Serious Plots 7: Why so srs?

[Gullara]

[The Void]

Croupelt falls with a cry, but he does so onto his back, falling onto Astrana. He's a light fellow, but not all that light in this shape. His knife clatters and goes spinning away beneath a row of seats.

[The Void]

Well, Astrana does break Croupelt's fall with her body, still holding onto him. That's pretty much everything she can do this round, holding on as that fall hurt. Her fingers digging into his skin is probably pretty painful though.

[The Void]

Val snarls like an animal and tries to grab Croupelt. He'll drag and twist him off of Astrana and try to throw him to the side with enough force to lift him clean off the ground.

[Reinholdt]

[Underground Laboratory]

The door is a solid metal, 'this is a secret underground lab' door. The kind that stands out primarily because of how out of place it is in the environment of stone and moisture of the cave system that lead them here. The uneven nature of the rock foundation means there may be some wiggle room for plants in the cracks of the door however, as it's not a perfect seal.

The keypad is flush with the wall. If there's a point where the wall stops and the keypad starts, it's near impossible to tell. The keypad's keys themselves are old and worn. Particularly 2, 3, 6, 8, and *.

[Recaiden]

Tomb of Hope Removed

"Yes. The only safe way to approach the blade is if it lets you. And I think you will be allowed, if only for the novelty. Demons are not renowned for their long attention spans." With some exceptions, since demons thrive on exceptions.

Ayanum turns to Alice next. "No, I am afraid not. I was the only angel of mercy sent. I do not smite evil; I redeem it. Demons... Are hard to redeem," nearly impossible, but for Ayanum to admit that would be like a dragon admitting gold doesn't make a nice pillow "and do not understand the concept. Smiting they understand very well indeed, so it knew how to tempt my sisters. The others were protection, justice, vengeance, victory or glory. The one who tried to punish me into abandoning my duty was, once, an angel of vengeance." Which is why she was so exceptionally bitter.

Alice has already met the angel of protection. She was the only one trusted to go outside without getting distracted by glory, justice or vengeance.

Erasmus nods. "That makes sense, but what about the other angels guarding it? Do you know where they're stationed?" He was thinking more along the lines of avoiding guards than the supernatural defenses of the blade itself.

It's disturbing to see angels so flawed. Alice is starting to actually worry about this demon.

"You do know we're not here to redeem it."
Just prevent anyone else from being corrupted.
"But are there any of your sisters who you might be able to bring back to their proper mission?"

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Fineblood Manor]

Ravanys' yellow eye takes in the sights fairly quickly before she focuses on the twig blight. She gives it a brief nod and slips out of her jacket, passing the garment over to it.

She'll wait for Fayyaad and Mr. Maret before continuing on into the manor.

[Morty]

[Fineblood Manor]

Fayyaad hands over his coat to the blight. He expects odd things from this place by now, and the surroundings are certainly grand.

"A fine place," he observes. "I miss proper luxury nowadays."

[Murkus]

[The Vault]

Eschelle gives the thing a solid punch in the head while it's distracted with Michalson, and as it reels, it has no time to respond to the magical attack. Roiling violet vapor and hissing black sand rushes from the 'wound' like blood, and the crack becomes a split that nearly tears the golem's head clean off. With a clicking death rattle that sounds like an engine turning over, the machine collapses in a gangly heap.

[The Void]

The pain does at least seem to register with Croupelt, as he gives out with an agonized cry. He doesn't have long to recover, however, as Valente hurls him bodily into the stands! He breaks the back off a couple of flimsy chairs and lands in a heap beneath his glossy cape.

They have a moments reprieve, to change their course of action or form a plan of attack if they wish. That is up to the happy couple. Croupelt will slowly begin to rise a few seconds later, the motion wholly unnatural, simply seeming to float off the ground rather than hauling himself upright.

"Show must go on," he mutters, perhaps only to himself. "Show must go on."

[Earl of Purple]

Underground Laboratory

"There's not much of a gap. I'll see what I can do, but... I'd need some light, as close to natural sunlight as you can get it, please. I'm sure one of you could oblige with that." She reaches into a pocket and pulls out a red yew-berry, pressing it next to the gap and channelling her magic into it, to make it sprout and grow, sending baby roots out to squeeze between the metal door and its frame, before the sprout becomes a sapling, the roots getting thicker and wider, prying into any crack or gap they can find for purchase and nutrition, swelling all the time as Baccata forces it to grow and get bigger. It's pretty slow, since there's no natural light down here, at least until somebody provides some. It'll grow with a noticeable lean towards either Sophie or Ruth, whoever is providing the most light, and slower if there's none.

Tomb of Hope Removed

"You are here to kill or release it, I know. It has not redeemed itself after... I have lost track of the time. I do not know how long we have been here, and it is not within my power to do it. I accept that, it's important to know your limits. I might be able to remind the angel of protection, if you haven't killed her. She's stationed outside, usually. Furthest from the sword, and its influence. My sister of vengeance was too bitter, and my sister of glory is... She's berserk, now. She listens to no one except her own blood lust. She's chained tight until needed, in the room with the sword. My sister of victory will be in the sword room, communing with it, probably. She's in charge here, always has been. My sister of justice... I do not know where she would be. She patrols. I may be able to redeem her, but... I do not know." Three more angels, one insane, one representing victory, and the final angel being justice.

[Purple Eagle]

[Underground Laboratory]

The door is a solid metal, 'this is a secret underground lab' door. The kind that stands out primarily because of how out of place it is in the environment of stone and moisture of the cave system that lead them here. The uneven nature of the rock foundation means there may be some wiggle room for plants in the cracks of the door however, as it's not a perfect seal.

The keypad is flush with the wall. If there's a point where the wall stops and the keypad starts, it's near impossible to tell. The keypad's keys themselves are old and worn. Particularly 2, 3, 6, 8, and *.

Underground Laboratory

"There's not much of a gap. I'll see what I can do, but... I'd need some light, as close to natural sunlight as you can get it, please. I'm sure one of you could oblige with that." She reaches into a pocket and pulls out a red yew-berry, pressing it next to the gap and channelling her magic into it, to make it sprout and grow, sending baby roots out to squeeze between the metal door and its frame, before the sprout becomes a sapling, the roots getting thicker and wider, prying into any crack or gap they can find for purchase and nutrition, swelling all the time as Baccata forces it to grow and get bigger. It's pretty slow, since there's no natural light down here, at least until somebody provides some. It'll grow with a noticeable lean towards either Sophie or Ruth, whoever is providing the most light, and slower if there's none.

[Underground Laboratory]

Ruth considers the keypad, and is about to suggest an idea when Baccata speaks. Her idea is slower than fitting a sheet of light into any tiny gap and forcing the keypad out, but also less destructive, so Ruth nods and waits for Baccata to do her part, after which she stretches out her hand and beams some divine light at the growing yew, possibly making it faster than if natural sunlight was used.

[Reinholdt]

[Underground Laboratory]

There's a hideous groaning and very loud screeching as the door is slowly forced up. A slight scent of friction smoke can be observed in the air as the gears that keep the door down are fought against. There's a sudden loud clunk to go with the horrid abuse of the portal and the door stops moving. Up. Down. Anywhere. It'll pretty much never move again, jammed forever in that position, regardless of how much plant is pushed against it.

There's at least enough room to crawl through the bottom if you aren't too large. Sophie could probably squeeze through but not much more size wise. Well, except that all of the plant is there. Whack some weeds and there'll be a gap.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Void]

The pain does at least seem to register with Croupelt, as he gives out with an agonized cry. He doesn't have long to recover, however, as Valente hurls him bodily into the stands! He breaks the back off a couple of flimsy chairs and lands in a heap beneath his glossy cape.

They have a moments reprieve, to change their course of action or form a plan of attack if they wish. That is up to the happy couple. Croupelt will slowly begin to rise a few seconds later, the motion wholly unnatural, simply seeming to float off the ground rather than hauling himself upright.

"Show must go on," he mutters, perhaps only to himself. "Show must go on."

[The Void]

Astrana does not seem to be in the condition to take the initiative. She has no weapons, natural or otherwise, that would do very well at range. Nor did she possess any enhanced strength or stamina. Thus, angry as she might be, she couldn't really follow up any sort of attack. Val would have to take the initiative here.

[Morty]

[Underground Laboratory]

"That... didn't go as well as I hoped," Sophie admits. "We may have trouble getting in now."

[Earl of Purple]

Underground Laboratory

"It's not as bad as it looks. The door's jammed, I think. Should stay open if I walk the tree outside so it can grow naturally." She moves her hands, and the tree responds, shuddering and bending as its roots writhe out from the gap and it starts to drag itself across the floor to the cave's entrance.

[Gullara]

[The Void]

Val takes their moment of respite to take the initiative. He turns to Astrana. "Let's go. Run. Now." He takes her hand to guide her to run above deck with him, guiding her to run in front of him after a few steps provided she cooperates. His blood is boiling, but he can still prioritize. Astrana needs to be away from here.

[Purple Eagle]

[Underground Laboratory]

Once the two ladies have said their piece, Ruth steps forward. "Please, stand back, ladies. As they say, 'I got this'." She declares, focuses some light onto two fingers she has stretched out, and generates a white-hot light scalpel, which she'll use to cut some door until something the size of a huge wolf could walk through, and then drag out the fallen-off piece of door to the side as the light shifts to a hand. She'll spend however long it takes, but it shouldn't take too long.

"I promise I will 'level-scale', try not to be too 'OP', as they say." They say a lot of things, and she's trying to pepper in some slang into her words. Then she steps back and lets the others pass.

Unfortunately, cute little Asher isn't yet old enough to be all 'Mom, stop, you're ruining it' at her when she tries to talk this way.

[Leostales]

[Fineblood Manor]

The twig blight takes their coats, he tries to take Maret's cloak, but backs down from Maret's stare. "The party is going on in the blue room" he mentions as he takes the coat into a large closet.

They can follow him into the cloak room (4), head up the stairs, head through the door along the wall (marked in red), or enter into the room that is decorated in blue (5).

[Morty]

[Underground Laboratory]

Sophie looks at Ruth for a moment with an awkward expression. Well, she's trying, she supposes.

"I'll go in first. I know this place, though I don't think I can pretend to just be dropping by for an appointment after all this. But he might be expecting us, and if so, we need to be ready for traps and ambushes."

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Fineblood Manor]

Ravanys will watch the twig blight walk away for a moment before glancing to Fayyaad and Maret.

Well, gentlemen. She gestures towards the blue room. Shall we get this party started? She gives them a quick grin, then holds her arm out to Fayyaad for them to walk in together.

Gotta keep up appearances.

[Reinholdt]

[Underground Lab]

It was a thick metal door appropriate for a secret underground lab. Was being the operative word as a decent size chunk is cut free and falls to the floor with a loud clanging sound. Still a pretty hefty drag as the metal scrapes along the cavern floor, but Ruth should be able to handle it easily enough.

Dire wolves, along with most other things, should have free and ready entry into the lab through the gap.

[Morty]

[Fineblood Manor]

Fayyaad slips his arm around Ravanys' and walks in alongside her.

"Indeed. And let's hope it's a fruitful one."

[Earl of Purple]

Underground Lab

The yew tree continues on its slow and ponderous way out of the cave, stopping when it's got a reliable supply of sunlight and ideally soil that isn't poisoned by bat guano.

Baccata will let Sophie go first, but will follow shortly after. She pushes her sleeves up as she does.

[bc56]

Tomb of Hope Removed

"Does the demon have any weaknesses we could exploit? Anything that could make this fight easier would be very helpful," Erasmus asks. Hopefully there's a trick they can use or something. He's not nearly as good as a cleric at banishing demons.

[Murkus]

[The Void]

Escape! The pair make the top deck. The little flotilla of illicit airships around the Falling Circus has erupted into a hubbub of activity. Spotlights track wildly through the ancient gloom. Other airships stray closer and closer to the wounded Circus. It might even be possible to leap to one of these, if the pair were willing to try. Or they could search out an alternative means of escape on the Circus itself.

[Deathkeeper]

[The Vault]

Jim scowls. Without any other options, he tried to get the window to the silo open. If it doesn’t come open normally he’ll have to smash it open with the bident. Hopefully after that it’s just as easy as shoving a soul into the jar and getting out of here.

[Purple Eagle]

[Underground Lab]

It was a thick metal door appropriate for a secret underground lab. Was being the operative word as a decent size chunk is cut free and falls to the floor with a loud clanging sound. Still a pretty hefty drag as the metal scrapes along the cavern floor, but Ruth should be able to handle it easily enough.

Dire wolves, along with most other things, should have free and ready entry into the lab through the gap.

[Underground Laboratory]

Sophie looks at Ruth for a moment with an awkward expression. Well, she's trying, she supposes.

"I'll go in first. I know this place, though I don't think I can pretend to just be dropping by for an appointment after all this. But he might be expecting us, and if so, we need to be ready for traps and ambushes."

Underground Lab

The yew tree continues on its slow and ponderous way out of the cave, stopping when it's got a reliable supply of sunlight and ideally soil that isn't poisoned by bat guano.

Baccata will let Sophie go first, but will follow shortly after. She pushes her sleeves up as she does.

[Underground Lab]

Ruth looks back at Sophie and smiles, seemingly not registering the awkwardness, nor realizing what it might be for. She nods when Sophie takes command, and hangs back until the two other ladies step in, taking her place behind Baccata. She takes a last look at the young tree and hopes it doesn't grow up to be as malicious as Baccata's Yew, then steps into the lab.

Ruth keeps her acute senses up for anything out of the ordinary, but otherwise doesn't act, unless Baccata wants to continue their conversation. That, she won't mind.

[Reinholdt]

[Underground Laboratory]

The first thing of note is that it's dark inside. When they crouch and step inside, the lights will flicker on, clearly motion activated. Well some of the lights anyways. And they don't want to stay on, the half that are working. About half of those fluorescent bulbs flicker with the unpursued desire of death.

Within the room itself are various boxes and bags, many half open revealing discarded bottles with lingering remnants of unknown fluids, used needles, spools, rags soaked red, and other materials suited best for a hospital. Just walking through here could be a biohazard, so best not to touch anything.

Since the entry way is full of trash, the most interesting things probably hide behind one of the several doors leading further inside. At least these doors are normal, boring flap doors. Sophie already knows of the one that leads to the operating theatre. If you could call it that.

[Morty]

[Underground Lab]

Sophie makes her way towards the door leading further in, then tries to slightly push it open to see what's inside. Her senses are honed beyond what a human should be able to accomplish and acutely aware of danger now. And she still doesn't know if Xeyal is expecting them.

[Earl of Purple]

Underground Lab

Baccata won't start the conversation; silence seems like the most useful thing right now. The tree they've left behind also won't be as hostile as Baccata's yew- it's not as smart, for one thing, moving only because Baccata's telling it to. Not because it would otherwise be able to move, unlike Baccata's yew.

Baccata is having more issues seeing, since she doesn't actually have any unusual senses. Besides a death-sense, anyway, which lets her find recently dead and dying individuals. That might help her find Doctor Xeyal, depending on what he's up to and if there's anyone on his surgical table. It might also be blocked by too much reinforced concrete, stone or brickwork.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Void]

Val takes their moment of respite to take the initiative. He turns to Astrana. "Let's go. Run. Now." He takes her hand to guide her to run above deck with him, guiding her to run in front of him after a few steps provided she cooperates. His blood is boiling, but he can still prioritize. Astrana needs to be away from here.

[The Void]

Escape! The pair make the top deck. The little flotilla of illicit airships around the Falling Circus has erupted into a hubbub of activity. Spotlights track wildly through the ancient gloom. Other airships stray closer and closer to the wounded Circus. It might even be possible to leap to one of these, if the pair were willing to try. Or they could search out an alternative means of escape on the Circus itself.

[The Void]

Astrana follows, keeping up with Val the best she can. He had changed, she could tell. Not the right time to mention it though. She is frankly not sure what to do here so she trusts Val to make the right choices in this situation as her better half.

[Purple Eagle]

[Underground Laboratory]

Ruth's as acutely aware of danger as the others, perhaps she'd be more so if she wasn't also visualizing how the place could be put to use after the evil has been cleansed. Power, it allows multitasking, and she just made a promise to Sophie.

She's barefoot as always, much like her son Asher, so anything touching the ground is fair game.

As before, she's the last of the three.

[Gullara]

[The Void]

Escape! The pair make the top deck. The little flotilla of illicit airships around the Falling Circus has erupted into a hubbub of activity. Spotlights track wildly through the ancient gloom. Other airships stray closer and closer to the wounded Circus. It might even be possible to leap to one of these, if the pair were willing to try. Or they could search out an alternative means of escape on the Circus itself.

[The Void]

Astrana follows, keeping up with Val the best she can. He had changed, she could tell. Not the right time to mention it though. She is frankly not sure what to do here so she trusts Val to make the right choices in this situation as her better half.

[The Void]

Val looks around wildly as soon as they're on deck. This boat is a wreck and even if it wasn't, it's being totally swarmed. He takes one quick look behind to check for pursuit and then hurries Astrana to the edge of the boat. "I need you to trust me, babe." Val will wait for the smallest confirmation, then he'll pick her girlfriend up in one arm. She takes a few running steps, getting up to speed in an instant, and pushes off the side of the ship in a powerful leap, aiming for one of the other ships approaching the wreck; one that hasn't quite arrived yet.