[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/h6OCm6X.png[/img] [color=a187be]Level 9 - EXP 71/90[/color] [hr][hr] [h2]Frostbite[/h2][h3]Midnight Walk - Winterhold College[/h3] Featuring: Ramattra and Sandaphlon [b]Word Count: 2628[/b] // +3 EXP[/center] The beast caught The Omnic up on his situation as a “living painting” of an artist named Frederic, who became animated under unusual circumstances. Ramattra looked back at the paint monstrosity no longer concealed by its curtain. Whatever that thing was- it clearly was human once, its hospitality an odd welcome with how menacing it appeared. And… was that a grin? The more the Omnic thought about the specifics, the more he realized that he had gotten grossly distracted. Perhaps this odd thing could be a valuable ally if it can repair physical wounds. In fact, this entire area seemed to be of quite valuable note because of its odd restorative processes. Returning to the only door through which he had emerged, he pushed against the heavy set of double doors once more, revealing the new scenery behind it. The bold colors clashed with the drab surroundings of the Prayer Room, the hefty door nearly closing on Ramattra’s extra appendage as he shuffled into the room. The conversation that prattled the crowd died out as the Omnic quickly noticed the dreary mood that followed an unlikely sight for sore eyes. Sandaphlon’s condition had surely worsened during their duration in this labyrinth. Whether she was playing a poker face or not regarding her condition did not deter the Omnic from feeling relief at her well-being, all things considered. “Sandalphon! Here I was beginning to believe we had all truly lost one another!” It seemed that his arrival had interrupted a very long conversation. It was none of his business, and his ally was surely already quite on edge. “Our journey is not over just yet. I will be by your side as long as we may. I’m counting on you.” Although Sandalphon’s expression remained unchanged, her pupil did become an inverted triangle as she registered the Omnic’s appearance. “Ramattra. I was beginning to fear that I had lost contact with everyone. This labyrinth has confounded my long-range scans thus far. So, I am relieved to see you, as well.” She peered into the quiet, meditative Prayer Room that Ramattra had left behind moments before the doors shut. “You have likely already seen that this structure is quantum in nature. We may be able to control the chaos if we keep the doors open, and thus the rooms in an observable state. This will be more achievable if we gather more allies, so I propose we continue together.” “I have no qualms. Before running into you, I wasn’t even sure the others would be nearby, but now it sounds like quite a solid plan.” The Omnic traced his staff along the oddly colored floorboards, examining the mystical sight before him. Was the labyrinth really this involved and complex? “But first, where exactly are we CURRENTLY? I’ve accepted a delivery for a Marla at the Sinners Inn…” he sighed, examining the less-than-helpful delivery label. “This is the Sinners’ Inn,” Sandalphon confirmed, stepping aside to provide a full view of the bar and its proprietress. “Marla is just over there.” The ghostly bird waved. “Got a delivery for me?” When offered the package, she nodded in satisfaction at the Medusa, Capea Gin, and Seaweed Liquor. The sight of Vintage Nectar, however, gave her pause. “Hmm…I don’t think I ordered this. Perhaps those courier brothers had a little mix-up?” She chuckled to herself. “As much as I’d love some free goods, why don’t you two take this one for the road? It never hurts to pay a little good fortune forward.” Carefully, she pushed the bottle back across the bar. Though a little hesitant, Sandalphon accepted it. Given what she’d told Marla, this was no ordinary freebie. “You are most kind.” The Omnic eyed the liquid's odd bottle, almost hesitant to warn Sandaphlon not to indulge in its contents. Was there really alcohol in this? Along with the Vintage Nectar, the two received a hefty sum of rosary beads as payment for Ramattra’s delivery. Then, together, the two Seekers and Lucy the cat bid farewell to the friendly spirits and returned to the exit to see what new location awaited them. [center][b]Princess’s Chamber[/b] [img]https://cdn.wikimg.net/en/zeldawiki/images/0/02/EoW_Zelda%27s_Room.png[/img][/center] Their next destination was a sizeable and well-lit bedchamber, fit for royalty. It featured rich carpets and curtains, a plush sofa, potted flowers, and an opulent vanity. In one corner stood a shiny black baby grand piano, and the bed looked very comfortable, but the room’s sole occupant -a chunky, sandy beige cat- kept well away from both by sticking to the sofa. Upon seeing the newcomers, or more accurately Lucy, the cat meowed, leaped off the sofa, and ran straight to them. The two rubbed up on one another, friendly, and Lucy sat down to lick the other cat’s fur. The poor thing seemed so agitated that Sandalphon knelt to stroke it, despite her pain. She checked its collar and saw that his name was as Sir Packet Lossalot. “There, there,” Sandalphon comforted him flatly. When she looked up, though, her expression was grim. A quick scan confirmed her suspicions. “Multiple exotic life signs detected,” she told Ramattra. “Inside the piano. And beneath the bed.” Rather than waste any time guessing what threat lurked nearby, Ramattra readied his scimitar in his free hand. If something was preparing to attack them, the Omnic thought it best to get the first blood. The Omnic looked back at Sandaphlon for peer confirmation before slowly approaching the piano tucked away in the room. “If this ends poorly, I need you to be ready to open that door for our escape.” Ramattra requested, asking the archangel to stand prepared in the event the threat was bigger than he was expecting. Now mere inches away from the piano, which Ramattra assumed would contain less of the “exotic life forms” because of its smaller compartment- he slowly began raising the top board. In an instant it flew open to reveal a row of sharp teeth as big as pennants and a huge pink tongue, turning the two parts of the piano into the halves of a [url=https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/1/13/SM64DS_Model_Mad_Piano.png]giant fanged maw[/url]. There wasn’t a monster inside the piano–it [i]was[/i] a monster! With a discordant din of piano notes it leaped to life like a crocodile and lunged at Ramattra in an attempt to snap its mouth shut on as much of the Omnic as possible. Sandalphon, already on alert, wouldn’t let that happen. In a burst of speed that agonized her petrified joints, she flung a Frost Lock at the Mad Piano that froze it solid. It would remain immobilized for five seconds total, and thanks to Perfect Experience: Fuli, any damage dealt to the thing until then would make its Dissociation all the more punishing. Rather than summon her gunstaff, though, Sandalphon took the chance to send forth ergo strings and plug them into Ramattra’s body. Perfectly suited for partnering with a mechanical ally, she could redirect, heal, and empower him as long as the two were connected. Ramattra abandoned his sword back into the cavity his fusion caused. The blade wouldn’t be useful against the odd living furniture’s exterior. There wasn’t much to carve into when all of it looked like it was made of piano components. “It won’t go down easily! Pull me away if things start looking hairy!” He knew she was certain of the plan- considering she was the one who enacted it in the first place- but the reassurance of not being devoured whole would make defeating this enemy a whole lot easier. Before the enemy had a chance to thaw, however, Ramattra activated his Nemesis Form to bulk his raw muscle, grabbing the immobilized instrument by one of its currently resting legs. There wasn’t much room to fight or redirect attacks, but creating space between him and his enemy was crucial- especially when his assailant appeared to favour devouring as a main attack. With a mighty blow, the creature was staggered backwards into the wall as its Frost Lock’s duration ran out. It began snapping slowly toward Ramattra and his ally. “Any suggestions? It isn’t moving very fast.” Sandalphon quickly re-scanned the piano beast with External Information Network. The buffs it provided to her team were minimal, but it did confirm that the Dissociation had dealt respectable damage when the piano thawed. The sheer racket it made when stomping forward disrupted her focus, but Ramattra was right; this thing wasn’t speedy. “We’re making progress.” She noticed that Lucy had already charged one of her spells, and with a small yank pulled Ramattra just far back enough that he avoided the bluish cat’s MC Flamethrower. A torrent of flames struck the piano and set it ablaze, but did little to dissuade it from its path. Sir Packet Lossalot helped as well, although when he spat at the piano, the water element extinguished the burn with a hiss in an unfortunate bit of anti-synergy that earned him a scathing look from Lucy. The archangel had already worked out her next move, though. She summoned her hexagun and unloaded into the slow, large target as fast as she could pull the trigger. Each magic ray chipped away at the piano’s black wooden frame, but that wasn’t her real objective. On the eleventh shot, the hexagun’s special effect activated and polymorphed the piano into a chicken in a burst of feathers. It squawked uproariously, gnashing its beak as it bore down on Ramattra. While the monstrosity was weakened- a synthetic smile curled in Ramattra’s voice. “Of course. It won’t be able to resist attacks if its form changes!” The Omnic leaned forward to clutch the transformed piano by its narrow neck. With a simple crush- the beast was extinguished, quickly disappearing into ashy matter after its cheeky defeat. “That makes one threat neutralized. Are you able to get a better reading on how many are hiding beneath the bed now?” “One,” Sandalphon confirmed. “But it’s erratic. I cannot picture it.” While the previous enemy barely scathed Ramattra by catching him off guard, having intel before he could come to any conclusions going forward would ease his decision-making. As his hand began to reach under the frame of the bed, he waited a moment for her approval, hoping that this can of worms was the same size as the last. “Don’t just reach beneath there blindly. Flip the bed,” Sandalphon advised him somewhat sternly, as if Ramattra should know better. Beside her, Lucy stepped forward, bristling angrily. Sir Packet Lossalot issued a nervous mew, warning both her and Ramattra to be careful. As the Omnic haphazardly felt around the underside of the furniture, he responded by quickly removing his hand from the underside of the bed like he had just touched a hot stove. A large irregular bite mark populated the majority of his metallic hand now, a grumble of frustration escaping Ramattra as the archangel’s warning proved true. In a singular motion, the titanic monk raised the bed from the floor, flipping it to the side as he dodge backwards. Once Ramattra used his long, strong limb to flip the bed, he revealed the lurking entity: an [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/30d1d62ea85b.webp]aberrant mass[/url] of swollen gums, purple tongues, and fangs of all shapes and sizes, topped with a somewhat human head split by a jagged maw. Its form shifted slightly as the aghast Seekers looked on, constantly changing and growing new, ever-toothier, ever more gruesome mouths. It jittered, as if about to lunge at Ramattra, but to Sandalphon’s surprise, the monster actually spoke. “Are you a friend? Please stay back. I d-d-don't want to hurt you.“ Sandalphon did not lower her hand, ready to yank Ramattra backward at a moment’s notice, with or without his say-so. The Omnic’s sensors dialed in on the monstrosity’s texture- the same paint-glob melty skin that another horrific entity lurking in the labyrinth shared. The painter’s cap was the final clue for what he was looking at. “You’re a living painting, aren’t you? I’ve run into another of your kind. Clue me in as to what is happening in this maze.” His voice displayed clear agitation- frustration from the unexpected wound now scarred over the metal of his hand. The creature’s mass would shift and undulate as it tried its hardest to control its biting maws- the masses of teeth and flesh clamping down even against himself erratically. It seemed nearly impossible for the fleshy painting to stay still or answer any of Ramattra’s questions with its layers of teeth ripping at its own back. “It isn’t being outright hostile. Only if I get too close. But that… thing can’t speak while it rips into itself…” He looked back at Sandaphlon for approval as he approached the red monstrosity, Ergo strings plugged into the back of his chassis in case things got bad. “Tell me, what’s going on here? Who are you?” Ramattra braced for hundreds of razor-sharp teeth to clamp into him- mentally envisioning the scolding he would receive from Sandaphlon for his reckless pursuit of more information. A smorgasbord of fangs pierced Ramattra’s chassis, ever shifting, ever finding new and inventive ways to redefine the word ‘bite’. Words spilled forth from the painted being. “Sorry, I’m sorry! I can't help it! This happens on its own. It's frustrating.” It paused for just a moment as it tried to articulate itself, growing snakelike tentacles tipped with the ringed suckers of leeches. “I feel like I am Frederic, but I don't know if I'm the original. I remember painting myself. I was angry, I think. The others…the voices of the others give me headaches, but I'm not sure if you can help.” Sandalphon considered the matter in silence. From what Ramattra said, he’d already encountered at least one other ‘painted’ being like this. That was pertinent knowledge, but he hadn’t had much time in which to share it. The more pressing matter was this ‘Frederic’ itself. Even if it had good intentions, the fact remained that it was hurting her ally. Her healing miracles could prolong this conversation, but Sandalphon didn’t exactly like it. The other Frederic he ran into told a different story- the bright one had claimed HE was Frederic himself, and didn’t seem to even acknowledge his disfigured form. This version, despite being unintentionally violent in nature, appeared lightyears more lucid about his conditions- and more importantly, the existence of his other counterparts. The Omnic got the information he needed, finally stepping away from the mass of teeth and paint, and despite his teeth-worn figure, he was content with what he learned. “I believe there are others like him,” Ramattra explained the best he could, the pieces of the paint monstrosities’ puzzle slowly forming in his head. “This one is… more aware of what he is than the Frederic I encountered. He speaks of the others as if their mere existence causes him ailment. How strange.” “It sounds as though the existence of the others causes each one to suffer,” Sandalphon inferred, her eyes on the creature. If it wasn’t an active threat, she supposed they could leave it be. The cats did not seem eager to deal with it any further, either. “Are you planning to aid one of them?” The Omnic considered his answer carefully, sensing that Sandaphlon could cast a negative judgment on him depending on his response. “If they prove valuable to me, yes.” There was no selflessness in his answer- no matter which of the Frederics they helped, he wanted it to be the one that would be of most use to him and the Seekers. [hr][hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/gRmKFQV.gif[/img] [color=ed1c24]Level 8 - EXP 69/80[/color] The Midnight Walk - Winterhold College [hr] [hr] [h3]A Dicey Deal[/h3] Featuring Tenna and Ganondorf [b]Word Count: 2023[/b] +3 EXP[/center] `With a snap of his gloved finger- Tenna ordered his troupe of companions into the grand hall to regroup with the cruel Gerudo King… he had assisted in recruiting the Darkner among the ranks of the Seekers back near Snowdin, so perhaps his abrasive demeanor and mighty Warlock attacks could help further conduct their efforts to reassemble themselves! Traffy hobbled along behind the shadowy henchmen, eager as well to reunite with his Dreadnaught master. “Oh! Mr. Gerudo King sir!” He hailed the towering king with a pointed finger, hoping to get his attention before crossing rooms left ajar by a heavy doorstop, connecting the two rooms together. “We should move together! We can clear more rooms that way!” The extremely cheerful CRT would point towards one of the unopened doors, hoping to direct his efforts to align with his. “It doesn’t matter what door you open. They’re all jumbled up and magicky.” He explained, not fully cautious about the method they take forward, so long as it gets the Seekers back together. The voice pulled Granondorf out of his focus on the floating Eye. [color=797979]”Hm?”[/color] He grunted, turning around to see the friendly CRT he helped recruit looking… a little worse for wear. [color=797979]”What happened?”[/color] He asked, stepping forward and looking him up and down. [color=797979]”Were you damaged when we were pulled into this place?”[/color] “Bah. Nothing bad, just a little ambush that needed taking care of.” Tenna reassured, pawing his hand at the air to shoo the Gerudo’s worry. “But these rooms are imp The explanation for the random nature of the rooms was the first he’d heard about that aspect of the College, [color=797979]”Jumbled, hm?”[/color] He thought back to his interaction with Diosdado in the Library Of Negated Words. Any one key Ganondorf needed if he completed the favor that was asked of him. [color=797979]”I found someone in another room.”[/color] The Warlord said, [color=797979]”A keeper of the keys. He asked me to seek out a noise that’s tormenting him and silence it. In exchange he offered to part with any key we needed. I suspect that would give us a way to control which room a door will take us to by using it. That could help us… unscramble these rooms a bit.”[/color] “Well. Jumbled might not be the right term, but the doors aren’t right. You open the same one and it leads somewhere new! It’s like a maze!” The key salesmen was certainly a lead worth pursuing, but the legitimacy of Ganondorf’s theory was certainly worth verifying. With a nod, Tenna called over one of his henchmen. Traffy tailed soon behind, pinching the doorstop between the two rooms between its plastic claws. “This was holding those two doors open! Maybe we can use it to our advantage and plan our movements… I think it’s best to get back with our team!!” “If you had anything you wanted to do in here, I’d do it now!” [color=797979]”No, I don’t believe there’s anything worth doing in here.”[/color] Ganondorf said. The floating Eye was intriguing but ultimately just a distraction. Solving how to get out of this college was the first priority. He eyed the doorstop and nodded, [color=797979]”So we simply need to hold the doors open. A simple enough task. Let’s go.”[/color] Ganondorf went ahead and summoned some Moblins. He didn’t expect a fight, but he could probably have them hold doors open manually if it came to that. He peaked at the door the CRT had opened, getting a small preview of the Dice Room that waited beyond it before he strode toward the door to enter through it. When he was inside he was able to really take in the elaborate-looking setup. The colorful discs connected by dotted lines almost reminded the Warlord of a game board. The kind where one moves their pieces a number of steps equal to the dice roll. Though he couldn’t be sure if that was in fact how this room worked, Ganondorf figured there was only one way to truly find out. And so without any real warning or build up, the Gerudo approached one of the crystalline discs and experimentally pressed a boot on it before fully stepping on. Pressure switches were quite common in the dungeons of his homeworld, and so Ganondorf almost fully expected a trap or some other mechanism to be triggered by this act. But nothing happened. Instead the crystal disc remained inert, not giving any noticeable reaction to Ganondorf’s boot nor his body weight as he stood on it. So perhaps they were activated some other way? And that really only left one possibility based on how little else there was in the room. Ganondorf’s gaze shifted toward the arcane mechanism. The Warlord strode toward it, thinking to try and activate it himself. But much like the discs, the mechanism appeared to be non-functional. And a closer inspection revealed why. It appeared to be sealing the doors, but beyond that its workings seemed to be obfuscated. Ganondorf’s best guess was that something was missing that was needed to make it work. But he was not an expert and so he couldn't be a hundred percent sure. But given the size of the doors, he had the impression that they led outside, so finding the missing mechanism could be what would allow them to exit the College. Noticing the Gerudo’s frustration, Tenna took mental notes of the room. The two of them should return here once they reunite with the others. “For now we press on! There’s no room for waste!” Moving to the opposite side of the room, Tenna and his squad would begin pushing the next set of doors open, holding it for the Gerudo King to cross through, as Traffy the Traffikrab saved the passageway between doors with the odd wedge. [hr] [center][b]Potion Shop[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/t69iVHh.jpeg[/img][/center] As the passageway between rooms was fully exposed, a new abode was revealed to Ganondorf and his gang. The labels described them as potions that could boost attributes, tonics that could increase elemental resistances, enhancers for the improvement of treasure-hunting abilities, and cures meant for the removal of unwanted status effects like poison, drowsiness, and silence. Higher-quality brews featured bigger, more elaborate themed bottles and higher prices. A handful of flower pots seemed to be growing herbs and fruits for use as potion reagents, especially beneath a glass dome-shaped skylight. There were neither any enemies nor threats that Tenna could see. At the far end of the shop, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/ziCSKIU.png]sleeveless young woman[/url] with a pinkish red ponytail awoke with a jolt when her fellow vendor entered. "Oh, hi! Welcome in!" She gestured broadly at her wares before crossing her arms confidently, her most suave and charismatic expression chosen. "What can I get you? Each and every hand-crafted potion speaks for itself, but if you want me to sing their praises, you'll find me very convincing!" “Oh! Goody! Potions! Uhmmm, let's see. I’m not very BIG and famous at the moment so my funds are lowwww… Do ya take trade-ins?” The CRT had enough collected to offer to the young vendor, but hoped that bartering with the loot he traveled with was valuable enough to offer. Sylvia scratched her chin with a suspicious look, as if she wasn't totally sure about Tenna's proposition but could be persuaded. "Maaaaaybe," she drawled. "I'll want some stipulations, though. For one, pawning stuff off's a bitch in this place, so you better make it worth my while. And I'm no appraiser, so the value of whatever you've got needs to be obvious. I'm not about to be swindled!" "I'll make it worth your while! Do you have anything that can help us navigate the rooms behind us? We were with friends if that helps!" The TV was boisterously cheerful, chipping up at the thought of being with more company than his saxophone chirping bodyguards. “Here… Erm…” Recalling how to condense spirits into items, Tenna clutched the stray souls of the Gargoyles from the previous couple of rooms and condensed them into useful items… [center][hider=Tenna Aquired][b]Spiral Rapier[/b] A rare rapier with spiral grooves carved into the blade. It is the weapon of choice of the stone gargoyles in Latria. It is meant to inflict pain and cause bleeding rather than deal damage, which provides a glimpse into the insanity of the Old Monk. Best suited for a dextrous hand, and scales best with one's dexterity [b]Unknown Warrior Soul[/b] An ethereal yet tangible leftover. The remnants of a nameless soldier's spirit that remained in its corpse. Use it and the Souls will be added to your stock. Even if you leave this be, it will only become nourishment for demons. [b]Black Bolt[/b] x8 A large bolt with a wicked edge and distinctive black-and-white fletching, designed for use with a crossbow and able to deal respectable piercing damage at long range [/hider][/center] Tenna practically thrust the bolts into the young alchemist’s face, offering them in pristine condition. "And I'll loan ya one of the dummies over there to help you out around the shop." He pointed to one of the two curious Shadow Guys who were incompetently investigating bottles before putting them back on the shelf like ornery children. "I promise they're quick learners... worst-case scenario, they make the best clean-up crew in the whole Dark World!" Sylvia peered dubiously at the Shadow Guys for a moment before returning her attention to her potential customer. "I've got stuff that'll help you through any problem, so long as you've got the gold? Or, uh, the trade-ins!" She held up fingers as she rattled off her stock. "I've got potions that'll restore your health and mana, cures for curses and petrification, enhancers that'll boost your insight and awareness, and more! Different qualities at different prices too, so there's no customer with too little or too much money!" The brewer gave Tenna a charming wink as she accepted the bolts as barter fuel. “Would ya have anything that’ll protect me from the elements? Like a magic ‘dungeon-crawl’ potion?” She seemed entirely befuddled by his language. There was certainly nothing quite like that in her inventory. “Well… I’m not quite sure about anything like that. But oh! Maybe heightened awareness is just the thing you need! Maybe an intelligence potion?” The bubbly woman turned around to investigate her collection. “I’ll tell you what! My tonics can protect you from all sorts of elements that the beasties here will throw at ya, just a teeny bit. What 'dya say?” She procured a red potion, contained within a fancy bottle. Tenna contemplated the offer before snapping his finger in decision. “DEAL!” Tenna claimed the bottle, but her grip didn’t fully release. “I’ve decided I could use the help. Grab a broom, flatman!” Sylvia dusted her hands after allowing Tenna, Ganondorf, and Traffy to begin walking back toward the door. Sylvia snapped her finger suddenly. "Oh! If you're gonna be exploring this place, could you keep an eye out for my brewing room? It's super important for my business. I normally have a special key that takes me straight there, but..." She rubbed the back of her head self-consciously. "I might have...left it there? If you can bring me that key, I'll set you up with fi...three! Three potions, of your choice, free of charge!" She clapped her hands together. "So, we have a deal?" “We’ll keep an eye out! Bye-bye potion lady!” Tenna stared his Shadow Guy down. He had summoned his employees to aid him too recently and would need to wait a bit if he didn't want to go bankrupt. “You’re still in my contract. I’ll be back for you.” He raised a threatening finger at his employee, who was now donning a cleaning cap and dustpan, helpfully collecting glass shards from the corners of the potion room.