Hrimfaxi could not have prophesized that babies first dungeon would end as it did. The violence had them captured, too scared to watch, yet too scared to look away. When the squallfang finally died, they stared at it for a good long time. They stared as others walked away. As they heard the sounds of looting begin. As their feet began to freeze to the floor. For some reason, the tink of a coin broke them from that strange stupor. Hrimfaxi blinked for the first time in thirty seconds.

They pulled themselves from their corner, and began to join the others in a search through the piles of abandoned things. They were halfhearted in this search, their movements slow, the normally chipper horse strangely distant and quiet. Inevitably, their search ended up with them standing before the squallfang. They drank in the beast's cloudy eyes. The steadily drying streams of fluid. The neck flesh masticated by Vestyge's blunt teeth. Hrimfaxi took everything in. Silently trying to process what all had happened to it--and if they should run.

((Brutally killing an animal in front of a toddler to change the course of their life forever))

Maintaining constant effort in ducking, dodging, and weaving could be quite a strain on the heart. Every hop heralded a fresh pulse of blood, and as the Squallfang lashed out in rage and desperation, those became ever more frequent. The organ had hammered endlessly within Richter's chest until at last the beastly mother fell, and only now did it have the opportunity to calm. Unlike that of the cooling corpse stretched out on the shore, though, his would merely slow its drum instead of silencing entirely.

Much better would it have been if that larger heart had been lulled into beating softer, but the option to achieve so had long left everyone's grasp. To allow its frantic thump to continue would've only increased the odds of casualties and kept the owner fighting a battle she was already on the path to losing in a most excruciating manner. The facts were there, plain as the drying spittle in the Lesser's open jaws, yet this didn't stop Richter from staring into her dull eyes and wondering whether an alternative choice had escaped his notice.

He didn't cheer over a challenge conquered or revel in blood spilt. No victory could be found in orphaning creatures. Weary feet and a bothered conscience lacked any desire to tread close to the guarded nest too despite its proximity to the exit. Listlessly claws combed the lagoon's edge; what they sought, he had no idea, only wishing to busy his concerned mind.

Ryoto was the only one allowed to be close to Yvan. She's welcomed by his wings, tucked close by the wrists of them and pulled close to his legs. He tutted softly at her in an attempt to distract her, to occupy her. She didn't need to see the Squallfang's death. Even if she could hear it, if she tried to raise her head he tucked it down, protecting her from at least that much.

He didn't even want anything else. His hands ached with how hard he gripped his glaive, holding it protectively between anyone and the eggs. They aren't his eggs, he knew, and yet there's an anxiety in his heart against their demise too. Ryoto wouldn't want it, so he didn't want it. He would've eaten eggs like this if Ryoto wasn't so adamant against it.

Yvan's tail flicked one way then the other in deep wariness while people came forward to loot. Yes, they came here for treasure, but he didn't need any more. Maybe something to distract Ryoto-- no. No, she's too wound up. Crouching down, Yvan reached out and dragged whatever's closest to them closer, trying to protect her with the nest itself.

yvan's like those r/shittydovenests trying to put a stick on top of ryoto

As the squallfang fell, Gore threw its head back and crowed its glee to the ceiling. "VICTORY!! Well earned and well fought!!" It hadn't taken any note of...whatever was going on with the one's guarding the nest, for some reason, and only began to turn the body away again now that they had a proper chance to loot. "Now GET A WEAPON!! I deserve it for felling the beast!!" Ishani looked less then sure, but Buckley, oddly enough, was looking back at it with pride.

"That was really cool, Gore! I didn't know we were strong enough to do that. I'm proud of you." He glanced further back at Ishani. "We can give it a weapon, right?"

If Ishani had an eyebrow to quirk she would be giving Buckley the most quizzical glare, but as it was, it was with a bit of a blank face that she stared at him. "If it can reach to properly use a weapon." She didn't say it aloud, but maybe holding a sword or something would shut it up for a while.

Gore barked its approval and immediately began pulling the body again to move towards where there were discarded weapons, so it could pick out a good one!

"Buckley is speaking!" "GORE IS SPEAKING!!!" "Ishani is speaking..."

Soh-ling's teeth remained steadfastly clamped on the squallfang's neck until the titanic beast finally slumped to the ground, dead. It would lick it's chops before sniffing the squallfang's face, examining the dark tear-tracts and snot created by it's handiwork. It purred softly, satisfied, before turning it's attention elsewhere, casually sniffing at the piles of loot along the edge of the cave, trying to pick out something interesting from the timeworn junk.

[oh, i love you!]

Though Yvan's doing everything in his power to shield her from what's happening beyond his feathers, she knows. She knows what the crack of bone and meat and the thump! of a body meeting the sand means, and her heart aches for that knowing. She knows what unhurried footsteps must mean.

It's over, and her heart hurts because of it.

At some point in his guardianship, Ryoto turns and curls into him, fingers grasping for whatever they can mindlessly cling to. Her face meets his pebbly hide just as a silent, pitiful sob wracks her body and soaks into his scales a moment later.

No loot roll. Ryoto's too busy going through it.

The train only comes out of its mist once the commotion has stopped. Once everything is still, it rolls up to the nearest pile and just... mindlessly vacuums things. There's no other way to describe it. It runs over an object, and then, the object is gone. Stored away in a compartment inside the train that the Gembound have yet to see. It takes anything that fits. Anyone watching will likely not find it immediately obvious how the train can make something disappear just by running over it.

Hecate eyed the dying creature with some sense of loss. It was a pity, to lose something so... magnificent? Uhh. ...big? Either way, the eggs were still there, something she took note of as she went about searching for loot. Her feathered brow furrowed some as she eyed them.

"Are you going to try and raise those?" she asked Yvan bluntly. She had... some vague instinct of how to do that. Sit on them? Keep them warm. Did that even apply to reptilian or fish-like creatures such as these, though? And even if they did hatch, what then-? Finding food for hatchlings from that monster... Still, she lingered. Maybe together they could help. Somehow. She sure as hell couldn't move the eggs; each was nearly as big as she was.

In the meantime, she cast about for anything that looked... magical. Weapon, armor, trinket, whatever. She wanted something that might help her on her way, whatever it might be.

@Yvan (addressing!)

The treasure hunt took place to a backdrop of surf, rushing gently and rhythmically to and from the cave. The soft hissing of the water at least eclipsed any sounds of dripping blood. The scent of the freshwater sea helped to hide the odors of violence and magical decay lingering behind.

When all was said and done, the Gembounds could proceed along the narrow, slippery, but otherwise not very treacherous pathway around the lagoon. If they fell in, well, they could just climb back out. The gap at cave's end led up into a tunnel, shafts of light and hanging vines guiding their way out.

This tunnel was one that merged with three others: all four dungeon wings recombining into a single exit, a half-collapsed (but still traversible) open passageway that wound, quite far, back up to Lacerta's surface. The top was safe, overgrown but miraculously free of predators, and in fact not too far from the staging ground where they'd started.

They would be free to go, with the experience, minor injuries, and loot that they'd acquired--and a story to tell, if they chose to share it.

Surely Bartholomew Bear would wish to know of their survival.

Click for Loot Results!

Nebula would find a single, shining Gemcoin. In addition, he'd find a slender, silvery chain tiara with a crescent moon that would dangle at the forehead. Or he could wear it as a pendant, or wind it around a leg. It was enchanted with Dreamwalk, granting elaborate daydreams that might be prophecy or simply misplaced magic.

Vestyge would find eighteen coins. He'd also remember that a Lesser who reproduced sexually (laying eggs) would not, in fact, have a gemstone. This obvious fact would likely occur to such an ancient Valkhound fairly early on in his search. There were other gemstones, though, lying around the treasure pile. An Emerald glittered with serpentine hues, reflecting the cave's sea colors. This was something he could take with him. It had once belonged to a monstrosity of a creature: some fifteen feet long but without a long tail. It had a pair of bright purple eyes, birdlike in their intensity, and a body that was long and low, aquatic in design. Sleek feathers had covered its upper body, but beneath lay layers of pale brown, ridged chitin. Its lower body, mottled with dull green, had three insectoid limbs sprouting out to either side. The neck was flexible, long and chitinous, with a snapping beak framed by shearing mandibles. The creature sort of looked like a cross between a giant water bird and a huge louse of some kind.

Survivor finds five coins, along with an enchanted ivory dagger. The dagger itself is beautifully carved from a single bone or tooth, cared for so that it's still silky smooth. The blade holds a single curved edge. The dull side is carved in a wavy pattern, as is the ivory hilt. The enchantment is Fountain: it adds little splashes of water to strikes, and it has imbued this dagger with an oddly watery aura. It's a strange choice for an enchantment, but the weapon has an almost ceremonial appearance.

Hrimfaxi procures seventeen coins, and a golden drinking mug. This mug is odd: while heavy and formed of pure gold, it's been created in the style of a very typical beer stein or tavern mug. It's not a fancy chalice, though it is inlaid along the top with jade stone.

Richter finds twelve coins, along with a strange decorative pot. It's shining black onyx, with golden inlay in the form of winding vines and leaves. It may take time to figure out that it's enchanted with Blossom: anything planted in the pot will grow much faster than usual, as will things close around it.

Yvan finds a single coin close by, but no others. Most of the loot was right underfoot, in and around the nest, so he had his choice of items. The most valuable-looking of them was a sleek silvery sword, gleaming with some kind of purple-pink alloy. Tattered purple-pink ribbons hung from the silvered hilt, and probably had once been lovely silk--but little but thread now remained of these. The sword was lightly curved, slender in blade, like a katana but pointed at its tip. The blade was enchanted with Supernova: strikes with it would ignite targets with a small amount of flame. A warm aura like flickering white fire shrouded the blade with ghostly light.

Triage finds two coins. They also find a strange weapon. The bottom half looks rather like a gnarled wooden staff, albeit hard and very strong. The top half is a single long, curving blade, but oddly mottled and pocked, rather than shining. The entire weapon is green and brown, but with a grayish cast, dark and dull. The organic appearance of the weapon was further enhanced by a soft green glow: the hint of a Flora Call enchant, which would cause plants near the target of its strikes to become uncooperative with the target, for example tripping up or scratching them.

Soh-Ling finds five coins, along with another enchanted weapon from the armory the Squallfang seemed to be defending: a steel scythe, its handle a dark and fragrant rosewood with a leather-wrap grip. The weapon also looked organic, but bumpy and gray, as though it were made of or infected by some kind of disgusting fungus. It was enchanted with Decay, so that injuries it inflicted had a chance of being infected with a painful necrotic fungus that prevented healing.

Titivilus consumes nine coins from the ground, spiriting them away, along with a dark wooden box carved with a leafy jungle theme. Within the box (which has dark brass hinges) lay a number of carvings. Each were beautiful but highly stylized, formed of variously colored wood and bone to represent one each of Lacerta's strange, unique Lessers. Each had one gemstone embedded on it, generally in an eye. If Titivilus (or anyone else) attempted to test these for life or even revive them, they'd find that each gemstone was indeed living, with Fledgling-level magic... by no means a guaranteed revival, but a chance.

Hecate, oddly, continues her "water magic completely unrelated to her own element" enchanted loot finds, along with nine coins. This time, rather than water breathing, the silver engraved ring she finds (studded with tiny aquamarines) is enchanted with Blue Sense. It's easy to notice, since it is currently glowing very blue.

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.

---

Characters may exit at will. After posting their exit, they may a) post in Magicka Market for the thread claim, b) add their loot to their inventory, and c) post in Update Me for a soon-to-be-released achievement!

Those who did not post this round must make up for any missed rounds before their loot search/exit/claim. This should be GM-tagged for, as this thread will no longer be checked otherwise! Other wings of the dungeon will be completed in the coming days!

@Nebula @Richter @Vestyge @Survivor @Triage @Yvan @Ryoto @Hrimfaxi @Titivilus @Soh-Ling @Hecate

Vestyge nudged the great, dead beast with a claw in a half-hearted examination. He'd now remembered what sex was, how it worked, and why it meant that this particular specimen would not have a stone. The smell of meat and nothing else drove home the point. In his defense, he didn't make a habit of killing mothers. He was a little rusty on the parts of biology that didn't tell him the best place to stab.

He toyed with the idea of dragging the massive corpse back to Scorpio, but he doubted anyone else would be eager to haul something this size. It'd only be for money, and money was made-up anyways.

One hand held the skull, and the other grabbed the sparkling emerald he'd spotted. Two gemstones, hopefully strong ones. They'd be examined, recorded, and then they'd decide what to do with them. Vestyge was sure Luna wouldn't mind if he took some of these for himself, though he wasn't sure what use a kid would be to him right now. He'd figure it out.

[exit]