapt to a judgement on Parou. Still, it wasn't out of line to say that Melora remembered the last time. They were vastly unprepared and didn't know anything. They barely all made it back. So sue her if she wanted to make sure that all the variables were a little more in her control.

Plus, the mentions of the Cultists were concerning. While not an open and clear danger, it would be better the plan for and deal with them as necessary. Still, waiting here all day wouldn't be very smart, either.

"Thanks, Melody. It was all basic stuff, but I'd prefer not to go in totally blind if I don't have to. The orientation was only nice the one time."
Melora then left.

Left on her own to grab materials, Melora headed home. She quickly tossed her room for the map, which was loaded with various markings from books. It was likely to be unhelpful, those markings, but she was glad to have purchased it anyway. she had thought that she'd be using it far sooner than now, but preparation was prevention and all.

She also grabbed a few bits of food, water, and a small bag. Melora pulled out her Historia from the pocket she kept it in normally, looking at it. Her soul was this box. This box was the thing she'd thrown herself into making for so long. Was being a Questing Witch worth it to unlock all of these cards?

If she could use them to protect people, maybe. But right now, she was just a fool who asked blatant questions and didn't really fix anything. Oh well, there really wasn't much she could do about that right now, was there? So she just put the box back in her pocket, adjusted her jacket, and headed out to the meeting spot.

Of course, Parou was already there, waiting. To keep things from getting awkward, Melora opted instead to wait further away until more of the group showed up. Which reminded her... they still needed a name. Group #483 was a little awkward to say aloud.
 
Rather sooner than later, the group assembled. Ready to venture once more into Horizon. Once more into the Gateway building, with Parou in charge.

"P-Papers please!" It was the same before, the same again. Either Alexa didn't do her job properly, too absorbed into the latest volume of Magic of Thrones that was apparently a total trainwreck despite its initial success, or the information from the Questing Hub simply hadn't arrived yet. Or, maybe, Squad #483's faces were simply too new.

Nonetheless, after Parou showed their clearance for the mission and the glasses Witch confirmed the identity of every member, the group of Witches would find themselves relatively quickly into the same situation as before. "G-Good Luck!"

A ringing in the air.
A blinding light.
A shift in the air.


... Horizon. Well, not quite yet anyway. It was the same scene as before. The same, bored out of their mind, Witches as before. Routine with a hint of boredom. Some were sleeping, others playing some games. But none of them seemed relatively eager to chat them up today. After all, they were on a mission. All they had to do was set in foot in front of the other — or maybe even fly. Forward and forward, through the cavern once more until, finally, they were engulfed once more in a warm sunlight.



A cold breeze of air.
The gentle warmth of the sun.
The deep whistle of a Skywhale far above.

The group of Questing Witches were standing on top of the World.
The entrance to 'Phantasmagoria' well hidden among a small, floating, mountain.


A deja vu?
Maybe.
It was the same as before, yet different.
No Melody to control them.
No Melody to race them.
No Melody to haste them.
No Melody to remind them.

They had a mission, a goal, a purpose.
But...?
 
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It had been far too long. Passing through the Gateway into the vastness of Horizon, Parou breathed in deeply, her arms stretching out to the side. It was a world filled with things that wanted to kill her, but it was preferable still to the stuffiness of Phantasmagoria. Here, at least, it was possible to be both outside and alone…though she supposed she wouldn’t ever be really alone with that Crystal there.

She stilled herself soon enough, and her breathing became normal afterwards, the veneer of an unimpressed ice queen settling over her features easily enough. Unfurling her maps, more for show than anything else, Parou scanned over the details quickly, before turning to the others.

“It’ll take forty-five minutes to get to the Singing Rocks. When we’re close, we’ll take a ten minute break on one of the adjacent rocks. During that time, Celestia, you will scout ahead and spot every obelisk in the area, before reporting back to us. Keep an eye out for prominent undead, too. There are magic-users amongst their kin. The area usually has higher turbulence than normal, so don’t fly unless you’re absolutely confident in your abilities.”

Parou paused, briefly, tapping the toes of her artificial legs against the ground. A silver light filled the prosthetics and formed white wings.

“I’ve already charted a path avoiding the Manablight-infested areas. Let’s get going now. Something like this shouldn’t even take half a day.”

But she didn't take off. She smiled instead, amethyst eyes locking onto Melora and Celestia.

“Or would you like to head back now and ask Melody some more questions?”
 
What else was there to really prepare for? The mission was search and destroy. Against relatively simple foes. Granted 'do not underestimate your enemy' and whatnot; but the most complex part of the mission was just how the so called obelisks would power them up. If things had escalated to the point of insanity, then they wouldn't give the mission this sort of ranking. It would be up to the girls to decide at first contact as to whether or not they'd be able to handle themselves.

That last part though, was what was uncertain. How the rest of the team would handle themselves on first contact - without the supervising witch there. Seia's misgivings in regards to that were kept at bay a little bit when she decided to be mindful to not allow herself to get trapped. Still, why the pessimism?

Catching herself turning grey she forced herself to shake the sentiment off. At the very least, considering the questions, everyone wasn't trying to go headlong into death. Still, Aurora's foolhardy decision from the first mission two weeks ago was still weighing in her mind.

Seia's own words: that she'd leave Aurora to die if it came to it. That was supposed be the extra oomph to scare Aurora off. But in the end, Melody convinced to to stay anyway. Would Seia be forced to owe up to what she said on this occasion? Would she really do that?


In terms of preparation, Seia pretty much had what was a standard 'light' kit. She already had it ready when everyone first met up to pick a mission, as she wasn't expecting anything too crazy to get chosen. The chance that everyone got to 'prepare' wasn't really needed. But, Seia did take the time to take a glance at some additional pertinent information - mostly talking to other witches whom had taken a similar task before. From the sound of it - it was... a bland task usually. Of course, if it became a situation that was insurmountable for them then the only choice was to withdraw. The timing of that decision throughout all of the missions was crucial.

At higher levels, some witches would seek out places were Obolesks were well established, just to get training.

As for gear. Nothing else beyond the 'light' kit was necessary. 'Unless there was someone in the group who was particularly clumsy.' according to one fellow Praetorian.

Seia's kit had the necessities for survival for a single day as well as basic first aid. For the kinds of missions that they were expecting to take, this basic kit was what one would expect to need. Seia was aware of the kits for longer missions though - those would have supplies that, by missions' completion would be expected to have been used/consumed through the course of travel. For this mission, supplies for longer than a day was a bit overkill from what she was told in Praetorian Training.

When the time for 'preparation' was up. Seia unceremoniously joined the others back at the gate. Together they arrive at Horizon once more.



Taking in the winds and sights of Horizon again - the still magnificent sight was tempered with the fact that this time - everyone really was responsible for what would happen. The way things would turn out did not have Melody to bail them out this time. They were effectively on their own to do the mission as they deemed fit. There was no doubt a beauty in doing it in that style. Something a seasoned and knowledgeable veteran would appreciate. But for newbies like them it was understandable if it felt a little uncomfortable given it was their first time with no direct supervision.

Seia DID note how bored the welcome party looked. Judging from that, it basically meant that this mission was supposed be routine, like the other witches she spoke to said. They would have to mess things up pretty badly against whatever threat they were expected to face to invoke emergency protocol or retreat.

Parou, whom had taken control of the squad, already had a basic plan mapped out. The first thought in Seia's mind was to discuss tactics - but given that Parou scheduled the rest and scouting before proceeding against the targets it was obvious that it would be later on that such a discussion would be appropriate. Seia glanced among the members of her team. Whether she liked it or not. Everyone here was working together. Whatever misgivings she had at this point she was going to have to suck up and do her part to cover for should it lead to trouble. At least, Parou's straightforward demeanor meant that it looked like they didn't need to have any lengthy and articulate discussions on what to even do first.

Though, after explaining her plan Parou seemed to tease Melora and Celestia about going back and getting more clarification from Melody.

"If there were more questions to ask, those two would've already asked them." Seia replied on their behalf. "Anyway, your plan works for me. At this point, there isn't much more worth discussing until we've found out what is going on at the target. After Celestia scouts the area we can talk about how to safely and effectively take them out."


Seia said it as she stepped forward. The Praetorian was composedly raring to get this done.

"The 'Rune' Squad has nothing to lose and everything to prove, it seems. Let's proceed swiftly."

There was no embellishment in Seia's words. 'Get this task done and over with' was all she seemed to care about. She didn't want to have anything to do with managing this squad at all, of course.

@ERode @Accelerator @Karyra
 
A good, solid, 10 minutes after the 10 she'd claimed it would take, Aurora arrived at the gateway, now wearing a warm coat and pants. More noticably however, was the indignant golem carrying around a mountain-sized backpack.

"Okie doke! Ready to go?"



"Rune Squad"
"Rune Squad"
"Rune Squad"

It seemed to echo in Rune's ears as it heard the name. All a sudden, the golem's expression grew strangely tender, as if tears would be welling up if such a thing were possible. In one swift motion, Rune rushed forward and squeezed Seia into a hug. Finally! Some proper recognition from a meat person.

Meanwhile, Aurora's eyes were wide once again as she glanced around at the sights. Horizon was still beautiful, even despite the promise of horrific, grisly things to come. "Sure, but let's go check out that sky whale on the way back. I've never seen one before-- outside of the picture books of course, but those don't count --and I bet they're really neat. I heard one whale is as big as a whole house. By the way, is anyone cold, cause I brought scarves. It was super cold flying last time..."

Aurora approached Rune who was still clamped on to Seia from behind, rummaging in the backpack until she produced several warm, fluffy scarves. One was flung around her neck as she wandered around to pass the others out.

"I also have a thermos full of hot chocolate, so we can have that for our break. Let's get going then!"

@Ehb
@(others)
 
Finally, everyone assembled and they were all shuffled off back to Horizon. The first time that she'd come, Melora only saw possibilities. It was a wide open place, full of mystery and knowledge and wonder. Now, it was just full of horrifying monsters and things to trick witches into being killed. Why? Well there was no reason. It just was how things worked.

Parou quickly consulted her maps, declaring it was forty-five minutes out from their location. Melora confirmed this with her own memory of the map of Horizon.

"I mean, that depends Parou. Are you just going to leave if we go even a little too slow? I mean you're welcome to take on the job yourself if you're so antsy."
Melora replied, now carefully going over the map again.

The Gaping Maw was circled in red ink, and they were likely going around that. Parou was smart and capable, so it wasn't like she was going to sabotage them just to be on her own at least. Still, the undead with powers was a little nerve wracking.

"Celestia, do you want someone to go with you on the scouting part? Or can your magic only support one person at a time? Two heads are better than one, and if these undead are smarter, it might be wiser to have an extra set of eyes watching out for you."


With a deep breath, her clothes changed quickly in a flash of light. The long draped sleeves and gloves seemed a little more sinister than her usual buttons and jacket. The mask sat on her hip, not currently in use. It softly glittered there, as if also looking out over the group.

"I would send Aurora and Rune, but I feel like I've seen you use portals, so a quick escape would be easier for you than them."


Melora shrugged. She then whispered a word or two of arcane magic and small wings sprouted by her ankles, and she was ready to go when they were.

"All right, let's get going then. We can't form a clearer plan until we see the situation for ourselves, after all."

@ERode @Accelerator
 
Another witch seemed to have joined their ranks, but for now, Eirlys just felt glad that she managed to interject when she did. She still felt the buzz of adrenaline along with fear, throbbing in her throat and she wanted to sit down... but that would just make it worse. The young Witch learned that the hard way a long time ago.

So she remained standing, trying her best to pay attention to everyone's responses. Regulating her breathing so that unease would not overwhelm her, Eirlys noticed, as she swept her eyes across her comrades, Melora mouthing something.

Thank... you?

What for?

Puzzled and surprised, Eirlys looked at the other Witch as though she had grown two heads. Before she could figure it out or even start thinking on the topic, though, Aurora and Melody started arguing. It... went much better than expected. Though Aurora provided some extremely fierce resistance, in the end, Melody managed to come through and this earned a relieved smile from Eirlys.

Then, faster than she could think, they got a mission. Along with a rude leader and a swirl of events that felt so fast Eirlys was left standing in the dust.

Shaking her head at the departure of her fellow Witches, Eirlys did her preparation for the journey before heading out with the rest of the crew.
 
Celestia's questions were answered... More or less. They'll still get compensated even if they retreat from this mission. Heck, the mission didn't put any limits to how much they could make tactical retreats anyways. The best case scenario, they do a clean sweep of the obelisks and they don't encounter any hostile entities that would be beyond their capabilities to handle. If they do encounter such enemies, they could simply employ hit and run tactics. The mission was simply to destroy the obelisks anyways.

Melody, however, was gracious enough to give them a bit of time to prepare. The others either went home or raided the nearest general goods store for supplies. Celestia was one of them. All the work she'd been doing back at the coven gave her little time to prepare any sort of stuff but the girls in alchemy class were kind enough to give her some minor potions and antidotes. A map was of no issue either since she could always make a copy of someone else's using her magic. What she rushed to acquire in the little time Melody gave them to prepare was something much more crucial.

The front door of "Atalanta's Outdoor Necessities" practically exploded when Celestia entered, earning her a few glares from the other patrons and staff of the store. She marched to the counter, towering over a much younger witch who seems to be a newly hired worker.

" HELLO THERE! DO YOU HAVE ANY SPMR's FOR SALE?" The sandy blond witch exclaimed in an urgent manner, nearly making the younger clerk desire to assume the fetal position.

"Awawa, I.... I... Don't know what those are ma'am." The poor clerk said in a soft, nervous voice.

"Really? I could have sworn that you sell Self Preparing Magic Rations here. Ohh yeah, you probably call them MRE's instead. My bad! “

"For fuck's sake, Celestia. Stop scaring the newbies." A witch in her late 20's appeared from the back of the shop while giving her an exasperated stare.

"Heh, force of habit, Atalanta. You know just how much I adore newbies. Anyways, do you have what I need?"

"Yeah, we have a wide selection of flavors available. I recommend the Pepperoni Pizza Meal Set. Comes with not just a slice of Pepperoni pizza but also an oatmeal cookie, bread sticks with jalapeño cheese sauce, coffee, and a cherry blueberry cobbler. I know you already are aware of how to operate these things, but in case you forgot, just say the trigger word printed on the package while holding it in order to prepare the meal. " Atalanta explained.

" Hmm... Isn't that a flawed design? What if some delinquents enter your store and go to town with these things and their trigger words. " Celestia asked inquisitively.

" Hah! The manufacturers aren't idiots, Celestia. The words won't trigger the packages if they aren't bought first. Personally, I don't care what the hell you do with these things as long as you have the flow to buy them first." Atalanta replied nonchalantly.

" Great! I'll take 12!“

------------------------------------

Celestia spent so much time bargaining with Atalanta in hopes of getting a discount that she ended up being the last one to arrive back at the rendezvous spot. It was a worthy venture anyways since now they wouldn't need to worry about food and drink for 2 days should the mission last that long.

As soon as she arrived, the group immediately proceeded to "Border Control" as Celestia liked to call it. All the witches stationed there looked so bored out of their minds that she could have sworn they were all starting to look alike.

The trans-dimensional teleportation spell went off without a hitch and soon Celestia and the rest of the gang found themselves back in horizon. While the place still looked stunningly beautiful, her last experience with her former group took most of the awe and wonder away for Celestia.

"This place is beautiful... Too beautiful that it is dangerous." she thought.

Soon enough, like a Praetorian drill sergeant, Parou was immediately barking orders at the others. Celestia was assigned for a scouting mission l, which made sense considering her magic. At the very least, Parou knew how to utilise her team properly. Perhaps she could turn down that sass a notch though.

The dark witch wasn't really thinking of flying to scout the area. Sure it would be faster, but there was also a high likelihood of getting spotted, and possibly sniped down by a hostile entity. She would rather do her reconnaissance on foot and in the shadows where she is much more comfortable. It would also allow her to set her portals if she ever needed a quick escape. A fact that Melora was keen to remind her.

"I'd really appreciate if there was another person watching my back but I'd prefer it if it's someone who is proficient in stealth. Also, my portals only work on places I've seen or been to before so yeah, I would only be using it as a means of escape. I'd like to avoid a fight if I could help it in order to ensure everything goes smoothly." Celestia replied. "You're welcome to come with me if you want though." she offered.

Finally , she turned to Aurora who was offering some supplies of her own.

"Hot Chocolate sounds good, Aurora! Save some for me, okay? “ Celestia said cheerfully.

@Karyra @Luma @ERode
 
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" -y! Cchht send Crrrzz -dead! Bzz Bzz -re everywhere! grkztzzt —even work?! ksshhh J...!"
"..." "..." "..." "..." "..."
"Quadrant 37-A, huh?"
"That is Vixen territory, ma'am."
"Hmm..."
"Your orders?"
...


With the Witches assembled, and having formulated on a basic course of action, that is, to follow through with the mission, there was nothing that stopped them from proceeding further. Without Melody to beckon to race them either, the group of Questing Witches faced relatively little problems getting to their destination.

No turbulence's either.

It was somewhat of a shame though. In theory, there was no superior to stop them from taking it somewhat slow this time. From taking in the sights. Visit a sky-whale before even starting the mission. Check out the rainbow-colored gathering of clouds to the far east. Maybe even do a picnic with the Celestia's meals and Aurora's hot chocolate? Yes, there were dangers lurking in every other corner, but there was certainly not danger everywhere.

In the end, however, it was probably for the best. After all, as much as one might have had the urge, they were not on vacation. Parou and Seira knew that all too well.

As they flew past all sorts of fantastical landscapes, from bubbling volcanoes to icy tundras over simple forests and mountains once again, making sure to take a detour around the corrupted Manablight regions, they finally had the Singing Rocks in sight.


The group could already tell from afar that the Singing Rocks were a truly treacherous place. Grey, bleak, and certainly sharp formations of rock that twisted in ways and lengths that created a vast array of canyons. In-between, patches of somewhat safe ground, with some of them leading to actual small caverns that connected these chunks of walk-able ground dangling alongside the ravines. Nonetheless, the very top of this flying rock-canyon-place looked at least somewhat walk-able without running into the risk of getting lost. And while vegetation existed, it was scarce.

They could consider themselves lucky, even, that the obelisks they sought seemed generally tall enough to even already catch a glimpse of some. From the direction the squad was approaching, they were at least five obelisks. With one being at least clearly taller, and wider, than the others. A Witch with good eye-sight would maybe even be able to make out some sort of crimson runes adorning it.

Further inside the treacherous terrain, there were also wads of black smoke rising high. At least there was no sight of any undeads. The Witches were either too far away, or the monsters were simply hiding.


BzwWT6D.png


A rough map of how the Singing Rocks are segmented, for the sake of the mission, with the currently available information.
Sections 1, 2 and 3 have some of target towers somewhat in sight, but only the Big tower in two is really visible to get a clear long-ranged shot at it if one would so desire. The grey coloring in each area simply corresponds to unknown enemy strength or terrain hazards outside the obvious 'strong winds flying is hard' stuff.

The wads of smoke are coming from either Section 4 or 5.

  • Click the meh banner to get a random theme for the current situation!​
  • I'm assuming you're currently resting/grouping on a small rocky island somewhat further away. If you have a change of plans (Like splitting from the group before all of this, for example), tell me.​
  • Speaking of telling me, this round is somewhat of a free-form thing still. There is no posting order and you can post multiple times if you want.
    • That said, if you wanna do something that you think might require a dice roll, inquire with me about it and I tell you about it. It is, as I said, free-form. COMMUNICATION IS KEY [/BrokenRecord]​
  • Enjoy yourselves <3
  • Not managing to post in time will be somewhat relevant now in terms of potentially making things worse.
 
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Send Aurora and her pet? Parou laughed at that, but had no further comment. The larger the group was, the greater the chance of discovery, especially when no one else specialized in subterfuge the same way that a shadow-warping witch did. But that was fine. She didn't particularly care if Melora wanted to have some false semblance of control over the situation. Whatever made her feel better and all.

Travelling was pleasantly uneventful. The scenery passed by, the wind that billowed against her face bringing in a myriad of unfamiliar scents. The sulphur of a bubbling volcano, the brine of a sky-whale, the fragrance of cloud-flowers, they all wrapped Parou up in a sense of unbothered tranquility. She didn't bother with conversation throughout the long flight, always forging ahead of the group. Was she leading them, or simply pulling them along? It was uncertain, but it also wasn't as if she were racing them.

They set a good pace, and soon enough, Parou signalled for them to land on one of the larger islands orbitting the Singing Rocks, her own prosthetic legs click-clacking as they touched down. Certainly, it was an unpleasant place to be, all black stone and smouldering smoke, with plenty of holes in the ground that'd lead to subterranean pathways for the undying to hide in. The obelisks, at least, were nice and obvious. A large one stood out on the landmass right in front of them, while smaller ones jutted out from the sides. It covered an annoyingly wide area, one that even her own magic wouldn't be able to fully encompass, but then again, there was no need to be that hasty. Popping open her flask of mint tea, the lavender haired Witch took a sip, before turning to Celestia.

"Do a flyover of sections on the other side of the Rocks," Parou said, sitting down in a cross-legged position, "See if you can discern what's within the smoke, but back out if you sense any danger. Don't land yet. It'd be troublesome if these undead can just pop out of the ground. Rest of you, rest up and perform whatever fortification rites you may have."

She pulled out the map of the island itself, spreading it before her and weighing it down with a couple of stray pebbles. Rummaging through her satchel for the necessary reagents and cataylsts, Parou began working on her own magic. Though the Opera House of the Sundered Firmanent prided itself in the ability ot expediate large-scale ritual magic, it did not exclude them from the knowledge of how to perform such magics to begin with. The witch sprinkled cloudberry water around her, tossed a pinch of starsand above her, and crushed a dorimel bud against the head of a barnacled nail. Tying a string of spidersilk around her pinkie finger and juice-drenched head of the nail, she suspended it over the map, whispered a few words, and allowed her magic to gradually seep out of her body.

A spell of navigation, a spell for safe travels. A pulse of aether, invisible to the naked eye, surged from Parou's location, bouncing against the contours of the Singing Rocks before replicating itself again. Picking up the arcane echoes, the nail began to swing, a dark juice seeping from its tip to add more and more detail to the map, marking out landmarks, specifying the location of the obselisks, and more.

All the while, Parou's own eyes glimmered, strands of hair turning an iridescent violet. A whisper, a chant, a prayer passed through her lips, and the divination continued.
 
The trip was lovely. Sky whales and floating islands full of grassy hills and snow covered tundras drifted quickly past. However, there were still dangers still there. Taking a careless picnic could be more dangerous than they knew. But... maybe Parou would be calmer once the job was done and she could be persuaded into relaxing with a sandwich and cocoa?

Melora stretched out her arms as they flew, swinging around every so often just to do a loop de loop or take notes on something. There were a few quick sketches, but largely Melora tried to stay on task. If she faltered... she'd be mentally judging how far away from The Gaping Maw they were. Which was not productive in the least.

As they neared the island, Melora noted the smoke. Thick... wads. That wasn't campfire smoke. And besides that, why would undead need to make a camp? That was... Melora didn't like it. Something seemed... off about it.

Two options were presented to her. Run rashly towards the smoke, just to see a trap laid out by slightly smarter than average undead. Stay and wait for the report and possibly lose the chance to discover the truth of the smoke. If it was a concentrated source of Cultists, then someone who could do a large scale attack could probably take them all out or a majority out in one fell swoop.

"... something's off about that smoke. Mostly brainless monsters don't usually use campfires."
Melora stared at it hard, as if the smoke would elaborate on the situation somehow. "I'll scout on this side, Celestia, Parou. Since you can move more quickly than I can on foot, I want you to carefully investigate that spot. I think there's more going on here." It was annoying to be in agreement with Parou, but it was a sound judgement.

"Once you find out what come back quickly. Speed here matters, and if it's a mass of forces you might be in trouble. I can also get out of trouble, but not nearly as quickly as a wave of a wand. However,"
Melora continued. "We want to scout this side as well. Unless someone knows how to split one witch into two, I think the dual scouting method is better. We'll both be alone, which I'm not a huge fan of, but I don't like that the targets are unseen. That means that they're either somewhere else or they're already hiding. Both raise questions, but asking them is pointless until we know which set to ask."

"Thoughts, Parou? Evil laughter at me leaping in at danger? More tea?"
Melora asked, more trying to be a decent team member than actually asking opinions. "Maybe you'd like to rush in and do it yourself?"

@Accelerator @ERode