Darting blindly, she barely stops in time to not go careening off the cliff of the next room. But at least the air is clearer, giving her time to hack her lungs free of smoke. Though there's not much she can do about her eyes, stinging. Her tears drip down her face to fall onto the stone with a sizzle.

Tourmaline glances up, and sees others crossing the bridge. And the shimmer of treasure on the other side. If it's safe enough for the others, she decides to follow, taking a slower and steady pace. At least this is far enough away from the lava for the heat to not be unbearable...

Some Gembound were already perusing the wares on offer and - Tourmaline gasps. The amount of it all, piled up here? It's far more than she had expected. Idly, she wonders how much fuller these chests were when the dungeons were first created.

Well, there has to still be something good in there! She'd paw up to one of the chests, reaching up over the lip with her front paws. She doesn't want to grab metal armor - too heavy for her to move quickly, and it'd been burning hot in here. So... maybe there's something else? Leather? Bone? Or not even armor, but something else like a cloak or a belt... A tail banner would be pretty snazzy, if she ever wanted to show off...

Though that's up to whatever has been left amongst the treasure.

Down, down the passageway goes, into a moment's respite. Hargrave waits before she ogles at the treasure trove within it, thoug. No one had fallen past her on the journey down, and though a great few of her companions here are a bit larger than herself, she still would have tried to break their fall if need had been.

All that emerges from the smoky veil are intact and whole fellow travelers, some coughing and smoking and others rather well-off. The Gray Hare lets her wings settle at her sides, and offers a quiet word of advice, "Deep breaths out first, then in. Get the smoke out from your lungs," before turning to the rest of the room.

It is a rest area in every sense but the heat still clinging to the air, not quite as unbearable, but still rather seething. At least the air is a bit clearer, and she can blink the smog from her eyes before she sets her blade down and begins to root through one of the chests in search of yet another weapon to add to her repertoire; perhaps a less frostbitten sword than hers.

While she is here, she may as well shoulder one of the bags and nose some coins into one of its pouches to go with; and, hopefully, this one will not go up in flames.

Surgis gulped down fresh air when she could, still wheezing out while recovering. She blinked once, thrice, sitting for a moment while she took deep breaths and settled her lungs. Okay. Enough smoke. 'That was terrible.'

And so she pushed on, skin tingling from being so close to the overly warm lava-fall, though she couldn't help but marvel at it. Given the fact that everyone was going ahead for treasure (and she wanted to as well), she could stand in the light and bask in it, dry heat suffusing around her and through her.

It was an odd feeling. Shuddering, Surgis had to rip herself away from it, head low as she stalked forward behind the group. They were picking through, looking and looting. She was going to get unwanted seconds if she waited too long..! This wouldn't do. She had to get her hands in there, rummaging through for something that wasn't sharp and pointy; she already had claws and teeth, after all!

Surgis is looking for navigational tools, such as compasses, ice picks, markers, or any other utility item for getting through a dangerous environment. If not, she'd also be happy with more coins, of course... :)

lol the crit 1

Wyrm's voice was a guide for Fahl, the smoke obscuring all but the vague silhouette of most sights within the space. Such a sound, however, was useless in preventing the various collisions against rock, and so when Fahl burst at last into the welcoming embrace of cleaner air, his journey had somewhat roughened him up. Labored wheezes rattled in his chest as he stumbled into view. Scales didn't betray how bruised he felt, but they did reveal his stress, oranges and yellows blotching a pale grey background. This next section of the dungeon almost a hellish mirror of Pisces' endless cold, complete with falling lava instead of water, a mixture of confusion and concern dwelt in the murky eyes that beheld it.

"The f—" A sideways glance to his charge, and the cuss dancing upon his tongue tip fizzled out of existence. "Err, fffried fish is this?"

Pressure applied to his toes to even out his unsteady walk, Fahl wandered over to the chests stationed off to the side of the path. Claws sifted through the assortment heaped within them. Clueless to the purpose of currency, the coins were glittering trinkets at best to him, but maybe something here was worth collecting for future use. His storage space could do with a few items other than food to sustain the Children if need be.

With the wind as you fly away
Give a smile from your lips and say
"I am free! Yes, I'm free!"

As soon as they emerged out of the smoke, September breathed a deep breath in, dropping the winds that whipped around his body and through his mane. He didn't need them anymore - not here, at least. It was nice and clean in here. And filled with treasure.

A smile split his face. "Oh now that's what I'm talking about!" He quickly trotted forward and began to search through some of the treasure chests. He wanted something beautiful, an accessory or a bit of armor. Nothing too much, or too overstated, but elegant.

september

Wyrm curved carefully around the lava fall, skirting the heat that roared and shimmered past. Her tongue flicked to taste the air, her eyes wide as she half-waddled and half-padded along.

This was amazing. Still more amazing was the treasure that waited around the bend. Wyrm was not a dragon, not a "wyrm" in a real sense, any more than her father Dragon was--but she suddenly discovered the desire and fascination for gold and shiny objects that so many of her family shared. Her approach at first was slow and reverent, gazing in awe at all the things they could pick from--but as the others moved in, she felt the fear of someone else maybe taking something she might want. So Wyrm scurried in, rushing to explore the treasure.

She sought... She didn't know what she sought. Something gold, maybe. Something beautiful, shining, ornate; something that looked ancient and wrought with skill. Decorative? Jewelry? Something like that. Something she could keep with her and perhaps wear.

All the while she slid glances at the others, in wonder more than jealousy, to see what they would pick.

After the various bits of loot were found and chosen, the treasure piles left just a little poorer, the Gembounds could move ahead. They would find that the next passage was darker.

Much, much darker. It was smooth obsidian: old lava flows caked solid and turned to volcanic "glass," all sharp edges and smooth planes. The going would be difficult. Hard to see, and harder to predict danger from the shadows. It seemed to be a tunnel, almost claustrophobically narrow for the largest of them, and surprisingly long and winding. It sloped down into the dark.

It would be wise to use every talent at the Gembounds' disposal to ensure they were not ambushed, trapped, or that they did not simply stumble through a thin rock shell into lava below... Or whatever other dangers might hide inside the tunnels.

Click for Loot Results!

Rajani finds a dagger: a wrought silver hilt deeply engraved with sophisticated design, its blade razor-sharp obsidian. A ribbon flows from the hilt, the color of lava: black shading into brilliant orange. He also finds 14 Coins.

Thalassa locates a pair of goggles that will fit her head, with an adjustment of the buckle. The leather is of course ancient, and will require some patching or other repair, but the glass lenses are in good condition. They seem to have been intended for desert sands or swift flight, to protect the wearer's eyes; they are also Enchanted with Blue Sense, the polished wood of the goggles themselves glowing a soft blue in the presence of water, stronger via proximity. She also finds 9 Coins.

Bauxite-T-One finds a steel breastplate fitted for a humanoid that should fit the vaguely, almost, humanoid-ish "torso" part of his true head. Closing the straps would keep his true jaw shut--or he may find a way to incorporate only the upper or lower jaw, with some adjustment. Or he may trade the armor, which is valuable, being Enchanted with Camouflage. The steel gradually shifts hue to match the environment; at first it's almost hard to see, appearing to be made of gold. It is not. He also finds 12 Coins.

Tourmaline finds a beautifully tooled pair of bracers with straps that buckle behind the forelegs. These can be fitted to guard the front of her legs without impeding movement, from 'wrist' to below her shoulder; they are wrought steel shined to a silver hue, and multicolored ribbons trail from the buckle at the elbow. She also finds 4 Coins.

Hargrave uncovers a fancy fencing rapier. It has a fancy basket hilt, and is long, shining, and pointed. It looks like it belonged to someone very well-to-do. She also finds 12 Coins.

Surgis finds... a spoon. At first glance she might have discarded this; it hardly seems like a useful tool, let alone something an adventurer might have carried. However, she would feel a blessedly cool pocket of air around it. The spoon, simple silver, is Enchanted with Cool Down. It cools whatever food is in it (or that it's set into) as well as cooling the air for about two feet in any direction. A useful item for an adventurer, particularly one in a volcanic pit. Surgis only finds 1 Coin.

Fahl finds what at first glance appears to be a coil of dark gray rope. This is not enchanted; however, it's composed of strange fibers that haven't decayed despite the extreme lengths of time this place has been abandoned. Its tensile strength is enormous, borderline unbreakable, yet it is lightweight and flexible. It might be used for rappelling, hoisting a fallen Gembound, dragging a sled or myriad other versatile functions. It is contained in a soft gray pouch of the same strange fabric, engraved with pretty but meaningless designs. He also finds 8 Coins.

September finds a beautiful steel collar, but "collar" is a poor word for it: it's a cuff that closes and latches around his neck, sitting just over the tops of his shoulders with a downward point facing his chest, and extending upwards over about a third of his neck. It therefore trades some protection for flexibility, somewhat hindering neck movement while still guarding more vulnerable points. Like much of the other treasure it's ornately engraved, though it could sort of use a polish. He also finds 9 Coins.

Wyrm finds a dusty bracelet made of beads of dark turquoise and white. It is Enchanted with Grey Sense, glowing silver-grey in the presence of fungus, with a stronger glow with closer proximity. She also finds 10 Coins.

Players may add the Coins found to their characters' accounts. Those who received Enchanted items may post in Update Me to have simple icons added to their Enchanted Items profile field, if they wish.

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Gembounds should roll Perception of any kind as they enter the smooth, black lava tunnel ahead.

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The next post will take place on June 29th in the evening GMT.

Maw has entered chrysalis or left the dungeon due to inactivity.
V-Agate-One and Tyrin are at risk of chrysalizing. If their players wish to continue, WIP posts should be completed/missed rounds posted for. (If V-Agate-One departs, the WIP post should be edited into an exit.)

@Fahl @Thalassa @Bauxite-T-One @Rajani @Tourmaline @September @Surgis @Hargrave @V-Agate-One @Maw @Tyrin @Wyrm

She ends up pulling the set of bracers free - and thankfully the steel isnt burning hot. Both beautiful and functional, she ends up marveling at the engraved designs and sparkling ribbons.

As hurrying to get them slung over her back - they'd need to be adjusted to fit her when worn - Tourmaline paws into the next leg of the path. The obsidian walls twist in a disorienting manner, almost like a darkened funhouse mirror. She'd have to watch her step, that she doesn't step on a sharp blade of glass.

Her magic might be the best to watch out with, so she pulls on it- but she looses focus as she hacks up another lungful of smoke. Ow...

He is coughing deeply as they get into the loot room, only able to catch his breath after a few moments of wheezing and a thump to his own chest. Yeah… that’s going to hurt for a while.

But the variety of stuff in front of him, that eases his stung ego, at least a tad, as he ruffles around and searches for something to wear. Small gloves , boots, anything tough to cover his less furry bits.

After shifting things around, and subtly admiring the weaponry and metal accessories people find, he goes to follow after… heard hurting as he squints into the dark.

Damn.

Good thing moving half blind is most of his life, considering what he’s been up to the last few cycles.

Now, if he could cup his hands and block the light from the room they’re in so he can see into the gloom better, maybe he could… y’know. Actually see.