fellsing

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Tamba: Wow, Pleexem, that was good acting.
Pleexem: Oh I wasn't acting! I thought the plan was going to go wrong and was genuinely having a panic attack.
Tamba: ... oh.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

The twins nod, though once again with hesitation of Pleexem's part. He keeps glancing at Tamba as if expecting her to object. When she doesn't, he simply gives a small sigh of resignation as he watches Skobeloff put his plan into motion. Once the trickster is in place and starting to put on his act, both siblings start shouting, Tamba calling out for Fogdance by name while Pleexem gives wordless yelps and gasps of horror.

It doesn't take long before they hear Fogdance's steps stomping towards the room and she flings open the door. "What? What happened?" she shouts, her eyes darting between the twins and the fallen Skobeloff.

"I... I don't..." Pleexem stammers before he starts hyperventilating, causing Tamba to cut in.

"We just woke up to this!" The green drake motions towards Skobeloff. "I think he's poisoned!"

Upon hearing this, Fogdance is immediately fussing over the trickster, cradling his form in her claws as she calls out his name. After only getting choking noises as response, her eyes start welling up. "This... this can't be..." she says. "I..." She looks between him and the seemingly regurgitated porridge on the floor. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I read Vipereyes' notes, I thought-"

"What did you do?" Tamba interrupts, shouting at the older dragon. "What did you do!?"

"I didn't..." Tears start falling down Fogdance's cheeks. "I didn't mean..." The older dragon buries her face into Skobeloff and starts weeping. Between her sobs, Skobeloff hears the dragon muttering the words, "No... not again... my poor, poor child... I'm so sorry, I failed you again..." Once again, Skobeloff gets the strong sense that she's not seeing him as he is, but as someone else, someone she has failed to care for and protect.

As she speaks, one vaguely sees a faint shimmering on her scales as they lighten slightly to a paler, brighter shade of grey as her realization of what she has done starts to sink in and the darkness slowly loosens its grip on her. The sobbing stops as Fogdance's lifts her head and looks down at Skobeloff in her arms. Confusion fills the dragon's eyes as she seems to finally perceive Skobeloff for what he truly is. She lets go off him, taking a few steps back and looking between him and the twins. "Tamba? Pleexem? What is, what is going on? What was I...?" Her voice trails off as she becomes at a loss for words.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Do I need to make another roll to sneak back to the cell or does the sneak roll I've already made cover both trips?

@rush99999

I'll say it covers both trips.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Tamba and Pleexem exchanged concerned glances at Skobeloff's plan, and for a moment it looked like the latter might even object. While Tamba knew the trickster well enough to trust his plan, Pleexem did not and he eyed Skobeloff with a mixture of doubt and worry. However, after another glance at his sister, Pleexem conceded with a nod.

Tamba turned back to the blue drake and nudged him with her wing. "Good luck," she said. "We'll be waiting and listening out here should anything go wrong."

Upon exiting the room and making his way to the kitchen, Skobeloff would note that same eerie stillness he had witnessed on his way to the stronghold, which made the subtle creak of the floorboards seem all the more noticeable. Fortunately, these sounds did not seem to alert Fogdance, and Skobeloff didn't catch any sign of the older dragon on his way down the stairs. Once he reached the kitchen and began searching, he quickly found what he was looking for: a cupboard full of various herbs and medicines, which he could only assume belonged to Vipereyes. The Myndoth scientist had likely gathered these from the surrounding wilderness and collected them as part of her research. While Skobeloff's knowledge of plants did not compare to that of Vipereyes, it didn't take him long to find a bundle of leaves that he recognised as being a strong sedative. He didn't know the name of the plant exactly, but he knew its smell as he had caught a whiff of it when pretending to eat the meal Fogdance had prepared for him earlier.

---

A long silence met Stargaze's words. Then, in the water, a few paces in front of them, several bubbles started forming along the surface before the water itself started to rise up and formed itself into the top of Echo's face. Her eyes regarded the dragons warily before settling on Stargaze, and the drakes caught a look in the elemental's eyes, relief mixed with a grimace. Echo approached the group quietly, more and more of her body forming from the muck until her entire torso was visible.

"Stargaze," she says at last. "It's good to see you again. I just wish it was under better circumstances." She smiles, but it's a weak smile, a pained smile. From this distance, the drakes are able to see that her body is barely holding itself together, as if at any moment it will start melting back into the elements that form it. The leaves that make up her hair are drooping and withered, and the bio-luminescent lights that dot her skin are shining dimmer than Stargaze has ever seen before.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

@Vertigo @Digizel Do either of you have anything to add or are you okay with me making the next post?

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Hm...Act Despite Danger feels more applicable to me, but maybe I'm just not reading into things right. It does seem kinda like an oversight that there's not something for this particular thing. xD Then again, given the only three stats we have, I suppose something that applies cunning probably works in general.

@Digizel

Possibly. Depends on the scenario, perhaps, and how one is being stealthy. I'll have to think more about it in the future.

At the end of this chapter, I am going to ask for feedback on what you guys think this game is lacking so I can consider what other custom moves to make.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

@XxFellsingxX

Could Skobeloff reach the kitchen again without alerting Fogdance?

@rush99999

Hmmm, roll me a Mislead Or Trick to see if he can. (since it's the closest thing this game has to a stealth roll xP)

Does Stargaze know of any specific rules Echo has, while growing up in her care?

@Guardian Angel Haruki

She doesn't get visitors to her cave that often so she doesn't have many rules. The few times she had people visit, they usually just stand near the entrance and call for her.

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Season's greetings, everyone! Have a post and I hope you're enjoying the holidays, regardless of what (if any) holiday you are celebrating. x3

Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

Due to Skobeloff playing along and the twins' faking being asleep, Fogdance had been fooled into believing her captives would cause her no trouble. As such, Skobeloff would have noticed no sound of the door being locked behind him, meaning he and his comrades were free to exit this room. Of course, just because the room was unlocked didn't mean the front door would be, and attempting to go down the stairs would likely alert Fogdance. If his intent is simply to escape, Skobeloff still had access to the crystal sand he took from the beach which will teleport him, Tamba and Pleexem to where his friends are. However, if he wants to restore Fogdance from her shadowself, he'll need to find a way to confront her while still retaining the trust he has bought from his subterfuge.

What will Skobeloff do?

---

While Alpin had been correct in his assumption that they wouldn't have to deal with any more corrupted brownies, that didn't mean their journey to Echo's cave was easy: Alpin was not the strongest swimmer, and several times during their journey would find himself sinking into the muddy water. Either one of the drakes or Garrock would then have to grab and place him on their head or back while he recovered. This happened several times, with Alpin getting steadily wearier each time. The only blessing of this tedious process was that Garrock remained mercifully silent for all of it. The yellow dragon, who had fussed and groaned during their earlier walk into the jungle, hadn't uttered a single word after Alpin started leading them to Echo's, and the only hint that he was clearly not enjoying this process was the permanent scowl on his face, which since he was at the back of the group, the drakes wouldn't even see unless they happened to be looking in his direction.

Eventually, the group caught sight of the large willow tree, familiar to both Stargaze and Fellwing as the one which Echo's cave is situated. They can even see the mouth of the cave beneath the trees overgrown roots, a cave both drakes would know is partially submerged in water. They will have to go under the water to enter. Also worth noting is that entrance is too small for a fully grown dragon like Garrock to enter, meaning the drakes and Alpin will have to go without him.

Speaking of Alpin, the brownie doesn't look too pleased at the thought of going under water and eyes the mouth of the cave with apprehension. "Welp, there is is," he says. "I... err... don't see a doorbell anywhere, so..." He glanced over his shoulder at Stargaze. "Should we just go in? Is she okay with visitors just entering her home?" He's currently seated on Shieldwing's back and shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Seems a little discourteous, to be honest, but I don't really know the etiquette of elementals."

Urban Shadows - Heebie Jeebies

Kendra: No, Aliss, you cannot adopt Charity.
Aliss: Why not? You adopted Grace's ghost.
Kendra: AHJFVHJRFVJF