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[img]https://i.imgur.com/C7nwoGY.png[/img]
[b]Words:[/b] 2102 (+3 +4 +10 +5) 
[b][color=ea590c]Edward Portsmith: Level 9 (22 cells) (2 level ups stored)[/color] [/b][color=ea590c]//////////////////////////[/color]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (26/90)
[b]Location[/b] Frozen highlands - The Midnight Walk 
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Edward’s boot touched down on the invisible walkway down below the ash covered staircase, the flap of his wings scattering the fallen spirits had given away its presence. These fell off the edge and drifted slowly down into the abyss below, joining many others in their lazy, fading descent.

Indeed, most of the ghoul spirits had been lost, but Edward didn’t consider this much of a waste, as he had little interest in whatever rotten flesh crushing them would likely have been produced. As such, he’d not bothered salvaging those that had remained in reach either.

Instead he had descended here to seek secrets.

Alone.

Ramattra had lunged deep into the complex in-order to split the horde, and the Dreadnought had resultantly lost track of him in the dark. Taffy the Traffikrab meanwhile had been sent back to the entrance due to the crab’s inability to make the jump he had just made.

Fortunately enough, the ghoul swarm seemed to have been the majority of the mobile threats in the dungeon. As such the man was free to use the barrel of his magelock to tap out the invisible pathway he was walking without fear of interruption till he found his way to solid ground once more, finding himself upon a bannerless balcony and a way out of the stairway chamber.

Through that exit he found rows upon rows of ancient stone caskets, many of them thrown open and empty. Perhaps the former resting place of the ghoulish undead, he speculated. No valuable grave goods could be found at a cursory glance, but the chamber was host to some interesting plants.

The [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/b33b9ea35794.png]resin[/url] growing on roots that the chamber seemed to have been built to accommodate seemed like it might make for a good basis for weapon enhancing grease, if he had any way to collect the substance without leaving his pockets a sticky mess that was. 

The singular [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/a1bf64c9bbca.png]bud[/url] also growing on those roots seemed to contain fresh blood, which was perturbing to say the least. It also seemed almost sacreligious to harvest it without knowledge of any value in doing so worth, and so he left it alone to grow.

Lastly, around the tombs themselves, grew the odd patch of [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1b71180bfbd4.png]grave glovewort[/url] which shimmered eerily, and which seemed to attract the spirits haunting this place. Indeed, as he moved through the chambers, he disturbed a gathering of litwick who fled into the walls, leaving behind one of these blooms in their flight.

He plucked it out of curiosity, examining it as he continued to explore.

As he moved, the bell shaped flowers chimed in a tone only the dead could hear, causing the blue lights of the candle pokemon to draw nearer, and a small shape began to stalk him from within the shadows they projected.

The man paused as he walked, not at all ignorant to this following, which promptly faded as the silent chiming stopped.

[color=ea590c]”How curiouse”[/color] he entoned, before stashing the plant carefully in one of his pouches before continuing on. This led to a reduction, but not quite an absence, in his followers as he exited the tombs and found himself in a round chamber.

On the walls were a depiction of two large wolves, one silver, one gold, facing each other and with a trio of metallic symbols on the wall between them: a gold sun, a silver moon, and an iron planet. These seemed to be on a set of tracks, though no mechanism to move them could be seen. What could be seen was a large wheel in the center, and a locked door at the far end.

[center][img]https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/9266d1d8caab.png[/img][/center]

Edward took in this scene for a moment and then approached the central wheel, assuming it would activate whatever puzzle lock this was, gripped it by the side, and gave it a few spins.

Activate the puzzle it did, revealing pullable chains on the wall below the symbols.

It also activated a trap.

Slots opened in the floor, up from which roots of the tree the tomb was built around reached up and ensnared the Dreadnaught, pinning him to the wheel. At the same time the circular segment of floor the wheel was in began to sink down, forming a depression into which water began to spill, threatening to drown the man once he was lowered deep enough.

Edward immediately began to struggle, cursing himself for not summoning more troops as soon as possible. Inadvertently, however, his struggles summoned aid, as the grave glovewort chimed and chimed in his pouch in response to his fighting against the roots, calling forth his followers.

A lampent hovered into the room, basking it in a blue light that reflected off of the metallic wall ornaments, and also revealing the canine shape to be a [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/f1a7622f61d8.gif]Lunarpup[/url] whose skull head and floating lunar companion both were aglow with a ghostly aura. 

The former swooped in and began flying around the Dreadnaught even as they remained wary of the water rising below, while the latter approached a little more cautiously.

Knowing that beasts like these seemed to be able to take human instruction with little to no training, he asked them [color=ea590c]”Please, you must help me!”[/color] a request that they seemed to be amiable to, given their focus on him when he asked, and the Lampent’s failed attempts to pull at the roots.

As the question of how they could help, burning himself out of the roots was a terrible option, and besides, between a grenade spell and a summoned Reaver striker he already had options there that he did not want to take due to the collateral damage involved. Thus, he would hope that the revealed chains would offer a chance to freedom.

[color=ea590c]”The chains, pull… the one on the one in the middle!”[/color] He commanded, casting a Designated Target on the requested leaver to further clarify.

The two mon glanced at each other, and then the Lampent flew over and tried to pull the leaver, only to fail to be able to apply the needed force. That left the Lunarpup, who had more cautiously hung back. Upon Edward giving it a strained [color=ea590c]”Please!”[/color] however, it seemed to find its resolve and scampered over, leaping up, grasping the chain in bone jaws, pulling it down with its full body weight.

This caused the metal symbols to slide over to the [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/496afe260f9e.png]left[/url], and then a pull of the left lever caused the moon to [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/0df6d7c956f5.png]slide down[/url] into a slot above said chain.

A pull of the center sent the sun and planet over to the right, where a pull of the right chain slotted the sun down. A pull of the left send the moon back up to the main track, a pull of the center sent it and the planet over to the left, after which, finally, a pull of the right brought the sun back up.

With all that, it was all Edward could do to hold his breath and pray that matching silver moon to silver wolf (on the left) and golden sun to golden wolf (on the right) with the world in between them was the intended pattern.

Fortuitously, with them set out in this order, the mechanism took over, sun sliding into the maw of the gold wolf, and moon into silver, completing the phase of Ragnarök the [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/2cfaefe8d712.png]tablough[/url] represented: Sköll and Hati devouring the sun and moon respectively, dooming midgard in the center. 

Naturally Edward was unaware of this symbolism, nor was he aware of its connection to the guardian they wished to slay, and was instead just relieved as the platform he was on began to rise up out of the water, after which the roots unfurled, freeing him.

The man slumped to a knee, panting to catch his breath, before looking up at the mon and offering them [color=ea590c]”My thanks to you”[/color] generally, and then [color=ea590c]”And especially you”[/color] to the Lunarpup as it padded over and sat before him expectantly.

After a moment, he reached forward a hand, paused before the spirit energy infused skull, and then moved a hand to its back to pet its coat while his hand reached into a pouch and retrieved the grave glovewort that had called it, which he offered to the ghost-type wolf. The beast cautiously gripped the plant in its bony jaw, and then seemed to get a great deal of joy by vigorously shaking the silent bellflower.

The discordant sound drove back the Lampent, which then departed in offence as the little wolf promptly ate the plant. 

[color=ea590c]”Intresting”[/color] Edward commented, seeing perhaps a difference in attitude between the entirely spectral lanterns and then sudo-spectral pup’s interest in the plants. He wondered if the gatherings around the plant were as much to keep it away as they were acts of reverence. Said pup, incidentally, showed little inclination to leave his side now that it had been supplied with pets, a treat and praise.

[color=ea590c]”Well then, I suppose you are more than welcome to come along, after saving me from death, injury or embarrassment”[/color] Edward, who could have called for Sandalphon’s help at any time, told it, before asking [color=ea590c]”So what do I call you anyway”[/color] 

The Lunarpup responded with a [url=https://coromon.wiki.gg/images/GHOST_WOLF_1.ogg?f90ec4]cry[/url] that, to Edward, sounded like [color=ea590c]”Loona, huh?”[/color] 

[color=ea590c]”Well then, come along Loona, lets see what was so important as to seal behind this deathtrap”[/color] 

As it turned out the answer was more puzzles, though these at least did not have deathtraps attached. The first was a door with large symbol ladened rings on it that seemed to work more or less exactly like a combination padlock. Sadly, the code did not seem to be present in the section of the dungeon he was in, and so he resolved to ask Ramattra about it once they linked back up, which would turn out to be the right call. Not because it was located elsewhere in the dungeon, but because the Omic had previously found a claw puzzle artifact with the solution on it.

Should they put two and two together, they would find an ancient food larder full of dust, mold, and some highly aged Emberbrand Wine that would likely make for an enjoyable evening once they made camp.

The other puzzle meanwhile was a wall mounted circular puzzle that involved moving a ball through a maze via rotation, this one found in what seemed to be a small bedroom. There was no initial rotational mechanism obvious, but as soon as Edward started talking out loud to his new companion about the puzzle it started rotating. A quick series of experiments later and he and Loona were whistling/howling in tune to rotate it left and right with low and high notes respectively.

When this was solved, it revealed itself to be the lock to a wizard’s closet, containing the most stereotypical blue wizard robe and hat with yellow stars combo possible, as well as a pair of wands.

The latter Edward carefully retrieved, and gave a quick inspection of.

[hider=Edward received]
The Wand of Illusion: by saying the names of the spells, the holder can cast Dub-ill-oo, which creates an illusionary double that runs forward, and Mim-ill-oo, which can disguise the user as an environmental object temporarily. 

Grotesque Wand: by saying the names of the spells, the holder can cast Achoo (creates a blast of sticky, slimy green orbs that can impair sight and movement) and Fish-yuk (spawns a handful of smelly fish to flop around)
[/hider]

[color=ea590c]”Well then, those are some very silly spells”[/color] said the second bed in the bedroom as it examined the slime covered fish flopping around a dopleganger of Edward presently running headfirst into a wall.

Despite their silliness Edward could see the utility of them, he supposed, and so he stashed them away with plans of a pair of thin holsters for them. Not exactly worth hiding behind the deathtrap however, though he supposed the wizard who’d used this place as a base of sorts had likely taken their better equipment with them before leaving it for so long their larder turned to dust.

Or they had perished here due to being a pretty shitty wizard.

Still, he had gained one thing from the whole escapade with no question of its value: a friend. One that he tucked under his arm as he flapped his wings and ascended out of the pit and back up to the ghoul ambush stairs.